Science
press releases.

Science17 Nov 2023

Like the phoenix, Australia’s giant birds of prey rise again from limestone caves

Australia’s only vulture, and a fearsome extinct eagle, are among the earliest recorded birds of prey from the Pleistocene period more than 50,000 years ago – and now Flinders University researchers are bringing them to life again. Along with new scientific information published in Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology, a bold new pictorial reconstruction of a newly named eagle and the only known Australian vulture will be unveiled at the World Heritage-listed Naracoorte Caves in South Australia’s Limestone Coast this month. “Imagine these majestic birds competing ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

Population Council awarded Grand Challenges Canada Grant to support the market introduction of the dapivirine vaginal ring

November 14, 2023 – IPM South Africa NPC, an affiliate of the Population Council, has been issued a 15-month Transition to Scale Phase 2 award from Grand Challenges Canada to support the market introduction of the dapivirine vaginal ring (DapiRing™) for women in Southern and East Africa. The DapiRing is a user-controlled vaginal ring that reduces the risk of HIV infection in women during vaginal sex. The ring is made of flexible silicone and can be ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

Air cleaners don’t stop you getting sick, research shows

Peer reviewed - systematic review - humans Air filtration systems do not reduce the risk of picking up viral infections, according to new research from the University of East Anglia. A new study published today reveals that technologies designed to make social interactions safer in indoor spaces are not effective in the real world. The team studied technologies including air filtration, germicidal lights and ionisers. They looked at all the available evidence but found little to support hopes that these technologies can make air safe from respiratory or gastrointestinal infections. Prof Paul Hunter, from UEA’s Norwich Medical ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

From tobacco to alcohol to opioids, Sanford Burnham Prebys researchers are pursuing novel leads and promising therapies to treat addiction

Addiction is perhaps the most and least visible of public health crises in the United States. Tens of millions of Americans are addicted to illicit drugs, alcohol, tobacco and other substances including opioids, with both immediate and long-term harm to not just themselves, but also family, friends and society. At the same time, many of those affected deny or hide their addictions. Most do not seek help. A 2021 national survey on drug use and health by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), ...

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Science17 Nov 2023

NCDMPH Director Jeffrey D. Freeman, PhD, MPH to be a keynote speaker at SDMPH Annual Meeting

Disasters are growing more frequent, severe, and unpredictable, yet our nation lacks a sustainable model for preparedness. Dr. Freeman's presentation will address the advancement of science, practice, and education in the pursuit of a coordinated and scalable approach to preparedness. To be presented on Day 3 during the Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health Inc. Annual Meeting which will be held between December 4-6, in Washington, DC. END ...

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Science16 Nov 2023

Heat tolerant coral may trade fast growth for resilience

Algae living within the soft tissue of coral supply much of the energy needed by their hosts, and some symbiotic algae help coral withstand warmer water better than others. In a recently published study led by the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, researchers found that there was a tradeoff for corals dominated by the thermally sensitive algae—they have higher growth, but only in cooler water. “As the ocean continues to warm, understanding how symbionts and environmental factors affect coral growth and health will help predict reef futures and inform conservation interventions where coral stocks are selected ...

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Science16 Nov 2023

Love thy neighbor: Cooperation extends beyond one’s own group in wild bonobos

A new study published this week in Science challenges the notion that only humans are capable of forming strong and strategic cooperative relationships and sharing resources across non-family groups. Researchers from Harvard University and the German Primate Center examined the pro-social behavior of bonobos (Pan paniscus), one of humanity’s closest living relatives, finding that their cooperation extends beyond one’s own group to societal cooperation with different groups. Studying humans' two closest living relatives, chimpanzees and bonobos, can help reconstruct ancestral human traits like cooperation and conflict. Despite living in similar ...

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Science16 Nov 2023

High efficiency and cooling performance in an electrocaloric heat pump

Researchers have developed a solid-state electrocaloric cooling device that can generate a 20 kelvin temperature difference with high efficiency, according to a new study. The findings show that electrocaloric cooling can compete with other solid-state cooling strategies and offer a promising alternative to environmentally unfriendly vapor compression cooling. Cooling devices, including air-conditioning and heat pump systems, are estimated to consume roughly 20% of global electricity. Most of these systems operate through vapor-compression technologies, which are relatively inefficient and require environmentally harmful fluorinated refrigerants. Cooling through solid-state electrocaloric ...

