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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 24, 2025 at 12:21pm

Nighttime light exposure linked to higher heart attack and stroke rates

A new study has found that being exposed to bright light at night can significantly increase the chances of developing serious heart problems, including heart attacks, strokes and heart failure.

Published in JAMA Network Open, the research is the largest study of its kind to explore how personal light exposure affects heart health using data from nearly 89,000 people.

Using wrist-worn sensors, researchers from FHMRI Sleep Health tracked over 13 million hours of light exposure and followed participants for up to 9.5 years.
The study found that people who were exposed to the brightest light at night were much more likely to develop heart problems, with a 56% higher chance of heart failure and 47% more likely to have a heart attack.

These risks remained high even after accounting for other factors like exercise, diet, sleep habits and genetics.

the study highlights a risk factor that many people aren't aware of, but one that's easy to address.

This is the first large-scale study to show that simply being exposed to light at night is a strong and independent risk factor for heart disease.

Disrupting your body's internal circadian clock by repeatedly exposing yourself to bright light at night, when it would typically be dark otherwise, will put you at a higher risk of developing dangerous heart issues, say the researchers.

By using blackout curtains, dimming lights, and avoiding screens before bed, we can help to reduce the health risks associated with light at night.

The study also found that women and younger people were especially vulnerable to the impact of light exposure at night.

Women may be more sensitive to the effects of light disrupting their body clock.

In fact, women exposed to high levels of night light had similar heart failure risks to men, which is unusual because women typically have some natural protection against heart disease.

We need to take our body clocks seriously. Protecting our natural sleep rhythms could be a powerful way to fight heart disease, the researchers conclude.

Light Exposure at Night and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence, JAMA Network Open (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.39031

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 24, 2025 at 11:56am

A second study, published in the Brain Research Bulletin

focused on IGF2, a growth-factor gene that supports memory formation. As the brain ages, IGF2 activity drops as the gene becomes chemically silenced in the hippocampus.

IGF2 is one of a small number of genes in our DNA that's imprinted, which means it's expressed from only one parental copy. When that single copy starts to shut down with age, you lose its benefit.

The researchers found that this silencing happens through DNA methylation, a natural process in which chemical tags accumulate on the gene and switch it off. Using a precise gene-editing tool, CRISPR-dCas9, they removed those tags and reactivated the gene. The result was better memory in older rats.

Together, the two studies show that memory loss is not caused by a single molecule or pathway and that multiple molecular systems likely contribute to how the brain ages.

 Yeeun Bae et al, Age-related dysregulation of proteasome-independent K63 polyubiquitination in the hippocampus and amygdala, Neuroscience (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.032

Shannon Kincaid et al, Increased DNA methylation of Igf2 in the male hippocampus regulates age-related deficits in synaptic plasticity and memory, Brain Research Bulletin (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2025.111509

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 24, 2025 at 11:54am

Scientists find ways to boost memory in aging brains

Memory loss may not simply be a symptom of getting older. New research  shows that it's tied to specific molecular changes in the brain and that adjusting those processes can improve memory.

In two complementary studies, researchers used gene-editing tools to target those age-related changes to improve memory performance in older subjects. The work was conducted on rats, a standard model for studying how memory changes with age.

Memory loss affects more than a third of people over 70, and it's a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. 

This work shows that memory decline is linked to specific molecular changes that can be targeted and studied. If we can understand what's driving it at the molecular level, we can start to understand what goes wrong in dementia and eventually use that knowledge to guide new approaches to treatment.

In the first study, published in the journal Neuroscience one research team examined a process called K63 polyubiquitination. This process acts as a molecular tagging system that tells proteins inside the brain how to behave. When the system functions normally, it helps brain cells communicate and form memories.

They found that aging disrupts K63 polyubiquitination in two distinct areas of the brain. In the hippocampus, which helps form and retrieve memories, levels of K63 polyubiquitination increase with age. Using the CRISPR-dCas13 RNA editing system to reduce these levels, the researchers were able to improve memory in older rats.

In the amygdala, which is important for emotional memory, the researchers noted that K63 polyubiquitination declines with age. By reducing it even further, they were able to boost memory in older rats.

Together, these findings reveal the important functions of K63 polyubiquitination in the brain's aging process. In both regions, adjusting this one molecular process helped improve memory.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 24, 2025 at 11:42am

Not all gas is bad: Hydrogen gas found to play key role in supporting gut health

 Scientists have revealed how hydrogen is made and used in the human gut. Though infamous for making flatulence ignite, hydrogen also has a positive role supporting gut health.

