Science
press releases.

Science21 Feb 2024

Can yoga effectively treat chronic back pain?

New research published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research suggests that the physical postures, breathing exercises, and mindfulness practices of yoga may benefit individuals with back pain. In the study, 10 women with and 11 without chronic low back pain underwent an 8‐session yoga program over 4 weeks, with the first session conducted in a clinic and the rest delivered with a tele‐approach. Women with chronic low back pain experienced a significant decrease in pain intensity, as assessed through a 10-point visual analog scale (an average ...

Read the release

Science21 Feb 2024

Does watching TV or videos during the day affect nighttime urination?

In a study published in Neurourology and Urodynamics, adults who spent 5 or more hours a day watching TV and/or videos were more likely to develop nocturia, or the need to urinate multiple times during the night. The study drew from 2011–2016 data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Among 13,294 US individuals aged 20 and older, 4,236 (31.86%) reported experiencing nocturia, while 9,058 (68.14%) did not. Participants with 5 or more hours of TV and/or video viewing time per day had a 48% higher risk of experiencing nocturia compared with those with less than 1 hour of daily TV and/or video viewing time. “As ...

Read the release

Science21 Feb 2024

Study finds menthol cigarette ban would lead a lot of people to quit smoking

A new paper in Nicotine & Tobacco Research, published by Oxford University Press, finds that banning the sale of menthol cigarettes would likely lead to a meaningful reduction in smoking rates. Menthol cigarettes are of particular public health concern because studies have found that the cooling effects of menthol mask the harshness of cigarettes, making it easier for young people to start smoking. Prior research has also found that menthol in cigarettes makes it easier for smokers to absorb nicotine, which results in ...

Read the release

Science21 Feb 2024

Angle-dependent holograms made possible by metasurfaces

The expression "flawless from every angle" is commonly used to characterize a celebrity's appearance. This doesn't simply imply that they appear attractive from a specific viewpoint, but rather that their appeal remains consistent and appealing from various angles and perspectives. Recently, a research team from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) has employed metasurface to fabricate angle-dependent holograms with multiple functions, capturing significant interest within ...

Read the release

Science21 Feb 2024

New study: Defining the progeria phenome

“In sum, we have defined what a premature aging disease is and developed tools to allow diagnostics of patients and disease population.” BUFFALO, NY- February 20, 2024 – A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 16, Issue 3, entitled, “Defining the progeria phenome.” Progeroid disorders are a heterogenous group of rare and complex hereditary syndromes presenting with pleiotropic phenotypes associated with normal aging. Due to the ...

Read the release

Science20 Feb 2024

Cobalt-free electrodes achieved with nickel ions

Many electric vehicles are powered by lithium-ion batteries that rely on cobalt — a scarce, expensive metal with high environmental and social costs. A team of researchers from Japanese and French universities have now developed a practical nickel-based electrode material that opens new avenues to cobalt-free batteries for electric vehicles. The researchers detailed their findings in a study published on Jan. 15 in the journal Energy Storage Materials. “There is an undeniable need for cobalt-free, high-energy electrode materials for lithium-ion ...

Read the release

Science20 Feb 2024

Throwing lithography a curve

At the heart of advancing semiconductor chip technology lies a critical challenge: creating smaller, more efficient electronic components. This challenge is particularly evident in the field of lithography, the process used to create intricate patterns on semiconductor materials (called wafers) for the production of chips. Lithography uses a kind of template, called a photomask — or just mask — for creating patterns on semiconductor wafers. The industry is always looking for methods that improve resolution and manufacturability for both masks and ...

Read the release

Science20 Feb 2024

Salk scientists discover new target for reversible, non-hormonal male birth control

LA JOLLA (February 20, 2024)—Surveys show most men in the United States are interested in using male contraceptives, yet their options remain limited to unreliable condoms or invasive vasectomies. Recent attempts to develop drugs that block sperm production, maturation, or fertilization have had limited success, providing incomplete protection or severe side effects. New approaches to male contraception are needed, but because sperm development is so complex, researchers have struggled to identify parts of the process that can be safely and effectively tinkered ...

