Science
press releases.

Science30 May 2024

Why some nest-invading cuckoo birds have higher rates of speciation

Cuckoos – which lay their eggs in nests of other birds – have higher speciation rates when they lay their eggs in a broader range of host bird species’ nests, a new study reports. This higher speciation rate is driven by host rejection and cuckoo selection for mimetic nestling traits. How new species arise is a fundamental question in biology. Coevolution between closely interacting species is thought to increase biodiversity and potentially explain the vast number of distinctly specialized species. However, evidence linking macroevolutionary patterns to microevolutionary ...

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Science30 May 2024

Model reveals global patterns of organic decomposition in rivers

Integrating big data and a coordinated global field experiment, researchers have developed a model that can predict the decomposition rate of organic matter in rivers worldwide. The global model estimates decomposition rates in rivers across vast understudied areas of Earth, revealing rapid decomposition across continental-scale areas dominated by human activities. Earth's terrestrial ecosystems generate over 100 billion tons of plant detritus annually, with its fate – long-term storage, mineralization to greenhouse gasses, or incorporation into food webs – determined by decomposition rates. This organic material is continually added to rivers ...

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Science30 May 2024

Tiny worm helps uncover long-lasting prenatal effects from amphetamines

Amphetamine is a psychostimulant that has been used to treat a variety of brain dysfunctions. However, it is a highly abused drug. In fact, amphetamine and amphetamine-derived compounds such as methamphetamine (Meth) are among the most abused psychostimulants in the world. The neurological effects caused by acute or chronic use of amphetamine have been broadly investigated and several studies have shown that proteins involved in the synthesis, storage, release and reuptake of dopamine (DA), a neurotransmitter that plays a role as in ...

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Science30 May 2024

Banners backfire: Misinformation impact on search results

ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell University researchers have found in a public health emergency, most people pick out and click on accurate information during internet searches. Though higher-ranked results are clicked more often, they are not more trusted. And the presence of misinformation does not damage trust in accurate results that appear on the same page. However, banners at the top of the search results page warning about misinformation decrease trust in accurate information, according to the research published in Scientific Reports. The relationship between ...

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Science30 May 2024

UC3M is a shareholder of five of its researchers’ new spin-offs

The Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) has become a shareholder of five new companies recently set up and promoted by different researchers: Applied Innovative Methods, Hiili, Persei Space, Seevia Technologies and 60Nd. UC3M participates in the share capital of its spin-offs in order to contribute to their business development. This minority and temporary shareholding is articulated in accordance with the regulations for the creation of knowledge-based university companies. AI Methods, S.L., led by Manuel Soler ...

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Science30 May 2024

Research spotlight: Illuminating the mechanisms behind severe inflammation in asthma

How would you summarize your study for a lay audience? Previous research indicates that mast cells, a type of immune cell found in the tissues throughout the body, cause inflammation during an asthma attack, inducing symptoms such as trouble breathing and narrowing of the airways. Our study demonstrates that prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a naturally occurring chemical in the human body previously thought to inhibit mast cell activation, elicits mast cells to prevent inflammation by creating a molecule called soluble ST2 (sST2), which can mitigate signs and symptoms of asthma by blocking the actions of interleukin 33, a powerful proinflammatory ...

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Science30 May 2024

Florida Inventors Hall of Fame celebrates 2024 inductees: Ushering in a new era of innovation

TAMPA, Fla (May 30, 2024) – The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame has announced its 2024 inductees: nine visionaries whose groundbreaking inventions have propelled technological advancement and reshaped the landscape of American innovation. These inventors exemplify Florida’s rich tradition of ingenuity. Paul R. Sanberg, chair of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame Advisory Board and president of the National Academy of Inventors, said of the new inductees: "The Class of 2024 represents the best of innovation in Florida, and their achievements underscore the critical role that innovation plays in driving progress and improving the quality of ...

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Science30 May 2024

Cheap, dirty leftovers can produce pure oxygen

New materials for producing oxygen may challenge traditional production methods. This is exciting news, because pure oxygen is in demand from many areas in industry and medicine. “We have identified materials that can store and release pure oxygen much faster and at much lower temperatures than known materials currently used for this purpose,” says Professor Sverre Magnus Selbach at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU’s) Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Oxygen is an element, so it ...

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Science30 May 2024

Study finds that better sleep is associated with lower loneliness

DARIEN, IL – A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2024 annual meeting found that better sleep health was associated with lower levels of loneliness, and this association was stronger among younger adults. Results indicate that better sleep health was associated with significantly lower total loneliness, emotional loneliness and social loneliness. While better sleep health was associated with lower total and emotional loneliness across ages, this association was stronger for younger adults. However, age did not moderate the association ...

