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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 14, 2025 at 9:10am

Which gut microbes matter most? Large study ranks bacteria by health and diet links

The gut microbiome has been a rising star in the world of health science over the last several years, garnering interest from both researchers and the general public. This is mostly due to its connection to general health and diseases, like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, as well as the fact that it is a modifiable element of human health. However, the science surrounding the fascinating world of gut microbes is still developing and there is much to learn.

A new study, published in Nature, has added significantly to our understanding of the human microbiome. The study team analyzed the gut microbiome, diet and health markers from over 34,500 people in the US and UK, and linked hundreds of specific gut microbe species to key indicators of health and diet. The data come from the Zoe PREDICT program in the UK and US, which is run by the microbiome testing company Zoe.

The researchers used machine learning to link certain gut microbe species in 34,694 study participants to diet and common health risk factors such as BMI, triglycerides, blood glucose and HbA1c, as well as clinical markers that are intermediary measures of cardiometabolic health. Out of 661 non-rare microbial species, the researchers focused in on the 50 that were most favorably associated with good health and the 50 that were the most unfavorably associated with good health.

This process resulted in the development of the "ZOE Microbiome Health Ranking 2025" and "Diet Ranking 2025," used to score microbes as either favorable or unfavorable for health on a scale of 0 to 1. Those closer to zero are considered positively correlated to the health markers and those closer to one are negatively correlated. This was done for all 661 microbes studied.

The ranking system identified hundreds of gut microbe species—described as species-level genome bins (SGBs) in the paper—significantly associated with health markers and diet quality. They found that favorable microbes were more common in people with lower BMI and fewer diseases, while unfavorable microbes were more common in those with obesity and disease. A part of the study focusing on BMI, used data from 5,348 healthy individuals, and divided them into three BMI categories; healthy weight, overweight and obese.

"Meta-analysis based on linear regression on single cohorts showed that individuals with healthy weight carried, on average, 5.2 more of the 50 favorably ZOE MB health-ranked SGBs than people with obesity," the study team writes.

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 14, 2025 at 9:04am

City raccoons showing signs of domestication

Urban raccoons exhibit shorter snouts compared to rural populations, a trait associated with early domestication syndrome. This morphological change is likely driven by the advantages of tameness and reduced aggression in accessing human food waste. The findings suggest that proximity to humans can induce domestication-related traits in wild species.

Artem Apostolov et al, Tracking domestication signals across populations of North American raccoons (Procyon lotor) via citizen science-driven image repositories, Frontiers in Zoology (2025). DOI: 10.1186/s12983-025-00583-1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 14, 2025 at 9:03am

Scientists decode blood's hidden messengers

Every second, trillions of tiny parcels travel through your bloodstream—carrying vital information between your body's cells. Now, scientists have opened this molecular mail for the first time, revealing its contents in astonishing detail. 

In research published in Nature Cell Biology, Professor  they have mapped the complete molecular blueprint of extracellular vesicles (EVs)—nanosized particles in blood that act as the body's secret messengers. 

For decades, researchers have known that EVs exist, ferrying proteins, fats, and genetic material that mirror the health of their cells of origin. But because blood is a complex mixture—packed with cholesterol, antibodies, and millions of other particles—isolating EVs has long been one of science's toughest challenges.

These vesicles are like tiny envelopes sent between cells, delivering molecular updates about what's happening inside the body, Until now, researchers just couldn't open them properly to read the messages inside.

But now using ultra-pure isolation techniques and cutting-edge multi-omics profiling, the team identified 182 proteins and 52 lipids that make up the core structure of human plasma EVs. They also pinpointed another set of molecules that distinguish EVs from other particles in the bloodstream—effectively decoding the body's molecular communication system. 

To make this discovery accessible, the researchers developed EVMap, a free, interactive online resource that lets scientists worldwide explore the molecular makeup of blood EVs. 

By decoding this molecular language, we can begin to read the body's own health reports, say the researchers. They have already identified EV signatures linked to early heart disease, which could pave the way for simple blood tests that predict risk long before symptoms appear.

