Urbanization has a huge impact on the ecosystem and poses enormous challenges to animals and plants. The ongoing, worldwide increase in urbanization is considered one of the main causes of the steady decline in biodiversity. Urban ecology is the field of research that focuses on the effects of urbanization on different organisms. For example, many studies have investigated how urban noise affects communication in birds. However, little is still known about the relationship between urbanization and plumage colour in birds. Plumage colour serves many important functions: it can play a role in ...

How do apps improve? For some of today’s most popular applications, it’s by listening to their customers. Instagram responded to requests for in-app editing tools by offering filters, brightness, and contrast adjustments. Offline maps, by Google Maps, answered users who wanted to use the tool when they couldn’t get online. But listening to user feedback isn’t an easy task. The Apple App Store alone offers 3.8 million appswith as many as 1.8 million reviews apiece. New research from ...

The Saharo-Arabian Desert experienced repeated wetter periods over the past eight million years. Wetter conditions favoured the exchange of mammals between Africa and Eurasia. Fossilised rain water reveals monsoon rains reached Arabia in such wet periods. The Saharo-Arabian Desert is one of the largest biogeographic barriers on Earth, hindering the dispersal of animals between Africa and Eurasia, and is at least eleven million years old. How did water-dependent mammals, including our early ancestors, manage to cross this inhospitable desert in ...

Background: Pulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is a rare, indolent subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma with distinct radiological and pathological characteristics. Clinically, patients may present with nonspecific symptoms such as cough or dyspnea, and the disease can mimic other pulmonary conditions. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) imaging plays a critical role in identifying characteristic lung patterns, such as nodules, consolidation, or ground-glass opacities, which help in differentiating pulmonary MALT lymphoma from other pulmonary disorders. The ...

Generations are already seen as unique in terms of values and beliefs. These differences may stretch into the realm of finance, according to a new study from the University of Georgia. Financial well-being reflects a person’s ability to hold out against financial troubles and achieve their goals. If financial well-being is low, there can be negative impacts on a person’s mental health. The researchers looked at data from the 2016 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s National ...

ITHACA, N.Y. – Researchers at Cornell University have developed a new type of smart clothing that can track a person’s posture and exercise routine but looks, wears – and washes – just like a regular shirt. The new technology, called SeamFit, uses flexible conductive threads sewn into the neck, arm and side seams of a standard short-sleeved T-shirt. The user does not need to manually log their workout, because an artificial intelligence pipeline detects movements, identifies the ...

Background: Chest drains are routinely used after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lung resections to evacuate fluid and air from the pleural space. We compared the impact of coaxial silicone (SIL) drains vs. standard polyvinyl chloride (PVC) drains on postoperative pain, drainage efficacy, and short-term treatment outcome following VATS lobectomy. Methods: The prospective randomized study included 80 patients who underwent VATS lobectomy for lung cancer between September 2020 and June 2023. Patients were randomized into two groups based on the type ...

About The Study: In this cross-sectional analysis of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S., rates increased during 2018 to 2022, with large variations by state and race and ethnicity. The concerning rates in the U.S. should be an urgent public health priority. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Yingxi Chen, MD, PhD, email yingxi.chen@nih.gov. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.4325) Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions ...

About The Study: The findings of this study suggest that the New York opioid restriction law was associated with reductions in opioid quantities in the immediate total joint replacement postoperative period. Additional refinements may further reduce opioid prescribing in New York, and these findings may serve as a foundation for refining laws in other states that may not achieve their intended targets or have not implemented similar laws. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Caroline P. Thirukumaran, MBBS, MHA, PhD, email caroline.thirukumaran@northwestern.edu. To ...

Tim-3 is an immune checkpoint molecule involved in immunity and inflammation recently linked to late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but its role in the brain was unknown until now. In a paper published in Nature, researchers from Mass General Brigham used preclinical models to uncover Tim-3’s role in microglia, the brain's resident immune cells, and have identified it as a promising therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease. “Immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized cancer immunotherapy, and it is exciting that we might be able to repurpose them to treat Alzheimer’s disease,” said senior author Vijay Kuchroo, ...

Investigators from Mass General Brigham and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have developed STITCHR, a new gene editing tool that can insert therapeutic genes into specific locations without causing unwanted mutations. The system can be formulated completely as RNA, dramatically simplifying delivery logistics compared to traditional systems that use both RNA and DNA. By inserting an entire gene, the tool offers a one-and-done approach that overcomes hurdles from CRISPR gene editing technology—which is programmed to correct individual mutations—offering a promising step forward for gene therapy. Results are published in Nature.   “CRISPR ...

Seafaring hunter-gatherers were accessing remote, small islands such as Malta thousands of years before the arrival of the first farmers, a new international study has found. Published in Nature, the research team – led by Professor Eleanor Scerri of the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology (MPI-GEA) and the University of Malta – found hunter-gatherers were crossing at least 100km of open water to reach the Mediterranean island of Malta 8,500 years ago, a thousand years before the arrival of agricultural practises. This ...

The DNA of human cells consists of a sequence of about 3.1 billion building blocks. Cells go to great lengths to maintain the integrity of this vast store of information. They constantly untangle knots in the DNA strand and create new chemical bonds when a strand of DNA breaks somewhere in the nucleus. “When people read about repairing genetic material, they often think of it being in response to exposure to toxins or radiation,” says Jacob Corn, Professor of Genome Biology at ETH Zurich. However, repair mechanisms not only defend against external threats; they also play a crucial role in helping cells survive the challenges they ...

