EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4:00 P.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2025 MINNEAPOLIS — People who have early signs of heart problems may also have changes in brain health that can be early signs of dementia, such as loss of brain volume, according to a meta-analysis published on March 26, 2025, online in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The meta-analysis does not prove that early heart problems cause loss of brain cells; it only shows an association. “This review shows that better ...

COVID infection has been linked to higher risk of autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes. But why the virus might cause the body’s immune system to go haywire remains unknown, making it difficult to develop therapies to avoid autoimmunity. One hypothesis is that viral “molecular mimics” that resemble the body’s own proteins trigger an immune response against the virus—and healthy tissues get caught in the crossfire. Now, with advanced data analysis and machine learning, scientists have identified a set of COVID-derived ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  March 26, 2025  BATON ROUGE – Scientists at Pennington Biomedical Research Center have gained greater clarity in the brain regions and neurons that control metabolism, body temperature and energy use. Featured in the February edition of the journal Metabolism, Dr. Heike Münzberg-Gruening and a team of researchers discovered which chemicals influence the signals that control how much energy the body uses. In “Leptin Receptor Neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamus require distinct neuronal subsets for thermogenesis and weight loss,” researchers laid out the pathways, chemicals, neurons ...

In a new paper, researchers at North Carolina State University show proof of concept for a system that, in a single cycle, actively removes microplastics from water. The findings, described in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, hold the potential for advances in cleansing oceans and other bodies of water of tiny plastics that may harm human health and the environment.  “The idea behind this work is: Can we make the cleaning materials in the form of soft particles that self-disperse in water, capture microplastics as they sink, and then return to the surface with the captured microplastic contaminants?” said Orlin Velev, the S. Frank and Doris Culberson Distinguished ...

HOUSTON ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today announced that Jeffrey E. Lee, M.D., an internationally regarded leader in the field of oncology, has been appointed chief medical executive (CME) effective April 1. Prior to his appointment, Lee served as CME ad interim, demonstrating strength as a leader committed to advancing the institution’s efforts in research, patient care, prevention and education. Assuming the role of CME is the culmination of Lee’s 34-year tenure at the institution, where he has made substantial contributions in the field ...

Life’s essential functions are powered by a set of compounds called metabolites, which are involved in every natural process including producing energy, regulating cell activity and keeping the body’s systems in balance. Tracking these molecules offers a window into the onset and status of many diseases, overall health, response to treatment and the intricate workings of biological systems.  However, today’s metabolite sensing methods fall short. Most rely on resource-intensive lab tests that give only brief snapshots from isolated samples. The few sensors that can track metabolites continuously are largely limited to detecting blood sugar. An interdisciplinary ...

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (March 26, 2025) — The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) announced a new grand challenge to develop groundbreaking imaging technologies to transform how scientists observe, measure and understand living cells and organisms. CZI’s two powerhouse institutes, CZ Biohub San Francisco and CZ Institute for Advanced Biological Imaging, will leverage their complementary expertise to form a new Biohub unmatched in the field of life science imaging research. They will combine their teams at a new science campus in Redwood City, Calif., adjacent to CZI ...

In an era where data privacy concerns loom large, a new approach in artificial intelligence (AI) could reshape how sensitive information is processed. Researchers Austin Ebel and Karthik Garimella, Ph.D students, and Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Brandon Reagen have introduced Orion, a novel framework that brings fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) to deep learning — allowing AI models to practically and efficiently operate directly on encrypted data without needing to decrypt it first. The implications of this advancement, ...

ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, today named Torsten Hoefler, a Professor at ETH Zurich, the recipient of the 2024 ACM Prize in Computing for fundamental contributions to high-performance computing and the ongoing AI revolution. Hoefler developed many of the core capabilities of modern supercomputers and defined key aspects of the algorithms for distributing AI models on them. The ACM Prize in Computing recognizes early-to-mid-career computer scientists whose research contributions have fundamental impact and broad implications. ...

The results of the study show that the two genes act in a finely tuned interplay: one ensures that the progenitor cells of the brain multiply more, while the other causes these cells to transform into a different type of progenitor cell - the cells that later form the nerve cells of the brain. In the course of evolution, this interplay has led to the human brain being unique in its size and complexity. The newly gained insights not only provide a deeper understanding of the evolutionary development of our brain but could also help to better comprehend how certain developmental disorders or diseases of the brain arise. ‘Our findings deepen the fundamental ...

In the fight against malaria, controlling the mosquito population is crucial.  Several methods are currently used to reduce mosquito numbers and malaria risk. One of these includes the antiparasitic medication ivermectin. When mosquitoes ingest blood containing ivermectin, it shortens the insect’s lifespan and helps decrease the spread of malaria.  However, ivermectin has its own issues. Not only is it environmentally toxic, but also, when it is overused to treat people and animals with worm ...

Embargoed: Not for Release Until 2pm U.S. Eastern Time (6pm GMT) Wednesday, 26 March 2025  With images and videos  A tiny magnetic robot which can take 3D scans from deep within the body, that could revolutionise early cancer detection, has been developed by researchers.  The team, led by engineers from the University of Leeds, say this is the first time it has been possible to generate high-resolution three-dimensional ultrasound images taken from a probe deep inside the gastrointestinal ...

Rockville, Maryland—March 26, 2024—Researchers from the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) have developed a reverse genetics system for African swine fever virus (ASFV). This new system will aid researchers in developing vaccines and in studying the pathogenesis and biology of ASFV, a highly contagious, deadly viral disease affecting domesticated and wild pigs, especially prevalent in Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. A recent study estimates if ASFV reached the United States it could result ...

