Maternal acetaminophen (paracetamol) use may alter placental gene expression, raising ADHD risk in children

Maternal acetaminophen exposure during pregnancy is associated with a higher likelihood of childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a new study.

Researchers analyzed plasma biomarkers of acetaminophen (APAP) exposure in a cohort of 307 African American mother-child pairs. Detection of APAP in second-trimester maternal blood samples correlated with increased odds of ADHD diagnosis in children by age 8–10.

Acetaminophen (also called paracetamol) is widely used during pregnancy, with an estimated 41–70% of pregnant individuals in the United States, Europe, and Asia reporting its use. Despite its classification as a low-risk medication by regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency, accumulating evidence suggests a potential link between prenatal APAP exposure and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, including ADHD and autism spectrum disorder.

Researchers utilized untargeted metabolomics to identify APAP metabolites in second-trimester maternal plasma samples and examined their relationship with childhood ADHD diagnoses and placental gene expression.

APAP metabolites were detected in 20.2% of maternal plasma samples. Children whose mothers had APAP biomarkers present in their plasma had a 3.15 times higher likelihood of an ADHD diagnosis (95% confidence interval: 1.20 to 8.29) compared with those without detected exposure.

The association was stronger among females than males, with female children of APAP-exposed mothers showing a 6.16 times higher likelihood of ADHD (95% confidence interval: 1.58 to 24.05), while the association was weaker and nonsignificant in males.

Placental gene expression analysis of a subset of 174 participants indicated sex-specific transcriptional changes. In females, APAP exposure was associated with upregulation of immune-related pathways, including increased expression of immunoglobulin heavy constant gamma 1 (IGHG1).

Increased IGHG1 expression was statistically linked to ADHD diagnoses, with mediation analysis suggesting that APAP's effect on ADHD was partly mediated through this gene's placental expression.

Oxidative phosphorylation pathways were downregulated in both sexes, a pattern previously associated with neurodevelopmental impairment.

Findings align with prior epidemiological studies and experimental animal research linking prenatal APAP exposure to neurodevelopmental disruptions. The current study eliminated the bias concerns raised in previous studies where APAP use was self-reported by using objective biomarker measurements.

 Brennan H. Baker et al, Associations of maternal blood biomarkers of prenatal APAP exposure with placental gene expression and child attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Nature Mental Health (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s44220-025-00387-6

Dangerous bacteria lurk in hospital sink drains, despite rigorous cleaning, study reveals

We hope to be cured when we stay in hospital. But too often, we acquire new infections there. Such "health-care-associated infections" (HAI) are a growing problem worldwide, taking up an estimated 6% of global hospital budgets.

Patients with lowered immune defenses, and in some hospitals, poor adherence to hygiene protocols, allow HAIs to thrive. Furthermore, antibiotics are widely used in hospitals, which tends to select for hardy, resistant strains of bacteria. When such resistance genes lie on mobile genetic elements, they can even jump between bacterial species, potentially leading to novel diseases.

Researchers now have shown that hospital sink drains host bacterial populations that change over time, despite impeccable cleaning protocols.

 These results highlight that controlling bacterial growth in drains, and preventing colonization by new strains of such hard-to-disinfect niches, is likely a global problem.

Sinks and their drains are routinely cleaned with bleach, as well as disinfected with chemicals and pressurized steam every fortnight, or every month in non-patient areas. Once a year, drainpipes are hyperchlorinated at low temperature.

Despite this, the authors of this study identified a total of 67 different species from the drains. The diversity in most drains went up and down over time with no clear pattern—seasonal or otherwise. The greatest diversity occurred in general medicine and intensive care, while the fewest isolates were found in the microbiology laboratory.

Dominant across wards were six Stenotrophomonas species as well as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a pathogen known to cause ventilator-associated pneumonia and sepsis, and characterized by the WHO as one of the greatest threats to humans in terms of antibiotic resistance. At least 16 other Pseudomonas species were also found at various times and in various wards.

Other notorious hospital-associated pathogens found repeatedly were Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter johnsonii and Acinetobacter ursingii , Enterobacter mori and Enterobacter quasiroggenkampii  and Staphylococcus aureus .

The bacteria the researchers found may originate from many sources, from patients, medical personnel, and even the environment surrounding the hospital. Once established in sink drains, they can spread outwards, posing significant risks to immunocompromised patients above all.

 Yearlong analysis of bacterial diversity in hospital sink drains: culturomics, antibiotic resistance and implications for infection control, Frontiers in Microbiology (2025). DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1501170

How Earth got its ice caps

The cool conditions which have allowed ice caps to form on Earth are rare events in the planet's history and require many complex processes working at once, according to new research.

A team of scientists investigated why Earth has existed in what is known as a "greenhouse" state without ice caps for much of its history, and why the conditions we are living in now are so rare.

They found that Earth's current ice-covered state is not typical for the planet's history and was only achieved through a strange  coincidence.

Many ideas have previously been proposed to explain the known cold intervals in Earth's history. These include decreased CO₂ emissions from volcanoes, or increased carbon storage by forests, or the reaction of CO₂ with certain types of rocks.

The researchers undertook the first ever combined test of all of these cooling processes in a new type of long-term 3D model of the Earth.

 

This type of "Earth Evolution Model" has only recently been made possible through advances in computing.

They concluded that no single process could drive these cold climates, and that the cooling in fact required the combined effects of several processes at once. The results of their study were published 14 February 2025 in Science Advances.

The reason we live on an Earth with ice caps—rather than an ice-free planet—is due to a coincidental combination of very low rates of global volcanism, and highly dispersed continents with big mountains, which allow for lots of global rainfall and therefore amplify reactions that remove carbon from the atmosphere.

The important implication here is that the Earth's natural climate regulation mechanism appears to favor a warm and high-CO₂ world with no ice caps, not the partially glaciated and low-CO₂ world we have today.

This general tendency towards a warm climate has helped prevent devastating 'snowball Earth' global glaciations, which have only occurred very rarely and have therefore helped life to continue to prosper.

There is an important message, which is that we should not expect the Earth to always return to a cold state as it was in the pre-industrial age.

Earth's current ice-covered state is not typical for the planet's history, but our current global society relies on it. We should do everything we can to preserve it, and we should be careful with assumptions that cold climates will return if we drive excessive warming before stopping emissions. Over its long history, the Earth likes it hot, but our human society does not, say the researchers.

Andrew Merdith, Phanerozoic icehouse climates as the result of multiple solid-Earth cooling mechanisms, Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm9798. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adm9798

Inconsistent reporting by companies leads to underestimation of methane's climate impact, study finds

Companies around the world are underestimating their total greenhouse gas footprints because of inconsistent accounting standards for methane emissions, finds a new study by researchers.

 The new study, published in Nature Communications, found that methane emissions are being underreported by at least the equivalent of between 170 million and 3.3 billion tons of carbon over a decade, depending on the metric used in calculating the shortfall.

This means that each year, on average, companies around the world have potentially underestimated their carbon footprint by as much in total as the annual carbon emissions of the UK in 2022. This represents a significant methane emissions gap that could cost between $1.6 billion (£1.3 billion) and $40 billion (£32 billion) to fix.

The cumulative emission gap the researchers have documented in this work shows how important it is to standardize the reporting of methane emissions. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and the first step towards properly addressing its effect on climate is to make sure that it's accounted for properly.

Adopting a global standard is in principle easy for companies as it essentially only requires the adjustment of a few conversion factors when calculating their greenhouse gas footprint. However, it requires global coordination as companies are currently often subject to fragmented regulations.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming at levels comparable to carbon dioxide. Though methane is emitted in much smaller quantities than carbon dioxide, it's more efficient at trapping heat in the atmosphere. However, methane is also short-lived in the atmosphere, with a half-life of only about 10 years versus 120 years for carbon dioxide.

How much total heat a greenhouse gas traps is called its Global Warming Potential (GWP) and measured in CO₂ equivalent units, or the amount of carbon dioxide gas that would cause the same amount of warming. Because of methane's short lifespan, the conversion to CO₂ is not straightforward and debate persists about how best to represent it in terms of carbon dioxide.

