Many early-career scientists continue their academic careers at the same university where they studied, a practice known as academic inbreeding. A researcher at the HSE Institute of Education analysed the impact of academic inbreeding on publication activity in the natural sciences and mathematics. The study found that the impact is ambiguous and depends on various factors, including the university's geographical location, its financial resources, and the state of the regional academic employment market. A paper with the study findings has been published in Research Policy.  In Russia, nearly half of all PhD holders continue working ...

-With images-   The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has today released its long-awaited first images of the night sky, marking the beginning of the most ambitious astronomical survey in history – the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST).   This significant project, over two decades in the making, will provide an ultra-high-definition, time-lapse view of the southern sky over the next ten years, capturing the evolution of the Universe in motion.   Each night, the Rubin Observatory ...

Background The advancements in tactile perception and feedback technologies have propelled the interaction between humans and the digital realm, spurring innovative applications across various fields, including virtual reality, augmented reality, disability assistance, and communication. At present, surface tactile feedback devices predominantly operate through two mechanisms: electrical stimulation and mechanical vibration. Electrical stimulation works by directly stimulating nerves with an electric current, ...

Music improves mood and memory to such an extent that treatment strategies for diseases like Alzheimer’s or dementia sometimes incorporate music. But how music boosts memory remains unclear. In a new JNeurosci paper, Kayla Clark, from Rice University, and Stephanie Leal, from University of California, Los Angeles, explored what features of music improve memory in humans.  After study participants viewed images of everyday experiences, the researchers played music and manipulated its features. Some features—like whether songs were happy or sad, or song familiarity—had ...

Si LSI manufacturing technology is essential as the foundation of modern society. However, there was no wafer-scale technology for rapid, non-destructive, and non-contact evaluation of the internal electric field distribution, carrier transport characteristics, defects, and high-speed response of devices, which are being miniaturized and made three-dimensional to achieve high-density integration of electronic devices.   In a new paper published in Light: Science & Applications, an international team of scientists ...

Understanding the structure of hadrons, such as protons and neutrons, is currently one of the most important goals for researchers studying nuclear and particle physics. Hadrons consist of quarks and gluons, together called partons. The behavior of partons inside hadrons is described by mathematical tools called parton distribution functions (PDFs), which tell us the probability of finding partons carrying a fraction x of the hadron's total momentum. Until recently, PDFs were mainly determined by fitting data obtained from decades of high-energy experiments, a process known as phenomenological modeling. Recently, the interest in calculating PDFs from ...

Primates, birds, and elephants are all known to make tools, but examples of tool use among marine animals are much more limited. Reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on June 23, a team of whale experts has found widespread tool manufacture and usage in an endangered population of resident killer whales living in the Salish Sea—part of the Pacific Ocean between British Columbia and Washington. The whales fashion tools from kelp and use them for grooming purposes.  “We found that southern resident killer whales regularly use lengths of bull kelp during social interactions, ...

Killer whales have been seen detaching lengths of seaweed and using them to massage each other – the first evidence of tool-making by marine mammals.  The whales bite off the end of a kelp stalk, position it between themselves and a partner, and roll the kelp between their bodies for prolonged periods. Scientists spotted this behaviour in drone footage of “southern resident” killer whales in the Salish Sea, in the inland waters of Washington, USA. Whales of all ages were seen doing this, possibly ...

Lower blood sugar and increased fat burning – without negatively affecting appetite or muscle mass. These are some of the most promising effects of a new potential drug treatment for people with type 2 diabetes and obesity, according to a new study published in the journal Cell by researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University. The new drug, which is taken in tablet form, has a completely different mechanism of action than the well-known GLP-1-based drugs, such as Ozempic, which is administered via injections. GLP-1 drugs affect hunger via signals between the gut and the brain, but often have side effects such as loss of appetite, ...

About The Study: The results of this study show that more screen time in late childhood was associated with more depressive symptoms, potentially due to shorter sleep and worse white matter organization during early adolescence. These findings emphasize the importance of promoting healthy habits and balancing screen time with adequate sleep.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, João Paulo Lima Santos, MD, email limasantosjp2@upmc.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.1718) Editor’s ...

About The Study: U.S. neonatal mortality has generally decreased, likely due to medical advancements, improved prenatal care, and neonatal intensive care interventions. However, mortality from slow fetal growth and malnutrition has increased by nearly 2% annually, possibly reflecting impaired prenatal nutrition.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Muzamil Khan, MD, email muzamilkhan1411@gmail.com. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.1710) Editor’s ...

For the first time, scientists using cryo-electron microscopy have discovered the structure and shape of key receptors connecting neurons in the brain’s cerebellum, which is located behind the brainstem and plays a critical role in functions such as coordinating movement, balance and cognition. The research, published today in the journal Nature, provides new insight that could lead to the development of therapies to repair these structures when they are disrupted either by injury or genetic mutations affecting motor skills -- sitting, standing, walking, running, and jumping --  learning and memory. The discovery by scientists at Oregon Health ...

PITTSBURGH, June 23, 2025 – In this digital era, both kids and adults are often glued to smartphone screens. Digital technology keeps users entertained, connected to friends, and in tune with important news. But some reports suggest that, particularly for adolescents, excessive time on these screens can be linked to mental health problems and even depression. New research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine published today in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that that association is driven by shorter ...

