In the realm of entomology, few creatures command as much fascination as the mantis. Throughout history, these striking insects have been deeply woven into local myths and legends, sometimes respected as mystical soothsayers that can guide lost travelers home, and other times feared as little devils.  Today they remain captivating animals, serving as excellent bioindicators of biodiversity, and helping us identify rich and diverse ecosystems when present as native species.  However, a new study published in the open-access Journal of Orthoptera Research reports that two mantis species identified ...

The brain does not only communicate through fast electrical impulses; it also relies on slower, more diffuse chemical signals that modulate our emotional and social states over time. A study led by the Institute for Neurosciences (IN), a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH), has identified a key molecular mechanism that regulates the release of oxytocin within the brain. Published in the journal Communications Biology, the work sheds light on how this hormone maintains a “social tone” and how its release contributes to the quality of social interactions. Oxytocin is a hormone widely recognized ...

Public and patient engagement is becoming an established part of academic research, and funders increasingly require that citizens and patients are seen as research partners rather than merely as research subjects. Yet many researchers question what this means in everyday research practice. An interview-based study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland examined this question from the researchers’ perspective. Researchers from two Finnish universities described their experiences of, and expectations of, public and patient involvement. The findings focus on power relations between researchers and patients as something that ...

Scientists at Nagoya University in Japan have found two gut bacteria working together that contribute to chronic constipation. The duo, Akkermansia muciniphila and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, destroy the intestinal mucus coating essential for keeping the colon lubricated and feces hydrated. Their excess degradation leaves patients with dry, immobile stool. This discovery, published in Gut Microbes, finally explains why standard treatments often fail for millions of people with chronic constipation.   Notably, the study shows that Parkinson's disease patients, who suffer from constipation decades before developing tremors, ...

□ A research team led by Professor Su-Il In of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at DGIST (President Kunwoo Lee) has uncovered the principle that the products and reaction pathways of carbon dioxide (CO₂) conversion to fuel via solar energy depend on the design of atomic-level interactions in the catalyst.   □ The technology of converting CO₂, a major greenhouse gas, into useful fuels or chemical feedstocks is a key challenge for achieving a carbon-neutral society. In particular, “artificial photosynthesis” technology, which utilizes solar energy to turn greenhouse gases into resources, is attracting attention. However, there ...

A new multinational study from the INTERCOVID Consortium, including Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, has found that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy, particularly when combined with a booster dose, significantly reduces the risk of preeclampsia, a serious and potentially life-threatening pregnancy complication. The findings offer unprecedented insight into preeclampsia prevention, independent of the direct effects of COVID-19 infection. The study, published in eClinicalMedicine, titled COVID-19 Vaccination Status During ...

Menopausal hormone therapy (commonly known as hormone replacement therapy or HRT) is not associated with an increased risk of death, finds a Danish study of over 800,000 women published by The BMJ today. The findings support current guidelines that recommend hormone therapy for women who have recently begun menopause who have moderate to severe symptoms and no contraindications, say the researchers. Menopausal hormone therapy can help relieve menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, sleep disturbance, mood swings, and depression. But its use has steadily declined during the last two decades, mainly due to safety concerns, and real world evidence ...

Four fifths of England’s integrated care boards (ICBs) - responsible for planning health services for their local population - would need to at least double their number of general practitioners to meet staffing standards considered safe for patients, finds an analysis of NHS workforce data published by The BMJ today. The British Medical Association (BMA) says that, by 2040, England should have one  full time equivalent (FTE) GP for every 1,000 patients, to ensure manageable workloads and patient safety. But new data released last month shows ...

Booster vaccines reduced the risk of COVID‑19–related hospitalisation and death, according to a new study of over 3 million adults who had the autumn 2022 vaccine in England.  The research led by the universities of Bristol and Oxford, provides further evidence of the effectiveness of booster vaccination against COVID-19. The study, published in Vaccine today [18 February], also found that this effectiveness was similar for Moderna (BA.1 mRNA-1273) and Pfizer-BioNTech (BA.1 BNT162b2) booster vaccines, but protection declined over time. Previous work has shown the initial COVID-19 vaccination was effective in reducing the risk ...

Women with stage IV breast cancer detected through screening have a 60% chance of survival ten years after diagnosis. This is in comparison to a survival rate of under 20% of those with stage IV breast cancer which was not detected through screening. The study by King’s College London, Queen Mary University London, and the University of Southern Denmark, aimed to find out if the method by which breast cancer is detected impacts survival rates at different stages of the cancer. These results, published in JNCI, suggest that even at the most ...

The American College of Cardiology will recognize Plicy Perez-Kersey, MD, as the first recipient of the Thad and Gerry Waites Rural Cardiovascular Research Fellowship Award. Perez-Kersey will be honored at American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26) taking place March 28 – 30, in New Orleans. The Thad and Gerry Waites Rural Cardiovascular Research Fellowship was funded through Thad F. Waites, MD, MACC, in honor of his wife Gerry. It reflects their commitment to combating cardiovascular disparities and uplifting underserved populations through evidence-based clinical interventions and innovative research. ...

NORMAN, Okla. – Researchers at the University of Oklahoma have developed new hybrid materials that challenge conventional thinking about how light-emitting compounds work and could advance the field of fast radiation detection. The research, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, presents a novel approach to designing layered perovskite materials that combine the best of both organic and inorganic components. Perovskites are crystalline materials with a specific atomic arrangement that has made them increasingly important ...

In most states, Medicaid eligibility rules shift at age 19, when individuals transition from child to adult classification. A new study led by the University of Chicago finds that this policy threshold coincides with a sharp spike in Medicaid disenrollment, exposing millions of young adults — including those with significant health needs — to potential gaps in insurance coverage.  In the study, published February 16 in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers observed that 13.4% of young adults with complex medical conditions were disenrolled at age 19, compared with 35.6% of those without complex conditions. Disenrollment was defined as two or more months without ...

