Study uncovers new link between infections and heart failure

People hospitalized for infections—almost any infections—are at substantially increased risk years later for heart failure, according to a collaborative research.

The study of more than 14,000 people over two decades doesn't establish cause and effect, but advocates said this week that it establishes a strong enough correlation that people should take heed and try to reduce their infection risks.

Heart failure, which affects millions around the world, is a weakening of the heart that prevents it from pumping sufficient blood and oxygen. Researchers were surprised to find that hospitalizations resulting from common skin and urinary tract infections increased heart failure risks, alongside respiratory infections such as influenza and blood infections such as sepsis.

That suggests that the body's response to infection is a big part of the heart failure risk, say the researchers.

There's some notion that really severe infections sort of turn on the immune system in a way where it just doesn't quite turn off, and it stays revved up, possibly for many years. 

Other possibilities include that serious infections cause genetic or biological changes that lay dormant after hospitalization but emerge later in life to cause heart failure.

Other studies have found hospitalizations increase risks of health problems later in life, so it's possible infections are driving people to as-yet unknown risks from those hospital visits, they stress.

Even without cause and effect being established, they say the results should encourage people to prevent infections through vaccines and good hygiene. People who have already been hospitalized because of infections can talk with their doctors about ways to reduce cardiac risks.

They had already discovered in 2023 that infection-related hospitalizations increased the risk for dementia later in life.

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Over the course of three decades, about one in four people in the surveillance program suffered episodes of heart failure. The risk was more than twice as likely among patients who at some point had been hospitalized for infections, according to the latest study, published  in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Risks were highest following bloodstream and respiratory infections, but were also significant for skin and urinary tract infections. Digestive infections were only weakly correlated with heart failure later in life.

Risks were highest following bloodstream and respiratory infections, but were also significant for skin and urinary tract infections. Digestive infections were only weakly correlated with heart failure later in life.

Heart failure can lead to cardiac arrest or damage the kidney and liver. Treatments range from medications to increase blood flow to surgeries to implant pacemakers or remove obstructions in blood vessels.

Establishing a precise cause-and-effect relationship between infections and heart failure will be difficult, because researchers can't deny preventive care to patients just to see if it increases their risks.

Rebecca L. Molinsky et al, Infection‐Related Hospitalization and Incident Heart Failure: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, Journal of the American Heart Association (2025). DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.123.033877

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Why 'cough CPR' is not the lifesaver it's made out to be

Misinformation has circulated for years on social media about how coughing forcefully can treat a heart attack. Health experts are quick to debunk that myth and warn that "cough CPR" is ineffective.

Anytime anyone is having chest pain or other symptoms of a heart attack, get to a hospital. Calling an emergency ambulance service is the safest way to get to a hospital for chest pain.

The term itself is a misnomer because CPR is for someone in cardiac arrest, meaning the heart has stopped beating. At that point, coughing would not be possible, nor would it be considered CPR.

It physiologically does not make sense. Coughing just would not work to restart a heart that's not beating, say the experts. 

Heart attack and cardiac arrest are medical emergencies requiring immediate medical treatment, though it is important to note they are two different conditions. A heart attack is a circulation problem and occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked. Cardiac arrest is an electrical problem and occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating. A heart attack is a common cause for cardiac arrest.

Someone who goes into cardiac arrest will become unresponsive and stop breathing or gasp for air. Cardiac arrest can lead to death if not treated within minutes.

Confusion about cough CPR might be traced to a temporary measure that may be used for a sudden arrhythmia, or abnormal heartbeat, in medical settings in which patients are constantly monitored, such as a cardiac catheterization lab.

During a sudden arrhythmia, a doctor or nurse may coach a patient to cough vigorously to maintain enough blood flow to the brain to remain conscious for a few seconds until the arrhythmia is treated. But this technique is not effective in all patients and should not delay definitive treatment, according to the American Heart Association.

The misconception about cough CPR and heart attack may be tied to an idea that coughing can change the pressure in the chest, and, in turn, affect the heart.

People believe that it is changing, somehow, the heart's squeeze. But (coughing) has not been shown to do that. If somebody has lost a pulse, we very much know that you have to do CPR.

A literature review to prepare for that update did not yield any research about cough CPR.

It's certainly not something that is recommended in those guidelines because there is no evidence to support it.

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If you're around someone who has gone into cardiac arrest, call emergency services helpline and start hands-only CPR. This means placing the heel of one hand in the center of the chest at the nipple line. Place the other hand on top and interlock the fingers. Start pushing hard at a rate between 100 and 120 beats per minute.

Get an automated external defibrillator, or AED, if one is close by or send someone to find an AED. People should use an AED as soon as it's available. Even untrained people can use the device by following its voice instructions.
Because a heart attack can lead to a cardiac arrest, experts say it's critical to call emergency services immediately when symptoms start. These can include chest pain, jaw pain, shortness of breath, sweating and nausea.

Then sit and rest until the ambulance arrives. "Avoid exertion." An aspirin may help for those not allergic to it.
Someone with a prescription for nitroglycerin for chest pain should take the medication.

But one thing people don't need to do is cough.
Source: American Heart Association

How microbes help detoxify the atmosphere: Study provides atomic-level insights

Researchers have discovered crucial new information about how microbes consume huge amounts of carbon monoxide (CO) and help reduce levels of this deadly gas.

Over two billion metric tons of carbon monoxide are released into the atmosphere globally each year. Microbes consume about 250 million tons of this, reducing CO to safer levels.

The study, published in Nature Chemical Biology, reveals at an atomic level how microbes consume CO present in the atmosphere. They use a special enzyme, called the CO dehydrogenase, to extract energy from this universally present but highly toxic gas.

The study showed for the first time how this enzyme extracted atmospheric CO and powered cells.

This enzyme is used by trillions of microbes in our soils and waters. These microbes consume CO for their own survival, but in the process inadvertently help us.  This 's a fantastic example of microbial 'ingenuity': how life has evolved ways to turn something toxic into something useful.

These microbes help clean our atmosphere. This counteracts air pollution, which kills many millions of people each year, and also reduces global warming given CO is indirectly a greenhouse gas.

While this discovery is unlikely to be directly used to combat or monitor CO emissions, it deepens our understanding of how the atmosphere is regulated and how it might respond to future changes.

Microbes 're a big reason why our air 's breathable. They make half the oxygen we breathe and detoxify various pollutants like CO. It's crucial we better understand and appreciate how they support our own survival, say the researchers.

 Kropp, A., et al. Quinone extraction drives atmospheric carbon monoxide oxidation in bacteria, Nature Chemical Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41589-025-01836-0

Stress during pregnancy could leave traces in placenta that affect baby's development, study suggests

Maternal stress could leave epigenetic imprints on genes in the placenta associated with cortisol—a necessary hormone for fetal development—and this would affect the baby's development from very early stages, according to a paper published in the journal European Neuropsychopharmacology.

The study suggests that a mother's emotional well-being during pregnancy is not only important for her, but could also influence the future health of her baby.

The placenta is an essential organ during pregnancy, as it not only provides oxygen and nutrients to the fetus, but also responds to factors such as maternal stress and helps the fetus adapt to its environment. However, the mechanisms by which the placenta adjusts to these stressors and how it influences fetal development remain largely unexplored.

The research team observed that maternal stress may leave epigenetic marks on certain placental genes. Specifically, these marks do not modify the genetic structure, but they do alter its function. The study identified epigenetic changes in genes related to the regulation of cortisol, an essential hormone in the body's response to stress.

The pilot study involved 45 healthy, first-time pregnant women. During pregnancy, their cortisol levels and depressive symptoms were measured and, after delivery, placentas were analyzed. At seven weeks, the neurodevelopment of the babies was assessed using a specialized test (Brazelton's NBAS).

The research team used an advanced sequencing technique that allows them to look at epigenetic changes in large areas of DNA and thus gain a very detailed view of the placental response to maternal stress. This method identified changes in key genes involved in cortisol regulation, such as HSD11B2, NR3C1 and FKBP5.

The results suggest that maternal stress—especially in early pregnancy—can cause alterations in these genes, which could affect fetal development and the future health of the baby.

This study reinforces the importance of taking care of the mental health of mothers from the beginning of pregnancy, since stress could leave a biological imprint on the baby's development through epigenetic mechanisms that we are just beginning to understand.

While these findings need to be replicated in larger studies, this breakthrough underscores the importance of psychological care and emotional support during pregnancy, not only for the mother's well-being, but also for the long-term health of the baby.

Agueda Castro-Quintas et al, Placental epigenetic signatures of maternal distress in glucocorticoid-related genes and newborn outcomes: A study of Spanish primiparous women, European Neuropsychopharmacology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2024.10.001

Giant Radio Galaxy Could Hold 30 Milky Ways, Astronomers Say

Giant radio galaxies are cosmic megastructures that can span millions of light-years, making them some of the largest-known structures in the Universe.

