Science
press releases.

Science7 Jun 2024

New: Classification Criteria for Hand OA

Hand osteoarthritis mainly affects the distal interphalangeal, proximal interphalangeal, and thumb base joints,1 leading to joint pain, aching, and stiffness. Criteria developed by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) in 1990 are useful, but they cannot distinguish between interphalangeal or thumb base disease, and this is important since these two phenotypes may require different treatment strategies. To address this, EULAR and a team of leading experts in the field set out to develop new classification criteria sets that include radiographic features. Early phases of the project used observational data to identify self-reported, ...

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Science7 Jun 2024

Decoding salvia miltiorrhiza: a molecular approach to boosting bioactive compounds

Salvia miltiorrhiza, known as Danshen, is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease. The medicinal properties of Danshen are primarily attributed to its two major bioactive compounds: tanshinones and phenolic acids. Despite their importance, the genetic and regulatory mechanisms underlying their biosynthesis remain poorly understood. Based on these challenges, there is a pressing need for in-depth research to uncover the molecular pathways involved in the production of these ...

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Science7 Jun 2024

Advances in omics research of rosaceae

A research team has provided a comprehensive overview of the applications of omics technologies in Rosaceae plants. The study highlights significant advancements in genome sequencing, transcriptome, proteomics, and metabolomics, shedding light on the genetic regulatory mechanisms underlying crucial traits such as flower color, fragrance, stress tolerance, and fruit quality. This research is invaluable for molecular breeding and improving economic traits in Rosaceae plants, potentially leading to the rapid cultivation of new varieties and germplasm. The Rosaceae family, with its diverse species and economic importance, is a focus ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

Lakmini Kidder named Senior Vice President of Finance and Chief Revenue Officer

Lakmini Kidder, MBA, has been appointed to the newly expanded role of Senior Vice President, Finance, and Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) for Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). Kidder will begin her role on July 22. She joins VUMC from Johns Hopkins Health System in Baltimore, where she served as Vice President of Enterprise Revenue Cycle Management. In her new capacity, Kidder will assume responsibility for overseeing all aspects of VUMC’s integrated revenue cycle, encompassing hospitals, clinics, the Vanderbilt Medical Group and Vanderbilt Integrated Providers. Additionally, she will oversee revenue management and ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

Discovery highlights ‘critical oversight’ in perceived security of wireless networks

A research team led by Rice University’s Edward Knightly has uncovered an eavesdropping security vulnerability in high-frequency and high-speed wireless backhaul links, widely employed in critical applications such as 5G wireless cell phone signals and low-latency financial trading on Wall Street. Contrary to the common belief that these links are inherently secure due to their elevated positioning and highly directive millimeter-wave and sub-terahertz “pencil-beams,” the team exposed a novel method of interception using a ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

Plenary speakers and key deadlines announced for ISSCR 2025 annual meeting in Hong Kong

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) convenes world-renown scientists dedicated to stem cell research and regenerative medicine each year at its annual meeting to share the year’s most compelling basic discoveries and clinical breakthroughs in the stem cell field. Abstract submission and registration for ISSCR 2025, taking place 11-14 June 2025, will open on 2 October 2024. Abstracts submitted by 21 January 2025 will be considered for oral presentations and merit and travels awards. The ISSCR is proud to announce the ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

Employers coast to coast join movement to turn bystanders into lifesavers

DALLAS, June 5, 2024 — Nine out of 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of the hospital die, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), especially if performed immediately, can double or triple survival rates.[1] That is why the American Heart Association, celebrating 100 years of lifesaving service, will broaden efforts to drive CPR education at the community level through the Heart Walk® campaign. Heart Walk is the Association’s largest community-based activation engaging more than 220 cities ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

Botanists and archaeologists receive National Science Foundation grant to study Mediterranean history

It’s an unusual collaboration. Botanists and archaeologists don’t often work together, unless they’re studying the way people have used plants through time. But a new four-year grant from the National Science Foundation is shaking things up. It provides more than $1 million to study how Mediterranean plants that people have largely ignored evolved and diversified in one of the most formative periods of human history. “The Mediterranean is at the crossroads of Europe,” said Nicolas Gauthier, curator ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

