Key Takeaways Pilot whale samples from 1986-2023 show that legacy PFAS are declining in the open ocean. Newer PFAS remain a major unknown and may be accumulating in near-source environments. Scientists underscore the need for bulk monitoring and regulation of next‑generation compounds. PFAS, or per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances, are ubiquitous in modern life. First produced at the end of World War II, these chemicals are in everything from furniture and cosmetics to food packaging, non-stick pans and clothing. They have also infiltrated our water, soil, and food, making PFAS a major concern for human and ecological health.  Beginning ...

PRESS RELEASE UNDER STRICT EMBARGO UNTIL - MONDAY 26 JANUARY -  3PM US EASTERN TIME AND 8PM UK TIME AI sheds light on mysterious dinosaur footprints A new app, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), could help scientists and the public identify dinosaur footprints made millions of years ago, a study reveals. For decades, paleontologists have pondered over a number of ancient dinosaur tracks and asked themselves if they were left by fierce carnivores, gentle plant-eaters or even early species of birds? Now, researchers and dinosaur enthusiasts alike can upload an image or sketch ...

A new study shows that interactions between wolves and cougars in Yellowstone National Park are driven by wolves stealing prey killed by cougars and that shifts in cougar diets to smaller prey help them avoid wolf encounters. The study, published at a time of growing overlap between cougar and wolf habitats in the western United States, found wolves occasionally killed cougars, but cougars did not kill wolves. Researchers also found that cougars tend to avoid areas where wolves have made kills and stay close to escape terrain, such as climbable trees. Cougars responded to a decline in elk in the park by killing ...

In an unexpected finding, a UCLA-led team has discovered that bacteria are present inside the most common type of kidney stone, revealing a previously unrecognized component involved in their formation. The findings, to be published in the peer-reviewed journal PNAS, point to a possible therapeutic target that could be used for prevention and treatment for the millions of people who are affected by the frequently painful condition. “This breakthrough challenges the long‑held assumption that these stones develop solely through chemical and physical processes, and instead shows ...

NORMAN, OKLA. – A transdisciplinary team led by Southcentral Foundation, a Tribal healthcare organization in Anchorage, Alaska, has been awarded a competitive grant from the National Institutes of Health. Jessica Blanchard, Ph.D., senior research scientist at the University of Oklahoma's Center for Applied Social Research, is a key collaborator on the project, representing the continuation of a longstanding partnership between OU and Southcentral Foundation. Administered by the National Human Genome Research Institute, the award is funded under the Building Partnerships and Broadening Perspectives ...

Researchers at the University of Arizona were awarded up to $1.8 million by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to develop a lymphatic scanner small and light enough for physicians to bring with them to diagnose and monitor patients with lymphatic disease. Lymphatic disorders affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Standard imaging modalities like lymphoscintigraphy, magnetic resonance and ultrasound fall short in providing sufficient detail for physicians ...

A woman’s insulin levels in midlife are linked to the timing and duration of menopausal hot flashes, night sweats and cold sweats, according to new research from the University of Victoria (UVic).   The study found that having higher insulin levels at age 47 predicted younger onsets of hot flashes and night sweats,” says Faria Athar, lead author of the study, which is published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.   “Higher insulin at age 47 was also associated ...

Abstract: Professor Hirotoshi Mori (Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University), together with Nichika Ozawa (first-year Ph.D. student at Ochanomizu University) and Assistant Professor Nahoko Kuroki of Ochanomizu University, has proposed a new design principle for QM/MM (quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics) simulations. The approach enables objective and automatic determination of the quantum-mechanical region based on electronic-state changes, addressing a long-standing ...

This work, which is funded by the Government of Asturias, has been published in the journal Scientific Reports under the title Large-scale remote sensing model enables an integrated monitoring approach for high-resolution tracking of pest vole populations. The study is led by researchers from the Regional Service for Agri-Food Research and Development (SERIDA), Aitor Somoano and Ana del Cerro, in collaboration with technicians from the company Spectralgeo (Logroño), the regional government of Galicia (Xunta de Galicia), and Tragsatec. Researcher ...

Guideline Highlights: The 2026 Guideline for the Early Management of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke includes key advances in stroke treatment, such as expanded eligibility for clot-removal procedures, new evidence supporting the use of the clot-busting medication tenecteplase, and the implementation of mobile stroke units to deliver care faster and reduce the risk of long-term disability. Also included in the guideline are the first detailed recommendations for diagnosing and treating stroke ...

A groundbreaking new study, led by experts at the University of Nottingham, has found that medicines used to treat gout can also reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with gout. The new research, which is published in JAMA Internal Medicine, shows that treating gout to target blood urate levels also prevents heart attacks and stroke. The study is led by Professor Abhishek from the School of Medicine at the University along with colleagues at Keele University and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in the UK, Gothenburg ...

Scientists have created the highest resolution map of the dark matter that threads through the Universe – showing its influence on the formation of stars, galaxies and planets. The research, including astronomers from Durham University, UK, tells us more about how this invisible substance helped pull ordinary matter into galaxies like our Milky Way and planets like Earth. The findings, using new data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (Webb), are published in the journal Nature Astronomy. The study was jointly ...

About The Study: In this cohort study of St. Louis adults, heightened cumulative lifespan stress and elevated inflammation were associated with shorter survival among Black participants, suggesting these pathways may represent plausible mechanisms mediating racial disparities in mortality among Black and white U.S. individuals. The findings underscore the need for policies that address structural racism, alongside treatments that reduce inflammation and limit stress exposure to reduce mortality disparities. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding ...