Yet space is big, and despite their size, giant radio galaxies can be hard to find. Discovering one is a big deal, especially if it's as colossal – and peculiar – as one recently found by astronomers using South Africa's MeerKAT telescope.

The newly discovered galaxy measures over 3 million light-years from end to end, including the huge jets of hot plasma it's blasting into intergalactic space, the astronomers report in a new study.

That means it's more than 30 times the size of our own Milky Way galaxy.

It's also enigmatic, the researchers say, with unusual qualities that defy simple explanation. They decided to name it after this troublesome nature, choosing a word from two Bantu languages indigenous to Southern Africa.

Scientists nicknamed this giant galaxy 'Inkathazo,' meaning 'trouble' in isiZulu and isiXhosa because it has been a bit troublesome to understand the physics behind what's going on here.

Radio galaxies already feature mind-bending physics, with supermassive black holes accreting matter at the galactic core and sending out vast plasma jets that glow at radio frequencies. Those larger than roughly 2 million light-years may be classified as giant radio galaxies, or GRGs.

Yet even by radio-galaxy standards, Inkathazo is puzzling.

It doesn't have the same characteristics as many other giant radio galaxies. For example, the plasma jets have an unusual shape: Rather than extending straight across from end to end, one of the jets is bent.

And while Inkathazo's size would be impressive anywhere, it's especially surprising given the galaxy's location. Inkathazo is nestled amid a cluster of other galaxies, researchers report, where conditions should discourage the growth of such gargantuan jets.

https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/537/1/272/7958396?login=false

Mouse Created With Two Fathers And No Mother Survives to Adulthood

A mouse with no biological mother has survived to adulthood in China – a major scientific achievement that's been years in the making.

The feat was pulled off by a team of researchers in China using precise stem cell engineering.

This isn't the first time that scientists have created a mouse with two male parents. In 2023, researchers in Japan managed a similar feat using a different technique.

Before that, attempts to generate eggs from male stem cells proved unsuccessful. The motherless offspring, born through a female surrogate, are typically nonviable and show severe developmental defects.

Not so for the 'bi-paternal' mice recently created in China. These adult mammals are not capable of reproducing themselves, but they are healthier than their predecessors, without fatal feeding or respiratory difficulties.

That said, roughly half of their siblings failed to make it to adulthood, and nearly 90 percent of the viable embryos did not make it to birth, which means the success rate for the process can still be improved upon.

There's still a long way to go before the same sort of technique could be achieved in our own species, but the authors of the study say their work helps scientists better understand human congenital disorders caused by similar genetic issues.

https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/fulltext/S1934-5909(25)00005-0

The scientist heroes that starved to protect their science

In his book The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad, author Simon Parkin tells the story of the city’s Plant Institute — the world’s first proper seed bank — during the 1941-1944 Nazi siege. “The institute’s staff members sacrificed themselves, one by one, to protect a collection for which the whole raison d’être was to one day save humanity from starvation,” writes reviewer Simon Ings. Despite unthinkable privation, Vadim Stepanovich Lekhnovich, the curator of the tuber collection, later said that “it wasn’t difficult not to eat the collection. It was impossible to eat this, your life’s work, the work of the lives of your colleagues.”

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00055-w?utm_source=Live+...

Astronomers Discover Exoplanets Falling Apart in Space

Astronomers have found two planets around two separate stars that are succumbing to their stars' intense heat. Both are disintegrating before our telescopic eyes, leaving trails of debris similar to a comet's. Both are ultra-short-period planets (USPs) that orbit their stars rapidly.

These planets are a rare sub-class of USPs that are not massive enough to hold onto their material. Astronomers know of only three other disintegrating planets.

USPs are known for their extremely rapid orbits, some completing an orbit in only a few hours. Since they're extremely close to their stars, they're subjected to intense heat, stellar radiation, and gravity.

Many USPs are tidally locked to their star, turning the star-facing side into an inferno. USPs seldom exceed two Earth radii, and astronomers think that about 1 in 200 Sun-like stars has one. They were only discovered recently and are pushing the boundaries of our understanding of planetary systems.

The new observations are in two new papers available at the pre-press site arxiv.org. One is "A Disintegrating Rocky Planet with Prominent Comet-like Tails Aroun..."

The second paper is "A Disintegrating Rocky World Shrouded in Dust and Gas: Mid-IR Obser..."

Man on carnivore diet develops yellowish nodules on his hands, feet and elbows

A trio of cardiologists, two at Tampa General Hospital and the third at the University of Texas' MD Anderson Cancer Center, have reported an incident of an adult man developing yellowish nodules on his hands, feet and elbows after adopting a carnivore diet.

In their paper published in the journal JAMA Cardiology, Konstantinos Marmagkiolis, Jaime Caballero, and Cezar Iliescu, describe the symptoms of a patient who had come to Tampa General seeking aid after experiencing yellowish nodules appearing on various parts of his body, and their diagnosis.

The patient, a man in his 40s, told the doctors that the nodules had appeared three weeks prior to his hospital visit. After questioning, they determined that the patient had adopted the so-called carnivore diet approximately eight months prior to the appearance of the nodules.

The carnivore diet is a fad diet based on eating large amounts of animal fats and very little of anything else. The patient in this case reported eating nearly 10 pounds of butter, cheese and other fatty foods every day since embarking on the diet—even going so far as to add fat to the hamburgers he consumed daily.

Blood tests showed the patient's cholesterol was approximately four times normal levels. The doctors diagnosed the patient with xanthelasma, a condition in which yellowish deposits of cholesterol build up in various parts of the body—in this case, on the palms, the soles of his feet and his elbows. His case had progressed to the point that some of the cholesterol was pushing through cracks in the skin.

The doctors advised the man to cut back on his fat intake. But they also noted that doing so would not get rid of the nodules—they required surgical excision or burning them with liquid nitrogen. They also reminded the patient that such high levels of cholesterol could lead to a host of other conditions such as cardiovascular disease, a greatly increased risk of stroke, and eventually, liver problems.

 Konstantinos Marmagkiolis et al, Yellowish Nodules on a Man Consuming a Carnivore Diet, JAMA Cardiology (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamacardio.2024.5209

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Large magma bodies found beneath dormant volcanoes

New research challenges the long-standing belief that active volcanoes have large magma bodies that are expelled during eruptions and then dissipate over time as the volcanoes become dormant.

Researchers used seismic waves to identify magma chambers beneath the surface of six volcanoes of various sizes and dormancy within the Cascade Range, which includes half of the U.S. volcanoes designated by the U.S. Geological Survey as "very high threat." The team found that all of the volcanoes, including dormant ones, have persistent and large magma bodies.

The study was published in Nature Geoscience .

The results are surprising given that some of these volcanoes, such as the Crater Lake volcano in Oregon, have not been active in millennia.

Regardless of eruption frequency, we see large magma bodies beneath many volcanoes, the researchers said. It appears that these magma bodies exist beneath volcanoes over their whole lifetime, not just during an active state.

The fact that more volcanoes have sustained magma bodies is an important consideration for how researchers may monitor and predict future volcanic activity.

Guanning Pang et al, Long-lived partial melt beneath Cascade Range volcanoes, Nature Geoscience (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-024-01630-y

An overlooked nuclear force helps keep matter stable, study reveals

Researchers have revealed how a special type of force within an atom's nucleus, known as the three-nucleon force, impacts nuclear stability. The study, published in Physics Letters B, provides insight into why certain nuclei are more stable than others and may help explain astrophysical processes, such as the formation of heavy elements within stars.

All matter is made of atoms, the building blocks of the universe. Most of an atom's mass is packed into its tiny nucleus, which contains protons and neutrons (known collectively as nucleons). Understanding how these nucleons interact to keep the nucleus stable and in a low energy state has been a central question in nuclear physics for over a century.

The most powerful nuclear force is the two-nucleon force, which attracts two nucleons at long range to pull them together and repels at short range to stop the nucleons from getting too close.

Scientists have formed a good understanding of the two-nucleon force and how it impacts nuclear stability. On the other hand, three-nucleon force, which is when three nucleons interact with each other simultaneously, is much more complicated and poorly understood.

The researchers describe nuclear forces by likening them to a game of catch. With the two-nucleon force, two players, or nucleons, interact by throwing a ball to each other. The ball, a subatomic particle called a meson, can vary in heaviness, with the lightest meson, known as a pion, responsible for the long-range attraction between nucleons.

With the three-nucleon force, there are three players, or nucleons, and balls, or mesons, are passed between them. At the same time as throwing and catching the balls, the players, or nucleons, also spin and move in an orbit within the nucleus.

Although the three-nucleon force has historically been considered to be of little significance when compared to the two-nucleon force, a growing number of recent studies have highlighted its importance. Now, this new study clarifies the mechanism of how the three-nucleon force enhances nuclear stability, and demonstrates that as the nucleus grows, the force gains in strength.

