To train artificial intelligence (AI) models, researchers need good data and lots of it. However, most real-world data has already been used, leading scientists to generate synthetic data. While the generated data helps solve the issue of quantity, it may not always have good quality, and assessing its quality has been overlooked. Wei Gao, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, has collaborated with researchers ...

Early scientific theories—such as those explaining basic phenomena like gravity, burning, and the movement of molecules in water—centered on presumed inherent properties rather than external factors, thereby misleading famous philosophers and scientists, from Aristotle to Scottish botanist Robert Brown, in their theorizing.  A new study by a team of psychology researchers has now found that this tendency is in fact common in the history of science. Moreover, through a series of experiments and surveys, the paper’s authors conclude these misfires were likely driven by cognitive constraints, among scientists and non-scientists alike, that have acted ...

LOGAN, UTAH, USA – It’s not easy eating green. Most plants are heavily defended with chemicals to deter plant eaters. For these herbivores, getting enough to eat, while minimizing exposure to toxins, is a persistent challenge that shapes their foraging choices. Understanding how these animals navigate these choices is fundamental to understanding what these creatures need to survive and how species respond to changing conditions, says Utah State University ecologist Sara Weinstein. Woodrats (genus Neotoma) provide an unexpected model for studying animal diets, she says. Native to North America, these herbivorous rodents ...

Every spring, Americans dutifully adjust their clocks forward to daylight saving time, and every fall, back to standard time — but no one seems very happy about it. The biannual time shift is not only inconvenient, it’s also known to be acutely bad for our health. The collective loss of an hour of sleep on the second Sunday in March has been linked to more heart attacks and fatal traffic accidents in the ensuing days. Now, a study by Stanford Medicine researchers finds there are longer-term hazards as well — and better alternatives. The researchers compared how three ...

One fundamental feature of neurodegenerative diseases is a breakdown in communication. Even before brain cells die, the delicate machinery that keeps neurons in touch—by clearing away protein waste at the synapses—starts to fail. When the cleanup falters, the connections between brain cells is impaired and the flow of signals responsible for reasoning, language, memory, and even basic bodily functions is progressively disrupted.  Now, a new study identifies a novel strategy for preventing unwanted proteins from clogging synapses and ultimately congealing into protein plaques. The ...

As a promising technology, multi-energy X-ray imaging technology is expected to be applied for many key fields such as distinguishing the subtle differences in material composition and density, like showing biological skeleton and muscle defects. However, the current multi-energy X-ray imaging technology usually has a high threshold in material selection and device design. To ensure that the imaging resolution reaches the expected level, it is necessary to efficiently couple the multi-layer scintillators with specific energy X-ray response characteristics. ...

The powerful light field manipulation capability of metasurfaces offers a novel development perspective for the quantum precision measurement. By applying the phase-gradient metasurface (PGM) to atomic magnetometers (AMs), we have proposed and experimentally demonstrated a new type of compact single-beam elliptically polarized atomic magnetometers (EPAMs). Employing the fabricated chiral beam splitter PGM with high cross-polarization transmittance, a new atomic spin chirality detection method was devised, enabling the ultra-high sensitivity for extremely weak magnetic ...

These chemical compounds are highly stable and linger in the environment. Thanks to their water-, oil- and stain-repellent properties, they are widely found in everyday items, such as non-stick pans, waterproof clothing, food containers and fire-fighting foams. Their widespread use has harmful effects; they can enter the human body during pregnancy via the placenta and continue to build up through breastfeeding, food, drinking water, polluted air, or contact with products containing them. Due to their impact on health, these chemical ...

Detecting lies involves processing social information. How do people process social information and evaluate honesty? And do people process this information differently when it comes from a friend versus a stranger? Yingjie Liu, from North China University of Science and Technology, led a study to explore how people assess different kinds of information from friends or strangers.  As reported in their JNeurosci paper, the researchers used a neuroimaging technique on 66 healthy volunteers as they communicated on computer screens while sitting across from each other. When the information being communicated led to benefits for pairs, this was considered a “gain” and likewise ...

SAN ANTONIO — September 15, 2025 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) installed a private 5G research, development, test and evaluation network to boost security, eliminate dependency on outside mobile network providers and expand network access for advanced 5G projects. The secure, high-velocity 5G network allows rapid deployment of communication resources and wireless connectivity on the SwRI campus or off-site in the field, providing wide coverage for research and development. The SwRI network supports a range of 5G advancements — including cybersecurity research, drone technology, edge computing initiatives, and antenna development and testing — but a private ...

Background: Osteoporosis is a common skeletal disorder characterized by excessive bone loss, leading to increased fragility and an increased risk of fractures. Osteoclasts, the bone-resorbing cells, are widely recognized as central players in this process. Osteoclast-mediated bone resorption relies critically on two organelles: lysosomes, which degrade the bone matrix, and mitochondria, which provide the necessary energy. Iron, acting as a key connector between lysosomes and mitochondria, has emerged as an essential regulator of osteoclast activity. ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Cycles of deployment and reintegration can be stressful, disruptive times for military spouses and their families. Although the Department of Defense and its military communities offer a number of formal resources to help military spouses cope during these challenging periods, very few of those who participated in a recent study said they actually used them. Only 16.5% of those in the study had participated in a formal reintegration program after their partners returned from deployment. The findings are concerning and contribute to a growing body of research indicating that thousands of military spouses may not be receiving the support they need ...

