Science
press releases.

Science2 Feb 2024

Husker researchers using metabolic model to study temperature stress on corn

A research team led by Nebraska scientists has built the largest-ever metabolic model of corn to study how temperature stress affects the plant and how a certain fungus can help alleviate the problem. The research is an expansion of earlier work with a metabolic model of corn roots that the same team used to study the plant’s nitrogen-use efficiency under nitrogen stress conditions, said Rajib Saha, Richard L. and Carol S. McNeel associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and principal investigator. Saha and ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

Insulin prices in US are nine times higher than in other wealthy nations, study finds

The gross price of insulin in the U.S. is more than nine times higher than in 33 high-income comparison nations, according to a new RAND report. Although the cost differences of insulin between the U.S. and other nations varied depending on the comparison country and the type of insulin, U.S. prices were always higher -- often five to 10 times higher -- than those in other countries. The new report updates findings from earlier RAND work about U.S. insulin prices. After accounting for rebates and other discounts often offered by drug manufacturers, the price of a unit of insulin remained 2.3 times higher in the ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

Researchers take new ‘mixed reality’ headsets for a spin

Among the buzziest consumer technologies right now are “mixed reality” or “spatial computing” headsets that convincingly blend views of the real world with digital content. A key enabling technology behind these gizmos is passthrough video, which involves blocking out all light so users must rely on cameras on the headsets to see the external world around them via real-time video playing on tiny screens. The arrangement allows users to physically interact with their environments and go about daily activities but with added digital content displayed, ranging from familiar device apps to innovative gaming scenarios. ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

UC Davis establishes bird flight research center

Researching how bird flight can inform aircraft design is the goal of a new center to be established at the University of California, Davis. Christina Harvey, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UC Davis, and Michelle Hawkins, a professor in the School of Veterinary Medicine and director of the California Raptor Center, are launching the bird flight research center with a nearly $3 million grant from the Department of Defense. The new center will utilize motion capture and photogrammetry ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

ADA releases updated recommendations to enhance radiography safety in dentistry

CHICAGO, Feb. 1, 2024 – The use of lead abdominal aprons or thyroid collars on patients when conducting dental X-rays is no longer recommended, according to an expert panel established by the American Dental Association (ADA) Council on Scientific Affairs. Additionally, dentists should take into consideration the diagnostic information needed from X-rays to benefit patient care or substantially improve clinical outcomes. The Journal of the American Dental Association published the new recommendations today, which aim to improve radiation ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

Clown anemonefish seem to be counting bars and laying down the law

We often think of fish as carefree swimmers in the ocean, reacting to the world around them without much forethought. However, new research from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) suggests that our marine cousins may be more cognizant than we credit them for. By observing how a colony of clown anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris) – the species of the titular character in Finding Nemo – reacts to intruders in their sea anemone home, OIST researchers have found that ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

Zebrafish navigate to find their comfortable temperature

All animals need to regulate their body temperature and cannot survive for long if it gets too high or too low. Warm-blooded organisms like humans have various ways to do this. They release heat by sweating or expanding the blood vessels in their skin, while shivering or burning fat in their brown adipose tissue has the opposite effect. Cold-blooded animals such as the zebrafish, by contrast, cannot do any of these, so they have a different strategy. They look for places nearby that are at their “comfortable temperature,” just like how we might go out into the sun when we feel chilly or seek out some shade once it gets too ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

Exploring the unseen: microbial wonders in earth's saltiest waters

The study delves into hypersaline lakes in Xinjiang, China, exploring the genetic and metabolic diversity of microbial communities termed "microbial dark matters". Hypersaline lake ecosystems, characterized by extreme salinity, harbor unique microorganisms with largely unexplored biosynthesis and biodegradation capabilities. The research seeks to uncover novel biological compounds and pathways, potentially revolutionizing biotechnology, medicine, and environmental remediation by tapping into the untapped potential of these extremophiles. A recent study (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ese.2023.100359) published ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

