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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 7, 2026 at 11:32am

Scientists now know why ovarian cancer spreads so rapidly in the abdomen

Ovarian cancer spreads rapidly in the abdomen because cancer cells recruit mesothelial cells, forming hybrid clusters that resist chemotherapy and invade tissue more effectively. Cancer-derived TGF-β1 induces mesothelial cells to develop invadopodia, which penetrate tissue, facilitating cancer dissemination. Targeting these interactions may offer new therapeutic strategies.

Kaname Uno et al, Mesothelial cells promote peritoneal invasion and metastasis of ascites-derived ovarian cancer cells through spheroid formation, Science Advances (2026). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adu5944. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu5944

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 7, 2026 at 10:14am

Almost half of the world's aquatic environments are severely contaminated by waste, research reveals
Nearly half (46%) of global aquatic environments are classified as dirty or extremely dirty, with plastics and cigarette butts comprising about 80% of waste. Protected areas show up to sevenfold lower contamination, but 31% remain polluted, especially at their edges due to external pressures. Contamination trends vary with socioeconomic development, highlighting the need for integrated global waste management

Victor Vasques Ribeiro et al, Influence of protected areas and socioeconomic development on litter contamination: A global analysis, Journal of Hazardous Materials (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.140422

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 7, 2026 at 10:02am

When the interaction between fungi and bacteria becomes a dangerous alliance

Rivals or allies—how do bacteria and fungi interact in our bodies? Until now, bacteria on our mucous membranes were primarily considered to be antagonists of fungi, as they can inhibit their growth. However, an international research team has now been able to show that the yeast Candida albicans and the bacterium Enterococcus faecalis form a dangerous alliance under certain conditions: Instead of fighting each other, they can amplify their impact and cause significantly more severe cell damage together than alone.

In their study, now published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers reveal the mechanisms behind this—and the crucial role of the bacterial toxin cytolysin.

The yeast Candida albicans and the bacterium Enterococcus faecalis are usually harmless inhabitants of our mucous membranes. However, if the immune system is weakened or the microbial balance is disturbed—for example, after antibiotic therapy—they can cause infections. The severity of an infection also depends on how the two microbes interact with each other.

To understand this cooperation better, the team tested numerous E. faecalis strains in cell culture models. They found that only some of them significantly increased cell damage when infected simultaneously with Candida albicans. These strains shared a striking characteristic: they produced cytolysin, a toxin that perforates cell membranes and thus kills the cells. If the corresponding gene was missing in the bacterium, the additional damage did not occur. When it was added, the effect reappeared. The findings from the cell cultures were also confirmed in the mouse model.

Cytolysin-producing bacterial strains increased the damage to the mucous membrane caused by Candida albicans, while variants without the toxin even had a mitigating effect. Not all enterococci are the same. The cytolysin-producing variants have proven to be the dangerous ones. This explains why more severe disease progressions are sometimes observed, even though the same microorganisms are involved in the clinical samples.

In addition to the central role of cytolysin, the research team identified two main mechanisms that explain the dangerous alliance between the two microbes:
Direct contact: The bacteria attach themselves to the fungal cells and thus come into close contact with the host cells. This allows the bacterial toxin cytolysin to act exactly where it causes most of the damage.
Nutrient depletion: Candida albicans consumes sugar (glucose) particularly quickly. The resulting energy deficiency weakens the host cells and makes them more susceptible to the bacterial toxin.
In this way, the fungi and bacteria together create an environment in which they can fully unleash their destructive effects and cause massive cell damage—an impressive example of how complex microbiological interactions shape the course of an infection.

Mario Kapitan et al, Synergistic interactions between Candida albicans and Enterococcus faecalis promote toxin-dependent host cell damage, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2505310122

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 6, 2026 at 1:12pm

China awards its first ‘practical PhDs’

A cohort of PhD candidates in China have become the first in the country to be assessed on the basis of practical achievements instead of theses. This new class of PhDs is part of the Chinese government’s broader education reforms to cultivate ‘elite engineers’ that can help boost the country’s innovation. As part of their PhD defence, candidates have to make prototypes and prove that their inventions can be used at scale in the real world. Examples so far include the equipment for a new welding technique and a fire-fighting system for a large seaplane.

First ‘practical PhDs’ awarded in China — for products rather than ...

First ‘practical PhDs’ awarded in China — for products rather than papers

The programme is designed to train more elite engineers who can help to boost the country’s innovation.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 6, 2026 at 12:18pm

Extreme temperature changes increase number of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, model finds
Extreme temperature fluctuations and higher relative humidity are associated with increased out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) incidence. A machine learning model analyzing over 190,000 cases identified 17 environmental and social risk factors, accurately predicting OHCA patterns up to seven days in advance, even in previously unstudied regions. Social factors may amplify environmental risks.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, or OHCA, is a leading cause of mortality worldwide and 90% of cases are fatal. Patients lose cardiac function and circulation, and every minute they remain untreated decreases the likelihood of a good outcome.

