Gut bacteria are known to be a key factor in many health-related concerns. However, the number and variety of them is vast, as are the ways in which they interact with the body’s chemistry and each other. For the first time, researchers from the University of Tokyo used a special kind of artificial intelligence called a Bayesian neural network to probe a dataset on gut bacteria in order to find relationships that current analytical tools could not reliably identify. The human body comprises about 30 trillion to 40 trillion cells, but your intestines contain about 100 trillion gut bacteria. Technically, you’re carrying around more cells that aren’t ...

The peer-reviewed study, The Earth4All Scenarios: Human Wellbeing on a Finite Planet Towards 2100, uses a system dynamics-based modelling approach to explore two future scenarios: Too Little Too Late, and the Giant Leap. The model presented in the paper provides the scientific basis for the analysis and policy recommendations of Earth for All: A Survival Guide for Humanity, published in 2022.  The model’s findings show that under our current ‘business as usual’ conditions – the Too Little Too Late scenario – ...

Villages, often separated from larger towns and cities, consist of clusters of households and a few public buildings. Despite their long history, the biodiversity of European villages has been understudied compared to urban areas, forests, grasslands, or agricultural fields. A new study reveals their biodiversity potential and how nearby landscapes influence biodiversity patterns and human well-being. This research was led by an international team from the HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research with 20 other institutes contributing from Hungary, Romania, Germany, and Italy. Published in Nature Sustainability, ...

As hydrogen infrastructure is rolled out in the EU, refuelling stations must be distributed according to the same principle in all countries. But now a study from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden points to shortcomings in EU regulations. Using an advanced model, the researchers show that the distribution of refuelling stations may both be incorrectly dimensioned and lead to losses of tens of millions of euros a year in some countries. By 2030, EU countries must have built hydrogen refuelling stations at least every ...

Children born by planned C-section have an increased risk of developing acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) later in life. This is shown by a study conducted by researchers at Karolinska Institutet. The researchers emphasise that the risk remains low. The study, published in The International Journal of Cancer, covers nearly 2.5 million children born in Sweden during two periods, 1982 to 1989 and 1999 to 2015. Of these, 15.5 per cent were born by C-section, i.e. nearly 376,000 children. In the entire group, 1,495 children later developed leukaemia. Using the Medical Birth Register, the ...

People who have survived cancer as children are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19, even decades after their diagnosis. This is shown by a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal The Lancet Regional Health – Europe. Thanks to medical advances, more and more children are surviving cancer. However, even long after treatment has ended, health risks may remain. In a new registry study, researchers investigated how adult childhood cancer survivors in Sweden and Denmark were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ...

New research has revealed alarming coral mortality rates of 92 per cent after last year’s bleaching event at Lizard Island on Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef, marking one of the highest coral mortality rates ever documented globally.   The team assessed the impact of the Fourth Global Coral Bleaching Event, declared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in April 2024, which caused extensive bleaching and mortality across the reef system.  Lead author Dr Vincent Raoult from Griffith University’s School of Environment, ...

Researchers at Zhejiang University School of Medicine have identified a single point mutation in the normal PML gene that can block the effect of arsenic trioxide, a frontline drug for acute promyelocytic leukemia. This discovery uncovers a hidden cause of treatment failure and suggests a new target for genetic screening in relapsed patients. This work addresses the urgent issue of why some patients relapse despite a therapy that otherwise greatly improves survival. Mutation Explains Why a Small Portion of Leukemia Patients Relapse on Arsenic Therapy Arsenic trioxide cures most acute promyelocytic leukemia patients, but some patients relapse without an ...

The future of smashed avocado might depend on patches of native vegetation preserved alongside farmland, as new Curtin research reveals the hidden role of these habitats in supporting the insects that keep crops - and brunch menus - thriving. The research, published this week, found that insect communities in avocado orchards adjacent to native remnant vegetation foraged on more than twice as many plant species at times when crop flowering was limited, compared to those in orchards bordered by pasture. Insects with more diverse food sources are more likely to survive and pollinate crops so this finding offers a potential clue to safeguarding ...

University of Sydney researchers have harnessed human-made lightning to develop a more efficient method of generating ammonia – one of the world’s most important chemicals. Ammonia is also the main ingredient of fertilisers that account for almost half of all global food production. The team have successfully developed a more straightforward method to produce ammonia (NH3) in gas form. Previous efforts by other laboratories produced ammonia in a solution (ammonium, NH4+), which requires more energy and processes to transform it into the final gas product. The current method to generate ammonia, the Haber-Bosch process, comes at great ...

Some of the most encouraging results for reaction-enhancing catalysts come from one material in particular: tin (Sn). While Sn's overall utility as a catalyst is well-known, its underlying structure-performance relationship is poorly understood, which limits our ability to maximize its potential. To address this knowledge gap, researchers at Tohoku University's Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR) used machine learning to characterize Sn catalyst activity. The highly accurate simulations could be a game-changer that helps researchers swiftly and simply ...

Physician associates provide safe and effective care when they work under the direct supervision of doctors and care for patients who have already been diagnosed, or when they undertake procedures for which they have been highly trained, finds a rapid review published in The BMJ today. However, the rapid review on the safety and effectiveness of physician associates found insufficient evidence to support them assessing undiagnosed patients under indirect supervision—when seeing undiagnosed patients in primary care, for example. Patient satisfaction levels ...

