Science
press releases.

Science15 Jun 2023

Nearly 1 in 3 Black adults may develop PAD; disparities in care increase amputation risk

Statement Highlights: Nearly 1 in 3 Black adults may develop peripheral artery disease (PAD), compared to about 1 in 5 Hispanic or white adults. If amputation is necessary for treatment, Black, Hispanic and American Indian adults experience lower survival rates and worse quality of life after amputation compared to white adults. Multiple social, economic and health variables contribute to disparities by sex, race and ethnicity in the development, diagnosis and treatment of PAD. Opportunities to address disparities include greater focus on prevention in health care systems, ...

Read the release

Science15 Jun 2023

Chronic wound healing using glass

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have demonstrated that silver retains antimicrobial activity for longer when it is impregnated into ‘bioactive glass’, and shown for the first time how this promising combination delivers more long-lasting antimicrobial wound protection than conventional alternatives. Bioactive glasses are a unique class of synthetic biomaterials made from silicone and have been used for some years in bone grafting. Silver has long been known to prevent or reduce the growth ...

Read the release

Science15 Jun 2023

Finding out you’re autistic in later life can be a positive experience

Receiving an autism diagnosis in your 20, 30s, 40s, 50s or even 60s may seem daunting, but a new study from psychologists in Bath and London finds that the link between the age at which someone gets diagnosed has little bearing on their quality of life. So-called ‘late diagnosis’ for autism has hit the headlines recently thanks to autism campaigner Christine McGuiness. Whereas autism is usually diagnosed in childhood, it is increasing being diagnosed in adults and especially among women. Parents often wonder if their child finding out they are autistic earlier or later will have an impact on their lives in the long term. Whilst many people who discover they are autistic as adults ...

Read the release

Science15 Jun 2023

Rising rates of benzodiazepine toxicity among young people spark concern

Toronto, ON, June 15, 2023 – The rate of hospital encounters for benzodiazepine-related toxicity rose by 67 per cent for young adults (aged 19 to 24) and 44 per cent for youth (aged 18 or below) in Ontario between 2013 and 2020, according to a new study from ICES and Unity Health Toronto. Though there was an overall decline of 7 per cent in the provincial rate of benzodiazepine toxicity, this was largely driven by reductions in rates among people aged 35 years and older. Benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed to treat anxiety ...

Read the release

Science15 Jun 2023

Men died of overdose at 2-3 times greater a rate than women in the U.S. in 2020-2021

Men were significantly more vulnerable than women to overdose deaths involving opioid and stimulant drugs in 2020-2021, according to a new study analyzing death records data from across the United States. The study found that men had a 2–3 times greater rate of overdose mortality from opioids (like fentanyl and heroin) and psychostimulants (like methamphetamine and cocaine). While it has been known that men use drugs at higher rates than women, the researchers found that this alone does not explain the gap in overdose deaths, noting that biological, behavioral, and social factors likely ...

Read the release

Science14 Jun 2023

Just add sugar: Research shows common antioxidant can be more beneficial through glycosylation

New research shows that polyphenolic compounds, which are commonly found in fruits and vegetables, can be combined with sugar molecules to create potential life-saving drugs. Polyphenols are a class of compounds found in many plant-based foods. Polyphenols help prevent cellular damage in the body and can help to prevent diseases such as cancer or heart disease. However, many of them do not dissolve in water, making it difficult to fully take advantage of their health benefits. Biological Engineering Professor Jixun Zhan and his graduate students Jie Ren and Caleb Barton recently published a comprehensive ...

Read the release

Science14 Jun 2023

Remains at Crenshaw site are local, ancestors of Caddo, study finds

Hundreds of human skulls and mandibles recovered from the Crenshaw site in southwest Arkansas are the remains of ancestors of the Caddo Nation and not foreign enemies, according to a new study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science. Collaborating with the Caddo Nation in Oklahoma, researchers at the University of Arkansas and Arkansas Archeological Survey tested lead and strontium isotopes in the teeth of human remains and compared them to ancient animal teeth from several surrounding regions to determine that the 700-year-old human remains were local ...

Read the release

Science14 Jun 2023

UTIA researchers find high risk to amphibians if fungal pathogen invades North America

New research indicates the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) could be devastating to amphibian biodiversity if introduced to North America. Nature Communications published the findings June 5 from a group of researchers at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, the University of Massachusetts-Boston and Washington State University. “We could see over 80 species of salamanders in the United States and 140 species in North America experience population declines if Bsal is introduced,” said Matt Gray, the lead author and professor of ...