If methane's impact is calculated over 20 years (GWP-20), it's about 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide because that's the timeframe before most of it has dissipated. However, gauged over 100 years (GWP-100) more of the methane has broken down so it's only about 28 times as potent.

For companies estimating and reporting their greenhouse gas footprint, this lack of harmonization can cause confusion and inaccuracies, as there's no legally binding guidance or consensus for which standard to use.

The authors note that even with their suggested corrections, total methane emissions are still being underestimated, as their calculations only focused on emissions directly produced by the companies they analyzed. Other downstream emissions, such as that which come from sold products, were not included, and are likely significant contributors as well, particularly in the energy sector.

Simone Cenci et al, Lack of harmonisation of greenhouse gases reporting standards and the methane emissions gap, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56845-3

Microplastics Can Block Blood Flow in The Brain

With microplastics now permeating our food and our bodies, researchers are keen to assess the potential damage these tiny fragments could be doing. A new study shows how plastics may lead to dangerous blood flow blockages in the brain. The study involved tracking microplastics in blood vessels moving through mouse brains in real time – the first time microplastic movement has been tracked in this way.
Using high-resolution laser-based imaging techniques, the researchers found microplastic-laden immune cells becoming lodged inside blood vessels in the cortex area of the brain.
"The data reveal a mechanism by which microplastics disrupt tissue function indirectly through regulation of cell obstruction and interference with local blood circulation, rather than direct tissue penetration," write the researchers in their published paper.
This revelation offers a lens through which to comprehend the toxicological implications of microplastics that invade the bloodstream.
The researchers found some similarities between the blockages here and blood clots, while also looking at the subsequent impact on mouse behavior. Mice with microplastics in their blood performed less well than their plastic-free peers on movement, memory, and coordination tests, pointing to impaired brain function.

Microplastics are defined as plastic fragments less than 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) in diameter. As you might expect, the smaller specks of plastic were found to be less likely to cause blockages than larger ones.
While the microplastic blockages were cleared up over the course of a month, and most cognitive behaviors in the mice returned to normal, the researchers suggest there could be links here to neurological problems like depression and anxiety, as well as an increased risk of strokes and cardiovascular disease.

"These findings indicate that mice display multifaceted abnormalities in neurobehavioral regulation, resembling depressive states associated with disrupted cerebral blood flow," write the researchers.
While it's not certain that the same processes are happening in human brains – there are significant differences in terms of immune systems and blood vessel sizes – mice are biologically similar enough to us as a species to make this a real concern.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr8243

Scientists Just Achieved a Major Milestone in Creating Synthetic Life

After more than a decade of work, researchers have reached a major milestone in their efforts to re-engineer life in the lab, putting together the final chromosome in a synthetic yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) genome. The researchers chose yeast as a way to demonstrate the potential for producing foodstuffs that could survive the rigors of a changing climate or widespread disease.

It's the first time a synthetic eukaryotic genome has been constructed in full, following on from successes with simpler bacteria organisms. It's a proof-of-concept for how more complex organisms, like food crops, could be synthesized by scientists.
This doesn't mean we can start growing completely artificial yeast from scratch, but it does mean living yeast cells can potentially be entirely recoded – though lots more work is required to get this process refined and scaled up before that can happen.
And the coding analogy is a good one, because the researchers had to spend plenty of time and effort debugging the 16th and final synthetic yeast chromosome (called SynXVI) before the genome functioned as desired.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-55318-3

Trees can cool cities, but only with a little help

Because trees can cool cities by providing shade and evaporating water into the atmosphere, greening city streets is an often-touted strategy for climate change adaptation. But trees provide benefits only if they're healthy, and physical variations in urban environments mean that not all trees have the same chance to thrive.

In an article published in AGU Advances, 

researchers told their story of setting trees up  for identifying cityscape features for success and that may cause them to struggle.

The researchers used data from the ECOSTRESS sensor aboard the International Space Station to map the summer afternoon canopy temperatures. Then they applied machine learning to assess the relationship between these temperatures and various environmental factors, including proximity to water, urbanization, traffic exposure, and surrounding land cover.

They found that proximity to blue and green spaces (areas with water or vegetation) improved tree health, whereas trees in areas with a lot of built structures and impervious surfaces fared worse.

Using this analysis, the researchers created and calculated the combined urban tree index (CUTI)—a metric that considers the fraction of land covered by tree canopy along with the temperature and health of the canopy—to determine how much an area benefits from its trees. The CUTI scale ranges from 0 to 1, with 0 meaning no benefit and 1 meaning maximum benefit.

In urban areas where the surroundings will likely cause trees to do poorly, city managers will need to plant more trees and attend to them more carefully than in areas where trees thrive naturally, the authors concluded.

Jean V. Wilkening et al, Canopy Temperature Reveals Disparities in Urban Tree Benefits, AGU Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1029/2024AV001438

How is gold formed?
The simple answer here is that we are not certain. However, scientists have some ideas.

Gold, like all elements, formed through high energy reactions that occurred in various cosmic and space environments some 13 billion years ago, when the universe started to form.

However, gold deposits—or the concentration of gold in large volumes within rock formations—are believed to occur through various processes, explained by two theories.

The first theory—described by geologist Richard J. Goldfarb—argues that large amounts of gold were deposited in certain areas when continents were expanding and changing shape, around 3 billion years ago. This happened when smaller landmasses, or islands, collided and stuck to larger continents, a process called accretionary tectonics. During these collisions, mineral-rich fluids moved through the Earth's crust, depositing gold in certain areas.

A newer, complementary theory by planetary scientist Andrew Tomkins explains the formation of some much younger gold deposits during the Phanerozoic period (approximately 650 million years ago). It suggests that as the Earth's oceans became richer in oxygen during the Phanerozoic period, gold got trapped within another mineral known as pyrite (often called fool's gold) as microscopic particles. Later, geological processes—like continental growth (accretion) and heat or pressure changes (metamorphism) released this gold—forming deposits that could be mined.

AI on aircraft can reduce risk of mid-air stalls and sudden drops, study shows

Artificial intelligence aboard aircraft could help prevent terrifying drops in altitude. In a new study, an international research team successfully tested a machine learning system for preventing trouble with turbulence. The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.

Researchers conducted tests on an AI system designed to enhance the effectiveness of experimental technologies for manipulating airflow on wing surfaces. The results indicate that these innovations work better when paired with deep reinforcement learning (DLR), in which the program adapts to airflow dynamics based on previously learned experiences.

The AI control system zeroes in on one particularly dangerous aerodynamic phenomenon known as flow detachment, or turbulent separation bubbles. 

Flow detachment is as serious as it sounds. To stay aloft, airplanes need slow moving air underneath the wing, and fast moving air above it. The air moving over the wing surface needs to follow the wing shape, or "attach," to the surface. When the air moving over the wing's surface no longer follows the wing shape and instead breaks away, it creates a dangerous swirling or stalled airflow.

This usually occurs when the wing is at a high angle of attack, or when the air slows down due to increasing pressure. When this happens, lift decreases, and drag increases, which can lead to a stall and make the aircraft harder to control.

Part 1

The researchers report that they can reduce these bubbles by 9%.

The team tested how effectively AI could control experimental devices that pulse air in and out of a small opening in the wing surface, known as synthetic jets. While such innovations are still in the experimental stage, aerospace engineers look at them to complement physical features such as vortex generators that planes rely on to maintain the right balance of airflow above and below the wings.

Up to this point, the prevailing wisdom has been that these bursts should occur at regular periodic intervals. However, the study shows that periodic activation only reduces turbulence separation bubbles by 6.8%.

This study highlights how important AI is for scientific innovation. It offers exciting implications for aerodynamics, energy efficiency and next-generation computational fluid dynamics.

Bernat Font et al, Deep reinforcement learning for active flow control in a turbulent separation bubble, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56408-6

Part 2

Sudden vision loss in children: Study  points to a novel retinal disorder

A multicenter study led by researchers from the  Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology  has characterized a distinct retinal disorder in children following high fever illness. The study describes hyperacute outer retinal dysfunction (HORD), a condition marked by sudden bilateral vision loss, photoreceptor disruption, and variable recovery.

