Science
press releases.

Science1 Jul 2024

AI-powered study explores under-studied female evolution

Pioneering AI-powered research on butterflies has probed the under-studied evolution of females and adds to a debate between the founding fathers of evolution. The University of Essex study – published in Communications Biology – explores a controversy between Victorian scientists Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. Darwin thought males had more variation, as females often chose mates based on male appearance. Whereas Wallace thought natural selection across sexes was the biggest factor in difference. For over a century, scientists ...

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Science1 Jul 2024

New findings may fix the replicability crisis in microbiome research

Our bodies are inhabited by trillions of microorganisms, with specific microbes unique to each individual. Through experimentation, scientists have pinpointed certain factors that account for variation in the gut: diet, living conditions, exercise and maternal line. Now, scientists at University of California San Diego have discovered another factor that affects the composition of the gut microbiome: time of day. In fact, the scientists have found that time of day is such an important factor that they’re calling on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to require researchers ...

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Science1 Jul 2024

Largest ever genetic study of age of puberty in girls shows links with weight gain

Genes can indirectly influence the age at which girls have their first period by accelerating weight gain in childhood, a known risk factor for early puberty, a Cambridge-led study has found. Other genes can directly affect age of puberty, some with profound effects. In the largest study of its kind to date, an international team led by researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, studied the DNA of around 800,000 women from Europe, North America, China, Japan, and Korea. Published today in Nature Genetics, the researchers found more than 1,000 variants – small changes in DNA – that ...

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Science1 Jul 2024

Individuals can tell if their memories are trustworthy, new study shows

How much trust should we put in our memories? New research shows we have a good awareness of when we are recalling events accurately – and when our brain is filling in gaps with general knowledge. Memories are a blend of recalled details and ‘prototypical’ information, but a study at the University of Birmingham has shown that when prototypes appear more prominent, we become less confident in the recollection. This means that we are able to distinguish between these two types of memory, and accurately assess how ...

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Science30 Jun 2024

Intake of ultra-processed foods linked with increased risk of death

Chicago (June 30, 2024) — In a new study, older adults who reported consuming higher amounts of ultra-processed foods, as defined by the NOVA classification system, were about 10% more likely to die over a median follow-up of 23 years compared with those who consumed less processed food. The findings are based on a large study that has tracked over half a million U.S. adults for nearly three decades. According to the results, higher intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with modest increases in death from any cause and from deaths related specifically to heart ...

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Science30 Jun 2024

Trying to eat more vegetables? Snacking on carrots might help

Chicago (June 30, 2024) — A new study found that eating a snack of baby carrots just three times a week significantly increased skin carotenoids in young adults. Levels of these phytonutrients were boosted even more when this healthy snack was combined with a multivitamin containing the carotenoid beta carotene. Carotenoids, which are responsible for the bright red, orange and yellow colors of many fruits and vegetables, can be measured in the skin to gauge fruit and vegetable consumption since diet is the only source of these pigments. Higher levels of skin carotenoids are associated with increased antioxidant protection and a lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart ...

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Science29 Jun 2024

Ephemeral streams likely to have significant effect on U.S. water quality

Ephemeral streams, or those streams that flow only briefly after precipitation events, are a substantial pathway for water transfer with significant implications for water quality, a first-of-its kind study has found. These streams — which transport water pollutants, sediments, and nutrients from land surfaces to rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and ultimately the oceans — influence a substantial amount of water output of the nation’s rivers, the researchers found. Following a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision, however, they are no longer regulated by the Clean Water Act (CWA). “Our findings show that ephemeral streams ...

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Science28 Jun 2024

To regenerate the kidney, please don’t pass the salt

A loss of salt and body fluid can stimulate kidney regeneration and repair in mice, according to a NIH-funded study led by USC Stem Cell scientist Janos Peti-Peterdi and published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation. This innate regenerative response relies on a small population of kidney cells in a region known as the macula densa (MD), which senses salt and exerts control over filtration, hormone secretion, and other key functions of this vital organ. “Our personal and professional mission is to find a cure for kidney disease, a growing global epidemic affecting one out of seven adults, which translates ...

