Science
press releases.

Science2 Aug 2023

Study exposes plight of deported noncitizen veterans

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- A study examining the effects of deportation on the health and wellbeing of noncitizen veterans who served in the United States military has found that this group is a vulnerable and often unrecognized health disparity population. Overseen by Ann Cheney, an associate professor of social medicine, population, and public health in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside, the study reports the post-deportation economic, social, and political conditions of living abroad harm veterans’ physical and ...

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Science2 Aug 2023

Lockdowns create global appetite for feeding feathered friends

A team of researchers have highlighted the role that the COVID-19 pandemic played in connecting people around the world more with our feathered friends while in lockdowns, finding a surge in interest for bird feeding information and providing more insight into global human-birds interactions. Professor Emeritus Darryl Jones, from Griffith’s Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, and the research team used Google search index (a valid proxy parameter from Google Trends data) and found a surge of interest in bird feeding in 115 countries after Covid-19 led to lockdowns where people stayed home. Professor Jones, alongside lead author Associate Professor ...

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Science2 Aug 2023

UIC leads field study on home, water safety after Ohio chemical spill

In February, the train derailment and subsequent chemical spill and fires in East Palestine, Ohio, caused an environmental emergency that led thousands of people to evacuate their homes. A multi-university study led by the University of Illinois Chicago will investigate the aftermath of that disaster, collecting data on the experiences of nearby residents and the effectiveness of communication from authorities about water, soil and air quality. For the study, the researchers will conduct surveys and interviews with residents in and near East Palestine, including counties ...

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Science2 Aug 2023

MD Anderson research highlights for August 2, 2023

HOUSTON ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights showcases the latest breakthroughs in cancer care, research and prevention. These advances are made possible through seamless collaboration between MD Anderson’s world-leading clinicians and scientists, bringing discoveries from the lab to the clinic and back. Recent developments include a novel biomarker that may predict the aggressiveness of pancreatic cancer precursors, insights into the structure and function of a breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility gene, a new approach to overcoming treatment resistance in ovarian cancer, distinguishing features of young-onset ...

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Science2 Aug 2023

New review calls on Hockey Canada to raise age of body contact from 13 to 15

Hockey leagues in Canada should overhaul current rules and regulations to raise the age of bodychecking in the game from 13 to 15, says new research into the effect of body contact on teens. The literature review was led by Dr. Kristian Gouletnorth_eastexternal link of the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and calls on provincial and territorial governments to mandate schools – including those involved with school sports – and sports organizations to establish, ...

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Science2 Aug 2023

A visual feast

3D light sculptures. Tsunami waves on a beach. Previewing color tattoos. Contributions from the Bickel and Wojtan groups at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) to the 2023 SIGGRAPH conference tackle an impressive variety of classic and novel questions. While their focuses range from computer graphics to fabrication methods, the computer scientists are united in finding cost-effective, innovative solutions and empowering users. SIGGRAPH is the top worldwide annual convention for computer graphics and interactive techniques, bringing ...

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Science2 Aug 2023

Unveiling the mechanism underlying orofacial movements during reward processing in animals

In animals, movements such as locomotion or grooming are known to influence neuronal activity within the cerebral cortex. Moreover, recent studies also suggest that these changes in neuronal activity are not confined to a specific area but are pervasive throughout cortical and subcortical regions of the brain. Interestingly, in animals trained for reward-based learning tasks, such spontaneous movements—despite being uninstructed and unnecessary—may be aligned to task events and may significantly contribute to ...

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Science2 Aug 2023

Nature’s kitchen – how a chemical reaction used by cooks helped create life on Earth

Maillard reaction locks away 4 million tonnes of organic carbon a year Process helped stabilise conditions for complex life to evolve A chemical process used in the browning of food to give it its distinct smell and taste is probably happening deep in the oceans, where it helped create the conditions necessary for life. Known as the Maillard reaction after the French scientist who discovered it, the process converts small molecules of organic carbon into bigger molecules known as polymers. In ...

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Science2 Aug 2023

An ancient grain unlocks genetic secrets for making bread wheat more resilient

Building on the Middle East’s reputation as one of the historical birthplaces of cereal crop domestication, a KAUST-led team has compiled the first complete genome map of an ancient grain known as einkorn[1]. The 5.2-billion-letter-long sequence provides a window into the evolutionary origins of different wheat species. It could help farmers and crop breeders to develop bread wheat varieties with enhanced disease resistance, higher yields and improved hardiness. “By understanding the genetic diversity and evolutionary history of einkorn, researchers can now leverage its potential for future ...

