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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 1, 2025 at 10:58am

The Red Sea went completely dry before being flooded by the Indian Ocean over 6 million years ago

Scientists have provided conclusive evidence that the Red Sea completely dried out about 6.2 million years ago, before being suddenly refilled by a catastrophic flood from the Indian Ocean. The findings put a definitive time on a dramatic event that changed the Red Sea.

Using seismic imaging, microfossil evidence, and geochemical dating techniques, the  researchers showed that a massive change happened in about 100,000 years—a blink of an eye for a major geological event. The Red Sea went from connecting with the Mediterranean Sea to an empty, salt-filled basin. Then, a massive flood burst through volcanic barriers to open the Bab el-Mandab strait and reconnect the Red Sea with the world's oceans.

The findings show that the Red Sea basin records one of the most extreme environmental events on Earth, when it dried out completely and was then suddenly reflooded about 6.2 million years ago.

The Red Sea was initially connected from the north to the Mediterranean through a shallow sill. This connection was severed, drying the Red Sea into a barren salt desert. In the south of the Red Sea, near the Hanish Islands, a volcanic ridge separated the sea from the Indian Ocean.

But around 6.2 million years ago, seawater from the Indian Ocean surged across this barrier in a catastrophic flood. The torrent carved a 320-kilometer-long submarine canyon that is still visible today on the seafloor. The flood rapidly refilled the basin, drowning the salt flats and restoring normal marine conditions in less than 100,000 years. This event happened nearly a million years before the Mediterranean was refilled by the famous Zanclean flood, giving the Red Sea a unique story of rebirth.

Tihana Pensa et al, Desiccation of the Red Sea basin at the start of the Messinian salinity crisis was followed by major erosion and reflooding from the Indian Ocean, Communications Earth & Environment (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s43247-025-02642-1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 1, 2025 at 10:27am

Scientists finally prove that a quantum computer can unconditionally outperform classical computers

A quantum computer has demonstrated that it can solve a problem more efficiently than a conventional computer. This achievement comes from being able to unlock a vast memory resource that classical computing cannot match.

Instead of using classical bits that can only be 0 or 1, quantum machines use qubits, which can exist in multiple states and store exponentially more information than their traditional counterparts. However, proving that a quantum computer can access this memory advantage in the real world has been a challenge for two main reasons.

First, any successful demonstration has to be feasible on realistic quantum hardware, and second, there must be unconditional mathematical proof that no future classical algorithm could achieve the same performance.

In a study published on the arXiv preprint server, a  research team  reports how they achieved this feat of quantum supremacy.
They constructed a complicated mathematical task designed to test this memory advantage. Their experiment was like a game between two parts of the quantum system referred to as Alice and Bob. Alice's task was to create a quantum state and send it in a message to Bob, who had to measure it to figure out what it was. The goal was to build a process so accurate that Bob could predict the state before Alice finished preparing the message.

The researchers optimized this process over 10,000 independent trials, and their analysis revealed that a classical computer would need at least 62 bits of memory to complete the task with the same success rate. The quantum device performed it using only 12 qubits.

The result provides the most direct evidence yet that currently existing quantum processors can generate and manipulate entangled states of sufficient complexity to access the exponentiality of Hilbert space (the vast memory resource of a quantum computer)," wrote the researchers in their paper.

This form of quantum advantage—which we call quantum information supremacy—represents a new benchmark in quantum computing, one that does not rely on unproven conjectures.

 William Kretschmer et al, Demonstrating an unconditional separation between quantum and classical information resources, arXiv (2025). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2509.07255

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 1, 2025 at 10:23am

Stem cells from fat tissue may help prevent kidney dialysis access failure

To undergo kidney dialysis, doctors must first surgically create an access route—an arteriovenous fistula—usually in an arm, a conduit that will accommodate hemodialysis treatments. It is a routine outpatient procedure performed for years worldwide.

But it is a procedure beset by problems.

An arteriovenous fistula must first "mature," a process in which the newly established connection between an artery and a vein becomes large enough to support the turbulent flow of blood in hemodialysis. For many patients, this artificially created channel tends to narrow, leaving it useless as a conduit.