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Science30 May 2024

Combining simulations and experiments to get the best out of Fe3Al

Osaka, Japan – The compound of iron and aluminum with the chemical formula Fe3Al has some very useful mechanical properties. A team from Osaka University has combined simulations with experimental techniques to better understand the kinetics of the formation of microstructures to enhance and utilize these properties and how to harness them for specific applications. In a study recently published in Acta Materialia, the researchers took an in-depth look at the way the microstructure of Fe3Al develops because the ordered domains that form contribute to one of its key properties: superelasticity. When high loads are applied to superelastic materials they ...

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Science30 May 2024

Picture this: Snapping photos of our food could be good for us

New Curtin University research reveals taking pictures of food isn’t just content for our social media feeds, but could be the key to improving people’s diets. Published in the prestigious American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the feeding study saw researchers measure the weight of meals, which were then provided to participants over a day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Participants compared different technology-assisted methods to recall what they had eaten over the past 24 hours. One method asked participants to take photos of their meals using the mobile Food Record app. These ...

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Science30 May 2024

Portable pathology passes the test

On-site pathology tests for infectious diseases in rural and remote locations can be just as reliable and accurate as tests carried out in a hospital laboratory, a new report from Flinders University shows. Flinders University researchers tested the quality of on-site pathology testing, or Point-of-Care-Testing (POCT), for molecular-based, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) detection in over 100 remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia. “Our study demonstrates that when point-of-care testing models are effectively established and managed, the quality of pathology results can be equivalent to ...

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Science30 May 2024

Virtual lab meetings improve undergraduate research experience and foster diversity in academia

Moisés A. Bernal, assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Auburn University, is collaborating with researchers Kathleen Lotterhos (Northeast University), Megan Phifer-Rixey (Drexel University), and Torrance Hanley, (Sacred Heart University) to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual lab meetings in demystifying the hidden curriculum in academia, incentivize primary research among students without previous experience, and foster participation of underrepresented groups in STEM. The “Biological Practices” article entitled A virtual lab meeting training program mutually benefits mentees and host labs was recently published ...

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Science29 May 2024

Rice researchers uncover surprising role of opioid receptors in gut development

Researchers at Rice University have revealed a previously unknown function of opioid receptors in the development of the enteric nervous system (ENS), often referred to as the “brain in the gut.” This discovery challenges conventional understanding of opioid receptors, shedding new light on their significance beyond pain management and addiction. Led by Rosa Uribe, an assistant professor of biosciences at Rice and a Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Scholar, the research team identified the genes critical for ENS development by conducting a series of experiments using zebrafish ...

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Science29 May 2024

Slugs and snails love the city, unlike other animals

Most native species avoid more urbanized areas of Los Angeles, but slugs and snails may actually prefer these environments, according to a study publishing May 29 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Joseph Curti from the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues. Urban areas continue to grow around the world, putting pressure on native species that find it difficult to tolerate the habitat changes and pollution it brings. To conserve and even increase biodiversity in cities, scientists and city planners need large-scale data on the ecological communities present, but this is time consuming and difficult to collect. Researchers used data from iNaturalist, a large ...

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Science29 May 2024

Babies babble squeals and growls in clustering patterns observable from birth through the first year, suggesting this active vocal exploration is important to speech development

In the first large-scale observation with human coding of infant vocalizations using all-day home recordings, babies of all ages from birth up to a year old squealed and growled in significant cluster patterns, suggesting the babies may have been actively engaged in noisemaking play and sound practice, according to a study published May 29, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Hyunjoo Yoo from the University of Alabama, Pumpki Lei Su from the University of Texas at Dallas, and colleagues. In their first year of life, babies spend a remarkable amount of time vocalizing—both responding with noises to parents and caregivers, as well as self-directed babbling that could ...

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Science29 May 2024

The sweat bee, H. rubicundus, is less sociable in Scotland than in Cornwall, but is genetically differentiated and genetically isolated too

The sweat bee, H. rubicundus, is less sociable in Scotland than in Cornwall, but is genetically differentiated and genetically isolated too ### Article URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0302688 Article Title: Genetic differentiation at extreme latitudes in the socially plastic sweat bee Halictus rubicundus Author Countries: Netherlands, UK Funding: This work is part of a project that received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Horizon's 202 research and innovation programme (grantagreement no. 695744). RAB was funded by a Wageningen Graduate School Postdoctoral Talent fellowship and a BBSRC discovery ...

