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 ...

New research led by the University of Victoria (UVic) has illuminated a significant and previously unrecognized source of seismic hazard for the Yukon Territory of northwestern Canada.  The Tintina fault is a major geologic fault approximately 1,000 km long that trends northwestward across the entire territory. It has slipped laterally a total of 450 km in its lifetime but was previously believed to have been inactive for at least 40 million years. However, using new high-resolution topographic data collected from satellites, airplanes and drones, researchers have identified a 130-km-long segment of the fault near Dawson City where there is evidence ...

A team that includes Rutgers University-New Brunswick scientists has unlocked some of the secrets of corn DNA, revealing how specific sections of genetic material control vital traits such as plant architecture and pest resistance. The discovery could enable scientists to use new technologies to improve corn, making it more resilient and productive, the scientists said. In a report in the science journal Nature Plants, researchers described finding where certain proteins called transcription factors attach to the DNA in corn plants and how this sticking changes how genes are turned on ...

In the ongoing battle against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, MSU researchers have made a discovery that could reshape how we target deadly pathogens like staph infections. taphylococcus aureus, commonly known as ‘staph,’ is a group of bacteria that are frequently found on the skin and in the noses of healthy people. While many types of staph are harmless, some can cause serious infections. One particularly dangerous strain is MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which is resistant to many commonly used antibiotics. MRSA and other staph infections can range ...

July 15, 2025  MSU has a satellite uplink/LTN TV studio and Comrex line for radio interviews upon request.  Contact: Emilie Lorditch, University Communications: 517-355-4082, lorditch@msu.edu; Bethany Mauger, College of Natural Science: 765-571-0623, maugerbe@msu.edu   Images and Video  Why this matters:  Warming ocean temperatures are causing a phenomenon called coral bleaching, putting corals at a greater risk of starvation, disease and death.  This study shows that rice coral, an important reef-building species, passes ...

URBANA, Ill. – Gaining a better understanding of how romantic relationships develop over time is key to helping couples maintain a satisfying union and overcome challenges. Researchers and practitioners rely on theories to provide insights, and it’s important that they are accurate and reliable. A new paper from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign discusses how contemporary methodologies can be applied to common relationship theories in a more rigorous way. “How relationships change influences relational, individual, and broader family functioning,” said ...

DALLAS, July 14, 2025 — Hemorrhagic strokes account for just 13% of the nearly 800,000 strokes that occur in the U.S. each year, yet they are responsible for more than 40% of all stroke-related deaths.[1] These devastating brain bleeds have long lacked standardized surgical treatment protocols, limiting patient recovery options. In response, the American Heart Association, devoted to changing the future of health  for all, is launching a new nationwide initiative to accelerate the adoption of effective surgical approaches, including minimally invasive techniques, to improve outcomes for people ...

A groundbreaking study from Michigan State University (MSU), recently published in Nature Communications, has revealed how the multidrug-resistant superfungus Candida auris uniquely reconstructs its cell wall to survive antifungal treatments. The discovery marks a significant step toward understanding and combating one of the most dangerous fungal pathogens threatening hospitalized patients worldwide.  Led by Tuo Wang, a Carl Brubaker Endowed Professor at Department of Chemistry, the research compares C. auris with its more common relative, Candida albicans. While both species share similar cell wall structures, the study ...

Cancer remains a leading cause of global mortality, with therapeutic challenges primarily arising from drug resistance and limited treatment efficacy. Polypharmacology—the strategic use of multi-target drugs or synergistic drug combinations—has emerged as a transformative approach to address these limitations. The journal Current Pharmaceutical Analysis is pleased to announce a special issue focusing on cutting-edge advancements in polypharmacology for cancer therapy, with an emphasis on mechanisms of drug resistance, rational design of drug combinations, and computational ...

Wearable healthcare devices, such as glucose monitors and heart monitors, are popular due to their ability to gather real-time data that supports users’ health and safety.   However, despite their benefits, these devices must often be worn on the arms or chest for a long period of time. They can irritate the skin, cause allergic reactions, and become obstructed by moisture and sweat.    Dr. Jaime Grunlan, Leland T. Jordan '29 Chair Professor in the J. Mike Walker '66 ...

