Science
press releases.

Science18 Jul 2023

Lowder receives funding for Indiana Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council Racial Equity Project

Lowder Receives Funding For Indiana Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council Racial Equity Project Evan Lowder, Assistant Professor, Criminology, Law and Society, received funding for: "Indiana Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council Racial Equity Project." The goals of this study are to understand criminal-legal decision points that may be contributing to racially disparate outcomes and to further data collection efforts at the state and local levels that can facilitate improved tracking of decisions and outcomes in the criminal-legal system. The broader ...

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Science18 Jul 2023

USPSTF recommendation statement on screening for lipid disorders in children and adolescents

Bottom Line: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for lipid disorders in children and adolescents 20 years or younger. Familial hypercholesterolemia and multifactorial dyslipidemia are two conditions that cause abnormally high lipid levels in children, which can lead to premature cardiovascular events (e.g., heart attack and stroke) and death in adulthood. The USPSTF routinely makes recommendations about the effectiveness of preventive care services and this recommendation statement is consistent with its 2016 recommendation. To access the embargoed ...

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Science18 Jul 2023

Aggregation-induced catalysis: Asymmetric catalysis with chiral aggregates

Asymmetric synthesis and catalysis have been actively pursued in chemical and materials sciences. Increasing numbers of drugs and pesticides contain chiral structural units in their structures since drug actions require conformational matching to increase their potency and selectivity toward receptors and other active targets inside and on the surfaces of cells. Structural design of pharmaceuticals plays key role in reducing or avoiding severe side effects during their action processes. In the meanwhile, more advanced materials, ...

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Science18 Jul 2023

Walking the moral tightrope:

During his presidency, Donald Trump and members of his administration repeatedly accused federal civil servants of undermining their agenda through the “deep state.” They sought to curtail career employees’ workplace protections, sought to severely cut some agencies’ funding, and in some cases attempted to undermine or alter agency missions. Hamilton College Associate Professor of Sociology Jaime Kucinskas and Yvonne Zylan, an independent scholar, published the peer-reviewed “Walking the Moral Tightrope: Federal Civil ...

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Science18 Jul 2023

Ethylene boosts plant yield and vigor

Exposing seedlings to ethylene in darkness increases size and vigor, in a finding with implications for agriculture. Farmers have worked to increase crop yields for millennia, and the quest remains urgent as the human population continues to grow. Increases in yield often come at a price, however: reductions in stress tolerance. Brad Binder and colleagues sought to increase plant yield without sacrificing hardiness by using to the gaseous plant growth hormone ethylene. Previous work established that seedlings grown in the dark and treated with ethylene show reduced growth and a distinctive hooked shape. However, the authors found that ...

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Science18 Jul 2023

Each mom passes unique set of breast milk antibodies to baby

Breast milk from each individual contains a unique assemblage of antibodies that are surprisingly stable throughout lactation and across pregnancies, according to a new Journal of Experimental Medicine study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. As a baby’s early immunity is directed by antibodies from breast milk, the new research provides insight into why protection against different infections varies among infants and why some develop a life-threatening gut disease called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). “While each milk donor in our study had very different antibody profiles from one another, we ...

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Science18 Jul 2023

Life on Earth didn’t arise as described in textbooks

Life on Earth didn’t arise as described in textbooks No, oxygen didn’t catalyze the swift blossoming of Earth’s first multicellular organisms. The result defies a 70-year-old assumption about what caused an explosion of oceanic fauna hundreds of millions of years ago. Between 685 and 800 million years ago, multicellular organisms began to appear in all of Earth's oceans during what's known as the Avalon explosion, a forerunner era of the more famed Cambrian explosion. During this era, sea sponges and other bizarre multicellular organisms replaced small single-celled ...

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Science18 Jul 2023

Japanese beetles could spread throughout Washington state in 20 years

PULLMAN, Wash. – Without intervention, the colorful but devastating Japanese beetle could make its way across the evergreen state within two decades, according to a study of their potential dispersion. The iridescent, green-and-copper beetles damage plants by “skeletonizing” their leaves, chewing up all the soft green parts between the veins. They eat over 300 plants and pose a serious threat to Washington agriculture as some of their favorite crops include grapes, hops and cherries. Once established, Japanese beetles are tough to eradicate, but it may be possible to keep them under control, said David Crowder, a Washington State University entomologist. “These ...

