Science
press releases.

Science14 Nov 2023

Allison Institute hosts inaugural scientific symposium

HOUSTON ― The James P. Allison Institute at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center hosted its inaugural scientific symposium on Nov. 10 at the TMC3 Collaborative Building in the Texas Medical Center’s Helix Park. The event brought together more than 400 leading scientists, including three Nobel laureates, from multiple disciplines to share groundbreaking immunotherapy and immunobiology research. “Our inaugural symposium is an important milestone representing significant progress for the Allison Institute since we launched last year, and we’re energized by the exceptional science shared by our members and colleagues,” ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

Great results with emergency care adapted for pregnant women

Increased vigilance for high blood pressure and diffuse stomach pain. These are some of the characteristics of emergency care adapted for pregnant women and new mothers. The model, which could become clinical routine throughout Sweden, is described in a thesis at the University of Gothenburg. The aim of the thesis was to reduce morbidity and mortality among pregnant women and new mothers seeking emergency care. Sweden has relatively low rates of pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality, but pregnant women and new mothers do not currently receive ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

When languages collide, which survives?

Language has the power to shape our perceptions and interactions with the world. Different languages can coexist, but their dynamics are shaped by the communities that speak them – and how those communities interact with each other. Shared beliefs, assumptions, and feelings toward specific language forms often determine whether a specific language will survive or disappear, especially within multilinguistic societies. In Chaos, by AIP Publishing, researchers from the University of the Balearic Islands in Spain incorporate language ideologies, along with the impact of interaction between individuals with opposing preferences, on the language shift process. “Our ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

Von Kaven Award goes to mathematician Lisa Sauermann

Professor Dr. Lisa Sauermann from Bonn has received this year’s von Kaven Award from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) in recognition of her research achievements in the field of extremal combinatorics. The award goes to mathematicians who conduct research under the DFG’s Heisenberg or Emmy Noether Programmes. Endowed with €10,000, this year’s award will be presented on 17 November in connection with the Gauss Lectureship of the German Mathematical Society (Deutsche Mathematiker-Vereinigung, DMV) in Berlin. The laudatory speech will be given by mathematician Professor Dr. Katrin ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

The State of Open Data Report 2023: Support for researchers still lacking

In the eighth annual The State of Open Data report released today, almost three quarters of surveyed researchers overwhelmingly said they are still not getting the support they need to share their data openly. Such data highlights the increased need for greater community collaboration and tools to support researchers in the move to sustainable open science practices. For the remaining 23% of respondents who had sought and received support with data sharing, the support primarily came from internal sources (colleague/supervisor – 61%), followed by institutional libraries (31%), research office ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

Study reduces ‘vivid imagery’ that fuels addiction cravings

In 2021, 61.2 million Americans ages 12 and older used illicit drugs and more than 106,000 died from drug-involved overuse. Florida ranks second to California, with 5,300 annual overdose deaths, outpacing the national average by about 23 percent. Excessive alcohol use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States and is associated with numerous health issues, including heart disease, cancer and poor mental health. Although individuals with substance use disorder use outpatient sober support services and resources, relapse rates are still as high as 70 percent, indicating a need for more treatment modalities. A new Florida Atlantic ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

Long-term heat tolerance in plants

Two papers describe the genetic basis of long-term heat tolerance in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, with implications for crop breeding. Teruaki Taji and colleagues evaluated dozens of lines of the model mustard weed for both long term (37 °C for 36 days) and short term (42°C for 50 minutes) heat stress. The authors found considerable variation within the species, but little overlap between responses to the two different heat challenges, suggesting that long-term heat stress tolerance is controlled by different cellular mechanisms than the more commonly studied short-term heat stress. Chromosomal mapping using the F2 progeny of a cross between a long-term-heat ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

Current uses of asbestos exceed exposure limits

San Francisco, November 14, 2023 – A new study summarizing exposures to asbestos during the installation and removal of asbestos cement products demonstrates that these construction activities almost always exceed U.S. occupational limits. The study focused on airborne asbestos exposures from existing uses of asbestos that are still allowed in most countries. Average task-specific asbestos exposures during the cutting of asbestos cement pipe were more than 50 times the Occupational Safety and ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

Einstein Foundation Award 2023: The Einstein Foundation Berlin awards €500,000 prize to enhance quality in research

