Polyamines, a group of naturally occurring molecules found in all living organisms, are essential for fundamental cellular processes, such as growth and differentiation. In recent years, these compounds (particularly spermidine) have gained attention as promising ‘geroprotectors’ that promote healthy aging and extend lifespan. Studies have shown that polyamines can activate beneficial cellular processes like autophagy, which helps clear damaged cell components, primarily through a protein called eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A1). However, these positive effects are overshadowed by a troubling paradox, as elevated polyamine levels are also consistently ...

HARWELL, UK (3 September 2025) The Faraday Institution has announced a £9 million commitment to build on its application-inspired research programme to deliver the battery innovations of tomorrow. The two new projects, that will begin in October 2025, include, for the first time, a Faraday Institution project to advance the scientific understanding of battery formation, ageing and testing -- a stage at the end of the battery manufacturing process. The project will aim to formulate new protocols to reduce battery manufacturing time and energy consumption in gigafactories. This is the first of a number of new initiatives by the Faraday Institution ...

MIAMI, FLORIDA (EMBARGOED UNTIL SEPT 3, 2025, AT 6:00 A.M. EDT) – Patients are increasingly turning to AI for medical information and even advice, but how should they approach using AI-powered services? A new study published Sept. 3 in the peer-reviewed journal, Future Science OA, provides insight into this question for the fast-moving field of blood cancer, evaluating the quality of responses by ChatGPT to a set of 10 medical questions. The study investigated ChatGPT 3.5, a version of the popular chatbot from OpenAI that was freely available when the study was conducted, in July 2024. Four anonymous hematology-oncology physicians evaluated the answers. ChatGPT 3.5 performed best ...

New research from Michigan State University reveals that photorespiration – long considered a wasteful process – is essential for producing a crucial nutrient for preventing birth defects. For the first time, scientists have measured how much carbon flows through photorespiration to make folates, a class of compounds that includes vitamin B9 – known for its importance as a prenatal vitamin. According to the study, led by MSU researcher Berkley Walker, about 6 percent of the carbon absorbed by plants is used to make folates. That number plummets by fivefold when photorespiration is suppressed.   These findings, published in Nature Plants, could help scientists engineer ...

A team of scientists at Kyoto University’s Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) has created a protein-based therapeutic tool  that could change the way we treat diseases caused by harmful or unnecessary cells. The new tool, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, involves a synthetic protein called Crunch, short for Connector for Removal of Unwanted Cell Habitat. Crunch uses the body’s natural waste removal system to clear out specific target cells, offering hope for improved treatments for cancer, autoimmune diseases, and other diseases where harmful cells cause damage. Every day, billions of our body’s ...

Osaka, Japan – The nostalgic “glow-in-the-dark” stars that twinkle on the ceilings of childhood bedrooms operate on a phenomenon called phosphorescence. Here, a material absorbs energy and later releases it in the form of light. However, recent demand for softer, phosphorescent materials has presented researchers with a unique challenge, as producing organic liquids with efficient phosphorescence at room temperature is considered difficult. Now, researchers at The University of Osaka have attempted to tackle this problem by producing an organic liquid that phosphoresces in the ambient environment. ...

Climate action is falling behind on the goals as stated in the Paris Agreement. To meet those goals, countries must act according to their ‘fair share’ targets. However, researchers from Utrecht University found a bias in how ambition and fairness assessments were calculated until now: “previous studies assessing countries climate ambition share a feature that rewards high emitters at the expense of the most vulnerable ones.” This finding influences climate change mitigations globally. The research, led by Yann Robiou du Pont, was published on 3 September in Nature Communications. The ...

The world’s methane emissions continue to rise steadily with no signs of slowing, as global trade contributes some 30% to the total amount of the greenhouse gas swirling around the planet, a new study reveals. As major trade patterns shift, South-South transactions now dominate global supply chains with developing countries increasingly participating in global supply chains. Asia and the developing Pacific region emerge as the largest contributors to global methane emissions, driven by rapid industrialisation and population growth. Publishing their research today (3 Sep) in Nature Communications, an international team led by researchers at the Universities of Birmingham ...

