Science
press releases.

Science2 Nov 2023

How organs of male and female mammals differ

The development of sex-specific characteristics is frequently seen in mammals. These characteristics stem from the activation of corresponding genetic programmes that until now have been largely undescribed by the scientific community. An international research team from the Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University and The Francis Crick Institute in London has, for the first time, decoded the programmes that control the sex-specific development of major organs in selected mammals – humans, mice, rats, rabbits, and opossums. By comparing these programmes, the researchers were also able to trace the ...

Read the release

Science2 Nov 2023

Pascal Lee awarded the 2023 Carl Sagan Prize for Science Popularization

November 2, 2023, Mountain View, CA -- The SETI Institute is delighted to announce that Dr. Pascal Lee will be honored with the 2023 Carl Sagan Prize for Science Popularization presented by Wonderfest. The prestigious Sagan Prize recognizes and encourages individuals who “have contributed wonderfully to the public understanding and appreciation of science.” Previous recipients from the SETI Institute include SETI Institute co-founder and SETI pioneer Jill Tarter, senior astronomer Seth Shostak and trustee Andrew Fraknoi. “I am truly delighted and humbled by this award,” says Pascal Lee, “all the more because Carl Sagan was, and remains, ...

Read the release

Science2 Nov 2023

Making gluten-free, sorghum-based beers easier to brew and enjoy

Though beer is a popular drink worldwide, it’s usually made from barley, which leaves those with a gluten allergy or intolerance unable to enjoy the frothy beverage. Sorghum, a naturally gluten-free grain, could be an alternative, but complex preparation steps have hampered its widespread adoption by brewers. Now, researchers reporting the molecular basis behind sorghum brewing in ACS’ Journal of Proteome Research have uncovered an enzyme that could improve the future of sorghum-based beers. Traditionally, beer brewers start with barley grains, which they malt, mash, ...

Read the release

Science2 Nov 2023

Jurassic worlds might be easier to spot than modern Earth

ITHACA, N.Y. –Things may not have ended well for dinosaurs on Earth, but Cornell University astronomers say the “light fingerprint” of the conditions that enabled them to emerge here provide a crucial missing piece in our search for signs of life on planets orbiting alien stars. Their analysis of the most recent 540 million years of Earth’s evolution, known as the Phanerozoic Eon, finds that telescopes could better detect potential chemical signatures of life in the atmosphere of an Earth-like exoplanet more closely resembling the age the dinosaurs inhabited than the ...

Read the release

Science2 Nov 2023

Archaeology: Larger-scale warfare may have occurred in Europe 1,000 years earlier

A re-analysis of more than 300 sets of 5,000-year-old skeletal remains excavated from a site in Spain suggests that many of the individuals may have been casualties of the earliest period of warfare in Europe, occurring over 1,000 years before the previous earliest known larger-scale conflict in the region. The study, published in Scientific Reports, indicates that both the number of injured individuals and the disproportionately high percentage of males affected suggest that the injuries resulted from a period of conflict, potentially lasting at least months. Conflict during the European Neolithic period (approximately 9,000 ...

Read the release

Science2 Nov 2023

Damaging thunderstorm winds increasing in central U.S.

Destructive winds that flow out of thunderstorms in the central United States are becoming more widespread with warming temperatures, according to new research by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The new study, published this week in Nature Climate Change, shows that the central U.S. experienced a fivefold increase in the geographic area affected by damaging thunderstorm straight line winds in the past 40 years. The research uses a combination of meteorological observations, very high-resolution computer modeling, and analyses of fundamental ...

Read the release

Science2 Nov 2023

Study links changes in global water cycle to higher temperatures

It’s a multi-billion dollar question: What will happen to water as temperatures continue to rise? There will be winners and losers with any change that redistributes where, when and how much water is available for humans to drink and use. To find answers and make informed predictions, scientists look to the past. Reconstructions of past climate change using geologic data have helped to show the far-reaching influence of human activity on temperatures since the Industrial Age. But assembling hydroclimate records for the same timeframe has proved to be much harder. A study from the Past Global Changes (PAGES) Iso2k project team, ...

Read the release

Science2 Nov 2023

One sleepless night can rapidly reverse depression for several days

All-nighters can cause giddy and slap-happy feelings This effect is caused by increased dopamine release in distributed brain regions This dopamine signal also enhances plasticity in the neuronal connections, causing a potent antidepressant effect that lasts for days Study suggests that prefrontal cortex and its dopamine inputs are key for rapid plasticity and antidepressant effects after brief sleep loss EVANSTON, Ill. — Most people who have pulled an all-nighter are all too familiar with that “tired and wired” ...

