AALTO, Finland, April 7 -- Aalto University issued the following news release: * * * AI companions can comfort lonely users but may deepen distress over time Long-term use of AI companions may give comfort in the short-term, but research indicates it may negatively impact users' wellbeing - and their ability to navigate real world relationships. * AI companions are always available, never judge, never tire and never demand anything in return. If someone is struggling with loneliness, this f  more

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, April 7 -- The University of the Witwatersrand posted the following news: * * * Academic-industry partnership co-creates a new model for sharing the benefits of genomic research * Rather than researchers allocating funding, community representatives identify entities where benefits are most likely to deliver lasting impact. As genomic research becomes increasingly important in Africa, questions about how the benefits of scientific discovery are shared with parti  more

SINGAPORE, April 7 -- Nanyang Technological University posted the following news: * * * AUMOVIO-NTU Corporate Lab to drive innovation for tomorrow's AI-defined vehicles * Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and technology company AUMOVIO are officially launching the second phase of their Corporate Laboratory partnership. The AUMOVIO-NTU Corporate Lab will translate research in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, novel materials and vehicular c  more

ANTIGONISH, Nova Scotia, April 7 -- St. Francis Xavier University posted the following news: * * * Bird Country: Work of StFX's Randy Lauff featured in new documentary * For over two decades, Randy Lauff, a Senior Laboratory Instructor in StFX's Department of Biology, has been tracking owls in the forests of Nova Scotia. Now, his work is one of five ornithology projects featured in Bird Country, a 2026 documentary that premiered April 1st at the Al Whittle Theatre in Wolfville, NS. The doc  more

CARDIFF, Wales, April 7 -- Cardiff University posted the following news: * * * Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK supports Cardiff researchers to explore the development of a universal bowel cancer vaccine * Cardiff University scientists are leading research into the development of a potential universal bowel cancer vaccine, thanks to new support from the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK. The Fund - established in 2022 to continue the legacy of the late Dame Deborah James - has sur  more

NIJMEGEN, The Netherlands, April 7 -- Radboud University posted the following news: * * * Climate change does not polarise opinions: 'In fact, we are increasingly in agreement' * Differences of opinion on climate change among the Dutch have not increased over the past forty years; in fact, they have decreased. This is evident from research conducted by sociologists Anuschka Peelen and Jochem Tolsma of Radboud University. They also found no evidence that groups of Dutch people with different   more

BRUSSELS, Belgium, April 7 (TNSjou) -- Free University of Brussels-VUB issued the following news release: * * * Wind and solar power to keep the lights on in Ecuador Empty reservoirs caused disrupted energy supply * Researchers from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in Belgium and Yachay Tech University in Ecuador have come to a surprising conclusion: wind and solar energy, often criticised for their lack of predictability and dependence on the weather, could make Ecuador's power supply   more

GOLD COAST, Australia, April 7 (TNSjou) -- Griffith University issued the following news: * * * Gender shapes how leadership behaviour is perceived When leaders express negative emotions such as irritability and withdrawal, behaviour is often judged differently for female and male leaders, according to new research from Griffith University. The study of 190 professionals examined how leaders' emotions and behaviours transferred to employees and how gender dynamics shaped employees' response  more

CARDIFF, Wales, April 7 -- Cardiff University posted the following news: * * * Land value capture in the planning system is a distraction from the redistributive measures needed to tackle England's housing crisis * A key policy aimed at tackling housing inequalities in England does as much to obscure and sustain them, a Cardiff University report concludes. Academics assessed land value capture (LVC) in the planning system, which aims to redistribute increases in the value of land resulting  more

LEEDS, England, April 7 -- Leeds Beckett University posted the following news: * * * Leeds Beckett Cyber Security degree fully certified by the National Cyber Security Centre * The certification places Leeds Beckett among a small group of UK universities to hold full certification for an undergraduate cyber security degree, recognising the quality and rigour of the university's teaching, curriculum and student outcomes. Delivered within the university's School of Built Environment, Enginee  more

LEIDEN, The Netherlands, April 8 -- Leiden University issued the following news: * * * Grant for research into fungus that could make vegan cheese cheaper and more sustainable Leiden researchers and partners have been awarded a 1.3-million-euro grant to produce milk protein for vegan cheese using fungi. While this process is not new, the use of another fungus could make the protein cheaper and more sustainable. Considerable lab work is still needed before the vegan cheese appears on the supe  more

LEIDEN, The Netherlands, April 8 -- Leiden University issued the following news: * * * More things in heaven and earth: the benefits of space exploration The Netherlands celebrates Space Exploration Day on 12 April each year. Space exploration has brought us ground-breaking discoveries with applications on Earth as well as in space. Leiden University is at the forefront of space innovation. Below are some examples. On 12 April 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first person to fly in space. This   more

LEIDEN, The Netherlands, April 8 -- Leiden University issued the following news: * * * When criminal law works unfairly against people in vulnerable positions Criminal law can reinforce social inequality. 'People at the lower end of society are hit harder by criminal law in a range of different ways', says Professor Marloes van Noorloos. 'That has to change.' Van Noorloos is Professor of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure at the Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology. In her inaugural le  more