A study in Health Economics reveals that comprehensive state bans on flavored e-cigarettes may reduce vaping among young adults, but they can also lead to increased use of traditional cigarettes. Using information from national datasets and advanced statistical methods, researchers found evidence that young adults 18–24 years of age decrease their use of e-cigarettes by about 2–3 percentage points after state bans, while increasing traditional cigarette use by a similar amount. Because cigarettes are more dangerous to health than e-cigarettes, there appears to be a net negative effect on health for this age group. For youth ...

Research in Economic Inquiry reveals that Major League Baseball teams appear to manage player injuries differently depending on contract status, with players on temporary contracts missing significantly fewer games due to injury. This suggests that teams may invest less in the long-term health of non-permanent players. For the study, investigators analyzed 2009–2017 data, with 4,125 observations for 1,184 unique players, so that the average player had available data for approximately 3.5 years. The findings raise ...

Society is experiencing increased global demand for lithium, a critical resource for rechargeable batteries in electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and energy storage systems. Conventional lithium extraction methods from ore reserves or liquid lithium resources are saddled with low efficiency, high costs, and environmental concerns, but researchers have now developed a promising new method. As described in Advanced Functional Materials, the method involves a solar-powered evaporator that extracts lithium from saline, or salt, lakes. The method relies ...

Traditional polymers such as plastics are widely utilized for their chemical inertness and durability. However, these very properties make them non-degradable in nature and cause long-term environmental damage due to their persistence. In this light, biodegradable polymers that can be broken down by microbes have gained a lot of attention and scientists have turned towards cyclic ketene acetals (CKAs), a group of organic compounds containing carbon atoms and oxygen arranged in a ring-like structure, to develop biodegradable polymers. CKAs ...

SDE BOKER, Israel, September 3, 2025 — A groundbreaking study from researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev reveals that desert soils can emit powerful greenhouse gases within minutes of being wetted—even in the absence of microbial life. Published by Dr. Isaac Yagle and Prof. Ilya Gelfand at BGU's Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research in Scientific Reports, the study challenges long-standing assumptions that soil microbes are solely responsible for post-rain “pulse emissions” of gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and nitric oxide (NO). ...

Scientists studying ways of improving motion sickness have found that playing different types of music may help people recover more effectively. Using a specially calibrated driving simulator, they induced car sickness in participants and then played different types of music while they tried to recover. Soft and joyful music produced the best recovery effects, while sad music was less effective than doing nothing at all.   “Motion sickness significantly impairs the travel experience for many individuals, and existing pharmacological interventions often carry side-effects such as drowsiness,” explained Dr Qizong Yue of Southwest University, China, corresponding author ...

Experts have uncovered the earliest known example of a fish with extra teeth deep inside its mouth - a 310-million-year-old fossilised ray-finned fish that evolved a unique way of devouring prey. Platysomus parvulus had a unique way of eating never seen in ray-finned fish from that time – a ‘tongue bite’, using a special set of teeth on the floor and roof of the mouth to help it crush and chew tough food like shells or insects. Most fish today use their jaws to bite and chew, but some also have tongue bites, which work like a ...

CLEVELAND, Ohio (Sept 3, 2025) – Given the seriousness and increased frequency of strokes, many studies have been conducted to assess the relationship between hysterectomy and/or bilateral oophorectomy and the risk of stroke with varying results. A new study suggests women having a hysterectomy and/or bilateral oophorectomy have higher risks of stroke compared with those who did not have surgery. Results of the study are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society. Stroke is the third dominant cause of death and the fourth dominant cause of disability around the world, representing a significant public health challenge. Therefore, ongoing prevention ...