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Science28 Jun 2024

New device inspired by python teeth doubles strength of rotator cuff repairs

New York, NY—June 24, 2024—Most people, when they think about pythons, visualize the huge snake constricting and swallowing victims whole. But did you know that pythons initially hold onto their prey with their sharp, backward-curving teeth? Medical researchers have long been aware that these teeth are perfect for grasping soft tissue rather than cutting through it, but no one has yet been able to put this concept into surgical practice. Over the years, mimicking these teeth for use in surgery has been a frequent topic ...

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Science28 Jun 2024

The beginnings of fashion

EMBARGO: 4:00 Sydney AEST June 29 | 14:00 US ET June 28 2024 The beginnings of fashion Paleolithic eyed needles and the evolution of dress A team of researchers led by an archaeologist at the University of Sydney are the first to suggest that eyed needles were a new technological innovation used to adorn clothing for social and cultural purposes, marking the major shift from clothes as protection to clothes as an expression of identity. “Eyed needle tools are an important development in prehistory because they document a transition in the function of clothing from utilitarian to social purposes,” says Dr Ian Gilligan, Honorary Associate ...

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Science28 Jun 2024

Work-related nerve injuries are common with repetitive motions

Although you may not always realize it, many of the jobs you do can put strain on, and even cause damage to, your nerves. Sandra Hearn, M.D., the associate chair of Education and Professional Development in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and a team of collaborators, set out to better understand the causes of occupational nerve injuries. What is an occupational nerve injury? An occupational nerve injury refers to a problem with your peripheral nerves that's caused by a work-related activity. It's often seen ...

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Science28 Jun 2024

A few surgical procedures account for high number of opioid prescriptions

A handful of common surgical procedures account for large shares of all opioids dispensed after surgery in children and adults, according to two studies recently published by researchers at the University of Michigan. The studies, published this week in Pediatrics and JAMA Network Open, report that the top three procedures for children ages 0-11 account for 59% of opioids dispensed after surgery (tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies 50%, upper extremity fractures 5% and removal of deep implants 4%). Among those ages 12-21, the top three procedures account for ...

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Science28 Jun 2024

Elke Arenholz named director of the National Synchrotron Light Source II at Brookhaven Lab

UPTON, N.Y. — Elke Arenholz, a renowned scientist known for her expertise in magnetic materials and X-ray spectroscopy, scattering, imaging, and instrument development, has been named director of the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science user facility at DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory, effective August 2024. Arenholz’s appointment comes following a search that began in summer 2023 after John Hill, the previous director of NSLS-II, ...

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Science28 Jun 2024

Creating supranormal hearing in mice

A study from Michigan Medicine's Kresge Hearing Research Institute was able to produce supranormal hearing in mice, while also supporting a hypothesis on the cause of hidden hearing loss in humans. The researchers had previously used similar methods—increasing the amount of the neurotrophic factor neurotrophin-3 in the inner ear—to promote the recovery of auditory responses in mice that had experienced acoustic trauma, and to improve hearing in middle-aged mice. This study is the first to use the same approach in otherwise healthy young mice to ...

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Science28 Jun 2024

Heritability of body mass index among familial generations

About The Study: In this study, the weight status of parents at 17 years of age was associated with obesity risk for both female and male offspring, emphasizing that parental factors may influence the next generation’s health outcomes. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Gabriel Chodick, Ph.D., email chodick@tauex.tau.ac.il. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.19029) Editor’s Note: Please ...

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Science28 Jun 2024

New model could help provide expectant mothers a clearer path to safe fish consumption

Fish consumption during pregnancy is a complex scientific topic. On one hand, fish are rich in nutrients essential to brain development, including polyunsaturated fatty acids, selenium, iodine, and vitamin D. On the other, fish contain methyl mercury, a known neurotoxicant. This has led the US Food and Drug Administration to recommend that expectant mothers limit consumption, which inadvertently causes many women to forgo fish consumption during pregnancy altogether. Fish consumption is an important route of methyl mercury exposure, however, efforts to understand the health risk posed by mercury are further complicated by the fact that the nutritional ...

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Science28 Jun 2024

Researchers develop new and improved model to weigh the risks and benefits of fish consumption

A new model developed by researchers could help inform guidelines and improve evidence-based advice on the risks and benefits of fish consumption, especially during pregnancy. In a paper published in The American Journal of Epidemiology, researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of Mass General Brigham; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; University of Rochester Medical Center; and Cornell University present a new framework that takes into account estimated average mercury content in consumed fish, helping weigh the detrimental effects of mercury against the potential ...

