Science
press releases.

Science25 Jun 2024

European countries differ in their drinking styles – what is yours?

A new study of drinking patterns across Europe from 2000 to 2019 shows that drinking occurs in stable, beverage-specific clusters that seem to be partly determined by geography. The study was published today by the scientific journal Addiction. The study identified six drinking patterns in Europe in 2019: Wine-drinking countries: France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Sweden. Characterized by the highest consumption of wine, lowest consumption of beer and spirits, and lowest overall alcohol consumption. High beer/low spirit drinking ...

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Science25 Jun 2024

New research questions safety of cannabidiol for pregnant women

Vienna, Austria: Cannabidiol (CBD), one of the active ingredients in cannabis, is thought to be safe as it does not cause a “high”. Increasing numbers of pregnant women take CBD, believing that it can help alleviate symptoms such as morning sickness, insomnia, anxiety and pain. However, research presented today (Tuesday) at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum 2024 [1,2], suggests that it may affect offspring. Two studies in mice have shown that gestational exposure to CBD alters the behaviour of offspring and also affects the nerve cells (neurons) in the insular cortex (IC) ...

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Science24 Jun 2024

New research shows why you don’t need to be perfect to get the job done

When neuroscientists think about the strategy an animal might use to carry out a task – like finding food, hunting prey, or navigating a maze – they often propose a single model that lays out the best way for the animal to accomplish the job. But in the real world, animals – and humans – may not use the optimal way, which can be resource intensive. Instead, they use a strategy that’s good enough to do the job but takes a lot less brain power. In new research, Janelia scientists set out to better ...

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Science24 Jun 2024

Leading the way in nursing home care

A researcher at the University of Missouri has developed a program that improves the quality of care and reduces avoidable hospitalizations in nursing homes — saving Missouri nursing homes and Medicare millions of dollars and allowing Missouri nursing homes to invest more in retaining their most skilled staff members. The program is so successful that it’s being recommended for use in all 50 states. The Quality Improvement Program for Missouri (QIPMO) was created by Marilyn Rantz in 1999 as a partnership between Mizzou’s Sinclair School of Nursing and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. For the past 25 years, the program has allowed Rantz and ...

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Science24 Jun 2024

Study elucidates role of “G900” gene enhancers in asthma-associated inflammation

Asthma patients experience respiratory distress due to allergens like house dust mites or pollen. However, the various triggers for asthma share a common pathway involving the release of proteins called type-2 cytokines by Type-2 helper T (Th2) cells and group-2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s). Both Th2 and ILC2 require high amounts of GATA-binding protein 3 (GATA3) for their maturation. Specific gene sequences called enhancers are responsible for elevating the expression of GATA3 genes in humans. Studies have found that by controlling the production of GATA3, enhancers influence the development of Th2 and ILC2. The gene region G900, located close to ...

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Science24 Jun 2024

Secrets of drop stains unveiled: New FSU research decodes chemical composition from simple photos

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Imagine zooming in on a dried drop of salt solution — each pattern a unique masterpiece, reminiscent of abstract art, yet no larger than the size of a penny. New research by scientists in the Florida State University Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry uses the patterns formed by a dried salt solution to train a machine learning algorithm that can identify the chemical composition of different salts. The work will be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “We are taking chemical fingerprints ...

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Science24 Jun 2024

New USF study: Mindfulness and managing emotions lead to better sleep

Media Contact: John Dudley (814) 490-3290 (cell) jjdudley@usf.edu TAMPA, Fla. (June 24, 2024) – Mindfulness – focusing on the present moment – can improve sleep, reduce stress and improve overall health. A new University of South Florida-led study helps explain why. Researchers studied 144 nurses over two weeks to see how well they could stay focused on the present and how often they fixated on negative thoughts. The nurses completed surveys three times a day and reported their sleep quality the following morning. The findings shed light on how mindfulness relates to emotion ...

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Science24 Jun 2024

New model shows more realistic picture of intimate partner violence

ITHACA, N.Y. – Intimate partner violence is notoriously underreported and correctly diagnosed at hospitals only around a quarter of the time, but a new method provides a more realistic picture of who is most affected, even when cases go unrecorded. PURPLE (Positive Unlabeled Relative PrevaLence Estimator), an algorithm developed by researchers at Cornell University, estimates how often underreported health conditions occur in different demographic groups. Using hospital data, the researchers showed that PURPLE can better quantify which groups of women are most likely to experience intimate partner violence compared with methods that ...

