Science
press releases.

Science20 Nov 2023

Gambling addiction may increase the risk of long-term sick leave

Gambling addiction can increase the risk of long-term sick leave for several years, according to a new study published in Psychological Medicine. Researchers from Karolinska Institutet behind the study point to the need to detect people with gambling addiction in time to avoid financial and health problems. Gambling addiction is a psychiatric condition characterized by prolonged and problematic gambling that leads to negative financial, health and social consequences. 1.3 percent of the Swedish population, corresponding to 105,000 Swedes, have gambling problems or an increased risk of gambling problems, but the number ...

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Science20 Nov 2023

Why do some people get headaches from drinking red wine?

A red wine may pair nicely with the upcoming Thanksgiving meal. But for some people, drinking red wine even in small amounts causes a headache. Typically, a “red wine headache” can occur within 30 minutes to three hours after drinking as little as a small glass of wine. What in wine causes headaches? In a new study, scientists at the University of California, Davis, examined why this happens – even to people who don’t get headaches when drinking small amounts of other alcoholic beverages. Researchers think that a flavanol found naturally in red wines can interfere with the proper metabolism of alcohol and can lead to a headache. The study was published in ...

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Science20 Nov 2023

Our cerebellar nuclei turn out to be more important than initially thought

Associative learning was always thought to be regulated by the cortex of the cerebellum, often referred to as the “little brain". However, new research from a collaboration between the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, and Champalimaud Center for the Unknown reveals that actually the nuclei of the cerebellum make a surprising contribution to this learning process. If a teacup is steaming, you’ll wait a bit longer before drinking from it. And if your fingers get caught in the door, you'll be more careful next time. These are forms of associative ...

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Science20 Nov 2023

Alarming rates of suicidal ideation among older transgender adults revealed on Transgender Day of Remembrance

Transgender adults aged 50 or older in the United States face a significantly elevated risk of contemplating suicide due to the compounding impact of various challenges in different areas of their lives, according to a population-wide study. More than one-fourth (25.8%) of this large pool of older transgender people acknowledged having thought about ending their lives at least once the previous year. That is a much greater prevalence than the 4.7% figure currently estimated for the adult population-at-large and substantially ...

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Science18 Nov 2023

The way dogs see the world: Objects are more salient to smarter dogs

When we point at an object, the toddler focuses on the object, while the dog usually takes the gesture as a directional cue. In a recent study, researchers from the Department of Ethology at Eötvös Loránd University find explanations for this phenomenon. It appears that the discrepancy is not only due to how dogs see, but may, in fact, reflect how they think. For "smarter" dogs, the appearance of an object matters as much as its location, suggesting that their information processing is more similar to that of humans. Spatial bias is the phenomenon of interpreting information in relation to space, location ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

Seven ORNL scientists among world’s top 1% most-cited researchers

Seven scientists from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have been named among the world’s most influential researchers on the 2023 Highly Cited Researchers list, produced by Clarivate, a data analytics firm that specializes in scientific and academic research. "These scientists have delivered significant impact for the scientific community and nation," said ORNL Director Stephen Streiffer. "This honor highlights their commitment, hard work and leadership in their respective fields.” The ORNL researchers named to the list are: Miaofang Chi, Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences David A. Cullen, Center for Nanophase Materials ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

New research suggests plants might be able to absorb more CO2 from human activities than previously expected

New research published today in leading international journal Science Advances paints an uncharacteristically upbeat picture for the planet. This is because more realistic ecological modelling suggests the world’s plants may be able to take up more atmospheric CO2 from human activities than previously predicted. Despite this headline finding, the environmental scientists behind the research are quick to underline that this should in no way be taken to mean the world’s governments can take their foot off the brake in their obligations to reduce carbon ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

In the fight against malaria-carrying mosquitoes, just add soap

EL PASO, Texas (Nov. 17, 2023) – Could the solution to the decades-long battle against malaria be as simple as soap? In a new study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, scientists at The University of Texas at El Paso have made a compelling case for it. The team has found that adding small quantities of liquid soap to some classes of pesticides can boost their potency by more than ten-fold. The discovery is promising news as malaria-carrying mosquitoes display ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

Crime-free housing policies increase evictions among minorities, but do not cut crime

