Science
press releases.

Science13 Nov 2023

Curiosity and pure maths

The German Research Foundation (DFG) will be funding a new Research Training Group (RTG) at the University of Göttingen from next year. The RTG "Curiosity" is based at the Faculty of Biology and Psychology. Funding is expected to total around 7.8 million euros over the following five years. In addition, the DFG has extended the funding for the RTG "Fourier Analysis and Spectral Theory" at the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science by five years. The award for this RTG totals around 4.5 million euros over the extended funding period. Curiosity is broadly defined ...

Read the release

Science13 Nov 2023

Limited positive childhood experiences linked to higher binge-eating risk in college

New findings from the University of Houston Department of Health and Human Performance reveal a significant association between a lower number of positive childhood experiences and a higher prevalence of binge-eating disorder characteristics, as well as lower scores for intuitive eating. Binge eating, which includes consuming a substantial amount of food within a brief timeframe and experiencing a loss of control, is linked to adverse weight-related health effects and challenges in mental well-being. Intuitive eating, ...

Read the release

Science13 Nov 2023

New heat map charts unequal civic opportunity in the US

People in many parts of the United States possess few chances for the robust community engagement that underpins healthy democracies, according to a new report that for the first time maps civic opportunity across the country. The heat map created by Johns Hopkins University’s SNF Agora Institute, reveals patterns of inequality in civic opportunity tied to race, class, immigration status and education. Researchers also found that a great deal of civic engagement happens through local faith institutions and social and fraternal organizations, not D.C.-based advocacy organizations that tend to carry political clout. The report is the initial phase ...

Read the release

Science13 Nov 2023

Widening gender gap in life expectancy in the US

About The Study: This analysis finds that COVID-19 and the drug overdose epidemic were major contributors to the widening gender gap in life expectancy (nearly six years) between women and men in recent years. Men experienced higher COVID-19 death rates for likely multifactorial reasons, including higher burden of comorbidities and differences in health behaviors and socioeconomic factors, such as labor force participation, incarceration, and homelessness. Differentially worsening mortality from diabetes, heart disease, homicide, and suicide suggest that chronic metabolic disease and mental illness may also contribute. Authors: Brandon W. Yan, M.D., ...

Read the release

Science13 Nov 2023

Shift from smoking cigarettes to vaping nicotine in young adults

About The Study: The data from this nationally representative survey study reveal a shift in tobacco use among young adults (ages 18-24), showing historically low cigarette use, which has positive public health significance. However, e-cigarette use is higher (14.5%) than reported previously, coinciding with the introduction of salt-based devices in 2015 to 2018. Over half of established vaping young adults never regularly smoked. Research suggests that exclusive e-cigarette users are unlikely to ...

Read the release

Science13 Nov 2023

Trends in prevalence of breastfeeding initiation and duration among US children

About The Study: The findings of this study indicate an increase in the prevalence of breastfeeding initiation and breastfeeding duration at 12 months from 1999 to 2018 in the U.S. Temporal changes of breastfeeding duration at 12 months were more prevalent among male infants, older mothers, Mexican American and multiracial participants, and households with higher income. Authors: Yongjun Zhang, Ph.D., M.D., of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in Shanghai, is the corresponding author. To access ...

Read the release

Science13 Nov 2023

Study finds melatonin use soaring among youth

Nearly one in five school-aged children and preteens now take melatonin for sleep, and some parents routinely give the hormone to preschoolers, according to new research from the University of Colorado Boulder published Nov. 13 in JAMA Pediatrics. This concerns the authors, who note that safety and efficacy data surrounding the products are slim, such dietary supplements lack full regulation by the Food and Drug Administration. “We hope this paper raises awareness for parents and clinicians, and sounds the alarm for the scientific community,” said lead author Lauren Hartstein, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow ...

Read the release

Science13 Nov 2023

Recreation of ancient seawater reveals which nutrients shaped the evolution of early life

Scientists know very little about conditions in the ocean when life first evolved, but new research published in Nature Geoscience has revealed how geological processes controlled which nutrients were available to fuel their development. All life uses nutrients such as zinc and copper to form proteins. The oldest lifeforms evolved in the Archean Eon, three and a half billion years before the dinosaurs first appeared. These microbes showed a preference for metals such as molybdenum and manganese compared to their more recent counterparts. This ...