Silkworms help grow better organ-like tissues in labs

DURHAM, N.C. -- Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed a silk-based, ultrathin membrane that can be used in organ-on-a-chip models to better mimic the natural environment of cells and tissues within the body. When used in a kidney organ-on-a-chip platform, the membrane helped tissues grow to recreate the functionality of both healthy and diseased kidneys. By allowing the cells to grow closer together, this new membrane helps researchers to better control the growth and function of the key cells and tissues of any organ, enabling them to more accurately model a wide range of diseases and test therapeutics. The research appears June 4 in the journal Science Advances. Often ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

Identifying risk factors for native coronary atherosclerosis progression after percutaneous coronary intervention

https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.15212/CVIA.2024.0033 Announcing a new article publication for Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications journal. This study was aimed at investigating factors influencing the progression of native coronary atherosclerosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A cohort of 462 patients was classified into progressive (n = 73) or non-progressive (n = 389) groups according to the presence of native coronary atherosclerosis progression on coronary angiography. ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

Mammalian adipose tissue thermogenesis evolved in eutherian mammals

Heat production in fat tissue, a trait also known as adipose tissue thermogenesis, evolved over two stages in mammals, fully developing in eutherian mammals after the group’s evolutionary divergence from marsupials, according to a new study. The results could provide insights that inform future therapies related to metabolism and obesity. Many organisms produce heat internally to regulate body temperature. It is thought that the evolution of the ability to maintain high body temperatures provided ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

Fish out of water: How killifish embryos adapted their development

The annual killifish lives in regions with extreme drought. A research group at the University of Basel now reports in “Science” that the early embryogenesis of killifish diverges from that of other species. Unlike other fish, their body structure is not predetermined from the outset. This could enable the species to survive dry periods unscathed. The turquoise killifish inhabits areas characterized by extreme conditions. The species, native to Africa, can survive prolonged periods of drought ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

The ethical matrix: it's not just smart; it's the smart thing to do

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the talk of the town, but far too often expediency has been the driver, not responsible innovation. The NYC Media Lab (NYCML) at NYU Tandon School of Engineering and Bertelsmann launched their 4th challenge this month, this time aimed at mentoring teams with projects that use AI to responsibly advance their fields. The 2024 collaboration, The Ethical Matrix Challenge: Forging New AI Frontiers in Media, Communications, Education, and Healthcare, focuses on ethical AI and its power to have a real-world influence. The four selected teams have projects that can responsibly revolutionize the way ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

Mpox continues to circulate at low numbers among gay and bisexual men who have sex with men

While mpox cases have sharply declined since the 2022 global outbreak, they continue to occur in the U.S. among gay and bisexual men who have sex with men (GBMSM), according to a UCLA-led study from EMERGEncy ID NET, a multisite surveillance network funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Though no cases were found in women, children or the unhoused, vigilance and vaccination remain important, the researchers write. The findings will be published June 6 in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

People with autism turn to ChatGPT for advice on workplace issues

A new Carnegie Mellon University study shows that many people with autism embrace ChatGPT and similar artificial intelligence tools for help and advice as they confront problems in their workplaces. But the research team, led by the School of Computer Science's Andrew Begel, also found that such systems sometimes dispense questionable advice. And controversy remains within the autism community as to whether this use of chatbots is even a good idea. "What we found is there are people with autism who are already using ChatGPT to ask questions that we think ChatGPT is partly well-suited and partly poorly suited for," said Begel, an associate professor ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

How do you know where a fish goes?

When scientists want to study the long-distance movement of marine animals, they will instrument them with a small device called an acoustic transmitter – or tag – which emits unique signals or “pings.” These signals are picked up by receivers anchored to the seafloor that record the date and time of each detection when the tagged animal comes within range. Data collected by the receivers are stored until they are retrieved by researchers and shared across members of cooperative acoustic telemetry networks. This information provides valuable insights into animal behavior, migration patterns, habitat preferences and ecosystem dynamics – all of which ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

People feel more connected to “tweezer-like” bionic tools that don’t resemble human hands

Some say the next step in human evolution will be the integration of technology with flesh. Now, researchers have used virtual reality to test whether humans can feel embodiment—the sense that something is part of one’s body—toward prosthetic “hands” that resemble a pair of tweezers. They report June 6 in the journal iScience that participants felt an equal degree of embodiment for the tweezer-hands and were also faster and more accurate in completing motor tasks in virtual reality than when they were equipped with a virtual human hand. “For our ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

