Ammonia (NH₃) is vital for agriculture, as it is the basis for fertilizers that are needed to feed the world's population. Currently, ammonia is mostly produced by the Haber-Bosch process, which turns nitrogen gas (N₂) from the air into ammonia. The problem is that this process requires enormous amounts of energy while generating significant gas emissions. Scientists have long searched for more efficient and environmentally friendly ways to produce ammonia. Nature does this efficiently through enzymes called nitrogenases, but replicating these biological processes ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Robin.Marks@ucsf.edu, (415) 502-6397 Subscribe to UCSF News How the brain turns our intended words into the sounds of speech A new study from UC San Francisco challenges the traditional view of how the brain strings sounds together to form words and orchestrates the movements to pronounce them. Speaking is one of the most complicated things a human can do. Before you even say a word, your brain has to translate what you want to say into a perfectly sequenced set of instructions to the dozens of muscles you use ...

Imagine trying to wear a left-handed glove on your right hand: it doesn’t fit because left and right hands are mirror images that can’t be superimposed on each other. This ‘handedness’ is what scientists call chirality, and it plays a fundamental role in biology, chemistry, and materials science. Most DNA molecules and sugars are right-handed, while most amino acids are left-handed. Reversing a molecule’s handedness can render a nutrient useless or a drug inactive and even harmful. Light can also be left or right ‘handed’. When a light beam is circularly polarized, its electric field ...

Around 8% of all births in England are preterm. Despite improvements in neonatal care and survival, preterm children still have more difficulties in later life than their peers, including a higher risk of mental health problems, which have not improved in recent decades.  Published today in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, this major study has taken a new direction, adopting a broader-view by looking at social factors that can help preterm-born children succeed even after they’ve left the hospital.  By analysing data from over 1,500 children born preterm from the Bavarian Longitudinal Study (Germany) and the UK Millennium Cohort Study, researchers have identified ...

Although relatively rare, many childhood cancers remain life-threatening and lack effective personalised treatments. Rhabdoid tumours are among these fatal cancers and can develop in various tissues and organs. Approximately 12 new cases of this extremely aggressive cancer that typically appears before the age of two are diagnosed in Spain each year. The case featured in this study is that of a little girl who was only five months old when she was diagnosed with a malignant rhabdoid tumour of the kidney. The clinical team at Sant Joan de Déu Hospital in Barcelona surgically resected the tumour and began treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, followed by immunotherapy. ...

Amino acids play a fundamental role in regulating how cells respond to drugs. These molecules, which form proteins, act like bricks that communicate with each other within a structure. In this way, they work together to regulate the cellular response, which could help develop more effective and safer treatments, according to an international study led by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and published in Nature Communications. The study focused on a specific cellular receptor, the cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2), a key protein ...

Isolation, communication difficulties, reduced alertness — hearing impairment or loss is a real challenge in daily life. Over time, it can also become a risk factor for cognitive decline. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) analysed data from 33,000 older adults across Europe to examine the combined impact of hearing loss and loneliness on memory. They identified three distinct profiles based on the degree of social isolation and perceived loneliness. The findings show that hearing loss accelerates cognitive decline particularly among individuals who feel lonely, regardless of whether they are ...

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the federal government enabled schools to provide all children, regardless of need, with free meals to address nutrition and food insecurity. While program participation increased, many students declined the free meals, missing out on potential health and academic benefits. A new study by nutrition researchers identifies several barriers cited by foodservice directors—the leaders who run school food programs—to student participation, including student preferences for home-cooked meals or fast food, and concerns about how healthy the meals are. “Even when school ...

CLEVELAND, Ohio (July 16, 2025)—Premature menopause has been described as a life-changing diagnosis with profound physical, psychological, and social consequences. Affected women not only experience the effects of estrogen deficiency, but they also experience the unanticipated loss of reproductive function. However, some women are more adversely affected by these changes than others. A new study helps explore reasons for these differences. Results are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society. Premature ...

Osaka, Japan - A groundbreaking new method developed at The University of Osaka calculates the entropy of liquids using a non-empirical approach, requiring only the atomic species as input. This revolutionary technique eliminates the need for extensive experimental data, paving the way for enhanced predictions of chemical reactions and optimization of industrial applications involving liquids. The researchers employed computational simulations based on fundamental physical principles (called density-functional theory in the technical term) to model atomic interactions within ...

In a major advance toward safe and ultra-long-life energy storage, Authored by Haitao Zhang and Xiaoyan ji from Luleå University of Technology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences introduce F-QSCE@30, a fluorine-grafted quasi-solid composite electrolyte that exploits the built-in induction effect of –CF2–CF–CF3 side chains to simultaneously boost ionic conductivity and sculpt a self-armoring LiF-rich interphase. Published in Nano-Micro Letters, the work rewrites the performance ...

Illegal opioids can create substantial harms, but the extent of those harms depends on multiple factors, including the amount consumed. In a new study, researchers assessed whether opioid consumption intensity varies appreciably over time or context. They found that intensity—as opposed to prevalence—of illegal opioid use varies enormously. These findings have implications for drug treatment and policy. The study, by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, RAND, and the University of Maryland, appears in The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. The supply of illegal opioids ...

Research Summary This work aimed to understand how anemonefish — the colorful reef dwellers best known from Finding Nemo — evolved into such a diverse group of species. Scientists have long assumed that their tight-knit relationship with sea anemones, their protective hosts, was the main engine behind their evolutionary diversification. But the team wondered if other ecological factors could also have played a critical role. This question matters because anemonefish are one of the few examples of adaptive radiation in marine environments ...

