Memory formation, storage, and retrieval are fundamental processes that define who we are and how we interact with the world. At the cellular level, these processes rely on specialized neurons called engram cells—neuronal populations that physically encode our experiences and allow us to recall them later. Over the past few decades, scientists have made significant progress in identifying these neuronal ensembles and understanding some aspects of memory allocation. Although sleep is widely known to be essential for memory processing and consolidation, many of its underlying mechanisms and functions are unclear. Traditional views have largely focused on sleep as a backward-looking ...

“Get off my lawn!” Funny as a meme but maybe scary in real life, this short sentence is synonymous with an elderly man shouting at kids whose bikes have gotten too close to a well-manicured front yard. But it could just as well represent a female bird, aggressively chasing whatever intruder gets too close to her nest. Not any female bird, though. An international team of researchers led by Sara Lipshutz, assistant professor of Biology at Duke University, found that female birds who can only nest in cavities are far more aggressive than those who don’t have this restriction on their nesting real estate. Called ...

Can nature restoration and economic productivity go hand in hand? A new study finds that the EU’s ambitious Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) is essential to achieving biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation targets and that it could be implemented without compromising the supply of agricultural and forest products. Ensuring that biodiversity conservation actions are integrated with land management strategies is key for long-term sustainability. Doing so can ensure that ecosystems continue to provide essential services such as pollination, water purification, and carbon storage, all of which support agriculture and forestry production. If biodiversity ...

One longstanding problem has sidelined life-saving drugs, stalled next-generation batteries, and kept archaeologists from identifying the origins of ancient artifacts.  For more than 100 years, scientists have used a method called crystallography to determine the atomic structure of materials. The method works by shining an X-ray beam through a material sample and observing the pattern it produces. From this pattern – called a diffraction pattern – it is theoretically possible to calculate the exact arrangement of atoms in the sample. The challenge, however, is that this technique only works well when researchers ...

Marking European Immunization Week (EIW) 2025, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) highlights the risks of suboptimal vaccination coverage in Europe and publishes a set of operational tools that public health authorities can use to improve vaccination acceptance and uptake. The tenfold surge of reported measles cases in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) and the detection of vaccine-derived poliovirus in four EU/EEA countries in 2024 are two clear signals of the need to achieve and maintain high immunisation coverage to protect European populations. Vaccines ...

A recent randomized controlled trial reveals the potential of a program designed to connect patients who have breast cancer to needed exercise and rehabilitation services starting at diagnosis and throughout care. Participants provided positive feedback about the program, supporting efforts to integrate exercise and rehabilitation services as part of routine cancer care. The trial’s findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. Exercise services for ...

For almost 60 years, measuring cholesterol levels in the blood has been the best way to identify individuals at high risk of cardiovascular disease. In a new study, led by Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and Harvard University in the USA, researchers have shown comprehensively that a combination of two lipoprotein markers, measured in a simple blood test, can give more accurate information about individual risk of heart disease than the current blood cholesterol test, potentially saving lives. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally. Most cases could be prevented by addressing ...

Ann Arbor, April 28, 2025 - A study analyzing data from nationally representative dietary surveys and mortality data from eight countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, United Kingdom, and United States) shows that premature deaths attributable to consumption of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) increase significantly according to their share in individuals’ total energy intake. The new study, appearing in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, reinforces the call for global action to reduce UPF consumption, supported by regulatory and fiscal policies that foster healthier environments. UPFs are ready-to-eat-or-heat ...

Dr. Ho Sang Jung and his research team from the Advanced Bio and Healthcare Materials Research Division at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), in collaboration with Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, have developed a technology that enables the diagnosis of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis within 10 minutes using synovial fluid. This marks the first such achievement in Korea. According to some studies, over 50% of the population aged 65 and older experience symptoms of osteoarthritis, while rheumatoid arthritis is known to be a serious chronic disease that affects ...

An infectious diseases detection platform developed by University of Pittsburgh scientists working with UPMC infection preventionists proved over a two-year trial that it stops outbreaks, saves lives and cuts costs. The results are published today in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, making the case for adoption in hospitals nationwide and the development of a national early outbreak detection database. “We saved lives while saving money. This isn’t theoretical – this happened in a real hospital with real patients,” said lead author Alexander Sundermann, Dr.P.H., assistant professor of infectious diseases ...

ABSTRACT CT018 FINDINGS Researchers from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have demonstrated that a novel topical BRAF inhibitor gel called LUT014 significantly reduces the severity of an acne-like rash, a common and painful side effect experienced by patients undergoing anti-EGFR therapies for colorectal cancer. The findings of the clinical trial confirm the treatment’s safety and effectiveness. “The findings offer the first real solution in two decades for managing this ...

About The Study: In this cohort study of pregnant individuals with opioid use disorder, buprenorphine treatment was associated with improved outcomes for the mother and infant, underscoring the need to improve access to treatment nationwide. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Stephen W. Patrick, MD, MPH, MS, email stephen.patrick@emory.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2025.1814) Editor’s ...

27 April 2025, Boston—A study on donor lungs preserved outside the body before transplantation demonstrated that the hypothermic oxygenated machine perfusion (HOPE) technique is a safe and effective lung preservation method, even with total out-of-body times approaching 20 hours.   Jitte Jennekens, MSc, organ perfusionist/transplant coordinator at the UMC Utrecht in the Netherlands, presented the study results at today’s Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) in Boston.   “This technique is being used to preserve donor livers and ...

