Background Producing fusion energy requires heating plasma to more than one hundred million degrees and confining it stably with strong magnetic fields. However, plasma naturally develops fluctuations known as turbulence, and they carry heat outward and weaken confinement. Understanding how heat and turbulence spread is therefore essential.   Conventional theory has assumed that heat and turbulence move gradually from the center toward the edge. Yet experiments have sometimes shown heat and turbulence spreading much faster, similar to American football players passing a ball quickly across long distances so that a local change influences the entire field almost at once. Clarifying ...

Humans are far closer to meerkats and beavers for levels of exclusive mating than we are to most of our primate cousins, according to a new University of Cambridge study that includes a table ranking monogamy rates in various species of mammal. Previous evolutionary research has used fossil records and anthropological fieldwork to infer human sexual selection. While in other species, researchers have conducted long-term observations of animal societies and used paternity tests to study mating systems. Now, a new approach by Dr Mark Dyble from Cambridge’s Department ...

A remarkably preserved horseshoe crab fossil from North America offers rare insight into some of the earliest known cases of animal disease in a Late Carboniferous swamp – more than 300 million years before the age of dinosaurs. The specimen, uncovered from the mass-burial fossil deposit at the famous Mazon Creek Lagerstätte in Illinois in the US, shows more than 100 small pits across the front of its shell, representing one of the earliest documented examples of microbial or algal infection killing groups of these ancient aquatic animals. “Ancient ...

Doctors treating seriously ill patients in an emergency setting may want to give the sedative etomidate, rather than ketamine, while placing a breathing tube, according to a randomized trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The Randomized Trial of Sedative Choice for Intubation (RSI) is the first multicenter trial to demonstrate significant cardiovascular risks of high doses of ketamine (low blood pressure, arrhythmia), side effects that have not been well studied in the past. “We know that patients receive treatments every day in hospitals around the world that have never been evaluated in a rigorous study ...

If quantum computing is going to become an every-day reality, we need better superconducting thin films, the hardware that enables storage and processing of quantum information. Too often, these thin films have impurities or other defects that make them useless for real quantum computer chips. Now, Yuki Sato and colleagues at the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) in Japan have discovered a way to make a superconducting thin film from iron telluride, which is surprising because it is not normally superconducting. The fabrication process reduces distortion in the crystal structure, ...

Computer simulations revealed the detailed mechanism of how the protein "dynamin" works to form small vesicles within cells. While dynamin uses GTP hydrolysis energy to change shape, it was unclear how this leads to membrane constriction. Simulations showed that instead of simply tightening, dynamin "loosens" (expands) at a certain stage to generate the force needed to narrow the surrounding membrane tube. This study provides a clearer explanation for membrane deformation and vesicle formation processes in cells, offering insights ...

At any one time, nearly 1 in 5 emergency department patients in the UK is being cared for in corridors, waiting rooms, and other non-standard ‘overflow’ spaces—an approach known as escalation area care—suggest the results of a large observational study, published online in Emergency Medicine Journal.   Almost all emergency departments in the UK are routinely deploying this approach, which contravenes national guidance, the findings indicate.   Amid the high prevalence of emergency department overcrowding in the UK, escalation area care is reported to be widespread, but there is no high quality evidence describing ...

Downing several strong energy drinks every day may pose a serious stroke risk, doctors have warned in the journal BMJ Case Reports, after treating an otherwise fit and healthy man in his 50s with a daily 8-can habit and exceedingly high blood pressure.   The findings prompt the authors to call for tighter regulation of the sales and advertising of these drinks, particularly given their popularity among young people.   The man in question had a stroke in his thalamus—the part of the brain involved in sensory perception and movement. His symptoms included left-sided ...

Globally, among women aged 15-49, intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence against children (SVAC) ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, among all health risks for premature death and disability; among men, SVAC ranked 11th. New evidence links exposure to violence to a large range of health conditions that include and extend well beyond mental health disorders. SVAC is linked to 14 health conditions, including suicide, substance use disorders, and diabetes; IPV is linked to eight negative health outcomes, including mental health conditions, physical injuries, and HIV. Estimates indicate that IPV is responsible for over 20% of health loss due to anxiety, ...

A test using genetics to predict who is at the highest risk of developing type 1 diabetes could one day be applied to largescale health studies, to identify adults who could benefit from new drugs, new research shows. Known as a genetic risk score, the test uses all genetic information to predict risk of going on to develop type 1 diabetes. This genetic risk score also feeds into an online clinical calculator, previously developed by the team led by the University of Exeter and now available to clinicians, which helps identify children at high risk of developing type 1 diabetes. Clinicians ...

University of South Australia scientists have developed a powerful new way to uncover the genetic interactions that fuel cancer progression, paving the way for earlier and more precise treatments. The AI-driven method, published today in Royal Society Open Science, reveals that tumour progression is driven by cooperating groups of genes, rather than mutated genes acting alone. Lead researcher Dr Andres Cifuentes-Bernal says his team used AI tools to identify groups of genes working in concert to push cancer forward. “The system assesses how genes influence each other over time, providing a clearer picture of the underlying ...

New research reveals how the speed of ocean currents and the shape of the seabed influence the amount of heat flowing underneath Antarctic ice shelves, contributing to melting. Scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) used an autonomous underwater vehicle to survey beneath the Dotson Ice Shelf in the Amundsen Sea, an area of rapid glacial ice loss largely due to increasing ocean heat around and below ice shelves. The circulation of warm water and the heat transport within ice shelf cavities - significant areas beneath ice shelves - remains mostly unknown. To address this the team collected data ...