The researchers used advanced nuclear theory and supercomputer simulations to study the exchange of pions between three nucleons. They found that when two pions are exchanged between three nucleons, the nucleons are constrained in how they move and spin, with only four combinations possible. Their calculations revealed that one of these combinations, known as the "rank-1 component," plays a crucial role in promoting nuclear stability.

Increased stability occurs, the researchers explain, due to enhancing a process known as spin-orbit splitting. When nucleons spin and orbit in the same direction, the alignment of these nucleons leads to a reduction in energy. But when nucleons spin and orbit in opposing directions, these nucleons exist in a higher energy state. This means that nucleons "split" into different energy shells, providing the nucleus with a stable structure.

The supercomputer simulations showed that while the three-nucleon force increases the energy state of the nucleons with an aligned spin and orbit, it causes the nucleons with opposing spins and orbits to gain even more energy. This results in a larger energy gap between the shells, making the nuclei even more stable .

Part 1

Importantly, this effect becomes more pronounced in heavier nuclei that contain more nucleons. In the heaviest element examined—carbon-12, which has 12 nucleons—the three-nucleon force caused the energy gap to widen by a factor of 2.5.

This effect is so large that it has almost equal weighting to the impact of the two-nucleon force.
The three-nucleon force could play a key role in understanding how heavy elements form from the fusion of lighter elements in stars. As this force grows stronger in heavier nuclei, it increases their stability by creating larger energy gaps between nuclear shells.

This stability makes it more challenging for the nucleus to capture additional neutrons, which are essential for forming heavier elements. In cases where the nucleus already contains a "magic number" of protons or neutrons that completely fills its shells, the nucleus becomes exceptionally stable, which can further hinder the fusion process.
Finally, the researchers discovered another surprising effect of the three-nucleon force on nucleon spins. With only the two-nucleon force, the spin states of both nucleons can be measured individually. However, the three-nucleon force creates quantum entanglement, where two of the three nucleons have spins that exist in both states at once until measured.

Tokuro Fukui et al, Uncovering the mechanism of chiral three-nucleon force in driving spin-orbit splitting, Physics Letters B (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.physletb.2024.138839

Part 2

Ocean-surface warming has more than quadrupled since the late-1980s, research shows

The rate of ocean warming has more than quadrupled over the past four decades, a new study has shown. Ocean temperatures were rising at about 0.06 degrees Celsius per decade in the late 1980s, but are now increasing at 0.27 degrees Celsius per decade.

Published 28 January 2025 in Environmental Research Letters, the study helps explain why 2023 and early 2024 saw unprecedented ocean temperatures.

This accelerating ocean warming is driven by the Earth's growing energy imbalance—whereby more energy from the sun is being absorbed in the Earth's system than is escaping back to space. This imbalance has roughly doubled since 2010, in part due to increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, and because the Earth is now reflecting less sunlight to space than before.

Global ocean temperatures hit record highs for 450 days straight in 2023 and early 2024. Some of this warmth came from El Niño, a natural warming event in the Pacific.

When scientists compared it to a similar El Niño in 2015–16, they found that the rest of the record warmth is explained by the sea surface warming up faster in the past 10 years than in earlier decades; 44% of the record warmth was attributable to the oceans absorbing heat at an accelerating rate.

Quantifying the acceleration of multidecadal global sea surface warming driven by Earth's energy imbalance, Environmental Research Letters (2025). DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/adaa8a

Microplastics found in the brains of mice within hours of consumption

A team of environmental biologists  has found that it takes microplastics consumed by mice just a few hours to make their way to their brains.

In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the group describes experiments they conducted with lab mice consuming water tainted with different sized microplastics, and what they learned by doing so.

Prior research has shown that microplastics have made their way into the environment to such an extent that they have made their way into the bodies of nearly everyone on Earth (*). It is still not known what harm consumption of such materials causes, but most in the medical field believe they are likely causing damage that is blamed on other sources. Still, many in the field suggest that there is enough evidence of possible health problems associated with microplastics that action should be taken globally to address their impact.

In this new effort, the research team sought to learn more about the medical impact of a mammal consuming different sizes of microplastics. The experiments consisted of feeding test mice water with different sized bits of fluorescent plastic in it, from micro to nano. They then tracked the progress of the plastic bits to see where they wound up in the bodies of the mice.

Knowing that the plastic would make its way from the digestive tract into the bloodstream, the researchers used two-photon microscopy to capture imagery of it inside blood vessels. Also, suspecting that the tiniest bits would make it into their brains, the team installed tiny windows in their skulls, allowing them to track the movement of the plastic in their brains.

In studying the imagery they created, the researchers were able to watch as the plastics made their way around the mice's bodies, eventually reaching their brains. They also noted that the plastic bits tended to get backed up, like cars in a traffic jam at different points. In taking a closer look at some of the backups in the brain, the researchers found that the plastic bits had been captured by immune cells, which led to even more backups.

Wondering if the plastic in their brains was causing any impairment, the researchers tested several of the mice and found that many of them experienced memory loss, reductions in motor skills and lower endurance.

*  Richard C. Thompson, Twenty years of microplastics pollution research—what have we learned?, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.adl2746. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl2746

Haipeng Huang et al, Microplastics in the bloodstream can induce cerebral thrombosis by causing cell obstruction and lead to neurobehavioral abnormalities, Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adr8243

Why the first stars couldn't grow forever

Star formation in the early universe was a vigorous process that created gigantic stars. Called Population III stars, these giants were massive, extremely luminous stars that lived short lives, many of which ended when they exploded as primordial supernovae.

But even these early stars faced growth limitations.

Stellar feedback plays a role in modern star formation. As young stars grow, they emit powerful radiation that can disperse nearby gas they need to keep growing. This is called protostellar radiative feedback, and it takes place in addition to the restrictive effect their magnetic fields have on their growth.

However, new research shows that the growth of Pop III stars was limited by their magnetic fields.

The research is titled "Magnetic fields limit the mass of Population III stars even before the onset of protostellar radiation feedback"

The paper is published on the arXiv preprint server.

Piyush Sharda et al, Magnetic fields limit the mass of Population III stars even before the onset of protostellar radiation feedback, arXiv (2025). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2501.12734

Scientists create 'molecular trap' to remove pollutants from water

Scientists have developed a new material that could help reduce water pollution caused by harmful chemicals, such as from leftover medicines and hygiene products, that end up in rivers and lakes.

Water pollution is one of the growing challenges of modern life. Many everyday items, from medications to cosmetics, leave behind residues that don't fully break down after use. These pollutants often find their way into water systems, where they disrupt ecosystems and cause harm to plants, animals and humans.

The research, published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science, describes a new method using a molecular  structure called a metal-organic cage (MOC). These tiny cages act like traps designed to catch and hold harmful molecules commonly found in our water supplies.

The cages are made up of metal ions  connected by organic molecules forming a hollow pyramid-like structure. These hollow spaces at the center of these structures are where the MOCs trap specific molecules, like pollutants or gases.

The new structure incorporates chemical groups called sulfonates to make it compatible with water, allowing it to function in real-world water systems, like rivers or wastewater.

It uses a natural effect called hydrophobic binding, where contaminant molecules preferentially "stick" to the inside of the cage rather than staying in the water. This allows the material to selectively capture and hold pollutants, even in challenging water environments.

Jack D. Wright et al, Encapsulation of Hydrophobic Pollutants within a Large Water-Soluble [Fe₄L₆]^4- Cage, Cell Reports Physical Science (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2025.102404

Catching the culprits: DNA 'fingerprints' of drug-makers can be linked to capsules and packaging

DNA profiling technologies are rapidly advancing, creating the potential to identify individuals involved in making, packing and transporting illegal capsules by analyzing the exterior of the illicit drugs and the plastic bag in which they are carried.

Experiments carried out by Flinders University forensic science experts have found that DNA accumulates in different areas, depending on an individual's involvement in the process, which could aid identification of people involved in the drug-making and trade.

The work is published in the journal Forensic Science International: Genetics.

The study also found DNA from the surface of capsules can be transferred to the inner surface of ziplock bags (ZLBs) commonly used in transportation.

This small-scale study indicates that capsule packers deposit less DNA than capsule makers who spend more time handling drug casing, and those that make the capsules can leave enough DNA for a complete profile with as little as 30 seconds of contact.

Furthermore, the DNA yield on these commonly used plastic bags is higher when handled by several people compared with little-to-no contact.

"Generating informative DNA profiles from the inside surface of the ziplock bag could be more useful than the outer side, as could be testing of other 'protected' areas of the bag such as the zip or inner edge of the seal.

Illicit substances frequently distributed in secure ziplock bags can be seized by police and tested by forensic investigators.

Strong DNA profiles 're generated for the individual who made the capsules and for the individual responsible for packing the ziplock bag.

