At home in Australia, Mark Renton started playing football as soon as he could. He figured it would eventually lead to a career prescribing strength training and exercise regimens to athletes. But as an undergraduate, the sports science curriculum included an exercise metabolism course that explored how cells turn energy into movement. This biological focus captured Renton’s imagination, and he became increasingly interested in the mechanisms that underly muscle function, including developing force through contractions that mediate precise movements. Ultimately, Renton wound up earning a doctorate ...

DARIEN, IL – A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting found that bedtime procrastination in young adults is associated with specific personality traits, including depressive tendencies. Results show that bedtime procrastination was associated with higher neuroticism and lower conscientiousness and extraversion. These results remained significant after statistically adjusting for chronotype. “Our study demonstrated that individuals who habitually procrastinate their bedtime were actually less likely to report seeking out exciting, engaging, or enjoyable activities,” said lead author Steven Carlson, ...

DARIEN, IL – A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting found that bedtime procrastination among college students is socially influenced by the need to belong. Results show that sleep duration was more than an hour shorter on school nights when college students delayed their bedtime for in-person social leisure activities. On these nights, their bedtime was strongly correlated with the timing of their last objectively measured social interaction with friends. Students within the bedtime procrastination social network scored higher on the need to belong compared with students outside the network. The need to belong also predicted tie ...

The Unexpected Planet  Star TOI-6894 is just like many in our galaxy, a small red dwarf, and only ~20% of the mass of our Sun. Like many small stars, it is not expected to provide suitable conditions for the formation and hosting of a large planet.   However, as published today in Nature Astronomy, an international team of astronomers have found the unmistakable signature of a giant planet, called TOI-6894b, orbiting this tiny star.  This system has been discovered as part of a large-scale investigation of TESS (Transiting Exoplanet ...

A study led by researchers at Stanford Medicine shows that differences in blood sugar responses to certain carbohydrates depend on details of an individual’s metabolic health status. The differences in blood sugar response patterns among individuals were associated with specific metabolic conditions such as insulin resistance or beta cell dysfunction, both of which can lead to diabetes. The study findings suggest that this variability in blood sugar response could lead to personalized prevention and treatment strategies for prediabetes and diabetes. “Right now, the American Diabetes Association ...

Embargoed until 5:00 a.m. ET, Wednesday June 4, 2025 Even with all its training and computer power, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool like ChatGPT can’t represent the concept of a flower the way a human does, according to a new study.   That’s because the large language models (LLMs) that power AI assistants are based usually on language alone, and sometimes with images.   “A large language model can’t smell a rose, touch the petals of a daisy or walk through a field of wildflowers,” said Qihui Xu, lead author of the study and postdoctoral researcher in psychology at The Ohio State ...

Extractive activity in international waters - including fishing, seabed mining, and oil and gas exploitation - should be banned forever, according to top scientists. The high seas, the vast international waters beyond national jurisdiction, remain largely unprotected and are increasingly threatened. Writing in the journal Nature, Professor Callum Roberts and co-authors argue that stopping all extractive activity in international waters would prevent irreversible damage to marine biodiversity, the climate, and ocean equity. This would ...

A team of international researchers has developed a new biological age “clock” that estimates how well someone is aging, not just how “old” they or their various organs might be. The IC Clock, which is described in a study in Nature Aging, measures intrinsic capacity (IC), the sum of six key functions that determine healthy aging: mobility, cognition, mental health, vision, hearing and nutrition/vitality. “Maintaining function during the aging process is what matters to older adults. Function should inform medical care instead of focusing on getting patients to some disease-free state,” said senior ...

Tokyo, Japan – Water is everywhere and comes in many forms: snow, sleet, hail, hoarfrost… However, despite water being so commonplace, scientists still do not fully understand the predominant physical process that occurs when water transforms from liquid to solid. Now, in an article recently published in the Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, have carried out a series of molecular-scale simulations to uncover why ice forms ...

A simple rule that seems to govern how life is organised on Earth is described in a new study published today (Wednesday, 4 June) in Nature Ecology & Evolution. The research team led, by Umeå University and involving the University of Reading, believe this rule helps explain why species are spread the way they are across the planet. The discovery will help to understand life on Earth – including how ecosystems respond to global environmental changes. The rule is simple: in every region on Earth, most species cluster together in small 'hotspot' areas, then gradually spread outward with fewer and fewer species able to survive farther away from these ...

Over 500 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes—a disease that contributes to major complications such as stroke, kidney failure, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. At the heart of this condition lies the dysfunction of pancreatic islets, the mini-organs called organoids responsible for regulating blood sugar, in both autoimmune type 1 diabetes and stress-induced type 2 diabetes. Replacing these damaged islets with lab-grown, functional islets represents a promising therapeutic strategy. However, the lack of reliable markers to identify truly functional, stem cell–derived islets has hindered the consistent production needed for clinical application. In ...

The host star, TOI-6894, is a red dwarf with only 20% the mass of the Sun, typical of the most common stars in our galaxy. Until now, such low-mass stars were not thought capable of forming or retaining giant planets. But as published today in Nature Astronomy, the unmistakable signature of a giant planet — TOI-6894b — has been detected in orbit around this tiny star. This exceptional system was first identified in data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), as part of a large search for giant planets around small stars, led by Dr. Edward Bryant from UCL’s ...

A new study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution has found a simple rule that seems to govern how life is organised on Earth. The researchers believe this rule helps explain why species are spread the way they are across the planet. The discovery will help to understand life on Earth – including how ecosystems respond to global environmental changes. At first glance, Earth seems like a collection of wildly different worlds. Each region has its own species and environmental conditions. Yet, beneath this variety, ...