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Science28 Jun 2024

Junior rank, male sex, younger age strongly linked to ‘harmful gambling’ among UK military

Several indicative factors, including junior rank, male sex, and younger age, are strongly linked to ‘harmful gambling’ among serving UK military personnel, finds an analysis of survey responses, published online in the journal BMJ Military Health. Harmful gambling refers to the toll taken on finances, health, personal relationships, and work: nearly 1 in 4 respondents reported one or other of these effects over the past year. The findings prompt the researchers to call for the prioritisation of better, earlier, and targeted support to stave off the harmful consequences of ...

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Science28 Jun 2024

Novel method optimizes extraction of antioxidant and colorant from jabuticaba peel

Scientists at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil and the University of Cadiz (UCA) in Spain have successfully deployed a novel method of extracting high-value-added chemical compounds from the peel of jabuticaba (Plinia cauliflora). The method, which simplifies the process and enhances its efficiency, is described in an article published in Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. The aim was to optimize extraction of anthocyanin, a potent antioxidant found in strawberries, blackberries and raspberries as well as jabuticabas, among other sources. It has anti-inflammatory effects and is also a natural ...

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Science27 Jun 2024

Research and efforts to combat schistosomiasis earn geographer David López-Carr several high-profile awards

(Santa Barbara, Calif.) — What if you could take an ecologically degraded environment that presents a public health problem, and devise a powerful and elegant solution that not only restores its functionality but also reduces its health impacts while addressing food and water access and alleviating poverty? An international team of biologists, social scientists and medical researchers in the U.S. and Senegal did just that, and for their innovation and research, published in the journal Nature, has received several prestigious awards. “It feels gratifying to be recognized for work finding win-win solutions for the environment and people,” said UC Santa ...

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Science27 Jun 2024

US states shape foreign policy amid national China unease, research shows

State-level officials such as governors, state legislators and attorneys general are shaping U.S.-China relations as the two countries navigate a strained geopolitical relationship, according to new research by political scientist Kyle Jaros. “The state level has independent importance in the U.S.-China relationship — it’s not just a reflection of what’s happening at the national level,” said Jaros, associate professor of global affairs in the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. “The actions taken by state and local officials — and their Chinese counterparts — not only affect their own communities, ...

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Science27 Jun 2024

WIC enrollment reduces poor pregnancy outcomes for parents and babies, study finds

More than one in 10 households in the United States last year did not have access to adequate and nutritious food, according to the U.S. government. Further, food and nutrition insecurity lead to a higher risk of poor pregnancy outcomes. The U.S. Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is one of the main federal food assistance programs that aims to reduce food insecurity for eligible pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding people and their children. WIC helps improve the health of participants and their families by providing access to food, nutrition education, and referrals ...

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Science27 Jun 2024

TREC director Jennifer Dill named editor-in-chief of Transportation Research Record

Jennifer Dill, director of Portland State University's Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC), has been named the inaugural editor-in-chief of the Transportation Research Record (TRR). The TRR—the flagship journal of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Transportation Research Board (TRB)—is one of the most cited and prolific transportation journals in the world, offering wide coverage of transportation-related topics. While maintaining her current role as the director of TREC, Dill will begin her duties ...

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Science27 Jun 2024

SUNY College of Optometry focuses on diversity and inclusion in optometry

New York, NY— This week, the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry held a continuation of their annual webinar series, Race in Optometry which started in 2020. Aimed at fostering a national dialogue that leads to necessary changes to increase diversity in the optometric profession and education, the annual webinar focused on Headwinds: Navigating Barriers to Success. This webinar was the seventh installment in a series hosted annually around the Juneteenth holiday by the College’s Office of Continuing Professional ...

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Science27 Jun 2024

Taxing shared micromobility: How cities are responding to emerging modes, and what's next

Shared micromobility (including shared electric scooters and bikes provided by private companies) is one of the newest transportation options that has come to cities in the last several decades. A new report explores the different ways cities charge shared micromobility companies to operate, and how these funds are used. In the newly released report, John MacArthur of Portland State University, Kevin Fang of Sonoma State University and Calvin Thigpen of Lime examine data from 120 cities in 16 countries around the world. They also conducted a survey of cities’ shared micromobility ...

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