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Science16 Apr 2025

Primate mothers display different bereavement response to humans

Macaque mothers experience a short period of physical restlessness after the death of an infant, but do not show typical human signs of grief, such as lethargy and appetite loss, finds a new study by UCL anthropologists. Published in Biology Letters, the researchers found that bereaved macaque mothers spent less time resting (sleep, restful posture, relaxing) than the non-bereaved females in the first two weeks after their infants’ deaths. Researchers believe this physical restlessness could represent an initial period of ‘protest’ among the bereaved macaque mothers, similar ...

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Science16 Apr 2025

New pollen-replacing food for honey bees brings new hope for survival

PULLMAN, Wash., -- Scientists have unveiled a new food source designed to sustain honey bee colonies indefinitely without natural pollen. Published April 16 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the research from Washington State University and APIX Biosciences NV in Wingene, Belgium details successful trials where nutritionally stressed colonies, deployed for commercial crop pollination in Washington state, thrived on the new food source. This innovation, which resembles the man-made diets ...

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Medicine15 Apr 2025

Gene-based blood test for melanoma may catch early signs of cancer’s return

Monitoring blood levels of DNA fragments shed by dying tumor cells may accurately predict skin cancer recurrence, a new study shows. Led by researchers at NYU Langone Health and its Perlmutter Cancer Center, the study showed that approximately 80% of stage III melanoma patients who had detectable levels of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) before they started treatment to suppress their tumors went on to experience recurrence. The researchers also found that the disease returned more than four times faster in this group than in those with no detectable levels of the biomarker, and the higher ...

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Medicine15 Apr 2025

Common genetic variants linked to drug-resistant epilepsy

Certain common genetic changes might make some people with focal epilepsy less responsive to seizure medications, finds a new global study led by researchers at UCL and UTHealth Houston. Focal epilepsy is a condition where seizures start in one part of the brain. It is the most common type of epilepsy. Antiseizure medication is usually prescribed for people with the condition. However, for one in three people with epilepsy (around 20 million individuals worldwide), current antiseizure medications are ineffective. This means ...

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Medicine15 Apr 2025

Brisk walking pace + time spent at this speed may lower risk of heart rhythm abnormalities

A brisk walking pace, and the amount of time spent at this speed, may lower the risk of heart rhythm abnormalities, such as atrial fibrillation, tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), and bradycardia (very slow heartbeat), finds research published online in the journal Heart. The findings were independent of known cardiovascular risk factors, but strongest in women, the under 60s, those who weren’t obese, and those with pre-existing long term conditions. Heart rhythm abnormalities (arrhythmias) are common, note the authors, with atrial fibrillation ...

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Science15 Apr 2025

Single mid-afternoon preventer inhaler dose may be best timing for asthma control

A single daily preventer dose of inhaled corticosteroid (beclomethasone), taken mid afternoon, may be the best timing for effective asthma control as it suppresses the usual nocturnal worsening of symptoms more effectively than dosing regimens at other times of the day, suggest the results of a small clinical trial published in the journal Thorax. If the findings are confirmed in larger studies, this approach may lead to better clinical outcomes for patients without increasing unwanted steroidal ...

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Medicine15 Apr 2025

Symptoms of ice cold feet + heaviness in legs strongly linked to varicose veins

Hypersensitivity to the cold, especially ice cold feet, as well as a feeling of heaviness in the legs, are linked to the presence of varicose veins, finds a large study published in the open access journal Open Heart. Cold hypersensitivity is often underestimated as a subjective symptom, say the researchers. Varicose veins are usually caused by impaired functioning of the deep or superficial veins, and the perforator veins (short veins that link the superficial and deep venous systems in the legs). The prevalence of varicose veins ranges from 2% to 30% in adults, with women at higher risk. And symptoms include sensations ...

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Medicine15 Apr 2025

Brain areas necessary for reasoning identified

A team of researchers at UCL and UCLH have identified the key brain regions that are essential for logical thinking and problem solving. The findings, published in Brain, help to increase our understanding of how the human brain supports our ability to comprehend, draw conclusions, and deal with new and novel problems – otherwise known as reasoning skills. To determine which brain areas are necessary for a certain ability, researchers study patients with brain lesions (an area of damage in the brain) caused by stroke or brain tumours. This approach, known ...

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Medicine15 Apr 2025

Growing wildflowers on disused urban land can damage bee health

Wildflowers growing on land previously used for buildings and factories can accumulate lead, arsenic and other metal contaminants from the soil, which are consumed by pollinators as they feed, a new study has found. The metals have previously been shown to damage the health of pollinators, which ingest them in nectar as they feed, leading to reduced population sizes and death. Even low nectar metal levels can have long-term effects, by affecting bees’ learning and memory - which impacts their foraging ability. Researchers have found that common plants including white clover and bindweed, which ...