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Science24 Jun 2024

Damon Runyon announces inaugural class of SPARK Scholars

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has named the first cohort of the Damon Runyon Scholars Program for Advancing Research and Knowledge (SPARK), a one-year intensive cancer research internship program for post-baccalaureate students who come from varied backgrounds . The goal of the program is to provide young trainees who have the potential to become leaders in cancer research with rigorous scientific training and a network of mentors and peers to support their next steps into graduate school and beyond. SPARK Scholars will conduct ...

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Science24 Jun 2024

No assembly required

University of Missouri researchers have developed a way to create complex devices with multiple materials — including plastics, metals and semiconductors – all with a single machine. The research, which was recently published in Nature Communications, outlines a novel 3D printing and laser process to manufacture multi-material, multi-layered sensors, circuit boards and even textiles with electronic components. It’s called the Freeform Multi-material Assembly Process, and it promises to revolutionize ...

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Science24 Jun 2024

Myths about intermittent fasting, debunked

In a new article, researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago debunk four common myths about the safety of intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting has become an increasingly popular way to lose weight without counting calories. And a large body of research has shown it’s safe. Still, several myths about fasting have gained traction among clinicians, journalists and the general public: that fasting can lead to a poor diet or loss of lean muscle mass, cause eating disorders, or decrease sex hormones. In a new commentary in Nature Reviews Endocrinology, UIC researchers debunk each of these. They base their ...

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Science24 Jun 2024

Altmetric 500 data offers wider insight into research’s most influential articles

Digital Science, a technology company serving stakeholders across the research ecosystem, today announces an exciting new tranche of data that throws light on how and why research cuts through to society at large – in the shape of the Altmetric 500. A decade on from the first Altmetric 100 reports, which listed the most influential academic articles in a given year, a leading provider of alternative metrics for published research is now releasing an upgraded overview of research engagement: the Altmetric ...

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Science24 Jun 2024

New security loophole allows spying on internet users visiting websites and watching videos

Internet users leave many traces on websites and online services. Measures such as firewalls, VPN connections and browser privacy modes are in place to ensure a certain level of data protection. However, a newly discovered security loophole allows bypassing all of these protective measures: Computer scientists from the Institute of Applied Information Processing and Communication Technology (IAIK) at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) were able to track users' online activities in detail simply by monitoring fluctuations in the speed of their internet connection. No malicious code is required to exploit this vulnerability, ...

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Science24 Jun 2024

How much oxygen do very premature babies need after birth?

Giving very premature babies high concentrations of oxygen soon after birth may reduce the risk of death by 50 percent, compared to lower levels of oxygen says new research led by University of Sydney researchers. When premature babies are born, they sometimes need help breathing because their lungs haven’t finished developing. To help babies during this process, doctors may give them extra oxygen through a breathing mask or breathing tube. The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, examined clinical trial data and outcomes of ...

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Science24 Jun 2024

Study Shows Stricter Alcohol Policies Are Associated with Reduction in Homicides

Ann Arbor, June 24, 2024 – Alcohol consumption is involved in a large proportion of homicides and suicides each year in the United States, but there has been limited evidence on how policies targeting alcohol use influence violence. A statistical analysis in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, indicates that more restrictive alcohol policy environments are associated with a reduction in specific states’ homicide rates. Lead investigator James P. Murphy, PhD, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA, says, "Previous studies have found a significant relationship between some state-level ...

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Science24 Jun 2024

Correcting biases in image generator models

Image generator models – systems that produce new images based on textual descriptions – have become a common and well-known phenomenon in the past year. Their continuous improvement, largely relying on developments in the field of artificial intelligence, makes them an important resource in various fields. To achieve good results, these models are trained on vast amounts of image-text pairs – for example, matching the text "picture of a dog" to a picture of a dog, repeated millions of times. Through this training, ...

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Science24 Jun 2024

NYU creates Center for Mind, Ethics, and Policy

New York University has established the Center for Mind, Ethics, and Policy, which aims to further our understanding of the sentience and moral status of nonhumans, notably animals and AI systems. “The world contains quintillions of animals, and in the future, it could contain an even larger number of AI systems,” says Jeff Sebo, CMEP’s founding director and a professor in NYU’s Department of Environmental Studies. “Human activity is increasingly shaping the lives of these beings, and these trends raise important and difficult questions, such as: Which of these beings are sentient, ...

