A new study led by the University of Michigan rules out planets with the mass of Jupiter or larger in the 70 Oph AB binary system, but finds that smaller worlds may still exist within the habitable zone. The research achieved record-setting sensitivity for the system and opens the door for future studies of smaller planets.
Bile genome sequencing detected tumour DNA in 73% of patients with initial pathological diagnosis of malignancy, including 82% of cholangiocarcinomas and 56% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. The test showed high specificity, identifying 96% of benign cases and 51% of initially indeterminate cases, outperforming serum CA19-9.
A novel biomass-based aerogel combines two natural salt-management strategies to maintain high performance in highly concentrated brine, outperforming conventional evaporators. The material, inspired by marine fish gills, regulates ions and water transport efficiently, enabling continuous desalination even in extreme conditions.
Biologists from UMass Amherst discovered two of the world's loudest birds, the bare-throated bellbird and red-legged seriema, with volumes exceeding 120 decibels. A new study measured the amplitude of 123 bird calls, resulting in a 58-decibel variability, with the hummingbird's call being the quietest at 64 decibels. The study found a ...
A new study published in British Journal of Nutrition found that no-sugar sweetened soft drinks are equivalent to water for long-term weight management. The 104-week trial showed that diet beverages do not disrupt appetite regulation or cause metabolic harm, providing evidence to inform global guidelines.
The German B8 nuclear project, led by Werner Heisenberg, aimed to produce fissile material before Nazi Germany completed its own reactor. The project's failure was attributed to material shortages, including a lack of heavy water and uranium, making a working bomb highly unlikely.
The study found substantial international variability in laboratory testing for bone and mineral metabolism, limiting data sharing and clinical impact. The survey highlights the need for greater consistency in BSI testing to improve clinical utility and patient care.
The FAU/NCHA Community Health Center, operating nurse-led clinics in West Palm Beach, has earned a federally funded FQHC designation, allowing it to strengthen services and reach more patients. The center provides care regardless of ability to pay and serves nearly 1 million people nationwide.
New research published in ACS Chemical Neuroscience found that male rats exposed to menthol-containing e-cigarette aerosols experienced nicotine's effects more strongly and for longer than rats exposed to nicotine alone. The study suggests that menthol modifies nicotine's effects when delivered together in an e-cigarette aerosol.
Love Your Lungs Day draws attention to the critical importance of respiratory health in Phoenix residents, with over 410,000 cases of adult asthma and 187,000 cases of COPD in Maricopa County. The event aims to promote education, research, prevention, and access to quality respiratory care.
Large language models (LLMs) evaluate humans based on cooperation and social norms, with most models favoring cooperation and punishing bad behavior. The LLMs' judgements often depend on the recipient's gender and cultural background, and may be influenced by prompting interventions.
A behavioral economics study of nearly 15,000 South Koreans over six years found that people are more likely to report suicidal ideation when their life is perceived to be getting worse relative to their recent past. The study's key findings suggest that loss aversion is a stronger predictor of suicide risk than life circumstances.
Researchers at HKUST developed a biomimetic nanocoating inspired by human cartilage to suppress battery degradation and extend lifespan. The coating enables batteries to retain high capacity after thousands of charge-discharge cycles, opening a pathway toward next-generation nickel-rich lithium-ion batteries.
A novel molecular mechanism regulating TMEM63B lipid scrambling has been discovered, with the C-terminal tail acting as a brake to keep the protein inactive under resting conditions. Disrupting this region, particularly the Leu776 residue, releases the brake and triggers constitutive lipid scrambling.
A study led by UCalgary researchers found that both recreation and roads impact wolverine populations in western Alberta and eastern British Columbia. The study shows that recreation is linked to lower population density in a carnivore, and road density affects females the most.
Researchers discovered that declining cardiolipin levels in aging muscle mitochondria trigger a defense mechanism to protect cells from ROS damage. By mimicking this decline in young mice, they found that restoring cardiolipin levels can reverse muscle wasting and prevent early deaths.
Researchers from Shibaura Institute of Technology used molecular simulations to investigate how an enzyme's shape affects molecular recognition and ligand retention. They found that enzyme shape influences ligand retention, with 75.6% of trajectories in the closed group retaining ligands compared to 55.1% in the open group.
BD2 is seeking additional clinical sites to join its Integrated Network, aiming to advance understanding of bipolar disorder. The network, spanning 11 institutions, combines longitudinal cohort study and learning health network to improve care outcomes.
Dr. Constanze Schelhorn takes on the role of Chief Publishing Officer, bringing 10 years of experience to strengthen MDPI's publishing practices and navigate the evolving scholarly publishing landscape. Her expertise and perspective will be valuable in developing publishing practices and serving researchers and academic communities.