Madison Nolan et al, Illicit drug distribution: Evaluation of DNA transfer between ziplock bags and capsules, Forensic Science International: Genetics (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2024.103182

Octopuses have some of the oldest known sex chromosomes, study finds

The octopus just revealed another one of its secrets: what determines its sex.

Researchers have identified a sex chromosome in the California two-spot octopus. This chromosome has likely been around for 480 million years, since before octopuses split apart from the nautilus on the evolutionary tree. That makes it one of the oldest known animal sex chromosomes.

The finding also is evidence that octopuses and other cephalopods, a class of sea animals that includes squid and nautiluses, do use chromosomes to determine their sex, answering a longstanding mystery.

The researchers  described the findings Feb. 3 in the journal Current Biology.

In humans and most mammals, sex is determined largely by chromosomes. But "there's a tremendous amount of diversity" in how animals determine their sex.

In turtles, for instance, sex is determined by the temperature at which the eggs are incubated. Some fish have a gene that determines sex, but not a whole chromosome. Even in humans, the X/Y sex chromosome system isn't as clear-cut as it might look on paper; gene mutations or inheriting extra sex chromosomes can lead to development that doesn't neatly fit in a male/female binary.

When  researchers recently sequenced the DNA of a female California two-spot octopus, they found something unexpected: a chromosome with only half the amount of genetic material. It looked different from all the others, and it hadn't been found in male octopuses whose DNA was previously sequenced.

This particular chromosome had half the amount of sequencing data, which indicated there was only one copy.

To confirm, the researchers sorted through other octopus genomic data previously collected by other researchers.

They found another example of the half-sized chromosome in another species of octopus. They also found it in squid, which diverged evolutionarily from octopuses somewhere between 248 and 455 million years ago. And after more digging, they also found evidence for the chromosome in the nautilus, a mollusk that split apart from the octopus approximately 480 million years ago.

The fact that these species share this unique chromosome suggests that it's been around in some form for a very long time.

This indicates that their common ancestor had this similar sex determination system.

That's somewhat unusual for sex chromosomes. Because they directly impact reproductive capabilities, they're subject to a lot of selective pressure and so tend to undergo rapid evolutionary change. But cephalopods seem to have found what works and have stuck with it.

Other ancient sex chromosomes have been discovered in plant groups like mosses and liverworts, which were some of the first plants to evolve. And insect sex chromosomes might be 450 million years old, but they've also changed a lot over time.

Cephalopod Sex Determination and its Ancient Evolutionary Origin, Current Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.01.005. www.cell.com/current-biology/f … 0960-9822(25)00005-3

Many animals and plants are losing their genetic diversity, making them more vulnerable

Two-thirds of animal and plant populations are declining in genetic diversity, which makes it harder to adapt to environmental changes, according to research published this week.

Long before a species goes extinct, the population becomes smaller and more fragmented, shrinking the number of potential mates and therefore genetic mixing. This leaves a species more vulnerable to future threats such as disease.

A surprising trend was that we saw genetic diversity declining even among many species that aren't considered at risk. 

Researchers examined data for 628 species studied between 1985 and 2019. The greatest losses in genetic variation were seen in birds and mammals.

Findings were published in the journal Nature.

When a species has different genetic solutions, it's better able to deal with changes. 

If a new disease spreads through a population or climate change alters summer rainfall, some individuals will fare better than others, in part because of their genes. Higher genetic diversity also means there's a greater chance of a species' survival.

Conservation efforts to connect isolated populations—basically expanding the dating pool for a particular species—can help maintain or even restore genetic diversity.

Isolated populations suffer. The solution is to reconnect them, stress the biologists.

Catherine Grueber, Global meta-analysis shows action is needed to halt genetic diversity loss, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08458-x. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08458-x

Heart health differences in men and women: Tiny RNA molecules play key role, study finds

There are notable differences between men and women in their susceptibility to many human diseases, including cardiovascular disease. For example, women typically have smaller hearts that pump faster, while men have larger hearts that pump more blood with each heartbeat.

Researchers have been making massive efforts to understand what, in the underlying biology, predisposes people to sex-specific cardiovascular disease.

They recently made a large stride in the field, uncovering one of the molecular reasons behind sex disparities in heart disease.

They discovered that a microRNA called miR-871—one of the smallest RNAs found in cells—plays a significant role in the physiological and pathological differences observed between men's and women's hearts. Their findings were published in Circulation Research.

The findings demonstrate that miRNAs on the X chromosome can directly control male-female differences in the heart. The findings also show that male-female differences in biology can be established after a gene is turned on.

MicroRNAs are small, single-stranded nucleic acids that play a crucial role in regulating gene expression, effectively turning genes down to fine-tune protein production in the body. Although these tasks may seem minor, they significantly influence most bodily functions, from the cellular development of organs to the rhythmic beating of our hearts.

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Out of four microRNAs located on the X chromosome, the researchers homed in on miR-871. This microRNA reduces the amount of sarcalumenin or SRL, a protein, produced in the heart. SRL helps the heart cells recharge and reset after each muscle contraction and keeps the heart "in rhythm." MiR-888, the human equivalent of miR-871, similarly regulates SRL levels in the human heart.

Researchers confirmed their findings by manipulating the levels of miR-871. They used genetic techniques to inhibit the production of miR-871 in female mice. This intervention increased SRL levels and improved the heart's ability to recharge between beats. Consequently, the hearts of the female mice began to resemble the beating pattern and functionality of male hearts.
Researchers may use this information to develop therapies that modify human microRNA levels to treat heart diseases. MicroRNA-based therapies are already being explored for other conditions.

James I. Emerson et al, X-Chromosome–Linked miRNAs Regulate Sex Differences in Cardiac Physiology, Circulation Research (2024). DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.124.325447

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How the hippocampus coordinates memory encoding and retrieval

A team of scientists has unveiled how the hippocampus orchestrates multiple memory processes, including encoding new information, forming memories, and retrieving them. The study is published in Nature Communications.

 By applying advanced dimensionality reduction techniques to fMRI data, the researchers demonstrated the hippocampus's critical role in coordinating these processes.

The human brain processes and integrates diverse information simultaneously to form memories. For example, while watching a movie, the brain integrates multiple pieces of information, such as identifying the characters and understanding the evolution of their relationships, to later recall the storyline.

The team hypothesized that the hippocampus coordinates these processes by aligning low-dimensional subspaces of neural activity, which represent different memory functions.

And their results showed that -
Aligned subspaces for the two types of novelty, suggesting that the hippocampus integrates diverse forms of novel information.
Alignment between novelty and memory formation subspaces, with participants showing better memory performance when these alignments were stronger.
Distinct alignment patterns for retrieval, where the subspace for memory retrieval aligned with memory formation but not with novelty, suggesting process-specific coordination by the hippocampus.

This work expands our understanding of memory by uncovering the hippocampus's coordinating role and the neural dynamics supporting it.

 Dasom Kwon et al, Coordinated representations for naturalistic memory encoding and retrieval in hippocampal neural subspaces, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-55833-x

Scientists find more microplastics in human brains than in kidneys and livers—and levels are rising

Tiny plastic particles may accumulate at higher levels in the human brain than in the kidney and liver, with greater concentrations detected in postmortem samples from 2024 than in those from 2016, suggests a paper published in Nature Medicine. Although the potential implications for human health remain unclear, these findings may highlight a consequence of rising global concentrations of environmental plastics.

The amount of environmental plastic nano- and microparticles, which range in size from as small as 1 nanometer (one billionth of a meter) up to 500 micrometers (one millionth of a meter) in diameter, has increased exponentially over the past 50 years. However, whether they are harmful or toxic to humans is unclear. Most previous studies used visual microscopic spectroscopy methods to identify particulates in human tissues, but this is often limited to particulates larger than 5 micrometers.

Researchers now  used novel methods to analyze the distribution of micro- and nanoparticles in samples of liver, kidney, and brain tissues from human bodies that underwent autopsy in 2016 and 2024. A total of 52 brain specimens (28 in 2016 and 24 in 2024) were analyzed.

The team detected these particles in all of the samples and found similar concentrations in the samples of liver and kidney tissues obtained in 2016. However, brain samples taken from that time, all derived from the frontal cortex region, contained substantially higher concentrations of plastic particles than the liver and kidney tissues.

They  also found that liver and brain samples from 2024 had significantly higher concentrations of plastic micro- and nanoparticles than those from 2016. They compared these findings with those of brain tissue samples from earlier time frames (1997–2013) and noted that there were higher concentrations of plastic particles in the more recent tissue samples. They also found a higher concentration of micro- and nanoplastic particles in brains from 12 individuals with a documented dementia diagnosis than in those without.

The authors note that the findings identify an association but do not establish a causal link between plastic particles and health effects.

