When a fruit fly is navigating straight forward at high speed, why does it know that it’s not straying off course? Because as long as the fly moves directly forward, the visual scene shifts from front to back in a near-perfect mirror image across both retinas – generating, in other words, a symmetrical visual motion pattern. This pattern, known as “optic flow”, provides a powerful cue for detecting self-motion and maintaining direction. Moreover, at high speeds, as soon as the fly starts deviating ...

The intensification of existing farmland can sometimes be more harmful to local biodiversity than expanding the area covered by agricultural land, finds a new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers. They showed that neither expansion nor intensification is consistently better for biodiversity, as it varies by factors including region, crop type and local vegetation. The findings, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, challenge the conventional wisdom in favour of intensification, that encourages farmers to improve the productivity of existing farmland with techniques such as increased fertiliser and pesticide use. Lead author Dr Silvia ...

Vaccines save millions of lives every year, but there is still an urgent need for more efficient vaccines. Strategies to combat serious outbreaks of viral infections are particularly important. Such infections are initiated at mucosal surfaces, where there is a close association between polarized epithelial cells and immune effector cells. However, vaccines are usually given intramuscularly or subcutaneously, and often do not provide sufficient protection at the actual site of infection. In the current paper, the laboratory ...

A UNSW Sydney mathematician has discovered a new method to tackle algebra’s oldest challenge – solving higher polynomial equations. Polynomials are equations involving a variable raised to powers, such as the degree two polynomial: 1+ 4x - 3x2 = 0. The equations are fundamental to maths as well as science, where they have broad applications, like helping describe the movement of planets or writing computer programs. However, a general method for solving ‘higher order’ polynomial equations, where x is raised to the power of five or higher, has historically proven elusive. Now, UNSW Honorary ...

A new lifecycle study published in IOP Publishing’s journal Sustainability Science and Technology has discovered a promising alternative to plastic sanitary products, potentially leading to far reduced sanitary waste. Sanitary pads made with cornstarch are 17 times more environmentally friendly compared to plastic equivalents. The high concentration of plastic in disposable products is a direct threat to the environment. An estimated 200,000 tonnes of sanitary products are disposed of every year, and the vast majority of them end up in the ocean. Key statistics: Sanitary pads made with cornstarch are 17 times more environmentally ...

Mountain regions are hotspots of biodiversity and represent some of the most species-rich habitats overall. However, these diverse ecosystems are being rapidly transformed by global change. Over the past five decades, rising temperatures and changes in land use at high altitudes have encouraged the growth and spread of highly competitive plants such as shrubs and trees – a process known as “mountain greening.” The specialized and often low-growing species of open grassland habitats are being pushed back as a result. Sideritis, a characteristic ...

Plasma-activated medium (PAM) shows tumor-fighting effects against the rare form of cancer known as synovial sarcoma, an Osaka Metropolitan University-led research team has found. The group irradiated a mammalian cell culture medium with non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma to produce PAM and conducted in vitro tests using human cells and in vivo tests using mice with this type of soft tissue sarcoma. Graduate School of Medicine student Hana Yao, Associate Professor Hiromitsu Toyoda, and Professor Hiroaki Nakamura, and Graduate School of Engineering Professor Jun-Seok Oh were part ...

LOS ANGELES — Keck Hospital of USC earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety.     This is the 10th “A” grade the hospital has received since 2019.   “The Leapfrog Group is one of the most trusted names in health care, and it is a tremendous achievement to once again receive the highest safety grade possible,” said Marty Sargeant, MBA, CEO of Keck Medical Center of USC, which includes Keck Hospital.    Leapfrog assigns a letter grade to general hospitals across the country ...

Treatment with gabapentinoids - drugs such as gabapentin and pregabalin - is not directly associated with an increased risk of self-harm, finds a UK study published by The BMJ today. However, rates of self-harm were higher before and shortly after treatment, highlighting the need for close monitoring of patients throughout their treatment journey, say the researchers. Gabapentinoids are prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, nerve pain, and anxiety disorders.  Previous studies have raised concerns about ...

‘No-touch’ vein harvesting significantly reduces the risk of graft failure up to three years after coronary artery bypass surgery compared with conventionally harvested vein grafts, finds a study from China published by The BMJ today. The no-touch technique also translates into meaningful clinical benefits for patients, such as lower rates of heart attacks and need for repeat revascularisation (a procedure to restore blood flow to blocked veins), say the researchers. A coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is a surgical procedure used to improve blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart in patients with coronary heart disease. It involves grafting a healthy ...

GLOBAL: Australian researchers have discovered that a single mutation in the DNA sequence for a methylation enzyme dysregulates key tumour-suppressing pathways, opening up new avenues for blood cancer treatment.  The findings of this research confirm mutant DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) as a potential target for effective blood cancer treatment.   One of the most common DNA mutations found in blood cancers is in the sequence encoding DNMT3A. Between 20 and 25% of adults with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) have mutant DNMT3A.1 This ...

ChatGPT vs students: study reveals who writes better (and it’s not the AI) AI generated essays don’t yet live up to the efforts of real students - according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UK). A new study published today compared the work of 145 real students with essays generated by ChatGPT. While the AI essays were found to be impressively coherent and grammatically sound, they fell short in one crucial area – they lacked a personal touch. As the line between human and machine writing ...

Semaglutide effectively treats liver disease in two thirds of patients, new research has found. Results from the ESSENCE phase 3 clinical trial published today in the New England Journal of Medicine shows treating patients with the substance can halt and even reverse the disease. The placebo-controlled outcome trial of participants with a life-threatening form of liver disease known as Metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis (MASH) was conducted at 253 clinical sites across 37 countries around the world. This is the first regulatory-level trial showing the benefit ...