A new report warns Deaf women experiencing domestic abuse in Scotland remain “effectively invisible” due to the chronic absence of specialist services and a lack of coordinated national support. Researchers say this gap leaves deaf victim-survivors without meaningful access to safety and advocacy.   Led by Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh, the British Academy-funded Sign LOUD report highlights that Scotland currently has no national dedicated British Sign Language (BSL) support services ...

University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD today announced the appointment of Gerald M. Wilson, PhD, as Chair of the School’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, effective December 15, 2025. Dr. Wilson, a distinguished scientist and educator, brings more than two decades of leadership and internationally recognized research in RNA biochemistry and cancer mechanisms to this role.  As part of the appointment, he will be endowed ...

AMES, Iowa – An ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has affected more than 184 million domestic poultry since 2022 and, since making the leap to dairy cattle in spring 2024, more than 1,000 milking cow herds. A new study led by Iowa State University researchers shows that the mammary glands of several other production animals – including pigs, sheep, goats, beef cattle and alpacas – are biologically suitable to harbor avian influenza, due to high levels of sialic acids. “The main thing we wanted to understand in this study is whether there is potential for transmission among these other domestic mammals and humans, and ...

When a gas is highly energized, its electrons get torn from the parent atoms, resulting in a plasma—the oft-forgotten fourth state of matter (along with solid, liquid, and gas). When we think of plasmas, we normally think of extremely hot phenomena such as the Sun, lightning, or maybe arc welding, but there are situations in which icy cold particles are associated with plasmas. Images of distant molecular clouds from the James Webb Space Telescope feature such hot–cold interactions, with frozen dust illuminated by pockets of shocked gas and newborn stars. Now a team of Caltech researchers has managed to recreate such ...

Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) often lose access to specialized care once they age out of pediatric services. A new report from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) faculty presents five years of real-world data from their clinical practice at the Clinical Center for Adults with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (CCAND), demonstrating how a state-funded, multidisciplinary care model can close these gaps and serve as a blueprint for other states. The findings were recently published in the journal Neurology. “We felt it was vital to provide a practical roadmap ...

University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies announced the publication of “Reclaiming Control: Autonomy as the Key to Workforce Resilience and Career Optimism,” a new white paper by Karen Johnson, Ed.D. The report argues that restoring a sense of autonomy is essential to reducing record-high burnout and strengthening organizational resilience.   Drawing on findings from several years of the University’s Career Optimism Index® study, Johnson highlights an “autonomy crisis” in the U.S. workforce: 21% of workers say their control over their professional future has declined, while 51% report burnout—the highest level since tracking ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. [December 9, 2025] — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®)—an alliance of leading cancer centers—hosted a Patient Advocacy Summit on the unique cancer needs of veterans and first responders. It featured a fireside chat from Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, MD, MS (IA-01), a physician and veteran of the U.S. Army. The program also brought together a diverse group of experts to discuss how veterans, firefighters, and other national heroes face elevated cancer risk on the job, what policies and programs are in place currently to help ...

Whether artificial hands with an especially gentle touch or an endoscope that crawls through the intestines like a worm, robots made of soft materials could soon carry out tasks that are difficult for metal-based systems. Dr. Philipp Rothemund, assistant professor at the University of Stuttgart, seeks to simplify how soft robots are controlled. The European Research Council (ERC) is funding the project with one of its prestigious Consolidator Grants worth up to €2 million. “I would like to congratulate Philipp Rothemund on this award. Soft ...

A new arts and wellbeing program co-developed by the University of South Australia, Flinders University and the University of Adelaide shows that supporting the social needs of people living with dementia and their carers can help families rediscover connection, confidence and a sense of community.   Designed in collaboration with those affected by dementia and funded by the Global Arts and Health Alliance, the six-week program concurrently delivers an arts session for people with dementia alongside a wellbeing session for their carers.   UniSA ...

URBANA, Ill. – The ubiquitous plastic beverage bottle makes up about half of plastic waste collected for recycling in the U.S. Most recycled plastic is processed domestically, but a portion is traded overseas. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign draws on citizen science data to investigate how the global plastic waste trade contributes to litter along coastlines and waterways in importing countries. “There has been a lot of news coverage about the plastic waste ...

The University of Texas at Dallas has partnered with Tech Mahindra, a leading provider of technology consulting and digital solutions to enterprises across industries, to collaborate on artificial intelligence (AI) innovation, skill development and research. UT Dallas has signed a memorandum of understanding with Tech Mahindra to facilitate collaboration with the India-based company, which opened its headquarters in the Americas in March in Plano, Texas. Tech Mahindra will launch its first Makers Lab in the U.S. in Dallas, providing opportunities for undergraduates, master’s and doctoral students, and faculty to advance AI technologies, data science, quantum computing, cybersecurity ...

Blinking is a human reflex most often performed without thinking, like breathing. Although research on blinking is usually related to vision, a new Concordia study examines how blinking is connected to cognitive function such as filtering out background noise to focus on what someone is trying to say to us in a crowded room. Writing in the journal Trends in Hearing, the researchers describe two experiments designed to measure how eye blinking changes in response to stimuli under different conditions. They found that people naturally blink less when they are working harder to understand ...

Male bonobos can decipher females’ unreliable fertility signals, allowing them to focus their efforts on matings with the highest chance of conception, according to a study by Heungjin Ryu at Kyoto University, Japan, and colleagues publishing December 9th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology. In most mammals, females are only receptive to mating during ovulation, allowing males to time their mating efforts to maximize the chances of conception. But in some primates, such as bonobos (Pan paniscus), females become sexually receptive and display a conspicuous pink swelling around the genitals for a prolonged period of time. To investigate how males ...