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press releases.

Science8 Mar 2024

Glowing flowers illuminate homes and gardens with organic light

Sun Valley, ID - March 8, 2024 – Recent discoveries published in Science Advances have unveiled a native plant gene that enables researchers to more effortlessly harness the captivating glow of bioluminescent plants. This gene, which varies across different plant species, allows for the redirection of living energy into organic light. The advancement reveals the intricate inner rhythms and dynamics of plants through continuously evolving luminosity, offering a natural source of illumination for homes, gardens, and beyond. The study received support from Light Bio, a pioneer in the development of bioluminescent plants. Light Bio is dedicated to fostering ...

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Science8 Mar 2024

Research sheds light on new strategy to treat infertility

New research from Oregon Health & Science University describes the science behind a promising technique to treat infertility by turning a skin cell into an egg that is capable of producing viable embryos. Researchers at OHSU documented in vitro gametogenesis, or IVG, in a mouse model through the preliminary steps of a technique that relies upon transferring the nucleus of a skin cell into a donated egg whose nucleus has been removed. Experimenting in mice, researchers coaxed the skin cell’s nucleus into reducing its chromosomes by half, so that it could then be fertilized ...

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Science8 Mar 2024

Study shows how oestrogen protects against fatty liver

New research from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows how oestrogen protects against MASLD, a fatty liver disease that has increased dramatically during the current obesity epidemic. The study, published in Molecular Systems Biology, shows how a new drug under development could become a future treatment for fatty liver disease and liver cancer. The global obesity epidemic has resulted in a dramatic increase in fatty liver, a disease in which fat that does not fit into fat cells is stored in liver cells instead. Since last year, fatty liver due to obesity (and not excessive alcohol consumption) is known as MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease). ...

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Science8 Mar 2024

Bald eagles eat prairie dogs? Researchers underscore relationship between raptors and rodents in the southern plains

We all know that bald eagles like fish. Few of us, however, picture them soaring over grasslands seeking out prairie dog snacks. In a new paper from the Journal of Raptor Research, lead author Courtney Duchardt and coauthors make the case that prairie dogs are an important resource for at least four species of raptors overwintering in the Southern Great Plains, bald eagles included. Their paper, titled “Overwintering Raptor Abundance and Community Composition in Relation to Prairie Dog Colonies in the Southern Great Plains,” explains the first broad scale look into the relationship between prairie dogs and their aerial predators, and illuminates ...

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Science8 Mar 2024

High cholesterol was twice as prevalent among American Indian teens and young adults

Research Highlights: A study of more than 1,400 people in U.S. tribal communities found that high cholesterol was twice as prevalent among American Indian adolescents and young adults compared to the overall U.S. population. The study also noted that few study participants with high cholesterol sought or received treatment during the study period. DALLAS, March 8, 2024 — Young American Indians, ages 15-39, had cholesterol levels more than two times higher than the general U.S. population, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American ...

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Science8 Mar 2024

Impact of onset time, number, type, and sequence of extrahepatic organ failure on prognosis of acute-on-chronic liver failure

Background and Aims The impact of the characteristics of extrahepatic organ failure (EHOF) including the onset time, number, type, and sequence on the prognosis of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) patients remains unknown. This study aimed to identify the association between the characteristics of EHOF and the prognosis of ACLF patients. Methods ACLF subjects enrolled at six hospitals in China were included in the analysis. The risk of mortality based on the characteristics of EHOF was evaluated. Survival of study groups was ...

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Science8 Mar 2024

Small class sizes not better for pupils’ grades or resilience, says study

Smaller class sizes in schools are failing to increase the resilience of children from low-income families, according to a study published in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Science Education. Data on more than 2,700 disadvantaged secondary (high) school students shows that minimizing pupil numbers in classrooms does not lead to better grades. Reducing class sizes could even decrease the odds of children achieving the best results, say the study authors. The quantity of teachers also does not increase the odds of pupils from the poorest backgrounds achieving academically, despite concerns over staff shortages in schools. Instead, the researchers ...

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Science8 Mar 2024

Two-dimensional bimetallic selenium-containing metal-organic frameworks and their calcinated derivatives as electrocatalysts for overall water splitting

Transition metal selenides have been considered to be a good choice for electrocatalytic water splitting. In addition, Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been used to make catalysts with good electrocatalytic capabilities. Traditionally, the MOF-derived selenides are produced via the self-sacrificing MOF template methods. However, this strategy is high-energy consuming, and it is difficult to precisely control the structure and component homogeneity of the product during pyrolysis. A research group of Wang-ting Lu, Fan Yu, and Yun Zheng ...