A new AI tool, Tessera, has been developed to map smallholder crops in Senegal with high accuracy, providing essential data for food security planning. The technology, trained on satellite images, outperformed existing methods and can be used to guide support decisions, helping vulnerable populations.
A research team found that slow freezing and fragmentation can separate salts and organics in ejected material from Enceladus' ocean. This process creates chemically diverse ice grains, with each grain enriched in different salts and compounds.
Researchers developed a blood-based approach to identify cancer-specific proteins, which may enable personalized immunotherapy. The study found that circulating tumor DNA analysis identified 63.25-97.4% of neoantigens found in tumor tissue, and T cells isolated from blood samples recognized and reacted to these neoantigens.
Researchers found that rare C-to-G mutations occurred at an unexpectedly high frequency during the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant, contributing to its increased transmissibility. The study analyzed publicly available genome sequences and found that the delta lineage contained two C-to-G transversions in its spike protein.
University of Queensland scientists created a benchmarking dataset, PlantMicro, to guide AI platforms towards accurate analysis of plant microscopy. The dataset confirms VLMs struggle with plant host and disease identification, with average accuracies of about 30%.
Researchers at Tohoku University's AIMR developed carbon-supported blue-pigment catalysts for anion-exchange membrane fuel cells, achieving high power density without platinum. The team optimized the pigments' molecular structures to strengthen the interaction at the active site, translating to real gains in fuel cell performance.
By manipulating the twist angle, researchers can regulate exciton binding energy and bandgap renormalization in bilayer WS2. The study reveals a 265–336 meV tunable exciton binding energy and more than 100 meV variation in bandgap renormalization near the Mott transition.
A study by researchers at the University of Tsukuba found that moles' internal bone structure analysis revealed a more important role for the clavicle in load transmission, with the scapula playing a lesser role. This adaptation allowed moles to efficiently support their body weight and dig in their unique posture.
A new study by Columbia University researchers found elevated levels of toxic metals in Maui adults' urine months after 2023 wildfires, associated with reduced lung function. Arsenic, cadmium, copper, and antimony were found to contribute most strongly to these associations.
Researchers developed a continuum model to describe the terahertz dielectric response of glasses, revealing the role of transverse shear dynamics in absorption. The model accurately reproduced experimentally measured data, providing a new framework for designing glass materials with low permittivity and low dielectric loss.
Caffeine enhances sprint power output and reduces muscle pain, with effects lasting at least 3.5 hours. The study found that pre-exercise caffeine improves repeated sprint performance by altering physiological and perceptual responses.
The new technique overcomes hardware barriers to provide highly accessible and affordable 4D imaging for diagnosing and monitoring complex eye diseases like glaucoma. It captures true 3D and 4D volumetric data, overcoming limitations of conventional 2D imaging.
Researchers develop a new method to create lightweight and efficient electromagnetic wave absorbers using flash Joule heating. This technique, which delivers high power electrical pulses to precursor materials, generates non-equilibrium states that can't be achieved through conventional synthesis.
A research team at Tsinghua University has developed DNA-based nanocarriers with multivalent TPE units for stable NIR-II imaging. The 7-TPE-DNA nanoprobe retains high fluorescence under denaturing conditions, offering improved vascular imaging in living mice.
A team of scientists fabricated 3D biomimetic scaffolds with improved mechanical properties using a femtosecond laser dual-wavelength dual-pulse approach. The dual-pulse strategy achieved a homogeneous, bubble-free structure with clear interlayer bonding, exhibiting a Young's modulus of 148 kPa.
Researchers found nematomorphs manipulate nocturnal host behavior at night, but not in alignment with lunar cycles. The parasites' manipulation strategies may include altered geotaxis or increased locomotor activity, which can lure hosts into water without relying on light conditions.
A new synthesis method bypasses the rocksalt intermediate, yielding high-performance LiNiO2 cathodes with improved cycling stability. The method involves a two-step process at relatively low temperatures, enhancing reversible capacity and structural stability.
Researchers have discovered that acid treatment can turn atomic-scale flaws into a tunable knob for optoelectronic performance, but this comes at the cost of electrical degradation. The study highlights the importance of understanding the underlying chemistry and mechanisms behind acid-induced effects.
Researchers systematically summarize MOF advances from nanoscale design to energy applications, covering electrochemical energy storage, electrocatalysis, and photocatalysis. MOFs exhibit exceptional properties for energy conversion and storage, but face challenges in large-scale commercialization.
Researchers developed a triboelectric sensor inspired by octopus suckers, allowing for non-destructive harvesting and in-field quality grading of fresh fruits. The sensor measures gripping force, fruit firmness, and weight, streamlining the supply chain and reducing waste.
