Science
press releases.

Science5 Dec 2023

Pregnant women are missing vital nutrients needed for them and their babies – and situation could worsen with plant-based foods

Pregnant women are not getting the essential nutrients they and their babies need from modern diets say scientists, who have warned that the situation will likely worsen as more people turn to plant-based foods. A study looking at the health of expecting mothers from high-income countries, including the UK, New Zealand and Singapore, found that 90 per cent were lacking key vitamins necessary for healthy pregnancies and the wellbeing of unborn infants. Scientists from the University of Southampton, working with experts worldwide, surveyed more than 1,700 women and found most were missing essential nutrients found in abundance in meat and dairy products. These included vitamins B12, B6 and ...

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Science5 Dec 2023

Tanyu collecting instrumentation data from RAP-aggregate base project on Minnieville road

Tanyu Collecting Instrumentation Data From RAP-Aggregate Base Project On Minnieville Road Burak Tanyu, Professor, Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering (CEIE); Director of CEIE Laboratories, received $36,674 from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for: "Collection of Instrumentation Data From the RAP-Aggregate Base Project on Minnieville Road." Mason's Sustainable Geotransportation Infrastructure (SGI) research team has access to an actual roadway site located in Minnieville, Virginia, ...

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Science5 Dec 2023

Pregnancy weight gain after gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy

About The Study: Women with a history of bariatric surgery had lower pregnancy weight gain than matched controls with similar early pregnancy characteristics in this study of 12,000 pregnancies. Pregnancy weight gain was lower in those with a shorter surgery-to-conception interval or lower surgery-to-conception weight loss, but did not differ by surgical procedure. Authors: Huiling Xu, M.D., M.Sc., of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, 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.2023.46228) Editor’s Note: Please see the ...

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Science5 Dec 2023

Objective sleep duration and all-cause mortality among people with obstructive sleep apnea

About The Study: In this study of 2,574 participants with obstructive sleep apnea, compared with participants with objective sleep duration of at least seven hours, those sleeping less than seven hours had higher risks of all-cause mortality independent of apnea-hypopnea index. Further studies would be needed to investigate health benefits of extending sleep length among people with obstructive sleep apnea with short sleep duration. Authors: Shichao Wei, M.D., of Fujian Medical University in Fuzhou, China, is the corresponding author. To access ...

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Science5 Dec 2023

Z-scheme heterojunction g-C3N5/Bi5O7I high-efficiency mercury removal photocatalyst

They published their work on October. 23 in Energy Material Advances. "It is imperative to develop energy-saving, safe and sustainable photocatalytic mercury removal technology," said paper author Wu Jiang, professor with College of Energy and Mechanical Engineering of Shanghai University of Electric Power. "Currently, thermocatalytic technologies account for most of the market, but they are constrained in terms of manufacturing costs and sustainability." Wu ...

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Science5 Dec 2023

Florida wildflowers and pollinators get a boost with two grants

The Daniels Lab at the Florida Museum of Natural History was recently awarded two grants to help support pollinators in Florida. The Florida Department of Transportation has set aside $155,002 for the team to plant and monitor thousands of milkweeds along roads in North Florida, and Duke Energy Florida will distribute $144,421 over three years to evaluate the establishment of pollinator habitat at its new solar site Alachua County. Pollinators are declining on a global scale, the collateral damage of continued habitat destruction and urbanization, among other stressors. ...

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Science5 Dec 2023

Glyphosphate: a silver-bullet weed killer no more

For decades, corn and soy farmers have heavily relied on one herbicide: glyphosate. Crops bred to resist glyphosate have been extremely successful, with over 90% of corn and soy hectares planted with glyphosate-resistant varieties by 2014. But as Christopher Landau and colleagues document, the chemical was not quite the “silver bullet” it was promised to be. With an entire industry using the same chemical—the US and Canada alone apply more than 130 million kg annually—evolutionary selection pressures on weed plants have been intense. Since 1996, there have been 354 confirmed cases of glyphosate ...

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Science5 Dec 2023

Blue light exposure and aging

In a study on fruit flies, daily low-intensity blue light exposure (BLE), similar to that experienced daily by billions of humans in the form of LED lighting and device screens, changed flies at the sub-cellular level, affecting processes related to aging and circadian rhythms. Xiaoyun Wang and colleagues exposed fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) to different durations of daily low-intensity BLE and then analysed the consequences to the cellular makeup of the insects, as compared to flies raised in darkness. The authors paid particular attention to ...