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Science8 Mar 2024

An increase in the number of extreme cold days in North China during 2003–2012

How extreme weather and climate events change is an intriguing issue in the context of global warming. As IPCC AR6 points out, cold extremes have become less frequent and less severe since the 1950s, mainly driven by human-induced climate change. However, cold extremes could also exhibit robust interdecadal changes at regional scale. A recent study by researchers from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, presents robust interdecadal changes in the number of extreme cold days in winter over North China during 1989–2021, and the findings have been published in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters. ...

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Science8 Mar 2024

Open creativity: Increased creativity due to network relationships

This paper's objective is to show that the network of frequent relationships that is established between agents in coworking environments, through weak ties, increases the generation of ideas. Thus, the present work argues that collaborative spaces can expand individuals' creativity, as they constitute a social hub for exchanging experiences and visions between individuals from different social and professional backgrounds [Blagoev et al. (2019)]. Through frequent relationships and weak ties, these social connections allow individuals to access different levels of insights and inspirations that make it possible to ...

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Science8 Mar 2024

Mutation solves a century-old mystery in meiosis

Movies such as ‘X-Men,’ ‘Fantastic Four,’ and ‘The Guardians,’ which showcase vibrant mutant heroes, have captivated global audiences. Recently, a high-throughput genetic screening of meiotic crossover rate mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana garnered the interest of the academic community by unraveling a century-old mystery in the life sciences. A research team, consisting of Professor Kyuha Choi, Dr. Jaeil Kim, and PhD candidate Heejin Kim from the Department ...

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Science8 Mar 2024

How a common food ingredient can take a wrong turn, leading to arthritis

A University of Colorado Department of Medicine faculty member says she and her colleagues have identified the means in which bacteria in the digestive system can break down tryptophan in the diet into an inflammatory chemical that primes the immune system towards arthritis. The research was co-authored by Kristine Kuhn, MD, PhD, Scoville Endowed Chair and head of the CU Division of Rheumatology. Several of her division colleagues collaborated on the paper, which was published in February in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid found in many protein-rich foods, including meats, fish, dairy products, and certain seeds and nuts. It has many uses in the ...

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Science7 Mar 2024

NJIT Chemist wins Wallace H. Coulter Award for Career Achievements

NJIT Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Wunmi Sadik has recently been honored with the prestigious Wallace H. Coulter Lectureship during a guest appearance at one of the largest scientific conferences on laboratory science in the world, Pittcon. The Wallace H. Coulter Lectureship is presented each year at Pittcon to an “outstanding individual who has demonstrated a lifetime commitment to, and made important contributions that have had a significant impact on education, practice and/or research in laboratory science.” Sadik, chair of NJIT's ...

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Science7 Mar 2024

Surprise: Egg-laying amphibian provides nutrient-rich “milk” to its young

An egg-laying species of worm-like amphibian feeds a lipid-rich milk-like substance to its hatchlings, according to a new study. The findings report a previously unobserved behavior and offer new insight into the species’ parental care and communication. Among vertebrates, the embryonic yolk is often the only nutritional investment mothers offer to feed offspring. However, some species have developed parental care behaviors involving the production and provisioning of specialized foods, such as the production of lipid-rich milk in mammals. Feeding offspring with nutrient-rich milk was long seen as a trait unique to mammals. However, several non-mammalian ...

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Science7 Mar 2024

Fishing for oil and meat drives deepwater shark and ray decline

The international liver oil and meat trade is driving rapid depletion of deepwater sharks and rays – an outcome that is potentially irreversible due to these animals’ extremely slow life histories. The findings highlight the need for immediate trade and fishing regulations . The deep ocean – the largest and one of the most complex ecosystems on Earth – is considered the last natural biodiversity refuge from the reach of human activities. It also remains one of the Earth’s least-studied environments. As such, there have been no comprehensive evaluations of the state of deepwater biodiversity. Despite international commitments ...

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Science7 Mar 2024

Shape-shifting ultrasound stickers detect post-surgical complications

EVANSTON, Ill. — Researchers led by Northwestern University and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a new, first-of-its-kind sticker that enables clinicians to monitor the health of patients’ organs and deep tissues with a simple ultrasound device. When attached to an organ, the soft, tiny sticker changes in shape in response to the body’s changing pH levels, which can serve as an early warning sign for post-surgery complications such as anastomotic leaks. Clinicians then ...