  Alin Rai et al, Multi-omics identify hallmark protein and lipid features of small extracellular vesicles circulating in human plasma, Nature Cell Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41556-025-01795-7

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 14, 2025 at 9:03am

Monkeys have rhythm and can tap along to the beat

Macaque monkeys can keep time to music and move to the beat. Well, at least two adult macaques can, who were trained by researchers to tap along to different kinds of music. Their work challenges the so-called vocal-learning hypothesis, which holds that only species with complex vocal learning, like humans and songbirds, can spontaneously move to the groove. Macaques are not vocal learners. 

To explain this ability, the study authors proposed their "four components (4Cs) hypothesis." According to this idea, musical beat perception is not unique to vocal learners but rather arises from the combination of four general abilities.

That is being able to hear the beat in music (auditory detection), anticipating the next beat (prediction), acting on the feedback (auditory-motor feedback) and the ability to coordinate these processes through reward (reward-based reinforcement).

Vani G. Rajendran et al, Monkeys have rhythm, Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.adp5220

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 14, 2025 at 9:02am

How airplanes discharge static electricity

An international team of scientists has observed radio wave emissions originating from a commercial airliner, most likely caused by the discharge of static electricity. The serendipitous observation of radio wave emissions from specific locations on the aircraft may be of interest to the aviation industry. 

In addition, this has already enabled the team to identify a source of error in their imaging techniques. The results were published on 26 November in the journal Nature Communications. 

Static electricity builds up through friction, for example, between your clothes and the fabric of your chair, but also in airplanes when they pass through frozen clouds. Airplanes are therefore fitted with electrostatic discharge wicks, which are designed to shed electrostatic charges in a way that does not cause dangerous sparks or interfere with the aircraft's communications. 

Interestingly, the discharges observed by the researchers, while the airplane was cruising at an altitude of 8 kilometers, were located around the two engines and at one spot on the tail, rather than at the electrostatic discharge wicks. The events near the tail were measured with an accuracy of about 50 cm. 

The observation was made using the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) radio telescope, an antenna network located mainly in the Netherlands and spanning seven other European countries. This telescope is primarily used for astronomy, but also for studying the formation of lightning. 

This would be of interest to the aviation industry, as static charges can create sparks that may damage the plane, say the researchers.

Olaf Scholten et al, Measuring location and properties of very high frequency sources emitted from an aircraft flying through high clouds, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-65667-2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 14, 2025 at 9:02am

A new possibility for life: Study suggests ancient skies rained down ingredients

Earth's atmosphere might have contributed to the origin of life more than previously thought. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,  researchers  reveal that billions of years ago, Earth's early sky might have been producing sulfur-containing molecules that were essential ingredients for life. 

The finding challenges a long-held theory that these sulfur molecules emerged only after life had already formed. 

Just like carbon, sulfur is an essential element found in all life forms, from single-cell bacteria to humans. It is part of some amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. 

While the young Earth's atmosphere contained sulfur elements, scientists had long thought that organic sulfur compounds, or biomolecules like amino acids, emerged later as a product of the living system.

In previous simulations of early Earth, scientists either failed to detect meaningful amounts of sulfur biomolecules before life existed, or created the molecules only under specialized conditions that were unlikely to be widespread on this planet.

As a result, when the James Webb Space Telescope  detected dimethyl sulfide, an organic sulfur compound produced by marine algae on Earth, on another planet called K2-18b, many thought it was a possible sign of life on other planets.

Previously, these researchers  successfully created dimethyl sulfide in their lab using only light and common atmospheric gases. This suggested that this molecule could arise in places void of life.

This time,they set off to see what early Earth's sky could have contributed. They shone light on a gas mixture containing methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and nitrogen to simulate Earth's atmosphere before life emerged.

  Using a highly sensitive mass spectrometry instrument that can identify and measure different chemical compounds, the team found that the early Earth simulation produced a whole suite of sulfur biomolecules, including the amino acids cysteine and taurine, as well as coenzyme M, a compound critical for metabolism. 

When the team scaled their lab results to calculate how much cysteine an entire atmosphere could produce, they found that early Earth's sky might have brought cysteine to supply about one octillion—one followed by 27 zeros—cells. Currently, Earth boasts about one nonillion—one followed by 30 zeros—cells. 