Read the release

Science2 Nov 2023

Imaging advance poised to provide new insights into reproduction and infertility

WASHINGTON — Researchers have developed a new optical coherence tomography (OCT) approach that can directly image coordination of tiny hair-like structures known as motile cilia in their natural environment. The ability to observe cilia dynamics in living organisms gives researchers a powerful new tool to investigate how these structures move cells and substances through the female reproductive system, as well as other functions of cilia throughout the body. “Our new method has the potential to answer the longstanding question about cilia's ...

Read the release

Science2 Nov 2023

Researchers launch first study of a vaginal film that dissolves in 30 days to assess its acceptability as a potential HIV prevention method for women

PITTSBURGH – November 2, 2023 – A vaginal film designed to slowly dissolve over the course of 30 days is being put to the test for the first time in a study launched this week that aims to determine its feasibility and acceptability as a potential HIV prevention method for women. The study, which is being conducted in the United States and Africa by MATRIX, a United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded project focused on the early research and development of innovative HIV prevention products for women, will help inform the final design of a monthly film containing the antiretroviral (ARV) ...

Read the release

Science2 Nov 2023

Can acupuncture alleviate certain kinds of chest pain?

Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have received a $3.12 million National Institutes of Health grant to study whether acupuncture can alleviate chest pain caused by stable angina. Stable angina is defined as predictable chest pain during exertion or when under mental or emotional stress and is a condition that affects millions of Americans. A large body of research has shown that acupuncture can help mitigate many types of chronic pain. But little is known about its effect on ischemic pain, which is caused when the heart isn’t getting enough oxygen, as is the case with stable angina. The two-site study will be led by principal investigators Judith Schlaeger, ...

Read the release

Science2 Nov 2023

Investigators examine shifts in coral microbiome under hypoxia

Washington, D.C.—A new study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology, provides the first characterization of the coral microbiome under hypoxia, insufficient oxygen in the water. The research is an initial step toward identifying potential beneficial bacteria for corals facing this environmental stressor. The researchers conducted the study because of the increasing awareness of the impact of the microbiome on host health. For example, a healthy human gut microbiome plays key roles ...

Read the release

Science2 Nov 2023

Regenstrief’s Hickman to be inducted as Gerontological Society of America fellow

INDIANAPOLIS — Regenstrief Institute’s Susan Hickman, PhD, has been elected as a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA). Dr. Hickman will be inducted on November 9 into the social research, policy and practice section of the GSA College of Fellows during the society’s 2023 annual scientific meeting. In addition to being director and a research scientist with the IU Center for Aging Research at Regenstrief Institute, Dr. Hickman is a professor at Indiana University School of Nursing, the Pettinga Chair in Aging Research with the Indiana University School of Medicine and the co-director of the IUPUI ...

Read the release

Science2 Nov 2023

Buzz around new centralized pollination portal for better global bee data

A powerful new way to fill major gaps in public bee data – including from Africa, Asia and other under-reported zones – has been addressed with a centralised tool for consolidating bee pollinator occurrences around the globe. Called BeeBCD, the package outlined in a new Nature journal article, brings together more than 18 million bee occurrence records from multiple public and private databases to improve accuracy and accessibility of species data from around the world for future conservation, research and farming management. The rationalised bee occurrence datasets will help support future plant and crop production ...

Read the release

Science2 Nov 2023

EU MiFID II unbundling rules damaged research and liquidity in London’s main stock market – new study

New research from the University of Bath shows the European Union’s MiFID II financial market reforms inadvertently reduced research activity and adversely affected liquidity in London’s main stock market but that the impact on London’s less regulated Alternative Investment Market was mitigated by its special adviser rules. The EU’s Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II) from 2018 aimed to improve transparency around research costs, which were previously bundled into brokers’ overall fees to clients. The legislation demanded the fees be ‘unbundled’ to make the hidden costs more explicit ...

Read the release

Science2 Nov 2023

Research examines why mask usage in Japan persists

Osaka, Japan – When you think of Japan in the age of COVID, you might imagine a crowd of people wearing masks. But why do so many Japanese people wear masks? In an article published this month in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, a researcher from Osaka University analyzed mask use before and after the government of Japan downgraded the legal status of COVID-19. Results showed that many people continue to wear masks for socio-psychological reasons – including reasons related to ‘relief’ and ‘norm’. Of course, the obvious motivation for mask use is disease prevention. In the first ...

Read the release

Science2 Nov 2023

A “manganese bullet” targeting the top killer?

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) continue to rank as the top killer in the modern world. This deadly disorder often starts with the buildup of lipid deposits or plaques within the blood vessel, silently setting the stage for atherosclerosis. Rupture of these atherosclerotic plaques, however, could clot blood vessels and lead to life-threatening conditions including heart attack or stroke. Dyslipidemia, meaning having too much “bad” or atherogenic lipids in the blood, represents the most common cause of CVDs and ...