Read the release

Science14 Jun 2023

New images capture unseen details of the synapse

Scientists have created one of the most detailed 3D images of the synapse, the important juncture where neurons communicate with each other through an exchange of chemical signals. These nanometer scale models will help scientists better understand and study neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington’s disease and schizophrenia. The new study appears in the journal PNAS and was authored by a team led by Steve Goldman, MD, PhD, co-director of the Center for Translational Neuromedicine at the University of Rochester and the University of Copenhagen. The findings represent a significant technical achievement ...

Read the release

Science14 Jun 2023

Massive hemorrhages are often deadly. Can a perfume ingredient stop the bleed and save lives?

The chances of surviving massive blood loss from a traumatic injury such as a gunshot wound are around 50 percent. To survive, a patient needs two things to happen quickly: a large infusion of blood and coagulation at the wound to stop the bleeding. The problem is one of these solutions prevents the other. Introducing a large amount of blood to those suffering a massive hemorrhage impairs the blood’s ability to clot, a condition known as coagulopathy. Now, Tulane University researchers have uncovered the cause of coagulopathy in trauma victims receiving a blood infusion. They also found that a synthetic compound ...

Read the release

Science14 Jun 2023

TCT 2023 Program Guide now available

NEW YORK – June 14, 2023 – The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) has announced the TCT 2023 Program Guide is now available. TCT is the annual scientific symposium of CRF and the world’s premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine. TCT 2023 will take place October 23-26 in San Francisco, California, at the Moscone Center and will celebrate 35 years of leading the field. Every year, TCT features major medical research breakthroughs and gathers ...

Read the release

Science14 Jun 2023

Network of channels tried to saturate YouTube with pro-Bolsonaro content during 2022 Brazil election

Experts have identified coordinated efforts to saturate YouTube’s recommender algorithm, flooding users with pro- Bolsonaro content during the 2022 Brazil election. Researchers from the University of Exeter and Instituto Vero have uncovered a complex, web-like influencer system of channels that shaped political narratives during this period. This is in addition to YouTube’s own recommender algorithm which also generates suggestions based on users’ viewership patterns. This network of influencer-driven videos was promoted by mentions, tags, interviews, and cuts (shorter video formats) and heavily contributed ...

Read the release

Science14 Jun 2023

Food allergy is highest among Hispanic, Black and Asian individuals

· Many racial and ethnic groups not well aware of food allergies · Lack of food allergy research in racial and ethnic communities · ‘These individuals need to be aware so they can be diagnosed and treated’ CHICAGO --- Food allergy has not been on the radar of most racial and ethnic communities. But a new Northwestern Medicine study — the first population-based food allergy study in the U.S. to explore racial and ethnic differences in all age groups — shows why it should be. The new study found the prevalence of food allergy is highest among Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black and ...

Read the release

Science14 Jun 2023

World’s first transgenic ants reveal how colonies respond to an alarm

Ants navigate their richly aromatic world using an array of odor receptors and chemical signals called pheromones. Whether foraging or defending the nest, mating or tending to their young, ants both send and receive chemical signals throughout their lives. The importance of this system is underscored by how well equipped the ant brain is to process the abundance of scents: The olfactory processing center in the ant’s brain has 10 times as many subdivisions as fruit flies do, for example, even though their brains are about the same size. And yet how the ant olfactory system encodes scent data has remained largely unknown. To whittle ...

Read the release

Science14 Jun 2023

Tiny device mimics human vision and memory abilities

Researchers have created a small device that ‘sees’ and creates memories in a similar way to humans, in a promising step towards one day having applications that can make rapid, complex decisions such as in self-driving cars. The neuromorphic invention is a single chip enabled by a sensing element, doped indium oxide, that’s thousands of times thinner than a human hair and requires no external parts to operate. RMIT University engineers in Australia led the work, with contributions from researchers at Deakin University and the University of Melbourne. The team’s research demonstrates a working device that captures, processes and stores visual ...

Read the release

Science14 Jun 2023

Scientists develop novel biosensing-membrane for glucose detection and monitoring

Glucose oxidase (GOx)-based biosensors have attracted much attention for their potential in rapid glucose detection and continuous monitoring, which are crucial for disease diagnosis and prevention, as well as for controllable production in sugar-making and fermentation processes. The glucose oxidase/electrocatalysts/electrode (GOx/ECs/electrode) cascade system serves as the core part of most glucose biosensing devices (both invasive and non-invasive). However, patterned assembly of these cascade sensing units remains challenging, thus limiting the ...

