Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and UCL have analysed ancient DNA from Borrelia recurrentis, a type of bacteria that causes relapsing fever, pinpointing when it evolved to spread through lice rather than ticks, and how it gained and lost genes in the process. This transition may have coincided with changes in human lifestyles, like living closer together and the beginning of the wool trade. Borrelia recurrentis bacteria cause relapsing fever, an illness with many recurring episodes of fever, which is typically found ...

New standards in nuclear physics An international research team led by the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI has measured the radius of the nucleus of muonic helium-3 with unprecedented precision. The results are an important stress test for theories and future experiments in atomic physics. 1.97007 femtometre (quadrillionths of a metre): That’s how unimaginably tiny the radius of the atomic nucleus of helium-3 is. This is the result of an experiment at PSI that has now been published in the journal Science. More than 40 researchers from international institutes collaborated to develop and implement a method that ...

As legally required by the European Union, sustainable fisheries may not extract more fish than can regrow each year. Yet, about 70 per cent of commercially targeted fish stocks in northern EU waters are either overfished, have shrunken population sizes or have collapsed entirely. So why does the EU continue to miss its sustainable fisheries targets, despite a wealth of scientific data and policy instruments? Researchers at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and Kiel University examined this question using the well-explored ...

The Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality" at the University of Konstanz will continue to receive funding through the German Excellence Strategy for another seven years. The German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German Council of Science and Humanities (WR) made the announcement on 22 May 2025. The Cluster of Excellence applied for around 52 million euros in funding. Clusters of Excellence are large, transdisciplinary research networks that study relevant research topics at the highest level internationally; they are one of the funding lines of the Excellence Strategy. "Our Cluster of Excellence 'The Politics ...

Using a novel lab method they developed, McGill University researchers have identified nine molecules in the blood that were elevated in teens diagnosed with depression. These molecules also predicted how symptoms might progress over time. The findings of the clinical study could pave the way for earlier detection, before symptoms worsen and become hard to treat. “Alarmingly, more and more adolescents are being diagnosed with depression, and when it starts early, the effects can be long-lasting and severe,” said senior author Cecilia Flores, James ...

Research confirms that social isolation and loneliness significantly impact health and mortality, even if not listed on death certificates. BYU psychology and neuroscience professor, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, has published extensively on the topic, including a landmark 2010 meta-analysis and a 2023 framework on assessment and treatment. She also served as lead scientist on the 2023 Surgeon General Advisory and is advising the World Health Organization on an upcoming report that addresses the pressing health threat of loneliness and isolation and a global agenda on social connection. Social connection is now a legitimate health factor, but Holt-Lunstad ...

The University of Cologne is once again highly successful in the Excellence Strategy: Five Clusters of Excellence will be funded in the next funding period. This was announced today by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German Science and Humanities Council. The following Clusters will be funded for seven years: CECAD for aging research, CEPLAS for plant sciences, DYNAVERSE for astrophysics, ECONtribute for economics and ML4Q for quantum research. These Clusters reflect the academic fields of the natural sciences, life sciences, humanities and social sciences represented at the University of Cologne. “We ...

The global impact of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) research is set to increase under a new open access (OA) agreement with publisher Taylor & Francis. The three-year partnership will enable UNAM researchers to publish OA articles in more than 2,400 journals. OA publishing supports UNAM's ambition to be a leading international hub of excellence in research and innovation, through fostering collaboration and ensuring the latest work can be freely accessed by researchers, policymakers, and practitioners worldwide. Taylor & Francis’ first ‘read & publish’ agreement in Mexico maintains the academic community’s reading ...

What: National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists have developed a new surgical technique for implanting multiple tissue grafts in the eye's retina. The findings in animals may help advance treatment options for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is a leading cause of vision loss among older Americans. A report about the technique published today in JCI Insight.   In diseases such as AMD, the light-sensitive retina tissue at the back of the eye degenerates. Scientists are testing therapies for restoring damaged retinas with grafts of tissue ...

Most people have encountered the black, grey, or pink stains of bacterial biofilms built up on the bathroom tiles or kitchen sink. Even with vigorous scrubbing and strong cleaning chemicals, this grime can be difficult to remove and often returns with vengeance. A new study, published in Chemical Engineering Journal, reports a novel, two-step method to effectively dismantle bacterial biofilms and prevent regrowth. “Biofilms are everywhere, from bathrooms to food factories,” said Hyunjoon Kong (M-CELS leader/EIRH/RBTE), a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering. “Biofilms are also responsible for cross contamination ...

A new study from researchers at Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital found no increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children whose fathers were treated with valproate during spermatogenesis. The results have just been published in JAMA Network Open and cast new light on the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA's) recent recommendation for precautionary measures. In January 2024, EMA recommended precautionary measures for treating male patients with valproate, based on ...

SAN ANTONIO — May 22, 2025 — Southwest Research Institute’s Dr. Robin Canup has received the 2025 Dirk Brouwer Career Award from the American Astronomical Society’s Division on Dynamical Astronomy (AAS DDA). As the vice president of SwRI’s Solar System Science and Exploration Division in Boulder, Colorado, Canup leads a team of about 120 contributing to a wide variety of space programs. Canup is best known for studies concerning the formation of planets and their satellites, including research that demonstrated how the Earth-Moon system could have been produced from a giant impact ...

The Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) is one of the winners of the Excellence Strategy. MLU applied for the Cluster of Excellence "Center for Chiral Electronics" (CCE) together with the Freie Universität Berlin, the University of Regensburg and the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics in Halle. The Cluster of Excellence will receive up to 64.5 million euros in funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG) and will start in January 2026. It will initially run for seven years. Research will focus on new concepts ...

