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Medicine 2026-01-16

NTU Singapore scientists find new way to disarm antibiotic-resistant bacteria and restore healing in chronic wounds

An international team of scientists, led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), has discovered a new way that could speed up the healing of chronic wounds infected by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Worldwide, chronic wounds represent a major health challenge, with an estimated 18.6 million people developing diabetic foot ulcers[1] each year. Up to one in three people with diabetes are at risk of developing a foot ulcer during their lifetime. These wounds are a leading cause of lower-limb ...
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Science 2026-01-16

Research suggests nationwide racial bias in media reporting on gun violence

Mass shootings in white-majority neighborhoods received roughly twice the news coverage of mass shootings in neighborhoods where a majority of residents were people of color, while coverage of police-involved shootings was disproportionately high in majority-minority communities, according to new research. This study by researchers at the University of California, Davis, Northwestern University and the University of Washington is thought to be the first to systematically document bias on gun-violence reporting in a large-scale, nationally representative sample of news media coverage, researchers said.  Researchers analyzed nearly ...
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Medicine 2026-01-16

Revealing the cell’s nanocourier at work

An international group of researchers led by Pompeu Fabra University has discovered the nanomachine that controls constitutive exocytosis: the uninterrupted delivery of spherical molecular packages to the cell surface. This is an essential activity present in virtually all organisms to preserve cell fitness and other vital functions such as communication with the cell’s exterior, cell growth and division. According to Oriol Gallego, who has led the research, “despite being one of the largest nanomachines in ...
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Medicine 2026-01-16

Health impacts of nursing home staffing

About The Study: This case-control study found that a Medicaid policy that incentivized high nursing home staffing levels was associated with modest improvement in some dimensions of patient health. However, even modest effects are extremely meaningful at scale: these estimates suggest that if a similar reform were adopted nationally, there would be 6,142 fewer hospitalizations each year. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Andrew Olenski, PhD, email ano223@lehigh.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2025.6272) Editor’s ...
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Science 2026-01-16

Public views about opioid overdose and people with opioid use disorder

About The Study: In this 2025 survey study, U.S. adults viewed opioid overdose as a serious problem. Different views on the degree to which individuals who use opioids, pharmaceutical companies, and governments are responsible for reducing overdose suggest that preferences for future actions to address overdose may vary among conservatives, moderates, and liberals. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Emma E. McGinty, PhD, MS, email emm4010@med.cornell.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media ...
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Medicine 2026-01-16

Age-related changes in sperm DNA may play a role in autism risk

“Research findings suggest that advanced paternal age is associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children.” BUFFALO, NY — January 16, 2026 — A new research paper was published in Volume 17, Issue 12 of Aging-US on December 29, 2025, titled “Age-specific DNA methylation alterations in sperm at imprint control regions may contribute to the risk of autism spectrum disorder in offspring.” The study – selected as our Editors’ Choice for January, 2026 – was led by first authors Eugenia Casella and ...
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Science 2026-01-16

Ambitious model fails to explain near-death experiences, experts say

An ambitious effort to create a neurophysiological paradigm to explain near-death experiences has failed to capture many fascinating and often perplexing aspects of people’s brushes with death, top University of Virginia experts argue. UVA near-death researchers Bruce Greyson, MD, and Marieta Pehlivanova, PhD, laud the international team of scientists who developed the model, called Neurophysiological Evolutionary Psychological Theory Understanding Near-Death Experience, or NEPTUNE. The NEPTUNE team aimed to bring scientific rigor to understanding near-death experiences (NDEs) – a goal shared by Greyson and Pehlivanova. ...
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Science 2026-01-16

Multifaceted effects of inward foreign direct investment on new venture creation

Inward foreign direct investment (IFDI) is known to be a significant driver of local economic development, especially in fostering entrepreneurship. Current studies have conducted in-depth investigations into the impact of IFDI on the survival, productivity, and innovation of established firms. Recently, a growing body of work has started to examine its influence on entrepreneurship and new venture creation. Notably, most of these studies leverage a broad, country-level perspective and often yield inconsistent findings. This represents a notable gap in existing literature on IFDI, particularly in the context of large emerging economies where ...
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Medicine 2026-01-16