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Science5 Dec 2023

Toxicity at Wikipedia

A study links hostility on Wikipedia to lost productivity on the site. Wikipedia, the largest reference work ever created, is written and edited by tens of thousands of volunteers, known as Wikipedians. Despite the fact that anyone can edit any page, studies show that Wikipedia is generally a reliable source of information. Ivan Smirnov and colleagues studied how the volunteer labor that keeps the site working is affected by hostile comments in the “user talk” pages connected to each editor. Toxic comments were identified by a toxicity detection algorithm devised by the Perspective API ...

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Science5 Dec 2023

Reliable research and evidence-based recommendations scarce for women who exercise according to menstrual cycle

Hamilton, ON, December 5, 2023 – There is no shortage of advice for women on what to eat, how to train, or what supplements to take during their menstrual cycles, but a new review by an international team of scientists has found little evidence to support such recommendations. In fact, they found sparse research on women and exercise at all, and even less on the effect of their periods on sports performance, physiology, or physical fitness. The authors of the paper, from McMaster University, Manchester Metropolitan University and the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne, are calling for much more high quality, standardized research ...

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Science5 Dec 2023

Study proposes new explanation for California anchovy booms and busts

New research from Scripps and NOAA scientists has discovered ecological correlations that could help explain the booms and busts of California’s anchovy population. If the correlations hold up to further research, they could one day help inform management of California’s anchovy fishery and improve conservation. The Northern Anchovy (Engraulis mordax) is a crucial food source for much of California’s most conspicuous marine life – including droves of sea lions, pods of dolphins, lucrative tuna fisheries, and throngs of whales. But one of the hallmarks of the anchovy population off California ...

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Science5 Dec 2023

Bird feeding may give humans something to chirp about

Ashley Dayer hopes to peck away at the notion that bird feeding is simply for the birds. Associate professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech, Dayer is the lead author of an article published in People and Nature that argues not only for the acknowledgment of the activity’s benefit to humans, but that it should play a role in public guidance and policy. “Wildlife agencies and others making decisions on managing bird feeding need to be considering not only what the science is behind what’s going on with birds, but also the science behind what’s going on with people,” ...

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Science5 Dec 2023

Eco-friendly glue breakthrough designed by Cal Poly chemistry team receives patent

An innovative, ecofriendly glue designed by a Cal Poly chemistry research team in collaboration with an East Coast company has been approved for a U.S. government patent. The patent, approved Nov. 21, creates a pathway for proprietary commercial production of the glue innovation under the direction of the Massachusetts-based company Geisys Ventures with involvement of Cal Poly chemistry faculty and students in research and development as part of a memorandum of understanding between the university and Geisys. The new adhesive has potential to reduce landfill waste and positively impact the environment on a broad scale. The product, to be formally commercialized under the ...

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Science5 Dec 2023

Sugar permeation discovered in plant aquaporins

Aquaporins, which move water through membranes of plant cells, were not thought to be able to permeate sugar molecules, but University of Adelaide researchers have observed sucrose transport in plant aquaporins for the first time, challenging this theory. The finding, made by researchers from the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, widens the concept of aquaporins’ role in plant biology and will have implications for the bioengineering of plants for food production and plant survival. Aquaporins, which belong to a class of membrane ...

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Science5 Dec 2023

American Eel as an emerging consumer target

Research led by Hiromi Shiraishi, researcher at Chuo University, indicated a steep rise in the importation of American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) live fry to East Asia for aquaculture purposes. This surge poses a potential threat to the already endangered species, further depleting the resources of this species. Japan relies on imports for two-thirds of its eel consumption and it is believed that a significant quantity of American Eel is included in these imports. As a major consumer of eels, Japan is urged to take a leading role in ensuring the sustainable utilisation of eel species, including ...

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Science5 Dec 2023

A farsighted approach to tackle nearsightedness #Acoustics23

SYDNEY, Dec. 5, 2023 – Modern living may be contributing to an epidemic of nearsighted vision and related blindness. By 2050, it is estimated that half the world’s population will suffer from low vision due to myopia, a condition where the eye grows too large and can no longer focus on objects in the distance. Human eyes, honed by evolution to survive in the wild, are ill-adapted to city living, contributing to increased cases of myopia, among other factors. For decades, researcher Sally McFadden from the University of Newcastle has investigated eyes and eyesight in ...

