Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Science News Archive January 2025 - Page 12


Page 12 of 44

Sepsis, or death by lethal message

Researchers discovered that cells caught up in sepsis send out messages to other cells, causing them to die and fueling the spiraling inflammation. By understanding this process, scientists may be able to develop a treatment for inflammatory diseases like sepsis.

SourceUniversity of Connecticut·JournalCell·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 24, 2025

Novel neuronal mechanism for stress induced alteration in behavior

Studies using a rodent model found sustained increase in neural activity in the paraventricular thalamus (PVT) after exposure to a strongly stressful event. This persistent activity is linked to altered behavior, including restlessness and disturbed sleep patterns. The findings suggest a new therapeutic target for stress-related issues.

SourceInstitute of Experimental Medicine·JournalPLOS Biology·TypeNews article·DateJan 24, 2025

Duration in immigration detention and health harms

A cross-sectional study found that detained immigrants experience high rates of poor health, mental illness, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Longer detention periods are associated with higher health harms, emphasizing the need for improved immigration detention conditions.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalJAMA Network Open·DateJan 24, 2025

Exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke among children

A cross-sectional study found that children exposed to secondhand cannabis smoke at home have significantly higher urinary cannabinoid biomarker levels, indicating increased exposure to toxic and carcinogenic chemicals. Reducing in-home cannabis smoking can substantially reduce child exposure to these harmful substances.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalJAMA Network Open·DateJan 23, 2025

HKU physicists pioneer entanglement microscopy algorithm to explore how matter entangles in quantum many-body systems

Researchers develop 'entanglement microscopy' to map quantum entanglement in small regions of quantum systems, revealing intricate interactions and structures. The study reveals short-range entanglement at critical points and more gradual decline in entanglement with increasing separation.

SourceThe University of Hong Kong·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 23, 2025

Viruses and the human cell: The evolutionary arms race

Scientists at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have identified a genetic mechanism that enables cells to rapidly and efficiently defend against viruses. The discovery focuses on the interaction between NORAD and STAT3 molecules, which prevents immune responses in healthy cells but releases brakes in response to viral attacks.

SourceTechnion-Israel Institute of Technology·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 23, 2025

Study reveals unique features of early onset colorectal cancer in racial and ethnic minorities

Researchers identified distinct molecular features of early onset colorectal cancer in racial and ethnic minorities, including widespread changes in DNA methylation and metabolic gene expression. These findings suggest that environmental risk factors such as diet and stress may contribute to the disparities in incidence and mortality a...

SourceBaylor College of Medicine·JournalClinical Epigenetics·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 23, 2025

Scientists develop new AI method to forecast cyclone rapid intensification

A new contrastive learning model has been developed to forecast cyclone rapid intensification (RI) with high accuracy, reducing false alarms by a factor of three compared to existing techniques. The model achieved an impressive 92.3% accuracy when tested on data from the Northwest Pacific between 2020 and 2021.

SourceChinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJan 23, 2025

Adverse childhood experiences influence potentially dangerous firearm-related behavior in adulthood

Researchers at Rutgers University found that adverse childhood experiences increase threat sensitivity, depression, and defensive gun use in adulthood. This relationship is partly driven by threat sensitivity, suggesting that people with a history of abuse and neglect may be more likely to overreact in neutral situations.

SourceRutgers University·JournalJournal of Psychiatric Research·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJan 23, 2025

Child mortality has risen since pandemic, new study shows

A new study from the University of Bristol reveals that child mortality in England has increased since the pandemic lifted, with a temporary decrease in deaths during lockdowns. The research found that children from non-white backgrounds faced higher rates of death compared to white children, highlighting existing healthcare inequalities.

SourceUniversity of Bristol·JournalPLOS Medicine·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJan 23, 2025

$17.9M NIH grant to research neurodevelopment disorders

The research aims to understand how high-risk genes disrupt neurodevelopment and lead to neuropsychiatric conditions, potentially informing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. A national team of researchers will examine the effects of these genes on brain development, connectivity, and behavior in a mouse model.

New dual stem cell therapy developed to treat brain metastasis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Researchers have developed a novel stem cell treatment strategy for leptomeningeal brain metastasis, a severe form of metastatic brain cancer. The new therapy, which combines allogeneic dual stem cells with oncolytic herpes simplex virus and single chain variable fragment of anti-PD-1, shows promise in preclinical models.

SourceMass General Brigham·JournalJNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 23, 2025

RSClin® Tool N+ gives more accurate estimates of recurrence risk and individual chemotherapy benefit in node-positive breast cancer

The RSClin Tool N+ provides more accurate estimates of recurrence risk and individual chemotherapy benefit in node-positive breast cancer. The tool combines clinical and pathologic factors with the 21-gene Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score to predict patient-level prognosis and treatment benefit.

SourceSWOG Cancer Research Network·JournalJournal of Clinical Oncology·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJan 23, 2025

Smartwatches to better understand psychiatric illnesses and their genetic basis

Researchers used smartwatch data to train AI models predicting psychiatric illnesses like ADHD and anxiety. The findings link digital phenotypes with genotypes, suggesting wearable sensors can provide a deeper understanding of psychiatric diseases. The approach may be widely applicable for neurological diseases or neurodegeneration.

SourceUniversity of Barcelona·JournalCell·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 23, 2025

Study tracks physical and cognitive impairments associated with long COVID

Researchers tracked nearly 1,000 people with post-COVID-19 syndrome, finding persistent physical and cognitive impairments that worsened with exercise intolerance. The study's findings support the inclusion of cognitive and exercise testing in clinical evaluation for patients with suspected post-COVID-19 syndrome.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Medicine·TypeObservational study·DateJan 23, 2025

Thousands of European citizen scientists helped identify shifts in the floral traits of insect-pollinated plants

A pan-European study reveals a significant imbalance in the proportions of long-styled and short-styled flowers among insect-pollinated plants. The shift towards more short-styled flowers is associated with increased summer precipitation and intensive land use, which may contribute to species extinction.

SourceEstonian Research Council·JournalJournal of Ecology·TypeObservational study·DateJan 23, 2025