The €500,000 Einstein Foundation Award for Promoting Quality in Research honors researchers and institutions whose work helps to fundamentally advance the quality and robustness of research findings. The award is bestowed jointly with the QUEST Center for Responsible Research at the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH). “The Einstein Foundation Award is the first of its kind in the world to recognize efforts to improve research quality. Now in its third year, the award shines a spotlight on individuals and projects that exhibit outstanding dedication, but also the ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

COP28: New study highlights need to address risk of continued global warming after net zero

From scorching heatwaves to torrential downpours and devastating storms, the disastrous effects of global warming are sweeping across the world. Being the predicted outcome of burning fossil fuels, our best and only plan to limit warming is to reduce CO2 emissions from human activities to ‘net zero’ – where the amount of CO2 we emit into the atmosphere is equal to the amount we remove from it. To keep within the 1.5°C limit of the 2015 Paris Agreement, this needs to happen as soon as possible. Though the ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

14-hour fasting improves hunger, mood and sleep

Eating in a ten-hour window is associated with higher energy and mood and lower hunger levels, new results from the largest UK community science study of its kind shows1 . Results from the trial are presented today by researchers from King’s College London at the European Nutrition Conference. Intermittent fasting (IF), or restricting your food consumption to a set window, is a popular weight loss regime. A ten-hour window means limiting your daily eating schedule to ten hours and fasting for the ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

Assessing the solvency of virtual asset service providers: Are current standards sufficient?

The collapse of FTX clearly highlights the importance of being able to evaluate the solvency of cryptocurrency exchanges. Currently, this is only possible to a limited extent. That's why researchers from the Complexity Science Hub (CSH), in collaboration with the Financial Market Authority (FMA) and the Austrian National Bank (OeNB), are now proposing a new approach. Recently, a New York jury found Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, guilty of money laundering and fraud, among other charges. FTX was one of the largest trading platforms for crypto-assets and was valued at $32 billion before unexpectedly filing for insolvency in November ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

CPRIT recognized by TAMEST with Kay Bailey Hutchison Distinguished Service Award

AUSTIN – TAMEST (Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology) is pleased to announce the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) as the recipient of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Distinguished Service Award. TAMEST is recognizing CPRIT for their work improving the lives of Texans, advancing cancer research and prevention, and recruiting National Academy members to Texas. CPRIT’s success in attracting top-tier cancer scientists and companies to the state ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

Converting PFAS “forever chemicals” into valuable compounds

Osaka, Japan – Commonly known as “forever chemicals,” PFAS are notorious for persisting in the environment and in our bodies. Osaka Metropolitan University chemists may put an end to the “forever” life of PFAS with their simple yet innovative technique that converts these harmful substances into valuable compounds. A research group led by Professor Masato Ohashi and Assistant Professor Kenichi Michigami of the Graduate School of Science at Osaka Metropolitan University has successfully synthesized ligands called fluorine-decorated ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

Women with depression have 20% lower taurine concentration in the hippocampus

For the first time, a research team in Korea has discovered there is a significant relationship between depression and the taurine concentration in the hippocampus, an area of the brain responsible for memory and learning functions. This discovery provides the opportunity to publicize the role and importance of taurine in future prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of depression. Using ultra-high magnetic field 7T human MRI (7T MRI), researchers (Drs. Youngkyu Song, Jee-Hyun Cho and Chaejoon Cheong) in the Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI, President Seong-Kwang Yang) Biochemical Analysis Team have confirmed ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

Geese ‘keep calm and carry on’ after deaths in the flock

Canada geese strengthen existing friendships and forge a few new connections after losing close associates from their flock, new research shows. University of Exeter scientists observed flocks of Canada geese before and after a population-management cull in which about 20% of the birds were killed. In such a situation, some animals species increase “social connectivity” – mixing with many new individuals – which can increase the transmission of infectious diseases. But the geese in the study responded by strengthening existing relationships, only adding enough new associations to replace those they had lost. “Our findings shows that Canada geese are very ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

Using eclipses to calculate the transparency of Saturn’s rings

A Lancaster University PhD student has measured the optical depth of Saturn’s rings using a new method based on how much sunlight reached the Cassini spacecraft while it was in the shadow of the rings. The optical depth is connected to the transparency of an object, and it shows how far light can travel through that object before it gets absorbed or scattered. The research, led by Lancaster University in collaboration with the Swedish Institute of Space Physics, is published in the Monthly Notices ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

