A new molecule that lets energy hop around quickly within its structure makes the upcycling of light more efficient and tunable. The Kobe University development lays out a design strategy for better solar power harnessing as well as medical and sensor applications. While low-energy light is abundant and harmless, many technical applications from solar power generation to medical treatments rely on high-energy light. To increase the efficiency of light harvesting and to avoid high-energy light as much ...

Taking the progestogen-only contraceptive pill desogestrel continuously for more than five years is associated with a small increased risk of developing a type of brain tumour called an intracranial meningioma, finds a study from France published by The BMJ today. However, the researchers stress that the risk is low compared with some other progestogens (for every 67,000 women taking desogestrel, one might need surgery for meningioma) and disappeared one year after stopping treatment. Intracranial meningiomas are typically non-cancerous brain tumours that occasionally require surgery. ...

The rise in non-prescribed ketamine use across the UK in recent years is a cause for concern, say doctors in The BMJ today. Irene Guerrini at South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and colleagues warn that its low cost has made it popular among young people, and the number of people starting treatment for ketamine addiction in 2023-2024 reached 3609, more than eight times higher than in 2014-2015. They say public awareness of the risks and long term harms associated with ketamine remains insufficient, and they call for better diagnostic criteria, a ...

The Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the ’la Caixa’ Foundation, has unveiled a new tool: the Healthy Urban Design Index (HUDI). The HUDI is a composite index that evaluates 917 European cities based on 13 indicators connected  to peoples’ health and well-being and divided into four domains: urban design, sustainable transport, environmental quality and green space accessibility. The HUDI is the result of scientific work published in The Lancet Planetary Health. The data for all cities is publicly available on https://isglobalranking.org/hudi/. In order to make the cities comparable, they have been grouped into five ...

Fetuses more exposed to certain air pollutants show changes in the size of specific brain structures, particularly during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. This is the main finding of a new study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a center supported by the ”la Caixa” Foundation, in collaboration with the BCNatal center (Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Hospital Clínic, and University of Barcelona) and the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. It is the first study to specifically ...

A new method improving the accuracy of interpreting blood pressure measurements taken at the ankle could be crucial for people who cannot have their arm blood pressure measured. New research from the University of Exeter Medical School, published in BMJ Open and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), analysed data from over 33,000 people to create a personalised predictive model for more accurately estimating arm blood pressure from ankle readings - when compared to previously available methods. The team has developed an online calculator for healthcare professionals and patients to interpret ...

New analysis of the remains of two ‘puppies’ dating back more than 14,000 years ago has shown that they are most likely wolves, and not related to domestic dogs, as previously suggested. The genetic analysis also proved that the cubs were sisters at the age of around two months, and like modern day wolves had a mixed diet of meat and plants. Researchers, however, were surprised to see evidence of a wooly rhinoceros as part of their last meals, as this would have been a considerably large animal for a wolf to hunt. The ‘Tumat Puppies’ are two remarkably well-preserved puppy remains found in northern Siberia, about 40 km from Tumat, the nearest village. One was found ...

Leg amputation caused by arterial disease four times higher in disadvantaged areas A new study from the University of Sheffield highlights the scale of socioeconomic disparities in leg amputation caused by arterial disease across England Lower limb amputation rates are four times as high in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged areas in England compared with the least disadvantaged areas Peripheral arterial disease is a debilitating condition which is caused by a build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries to the legs which restricts blood supply Findings show patients living ...

Scientists from Colorado State University and the University of São Paulo have overcome a challenge that has prevented medical ultrasound imaging from being used in intensive care and emergency room settings. This technological advancement could someday lead to improved critical care for patients.  Obtaining accurate medical images using ultrasound computed tomography (USCT) is challenging due to the uncertainty of sensor positioning, which changes with patient movement. The interdisciplinary team, including a mathematician, an engineer ...

Only 36% of dads reported taking more than two weeks of paternal family leave Findings support U.S. lagging ‘behind the rest of the world in availability of paid family leave’ ‘If there was paid family leave, fathers would have fewer barriers, and they’d take it’ CHICAGO --- When it comes to family leave, American fathers are left behind. In a survey of new fathers led by scientists at Northwestern University and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, 64% of fathers reported taking less than two weeks of leave or no leave after the birth of their child. Only 36% of ...

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- In a study that closes a long-standing knowledge gap in fundamental science, researchers Boerge Hemmerling and Stephen Kane at the University of California, Riverside, have successfully measured the electric dipole moment of aluminum monochloride (AlCl), a simple yet scientifically crucial diatomic molecule. Their results, published in Physical Review A, have implications for quantum technologies, astrophysics, and planetary science. Until now, the ...

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4:00 P.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 2025 MINNEAPOLIS — Stroke and dementia as well as late-life depression are more common in people who have a biomarker of aging called short leukocyte telomere length, according to a study published on June 11, 2025, online in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The good news is that this relationship was not found in people with healthy lifestyle habits, such as eating healthy and maintaining low cholesterol and blood pressure. The study does not prove that shorter telomeres cause these brain diseases; it only shows an association.    “Our findings support the potential ...

Scientists from Mass General Brigham explored the associations between telomere length—which decreases as a person ages or is exposed to unhealthy environments—and the risk for age-related brain diseases. The research team found evidence suggesting that healthier lifestyle choices could mitigate telomere length-associated risks. Their results are published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. “Reducing risk factors like weight and alcohol consumption as well as getting more sleep and exercise can all help reverse ...