KONGENS LYNGBY, Denmark, April 7 -- The Technical University of Denmark posted the following news: * * * She researches turbulence and has revolutionized her research field * Clara Velte knew as early as the age of five that she wanted to be a researcher. Today, she is one of the leading figures in her field, and her research has overturned previous assumptions. She has now written a doctoral thesis. What do you do when the theory doesn't fit what you observe? Clara Velte, who is affiliate  more

MUNICH, Germany, April 7 -- The Technical University of Munich issued the following news: * * * "Better design instead of blanket bans" * Digital safety for children and youths US courts have ruled against platform providers for failing to protect children, and the debate over age restrictions for social media has gained momentum. An international group of experts from academia, children's rights organizations and non-profit institutions is convinced that bans would be the wrong approach.   more

CARDIFF, Wales, April 7 -- Cardiff University posted the following news: * * * UK-wide news outlets are failing to help voters understand devolved powers before Senedd election, study finds * A lack of clarity over devolved news stories is leading to widespread confusion over which government is responsible for public services in Wales, a report shows. The analysis from Cardiff University covers more than 3,000 social media posts, online articles and TV news items produced by major broadca  more

LONDON, England, April 8 (TNSjou) -- The University College London posted the following news: * * * Prehistoric seal tooth pendant reveals ancient culture in Devon A long-overlooked and previously misidentified Stone Age seal-tooth pendant offers insights into the technology and cultural connections of ancient Britons, according to a new analysis led by researchers at UCL and the Natural History Museum, London. In their paper, published in Quaternary Science Reviews, researchers have now pro  more

GLASGOW, Scotland, April 7 -- The University of Glasgow posted the following news: * * * Tech can enable cross-species experiences, new research suggests * Giving lemurs the chance to use technology to share control of sensory experiences with zoo visitors can help create meaningful connections between humans and animals, groundbreaking new research suggests. The team behind the finding, from the University of Glasgow, say the outcomes of the first trial of their 'CreatureConnect' system s  more

GRONINGEN, The Netherlands, April 7 -- The University of Groningen issued the following news: * * * Behavioral change makes the circle round What are the most effective measures to achieve a circular economy? PhD candidates environmental psychology Isabel Pacheco and Julia Koch have researched the role of personal behavior in accelerating the transition to circularity and what we can do to achieve the most effect. * The life story of most products in our current system goes something like t  more

GRONINGEN, The Netherlands, April 8 -- The University of Groningen issued the following news: * * * Science Works | MimeCure's revolutionary medicine for chronic lung disease Science contributes day in, day out to solutions to various social problems. From new medicines to smart solutions for agriculture, our research helps society move forward. However, this is not always immediately visible. In the section Science Works, we therefore share stories that are about concrete innovations, produc  more

SYDNEY, Australia, April 7 (TNSjou) -- The University of New South Wales posted the following news: * * * New global model reveals hidden UV risk for next-generation solar panels Neil Martin Engineers from UNSW have created a worldwide UV radiation map for solar panels, highlighting major differences in exposure depending on climate and mounting systems. A new global study has revealed that ultraviolet (UV) radiation may be quietly shortening the lifespan of next-generation solar panels by   more

BIRMINGHAM, England, April 7 -- The University of Nottingham issued the following news release: * * * University of Nottingham researchers contribute to major global study on research credibility * Two researchers from the University of Nottingham are part of an international collaboration of 865 researchers behind the SCORE (Systematising Confidence in Open Research and Evidence) programme, which has released major new findings on research credibility in three papers published in the world'  more

TUBINGEN, Germany, April 7 -- The University of Tubingen issued the following news release: * * * Early humans in South Africa were quarrying stone as long as 220,000 years ago International research team led by the University of Tubingen shows long-term use of a source of raw materials in Paleolithic South Africa * As long as 220,000 years ago - far earlier than previously thought - people quarried rocks for their tools in places they specifically sought out. An international research team  more

COVENTRY, England, April 7 -- The University of Warwick issued the following news release: * * * University of Warwick receives PS1 million donation and major gift to boost leadership in travel-writing research * The University of Warwick has received a PS1 million donation and a major gift-in-kind of rare travel books from philanthropist Bill Newlin, strengthening the University's position as an international leader in the study of travel writing. The generous contribution advances Warwic  more

WINDSOR, Ontario, April 7 -- University of Windsor issued the following news: * * * University of Windsor launches Innovation Fellowship with $12,000 in funding per participant Students, researchers and recent graduates with an idea worth pursuing now have a new pathway to develop it. The University of Windsor Innovation Fellowship will select 10 participants for a venture development program supporting early-stage founders, creators and researchers. Through mentorship, advising, networki  more

WINDSOR, Ontario, April 7 -- University of Windsor issued the following news: * * * Thinking about thinking: Education research explores role of metacognition in undergraduate learning By Kate Hargreaves Making the leap from high school to undergraduate studies can be daunting. Students may face new responsibilities, expectations and learning experiences, putting familiar study strategies to the test. In this unfamiliar context, reflection on the learning process can be a powerful part   more