In a study published in Nature Microbiology, researchers  analyzed how microbes control hydrogen levels in the gut.

Hydrogen gas is naturally produced in the gut when bacteria ferment undigested carbohydrates from our diets. Some of this gas is exhaled, much is recycled by other gut bacteria, and the rest exits the body as flatulence.

The results revealed hydrogen had an even bigger role in gut function than previously thought.

Most people release about a liter of gas per day and half of that is hydrogen. But hydrogen is more than just the gas behind flatulence—it's a hidden driver of gut health.

Gas production in the gut is a normal process. Hydrogen is made in large amounts when gut bacteria break down food and is then used by other microbes for energy.

The study shows hydrogen shapes the gut microbiome in surprising and varied ways. It helps some beneficial bacteria thrive in the gut and keeps digestion going.

However, excessive hydrogen production can signal gut problems. Abnormal hydrogen levels are associated with infections, digestive disorders, and even cancer, and are often measured in breath tests to assess gut health.

They also  saw signs that hydrogen production was disrupted in people with gut disorders, but it's unclear if this is a cause or consequence of disease.

The researchers' work was focused on understanding the fundamental role of hydrogen in gut function, rather than improving diagnostics or developing therapies.

The study found that a specific enzyme called Group B [FeFe]-hydrogenase was mainly responsible for making hydrogen in the gut. This enzyme is found in many gut bacteria and is very active.

The researchers studied bacteria from stool samples and gut tissue and found that this enzyme helps bacteria grow and produce hydrogen, especially in the primary health associated groups. They also discovered that this enzyme works by using a specific chemical reaction involving iron and another protein called ferredoxin.

As an example, healthy people have a lot of these enzymes in their gut, but people with Crohn's disease have fewer of them and more of the other types of hydrogen-producing enzymes.

The researchers hope their discovery will highlight the need to expand fundamental knowledge of how our gut works so it can be used to design new treatments for gastrointestinal issues.

 Caitlin Welsh et al, A widespread hydrogenase supports fermentative growth of gut bacteria in healthy people, Nature Microbiology (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-025-02154-w

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 24, 2025 at 11:29am

Tigers in trouble as Malaysian big cat numbers dwindle

Malaysia's national animal is in trouble.

Poaching, food loss and diminishing habitat have slashed the population from 3,000 in the 1950s to less than 150 roaming free today, according to official estimates.

The government said last month it was ramping up efforts to combat wildlife crime, introducing AI-enabled camera traps and methods to detect smuggling at airports.

But experts and officials admit that resources fall far short of what is needed to protect the country's famed big cat, listed as critically endangered.

The next 10 years will decide whether we can bring back the roar of the Malayan tiger.

Source: News agencies

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 24, 2025 at 10:59am

Telomerase contains an RNA template that is used to make the replacement DNA. In humans and other mammals, this RNA comes from the TERC gene. C. elegans has working telomerase, but it doesn't seem to have a TERC gene.
This mystery has stumped scientists for more than 20 years, and some have assumed that the gene was lost during evolution. In their study, the team at RIKEN BDR discovered how C. elegans can exist without a standalone TERC gene.

Because telomerase levels are normally very low, the researchers genetically engineered C. elegans to overproduce the telomerase protein, which made it possible to collect large amounts of the whole telomerase complex, including the RNA template.

They then used all the collected template RNA to search the genome for matching DNA. Unlike in mammals, instead of being located in its own gene, they found it inside another gene's intron.

Usually, the instructions in DNA within genes are used to build proteins. But some parts of genes, called introns, are not used to build proteins and are usually removed and discarded once the gene's protein is made.

It was surprising to find that the key RNA—which 's named terc-1—was hidden inside an intron of the gene called nmy-2, which is expressed only in germ cells.
Indeed, the discovery that the essential telomerase RNA was hidden within an intron was completely unexpected.
Experiments showed that in C. elegans lacking terc-1, telomeres became shorter each generation, and within 15 generations, the animals became extinct. Inserting terc-1 inside introns of other genes that are expressed in germ cells created roundworms that had normal telomeres and did not become extinct.

In contrast, when terc-1 was inserted into introns of genes that only activate in somatic cells, the animals did become extinct. Thus, by hitching a ride inside genes activated in germ cells, terc-1 is produced where it is needed—the germ cells. There, it helps ensure that future generations do not receive shortened telomeres, thus supporting the survival of the species.
Beyond its evolutionary significance, this discovery will help us better understand how telomerase is regulated in healthy cells and could transform approaches to aging, fertility, and regenerative medicine.

