Iron fortified hemp biochar made from agricultural waste can significantly cut the amount of “forever chemicals” that move from contaminated soil into food crops, according to a new study on radishes grown in PFAS polluted soil. Plain language overview Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are extremely persistent industrial chemicals that can move through soil, water and air and build up in crops and people. In this greenhouse study, researchers tested whether biochar made from hemp plants, and enhanced with iron, could lock PFAS in place and keep them out of edible radish bulbs. They found that ...

Follow @Annalsofim on X, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin              Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they ...

The beauty of the DNA code is that organisms interpret it unambiguously. Each three-letter nucleotide sequence, or codon, in a gene codes for a unique amino acid that’s added to a chain of amino acids to make a protein. But University of California, Berkeley, researchers have now shown that one microorganism can live with a bit of ambiguity in its genetic code, overturning a standard dogma of biology. The organism, a methane-producing member of a group of microbes called Archaea, interprets one three-letter sequence — normally a stop codon that signals the end of a ...

Earth’s atmosphere might have contributed to the origin of life more than previously thought. In a study published Dec. 1 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, CU Boulder researchers and collaborators reveal that billions of years ago, the planet’s early sky might have been producing sulfur-containing molecules that were essential ingredients for life.  The finding challenges a long-held theory that these sulfur molecules emerged only after life had already formed. “Our study could help us understand the evolution of life at its earliest ...

Coral reefs have long been celebrated as biodiversity hotspots – but new research shows they have also played a much deeper role: conducting the rhythm of Earth’s carbon and climate cycles for more than 250 million years. Published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the study reveals that the rise and fall of shallow-water reef habitats have governed how quickly the planet recovered from major carbon dioxide (CO₂) shocks. Researchers from the University of Sydney and Université Grenoble Alpes combined plate-tectonic reconstructions, global surface processes and climate simulations, with ecological modelling to reconstruct ...

SSA and the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) are pleased to announce that Francisco José Sánchez-Sesma, professor at the Universidad Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM), is the 2026 recipient of the William B. Joyner Lecture Award. Sánchez-Sesma will deliver the Joyner Lecture at the 2026 SSA Annual Meeting to be held 14-18 April 2026 in Pasadena, California and the 13th National Conference on Earthquake Engineering (13NCEE) to be held 13-17 July 2026 in Portland, Oregon. His Joyner Lecture, "Seismic ...

In recognition of World AIDS Day 2025, Gregory Folkers and Anthony Fauci reflect on progress made in antiretroviral treatments and prevention of HIV/AIDS, highlighting promising therapeutic developments and looking ahead to what is needed to end the AIDS epidemic   In your coverage, please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper in PLOS Medicine: https://plos.io/3JDHf5f Article title: Treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS: Unfinished business Author countries: United States Funding: The authors received no ...

WASHINGTON – As the world marks World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, world-renowned infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci, MD, and his colleague Greg Folkers, MS, MPH, highlight advances made in the treatment and prevention of HIV that could finally end the pandemic, but caution, “History will judge us harshly should we squander this opportunity.” Writing in PLOS Medicine (“Treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS: Unfinished business,” December 1, 2025), Fauci, Distinguished University ...

A study led by McMaster University researchers shows that a widely available and inexpensive medication not only prevents potentially serious stomach bleeding in critically ill patients, but also saves hospitals thousands of dollars.   Published in JAMA Network Open on Dec. 1, 2025, the study is the first to demonstrate the economic benefits of the medication, pantoprazole, when prescribed in hospital for mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). These patients on life support are at high risk of ...

In Punjab, India, paddy stubble burning is a widespread agricultural practice that contributes to seasonal air pollution in the region and beyond. However, the extent to which residents recognize its impact on their own environment and health or in the highly populated areas of Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) has remained unclear. To address this gap, the Aakash Project (led by researchers from Hokkaido University in collaboration with Indian research partners) conducted interviews with 2,202 households across 22 districts in Punjab.   Urban air pollution is recognized, but local sources are undervalued About 46% ...

Fukuoka, Japan—Total hip arthroplasty (hip replacement) is a common treatment for hip osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease caused by cartilage in the hip joint wearing down. However, clinical outcomes vary between patients, and the best timing for surgery remains unclear. Now, researchers at Kyushu University have identified that pre-surgery walking speed is a strong predictor of post-surgery outcomes. In a study published on 26 November in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, they found that patients ...

Every time a rocket is launched, tons of valuable materials are lost, and huge amounts of greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting chemicals are released into the atmosphere. Publishing December 1 in the Cell Press journal Chem Circularity, sustainability and space scientists discuss how the principles of reducing, reusing, and recycling could be applied to satellites and spacecraft—from design and manufacturing to in-orbit repair and end-of-life repurposing.  “As space activity ...

A new study from UC San Francisco shows it may be possible to control HIV without long-term antiviral treatment — an advance that points the way toward a possible cure for a disease that affects 40 million people around the world.  Treatment with a combination of experimental immunotherapy agents enabled seven out of 10 participants to keep the virus at low levels for many months after going off antiretroviral therapy (ART).  The results appear on Dec. 1, World AIDS Day, in Nature.  The trial, which relied on a collaboration with ...