Exploring mutations that spontaneously switch on a key brain cell receptor

Many people are familiar with histamine, a biological molecule, that serves as a key driver of allergic reactions and other immune responses. However, histamine is also a major neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain, regulating essential cognitive functions like wakefulness, attention, and learning. Histamine levels are partially kept in check by the histamine H3 receptor (H3R), belonging to the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family. In essence, H3R acts as a ‘braking system’ in the central nervous system, modulating the release of histamine and various neurotransmitters to maintain proper ...
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Medicine 2026-01-16

Two-step genome editing enables the creation of full-length humanized mouse models

Understanding human gene function in living organisms has long been hampered by fundamental differences between species. Although mice share most protein-coding genes with humans, their regulatory landscapes often diverge, limiting how accurately mouse models can mimic human biology. One promising solution is full-length gene humanization (FL-GH), in which entire mouse loci—including coding sequences, introns, untranslated regions, and regulatory elements—are replaced with their human counterparts. ...
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Medicine 2026-01-16

Pusan National University researchers develop light-activated tissue adhesive patch for rapid, watertight neurosurgical sealing

Durotomy is a common neurosurgical complication involving a tear in the dura mater, the protective membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Damage can cause cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage, leading to delayed healing, headaches, and infection, making a reliable watertight dural closure essential. Tissue adhesives are increasingly explored as alternatives to suturing for dural closure because they offer simpler and faster application. However, many existing glue-based sealants suffer from excessive swelling, leading to mass effect and unwanted tissue adhesion, which can lead to postoperative complications. To address these limitations, researchers have investigated ...
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Science 2026-01-16

Study finds so-called super agers tend to have at least two key genetic advantages

The gene variant posing the greatest genetic risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) is called APOE-ε4. A different variant of the same gene, APOE-ε2, is thought to confer protection against AD.   A comparatively large study reported Jan. 16 in Alzheimer's & Dementia, The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, led by researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, measures the frequency of APOE-ε4 and APOE-ε2 in so-called super agers — people ages 80 or older whose cognitive function is ...
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Medicine 2026-01-16

Brain stimulation device cleared for ADHD in the US is overall safe but ineffective

A large multicentre clinical trial led by King’s College London with 150 children and adolescents has shown that a device cleared by the US FDA to treat ADHD is not effective in reducing symptoms.    The device – which uses an approach called trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) - was cleared for use by the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) to treat ADHD in 2019 based on a small ...
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Science 2026-01-16

Scientists discover natural ‘brake’ that could stop harmful inflammation

Researchers at University College London (UCL) have uncovered a key mechanism that helps the body switch off inflammation – a breakthrough that could lead to new treatments for chronic diseases affecting millions worldwide. Inflammation is the body’s frontline defence against infection and injury, but when it doesn’t switch off properly, it can drive serious health conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes. Until now, scientists didn’t fully understand how the body decides to stop the immune ‘fight’ response and start healing. Published in Nature Communications, the study reveals that tiny fat-derived molecules ...
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Energy 2026-01-16

Tougher solid electrolyte advances long-sought lithium metal batteries

A solid – rather than liquid – electrolyte between the opposite electrodes of a battery should, in theory, enable a rechargeable lithium metal battery that is safer, packs much more energy, and charges considerably faster than the lithium-ion batteries commercially available today. For decades, scientists and engineers have explored several paths to realize the great promise of lithium metal batteries. A major problem with the solid, crystalline electrolytes under study has been the formation of microscopic cracks that ...
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Medicine 2026-01-16

Experts provide policy roadmap to reduce dementia risk

A national panel of experts has issued the strongest call yet for the Department of Health and Social Care to overhaul how it approaches dementia prevention, pointing to vital evidence that dementia risk can be reduced and providing a framework for the development of new government policy that could improve brain health for millions.  The Nottingham Consensus, published in Nature Reviews Neurology, was led by researchers at the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Dementia and Neurodegeneration at Queen Mary University ...
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Science 2026-01-16

New 3D imaging system could address limitations of MRI, CT and ultrasound

In a proof-of-concept study funded by the National Institutes of Health, researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have shown that an innovative, noninvasive technique can be used to quickly collect 3D images of the human body, from head to foot. The technology combines ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging, which detects sound waves generated by light, to simultaneously collect images of both tissue and blood vessels. The findings, just published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, have the potential to address current gaps in medical imaging. Imaging ...
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Medicine 2026-01-16