The more we interact with robots, the more human we perceive them to become – according to new research from the University of East Anglia. It may sound like a scene from Blade Runner, but psychologists have been investigating exactly what makes robot interactions feel more human. A new paper published today reveals that playing games with robots to ‘break the ice’ can help bring out their human side. The research team say that the implications are significant for the future of robotics. As robots take on roles from care-giving to customer service, designing interactions that promote social engagement ...

Individual expectations about one's health can influence him/her future condition and the speed of the progression of a disease: in fact, a research conducted by researchers of psychology at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan campus, shows that, after a diagnosis of asthma, people who are optimistic about their health will have a slower progression of the disease. The study was published in the journal Health Expectations (Wiley) and conducted by full Professor Francesco Pagnini of the Department of Psychology at the Università Cattolica and colleagues. Professor Pagnini explains: “this study was developed in response to ...

When surgeons dissect tissue to remove a tumor or make a repair they must work cautiously, relying on electrophysical monitors and their own anatomical knowledge to avoid cutting nerves, which could complicate the patient’s recovery. A University of New Mexico surgeon has helped develop and test a first-of-its-kind drug that binds to nerve tissue and fluoresces – emits light – enabling surgeons to better see the nerves they’re trying to work around. A newly published study in Nature Communications ...

The latest research published in Genes & Diseases unveils groundbreaking insights into the role of the aging process and the associated factor EMP1 in the progression of resectable pancreatic cancer (PC). The study, conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chongqing Medical University, has established a prognostic model that links EMP1 expression with adverse clinical outcomes, particularly among older PC patients.   Pancreatic cancer remains a highly aggressive ...

  A recent study published in Genes & Diseases reveals a novel role of XPR1 in promoting ovarian cancer growth by regulating autophagy and MHC-I expression. The research, conducted by scientists from Chongqing Medical University, identifies XPR1 as a critical factor influencing the aggressiveness of ovarian cancer through its interaction with LAMP1 and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. These findings shed light on new therapeutic targets for ovarian cancer, a malignancy known for its poor prognosis and resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors.   The ...

CLEVELAND—Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have developed an environmentally safer type of plastic that can be used for wearable electronics, sensors and other electrical applications. The material, a so-called ferroelectric polymer, is made without fluorine, considered a “forever” chemical that hurts the environment because compounds made with it don’t break down quickly or at all. Although the researchers are still working to improve the material’s electric and elastic properties, the potential is vast for its flexibility of electronic uses and eco-friendly structure. “How this material ...

Key takeaways Researchers from Penn and Arizona State University pinpoint a lone five-particle package (a 5-plet) that could upend string theory by detecting it at the Large Hadron Collider. “Ghost” tracks that vanish mid-flight may be the smoking gun physicists are chasing. Early data squeeze the search window, but the next collider runs could make—or break—the case. In physics, there are two great pillars of thought that don’t quite fit together. The Standard Model of particle physics describes all known fundamental particles and three forces: electromagnetism, ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Alexandra Staub, author and professor of architecture in the College of Arts and Architecture’s Stuckeman School at Penn State, examines how architects can better serve society by changing their approach to the building process in her latest book titled “Architecture and Social Sustainability: Understanding the New Paradigm.” Published by Routledge, the book presents examples of “how we can better design for stakeholder agency, serve historically marginalized populations, and further our theoretical thinking about sustainability writ large,” according to the book’s ...

CLEVELAND—Case Western Reserve University chemist Divita Mathur was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) grant for her research in synthetic DNA nanoparticles, which have potential applications in gene therapy. The grant will support Mathur’s work in synthesizing nanoparticles and studying how they behave inside cells in a laboratory. She will use single-cell injections and a microscope to track the nanoparticles and watch what happens to them over time ...

Researchers working on an incurable blood cancer can now use a new lab model which could make testing potential new treatments and diagnostics easier and quicker, new research has found.   In a paper published in Nature Communications a team of researchers led from the University of Birmingham have studied blood cells from patients with a blood cancer called myelodysplastic syndrome disease (MDS). This disease often develops into a highly aggressive form of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML).   Working with this new model ...

Acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) represents one of the most common yet challenging conditions treated in intensive care units (ICUs) worldwide. While the emergence of multiple options for non-invasive respiratory support has revolutionized care in such cases, selecting the optimal approach remains difficult. Now, a special issue from the Journal of Intensive Medicine titled “Non-invasive respiratory support for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure” provides key insights to guide these critical treatment decisions. This collection establishes a robust foundation for understanding the key respiratory support ...

LA JOLLA, CA—A new study, published recently in Nature Communications, offers the first-ever map of which parts of Chikungunya virus trigger the strongest response from the body's T cells.  With this map in hand, researchers are closer to developing Chikungunya vaccines or therapies that harness T cells to strike specific targets, or "epitopes," to halt infection. The new study also offers important clues for understanding why many people experience chronic, severe joint pain for years after clearing the virus. "Now we can see what T cells are seeing patients with chronic disease," says LJI Assistant Professor ...

  New discoveries from the Pleistocene-age Gantangqing site in southwestern China reveal a diverse collection of wooden tools dated from ~361,000 to 250,000 years ago, marking the earliest known evidence of complex wooden tool technology in East Asia. The findings reveal that the Middle Pleistocene humans who used these tools crafted the wooden implements not for hunting, but for digging and processing plants. Although early humans have worked with wood for over a million years, wooden artifacts are quite rare in the archaeological ...