Science
press releases.

Science14 Nov 2025

For platforms using gig workers, bonuses can be a double-edged sword

ITHACA, N.Y. – In the growing gig economy, where a company’s success depends on contractors whose schedules they can’t control, businesses often turn to bonuses to lure and retain these workers. But according to new Cornell-led research, bonuses can be a losing strategy for the stakeholders involved in platform operations. “Bonus Competition in the Gig Economy,” published in the journal Production and Operations Management, shows that not all bonuses are created equal, and the availability of labor dictates which type of bonus is more effective for firms. Fixed bonuses, also known as subsidies – given as part of the contract – ...

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Science14 Nov 2025

New study reveals key role of inflammasome in male-biased periodontitis

CHAPEL HILL, NC — A study out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has unveiled new insights into the inflammatory processes behind periodontitis, a common and debilitating gum disease. Research conducted by UNC Adams School of Dentistry’s Julie Marchesan, DDS, PhD, and UNC School of Medicine’s Jenny Y. Ting, PhD, found that a part of the immune system called the inflammasome plays a key role in disease development, and that blocking this system prevents bone resorption only in males. The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests developing treatments specifically for male patients can have benefits and prompted ...

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Science14 Nov 2025

New genetic tool reveals chromosome changes linked to pregnancy loss

Pregnancy loss may occur in as many as 25% of all pregnancies. Most of these losses occur in the first trimester, and about half are caused by genetic or chromosomal issues. When pregnancy loss occurs three or more times, the losses are referred to as recurrent. Often the cause of recurrent pregnancy loss is difficult to uncover and remains unknown to those experiencing it. However, two new studies presented at the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) 2025 Annual Meeting & Expo, taking place Nov. 11–15 in Boston, provide some answers. These studies both utilized a cutting-edge technique known as optical ...

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Science14 Nov 2025

Cesarean delivery: the technique used for closing the uterus must be reconsidered

The most common technique used for closing the uterus after a cesarean delivery causes so many long-term complications that it’s time to question its use. That’s the conclusion reached by two world-renowned specialists in obstetrics and gynecology in an article published in a special issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology on cesarean delivery. The authors argue in favor of replacing the current approach with a closure technique that respects the natural anatomical structure of the uterus. The authors, Dr Emmanuel Bujold, professor at Université ...

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Science14 Nov 2025

The “Great Unified Microscope” can see both micro and nanoscale structures

Researchers Kohki Horie, Keiichiro Toda, Takuma Nakamura, and Takuro Ideguchi of the University of Tokyo have built a microscope that can detect a signal over an intensity range fourteen times wider than conventional microscopes. Moreover, the observations are made label-free, that is, without the use of additional dyes. This means the method is gentle on cells and adequate for long-term observations, holding potential for testing and quality control applications in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications. Microscopes have ...

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Science14 Nov 2025

A new theory of molecular evolution

ANN ARBOR—For a long time, evolutionary biologists have thought that the genetic mutations that drive the evolution of genes and proteins are largely neutral: they're neither good nor bad, but just ordinary enough to slip through the notice of selection. Now, a University of Michigan study has flipped that theory on its head. In the process of evolution, mutations occur which can then become fixed, meaning that every individual in the population carries that mutation. A longstanding theory, called the Neutral Theory of Molecular Evolution, posits that most genetic mutations that are fixed are neutral. Bad mutations ...

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Science14 Nov 2025

Vanishing viscosity limit of a parabolic-elliptic coupled system

A research team from South China University of Technology has made progress in understanding both the unconditional global existence and the vanishing viscosity limit of parabolic-elliptic coupled systems, with findings that extend existing research. The work, led by Prof. Changjiang Zhu and Dr. Qiaolong Zhu, is published in Acta Mathematica Scientia. The study focuses on a parabolic-elliptic coupled system, which is a simplified model critical to understanding phenomena where fluid motion interacts with heat radiation. ...

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Science14 Nov 2025

Scripps Research study reveals how uterine contractions are regulated by stretch and pressure during childbirth

LA JOLLA, CA—When labor begins, the uterus must coordinate rhythmic, well-timed contractions to deliver the baby safely. While hormones such as progesterone and oxytocin are key contributors to that process, scientists have long suspected that physical forces—in this case, the stretching and pressure that accompany pregnancy and delivery—also play a role. Now, a new study from Scripps Research published in Science on November 13, 2025, reveals how the uterus senses and responds to those forces at a molecular level. The findings could help scientists better understand the biological roots of conditions such as stalled labor and preterm birth, guiding ...

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Science14 Nov 2025

Missed the live session? Watch the full recording now!