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Science24 Jun 2024

New mathematical proof helps to solve equations with random components

Whether it’s physical phenomena, share prices or climate models – many dynamic processes in our world can be described mathematically with the aid of partial differential equations. Thanks to stochastics – an area of mathematics which deals with probabilities – this is even possible when randomness plays a role in these processes. Something researchers have been working on for some decades now are so-called stochastic partial differential equations. Working together with other researchers, Dr. Markus Tempelmayr ...

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Science24 Jun 2024

Manipulating the frequency of terahertz signals through temporal boundaries

Terahertz technology could help us meet the ever-increasing demand for faster data transfer rates. However, the down-conversion of a terahertz signal to arbitrary lower frequencies is difficult. In a recent study, researchers from Japan have developed a new strategy to up- and down-convert a terahertz signal in a waveguide by dynamically modifying its conductivity using light, creating a temporal boundary. Their findings could pave the way to faster and more efficient optoelectronics and enhanced telecommunications. As we plunge deeper into the Information Age, the demand for faster data transmission keeps soaring, accentuated by fast progress in fields like deep learning ...

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Science24 Jun 2024

Choosing outcomes: new switchable process for synthesizing 3-aminoindolines and 2’-aminoarylacetic acids from same substrate

Aniline or nitrogen-containing organic molecules like 3-aniline-substituted indoles commonly found in natural products have shown promising results as pharmaceutical contenders. The same goes for moieties such as 2-aminoaryl acetic acid scaffold which forms the fundamental structural motif of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as diclofenac which inhibits COX-2 to relieve pain and inflammation. While there are several ways of synthesizing these molecules individually using different starting materials, can we produce them ...

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Science22 Jun 2024

12.5, the 1st Impact Factor of COMMTR released!

Clarivate released the first Impact Factor (2023 IF) of Communications in Transportation Research (COMMTR) on June 20, 2024. COMMTR's 2023 IF is 12.5, ranking in Top 1 (1/57, Q1) among all journals in "TRANSPORTATION" category, and its 2023 CiteScore is 15.2 (top 5%) in Scopus database. We would like to express our sincere appreciation for the authors, reviewers, readers, editorial board members for helping to make the journal a success. We welcome your continued readership and article ...

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Science21 Jun 2024

How old is your bone marrow?

Our bone marrow—the fatty, jelly-like substance inside our bones—is an unseen powerhouse quietly producing 500 billion new blood cells every day. That process is driven by hematopoietic stem cells that generate all of the various types of blood cells in our bodies and regenerating themselves to keep the entire assembly line of blood production operating smoothly. As with any complex system, hematopoietic stem cells lose functionality as they age—and, in the process, contribute to the risk of serious diseases, including blood cancers. We know that the risk of developing aging-associated diseases is different among different individuals. ...

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Science21 Jun 2024

ChatGPT is biased against resumes with credentials that imply a disability — but it can improve

While seeking research internships last year, University of Washington graduate student Kate Glazko noticed recruiters posting online that they’d used OpenAI’s ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools to summarize resumes and rank candidates. Automated screening has been commonplace in hiring for decades. Yet Glazko, a doctoral student in the UW’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, studies how generative AI can replicate and amplify real-world biases — such as those against disabled people. How might such a system, she wondered, rank resumes that implied someone had a disability? In ...

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Science21 Jun 2024

Study challenges popular idea that Easter islanders committed ‘ecocide’

Some 1,000 years ago, a small band of Polynesians sailed thousands of miles across the Pacific to settle one of the world’s most isolated places—a small, previously uninhabited island they named Rapa Nui. There, they erected hundreds of “moai,” or gigantic stone statues that now famously stand as emblems of a vanished civilization. Eventually, their numbers ballooned to unsustainable levels; they chopped down all the trees, killed off the seabirds, exhausted the soils and in the end, ruined their environment. Their population and civilization collapsed, with just a few thousand people remaining when ...

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Science21 Jun 2024

Activating molecular target reverses multiple hallmarks of aging

HOUSTON ― Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have demonstrated that therapeutically restoring ‘youthful’ levels of a specific subunit of the telomerase enzyme can significantly reduce the signs and symptoms of aging in preclinical models. If these findings are confirmed in clinical studies, there may be therapeutic implications for age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, heart disease and cancer. The study, published today in Cell, identified a small molecule compound ...

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