A rare gene mutation that delays Alzheimer’s disease does so by damping inflammatory signaling in brain-resident immune cells, according to a preclinical study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine. The finding adds to growing evidence that brain inflammation is a major driver of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s—and that it may be a key therapeutic target for these disorders. In the study, published June 23 in Immunity, the researchers examined the effects of the mutation APOE3-R136S—known as the “Christchurch ...

Researchers at the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have found that cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating compound found in cannabis, could help reduce problematic behaviors in autistic boys. The results provide valuable insights into the potential benefits and limitations of CBD as a therapeutic intervention for autism. Autism spectrum disorder is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social communication difficulties, repetitive behaviors ...

CAR-T cells, which are genetically programmed to specifically recognize and kill target cells, have altered the therapeutic landscape of lymphoma. After the tumor antigens are identified by scFv, CAR-T cells execute anti-tumor activity through granzyme and perforin secretion, inducing cell apoptosis in a Fas-FasL-dependent pathway and producing inflammatory cytokines to antagonize the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments (TME) and induce host immune responses. However, CAR-T cell therapy still faces many challenges owing to the heterogeneity of tumor cells, interference from TME, T cell exhaustion, as well as severe adverse events. Recent years, advances in tumor ...

Tsukuba, Japan—Displaced aggression, such as lashing out at an unrelated individual after a frustrating experience, is a well-documented phenomenon in both humans and animals. In mice, males typically attack unfamiliar, potentially rival males that enter their territory. However, when the rival was placed inside a transparent enclosure, physical contact was blocked despite visual and olfactory access. This situation increased arousal in the subject—a phenomenon known as "social instigation"—which primed the animal for heightened aggression. When subsequently presented with access to a different rival, the subject exhibited significantly ...

1. Prediction of key genes in the AICAR biosynthetic pathway of endophytic Fusarium solani   Previous study showed that overexpression of the global regulator VeA mediated a significant increase in the antitumor activity of F. solani, with a marked enrichment of differential metabolites including AICAR. To elucidate the molecular regulatory mechanism by which veAOE14 contributed to the increased synthesis of AICAR, we obtained the predicted synthetic pathway of AICAR in F. solani by analyzing the veAOE14 transcriptome and metabolome data, with a total of 10 steps in the major synthetic reactions. Based on the previous findings and predicted ...

A low FODMAP diet developed by Monash University researchers for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has been shown to improve gastrointestinal symptoms in women with endometriosis. Sixty percent of study participants responded to the Low FODMAP Diet (LFD), compared to 26 per cent who responded to a control diet based on Australian Dietary Guidelines. The majority of those on the LFD experienced a clinically significant improvement in gastrointestinal symptoms, and overall symptom severity was 40 per cent lower on the LFD than on the control diet. Published in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, researchers found that the LFD also eased abdominal pain and bloating, and normalised ...

(Santa Barbara, Calif.) — A condition long considered to be unfavorable to electrical conduction in semiconductor materials may actually be beneficial in 2D semiconductors, according to new findings by UC Santa Barbara researchers published in the journal Physical Review Letters.  Electron-phonon interactions — collisions between charge-carrying electrons and heat-carrying vibrations in the atomic lattice of the material — are considered the primary cause of electrons slowing down as they travel through semiconductor material. But according to UCSB mechanical engineers Bolin Liao and Yujie Quan, when electrons ...

Long-term exposure to wildfire smoke may increase the risk of heart failure (HF), especially in older adults, women and vulnerable populations, according to a study published today in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology. In this first national, population-based study to examine how prolonged wildfire smoke exposure impacts HF risk, compared to other types of air pollution, researchers found that as the level of air pollution from wildfire smoke increased over a two-year period, the risk of developing heart failure ...

In 2025, love and politics are colliding for many LGBTQ+ singles. A new Kinsey Institute and DatingNews survey finds 1 in 4 are changing how they date amid the political climate. The State of Us: National Study on Modern Love & Dating in 2025 shows politics are affecting LGBTQ+ singles across demographics, however Gen Z ages 18-25 are feeling the most impact. Among the overall sample of 302 respondents: 25% of LGBTQ+ singles say politics have changed how they date 35% of LGBTQ+ adults say they don’t feel safe being open about their identity while dating 18% of respondents said they are taking extra measures to protect their identity and privacy ...

**Various Embargoes** THE LANCET JOURNALS: Papers being presented at the American Diabetes Association [ADA] 85th Scientific Sessions The following papers published across The Lancet Group will be presented at the American Diabetes Association [ADA] 85th Scientific Sessions. The conference will take place from Friday 20 June through Monday 23 June 2025 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Contact details for corresponding authors are provided should you wish to arrange an interview with the authors. Funding information is listed on ...

Restaurants and dinner hosts could improve dining experiences and reduce social awkwardness by serving guests at the same time, a new study has found. We have all faced that situation in a restaurant or at a dinner party: our food has arrived but we find ourselves waiting for others at the table to be served before starting. This long-established norm is the subject of new research co-authored by Bayes Business School, that shows we are more concerned about violating this practice ourselves than we are about others doing so. WATCH: Authors of the study explain its outcomes The ...

Despite decades of ocean exploration, humans still lack basic answers to one of the most fundamental ecological questions: where is marine life found, and why? A new study published in Communications Earth & Environment, highlights just how uneven our knowledge of ocean biodiversity really is. By systematically processing nearly 19 million records from the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS), the study reveals that global marine biodiversity data from below 30m are heavily biased towards shallow waters (50% of benthic records come from just the shallowest 1% of the ...