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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 8 hours ago

Tool raises red flags on suspect journals
An online tool that tracks publishing patterns in academic journals could warn researchers about potentially problematic journals before they submit their work to them. The platform, called Journal Trends, allows users to get a breakdown of a journal’s published papers by country and year, which can raise any red flags such as a sudden surge in publications. These indicators alone don’t prove a journal is untrustworthy, but might indicate that researchers should investigate a journal further, says the tool’s developer.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01707-1?utm_source=Live+...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 8 hours ago

Using blue light traps, researchers explored the routes taken by P. polycephalum when faced with a life-or-death situation.

The light traps used in this experiment look a bit like geometric stencil sheets you might've used as a child.

Blue light shines on the agar jelly surface, punctuated by gaps: regions without light that take the form of different two-dimensional geometric shapes (such as a triangle, square, or hexagon).
Scientists placed the starved slime molds into these light-free regions, trapping them – but only for a while.

Spurred by hunger, the molds started growing within an hour, then expanded their dense network of tubules with gusto to explore and fill the trap.
During this exploratory phase, slime mold movement is governed by a kind of localized cytoplasmic streaming, a flow of cellular fluid pushed along by molecular contractions.

Tentatively, seeking food and freedom, the molds extended small protrusions into the field of blue light in all directions. Most of these were quickly withdrawn, but some extended so far that the molds found a way to escape.

"Small protrusions emerge all around the trap boundary (exploration protrusions), yet escapes only happen close to the longest axis within the shape," the researchers explain.
By the 'longest axis', they mean the longest possible line that can be drawn across the shape. Which seems a little odd: Why take the longest path and not the shortest route?

The researchers think it has something to do with the way slime molds mobilize.

Only over the course of time does the organism ultimately settle on the contraction mode most efficient for transport, which coincides with the escape," the researchers explain.

Well, each time the slime mold is testing an escape route, it's effectively reorganizing its body, allowing the peristaltic contractions to course through its being, to find the most efficient way to move.
The longer the path, the more pressure the mold's peristaltic contractions can build up, which means it can push more of its gooey mass outward in one go.

"The trap shape ultimately sets the mode most efficient for transport, allowing pressure to build up along the longest axis and driving the plasmodial escape," the team explains.
So while it might seem that the slime mold is 'making decisions' about which way to move, this study suggests it actually hinges on mechanical processes involving fluid flows.

https://journals.aps.org/prxlife/abstract/10.1103/rv7g-d9kx

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 8 hours ago

Physicists Discover How Slime Mold 'Makes Decisions' Without a Brain

Slime molds are slippery, nebulous beings.
They're not true molds. They're not even fungi. For most of their lives, they exist as either plasmodia or amoebae, and they refuse to be held back by the rigid structures that govern other life forms.

Slime molds are also renowned for somehow, without brains or even nervous systems, exhibiting behavior that could be described as intelligent.

But what coordinates that collective motion? Is there really a central force?

A new study suggests there is – but probably not the one you're thinking of.
The most famous slime mold, and the protagonist of many scientific experiments, is the vivid yellow Physarum polycephalum, a scientific name that loosely translates to 'the small bubble with many heads.'

That's pretty apt: As a plasmodium, its single-celled body plan is pretty much a big bag of cell nuclei and goo.

This branching, blobby lifestyle makes it more physically mobile than the fungi it was once mistaken for. When P. polycephalum runs out of food, it can crawl to the next juicy log.
But this strange locomotion isn't a blind search. Slime molds can somehow solve mazes in search of food and remember how to find it again.

And, in broad terms, they can 'make decisions', selecting a particular action against alternatives.
Now, scientists have begun to understand how this decentralized decision-making might work.

The slime mold is really averse to blue light, which means it's possible to 'trap' it inside a barrier made of nothing more than the beams of glowing 470 nm light waves.
However, as footage from the new study shows, a starving slime mold will try to escape its blue-light barriers in search of food, sending out small, localized protrusions to find a way through.

In the moments before it does, it looks as though it's bubbling, brewing, twitching, pulsing – until it rushes outward, free from the confines of the trap.

Unlike neural systems, P. polycephalum relies on rhythmic peristaltic contractions to drive internal flows and redistribute mass, allowing it to adapt to its environment
Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 9 hours ago

A part of your brain can listen even when you are under the influence of Anesthesia!