Researchers investigating a possible way to prevent problematic narrowing—a condition called stenosis—with a procedure that relies on the use of stem cells.

The study, researchers asserted, is a crucial step toward improving a necessary treatment for patients with kidney failure by tapping into a population of cells that are essentially blank slates. 

 The investigation is reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

The phase 1 randomized trial involved patients undergoing an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) placement in an arm. Some of the patients in the small trial also received autologous adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells. The cells were delivered at the time of the AVF procedure.

The stem cells were placed along the AVF starting at the distal artery, one centimeter upstream to the anastomosis [the surgical connection between adjacent blood vessels] and extending to the first four centimeters of the vein just distal to the anastomosis by dripping them onto the adventitia of the vessels slowly over five minutes.

The adventitia is the outermost layer of a blood vessel.

Mesenchymal stem cells are a form of somatic, or adult stem cells, which can be found in a variety of tissues throughout the body, including adipose (fat) tissue, which is an abundant source.

The stem cells are aimed at improving AVF function by preventing vascular narrowing. The cells were also a site-specific treatment for another problem tied to arteriovenous fistulas: inflammation, a hallmark of AVFs. Fortunately, anti-inflammatory activity is a function of mesenchymal stem cells.

Side-by-side images in the study show the vascular opening to be wide and capable of handling the turbulence of hemodialysis among patients who received mesenchymal stem cells. Patients who did not receive the stem cell treatment suffered vascular narrowing.

The research  team sees promise in their unique approach, which is producing positive results at a critical time.

The team's phase 1 clinical trial involved 21 patients who received arteriovenous fistulas in the arm; 11 of the 21 patients also received mesenchymal stem cells derived from their own fat tissue. After 42 months, fistulas had matured faster in patients who received stem cells. Additional study and approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are required before the treatment can become available.

Sreenivasulu Kilari, et al Periadventitial delivery of mesenchymal stem cells improves vascular remodeling and maturation in arteriovenous fistulas, Science Translational Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adp7723

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 1, 2025 at 10:16am

Scientists read mice's 'thoughts' from their faces

It's easy to read emotions on people's faces—each one has its clear, unmistakable signature. But what about thoughts? A study published in Nature Neuroscience shows that mice's problem-solving strategies can be deciphered from subtle facial movements.

According to the authors, this is a proof of concept that the contents of the mind can be read out from video recordings, potentially offering powerful new research and diagnostic tools.

Scientists found that they can get as much information about what the mouse was 'thinking' as they could from recording the activity of dozens of neurons.

Having such easy access to the hidden contents of the mind could provide an important boost to brain research. However, it also highlights a need to start thinking about regulations to protect our mental privacy.

 Facial expressions in mice reveal latent cognitive variables and their neural correlates, Nature Neuroscience (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41593-025-02071-5.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 30, 2025 at 6:50am

Mamba snake bites worsen after antivenom

Mamba (Dendroaspis species) snake bites are a significant threat in sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for 30,000 deaths annually.

A breakthrough study has discovered a hidden dangerous feature of the black mamba, one of the most venomous snakes in the world.

The study revealed the venoms of three species of mamba were far more neurologically complex than previously thought, explaining why antivenoms were sometimes ineffective. This research was published in Toxins.

The black mamba, western green mamba and Jamesons mamba snakes aren't just using one form of chemical weapon, they're launching a coordinated attack at two different points in the nervous system.

If you're bitten by 3 out of 4 mamba species, you will experience flaccid or limp paralysis caused by postsynaptic neurotoxicity.

Current antivenoms can treat the flaccid paralysis but this study found the venoms of these three species are then able to attack another part of the nervous system causing spastic paralysis by presynaptic toxicity.

Researchers previously thought the fourth species of mamba, the eastern green mamba, was the only one capable of causing spastic paralysis.

This finding resolves a long-standing clinical mystery of why some patients bitten by mambas seem to initially improve with antivenom and regain muscle tone and movement only to start having painful, uncontrolled spasms.