Researchers propose MOF modular customization strategy for efficient membrane separations

Membrane separation technology offers great potential due to its low energy consumption and continuous operation availability. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising in separation membranes due to their abundant species, high porosity, and precise regulation of pore architectures. Recently, a research group led by Prof. YANG Weishen and Assoc. Prof. PENG Yuan from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has proposed a new strategy of modular customization and non-destructive ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

Overdose prevention sites not associated with increase in crime, according to study

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Overdose prevention centers, where individuals can consume illicit drugs under the observation of trained staff, are not associated with significant increases in crime, researchers found. When the researchers compared syringe service programs in New York City with two programs that were recently sanctioned by city officials to offer supervised drug consumption, they found no significant increases in crimes recorded by the police or calls for emergency service in the surrounding neighborhoods. The findings, which were published in JAMA Network Open, come as plans to open overdose prevention centers proceed in Rhode ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

H bond promoted hydride transfer

The precise catalytic conversion of chemical bonds is a paramount goal in catalysis. Enzymes, as efficient biocatalysts, are well known for their high catalytic activity, selectivity, and substrate specificity under mild reaction conditions, which can be attributed to the synergistic catalysis of multiple active sites. Inspired by the catalytic mechanism of enzymes, the rational design of catalysts with multiple active sites to stabilize TS and accelerate the rate-determining step is a promising strategy for achieving high activity and selectivity. However, integrating multiple active sites into a single catalyst without interference during the catalytic process remains an enormous ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

Earth's surface water dives deep, transforming core's outer layer

A few decades ago, seismologists imaging the deep planet identified a thin layer, just over a few hundred kilometers thick. The origin of this layer, known as the E prime layer, has been a mystery — until now. An international team of researchers, including Arizona State University scientists Dan Shim, Taehyun Kim and Joseph O’Rourke of the School of Earth and Space Exploration, has revealed that water from the Earth's surface can penetrate deep into the planet, altering the composition of the outermost region of the metallic liquid core and creating a distinct, thin layer. Illustration of silica crystals coming out from the liquid metal of ...

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Science14 Nov 2023

New antiphospholipid syndrome research findings presented at ACR Convergence 2023

Investigators from the Antiphospholipid Syndrome Alliance for Clinical Trials and International Networking (APS ACTION) presented new research findings in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Convergence 2023, the ACR’s annual meeting. Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), one of the leading centers in the United States providing care for adults and children with APS, is the lead coordinating center for APS ACTION, an international research network of 34 academic institutions dedicated to advancing the understanding and management of APS. APS ACTION conducts large, ...

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Science13 Nov 2023

Ammonia fuel offers great benefits but demands careful action

Ammonia, a main component of many fertilizers, could play a key role in a carbon-free fuel system as a convenient way to transport and store clean hydrogen. The chemical, made of hydrogen and nitrogen (NH3), can also itself be burned as a zero-carbon fuel. However, new research led by Princeton University illustrates that even though it may not be a source of carbon pollution, ammonia’s widespread use in the energy sector could pose a grave risk to the nitrogen cycle and climate without proper engineering precautions. Publishing their findings in PNAS, the interdisciplinary team of 12 researchers found that a well-engineered ammonia economy could help the world achieve ...

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Science13 Nov 2023

A ‘fish cartel’ for Africa could benefit the countries, and their seas

Banding together to sell fishing rights could generate economic benefits for African countries, which receive far less from access to their fisheries on the global market than other countries do from theirs. By joining forces, UC Santa Barbara researchers say in a paper published in the journal Nature Communications, African fisheries would not just secure more competitive access fees, they could also protect their seas’ biodiversity. “If African countries created a ‘fish cartel’ to sell fishing rights to foreign vessels, they could increase their fish biomass by 16% and make 23% more in profits,” ...

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Science13 Nov 2023

Evolution of taste: Sharks were already able to perceive bitter substances

A research team from the University of Cologne, in collaboration with colleagues from the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology in Freising, has discovered a receptor for bitter taste in twelve different cartilaginous fish (sharks and rays). The receptor belongs to the so-called taste receptors type 2 (T2R), which also make humans perceive bitter and potentially toxic foods. Until now, it was assumed that such receptors only occur in bony vertebrates. The work was published under the title ‘A singular shark bitter taste receptor provides insights into the evolution of bitter taste perception’ ...

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