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Science4 Dec 2023

Most adults eligible for statins for prevention are not using them

Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 4 December 2023 Annals of Internal Medicine Tip Sheet @Annalsofim Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they represent. ---------------------------- 1. ...

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Science4 Dec 2023

Boiled bubbles jump to carry more heat

Water is often the go-to resource for heat transfer, being used in large-scale cooling operations like data centers that power the internet and nuclear power plants that power cities. Discovering dynamic phenomena to make water-based heat transfer more energy and cost efficient is the ongoing work of Jonathan Boreyko, associate professor and John R. Jones III Faculty Fellow in mechanical engineering. Boreyko and his team have published extensively on the topic of water and the way it can move, with members of his Nature-Inspired ...

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Science4 Dec 2023

Increase in child suicide linked to the nation’s opioid crisis

The rise in child suicides in the U.S. since 2010 was fueled in part by the nation’s opioid crisis, which previous studies found increased rates of child neglect and altered household living arrangements, according to a new RAND Corporation study. The analysis links the rise is child suicides to the reformulation of prescription opioids to discourage misuse, which led to a steep rise in the use of illicit opioids such as heroin and may have contributed to the growth of illicit opioid markets. Geographic areas that were more exposed to ...

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Science4 Dec 2023

BioOne announces Subscribe to Open Pilot

WASHINGTON D.C. – BioOne, the leading nonprofit aggregator in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences, today announces a bold plan to offer up to 80 society titles as part of a Subscribe to Open (S2O) pilot beginning in January 2026. This decision, unanimously endorsed by the BioOne Board of Directors, follows 18 months of careful feasibility analysis and extensive interviews with BioOne’s community of society and library partners in search of an equitable and sustainable path to open. BioOne will work with its publishing community throughout 2024 to encourage participation in the pilot, ...

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Science4 Dec 2023

In hotter regions, mammals seek forests, avoid human habitats

The cool of the forest is a welcome escape on a hot day. This is especially true for mammals in North America’s hottest regions, according to a study from the University of California, Davis. The study indicates that, as the climate warms, preserving forest cover will be increasingly important for wildlife conservation. The study, published today in the journal PNAS, found that North American mammals — from pumas, wolves and bears to rabbits, deer and opossums — consistently depend on forests and avoid cities, farms and other human-dominated ...

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Science4 Dec 2023

Study shows how ethical brands fare in a recession

Peer reviewed - observational study - people A new study from the University of East Anglia reveals why some ‘eco goods’ may fare better than others as a UK recession looms. A new study, published today, shows that when money gets tight, people are more likely to keep up more expensive ethical purchases like buying fair trade products. The study is one of the first to look at ethical purchases using actual market data from a major UK supermarket chain. Lead researcher Dr Jibonayan Raychaudhuri, from UEA’s School of Economics, said: “As a possible UK recession looms closer, we wanted to better understand how people’s spending ...

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Science4 Dec 2023

New technique efficiently offers insight into gene regulation

Researchers from the group of Jop Kind developed a new technique called MAbID. This allows them to simultaneously study different mechanisms of gene regulation, which plays a major role in development and disease. MAbID offers new insights into how these mechanisms work together or against each other. The results were published in Nature Methods on the 4th of December. DNA is the most important carrier of genetic information. Each cell contains approximately two meters of DNA. To ensure that all this genetic material fits into the small cell nucleus, it must be tightly packed. The DNA is therefore wrapped around a special type of protein, a histone. The ...

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Science4 Dec 2023

Consistency key to corporate expressions of racial solidarity

ITHACA, N.Y. – Why do some corporate expressions of solidarity with marginalized groups register as genuine, while others seem performative or even backfire? An analysis of statements by Fortune 500 companies following the 2020 police killing of George Floyd finds that costly actions, such as donating money to social justice groups, aren’t enough to convey allyship to Black Americans. Companies must also demonstrate a consistent, long-term commitment to diversity and racial equity, according to research co-authored by James T. Carter, assistant ...

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Science4 Dec 2023

How mountains affect El Niño-induced winter precipitation

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A consideration of how mountains influence El Niño and La Niña-induced precipitation change in western North America may be the ticket to more informed water conservation planning along the Colorado River, new research suggests. The study, coinciding with a recent shift from a strong La Niña to a strong El Niño, brings a degree of precision to efforts to make more accurate winter precipitation predictions in the intermountain West by comparing 150 years of rain and snow data with historic El Niño-Southern Oscillation patterns. Overall, the analysis shows ...

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