Alexander J. Nihart et al, Bioaccumulation of microplastics in decedent human brains, Nature Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-03453-1

Mothers of twins face a higher risk of heart disease in the year after birth

The risk of being admitted to the hospital with heart disease is twice as high the year after birth for mothers of twins compared to singleton births, according to research published in the European Heart Journal. The risk is even higher in mothers of twins who had a high blood pressure condition during pregnancy.

The rate of twin pregnancies worldwide has risen in recent decades, driven by fertility treatments and older maternal ages. Previous studies have shown no long-term increased risk of cardiovascular disease when following people with twin pregnancies for decades after delivery. However, this is counterintuitive to what we observe clinically when caring for patients with twin pregnancies.

Given the unacceptably high rate of maternal mortality in the first year after birth due to cardiovascular disease, researchers wanted to examine whether twin pregnancies increase this risk.

The researchers studied data on 36 million hospital deliveries taken from the US Nationwide Readmissions Database of US hospitals from 2010 to 2020. They divided pregnant patients into four groups: those who had twins but normal blood pressure during pregnancy, those who had twins and hypertensive disease of pregnancy (high blood pressure conditions), those who had singleton pregnancies with normal blood pressure, and those who had singleton pregnancies with hypertensive disease of pregnancy.

Hypertensive disease of pregnancy includes gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, and superimposed pre-eclampsia.

For each group, researchers calculated the proportion of patients who were readmitted to the hospital within a year of childbirth with any type of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, heart failure, or stroke.

Researchers found that the proportion of readmissions for cardiovascular disease within a year of giving birth was higher overall for those with twins (1,105.4 per 100,000 deliveries) than singleton pregnancies (734.1 per 100,000 deliveries).

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Compared to singleton pregnancies with normal blood pressure, people with twins with normal blood pressure were around twice as likely to be hospitalized with cardiovascular disease. For those with twins with high blood pressure during pregnancy, the risk is more than eight times higher.

However, one year after birth, deaths from any cause, including heart disease, were higher among patients with singleton pregnancies who had high blood pressure conditions compared to patients with twins with high blood pressure conditions. This suggests that the risk to mothers of twins decreases in the longer term, while the mothers of singletons may have other pre-existing cardiovascular risk factors.
Recommendations: People with twin pregnancies should be aware of the short-term increase in cardiovascular disease complications in the first year after birth, even if they had a pregnancy that was not complicated by high blood pressure conditions, such as pre-eclampsia. For patients having fertility treatments, especially for those with other cardiovascular risk factors, such as older age, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease, patients should be advised that twin pregnancies may increase cardiovascular disease complications in the short term.

Given these higher risks, health care providers and health insurance companies should continue to provide follow-up for up to a year after birth for high-risk pregnancies such as twin pregnancies.

 Cande V. Ananth et al, Hospitalization for cardiovascular disease in the year after delivery of twin pregnancies, European Heart Journal (2025). DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf003

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The link between renal failure and Parkinson's disease: Researchers illuminate the underlying mechanisms

Lewy body diseases (LBDs) are a class of debilitating neurodegenerative disorders linked to the abnormal aggregation of the protein α-synuclein in nerve cells. When misfolded, this protein can produce clumps known as Lewy bodies, which can adversely impact the functioning of cells, contributing to neurodegeneration.

Recent studies also showed that LBDs, particularly Parkinson's disease, often initiate in the gut and that, in some cases, kidney failure contributes to their emergence. So far, however, the exact physiological processes connecting kidney failure to PD are being studied now.

Researchers  recently carried out a study to better understand these mechanisms by further examining the link between kidney failure and LBDs. Their findings, published in Nature Neuroscience, show that renal dysfunction can cause the accumulation of α-synuclein in the kidneys, which can in turn cause the protein to spread to the brain, in some cases facilitating the development of PD.

Building on previous studies that unveiled a link between kidney function and the incidence of PD, researchers now carried out experiments to further illustrate the mechanisms behind this connection. To do this, they first stained kidney samples extracted from patients diagnosed with PD and those extracted from people with chronic renal diseases.

They found that α-synuclein was deposited in the kidneys of these patients. 

To illustrate the role of renal failure in PD, they induced renal failure in mouse models of PD and found that renal failure exacerbates PD-like pathology. Injection of α-synuclein fibrils into the kidney induced the spread of α-synuclein pathology to the brain, whereas deletion of α-synuclein in blood cells alleviated PD pathology in a mouse model of PD.

Essentially, the researchers found that the kidneys of patients presenting renal failure contained a large amount of the protein α-synuclein. They were then able to shed light on how this α-synuclein accumulation could lead to PD, specifically following the spread of this protein to the brain.

They also showed that severing the connections between the kidneys and the brain in male mice blocked the accumulation of α-synuclein in the brain following renal failure.

Xin Yuan et al, Propagation of pathologic α-synuclein from kidney to brain may contribute to Parkinson's disease, Nature Neuroscience (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01866-2.

Half a degree rise in global warming will triple area of Earth too hot for humans, scientists warn

An international group of scientists has revealed how continued global warming will lead to more parts of the planet becoming too hot for the human body over the coming decades.

The paper, published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, finds that the amount of landmass on our planet that would be too hot for even healthy young humans (18 to 60-year-olds) to keep a safe core body temperature will approximately triple (to 6%)—an area almost the size of the US—if global warming reaches 2°C above the preindustrial average.

Under these conditions, they also warn that the area of land where the over 60s will be at risk will increase to about 35%.

Last year was the first calendar year with a global mean temperature of more than 1.5°C above the preindustrial average, and at current rates of warming, 2°C could be reached by mid to late century.

These findings show the potentially deadly consequences if global warming reaches 2°C. Unsurvivable heat thresholds, which so far have only been exceeded briefly for older adults in the hottest regions on Earth, are likely to emerge even for younger adults.

In such conditions, prolonged outdoor exposure—even for those in the shade, subject to a strong breeze, and well hydrated—would be expected to cause lethal heatstroke. It represents a step-change in heat-mortality risk, they warn.

Earth's most extreme heat events and mortality impacts under climate warming, Nature Reviews Earth & Environment (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s43017-024-00635-w

Climate change is overhauling marine nutrient cycles, scientists say

Computer models reveal how human-driven climate change will dramatically overhaul critical nutrient cycles in the ocean. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,  researchers report evidence that marine nutrient cycles—essential for sustaining ocean ecosystems—are changing in unexpected ways as the planet continues to warm.

Model studies have suggested that when the ocean warms it gets more stratified, which can drain certain parts of the surface ocean of nutrients. 

Although models suggest a connection between ocean temperatures and surface ocean nutrients, this is the first study to confirm climate change's impacts on nutrient cycles.

The researchers  discovered that over the last half-century, there's been a major decline in phosphorus—a nutrient that plays a key role in the health of marine food webs—in southern hemisphere oceans.

There can be cascading effects up the food web, they say. Because plankton—microorganisms that form the bases of many marine food webs—rely on phosphorous as a food source. "When phytoplankton have less phosphorus, they become less nutritious, which can impair zooplankton and fish growth rates."

Surprisingly, concentrations of nitrate—a nutrient the team expected to decline—appear to remain steady. Nitrate is crucial for ecosystem functioning, so that it's not in decline is a good sign.

Nevertheless, nitrate concentrations may still decline in the future as the climate continues to change.

Skylar D. Gerace et al, Observed declines in upper ocean phosphate-to-nitrate availability, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2411835122

Decoding a butterfly's travel map: Scientists find globetrotting not in genes

Painted lady butterflies are world travelers. The ones we encounter in Europe fly from Africa to Sweden, ultimately returning to areas north and south of the Sahara. But what determines whether some butterflies travel long distances while others travel short distances? A group of scientists shows that the different migration strategies are shaped by environmental conditions rather than being encoded in the butterfly's DNA.

Researchers, alongside citizen science projects, have been trying to decode the butterfly travel map. Their interdisciplinary publication provides new insights.

The results are now published in PNAS Nexus.

The painted lady is a strikingly beautiful and colorful butterfly species. But what makes them particularly special is their incredible long-distance migrations.

These butterflies go on a yearly 10,000 km journey between Africa and Europe. They do so through a succession of generations, looking for the best breeding conditions for their offspring. Each individual travels in one section of the annual migratory cycle, with its offspring continuing their journey.

The colorful insects begin their grand voyage in spring, starting from Northwest Africa and flying over the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. Subsequent generations then make their way to Great Britain, even reaching the Arctic tundra of Sweden to spend the summer.

Until recently, it was believed that once the butterflies reach Sweden, they perish due to the colder climates that arise there at the end of summer. However, studies have shown that painted ladies return to warmer regions in autumn, confirming a circular migratory pattern. While some end up staying in the Mediterranean area, others travel back to Africa, even crossing the Sahara. But how come?

Researchers set out to understand this phenomenon.

They utilized isotope geolocation to estimate the geographic origin of each butterfly. The key principle of this method is that the isotopic makeup—or the stable isotopes—of the adult butterfly's wings mirrors the isotopic signature of the plants they ate as a caterpillar. 