Eight pediatric patients between the ages of 3 and 7 experienced severe, sudden-onset vision loss approximately two weeks after a febrile illness. Despite initial poor visual acuity, most showed significant central vision recovery over one year. Comprehensive retinal imaging revealed characteristic ellipsoid zone (EZ) and external limiting membrane (ELM) disruptions. Electroretinography (ERG) findings demonstrated extinguished cone and rod responses, even in cases where vision improved.

In the study, "Hyperacute Outer Retinal Dysfunction," published in JAMA Ophthalmology, researchers examined eight children (16 eyes) referred to pediatric retina services in China. Patients had no prior history of visual impairment and underwent thorough ophthalmic and systemic evaluations. Exclusion criteria included inherited retinal disease, uveitis, and white dot syndromes.

Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was assessed at baseline and during follow-up. Multimodal imaging included color fundus photography, ultra-widefield imaging, optical coherence tomography (OCT), fluorescence angiography, fundus autofluorescence, and electroretinography. Genetic and serological testing was conducted to rule out inherited and autoimmune retinal diseases. Patients received varying immunosuppressive treatments, including corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin and methotrexate.

Initial symptoms included severe bilateral vision loss, nyctalopia, visual field constriction, and dyschromatopsia. At presentation, the patient's mean visual acuity was below the ability to count fingers correctly. OCT imaging showed diffuse EZ and ELM loss, while early fundus findings were largely unremarkable.

By the fourth week, signs of macular recovery appeared. At one year, 88% (7 of 8 patients) achieved visual acuity of 20/40 or better, with 50% (4 of 8) reaching 20/25 or better. Macular EZ and ELM appeared intact in 75% and 88% of eyes, respectively, though extrafoveal regions remained affected. ERG continued to show extinguished rod and cone responses despite visual improvement.

Systemic evaluations were unremarkable. No infectious or autoimmune triggers were identified, although two patients tested positive for specific antiretinal antibodies (antiPKC γ and antiRi). Treatment with corticosteroids and IVIG was initiated in most patients, though a definitive therapeutic effect of treatment remained unclear from the study.

Part 1

A commentary by Timothy Boyce and Ian Han at the University of Iowa, "Hyperacute Outer Retinal Dysfunction—A Retina on Fire," also published in JAMA Ophthalmology, suggests that HORD may represent a novel inflammatory-mediated retinal disorder.

The authors propose similarities with autoimmune encephalitis, suggesting a possible antibody-mediated mechanism. Early OCT findings, including vitritis, vascular sheathing, and intraretinal hyperreflective dots, point to acute inflammation as a potential driver of retinal damage.

Yizhe Cheng et al, Hyperacute Outer Retinal Dysfunction, JAMA Ophthalmology (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2024.6372

Timothy M. Boyce et al, Hyperacute Outer Retinal Dysfunction—A Retina on Fire, JAMA Ophthalmology (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2024.6488

Part 2

Biologists transform gut bacteria into tiny protein pharmacies

Hundreds of different species of microbes live in your gut. In the future, one of these might serve a new function: microscopic in-house pharmacist.

A new study published Feb. 18 in Nature Biotechnology shows how  gut bacteria can be directed to produce and release proteins within the lower gastrointestinal tract—eliminating a major roadblock to delivering drugs to that part of the body.

Oral medication is the most common and practical means of drug administration, but the stomach doesn't let much pass through unscathed. This is good when it comes to things like foodborne pathogens, but gut-focused therapies are regularly deactivated and flushed out.

In an unprecedented workaround, biologists engineered bacteria-eating viruses called phages to infect and reprogram bacterial cells to produce and release a sustained flow of a protein-based drug. Collaborating with immunologists they showed that this approach can be used to potentially treat chronic diseases.

Bacteriophages (phages for short) are viruses that naturally infect bacteria. Phages are harder to classify than bacteria and therefore less understood, but we do know how they attack bacteria.

After attaching to a bacterial cell, phages inject their own DNA and reprogram the cell so that it manufactures more phages—agents of the cell's own destruction. When the bacterial cell eventually succumbs, it explodes into a flood of new phages in a process called lysis. Millions of these events happening simultaneously produce a constant supply of a targeted protein inside the lower intestine.

Even though phages act (and look) like spider aliens, they are regular players on the gut-microbiome home team. 

So Biologists  engineered special phages that inject a little extra genetic material into the bacterial cell.

In addition to making a flurry of new phages, the instructions prompt the cell to produce a tagalong protein that can lend itself to targeted therapies inside the lower intestines.

Engineered proteins reduced inflammation and obesity in mice.

Nature Biotechnology (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41587-025-02570-7. www.nature.com/articles/s41587-025-02570-7

Burning plastic for cooking and heating: An emerging environmental crisis

A new research paper  "The Use of Plastic as a Household Fuel among the Urban Poor in the Global South" published in Nature Cities, has called for action to reduce the burning of plastics for heating and cooking, a common yet hazardous practice emerging in millions of households in developing nations due to a lack of traditional energy sources.

Researchers investigated the energy consumption of developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, finding many were unable to afford clean fuels such as gas or electricity.

The team also found urban sprawl had made traditional fuels such as wood and charcoal difficult to find, while a lack of waste management meant plastic waste was in abundance.

Burning plastic releases harmful chemicals such as dioxins, furans and heavy metals into the air, which can have a range of health and welfare impacts such as lung diseases, the researchers point out.

These risks are particularly pronounced among women and children, as they spend more time at home.

But the pollution doesn't just stay in households who burn it: it spreads across neighborhoods and cities, affecting everyone.

The issue may affect millions of people who bear the burden of acute inequality in cities and could potentially have a bigger impact as plastic use increases and cities grow.

And many governments are not addressing the issue effectively because it's usually concentrated in areas such as slums, which are often neglected.

Possible ways to address the problem include subsidies for cleaner fuels to make them affordable for poorer families, better waste management to prevent plastic from piling up in slum areas, education campaigns to inform communities about the dangers of burning plastic and alternative low-cost, innovative cooking solutions tailored to lower-income areas, say the experts.

Bishal Bharadwaj et al, The use of plastic as a household fuel among the urban poor in the Global South, Nature Cities (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s44284-025-00201-5

What makes us remember our dreams? How sleep patterns and mindset shape recall

Some people wake up vividly recalling their dreams from the night, and can tell precise stories experienced during the night, while others struggle to remember even a single detail. Why does this happen? A new study, conducted by researchers  and published in Communications Psychology explores the factors that influence so-called "dream recall"—the ability to remember dreams upon awakening—and uncovers which individual traits and sleep patterns shape this phenomenon.

The reason why there is such a difference in recalling dreams remains a mystery. Some studies found that women, young persons, or people with a tendency to daydream, tend to better recall night dreams. But other studies did not confirm these findings.

Other hypotheses, such as that personality traits or cognitive abilities count, received even less support from data. During the recent COVID pandemic, the phenomenon of individual differences in morning dream recall attracted renewed public and scientific attention when an abrupt surge in morning dream recall was reported worldwide.

The new research was conducted in the years from 2020 to 2024, and involved over 200 participants, aged 18 to 70, who recorded their dreams daily for 15 days while their sleep and cognitive data were tracked using wearable devices and psychometric tests.

Each study participant was given a voice recorder to report, every day right after the awakening, about the experiences they had during sleep. Participants had to report whether they remembered having dreamed or not, if they had the impression of having dreamed but did not remember anything about the experience, and to describe the content of the dream if they were able to remember it.

For the duration of the study, participants also wore an actigraph, a sleep monitoring wristwatch that detects sleep duration, efficiency, and disturbances. At the beginning and end of the dream recording period, participants were subjected to psychological tests and questionnaires that measure various factors, from anxiety levels to interest in dreams, proneness to mind-wandering (the tendency to frequently shift attention away from the task at hand toward unrelated thoughts, or internal reflections), up to memory and selective attention tests.

part 1

Dream recall, defined as the probability of waking up in the morning with impressions and memories from a dream experience, showed considerable variability between individuals and was influenced by multiple factors. The study revealed that people with a positive attitude toward dreams and a tendency for mind-wandering were significantly more likely to recall their dreams. Sleep patterns also seemed to play a critical role: individuals who experienced longer periods of light sleep had a greater likelihood of waking with a memory of their dreams.
Younger participants showed higher rates of dream recall, while older individuals often experienced "white dreams" (a sensation of having dreamed without recalling any details). This suggests age-related changes in memory processes during sleep. Moreover, seasonal variations emerged, with participants reporting lower dream recall during winter compared to spring, hinting at the potential influence of environmental or circadian factors.
The findings suggest that dream recall is not just a matter of chance but a reflection of how personal attitudes, cognitive traits, and sleep dynamics interact.