Our brains might be more alert when unconscious than we realized.
A new study of brain cells in the hippocampus shows that people under general anesthesia can process language in real time and even learn to recognize sounds.

It raises some fascinating new questions about what it means to be conscious and what the brain might be doing when it's hovering in an unconscious state under the weight of anesthetic drugs.

But it leaves the door open to further studies about what is happening in the unconscious brain during sleep or coma.

Seven patients undergoing surgery for epilepsy were involved in the study, led by researchers .
Microelectrodes called neuropixels measured their brain cell activity. These electrodes capture very high-resolution data from individual neurons, and haven't been used on the hippocampus before this study.
The probes recorded activity from hundreds of individual neurons to see how the brain reacted to a series of sounds and language prompts.
The findings show that the brain is far more active and capable during unconsciousness than previously thought.
Even when patients are fully anesthetized, their brains continue to analyze the world around them.
The hippocampus handles important jobs in terms of learning and memory.

The researchers wanted to take a look at the hippocampus under anesthesia because it sits deep within the brain, far from where sensory information is first processed, in the cortex.
Neural activity showed that the brain was sorting through nouns, verbs, and adjectives, and was even trying to predict the next word in a sentence – not dissimilar to the way that generative AI models formulate responses by looking for the most likely next word.

"This kind of predictive coding is something we associate with being awake and attentive, yet it's happening here in an unconscious state," say the neuro-scientists.
The findings suggest that certain processing abilities may not be anchored to consciousness, and can be carried out without us being 'awake'.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10448-0

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 11 hours ago

Why drinking alcohol makes you reach for chips and nachos
Alcohol stimulates release of the liver hormone FGF21, which enhances a specific appetite for protein and savory foods. When this drive is satisfied with protein-rich whole foods, total energy intake does not rise markedly. When it is directed toward ultra-processed “protein decoy” foods high in fat and carbohydrates, overall energy intake increases, promoting weight gain.

original article.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 11 hours ago

Could the World Cup cause the next pandemic? Scientists mapped the risks

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is jointly hosted by three North American nations: Canada, Mexico, and the United States

Spread across 11 U.S. host cities, the 2026 World Cup is bringing together teams and fans from 48 countries. From travel logistics to accommodations for hundreds of thousands of visitors, organizers are addressing a host of considerations. For public health officials, one of those factors is the spread of disease.
The World Cup brings together 48 teams from across the globe, but it also provides an opportunity for disease to spread.
Disease surveillance has taken on a whole new meaning in the post-pandemic world. The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo may be the event commanding the most attention, but other outbreaks—both domestic and international—are also of concern. COVID-19 is still lingering, global health officials are still monitoring the hantavirus outbreak that rocked a cruise ship last month, and here in the U.S., the country is seeing the largest number of measles cases since the disease was considered eradicated in the U.S. in 2000. Meanwhile, more common viruses and bacteria continue to affect daily life.

But how worried should you really be about catching any of these diseases at the World Cup?
The researchers created a detailed risk assessment of 12 diseases: dengue fever, chikungunya, yellow fever, measles, pertussis, mumps, rubella, Mpox, Ebola, Marburg virus, cholera and typhoid.

Modeling of 12 infectious diseases indicates that the 2026 World Cup adds only a small excess importation risk relative to usual U.S. travel volumes. Slightly elevated risks are projected for dengue, chikungunya, Lassa fever, and, to a lesser extent, measles and mumps, with southern cities more affected and Seattle lowest risk. COVID-19 cases are expected but considered manageable.

The overall estimate is that the excess risk of any of these diseases spreading is "generally small".
But that doesn't mean there's zero risk posed by the World Cup.
Each city has its own profile and environmental factors that make it more or less prone to certain diseases. Atlanta, Miami and Dallas, for example, have been flagged for elevated risk of diseases like dengue fever and chikungunya because they are farther south and home to more mosquitoes.

https://news.northeastern.edu/2026/06/11/world-cup-diseases-outbreak/

and

https://epistorm.github.io/IDWC26-importation/

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 11 hours ago

The research highlights that the nutrients added to many plant-based milks, such as soy, almond, oat and rice, may not be as easily absorbed. In many cases, these products also contain added sugars, oils or stabilizers to improve taste and texture.

The research also raises concerns about the growing trend of replacing dairy with plant-based alternatives for children.