Policies that encourage landlords to evict tenants who have involvement with the criminal justice system do not appear to reduce crime, while increasing evictions among Black residents and people with lower incomes, according to a new RAND Corporation report. Studying “crime-free housing policies” adopted by cities in California over a decade-long period, researchers found no meaningful statistical evidence that the policies reduce crime. The study also found that crime-free housing policies significantly increased ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

New study reveals the genetics of human head shape

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and KU Leuven have discovered a suite of genes that influence head shape in humans. These findings, published this week in Nature Communications, help explain the diversity of human head shapes and may also offer important clues about the genetic basis of conditions that affect the skull, such as craniosynostosis. By analyzing measurements of the cranial vault — the part of the skull that forms the rounded top of the head and protects the brain — the team identified 30 regions of the genome associated with different aspects of head shape, 29 of which have not been reported previously. “Anthropologists ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

Argonne receives funding to advance diversity in STEM

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory funding as part of the Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) initiative, aimed at fostering diversity in STEM and advancing innovative research opportunities. DOE announced $70 million to support internships, training programs and mentorship opportunities at 65 different institutions, including 40 higher-learning institutions that serve minority populations. By supporting these partnerships, DOE aims to create a more diverse STEM talent pool capable of addressing ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

Research spotlight: prescribing of benzodiazepines in a homeless veteran population

What Question Were You Investigating? Despite elevated risk for substance use disorder and overdose death in the homeless population, benzodiazepine prescribing for this population has not been examined. Our team therefore set out to answer the questions: What is the rate of benzodiazepine prescribing to homeless vs. non-homeless veterans with mental illness in the VA system? Are homeless veterans more likely to receive risky and potentially inappropriate prescriptions? What Methods Did You Use? We used logistic regression to compare likelihood of benzodiazepine prescribing and t tests to compare ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

Ingestible vital signs monitor shows promise in first-in-human trial

What if, instead of going into a sleep lab or being connected to monitoring devices, a patient could have their risk of obstructive sleep apnea measured by swallowing a pill? A new collaborative study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Celero Systems and West Virginia University, evaluated a wireless ingestible device that can accurately report vital signs like heart and respiratory rate. The team tested the device, known as the Vitals Monitoring Pill (VM Pill), in a pilot ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

State reporting requirements for involuntary holds, court-ordered guardianship, and the national firearm background check system

About The Study: In this study of state laws, there was substantial heterogeneity in National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) reporting requirements for mental health prohibitions for firearm possession and a lack of clarity around processes. This raises questions about the ability of NICS to be used to block firearm purchases or possession by individuals with court-identified high risk of perpetrating violence toward themselves or others. Authors: Marian E. Betz, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus School of Medicine in Aurora, is the ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

A deep-sea fish inspired researchers to develop supramolecular light-driven machinery

The vision system, evolved over millions of years, is highly complex. To make vision sensitive throughout the whole range of visible wavelengths, Nature employs a supramolecular chemistry approach. The visual pigment, cis-retinal, changes its shape upon capturing a photon. This shape transformation is accompanied by changes in the supramolecular organization of the surrounding proteins, subsequently triggering a cascade of chemical signaling events that get amplified and eventually lead to visual perception in the brain. “Some deep-sea fish have evolved antenna-like ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

Shedding light on unique conduction mechanisms in a new type of perovskite oxide

The remarkable proton and oxide-ion (dual-ion) conductivities of hexagonal perovskite-related oxide Ba7Nb3.8Mo1.2O20.1 are promising for next-generation electrochemical devices, as reported by scientists at Tokyo Tech. The unique ion-transport mechanisms they unveiled will hopefully pave the way for better dual-ion conductors, which could play an essential role in tomorrow’s clean energy technologies. Clean energy technologies are the cornerstone of sustainable societies, and solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and proton ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) are among the most promising types of electrochemical devices for green power generation. These devices, however, still ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

Azerbaijan women behind global average for thalassemia screening and genetic counselling | BGI Insight

5.2% of the global population carry hemoglobin abnormalities, resulting in 300,000 to 400,000 children born with severe hemoglobinopathies annually. Thalassemia, a hereditary hemoglobinopathy, occurs in 4.4 out of every 10,000 live births, and is prevalent in Mediterranean coastal areas, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and southern China. To facilitate greater understanding of thalassemia, a hereditary hemoglobinopathy, BGI Genomics today released its State of Thalassemia Awareness Report. This report assesses the level of knowledge and attitudes related to the associated health risks, thalassemia carrier ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

