https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from University of Texas at El Paso A study from researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso shows that just six weeks of boxing training can significantly reduce blood pressure and improve blood vessel function in young adults with elevated blood pressure or Stage 1 hypertension. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Sports, is the first randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effects of boxing training on cardiovascular and vascular health in this population, the team said. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-weeks-significantly-lowers-blood-pressure.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 10:00:06 EDT news693755166 A team of researchers from The University of Texas at El Paso has uncovered new evidence explaining why the rattlesnake's rattle—one of nature's most iconic warning signals—has persisted and proven so effective across millions of years. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-3d-rattlesnake-reveals-rattle.html Plants & Animals Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:00:14 EDT news692441101 A speech study by a research team from The University of Texas at El Paso has identified an underappreciated aspect of speech in English and Spanish speakers that could lead to improvements in artificial intelligence (AI) spoken dialogue systems. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-01-phonetic-reduction-speech-ai-voices.html Computer Sciences Tue, 20 Jan 2026 15:50:01 EST news688146241 Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso have found unusually high levels of parasitic infection in the insects that transmit Chagas disease in the Borderlands. The bugs were collected near homes and natural areas along the U.S.-Mexico border, raising concerns about the potential for local transmission of the disease in the Southwestern U.S. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-high-chagas-disease-parasite-insects.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 06 Jan 2026 17:08:37 EST news686941681 Scientists at The University of Texas at El Paso have found a promising new target in the fight against high-grade serous carcinoma, an aggressive form of ovarian cancer. Less than 50% of women survive five years after diagnosis, according to the team. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-blocking-claudin-protein-immune-aggressive.html Oncology & Cancer Tue, 02 Dec 2025 10:02:35 EST news683892121 A dinosaur fossil discovery by a researcher from The University of Texas at El Paso may expand the known range of a species that roamed Earth approximately 115 million years ago. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-dinosaur-discovery-range-ancient-species.html Paleontology & Fossils Tue, 04 Nov 2025 16:15:03 EST news681495301 A new study from The University of Texas at El Paso has uncovered how financial incentives may subtly shape officiating decisions in one of America's most iconic institutions: the National Football League. By analyzing more than 13,000 penalty calls from 2015 to 2023, researchers found that postseason officiating has disproportionately favored the Patrick Mahomes-era Kansas City Chiefs, coinciding with their rise as one of the NFL's most marketable franchises. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-reveals-financial-pressure-nfl.html Economics & Business Wed, 08 Oct 2025 15:10:05 EDT news679155001 Do you find yourself reaching for a cup of coffee at night to stay alert? A new study from The University of Texas at El Paso suggests you might want to reconsider. A team of UTEP biologists has discovered that nighttime caffeine consumption can increase impulsive behavior, potentially leading to reckless actions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-08-coffee-night-impulsivity-females.html Health Tue, 05 Aug 2025 15:33:40 EDT news673626812 As global energy use continues to rise, the demand for renewable energy sources such as biofuels is also growing—especially in the transportation sector. Now, researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso have demonstrated how nanotechnology can significantly improve biofuel production from microalgae, offering a sustainable path forward. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-microalgae-biofuel-yields-boosted-nanotechnology.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 24 Jul 2025 11:10:06 EDT news672572821 Alcohol consumption is widely known to affect decision-making, but a recent study led by researchers from The University of Texas at El Paso found that the extent of that impact may have something to do with the drinker's gender. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-alcohol-impacts-decision-males-females.html Addiction Wed, 02 Jul 2025 16:21:04 EDT news670692061 Age is just a number, or is it? A new study by UTEP researchers shows that adult moths are more vulnerable to attack than when they are young. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-adult-moth-picnic.html Plants & Animals Tue, 01 Jul 2025 16:23:04 EDT news670605782 As scientists seek to understand the long-term effects of antidepressants given to teens, a new study from The University of Texas at El Paso finds that the use of antidepressants, particularly Prozac, in adolescent women may contribute to increased pain sensitivity later in life. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-antidepressant-teens-contributes-pain-sensitivity.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 27 May 2025 13:17:04 EDT news667570622 Tying shoelaces, getting into a car, picking things up off the floor and walking down stairs all involve flexing that most difficult of joints: the knee. But pain in the knee can significantly hinder those and many other routine activities. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-knee-pain-vagus-nerve-ear.html Neuroscience Thu, 22 May 2025 14:33:04 EDT news667143182 Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso have successfully tested a faster, more sensitive and reliable way to diagnose Chagas disease, a debilitating parasitic illness that affects approximately 6 million people worldwide. The results of the study were recently published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-newly-method-reliable-chagas-disease.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:50:03 EDT news661772064 No one looks forward to a colonoscopy. The procedure, which is used to screen for colorectal cancers, is unpleasant and costly and can lead to medical complications. But screening for the cancer is critical; colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S., according to the National Cancer Institute. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-portable-blood-based-device-colon.html Oncology & Cancer Thu, 13 Mar 2025 12:10:17 EDT news661086605 Can a drug that's used to treat malaria be repurposed to fight cancer? Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso have secured a patent for the anti-malarial drug pyronaridine to do just that. Pyronaridine has been used to treat the mosquito-borne infectious disease for over 30 years. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-common-malaria-drug-repurposed-cancer.html Medications Tue, 04 Mar 2025 08:57:05 EST news660301020 A windy, dusty day can ruin your new car wash and leave you with grit in your mouth and dirt on your floors. But a new study in the journal Nature Sustainability, published by researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso, George Mason University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, estimates that the societal costs of blowing dust and wind erosion go far beyond personal inconvenience, totaling approximately $154 billion per year across the United States. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-storms-erosion-billion-annually.html Earth Sciences Tue, 11 Feb 2025 12:31:48 EST news658499502 Running out of gas in a remote area far from a gas station is every driver's worst nightmare. A similar stressor, known as "range anxiety," exists for owners of electric vehicles who worry about how far their EV's can drive without running out of battery. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-02-electric-vehicles-grid-demand.html Engineering Tue, 04 Feb 2025 15:02:03 EST news657903721 If building strength and muscle mass is part of your New Year's Resolution, you may want to add a new routine to your workout. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-01-electrifying-workout-boost-muscles-mass.html Sports medicine & Kinesiology Thu, 09 Jan 2025 16:38:03 EST news655663081 Consuming addictive substances often involves an unpleasant experience, like using a needle, ingesting a bitter substance or inhaling smoke. These distasteful experiences—known as aversive cues—and our initial reactions to them are pivotal to understanding who will become an addict, said University of Texas at El Paso biologist Travis Moschak, Ph.D. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-rats-reactions-cocaine-aversion-insights.html Addiction Tue, 03 Dec 2024 15:20:28 EST news652461624 How are U.S. agricultural crops affected by climate change? A research team from The University of Texas at El Paso aims to find out, starting with the region's pecan farms. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-team-climate-impact-pecan-orchards.html Plants & Animals Fri, 08 Nov 2024 08:39:35 EST news650277568 Tayia Oddonetto was an undergraduate student when her professor inspired her to solve water scarcity. "During class, the professor said that if someone discovered how to turn brine, water with a high salt concentration, into something of value, it'd be revolutionary for the planet," said Oddonetto. "At that moment, I told myself I was going to be the one who found the solution for brine, and that thought has never left me." https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-student-award-method-desalinate.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 29 Oct 2024 17:07:23 EDT news649440441 Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso have created a portable device that can detect colorectal and prostate cancer more cheaply and quickly than prevailing methods. The team believes the device may be especially helpful in developing countries, which experience higher cancer mortality rates due in part to barriers to medical diagnosis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-10-portable-device-colorectal-prostate-cancer.html Oncology & Cancer Thu, 24 Oct 2024 15:45:04 EDT news649003502 Scientists at The University of Texas at El Paso and Stanford University were recently surprised to find that the natural community of zooplankton—tiny, aquatic animals known to graze on bacteria—present in freshwater and saltwater do not clean water that is contaminated with fecal microorganisms. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-limitations-zooplankton-inactivating-pathogen-contaminated.html Plants & Animals Thu, 03 Oct 2024 09:00:01 EDT news647163448 Grab a drink with friends at happy hour and you're likely to feel chatty, friendly and upbeat. But grab a drink alone and you may experience feelings of depression. Researchers think they now know why this happens. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-08-brain-friends.html Neuroscience Tue, 06 Aug 2024 13:12:07 EDT news642168722 Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso have made significant inroads in understanding how nanoplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—commonly known as forever chemicals—disrupt biomolecular structure and function. The work shows that the compounds can alter proteins found in human breast milk and infant formulas—potentially causing developmental issues downstream. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-nanoplastics-chemicals-shown-disrupt-molecular.html Biochemistry Thu, 11 Jul 2024 12:23:03 EDT news639919381 For veterans with mental illness, employment is key to emotional well-being, a new study shows. The study was published in the June issue of the journal Stress & Health, and led by two researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso's College of Health Sciences. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-07-employment-key-veteran.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 09 Jul 2024 16:01:23 EDT news639759678 Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso are developing a new therapeutic approach that uses nanoparticles for the treatment of skin and lung fibrosis, conditions that can result in severe damage to the body's tissues. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-pharmacy-nanoparticle-treatment-skin-lung.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 07 Jun 2024 09:24:03 EDT news636971041 An estimated 168 billion gallons of wastewater—or produced water—is generated annually by the Permian Basin fracking industry, according to a 2022 report by the Texas Produced Water Consortium. The major waste stream has proved both difficult and costly to treat because of the chemical complexity of the water. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-virus-billions-gallons-wastewater-fracking.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 30 Apr 2024 10:58:03 EDT news633693481 Psychology researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso are making progress towards understanding the biological underpinnings of depression, a leading cause of disability that affects approximately 280 million people around the world. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-prairie-voles-display-human-depression.html Medical research Thu, 04 Apr 2024 17:23:03 EDT news631470181