Science
press releases.

Science1 Aug 2023

Amazon dark earth boosts tree growth as much as sixfold

A type of soil called terra preta da Amazônia, or Amazon dark earth (ADE), promotes faster growth of trees and enhances their development in qualitative terms, according to an article published in the journal Frontiers in Soil Science. The findings reported in the article resulted from studies supported by FAPESP (projects 20/08927-0, 18/19000-4 and 14/50320-4) under the aegis of its Biodiversity, Characterization, Conservation, Restoration and Sustainable Use Program (BIOTA). “ADE is rich in nutrients and supports communities of microorganisms that help plants grow, among other things. Native people of the Amazon have ...

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Science1 Aug 2023

Sweet smell of success: Simple fragrance method produces major memory boost

Irvine, Calif., Aug. 1, 2023 — When a fragrance wafted through the bedrooms of older adults for two hours every night for six months, memories skyrocketed. Participants in this study by University of California, Irvine neuroscientists reaped a 226% increase in cognitive capacity compared to the control group. The researchers say the finding transforms the long-known tie between smell and memory into an easy, non-invasive technique for strengthening memory and potentially deterring dementia. The team’s study appears in Frontiers in Neuroscience. ...

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Science1 Aug 2023

Links between attention and conscious perception highlighted in frontoparietal networks

Almost half of patients who experienced a stroke in the right cerebral hemisphere later develop a very unusual symptom: they lose the ability to perceive what is happening in the left side of space. As a result, they tend to eat only the right side of their plate, ignore people on their left, and have great difficulty finding their way around. This disorder, known as hemispatial neglect, does not involve basic visual abilities, which remain intact. “These patients see very well. The problem ...

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Science1 Aug 2023

Using gemstones’ unique characteristics to uncover ancient trade routes

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2023 – Since ancient times, gemstones have been mined and traded across the globe, sometimes traveling continents from their origin. Gems are geologically defined as minerals celebrated for beauty, strength, and rarity. Their unique elemental composition and atomic orientation act as a fingerprint, enabling researchers to uncover the stones’ past, and with it, historical trade routes. In AIP Advances, from AIP Publishing, Khedr et al. employed three modern spectroscopic techniques to rapidly analyze gems found in the Arabian-Nubian Shield and compare them with similar gems from around the world. Using ...

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Science1 Aug 2023

Illegal shooting kills most birds found dead near power lines

Birds can be electrocuted if they come into contact with two energized parts of a power line at once—which can happen when they spread their wings to take off from or land on a power pole. Because of this, energy companies invest substantial time and money into making sure power lines are avian safe, installing safe perches and insulating energized elements. However, a recent study published on August 1 in the journal iScience presents a new priority for conservation, as it suggests that electrocution is no longer the only leading cause of death for ...

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Science1 Aug 2023

Male moth ‘aphrodisiac’ revealed

Media contacts: Coby Schal, coby@ncsu.edu Mick Kulikowski, News Services, 919.218.5937 or mick_kulikowski@ncsu.edu Aug 1, 2023 Male Moth ‘Aphrodisiac’ Revealed EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 11 A.M. EDT ON TUESDAY, AUG.1 North Carolina State University researchers have identified the specific blend of pheromone chemicals – including a newly revealed aphrodisiac – used by male moths during courtship as they attempt to entice females to mate. The findings provide more detail ...

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Science1 Aug 2023

USPSTF recommendation statement on folic acid supplementation to prevent neural tube defects

Bottom Line: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that all persons planning to or who could become pregnant take a daily supplement containing 0.4 to 0.8 mg (400 to 800 μg) of folic acid. Neural tube defects are among the most common congenital malformations in the U.S., with an estimated 3,000 pregnancies affected each year. Many of these neural tube defects are caused by low folate levels in the body. The USPSTF routinely makes recommendations about the effectiveness ...

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Science1 Aug 2023

Research team identifies human odorant receptor for horse stable odor

Para-cresol is an aromatic compound with a strong horse stable-like odor. It contributes to the off-flavor of some foods, but it is also detectable as a characteristic odorant in whiskey and tobacco, as well as in the urine of various mammals. A research team led by the Leibniz Institute of Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich has now discovered which odorant receptor humans use to perceive para-cresol. Para-cresol (4-methylphenol) is formed during the microbial degradation of certain amino acids, but also during thermal ...

