Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 17 November 2025     Follow @Annalsofim on X, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin               Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under ...

Researchers led by investigators at Mass General Brigham have discovered that over the last 25 years, heat and cold-related deaths have caused more than 69,000 deaths in the U.S., disproportionately affecting certain populations. The findings are published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. “Prior research, many of which was ecological, modeling or forecasting in nature, has examined heat- and cold-related deaths separately, but this study provides a real, observed nationwide and contemporary assessment of deaths related to non-optimal temperatures at both ends of the spectrum and across key demographic subgroups,” ...

A collaboration between SISSA’s Physics and Neuroscience groups has taken a step forward in understanding how memories are stored and retrieved in the brain. The study, recently published in Neuron, shows that distinct perceptual biases – long thought to arise from separate brain systems – can, in fact, be explained by a single, biologically grounded mechanism. The research, led by professors Sebastian Goldt and Mathew E. Diamond, and first-authored by Francesca Schönsberg (now ...

Pairing cutting-edge chemistry with artificial intelligence, a multidisciplinary team of scientists today published fresh chemical evidence of Earth’s earliest life – concealed in 3.3-billion-year-old rocks – and molecular evidence that oxygen-producing photosynthesis was occurring over 800 million years earlier than previously documented. In a groundbreaking study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists from the Carnegie Institution for Science and several partner universities and institutions analyzed over 400 samples, including ancient sediments, fossils, modern plants and animals, and even meteorites, to see ...

One of the major realizations of the Anthropocene era has been the importance of biodiversity for the functioning of the earth system, as well as for human societies. Recent trends show that human activities are driving biodiversity loss around the globe, but previous research has also shown an increase in biodiversity in Holocene Europe, showing that human societies can in fact support the health and resilience of their environments. The cultural phenomena that accompanied the increase in biodiversity, however, are less understood. Now, a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences integrates data from interdisciplinary ...

“Ocean Plastics are an Existential Threat to the Diversity of Life on Our Planet”: Data Show that Nearly Half of Animals that Ingested Plastics were Red-Listed as Threatened Species   WASHINGTON — The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences today released a new study, “A quantitative risk assessment framework for mortality due to macroplastic ingestion in seabirds, marine mammals, and sea turtles.” Led by Ocean Conservancy researchers, the peer-reviewed paper is the most comprehensive study yet to quantify the extent to which a range of plastic types — from soft, flexible plastics like bags and food wrappers; ...

Key Takeaways: The Ngogo group of wild chimpanzees in Uganda expanded its territory after its members killed at least 21 chimpanzees in neighboring groups. In the three years after the territorial expansion, the fertility of Ngogo females doubled and the survival rates of their offspring dramatically increased. The study offers rare evidence linking intergroup lethal conflict to reproductive benefits, providing insight into the evolution of coalitionary violence.   The Ngogo chimpanzees of Uganda’s Kibale National Park have long been known for violent clashes with neighboring groups, often resulting in deaths — a phenomenon ...

A 12,000-year-old clay figurine unearthed in northern Israel, depicting a woman and a goose, is the earliest known human-animal interaction figurine. Found at the Late Natufian site of Nahal Ein Gev II, the piece predates the Neolithic and signals a turning point in artistic and spiritual expression. Combining naturalism, light manipulation, and symbolic imagination, it reveals how early communities used art to explore the relationship between humans and the natural world. Link to pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nwEejOk2uaRGxAQN3yGCTMxhroZg6f0Z?usp=sharing At ...

A new study uncovered fresh chemical evidence of life in rocks more than 3.3 billion years old, along with molecular traces showing that oxygen-producing photosynthesis emerged nearly a billion years earlier than previously thought. The international team, led by researchers at the Carnegie Institution for Science, paired cutting-edge chemistry with artificial intelligence to reveal faint chemical “whispers” of biology locked inside ancient rocks. Using machine learning, the researchers trained computers to recognize subtle molecular fingerprints left behind by living organisms, even when the original biomolecules have long since degraded. Among the collaborators ...

Researchers Sumika Kato, Takeo Kubo, and Taro Fukazawa of the University of Tokyo have discovered that c1qtnf3, a secreting factor, namely a protein molecule that is secreted by a cell and influences functions of other cells, is expressed in putative muscle stem cells and shifts macrophages from immune to regenerative functions in the regenerating tails of tadpoles. The discovery offers a crucial insight into the regenerative capabilities of certain animals and paves the way for further research into potential applications in mammals. The findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America ...

Public opinion polls and other surveys rely on data to understand human behavior. New research from Dartmouth reveals that artificial intelligence can now corrupt public opinion surveys at scale—passing every quality check, mimicking real humans, and manipulating results without leaving a trace. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show just how vulnerable polling has become. In the seven major national polls before the 2024 election, adding as few as 10 to 52 fake AI responses—at five cents each—would have flipped the predicted outcome.  Foreign adversaries could easily exploit this weakness: ...

PHILADELPHIA (November 17, 2025) – A landmark international study finds that hospitals with better nurse staffing and work environments not only benefits nurses but is significantly associated with less physician burnout and job dissatisfaction. The research, published in JAMA Network Open, provides a clear solution to the global crisis of physician burnout. A research team, led by Penn Nursing’s Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research (CHOPR), surveyed more than 6,400 physicians and 15,000 nurses across the United States and six European countries (Belgium, England, Germany, Ireland, Norway, ...