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Science7 Mar 2024

The Malaria parasite generates genetic diversity using an evolutionary ‘copy-paste’ tactic

By dissecting the genetic diversity of the most deadly human malaria parasite – Plasmodium falciparum – researchers at EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) have identified a mechanism of ‘copy-paste’ genetics that increases the genetic diversity of the parasite at accelerated time scales. This helps solve a long-standing mystery regarding why the parasite displays hotspots of genetic diversity in an otherwise unremarkable genetic landscape. Malaria is most commonly transmitted through the bites of female Anopheles mosquitoes infected with P. falciparum. The latest world malaria report ...

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Science7 Mar 2024

Loss of nature costs more than previously estimated

Researchers propose that governments apply a new method for calculating the benefits that arise from conserving biodiversity and nature for future generations. The method can be used by governments in cost-benefit analyses for public infrastructure projects, in which the loss of animal and plant species and ‘ecosystem services’ – such as filtering air or water, pollinating crops or the recreational value of a space – are converted into a current monetary value. This process is designed to make biodiversity loss and the benefits of nature conservation more visible in political decision-making. However, the international research team ...

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Science7 Mar 2024

Lack of functional eyes does not affect biological clock in zebrafish

Functional eyes are not required for a working circadian clock in zebrafish, as a research team1 including CNRS scientists has now shown. Though it is understood that the eye plays a key role in mammalian adaptation to day-night cycles, the circadian clock is most often studied in nocturnal vertebrates such as mice. The zebrafish, in contrast, is a diurnal vertebrate. Through observation of various zebrafish larvae lacking functional eyes,2 the team of scientists has demonstrated that the latter are not needed to establish circadian rhythms that remain synchronized with light-dark ...

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Science7 Mar 2024

NJIT professor trains college counselors to help fight antisemitism

As data from the Anti-Defamation League shows antisemitism growing on college campuses in recent years and spiking after the Hamas-Israel conflict, a New Jersey Institute of Technology researcher is doing her part to combat the trend by developing a training model that will help prepare mental health professionals who work with Jewish students. Modern students are hearing people chant slogans without understanding the intentions behind the words, or finding swastikas and other anti-Jewish graffiti on their campuses, but they are not encountering suitably trained counselors and psychologists who understand their ...

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Science7 Mar 2024

MD Anderson research highlights for March 7, 2024

HOUSTON ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights showcases the latest breakthroughs in cancer care, research and prevention. These advances are made possible through seamless collaboration between MD Anderson’s world-leading clinicians and scientists, bringing discoveries from the lab to the clinic and back. Recent developments at MD Anderson offer clinical insights into a novel treatment strategy for patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML), molecular insights into Burkitt lymphoma development, a therapeutic target to overcome ...

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Science7 Mar 2024

Prepare workers to weather time shocks

AUSTIN, Texas — Managers can do much to help their workers become more resilient to inevitable time disruptions in today’s workplace, says new research from The University of Texas at Austin. With intricate supply chains and operations that sprawl across time zones, workplace time disturbances are only increasing. Such temporal disruptions aren’t just inconvenient, says David Harrison, Texas McCombs professor of management professor: They can carry tangible business costs, such as impaired health, increased mistakes, and reduced ...

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Science7 Mar 2024

Democratic backslide a threat to free elections globally

Over half of the 60 countries holding national elections this year are experiencing a democratic decline, risking the integrity of the electoral process, as reported in the latest Democracy Report from the V-Dem Institute at the University of Gothenburg. The worsening election quality is concerning, given the pivotal role elections play in either reinforcing or mitigating the trend of autocratization. The wave of democratic backsliding, or autocratization, continues to be noticeable, according to the report. 42 countries are autocratizing, and 71 percent of the world’s population now live in autocracies – up from 48 percent ten years ago. There ...

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Science7 Mar 2024

Plant science: Tracing the spread of cacao domestication

The cacao tree (Theobroma cacao), whose beans (cocoa) are used to make products including chocolate, liquor and cocoa butter, may have spread from the Amazon basin to the other regions of South and Central America at least 5,000 years ago via trade routes, suggests a paper published in Scientific Reports. These findings, based on residues in ancient vessels, reveal how different strains of cacao tree were bred and suggest that cacao products were more widely used among ancient South and Central American cultures than previously thought. The modern cacao tree — whose scientific ...

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Science7 Mar 2024

National trends in sales and price for commercial tobacco and nicotine products

About The Study: Although cigarettes remained the dominant product sold during the study period (2018-2022), their market share decreased, leading to a more diverse marketplace at a range of price points. The fastest growing and only price-stable products were modern oral nicotine (e.g., nicotine pouches). The most expensive products were electronic nicotine delivery systems, yet prices decreased in 2019, coinciding with the emergence of cheap, flavored disposable vapes. Cigars, which are largely flavored, remained the cheapest product, driven by low cost and small pack sizes, which is concerning given that flavored ...

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