The team said in their paper these biomolecules formed in Earth's atmosphere might have fallen onto the ground or oceans with rain, helping to get life started.

  An Archean atmosphere rich in sulfur biomolecules, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2516779122

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 14, 2025 at 9:01am

Why your faucet drips: Water jet breakup traced to angstrom-scale thermal capillary waves

The breakup of a water jet into droplets is primarily triggered by intrinsic thermal capillary waves—angstrom-scale surface fluctuations—rather than external disturbances or nozzle imperfections. These minute thermal oscillations are amplified by Rayleigh-Plateau instability, determining the breakup length across a wide range of jet sizes.

Stefan Kooij et al, What Determines the Breakup Length of a Jet?, Physical Review Letters (2025). DOI: 10.1103/jf6w-l5sy

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 14, 2025 at 8:59am

Fatty food smells during pregnancy may raise obesity risk in offspring

Exposure to fatty food odors during pregnancy and breastfeeding, even without maternal weight gain or high-fat intake, can alter offspring brain circuits related to reward and metabolism, increasing their risk of obesity and insulin resistance. Ingested flavoring agents with fatty odors were sufficient to trigger these effects in mice, highlighting potential implications for human metabolic health.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-fatty-food-pregnancy-obesity...

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 14, 2025 at 8:59am

Why dogs hide food and toys

No, they  aren't stockpiling their food due to anxiety about impending disaster. 

Instead, they're revealing how their evolutionary past still shapes modern behaviors. This forward-thinking strategy offers us a unique window into how we can help them live well. 

"Caching," is the scientific term for storing food in hidden places for later use. This behaviour is widespread across the animal kingdom, from squirrels, to crows, and wolves.

Caching behavior generally falls into one of two categories.

One is known as larder hoarding—think of a squirrel stashing nuts in just one or two places to draw from as they get through a long winter. 

 The other is known as scatter hoarding. It is where animals make smaller caches of surplus food in many different locations, reducing the chance of losing everything to a competitor or going hungry in lean seasons. It's mostly seen in wild canids such as foxes and wolves.  

This behavior in modern dogs is an instinctual remnant. It reflects the competitive feeding patterns of their ancestors who lived by hunting, for whom securing food was unpredictable, but crucial for survival. 

 Dogs appear to rely on a combination of scent and observational spatial memory to remember where they have cached special items, such as food, treats and toys.

https://theconversation.com/your-dog-is-not-a-doomsday-prepper-here...

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 14, 2025 at 8:53am

Images that require less neural energy to process are generally rated as more aesthetically pleasing, indicating that visual preference may be influenced by the brain's tendency to conserve energy. This suggests that aesthetic appreciation is linked to a balance between adequate visual stimulation and minimizing metabolic expenditure.

 

Beauty may be 'easy on the eyes' because it saves brain power

Humans may find images that take less energy to process aesthetically pleasing, suggesting that our attraction to beauty is at least partially an energy conservation strategy. 

Looking at something can feel effortless, but in energetic terms, it isn't cheap. The brain uses 20% of the body's energy, and the visual system accounts for about 44% of that expenditure. Looking at very simple stimuli, like a blank white room, is energy-efficient but boring. Looking at very busy or unusual images can feel tiring and unpleasant. 

Publishing in PNAS Nexus, researchers presented 4,914 images of objects and scenes to an in-silico model of the visual system to estimate the number of neurons needed to look at them. The authors compared these estimates to enjoyment ratings from 1,118 participants recruited using Amazon Mechanical Turk.

Next, they used blood oxygen level-dependent signal brain imaging to measure the energy costs of looking at images for 4 participants. In both experiments, study participants found images that took less energy to process more attractive. The authors asked for a quick response, meant to capture initial impressions, not the more complex pleasures that may arise from contemplating an image in a broader context by engaging with its meaning.

According to the authors, visual aesthetic appreciation may be a manifestation of an energy-conserving heuristic that creates a sweet spot between sufficient stimulation of the visual system and excessive metabolic cost.

Yikai Tang et al, Less is more: Aesthetic liking is inversely related to metabolic expense by the visual system, PNAS Nexus (2025). DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf347

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