High school students learn that Pavlov’s dogs were conditioned to associate the sound of a bell with getting food. The association was so strong that the dogs would begin to salivate when they heard the bell, before there was even a whiff of food. When they were finally presented with the food, they ate it. They did not lick the bell. But that’s just what some animals will do when presented with a stimulus, or cue, that has been paired with a reward: interact with the cue. Sometimes they’ll ...

Current Molecular Pharmacology (CMP) is at the cutting edge of publishing the latest advancements in cellular and molecular pharmacology. We focus on the mechanisms of action of new drugs under development, innovative pharmacological technologies, and the application of genomics, proteomics, and metabonomics to drug action. The journal also delves into how studying drug actions at the cellular and molecular levels provides insights into normal biological functions, thus deepening our understanding of therapeutic interventions and fundamental biological processes.  With an impact factor of 2.9 in 2025, CMP is extensively indexed in databases such as ...

Why this matters: Builds trust in carbon markets. This science-based baseline system dramatically improves accuracy, helping ensure carbon credits are credible and truly reflect climate benefits. Enables real climate impact by accounting for both soil carbon and nitrous oxide emissions, the approach delivers a full, net climate assessment. Scales across millions of acres. Tested on 46 million hectares in 12 Midwest states, this approach is ready for large-scale adoption, helping farmers transition to regenerative practices with confidence and clarity. EAST LANSING, Mich. – New research ...

Long-term musical training may mitigate the age-related decline in speech perception by enhancing cognitive reserve, according to a study published July 15th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Claude Alain from the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Canada, and Yi Du from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Normal aging is typically associated with declines in sensory and cognitive functions. These age-related changes in perception and cognition are often accompanied by increased ...

Geology is full of detective stories about Earth’s history, and a new paper in Geology by University of New Mexico Distinguished Professors Emeritus Karl Karlstrom and Laurie Crossey, along with their co-authors, links two iconic geologic landmarks of the American Southwest: the Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater. The article, titled Grand Canyon landslide-dam and paleolake triggered by the Meteor Crater impact at 56 ka, highlights the striking coincidence in the geologic ages of a meteor impact and a landslide dam that blocked the Colorado River, forming a paleolake in the Grand Canyon about ...

Astronomers track doomed planet's death spiral Macquarie University astronomers have tracked an extreme planet's orbital decay, confirming it is spiralling towards its star in a cosmic death dance that could end in three possible ways. The ultra-hot Jupiter exoplanet TOI-2109b, located 870 light-years from Earth, completes an orbit around its star in just 16 hours – making it the closest hot Jupiter ever discovered. With a mass nearly five times that of Jupiter and almost twice Jupiter's size, ...

WASHINGTON, July 15, 2025 – Though participation in sports can have positive impacts both physiologically and socially, extreme sports, like football and roller derby, come with elevated risks. In a 2019 study, over 40% of 498 athletes suffered at least one injury over the course of the year. These injury rates are even higher in elite cricket — around 70%, with about 13% of all injuries being to the head, neck, and face — pointing to a need for improvements in protective helmets. In AIP Advances, by AIP Publishing, researchers ...

About The Study: In this cohort study, the use of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) semaglutide and tirzepatide was associated with a lower risk of dementia, stroke, and all-cause mortality in adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity. These findings suggest potential neuroprotective and cerebrovascular benefits of GLP-1RAs beyond glycemic control, warranting further trials to confirm these outcomes. Corresponding author: To contact the corresponding author, James Cheng-Chung Wei, M.D., Ph.D., email jccwei@gmail.com. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/  (doi: ...

About The Study: This study found that among pediatric patients hospitalized with COVID-19, Black and Hispanic children were disproportionately more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 and experience severe disease compared with white and Asian or Pacific Islander children. A higher proportion of hospitalized Black children had underlying medical conditions. This study underlines the need for targeted interventions, particularly for children with underlying medical conditions, and the need for equitable access and use of vaccines and therapeutics for disproportionately affected populations. Corresponding author: To contact the corresponding author, ...

Q: How would you summarize your study for a lay audience? Our study examines how RNA in extracellular vesicles (EVs) can provide insights into metabolic phenotypes related to obesity. By using functional genomics approaches, we found a high representation of genes and regulatory elements previously associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes represented by the RNA cargo within these EVs. Notably, these EV transcripts represent regulatory elements and transcriptionally active genes in adipose tissue and are associated with metabolic ...