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Science1 Aug 2023

New study sheds light on the gating mechanism of ion channels

Ion channels play a crucial role in many cellular processes, including neuronal communication, muscle contraction or cell proliferation. Most multi subunit ion channels exist in two functional states, either closed or open. During gating, one should expect that all subunits undergo conformational changes. The absence of intermediate conduction levels is surprising and asks for an explanation. A team of researchers from the University of Vienna and the Washington University in St. Louis created a smart model system to answer this important question. The study is currently published in Nature ...

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Science1 Aug 2023

E-cigarettes may be better than nicotine patches in helping pregnant women stop smoking and in reducing the risk of low birthweight

Smoking in pregnancy can harm developing babies, especially their growth . Current guidelines recommend that pregnant smokers who find quitting difficult should be provided with nicotine replacements products and stop-smoking services usually recommend nicotine patches. This research published in NIHR Journals Library, suggests that pregnant women should also consider e-cigarettes. The study included 1,140 pregnant women who were trying to stop smoking who were divided into two groups. Half of the women received e-cigarettes; the other half received nicotine patches. Both approaches were equally safe. The only meaningful difference was that fewer ...

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Science1 Aug 2023

When cheating pays – survival strategy of insect uncovered

Researchers have revealed the unique ‘cheating’ strategy a New Zealand insect has developed to avoid being eaten – mimicking a highly toxic species. In nature, poisonous species typically advertise their toxicity, often by producing high contrast colours such as black, white and yellow, like wasps and bees. Along similar lines, New Zealand’s cyanide-producing stonefly, Austroperla cyrene, produces strong ‘warning’ colours of black, white and yellow, to highlight its threat to potential predators. In a new study published in Molecular Ecology, University of Otago Department of Zoology researchers reveal that an ...

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Science1 Aug 2023

The Lancet: New study reveals global anemia cases remain persistently high among women and children. Anemia rates decline for men.

**Embargo: 23.30 [UK time] / 6.30pm [ET] Monday, July 31, 2023** Peer-reviewed The Lancet: New study reveals global anemia cases remain ...

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Science1 Aug 2023

Holding Trump accountable will not threaten American democracy

With a Fulton County indictment of former President Donald Trump possible at any time, law enforcement in Atlanta is bracing for potential violence, with orange barricades restricting access to the entrance of the county courthouse. With the anticipation of each new indictment has come threats of violence, decrease in trust in American justice and calls for retribution against the government. Just how concerned should Americans be that we may face another January 6th-type incident? New data from the Polarization ...

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Science31 Jul 2023

Modifications to amino acids in sperm could be behind infertility

Sperm play a critical role in the creation of new life, delivering essentially half of the genetic material required. The success of this process relies on the generation of a developmentally competent sperm cell, which is often determined by shape. Indeed, during in vitro fertilization, the “best-looking” sperm is selected to fertilize an egg. However, how this optimal shape translates to proper sperm function is difficult to assess because of many confounding factors. Researchers at the University of Michigan are now delving into the molecular-level details of sperm formation, with a particular focus on how abnormalities in ...

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Science31 Jul 2023

Human senescent fibroblasts cause lung fibrosis in mice

“These observations support that accumulation of senescent cells may contribute to fibrotic lung disease [...]” BUFFALO, NY- July 31, 2023 – A new research paper was published on the cover of Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 15, Issue 14, entitled, “Human senescent fibroblasts trigger progressive lung fibrosis in mice.” Cell senescence has recently emerged as a potentially relevant pathogenic mechanism in fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (f-ILDs), particularly in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. In a new study, researchers Fernanda Hernandez-Gonzalez, ...

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Science31 Jul 2023

Endocrine Society and Matchbox Virtual Media announce joint venture

WASHINGTON—The Endocrine Society and Matchbox Virtual Media are pleased to announce today that the organizations formed a joint venture that will bring exciting new opportunities for medical, healthcare, and scientific associations to better customize the experiences of their customers relative to producing meetings, organizing communities, and disseminating educational products. The new joint venture will benefit from the Endocrine Society’s initial financial investments and its robust networking within the medical and scientific fields. Matchbox Virtual Media brings its proven platform, technologies, ...

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Science31 Jul 2023

Scientist who expands chemists’ tools joins The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute

JUPITER, Fla. — A new scientist joining The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology invents creative and efficient ways to build complex, potentially useful molecules, studying their activity so that compounds found in nature may eventually become useful products, such as medications. Synthetic chemist and associate professor Masayuki Wasa, Ph.D., joins the institute from Boston College, where he was an assistant professor of chemistry. Synthetic chemists specialize in assembling larger molecules from smaller parts, like a child assembling a Lego spaceship from a basket of oddly shaped pieces. But the work is far from child’s ...