An investigational gene therapy has successfully restored immune function in all nine children treated with the rare and life-threatening immune disorder called severe leukocyte adhesion deficiency-I, or LAD-I, in an international clinical trial co-led by UCLA. LAD-I is a genetic condition that affects approximately one in a million people in the world. It is caused by mutations in the gene that produces CD18, a protein that enables white blood cells to travel from the bloodstream to infection sites. In the absence of this critical protein, individuals with severe LAD-I — most of whom are diagnosed within ...

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE 5 PM EDT, APRIL 30 CONTACT: A.J. Hostetler VCU Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health Phone: 804-543-8656 (cell) Email: AJ.Hostetler@vcuhealth.org   VCU-led research highlights semaglutide’s potential for treating fatty liver disease International study shows drug reverses liver damage in patients. RICHMOND, Va. (April 30, 2025) – An international study led by the director of Virginia Commonwealth University’s liver institute suggests that the substance in Ozempic and Wegovy can halt and even reverse a common liver disease that affects millions worldwide. Led by Arun Sanyal, M.D., of the Stravitz-Sanyal Institute ...

MINNEAPOLIS — People whose biological age is higher than their chronological age may be more likely to develop dementia than people whose biological age matches or is lower than their chronological age, according to a study published on April 30, 2025, online in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Biological age is based on biomarkers of aging such as lung function, blood pressure and cholesterol. The study does not prove that advanced biological age causes dementia; it only shows an association. “With the rising impact of dementia around the world, identifying risk factors and implementing preventive ...

Researchers with the University of Calgary and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) led an international collaboration that found inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) progresses through four predictable epidemiological stages as it spreads globally. Published in Nature, the study forecasts a major rise in IBD prevalence in Canada by 2045. Researchers say pinpointing where each region sits on the trajectory gives health-care systems a clear roadmap for anticipating and managing IBD today and in the decades to follow. “Our analysis draws on a century worth of historical epidemiologic data. The findings enable health authorities ...

The Ecological Society of America is pleased to announce its 2025 Fellows. The Society’s fellowship program recognizes the many ways in which its members contribute to ecological research, communication, education, management and policy. This year, the ESA Governing Board has confirmed eight new Fellows and ten new Early Career Fellows. Fellows are members who have made outstanding contributions to a wide range of fields served by ESA, including, but not restricted to, those that advance or apply ecological knowledge in academics, ...

Critically endangered axolotls bred in captivity appear able to survive release into both artificial and restored Mexican wetlands, but may need specific temperatures to thrive     Article URL: https://plos.io/3RSL1bu Article title: Movement ecology of captive-bred axolotls in restored and artificial wetlands: Conservation insights for amphibian reintroductions and translocations Author countries: Mexico Funding: This project was funded by UNAM PAPIIT No. 705 IV200117 and IV210117 Programa de Apoyo a Proyectos de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica (PAPIIT-IV200117) ...

Tunnel vision during planning can lead us to neglect negative consequences, but this cognitive bias can be addressed by simply prompting people to explicitly consider them     Article URL: https://plos.io/42yZBtL Article title: Side effects may include: Consequence neglect in generating solutions Author countries: U.S. Funding: The author(s) received no specific funding for this work. END ...

Human populations need at least 2.7 children per woman – a much higher fertility rate than previously believed – to reliably avoid long-term extinction, according to a new study published April 30, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Takuya Okabe of Shizuoka University, Japan, and colleagues. While a fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman is often considered the replacement level needed to sustain a population, this figure doesn’t account for random differences in how many children people have – as well as mortality ...

Researchers at Mass General Brigham have identified new biomarkers for tinnitus by measuring pupil dilation and subtle facial movements that correlate with the level of distress caused by the disorder. Published in Science Translational Medicine, the findings could lead to placebo-controlled treatment studies that have largely been not feasible due to lack of objective measures. “Imagine if cancer severity were determined by giving patients a questionnaire – this is the state of affairs for some common neurological disorders like tinnitus,” said corresponding author Daniel Polley, ...

An AI tool has made a step forward in translating the language proteins use to dictate whether they form sticky clumps similar to those linked to Alzheimer’s Disease and around fifty other types of human disease. In a departure from typical “black-box” AI models, the new tool, CANYA, was designed to be able to explain its decisions, revealing the specific chemical patterns that drive or prevent harmful protein folding.  The discovery, published today in the journal Science Advances, was possible thanks to the largest-ever dataset on protein aggregation created to date. The study gives new insights about the molecular mechanisms underpinning sticky proteins, which are ...

Mounting evidence supports ayahuasca’s potential to improve mental health, but its long-term effects are shaped by both individual mental health history and the context in which the psychedelic is used, according to a study published on April 30, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS Mental Health by Óscar Andión from Research Sherpas, Spain; José Carlos Bouso from the International Centre for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Services (ICEERS) and the University of Rovira i Virgili, Spain; Daniel Perkins from the University of Melbourne and Swinburne University; and colleagues. Ayahuasca, a psychedelic medicine traditionally ...

National-level policies can reduce the impact of antibiotic resistance across diverse countries, according to a study published April 30, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS Global Public Health by Peter Søgaard Jørgensen from Stockholm University and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Sweden, and colleagues. Antibiotic resistance is a major public health concern, contributing to 1.27 million deaths per year. In 2016, countries around the world committed to developing and implementing national action plans to combat antibiotic resistance. These plans have been criticized ...