In a study published in npj Digital Medicine, a team of researchers developed a machine learning model that identified 17 environmental and social factors that can influence the risk of OHCA.

The researchers used patient data from the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival, or CARES, the largest national system that tracks OHCA. They built their model using more than 190,000 cases from 2013 to 2017 and identified 17 factors that can predict OHCA risk.

Mean ambient temperature, including both colder days and extremely warm ones, as well as higher relative humidity, influenced the number of OHCA incidents. Social factors, such as including poverty and race, may also amplify their impact.

The risks associated with cardiovascular events were mostly based on the individual risk factors, including hypertension. This new prediction model is the first to show that external environmental factors also influence risk.

In addition to its high prediction accuracy, the model was able to predict OHCA patterns up to seven days in advance.

Takahiro Nakashima et al, Development and evaluation of a machine learning model predicting out-of-hospital cardiac arrest using environmental factors, npj Digital Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41746-025-02235-4

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 6, 2026 at 11:41am

The researchers believe that the decrease in childbirth has other, more likely explanations. Those who are now in their 30s, an age when it is most common to have children, were born in the second half of the 1990s. This was a time of financial difficulties and declining childbirth rates in Sweden. In other words, the group of current potential parents has become smaller due to declining birthrates 30 years earlier. Also, factors linked to the pandemic may have reduced childbirth, such as health and economic concerns and changed behavior during lockdown.

One of the strengths of the study is that it examines pregnancy outcomes in a large group that is representative of the country's population. The researchers have taken into account that the woman's age is a possible factor that could hide a possible effect of vaccines on childbirth, and they have therefore compensated for age in their analysis.

Dennis Nordvall et al, COVID-19 vaccination carries no association with childbirth rates in Sweden, Communications Medicine (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s43856-026-01396-x

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 6, 2026 at 11:40am

Study of nearly 60,000 women finds no association between COVID vaccine and decrease in childbirth

COVID-19 vaccination is not the cause behind a decrease in childbirth, according to a new study. The results, published in the journal Communications Medicine, speak to rumors about vaccination and reduced fertility. "Our conclusion is that it's highly unlikely that the mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 was behind the decrease in childbirth during the pandemic", say the researchers who conducted this study.

The researchers investigated the issue because, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, unfounded rumors have circulated, especially on social media, alleging that vaccination impairs chances of becoming pregnant. In the later stages of the pandemic, there was a decrease in the number of children born in some countries, including Sweden. This raised the question whether this could be due to the new vaccines.

In the study, the researchers analyzed all women aged 18 to 45 years in Region Jönköping County, a total of almost 60,000 women (of the region's total population of 369,000 people). Of these women, 75% were vaccinated once or more against COVID-19 from 2021 to 2024. The researchers used data on childbirths, vaccination, miscarriages and deaths from health care records.

When the researchers compared childbirths and miscarriages between vaccinated and unvaccinated women, they found no statistically significant difference between the groups. This is in line with several previous studies that have not found any association between the COVID vaccine and fertility.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 6, 2026 at 11:30am

Seeds 'listen' to mom: Study finds mother plants send ABA hormone signals that set seed dormancy
Maternal plants regulate seed dormancy by transferring abscisic acid (ABA) to developing seeds, with ABA levels increasing in maternal tissues under cooler temperatures. This hormonal signaling enables seeds to receive environmental information from the mother, promoting dormancy when conditions are unfavorable. The findings highlight a rapid, non-genetic mechanism for environmental adaptation in plants.

Xiaochao Chen et al, Adaptation of seed dormancy to maternal climate occurs via intergenerational transport of abscisic acid, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2519319122

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 6, 2026 at 11:04am

News sites are locking out the internet archive to stop AI crawling. Is the 'open web' closing?
Major news publishers are blocking the Internet Archive to prevent AI companies from accessing their content for training, citing concerns over copyright and paywall circumvention. This shift reflects a broader trend toward monetizing digital archives and restricting public access, raising concerns about the preservation of internet history and the diminishing openness of the web.

News sites are locking out the Internet Archive to stop AI crawling...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 6, 2026 at 10:55am

Using comparative genomic data across primates, the researchers found examples of genes associated with burn injury responses which show signs of accelerated evolution in humans. These genes are involved in wound closure, inflammation and immune system response—likely helping to rapidly close wounds and fight infection; a major complication after burn injury, particularly before the widespread use of antibiotics.

These findings support the theory that exposure to burn injuries may have been a notable force on the evolution of humans.

Unlike other wounds from cuts or bites which would have also led to infections, the increased lifetime risk of burns experienced by humans and their hominin ancestors is unique as they are the only species to regularly experience burn injuries and survive them.

Burn Selection: How Fire Injury Shaped Human Evolution, BioEssays (2026).

Part2

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