Read the release

Science13 Nov 2023

Researchers explore origins of lupus, find reason for condition’s prevalence among women

For years, researchers and clinicians have known that lupus, an autoimmune condition, occurs in women at a rate nine times higher than in men. Some of the factors that cause the disease’s high prevalence in women have eluded discovery, but in a new study investigating the immune system processes in lupus and the X chromosome, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have uncovered answers about the disease’s frequency in females. A number of dysregulated genetic and biological pathways contribute to the development of lupus and its varied symptoms of muscle and joint pain, ...

Read the release

Science13 Nov 2023

Self-deception may seed ‘hubris balancing,’ leading to Putin’s war against Ukraine

Strategy underlies the affairs of national leaders, including how they view and interact with other states — but what if such strategy is borne of self-deception? That’s the thrust of a novel international relations theory that Ryuta Ito of Hiroshima University has now expanded upon, providing psychological rationalization to explain the irrational acts of national leaders at war. Ito penned his reasoning on Sept. 5 in the journal International Affairs. “Why did Vladimir Putin decide to invade Ukraine in 2022?” asked Ito, assistant professor in the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Hiroshima University. ...

Read the release

Science13 Nov 2023

When keeping secrets could brighten your day

Though people often want to share good news as soon as they learn it, a study published by the American Psychological Association has found that keeping good news a secret before telling someone else could make people feel more energized and alive. “Decades of research on secrecy suggest it is bad for our well-being, but this work has only examined keeping secrets that have negative implications for our lives. Is secrecy inherently bad for our well-being or do the negative effects of secrecy tend to stem from keeping negative secrets?” asked lead author Michael ...

Read the release

Science13 Nov 2023

It takes a village: Hunter-gatherer approach to childcare suggests that the key to mother and child wellbeing may be many caregivers

Infants and toddlers may be psychologically wired to thrive with high levels of “sensitive care” and personal attention, according to a study conducted with contemporary hunter-gatherer societies. Research led by an evolutionary anthropologist at Cambridge University found that hunter-gatherer infants receive attentive care and physical contact for about nine hours per day from up to 15 different caregivers. Dr Nikhil Chaudhary says that, for the vast majority of our species’ evolutionary history, ...

Read the release

Science13 Nov 2023

The American Pediatric Society announces its new members for 2023

The American Pediatric Society (APS) is pleased to announce eighty-four new members. Founded in 1888, the APS is North America's first and most prestigious academic pediatric organization. New members will be recognized during the APS Presidential Plenary at the Pediatric Academic Societies 2024 Meeting. APS members are recognized child health leaders of extraordinary achievement who work together to shape the future of academic pediatrics. Current members nominate new members by recognizing individuals who have distinguished themselves as child health leaders, ...

Read the release

Science13 Nov 2023

Reviewing new challenges and opportunities for hepatitis B cures

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a significant public health problem, with over 296 million people chronically infected worldwide. Despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine for over 40 years, HBV remains a leading cause of liver disease and death. One of the main challenges to curing HBV is the unique biology of the virus. HBV replicates through a covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) intermediate integrated into the host genome. This makes it very difficult to eradicate the virus completely, even with effective antiviral therapy. Another challenge is the impaired immune response to HBV in chronically infected individuals. The virus has evolved several mechanisms to evade ...

Read the release

Science13 Nov 2023

TTUHSC’s Wilkerson to investigate links between pain and basal sex hormone levels

For most patients, acute pain following a surgical procedure is a common and expected hurdle which is eventually cleared during recovery. However, there is a small but significant patient population that experiences chronic post-surgical pain that may linger for six months or longer. Sex hormones (e.g., estrogen in females and testosterone in males) are generally regarded as contributors to post-surgical pain development and maintenance, and basal sex hormones are the range of sex hormones expected to be produced in a healthy individual at any point in time. When basal sex ...

Read the release

Science13 Nov 2023

New scientific methods for analyzing criminal careers

Researchers at the Complexity Science Hub have examined 1.2 million criminal incidents and developed an innovative method to identify patterns in criminal trajectories. When it comes to preventing future crimes, it is essential to understand how past criminal behavior relates to future offenses. One key question is whether criminals tend to specialize in specific types of crimes or exhibit a generalist approach by engaging in a variety of illegal activities. Despite the potential significance of systematically identifying patterns in criminal careers, especially in preventing ...

Read the release

Science13 Nov 2023

New research maps 14 potential evolutionary dead ends for humanity and ways to avoid them

For the first time, scientists have used the concept of evolutionary traps on human societies at large. They find that humankind risks getting stuck in 14 evolutionary dead ends, ranging from global climate tipping points to misaligned artificial intelligence, chemical pollution, and accelerating infectious diseases. The evolution of humankind has been an extraordinary success story. But the Anthropocene — the proposed geological epoch shaped by us humans — is showing more and more cracks. Multiple global crises, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, food insecurity, financial crises, and conflicts have started to occur simultaneously ...