 Isotopes are different forms of the same element, with identical chemical properties but slightly different atomic masses.

The researchers spent several years developing this technique, testing different isotopes, refining statistical approaches, and incorporating machine-learning techniques to enhance accuracy and resolution.

The analysis confirmed the diverse travel behavior among individuals: some took a long migration trip south from Scandinavia, crossing the Sahara, while others migrated a short distance, staying north of the desert in the Mediterranean region.

The scientists then used whole genome sequencing to compare DNA sequences of each individual. Interestingly, there was no genetic difference between short-trip and long-trip butterflies.

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This finding fundamentally differs from what is observed in some birds, another well-studied migratory group. For example, in willow warblers, a large chromosomal region has been associated with variable migratory direction, illustrating how different phenotypes arise from distinct genomic compositions.

Additionally, migration patterns in painted ladies could not be associated with factors such as sex, wing size, or wing shape.

According to the scientists, so-called phenotypic plasticity might explain the different migration styles. "Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of an organism to change its phenotype—in this case, its engagement in long- or short-distance migration—in response to environmental conditions without altering its genetic makeup.
For instance, in summer, butterflies in Sweden might be prompted to migrate a long distance south across the Sahara due to the quick shift in day lengths or other seasonal cues. In contrast, butterflies in Southern France, where the days are longer, may not encounter those migratory cues and therefore only undertake short-distance journeys, staying in the Mediterranean area.

Megan S Reich et al. Isotope geolocation and population genomics in Vanessa cardui: Short- and long-distance migrants are genetically undifferentiated, PNAS Nexus (2025). DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae586. academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/art … /4/2/pgae586/7994570

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How eye saccades enable mammals to simultaneously chase prey and navigate through complex environments

How do predators use their vision to both navigate through the terrain while tracking prey running for its life? Pursuing prey through a complex environment is a major challenge for the visual system, as not only does the prey constantly change direction, sometimes in the opposite direction to the pursuer, but running after something evokes self-induced motion-blur that degrades vision.

To investigate this question, researchers reconstructed the visual fields of freely moving ferrets that were chasing a fleeing target and discovered that eye saccades (very rapid coordinated eye movements) align the world motion—and not the actual thing they are chasing—to the retina and retinal specializations used for high-acuity vision.

Saccades achieve this by countering head rotations to align the area of the sharpest vision with the direction of intended travel and the area of the least motion-induced blur. This enables image blur, which degrades vision, to be minimized over these specialized retinal areas during turns when chasing targets that are trying to evade capture.

These eye movements are seen in freely moving ferrets, mice, rats and tree shrews, suggesting a generalized mechanism enabling mammals to navigate complex environments during pursuit.

The research is published in the journal Current Biology.

 Eye saccades align optic flow with retinal specializations during object pursuit in freely moving ferrets, Current Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.12.032. www.cell.com/current-biology/f … 0960-9822(24)01700-7

Human influence has led to loss of dialects in chimpanzees, long-term study suggests

A new study, conducted on wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire, provides evidence that the gestures used by male chimpanzees from four neighboring communities during copulation requests may reflect different dialects. One gesture, used predominantly in one community, disappeared from the repertoire 20 years ago after a poaching incident and did not return. This incident documents a cultural loss associated with human-induced population decline, a phenomenon rarely documented in animals.

Much like people from different regions speak with different accents or use unique expressions, many animals have their own "dialects." Songbirds such as sparrows and finches, or even whales, learn their songs from others, resulting in variations that are as unique to a region as local accents in humans. However, in primates, which are phylogenetically closer to humans, evidence for community-specific dialects remains surprisingly scarce, presenting an intriguing area for further scientific investigation.

Researchers observed members of the four neighboring communities of wild chimpanzees every day from the time they left their nests in the morning until they went to sleep at night. Their work is published  in the journal Current Biology.

Researchers identified four types of communicative gestures, 'heel kick,' 'knuckle knock,' 'leaf clip' and 'branch shake,' used by male chimpanzees to attract females to mate with them. Between 2013 and 2024, they found differences in the frequency of use of these communicative gestures between neighboring chimpanzee communities, but also between populations across Africa.

Using long-term data from 45 years of research in the Taï Chimpanzee Project, the researchers also revealed variations in gesture use over time. These findings highlight the ability of humans' closest living relatives to produce cultural differences in communicative signals.

The consistent use of the same mating request signal forms within communities, but different signal forms between neighboring communities that experience regular gene flow through female migration, suggests socially learned dialects in chimpanzees, evidence that has rarely been demonstrated before.

These days, males in the North group, one of the four communities, have not been observed to use the 'knuckle knock' for 20 years, although all males in the North group used this gesture before 2004.

Following a series of human-induced events leading to demographic loss, the last adult male of the North group was killed by a poacher, resulting in several years without an adult male.

The loss of competition between adult males for females or the loss of all role models could be responsible for the cultural loss of this specific copulation request gesture in this community.

This finding provides evidence that human illegal activities have altered the cultural behavior of chimpanzees.

There is an urgent need to integrate the preservation of chimpanzee culture into conservation strategies, the researchers say.

Mathieu Malherbe et al, Signal traditions and cultural loss in chimpanzees, Current Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.12.008

Phage Therapy: Helping viruses deliver a knockout blow to killer bacterial infections

In the face of rising concerns about antibiotic resistant infections, an international group of microbial experts have launched a powerful and flexible free online genomic toolkit for more rapid development of phage therapy.

After decades of research, phages or bacteriophage viruses that target and kill specific bacteria are seen as the next frontier in finding fast and effective ways to curb the death toll and serious illnesses caused by antibiotic resistant "superbugs" every year.

The lead developers of the new platform, called Sphae, claim it is capable of assessing if a phage is suitable for a targeted therapy in under 10 minutes.

This marks a big step forward in quickly evaluating phage safety and suitability for addressing antibiotic-resistant infections, according to the team at Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration (FAME) and collaborators in a new article just published in the journal Bioinformatics Advances.

Sphae integrates high-throughput sequencing technologies with advanced computational pipelines, enabling researchers to analyze vast and complex datasets efficiently. It  prioritizes safety, flagging genes associated with toxins or undesirable traits to ensure that only the safest candidates are advanced for therapeutic use.

Adaptability and scalability sets Sphae apart. The workflow supports a wide range of sequencing technologies while the toolkit can handle the massive datasets typical of high-performance computing environments, making it an invaluable tool for labs tackling large-scale projects.

Sphae not only aids in therapeutic research but also advances our broader understanding of microbial ecosystems and their impact on global health and climate. Sphae processes multiple phage genomes at once, saving time and efficiently handling larger datasets.

Sphae works effectively even in mixed or challenging datasets, providing consistent and accurate results to help identify phages that can potentially combat resistant bacterial strains.

It offers a complete view of phage genomes, summarizing key features like resistance and virulence markers for better insight into phage safety and functionality.

When conventional antibiotics are not effective any more, personalized phage therapy could become a standard part of medical practice by simplifying and accelerating the discovery of therapeutic phages suited to the individual patient's infection. The future of medicine lies in the precise, efficient, and safe use of phages to combat bacterial infections and restore hope to patients worldwide.

Bhavya Papudeshi et al, Sphae: an automated toolkit for predicting phage therapy candidates from sequencing data, Bioinformatics Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1093/bioadv/vbaf004

Image source : tandfonline.com

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Hungry fat cells could  starve cancer to death

Liposuction and plastic surgery aren't often mentioned in the same breath as cancer. But they are the inspiration for a new approach to treating cancer that uses engineered fat cells to deprive tumors of nutrition.

Researchers  used the gene editing technology CRISPR to turn ordinary white fat cells into "beige" fat cells, which voraciously consume calories to make heat.

Then, they implanted them near tumors the way plastic surgeons inject fat from one part of the body to plump up another. The fat cells scarfed up all the nutrients, starving most of the tumor cells to death. The approach even worked when the fat cells were implanted in mice far from the sites of their tumors. Relying on common procedures could hasten the approach's arrival as a new form of cellular therapy.

Doctors already routinely remove fat cells with liposuction and put them back via plastic surgery. These fat cells can be easily manipulated in the lab and safely placed back into the body, making them an attractive platform for cellular therapy, including for cancer.

Beige fat cells outcompete cancer cells for nutrients. That is why exposure to cold could suppress cancer in mice.

One remarkable experiment even showed it could help a patient with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Scientists concluded that the cancer cells were starving because the cold was activating brown fat cells, which use nutrients to produce heat.

But cold therapy isn't a viable option for cancer patients with fragile health.

So the researchers turned to the idea of using beige fat, wagering that they could engineer it to burn enough calories, even in the absence of cold, to deprive tumors of the fuel they needed to grow.

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They used CRISPR to activate genes that are dormant in white fat cells but are active in brown fat cells, in the hopes of finding the ones that would transform the white fat cells into the hungriest of beige fat cells.