Read the release

Science20 Feb 2024

Unlike men, for professional women, having high-status connections can backfire

Women working in organizations are frequently encouraged to cultivate connections to high-status individuals based on a prominent social network theory. But new research conducted in China and the United States suggests that having high-status connections can backfire for women. The study, by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Michigan, appears in Organizational Science. “Our findings reveal a social-network dilemma for women that is contrary to a widely accepted belief that women should build their network with high-status individuals,” said Catherine Shea, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior and Theory at Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School ...

Read the release

Science20 Feb 2024

Time watching videos may stunt toddler language development, but it depends on why they're watching

DALLAS (SMU) – A new study from SMU psychologist Sarah Kucker and colleagues reveals that passive video use among toddlers can negatively affect language development, but their caregiver’s motivations for exposing them to digital media could also lessen the impact. Results show that children between the ages of 17 and 30 months spend an average of nearly two hours per day watching videos – a 100 percent increase from prior estimates gathered before the COVID pandemic. The research reveals a negative association between high levels of digital media watching and children’s vocabulary development. Children exposed to videos ...

Read the release

Science20 Feb 2024

Smiling is the secret to seeing happiness, new research reveals

Smiling for just a split second makes people more likely to see happiness in expressionless faces, new University of Essex research has revealed. The study led by Dr Sebastian Korb, from the Department of Psychology, shows that even a brief weak grin makes faces appear more joyful. The pioneering experiment used electrical stimulation to spark smiles and was inspired by photographs made famous by Charles Darwin. A painless current manipulated muscles momentarily into action – ...

Read the release

Science20 Feb 2024

The Radcliffe Wave is waving

A few years ago, astronomers uncovered one of the Milky Way’s greatest secrets: an enormous, wave-shaped chain of gaseous clouds in our sun’s backyard, giving birth to clusters of stars along the spiral arm of the galaxy we call home. Naming this astonishing new structure the Radcliffe Wave, in honor of the Harvard Radcliffe Institute, where the undulation was originally discovered, the team now reports in Nature that the Radcliffe Wave not only looks like a wave, but also moves like one – oscillating through space-time much like “the wave” moving through a stadium full of fans. Ralf Konietzka, the paper’s ...

Read the release

Science20 Feb 2024

Pesticides found in kale but at low risk levels

Kale fans can rest easy knowing pesticides used to grow the hearty greens are unlikely to end up in their salads or smoothies, a new chemical analysis of the superfood suggests. Conducting novel tests that provide the most complete picture to date of a crop’s chemical makeup, the Johns Hopkins–led team found several pesticides and compounds in Maryland-farmed kale—but no cause for alarm. “We do see minute traces of pesticides in the kale, but the levels we found are so much lower ...

Read the release

Science20 Feb 2024

Stress during pregnancy can lead to early maturation of first-born daughters

Key takeaways A UCLA-led research team found a correlation between certain aspects of early puberty in first-born daughters and high levels of prenatal stress in their mothers. The researchers did not find the same result in boys or in daughters who were not first-born. This early maturation may enable a first-born daughter to help her mother rear her other children successfully, according to UCLA anthropologist Molly Fox. A UCLA-led team of researchers has found a correlation between early signs of adrenal puberty in first-born daughters ...

Read the release

Science20 Feb 2024

If your TV spoke to you, would you buy it? Study finds people spend more on some “talking products”

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – In the classic Disney film “Beauty and the Beast,” Lumière, the candelabra character, famously sings with Mrs. Potts, a tea pot, “Be our guest, be our guest. Put our service to the test. Tie your napkin round your neck, Cherie, and we provide the rest.” When the 1991 Oscar-nominated song co-written by Indiana University alumnus Howard Ashman was released, it hardly seemed realistic that a product could sing its own praises and sell itself to consumers. But artificial intelligence today makes ...

Read the release

Science20 Feb 2024

NYU’s Jinyoung Park and SueYeon Chung win Sloan Foundation Research Fellowships

Two New York University faculty have been awarded fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation: SueYeon Chung, an assistant professor at the Center for Neural Science, and Jinyoung Park, an assistant professor at the Courant Institute for Mathematical Sciences. The fellowships recognize “exceptional U.S. and Canadian researchers whose creativity, innovation, and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of leaders,” the Sloan Foundation said in announcing this year’s ...

Read the release

Science20 Feb 2024

Generating 'buzz' about new products can influence their success

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- The way companies announce new products or build up hype can often influence their success once those new products hit the market, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York. Whether it's an upcoming blockbuster movie or a new rollout from major companies like Coca-Cola or Apple, the new research shows how companies might use this type of preannouncement marketing to their advantage. How often have you watched trailers for an upcoming movie and thought, “I can’t wait to see that,” when it hits theaters ...

