Scientists have found that X-Ray scanning reveals secrets of fossil formation without disturbing the decay of buried carcasses   A new study published in Palaeontology has confirmed that X-ray computed tomography (XCT scanning) can be used to monitor decomposing organisms without altering the natural decay process – a vital step for understanding how fossils form.   A research team from the University of Birmingham entombed dead zebrafish within sediment to test whether repeatedly zapping decaying specimens with X-rays would change how they decompose. Their findings suggest this non-invasive imaging technique allows scientists to watch decay happen in real-time without disturbing ...

Physical activity in early childhood, especially taking part in organised sports,may ward off several mental health disorders in later childhood and adolescence, suggests research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. But there seem to be clear sex differences in the observed protective effects, depending on the condition, the findings indicate. The prevalence of mental ill health among children and teens has risen sharply worldwide, with a heightened vulnerability to stress thought to partially explain the increase, note the researchers. Physical activity ...

Long working hours may alter the structure of the brain, particularly the areas associated with emotional regulation and executive function, such as working memory and problem solving, suggest the findings of preliminary research, published online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine. Ultimately, overwork may induce neuroadaptive changes that might affect cognitive and emotional health, say the researchers. Long working hours have been linked to heightened risks of cardiovascular disease, ...

University of Bath Press Release Lower taxes on Heated Tobacco Products are subsidising tobacco industry – new research Governments missing out tax revenues, hampering health policy   Governments which impose lower taxes on heated tobacco products in the hope of encouraging smokers away from conventional cigarettes are effectively subsidising the tobacco industry, missing out on much-needed tax revenues and hampering their own public health initiatives, new research from the University of Bath shows. Researchers examined ...

Being appreciated by colleagues can help employees cope with negative experiences at work, according to a new study involving the University of East Anglia (UEA). Researchers found that employees experience ‘embitterment’ - an emotional response to perceived workplace injustice - on days when they are assigned more unreasonable tasks than usual. This negative emotion not only affects their work but also spills over into their personal lives, leading to an increase in rumination, the repetitive dwelling on negative feelings and their causes. ...

A first-in-human study of an investigational once-daily oral treatment for obesity (SYNT-101) demonstrated positive preliminary data for the safe and effective redirection of nutrient absorption into the lower intestine, the weight loss and metabolic management mechanism behind gastric bypass surgery. In the study, being presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Malaga, Spain (11-14 May), participants were surveyed for adverse events, tolerability markers, as well as modulation of satiety hormones ...

New research being presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Malaga, Spain (11-14 May), reveals that 3- to 4- year olds in rural areas are more likely to be living with overweight and abdominal obesity (excess fat around waist), and spend more time on screens than their urban counterparts.  “Our findings reveal distinct patterns of how physical activity, screen time, and sleep relate to overweight and abdominal obesity in urban and rural settings, indicating that one-size-fits-all strategies to tackle ...

A new analysis being presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Malaga, Spain (11-14 May), finds that around half of the 100 top TikTok videos about food noise reference the use of medications—mainly the popular anti-obesity drugs glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs)—to manage constant and persistent thoughts about food and eating.  “TikTok can be an incredible tool for raising awareness, but it also has a downside,” said lead author Daisuke Hayashi from the Pennsylvania State University, USA. “The ...

A survey of adults living with obesity and their physicians across seven countries reveals a high disconnect between their perceptions about the causes of obesity and treatment goals. The findings being presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Malaga, Spain (11-14 May), highlight biased misconceptions about obesity which may impact patients’ access to treatment and support. “Although the causes of weight gain and obesity are diverse and complex—and often beyond an ...

New animal research being presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Malaga, Spain (11-14 May), reveals distinct metabolic adjustments to tirzepatide and semaglutide treatment, with tirzepatide temporarily increasing energy expenditure and semaglutide initially reducing energy expenditure. Importantly, the biggest metabolic changes happen directly after treatment and disappear quickly after treatment is stopped. Anti-obesity drugs like tirzepatide and semaglutide have shown substantial promise in promoting weight loss and improving metabolic ...

New York, NY (May 13, 2025) – Mount Sinai Health System announced today that it will recognize Dennis S. Charney, MD, the outgoing Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, for 18 years of leadership and service at its 40th annual Crystal Party, Tuesday, May 20, at Pier Sixty, 60 Chelsea Piers. Dr. Charney is one of the longest-serving deans of any medical school nationwide and will step down as Dean on Monday, June 30. He will remain on the faculty at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount ...

How are we able to recall a word we want to say? This basic ability, called word retrieval, is often compromised in patients with brain damage. Interestingly, many patients who can name words they see, like identifying a pet in the room as a “cat”, struggle with retrieving words in everyday discourse. Scientists have long sought to understand how the brain retrieves words during speech. A new study by researchers at New York University sheds light on this mystery, revealing a left-lateralized network in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex that plays a crucial role in naming. The findings, published in Cell Reports, provide new insights into ...

EDMOND, Okla. – May 13, 2025 -- Watkins-Conti Products, Inc. ("Watkins-Conti"), a company that develops innovative solutions for women's pelvic health, today announced the peer-reviewed publication of clinical trial results evaluating Yōni.Fit® Bladder Support ("Yōni.Fit®"). Designed and manufactured in the United States, Yōni.Fit® obtained 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2024 for the temporary management of urine ...