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Science29 May 2024

Public have no difficulty getting to grips with an extra thumb, study finds

Cambridge researchers have shown that members of the public have little trouble in learning very quickly how to use a third thumb – a controllable, prosthetic extra thumb – to pick up and manipulate objects. The team tested the robotic device on a diverse range of participants, which they say is essential for ensuring new technologies are inclusive and can work for everyone. An emerging area of future technology is motor augmentation – using motorised wearable devices such as exoskeletons or extra robotic body parts to advance our motor ...

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Science29 May 2024

Dariusz Stramski selected as 2024 recipient of the Nils Gunnar Jerlov Medal

Professor Dariusz Stramski of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego has been selected by The Oceanography Society as the 2024 recipient of the Nils Gunnar Jerlov Medal in recognition of his significant and wide-ranging contributions to the field of optical oceanography. With a distinguished career spanning over 40 years, Dr. Stramski has made profound impacts on the study of ocean optics. Born in Poland, Stramski received his M.S. with honors in oceanography (1978) and Ph.D. in Earth ...

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Science29 May 2024

Graphene gets cleaned up

Graphene has been called “the wonder material of the 21st century.” Since its discovery in 2004, the material—a single layer of carbon atoms—has been touted for its host of unique properties, which include ultra-high electrical conductivity and remarkable tensile strength. It has the potential to transform electronics, energy storage, sensors, biomedical devices, and more. But graphene has had a dirty little secret: it's dirty. Now, engineers at Columbia University and colleagues at the University of Montreal and the National Institute of Standards and Technology are poised to clean things up with an oxygen-free chemical vapor ...

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Science29 May 2024

Editing without “cutting”: Molecular mechanisms of new gene-editing tool revealed

Joint research led by Yutaro Shuto, Ryoya Nakagawa, and Osamu Nureki of the University of Tokyo determined the spatial structure of various processes of a novel gene-editing tool called “prime editor.” Functional analysis based on these structures also revealed how a “prime editor” could achieve reverse transcription, synthesizing DNA from RNA, without “cutting” both strands of the double helix. Clarifying these molecular mechanisms contributes greatly to designing gene-editing tools accurate enough for gene therapy treatments. The findings were published in the journal Nature. The ...

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Science29 May 2024

Children often exposed to problematic click bait during YouTube searches

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – When a child peruses YouTube, the content recommended to them is not always age appropriate, a new study suggests. Researchers mimicked search behaviors of children using popular search terms, such as memes, Minecraft and Fortnite, and captured video thumbnails recommended at the end of each video. Among the 2,880 thumbnails analyzed, many contained problematic click bait, such as violence or frightening images, according to the Michigan Medicine led research in JAMA Network Open. “Children spend a significant amount of time on free video sharing platforms that ...

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Science29 May 2024

Grow the skin you’re in: in vivo generation of chimeric skin grafts

Researchers from Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) find that donor keratinocytes injected into mouse embryos form sheets of epidermis that can be used as autologous skin grafts Tokyo, Japan – Skin grafting is an essential procedure used to treat severe skin wounds. In the case of extensive wounds, however, it can be challenging to harvest enough donor skin, and generating artificial skin substitutes that include hair follicles and sweat glands and can engraft on deep wounds has not been successful. Now, researchers from Japan report a new way to “grow your own” donor skin that could help improve the success of skin graft generation. In a study published last ...

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Science29 May 2024

Longer freight trains have a higher risk of derailment, new study shows

In February 2023, 38 cars from a 151-car, 9,300-foot-long freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, leading to the release of hazardous materials that required the evacuation of more than 2,000 residents. In recent years, such longer and heavier freight trains have become more common, primarily driven by fuel efficiency, cost-savings, and emissions reduction measures in the railroad industry. New research in the journal Risk Analysis has confirmed that longer freight trains bring with them a higher risk of derailment. The study found that a 100-car train is more than twice as likely to experience a derailment than ...

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Science29 May 2024

Electrochromic films — like sunglasses for your windows?

Advances in electrochromic coatings may bring us closer to environmentally friendly ways to keep inside spaces cool. Like eyeglasses that darken to provide sun protection, the optical properties of these transparent films can be tuned with electricity to block out solar heat and light. Now, researchers in ACS Energy Letters report demonstrating a new electrochromic film design based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that quickly and reliably switch from transparent to glare-diminishing green to thermal-insulating red. Hongbo Xu and colleagues used MOFs in their electrochromic film because of the crystalline substances’ abilities to form thin ...

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