Embargoed until 2:00 PM EST, Sunday, 27 April, 2025   EXPERTS AT ISHLT REPORT URGENT NEED FOR PEDIATRIC HEART SUPPORT DEVICES 27 April 2025, Boston—At today’s Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) in Boston, Angela Lorts, MD, MBA, issued an urgent call for improved mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices for children with life-threatening heart conditions. “Advances in pediatric cardiac disease are underfunded and understudied. Therapies are rarely developed for children. We modify adult therapies to use in pediatrics,” ...

27 April 2025, Boston—Researchers at the Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) marked the 10-year anniversary of modern heart donation after circulatory death (DCD), a technique that has significantly increased transplant volumes around the world. Sarah Scheuer, MD, PhD, said that most centers that have started a DCD program experience an approximately 30 percent increase in their transplant volume. “It’s arguably the biggest shift in heart transplantation ...

Immunotherapy before and after surgery improves outcomes in head and neck cancer   Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center-led phase 3 clinical trial shows that pembrolizumab before and after standard-of-care surgery significantly extends event-free survival, representing the first advance for these patients in over 20 years BOSTON, April 27, 2025 — Patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer who received the immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab before, during and after standard-of-care surgery had longer event-free survival without the cancer coming back and higher rates of substantial tumor shrinkage prior to surgery, according to the first interim ...

Embargoed until 10:30 AM EST, Sunday, 27 April, 2025   DONOR HEARTS ARE TRAVELING LONGER DISTANCES WITH MACHINE PERFUSION Technology Could Pave the Way to International Heart Exchange  27 April 2025, Boston—In places like Australia, where metropolitan areas are separated by an entire continent, donor hearts used to go unused simply because transplant teams couldn’t get the organ to a recipient in time. “If there isn’t a recipient for an available heart in Perth but there’s a match in Sydney, that's nearly 2,000 miles of travel, or a five-hour flight,” said Emily Granger, MBBS, cardiothoracic and heart and lung transplant ...

Six Leading Organizations Unite to Launch the Pediatric Heart Transplant Alliance Chicago, Illinois – 27 April, 2025 – A groundbreaking collaboration among leading organizations in pediatric heart transplantation has led to the formation of Pediatric Heart Transplant Alliance. Founding partners include Enduring Hearts, the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT), Pediatric Heart Transplant Society (PHTS), Transplant Families, Advanced Cardiac Therapies Improving Outcomes Network (ACTION), and Additional Ventures. The mission of the Alliance is to serve as a powerful coalition spotlighting the need for advancements in pediatric heart transplantation ...

A research paper by scientists at Beijing Institute of Technology presented a CFD simulation method based on biological experimental data to analyze the aerodynamic performance of pigeons during takeoff, leveling flight, and landing in free flight. The research paper, published on Mar. 11, 2025 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems. Birds achieve remarkable maneuverability in takeoff, steady flight, and landing by continuously and adaptively morphing their wing shape, yet existing bio-inspired flapping-wing ...

A research paper by scientists at Beijing Institute of Technology presented a steering control strategy for cyborg insects in operant learning training of cockroaches in a T-maze. Cockroaches developed a preference for specific maze channels after only five consecutive sessions of unilateral cercus electrical stimulation and steering behavior induction, achieving a memory score of 83.5%, outperforming traditional punishing training schemes. The research paper, published on Mar. 7, 2025 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems. Cyborg insects are highly adaptable for detection and recognition assignments, achieved through the electrical stimulation of multiple organs ...

26 April 2025, Boston—Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) often goes undiagnosed for years, is frequently caught late, and primarily affects young, otherwise healthy individuals. Even when diagnosed, finding the right treatment can be challenging.   At this year’s Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT), a day-long CTEPH conference—co-sponsored by ISHLT and the International CTEPH Association (ICA) —brought together ...

26 April 2025, Boston—Healthcare practitioners from around the world received hands-on training for treating patients in cardiogenic shock (CS) during a first-ever simulation lab at today’s Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) in Boston. The simulation lab was part of ISHLT’s inaugural Cardiogenic Shock Academy, a day-long session featuring a case-based forum and discussion of hot topics and anticipated developments ...

Tokyo, Japan – A scientist from Tokyo Metropolitan University has solved the longstanding problem of a “dissonance” in gravitational waves emitted by a black hole. Using high precision computing and a new theoretical physics framework, it was discovered that it was caused by a resonance between a pair of distinctive “modes” i.e. different ways in which a black hole can “ring.” The phenomenon offers new insights into the nascent field of black hole spectroscopy.   Black holes are astrophysical objects so dense that even light cannot escape their gravitational pull. Despite their awesome presence ...

The less intensively you manage the soil, the better the soil can function. Such as not ploughing as often or using more grass-clover mixtures as cover crops. These are the conclusions from a research team led by the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW). Surprisingly, it applies to both conventional and organic farming. These important insights for making agriculture more sustainable are published in the scientific journal Science today. ‘It offers clear evidence to help farmers manage soils better.’ Growing food more sustainably: what's the best way to do this? It is ...

WOODS HOLE, Mass. -- The Frontiers Planet Prize, the world’s largest science competition to enhance planetary health by fast-tracking innovative research, has announced National Champions from 19 different countries who now advance to the International competition, which will award three winners $1M each to scale up their research. Suzanne Tank and co-authors from the Arctic Great Rivers Observatory (ArcticGRO), a multinational project founded at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), were recognized for their publication, “Recent trends in the chemistry of major northern rivers signal widespread Arctic change,” published ...