Science
press releases.

Science17 Jun 2024

Breakthrough approach enables bidirectional BCI functionality

Brain-computer interfaces or BCIs hold immense potential for individuals with a wide range of neurological conditions, but the road to implementation is long and nuanced for both the invasive and noninvasive versions of the technology. Bin He of Carnegie Mellon University is highly driven to improve noninvasive BCIs, and his lab uses an innovative electroencephalogram (EEG) wearable to push the boundaries of what’s possible. For the first time on record, the group successfully integrated a novel focused ultrasound stimulation to realize bidirectional BCI that both encodes and decodes brain waves using machine learning in a study with 25 human subjects. This work opens ...

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Science17 Jun 2024

African research funders in global spotlight through Dimensions indexing project

African research is receiving a major visibility boost with the indexing of 10 national funders in Dimensions, the world’s largest linked research database. This project is a collaboration with Digital Science, the Africa PID Alliance (APA), the Association of African Universities (AAU), the Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa), and the Research Organization Registry (ROR). “This project connects the research outputs from leading African funding bodies to the global research ecosystem,” said Joy Owango, Executive Director of TCC Africa ...

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Science17 Jun 2024

SwRI breaks ground on new hypersonic engine research facility

SAN ANTONIO — June 17, 2024 —Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) today celebrated the groundbreaking of the Center for Accelerating Materials and Processes (CAMP), a new facility that will support research and development for tomorrow’s high-speed aerospace engines. “This project will help ensure the U.S. is a leader in high-speed propulsion research and development,” said Dr. Barron Bichon, director of SwRI’s Materials Engineering Department. “SwRI is committed to advancing this vital technology on behalf of Texas and the nation.” Market forces including growth in global defense, air travel, ...

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Science17 Jun 2024

Face screening tool detects stroke in seconds

A new smartphone face-screening tool could help paramedics to identify stroke in seconds – much sooner and more accurately than is possible with current technologies. Strokes, which affect millions of people globally, occur when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or reduced, which prevent brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients. A few minutes of delay can result in permanent damage to the brain cells. A team of biomedical engineers at RMIT University developed the AI capabilities behind the software technology and has published their results ...

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Science17 Jun 2024

Camelid nanobodies: Transforming food allergen analysis

Recent advancements show nanobodies from camelid antibodies excel in food allergen detection with superior stability, specificity, and cost-effectiveness. This innovative approach aims to improve accuracy and efficiency, crucial for preventing severe allergic reactions. The study highlights nanobodies' potential in reliable immunoassays, addressing rising food allergies and enhancing safety measures. Food allergies pose significant health risks, affecting millions worldwide, with the prevalence rising over the past decades. Traditional detection methods, such as monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, are often costly, labor-intensive, and prone to cross-reactions. The need for ...

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Science17 Jun 2024

Finding hidden genetic treasure: Study uncovers untapped diversity in historic wheat collection

A decade-long collaborative study has discovered huge genetic potential that is untapped in modern wheat varieties. The international study which appears in Nature reveals that at least 60% of the genetic diversity found in a historic collection of wheat is unused providing an unprecedented opportunity to improve modern wheat and sustainably feed a growing global population. To make this discovery, a cross-institutional collaboration led by Dr Simon Griffiths, at the John Innes Centre and Professor Shifeng Cheng at the Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), studied the A.E. Watkins Landrace Collection, a ...

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Science17 Jun 2024

Researchers develop plant gene drive system for enhanced trait inheritance

A collaborative research team led by QIAN Wenfeng from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Peking University has developed a plant gene drive system called CRISPR-Assisted Inheritance utilizing NPG1 (CAIN), which, according to the researchers, uses a toxin-antidote mechanism in the male germline to override Mendelian inheritance in plants. Their findings were published in Nature Plants. In nature, gene inheritance typically follows Mendel's laws, which provide an equal chance for alleles to pass on to ...

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Science17 Jun 2024

Bedtime battles: 1 in 4 parents say their child can’t go to sleep because they’re worried or anxious

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Many bedtime battles stem from children’s after dark worries, suggests a new national poll. And while most families have bedtime rituals to help their little ones ease into nighttime, many rely on strategies that may increase sleep challenges long term, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. Overall, one in four parents describe getting their young child to bed as difficult – and these parents are less likely to have a bedtime routine, more likely to leave on a video or TV show, and more likely to stay with their child until they’re ...

