Science
press releases.

Science5 Jun 2024

Injury prediction rule could decrease radiographic imaging exposure in children, study shows

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – While cervical spine injuries (CSI) are uncommon in children, they can be potentially devastating, resulting in quadriplegia – paralysis below the neck affecting both arms and both legs. Detecting CSIs in a clinical setting often requires imaging such as X-rays and computed tomography (CT) scans, both of which expose children to radiation, which can cause other health issues over time. In a study published today in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, researchers in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) – led by Julie Leonard, MD, MPH at Nationwide Children’s Hospital –created a highly accurate ...

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Science5 Jun 2024

Rate of global warming caused by humans at an all-time high say scientists

University of Leeds press release UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 00.01 UK BST, 5 JUNE 2024 (19.01 US ET, 4 JUNE 2024) The second annual Indicators of Global Climate Change report, which is led by the University of Leeds, reveals that human-induced warming has risen to 1.19 °C over the past decade (2014-2023) – an increase from the 1.14 °C seen in 2013-2022 (set out in last year’s report). Looking at 2023 in isolation, warming caused by human activity reached 1.3 °C. This ...

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Science5 Jun 2024

AIs are irrational, but not in the same way that humans are

Large Language Models behind popular generative AI platforms like ChatGPT gave different answers when asked to respond to the same reasoning test and didn’t improve when given additional context, finds a new study from researchers at UCL. The study, published in Royal Society Open Science, tested the most advanced Large Language Models (LLMs) using cognitive psychology tests to gauge their capacity for reasoning. The results highlight the importance of understanding how these AIs ‘think’ before entrusting them with tasks, particularly those involving decision-making. In recent years, the LLMs ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

Researchers discover neural circuit involved in compulsive eating even without hunger

For the first time, researchers have identified a group of neurons deep in the brain that are associated directly with compulsive eating and food craving. The discovery is reported in an article published in Nature Communications by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the United States and the Federal University of the ABC (UFABC) in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo state (Brazil). The neurons are located in the periaqueductal gray, a region of the midbrain at the top of the brainstem, and are known as vesicular ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

Convergence and collaboration to achieve circularity

The linear consumption model of raw material extraction, production, use, and disposal dominates the global economy, but it’s led to serious unintended global consequences: from resource use to pollution including negative impacts on environmental and human health that disproportionately affect the Global South. In contrast, circular economy – a model where products and materials are by design kept in continual use – aims to decouple economic growth from resource consumption. While approaches ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

SNMMI Annual Meeting to take place June 8-11, 2024

WHAT: The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2024 Annual Meeting The field of nuclear medicine is undergoing rapid and widespread growth—offering patients increasingly precise, tailored, painless diagnosis and treatment with minimal side effects and exceptional results. This year’s program will focus on new radiopharmaceuticals, instrumentation, and techniques for managing a wide range of diseases, from cancer, brain, and heart disease to infection and inflammation. The meeting will convene more than 6,500 attendees from around the globe. With more than 100 ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

Flying saucers and alien abductions: New book explores history of UFOs

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The end of the Second World War ushered in a new age, one dominated by novel technologies, the Cold War, the threat of nuclear destruction — and the first reported UFO sightings. Humans have witnessed strange aerial events since ancient times, but what makes UFOs unique is that the term “unidentified flying object” represents both a concept and a theory, according to Greg Eghigian, professor of history and bioethics at Penn State. In his new book, “After the Flying Saucers Came: A Global History of the UFO Phenomenon,” Eghigian explores how individuals, scientists, governments ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

Lost in lockdown: Study reveals feeling isolated from others can warp our perception of time

Feelings of loneliness and social isolation during the pandemic left many people confused about the order of events and struggling to remember what day of the week it was, a new study reveals. The research, from the University of York, looked at the psychological impact of the pandemic, which spread to the UK in March 2020, through the lens of disorientation. The researchers asked more than 3,300 French participants nearly 60 questions analysing the psychological effects of lockdowns. The survey took place during an acute phase of restrictions when there was a lockdown followed by a strict curfew. The findings ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

Microscope system sharpens scientists’ view of neural circuit connections

The brain’s ability to learn comes from “plasticity,” in which neurons constantly edit and remodel the tiny connections called synapses that they make with other neurons to form circuits. To study plasticity, neuroscientists seek to track it at high resolution across whole cells, but plasticity doesn’t wait for slow microscopes to keep pace and brain tissue is notorious for scattering light and making images fuzzy. In a paper in Scientific Reports, a collaboration of MIT engineers and neuroscientists describes a new microscopy system designed for fast, clear, and frequent imaging of the living brain. The system, ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