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Science2 Aug 2023

Perinatal depression screening among sexual minority women

About The Study: The findings of this study suggest that, although sexual minority women are at high risk of postpartum depression, their sexual identities are largely undocumented in medical records, highlighting the need for strategies to measure sexual orientation that can reliably capture this information. Authors: Leiszle Lapping-Carr, Ph.D., of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at ...

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Science2 Aug 2023

How the tropical red swamp crayfish successfully invaded the cold regions of Japan

Owing to human activities and climate change, many animal species have invaded new habitats. Such biological invasion comes with devastating impacts on the local biodiversity and ecosystems. The red swamp crayfish—known to the scientific world as Procambarus clarkii (P. clarkii)— is no exception. P. clarkii is a freshwater crayfish native to the tropical regions of southern USA and northeastern Mexico. After their introduction to different parts of the world, they have become one of the most widespread and invasive animal species. They are known for their adaptability and aggressive behavior that ensure their survival in a wide range of environments, ...

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Science2 Aug 2023

Study presents workaround for randomized experiments

AUSTIN, Texas – A new statistical tool can help researchers get meaningful results when a randomized experiment, considered the gold standard, is not possible. Randomized experiments split participants into groups by chance, with one undergoing an intervention and the other not. But in real-world situations, they can’t always be done. Companies might not want to use the method, or such experiments might be against the law. Developed by a researcher at The University of Texas at Austin, the new tool called two-step synthetic control adapts an existing research workaround, known as the synthetic control method. The ...

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Science2 Aug 2023

Stalking a silent killer

With a survival rate in the single digits, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is highly lethal. In fact, by the time PDAC is clinically diagnosed, it is already considered incurable via surgery or other means in up to 90% of patients. Yangzom D. Bhutia, D.V.M., Ph.D., from the Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Medicine, has for years focused her research on PDAC. To bolster her efforts, the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health recently awarded Bhutia a five-year, $1.76 million grant (“SLC6A14 as a unique ...

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Science2 Aug 2023

Many people feel their jobs are pointless

A sociological study by the University of Zurich confirms that a considerable proportion of employees perceive their work as socially useless. Employees in financial, sales and management occupations are more likely to conclude that their jobs are of little use to society. In recent years, research showed that many professionals consider their work to be socially useless. Various explanations have been proposed for the phenomenon. The much-discussed “bullshit jobs theory” by the American anthropologist David Graeber, for example, states that some jobs are objectively useless and that this occurs more frequently ...

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Science2 Aug 2023

Abortion facility access means long drives for 41.8% of women

SPOKANE, Wash. – One year after the Dobbs decision, 41.8% of U.S. women of reproductive age have to drive 30 minutes or more to reach an abortion care facility, according to a study of data as of June 2, 2023. Researchers predicted that number would rise to 53.5% if other state bills under consideration are passed. The study estimated longer drives as well, finding that 29.3% of women didn’t have access to a facility within a 60-minute drive and 23.6% lacked access even within a 90-minute drive. Those figures would jump to 45.6% ...

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Science2 Aug 2023

UTokyo researchers imagine future see-through objects

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science（IIS）, The University of Tokyo, conducts a wide range of research, including physics, chemistry and biology. In this context, DLX Design Lab carries out activities aimed at fusing science, technology, and design. One of these activities is the Treasure Hunting Project, which aims to inform the general public about the value and potential of scientific research. As part of this project, in 2022-2023, DLX Design Lab produced a video introducing future ...

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Science2 Aug 2023

Training on LSA lifeboat operation using Mixed Reality

Research Background The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has identified the human element as one of the key attributes for the safety of life at sea and a contributing factor to most of the casualties in the shipping sector. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is an international maritime treaty which requires signatory flag states to ensure that ships flagged by them comply with minimum safety standards in construction, equipment and operation. As part of the SOLAS code, there is the requirement that all personnel on vessels at sea must undertake Standards of Training, ...

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Science2 Aug 2023

AI-supported mammography screening is found to be safe

Mammography screening supported by artificial intelligence (AI) is a safe alternative to today’s conventional double reading by radiologists and can reduce heavy workloads for doctors. This has now been shown in an interim analysis of a prospective, randomised controlled trial, which addressed the clinical safety of using AI in mammography screening. The trial, led by researchers from Lund University in Sweden, has been published in The Lancet Oncology. Each year around one million women in Sweden are called to mammography screening. Each screening examination is reviewed by two breast radiologists to ensure a high sensitivity, so called double reading. ...

