TUCSON, Ariz. — Research led by the University of Arizona Health Sciences found a potential link between growth problems among infants and high levels of toxic metals and other elements in the breast milk of Mayan women in Guatemala’s Lake Atitlán watershed region. The findings were reported in the journal Environmental Pollution.  Guatemala has the highest rate of impaired growth, or stunting, in the Western Hemisphere. Stunting is frequently attributed to poor nutrition and infections. Many studies have linked ...

Being consistently physically active in adulthood is linked to a 30–40% lower risk of death from any cause in later life, while upping levels from below those recommended for health is still associated with a 20–25% lower risk, finds a pooled data analysis of the available evidence, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The findings prompt the researchers to conclude that switching to a more active lifestyle at any point in adult life may extend the lifespan, and that it’s never too late to start. Currently, it’s recommended that adults should aim for 150-300 weekly minutes of moderate intensity physical activity, or 75-150 ...

Receiving six or more prescriptions of the drug gabapentin for low back pain is associated with significantly increased risks of developing dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI)--29% and 85%, respectively—finds a large medical records study published online in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine. What’s more, these risks were more than twice as high in those normally considered too young to develop either condition—18-64 year olds—the findings indicate. Unlike opioids, gabapentin has relatively low addictive potential, and it has become increasingly popular for the treatment ...

The involvement of children’s social care services was a common factor in nearly a third of UK maternal deaths occurring during, or within a year of, pregnancy between 2014 and 2022, finds research published in the open access journal BMJ Medicine. These women were at heightened risk of dying from psychiatric causes and being murdered, the findings indicate. But uncoordinated appointment schedules across a wide number of services added to the many disadvantages these women already faced. Changes to maternity care practice and policy are now urgently required, say the researchers. In the UK, children's social ...

A third of women who died during or in the year after pregnancy were known to Children’s Social Care – higher than previously reported, new research reveals. The authors say urgent changes are needed to prioritise and improve mothers’ care. The study is published today in BMJ Medicine and led by King’s College London, Oxford University and the charity Birth Companions, and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research. It is the first to detail the situations of the 1695 ...

SMC labelling: Peer-reviewed, Observational study, People Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre press release Under STRICT embargo until: Thursday 10 July 2025 23.30 GMT/ 18.30 Eastern Standard Time Ethnic minority and poorer children more likely to die in intensive care Children from ethnic minority backgrounds and those living in areas with higher levels of child poverty were more likely to die in intensive care than White children and those from the least deprived areas. Researchers ...

Young patients with advanced Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system, now have a better chance of having their own children after treatment. An international study led by the German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG) at University Hospital Cologne and the University’s Faculty of Medicine has shown: The new BrECADD chemotherapy regimen preserves fertility significantly better than the previous standard eBEACOPP – without worsening the chances of recovery. The results were published under the title “Fertility in patients with advanced-stage classic Hodgkin lymphoma treated withBrECADD versus eBEACOPP: ...

It can be difficult to decide whether to expedite birth when a woman in the final stage of pregnancy perceives less fetal movements. An additional ultrasound measurement to assess resistance infetal blood vessels can help make this decision more accurately, leading to fewer complications during delivery. This is the conclusion of a large international study led by gynaecologist Sanne Gordijn from the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), in collaboration with Wessel Ganzevoort from Amsterdam UMC. Reduced Fetal Movement Can Be Concerning Sometimes, ...

The environmental impact of nine pesticides, commonly used in grape cultivation, may have been significantly underestimated, suggesting current pesticide risk assessment criteria need updating. The research will be presented today [Friday 11 July] at the Goldschmidt Conference in Prague. In laboratory experiments, the nine pesticides that are used in viticulture and on other crops, far exceeded the two-day threshold set by the Stockholm Convention for the half-life of chemicals in the atmosphere. The researchers also identified several unknown molecules when they looked at how the pesticides break down and degrade in the atmosphere. Global use of pesticides has doubled since 1990, ...

Embargoed until 00:01 BST on Friday 11 July 2025 (19.01 ET Thursday 10 July 2025) -With pictures- The Milky Way could have many more satellite galaxies than scientists have previously been able to predict or observe, according to new research. Cosmologists at Durham University, UK, used a new technique combining the highest-resolution supercomputer simulations that exist, alongside novel mathematical modelling, predicting the existence of missing “orphan” galaxies. Their findings suggest that there should be 80 or perhaps up to 100 more satellite galaxies surrounding ...

A new study published in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America, offers the most detailed view to date of how this unusual fly develops and gives live birth—a rare phenomenon among flies. Led by undergraduate student Parker Henderson ‘22 of St. Olaf College, the study revealed remarkable insights into the reproductive biology of Ormia ochracea, a parasitic fly known for its ability to locate singing crickets using hyperacute directional hearing. Using a combination of dissection, fluorescence staining, and microscopy, the ...

The latest ecological research will be on full display at the Ecological Society of America’s upcoming Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, Aug. 10–15. A focal point of the conference, symposia consist of four 20-minute talks organized around a central theme of broad interest. These sessions consider topics from different angles, integrate multiple lines of evidence and offer new insights on ecological phenomena. This year, Annual Meeting symposia will address the questions and tools at the frontiers of ...