Read the release

Science14 Jun 2023

Improving word intelligibility of bone-conducted speech using bone-conduction headphones

Ishikawa, Japan -- Bone-conduction (BC) headphones enhance hearing capability by generating vibrations in bone or skin close to the ear, including the regio temporalis. They simultaneously leave the ear canal open to allow the surrounding air-conducted (AC) sounds for normal hearing. However, word intelligibility – recognition ability – is often poor during bone-conducted speech perceived using BC headphones due to the attenuation of its high-frequency components, especially under noisy conditions. While inserting ear plugs in the ear canal help improve ...

Read the release

Science14 Jun 2023

Under the weather: Scientists should spend more time in the rain

Scientists need to get out of the lab and into the rain, say an interdisciplinary group of researchers led by John T. Van Stan of Cleveland State University. Writing in the journal BioScience, the authors make the case that human observation of storm events (be it rain, snow, or occult deposition) is key to understanding wet weather and its myriad effects on the natural world. Recently, Van Stan and colleagues noted a trend in the scientific community towards relying on remote ...

Read the release

Science14 Jun 2023

How prescribed burns could limit megafires in California, Oregon, and Washington

Wildfire smoke is a threat to air quality, public health, and ecosystems throughout the U.S. Notwithstanding the impact of this year’s Canadian wildfires, the West typically sees much higher exposure to wildfire smoke than other regions of the country. New research from Harvard University, the U.S. Forest Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration indicates that controlled burns – particularly in coastal areas of northern California and the Pacific Northwest – could dramatically reduce the overall amount of wildfire smoke exposure in vulnerable rural communities and dense ...

Read the release

Science14 Jun 2023

Alcohol harm reduction can also reduce other substance use

SEATTLE, Wash. – Quitting alcohol or drugs was not a top priority for people experiencing homelessness in a harm reduction treatment study, yet participants still reduced their use of both. A different approach than traditional abstinence-based programs, harm reduction treatment for alcohol use disorder, also called HaRT-A, has patients set their own goals. In a study of 308 people experiencing homelessness, the participants receiving harm reduction treatment set goals of meeting basic needs and improving quality of life well above quitting alcohol and other substances. Yet harm reduction treatment still led to more reduced use compared to a control group who received ...

Read the release

Science14 Jun 2023

Slightly lost bumblebees use scent to find their way home

Put yourself in the exoskeleton of a bumblebee for a moment: your world would be a riot of colors and scents, both essential to guide your search for pollen and nectar. Bumblebees have excellent vision: they have a pair of compound eyes that can distinguish UV and most colors except red, plus three additional simple eyes specialized in detecting polarized light. Their sense of smell dwarfs ours: approximately 100 times more sensitive, and capable of sniffing out illegal drugs or explosives at airports, confirming pregnancy in women, or detecting cancers and diabetes in early-stage patients. Now, ...

Read the release

Science14 Jun 2023

Sharpening Occam’s Razor

In science, the explanation with the fewest assumptions is most likely to be true. Called “Occam’s Razor,” this principle has guided theory and experiment for centuries. But how do you compare between abstract concepts? In a new paper, philosophers from UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine discuss how to weigh the complexity of scientific theories by comparing their underlying mathematics. They aim to characterize the amount of structure a theory has using symmetry — or the aspects of an object that remain the same when other changes are made. After much ...

Read the release

Science14 Jun 2023

Breaking barriers: Advancements in meta-holographic display enable ultraviolet domain holograms

The term meta means a concept of transcendence or surpassing, and when applied to materials, metamaterials encompass artificially engineered substances that exhibit properties not naturally found in the environment. Metasurfaces, characterized by their thinness and lightness, have garnered considerable interest as a potential component for incorporation into portable augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) devices to facilitate holographic generation. Nonetheless, it is important to note that metasurfaces have inherent limitations, such ...

Read the release

Science14 Jun 2023

Timing of childhood adversity is associated with unique epigenetic patterns in adolescents

BOSTON—Childhood adversity—circumstances that threaten to a child’s physical or psychological well-being--has long been associated with poorer physical and mental health throughout life, such as greater risks of developing cardiac disease, cancer, or depression. It remains unclear, however, when and how the effects of childhood adversity become biologically embedded to influence health outcomes in children, adolescents, and adults. A team of researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of Mass General Brigham (MGB), previously showed that exposure to adversity between ages 3 to 5 has a ...

Read the release

Science14 Jun 2023

Lockdown children played on, study finds, despite being stuck at home

Children displayed a resilient capacity to continue playing during peak COVID-19, a study has found, even though their options to do so became more limited while under stay-at-home orders. The research, by academics at the University of Cambridge, interviewed children themselves about their playing habits during the pandemic. Without disputing the consensus that COVID-19 impeded children’s healthy development, it does suggest that they were able to adapt their play habits to their changed circumstances. Children largely expressed ...

Read the release