Researchers have uncovered the 3,500-year history of sheeppox virus in medieval manuscripts, including the York Gospels. The study found genetic evidence of the disease in animal skins used to make parchment, providing insights into its evolution and impact on past societies.
Research suggests that women's hormonal fluctuations during ovulation drive their desire for luxury goods, which may serve as a visible signal to attract mates. Studies found that women near ovulation prefer more conspicuous luxury products and display luxury in public, but not in private.
A clinical observational study found that individuals with severe sleep apnea have lower levels of the antimicrobial peptide LL-37 in their blood. This suggests that LL-37 could serve as a potential biomarker for poor sleep quality.
An international team has observed a distinctive change in the quantum properties of atoms as they fell under gravity, measuring a tiny difference in quantum phase accumulated while one was falling and the other was held still. This result provides an experimental connection between quantum physics and Einstein's theory of gravity.
Researchers identified microRNA-224 as a promising treatment target for pulmonary arterial hypertension, a rare disease that damages the blood vessels in the lungs and strains the heart. Blocking the molecule reversed key signs of the disease in animal models, improving blood vessel function and heart performance.
A new class of KRAS inhibitors has shown at least as much potential as FDA-approved MEK inhibitors in shrinking NF1 tumors, preventing new ones from forming, and extending survival in mice. The treatment has the potential to be less severe in terms of side effects, making it an attractive alternative or replacement for MEK inhibitors.
A new review highlights key knowledge gaps in Antarctic coastal observations, limiting estimates of ice loss and future sea-level rise. The authors emphasize the need for improved observations at a pan-Antarctic scale to predict future change.
The PAN2-PAN3 complex initiates mRNA degradation in early embryo development by trimming long poly(A) tails. Its deficiency causes transcript clearance failure, leading to developmental toxicity.
A KIT study reveals correlation between heat and demographic structure, with air and land surface temperature showing different patterns. The results indicate a clear spatial correlation between population structure and heat, with different demographics exposed to varying temperature levels in cities.
Australian engineers have created a strong and lightweight titanium material that floats in water, even after severe damage, revealing a promising new material for marine infrastructure. The 3D-printed titanium lattice is 70% stronger than stainless steel and withholds seawater exposure, making it suitable for jetties, buoys, and float...
A study finds that younger cohorts and regions with lower economic development will experience higher lifetime heatwave exposure under climate change. Climate change is widening inequalities between generations and regions, with younger people facing more frequent and intense heat extremes.
Advances in photonic instrumentation are reshaping Brillouin imaging capabilities, enabling dynamic imaging, three-dimensional measurements, and complex biological specimens. However, translating optical measurements into reliable biological interpretation requires rigorous interpretation of Brillouin observables.
Dissimilatory iodate-reducing microorganisms (DIRMs) inhabit marine oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) where oxygen is depleted, contradicting theoretical predictions. DIRMs reduce nitrate (NO3⁻) before iodate (IO3⁻), allowing them to thrive in OMZs.
The study projects that the total number of people with dementia will increase from 124,000 in 2018 to 216,000 by 2040, with those living at home potentially doubling to 170,000. The growth will be driven by an aging population and increased life expectancy.
Researchers found that teens use subtlety and systematized harm online, while adults often overlook. LGBTQ+ students, gender nonconforming students, and students from disadvantaged backgrounds are most likely to experience bullying. Social media becomes a primary way young people learn about diversity and create support systems.
Researchers have developed an injectable hydrogel microsphere system to enhance bone regeneration by creating a protective environment for bone-forming cells. The system, made of sodium alginate and black phosphorus, promotes faster bone healing and improves cell survival rates.
MRI revealed rare cervical cancer spread into the uterine corpus, which was confirmed by histopathology. The unusual pattern created diagnostic challenges and required careful individual assessment. The study highlights the importance of recognizing less typical imaging features in evaluating suspected cervical malignancy.
The study found that obese individuals exhibited bulging during global maneuvers, whereas non-obese individuals showed bulging only during a curl-up. Shear-wave elastography captured dynamic mechanical response of the abdominal wall, revealing fundamentally different biomechanical properties in obese versus non-obese individuals.
The loss of chromosome Y in hematopoietic cells is a biologically meaningful event with direct functional consequences for human health. Hematopoietic loss of chromosome Y is linked to various diseases, including cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative conditions, and cancer.
This review examines the dual effects of Bupleuri Radix through the gut-liver axis, revealing its hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. The review highlights the importance of saikosaponins, microbial biotransformation, and the gut-liver axis in understanding BR's biological activity and potential toxicity.
A new PET/MRI technique targeting fibroblast activation protein (FAP) overexpressed in endometriosis accurately maps the extent of the disease, enabling personalized management and improving patient outcomes. The approach was particularly effective in regions of the pelvis and abdomen that are typically difficult to image.
