The new toolkit is designed to support the implementation and scale-up of hepatitis B and C interventions in prisons across Europe. It also reinforces the principle of ‘equivalence of care’, ensuring that people in prison receive healthcare comparable to that available in the community.  People in prison experience higher levels of viral hepatitis than the general population, making them a key group for targeted prevention and treatment. In Europe, individuals entering prison are also more likely to have a history of injecting ...

Some artificial sweeteners, such as saccharin and acesulfame K, have a bitter aftertaste that affects consumer acceptance of reduced-calorie foods and beverages. New research in FEBS Open Bio reveals the potential of compounds that inhibit bitter taste receptors to make artificial sweeteners more palatable. Saccharin and acesulfame K are detected by two types of bitter taste receptors from the taste receptor type 2 (TAS2R) family: TAS2R31 and TAS2R43. When investigators measured the inhibitory effects of various compounds against TAS2R31, they found that menthols reduced the responses ...

New research in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism reveals that metformin, a medication traditionally prescribed to treat diabetes, is linked to lower risks of dementia and early death. In the study by investigators at Taipei Medical University that included 452,777 adults with varying degrees of overweight and obesity, 35,784 cases of dementia and 76,048 deaths occurred over 10 years. Metformin users exhibited significantly lower risks of both dementia and all-cause death than nonusers. The benefits of metformin were seen across all categories of overweight, obesity, and severe obesity, with 8–12% lower risks of dementia and 26–28% ...

Flexible electronics—including wearable devices, stretchable sensors, and soft robotics—require materials that integrate mechanical flexibility, stretchability, and durability with additional attributes like electrical conductivity. A review in the journal Small considers the potential of natural rubber as a sustainable resource to minimize the carbon footprint of flexible electronics. The authors examine how natural rubber might be used in different types of flexible sensors, self-powered systems, and ...

Based on more than a decade’s worth of data across 36 U.S. states, a study in Contemporary Economic Policy finds that spreading out food assistance payments over more days reduces financially motivated crimes—especially robberies. Compared with a single-day lump-sum monthly distribution through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a disbursement schedule consisting of 15 or more distribution days was associated with a decline of 0.03 robbery incidents per 100,000 population. Similarly, when SNAP distribution was staggered across 15 or more days, the incidence of robbery ...

A new paper in Annals of Botany, published by Oxford University Press, indicates that pollination can have a dramatic effect on how plants grow and change. The study shows that when plants and pollinators become uncoordinated (even for a brief time) it can change who reproduces best and change plant diversity. The paper offers new insights into how evolution works in real time. Pressures on pollination behavior can fluctuate over reproductive seasons, influencing which plants animals pollinate. Changes in the interaction between plants ...

Respiratory disorders in dogs can quickly become critical and are reported to be the second leading cause of cardiac arrest in canines. Therefore, it is necessary to take appropriate measures according to each patient’s condition. This, however, requires rapid and accurate disease severity assessments. In human medicine, scoring systems that incorporate physical examinations and blood tests results with respiratory function assessments exist, and enable more accurate severity assessments. In contrast, there are only a few reports on severity assessments that use tests other than respiratory function evaluations in veterinary medicine. Further, these evaluations usability ...

Hurricanes and related natural catastrophes like flooding are becoming more severe and more frequent around the world. Older people are especially at risk, but relatively little is known about long-term health effects. In 2012, the north-east US was hit by Hurricane Sandy, which resulted in unusable transportation systems, destruction of homes, power loss, and more than 100 casualties. But what about the people who continue living in hurricane-mangled areas? Now, researchers in the US have investigated if ...

BURLINGTON—Researchers at the University of Vermont have developed a more precise way to assess stroke risk in people with atrial fibrillation (A-Fib), a condition that affects 10.5 million Americans and is a leading cause of stroke. Their findings, published August 6 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, show that adding simple blood tests to an existing risk calculator can help physicians better determine who truly needs anticoagulant medications—powerful drugs that prevent strokes but ...

New research by the University of South Australia finds a silver lining to the struggling media landscape in the face of the digital age, revealing that social media is enhancing the diversity of news the community receives.     The study found that Australian news is more diverse on social media, as the traditional media landscape – particularly quality local journalism – has become increasingly unsustainable. Social media is the most popular way for Australians to find and consume news, ...

HOXB13, a B-class homeobox transcription factor, sits at the hub of developmental gene networks yet has emerged as a double-edged sword in human cancer. While indispensable for embryonic patterning and androgen-dependent organogenesis, its expression is frequently hijacked or extinguished by epigenetic, mutational and post-translational events that drive tumour initiation, progression and therapy resistance. Across more than twenty malignancies, the protein acts as either oncogene or tumour suppressor, depending on tissue context, interacting partners and mutational ...

A proposed earthquake early warning system could have provided several communities an alert of 10 seconds or more ahead of strong shaking from the magnitude 7.3 quake that occurred south of Sand Point near the tip of the Alaska Peninsula in mid-July. That analysis is provided by Alex Fozkos of the Alaska Earthquake Center’s systems team at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute. “Individuals in Sand Point could have expected approximately 10 seconds of warning time before ...

A team of theoretical researchers used thermal effective theory to demonstrate that quantum entanglement follows universal rules across all dimensions. Their study was published online on August 5, in Physical Review Letters as an Editors’ Suggestion. “This study is the first example of applying thermal effective theory to quantum information. The results of this study demonstrate the usefulness of this approach, and we hope to further develop this approach to gain a deeper understanding of quantum entanglement structures,” ...

