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press releases.

Science29 Nov 2023

Understanding rapid tendon regeneration in newts may one day help human athletes

A research group led by Nagoya University’s Graduate School of Engineering has uncovered how rapid tendon regeneration occurs in newts. The research, published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research, compared the regeneration mechanism of damaged tendons in newts with those in mice. In the future, their findings could help physicians to treat human athletes recovering from tendon injuries. Tendon injuries are a serious obstacle for athletes, who currently require several months ...

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Science29 Nov 2023

Project will look for rare-earth elements in Southeast Alaska seaweed

A University of Alaska Fairbanks–led research team has been awarded a $1.9 million federal grant to explore whether seaweeds are absorbing rare-earth elements near a rich deposit in Southeast Alaska. The study will focus on seaweeds in the waters near Bokan Mountain, a remote landmark on Prince of Wales Island known to contain rare-earth elements. Starting in March 2024, researchers will collect and analyze seaweed samples to determine whether significant amounts of metals that have washed into the ocean are being absorbed. “We want to see if seaweeds accumulate ...

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Science29 Nov 2023

Sexual assault survivors deserve a gold standard reporting experience

A world-first report examining alternative ways for victim-survivors to report sexual assault says under-reporting could be reduced if moved away from law enforcement, but it will need greater support and funding to be sustainable and secure. Only 13% of women report sexual assaults to police and 50% of victim-survivors seek help from a counselling or specialist support service, but alternative reporting options could help increase these numbers. The research by RMIT University, University of Wollongong and La Trobe University found a trauma-informed, written interview designed in line with best-practice techniques could ...

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Science29 Nov 2023

6+ hours/day of sedentary leisure time linked to doubling in fibroids risk

Clocking up 6 or more hours of sedentary leisure time every day may double a woman’s risk of uterine fibroids before she’s gone through the menopause, suggests research published in the open access journal BMJ Open. The risk of these benign, but potentially large and painful, womb growths seems to rise in tandem with the amount of time spent sitting or lying down during the day, the findings suggest. Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumours in women of childbearing age, varying in prevalence from 4.5% to 69%, say the researchers. These growths may not produce any symptoms, but they may also be associated with abnormal bleeding, pelvic and abdominal pain, ...

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Science29 Nov 2023

Increase in the number of people identifying as transgender in the UK

The number of people identifying as transgender in their GP records in the UK has increased between 2000 and 2018, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The research, published in BMJ Medicine, is the first large-scale study in the UK to estimate the number of people whose gender identity is different to their sex assigned at birth. To do this, the team reviewed anonymised data from 7 million individuals aged 10 to 99 years, from IQVIA Medical Research Data, a UK primary care database, between 2000 and 2018. Researchers looked for diagnostic codes that suggested patients had spoken to their GP about ...

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Science29 Nov 2023

Flower power on Indian farms helps bees and boosts livelihoods

Planting flowers beside food crops on farms in India attracts bees, boosts pollination and improves crop yield and quality, researchers have found. The research, the first Indian study of its kind, is published today (Monday, 28 November) in the Journal of Applied Ecology and was carried out in South India by ecologists from the University of Reading, UK, and the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, India. The scientists focused on the Moringa crop, a nutrient-rich "superfood," and its essential pollinators – bees. By planting companion marigold flowers and ...

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Science29 Nov 2023

Historical violence in Tasmania: Victorian collector traded human Aboriginal remains for scientific accolades, study reveals

A Hobart-based solicitor built his reputation as “the foremost scientist in the colony” in the mid-1800’s, despite limited contributions to scientific knowledge. Morton Allport achieved his status by obtaining the bodily remains of Tasmanian Aboriginal people and Tasmanian tigers, also known as thylacines, and sending them to collectors in Europe – specifically asking for scientific accolades in return. This took place in the context of a genocide against the Tasmanian Aboriginal peoples, and persecution of the thylacine that eventually led to its extinction. The new research by Jack Ashby, Assistant Director of the University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge, ...

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Science28 Nov 2023

Researchers have applied the theory of semantic information to a realistic model capturing attributes of living systems—and found the critical point where information matters for survival

Living systems—unlike non-living or inanimate objects—use information about their surrounding environment to survive. But not all information from the environment is meaningful or relevant for survival. The subset of information that is meaningful, and perhaps necessary for being alive, is called semantic information. In a new paper published in PRX Life, University of Rochester physicists and their coauthors have, for the first time, applied this theory of semantic information to a well-known ...