Researchers have published a comprehensive review showing how a little-known thermal treatment called biomass torrefaction could transform agricultural and forestry waste into high-value carbon materials for energy storage, environmental cleanup, and medicine. Biomass such as crop residues, wood waste, and municipal organics is one of the most abundant renewable carbon resources on Earth. Yet much of it is burned or discarded, releasing greenhouse gases and wasting potential value. The new review explains how torrefaction, a mild heating process performed at roughly 200 to 300 degrees Celsius in low-oxygen ...

A new scientific review highlights a growing environmental challenge linked to modern food production. Researchers report that waste from livestock and aquaculture operations now contains a complex mix of emerging contaminants that can spread through ecosystems and ultimately affect human health. The study synthesizes recent global research on so-called new contaminants, including antibiotic residues, antibiotic resistance genes, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and microplastics. These pollutants originate from veterinary drugs, feed additives, plastic equipment, and intensive farming practices, and they can persist in soils, ...

A growing body of research suggests that integrating aquatic animals into rice farming could significantly improve nitrogen efficiency while reducing environmental pollution. A new review synthesizes recent scientific findings and proposes that activity at the soil–water interface is the critical engine driving these benefits. Nitrogen fertilizer is essential for global food production, yet only about half of applied nitrogen is absorbed by crops. The remainder is lost through runoff, volatilization, or conversion to greenhouse gases, contributing to water pollution, climate change, and higher farming costs. Improving nitrogen efficiency is therefore a major goal for ...

Scientists have pinpointed crucial genetic resistance to fight a funal disease which threatens the global banana supply in a wild subspecies of the fruit. In a valuable step forward for banana breeding programs, Dr Andrew Chen and Professor Elizabeth Aitken from The University of Queensland have identified the genomic region that controls resistance to Fusarium wilt Sub Tropical Race 4 (STR4). “Fusarium wilt – also known as Panama disease – is a destructive soil-borne disease which impacts farmed Cavendish bananas worldwide ...

There are many ways to communicate with prospective romantic partners: If you are a Japanese scarab beetle, it’s a matter of distinguishing left from right. New work from U.S. and Chinese scientists, published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows how these beetles use mirror-image pheromones to find a mate. The work could lead to better monitoring and control of significant agricultural pests.  The Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica, is a major agricultural pest that cannot be legally imported ...

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4:00 P.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2026 Highlights: Lead exposure before birth is associated with lower performance on cognitive tests 60 years later. The study does not prove that lead exposure is the cause of the lower scores; it only shows an association. The study looked at baby teeth donated decades earlier to determine lead levels. The association between lead exposure in the second trimester of pregnancy and cognitive function decades later was primarily found in female participants. Each one part per million increase in second trimester tooth lead concentration was associated with lower test scores equal to three years of additional aging in female ...

A study led by researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine reveals higher rates of substance use among all non‑heterosexual groups in the U.S., including people who are uncertain of or who use different terms to describe their sexual identity. The analysis was based on the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the first nationally representative dataset to include sexual identity options beyond lesbian, gay, bisexual or heterosexual, and the first to ask respondents ages 12-17 about their sexual identity. More than 52,000 people participated in the survey. The study was published on February 18, 2026 in the American ...

  UNDER STRICT EMBARGO UNTIL 14:00 US (ET) / 19:00 UK (GMT) ON WEDNESDAY 18TH FEBRUARY 2026   Scientists have identified a further twelve dog breeds as being at risk of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome – a condition that can cause serious breathing problems – including the Pekingese, Shih Tzu, Boston Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua and Boxer.   Dogs which are overweight or which have narrowed nostrils or a wider, shorter head shape are more likely to suffer from the serious breathing condition, Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS), according to new ...

In short-skulled (brachycephalic) dogs, a very flat face, collapsing nostrils, and a plump physique are associated with difficulty breathing, with Pekingeses and Japanese Chins at especially high risk, according to a study published February 18, 2026 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Francesca Tomlinson from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, and colleagues. The adorable, squished-flat faces of dogs like Bulldogs and Pugs can come at a price. The shortened skull shape is called brachycephaly, and can produce a condition ...

Certain markers of high status may more strongly boost attitudes towards women versus men, and low status markers may more strongly worsen attitudes towards men versus women—with both findings more pronounced in countries with more conservative gender norms. Marie Isabelle Weißflog of Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany, and the University of York, U.K., and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One on February 18, 2026. Within society, some people receive unequal rights, opportunities, and access to resources. Social psychologists ...

Pollen counts can be predicted by machine learning models using meteorological data with more than 80% accuracy even a week ahead, for both grass and birch tree pollen, which could be key in effectively treating hayfever Article URL: https://plos.io/3NW0x7X Article title: Comparison of machine learning methods in forecasting and characterizing the birch and grass pollen season Author countries: Poland Funding: The study was supported by the statutory project of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in Poland N41/DBS/001323. Initials of the authors who received the award: MB. URL of the funder: https://www.gov.pl/web/science. ...

EMBARGOED UNTIL Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 2pm ET (9am Hawaiʻi Time) What if Homo erectus (H. erectus), the direct ancestor of modern humans, arrived in China much earlier than we thought? New research published in Science Advances on February 18, may rewrite our understanding of early human dispersal in that area. A study by a team of geoscientists and anthropologists, including corresponding author Christopher J. Bae from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Department of Anthropology in the College of Social Sciences, confirms that H. erectus appeared in Yunxian, China 1.7 million ...