The individual determinants of morning dream recall, Communications Psychology (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s44271-025-00191-z

Part 2

Scientists decode diet from stool DNA

You can cheat your strict and disciplined parents or partner, you can lie to your doctor or people who make surveys but you cannot escape from scientists!

Scientists have developed a breakthrough method to track diet using stool metagenomic data.

Developed by researchers at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB), the new method, called MEDI (Metagenomic Estimation of Dietary Intake), detects food-derived DNA in stool samples to estimate dietary intake. MEDI leverages stool metagenomics, which refers to sequencing all the DNA present in fecal samples (including microbial, human, and food-derived DNA). This non-invasive, data-driven approach offers an objective alternative to traditional food diaries and questionnaires, which are still the gold standard in dietary assessment but can suffer from misreporting and compliance issues.

 Metagenomic estimation of dietary intake from human stool, Nature Metabolism (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s42255-025-01220-1

Using CRISPR to remove extra chromosomes in Down syndrome

Gene editing techniques may eventually allow trisomy to be treated at the cellular level, according to an in vitro proof-of-concept study.

Down syndrome is caused by the presence of a third copy of the 21st chromosome. The condition occurs in approximately 1 in 700 live births and is relatively easy to diagnose at early stages of development. However, there are no treatments.

Researchers used the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system to cleave the third chromosome in previously generated trisomy 21 cell lines derived from both pluripotent cells and skin fibroblasts. The technique is able to identify which chromosome has been duplicated, which is necessary to ensure the cell does not end up with two identical copies after removal, but instead has one from each parent. 

The study is published in the journal PNAS Nexus.

The researchers were able to remove duplicate chromosomes from both induced pluripotent stem cells and fibroblasts. Suppressing chromosomal DNA repair ability increased the rate of duplicate chromosome elimination.

The authors show that the chromosomal rescue reversibly restores both gene expression and cellular phenotypes. The approach is not yet ready for in vivo application, however, in part because the current technique can also change the retained chromosomes.

Similar approaches could eventually be used in neurons and glial cells and form the basis of novel medical interventions for people with Down syndrome, say the researchers.

Ryotaro Hashizume et al, Trisomic rescue via allele-specific multiple chromosome cleavage using CRISPR-Cas9 in trisomy 21 cells, PNAS Nexus (2025). DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf022

Swimming in some lakes can lead to infection with Legionella, warn scientists

Swimming in some lakes with still water can lead to infection with Legionella, bacteria that can cause pneumonia, and people who engage in open water swimming should be aware of this risk, say the authors of a practice article published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Legionella infection represents a public health hazard owing to its ability to spread through exposure to natural water bodies and human-made water reservoirs.

Legionella infection is an atypical cause of community-acquired pneumonia. Referred to as legionnaires' disease, it presents with fever, fatigue, respiratory symptoms, and sometimes diarrhea. Legionella bacteria thrive in the warm, stagnant water in plumbing systems, air conditioners, public spas, and even lakes and rivers.

Risk factors for legionnaires' disease include age older than 50 years, smoking history, chronic cardiovascular or kidney disease, diabetes, and a compromised immune system.

 Legionnaires' disease following lake swimming in Iowa, Canadian Medical Association Journal (2025). DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.241086. www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.241086

Stomach cancers make electrical connections with the nervous system to fuel spread, study finds

Researchers have discovered that stomach cancers make electrical connections with nearby sensory nerves and use these malignant circuits to stimulate the cancer's growth and spread.

It is the first time that electrical contacts between nerves and a cancer outside the brain have been found, raising the possibility that many other cancers progress by making similar connections.

Many cancers exploit nearby neurons to fuel their growth, but outside of cancers in the brain, these interactions have been attributed to the secretion of growth factors broadly or through indirect effects.

Now that we know the communication between the two is more direct and electrical, it raises the possibility of repurposing drugs designed for neurological conditions to treat cancer.

The wiring of neurons to cancer cells also suggests that cancer can commandeer a particularly rapid mechanism to stimulate growth.

There are many different cells surrounding cancers, and this microenvironment can sometimes provide a rich soil for their growth.

Researchers have been focusing on the role of the microenvironment's immune cells, connective tissue, and blood vessels in cancer growth but have only started to examine the role of nerves in the last two decades. What's emerged recently is how advantageous the nervous system can be to cancer.

The nervous system works faster than any of these other cells in the tumor microenvironment, which allows tumors to more quickly communicate and remodel their surroundings to promote their growth and survival.

Earlier the researchers discovered that cutting the vagus nerve in mice with stomach cancer significantly slowed tumor growth and increased survival rate.

Part 1 

Many different types of neurons are contained in the vagus nerve, but the researchers focused here on sensory neurons, which reacted most strongly to the presence of stomach cancer in mice. Some of these sensory neurons extended themselves deep into stomach tumors in response to a protein released by cancer cells called Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), drawing the cancer cells close to the neurons.

After establishing this connection, tumors signaled the sensory nerves to release the peptide Calcitonin Gene Related Peptide (CGRP), inducing electrical signals in the tumor.

Though the cancer cells and neurons may not form classical synapses where they meet—the team's electron micrographs are still a bit fuzzy—"there's no doubt that the neurons create an electric circuit with the cancer cells," the researchers say. "It's a slower response than a typical nerve-muscle synapse, but it's still an electrical response."
The researchers could see this electrical activity with calcium imaging, a technique that uses fluorescent tracers that light up when calcium ions surge into a cell as an electrical impulse travels through.

"There's a circuit that starts from the tumor, goes up toward the brain, and then turns back down toward the tumor again," they confirm. It's like a feed-forward loop that keeps stimulating the cancer and promoting its growth and spread."

For stomach cancer, CGRP inhibitors that are currently used to treat migraines could potentially short-circuit the electrical connection between tumors and sensory neurons.

Timothy Wang, Nociceptive neurons promote gastric tumor progression via a CGRPRamp1 axis, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08591-1. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08591-1

Part 2

Synthetic diamond with hexagonal lattice outshines the natural kind with unprecedented hardness

A team of physicists, materials scientists and engineers has grown a diamond that is harder than those found in nature. In their project, reported in the journal Nature Materials, the group developed a process that involves heating and compressing graphite to create synthetic diamonds.

Diamonds are a prized gem the world over. Their sparkling appearance has made them one of the most treasured gemstones throughout human history. In more recent times, because they are so hard, diamonds have also been used in commercial applications, such as drilling holes through other hard materials. Such attributes have kept the price of diamonds high. Because of that, scientists have developed ways to synthesize them, and today, a host of synthetic diamonds are available for sale.

Researchers have previously pursued harder diamonds with hexagonal rather than cubic lattices, which is how most natural and synthetic diamonds form. However, past attempts to make hexagon-lattice synthetic diamonds have resulted in diamonds that were too small and of low purity.

In this new effort, the research team tried a different approach. They developed a process that involved heating graphene samples to high temperatures while inside a high-pressure chamber. By adjusting the parameters of their setup, the researchers found they could get the graphene to grow into a synthetic diamond with hexagonal lattices.

The first diamond made by the group was millimeter-sized and was tested at 155 GPa, with thermal stability up to 1,100°C. Natural diamonds typically range from 70 to 100 GPa and can only withstand temperatures up to 700°C.

The researchers note that it is unlikely diamonds made using their technique would be used for jewelry; instead, they would be used for drilling and machining applications. They also note that they might be used in other ways, such as for data storage or in thermal management applications.