A new study led by Dr. Vadim Axelrod, of the Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center at Bar-Ilan University, has revealed serious concerns about the quality of data collected on Amazon Mechanical Turk’s (MTurk) — a platform widely used for behavioral and psychological research. MTurk, an online crowdsourcing marketplace where individuals complete small tasks for payment, has served as a key resource for researchers for over 15 years. Despite previous concerns about participant quality, the platform remains popular within the academic community. Dr. Axelrod’s ...

Glaciers hold layers of history preserved in ice, offering unique insights into Earth's past that can also help us interpret the future. Trapped amidst the frozen water are microscopic deposits of dust, pollen, and even pollutants that scientists can use to examine environmental changes through time. DRI’s Ice Core Lab has used this technique to highlight atmospheric lead pollution and economic turbulence in Ancient Rome. Now, their latest study found that a glacier in the French Alps dates back to the last Ice Age – the oldest known glacier ice in the region. Serving as a record that spans through the development of agriculture ...

Yoga, Tai Chi, walking and jogging may be the best forms of exercise to improve sleep quality and ease insomnia, suggest the findings of a comparative pooled data analysis published in the online journal BMJ Evidence Based Medicine. The findings back the use of exercise as a primary treatment strategy for poor sleep patterns, say the researchers. Characterised by difficulties falling and staying asleep, and early morning awakening, the prevalence of insomnia ranges from 4-22%, note the researchers. It is associated with heightened risks of various mental and physical health conditions, including dementia and cardiovascular disease. Drug ...

Medical tourism for bariatric and weight reduction surgery needs urgent regulation to protect recipients’ health, especially as the data show that tourist numbers are increasing despite the advent of weight loss drugs, say experts in a commentary published online in BMJ Global Health. The high prevalence of obesity coupled with healthcare resource constraints and increased globalisation have resulted in more people accessing obesity treatment abroad, amid the rapid growth of services to meet this demand, note Dr Jessica McGirr of the Obesity Research and Care Group RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland and ...

Most up-to-date report estimates that development assistance for health (DAH) will further decline by 2030, following steep cutbacks from major donors in 2025, including the US, UK, France, and Germany. The drop comes after DAH fell more than 50% in 2025 from an all-time high of $80 billion in 2021. Sub-Saharan Africa could be hardest hit by cuts in 2025. The potential increase in infectious diseases in low- and middle-income countries poses a global health concern that could impact all nations, including those in high-income regions, due to the risk ...

 Exercise could ease symptoms for people with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia, but support and adequate guidance is lacking  Personalised exercise guidance is needed for people living with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL), the most common type of blood cancer, according to a new study led by the University of Surrey.   The research, published on eJHaem, surveyed 128 CLL patients across the UK, and found that while nearly 80% expressed a desire to participate in exercise programs, 70% reported never receiving any related advice from their healthcare providers.  Dr David ...

University of Cambridge media release   Lost English legend decoded, solving Chaucerian mystery and revealing a medieval preacher’s meme   UNDER STRICT EMBARGO UNTIL 19:01 US EDT ON TUESDAY 15TH JULY 2025 / 00:01 UK TIME (BST) ON WEDNESDAY 16TH JULY 2025   A medieval literary puzzle which has stumped scholars including M.R. James for 130 years has finally been solved. Cambridge scholars now believe the Song of Wade, a long lost treasure of English culture, was a chivalric romance not a monster-filled epic. The discovery solves the most famous mystery ...

The stigma of having alopecia causes more depression and anxiety than the disease itself, new research has found. The study, led by King’s College London is the largest of its kind and published in the British Journal of Dermatology, found that the impact on the quality of life on people with alopecia is determined by the negative perceptions and stigma associated with having the illness. Supported by an academic research grant by Pfizer, the study surveyed 596 adults with alopecia areata and found that over 80% reported ...

For the first time, a new study has revealed how and when we make eye contact—not just the act itself—plays a crucial role in how we understand and respond to others, including robots. Led by cognitive neuroscientist Dr Nathan Caruana, researchers from the HAVIC Lab at Flinders University asked 137 participants to complete a block-building task with a virtual partner. They discovered that the most effective way to signal a request was through a specific gaze sequence: looking at an object, making eye contact, then looking back at the same object. ...

Innovative virtual eye clinics in shopping centres could significantly reduce waiting times for routine eye appointments, UCL-led research suggests in a first-of-its-kind study. The research, published in the journal BMJ Open, evaluates the impact of a community-based ‘pop-up’ eye clinic set up in Brent Cross shopping centre in north London in September 2021, at the height of the pandemic, on reducing the post-COVID-19 appointment backlog. The researchers looked at data from 69,257 appointments attended by 39,357 patients with stable glaucoma and medical retinal conditions at sites ...

The University of Birmingham, UK, and Brazilian-based CBMM, have partnered on a project to ensure the future supply of Niobium, a non-critical but rare and important metal and an essential component for a carbon recycling technology that could radically reduce emissions from energy- and carbon-intensive foundation industries.  CBMM, a global leader in the production of Niobium products, will work with Birmingham researchers led by Professor Yulong Ding to improve the efficiency of production, and reduce the ...

Abu Dhabi, UAE, July 15, 2025: A comprehensive new study from NYU Abu Dhabi’s Science Division analyzed scripts from nearly 7,000 episodes of children’s TV shows in the United States spanning 1960 to 2018. It uncovered enduring biased patterns in how male and female characters are portrayed through language. Using advanced natural language processing techniques, the researchers examined how words referring to men or boys and to women or girls were used in children’s TV scripts, focusing ...