About The Study: Changes in purchasing patterns after glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) initiation were seen across most nutrient categories. Opposed to comparisons, after the first prescription, participants purchased fewer calories, sugars, saturated fats, and carbohydrates, alongside modestly more protein. The share of ultraprocessed foods also decreased. Although modest at the individual level, these changes may accumulate at the population level, particularly given increasing GLP-1RA use. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Kathrine ...

About The Study: This study found that universal pre-kindergarten (UPK) may be associated with reduced child protective services (CPS) involvement, particularly for child neglect, and may help mitigate racial and ethnic disparities in CPS involvement. Reductions in child neglect associated with UPK could benefit children’s health and well-being in the short- and long-term; these findings offer insights for policymakers and advocates regarding broader benefits associated with UPK.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Youngjin Stephanie Hong, PhD, email hong249@wisc.edu. To access the embargoed study: ...

About The Study: In this cohort study, among U.S. adolescents, those reporting higher family connection had higher levels of social connection as adults up to 2 decades later. These findings suggest that increasing family connection during adolescence may help reduce the burden of adult social disconnection.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Robert C. Whitaker, MD, MPH, email robert.whitaker@bassett.org. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.5816) Editor’s ...

Spinal metastasis, the spread of cancer to the spine, is a frequent complication in advanced cancer. It often causes severe pain and paralysis, significantly impacting quality of life. Surgery may be an option for patients with a favorable prognosis, while palliative care may be recommended for patients with limited life expectancy. An accurate prognosis is essential for selecting appropriate treatment. Traditional scoring systems, however, rely on outdated data and do not reflect recent advances in cancer therapy that have improved survival rates. In a recent study published in the journal Spine, researchers at Nagoya University ...

University of California San Diego-led team has discovered that restoring a key cardiac protein called connexin‑43 in a mouse model can dramatically improve heart function and extend survival in several inherited forms of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM). The research suggests that a single gene therapy might someday help a wide range of ACM patients, regardless of the specific mutation they carry. The study was published on January 26, 2026 in Circulation: Heart Failure. ACM impedes the heart from pumping blood to the rest of the body, and is a leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young people. The condition disproportionately affects ...

SAN ANTONIO — January 26, 2026 — A new paper by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) staff details how using popular culture could effectively teach science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) concepts. The paper shares insights from SwRI staff who hosted “Physics of Anime” panels at anime and hobbyist conventions across the country, presenting complex scientific ideas in an engaging way to curious attendees. “Anime,” a style of animation originating in Japan and popular worldwide, reached an estimated global value of around $25 billion in 2024. For nearly five years, Dr. Roman G. Gomez, a lead scientist in SwRI’s Space Science Division ...

Helping to care for grandchildren may serve as a buffer against cognitive decline in older adults, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.  “Many grandparents provide regular care for their grandchildren – care that supports families and society more broadly,” said lead researcher Flavia Chereches, MS, of Tilburg University in the Netherlands. “An open question, however, is whether caregiving for grandchildren may also benefit grandparents themselves. In this research, we wanted to see if providing grandchild care might benefit grandparents' health, potentially slowing down cognitive decline.” The ...

For decades, sharks have been the unintended victims of longline fisheries aimed at tuna and swordfish. Rising accidental catches have contributed to population declines and created serious challenges for both conservation and commercial fishing. And the impacts go beyond the sharks themselves – every time a shark takes the bait, hooks are lost to target species, gear gets damaged, costs climb, and crews face added risks when handling or releasing the animals. Although some gear modifications can reduce bycatch, they ...

LOS ANGELES — City of Hope®, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States with its National Medical Center ranked among the nation’s top cancer centers by U.S. News & World Report, has opened a phase 2 clinical trial comparing three different strategies for protecting heart health in prostate cancer patients who receive androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), a potentially lifesaving hormone ...

Audio Nearly a third of registered nurses and advanced practice nurses in Michigan carry sizable student loan debt that is influencing their decision to leave the profession, according to a new study from the University of Michigan.   The research appears in Health Affairs Scholar, and comes as the U.S. Department of Education prepares to finalize new student loan rules that exclude graduate nursing programs from higher-tier loan limits, a move the study authors say could narrow the pathway for advanced clinicians and nursing faculty.    After the Trump administration proposed the loan limits, researchers from the U-M School ...

Transparent electrodes transmit light while conducting electricity and are increasingly important in bioelectronic and optoelectronic devices. Their combination of high optical transparency, low electrical resistance, and mechanical flexibility makes them well suited for applications such as displays, solar cells, and wearable or implantable technologies. In a significant advancement, researchers led by Professor Wonsuk Jung at Chungnam National University in the Republic of Korea have introduced a new fabrication technique called one-step free patterning of graphene, or OFP-G, which enables high-resolution patterning of large-area monolayer graphene with feature sizes ...

Allergic diseases represent a major global health burden, placing significant strain on healthcare systems worldwide. Severe conditions such as anaphylaxis, asthma, food allergy, and allergic rhinitis are driven by immunoglobulin E (IgE), an antibody that binds to immune cells including mast cells and basophils. When IgE remains attached to these cells, it sustains exaggerated immune responses to allergens. Although current anti-allergy therapies can neutralize free IgE in the bloodstream, they cannot efficiently ...