A gene called UCP1 rose to the top.

Then, the researchers grew UCP1 beige fat cells and cancer cells in a "trans-well" petri dish. The cancer cells were on the bottom and the fat cells were above them in separate compartments that kept the cells apart but forced them to share nutrients.

The results were shocking.
In their very first trans-well experiment, very few cancer cells survived.
The beige fat cells held sway over two different types of breast cancer cells, as well as colon, pancreatic and prostate cancer cells.

But the researchers still didn't know if the implanted beige fat cells would work in a more realistic context.
So, the scientists turned to fat organoids, which are coherent clumps of cells grown in a dish, to see if they could beat tumor cells when they were implanted next to tumors in mice.

The approach worked against breast cancer, as well as pancreatic and prostate cancer cells. The cancer cells starved as the fat cells gobbled up all the available nutrients.

The implanted beige fat cells were so powerful that they suppressed pancreatic and breast tumors in mice that were genetically predisposed to develop cancer. It even worked when the beige fat cells were implanted far away from the breast cancer cells.
When tested with removed cancer breasts, these same-patient beige fat cells outcompeted breast cancer cells in petri dishes—and when they were implanted together in mouse models.

Knowing that cancers have preferred diets, the researchers engineered fat just to eat certain nutrients. Certain forms of pancreatic cancer, for example, rely on uridine when glucose is scarce.

So, they programmed the fat to eat just uridine, and they easily outcompeted these pancreatic cancer cells. This suggests that fat could be adapted to any cancer's dietary preferences.
Fat cells have many advantages when it comes to living cell therapies.

Hai P. Nguyen et al, Implantation of engineered adipocytes suppresses tumor progression in cancer models, Nature Biotechnology (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41587-024-02551-2

Part 2

What is brown fat?

Juicing may harm your health in just 3 days, study finds

Think your juice cleanse is making you healthier? A new  study suggests it might be doing the opposite. The study, recently published in Nutrients, found that a vegetable and fruit juice-only diet—even for just three days—can trigger shifts in gut and oral bacteria linked to inflammation and cognitive decline.

Scientists studied three groups of healthy adults. One group consumed only juice, another had juice with whole foods and a third ate only whole plant-based foods. Scientists collected saliva, cheek swabs and stool samples before, during and after the diets to analyze bacterial changes using gene-sequencing techniques.

The juice-only group showed the most significant increase in bacteria associated with inflammation and gut permeability, while the plant-based whole food group saw more favorable microbial changes. The juice plus food group had some bacterial shifts but less severe than the juice-only group. These findings suggest that juicing without fiber may disrupt the microbiome, potentially leading to long-term health consequences.

Most people think of juicing as a healthy cleanse, but this study offers a reality check, say the researchers.

Consuming large amounts of juice with little fiber may lead to microbiome imbalances that could have negative consequences, such as inflammation and reduced gut health.

Fiber matters

Juicing strips away much of the fiber in whole fruits and vegetables, which feeds beneficial bacteria that produce anti-inflammatory compounds such as butyrate.

Without fiber, sugar-loving bacteria can multiply. The high sugar content in juice further fuels these harmful bacteria, disrupting the gut and oral microbiome. The study also suggests that reduced fiber intake may impact metabolism, immunity and even mental health.

Unlike the gut microbiota, which remained relatively stable, the oral microbiome showed dramatic changes during the juice-only diet. Scientists found a reduction in beneficial Firmicutes bacteria and an increase in Proteobacteria, a bacterial group associated with inflammation.

This highlights how quickly dietary choices can influence health-related bacterial populations. The oral microbiome appears to be a rapid barometer of dietary impact.

So don't just drink juices, eat whole fruits and vegetables, with their fibre intact.

Maria Luisa Savo Sardaro et al, Effects of Vegetable and Fruit Juicing on Gut and Oral Microbiome Composition, Nutrients (2025). DOI: 10.3390/nu17030458

Gray matter study uncovers two neuroanatomically different OCD subtypes

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder associated with persistent, intrusive thoughts (i.e., obsessions), accompanied by repetitive behaviors (i.e., compulsions) aimed at reducing the anxiety arising from obsessions. Past studies have showed that people diagnosed with OCD can present symptoms that vary significantly, as well as distinct brain abnormalities.

A team of researchers  recently carried out a study aimed at further exploring the well-documented differences among patients with OCD. Their findings, published in Translational Psychiatry, allowed them to identify two broad OCD subtypes, which are associated with different patterns in gray matter volumes and disease epicenters.

OCD is a highly heterogeneous disorder, with notable variations among cases in structural brain abnormalities.

The researchers recruited 100 individuals who had just been diagnosed with OCD for the first time and had not yet started treatment, along with 106 healthy individuals who received no psychiatric and medical diagnoses. They then used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to collect to collect structural imaging scans of all the participants' brains.

Utilizing normative models of gray matter volume, the researchers identified subtypes based on individual morphological abnormalities.

Subtype 1 displayed significantly increased gray matter volume in regions including the frontal gyrus, precuneus, insula, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, amygdala, and temporal gyrus, while subtype 2 exhibited decreased gray matter volume in the frontal gyrus, precuneus, insula, superior parietal gyrus, temporal gyrus, and fusiform gyrus," wrote the researchers in their paper. "When considering all patients collectively, structural brain abnormalities nullified."

Part 1

The two OCD subtypes uncovered by the researchers are characterized by distinct patterns in gray matter volumes within specific brain regions. People in subtype 1 presented more gray matter in brain areas supporting decision-making (e.g., the frontal gyrus) and emotional processing (i.e., the amygdala).

In contrast, those in subtype 2 were found to present lower gray matter volumes in areas linked to self-referential thinking (i.e., the precuneus) and cognitive function (i.e., the striatum).

Notably, the newly unveiled subtypes were also found to be associated with different disease epicenters and distinct links to neurotransmitter receptors in the brain. This essentially means that the brain regions and receptors most affected by or implicated in the disorder also differed significantly between the two subtypes.
Subtype 1 showed disease epicenters in the middle frontal gyrus, while subtype 2 displayed disease epicenters in the striatum, thalamus and hippocampus," wrote the researchers. "Furthermore, structural brain abnormalities in these subtypes displayed distinct associations with neurotransmitter receptors/transporters."

The findings of this recent study could help to partially explain the differences between patients diagnosed with OCD that have often been observed .

 Baohong Wen et al, Individualized gray matter morphological abnormalities unveil two neuroanatomical obsessive-compulsive disorder subtypes, Translational Psychiatry (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41398-025-03226-5

Part 2

Generally, things really do seem better in the morning, large study suggests

Generally, things really do seem better in the morning, with clear differences in self-reported mental health and well-being across the day, suggest the findings of a large study published in the open access journal BMJ Mental Health.

People generally wake up feeling in the best frame of mind in the morning, but in the worst around midnight, the findings indicate, with day of the week and season of the year also playing their part.

Mental health and well-being are dynamic in nature, and subject to change over both short and extended periods, note the researchers. But relatively few studies have looked at how these might change over the course of the day, and those studies that have, have included particular, or only small, groups.

The researchers therefore wanted to explore whether time of day was associated with variations in mental health (depressive and/or anxiety symptoms), happiness (hedonic well-being), life satisfaction, sense of life being worthwhile (eudemonic well-being) and loneliness (social well-being). They also wanted to find out if these associations varied by day, season, and year. They analyzed data from the University College London COVID-19 Social Study, which began in March 2020, and involved regular monitoring until November 2021, and then additional monitoring up to March 2022.

All studied aspects were measured via questionnaires using validated assessment tools or through single direct questions.

Analysis of the data revealed a clear pattern in self-reported mental health and well-being across the day, with people generally waking up in the morning feeling best—lowest depressive/anxiety symptoms and loneliness and highest happiness, life satisfaction, and worthwhile ratings—and feeling worst around midnight.

The influence of day of the week was less clear-cut, with more variation in mental health and well-being during weekends than on weekdays.

Happiness, life satisfaction, and worthwhile ratings were all higher on Mondays and Fridays than on Sundays, and happiness was also higher on Tuesdays. But there was no evidence that loneliness differed across days of the week.

There was clear evidence of a seasonal influence on mood, however. Compared with winter, people tended to have lower levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms and loneliness, and higher levels of happiness, life satisfaction, and feeling that life was worthwhile in other seasons.

And mental health was best in the summer across all outcomes. But the season didn't affect the associations observed across the day, however.

Mental health and well-being also steadily improved from 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is an observational study, and as such, can't establish cause. 

Will things feel better in the morning? A time-of-day analysis of mental health and wellbeing from nearly 1 million observations, BMJ Mental Health (2025). DOI: 10.1136/bmjment-2024-301418

**

Kids use different math skills at work vs. school, India study shows

In India, many kids who work in retail markets have good math skills. They can quickly perform a range of calculations to complete transactions. But as a new study shows, these kids often perform much worse on the same kinds of problems as they are taught in the classroom. This happens even though many of these students still attend school or attended school through 7th or 8th grades.