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Science28 Nov 2023

NIH awards $2.6 million to Wayne State to develop new filtration platform for insulin administration

DETROIT – A Wayne State University College of Engineering professor has received a $2.65 million award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health to develop a novel filtration platform to improve an advanced drug delivery device to optimize diabetes insulin treatments. Subcutaneous insulin administration (SIA) technology has improved significantly over the past two decades, but SIA technology failure and underlying tissue damage caused by insulin phenolic preservatives ...

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Science28 Nov 2023

Manard named recipient of 2023 JAAS Emerging Investigator Lectureship

Manard named recipient of 2023 JAAS Emerging Investigator Lectureship Benjamin Manard, an analytical chemist in the Chemical Sciences Division of the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been selected for the 2023 Emerging Investigator Lectureship from the Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry. JAAS is a publication of the Royal Society of Chemistry that shares innovative research on the fundamental theory and application of spectrometric techniques. Manard is the first winner of this award from a Department of Energy ...

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Science28 Nov 2023

The double-edge sword of CRISPR application for in vivo studies

“The Achilles’ heel of CRISPR application is the delivery of sgRNA/Cas9 to the desired tissues.” BUFFALO, NY- November 28, 2023 – A new editorial paper was published in Oncotarget's Volume 14 on November 27, 2023, entitled, “The double-edge sword of CRISPR application for in vivo studies.” In this new paper, researcher Martin K. Thomsen from Aarhus University begins his editorial by discussing a hallmark paper that was published a decade ago by Platt et al. on the in vivo ...

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Science28 Nov 2023

UTA research examines how to stay on task

Our ability to pay attention to tasks—a key component of our everyday lives—is heavily influenced by factors like motivation, arousal and alertness. Maintaining focus can be especially challenging when the task is boring or repetitive. “In many activities, it is difficult to maintain a high level of focus over time. Our research asks why this is the case,” said Matthew K. Robison, assistant professor of psychology at The University of Texas at Arlington. He and colleagues at the University ...

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Science28 Nov 2023

Research spotlight: Improvements in HIV care in Black and White men who have sex with men

Katherine Rich, MD MPH, resident in the MGH Department of Medicine, is the first author of a recently published paper in JAMA Network Open, “Projected Life Expectancy Gains from Improvements in HIV Care in Black and White Men Who Have Sex With Men.” Aima Ahonkhai, MD MPH and Emily Hyle, MD MSc, physician investigators in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital, are co-senior authors. What Question Were You Investigating? Substantial inequities persist across the HIV care continuum in the US; Black people with HIV bear a disproportionate disease burden due, ...

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Science28 Nov 2023

ChargeX Consortium recommends common EV charging station error codes

New shared language will facilitate faster service, improve EV user experience The National Charging Experience Consortium (ChargeX) has released a report that recommends 26 common electric vehicle (EV) charging error codes to enable faster error reporting, diagnostics and resolution within the EV charging industry. Ultimately, the codes would improve the U.S. charging experience. The ChargeX Consortium is a collaboration between U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories, EV charging industry experts, consumer advocates and other stakeholders. The Recommendations for Minimum Required Error Codes report aims to reduce confusion between charger manufacturers, EV manufacturers and ...

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Science28 Nov 2023

Contrast sensitivity of ON and OFF human retinal pathways in myopia

Across the entire animal kingdom, visual images are processed by two major neuronal pathways that extract light and dark stimuli from visual scenes – ON (light on) and OFF (light off) pathways. Light stimuli are brighter than their background like a white cloud in a gray sky whereas dark stimuli are darker than the background like a black bird in a blue sky. The two pathways can extract stimuli with different contrasts but some pathways are more sensitive than others. In carnivores and rodents, ON pathways are more sensitive ...

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Science28 Nov 2023

Many owners see little value in storing their firearms securely

With more than 400 million privately owned firearms in circulation across the United States, gun violence prevention efforts have emphasized secure firearm storage as a method for preventing injury and death. But some owners may not see the value in doing so, according to Rutgers researchers. Despite evidence that secure storage can effectively reduce the risk of suicide and unintentional shootings, many firearm owners typically keep at least one firearm stored loaded and unlocked, quickly accessible in case of home invasion. ...

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Science28 Nov 2023

St. Jude revealed functional targets of oncogenic HOXA9 in high-risk pediatric leukemia

(MEMPHIS, Tenn. – November 28, 2023) Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital comprehensively identified genes directly regulated by a protein associated with high-risk pediatric leukemias. High-risk leukemias, particularly MLL-rearranged (MLL-r) leukemia, often overexpress the homeodomain transcription factor HOXA9 protein, which cannot currently be targeted with drugs. This study provides a foundation for revealing the HOXA9 regulation network and finding novel drug targets downstream of HOXA9 that can form the basis of new treatments. The findings were published today in Nature Communications. HOXA9 ...