New research published in Allergy indicates that certain environmental exposures may affect a child’s risk of developing atopic eczema, a condition characterized by dry, itchy, and inflamed skin. In other words, although some people may be genetically predisposed to eczema, certain environmental factors may increase or decrease that risk. For the study, investigators analyzed data from 16 European studies to test for interactions between the 24 most significant eczema-associated genetic variants and 18 early-life environmental factors. They applied their findings to an additional 10 studies and used lab modelling tests to assess their results. The ...

New research in the Journal of Adolescence found that among LGBTQ+ adolescents in the United States, those who experienced more violence because of their identity or more bullying because of their gender expression had more trouble falling asleep, whereas those who experienced more familial warmth had less trouble falling asleep. Gender-based victimization, family rejection, absence of a gender-sexuality alliance, and not having a trusted adult at school were also related to trouble falling asleep for cisgender sexual minority youth (who identify with the gender they were assigned at birth but who are not heterosexual). For gender minority youth, being able to use the restroom that matched ...

Trees are important to the environmental health of cities through their capacity to improve air quality, provide cooling via shade and transpiration, and foster natural beauty. New research in Plant-Environment Interactions reveals how the widespread plant pathogen Phytophthora affects urban trees, specifically Common Lime trees. Using numerous tree sensors, investigators found that infected trees exhibited reduced water use and stem growth compared with healthy trees, but some still managed to maintain ...

Annual flowering seed mixes are often grown in gardens and parks, but the flowers included may not be the most pollinator-friendly. New research in Plants, People, Planet reveals plant species that have the potential to attract a diversity of pollinators. Investigators surveyed 447 scientific papers on plant-insect interactions and conducted field trials of commercially available seed mixes to see which plants pollinators visited the most, focusing on bees and hoverflies. These analyses and tests were used to develop two novel experimental seed mixes that were assessed for insect visitation and ...

Bills related to adolescent social media regulation have been adopted in more than half of all U.S. states. Research in The Milbank Quarterly finds that these state policies—such as school cell phone bans and anti-cyberbullying laws—have significant limitations. The study identifies research priorities that will help inform more effective interventions. Because definitive evidence around the potential impacts of social media may take years to emerge, and because the absence of regulation may result in avoidable harm to the public, ...

Evidence supporting policies that restrict social media use like school cell phone bans and anti-cyberbullying laws has significant limitations according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.  The findings are published in the latest issue of the Milbank Quarterly. More than 50 bills related to adolescent social media regulation have been adopted or enacted in more than half of all U.S. states, with legislators often citing concerns about mental health, harmful content, and ...

Having a dog at home could help to prevent eczema in children who are genetically prone to the condition, a study suggests. Children with a change in their DNA that increases their chance of developing eczema were less likely to have the condition if they were exposed to a dog in early life, researchers say. The findings provide new insights into what could cause eczema in children and how environmental factors may influence genetic risk, experts say. The study did not look at the effect of dog exposure in the treatment of existing eczema, and experts caution that introducing a dog may make ...

Potatoes produce a molecule that is converted by microbes and causes potato parasites to hatch. The Kobe University discovery of this three-way relationship not only adds a new perspective to how plants interact with their environment, it also opens an avenue for developing countermeasures against the parasite. The potato cyst nematode is a root parasite in plants like potatoes and tomatoes that can cause large-scale yield loss if left untreated. Their eggs can survive in the soil for up to 20 years and hatch when they detect certain molecules, called “hatching factors,” secreted by the roots of their target species. Kobe University phytochemistry scientist MIZUTANI ...

Today's breakthroughs – from interactive smart surfaces to genetically engineered animal organs – that are emerging from laboratories now will be day-to-day realities for tomorrow’s adults and leaders. In this new collection, the next generation takes a driver’s seat in understanding and communicating the technologies that will transform our world. A new collection from the open-access science journal for kids Frontiers in Young Minds (FYM), published in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, gives curious young people a front-row seat to the innovations that could define their future – and invites them to take active control, ensuring their young ...

A research group in Korea has discovered a novel natural antimicrobial peptide, ‘Hirunipin-2,’ from the salivary glands of the medicinal leech (Hirudo nipponia) using cutting-edge imaging technology, demonstrating that the material has high potential as a new therapeutic effective against superbacteria. This discovery underscores the significant potential of combining natural resources with advanced imaging technologies to address the global challenge of antibiotic-resistant infections. Dr. ...

CLEVELAND, Ohio (June 4, 2025)—Insulin resistance is becoming more common because of a combination of lifestyle factors, genetics, and medical conditions. A lot of those same risk factors play a role in abnormal uterine bleeding. A new study sets out to prove the connection between the two as a means to better predict abnormal uterine bleeding. Results of the study are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society. Abnormal uterine bleeding has become more common, with approximately 30% of women of reproductive age experiencing it. More than $34 billion in healthcare ...

With recent advancements in technology, the Internet of Things and wireless devices are in high demand. However, these innovations also raise concerns about prolonged exposure to electromagnetic radiation (EMR), which may pose potential risks to eye health. MXenes, a class of two-dimensional transition metal carbides/nitrides, have shown promise in shielding against EMR. However, their poor adhesion and susceptibility to oxidation have limited their applications. In a recent breakthrough, researchers led by Professor Takeo Miyake from the Graduate School of Information Production and Systems, Waseda University, Japan, ...