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Science18 Jul 2023

Analysis: Most research on PFAS harms is unpublicized

Though per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) make headlines daily, a new paper reveals that most studies finding links between PFAS exposure and human health harms are published without a press release and receive little or no media coverage. The peer-reviewed analysis, published today in the journal Environmental Health, found that studies without any press attention receive fewer scholarly citations as well. “It’s a shame that only a small slice of this science is reaching the public,” ...

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Science18 Jul 2023

As interest rates soar, new study reveals insecure workers are ‘trapped’ and 42% fear job losses

Researchers from the Work Foundation at Lancaster University say the notion that people are choosing to stay in insecure work for the ‘perk’ of flexibility is flawed – as almost half (46%) would find another job if given the chance. However, they feel trapped due to limiting factors such as the cost and availability of childcare and transport, as well as a lack of local job opportunities. With persistent inflation, rising interest rates and the cost of food on the rise, the think-tank warns that millions of insecure workers in the UK are most vulnerable due to the volatility in their pay, working hours and a lack of core protections like sick and redundancy ...

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Science17 Jul 2023

A key function for tight junctions in embryo models

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—As a human embryo grows, a set of molecules directs cells as they multiply and take on specific identities and spatial positions within the embryo. In one crucial step known as gastrulation, these signaling molecules guide a single layer of embryonic stem cells to form three layers of distinct cell types that will later become different parts of the body. Now, researchers in the iPS Cell Research Center at Gladstone Institutes have shown that tight junctions between cells may play a critical role in gastrulation in human embryos. “This study has ...

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Science17 Jul 2023

MSK Research Highlights July 17, 2023

New research from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and the Sloan Kettering Institute — a hub for basic science and translational research within MSK — identified a way to reduce toxicity in CAR T cell therapy; discovered a division of labor in DNA repair that suggests a possible therapeutic strategy for certain cancers; developed a new method to enable imaging of two PET tracers simultaneously; found biomarkers that could help predict outcomes in HER2-positive metastatic esophagogastric cancer; and made progress toward improving options ...

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Science17 Jul 2023

Survival of children with acute lymphatic leukemia further increased

The five-year survival of all children with acute lymphatic leukemia (ALL) has continued to increase to 94%. This is evident from a study of 800 Dutch children. Within the study, modified treatment protocols for four subgroups were examined. The modifications were found to have positive effects on survival and quality of life. For example, the risk of disease recurrence became as much as three times smaller for children with an aggressive form of leukemia. Says Prof. Dr. Rob Pieters: ‘The five-year ...

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Science17 Jul 2023

First study to directly compare gene mutation type in individuals with CHAMP1 disorder indicates key differences

New research led by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai has illuminated genetic differences among children with a rare neurodevelopmental condition and could point the way toward a precision medicine approach to caring for these children. The study is the first of its kind to directly assess differences between individuals with mutations in the CHAMP1 gene and those with deletions of the gene. The analysis was published in Human Genetics on July 17. CHAMP1 disorder is a genetic, neurodevelopmental condition associated with intellectual disability, medical comorbidities (e.g., seizures, gastrointestinal problems), and dysmorphic ...

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Science17 Jul 2023

All about the Benjamins: Researchers decipher the secrets of Benjamin Franklin’s paper money

Benjamin Franklin may be best known as the creator of bifocals and the lightning rod, but a group of University of Notre Dame researchers suggest he should also be known for his innovative ways of making (literal) money. During his career, Franklin printed nearly 2,500,000 money notes for the American Colonies using what the researchers have identified as highly original techniques, as reported in a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research team, led by Khachatur ...

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Science17 Jul 2023

SwRI team identifies giant swirling waves at the edge of Jupiter’s magnetosphere

SAN ANTONIO — July 17, 2023 —A team led by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) has found that NASA’s Juno spacecraft orbiting Jupiter frequently encounters giant swirling waves at the boundary between the solar wind and Jupiter’s magnetosphere. The waves are an important process for transferring energy and mass from the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emitted by the Sun, to planetary space environments. Jake Montgomery, a doctoral student in the joint space physics program ...

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Science17 Jul 2023

New research shows babies’ immunological weak spot and strength

NEW YORK, NY--A pair of new studies led by researchers at Columbia University explains why babies get so many common respiratory infections and identifies a specialized cluster of immune cells found only in babies that help them better cope with new pathogens. “We know little about how the immune system develops throughout life, and most of what we know about immune system development in children comes from animal studies,” says Donna Farber, PhD, an expert in immune system development at Columbia University ...