Researchers develop highly efficient heat-driven thermoacoustic refrigerator

Researchers led by Prof. LUO Ercang from the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry (TIPC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and their collaborators have developed an innovative heat-driven thermoacoustic refrigerator (HDTR) with a novel bypass configuration that significantly improves the efficiency of this technology. The study was published in Cell Reports Physical Science on Feb. 1. HDTR is recognized as a new, promising cooling technology with many advantages. For example, it has no moving parts, uses eco-friendly substances (e.g., helium and nitrogen), and is highly reliable. However, its relatively low efficiency ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

Animals: Small, long-nosed dogs live the longest

Small long-nosed (or dolichocephalic) dog breeds such as Whippets have the highest life expectancies in the UK, whilst male dogs from medium-sized flat-faced (or brachycephalic) breeds such as English Bulldogs have the lowest. The results, published in Scientific Reports, have been calculated from data on over 580,000 individual dogs from over 150 different breeds, and could help to identify those dogs most at risk of an early death. Kirsten McMillan and colleagues assembled a database of 584,734 individual dogs using data from 18 different UK sources, including breed registries, vets, pet insurance companies, animal welfare ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

Cerebral cortical surface structure and neural activation pattern among adolescent football players

About The Study: In this study of 205 adolescent football players and 70 noncontact control athletes, there was evidence of discernible structural and physiological differences in the brains of adolescent football players compared with their noncontact controls. Many of the affected brain regions were associated with mental health well-being. Authors: Keisuke Kawata, Ph.D., of Indiana University in Bloomington, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.54235) Editor’s ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

Jealousy – we understand our own sex best

We may not always fully understand why our partners get jealous, and women and men often get jealous for completely different reasons. Two researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) decided to investigate whether people also know about these distinct differences between the sexes. “What do people think triggers women’s and men’s jealousy? How well do women understand men’s jealousy, and men women’s jealousy? We wanted to find out,” says Professor Mons Bendixen at the Department of Psychology. Men are more jealous ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

Hiring the most qualified candidate might be unfair

WASHINGTON — Both liberals and conservatives are more likely to believe that merit-based hiring is unfair after learning about the impacts of socioeconomic disparities, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association. People from across the political spectrum also are more likely to support programs that encourage socioeconomic diversity after learning about the effects of social class and low income, according to the research, published online in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. “Socioeconomic disadvantages early in life can undermine educational achievement, ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

Excavation of colossal caverns for Fermilab’s DUNE experiment completed

Excavation workers have finished carving out the future home of the gigantic particle detectors for the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. Located a mile below the surface, the three colossal caverns are at the core of a new research facility that spans an underground area about the size of eight soccer fields. Hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, DUNE scientists will study the behavior of mysterious particles known as neutrinos to solve some of the biggest questions about our universe. Why is our ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

How to run a password update campaign efficiently and with minimal IT costs

Updating passwords for all users of a company or institution’s internal computer systems is stressful and disruptive to both users and IT professionals. Many studies have looked at user struggles and password best practices. But very little research has been done to determine how a password update campaign can be conducted most efficiently and with minimal IT costs. Until now. A team of computer scientists at the University of California San Diego partnered with the campus’ Information Technology Services to analyze the messaging for a campuswide mandatory ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

Increased temperature difference between day and night can affect all life on earth

Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, have discovered a change in what scientists already knew about global warming dynamics. It had been widely accepted since the 1950s that global temperature rises were not consistent throughout the day and night, with greater nighttime warming being observed. However, the recent study reveals a shift in dynamics: with greater daytime warming taking place since the 1990s. This shift means that the temperature difference between day and night is widening, potentially affecting all life on Earth. The ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

CT scan is most effective to assess people with chest pain

Previous studies have found less than 40% of patients with stable chest pain undergoing invasive coronary angiography are found to have obstructive coronary artery disease. Recent randomized clinical trials have demonstrated a benefit to using computed tomography angiography (CTA) first in evaluation of these patients, and a new study being presented at the American College of Cardiology Cardiovascular Summit lends credence to this strategy, finding that CT was associated with a higher likelihood of revascularization compared to other imaging modalities or no testing. Stable angina ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

Lifetime exposure to sexual assault and other traumatic stress may harm stroke recovery