Beneath the modern Sichuan Basin lies a geological masterpiece orchestrated by the Emeishan mantle plume 262 million year ago. A landmark study published in the Journal of Palaeogeography (Chinese Edition) uncovers how plume-driven tectonics shattered a Permian carbonate ramp into a complex platform system, creating a 400-kilometer-long dolostone hydrocarbon reservoir belt now pivotal to China’s energy exploration. Led by Prof. Yuan Haifeng (Chengdu University of Technology) and Dr. Zhang Benjian (PetroChina Southwest ...

Scientists have captured unique on-board footage of Indian Ocean seabirds speeding just above the waves to catch flying fish on the wing. The footage, obtained by lightweight bird-borne cameras formed part of a study of the lives of seabirds in the waters around the remote archipelago they call home. Two red-footed boobies - a tropical cousin of the more familiar gannet – were carefully fitted with the tiny cameras to record how they catch their favourite food; flying fish. Of 15 capture attempts, 14 were towards flying fish while in flight and one was an underwater dive. This is the first such on-board footage revealing that flying ...

They twist and turn across the sky in dense, whirling formations—murmurations of birds that seem to move as one, captivating watchers and puzzling scientists for decades. Now, a new analysis suggests that one of the most mysterious features of these aerial displays—the behaviour of birds at the edges—may stem from accident rather than intent. A study examining the flocking patterns of jackdaws has found that the sharp borders of murmurations, and the way certain birds linger at the edges, can be explained by the mathematical rules that govern how individuals ...

Join us for a cutting-edge Carbon Research Webinar featuring Prof. Weihong Yang from KTH-Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, where he will explore innovative strategies to transition from fossil-based materials to sustainable, bio-based graphite alternatives. This talk will provide insights into the conversion of bioprecursors into fossil-free graphite and its applications in lithium-ion batteries and electrochemical systems. A techno-economic assessment and life cycle analysis (LCA) will also be discussed.   Date: Monday, August 11, 2025 Time: ‣ 15:00–16:00 (Beijing, China) ‣ 09:00–10:00 (CET, Europe/Swedish Time)   Speaker: Prof. ...

‘Solastalgia’ might help explain the negative effects of climate change on mental health, suggests a review of the available research, published in the open access journal BMJ Mental Health. Solastalgia is caused by changes to the home or surrounding environment and is associated with depression, anxiety, and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the findings show. A blend of the words ‘solace’ and ‘nostalgia’, the term solastalgia was first coined in 2003 to refer to the lack of solace and feelings of pain or sickness caused by changes ...

Experiencing childhood verbal abuse shows a similar impact to adult mental health as physical abuse, suggests a large intergenerational study, published in the open access journal BMJ Open. While often not immediately obvious, the effects of verbal abuse may be no less damaging or protracted, the findings indicate. This large retrospective study of more than 20,000 participants examining birth cohorts from the 1950s onwards showed reductions in childhood physical abuse but increases in childhood verbal abuse. Globally, an estimated 1 in 6 children endures physical abuse from family and caregivers. As well as the immediate physical trauma, physical abuse can exert lifelong ...

The deliberate destruction of health services and systems as an act of war should be termed ‘healthocide’ and medical practitioners should call out and stand firm against this weaponisation of healthcare, insists a thought-provoking commentary published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health. Silence implies complicity and approval, and undermines international humanitarian law as well as medical and professional ethics, say Dr Joelle Abi-Rached and colleagues of the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. Although they refer to other conflicts in El Salvador, Ukraine, Sudan, and Syria, the authors focus primarily on the impact of armed conflict on healthcare ...

The Lancet Rheumatology: Course of psychotherapy for low back pain remains effective for at least three years, finds trial A type of psychotherapy called cognitive functional therapy (CFT) [1] is the first treatment for chronic disabling low back pain with good evidence that it can effectively reduce disability due to the pain for more than a year, finds a randomised controlled trial (RCT) published in The Lancet Rheumatology journal. Low back pain is a long-term health condition for many people marked by unpredictable recurrences or pain flare ups. Interventions for ...

*Images available* Urban landscapes support 43 per cent fewer pollinator species according to a new study from the University of Sheffield A research team conducted a comparative study at allotment sites in three major cities across England and found that those in more urbanised areas saw the highest decline in insect pollinator species The study found that relative to bees, nocturnal moths and hoverflies - which can be just as important for pollination - are particularly sensitive to the effects of urbanisation Researchers warn ...

At the Ecological Society of America’s Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Md., Aug. 10–15, urban ecology will be front and center — fitting for a city that has long been a hub for research on nature in urban environments. Reflecting the meeting’s theme, “Ecology is Everywhere,” this growing field recognizes that cities are not just places where nature is degraded, but also where ecological processes thrive and evolve in unique ways. Urban ecology explores how people and biodiversity interact in densely populated landscapes, and how urban ecosystems offer valuable services and insights. Presentations at the meeting cover a wide ...

Irvine, Calif., Aug. 6, 2025 — Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have identified a promising nonpharmaceutical treatment that rejuvenates aging brain cells and clears away the buildup of harmful proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease. In a paper published recently in the journal GeroScience, the UC Irvine team reports that a combination of naturally occurring compounds – nicotinamide (a form of vitamin B3) and epigallocatechin gallate (a green tea antioxidant) – can reinstate levels of guanosine triphosphate, an essential energy molecule ...

Electrochemical cells – or batteries, as a well-known example – are complex technologies that combine chemistry, physics, materials science and electronics. More than power sources for everything from smartphones to electric vehicles, they remain a strong motivation for scientific inquiry that seeks to fully understand their structure and evolution at the molecular level. A team led by Yingjie Zhang, a professor of materials science and engineering in The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has completed ...