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Science17 Jun 2024

Nile perch invasion triggered genetic bottlenecks in lake Victoria's endemic cichlids

Newfound evidence reveals that the upsurge of the exotic Nile perch in Lake Victoria had long-lasting effects on the genetic diversity of various local cichlid species, report scientists from Tokyo Tech. Through large-scale comparative genomic analyses, the researchers found concrete proof in the collective genome of multiple species that this artificially introduced perch decimated many local fish populations, causing a 'bottleneck effect.' The careless introduction of exotic species by humans into ecosystems can lead to truly catastrophic results, as has been ...

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Science17 Jun 2024

Increasing use and awareness of oral nicotine pouches detailed

WASHINGTON – A rigorous, comprehensive synthesis of evidence from 62 studies related to the use of oral nicotine pouches by Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center scientists and colleagues provides a much-needed assessment of how these products could lead to potential harmful consequences if used by young people. Oral nicotine pouches were first introduced in the U.S. in the past decade and are pre-portioned white granular packets containing nicotine placed between the gums and lips, marketed as tobacco-free, and are sold in various flavors and nicotine strengths. The findings appeared ...

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Science17 Jun 2024

How disposable vapes have become a prominent part of young people’s lives

Peer-reviewed – Qualitative study - Humans A new study has provided an in-depth look into the rising trend of disposable vape use among young people in the UK. The research, led by the University of East Anglia, reveals that young people see smoking and vaping as interchangeable, but are far more aware of the potential harms of vaping than they are of the dangers of smoking. The findings also suggest that banning disposable vape products or increasing their prices could lead young people to revert to smoking tobacco. Many of the young people questioned also believed that ...

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Science16 Jun 2024

NIH-funded intervention did not impact opioid-related overdose death rates over evaluation period

A data-driven intervention that engaged communities to rapidly deploy evidence-based practices to reduce opioid-related overdose deaths – such as increasing naloxone distribution and enhancing access to medication for opioid use disorder – did not result in a statistically significant reduction in opioid-related overdose death rates during the evaluation period, according to results from the National Institutes of Health’s HEALing (Helping to End Addiction Long-Term) Communities Study. Researchers identified the COVID-19 pandemic and increased prevalence ...

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Science15 Jun 2024

Insights into the salivary glands

TLS are accumulations of lymphoid cells that share similar cellular compartments, organization, and function as secondary lymphoid organs. Importantly, the presence of these structures in inflamed salivary glands associated with active disease, increased autoantibody production, and malignancy risk. “To treat patients effectively, comprehensive understanding of the salivary gland microenvironment is needed”, said Saba Nayar, “but current profiling efforts often struggle to capture high-plex 'omics data while preserving the spatial architecture of the tissue.” To ...

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Science15 Jun 2024

Holistic approach to care

The 16-week Plants for Joints trial investigated the effects of a multidisciplinary lifestyle intervention in people with RA, as compared to usual care. The intervention was based on a whole-food, plant-based diet – alongside physical activity and stress management. Previous reports showed this intervention significantly reduced the 28-joint disease activity score (DAS28) compared to usual care alone.2,3 To expand on this, the researchers wanted to determine the long-term effectiveness of the intervention, specifically with ...

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Science15 Jun 2024

Reduction of esters by a novel photocatalyst

The sweet smell of strawberries and other fruits is thanks to a chemical compound called ester, which is also found in many fats and polyesters. The ubiquitous compound can be broken down to produce desirable alcohols and other chemicals for use across industries including pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, but the process can be costly, both financially and in terms of the environment. Now, a team of researchers with the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) in Japan has developed a novel approach using light as an energy ...

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Science15 Jun 2024

Is there a link between increased headaches and hotter temperatures for individuals with migraines?

As temperatures rise, so do chances for migraine attacks, according to a new study from a team of researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Errex Inc. and Teva Pharmaceuticals USA. Inc. “Weather change is one of the most common trigger factors for migraine,” says Vincent Martin, MD, director of the Headache and Facial Pain Center at UC's Gardner Neuroscience Institute and UC Health physician. He is the study’s lead author and president of the National Headache Foundation. These findings from the study, which looked at use of Fremanezumab and whether it could prevent headaches ...