A new experiment called QROCODILE, led by the University of Zurich and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has achieved record sensitivity in the hunt for light dark matter. Using superconducting detectors cooled to near absolute zero, the team set world-leading limits on how dark matter interacts with ordinary matter — opening the door to future breakthroughs in one of physics’ greatest mysteries. [Hebrew University of Jerusalem]– Dark matter, the elusive substance that makes up about 85% of the universe’s mass, remains one of the greatest mysteries ...

Electrochemical devices that convert CO2 into useful chemicals are a promising route toward sustainable industrial production, yet their long-term stability remains a major challenge. A new study by researchers from Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) introduces a powerful in-operando two-dimensional X-ray diffraction imaging techniques that allows researchers to watch, in real time, what happens inside a membrane–electrode assembly (MEA)-based CO2 electrolyzer.   The ...

Materials scientists have long pursued advanced microwave absorption materials to address growing electromagnetic pollution challenges in both military stealth and civilian shielding applications. Transition metal dichalcogenides, particularly MoS2, have emerged as promising candidates due to their unique 2D layered structures and tunable electronic properties. However, conventional single-element doping strategies have shown limited effectiveness in achieving broadband absorption, while multi-element high-entropy doping in MoS2 systems remains ...

We are thrilled to announce that our esteemed academic journal, Circular Economy, has been officially included in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) by Web of Science, a leading global provider of scientific and scholarly research information. All articles published by Circular Economy since its establishment in 2022 will be included in ESCI. And it will receive the first impact factor in 2026.   About Circular Economy Circular Economy is a quarterly journal launched in September 2022. It serves as a sharing and communication platform ...

Perovskites, a class of materials known for their stellar performance in solar cells, are now making waves in the world of advanced optics. These versatile semiconductors can capture and emit light in ways that traditional materials like silicon cannot, offering a cheaper and simpler way to create cutting-edge technologies. This review explores a fascinating phenomenon called exciton-polaritons, hybrid particles formed when light and matter merge so strongly that they act as one. This merging, or “strong coupling,” happens when light bounces inside tiny cavities, interacting intensely ...

About The Study: In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 trials, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) significantly improved glycemic, weight, and cardiometabolic outcomes in children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes or obesity. Available data over a relatively short follow-up suggested suicidal ideation or behaviors were not significantly different, although gastrointestinal adverse effects warrant attention in long-term management.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding ...

Sales of the overdose reversal medication naloxone increased after it was made available to the public without a prescription but then dipped quickly in the period following debut of over-the-counter sales, according to a new RAND study.   Over-the-counter sales of naloxone peaked during the first month of availability in September 2023, then declined rapidly before stabilizing until August 2024, when there was a small increase, according to the study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. The drug can prevent death among people who have overdosed on ...

About The Study: In this cross-sectional study, social isolation was found to have increased globally after the COVID-19 pandemic, with the initial increase disproportionately seen in lower-income populations and subsequent increases broadening across socioeconomic strata. Targeted interventions for vulnerable groups and research examining country-level policies are urgently needed to mitigate high isolation levels and reduce inequities. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Thomas E. Fuller-Rowell, PhD, email tef0005@auburn.edu. To ...

About The Study: Across racial and ethnic groups, prenatal depression diagnosis and moderate to severe depression symptoms varied by maternal nativity in this cross-sectional study. The observed advantage among non–U.S.-born individuals across other maternal and neonatal outcomes may not uniformly apply to prenatal mental health conditions when race and ethnicity are considered. Future research should explore sociocultural factors that may influence this association. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, ...

September 15, 2025 (Washington, DC)—The Kissick Family Foundation, in partnership with the Milken Institute Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC), today announced that the Kissick Family Foundation Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) Grant Program has awarded four two-year grants to basic and early-stage translational research teams to advance scientific understanding of the neurodegenerative disorder. These philanthropic grants total $2 million in new funding toward FTD research. The two partners have also announced the grant program’s third round of funding—now accepting ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. — A new Mayo Clinic study finds that many heart attacks in people under 65 — especially women — are caused by factors other than clogged arteries, challenging long-standing assumptions about how heart attacks occur in younger populations. Study findings published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology examined over 15 years of data from the Rochester Epidemiology Project, providing the most comprehensive population evaluation of heart attack causes in people aged 65 and younger. More than half of heart attacks in women under age 65 were caused by nontraditional factors, such as spontaneous coronary ...

DALLAS, September 15, 2025 — Nearly half of U.S. adults — 122.4 million people — are living with high blood pressure (BP), a leading preventable risk factor for heart disease, stroke and premature death, according to the 2025 American Heart Association Statistical Update. Yet just a quarter of them have their BP under control, making both diagnosis and effective management critical. The American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, and American Medical Association (AMA) are recognizing 2,307 health care organizations — ...

DALLAS, September 15, 2025 — The American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, is launching a new initiative to improve in-hospital care for people with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF). HFpEF and HFmrEF collectively account for up to 75% of all heart failure cases, yet clinical research and treatment evidence in HFpEF and HFmrEF is substantially limited compared with other types of heart failure.[1],[2] The IMPLEMENT-EF quality improvement initiative will aim to address those challenges by mapping gaps in the patient ...