Conversely, the study also finds, Indian students who are still enrolled in school and don't have jobs do better on school-type math problems, but they often fare poorly at the kinds of problems that occur in marketplaces.

Overall, both the "market kids" and the "school kids" struggle with the approach the other group is proficient in, raising questions about how to help both groups learn math more comprehensively.

For the school kids, they do worse when you go from an abstract problem to a concrete problem. For the market kids, it's the opposite.

Indeed, the kids with jobs who are also in school "underperform despite being extraordinarily good at mental math".

The paper, "Children's arithmetic skills do not transfer between applied and ac...," is published in Nature.

So why might the performance of the nonworking students decline when given a problem in market conditions?

"They learned an algorithm but didn't understand it!"

Meanwhile, the market kids seemed to use certain tactics to handle retail transactions. For one thing, they appear to use rounding well. Take a problem like 43 times 11. To handle that intuitively, you might multiply 43 times 10, and then add 43, for the final answer of 473. This appears to be what they are doing.

The market kids are able to exploit base 10, so they do better on base 10 problems.

The school kids have no idea. It makes no difference to them. The market kids may have additional tricks of this sort.

 On the other hand, the school kids had a better grasp of formal written methods of division, subtraction, and more.

Finding a way to cross the divide between informal and formal ways of tackling math problems, then, could notably help some Indian children.

The fact that such a divide exists, meanwhile, suggests some new approaches could be tried in the classroom, say the researchers.These findings highlight the importance of educational curricula that bridge the gap between intuitive and formal mathematics.

Now I know why I  get confused with calculations when I visit the markets.

Esther Duflo, Children's arithmetic skills do not transfer between applied and academic mathematics, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08502-w. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08502-w

Compact camera can identify objects at the speed of light

Researchers recently  have produced some eye-popping research, including shrinking a camera down to the size of a grain of salt while still capturing crisp, clear images.

Building on this work they, published a paper in Science Advances that describes a new kind of compact camera engineered for computer vision—a type of artificial intelligence that allows computers to recognize objects in images and video.

Their research prototype uses optics for computing, significantly reducing power consumption and enabling the camera to identify objects at the speed of light. Their device also represents a new approach to the field of computer vision.

Instead of using a traditional camera lens made out of glass or plastic, the optics in this camera relies on layers of 50 meta-lenses—flat, lightweight optical components that use microscopic nanostructures to manipulate light. The meta-lenses also function as an optical neural network, which is a computer system that is a form of artificial intelligence modeled on the human brain.

This unique approach has a couple of key advantages. First, it's fast. Because much of the computation takes place at the speed of light, the system can identify and classify images more than 200 times faster than neural networks that use conventional computer hardware, and with comparable accuracy. Second, because the optics in the camera rely on incoming light to operate, rather than electricity, the power consumption is greatly reduced.

Top climate scientists declare 2C climate goal 'dead'

Pathetic! The world is failing to recognize this catastrophe, acting on the warning of climate scientists and stopping it. 

Holding long-term global warming to two degrees Celsius—the fallback target of the Paris climate accord—is now "impossible," according to a stark new analysis published by leading scientists.

Led by renowned climatologist James Hansen, the paper appears in the journal Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development and concludes that Earth's climate is more sensitive to rising green house gas emissions than previously thought.

Compounding the crisis, Hansen and colleagues argued, is a recent decline in sunlight-blocking aerosol pollution from the shipping industry, which had been mitigating some of the warming.

An ambitious climate change scenario outlined by the UN's climate panel, which gives the planet a 50 percent chance of keeping warming under 2C by the year 2100, "is an implausible scenario," the scientists say.

"That scenario is now impossible, the two degree target is dead."

Instead, the scientists argued, the amount of greenhouse gases already pumped into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels meant increased warming is now guaranteed.

Temperatures will stay at or above 1.5C in the coming years—devastating coral reefs and fueling more intense storms—before rising to around 2.0C by 2045, they forecast.

They estimated polar ice melt and freshwater injection into the North Atlantic will trigger the shutdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) within the next 20-30 years.

The current brings warmth to various parts of the globe and also carries nutrients necessary to sustain ocean life.

Its end "will lock in major problems including sea level rise of several meters—thus, we describe AMOC shutdown as the 'point of no return,'" the scientists argued in their paper.

The world's nations agreed during the landmark Paris climate accord of 2015 to try to hold end-of-century warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

Scientists identified the threshold as critical to preventing the breakdown of major ocean circulation systems, the abrupt thawing of boreal permafrost, and the collapse of tropical coral reefs.

The 1.5C target has already been breached over the past two years, according to data from the EU's climate monitoring system Copernicus, though the Paris Agreement referred to a long-term trend over decades.

At 2C, the impacts would be even greater, including irreversible loss to Earth's ice sheets, mountain glaciers and snow, sea ice and permafrost.

The authors acknowledged the findings appeared grim, but argued that honesty is a necessary ingredient for change.

Failure to be realistic in climate assessment and failure to call out the fecklessness of current policies to stem global warming is not helpful to young people," they said.

But is the world listening?

James E. Hansen et al, Global Warming Has Accelerated: Are the United Nations and the Public Well-Informed?, Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development (2025). DOI: 10.1080/00139157.2025.2434494

Electric vehicle batteries can last almost 40% longer in the real world than in lab tests

When we see "tested under laboratory conditions," we often assume real-world conditions will lead to faster degradation of a product.

But experts from Stanford University have found the opposite is true for electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Their new research shows traditional laboratory testing leads to faster degradation, while real-world use gives substantially more battery life, extending the lifespan of the entire EV. Researchers found the stop-start way we drive and the variable rate the battery discharges power actually prolongs battery life by up to 38% compared to traditional tests.

This is good news for EV drivers—and for efforts to electrify transport. This extra battery life would translate to more than 300,000 more kilometers an EV could drive before needing battery replacement, the researchers say.

Longer-lasting batteries would reduce the total cost of EV ownership—and benefit the environment by getting more use out of each battery.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-024-01675-8

AI bias shapes everything from hiring to health care

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Google's Gemini and Microsoft's Copilot are transforming industries at a rapid pace. However, as these large language models become less expensive and more widely used for critical decision-making, their built-in biases can distort outcomes and erode public trust.

Researchers published a study emphasizing the urgent need to address bias by developing and deploying ethical, explainable AI. This includes methods and policies that ensure fairness and transparency and reduce stereotypes and discrimination in LLM applications.

Xiahua Wei et al, Addressing bias in generative AI: Challenges and research opportunities in information management, Information & Management (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.im.2025.104103

Why antibiotics can fail even against non-resistant bacteria

Antibiotics are indispensable for treating bacterial infections. But why are they sometimes ineffective, even when the bacteria are not resistant? In their latest study published in the journal Nature, researchers challenge the conventional view that a small subset of particularly resilient bacteria are responsible for the failure of antibiotic therapies.

In certain infectious diseases caused by bacteria, antibiotics are less effective than expected. One example is infections caused by Salmonella bacteria, which can lead to illnesses such as typhoid fever. For many years, researchers believed that a small subset of dormant bacteria was the main problem in fighting infections.

These so-called persisters can survive antibiotic treatment and cause relapses later. Researchers worldwide have been working on new therapies aimed at targeting and eliminating these "sleeping" bacteria.

In a new study,  scientists challenge the prevailing concept that persisters are the cause of antibiotic ineffectiveness.

Contrary to widespread belief, antibiotic failure is not caused by a small subset of persisters. In fact, the majority of Salmonella in infected tissues are difficult to kill. Scientists have been able to demonstrate that standard laboratory tests of antimicrobial clearance produce misleading results, giving a false impression of a small group of particularly resilient persisters.

Nutrient starvation increases Salmonella resilience

The researchers investigated antimicrobial clearance in both Salmonella-infected mice and tissue-mimicking laboratory models. The body's defense mechanisms against bacteria often include reducing the availability of nutrients. The researchers have now revealed that, in fact, this nutrient starvation is the main reason for Salmonella bacteria surviving treatments with antibiotics. The researchers assume that the same applies to other bacterial pathogens.

Under nutrient-scarce conditions, bacteria grow very slowly. This may seem good at first, but it is actually a problem because most antibiotics only gradually kill slowly growing bacteria. As a result, the drugs are much less effective, and relapses can occur even after prolonged therapy.

The scientists used an innovative method to monitor antibiotic action in single bacteria in real time. They demonstrated that nearly the entire Salmonella population survives antibiotic treatment for extended periods, not just a small subset of hyper-resilient persisters.

Joseph Fanous et al, Limited impact of Salmonella stress and persisters on antibiotic clearance, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08506-6. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08506-6