A new study from the University of Sydney has revealed how type 2 diabetes directly alters the heart’s structure and energy systems, offering vital insights into why people with diabetes are at greater risk of heart failure.   Published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, the research was led by Dr Benjamin Hunter and Associate Professor Sean Lal from the School of Medical Sciences. The researchers analysed donated human heart tissue from patients undergoing heart transplantation in Sydney and found that diabetes causes distinct molecular changes to heart cells and structural changes to the muscle, especially in patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy, ...

A research team led by Si Cheng from Soochow University and collaborators have provided a comprehensive review of electrospun nanofiber-based composite materials for wearable electronic skin (E-skin) applications. Published in Nano-Micro Letters, the study highlights how electrospinning technology and composite design strategies are shaping next-generation flexible sensors for monitoring human physical, physiological, and body fluid signals. Why Electrospun Nanofibers Matter Electrospun nanofibers combine high surface area, tunable porosity, mechanical flexibility, and breathability, making ...

Researchers at City University of Hong Kong (CityU HK) have developed novel artificial bone scaffolds with a high deformation recovery capability of 6% –7%, compared to 2% – 4% for natural bone and less than 1% for conventional metallic scaffolds. Additionally, these scaffolds allow for flexible adjustments of properties like strength, modulus, and permeability to meet specific implantation site requirements. Reported in the International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, this work provides valuable insights into developing high-performance artificial bone scaffolds and ...

A research team led by Professor Chuncai Kong from Xi’an Jiaotong University has designed boron-bridge regulated asymmetric dual-atomic catalysts (NiFe-BNC) that deliver exceptional bifunctional activity for volatile organic compound (VOC) degradation and electrochemical CO2 reduction. Published in Nano-Micro Letters, this work demonstrates a sustainable platform for converting waste gases into valuable resources through synergistic catalysis. Why This Catalyst Matters Unprecedented Performance: NiFe-BNC achieves 99% continuous styrene degradation in 2 hours with stable mineralization above 60%. Simultaneously, it enables CO2 electroreduction with a Faradaic ...

Background and Motivation As the world accelerates its transition towards renewable and sustainable energy, the pivotal role of finance in driving this transformation is clearer than ever. From wind and solar to hydropower and biomass, rapid advances in new energy technologies are only possible with robust financial support. Understanding how finance interacts with new energy development—and how financial innovation can promote sustainability—has become a top priority for researchers, investors, and policymakers worldwide.   Methodology and Scope This special issue brings together eight cutting-edge studies ...

A new study led by Professor Jonghun Kam's team at POSTECH(Pohang University of Science and Technology) has uncovered a shocking forecast for Pakistan's future. Using a cutting-edge AI model, the research predicts that the country will face unprecedented "super floods" and "extreme droughts" on a periodic basis. This dire prediction is a direct result of accelerating global warming, which is causing more frequent and severe extreme weather events around the world, particularly in vulnerable high-altitude ...

**EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL TUESDAY, SEPT. 2, AT 7:30 P.M.** Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and four other institutions have devised a novel method to test for prostate cancer using biomarkers present in urine, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. This approach could significantly reduce the need for invasive, often painful biopsies, they say. By analyzing urine samples from prostate cancer patients before and after prostate-removal surgery, as well as from healthy individuals, ...

A father’s exposure to passive smoking as a child may impair the lifelong lung function of his children, putting them at risk of COPD—a risk that is heightened further if they are childhood passive smokers themselves—finds research published online in the respiratory journal Thorax. The findings highlight the intergenerational harms of smoking, say the researchers, who urge fathers to intercept this harmful legacy by avoiding smoking around their children. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ...

People with learning disabilities progress faster to severe type 2 diabetes and are at greater risk of dying from their condition than people without these disabilities, suggests research published in the open access journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Control. This is despite having better overall blood glucose control and similar risks of vascular complications, the findings indicate. Around 1.5 million people (950,000 adults) in the UK have a learning disability, which includes conditions such as Down syndrome and cerebral palsy, note the researchers.  Type 2 ...