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Science17 Jul 2023

The missing Americans: Unprecedented US mortality far exceeds other wealthy nations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, July 17, 2023 Contact: Jillian McKoy, jpmckoy@bu.edu Michael Saunders, msaunder@bu.edu ## The Missing Americans: Unprecedented US Mortality Far Exceeds Other Wealthy Nations A new study found that more than one million US deaths a year—including many young and working-age adults—could be avoided if the US had mortality rates similar to its peer nations. In 2021, 1.1 million deaths would have been averted ...

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Science17 Jul 2023

Addressing the future challenges of global surface water quality

As the world's population continues to grow, ensuring access to clean and safe water has become an increasingly important concern, yet little is known about how surface water quality will change in the future. Recent scientific research has shed light on the potential challenges that surface water quality may face in the coming years, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. “While surface water quality is projected to improve in most developed countries, there is an important caveat: the outlook for the poorest nations is bleak”. A recent study, published in Nature Water, has projected an increase in surface water pollution in Sub-Saharan Africa. These findings ...

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Science17 Jul 2023

Study finds how to reduce risk of kids playing with a found gun

COLUMBUS, Ohio – In a lab at The Ohio State University masquerading as a playroom, pairs of kids ages 8 to 12 participating in a study found a variety of toys and games to play with – as well as a mysterious file cabinet. Inside one of the drawers of the unlocked cabinet were two disabled 9-mm handguns. As they played in the room, nearly all the children eventually found the guns. But some kids in the study were much more likely to tell an adult they found a gun, less likely to touch the gun, and were less reckless if they did touch it – and they were the kids who had watched a one-minute gun safety video a week earlier. The study may be the ...

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Science17 Jul 2023

Team fabricates chitin hydrogel via chemical transformation of chitosan

Chitin hydrogel is recognized as a promising material for a variety of biomedical applications. Its biocompatibility and biodegradability make it useful in tissue repair, artificial organs, and wound healing. Yet scientists continue to face challenges in fabricating chitin hydrogel. A team of researchers has developed a green, efficient and scalable preparation method for chitin hydrogels. The team’s work provides a rational strategy to fabricate chitin hydrogels and paves the way for its practical applications as a superior biomedical material. Their ...

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Science17 Jul 2023

Do common methods for protecting bees from pesticides actually work?

Annapolis, MD; July 17, 2023—Responsible use of pesticides includes striving to avoid negative effects on the environment, often with an emphasis on protecting bees and other pollinators. A new study, however, finds that many common methods for minimizing pesticides' impact on bees—even some recommendations on product labels—are backed by minimal scientific evidence. The researchers behind the study say stronger testing is needed to evaluate which bee-protection measures are truly effective ...

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Science17 Jul 2023

In determining what’s true, Americans consider the intentions of the information source

Chestnut Hill, Mass. (7/17/2023) – Putting truth to the test in the “post-truth era”, Boston College psychologists conducted experiments that show when Americans decide whether a claim of fact should qualify as true or false, they consider the intentions of the information source, the team reported recently in Nature’s Scientific Reports. That confidence is based on what individuals think the source is trying to do – in this case either informing or deceiving their audience. “Even when people know precisely how accurate or inaccurate a claim of fact is, whether they consider that claim to be true or false hinges on the intentions ...

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Science17 Jul 2023

Sergio Amancio receives 2023 Yoshiaki Arata Award

On the occasion of its annual general assembly in Singapore on 16 July 2023, the International Institute of Welding presented Sergio Amancio, from the Institute of Materials Science, Joining and Forming at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), with this year’s Yoshiaki Arata Award in recognition of his scientific achievements. This award, consisting of a medal and a certificate, is considered one of the world’s most important awards for research in welding and additive manufacturing and usually goes to veteran researchers who are recognised for their life’s work. For ...

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Science17 Jul 2023

New findings suggest historical infanticide in Europe likely more widespread than estimated

‘Routine’ infanticide of newborns by married parents in early modern Europe was a much more widespread practice than previously thought, a new book posits. This fresh insight sits at the heart of a new book, Death Control in the West 1500–1800: Sex Ratios at Baptism in Italy, France and England, by Gregory Hanlon and contributors. The French-trained behavioural historian explains: “In most cases, infanticide was a crime leaving no aggrieved party seeking revenge if it was committed right away. It could be overlooked and forgotten with the passage of time.” Widespread infanticide Hanlon, who is Distinguished Research Professor at Dalhousie University in ...

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