Science
press releases.

Science27 Jun 2023

Fear of being exploited is stagnating our progress in science

Science is a collaborative effort. What we know today would have never been, had it not been generations of scientists reusing and building on the work of their predecessors. However, in modern times, academia has become increasingly competitive and indeed rather hostile to the individual researchers. This is especially true for early-career researchers yet to secure tenure and build a name in their fields. Nowadays, scholars are left to compete with each other for citations of their published work, awards and funding. So, understandably, many scientists have grown unwilling ...

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Science27 Jun 2023

Cooperation between muscle and liver circadian clocks, key to controlling glucose metabolism

Collaborative work by teams at the Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS) ​​at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), University of California, Irvine (UCI), and the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) has shown that interplay between circadian clocks in liver and skeletal muscle controls glucose metabolism. The findings reveal that local clock function in each tissue is not enough for whole-body glucose metabolism but also requires signals from feeding and fasting cycles to properly maintain glucose levels in the ...

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Science27 Jun 2023

The more stakeholders are included in policy planning, the better those policies protect them

Having a seat at the table, and voices heard, makes a world of difference when it comes to natural resources. It sounds intuitive, but experts didn’t have enough data to prove it until now. A team of researchers from across the country pored over 108 groundwater management plans in California to see how well they protect stakeholders like domestic well users, farmers and ecosystems. They found that the plans that incorporated stakeholder input offered greater protection from groundwater depletion. Unfortunately, only 9% of the sustainability plans integrated these users in a comprehensive manner. The findings have broad implications for resource management, both in California and ...

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Science27 Jun 2023

Prevalence of iron deficiency, iron-deficiency anemia in females ages 12-21

About The Study: Among 12- to 21-year-old U.S. females between 2003 and 2020, iron deficiency affected almost 40% and iron deficiency anemia affected 6%, with variation by the ferritin or hemoglobin thresholds used. Menstruation was a risk factor for both, but more than one-quarter of premenarchal individuals had iron deficiency. Authors: Angela C. Weyand, M.D., of the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, 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/jama.2023.8020) Editor’s Note: Please see the article for ...

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Science27 Jun 2023

New study sheds light on the evolution of animals

Key points: Scientists have been mystified as to why animals are missing in much of the fossil record; Researchers have developed a new method to determine if animals really were absent during certain geological eras, or if they were present but too fragile to be preserved; The findings establish a new maximum point at which animals first evolved on Earth. A study led by the University of Oxford has brought us one step closer to solving a mystery that has puzzled naturalists since Charles Darwin: when did animals first appear in the history of Earth? The results have been published ...

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Science27 Jun 2023

BioOne extends partnership with the Entomological Society of America to preserve and disseminate entomological research spanning 100+ years

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 27, 2023 – A trove of more than 160 eBooks in insect science is now available on the BioOne Digital Library, through an extension of BioOne’s partnership with the Entomological Society of America (ESA). With the launch of the ESA eBook Collection, BioOne and ESA have partnered to source, digitize, and make fully searchable critical books from ESA’s catalog. Through this collaboration, BioOne and ESA share a commitment to make scientific research more accessible with the preservation of over 100 years ...

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Science27 Jun 2023

Orangutans can make two sounds at the same time, similar to human beatboxing, study finds

Orangutans can make two separate sounds simultaneously, much like songbirds or human beatboxers, according to a study led by the University of Warwick. Academics say the findings provide clues around the evolution of human speech, as well as human beatboxing. Scientists observed two populations of vocalising orangutans in Borneo and Sumatra across a total of 3800 hours and found primates within both groups used the same vocal phenomenon. Dr Adriano Lameira, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Warwick said: “Humans use the lips, tongue, and jaw to make the unvoiced sounds ...

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Science27 Jun 2023

Beatboxing orangutans and the evolution of speech

Orangutans can make two separate sounds simultaneously, much like songbirds or human beatboxers, according to a study. Adriano Lameira and Madeleine Hardus observed vocalizing orangutans in the wild. Humans use the lips, tongue, and jaw to make the unvoiced sounds of consonants, while activating the vocal folds in the larynx with exhaled air to make the voiced, open sounds of vowels. Orangutans are capable of producing both types of sounds—and both at once. For example, large male orangutans in Borneo will produce noises known as “chomps” in combination with “grumbles” in combative situations. Females in Sumatra produce “kiss squeaks” atop ...