"There is a common perception that plant-based drinks are automatically healthier, but that's not always the case", say the researchers.
"For some groups, especially children, omitting dairy products without careful planning can lead to nutrient gaps, particularly in protein, calcium, iodine and vitamin B12 needed for growth and development. Deficiencies can leave children vulnerable to conditions such as protein-energy malnutrition, rickets, scurvy, goiter and developmental delays.

The research supports a "food first" approach to nutrition, where whole foods like milk are prioritized over supplements and heavily processed alternatives.

"Milk remains one of the most accessible and effective ways to deliver essential nutrients", they conclude.
As consumer choices evolve, it is critical that people have clear, accurate information to make informed decisions about their health.

Therese A. O'Sullivan et al, Exploring the dairy milk matrix beyond isolated nutrients—a narrative review, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (2026). DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2026.2648097

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 11 hours ago

Cows v plants: Which milk delivers the best health benefits?

New research has shed light on the growing debate between cow's milk and plant-based alternatives. Results of the study, published in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, suggest that cow's milk has the edge over plant-based alternatives when it comes to bone strength and nutrient absorption.
Milk is more than just calcium, protein and fat—it's a complex whole food, and how its nutrients are packaged together is more important than initially thought.
Milk contains more than 100 nutrients and bioactive substances, arranged in a unique physical structure.

This structure affects how nutrients are digested and absorbed, how blood sugar responds after a meal, how fats affect cholesterol, and how the gut microbiome responds.

It's the way all the parts of milk interact that appears to link to many of its health benefits.
The findings suggest that while plant-based drinks are increasing in popularity, they do not consistently match the nutritional quality or health outcomes associated with dairy milk.

Researchers found that regular milk consumption is linked to stronger bones and a lower risk of fractures, with some evidence showing up to a 43% reduction among people who drink one to two cups a day.

In contrast, calcium supplements, often used as a replacement, showed mixed results and were, in some cases, associated with a higher risk of heart disease, particularly among older women.

The difference, researchers said, comes down to the way nutrients are delivered.

Milk provides a natural package of nutrients that work together. Calcium in milk is combined with protein, phosphorus and other components that help the body absorb and use it efficiently. This is something that plant-based drinks and supplements cannot fully replicate.
Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 11 hours ago

Flu infection may weaken tuberculosis defenses by disrupting key immune pathways
Controlled human influenza infection reduced blood immune control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with post‑influenza samples showing increased mycobacterial growth. This loss of control was linked to disruption of type I interferon signalling pathways. Seasonal influenza vaccination may indirectly enhance TB control in high‑burden settings.

Claire M. Broderick et al, Influenza coinfection inhibits control of mycobacterial infection in a human challenge model, Nature Communications (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-72363-2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 12 hours ago

Why chickens come in so many colors, and what one gene reveals about evolution

From snow white and jet black to golden brown, domestic chickens display a wider range of plumage colors than almost any other livestock species. A new international study explains why: A single gene is capable of producing this full spectrum. The study provides an example of how genetic diversity and visible traits can emerge within a short evolutionary period. The findings have now been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Researchers show how the remarkable colour diversity of domestic chickens arises at the molecular level. The study focused on the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R), a protein molecule that controls colour formation in the skin cells of vertebrates.

The gene that encodes this pigmentation receptor has undergone an unusually high degree of change in domestic chickens since their domestication. The research team identified 18 different variants of the gene—a level of diversity not found in wild birds. The Researchers show that the accumulation and recombination of mutations within a single gene has given rise to numerous new variants, with directly visible effects on the birds' appearance.
MC1R functions like a molecular switch: Depending on how active it is, a cell produces either more dark pigment or more light pigment. Using cell cultures, the researchers demonstrated that individual gene mutations can either increase or decrease the activity of this switch. When several mutations occur together, they can reinforce or counteract one another, creating color patterns that none of the individual changes could produce on their own.

Domestic chickens exhibit exceptional plumage diversity due to extensive variation in a single gene, MC1R, which encodes a key pigmentation receptor. Eighteen MC1R variants, generated by accumulated and recombined mutations, modulate receptor activity to shift dark/light pigment production and create complex colour patterns. This illustrates rapid evolution of visible traits over a short domestication timescale.

Cheng Ma et al, Ultrarapid MC1R protein and associated plumage color evolution in the domestic chicken, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2026). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2605288123

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