First-in-human drug trial lowers high blood fats

When we eat, our bodies convert extra calories, especially from carbs, sugar, fats, and alcohol, into molecules called “triglycerides”. Triglycerides are a form of fat or “lipid”, which the body stores away into its fat cells as an energy fuel for energy between meals. But, as we all know, excess amounts of fat in the body can be dangerous, causing a condition known as “hypertriglyceridemia” (“excess triglycerides in the blood”), which significantly increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and pancreatitis. This ...
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Environment 2026-01-16

Decades of dredging are pushing the Dutch Western Scheldt Estuary beyond its ecological limits

The Dutch Western Scheldt Estuary has been pushed onto an unsustainable trajectory since large-scale navigation channel deepening began in the 1970s. The dramatic increase in the annual volume of dredged sediment from the navigation channel has reduced feeding grounds for birds and made the estuary more vulnerable to sea-level rise. This is shown by the Dutch report De Westerscheldenatuur: Een mooie toekomst vraagt keuzes nu!. Dutch and Flemish researchers call on policymakers to use dredged sediment strategically for nature restoration and climate adaptation. After analysing nearly seventy years of monitoring data from the Dutch water ...
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Physics 2026-01-16

A view into the innermost workings of life: First scanning electron microscope with nanomanipulator inaugurated in hesse at Goethe University

FRANKFURT. With a so-called cryo plasma-FIB (Plasma Focused Ion Beam) scanning electron microscope with nanomanipulator, the Goethe University in Frankfurt (Germany) is expanding its research infrastructure with a powerful instrument. The microscope was inaugurated today at the Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences on the Riedberg Campus – as the first of its kind in Hesse and one of only a few in all of Germany.   The large-scale instrument works with a focused plasma ion beam, which can be used to prepare tiny sections from biological cells – so-called nanobiopsies with dimensions in the nanometer range. The decisive advantage ...
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Medicine 2026-01-16

Simple method can enable early detection and prevention of chronic kidney disease

Subtle abnormalities in kidney function – even within the range considered normal – may help identify people at risk of developing chronic kidney disease. This is shown in a new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Kidney International. The researchers have therefore developed a web-based tool that could aid in early detection and thus primary prevention. Chronic kidney disease is a growing global health concern afflicting 10−15 per cent of adults worldwide and is projected ...
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Environment 2026-01-16

S-species-stimulated deep reconstruction of ultra-homogeneous CuS nanosheets for efficient HMF electrooxidation

RESEARCH The massive consumption of fossil fuels in human society has led to increasingly severe resource crises and environmental pollution, and the efficient utilization of renewable biomass resources is one of the feasible approaches to addressing these issues. The electrocatalytic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to produce 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is expected to reduce the excessive reliance on fossil resource-derived terephthalic acid (PTA), a petroleum-based platform molecule. However, the development of high-performance and low-cost electrocatalysts for the efficient HMF oxidation ...
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Engineering 2026-01-16

Mechanical and corrosion behavior of additively manufactured NiTi shape memory alloys

A team from Lanzhou University of Technology have developed a novel NiTi shape memory allow (SMA) with harmonic microstructures fabricated via selective laser melting (SLM). This work explores the relationship between microstructural evolution at various deformation stages and corrosion behaviour in seawater environments. The study reveals that in its initial states, the alloy exhibits superior corrosion resistance, primarily owing to dense and stable passivation films composed mainly of TiO₂ and NiO. Post-fracture, the formation of fragmented amorphous phases and nanocrystalline grains accelerates corrosion processes. Leveraging first-principles ...
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Science 2026-01-16

New discovery rewrites the rules of antigen presentation

A new discovery about how cells communicate with each other in the body’s immune system has revealed deeper insights for an international team of scientists into fundamental immune system function.  The new study, published in Nature Communications, overturns a long held understanding about how T cells – white blood cells that make up a key part of the immune system – recognise lipid antigens, a chemical class of molecules that make up cell membranes. Lipids are presented to T cells by a distinct family of molecules called CD1, yet one member of this family, CD1c, has remained poorly understood despite its significant role in human immunity. For more than 30 years, ...
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Science 2026-01-16

Researchers achieve chain-length control of fatty acid biosynthesis in yeast

Medium- and short-chain fatty acids (C8-C14) are widely used in industries including food, pharmaceuticals, lubricants, and surfactants, and they are currently mainly extracted from coconut and palm oils. Developing sustainable microbial alternatives, especially for producing fatty acids with high purity and precise chain-length control, is a major goal of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering. In a study published in Nature Chemical Biology, Prof. ZHOU Yongjin's team from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Prof. Martin Grininger's team from Goethe University Frankfurt developed a modular ...
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