When the workload on the heart increases, the ventricular wall may thicken too, known as cardiac hypertrophy. This is an adaptive response that reduces pressure on the heart and maintains the activity of this vital organ. It is often a reversible process that does not cause serious effects on the structure or function of the heart, but if the factor causing cardiac overload becomes chronic, it can lead to pathological hypertrophy with more serious effects (dilatation of the ventricular cavities, alterations in cardiac function, heart failure, etc.). People with diabetes — specially type 2 diabetes (DM2) — are at increased risk ...

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection represents a critical intersection of viral-induced inflammation and cardiovascular pathology. This review explores the dual mechanisms driving SARS-CoV-2-associated ACS and evaluates emerging therapeutic strategies, including phytomedicine and nanotechnology, to address both viral and cardiovascular complications. SARS-CoV-2 and ACS Pathogenesis SARS-CoV-2 infection exacerbates ACS through systemic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and plaque destabilization. The virus triggers a cytokine storm, marked by elevated inflammatory ...

NEW ORLEANS, May 22, 2025 – Coral reefs are vital to marine biodiversity, but their livelihood is under threat due to climate instability and the impacts of human activities. Rehabilitating marine environments requires innovative solutions. Océane Boulais, a doctoral student at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, studies one of these potential solutions: the impacts of acoustics on coral larval recruitment and settlement. After spawning, coral larvae drift or swim through the water column, seeking suitable sites to find a home to attach to along the ocean floor. “Multiple chemical compounds have already been identified as ...

Women who choose to stop treatment during pregnancy and breastfeeding are putting their health at risk, and have to weigh their desire to have children and breastfeed against a risk that we know very little about. In two ongoing clinical trials, researchers establish a new standard for human lactation studies that includes sampling of breast milk and plasma from both mothers  and breastfed infants.  “The lack of scientific evidence is an ethical problem for women and doctors, considering that around 70 percent of women need to use medicines sometime during their pregnancy. In many cases, women are recommended ...

Neuroscientists and materials scientists have created contact lenses that enable infrared vision in both humans and mice by converting infrared light into visible light. Unlike infrared night vision goggles, the contact lenses, described in the Cell Press journal Cell on May 22, do not require a power source—and they enable the wearer to perceive multiple infrared wavelengths. Because they’re transparent, users can see both infrared and visible light simultaneously, though infrared vision ...

Ammonia released from penguin guano may help to reduce the effects of climate change in the Antarctic by contributing to increased cloud formation, according to an analysis published in Communications Earth & Environment. The conclusion is the result of measurements taken downwind of a colony of Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae). Antarctic ecosystems are facing significant pressures because of human-driven climate change, including a recent decreasing trend in the area covered by sea ice. Penguins are key species in the Antarctic ecosystem whose habitat is threatened by this ongoing ice loss. They are also, along with other ...

Key Findings Women living in neighborhoods with high vulnerability had a higher risk of earlier natural menopause onset, primarily due to socioeconomic status and household conditions. No significant association was found between neighborhood disadvantage and the severity of menopause symptoms. Boston, MA – A new study led by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute highlights the significant impact of living in disadvantaged neighborhoods on the onset of menopause. The research followed 691 women from pregnancy to midlife and found that those residing in highly vulnerable neighborhoods, particularly within 10 years of perimenopause onset, experienced menopause approximately two ...

About The Study: In this cross-sectional study, 1 in 10 patients hospitalized for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) had a concurrent acute cardiovascular event. Odds of cardiac events were significantly higher in RSV vs COVID-19 hospitalizations in both vaccine-boosted and unboosted individuals. In contemporaneous hospitalizations for RSV or influenza after the pandemic (2023-2024), odds of heart failure were significantly higher in RSV hospitalizations vs vaccine-breakthrough influenza hospitalizations. These findings suggest that patients with preexisting cardiovascular risk should consider vaccination ...

About The Study: In this cohort study of children in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) cohort, analyses identified children on the path to obesity as early as age 3.5 years. Modifiable factors could be targeted for early prevention and intervention programs aimed at reducing childhood obesity. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Chang Liu, PhD, email c.liu@wsu.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.11835) Editor’s ...

Radboudumc researchers Kirsten van Abeelen, Edwin Ardiansyah, Sofiati Dian, Vinod Kumar, Reinout van Crevel and Arjan van Laarhoven used metabolomics to study cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from tuberculous meningitis patients in Vietnam and Indonesia, with long-standing collaborators from Bandung and Jakarta (Indonesia), the Broad Institute (Boston) and the Oxford University Research Unit in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam).   Meningitis is the most severe form of tuberculosis. Damaging inflammation contributes to its poor prognosis. Corticosteroids reduce mortality, but ...

Not all children grow the same way. A new study from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program suggests that body weight changes in early childhood may be associated with later obesity risk. Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the study tracked children’s body mass index (BMI) from infancy through age 9 and found two distinct growth patterns. Most children followed a typical curve, with BMI decreasing in early childhood before gradually rising again. But a smaller group followed a trajectory marked by a sharp rise in BMI, ...

Key Takeaways  Helmet laws work (when they’re universal): Motorcycle riders in North Carolina (with a universal helmet law) wore a helmet 94% of the time compared with 47% of riders in South Carolina (partial law).   Helmets mean less severe injuries: Motorcyclists who wore helmets were less likely to die or require intensive care after an accident.  Lost progress: Helmet laws have been rolled back in many states resulting in only 19 states now having universal helmet laws.  CHICAGO — New ...