 Yutaka Takeda et al, Nematode telomerase RNA hitchhikes on introns of germline–up-regulated genes, Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.ads7778. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ads7778

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 24, 2025 at 10:55am

Hitchhiking DNA picked up by a gene may save a species from extinction

An international research team  has solved a genetic mystery and revealed a previously unknown way that DNA can control what cells do.

Published in Science, the study reveals that in the roundworm C. elegans, vital RNA needed to keep the ends of chromosomes intact does not have its own gene. Instead, it hitchhikes inside another one. DNA hitchhiking could be a common strategy in the animal kingdom, and has implications for anti-aging therapies and regenerative medicine in humans.

Telomeres are DNA caps that protect the ends of chromosomes, much like the plastic tips of shoelaces. As we age, the cells of our bodies—called somatic cells—divide when we need new tissue, and every time that happens the telomeres lose some of their DNA.

Some signs of aging are related to this process. For example, skin cells with shorter telomeres make less collagen and skin becomes wrinkled. When they are too short, cells self-destruct.

Sperm and egg precursor cells—collectively called germ cells—are an exception to this rule. When they divide, an enzyme called telomerase adds replacement DNA to the ends of shortened telomeres. Because of this, telomere length doesn't get shorter with each generation, and species do not become extinct.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 24, 2025 at 10:20am

Peatlands' 'huge reservoir' of carbon at risk of release, researchers warn

Peatlands make up just 3% of Earth's land surface but store more than 30% of the world's soil carbon, preserving organic matter and sequestering its carbon for tens of thousands of years. A new study sounds the alarm that an extreme drought event could quadruple peatland carbon loss in a warming climate.

In the study, published in Science, researchers find that, under conditions that mimic a future climate (with warmer temperatures and elevated carbon dioxide), extreme drought dramatically increases the release of carbon in peatlands by nearly three times. This means that droughts in future climate conditions could turn a valuable carbon sink into a carbon source, erasing between 90 and 250 years of carbon stores in a matter of months.

As temperatures increase, drought events become more frequent and severe, making peatlands more vulnerable than before. These extreme drought events can wipe out hundreds of years of accumulated carbon, so this has a huge implication.

The researchers found that the lowered water table during drought took longer to recover at higher temperatures and elevated carbon dioxide levels, which led to more carbon release.

Quan Quan et al, Drought-induced peatland carbon loss exacerbated by elevated CO₂ and warming, Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.adv7104. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adv7104

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 24, 2025 at 9:18am

In contrast, the elapid snakes, such as the Cape coral cobra (Aspidelaps lubricus) and the forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca), used a stealthier strategy, creeping closer to their victim before lunging and biting repeatedly as their jaw muscles tensed to squeeze the venom into their dinner.

The colubrid snakes, with fangs further back in their mouths, lunge over the greatest distances before clamping their jaws around their meal, sweeping their jaws from side-to-side to tear a crescent-shaped gash in the victim to deliver the maximum dose of venom. And on one occasion, a blunt-nosed viper misjudged the distance to its prey, hitting the right fang and breaking it off. But the team suspects that this occurs more than you'd think, with fangs turning up in snake scats after being swallowed.

Venomous snakes use dramatically different strategies to deliver their deadly bites. Vipers and elapids strike elegantly before victims are even aware of their presence and colubrid bites inflict the maximum damage. These creatures don't pull any punches when they mean business.

Cleuren, S. G. C., et al. Kinematics of feeding strikes in venomous snakes., Journal of Experimental Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1242/jeb.250347

Part 3

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 24, 2025 at 9:17am

After capturing more than 100 snake strikes in minute detail, the team saw the vipers embed their fangs in the fake prey within 100ms of launching a smooth strike—with the blunt-nosed viper (Macrovipera lebetina) accelerating up to 710m/s2 and landing its bite within 22ms; the elapid snakes bit their victims as quickly as vipers.

In addition, the vipers moved the fastest as they struck, with Bothrops asper—sometimes known as the ultimate pit-viper—reaching speeds of over 4.5m/s after hitting accelerations of more than 370m/s2, although the fastest elapid—the rough-scaled death adder—only reached speeds of 2.5m/s.

Focusing on the vipers' fangs, the team saw the needle-like teeth sink into the fake prey, but if the viper wasn't happy with the position of a fang, it pulled it out to reinsert it at a better angle, effectively walking the fang forward. Only when the fangs were comfortably in place did the vipers close their jaws and inject venom into their catch.

Part 2

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