Read the release

Science20 Feb 2024

Wide variation in rates of police killings suggests unnecessary deaths

One in three police homicides could have been avoided without endangering police or the public, according to a study. Eight percent of all homicides of adult men in the United States are committed by police. Using data from 2008–2017 from the National Officer-Involved Homicide Database, Josh Leung-Gagné compared police homicide rates across the 711 local police departments serving 50,000 or more residents in the United States. One explanation for differing rates of police killings is that some jurisdictions are riskier than others, which necessitates ...

Read the release

Science20 Feb 2024

Study: whether you exercise regularly or one-to-two days a week, weight loss is possible

ROCKVILLE, Md.— Whether you engage in physical activity on a regular basis or one-to-two days a week, both options produce weight loss suggests a new study published in the journal Obesity, The Obesity Society’s (TOS) flagship journal. The study is the first of its kind to examine the association between physical activity patterns and objectively-measured fat tissue mass. Guidelines from the World Health Organization recommend that adults perform at least 150 minutes per week of moderate physical activity, 75 minutes per week of vigorous physical activity or an equivalent combination of both intensities. ...

Read the release

Science20 Feb 2024

Anorexia nervosa can be life threatening in males

Anorexia nervosa affects males as well as females, and affected males have a sixfold higher mortality rate than males in the general population. A new article published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) aims to raise awareness of this life-threatening eating disorder. https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.230001 "Early identification and prompt treatment are essential," writes Dr. Basil Kadoura, a specialist in adolescent health, British Columbia Children's Hospital and University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, with coauthors. Five things to know about anorexia nervosa in males: Up to 0.3% of males will be diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. ...

Read the release

Science19 Feb 2024

Worsening distress among Latinos in the United States

Changes to the social and political landscape between 2011-2018, with dramatic events such as DACA rule changes, new presidential leadership, immigration bills and more, have left one major threat looming— deportation. How this threat has impacted the mental health of some undocumented Latino immigrants in the United States has been previously studied, but new research has found it’s not just undocumented immigrants who feel at risk. Analyzing data from 2011-2018, Amy Johnson, assistant professor of sociology at Lehigh University, and a team of research collaborators have ...

Read the release

Science19 Feb 2024

A new glue, potentially also for you

A new glue, potentially also for you A new bonding method enabling instant and effective adhesion of hydrogels has potential to broadly advance new biomaterials solutions for multiple unmet clinical needs. By Benjamin Boettner (Boston) — Hydrogels are versatile biomaterials conquering an increasing number of biomedical areas. Consisting of water-swollen molecular networks that can be tailored to mimic the mechanical and chemical features of various organs and tissues, they can interface within the body and on its outer surfaces without causing any damage to even ...

Read the release

Science19 Feb 2024

Women get the same exercise benefits as men, but with less effort

A new study from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai shows there is a gender gap between women and men when it comes to exercise. The findings, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), show that women can exercise less often than men, yet receive greater cardiovascular gains. “Women have historically and statistically lagged behind men in engaging in meaningful exercise,” said Martha Gulati, MD, director of Preventive Cardiology in the Department of Cardiology ...

Read the release

Science19 Feb 2024

Age-related risk of serious fall events and opioid analgesic use

About The Study: The results of this study of 3.2 million people who initiated prescription opioid treatment suggest that prescription opioids were associated with increased risk of serious fall events among adults of all ages, with individuals 85 years or older at greatest risk. These risks should be considered when prescribing opioids, particularly for individuals with preexisting risk factors or when opioids are prescribed at higher doses. Targeted falls prevention efforts may be most effective within the first month following opioid initiation. Authors: Natasa Gisev, Ph.D., of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW ...

Read the release

Science19 Feb 2024

One step forward, no steps back: new study advances understanding of dopamine’s role in movement

Dopamine, a chemical messenger in the brain, is mostly known for its role in how we experience pleasure and reward. However, new research from the Champalimaud Foundation (CF) shifts the spotlight towards dopamine’s critical involvement in movement, with implications for our understanding and treatment of symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Imagine the act of walking. It’s something most able-bodied people do without a second thought. Yet it is actually a complex process involving various ...

Read the release