Desi Chen et al, General approach for synthesizing hexagonal diamond by heating post-graphite phases, Nature Materials (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41563-025-02126-9

Artificial sweetener triggers insulin spike, leading to blood vessel inflammation in mice

From diet soda to zero-sugar ice cream, artificial sweeteners have been touted as a guilt-free way to indulge our sweet tooth. However, new research published in Cell Metabolism shows that aspartame, one of the most common sugar substitutes, may impact vascular health.

The team of cardiovascular health experts and clinicians found that aspartame triggers increased insulin levels in animals, which in turn contributes to atherosclerosis—buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries, which can lead to higher levels of inflammation and an increased risk of heart attacks and stroke over time.

Previous research has linked consumption of sugar substitutes to increased chronic disorders like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. However, the mechanisms involved were previously unexplored.

For this study, the researchers fed mice daily doses of food containing 0.15% aspartame for 12 weeks—an amount that corresponds to consuming about three cans of diet soda each day for humans.

Compared to mice without a sweetener-infused diet, aspartame-fed mice developed larger and more fatty plaques in their arteries and exhibited higher levels of inflammation, both of which are hallmarks of compromised cardiovascular health.

When the team analyzed the mice's blood, they found a surge in insulin levels after aspartame entered their system. The team noted that this wasn't a surprising result, given that our mouths, intestines, and other tissues are lined with sweetness-detecting receptors that help guide insulin release. But aspartame, 200 times sweeter than sugar, seemed to trick the receptors into releasing more insulin.

Part 1

The researchers then demonstrated that the mice's elevated insulin levels fueled the growth of fatty plaques in the mice's arteries, suggesting that insulin may be the key link between aspartame and cardiovascular health.

Next, they investigated how exactly elevated insulin levels lead to arterial plaque buildup and identified an immune signal called CX3CL1 that is especially active under insulin stimulation.

Because blood flow through the artery is strong and robust, most chemicals would be quickly washed away as the heart pumps. Surprisingly, not CX3CL1. It stays glued to the surface of the inner lining of blood vessels. There, it acts like a bait, catching immune cells as they pass by.

Many of these trapped immune cells are known to stoke blood vessel inflammation. However, when researchers eliminated CX3CL1 receptors from one of the immune cells in aspartame-fed mice, the harmful plaque buildup didn't occur. These results point to CX3CL1's role in aspartame's effects on the arteries.

Artificial sweeteners have penetrated almost all kinds of food, so we have to be careful not to consume such food, say the researchers.

Sweetener aspartame aggravates atherosclerosis through insulin-triggered inflammation, Cell Metabolism (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2025.01.006. www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/f … 1550-4131(25)00006-3

Part 2

Cancer cells cooperate to scavenge for nutrients, scientists discover

Cancer cells work together to source nutrients from their environment—a cooperative process that was previously overlooked by scientists but may be a promising target for treating cancer.

Researchers identified cooperative interactions among cancer cells that allow them to proliferate. Thinking about the mechanisms that tumor cells exploit can inform future therapies.

Scientists have long known that cancer cells compete with one another for nutrients and other resources. Over time, a tumor becomes more and more aggressive as it becomes dominated by the strongest cancer cells.

However, ecologists also know that living organisms cooperate, particularly under harsh conditions. For instance, penguins form tight huddles to conserve heat during the extreme cold of winter, with their huddles growing in size as temperatures drop—a behavior not observed during warmer months.

Similarly, microorganisms such as yeast work together to find nutrients, but only when facing starvation.

Cancer cells also need nutrients to thrive and replicate into life-threatening tumors, but they live in environments where nutrients are scarce. Is it possible that cancer cells work together to scavenge for resources?

To determine whether cancer cells cooperate, the researchers tracked the growth of cells from different types of tumors. Using a robotic microscope and image analysis software they developed, they quickly counted millions of cells under hundreds of conditions over time.

This approach allowed them to examine tumor cultures at a range of densities—from sparsely populated dishes to those crowded with cancer cells—and with different levels of nutrients in the environment.

It is well-known that cells uptake amino acids in a competitive manner. But when the cancer cells studied were starved of amino acids such as glutamine, all of the cell types tested showed a strong need to work together to acquire the available nutrients.

Surprisingly, the researchers observed that limiting amino acids benefited larger cell populations, but not sparse ones, suggesting that this is a cooperative process that depends on population density. It became really clear that there was true cooperation among tumor cells.

Part 1

Through additional experiments with skin, breast, and lung cancer cells, the researchers determined that a key source of nutrients for cancer cells comes from oligopeptides—pieces of proteins made up of small chains of amino acids—found outside the cell.

Where this process becomes cooperative is that instead of grabbing these peptides and ingesting them internally, the scientists found that tumor cells secrete a specialized enzyme that digests these peptides into free amino acids. Because this process happens outside the cells, the result is a shared pool of amino acids that becomes a common good.
Determining the enzyme secreted by cancer cells, called CNDP2, was an important discovery.

Carlos Carmona-Fontaine, Cooperative nutrient scavenging is an evolutionary advantage in cancer, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08588-w. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08588-w

Part 2

Mountain ranges could be hidden treasure troves of natural hydrogen, plate tectonic modeling finds

The successful development of sustainable georesources for the energy transition is a key challenge for humankind in the 21st century. Hydrogen gas (H₂) has great potential to replace current fossil fuels while simultaneously eliminating the associated emission of CO₂ and other pollutants.

However, a major obstacle is that H2 must be produced first. Current synthetic hydrogen production is at best based on renewable energies but it can also be polluting if fossil energy is used.

The solution may be found in nature, since various geological processes can generate hydrogen. Yet, until now, it has remained unclear where we should be looking for potentially large-scale natural H₂ accumulations.

A team of researchers present an answer to this question: using plate tectonic modeling, they found that mountain ranges in which originally deep mantle rocks are found near the surface represent potential natural hydrogen hotspots. 

Such mountain ranges may not only be ideal geological environments for large-scale natural H₂ generation, but also for forming large-scale H₂ accumulations that can be drilled for H₂ production.

The results of this research have been published in Science Advances.

Part 1

Natural hydrogen can be generated in several ways, for instance by bacterial transformation of organic material or splitting of water molecules driven by decay of radioactive elements in the Earth's continental crust.

As a result, the occurrence of natural H2 is reported in many places worldwide. The general viability of natural hydrogen as an energy source has already been proven in Mali, where limited volumes of H2 originating from iron-rich sedimentary layers are produced through boreholes in the subsurface.

However, the most promising mechanism for large-scale natural hydrogen generation is a geological process in which mantle rocks react with water. The minerals in the mantle rocks change their composition and form new minerals of the so-called serpentine group, as well as H2 gas.

This process is called serpentinization. Mantle rocks are normally situated at great depth, below the Earth's crust. In order for these rocks to come in contact with water and serpentinize, they must be tectonically exhumed, i.e. being brought near the Earth's surface.
There are two main plate tectonic environments in which mantle rocks are exhumed and serpentinized over the course of millions of years: 1) ocean basins that open as continents break apart during rifting, allowing the mantle to rise as the overlying continental crust is thinned and eventually split (for example in the Atlantic Ocean), and 2) subsequent basin closure and mountain building as continents move back together and collide, allowing mantle rocks to be pushed up towards the surface (for example in the Pyrenees and Alps).
A thorough understanding of how such tectonic environments evolve is key to properly assess their natural hydrogen potential. Using a state-of-the-art numerical plate tectonic modeling approach, calibrated with data from natural examples, the GFZ-led research team simulated the full plate tectonic evolution from initial rifting to continental break-up, followed by basin closure and mountain building.

In these simulations, the researchers were able to determine for the first time where, when, and how much mantle rocks are exhumed in mountains, and when these rocks may be in contact with water at favorable temperatures, to allow for efficient serpentinization and natural hydrogen generation.

It turns out that conditions for serpentinization and thus natural H2 generation are considerably better in mountain ranges than in rift basins. Due to the comparably colder environment in mountain ranges, larger volumes of exhumed mantle rocks are found at favorable serpentinization temperatures of 200–350°C, and at the same time, plenty of water circulation along large faults within the mountains can allow for their serpentinization potential to be realized.

