A novel imaging technique used for the first time on a ground-based telescope has helped a UCLA-led team of astronomers to achieve the sharpest-ever measurement of a star’s surrounding disk, revealing previously unseen structure. The breakthrough opens a new way for astronomers to study fine details of a wide variety of astronomical objects and opens the door to new discoveries about the universe.   The ability to view fine details of astronomical objects depends on the size of the telescope. As a telescope’s ...

The opening of Arizona State University’s new medical school took a giant leap forward today with two important pieces of news that will accelerate activity as the school begins to prepare for its first class in August 2026. ASU leaders announced that the school, the flagship of the university’s ASU Health system, received preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), enabling the school to begin recruiting its first class of students. In addition, the university received a nine-figure gift, the second largest in university history, to establish and ...

A study published in the British Journal of Health Psychology reveals the negative behavioral and psychological consequences of commercial fitness apps reported by users on social media. These impacts may undermine the potential of apps to promote health and wellbeing. When investigators used artificial intelligence (AI) using a method called Machine-Assisted Topic Analysis (MATA), which combines AI-powered topic modelling with human qualitative analysis, to help them analyze 58,881 X posts referring ...

Lab-based studies have provided lots of information on the biology of aging, but it’s unclear how lab discoveries apply to aging in the real world. Research in Aging Cell provides insights into aging based on studies in dogs. The Dog Aging Project (DAP) is designed to identify patterns of aging and how these are shaped by the diversity of genetic and environmental variation among companion dogs. By analyzing metabolites from blood samples of dogs in the DAP, investigators identified effects of age on more than one-third of measured metabolites. They also discovered that post-translationally ...

An analysis in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society reveals that older inpatients admitted to physicians who prescribe higher amounts of first-generation antihistamines face an elevated risk of delirium while in the hospital. First-generation antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl), are among the leading causes of medication-related harms in older adults, and although these medications are indicated for histamine-related conditions such as hives and anaphylaxis, they may be prescribed inappropriately. When investigators analyzed data on 328,140 patients ...

New research published in International Studies of Economics sheds light on an important but often overlooked driver of racial segregation in housing: minimum lot size zoning policies, or local regulations requiring a minimum amount of land for a property. The study focused on the impact of minimum lot size regulations in Connecticut towns on the likelihood of ethnic minorities integrating into a community. Investigators found that households with higher incomes are more willing to pay for larger residential lots, reinforcing economic divides, and that Black ...

A study in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research uses a noninvasive, nonradioactive imaging-based method to measure the structure and function of the Achilles tendon in professional ballet dancers. The method could potentially be developed to help prevent injuries and improve rehabilitation efforts in athletes, as well as in the general public. The study involved what is called multi-echo ultrashort echo time (UTE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess collagen and other components of the Achilles tendon. These ...

Using information on alpine plant species, researchers investigated how the chemistry of flowers’ scent affects not only the diversity of insect pollinators but also the communities of bacteria living on the flowers. The study, which is published in New Phytologist, reveals that high floral scent chemodiversity—or the presence of a range of different chemical compounds—is associated with increased pollinator richness but reduced bacterial richness on flowers. The findings led the scientists ...

Because patient perceptions of radiation can influence their willingness to receive it as treatment, researchers recently examined how radiation therapy is represented in different forms of art. The analysis in the Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences found that overall, novels, poems, music, film, and paintings tend to depict radiation therapy as associated with fear, mystery, and fascination. The authors note that radiation therapy is widely perceived as having both lifesaving and life-threatening potential. As such, exploring how radiation therapy ...

Some users of popular fitness and calorie counting apps experience shame, disappointment and demotivation, potentially undermining their health and wellbeing, according to a new study led by researchers at UCL (University College London) and Loughborough University. The study, published in the British Journal of Health Psychology, looked at 58,881 posts on Twitter (i.e., posted prior to the platform becoming X) relating to five popular fitness apps*. The research team used AI models to filter out 13,799 posts judged to contain negative sentiment and then to group these posts into broad themes or topics. They found users expressing ...

Scientists have long sought measurable signs in the body, called biomarkers, that reliably reveal our biological age or predict future health issues. Now, a new study in dogs—an ideal model for this research because they share our genetic diversity, diseases, and home environments—has uncovered molecular clues that could shed light on how aging unfolds in pets and people alike. For the study published October 22 in Aging Cell, scientists from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University, University of Washington, and other institutions analyzed blood samples from a group of nearly 800 dogs enrolled ...

A new paper in Rheumatology, published by Oxford University Press, finds that retired UK male professional football players who reported foot or ankle injuries during their careers were more likely to develop osteoarthritis in retirement. Retired players treated routinely with cortisone injections for their injuries were even more likely to report osteoarthritis. Professional football is a high-speed contact sport with high risk of injury. Foot and ankle injuries are particularly common, with ankle sprains being the most regular ankle injury and metatarsal fractures the most frequent foot injury. These injuries occur more often during football matches than ...

Abstract The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT, President: TOKUDA Hideyuki Ph.D.) and the Nagoya Institute of Technology (NITech, President: OBATA Makoto), collaborated with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), have achieved the world’s first successful demonstration of next-generation error correction codes, mitigating the impact of atmospheric turbulence on ground-to-satellite laser communications. Atmospheric turbulence in ground-to-satellite laser links is known to cause fading, resulting in burst data errors. Error correction codes are one of the key technologies to mitigate such effects. In this experiment, ...