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Science27 Jun 2023

Unveiling the secrets of liquid iron under extreme conditions

Iron is the most abundant element by mass on Earth. Despite being so common and well-studied, iron still manages to puzzle scientists by exhibiting electric and magnetic behaviors that are not fully comprehensible. In particular, the physical properties of liquid iron—which makes up most of the Earth’s core—have been the subject of much debate among physicists and geoscientists. The problem is that certain predictions about liquid iron’s properties are difficult to experimentally verify due to the extreme conditions required to ascertain them. For example, liquid iron’s resistivity, which is the inverse of electrical conductivity, has ...

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Science27 Jun 2023

Revealing the power of citizen science for SDG advancement

The 17 SDGs are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including climate change, environmental degradation, and inequality. The achievement of the SDGs depends on the ability to accurately measure progress towards meeting the associated targets based on timely, relevant, and reliable data. Citizen science offers an innovative approach to complement and enhance official statistics. Additionally, citizen science can help raise awareness, mobilize action, and therefore achieve transformative change. The collection ...

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Science27 Jun 2023

This self-driving boat maps underwater terrain

EL PASO, Texas (June 27, 2023) ­– Step aside self-driving cars, self-driving boats are here — and they can do more than take you on a cruise. Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso have constructed a fully autonomous boat that can carry out bathymetric surveys — surveys of the depth and terrain of bodies of water like oceans, rivers and lakes. The team hopes the robotic boat can help simplify the survey process, which usually takes a crew of individuals to complete, as well as assist ...

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Science27 Jun 2023

Over 100 leaders in aging and longevity to present their latest research at the 10th ARDD

June 27, 2023, the University of Copenhagen is excited to reveal the speakers, program and travel grants for the 10th Aging Research & Drug Discovery Meeting, the World's Largest Conference on Aging Research in the biopharmaceutical industry that will transpire on August 28 - September 1, 2023 on-site at the Ceremonial Hall, University of Copenhagen, and online. According to the United Nations, the proportion of people aged over 65 now outnumber children younger than 5. The enormous growth in the elderly population is posing a socioeconomic challenge to societies worldwide, and necessitates new sweeping interventions for age-associated ...

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Science27 Jun 2023

A new method to keep thickening agents tiny in transport and big in application

Osaka, Japan – Many commercial products such as food, cosmetics, and inks contain cellulose nanofiber (CNF) as a thickening agent. However, CNFs have some limitations that prevent their more widespread use. Now, researchers from Osaka University have demonstrated a method of dehydrating CNFs to a dense powder without affecting their three key properties. Their findings are published in Macromolecular Rapid Communications. Video for your easy understanding https://youtu.be/PAEd36v_SjI CNFs are a popular thickening agent because small amounts in water have high transparency, high viscosity, and the viscosity ...

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Science27 Jun 2023

How secure are voice authentication systems really?

Computer scientists at the University of Waterloo have discovered a method of attack that can successfully bypass voice authentication security systems with up to a 99% success rate after only six tries. Voice authentication – which allows companies to verify the identity of their clients via a supposedly unique “voiceprint” – has increasingly been used in remote banking, call centers and other security-critical scenarios. “When enrolling in voice authentication, ...

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Science27 Jun 2023

Synthesis of peripherally annulated phenanthroporphyrins

Prof. Okujima, in collaboration with Prof. Kobayashi at Shinshu University, reported the synthesis, molecular structure, optical properties and electronic structure of unusual phenanthrene-fused porphyrins. Precursor porphyrins fused with aryl-substituted bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene afforded the corresponding arylbenzoporphyrins (arylBPs) by retro Diels–Alder reaction. Unusual phenanthroporphyrins were obtained via the intramolecular Scholl reaction of arylBPs. We analyzed the optical and electronic structures using magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy and time-dependent density functional theory calculations. Our ...

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Science27 Jun 2023

Recent progress of Ni-based catalysts for methanol electrooxidation reaction in alkaline media

The study is led by Ligang Feng (School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University). The rapid development of the economy driven by the large consummation of traditional fossil fuels is not sustainable, and global attention is shifted to the utilization of renewable energy sources, and biomass fuels. Methanol is considered a good biomass fuel to realize energy storage and conversion, which is convenient for storage and transportation; more importantly, it is much safer than other fuels such as gasoline, diesel, and natural gas. In addition, it can be prepared with wide sources in low-cost and ...