Observing ultrafast photoinduced dynamics in a halogen-bonded supramolecular system

Researchers uncover how the halogen bond can be exploited to direct sequential dynamics in the multi-functional crystals, offering crucial insights for developing ultrafast-response times for multilevel optical storage. Halogen bonds are intermolecular interactions that arise from the attraction between a halogen atom (group 17 elements in the periodic table) and another atom with lone pairs, more generally a molecular entity with high electron density. Understanding the distinctive and highly directional nature of halogen bonds is crucial for crystal engineering and studying ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

Mapping lava flows with groundbreaking field instrument

WASHINGTON, June 4, 2024 – Millions of people live near active volcanoes that are constantly monitored for signs of an impending eruption. When one occurs, scientists and governments rely on data to estimate the extent of the possible damage, informing evacuation plans and disaster response efforts. The nature of eruptions, unfortunately, means collecting data about them can sometimes be as challenging as organizing a response. In Review of Scientific Instruments, by AIP Publishing, researchers from the University at Buffalo developed a tool for measuring the viscosity of lava that could increase our understanding of molten rock as well as better improve ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

Service dogs for veterans and military members with posttraumatic stress disorder

About The Study: This nonrandomized controlled trial found that compared with usual care alone, partnership with a trained psychiatric service dog was associated with lower posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity and higher psychosocial functioning in veterans. Psychiatric service dogs may be an effective complementary intervention for military service–related PTSD. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Marguerite E. O’Haire, Ph.D., email maggieohaire@arizona.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.14686) Editor’s ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

Duke-NUS breakthrough discovery identifies first step in allergic reactions, paving the way for new preventative strategies

Scientists at Duke-NUS Medical School have identified how the first domino falls after a person encounters an allergen, such as peanuts, shellfish, pollen or dust mites. Their discovery, published in the April issue of Nature Immunology, could herald the development of drugs to prevent these severe reactions. It is well established that when mast cells, a type of immune cell, mistake a harmless substance, such as peanuts or dust mites, as a threat, they release an immediate first wave of bioactive chemicals against the perceived threat. When mast cells, which reside under the skin, around blood vessels and in the linings of the airways and the gastrointestinal tract, simultaneously release ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

Study reveals high rate of drowsy driving by teens

DARIEN, IL – A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2024 annual meeting found that drowsy driving by teenagers is a common threat to public safety on U.S. roadways. Results of the National Sleep Foundation study show that approximately one in six adolescent drivers reported having driven drowsy. Based on these responses, the authors project that 1.7 million teenage drivers have driven drowsy, and more than 400,000 teens drive drowsy at least once per week. The majority of teens pointed to work or ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

Getting more sleep leads to increased gratitude, resilience and flourishing

DARIEN, IL – A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2024 annual meeting found that healthy sleep has a positive impact on gratitude, resilience and flourishing in adults. Results show that subjective sleepiness and mood disturbances improved with earlier bedtimes that extended sleep by an average of 46 minutes per night and worsened with later bedtimes that reduced nightly sleep by an average of 37 minutes. Measures of flourishing, resilience and gratitude significantly improved across the week with sleep extension and significantly worsened with sleep restriction. Sleep-extended ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

Smart thermostats provide sleep insights at home

DARIEN, IL – A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2024 annual meeting offers a framework for an objective, non-invasive and zero-effort sleep monitoring system utilizing smart thermostats equipped with motion sensors. Results show that smart thermostats identified three distinct sleep quality clusters, with clear variations in sleep duration, disturbances and efficiency. Comparative analysis underscored the heterogeneity in sleep quality, highlighting the potential of smart devices and NextGen IoT data sources in identifying sleep patterns and contributing to sleep research ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

'Teen Rex’ discovery highlighted in experience and film at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science

PRESS RELEASE UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL JUNE 4, 2024 at 5 a.m. US EASTERN TIME CONTACT: Julio Poletti, Public Relations Manager, Julio.poletti@dmns.org, 917.783.6760 DENVER (May 28, 2024) — The Denver Museum of Nature & Science announces the discovery and display of a teenage Tyrannosaurus rex fossil— affectionately named “Teen Rex” — in its temporary experience, "Discovering Teen Rex" opening to the public on June 21, at 1:30 p.m. The fossil was discovered in the badlands of North Dakota by ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

