Science
press releases.

Science26 Oct 2023

How adults understand what kids are saying

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- When babies first begin to talk, their vocabulary is very limited. Often one of the first sounds they generate is “da,” which may refer to dad, a dog, a dot, or nothing at all. How does an adult listener make sense of this limited verbal repertoire? A new study from MIT and Harvard University researchers has found that adults’ understanding of conversational context and knowledge of mispronunciations that children commonly make are critical to the ability to understand children’s early linguistic efforts. Using ...

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Science26 Oct 2023

Genetics links endometriosis and IBS

University of Queensland researchers have shown that endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) share genetic risk factors, explaining why patients with one condition may also have the other. Professor Grant Montgomery and Dr Sally Mortlock at UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience found a significant relationship between the risks for endometriosis and common gastrointestinal disorders such as IBS, peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). “This genetic finding supports the clinical observation of an increased incidence of gastrointestinal disorders in women with endometriosis,” ...

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Science26 Oct 2023

New guide details menopause’s effects on the workplace, other surprising impacts

A sweeping new guide to menopause by a UVA Health expert and collaborators highlights the profound and sometimes surprising effects the “change of life” can have on women’s lives, health, workplaces and even finances. The paper represents a holistic review of what we know about menopause and what we still need to learn. While it is directed primarily at doctors and scientists, it offers fascinating insights into how menopause affects American women and women worldwide. According to article co-author JoAnn V. Pinkerton, MD, UVA Health's director of midlife health, such insights represent ...

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Science26 Oct 2023

ERC Synergy Grants back 37 teams to tackle complex scientific questions

Thirty-seven research groups will receive €395 million in total to address some of the world’s most formidable research problems spanning a range of scientific disciplines. The funding helps groups of outstanding researchers to pool different skills, knowledge and resources to push the frontiers of our knowledge. The ERC Synergy Grant scheme is part of the EU's research and innovation programme, Horizon Europe. Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: “Some scientific questions are too complex to be addressed by researchers working on their own. Challenges such as climate change or ...

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Science26 Oct 2023

New research reveals alarming privacy and security threats in Smart Homes

An international team of researchers, led by IMDEA Networks and Northeastern University in collaboration with NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, IMDEA Software, University of Calgary, and the International Computer Science Institute, has unveiled groundbreaking findings on the security and privacy challenges posed by the ever-growing prevalence of opaque and technically complex Internet of Things (IoT) devices in smart homes. Smart Homes: Trusted and Secure Environments? Smart homes are becoming increasingly interconnected, ...

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Science26 Oct 2023

75% of exclusive hardwood may be illegally harvested

The tropical wood type ipê is popular for building exclusive wooden decks, and in North America and Europe, the demand for the material has increased sharply. Now, a study from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, shows that more than three-quarters of all ipê from the top producing region in Brazil could have been harvested illegally. "The study reveals where in the chain the greatest risks lie. It can be a tool to counteract illegal logging," says Caroline S.S. Franca, PhD student at Chalmers. Ipê is one of the world's hardest woods. It is therefore particularly suitable for building ...

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Science26 Oct 2023

Farmed wolffish could be on your plate in the future

In the future, farmed wolffish could start appearing on fish counters. However, a new thesis from the University of Gothenburg shows that this fish, with its delicate, firm flesh, needs somewhat different farming conditions compared to salmon. The salmon farms of today have created a steady supply of fish in our supermarkets. The nutritional content of salmon, its rapid growth and low cost, have made it a popular fish in many households. But only farming one species can create vulnerabilities in terms of food security. Today Sweden ...

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Science26 Oct 2023

Bone density is kept up by the same process with hair color

Osaka, Japan – Bone is maintained via delicate balance between formation and resorption, and its imbalance leads to bone related diseases like osteoporosis rheumatism and periodontitis. In studies published in scientific journals J Biol Chem and Cell Struct Funct, researchers led by Osaka University revealed proteins named Rab32 and Rab38 play pivotal roles in bone resorption in osteoclast, cell specialized in the process. These proteins are also crucial for pigmentation of hair and skins. Bone ...