Read the release

Science12 Nov 2023

Hormonal contraceptives in teens may alter risk assessment

[Embargoed until 1 p.m. (ET) Sunday, Nov. 12] WASHINGTON – Hormonal contraceptives taken by adolescents may influence development of the brain in a way that alters the recognition of risks, a new study in rats suggests. Scientists at The Ohio State University are exploring how common synthetic hormones used for birth control affect the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain that continues to develop throughout adolescence. The researchers found that myelination, the formation of protective coating on axons projecting from the main body of brain cells, increased in rats given hormonal birth control compared to untreated rats, while the number ...

Read the release

Science11 Nov 2023

Scientific strength through diverse datasets

Research which considers the diversity of normal and diseased human populations is contributing to more resilient hypotheses regarding complex neuroscience processes, such as human brain development, autism spectrum disorders, and Alzheimer's disease. Several interwoven examples will be discussed on Sunday, November 12, 2–3 p.m. at Neuroscience 2023, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world’s largest source of emerging news about brain science and health. Considering the full spectrum of human variability — including gender, sex, race, ethnicity, and neurodiversity — is benefiting neuroscience at both the basic and translational ...

Read the release

Science10 Nov 2023

Want higher graduation rates? New study shows public spending on families is key

MSU has a satellite uplink/LTN TV studio and Comrex line for radio interviews upon request. A new study, conducted in collaboration between researchers at Michigan State University and Central Michigan University, found that public spending on social safety net programs and on education spending each independently impact high school graduation rates, which are a key predictor of health and well-being later in life. The study, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, tested whether public financing for education and social safety net programs that aim to help ...

Read the release

Science10 Nov 2023

MSU researcher solves sperm mystery, providing insight on infertility

MSU has a satellite uplink/LTN TV studio and Comrex line for radio interviews upon request. Video and Images Michigan State University researchers have solved the mystery of a poorly understood sperm structure called the cytoplasmic droplet, or CD. The CD is an expanded cytoplasm — watery, gel-like cell contents enclosed by cell membrane — found close to the head, at the neck of the sperm, in all mammals, including humans. This new genetic model is the first of its kind. Despite ...

Read the release

Science10 Nov 2023

RIT’s Carichino receives National Science Foundation LEAPS-MPS award

Rochester Institute of Technology’s Lucia Carichino, assistant professor in the School of Mathematics and Statistics, has received a Launching Early-Career Academic Pathways in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (LEAPS-MPS) award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The award funds Carichino’s research in computational modeling of the interaction between the eye and a contact lens. Specifically, Carichino is focusing on orthokeratology (ortho-k) lenses that help reduce myopic progression in kids and young adults. She aims to develop a mathematical model that will ...

Read the release

Science10 Nov 2023

Unlocking the secrets of spin with high-harmonic probes

Deep within every piece of magnetic material, electrons dance to the invisible tune of quantum mechanics. Their spins, akin to tiny atomic tops, dictate the magnetic behavior of the material they inhabit. This microscopic ballet is the cornerstone of magnetic phenomena, and it's these spins that a team of JILA researchers—headed by JILA Fellows and University of Colorado Boulder professors Margaret Murnane and Henry Kapteyn—has learned to control with remarkable precision, potentially redefining the future of electronics and data storage. In a new Science Advances ...

Read the release

Science10 Nov 2023

Adolescent and young adult sex workers more likely to experience muscle dysmorphia

Using data from over 900 participants in a large, diverse, and national sample of Canadian adolescents and young adults from the Canadian Study of Adolescent Health Behaviors, a new study published in the journal Sexual Health researchers found significant associations between sex work and muscle dysmorphia. Sex work, in its various forms, is highly stigmatized in Canadian society, and sex workers are often victims of harmful stereotypes. It is estimated that roughly 4% of Canadian adolescents engage in selling sex, and research has shown that those involved in sex work are more at risk to experience substance use ...

Read the release

Science10 Nov 2023

Perceived interpersonal racism and incident stroke among U.S. Black women

About The Study: Black women who reported experiences of interpersonal racism in situations involving employment, housing, and interactions with police appeared to have an increased risk of stroke, even after accounting for demographic and vascular risk factors, according to the results of this study including 48,000 Black women. These findings suggest that the high burden of racism experienced by Black U.S. women may contribute to racial disparities in stroke incidence. Authors: Shanshan Sheehy, Sc.D., of Boston University, is the corresponding author. To ...

Read the release