Too much sun can ruin a day at the beach. It can also ruin photosynthesis, scorching plants and other organisms that depend on capturing sunlight for energy. Beneath the waves, though, algae have found a clever shield. Osaka Metropolitan University researchers and their colleagues discovered that a pigment called siphonein helps marine green algae keep photosynthesis humming, without the burn. Photosynthetic organisms rely on delicate light-harvesting complexes (LHCs) to capture sunlight for energy. During photosynthesis, chlorophyll absorbs light and enters an excited ...

New research led by UNSW Sydney palaeontologists challenges the idea that indigenous Australians hunted Australia’s megafauna to extinction, suggesting instead they were fossil collectors. The research published today in the journal Royal Society Open Science, opens in a new window focuses on the fossilised tibia (lower leg bone) of a now-extinct, giant ‘sthenurine’ kangaroo. Found in Mammoth Cave in southwestern Australia around the time of the First World War, the bone was later determined to be hard evidence, opens in a new window showing that Indigenous Australians hunted megafauna. Renowned palaeontologist and expert on Australia’s ...

Around the world, research is advancing to efficiently confine fusion plasma and harness its immense energy for power generation. However, it is known that turbulence occurring at various scales within the plasma causes the release of plasma energy and constituent particles, degrading the confinement performance. Elucidating this physical phenomenon and suppressing performance degradation is critically important. Particularly in the high-temperature plasma experiments currently conducted worldwide, micro-scale (just a few centimeters) turbulent eddies forming at various locations within the plasma significantly impact this confinement ...

Humans evolved large brains and flat faces at a surprisingly rapid pace compared to other apes, likely reflecting the evolutionary advantages of these traits, finds a new analysis of ape skulls by UCL researchers.  The paper, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, analysed how the evolutionary diversity of the skulls of humans and other related apes evolved over millions of years. They found that the skull structure for humans evolved substantially faster than that of any other closely ...

Raising groundwater levels and adding biochar to agricultural peat soils could dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining healthy crop production, according to a new study from Bangor University. The study, published in Biochar (2025), tested how water table management and biochar, a charcoal-like soil additive made from plant biomass, affect carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions in peat-based farming systems. Although drained peats are among the world’s most productive ...

A research team from Hefei University of Technology, Zhejiang University, and South China University of Technology has discovered that adding specially treated biochar to cement can significantly improve its ability to capture and store carbon dioxide while strengthening the material itself. Cement production is one of the world’s largest sources of CO₂ emissions. Finding cost-effective ways to store carbon directly in building materials could help reduce the industry’s environmental footprint. In the new study, scientists explored how modifying biochar, ...

Immediate skin-to-skin contact between newborns and their mothers offers a better start in life, improving a number of key health metrics, according to a newly-updated Cochrane review. The review found that babies who have skin-to-skin contact with their mother within the first hour of birth are more likely to see a variety of benefits, including exclusive breastfeeding, optimal body temperatures and blood sugar levels. While possible benefits for the mother were also studied, such as effects on blood loss and timing of placental delivery, the evidence was less certain. Skin-to-skin involves placing the naked newborn on the mother’s uncovered chest immediately ...

Why do some people regularly attend the opera, visit art galleries, or go to classical music concerts—while others rarely, if ever, do? The easy answer might be, “They can’t afford it.” But according to recent research from the University of California San Diego Rady School of Management, the real explanation goes far beyond money. The new paper —  published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research and coauthored by Joe Gladstone, an assistant professor of behavioral ...

  Mass General Brigham researchers found that older women who took 4,000 steps on just one or two days a week had a 27% reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease and 26% reduction in risk of death compared to those who got less steps The study found that the number of steps taken rather than any daily pattern of stepping was tied to these risk reductions Tracking daily steps has become a staple exercise metric as smart devices keep count with ease. This physical activity stimulates bodily repair and maintenance, which is especially important as we age. But how many steps do you need to reap health benefits? A new study by investigators ...

Clocking up at least 4000 daily steps on just 1 or 2 days per week is linked to a lower risk of death and cardiovascular disease among older women, finds research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.   This large prospective study examined not only how many steps older women take but how often they reach their step targets across the week, addressing a key gap in current physical activity guidelines.   Researchers found that achieving at least 4000 steps per day on 1-2 days per week was associated with a significantly lower risk of death and lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), compared with not reaching this ...

Less than half of schoolchildren in England who are at risk of a serious and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to food were prescribed the antidote—an adrenaline [epinephrine] autoinjector, or AAI for short—finds an analysis of national prescribing data, published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.   This is despite recommendations by the UK and European medicines regulators that those at risk should have access to 2 AAIs at all times, since some reactions need more than one dose or to allow for incorrect use.    And with 1 in 10 episodes of anaphylaxis occurring ...

Antidepressants can differ widely in how they physically affect the body, including around a 4 kg difference in weight change between certain drugs (approximately 2.5 kg weight loss from agomelatine and 2kg weight gain from maprotiline), confirms a systematic review and meta-analysis published in The Lancet. The authors emphasise that these findings should not deter people from taking antidepressants, which remain vital and effective treatments for mental health conditions. Instead, they say the results ...