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Science26 Oct 2023

Multimodal graphene-based e-textiles for the realization of customized e-textiles have been developed for the first time in the world

Multimodal* graphene-based electronic textiles (e-textiles) for the realization of customized e-textiles have been developed for the first time in the world. * Multimodal means the process by which information is exchanged through various sensory interfaces such as visual sensation and auditory sensation. The joint research team led by Principal Researcher Soongeun Kwon of the Department of Nano Manufacturing Technology of the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (President Sang-jin Park, hereinafter referred to as KIMM), an institute under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Science and ICT, and Professor Young-Jin Kim of the Department of Mechanical Engineering ...

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Science26 Oct 2023

Treating amphetamine use disorder with stimulants: an encouraging new approach

A new study has found that it may be possible to use stimulants to treat stimulant use disorder. People with amphetamine-type stimulant use disorder who are treated with prescription psychostimulants such as methylphenidate and dextroamphetamine (commonly used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)) may lower both their craving and stimulant use, especially if such treatments are administered at high doses. This study was led by Dr. Jutras-Aswad, a researcher at the CHUM Research Centre and a professor of psychiatry and addictology at Université de ...

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Science26 Oct 2023

Genetic risks of autism and ADHD may be related to more screen time in children

A team led by Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan has investigated screen time in autistic (ASD) and ADHD children. Screen time refers to the amount of time a person spends on a device with a screen, such as a smartphone, computer, television, or video game system. The researchers found that children with a genetic predisposition to ASD were more likely to use screens for longer periods. Meanwhile, children with ADHD gradually increased their screen time as they grew older, even if their initial screen use time was short. They published their results in the journal Psychiatry Research. People ...

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Science26 Oct 2023

Study examines racial differences in care among older Americans

Older Black Americans are more likely to receive low value acute diagnostic tests than older White Americans, while older White Americans were more likely to receive low value screening tests and treatments, finds a study published by The BMJ today. Low value care refers to services that provide little to no benefit yet have potential for harm, which can include laboratory tests, scans, and medication. These differences were generally modest and were largely driven by differential treatment within health systems. But the researchers say the results “highlight ...

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Science26 Oct 2023

Vision via sound for the blind

ustralian researchers have developed cutting-edge technology known as “acoustic touch” that helps people ‘see’ using sound. The technology has the potential to transform the lives of those who are blind or have low vision. Around 39 million people worldwide are blind, according to the World Health Organisation, and an additional 246 million people live with low vision, impacting their ability to participate in everyday life activities. The next generation smart glasses, which translate visual information into distinct sound icons, were developed by researchers from the University of Technology Sydney and the University of Sydney, ...

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Science25 Oct 2023

Using sound to test devices, control qubits

Acoustic resonators are everywhere. In fact, there is a good chance you’re holding one in your hand right now. Most smart phones today use bulk acoustic resonators as radio frequency filters to filter out noise that could degrade a signal. These filters are also used in most Wi-Fi and GPS systems. Acoustic resonators are more stable than their electrical counterparts, but they can degrade over time. There is currently no easy way to actively monitor and analyze the degradation of the material quality of these widely used devices. Now, researchers at the Harvard John ...

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Science25 Oct 2023

Oregon State researchers uncover mechanism for treating dangerous liver condition

CORVALLIS, Ore. – A study spearheaded by Oregon State University has shown why certain polyunsaturated fatty acids work to combat a dangerous liver condition, opening a new avenue of drug research for a disease that currently has no FDA-approved medications. Scientists led by Oregon State’s Natalia Shulzhenko, Andrey Morgun and Donald Jump used a technique known as multi-omic network analysis to identify the mechanism through which dietary omega 3 supplements alleviated nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, usually abbreviated to NASH. The mechanism involves ...

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Science25 Oct 2023

Study suggests that having common ancestors can jeopardize fertility for generations

When it comes to the architecture of the human genome, it’s only a matter of time before harmful genes — genes that could compromise future generations — arise in a population. These mutations accumulate in the gene pool, primarily affected by a population’s size and practices like marrying within a small community, according to researchers. But much of the information about the effects of a population’s mutation load is based on genetic theory, with limited direct evidence concerning the effects on evolutionary fitness, or fertility. New research from University ...

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Science25 Oct 2023

Many in law enforcement own firearms. They are more likely to have suicidal thoughts

Law enforcement officers in the United States own firearms at high rates and rarely engage in secure firearm storage, which could increase their risk for suicide, according to a Rutgers study. The researchers, whose study appears in the journal Injury Prevention, examined data from 369 law enforcement officers in the U.S. Information about firearm ownership, storage, suicide risk and demographics were included in the present study. Overall, 70.5 percent of law enforcement officers report owning a firearm. The most common type of firearms owned were handguns (79.7 percent) followed by shotguns (61.1 percent) and rifles (57.5 percent). A sharp majority, 78.9 percent, ...