Protein-based drugs are reshaping how we treat cancer and chronic illness, including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. But behind each medicine is a complex manufacturing process, one that can be slowed down or derailed by microscopic contaminants. Chemical engineer Nick Vecchiarello at the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science wants to change that, and the National Science Foundation has taken notice. Vecchiarello, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, has earned an NSF CAREER ...

In a new study published and featured in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America, researchers have discovered that the developmental struggles of young parasitoid flies can have lasting effects that echo into adulthood. Led by a team from St. Olaf College in collaboration with others from the University of Strathclyde and the University of Toronto,  the study shows that when larvae of the acoustic parasitoid fly Ormia ochracea compete for resources inside a single cricket host, the consequences include reduced survival, smaller pupae, and ultimately smaller adult flies. These ...

HOUSTON – (July 10, 2025) – A new coating for glass developed by Rice University researchers and collaborators could help reduce energy bills, especially during the cold season, by preventing heat-loss from leaky windows. The material ⎯ a transparent film made by weaving carbon into the atomic lattice of boron nitride ⎯ forms a thin, tough layer that reflects heat, resists scratches and shrugs off moisture, UV light and temperature swings. The researchers simulated how the material would behave in an actual-sized building in cities with cold winters like New York, Beijing and Calgary, showing it improved energy savings by 2.9% compared ...

URBANA, Ill. – Access to nature promotes physical and mental health, and it is vital for children’s social and emotional development. Outdoor activities also influence family dynamics, helping to reduce stress and encourage connections. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign examines how green spaces and outdoor structures near the family residence interact with other factors in the household environment to influence executive functioning in early childhood. “We looked at what people have outside their ...

Eastern Oregon’s Malheur National Forest boasts some of the state’s oldest trees, including pine and larch that live more than 500 years. But many of those ancient trees are dying at an alarming rate, a new analysis shows. Between 2012 and 2023, a quarter of trees more than 300 years old in randomly located sites in roadless areas died, the study found. A triple whammy of drought, bug infestations and competition with younger trees is likely driving the decline. “It’s sad to see so many old trees dying,” said lead researcher ...

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (July 10, 2025) – Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction models have improved the ability to stratify adults across the CVD risk spectrum. Researchers at Sutter Health and colleagues at Stanford University tested the performance of the American Heart Association’s Predicting Risk of CVD Events (PREVENT) equations in the six largest Asian subgroups as well as in Mexican and Puerto Rican Hispanic subgroups. The findings, published June 25 in JAMA Cardiology, showed the PREVENT equations accurately predicted CVD, atherosclerotic CVD ...

Patients with stage III melanoma were treated with nivolumab (anti-PD1) and relatlimab (anti-LAG-3) before surgery 87% of patients remained alive and 80% were disease free four years after treatment Nearly all patients whose tumors responded to treatment before surgery remained disease-free after four years Researchers found potential biomarkers that can highly predict which patients have better outcomes or are at high risk of recurrence HOUSTON, JULY 10, 2025 ― Four years after pre-surgery treatment with a novel combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors, nivolumab and relatlimab, 87% of patients with stage III melanoma ...

Researchers present BioEmu – a new AI model that rapidly and accurately predicts the full range of shapes a protein can adopt, offering a faster, cheaper alternative to traditional molecular simulations. Proteins and their complexes are essential to nearly every biological process and are central to advances in medicine and biotechnology. While recent breakthroughs in sequencing and deep learning have made it easier to determine a protein’s sequence and structure, understanding how proteins function by shifting between different shapes in response to other molecules remains a central challenge. ...

Adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP) is a progressive neurological disease with an average age of onset of 43 years and an average life expectancy of only 3 to 5 years after symptoms begin. ALSP is caused by microglial mutation, the immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Currently, ALSP has no cure and treatments are limited. All microglia rely on a kinase called colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R), which is only found in microglia and other myeloid cells. When CSF1R gene carries pathogenic ...

-With images-   In the tropical rainforests of Fiji, a genus of unusual plants has developed a remarkably simple but highly effective way to prevent violence between rival ant colonies: architecture.   In a new study published in Science, an international team led by Professor Guillaume Chomicki at Durham University has revealed how some species of the epiphytic plant Squamellaria (part of the coffee family, Rubiaceae) form peaceful and productive partnerships with multiple aggressive ant species simply by physically ...

Odd plants from a remote Pacific island reveal new insights into an important ecological question: how unrelated and antagonistic partners can form long-term mutualistic relationships with the same host. Scientists studying ant plants in Fiji have discovered one way that a host plant can keep the peace among residents that might otherwise kill each other. By providing separate chambers inside a gradually enlarging tuber -- each chamber with an entry hole from the outside but no connection to any adjacent chamber -- the Squamellaria plant prevents conflicts between the multiple ant species that ...

A new study suggests that, under realistic scenarios of high emissions and socioeconomic development, annual heat-related deaths in the U.K. could rise to about 50 times current rates by the 2070s, but that climate change mitigation and adaptation could significantly limit this rise. Rebecca Cole of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, U.K., and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS Climate. Heatwaves are expected to become more frequent and more intense in coming decades in the U.K. ...

UCL Press Release Under embargo until Thursday 10 July 2025, 19:00 UK time, 14:00 US Eastern time   Annual heat-related deaths projected to increase significantly due to climate and population change The annual number of heat-related deaths in England and Wales is set to rise up to fiftyfold over the next 50 years because of climate change, finds new research by UCL and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Their paper, published in PLoS Climate, analysed the impacts of 15 ...