Read the release

Science2 Nov 2023

Adult coral can handle more heat and keep growing thanks to heat-evolved symbionts

Adult fragments of a coral species can better tolerate bleaching and recover faster when treated with tougher heat-evolved symbionts, new research from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and the University of Melbourne indicates. The study also found that treatment with the heat-evolved symbionts did not compromise the coral’s ability to grow. This differs from previous studies on Great Barrier Reef corals which found that naturally heat tolerant symbionts could enhance heat resistance in adult corals, but at a cost to its growth. Symbionts are the tiny cells of algae that live inside the coral tissue, providing corals with energy to grow. The survival ...

Read the release

Science2 Nov 2023

An MRI-equipped ambulance: A game-changer for stroke care?

In the U.S., someone has a stroke every 40 seconds and dies from it every three minutes and 14 seconds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When it comes to stroke, experts echo the fact that time is brain. Faster treatment translates to better outcomes, and certain treatments, like the clot-busting drug tPA, have a strict time window for administration. “The quicker that we can get the patient to treatment, the quicker we can have a good outcome,” said Dustin LeBlanc, M.D., director of Prehospital Medicine and associate chief medical officer for Emergency Management at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). ...

Read the release

Science1 Nov 2023

Dr. Zainab Mahmoud to receive the 2023 Dr. Nanette K. Wenger Research Goes Red® Award

DALLAS, Nov. 1, 2023 – The American Heart Association will present the 2023 Dr. Nanette K. Wenger Research Goes Red® Award to Zainab Mahmoud, M.D., M.Sc., of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. This award will be presented during the opening session of the Association’s Scientific Sessions 2023 on Saturday, Nov. 11. The meeting, to be held in Philadelphia, Saturday, Nov. 11 through Monday, Nov. 13, is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, ...

Read the release

Science1 Nov 2023

Dr. Marc A. Pfeffer to be receive the 2023 Eugene Braunwald Academic Mentorship Award

DALLAS, Nov. 1, 2023 — The American Heart Association will present its 2023 Eugene Braunwald Academic Mentorship Award to Marc A. Pfeffer, M.D., Ph.D., FAHA, of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The Eugene Braunwald Academic Mentorship Award will be recognized during the Presidential Session on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, at the Association’s Scientific Sessions 2023. The meeting, to be held in Philadelphia, Saturday, Nov. 11 through Monday, Nov. 13, is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science. The Eugene Braunwald Academic ...

Read the release

Science1 Nov 2023

What happens when cats get fat? Scientists weigh in

URBANA, Ill. – Cat owners want Kitty to be happy, but providing an abundance of food and snacks can have unintended consequences. Feline obesity is on the rise, impacting the health, longevity, and wellbeing of cats. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign looks at what happens in the digestive system and gut microbiota when cats eat too much. “About 60% of cats in the U.S. are overweight, which can lead to health problems such as diabetes and chronic inflammation. While many studies have investigated feline weight loss, there has been little focus on the opposite process, ...

Read the release

Science1 Nov 2023

Dr. Marlene Rabinovitch to receive the 2023 Research Achievement Award

DALLAS, Nov. 1, 2023 – The American Heart Association will present its 2023 Research Achievement Award to Marlene Rabinovitch, M.D., of Stanford University. The Research Achievement Award will be recognized during the Presidential Session on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, at the Association’s Scientific Sessions 2023. The meeting, to be held in Philadelphia, Saturday, Nov. 11 through Monday, Nov. 13, is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science. Throughout her nearly 40-year career as a physician scientist, Dr. Rabinovitch’s research ...

Read the release

Science1 Nov 2023

Dr. Yibin Wang of Duke-NUS to receive the 2023 Basic Research Prize

DALLAS, Nov. 1, 2023 — The American Heart Association will present its 2023 Basic Research Prize to Yibin Wang, Ph.D., FAHA, of Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore and Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC. He will be recognized during the Presidential Session of the Association’s Scientific Sessions 2023 on Sunday, Nov. 12. The meeting, to be held in Philadelphia, Saturday, Nov. 11 through Monday, Nov. 13, is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science. Dr. ...

Read the release

Science1 Nov 2023

From soft tissue to stiff leather: Understanding the role of paxillin in liver fibrosis

Currently, the United States lacks FDA-approved treatments for liver fibrosis, highlighting the critical need to understand the cellular biology and pathways associated with this condition. In a recent study led by Don Rockey, M.D., the director of the Digestive Disease Research Core Center, and Nour Hijazi, an M.D.-Ph.D. student at the Medical University of South Carolina, significant progress has been made in understanding a pathway contributing to liver fibrosis. Their findings, highlighting a potential novel therapeutic ...

Read the release