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Science14 Jun 2024

Technique improves the reasoning capabilities of large language models

CAMBRIDGE, MA - Large language models like those that power ChatGPT have shown impressive performance on tasks like drafting legal briefs, analyzing the sentiment of customer reviews, or translating documents into different languages. These machine-learning models typically use only natural language to process information and answer queries, which can make it difficult for them to perform tasks that require numerical or symbolic reasoning. For instance, a large language model might be able to memorize and recite a list of recent U.S. presidents and their birthdays, but that same model could fail if asked the question “Which U.S. presidents elected after 1950 ...

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Science14 Jun 2024

URI study examines challenges, barriers to care for individuals leaving residential substance use facilities

Residential treatment is among the most effective tools for treating substance use disorder, with people in these settings showing improvement not only in their substance use but also in their mental health, social functioning and quality of life. However, when people leave residential substance use facilities, they face immense challenges as they attempt to reintegrate into their communities and return to their normal lives. As many as 40 to 70 percent of people who complete residential treatment return ...

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Science14 Jun 2024

Gonadal function in male mice disrupted by prenatal risk factors

Researchers have consistently shown that prenatal exposure to Di (2-ethyhexyl) phthalate harms the reproductive system in male mice and causes fertility defects. In a new study, scientists from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have shown that the combination of DEHP and a high-fat diet in pregnant mice can cause more damage to pups than each factor alone. Male reproductive disorders are a growing issue due to the global decrease in sperm count and quality. Concerningly, chemicals like DEHP, which can be found in food storage containers, pharmaceuticals, and building materials, have been ...

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Science14 Jun 2024

Novel insights into fluorescent ‘dark states’ illuminate ways forward for improved imaging

(MEMPHIS, Tenn. – June 14, 2024) Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital today announced a way to improve molecular scale distance measurements using single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET). smFRET quantifies the excitation and emission properties of chemicals called fluorophores. When an excited electron in the fluorophore relaxes, it emits light after a delay, causing the molecule to glow (fluoresce). However, fluorophores don’t always fluoresce after excitation. Instead, through quantum mechanical ...

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Science14 Jun 2024

High out-of-pocket costs may be barrier to filling naloxone prescriptions, study shows

Patients are less likely to fill prescriptions for naloxone when they face increases in out-of-pocket costs, according to U-M researchers. Patients are less likely to fill prescriptions for naloxone when they face increases in out-of-pocket costs, according to research by the University of Michigan. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study utilized data from a national pharmacy transactions database from November 2020 to March 2021. Researchers found that about 1 in 3 naloxone ...

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Science14 Jun 2024

Sharks have depleted functional diversity compared to the last 66 million years

New research by Swansea University and the University of Zurich has found that sharks retained high levels of functional diversity for most of the last 66 million years, before steadily declining over the last 10 million years to its lowest value in the present day. Modern sharks are among the ocean’s most threatened species; yet have notably survived numerous environmental changes in their 250-million-year history. Today, their more than 500 species play many different ecological roles, from apex predators to nutrient transporters. Ecological roles are determined by species’ traits such as body size, ...

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Science14 Jun 2024

Encouraging cooperation in inflammatory arthritis

Inflammatory arthritis describes a group of diseases caused by an overactive immune system. The different types of inflammatory arthritis include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. The most common symptoms are joint pain and stiffness. Pain is the predominant symptom in the majority of people with inflammatory arthritis, which contributes to the global burden of rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions.1 Knowledgeable support can reduce ...

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Science14 Jun 2024

Is fish intake linked to JIA?

In 2019, a Swedish prospective birth cohort study of over 15,000 children showed that consuming fish at least once a week during pregnancy and during the first year of life was associated with up to a 5-fold increased risk of JIA, compared to those with fish consumption less than once a week. This increased risk was primarily attributed to elevated exposure to heavy metals.1 Now, new research shared at the 2024 congress of EULAR – The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology – is investigating ...

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Science14 Jun 2024

Unpicking the complexity of systemic sclerosis

SSc is a connective tissue disease with variable clinical presentation. It may affect the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and musculoskeletal system – and this complexity and diversity makes it challenging to treat.2 This clinical heterogeneity in SSc may be partially explained by SSc-specific antibodies, but a better understanding of additional risk factors and patient stratification is still needed. Three abstracts shared at the 2024 EULAR congress present a selection of new clinical research to enrich knowledge ...

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