Vaping among teens and young people is consistently linked to subsequent smoking, marijuana and alcohol use, finds an overarching (umbrella) review of systematic reviews of the evidence, published online in the journal Tobacco Control. And it’s associated with other harmful consequences, including heightened risks of asthma, cough, injuries and mental ill health as well as possibly pneumonia, bronchitis, headaches, migraine, dizziness/lightheadedness, low sperm count, and poor mouth health. The findings reinforce policy measures to restrict sales and marketing ...

A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, found predominantly in fish oils, may help ward off the development of short sightedness (myopia) in children, while a high intake of saturated fats, found in foods such as butter, palm oil, and red meat, may boost the risk of the condition, finds research published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. The global prevalence of myopia is rising, especially in East Asia, and it’s predicted that around half of the world’s population will be affected by 2050, note the researchers. Risk factors ...

A series of hide-and-seek experiments with a bonobo named Kanzi shows for the first time that apes can mentally keep track of multiple familiar humans at once, even when they are out of sight. Kanzi could also recognize caregivers from their voices alone, an ability never before tested on bonobos. The work, led by Johns Hopkins University’s Social and Cognitive Origins Group, answers key questions about how animals manage to keep track of their groupmates and uncovers yet another aspect of human social cognition shared with our closest relatives. “People think social intelligence is a thing that makes humans unique—that because we have to manage so many different relationships, ...

What lies beneath Fickle Hill in northern California? Maybe the answer to an earthquake mystery that has puzzled seismologists for decades. The origin of the 1954 magnitude 6.5 earthquake that rattled residents around Humboldt Bay has been unclear, but a new study now suggests a surprising source: the Cascadia subduction interface. In the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, a team of researchers shares the scientific sleuthing that led them to that conclusion, in a tale that combines fading paper records, modern methods and modeling, and eyewitness accounts of the event. The ...

Teaching about periods in schools is still too focused on basic biological facts with insufficient information around how menstruation can affect a woman’s mood and wellbeing, problems associated with menstrual bleeding and the impact on physical and academic performance, concludes a new study by UCL (University College London) researchers. The survey and focus group based research, published in the academic journal Women’s Health, also suggests that periods should be taught amongst mixed sex groups as well as single sex at both primary and ...

For researchers from The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a new avenue for reducing carbon emissions can be found on the side. A side of salad dressing, that is. In 2020, the United States federal government committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. An important step towards carbon neutrality is embracing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), an alternative to conventional jet fuel that is made from renewable feedstocks. As part of this initiative, Grainger engineers have been hard at work creating the critical nanocatalysts for converting biocrude oil ...

By analyzing millions of messenger RNA molecules (mRNA) during the course of ALS, researchers at Stockholm University, in collaboration with scientists at the Paris Brain Institute and Örebro University, have identified why certain nerve cells are resistant to the disease and what happens in the sensitive nerve cells when they are affected. The study, published in the scientific journal Genome Research, focuses on a hereditary form of ALS caused by mutations in the SOD1 gene.  “We have gained a better understanding of how nerve cells can be protected against ALS. This opens up new targets ...

A Yale research team has created a new computer tool that can pinpoint when exactly genes turn on and off over time during brain development — a finding that may one day help doctors identify the optimal window to deploy gene therapy treatments. Dubbed “chronODE,” the tool uses math and machine learning to model how gene activity and chromatin (the DNA and protein mix that forms chromosomes) patterns change over time. The tool may offer a variety of applications in disease modelling and basic genomic research and perhaps lead to future therapeutic uses. “Basically, we ...

MSU has a satellite uplink/LTN TV studio and Comrex line for radio interviews upon request. Why this matters: Biofuels have long been regarded as a key tool for reducing reliance on fossil fuels, but current policies often overlook the carbon benefits of sustainable farming practices. Therefore, farmers could be rewarded for adopting practices such as no-till farming, crop rotation, cover cropping, variable rate input, precision conservation and emerging climate-smart technologies like biochar and enhanced rock weathering. Climate-smart ...

What do children’s building blocks and quantum computing have in common? The answer is modularity. It is difficult for scientists to build quantum computers monolithically – that is, as a single large unit. Quantum computing relies on the manipulation of millions of information units called qubits, but these qubits are difficult to assemble. The solution? Finding modular ways to construct quantum computers. Like plastic children’s bricks that lock together to create larger, more intricate structures, ...

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Aug. 19, 2025 — Laura Goetz, M.D., MPH, one of the nation’s leading advocates for moving new translational laboratory discoveries into clinical practice where they can immediately benefit patients, has been named HonorHealth Research Institute’s first Research Director of Precision Medicine. In her new position, within the Research Institute’s Center for Clinical Investigations, Dr. Goetz will develop protocols emphasizing disease prevention for all five of the Institute’s research divisions: Oncology, Cardiovascular, Neuroscience, Bariatric/GI, and Multispecialty, which includes the Institute’s newest research efforts. ...

OKLAHOMA CITY – Amylin, a hormone that controls appetite and blood sugar by activating three different receptors in the brain, could be the basis for the next blockbuster obesity drugs. A University of Oklahoma study published today in the journal Science Signaling reveals a new understanding of how amylin receptors react upon being activated, an advancement that will be crucial to the field of drug development. “This paper shows the new biochemical and pharmacological methods we developed that will enable the field, for the first time, to understand exactly what ...