Taking care of caregivers of children with ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by elevated levels of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity that can impair academic and social functioning. ADHD is also associated with increased levels of parenting stress, less effective parenting practices, and can disrupt the parent-child relationship. The importance of support for parents of children with ADHD is widely acknowledged in Japan, but specialized parent training programs targeting ADHD have not been available. However, a new program developed at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) aims to reduce the strain on families ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

Soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy analysis of isolated water molecules within aqueous acetonitrile solutions

Herein, the O K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) profile of an aqueous acetonitrile solution presented a distinct sharp peak not commonly observed in the corresponding profile of liquid water. Inner-shell calculations coupled with molecular dynamics simulations revealed that this sharp peak originated from isolated water molecules surrounded by acetonitrile molecules, rather than from water clusters. Hence, O K-edge XAS could facilitate the electronic-structural analysis of isolated water molecules, differentiating their contributions ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

US pre-teens discover rare juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex; Science expedition chronicled in extraordinary documentary

Marmarth, ND – Three keen-eyed young fossil hunters made the discovery of a lifetime when they found the remains of a rare teenage Tyrannosaurus rex that could rewrite history, scientists and filmmakers announce today. The boys -- brothers Liam and Jessin Fisher, 7 and 10 years old at the time, and their 9-year-old cousin, Kaiden Madsen -- spotted a large fossilized leg bone on a walk in the Hell Creek badlands area of North Dakota on July 31, 2022. Believing they had found a relatively common duckbill dinosaur, they sent a photo to family friend and Marmarth native Dr. Tyler Lyson, Associate Curator of Vertebrate Palaeontology at the Denver ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

Study reveals billion-dollar toll of domestic violence in California

A comprehensive new study by Tulane University’s Newcomb Institute and the University of California San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy has quantified the staggering economic impact of intimate partner violence in California, revealing billions in costs that deeply affect survivors, communities and taxpayers across the state. The report, “The Costs of Intimate Partner Violence in California,” reveals a cost of $73.7 billion to the state in health care, lost productivity and income and criminal justice ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

Others’ words, not firsthand experience, shape scientific and religious belief formation, HKUST study finds

An international research team led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has uncovered in a recent research project that people’s beliefs in science and religion are primarily shaped by the words of others, rather than their personal experiences. The study could help enhance public understanding of people’s belief formation in important scientific issues, such as climate change and vaccination. Conventionally, people are generally more confident about the existence of scientific phenomena, like oxygen, than religious phenomena, like God, as it is thought that people can experience oxygen, for instance, while it is harder to observe ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

Human activity contributed to woolly rhinoceros’ extinction

Researchers have discovered sustained hunting by humans prevented the woolly rhinoceros from accessing favourable habitats as Earth warmed following the Last Ice Age. An international team of researchers, led by scientists from the University of Adelaide and University of Copenhagen, used computer modelling to make the discovery, shedding light on an aeons-old mystery. “Using computer models, fossils and ancient DNA, we traced 52,000 years of population history of the woolly rhinoceros across Eurasia at a resolution not previously considered possible,” said lead author Associate ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

Sunshine spurs spending: Investors bet big on sunny days

It’s often said we can’t control the weather. But what if the weather controls how and when we invest our money? More specifically, what if the skies control how much we’re willing to gamble in the stock market? New research by the University of South Australia has found a connection between pleasant weather conditions and higher investment in lottery-like stocks. Lottery-like stocks are cheap compared to other stocks and, like lottery tickets, they can be seen as an opportunity to make a substantial gain. However, the chance of a higher return is minimal, and it’s therefore considered a high-risk investment. A study by UniSA finance researchers ...

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Science4 Jun 2024

Key nutrients help plants beat the heat

LA JOLLA (June 4, 2024)—Global temperatures are on the rise, with experts projecting an increase of 2.7°F by 2050. Because plants cannot regulate their own temperatures, they are especially sensitive to these temperature changes. In higher temperatures, plants instruct their root systems to grow faster, creating long roots that stretch through the soil to absorb more water and nutrients. While this response may help the plants in the short term, new research suggests it’s both unsustainable for the plants and potentially ...

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