Scientists don’t call it the “Great Dying” for nothing. About 252 million years ago, upward of 80% of all marine species vanished during the end-Permian mass extinction – the most extreme event of its kind in Earth’s history.  What followed was a mysterious, multimillion-year span that could be called the “Great Dulling,” when marine animal communities looked remarkably alike all over the planet, from the equator to the poles. Researchers have long sought an explanation for this so-called taxonomic homogenization – a scene that played out after other mass extinctions over the past ...

Even in egalitarian Sweden, a "culture of silence" may prevent university staff and students from reporting sexual harassment, with just an 8.1% reporting rate for students who had experienced either rape or attempted rape. #### Article URL: https://plos.io/4bW0elh Article title: What determines the ‘culture of silence’? Disclosing and reporting sexual harassment among university employees and students at a large Swedish public university Author countries: Sweden Funding: This work was funded by the Swedish Research Council, ...

Data from the Healthy Minds Study of 140 college campuses in the US suggests that religiousness may be protective against symptoms of depression in students, although less so in sexual minorities.  #### Article URL: https://plos.io/3XwiyM6 Article Title: Religiousness, sexual orientation, and depression among emerging adults in U.S. higher education: Findings from the Healthy Minds Study Author Countries: Spain, United Kingdom, United States Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work. END ...

(IDAHO FALLS, Idaho) – The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is seeking an industry sponsor to invest $5 million to $10 million in a privately funded innovation incubator. This program will combine the power of a national laboratory with private sector commercialization knowledge to unleash breakthrough innovations by finding and supporting promising startups in the areas of nuclear energy, integrated energy systems, cybersecurity and advanced materials. The innovation incubator seeks to provide seed-stage startups aligned ...

NEW ORLEANS – Four outstanding Ochsner Health nurses have been named to the Louisiana State Nurses Association’s (LSNA) second annual 40 Under 40 list. The LSNA 40 Under 40 list celebrates 40 future leaders of nursing in Louisiana who are 40 years of age and under, exemplify dedication to the nursing profession, and demonstrate exceptional leadership qualities. “We are immensely proud of our Ochsner honorees. This recognition celebrates our nurses who fuel their purpose each day and use their voice to influence the growth of the nursing profession and how we deliver high-quality care to our patients and communities,” said Tiffany Murdock, senior ...

Time-restricted eating is the latest craze for people looking to lose weight, but whether it works is still the calorie-burning question.   A new study from the University of Mississippi shows that when healthy adults pair an eight-hour eating window with regular exercise, they lose more fat – without sacrificing lean muscle – compared to exercise alone, according to a study released in the International Journal of Obesity, which is published by the Nature Publishing Group.  “We saw that this did lead to more fat loss and reduced body fat percentage over time when healthy adults were following both exercise with time-restricting ...

NEW ORLEANS – Ochsner Health, Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, multi-specialty, healthcare delivery system, has been awarded the 2025 Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award (GEWA) for employee engagement. This award recognizes the most engaged companies in the world and highlights Ochsner’s continued dedication to setting a standard of excellence in patient care and the workplace.  "Ochsner Health is honored to receive this recognition," said Pete November, chief executive officer, Ochsner Health. "Our commitment to fostering a supportive and dynamic workplace for our team members is directly ...

Research conducted by the National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), published today in ‘Nature’, reveals a mechanism in mice that is triggered just minutes after acute liver damage occurs. This finding opens up avenues for future treatments of serious liver damage to include a diet enriched with the amino acid glutamate. Glutamate supplementation can promote liver regeneration and benefit patients in recovery following hepatectomy or awaiting a transplant, the authors write in ‘Nature’. Activating liver regeneration is key to treating diseases that involve severe liver damage, which are becoming increasingly frequent and are associated ...

The pleasure we get from eating junk food — the dopamine rush from crunching down on salty, greasy French fries and a luscious burger — is often blamed as the cause of overeating and rising obesity rates in our society. But a new study by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that pleasure in eating, even eating junk food, is key for maintaining a healthy weight in a society that abounds with cheap, high-fat food. Paradoxically, anecdotal evidence suggests that people with obesity may take less pleasure in eating than those of normal weight. Brain scans of obese individuals ...

CLEVELAND—The body’s cells respond to stress—toxins, mutations, starvation or other assaults—by pausing normal functions to focus on conserving energy, repairing damaged components and boosting defenses. If the stress is manageable, cells resume normal activity; if not, they self-destruct. Scientists have believed for decades this response happens as a linear chain of events: sensors in the cell “sound an alarm” and modify a key protein, which then changes a second protein that slows or shuts down the cell’s normal function. But in a new study published today in the journal Nature, researchers at Case Western Reserve University have discovered a ...

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL: 16:00 GMT / 12 NOON ET WEDNESDAY 26 MARCH 2025 A new method to recycle fluoride from long-lived PFAS chemicals Images available via the link in the notes section. Oxford Chemistry researchers have developed a method to destroy fluorine-containing PFAS (sometimes labelled ‘forever chemicals’) while recovering their fluorine content for future use. The results have been published today (26 March 2025) in Nature. PFAS – which stands for poly- and perfluoroalkylated substances – have been produced in large ...

The last time a new class of antibiotics reached the market was nearly three decades ago — but that could soon change, thanks to a discovery by researchers at McMaster University. A team led by renowned researcher Gerry Wright has identified a strong candidate to challenge even some of the most drug-resistant bacteria on the planet: a new molecule called lariocidin. The findings were published in the journal Nature on March 26, 2025. The discovery of the all-new class of antibiotics responds to a critical need for new antimicrobial ...