A new study led by computer scientists at the University of California, Davis, reveals that generative AI browser assistants collect and share sensitive data without users’ knowledge. Stronger safeguards, transparency and awareness are needed to protect user privacy online, the researchers said.  A new brand of generative AI, or GenAI, browser extensions act as your personal assistant as you surf the web, making browsing easier and more personalized. They can summarize web pages, answer questions, translate text and take notes.  But ...

“Why bother? At my age, breast cancer is the least of my worries,” says a patient in the opening vignette of “Helping Patients Make Health Care Decisions,” the latest publication from the Gerontological Society of America. This new guide equips health care providers with essential strategies to support informed, value-based decision-making with their older patients, recognizing the many factors that influence how individuals approach their health care. As the population ages, providers ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Creating meaningful opportunities for students to help shape their own education isn’t simply a matter of inviting them to speak up. According to new research led by Penn State College of Education Professor Dana Mitra, it requires a careful balance of teacher mindsets, relationships and practical skills — what the study terms cognitive mindsets, emotive “heartsets” and intention-building skillsets. The study, published in Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, examined how “student voice practices” (SVPs) take root in schools. SVPs ...

SAN ANTONIO — August 19, 2025 — Southwest Research Institute led a James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) survey, discovering a previously unknown tiny moon orbiting Uranus. A team led by SwRI’s Dr. Maryame El Moutamid discovered the small object in a series of images taken on Feb. 2, 2025, bringing Uranus’ total moon count to 29. “As part of JWST’s guest observer program, we found a previously unknown satellite of the ice giant, which has been provisionally designated S/2025 U 1,” said El Moutamid, a lead scientist in SwRI’s Solar System Science and Exploration Division in Boulder, Colorado. “This object, by far the smallest ...

ITHACA, N.Y. - As overdoses from fentanyl and opioids continue to rise, many communities have created interactive overdose dashboards showing data trends and community resources to help with substance abuse.   However, there’s not much research looking at how effective these dashboards are at helping public health officials make data-driven decisions, especially in rural areas.   Researchers from Cornell University are filling that gap.   They collaborated with Cayuga County Mental Health ...

ALBANY, N.Y. (Aug. 19, 2025) — The percentage of physicians who go on to practice in New York State after completing their residency training continues to climb. A recent analysis conducted by the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the University at Albany’s College of Integrated Health Sciences examined findings from their most recent New York Resident Exit Survey. They found that 52% of newly trained physicians with confirmed practice plans reported plans to stay in New York, ...

Toronto, August 19, 2025 - Baycrest congratulates Dr. Allison Sekuler, President and Chief Scientist of the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education and the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation powered by Baycrest (CABHI), on being elected a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS), one of the highest honours in the Canadian health sciences community. Election to the CAHS Fellowship recognizes exceptional leadership, scientific achievement and a commitment to advancing health outcomes for Canadians. “Election to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences is one of the highest honours ...

Cutting off blood flow can prematurely age the bone marrow, weakening the immune system’s ability to fight cancer, according to a new study from NYU Langone Health. Published online August 19 in JACC-CardioOncology, the study showed that peripheral ischemia–restricted blood flow in the arteries in the legs–caused breast tumors in mice to grow at double the rate seen in mice without restricted flow. These findings build on a 2020 study from the same team that found ischemia during a heart attack to have the same effect. Ischemia ...

Exploring long term, complex biodiversity change in Scotland’s landscapes Despite growing concern about biodiversity loss due to the ongoing biodiversity and climate crises, scientists have relatively little understanding of the pace and complexity of biodiversity change over preceding millennia. To address this challenge, ecologists from the University of Edinburgh, University of St Andrews and National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan have applied a recently developed technique to explore how plant biodiversity ...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19, 2025 — Our sense of smell is more important than we often realize. It helps us enjoy food, detect danger like smoke or gas leaks, and even affects memory and emotion. Many people — especially after COVID-19, aging, or brain injury — suffer from a loss of smell. However, there are very few effective treatments, and those that exist often use strong scents or medicines that cause discomfort in patients. In a study published this week in APL Bioengineering, by AIP Publishing, researchers ...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19, 2025 — One of the world’s most popular sports, badminton is played by around 220 million people across the globe. As with other racket sports, a well-executed serve can establish a consequential advantage at the start of a rally. The “spin serve” was introduced by a Danish player at the Polish Open 2023 badminton tournament. The technique adds pre-spin before the racket touches the shuttlecock, whose natural spin is typically determined by its feathers’ inclination ...

About The Study: In this study, cancer survivors were significantly more likely to take medications for depression and anxiety compared with noncancer survivors, underscoring the importance of mental health in cancer. However, the findings suggested disparities associated with this, with non-Hispanic Black patients exhibiting decreased use. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Nosayaba Osazuwa-Peters, BDS, PhD, MPH, CHES, email nosa.peters@duke.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For ...

The most common cancer-causing strain of human papillomavirus (HPV), HPV16, undermines the body’s defenses by reprogramming immune cells surrounding the tumor, according to new research from the Keck School of Medicine of USC. In mice, blocking this process boosted the ability of experimental treatments for HPV to eliminate cancer cells. The results were just published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer. HPV16 causes more than half of cervical cancer cases and roughly 90% of HPV-linked throat cancers. It can be neutralized with the ...