As a result, the annual hydrogen generation capacity in mountain ranges can be up to 20 times greater than in rift environments. In addition, suitable reservoir rocks (for example sandstones) required for the accumulation of economically viable natural H2 volumes are readily available in mountain ranges, but are likely absent during serpentinization and hydrogen generation in the deeper parts of rift basins.
Part 2

The results of this now published research provide a strong impulse to intensify the exploration for natural H2 in mountain ranges. In fact, various exploration efforts are already underway in places such as the Pyrenees, the European Alps, and the Balkans, where researchers have previously found indications of ongoing natural hydrogen generation.

Frank Zwaan, Rift-inversion orogens are potential hotspots for natural H2 generation, Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adr3418. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr3418

Part 3

Possible evidence of windborne H5N1 viral infections in chickens

A team of government veterinarians with the State Veterinary Institute Prague in the Czech Republic has found possible evidence of windborne H5N1 infections in chickens. In their paper posted on the bioRxiv preprint server, the group describes how chickens in a closed environment became infected with the H5N1 virus despite no contact with other chickens, wild birds, or their feces, leaving the wind as the only likely source.

The H5N1 virus is responsible for a worldwide avian flu pandemic in chickens. The virus has been determined to be a subtype of the influenza A virus and was first observed in China in 1996. Since then, it has infected birds across the world, with epidemics rising and falling in different countries at different times.

Prior research has suggested that birds infect one another via the transfer of saliva, mucus or contact with feces. Infections between other types of animals have been seen due to the transfer of bodily fluids such as saliva, milk or even blood. Once an infection occurs in a single location, such as a chicken farm, it can spread rapidly. Research has also suggested that infections at sites such as chicken farms most likely occur due to wild birds dropping feces near the chickens. In this new effort, the research team found an incident where a chicken farm was infected without any known outside source, suggesting the wind carried the virus.

In their case, the veterinarians were conducting research on a highly secure chicken research farm—the birds there were not allowed out of their cages or barns. The water came from a secure well and was filtered to remove pathogens. The barns have large fans that create a one-way airflow, and the entire facility is surrounded by a highly secure fence. Also, no employees came into contact with any other birds when not on duty. Still, the farm experienced an infection. The veterinarians suggest the only possibility left is that the virus was carried aloft by the wind and wafted into the barn, settling on the captive birds. No evidence of the virus traveling via the wind has been found. The evidence is circumstantial, but the team suggests the virus could have hitched a ride on a bit of dust from hay exposed to wild bird excrement.

Alexander Nagy et al, Genetic data and meteorological conditions: unravelling the windborne transmission of H5N1 high-pathogenicity avian influenza between commercial poultry outbreaks, bioRxiv (2025). DOI: 10.1101/2025.02.12.637829

Experts strongly recommend against spine injections for chronic back pain

Spine injections should not be given to adults with chronic back pain because they provide little or no pain relief compared with sham injections, say a panel of international experts in The BMJ.

Their strong recommendations apply to procedures such as epidural steroid injections and nerve blocks for people living with chronic back pain (lasting at least three months) that is not associated with cancer, infection or inflammatory arthritis.

Their advice is based on the latest evidence and is part of The BMJ's "Rapid Recommendations" initiative—to produce rapid and trustworthy guidance based on new evidence to help doctors make better decisions with their patients.

Chronic back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide. It is estimated to affect one in five adults aged 20–59, with higher rates likely among older adults.

Procedures such as epidural steroid injections, nerve blocks and radiofrequency ablation (using radio waves to destroy nerves) are widely used to stop pain signals reaching the brain, but current guidelines provide conflicting recommendations for their use.

So an international panel, made up of clinicians, people living with chronic spine pain, and research methodologists, carried out a detailed analysis of the latest evidence using the GRADE approach (a system used to assess the quality of evidence).

This evidence, based on reviews of randomized trials and observational studies, compared the benefits and harms of 13 common interventional procedures, or combinations of procedures, for chronic, non-cancer spine pain against sham procedures.

After careful consideration, the panel concluded that there was no high certainty evidence for any procedure or combination of procedures, and all low and moderate certainty evidence suggests no meaningful relief for either axial pain (in a specific area of the spine) or radicular pain (radiating from the spine to the arms or legs) for spine injections compared with sham procedures.

As such, they strongly recommend against their use.

This includes injections of local anesthetic, steroids, or their combination; epidural injections of local anesthetic, steroids, or their combination; and radiofrequency ablation with or without local anesthetic plus steroid injections. The panel added that these procedures are costly, a burden on patients, and carry a small risk of harm. As such, they say almost all informed patients would choose to avoid them.

Finally, they acknowledge that further research is warranted and may alter future recommendations, in particular for procedures currently supported by low or very low certainty of effectiveness. Further research is also needed to establish the effects of interventional procedures on important outcomes for patients, such as opioid use, return to work, and sleep quality.

Commonly used interventional procedures for non-cancer chronic spine pain: a clinical practice guideline, The BMJ (2025). DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2024-079970

Screen time linked to bipolar and manic symptoms in  preteens

Preteens who spend more time on screens are more likely to develop manic symptoms two-years later, according to a new study published in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology.

The findings reveal that 10–11 year-olds who engage heavily with social media, video games, texting, and videos show a greater risk of symptoms such as inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, distractibility, rapid speech, racing thoughts, and impulsivity—behaviors characteristic of manic episodes, a key feature of bipolar-spectrum disorders.

Adolescence is a particularly vulnerable time for the development of bipolar-spectrum disorders. Given that earlier onset of symptoms is linked with more severe and chronic outcomes, it's important to understand what might contribute to the onset or worsening of manic symptoms in teenagers.

Symptoms of social media and video game addiction, characterized by the inability to stop despite trying, withdrawal, tolerance, conflict, and relapse, may play a role. Screen addictions and irregular sleep patterns may exacerbate manic symptoms in susceptible teens.

The study adds to the wealth of knowledge on the associations between screen use and poor mental health in adolescents.

Jason M. Nagata et al, Screen time and manic symptoms in early adolescents: prospective findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology (2025). DOI: 10.1007/s00127-025-02814-6

Radon exposure linked to increased asthma symptoms in children

A radioactive gas could be contributing to asthma among schoolkids, researchers have found.

Children exposed to elevated levels of radon gas tended to have more asthma symptoms, results show.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that's odorless and invisible, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It emanates from the breakdown of trace amounts of uranium found in soil. Homes can fill with radon as it seeps out of soil and up through cracks and crevices, the CDC says. It is the second-leading cause of lung cancer deaths in some countries after cigarette smoke.

 Tina M. Banzon et al, Effect of radon exposure on asthma morbidity in the School Inner‐City Asthma study, Pediatric Pulmonology (2023). DOI: 10.1002/ppul.26429

Joyce E. Yu, Effect of Radon Exposure on Asthma Morbidity in the School Inner-City Asthma Study, Pediatrics (2024). DOI: 10.1542/peds.2024-069114KG

Vital sign accuracy may depend on body position, research suggests

Body position can affect the accuracy of vital sign measurements that indicate arterial stiffness—a risk factor for heart disease—according to new research. Sitting down during certain tests may cause a spike in arterial stiffness readings that does not reflect a true increase.

The study is published in the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 

Arterial stiffness is when the walls of the blood vessels are not as elastic or stretchy as they should be. The condition is often a part of aging and can also occur in people who have diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure. People with stiffer arteries have an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and other forms of heart disease.

Medical professionals most commonly measure markers of arterial stiffness with patients lying on their back (supine position). However, sitting may be a more practical option for people with chronic back pain or other health concerns.

In this study, researchers explored whether measuring carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity—the time it takes for the pulse to travel from the carotid to the femoral artery—can be considered reliable when measured in a seated position. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) is considered the "gold standard" for measuring arterial stiffness.

The research team assessed a small group of young, healthy volunteers in both supine and seated positions on the same day. The researchers measured heart rate and blood pressure as well as cfPWV and took measurements three times in each position. They also analyzed the difference in arterial stiffness markers after a change from one position to the other.

