Irvine, Calif., Feb. 13, 2025 — Among the roughly 10 billion white dwarf stars in the Milky Way galaxy, a greater number than previously expected could provide a stellar environment hospitable to life-supporting exoplanets, according to astronomers at the University of California, Irvine. In a paper published recently in The Astrophysical Journal, a research team led by Aomawa Shields, UC Irvine associate professor of physics and astronomy, share the results of a study comparing the climates of exoplanets at two different stars. One is a hypothetical white dwarf that’s passed through much of its life cycle and is on a slow path ...

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor Genetics and collaborating institutions provided a long-awaited and rare genetic diagnosis in a child with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a type of developmental epileptic encephalopathy (DEE), associated with a severe, complex form of epilepsy and developmental delay. Their recent study reports that a highly complex rearrangement of fragments from chromosomes 3 and 5 altered the typical organization of genes in the q14.3 region of chromosome ...

Mustard gas, also known as sulfur mustard, is one of the most harmful chemical warfare agents, causing blistering of the skin and mucous membranes on contact. Chemists at Washington University in St. Louis have been awarded a $1 million contract with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to develop a new way to detect the presence of this chemical weapon on the battlefield. As with many chemical threats, quick identification of sulfur mustard is key to minimizing its damage, according to Jennifer Heemstra, the Charles Allen Thomas Professor of Chemistry in Arts & Sciences and principal investigator of the new DTRA grant.  “It’s ...

Neuroscientists have new insights into why previous experiences influence future behaviors. Experiments in mice reveal that personal history, especially stressful events, influences how the brain processes whether something is positive or negative. These calculations ultimately impact how motivated a rodent is to seek social interaction or other kinds of rewards. In a first of its kind study, Tufts University School of Medicine researchers demonstrate that interfering with the neural circuits responsible ...

Lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO2) has emerged as a potential new material to power next-generation, longer-lasting lithium-ion batteries. Commercialization of the material, however, has stalled because it degrades after repeated charging. University of Texas at Dallas researchers have discovered why LiNiO2 batteries break down, and they are testing a solution that could remove a key barrier to widespread use of the material. They published their findings online Dec. 10 in the journal Advanced Energy Materials. The team plans first to manufacture LiNiO2 batteries in the lab and ...

WASHINGTON — The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) has selected 10 members from a highly competitive applicant pool to participate in the Society’s annual Capitol Hill Day on March 11–13, 2025. The 10 Early Career Policy Ambassadors (ECPAs), representing many career stages and geographic locations, were chosen for their dedication to advocating for the scientific community, their desire to learn more about effective means of advocacy, and their experience as leaders in their labs and community. The ambassadors are: Izan Chalen, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Nicole D’Souza, University of California, Riverside Lana Ruvolo Grasser, PhD, Department ...

Collecting video data is the long-established way biologists collect data to measure the behaviour of animals and humans. Videos might be taken of human subjects sitting in front of a camera while eating in a group in the University of Konstanz, or researchers using cameras to measure how often house sparrow parents visit their nests on Lundy Island, UK. All these video datasets have one thing in common: after collecting them, researchers need to painstakingly watch each video, manually mark down who, where and when each behaviour of interest happens—a process known as “annotation”. ...

KEY TAKEAWAYS Brigham researchers analyzed data from 857 patients across 36 fMRI brain imaging studies and mapped a common brain circuit for creativity. They derived the circuit in healthy individuals and then predicted which locations of brain injury and neurodegenerative disease might alter creativity. The study found that changes in creativity in people with brain injury or neurodegenerative disease may depend on the location of injury in reference to the creativity circuit. A new study led by ...

About The Study: From 2013-2014 to August 2021-August 2023, there were small increases in the percentage of children and adolescents with obesity, as well as in adults with severe obesity (but not obesity). There were no other significant changes in obesity-related measures, including waist circumference. This period included the COVID-19 pandemic; a study using electronic health records found a small increase in mean weight among adults during the pandemic.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Samuel D. Emmerich, DVM, email semmerich@cdc.gov. To access ...

About The Study: The findings of this study provide evidence that fertility rates in states with abortion bans were higher than would have been expected in the absence of these policies, with the largest estimated differences among subpopulations experiencing the greatest structural disadvantages and in states with among the worst maternal and child health and well-being outcomes.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Suzanne O. Bell, PhD, email suzannebell@jhu.edu. To ...

About The Study: U.S. states that adopted abortion bans had higher than expected infant mortality after the bans took effect. The estimated relative increases in infant mortality were larger for deaths with congenital causes and among groups that had higher than average infant mortality rates at baseline, including Black infants and those in southern states.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Alison Gemmill, PhD, email agemmill@jhu.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jama.2024.28517) Editor’s ...

A recent study led by Associate Professor Takuya Yamamoto and Researcher May Nakajima-Koyama has revealed that maintaining a delicate balance between interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling is essential for preserving the intestinal stem cell population during aging. By comparing young and aged mouse intestinal tissues, the researchers uncovered critical insights into the interplay between these signaling pathways in supporting stem cell maintenance over time. The intestinal epithelium exhibits the highest cell ...

For fruit flies, finding the right mate is all about the right song. Now, research shows that male flies don’t just try to impress their valentine by serenading her with song—they also go to great lengths to drown out the competition. By jamming their rivals’ love songs with high-frequency wing flicks, male fruit flies boost the chances that they’ll win the female over. The new study, published in Cell, explains how the fruit fly brain coordinates courtship and aggressive competition—a framework which could ultimately help scientists understand how humans flexibly ...