The inspiring online talk, "Turn Waste Into Wonder: Discover How 'Supercharged Biochar' Can Grow a Greener Future!" is now available on demand. If you couldn't join us live, now is your chance to catch this fascinating discussion. The event took place on October 29 (Wednesday) and featured Prof. Salah Jellali from Sultan Qaboos University, a visionary researcher turning trash into treasure through science. In this session, hosted by the top-cited Dr. Yu Luo from Zhejiang University, Prof. Jellali reveals how to upgrade plain biochar using wastewater and industrial leftovers to create a smart, slow-release fertilizer that grows healthier ...

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Science14 Nov 2025

Shocking cost of inaction on alcohol in Australia

Alcohol-related diseases and injuries have the potential to cost the Australian healthcare system a staggering $68 billion over 60 years if nothing is done to stop the impact. The new Griffith University developed The Alcohol Policy (TAP) model is an epidemiological model used to estimate the avoidable alcohol-related disease, injury and healthcare cost burden in the Australian population aged over 15 years. Dr Mary Wanjau from Griffith’s School of Medicine and Dentistry said if we eliminated alcohol consumption ...

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Science13 Nov 2025

Mystery of how much squid short-finned pilot whales eat resolved

How much squid do short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) off the coast of Hawai’i need to consume each day to survive and are there sufficient squid to sustain the population? Knowing these basic facts is essential in the fight to protect populations. Researchers from the USA, Spain, Australia and Denmark reveal in Journal of Experimental Biology that individual Hawaiian short-finned pilot whales consume between 82 and 202 squid per day, adding up to a total of 88,000 tonnes of squid per year for the entire ...

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Science13 Nov 2025

New frog-like insects leap into the science books

Seven new species of a distinctive frog-like insect have been discovered by a scientist from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in Cambridge, England. Belonging to the genus Batracomorphus, the seven previously unknown species of leafhopper were found by Dr Alvin Helden during fieldwork in the tropical rainforest of Uganda. The name Batracomorphus derives from the Greek for “frog-shaped”, and these leafhoppers are mostly green, possess large eyes and jump using their long hind legs, which are tucked alongside their bodies like frogs. The details of Dr Helden’s discoveries have been published in the journal Zootaxa and they are the first new ...

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Science13 Nov 2025

Nebraska team creates XR experience to reveal life's interconnections

Imagine existing as an apple tree, stretching your branches toward the sun and sinking your roots into the soil. Imagine life as a prairie dog, digging tunnels among those roots and peeking out to feel the sun’s warmth. Imagine being a robot tractor, planting vegetables beside the tree. Now, thanks to a team of University of Nebraska–Lincoln researchers and emerging media artists, players can step into all those roles and more through an extended reality (XR) experience that brings science to life. “MuMu: Worlds of Connection Chapter One” is an experience where players learn about network science — the study of connections ...

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Science13 Nov 2025

AADOCR announces Mind the Future class of 2025-26

Alexandria, VA – The American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) is pleased to announce the program participants (mentees) for the sixth cohort of the AADOCR Mind the Future program: David Fraser, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Mohamed Hassan, Washington University in St. Louis Miaomiao Li, The Ohio State University Paula Ortega-Verdugo, University of California, Los Angeles Sudha Rajderkar, UT Health Houston Ligia Schmitd, University of Michigan Lakmali Silva, Harvard University Harim Tavares dos Santos, University at Buffalo Heather Taylor, Indiana University Jaqueline ...

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Science13 Nov 2025

Which came first: The sponge or the comb jelly? HHMI scientists weigh in

In the world of phylogenetics, there’s team sponge and team comb jelly. Which creature roots the animal tree of life — the simple sponge or the more complex comb jelly — has stirred fierce debate among phylogeneticists, researchers who study evolutionary history. Scientists long assumed the muscle-less and neuron-less sponges gave rise to more complex organisms, including humans. But genomic analyses in 2008 comparing hundreds of genes from many different animals and their relatives delivered ...

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Science13 Nov 2025

Extensive dog diversity millennia before modern breeding practices

A groundbreaking archaeological study has revealed when domestic dogs first began to show the remarkable diversity that characterises them today. By applying cutting-edge shape analysis to hundreds of archaeological specimens spanning tens of thousands of years, researchers have traced the emergence of distinct dog forms deep into prehistory, pinpointing the moment dogs began to diversify in size and shape - at least 11,000 years ago. These findings challenge long-standing assumptions that canine diversity is largely a recent phenomenon shaped by selective breeding, ...