Blood pressure, arterial pressure and heart rate were generally higher when participants were sitting compared to lying down. The researchers found cfPWV to be much higher when seated as well. However, when looking at blood flow and blood pressure between the two postures and adjusting the calculations to account for changes in hydrostatic pressure (pressure created due to gravity), the readings were much more comparable.
In addition, these findings suggest the activation of the sympathetic nervous system that occurs while sitting is not strong enough to cause large increases in arterial stiffness.

This study may have important implications for diagnosis of arterial stiffness and, in turn, the risk of heart disease.

Part 1

It is crucial to carefully consider the subject's posture during [pulse wave velocity] measurements to accurately assess arterial stiffness," the researchers wrote in their paper.

 Marino Karaki et al, The validity of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity in the seated posture as an index of central arterial stiffness, American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology (2024). DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00073.2024

Part 2

Your Takeaway Food Packaging Could Increase Your Risk of Heart Failure

Disposable plastic containers could be leaching dangerous chemicals into your takeaway food, potentially increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease.

In experiments on rats, researchers in China have found evidence that drinking water exposed to the various chemical additives that seep from heated plastic packaging causes changes to the body, that begin with altered gut bacteria.

Rodents that ingested this cocktail of plastic contaminants for just three months showed broken or misaligned fibers, inflammatory cell infiltration, and mitochondrial swelling in their heart tissue. They also showed bleeding between myocardial cells.

Whether or not the same occurs in the human body is unknown, but the findings suggest that heated plastic containers may not be a safe vehicle for food.

Researchers argue that it is essential to avoid using plastic containers for high-temperature food.

Their experiments on rats were prompted by a survey of 3,179 older adults in China. Those who reported higher exposure to plastic on a questionnaire were more likely to suffer congestive heart failure.

Heat causes plastic to break down more easily, but even bottled water, which is usually kept at room temperature or colder, seems to be swimming with microplastics.

Recently, studies have shown that microwaving plastic food containers can release microplastics and nanoplastics into the meal, even if the containers claim to be microwave-safe. As few as three minutes can release billions of tiny plastic particles.

How many of those plastic particles are absorbed into the body when ingested is unknown. It's also a mystery as to how long the fragments stick around for.

Some studies on clogged arteries in human patients have found tiny fragments of plastic accumulating in more than 50 percent of plaques. Within roughly 34 months of surgery, those with plastics in their arteries were 4.5 times more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or death compared to those where no plastic was detected.

When the body is exposed to plastic contaminants, researchers suspect there's a chance the additives can reduce the activity of antioxidant enzymes and trigger the body's inflammatory reaction, leaving it exposed to cardiovascular damage.

Part 1

The potential health effects of plastic pollution are only just beginning to emerge, but the mounting evidence is not exactly inspiring hope.

In a study published last year, scientists discovered that when people put hot, disposable plastic cutlery in their mouths, it reduces their diversity of intestinal microbiota.

The next time you order takeaway, you might want to think about the heat of the food and the material of the packaging it might come in.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651324014593

Part 2

How do cells respond to changes? New study finds it's not all in the genes

Cells are constantly on the move, whether in a developing embryo or metastatic cancer. But how do cells adapt to the new environments they encounter? Earlier scientists thought that cells adapt to changes and stressors in their environment through genetic mutations or by altering gene expression.

But a new  study shows that migrating bacterial cells can also respond to changes in their surroundings, quickly and collectively, without any genetic alterations. Specifically, the researchers found that cell populations can adapt "non-genetically" to new environments just by growing and leaving behind slower cells.

This new discovery, which is described in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has implications across biology, from advancing our understanding of evolution to informing new therapeutic strategies for diseases like cancer.

Given the prevalence of collective migration in microbes, cancers, and embryonic development, non-genetic adaptation through collective migration may be a universal mechanism for populations to navigate diverse environments. 

Past research has shown that bacterial cells can acquire genetic mutations that confer resistance in response to antibiotics. Similarly, cancer cells can develop resistance to chemotherapy through genetic changes. Yet such adaptations typically require tens of generations before the mutated cells become predominant. (In some bacterial cells , cell division or generation happens about every hour).

The new adaptive mechanism enables migrating cell populations to respond to environmental changes in just two or three generations and without relying on gene regulation or mutation.  

Part 1

To show how this works, the researchers placed genetically identical Escherichia coli bacteria—which exhibit different swimming behaviors—in both liquid and porous environments and then observed their collective migration.

In the liquid environment, which the researchers compared to a straight highway, bacteria that swam straight for longer took the lead while those that turned frequently lagged behind. Over time, the population of these bacteria became enriched with these smooth swimmers.

On the other hand, in porous environments with more obstructions, the tendency to turn frequently proved advantageous for escaping dead ends. In these environments, the bacteria that turned more often emerged as the leaders while populations of smooth swimmers gradually thinned.
Crucially, the enrichment of specific swimming behaviors could not be explained by mutations or gene expression. The researchers found no evidence of an increase or decrease in the expression of genes regulating the swimming behaviors of these bacteria during migration.

Since there were no changes in gene expression or mutations, the populations didn't commit to one environment or another—migration alone was enough to temporarily enrich the population with well-adapted individuals.

Non-genetic adaptation via collective migration not only permits a rapid response to new environments, but also enables cell populations to respond to many biological challenges simultaneously.
While gene regulation typically allows for a quick reaction by modifying one or two traits at a time, the mechanism now discovered facilitates a rapid response by simultaneously altering many traits.
Beyond enabling populations to adapt to changes in the environment within two to three generations of cell division, this mechanism can also modulate chemoreceptor abundances depending on what attractants the bacteria are chasing, highlighting its potential flexibility, the researchers found.
This process is likely applicable to many cell types, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic, that break down environmental factors and generate their own gradient to chase, say the researchers.
These findings demonstrate that when collective behaviors create selection pressures, cell populations can reversibly adapt multiple traits with a level of speed and flexibility that is difficult to achieve via classical mechanisms.

Lam Vo et al, Nongenetic adaptation by collective migration, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2423774122

Part 2

Breathing and vision may be linked

Researchers  have discovered a fundamental mechanism that affects the size of the pupil, namely our breathing. The study, published in the Journal of Physiology, shows that the pupil is smallest during inhalation and largest during exhalation—something that could affect our vision.

Like the aperture in a camera, the pupil controls how much light reaches the eye. It is therefore fundamental to our vision and how we perceive our surroundings. Three mechanisms that can change the size of the pupil have been known for over a century: the amount of light, focus distance and cognitive factors such as emotion or mental effort.

Now, scientists have discovered a fourth: breathing. The pupil is smallest around inhalation onset and largest during exhalation.

This mechanism is unique in that it is cyclical, ever-present and requires no external stimulus

Martin Schaefer et al, The pupillary respiratory‐phase response: pupil size is smallest around inhalation onset and largest during exhalation, The Journal of Physiology (2025). DOI: 10.1113/JP287205

Common procedures for chronic spine pain found to offer little to no relief

Researchers found that commonly performed interventional procedures for chronic non-cancer spine pain may provide little to no pain relief when compared with sham procedures.

Chronic spine pain, defined as persistent pain along or referred from the spine lasting three months or longer, presents a global health challenge with significant socioeconomic implications.

While interventional procedures such as epidural steroid injections, nerve blocks, and radiofrequency nerve ablation are frequently used, clinical guidelines have offered conflicting recommendations regarding their effectiveness.

In the study, "Common interventional procedures for chronic non-cancer spine pain: a  systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized trials," published in The BMJ, researchers conducted a comprehensive search of Medline, Embase, CINAHL, CENTRAL, and Web of Science, for spine pain procedural outcome efficacy.

Eighty-one trials with 7,977 patients were included in meta-analyses out of 132 eligible studies. Patients with chronic axial or radicular spine pain were randomized to receive common interventional procedures or comparators, including sham procedures and usual care. Frequentist network meta-analyses were performed, and the GRADE approach was used to assess the certainty of evidence.