Exosome-based therapies have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in promoting epithelial wound healing and reducing inflammation in corneal ulcers and dry eye disease. The therapies also show antifibrotic effects and potential as gene therapy delivery vehicles or modulators of cellular metabolism for corneal dystrophies.
A. Campbell Sullivan, a neuropsychologist, discovered a gap between treatment and science of ALS and dementia in her own family. She notes that advances in genetics and biomarker discovery are transforming research and care in ALS and FTD.
Professor Lady Black, a renowned forensic scientist, has been appointed Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University, succeeding Lord Bernard Ribeiro. Her appointment coincides with the launch of the university's 10-year strategy, Transforming Lives, which aims to empower learning, drive discovery, and foster a culture of belonging and achie...
A new enzyme, named Pac-Man enzyme, has been discovered in bacteria that can break down certain polyesters and bioplastics, providing a potential solution to plastic pollution. This discovery suggests that microorganisms can adapt to plastic degradation more rapidly than previously thought, offering a turning point in the plastisphere.
Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia have discovered a protein, TG2, that contributes to arterial stiffening and inflammation linked to high blood pressure. By blocking TG2 activity, they found that inflammation can be reduced, potentially leading to more precise treatments for cardiovascular disease.
A new study from Saint Louis University found that autism diagnoses are rising fastest among girls and women, driven by increased awareness and diagnosis rates, not an epidemic. The study analyzed nearly a decade of health records and tracked sex-specific trends across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.
A Boston University study analyzed 33 NFL players with confirmed CTE, revealing cognitive impairments in memory, executive function, language, and attention. The findings provide an important roadmap for recognizing CTE in living patients and highlight limitations of the NFL Concussion Settlement's testing program.
The study found that patients taking anifrolumab had lower rates of infections requiring hospitalization compared to those on conventional immunosuppressants. Anifrolumab also reduced the need for systemic antibiotics and increased the likelihood of viral infections, offering distinct benefits over conventional treatments.
Researchers at Heidelberg University have developed an open-access dataset to map and classify over 9 million kilometers of roads worldwide, capturing changes in road conditions over time. This dataset serves as an important indicator of socioeconomic development, particularly in data-scarce regions, and can be used for humanitarian ap...
Researchers propose an AI framework, called interoceptive AI, that uses internal states to inform learning and decision-making in dynamic environments. This approach treats internal conditions as a continuous source of context, influencing what an agent learns, prioritizes, and does.
Researchers found that maintaining old-growth forest bird populations requires a forest rotation period of at least 90 years or 10% clearcutting threshold. The study provides a concrete target for ecologically sustainable forest management, reconciling forest use with biodiversity protection.
A study found that older adults prefer chatbots that are authentic and responsive, rather than human-like, to provide companionship and support. The chatbot's ability to remember past conversations and adapt to user preferences is crucial for its success.
Researchers at the University of Basel have developed new drug combinations for liver cancer using mini-tumors, which retained key characteristics of the original tumor. The study identified several potent anti-tumor effects and combination therapies that could be effective despite significant biological differences between tumors.
Researchers propose Granzyme K as a critical pathogenic node in SLE, particularly in lupus nephritis, driving inflammation and tissue damage. GZMK activates complement, drives inflammation, and disrupts vascular integrity, making it a potential target for therapy.
The Josep Carreras Institute has joined BLOODPAC to advance liquid biopsy research and clinical implementation. As a member, the Institute will collaborate with leading partners to develop standards, validation protocols, and access the BLOODPAC Portal for knowledge sharing.
A team of researchers found that SARS-CoV-2's 3CLpro protease can cleave and disable influenza virus's NP and PA proteins, leading to rapid protein degradation and cytoplasmic mislocalization. This mechanism may have contributed to the decline of influenza cases during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A large-scale study found that forests damaged by windstorms remain vulnerable to subsequent bark beetle or snow damage, depending on forest structure, climate, and topography. Forests with mixed stands and warmer conditions are more prone to bark beetle damage, while those on steeper terrain require closer monitoring for snow damage.
Research reveals that subducted carbonates significantly boost davemaoite exsolution, concentrating the mineral to account for seismic impedance contrast. The findings demonstrate that subducted carbonates alter mineral phase equilibria, leaving distinct, long-lasting seismic signatures of deep carbon cycling within Earth's interior.
People with unresolved health concerns may experience invisible work to maintain productivity and stability, while uncertainty can unsettle taken-for-granted assumptions about the body, identity, and routines. The study highlights the importance of workplace and relational support in managing health uncertainty.
Plants use proprioception to control their posture and maintain a straight shape, utilizing tension wood as a muscle-like structure that can bend and straighten. This complex biological process is regulated at the cellular level and unfolds through several stages, governed by the plant's proprioception.