Alliance and WEF sign agreement for Food Action Alliance

The Alliance Bioversity International and CIAT signed an agreement with the World Economic Forum that enables the Alliance to manage initiatives under the Food Action Alliance, a movement led by the World Economic Forum for transforming sustainable food systems. The Alliance would establish and manage initiatives in Latin America, the Caribbean, and other regions under the Food Action Alliance to boost the transformation of food systems, facilitating and scaling up multi-stakeholder flagship initiatives in specific countries mostly with multi-national companies such as Bayer, Microsoft, PepsiCo, AB InBev; among others. The Food Action Alliance will continue to grow initiatives ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

USDA introduces a multi-year plan to strengthen U.S. genebank management of plant germplasm

WASHINGTON, November 17, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released today the National Strategic Germplasm and Cultivar Collection Assessment and Utilization Plan in support of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) U.S. National Plant Germplasm System’s (NPGS) mission. The USDA-ARS NPGS is confident that implementing this plan will address current operational and research challenges. The collection is vital for maintaining the nation’s food supply by providing breeders and researchers the germplasm they need to furnish U. S. consumers with abundant, ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

When growth becomes a weakness

Growth is a fundamental biological process and a prerequisite for living organisms to develop and reproduce. The processes of cell growth (i.e. the production of new biomass) and of cell division must be coordinated with each other. In multicellular organisms such as humans, the growth of cells must also be coordinated with their environment so that cells are present in the right number and size to form functional tissue or organs. Cell growth is therefore strictly regulated and takes place only when certain growth signals are present. But cancer cells are different. They grow unchecked, they divide ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

The future of supply chains: 3 essential elements to stay in business

Why should supply chains matter to you? The products on your store shelves, the packages arriving at your doorstep, and even the food on your table all rely on these intricate networks. Imagine a world where these lifelines are disrupted, where shelves sit empty, and essential goods remain out of reach. In Supply Chain 5.0: The Next Generation of Business Success Through Customer Centricity, Sustainability & Human Rights and Digitalization, we unveil the critical factors shaping the future of supply chains and how they impact your everyday life. This book holds a crucial revelation about the future of our supply chains. It ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

Fishing chimpanzees found to enjoy termites as a seasonal treat

The discovery that chimpanzees use tools to fish for termites revolutionized our understanding of their abilities — but we still don’t have crucial context to help us understand termite fishing and chimpanzee minds. Are chimpanzees fishing for a seasonal treat or trying their luck? Researchers based at the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) and University College London (UCL) investigated the relationship between termite availability and chimpanzee fishing. They found that termites are most available early in the wet season. Although other ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

Discovery of hemoglobin in the epidermis sheds new light on our skin's protective properties

Philadelphia, November 17, 2023 – Researchers have shown for the first time that hemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells where it binds oxygen, is also present in the epidermis, our skin's outermost body tissue. The study, which appears in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, published by Elsevier, provides important insights into the properties of our skin's protective external layer. This research was driven by a curiosity about how the epidermis protects our delicate body from the environment and what unexpected ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

A highly efficient open-shell singlet luminescent diradical with strong magnetoluminescence properties

Open-shell singlet (OS) diradicals are important building blocks for functional molecular materials，with a large number of pioneering works by researchers advancing their development and applications across various fields. Despite this progress, there remains a lack of research regarding luminescent OS diradicals, hindering their potential use in optoelectronic applications. In fact, the luminescent diradicals are rare chemical species, there are only a few reports to date. Magnetic field effects (MFE) on the luminescence, i.e., magnetoluminescence (ML) of radicals, hold great promise for developing novel exciton spin manipulation ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

The FinTech Nation

In a world where digital innovation reigns supreme, Singapore's ascent to FinTech prominence is nothing short of extraordinary. With a reputation for integrity, a conducive business environment, and unwavering support for financial innovation, this small island nation has defied all odds, to emerge as The FinTech Nation. Embark on an exhilarating journey through the dynamic world of FinTech in the heart of Asia with The FinTech Nation: Excellence Unlocked in Singapore. This captivating book unveils the secrets behind Singapore's meteoric rise as a global financial powerhouse, offering an intricate tapestry of ...

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