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Science28 Nov 2023

What if Alexa or Siri sounded more like you? Study says you’ll like it better

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — One voice does not fit all when it comes to virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa, according to a team led by Penn State researchers that examined how customization and perceived similarity between user and voice assistant (VA) personalities affect user experience. They found a strong preference for extroverted VAs — those that speak louder, faster and in a lower pitch. They also found that increasing personality similarity by automatically matching user and VA voice profiles encouraged users to resist persuasive information, such as misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. In the study, 38% of unvaccinated individuals changed their minds about vaccination ...

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Science28 Nov 2023

The secret life of an electromagnon

Scientists have revealed how lattice vibrations and spins talk to each other in a hybrid excitation known as an electromagnon. To achieve this, they used a unique combination of experiments at the X-ray free electron laser SwissFEL. Understanding this fundamental process at the atomic level opens the door to ultrafast control of magnetism with light. Within the atomic lattice of a solid, particles and their various properties cooperate in wave like motions known as collective excitations. When atoms in a lattice jiggle together, the collective excitation is known as a phonon. Similarly, when the atomic spins - the magnetisation of the atoms -move together, it’s ...

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Science28 Nov 2023

Bidding adieu to sticky ice, but with a grain of salt

As Americans gear up for winter, many will face one of their toughest foes: ice. From delaying flights to making roads slippery, ice accumulation on surfaces wreaks havoc in many ways. But not all ice is created equal. In new research from the University of Illinois Chicago, scientists studied the stickiness of ice containing everyday contaminants such as salt, soap and alcohol. Most laboratory studies typically test ice made from pure water, but in nature, ice is seldom pure. “Be it dirty sidewalks or the hull of ...

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Science28 Nov 2023

Marijuana, cigarette smokers at increased risk of emphysema

CHICAGO – Smoking marijuana in combination with cigarettes may lead to increased damage of the lung’s air sacs, according to research being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). It is commonly believed that smoking marijuana is not harmful to the lungs. There is an abundance of established research that identifies the harms of cigarette smoking. In contrast, very little is known about the effects of marijuana smoking, and even less research has been done on the combined effects of smoking marijuana and cigarettes. “Marijuana is the most widely used illicit psychoactive ...

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Science28 Nov 2023

Female toxin-producing newts are surprisingly more poisonous than males

Tetrodotoxin, the neurotoxin that makes a blue-ringed octopus deadly, also protects Taricha newts — but we don’t understand how they produce it, or what purposes it serves for them. A first step to answering these questions is understanding whether different levels appear in males and females. In sexually reproducing animals, dimorphic traits such as color or canine tooth size can be key for survival and reproductive fitness. Investigating whether toxin production is a sexually dimorphic trait in newts gets us closer to understanding it. “It had long been considered that newts’ ...

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Science28 Nov 2023

Vectorial adaptive optics: correcting both polarization and phase

Adaptive optics (AO) is a technique used for real-time correction of phase aberrations by employing feedback to adjust the optical system. Polarization aberrations represent another significant type of distortion that can impact optical systems. Various factors, such as stressed optical elements, Fresnel effects, and polarizing effects in materials or biological tissues, can induce polarization aberrations. These aberrations affect both system resolution and the accuracy of vector information. Vectorial aberrations result from the ...

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Science28 Nov 2023

Call for papers

1 Overview A number of open source resources, in the form of curated datasets, web-based databases, stand-alone software, or library packages have been floating in various forms online. These codes are useful in computer science research works, and engineering practices. The application of these resources requires instructions. Traditional scientific publications usually focus on the algorithms, principles, theoretical proofs, benchmarking evaluations and comparisons that is in the background or in the generation process of these resources. The instructions, case studies, application examples and sample codes, which help users and other practitioners to utilize these ...

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Science28 Nov 2023

Aussie teens are not actually selfie-obsessed

A new study zooming in on how smartphones influence our photography habits found Australians aged 20 to 40 years old take more selfies than teenagers and older Australians. The research, from RMIT University and the Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, studied over 1,200 smartphone photos taken during a two-week period by 30 participants and found older participants overall took more photos than teenage participants. Research lead and RMIT Senior Lecturer Dr TJ Thomson said older participants often used their smartphone cameras in more functional ways, such as capturing information ...

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