A research team developed an EC-based electrolyte with high-voltage stability, mitigating the unstable LNMO/electrolyte interface and achieving long-term cyclability of LNMO batteries. They also found a unique surface restructuring process, minimizing the dissolution of nickel and manganese from LNMO.
Climate change alters role of sediments in PAH pollution, with stored pollutants re-entering water when conditions change. Sediments act as a sink for 13 of 16 PAHs in Yangtze and Huanghe watersheds, but a net source in St. Lawrence system.
Researchers developed a novel nanovesicle platform to enhance NK cell-mediated tumor immunity against gastric cancer. The study showed that engineered nanovesicles effectively promoted interactions between NK cells and HER2-positive gastric cancer cells, resulting in enhanced tumor accumulation and inhibition of tumor growth.
A study in pediatric critical care found adopting permissive blood pressure targets resulted in no significant difference in mortality and duration of invasive ventilation at 30 days compared to usual care. The study suggests that a more permissive approach to blood pressure management may be safe for pediatric patients in critical care.
Researchers found a 70% lower risk of dementia among older individuals with a particular genetic profile who took aspirin, compared to those on placebo. However, aspirin also increased the risk of serious bleeding in this group.
Research reveals that particle shape and rotation angle determine optical torques and forces, especially in paraxial optical systems. The study discovers rotational freezing accompanied by stable lateral drift, a phenomenon influenced by geometric asymmetry and particle dimensions.
Researchers develop metasurface optical differentiator that performs spin-multiplexed differentiation and high-resolution imaging simultaneously. The device enables fast, parallel processing of optical information for real-time biological imaging, material inspection, and machine vision applications.
Researchers used machine learning to map biomass variations of Chinese milk vetch in southern China, identifying key climate and geography factors that impact its growth. The study found nonlinear climate thresholds, with optimal biomass accumulation between 533-877 mm rainfall and 10.7-13.7°C temperatures.
The UCLA Tarjan Center is launching a three-year initiative to expand employment opportunities for Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The program aims to improve employment pathways, workforce training, leadership development and access to disability resources. Through three complementary programs, participa...
Flinders University researchers found that perceptions of online activists' motives can impact collective action effectiveness. Bystanders are less likely to participate when they perceive activists as insincere, indicating autonomous motivation is key to movement success.
The South Asian summer monsoon's impact on the Mediterranean region is expected to decline under global warming. The study found that the monsoon's heating leads to a weakening of atmospheric circulation over the Mediterranean, resulting in reduced clouds and rainfall.
A study by La Trobe University researchers found that exercise-based rehabilitation and education can reduce the chance of knee osteoarthritis following ACL reconstruction in people aged under 40, improving pain and quality of life. The intervention is safe and should be recommended to improve knee health in young people at high risk o...
Researchers successfully created circularly polarized emitters from racemic gold-silver clusters by separating them into mirror-image forms using chiral oxygen-donor ligands. The phosphate-protected enantiomer pair exhibited high photoluminescence quantum yields and luminescence dissymmetry factors.
Researchers have developed a technology that stacks semiconductor devices with different response speeds to process fast and slow signal changes together. The technology could be applied to small devices that analyze movement and physiological signals, enabling the recognition of changes in motion over time.
A national survey of Ukrainian residents found that 31.2% met criteria for PTSD or complex PTSD, with factors including being female, older age, and displacement due to the war. The study emphasizes the need for sustained mental health support in ongoing conflicts.
A pre-clinical study has identified a distinct mechanism in a mouse model that may help explain why high-salt diets can trigger fatty liver disease in people with normal body weight. The study suggests that treatments designed for obesity-associated fatty liver disease may not work as effectively in lean patients.
A regulator-mandated study found no link between semaglutide use and pancreatic cancer using nationwide registry data from Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. The study, funded by Novo, included over 97,000 semaglutide users and compared them to users of other non-incretin antidiabetic drugs.
A study of 57,611 UK Biobank participants found that fluctuations in blood pressure were associated with a higher risk of death and strokes. The study suggests that blood pressure variability could help identify high-risk patients, but more research is needed to prove its benefits.
A new AI-based tool uses speech analysis to detect type 2 diabetes in just 20 seconds, with high accuracy rates. The model performed well across different sexes and ages, but had lower performance on recordings from Black participants and those with heart disease, high blood pressure, or obesity.
A study of 2 million adults in Ontario, Canada, found that moving from a high-poverty to a lower poverty neighbourhood significantly lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Individuals who moved experienced a 57% lower risk compared to those who remained in the same high-poverty area.
A seven-year study of Barred Owls in California shows a significant decline in exposure to the most lethal class of rodenticides, attributed to the state's policy restrictions. The study also detects a new contaminant, cholecalciferol, in nearly one in five owls, suggesting product substitution as older compounds become harder to access.