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Science16 Nov 2023

The secret behind mussels’ quick-release interface

The same bundle of non-living filaments that mussels use to anchor themselves within their environment – to withstand crushing waves, for example – can also be jettisoned on demand. Mussels create this quick-release interface, a new study finds, by way of a neurochemically-mediated junction, where billions of motile cilia hold fast to interlinked biopolymer sheets. "[The study’s] findings could be informative about how nonliving materials can be dynamically interfaced with living tissue, as in the case of detachable biosensors and medical implants," write Guoqing Pan and Bin Li in a related ...

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Science16 Nov 2023

UCSC doctoral graduate wins prestigious Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists

Jessica Kendall-Bar, who received her Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology last year from UC Santa Cruz with co-advisors Terrie Williams and Dan Costa, was named a recipient of the prestigious Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists for her research on elephant seal sleep habits while they are at sea. The Science & SciLifeLab Prize is an international prize awarded by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the journal Science to early career scientists for their outstanding thesis research in the life sciences. As ...

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Science16 Nov 2023

Liverpool’s chemists awarded Queen’s Anniversary Prize for pioneering research to address global challenges

The University of Liverpool’s Department of Chemistry has been awarded a prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize in recognition of its pioneering research and innovation work to address global challenges and benefit society. The Queen’s Anniversary Prize is the highest national honour in Higher Education. It is awarded in recognition of world-class excellence and achievement to a small selection of UK institutions every two years. The Department of Chemistry at the University of Liverpool carries out world-leading research that pushes forward the frontiers of ...

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Science16 Nov 2023

USF researchers help reduce lead levels in Madagascar drinking water

TAMPA, Fla. (Nov. 16, 2023) -- A team of engineers and public health experts from the University of South Florida is helping Toamasina, Madagascar, residents reduce their exposure to lead – a major global environmental pollutant that causes more than 1 million premature deaths each year. By combining efforts to replace water pumps and educate city technicians, USF researchers helped decrease the blood lead levels of 87 percent of the children tested during their study. “They were taking old car batteries and melting them down to make check ...

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Science16 Nov 2023

A new ultrasound patch can measure how full your bladder is

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- MIT researchers have designed a wearable ultrasound monitor, in the form of a patch, that can image organs within the body without the need for an ultrasound operator or application of gel. In a new study, the researchers showed that their patch can accurately image the bladder and determine how full it is. This could help patients with bladder or kidney disorders more easily track whether these organs are functioning properly, the researchers say. This approach could also be adapted to monitor other organs within the body by changing the location of the ultrasound array and tuning the frequency ...

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Science16 Nov 2023

Pushing the boundaries of eco-friendly chemical production

A team of pioneering researchers from the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) has made a significant leap forward in the complex world of molecular chemistry. Their focus? Azaarenes, unique molecular puzzle pieces crucial to many everyday products, from eco-friendly agrochemicals to essential medicines. The CABBI team demonstrated an innovative way to modify these molecules, a groundbreaking discovery that holds promise for new industrially relevant chemical reactions and sustainable energy solutions. Central to their ...

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Science16 Nov 2023

Study finds motorist disorientation syndrome is not only caused by vestibular dysfunction

Amsterdam, November 16, 2023 – A large case series aimed at understanding the factors underlying Motorist Disorientation Syndrome (MDS) has found that patients experience severe, consistent symptoms comparable to vestibular migraine. Previously there has been speculation that underlying peripheral vestibular hypofunction, when the inner ear part of the balance system is not working properly, contributes to this presentation. However, vestibular deficits were not a consistent feature in the patients studied. The findings have been published in the Journal of Vestibular Research. In ...

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Science16 Nov 2023

Study: Temperature variability reduces nesting success

Ithaca, N.Y.—Many songbirds are nesting earlier in spring because of warmer temperatures brought about by climate change. But the shift brings another danger that is especially deadly for nestlings: greater exposure to temperature variability in the form of cold snaps and heat waves. Such extremes result in more nest failures. These findings come from a Cornell Lab of Ornithology study just published in the journal Nature Communications. "When we talk about temperature changes, the focus is mostly on averages," said co-lead author Conor Taff, a researcher in Cornell University's ...

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Science16 Nov 2023

Cannabis use during pregnancy is associated with adverse birth outcomes

Infants prenatally exposed to cannabis are more likely to be born preterm, have a low birth weight, and require neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) care than infants without prenatal cannabis exposure, according to a study published today in the scientific journal Addiction. However, cannabis-exposed infants are not at greater risk of birth defects or death within one year, including sudden unexpected infant death. First author Ms. Maryam Sorkhou comments, “The global increase in cannabis use among women of reproductive age also extends to pregnant women. ...