Northwestern University researchers have developed the first wearable device for measuring gases emitted from and absorbed by the skin. By analyzing these gases, the device offers an entirely new way to assess skin health, including monitoring wounds, detecting skin infections, tracking hydration levels, quantifying exposure to harmful environmental chemicals and more.  The new technology comprises a collection of sensors that precisely measure changes in temperature, water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which each give valuable ...

PULLMAN, Wash. – Preparing catalysts by sending hot, steamy car exhaust over them could improve their efficiency and reduce the amount of rare and expensive metals required in vehicle catalytic converters and many other emission control and industrial processes. Reporting in the journal, Nature, an international team of researchers found that the hot car exhaust containing nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide caused a previously unknown reaction that, used proactively, can significantly improve catalytic activity. Catalysts are substances that increase the rate of chemical reactions. The researchers found that hot exhaust encouraged ceria particles, one of the components of the ...

Overcoming Delivery Challenges in Gene Editing Modern genome editing techniques, including CRISPR systems, hold great potential for treating genetic diseases. However, delivering these molecular tools reliably to their target cells remains a significant challenge. “Previous viral and non-viral delivery systems such as adeno-associated viruses (AAVs), lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), and other virus-like particles (VLPs), have been valuable but face limitations,” says Dr. Dong-Jiunn Jeffery Truong, last author ...

Comprehensive reference genomes have now been assembled for six ape species: siamang (a Southeast Asian gibbon), Sumatran orangutan, Bornean orangutan, gorilla, bonobo and chimpanzee. Areas of their genomes previously inaccessible because of structural complexity have now mostly been resolved.   The resource is already lending itself to comparative studies that offer new insights into human and ape evolution, and into what underlies the functional differences among these species.   A report on how the telomere-to-telomere ape genome references were developed, and what scientists are learning from it, appears in the April 9 edition ...

A new study reports the first direct observation of merging star clusters in the nuclear region of dwarf galaxies. This detection confirms the feasibility of this formation route for nuclei in dwarf galaxies, which has long been debated. The study was published in Nature science journal, and led by Postdoctoral Researcher Mélina Poulain from the University of Oulu, Finland. Dwarf galaxies are the most abundant type of galaxies that populate the Universe.  Composed of 100 times fewer stars than the ...

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (April 9, 2025) — Van Andel Institute scientists and collaborators have developed a new method for identifying and classifying pancreatic cancer cell subtypes based on sugars found on the outside of cancer cells. These sugars, called glycans, help cells recognize and communicate with each other. They also act as a cellular “signature,” with each subtype of pancreatic cancer cell possessing a different composition of glycans. The new method, multiplexed glycan immunofluorescence, combines ...

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) continues to be a tough nut to crack in critical care, taking lives despite years of research and better ventilator strategies. It is defined by acute hypoxemia, bilateral infiltrates on chest imaging, and non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema, and it remains a heterogeneous condition with mortality rates stubbornly close to 40%. Its complexity—spanning diverse etiologies, inflammatory profiles, and therapeutic responses—demands innovative solutions beyond traditional paradigms. In recent years, artificial intelligence ...

The scientific programme for the inaugural eLTER Science Conference has just been launched, marking a major milestone in the lead-up to the event. Held from 23 to 27 June 2025 in Tampere, Finland, the conference will explore integrated, policy-relevant approaches to ecosystem and socio-ecological research under the theme: “Toward a whole-system approach to ecosystem science.” Organised by the Integrated European Long-Term Ecosystem, critical zone and socio-ecological systems Research Infrastructure (eLTER RI), the event is expected to welcome over 300 participants from across Europe and beyond. The scientific programme features: 25 keynote speakers recognised for their leadership ...

“[…] when selecting non-PGT-A tested embryos for embryo transfer (ET) or frozen embryo transfer (FET), a small hatching blastocyst seems to be a better choice than a large expanded one, especially for advanced-age patients for whom the risk of aneuploidy is higher.” BUFFALO, NY — April 9, 2025 — A new research paper was published in Aging (Aging-US) Volume 17, Issue 3, on March 5, 2025, titled “Reproductive aging, preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy, and the diameter of blastocysts: does size matter?” In this study, a team led by first author Jakub Wyroba from the Malopolski Institute of Fertility Diagnostics ...

Applications for the 2025 EurekAlert! Travel Awards for International Science Reporters are now open to early-career science journalists from Brazil and countries in Eastern Europe. Two winners will be selected to receive travel funding from EurekAlert! to attend the 2026 AAAS Annual Meeting, taking place February 12-14, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Learn more about who is eligible and how to apply on our website. The application deadline is May 5 at 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time. Learn More and Apply! The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world’s largest multidisciplinary scientific society, and the AAAS Annual Meeting brings together ...

(WASHINGTON— April 9, 2025) — A marker linked to inflammation, C-reactive protein, may increase significantly during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle in female patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), according to emerging research published today in Blood Vessels, Thrombosis & Hemostasis.  This observation provides insight into the pattern of painful vaso-occlusive events (VOEs), which are driven by inflammation, in female patients with the disorder. “We know both from the literature and anecdotally from our patients that women with SCD have VOEs that cluster ...

With the global prevalence of obesity on the rise, it is crucial to explore the neural mechanisms linked to obesity and its influence on brain and cognitive health. However, the impact of obesity on the brain is complex and multilevel. To address this, Prof. Anqi QIU, Professor of the Department of Health Technology and Informatics at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Global STEM Scholar, has unveiled novel research to advance our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying the relationship between obesity and its implications for cognitive health in adults.  Obesity ...