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Science15 Apr 2025

Rapid rise in vaping in Britain has stalled

The study, published in the journal Addiction and funded by Cancer Research UK, looked at survey data on vaping habits in England, Wales and Scotland before and after the UK Government announced plans to restrict vaping, including by banning disposable vapes, in January 2024. The team found that the proportion of people vaping increased by nearly a quarter each year from January 2022 to January 2024, but stayed constant between January 2024 and January this year, including for young people. After January 2024, they also found a substantial decline in the proportion of vapers mainly using disposable e-cigarettes. Among 16- to 24-year-olds, the proportion ...

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Science15 Apr 2025

Young minds, big ideas: Florida’s first Invention Convention ignites innovation at USF

TAMPA, Fla. (April 15, 2025) – The University of South Florida recently hosted the inaugural Invention Convention Florida at the University of South Florida, an event noted for showcasing the creativity and problem-solving of the next generation of changemakers. Moere than 150 K–12 student inventors from across the state visited USF’s Tampa campus on April 12 to present original solutions to real-world challenges ranging environmental issues to everyday inconveniences. Invention Convention Florida, ...

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Science15 Apr 2025

New study reveals how to make prescribed forest fires burn safer and cleaner

Prescribed burns literally fight fire with more fire. Often referred to as a “beneficial fire,” they target areas at risk for wildfires and burn away material that could otherwise fuel a future blaze. However, all fires, whether accidental or planned, produce smoke that can cause health and respiratory issues, especially in nearby communities. Burning fires release harmful chemicals, like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), that are carcinogenic – PAHs can cause cancer, lung damage, and lead to weakened immunity in those who inhale smoke. Recently, in a study published in Atmospheric ...

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Social Science15 Apr 2025

Inactive components in agricultural runoff may be hidden contributors to drinking water hazards

Inactive ingredients in agricultural, pharmaceutical and other common products have typically been excluded from consideration as potential contaminants in drinking water. However, while these chemicals are inert in certain products, they still can pose hazards when combined with other materials during the drinking water treatment process. A new study from researchers in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis reveals how large this impact might be. Jean Brownell, a graduate student working with Kimberly Parker, associate professor of energy, environmental & chemical engineering, ...

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Environment15 Apr 2025

Colombia’s peatlands could be a crucial tool to fight climate change. But first we have to find them

UC Santa Cruz Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Scott Winton has been wading through thick, smelly muck in the tropics for almost a decade. He wouldn’t have it any other way. As a wetland ecologist and biogeochemist, he’s been hard at work investigating an important and mysterious topic: peatlands. Peatlands are a special type of wetland with enormous potential to either help or hurt global efforts to address climate change. If we want peatlands on our side, we’ll have to protect them. But that’s difficult to do, since we still don’t ...

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Medicine15 Apr 2025

Researchers refine a hybrid music therapy intervention for patients with cardiac and pulmonary conditions

CLEVELAND – A new study from University Hospitals Connor Whole Health found that it was feasible to conduct a hybrid music therapy intervention for patients with heart failure and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Participants reported positive effects on their mental health, and the pilot uncovered solutions to improve future research with this population. The findings from this study were recently published in BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies. Patients with chronic illnesses such as heart failure and COPD face significant challenges due ...

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Medicine15 Apr 2025

Research Spotlight: Combining dexmedetomidine with spinal anesthesia prolongs pain relief and decreases shivering during surgery

Heitor Medeiros, MD, and A. Sassan Sabouri, MD, of the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, are the lead and corresponding authors, respectively, of a paper published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia (BJA). How would you summarize your study? Spinal anesthesia is widely used to numb patients during surgery, but its effects sometimes wear off too soon. Many anesthetists have experimented with adding extra drugs to extend pain relief. Dexmedetomidine demonstrated results in multiple randomized clinical trials suggesting it could prolong numbness ...

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Medicine15 Apr 2025

Pennington Biomedical’s 2025 Bray Obesity Symposium to offer on-demand continuing education for physicians

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 15, 2025 BATON ROUGE – The 2025 Bray Obesity Symposium welcomes all health physicians and researchers interested in the latest in metabolic health to register for the on-demand online offerings. The online-only content is available to access upon registration, and the symposium has been designated by the American Board of Obesity Medicine, or ABOM, as a Group One Primary Medicine Continuing Medical Education partner. The symposium is an intensive Board Review Course in preparation for the ABOM’s certification exam, including materials ...