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Science16 Nov 2023

Night-time radiative warming using the atmosphere

Warming has played a crucial role in various industrial and agricultural processes throughout history. Night-time warming, however, presents a distinct challenge due to the absence of solar radiation. During the night, direct radiative heat loss to outer space through the atmospheric transparent window (8-14 μm) can cause temperature to drop below freezing, posing significant threats to agriculture (crops), transportation (outdoor cables), and more. Traditionally, achieving night-time warming ...

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Science16 Nov 2023

Oregon State researchers receive $2M to look for new ways to prevent organic potatoes from spoiling

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University researchers have been awarded $2 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop improved ways of preventing stored potatoes from sprouting, particularly in the organic sector. This research is pivotal given the rapid rise of the organic market in U.S. agriculture, the scientists note. “The organic potato industry cannot depend on traditional chemical anti-sprouting treatments since synthetic chemicals are banned in certified organic,” said Valtcho Jeliazkov of OSU’s College of Agricultural ...

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Science16 Nov 2023

7 countries, 1.3 million lives lost – the devastating impact of tobacco revealed

Strict embargo: 00.01 hrs GMT Thursday, 16th September, 2023 Every year 1.3 million lives are lost to cancers caused by smoking tobacco across the UK, US and BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), according to a new study, funded by Cancer Research UK. Researchers found that together, the seven countries represented more than half of the global burden of cancer deaths every year. They concluded that smoking, as well as three other preventable risk factors – alcohol, overweight or obesity, and human papillomavirus (HPV) infections caused almost 2 million deaths combined. The study, carried out ...

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Science15 Nov 2023

WhaleVis turns more than a century of whaling data into an interactive map

Even though they’re the largest animals on earth, whales remain difficult to track. So experts often turn to historical whaling data to inform current research. A dataset maintained by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) contains detailed information on commercial whale catches — more than 2.1 million records, predominantly from 1880 until the IWC banned whaling in 1986. Yet for researchers, distilling that data can prove its own challenge. A team at the University of Washington has created an online interactive map called WhaleVis, which lets whale researchers visualize ...

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Science15 Nov 2023

ECOG-ACRIN and PrECOG announce multiple presentations at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2023 annual meeting

Researchers with the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN) and PrECOG, LLC, will present six oral and three poster presentations at the 65th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Meeting & Exposition, occurring in San Diego, California and virtually December 9-12, 2023. The presentations focus on treatments for acute leukemias and lymphomas. Among the data are the promising results of the phase 2 PrE0405 trial, which evaluated bendamustine, rituximab, and venetoclax for the initial treatment of mantle cell lymphoma in older patients. Other ...

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Science15 Nov 2023

Birds set foot near South Pole in Early Cretaceous, Australian tracks show

The discovery of 27 avian footprints on the southern Australia coast — dating back to the Early Cretaceous when Australia was still connected to Antarctica — opens another window onto early avian evolution and possible migratory behavior. PLOS ONE published the discovery of some of the oldest, positively identified bird tracks in the Southern Hemisphere, dated to between 120 million and 128 million years ago. “Most of the bird tracks and body fossils dating as far back as the Early Cretaceous are from the Northern Hemisphere, particularly from Asia,” says Anthony Martin, first ...

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Science15 Nov 2023

Australian footprints are the oldest known evidence of birds from southern regions

Early birds had made it to southern polar environments by 120 million years ago, according to a study published November 15, 2023 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Anthony Martin of Emory University, USA and colleagues. Cretaceous bird fossils are abundant and diverse in northern continents, but extremely rare in southern continents, regions that were once part of the landmass of Gondwana. This presents a challenge for paleontologists trying to understand the distribution of early birds. In this study, Martin and colleagues report ...

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Science15 Nov 2023

New ‘patch’ uses natural body motion to fix disc herniation

PHILADELPHIA— A new biologic “patch” that is activated by a person’s natural motion could be the key to fixing herniated discs in people’s backs, according to researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the CMC VA Medical Center (CMCVAMC). Combining years of work from many different projects, the “tension-activated repair patches” (TARPs) provide controlled release of an anti-inflammatory molecule called anakinra from microcapsules over time, which helped ...

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