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On Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, gray wolves are showing an unusual behavior: they are hunting sea otters. This unexpected shift in diet could have wide-ranging effects on coastal ecosystems and on the wolves themselves. However, scientists still know very little about how these predators manage to catch prey in…
More than 100 years after the sinking of the Titanic, the idea of ships that cannot sink continues to motivate engineers. Researchers at the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics have now taken a significant step toward that long-standing goal. They have developed a technique that makes ordinary metal tubes…
A new study from Brazil, published in the journal Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, sheds light on how pancreatic cancer gains the ability to spread at an early stage. Researchers found that a protein called periostin, along with stellate cells in the pancreas, plays a crucial role in helping cancer cells…
A new study published in Kidney International reports that a class of medications called SGLT2 inhibitors helped prevent age-related damage to kidney structure and function in the African turquoise killifish. This small vertebrate completes its entire lifespan in only a few months, making it a unique model for studying aging.…
Researchers at Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have created a new medical imaging tool called “fast-RSOM” that can capture highly detailed images of the body’s smallest blood vessels directly through the skin, without invasive procedures. By making it possible to detect early signs of cardiovascular risk,…
More than two decades ago, a small group of women with advanced breast cancer took part in a clinical trial that tested an experimental vaccine. All these years later, every one of them is still alive. Researchers say survival over such a long period is extremely uncommon for people with…
Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have created an experimental immunotherapy that approaches metastatic cancer from a different angle. Rather than attacking cancer cells directly, the treatment focuses on the cells that surround and protect them. The research, published in the January 22 online issue of…
Many of the complex patterns seen in nature arise when symmetry breaks. As a system shifts from a highly symmetrical state into a more ordered one, small but stable irregularities can appear. These features, known as topological defects, show up across vastly different scales, from the structure of the universe…
Farah Moustafa, MD, an assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine and a dermatologist with Tufts Medical Center, explains that collagen supplements are not a proven solution for skin aging. “Oral collagen supplements are not currently recommended to treat skin aging, although they can be considered along with other…
Research building on earlier work in type 2 diabetes suggests the experimental drug IC7Fc may also help protect against heart disease. A new study reports that the drug can lower cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation, two major contributors to cardiovascular problems. An international research team led by Leiden University Medical…
Researchers led by a team at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have identified biological markers that appear in the earliest stages of Parkinson’s disease, before major damage occurs in the brain. These early changes leave detectable traces in the blood, but only for a short time. The findings highlight…
The Arabian Sea contained more oxygen about 16 million years ago than it does today, even though Earth’s climate was warmer at the time. Powerful monsoons, shifting ocean currents, and connections between seas strongly influence oxygen levels, showing that ocean health depends on more than temperature alone. Over very long…
Quantum computers only work when they are kept extremely cold. The problem is that today’s cooling systems also create noise, which can interfere with the fragile quantum information they are supposed to protect. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have now introduced a new type of minimal quantum…
The decline of lions and pandas often captures global attention, but a quieter and potentially more damaging crisis is unfolding among small mammals. These tiny animals are disappearing at alarming rates, and their loss can have outsized consequences for biodiversity. Small mammals are powerful indicators of environmental health, yet tracking…
Helping to care for grandchildren may serve as a buffer against cognitive decline in older adults, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. Helping to care for grandchildren may help protect older adults from cognitive decline, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. The findings suggest…
Past research has shown that drinking alcohol is linked to a higher chance of developing colorectal cancer. New evidence now shows that the total amount of alcohol consumed over a person’s lifetime also plays an important role. Higher lifetime intake is tied to greater cancer risk, with rectal cancer showing…
Exhaust gases from home furnaces, fireplaces, and industrial facilities release carbon dioxide (CO2) into the air, contributing to pollution. Scientists reporting in ACS Energy Letters have developed a new type of electrode designed to address this problem by capturing CO2 directly from the air and turning it into a useful…
The phrase “House of Cards” is often linked today with a popular Netflix political series, but its original meaning describes something far more literal: a structure that can collapse easily. That idea is exactly how Sarah Thiele, formerly a PhD student at the University of British Columbia and now a…
A new study led by Colgate Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy Cosmin Ilie, working with Jillian Paulin ’23 of the University of Pennsylvania, Andreea Petric of the Space Telescope Science Institute, and Katherine Freese of the University of Texas at Austin, proposes a single idea that could address three…
Tumors in the human body contain immune cells called macrophages that are naturally capable of attacking cancer. However, tumors suppress these cells, preventing them from carrying out their cancer-fighting role. Researchers at KAIST have now developed a new therapeutic strategy that bypasses this suppression by turning immune cells already inside…
A newly released perspective article in Nature Nanotechnology describes an innovative nanoparticle-based approach designed to remove harmful proteins from the body. This advance could dramatically expand the ability to treat so-called “undruggable” proteins, opening new possibilities for diseases such as dementia and brain cancer. The work was led by Chair…
Cancer immunotherapy has reshaped cancer treatment by training the body’s immune system to recognize and attack tumors. Drugs known as immune checkpoint inhibitors, which target the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, have led to long-lasting responses in some patients and fueled optimism about durable cancer control. Yet for most people, these therapies do…
An international study found that U.S. long COVID patients report far more brain fog and psychological symptoms than patients in lower-income countries. Researchers believe the gap is driven by culture and healthcare access, not biology — hinting that millions worldwide may be struggling unseen. A large study of more than…
People who stop taking prescription weight loss medications often regain weight and lose many of the health improvements they achieved, according to a study published by The BMJ. The analysis found that benefits tied to heart and metabolic health, including improvements in cholesterol levels and blood pressure, tend to fade…
IDH-mutant glioma, driven by changes in a specific gene (IDH), is the most common malignant brain tumor affecting adults under 50. It is especially challenging to treat because it often returns after therapy. For years, treatment has focused mainly on removing the visible tumor seen on imaging. New research from…
How obesity affects the brain may depend on more than overall body weight. New research published on January 27 in Radiology, the flagship journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), suggests that the location of fat in the body plays a major role in brain health and cognitive…
A comprehensive review finds that tea, especially green tea, is strongly associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), obesity, diabetes, and several forms of cancer. Beyond these well known benefits, tea consumption is also linked to brain protection, reduced muscle loss in older adults, and anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial…
Talking to yourself may feel uniquely human, but it turns out this habit can also help machines learn. Internal dialogue helps people organize ideas, weigh choices, and make sense of emotions. New research shows that a similar process can improve how artificial intelligence learns and adapts. In a study published…
Astronomers from an international research team, including scientists from the Department of Physics at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), have found the clearest evidence so far that some fast radio bursts originate in binary star systems. Fast radio bursts, or FRBs, are extremely powerful flashes of radio waves that…
Astronomers have, for the first time, detected radio waves coming from an unusually rare kind of exploding star. This breakthrough gives scientists a unique way to examine the final years of a massive star’s life before it ends in a violent supernova. The results, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters,…