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Medicine15 Apr 2025

Unlocking faster orthodontic treatments: the role of atf6 in bone remodeling

Orthodontic treatments often take years, but a breakthrough discovery could drastically shorten this period. Researchers have uncovered that ATF6, a protein activated in macrophages during corticotomy, accelerates tooth movement by promoting inflammation and boosting the production of TNFα, a key factor in bone remodeling. This finding paves the way for faster, more efficient orthodontic procedures, minimizing both treatment time and patient discomfort. The study highlights the potential for non-invasive therapies that could reshape the future of orthodontic care. Corticotomy, a surgical procedure aimed at accelerating tooth movement, ...

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Space15 Apr 2025

SwRI-led Lucy mission survey of main belt asteroid Donaldjohanson imminent

SAN ANTONIO — April 15, 2025 —The Southwest Research Institute-led Lucy mission is preparing to survey the next target in its epic 4-billion-mile, 12-year, 11-asteroid tour. On April 20, 2025, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft will fly past the three-mile-wide main belt asteroid (52246) Donaldjohanson as a test run to the main event: visiting the never-before-explored Trojan asteroids in the Jupiter system. For billions of years, these mysterious space rocks have been gravitationally trapped in two swarms leading and trailing Jupiter in orbit around the Sun, holding clues to the formation of our solar system. NASA’s Lucy spacecraft will be the ...

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Medicine15 Apr 2025

New bat cell lines and reagents help to study bat antiviral immune responses against hantaviruses and coronaviruses

New bat cell lines and reagents help to study bat antiviral immune responses against hantaviruses and coronaviruses In your coverage, please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper in PLOS Biology: https://plos.io/3E5BYAJ Article title: Expanding the bat toolbox: Carollia perspicillata bat cell lines and reagents enable the characterization of viral susceptibility and innate immune responses Author countries: Canada, United States Funding: see manuscript END ...

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Medicine15 Apr 2025

Preterm birth might be predicted with high accuracy with new cheap, non-invasive test, based on cell-free DNA collected in standard early pregnancy testing

In your coverage, please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper in PLOS Medicine: https://plos.io/3RuCJ9v Article title: Genome-wide nucleosome footprints of plasma cfDNA predict preterm birth: A case-control study Author countries: China, United Kingdom Funding: This work was supported by project grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China [81600404 to JT, 82270600 to JT, 81871177 to FY, 82271711 to XY, 82173001 to ZG]; Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation [2022A1515220204 to JT; 2024A1515012792 to ZG]; Guangzhou Key Laboratory ...

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Medicine15 Apr 2025

CVD researcher/clinician named editor-in-chief of Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine.

DALLAS, April 15, 2025 — Ferhaan Ahmad, M.D., Ph.D., FAHA, is the new editor-in-chief of Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine, a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the American Heart Association, effective with the journal’s April issue, published today. Ahmad is the founding director of the Cardiovascular Genomics Program and associate professor of internal medicine-cardiovascular medicine at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City, Iowa. He takes the helm leading Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine from Kiran Musunuru, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H, FAHA, who served as interim editor-in-chief ...

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Science15 Apr 2025

Holy shift: More Americans finding faith outside church

ITHACA, N.Y. – A "remarkable" transformation is underway in American religious life, new Cornell-led research finds: Large numbers are leaving organized religion – not in favor of secular rationality, but to pursue spirituality in ways that better align with their individual values. This reimagining of religion outside traditional institutions fits within broader social changes that have prioritized individual fulfilment and “finding” oneself, including shifting views about gender and sexuality and the rise of the internet. Spanning political views, it also reflects a revolt against ...

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Medicine15 Apr 2025

New analysis underscores health risks of e-cigarettes

A Johns Hopkins Medicine-led analysis of medical information gathered on a diverse group of almost 250,000 people over four years has significantly clarified the link between the “exclusive” use of e-cigarettes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as high blood pressure in a sub-group of adults 30 to 70 years of age. The findings, supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health and published in the March. 15 edition of Nicotine & Tobacco Research, underscore the potential risks of e-cigarette ...

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Physics15 Apr 2025

USTC develops high-performance biomimetic proton gating system

On January 17, 2025, Professor ZHANG Zhen’s team at the Suzhou Institute for Advanced Research, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), reported a solid-state proton gating membrane with an ultrahigh gating ratio of 5,740, surpassing existing technologies. The study was published in Nature Communications. Biological ion channels exhibit strong gating effects due to their zero-current closed state. However, artificial nanochannels often demonstrate weaker gating capabilities because larger nanopores cannot fully block ion transport when in a closed ...

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