The venom first blocks nerve signals from reaching the muscles, but after the antivenom is administered, it then overstimulates the muscles.

It's like treating one disease and suddenly revealing another.

Researchers  also found the venom function of the mambas was different depending on their geographic location, particularly within populations of the black mamba from Kenya and South Africa.

This further complicates treatment strategies across regions because the antivenoms are not developed to counteract the intricacies of the different venoms.

By identifying the limitations of current antivenoms and understanding the full range of venom activity, we can now directly inform evidence-based snakebite care.

 Lee Jones et al, Neurotoxic Sleight of Fang: Differential Antivenom Efficacy Against Mamba (Dendroaspis spp.) Venom Spastic-Paralysis Presynaptic/Synaptic vs. Flaccid-Paralysis Postsynaptic Effects, Toxins (2025). DOI: 10.3390/toxins17100481

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 30, 2025 at 6:21am

Endotoxin concentrations were measured using the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) assay, then researchers used DNA sequencing and source tracking to identify the Gram-negative bacteria they came from. Finally, they applied mixture-toxicity modeling to estimate how much these endotoxins contributed to the overall harmful effects of PM2.5 exposure.

They found that despite making up only a minuscule fraction of the total PM2.5 mixture, it drove about 0.1 to 17% of the IL-8 release triggered by PM2.5.

Among all reported PM2.5 components, endotoxin demonstrated the highest toxicity-to-mass contribution ratio, 10,000:1 to 100,000:1, establishing its extreme biological potency. These findings show that less is indeed more.

The researchers note that this study brings to light the importance of identifying highly toxic components present in low concentrations and tracing their sources. Pinpointing these toxicity drivers can help us design cost-effective strategies in which even modest reductions in PM2.5 mass could yield substantial decreases in overall toxicity.

 Jinyan Yu et al, Disproportionately Higher Contribution of Endotoxin to PM_2.5 Bioactivity than Its Mass Share Highlights the Need to Identify Low-Concentration, High-Potency Components, Environmental Science & Technology (2025). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5c07255

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 30, 2025 at 6:20am

Bacterial endotoxins are high-potency, low-mass drivers of PM₂.₅ toxicity, sampling study reveals

Endotoxin, a toxic chemical found in bacteria, makes up only 0.0001% of PM_2.5 fine particles but packs a serious punch when it comes to its bioactivity.

According to a study by researchers endotoxin drives 0.1–17% of the inflammatory responses triggered by these airborne particles, with its toxicity contribution being three to five orders of magnitude higher than its mass contribution.

Air pollution is now the world's leading environmental health threat, linked to more than three million premature deaths every year. One of the key culprits is PM2.5, which refers to airborne particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers, small enough to slip deep into the lungs and even seep into the bloodstream.

Scientists have long been focusing on PM2.5 because evidence consistently links it to respiratory illnesses, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and airway inflammation. Studies suggest that the damage caused by PM2.5 could be due to oxidative stress and the triggering of immune responses in the lungs following exposure.

PM2.5 is a complex atmospheric cocktail of natural and anthropogenic particles containing biological, inorganic, and organic constituents. For decades, researchers have extensively studied the impact of chemicals—including transition metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and industrial smoke—produced by human activities. These components, however, contribute to less than half of the respiratory damage inflicted by PM2.5, leaving roughly 60% of its impact still unexplained.

Researchers of this study conducted daily 24-hour PM_2.5 sampling for a year across an urban and coastal area of Hong Kong. To assess inflammatory responses, the researchers exposed human bronchial epithelial cells to PM_2.5 and measured the release of interleukin-8 (IL-8)—a small protein, called a cytokine, that is released by the immune system— as a marker of inflammation.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 27, 2025 at 7:20am

Researchers then adapted these into five scenarios for children to see if they could elicit information avoidance. For example, each child was asked to imagine their favorite and least favorite candy. They were then asked if they wanted to watch a video about why eating that candy was bad for their teeth.