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Science1 Aug 2023

Earth’s most ancient impact craters are disappearing

This press release is available online at: https://news.agu.org/press-release/earths-most-ancient-impact-craters-are-disappearing/ AGU press contact: Rebecca Dzombak, news@agu.org (UTC-4 hours) Contact information for the researchers: Matthew S. Huber, University of the Western Cape, mhuber@uwc.ac.za (UTC+2 hours) WASHINGTON — Earth’s oldest craters could give scientists critical information about the structure of the early Earth and the composition of bodies in the solar system as well as help to interpret crater records on other ...

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Science1 Aug 2023

VUMC participates in national study to test eye drops for nearsightedness

A study conducted at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and 11 other hospitals and practices across the United States shows that use of low-dose atropine eyedrops, commonly used in a higher dose to treat lazy eye, was no better than a placebo at slowing myopia (nearsightedness) progression and elongation of the eye among children treated for two years. The first randomized controlled trial of its kind aimed at identifying an effective way to manage myopia was published last week in JAMA Ophthalmology. It was conducted by the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group and funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI). “We found, interestingly, and honestly ...

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Science1 Aug 2023

John Rummel to be honored with the SETI Institute’s 2023 Drake Award

August 1, 2023, Mountain View, CA – The SETI Institute is proud to announce that Dr. John Rummel will receive the prestigious 2023 Drake Award, recognizing his extraordinary and innovative programmatic contributions and unwavering advocacy for SETI and astrobiology. Rummel’s illustrious career has included roles at NASA Headquarters, where he served as Senior Scientist for Astrobiology, Planetary Protection Officer, Deputy Chief of the Mission from Planet Earth Study Office, and Program Scientist for SETI/High Resolution Microwave Survey. Despite sometimes facing significant opposition, Rummel has been an unwavering supporter of SETI science and funding, working to ...

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Science1 Aug 2023

Multiclonality of estrogen receptor expression in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)

“We have discussed in detail the clinical implications of ER in avoiding overtreatment and undertreatment in DCIS.” BUFFALO, NY- August 1, 2023 – A new editorial paper was published in Oncotarget's Volume 14 on July 20, 2023, entitled, “Multiclonality of ER expression in DCIS – Implications for clinical practice and future research.” Estrogen receptor (ER) expression is not routinely evaluated in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). This may be because the prognostic role of ER in DCIS was unclear until the UK/ ANZ DCIS trial in 2021 showed that lack of ER expression in DCIS was associated with a greater than 3-fold risk of ipsilateral recurrence. This ...

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Science1 Aug 2023

Score, then rank: Researchers propose an integrated approach to grant review assessments

The public funding of science is responsible for many of the biomedical and other scientific breakthroughs on which our lives depend. However, the process through which funding decisions are made, the peer review of grant proposals, has been historically understudied, and current approaches can lead to undesirable outcomes. Writing in Research Integrity and Peer Review, Stephen A. Gallo, then affiliated with the American Institute of Biological Sciences, and Michael Pearce, Carole J. Lee, and Elena A. Erosheva from the University of ...

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Science1 Aug 2023

A floating sponge could help remove harmful algal blooms

In the peak heat of summer, beachgoers don’t want their plans thwarted by harmful algal blooms (HABs). But current methods to remove or kill toxin-producing algae and cyanobacteria aren’t efficient or practical for direct applications in waterways. Now, researchers reporting in ACS ES&T Water have coated a floating sponge in a charcoal-like powder, and when paired with an oxidizing agent, the technique destroyed over 85% of algal cells from lake and river water samples. Swaths of electric green and bright orange-red HABs, or the less brilliantly colored cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa, can produce toxins that can sicken humans ...

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Science1 Aug 2023

Sex pheromone of moths is a precise mix of ingredients

Researchers from the UvA and North Carolina State University have identified the specific mixture of pheromone chemicals that male moths use during courtship. The findings provide more detail about the complex blend of chemicals that males and females of this group of moths use in fundamental short-range communication. The publication in the scientific journal Current Biology appeared on 1 August. Scent compounds are essential for male moths to entice female conspecifics to mate. Both partners need to find and recognize each other in the dark. This is done by sex pheromones secreted by the female. Then it is up to the male to convince the female ...

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