Research Highlights: Lifetime exposure to different types of traumatic events or stress appears to reduce the chances for optimal recovery after a stroke. A review of health records for U.S. stroke survivors found that sexual assault was consistently linked to worse physical functioning and poorer cognitive recovery measurements one year after a stroke. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 DALLAS, Feb. 1, 2024 — Stressors and traumatic events experienced over the course of a lifetime may negatively impact subsequent stroke recovery; specifically, stroke survivors exposed to sexual assault at any point in their life had poorer physical functioning ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

Nerve stimulation plus intense rehab may improve arm and hand function after stroke

Research Highlights: Stimulating a nerve that runs between various organs and the brain with intense physical rehabilitation improved arm and hand function in people with stroke. The improved motor function remained at the end of the one-year follow-up. Vagus nerve stimulation uses an implantable device to stimulate the nerve with electrical impulses that help create new pathways in the brain to assist movement in impaired limbs. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 DALLAS, Feb. 1, 2024 — Combining brain ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

Where you live may be associated with more successful stroke recovery

Research Highlights: Stroke survivors living in areas with high levels of unemployment, low income, low education levels and poor housing quality had twice the risk of poor recovery after a stroke compared to those living in areas with better conditions. The researchers say this study may help promote awareness of how social determinants of health are as important as clinical variables and health information when trying to identify stroke survivors who are at particularly high risk for poor long-term outcomes. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 DALLAS, Feb. 1, 2024 — Stroke survivors living in areas with ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

2 common types of antidepressants were safe for most stroke survivors

Research Highlights: Among most ischemic (clot-caused) stroke survivors including those taking anticoagulant medications, use of antidepressants in the SSRI or SNRI class did not increase the risk of hemorrhagic (bleeds) stroke or other serious bleeding events. However, patients taking anti-depressants in combination with dual anti-platelet therapy or DAPT had an increased risk of bleeding. In addition, antidepressants from other classes increased the risk of serious bleeding events by 15% in comparison to antidepressants in the SSRI or SNRI classes. Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

Plant receptors that control immunity and development share a common origin

Plants are continuously evolving new immune receptors to ever-changing pathogens. Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) have traced the origin and evolutionary trajectory of plant immune receptors. Their discovery will make it easier to identify immune receptor genes from genomic information and could help in the development of pathogen-resistant crops. This study was published in the scientific journal Nature Communications on February 1. As in animals, plants have immune responses that help them defend against pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and oomycetes. Before invaders can be stopped, they must first be detected, and this is accomplished ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

Alexandra Trkola awarded US $3 million grant

The renowned virologist from the University of Zurich receives the major award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for an innovative project on HIV vaccines. The grant will fund vaccine studies in well-studied groups of people living with HIV in Switzerland and South Africa to guide the design of a preventative HIV vaccine. Alexandra Trkola, Professor of Medical Virology at the University of Zurich, has been awarded a 3-year grant (INV-061559) from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the project “RENEW clinical studies in people with HIV”. Together with her co-principal investigators Huldrych Günthard (University Hospital Zurich and UZH), Penny Moore (University ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

Highly targeted CRISPR delivery system advances gene editing in living animals

Most approved gene therapies today, including those involving CRISPR-Cas9, work their magic on cells removed from the body, after which the edited cells are returned to the patient. This technique is ideal for targeting blood cells and is currently the method employed in newly approved CRISPR gene therapies for blood diseases like sickle cell anemia, in which edited blood cells are reinfused in patients after their bone marrow has been destroyed by chemotherapy. A new, precision-targeted delivery method for CRISPR-Cas9, published Jan. 11 in the journal Nature Biotechnology, enables gene editing on very specific subsets of cells while still in the body — ...

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Science1 Feb 2024

UT extension specialist selected to coordinate national network

A University of Tennessee Extension specialist has been selected to help lead a new national effort to connect resources and individuals in the quickly evolving food and agriculture career sector. Clint Cummings, Extension specialist in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, will serve as the National Network Lead and Regional Network Coordinator for the Southern Region for the new AgriProspects Workforce Development Network project. This project is being conducted through the Extension Foundation in collaboration with the ECOP (Extension Committee on Organization and Policy) Economic & Workforce Development Program Action Team and NECIW (National Extension ...

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