They found that, whereas younger children really wanted to seek information, older children started to exhibit these avoidance tendencies. For example, they didn't want to know why their favorite candy was bad for them, but they were totally fine learning why their least favorite candy is bad for them.
This finding held for all motivations except for competency. Children of all ages were not afraid to learn if they'd done badly on a test, for example.

To avoid avoidance, she suggests thinking through why you might be avoiding something—possibly prioritizing short-term comfort over long-term benefits. Researchers posit that it could help to reframe uncomfortable information as useful and valuable.

Research suggests that intervening while children are still young could keep them from falling into avoidance traps and have compounding benefits.
Humans have this propensity to want to resolve uncertainty, but when the resolution is threatening, people might flip to avoidance instead.
If all else fails, she advises, mimic what children do best: Follow your curiosity.

Radhika Santhanagopalan et al, Becoming an Ostrich: The Development of Information Avoidance, Psychological Science (2025). DOI: 10.1177/09567976251344551

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 27, 2025 at 7:09am

Origins of the 'Ostrich Effect': Researchers pinpoint the age we start avoiding information—even when it's helpful

In a world of information overload, it can feel soothing to stick your head in the sand.

According to psychologists, avoiding information when it's uncomfortable is a common adult behavior, often referred to as the "Ostrich Effect."

But how do we become an ostrich? Children are notorious for seeking out information, often in the form of endless questions. So when do we sprout feathers and decide that, actually, the number of calories in a slice of cake is none of our business?

This behavioral origin point was exactly what researchers wanted to pin down.

In a study published in Psychological Science, a research team discovered that as children aged, the tendency to avoid information grew stronger.

Though 5- and 6-year-olds still actively sought information, 7- to 10-year-olds were much more likely to strategically avoid learning something if it elicited a negative emotion.

Why is it that children are these super curious people, but then we somehow end up as these information avoiders as adults?

In their initial experiment, the researchers looked at five reasons why we might willfully choose to remain ignorant:
To avoid negative emotions like anxiety or disappointment
To avoid negative information about our own likability or competence
To avoid challenges to our beliefs
To protect our preferences
To act in our own self-interest (perhaps while trying to appear not self-interested)
Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 27, 2025 at 7:00am

Million-year-old skull could change human evolution timeline

A digital reconstruction of a million-year-old skull suggests humans may have diverged from our ancient ancestors 400,000 years earlier than thought and in Asia not Africa, a study said this week.

The findings are based on a reconstruction of a crushed skull discovered in China in 1990, and have the potential to resolve the longstanding "Muddle in the Middle" of human evolution, researchers said.

But experts not involved in the work cautioned that the findings were likely to be disputed, and pointed to ongoing uncertainties in the timeline of human evolution.

The skull, labeled Yunxian 2, was previously thought to belong to a human forerunner called Homo erectus.

But modern reconstruction technologies revealed features closer to species previously thought to have existed only later in human evolution, including the recently discovered Homo longi and our own Homo sapiens.

It suggests that by one million years ago, our ancestors had already split into distinct groups, pointing to a much earlier and more complex human evolutionary split than previously thought.

If the findings are correct, it suggests there could have been much earlier members of other early hominins, including Neanderthals and Homo sapiens, the study says.

It also "muddies the waters" on longstanding assumptions that early humans dispersed from Africa.

There's a big change potentially happening here, where east Asia is now playing a very key role in hominin evolution.

The research, published in the journal Science, used advanced CT scanning, structure light imaging and virtual reconstruction techniques to model a complete Yunxian 2.

The scientists relied in part on another similar skull to shape their model, and then compared it to over 100 other specimens.

The resulting model "shows a distinctive combination of traits," the study said, some of them similar to Homo erectus, including a projecting lower face.

But other aspects, including its apparently larger brain capacity, are closer to Homo longi and Homo sapiens, the researchers said.

"Yunxian 2 may help us resolve what's been called the 'Muddle in the Middle,' the confusing array of human fossils from between 1 million and 300,000 years ago.

The findings are only the latest in a string of recent research that has complicated what we thought we know about our origins.

Xiaobo Feng et al, The phylogenetic position of the Yunxian cranium elucidates the origin of Homo longiand the Denisovans, Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.ado9202

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