The congress featured over 1,750 sessions and 12 Hot Line sessions highlighting practice-changing findings in cardiovascular science. ESC Congress 2026 also released three clinical practice guidelines and the Fifth Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction.
A new study from the University of Bath found that people with different political beliefs disagree on poverty definitions, with right-leaning individuals drawing narrower lines and left-leaning individuals adopting broader definitions. The research highlights the importance of understanding how people define poverty, as it shapes perc...
Astronomers at Lund University detected sodium gas variations in front of a young star, suggesting comets may transport water to inner planetary system regions. Comets' orbits were simulated, showing they can be flung towards the star by gas giants' gravitational pull, transporting volatile substances.
Researchers at BESSY II have discovered complex superstructures '29'Cu_xO, which form before pure copper oxide builds up. The oxidation state of copper in these superstructures is surprisingly close to the metallic state, contradicting conventional assumptions.
A €8 million Horizon Europe grant will fund a project to develop practical tools and a transferable framework for creating sustainable neighborhoods. The Regenerative Neighbourhood Design Tool will help communities play a more active role in planning decisions, using immersive AR and VR tools to model and evaluate designs.
Research reveals UBE2M's critical regulatory link to inflammation and innate immune pathway in KrasG12D driven non-small cell lung cancer. Simultaneous UBE2M deletion and KrasG12D activation causes severe inflammatory TME, shortening life-span and promoting tumor growth.
Researchers created Eu-doped infinite-layer nickelates using high oxygen pressure, revealing robust high-Tc superconductivity and reentrant superconductivity in both underdoped and overdoped regions. Rare-earth substitution provided an additional control knob, strengthening the superconducting state and enhancing pairing.
Researchers discovered a mitochondrial protein called ROMO1 that protects motor neurons from ALS-like degeneration. ROMO1 helps maintain healthy mitochondria in motor neurons, suggesting that mitochondrial damage may trigger motor neuron degeneration.
Adrian Bird and Huda Zoghbi's groundbreaking work on epigenetics in neurological diseases has reshaped scientists' understanding of brain disease. Their discoveries have inspired international efforts to develop genetic therapies for devastating conditions like Rett syndrome.
A new study reveals that hydrodynamic intensity, not water temperature, is the primary driver of macroinvertebrate biodiversity and community assembly in high-altitude alpine rivers. The study found that taxa richness consistently followed a unimodal pattern to hydrodynamic intensity, peaking under moderate hydrodynamic intensity.
Scientists at MIT have shown that a neutrino laser, proposed to produce a concentrated beam of neutrinos, is impossible due to recoil and fermionic nature. The research demonstrates that the concept, previously thought to be plausible, is fundamentally flawed.
Researchers at Helmholtz Munich developed Synthetic Transfer Vehicles (STVs), an entirely new class of RNA transporters. STV-C8 is the most efficient candidate, transporting RNA far more efficiently than traditional lipid nanoparticles. In animal models, STV-C8 demonstrates effective delivery and expression of RNA in a living organism.
Lumos Labs has launched the Lumosity Research Platform, offering cognitive assessments, digital training interventions, and real-world data for researchers. The platform is designed to support large-scale randomized controlled trials and advance cognitive science.
A new AI framework, Perspective, provides a structured approach to explaining complex patterns in AI predictions, enabling researchers to test hypotheses and improve designs. By revealing the underlying relationships, XAI can support discovery, optimisation, and certification for AI in high-stakes fields.
A new study challenges the idea that plants cannot grow rapidly while tolerating water stress, finding exotic conifers in the Southern Hemisphere grow up to four times faster and are more resistant to drought. Carbon reserves and absence of natural enemies in the Southern Hemisphere may be key factors contributing to this advantage.
Serial ketamine infusions have been found to be well-tolerated and significantly effective in treating treatment-resistant bipolar depression, with antidepressant effects comparable to midazolam. The study's results provide promising hope for patients struggling with this condition, highlighting ketamine as a potential therapeutic option.
Researchers found over 1,200 genetic variants associated with Big Five personality traits, which also predict life outcomes such as health, education, and career paths. The study suggests an interconnected relationship between genetics and the environment, with environmental factors reinforcing and shaping personality traits.
A new study found that men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer who replaced saturated and animal fats with unsaturated and plant-based fats had a lower risk of death. Replacing about 10% of daily calories from animal fat with plant-based fat was associated with a 16% lower rate of death.
A matched case-control study of 29 case and 290 control participants found HLA-A*32:01 strongly associated with lamotrigine-induced DRESS. This association may help identify patients at risk for this severe reaction, which is currently not accounted for in commercial pharmacogenomic panels.