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Science27 Jun 2023

A jaw-dropping conundrum: Why do mammals have a stiff lower jaw?

From the 20-foot-long jawbones of the filter-feeding blue whale to the short, but bone-crushing, jaws of the hyena and the delicate chin bones of a human, the pair of lower jawbones characteristic of mammals have evolved with amazing variation. But at first glance, having a single bone on each side of the head — which creates a stiff lower jaw, or mandible — doesn't appear to give mammals an advantage over other vertebrates, which have at least two and as many as 11 bones comprising each side of the lower jaw. Crocodiles, for example, have an edge over hyenas when it comes to their bite strength relative to ...

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Science27 Jun 2023

Age of those with mismatched biological sex and gender identity (gender dysphoria) is falling

The age of those who are distressed because of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity—known as gender dysphoria—has been steadily falling, reveals research published in the open access journal General Psychiatry. And it’s lower for those assigned female sex at birth than those assigned male, the findings indicate. Recent studies suggest that gender dysphoria is becoming more common, particularly among those assigned female sex at birth. But these studies have been hampered by small sample sizes, short monitoring periods, or outdated datasets. In a bid to get round these limitations, the researchers drew on data submitted ...

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Science26 Jun 2023

Toxic ideas online are spreading and growing through the use of irony, analysis shows

Irony has become a medium for the spread of toxic ideas online, new analysis shows. The use of irony is growing in both contemporary politics and radical online communities because it helps people to make sense of and navigate major political and economic changes, researchers have said. Ideas, jokes, memes, images are emerging as an animating force for new social movements and are now inextricably intertwined with the rise of the alt-right. The study says examining irony can help understand how recent influential political ...

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Science26 Jun 2023

The ISSCR statement on new research with embryo models

The ISSCR supports research with embryo models derived from human pluripotent stem cells that is conducted with scientific and ethical rigor. ISSCR encourages researchers to continue to follow the ISSCR Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation when considering research in this emerging area. Recent work presented at the ISSCR 2023 Annual Meeting in Boston, USA this month and additional research posted online as preprints shortly thereafter highlights the rapid pace of progress in the development of stem cell-based ...

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Science26 Jun 2023

Virginia Tech study reveals reason hellbenders are disappearing

The gigantic, slimy salamanders known as hellbenders, once the apex predators of many freshwater streams, have been in decline for decades, their population constantly shrinking. No one knew why. William Hopkins, professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation and director of the Global Change Center at Virginia Tech, suspected the hellbenders’ plight had connections with environmental changes engineered by humans. Hellbender males select nesting sites on stream bottoms and guard the eggs laid there by females — and occasionally the salamander dads snack on the eggs, consuming ...

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Science26 Jun 2023

Intermittent fasting and traditional calorie counting about equal for weight loss

Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 26 June 2023 Annals of Internal Medicine Tip Sheet @Annalsofim Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they represent. ---------------------------- 1. ...

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Science26 Jun 2023

Lean body mass, age linked with alcohol elimination rates in women

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The rate at which women eliminate alcohol from their bloodstream is largely predicted by their lean body mass, although age plays a role, too, scientists found in a new study. Women with obesity – and those who are older – clear alcohol from their systems 52% faster than women of healthy weights and those who are younger, the study found. Lean body mass is defined in the study – published in the journal Alcohol Clinical and Experimental Research – as one’s ...

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Science26 Jun 2023

People in power who are guilt-prone are less likely to be corrupt

Guilt. It’s a horrible feeling that causes us to question our worth as human beings. But while it’s something that induces sleepless nights and stress-related physical symptoms in individuals, for society at large, the tendency toward guilt might have some benefits. “People who are prone to feeling guilt in their everyday lives are less likely to take bribes,” said UC Santa Barbara psychology professor Hongbo Yu, who specializes in how social emotions give rise to behaviors. He is a senior author of a paper that appears in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science. In a study he conducted ...

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Science26 Jun 2023

Would you detour with me? – Well, that depends on the dog breed!

A new study from the Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, showed that dogs may not equally benefit from observing the ‘helpful action’ of a human demonstrator in the classic detour around a V-shaped fence task. Those who are experienced with the world of ethological conferences, know all too well that if you present your work about dog behavior, the first (or second) question from the audience will be: “And did you check whether the breed of the dog had an effect on your results?” Actually, this is not surprising as most people are familiar with the mindboggling variability of hundreds of ...

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