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Science31 Jul 2023

Thomas J. Herzog, MD takes office as The GOG Foundation, Inc. President

At the NRG Oncology Summer Meeting on Thursday, July 20, 2023, at approximately 5:44pm EDT, Larry J. Copeland, MD passed the presidential gavel to Thomas J. Herzog, MD at The GOG Foundation, Inc. (GOG-F) Board of Directors meeting. Dr. Herzog brings a comprehensive background in clinical trials, the integral business aspects and acumen to this important position. A practicing gynecologic oncologist and member of the Board of Directors of GOG-F, he has served as the Treasurer of GOG-F from 2014-2023 and prior ...

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Science31 Jul 2023

Why you shouldn’t declaw tigers or other big cats

Declawing house cats to keep them from scratching people and furniture is controversial – and even banned in some countries and areas in the U.S. – but the practice is not limited to house cats. In a new study, researchers looked at the effects of declawing on larger cat species and found that declawing disproportionately impacts their muscular capabilities as compared to their smaller brethren. While it is illegal in the U.S. to surgically modify an exotic animal, declawing is still done on large cats like lions and tigers, often in an effort to allow cubs to more safely ...

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Science31 Jul 2023

New chemical process makes it easier to craft amino acids that don’t exist in nature

Every protein in your body is made up of the same 20 building blocks called amino acids. But just because nature is stuck with a limited toolkit doesn’t mean humans can’t expand it. A study published in Science on July 27 by a team including Pitt chemists describes a powerful new way to create “unnatural” amino acids, which could find use in protein-based therapies and open up novel branches of organic chemistry. “This is a completely new transformation: new to nature and new to chemistry,” ...

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Science31 Jul 2023

Plans to plant billions of trees threatened by massive undersupply of seedlings

The REPLANT Act provides money for the US Forest Service to plant more than a billion trees in the next nine years. The World Economic Forum aims to help plant a trillion trees around the world by 2030. Many US cities have plans to shade their streets with millions of trees. Major government and private funding is being invested in planting trees as a powerful tool to fight climate change, protect water, clean air, and cool cities. In short, trees are hot. But new research shows a troubling bottleneck that could threaten these efforts: U.S. ...

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Science31 Jul 2023

Johnson-Matthews receives funding for conference: VL/HCC 2023 Graduate Consortium

Brittany Johnson-Matthews, Assistant Professor, Computer Science, received funding from the National Science Foundation for: "Conference: VL/HCC 2023 Graduate Consortium." This award will support the Graduate Consortium at this year's IEEE Conference on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing (VL/HCC), which will be held in Washington, D.C. October 2-6, 2023. Johnson-Matthews said, "This funding will support the ability for students across the country to come together, network, share their research, and curate advice on completing their PhD from senior members of the VL/HCC community." VL/HCC ...

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Science31 Jul 2023

Association of racial and ethnic identity with attrition from M.D.-Ph.D. Training programs

About The Study: This study found significant racial and ethnic disparities in attrition from M.D.-Ph.D. training, where Black students had greater than 50% higher odds of leaving M.D.-Ph.D. training than their peers. Notably, compared with 17% of white students, 29% of Black M.D.-Ph.D. students did not complete their training. Authors: Mytien Nguyen, M.S., of the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.2822) Editor’s ...

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Science31 Jul 2023

Association between gestational age and academic achievement of children born at term

About The Study: The findings of this study of more than 500,000 children suggest that there is no evidence of a difference in math and reading scores over grades 2 to 11 among children born between 39 and 40 weeks’ gestation, and overall no evidence of better scores among those born at 41 weeks’ gestation compared with 40 weeks’ gestation. The results can further inform decisions on delivery timing at term birth by offering insights into long-term associations of delivery timing with cognitive development and school achievement. Authors: George L. Wehby, M.P.H., Ph.D., of ...

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Science31 Jul 2023

Fascination of Science: 60 Encounters with Pioneering Researchers of Our Time

What makes a brilliant scientist? Who are the people behind the greatest discoveries of our time? Connecting art and science, photographer Herlinde Koelbl seeks the answers in this English translation of the German book Fascination of Science, an indelible collection of portraits of and interviews with sixty pioneering scientists of the twenty-first century. Koelbl's approach is intimate and accessible, and her highly personal interviews with her subjects reveal the forces (as well as the personal quirks) that motivate the scientists' work; for example, one wakes up at 3 am because ...

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