Small changes in turnout could substantially alter election results in the future because the UK now has a multiparty system with majoritarian voting rules, a new study warns. Last year’s General Election, which saw a marked increase in the number of candidates and a fragmented vote, will have an impact on the mandate of the Labour government, an expert has said. The research shows how the 2024 election tested the boundaries of the first-past-the-post system and the result means the UK has an uncertain electorate with diverse preferences. While the result led to a stable government there is plenty of instability. The study, by Dr Hannah Bunting, from the University ...

Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) significantly increased the number of people at risk of HIV diagnosis who were prescribed preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a preventative medication taken in pill or injectable form, according to Rutgers Health–led research. The study, published in Health Affairs, analyzed PrEP prescription data from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., between 2012 and 2023. Researchers found rates of PrEP prescribing increased overall and significantly increased relative to the number of new HIV diagnoses across all demographic groups, potentially because ...

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Knowing what temperatures that a plant can withstand is a hallmark of botanical science, but those temperatures had not been well documented for many cover crops. Grown in periods of the year when the cash crop is absent, cover crops are planted for erosion control, as well as weed suppression and to improve soil structure, moisture retention and nutrient cycling. They also provide habitat for beneficial insects and can serve as forage for farm animals. Without knowledge of the cover crops’ base, optimal and maximum temperature ranges —known as cardinal temperatures — agricultural ...

A new study led by University of Toronto researchers has shown that immune cells in the gut follow an atypical pathway to produce antibodies that provide long-term protection against viruses. The findings, which were published today in the journal Cell, could help guide the development of better vaccines for respiratory viruses like influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and bird flu. While COVID-19 and flu vaccines reduce the risk of severe complications of illness, they are less effective at preventing infections at the outset. To protect against infection, a vaccine must activate a strong immune response at the places where a virus typically gains entry ...

In a new JNeurosci paper, Masako Okamoto and colleagues, from the University of Tokyo, explored the brain activity involved in smelling odors.  The researchers recorded brain activity as study volunteers inhaled a panel of odors. The volunteers also completed questionnaires as well as tests for odor detection, identification, and discrimination. A distinct frequency of brain activity arising soon after odor presentation was linked to detecting odors. Notably, the quality of this activity was associated with the ability to discriminate ...

SAN FRANCISCO—November 17, 2025—For decades, scientists have known that mitochondria, which produce energy inside our cells, malfunction in Parkinson’s disease. But a critical question remained: do the failing mitochondria cause Parkinson’s, or do they become damaged when brain cells die during the course of disease? Many studies have sought to answer this question over the years. Yet, progress has been slow—in large part due to the limitations of animal models used to research this highly complex disease. Now, a team of scientists ...

SAN ANTONIO — November 17, 2025 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has upgraded its hydrogen-powered heavy-duty internal combustion engine (H2-ICE) with a state-of-the-art turbocharger. The upgrades have significantly improved performance across the board, making the engine competitive with current long-haul diesel engines focused on fuel economy while maintaining near-zero tailpipe emissions. In 2023, SwRI converted a traditional natural gas-fueled internal combustion engine to run solely on hydrogen fuel with minimal modifications. It was integrated into a Class-8 truck as part of the Institute’s H2-ICE project to demonstrate a cost-efficient hydrogen-fueled ...

Scientists document a new form of host manipulation where an invading, parasitic ant queen “tricks” ant workers into killing their queen mother. The invading ant integrates herself into the nest by pretending to be a member of the colony, then sprays the host queen with fluid that causes her daughters to turn against her. The parasitic queen then usurps the throne, having the workers serve her instead as the new queen regent. This work appears in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on November 17. “At first, I wanted the title of this study to exemplify a fable where a daughter is tricked to kill their mother. I asked CHATGPT ...

Animals survive in changing and unpredictable environments by not merely responding to new circumstances, but also, like humans, by forming inferences about their surroundings—for instance, squirrels understand that certain bird noises don’t signal the presence of a predator, so won’t seek shelter when they later hear these same sounds. But less clear is how the brain works to create these inferences.  In a newly published study in the journal Neuron, a team of New York University researchers ...

A new 20-year study of nearly 11,000 adults in Bangladesh found that lowering arsenic levels in drinking water was associated with up to a 50 percent lower risk of death from heart disease, cancer and other chronic illnesses, compared with continued exposure. Published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study provides the first long-term, individual-level evidence that reducing arsenic exposure may lower mortality, even among people exposed to the toxic contaminant for years. The landmark analysis, led by researchers at Columbia University and New York University, is important for public health because ...

A new 20-year study of nearly 11,000 adults in Bangladesh found that lowering arsenic levels in drinking water was associated with up to a 50 percent lower risk of death from heart disease, cancer and other chronic illnesses, compared with continued exposure. The study highlights the importance of ensuring access to arsenic-free drinking water and provides the first long-term, individual-level evidence that reducing arsenic exposure may lower mortality, even among people exposed to the toxic contaminant for years. The findings ...

Reducing amounts of arsenic in drinking water can lower long-term deaths from cardiovascular disease and cancer, a new study shows. Researchers at NYU Langone Health, Columbia University, and the University of Chicago say their landmark analysis is important for public health because groundwater contamination from naturally occurring arsenic remains a serious issue worldwide. In the United States, more than 100 million people rely on potentially contaminated groundwater sources, especially private wells, for their drinking water. Arsenic is among the most common chemical pollutants. During the study, the drinking water and ...

About The Study: The findings of this study support an association between reduced arsenic exposure and improved health outcomes in populations exposed to contaminated drinking water. Corresponding Authors: To contact the corresponding authors, email Yu Chen, PhD, (Yu.Chen@nyulangone.org) and Habibul Ahsan, MD, (hahsan@bsd.uchicago.edu). To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jama.2025.19161) Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, ...