When summarizing scientific studies, large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and DeepSeek produce inaccurate conclusions in up to 73% of cases, according to a new study by Uwe Peters (Utrecht University) and Benjamin Chin-Yee (Western University, Canada/University of Cambridge, UK). The researchers tested the most prominent LLMs and analyzed thousands of chatbot-generated science summaries, revealing that most models consistently produced broader conclusions than those in the summarized texts. Surprisingly, prompts ...

This new Kids First data creates a fuller understanding of how genetics contributes to childhood cancers and congenital disorders, opening additional doors for prevention and treatment.  WHO: The Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program (Kids First), an initiative of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Kids First data, tools, and resources are available via the Kids First Data Resource Center (DRC). WHAT: The 2025 releases represent the first batch of long read sequencing data ...

Scientists have developed a dual-laser Brillouin optical correlation-domain reflectometry (BOCDR) system that uses two frequency-modulated lasers. By scanning the relative modulation phase between the pump and reference lasers, the setup measures strain and temperature all along an optical fiber. In a proof-of-concept test on a 13-meter silica fiber, the team recorded Brillouin gain spectra (BGS) at only about 200 MHz—over 50 times lower than the usual 11 GHz band. Their research was published in Journal of Physics: Photonics on April 25, 2025. “The dual-laser approach makes BOCDR equipment simpler, more cost-effective, ...

SAN FRANCISCO—Zhaoqi Yan, PhD, a scientist at Gladstone Institutes, has been named a 2025 Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholar. The fellowship award is given annually to five postdoctoral researchers in the United States who demonstrate exceptional creativity in the field of neuroscience. Yan studies how blood proteins that leak into the brain through damaged blood vessels can drive brain inflammation and neurodegeneration. Molecular mechanisms behind this dysfunction in the blood-brain barrier remain unclear, and effective therapeutic strategies are lacking—something Yan hopes to change. With the support from the Warren Alpert Foundation, he will use cutting-edge techniques to ...

The field of subwavelength optics has opened new avenues for investigating light–matter interactions by enabling the exploration of novel phenomena at the subwavelength scale. In recent decades, advancements in fundamental understanding and micro–nano-technologies have significantly propelled the development of subwavelength optics and its practical applications. For instance, progress in surface plasmon subwavelength optics, which facilitates the confinement of light at scales below the diffraction limit, forms a basis for transformative applications such as sub-diffraction-limit imaging, waveguiding and sensing. Moreover, advancements ...

An international research team studying fossilized oyster shells has revealed substantial annual temperature variation in sea water during the Early Cretaceous. The finding overturns the assumption that Earth's greenhouse periods are marked by universally warmer and uniformly stable temperatures.   The team, led by Prof. DING Lin from the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in collaboration with researchers from the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate ...

Imagine a T-shirt that could monitor your heart rate or blood pressure. Or a pair of socks that could provide feedback on your running stride. It may be closer than you think, with new research from Washington State University demonstrating a particular 3-D ink printing method for so-called smart fabrics that continue to perform well after repeated washings and abrasion tests. The research, published in the journal ACS Omega, represents a breakthrough in smart fabric comfort and durability, as well as using a process that is more environmentally friendly. Hang Liu, a textile researcher at WSU and the corresponding author of the paper, ...

Bottom Line: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends early, universal screening for syphilis infection during pregnancy; if an individual is not screened early in pregnancy, the USPSTF recommends screening at the first available opportunity. Untreated syphilis infection during pregnancy can be passed to the fetus, causing congenital syphilis. Congenital syphilis is associated with premature birth, low birth weight, stillbirth, neonatal death, and significant abnormalities in the infant such as deformed bones, anemia, enlarged liver and spleen, jaundice, brain and nerve problems (e.g., permanent vision or hearing ...

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2025 – Butterflies’ flight trajectories often appear random or chaotic, and compared with other hovering insects, their bodies follow seemingly mysterious, jagged, jerking motions. These unique hovering patterns, however, can potentially provide critical design insights for developing micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) with flapping wings. To help achieve these applications, researchers from Beihang University studied how butterflies use aerodynamic force generation to achieve hovering. They discuss ...

A new treatment approach significantly improves survival rates for patients with aggressive, inherited breast cancers, according to Cambridge researchers. In a trial where cancers were treated with chemotherapy followed by a targeted cancer drug before surgery, 100% of patients survived the critical three-year period post-surgery. The discovery, published today in Nature Communications, could become the most effective treatment to date for patients with early-stage breast cancer with inherited BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. Breast cancers with faulty copies of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are challenging to treat, and came to public ...

About The Study: In this study, associations of structural and social determinants of health with mortality persisted with adjustment for percentage African genetic ancestry. The findings support the hypothesis that structural and social determinants of health should be the primary factors to consider for eliminating health disparities. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Hari S. Iyer, ScD, MPH, email hi97@cinj.rutgers.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.10016) Editor’s ...

About The Study: In this cross-sectional study examining clinical notes of more than 18,000 patients admitted for labor and birth, there were notable disparities in how stigmatizing and positive language was documented across racial and ethnic groups. This underscores the necessity for improving documentation and communication practices to reduce the use of stigmatizing language. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Veronica Barcelona, PhD, RN, email vb2534@cumc.columbia.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.9599) Editor’s ...