New editorial in the American Journal of Public Health calls for the renewal of Israeli–Palestinian public health cooperation, even amid the current conflict. Drawing on decades of joint successes—including polio eradication, measles control, maternal health advances, and epidemic surveillance—the editorial urges stakeholders to revive collaborative efforts in critical areas like immunization, environmental health, and hospital rehabilitation. Emphasizing that health partnerships have historically bridged divides, the authors argue against academic boycotts and stress that shared public health is both a moral imperative and a strategic ...

Rutgers Health researchers found that lamotrigine, a widely prescribed antiseizure medication, to be safe in older adults with epilepsy, contrary to a safety warning by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).   According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 2.9 million adults throughout the United States are living with the neurological disorder.   Lamotrigine, sold under the brand name Lamictal, represents about 10% of all antiseizure medication use. In 2020, the FDA placed a safety warning label on lamotrigine based on reports the drug ...

Astronomers have surveyed massive, dense star factories, unlike any found in the Milky Way, in a large number of galaxies across the local universe. The findings provide a rare glimpse into processes shaping galaxies in the very early universe and possibly the Milky Way a few billion years from now.  Known as luminous and ultra-luminous infrared galaxies, or LIRGs and ULIRGs, these galaxies are relatively rare in the local universe, with only 202 known within 400 megaparsecs (1.3 billion light-years) from Earth, according to Sean Linden, a research associate at the University of Arizona Steward Observatory, who presented ...

Astronomers using data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have identified dozens of small galaxies that played a starring role in a cosmic makeover that transformed the early universe into the one we know today. “When it comes to producing ultraviolet light, these small galaxies punch well above their weight,” said Isak Wold, an assistant research scientist at Catholic University of America in Washington and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “Our analysis of these tiny but mighty galaxies is 10 times ...

In the jungle of microbes living in your gut, there’s one oddball that makes methane. This little-known methane-maker might play a role in how many calories you absorb from your food, according to a new study from Arizona State University. The entire ecosystem of microbes is called the microbiome. Some people’s gut microbiomes produce a lot of methane, while others produce hardly any. The study found that people whose gut microbiomes produce a lot of methane are especially good at unlocking extra energy from a high-fiber diet. This may help explain why different individuals ...

Approximately one in every 12 dogs in the U.K. will be diagnosed with diarrhea each year, with some breeds more susceptible than others, according to a study published June 11, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Dan O’Neill from the Royal Veterinary College, U.K., and colleagues. For this new study, researchers analyzed the health records of more than two million dogs brought to the vet in the U.K. in 2019. They estimated that 8.18% of them, or about 1-in-12, were diagnosed with diarrhea at some point during the year. But six breeds — Maltese, Miniature Poodle, Cavapoo, German Shepherd, Yorkshire Terrier, and Cockapoo — were significantly more likely ...

In a study of 34 children, the volumes of part of the brain known as the basal ganglia differed significantly between children whose parents were pregnant with them during Superstorm Sandy versus children without prenatal Sandy exposure. Donato DeIngeniis of Queens College, City University of New York, U.S., and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One on June 11, 2025. Prior research suggests that prenatal exposure to stressors, such as extreme weather, may disrupt neurodevelopment and lead to morphological differences in children’s brains—including basal ganglia volume differences. ...

A new study analyzing more than 3,200 hospitals across the United States (U.S.) has revealed stark differences in how patients rate their hospital experiences depending on where they receive care. The research was published June 11, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS One and led by Man Hung of the University of Utah, U.S., and colleagues. Patient satisfaction in the United States is known to vary regionally, likely due to cultural, socioeconomic, and infrastructure differences. In the new study, researchers analyzed data from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey from 3,286 U.S. hospitals from July ...

Ladybirds' complex colors may result from a combination of pigments and physical properties of their wingcase Article URL: https://plos.io/4jnQti0 Article title: Decoding ladybird’s colours: Structural mechanisms of colour production and pigment modulation Author countries: France Funding: This study has been supported through the EUR grant NanoX n° ANR-17-EURE-0009 in the framework of the “Programme des Investissements d’Avenir.” Part of this research has also been supported by the University ...

NEW YORK, June 11, 2025 — Climate disasters may be leaving invisible imprints on developing brains before birth, according to new groundbreaking research from The City University of New York Graduate Center (CUNY Graduate Center) and Queens College. Scientists discovered that children whose mothers experienced Superstorm Sandy during pregnancy showed distinct brain differences that could affect their emotional development for years to come. The study, published in PLOS One, reveals that prenatal exposure to extreme climate events, particularly when combined with extreme heat, appears to rewrite critical emotion regulation centers in the developing brain.  "We're ...

Scientists have developed a low-cost, durable, highly-sensitive robotic ‘skin’ that can be added to robotic hands like a glove, enabling robots to detect information about their surroundings in a way that’s similar to humans. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge and University College London (UCL), developed the flexible, conductive skin, which is easy to fabricate and can be melted down and formed into a wide range of complex shapes. The technology senses and processes a range of physical inputs, allowing robots to interact with the physical world in a more meaningful way. Unlike other ...

There are thousands of species of birds, and many of their names are well-known to us—blue jay, robin, and mallard, to name just a few. But we have little understanding of the holistic nature of avian nomenclature. Do birds’ names tend to stem from physical or biological traits, such as a black-and-white warbler, or, rather, from people—such as Bonaparte’s gull, which was named after Charles Lucien Bonaparte, an ornithologist and nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte? A new study by New York ...