Heavy lifetime cannabis use and mortality by sex

About The Study: A positive association between cardiovascular disease mortality and heavy lifetime cannabis use was observed among females in this study. Longitudinal studies are needed in general populations to investigate the potential effects of cannabis on mortality. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Alexandre Vallee, M.D., Ph.D., email al.vallee@hopital-foch.com. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.15227) Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

The rise of horse power ~4,200 years ago

1. An international research team sequenced the genomes of hundreds of horse archaeological remains to track the historical rise of horse-based mobility around 4200 years ago in the Pontic-Caspian steppes. 2. The emergence of improved breeding techniques at the time considerably enhanced the yearly capacity of horse production, which helped spreading domestic horses like a wildfire across the whole Eurasian continent. 3. The massive human migrations that spread Indo-European languages outside the steppes around 5,000 years ago were not mediated by horses, contrarily to what was previously thought. All domestic horses living on the planet today, whether racetrack ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

Severity of calls to US poison centers increases sharply for both adults, kids

America’s poison centers are fielding increasingly severe cases that are dramatically more likely to lead to severe harm or death in both adults and children, a new study from the University of Virginia School of Medicine reveals. The number of calls about intentional exposures that resulted in death among adults increased a whopping 233.9% between the beginning of 2007 and the end of 2021, the study reveals. “Intentional exposures” include cases such as suicide attempts, use of illegal drugs and ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

Novel lipopeptide proves lethal against Staphylococcus areus

A novel antibacterial lipopeptide produced by the bacterium Serratia marcescens has been shown to be highly effective in killing Staphylococcus aureus – one of the most important pathogens occurring in humans. Staphylococcus aureus is one of the five most common causes of hospital-acquired infections and is often the cause of life-threatening infections following surgery. Since the introduction of antibiotics in the early 1940s, S. aureus has by now developed resistance against most classes of antibiotics, ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

Women with excess weight as a teen or young adult may have higher stroke risk by age 55

Research Highlights: Women with excess weight at age 14 or 31 may have increased ischemic (clot caused) stroke risk before age 55. The same ischemic stroke risk was not found in men. Losing excess weight after adolescence may not eliminate the stroke risk. These findings are according to a study conducted in Finland that followed more than 10,000 people from birth into their 50s. Researchers suggest health care professionals pay attention to overweight and obesity in young people and work with them to promote healthy eating and physical activity from an early age. Embargoed ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

Hidden challenges of tooth loss and dentures revealed in new study

The hidden challenges faced by people with tooth loss and dentures has been identified by new research from the University of Sheffield. Improvements in dental care, more people living longer and the social value placed on having a healthy smile has led to people keeping their own teeth longer, but it has also led to an increasing number of people needing some kind of restoration work including crowns, bridges and implants. Many of these treatments remain unobtainable for most people due to the availability of NHS dentists and the high cost of private dental work. Removable dentures are often the only viable option for anyone experiencing tooth loss with an estimated ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

Only around half of individuals disclose or believe they should reveal having an STI prior to sexual intercourse, research to-date suggests

A review of research to-date reveals the complex nature of revealing a diagnosis of a sexually transmitted infection (STI) to a partner ahead of engaging in sexual activity. With individuals experiencing a variety of feelings and emotions related to the prospect of disclosure, the research shows that only around half or fewer individuals felt able to disclose their diagnosis to a partner before sexual engagement. Peer-reviewed results, published today in The Journal of Sex Research, also show a similar number of people believed they should have to disclose having a STI to a partner prior to engaging in sexual intercourse. In order ...

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Science6 Jun 2024

Tiny roundworms carve out unique parasitic niche inside pseudoscorpion’s protective covering

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The early worm gets the arachnid, fossil research by an Oregon State University scientist has shown. In a parasitic first, a Baltic amber specimen has revealed that millions of years ago tiny worms known as nematodes were living inside of and feeding on the outer protective layer of pseudoscorpions. “This is very strange,” said George Poinar Jr., who has a courtesy appointment in the OSU College of Science. “No other invertebrate-associated nematodes are known to have this detailed habit.” Findings were published in Historical Biology. Pseudoscorpions are a highly diverse lineage of arachnid, said Poinar, an international expert in ...

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