For chronic axial spine pain, moderate certainty evidence showed that epidural injection of local anesthetic, epidural injection of local anesthetic and steroids, and joint-targeted steroid injection, result in little to no difference in pain relief compared with sham procedures.
Low certainty evidence suggests minimal pain relief differences for intramuscular and joint-targeted injections of local anesthetic, with or without steroids. Intramuscular injection of local anesthetic with steroids signaled that it may actually increase pain.
Part 1

For chronic radicular spine pain, moderate certainty evidence indicates that epidural injection of local anesthetic and steroids and radiofrequency of the dorsal root ganglion are unlikely to result in pain relief. Low certainty evidence suggests epidural injections of local anesthetic or steroids may also yield minimal pain relief.

In physical functioning, moderate certainty evidence shows joint-targeted injections and epidural injections with local anesthetic or steroids probably provide little to no improvement.

Low certainty evidence suggests certain procedures may slightly increase the risk of non-serious adverse events, including joint radiofrequency ablation.

When looking at the substantial cost, inconvenience, and false hope of these common procedures compared to data that suggests they are ineffective, it is unclear why they have persisted. If the study results are valid, another issue suggested is a major communication disconnect regarding procedures and patient outcomes in health care.

Xiaoqin Wang et al, Common interventional procedures for chronic non-cancer spine pain: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised trials, BMJ (2025). DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2024-079971

Jane C Ballantyne, Spinal interventions for chronic back pain, BMJ (2025). DOI: 10.1136/bmj.r179

Part 2

Humanoid robots can swiftly get up after they fall with new learning framework

Humanoid robots, which have a body structure that mirrors that of humans, could rapidly and effectively tackle a wide range of tasks in real-world settings. These robots and their underlying control algorithms have improved considerably in recent years. Many of them can now move faster, emulating various human-like movements.

As these robots are designed to walk or run similarly to humans, thus balancing on two legs, they can sometimes collide with objects or trip on uneven terrain, falling to the ground. Yet, in contrast with humans, who can easily pick themselves up when they fall, humanoid robots can sometimes get stuck on the ground, requiring the support of human agents to get back on their feet.

Researchers recently developed a new machine learning frame work that could allow humanoid robots to automatically get back up and recover after falling to the ground. This framework, presented in a paper on the arXiv preprint server, could make these robots more autonomous, potentially contributing to their future large-scale deployment.

Learning Getting-Up Policies for Real-World Humanoid Robots

Xialin He et al, Learning Getting-Up Policies for Real-World Humanoid Robots, arXiv (2025). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2502.12152

Phages prove effective at killing pathogens in milk

Researchers have demonstrated that bacteriophages can effectively reduce the amount of common foodborne pathogens in milk.

Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria. Some phages follow a lytic life cycle where they inject their DNA into the host cell and hijack its mechanisms to reproduce. When the number of phages grows too large, the cell will burst, killing the bacteria. The released phages will continue to self-propagate, seeking out more and more of their target bacteria to infect and kill. Then, once they have used up all the bacteria, they will simply die off.

Each bacteriophage is highly specific and will only target one genus or one species, and in some cases, only one strain of a bacteria.

If you have a target like a foodborne pathogen—like E. coli—there are phages that will really only infect E. coli. So, any good bacteria in your gut and in your food will be unaffected, and your human cells will be completely unaffected.

Bacteriophages are an organic anti-bacterial option that has no impact on the color, flavor, or texture of the food.

Researchers looked at a series of commercially available bacteriophages that target the most common dairy-borne pathogens: Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli to see how effective they were in destroying these bacteria in milk and cheese.

Each of the products they evaluated were a mixture of phages that target certain pathogenic species or strains.

They  saw significant reductions in pathogen counts in pasteurized milk. These effects were observable within a few hours and held steady for a week.

Listeria counts decreased by a factor of 10,000 compared to the control. For E. coli it was a bit more complicated, as some strains decreased by only a factor of five, while others decreased by 100 times.

These findings were published in Food Microbiology.

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In raw milk, the phages did not reduce counts of Listeria or E. coli. In fact, phage counts decreased.

This is because the heat used in pasteurization changes the shape of the proteins that would otherwise interfere with the phage's activity. In raw milk, these proteins bind to the phages and prevent them from reaching their bacterial targets.

Salmonella, however, was a different story. The phages successfully reduced that pathogen's count in both pasteurized and raw milk.

In pasteurized milk, the phages reduced pathogen counts by a factor of 200–1,500. In raw milk, the reductions were more modest but still significant at 13 to nearly 200 times. These findings were also published in Food Microbiology.

However, they did not observe significant reductions in either gouda (a semihard, aged cheese) or queso fresco (a soft, fresh cheese).

Cheese is the act of turning a liquid to a solid. Those phages are now trapped in a spot, and the bacteria are trapped in a spot, and their ability to find each other is greatly reduced.

However, there were modest reductions in pathogen counts compared to the control in the cheese samples treated with the phages.

The major limitation for using bacteriophages to combat dairy pathogens remains the cost. The researchers had to add 1,000,000 times as many phages as pathogen to see these results in milk. Given that the phage products are relatively expensive, this is a significant barrier to their widespread application, especially for smaller producers.

 Emily Everhart et al, Commercial bacteriophage preparations for the control of Listeria monocytogenes and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in raw and pasteurized milk, Food Microbiology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2024.104652

Emily Everhart et al, Control of Salmonella enterica spp. enterica in milk and raw milk cheese using commercial bacteriophage preparations, Food Microbiology (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2025.104725

Part 2

An unknown illness kills over 50 people in part of Congo with hours between symptoms and death

An unknown illness has killed over 50 people in northwestern Congo, according to doctors on the ground and the World Health Organization this week.

The interval between the onset of symptoms and death has been 48 hours in the majority of cases, and that's what's really worrying.

How AI is revealing the language of the birds

Galloping Bubbles

Bubbles that break rules: A fluid discovery that defies logic

Researchers  have made an extraordinary discovery that is reshaping our understanding of bubbles and their movement. Picture tiny air bubbles inside a container filled with liquid. When the container is shaken up and down, these bubbles engage in an unexpected, rhythmic "galloping" motion—bouncing like playful horses and moving horizontally, even though the shaking occurs vertically.

This counterintuitive phenomenon, revealed in a new study published in Nature, has significant implications for technology from cleaning surfaces to improving heat transfer in microchips and even advancing space applications.  

These galloping bubbles are already garnering significant attention: their impact in the field of fluid dynamics has been recognized with an award for their video entry at the most recent Gallery of Fluid Motion, organized by the American Physical Society.

The newly discovered self-propulsion mechanism allows bubbles to travel distances and gives them an unprecedented capacity to navigate intricate fluid networks. This could offer solutions to long-standing challenges in heat transfer, surface cleaning, and even inspire new soft robotic systems.

Jian H. Guan et al, Galloping Bubbles, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56611-5

Gene therapy can improve vision in young children with AIPL1-associated retinal dystrophy

Researchers  have found that gene therapy improved visual acuity and preserved retinal structure in young children with AIPL1-associated severe retinal dystrophy. This is the first human trial of gene supplementation therapy targeting this condition.

Retinal dystrophy caused by biallelic variants in the AIPL1 gene leads to severe visual impairment from birth, with progressive degeneration and limited treatment options. Previous studies of early-onset rod-cone dystrophies, including AIPL1-related forms, highlighted a critical window for intervention during early childhood, when some photoreceptor structure remains intact. Prior research using Aipl1-deficient mouse models and human retinal organoids demonstrated partial restoration of photoreceptor function through gene therapy.

In the study, "Gene therapy in children with AIPL1-associated severe retinal dystrophy: an open-label, first-in-human interventional study," published in The Lancet, researchers administered a single subretinal injection of a recombinant adeno-associated viral vector (rAAV8.hRKp.AIPL1) carrying the AIPL1 gene to one eye of each child to assess the safety and efficacy of gene supplementation therapy in improving visual function and preserving retinal structure.
Four children aged 1.0 to 2.8 years with confirmed AIPL1 mutations received a subretinal injection of rAAV8.hRKp.AIPL1 in one eye. The gene therapy vector, produced under UK regulatory approval, delivered the AIPL1 coding sequence using a human rhodopsin kinase promoter. Oral prednisolone was administered perioperatively to mitigate inflammation. Visual acuity, functional vision, retinal structure, and cortical responses were evaluated over a mean follow-up of 3.5 years.
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