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Science13 Nov 2025

Scientists call on better regulation for chemical cocktails in Europe

In a policy brief published in Science, scientists call on European Union for a new approach to protect people and nature from the hidden risks of chemical cocktails. Every day, people and all other living organisms are potentially exposed to dozens or even hundreds of chemicals – from plastics and pesticides to cosmetics and cleaning agents. While each chemical may individually meet safety standards, their combined effects can quietly add up. A new policy brief published in Science argues that current chemical ...

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Science13 Nov 2025

Paleogenomics: humans and dogs spread across Eurasia together

A genomic study shows that over the last 10,000 years, diverse Eurasian cultures kept and spread genetically distinct dog populations. Dogs have been part of human societies across Eurasia for at least 20,000 years, accompanying us through many social and cultural upheavals. A new study by an international team, published in the journal Science, and led by Laurent Frantz, paleogeneticist at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) and Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) shows that the spread of new cultures ...

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Science13 Nov 2025

How fishes of the deep sea have evolved into different shapes

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Fish species living in the deep sea feature a surprisingly large range of body shapes that evolved in different ways and at different rates depending on where the fishes live in the ocean, new research shows. Overall, the analysis of nearly 3,000 species showed more diversity of body types among the pelagic fishes, those that swim in open water, than among the benthic species spending their life on the ocean floor. Pelagic fish body types span from the round anglerfish to skinny eels, while benthic fishes ...

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Science13 Nov 2025

Hepatosplenic volumes and portal pressure gradient identify one-year further decompensation risk post-transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt

Background and Aims Further decompensation in cirrhosis is associated with increased mortality. However, reliable tools to predict further decompensation after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) are currently limited. This study aimed to investigate the incidence and risk factors of further decompensation within one year post-TIPS in patients with cirrhosis and to develop a predictive model for identifying high-risk individuals. Methods This retrospective cohort study enrolled 152 patients with cirrhosis undergoing TIPS for variceal bleeding and/or refractory ascites (January 2018–January 2024). Patients were stratified according to one-year decompensation ...

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Science13 Nov 2025

The link between the gut microbiome and autism is not backed by science, researchers say

There’s no scientific evidence that the gut microbiome causes autism, a group of scientists argue in an opinion paper publishing November 13 in the Cell Press journal Neuron. They point to the fact that conclusions from past research that supported this hypothesis—including observational studies, mouse models of autism, and human clinical trials—are undermined by flawed assumptions, small sample sizes, and inappropriate statistical methods. “Despite ...

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Science13 Nov 2025

1st death linked to ‘meat allergy’ spread by ticks

University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have identified the first death caused by what is commonly called the “meat allergy” being spread by ticks. A healthy 47-year-old man from New Jersey died abruptly four hours after consuming beef. The cause of his death had been a mystery until UVA Health’s Thomas Platts-Mills, MD, PhD, investigated. A world-renowned allergist, Platts-Mills discovered the allergy and remains the foremost expert on it. The allergy is caused by the bite of the Lone Star tick. Bites can sensitize people to alpha-gal, a sugar found in mammalian meat. People who become sensitized to the sugar can have allergic symptoms such as rash, nausea ...

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Science13 Nov 2025

Hidden signatures of ancient Rome’s master craftsmen revealed

In the hushed light of a museum gallery, Hallie Meredith discovered something intriguing about ancient Roman glasswork hiding in plain sight. It was February 2023, and the Washington State University art history professor and glassblower was examining a private collection of Roman glass cage cups at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. These delicate works of luxury were carved from a single block of glass between 300 and 500 CE and have been studied for centuries for their beauty. Meredith’s revelation was not the result of advanced imaging or new technology but rather a simple act of curiosity: turning one of the vessels around. On the reverse side ...

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Science13 Nov 2025

Gas-switch reduction enables alloying in supported catalysts

Supported catalysts are systems in which the active catalytic materials, such as metals, are dispersed on a solid support material, such as alumina, silica, etc. These catalysts are widely used in various chemical processes. Several methods are available for preparing supported catalysts. Among these, the simple impregnation method is particularly suited for industrial settings. In this method, metal precursors and oxide supports are mixed, dried, and crystallized via heat treatment under certain gases. Various high-performance supported catalysts have been prepared using impregnation. However, this method has mostly been used to synthesize conventional monometallic ...

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Science13 Nov 2025

Genes may predict suicide risk in depression

Depression in young adulthood has a stronger hereditary component and is associated with a higher risk of suicide attempts than depression that begins later in life, according to a new study published in Nature Genetics by researchers at Karolinska Institutet, among others. “We hope that genetic information will be able to help healthcare professionals identify people at high risk of suicide, who may need more support and closer follow-up,” says Lu Yi, senior researcher at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, and one of the study’s corresponding authors. Depression is a ...

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