One in five people in the United States live in a rural area. Patients in rural communities often struggle to access care because of travel difficulties, high costs and limited resources, leading to worse medical outcomes. With over 150 rural hospital closures since 2010, innovative approaches to care delivery in rural areas are needed. In a new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham and Ariadne Labs, in collaboration with colleagues at rural U.S. and Canadian health centers, researchers found that hospital-level care at home is feasible for patients living in rural areas with acute conditions ...

About The Study: In this randomized clinical trial of home hospital care in rural settings, cost and readmission were unchanged while patient activity and experience improved. Late transfer home likely attenuated the intervention’s effect.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, David M. Levine, MD, MPH, MA, email dmlevine@bwh.harvard.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.45712) Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, ...

About The Study: In this cross-sectional study of U.S. children, immigrant compared with U.S.-born children had disparities in health care access, which were attenuated in states with the most inclusive state insurance policies, suggesting that inclusive state insurance eligibility policies for immigrant children may improve health care access outcomes for this population.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Katherine E. Douglas, MD, email katherine.douglas@childrens.harvard.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this ...

About The Study: This study found that individuals with overweight in childhood who had normal weight in young adulthood had similar risk of coronary heart disease as individuals with normal weight in childhood and young adulthood. These findings have implications for public health planning, emphasizing the importance of early detection and treatment of overweight during childhood and adolescence. Corresponding Authors: To contact the corresponding authors, email Rebecka Bramsved, PhD (rebecka.bramsved@gu.se) and Jenny M. Kindblom, PhD (jenny.kindblom@gu.se). To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.4950) Editor’s ...

A team of researchers has discovered that latent antimicrobial resistance is more widespread across the world than known resistance. They call for broader surveillance of resistance in wastewater, as the problematic genes of the future may be hiding in the widespread reservoir of latent resistance genes. The research has been published in Nature Communications. A group of researchers has analysed 1,240 wastewater samples from 351 cities in 111 different countries and found that bacterial latent antimicrobial resistance is widespread on all the world’s continents. The research was coordinated by the DTU National Food Institute ...

“Overall, this study further demonstrates the utility of high-content morphological analysis as a tool for the identification of senescent cells.” BUFFALO, NY — December 1, 2025 — A new research paper featured on the cover of Volume 17, Issue 11 of Aging-US was published on October 30, 2025, titled “SAMP-Score: a morphology-based machine learning classification method for screening pro-senescence compounds in p16 positive cancer cells.” In this study led by first author Ryan Wallis along with corresponding author Cleo L. Bishop, from Queen Mary University of London, researchers developed a machine ...

SAN ANTONIO — December 1, 2025 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has created a new space science laboratory to enhance our understanding of the origins of planetary systems. SwRI’s Nebular Origins of the Universe Research (NOUR) Laboratory is led by SwRI Senior Research Scientist Dr. Danna Qasim. The laboratory will trace the chemical origins of planetary systems. Qasim is establishing a robust astrochemistry program within SwRI’s Space Science Division, connecting early cosmic chemistry to planetary evolution. The SwRI lab will give particular focus on the chemistry of interstellar ...

All mice squeak, but only some sing. Scotinomys teguina, aka Alston’s singing mice, hail from the cloud forests of Costa Rica. More than 2,000 miles north, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) neuroscientists study these musically gifted mammals to better understand the evolutionary origins of vocal communication. Their research could also tell us something about strokes, autism, and other disorders affecting speech.  While most of us are familiar with mouse squeaks, “they have a whole other communications system called ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs),” says CSHL ...

An international research team led by RMIT University have created tiny particles, known as nanodots, made from a metallic compound that can kill cancer cells while leaving healthy cells largely unharmed. While this work is still at the cell-culture stage – it hasn’t been tested in animals or people – it points to a new strategy for designing cancer treatments that exploit cancer’s own weaknesses. The particles are made from molybdenum oxide, a compound based on a rare metal called molybdenum, which is often used in electronics and alloys. The study’s lead researcher Professor Jian Zhen Ou and Dr Baoyue Zhang, from the School ...

Urbanization is rapidly growing worldwide, often bringing negative effects on wildlife through loss of habitat and disturbances such as light pollution and noise. Yet some species manage to adapt to cities, either due to their inherent traits, like boldness or being omnivorous, or by adjusting their ecological or behavioral traits to take advantage of urban resources. Among these resources, food plays a particularly important role for reproduction and survival. Cities offer many human-related food sources, including garbage, garden plants, and food that animals steal from people. Supplementary feeding, where people intentionally feed or put food out for small birds and ...

DARIEN, IL — New research among older adults with sleep apnea reveals that verbal memory performance is significantly worse in women — but not in men — who also have insomnia. Results show that older adults with comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea — often referred to as COMISA — demonstrated worse memory performance than those with sleep apnea alone. This interaction remained significant even after adjusting for age, body mass index, sleep apnea severity, and education. However, when analyzed by sex, COMISA was significantly associated with worse verbal memory outcomes in women, but not in men. “We expected that having both insomnia and sleep apnea would ...

In an increasingly acute surgeon shortage, artificial intelligence could help fill the gap, coaching medical students as they practice surgical techniques. A new tool, trained on videos of expert surgeons at work, offers students real-time personalized advice as they practice suturing. Initial trials suggest AI can be a powerful substitute teacher for more experienced students. “We’re at a pivotal time. The provider shortage is ever increasing and we need to find new ways to provide more and better opportunities for practice. Right now, an attending surgeon who already is short on time needs to come in and watch students practice, and rate them, and give them detailed feedback—that ...