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Science25 Oct 2023

Rider on the storm: Shearwater seabird catches an 11 hour ride over 1,000 miles in a typhoon

New research from Japan published in the Ecological Society of America’s journal Ecology suggests that increasingly severe weather driven by climate change may push oceangoing seabirds to their limits. In August 2019, Kozue Shiomi, a seabird biologist at Tohoku University, attached GPS bio-loggers to 14 adult streaked shearwaters (Calonectris leucomelas) from a nesting colony on Mikurajima, a small island near Tokyo, as part of a study on the species homing behavior. In September of that same year, an exceptionally powerful storm, Typhoon Faxai, barreled into southeastern Japan, causing considerable physical damage to the mainland. But the typhoon, ...

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Science25 Oct 2023

Morris Animal Foundation-backed research illuminates path to sihek revival

DENVER/Oct. 25, 2023 – A recently published paper in Animal Conservation provides crucial insights into the health of sihek, a species eradicated from its native habitat and that may now face threats in captivity. The latest data underscores a stark gender disparity, revealing that female sihek are at greater risk for death and disease than their male counterparts. As part of an ongoing Morris Animal Foundation-funded study, researchers at The Zoological Society ...

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Science25 Oct 2023

Childhood trauma linked to headaches in adulthood

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 P.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2023 MINNEAPOLIS – People who have experienced traumatic events in childhood such as abuse, neglect or household dysfunction may be more likely to experience headache disorders as adults, according to a meta-analysis published in the October 25, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. This research does not prove that such experiences cause headaches; it only shows an association. “Traumatic events in childhood can have ...

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Science25 Oct 2023

New distractibility “d factor” may be linked with ADHD

In a study of different types of distraction involving more than 1,000 participants, researchers statistically derived a novel measure—dubbed the “d factor”—that could represent a person’s general tendency towards distraction and may be linked with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Han Zhang of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on October 25, 2023. Prior research has explored various types of distraction, such as external stimulations, repetitive ...

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Science25 Oct 2023

Deepfake videos during Russian invasion of Ukraine could undermine trust

A new study explores themes in Twitter discussions of deepfake videos related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the potential for real videos to be mistaken for deepfakes and for deepfakes to fuel conspiracy theories. John Twomey of University College Cork, Ireland, and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on October 25, 2023. Created using artificial intelligence, deepfake videos typically feature a person saying and doing things they never actually did in real life. Deepfake technology has advanced considerably, sparking concerns about its potential harms. ...

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Science25 Oct 2023

First ever study of wartime deepfakes reveals their impact on news media

A first ever study of wartime deepfake videos reveals their impact on news media and outlines implications for social media companies, media organisations and governments. Deepfakes are artificially manipulated audio-visual material. Most deepfake videos involve the production of a fake ‘face’ constructed by Artificial Intelligence, that is merged with an authentic video, in order to create a video of an event that never really took place. Although fake, they can look convincing and are often produced to imitate or mimic an individual. Researchers at University ...

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Science25 Oct 2023

Something in the eyes: Java Sparrows in love show enhanced eye rings

Pair-bonded Java sparrows show enlarged eye rings to signal breeding readiness. Birds are known for their elaborate courtship rituals and romantic gestures that are replete with beautiful songs, complex dances, gift-giving practices, preening, and flamboyant plumage. While changes in colorful external attributes during this period has attracted much attention, the role of facial features remains an under-investigated aspect of this behavior. Associate Professor Masayo Soma and her research group at the Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, reported increased swelling in Java sparrows’ eye rings—an area of blushed bare skin around the eyes—upon ...

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Science25 Oct 2023

Chloroplasts do more than photosynthesis: They’re also a key player in plant immunity

Scientists have long known that chloroplasts help plants turn the sun’s energy into food, but a new study, led by plant biologists at the University of California, Davis, shows that they are also essential for plant immunity to viral and bacterial pathogens. Chloroplasts are generally spherical, but a small percentage of them change their shape and send out tube-like projections called “stromules.” First observed over a century ago, the biological function of stromules has remained ...

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