With the promotion of the "the Belt and Road" initiative, the economy and society of BRI countries have developed rapidly, but they are also facing severe challenges of rising carbon emissions. Many countries rely on fossil fuels, and the process of energy transition is slow. Coupled with insufficient financial and technological support, especially low-income countries that have limited access to global climate funds, they face greater difficulties in the low-carbon transformation process.   To identify the carbon emission drivers at different development stages of BRI countries ...

Geoglossomycetes is a class within the phylum Ascomycota that accommodates a single order and a single family, comprising nine genera. Geoglossomycetes is traditionally referred to as “earth tongues”. The class is characterized by tongue-shaped to clavate, stipitate, black ascomata covered with or without black setae, a swollen ascigerous portion, a cylindric stipe, filiform, septate paraphyses, cylindrical-clavate, 4–8-spored asci, and filiform or falciform, multi-septate, dark brown to hyaline ascospores. In collaboration with ...

This study is led by Dr. Zhu L. Yang (Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Natural Medicines, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences). Specimens were collected by Song-Yan Zhou and Fei-Fei Liu; microscopic and phylogenetic analyses of Thaxterogaster species were conducted by Zi-Rui Wang at Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.   The team used 514 (236 newly generated + 278 downloaded) sequences from 243 collections representing 112 species building a five-locus phylogenetic tree which includes most currently known lineages and newly described ...

In a significant endeavour to fortify international collaboration and drive innovation within the safety and emergency domain, Safety Emergency Science, a pioneering international academic journal, has been officially launched on the SciOpen platform. Jointly established by the China Association of Work Safety and Tsinghua University, this journal ushers in a new era in the global pursuit of excellence in safety and emergency research.   The journal made its debut at the 2nd Safety Technology Innovation Conference of the China Association of Work Safety, ...

Zirconia-based ceramics, particularly 3Y-TZP, have transformed dental restorations, enabling the development of durable all-ceramic crowns and fixed prostheses. However, their inherent opacity necessitates the application of a porcelain layer, which is prone to chipping and debonding. To address this, translucent glass ceramics (GCs) have been developed and commercialized, including mica-based, leucite-based, and lithium disilicate GCs. These materials offer excellent aesthetics and bondability due to their controlled crystallization process, ...

New postpartum depression research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine and Weill Cornell Medicine could lead to a blood test to identify women at risk and possibly even to a preventive treatment. The research suggests that pregnant women may have characteristic levels of certain molecules in their blood that can warn that they are at risk of developing postpartum depression (PPD). These molecules, called neuroactive steroids, are derived from progesterone, a hormone that plays critical roles in pregnancy and menstruation. Measuring those molecules ...

The leading nonprofit Colorectal Cancer Alliance (Alliance) is making bold strides in its mission to put an end to the disease. Its Project Cure CRC research initiative awarded new grants, convened top scientists to spark breakthrough advancements at its Cure CRC Summit, and unveiled K-SPY, a groundbreaking multi-center platform trial for high-risk colorectal cancer cases. Since its launch, Project Cure CRC has received 275 proposals, of which 22 have been approved totaling $10.5 million in awards. The latest awards reflect $2.8 million ...

New York, New York, and Memphis, Tennessee, February 13, 2025 The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have announced their newest class of pediatric cancer research fellows, each of whom will receive funding for four years ($300,000 total) to support an innovative research project with the potential to significantly impact the diagnosis or treatment of one or more pediatric cancers. Launched in 2024, the Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship aims to address a funding gap that drives top talent to seek more prevalent opportunities in adult cancer research or the pharmaceutical sector. Fellows are selected by a distinguished ...

In a large, nationwide study led by the American Cancer Society (ACS), researchers found mortality risks for smoking menthol cigarettes were higher than non-menthol cigarettes for death from any cause and cardiovascular diseases, especially heart diseases. Higher risks were evident in individuals who had quit smoking and at high smoking intensities. Black participants currently smoking menthol brands had high increases for some heart diseases with an 88% elevated mortality risk compared to non-menthol cigarettes. ...

A clear endorsement from their healthcare provider and being supplied information about recommended vaccines before their clinic visit spurred more older Americans to get vaccinated, a new University of Virginia School of Medicine study found. Because immune systems age like the rest of the body, older adults are at higher risk for poor outcomes from infections. But only 15% of Americans ages 50 and older and 25% of Americans ages 65 and older are up to date on all recommended vaccines, including flu, RSV, tetanus and pneumococcal disease. In the study, six primary care clinics across America piloted a new approach to boosting vaccination rates. This included ...

PULLMAN, Wash. — College students who spent a little bit of free time each week interacting with therapy dogs on campus during their first semester experienced fewer signs of stress and depression than those who did not. That’s according to the PAWs4US study, a new paper published in Pets that examined how regular, long-term access to an animal-assisted drop-in program at Washington State University influenced first-year students’ mental health. The study found that students who engaged with therapy dogs in repeated, unstructured sessions over several months not only ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – How do you tell if someone has a particular accent?  It might seem obvious: You hear someone pronounce words in a way that is different from “normal” and connect it to other people from a specific place.   But a new study suggests that might not be the case.   “People probably don’t learn who has an accent from hearing someone talk and thinking, ‘huh, they sound funny’ – even though sometimes it feels like that’s how we do it,” said Kathryn Campbell-Kibler, author of the study and associate professor of linguistics at The Ohio State University.   Accents may be ...