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Virgin olive oil is considered one of the fundamental pillars of the Mediterranean diet and is widely recognized for its cardiovascular and metabolic health benefits. However, its direct influence on the human brain through the digestive system had not been explored in depth. A new study led by researchers from the Human Nutrition Unit at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute (IISPV) and CIBERobn reveals that extra virgin olive oil may play a decisive role in protecting cognitive function through its effects on the gut microbiota.

A new artificial intelligence framework developed at Cornell can accurately predict the performance of battery electrolytes while revealing the chemical principles that govern them, providing engineers with a new tool for designing better batteries.

Scientists have made a breakthrough that could lead to effective treatments for lymphedema, a painful swelling condition for which there is currently no cure. Lymphedema can be congenital or caused by an injury, but it mostly occurs as an unintended consequence following breast-cancer treatment.

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can cause certain types of cancer or autoimmune diseases, but how the body controls this common viral infection is largely unknown. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn have now identified genetic and non-genetic factors that help the body fight EBV. To do this, they evaluated genome sequencing data, which is actually intended for characterizing the human genome, in a new way.

A new UNC study finds that a chemical derived from ashwagandha disrupts viral and cancer processes that make B-cell lymphomas difficult to treat with standard chemotherapy. Cancer has many causes, including inherited genes, alcohol- and tobacco-use, and environmental carcinogens. But scientists are now focusing more on viruses, such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which have been linked to certain cancers, including diffuse large B cell lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma, NK/T cell lymphomas, and Hodgkin lymphoma.

Researchers have developed a unified theory of microcavity OLEDs, guiding the design of more efficient and sustainable devices. The work reveals a surprising trade-off: squeezing light too tightly inside OLEDs can actually reduce performance, and maximum efficiency is achieved through a delicate balance of material and cavity parameters. The findings are published in the journal Materials Horizons.

Teeth are composites of mineral and protein, with a bulk of bony dentin that is highly porous. This structure allows teeth to be both strong and sensitive. Besides calcium and phosphate, teeth contain trace elements such as zinc. Using complementary microscopy imaging techniques, a team from Charité Berlin, TU Berlin and HZB has quantified the distribution of natural zinc along and across teeth in 3 dimensions. The team found that, as porosity in dentin increases towards the pulp, zinc concentration increases 5~10 fold. These results help to understand the influence of widely-used zinc-containing biomaterials (e.g. filling) and could inspire improvements in dental medicine.

Structurally, they look similar: MNK1 and MNK2 belong to the same enzyme family and are best known for regulating how cells make proteins. Their starring role in such a crucial cellular function has cast them into the spotlight as potential drug targets to treat nervous system disorders and chronic pain. But would it matter whether a drug targets only one of them?

For the first time, researchers have succeeded in developing an artificial DNA base pair that is based on a different chemical force than natural genetic material. While the common natural DNA building blocks are held together by hydrogen bonds, the new base pair relies on halogen bonds as its central attraction force. These act like tiny, precisely aligned "docking sites" between molecules. The study demonstrates for the first time that such alternative bonds also enable stable DNA structures. It was published under the title "Investigating Halogen Bonds as Pairing Force in an Artificial DNA Base Pair" in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Ozempic has been making headlines for its remarkable success in treating obesity and diabetes. Yet it is just one in a rapidly growing class of drugs called peptide therapeutics that sits between small molecules (like aspirin) and biologics (like antibodies). A UC Santa Barbara research team has developed a technique for efficiently synthesizing non-natural amino acids and applying them to peptide construction. They hope that the methodology, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, will significantly advance peptide research, giving scientists greater access to amino acids beyond the 22 found in nature.

By applying voltage to electrically control a new "transistor" membrane, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) achieved real-time tuning of ion separations—a capability previously thought impossible. The recent work, which could make precision separation processes like water treatment, drug delivery and rare earth element extraction more efficient, was published in Science Advances.

Conventional ECG patches often require cold gels and adhesives, which can cause skin irritation and leave marks. These materials can also lose effectiveness during vigorous movement, compromising signal quality. Addressing these issues, UNIST researchers have developed a novel, self-adhesive ECG patch that eliminates the need for gels and chemical adhesives.

An international research team has demonstrated how conventional radiative cooling coatings can be optimized to further reduce building surface temperatures, cutting energy consumption, while also improving fire safety.

Capacitive-resistive monopolar radiofrequency significantly improved sexual function and vaginal health in women with genitourinary syndrome of menopause, according to a study published online Feb. 10 in Menopause.

A new electronic implant system can help lab-grown pancreatic cells mature and function properly, potentially providing a basis for novel, cell-based therapies for diabetes. The approach, developed by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University, incorporates an ultrathin mesh of conductive wires into growing pancreatic tissue, according to a study published in Science.

A team of researchers has found a way to steer the output of large language models by manipulating specific concepts inside these models. The new method could lead to more reliable, more efficient, and less computationally expensive training of LLMs. But it also exposes potential vulnerabilities.

Astronomers have long debated why so many icy objects in the outer solar system look like snowmen. Michigan State University researchers now have evidence of the surprisingly simple process that could be responsible for their creation.

A paper published in Science describes the discovery of Spinosaurus mirabilis, a new spinosaurid species found in Niger. A 20-person team led by Paul Sereno, Ph.D., Professor of Organismal Biology and Anatomy at the University of Chicago, unearthed the find at a remote locale in the central Sahara, adding important new fossil finds to the closing chapter of spinosaurid evolution.

Early detection and prompt treatment of acute pulmonary embolism (PE), a sudden and potentially life‑threatening blood clot that blocks arteries in the lungs, is critical. Comprehensive recommendations for the evaluation, management and follow‑up care for adults with acute PE are detailed in a new clinical practice guideline, published in the Circulation and in JACC.

The search space for protein engineering grows exponentially with complexity. A protein of just 100 amino acids has 20100 possible variants—more combinations than atoms in the observable universe. Traditional engineering methods might test hundreds of variants but limit exploration to narrow regions of the sequence space. Recent machine learning approaches enable broader searches through computational screening. However, these approaches still require tens of thousands of measurements, or 5–10 iterative rounds.

The first study of multiple cancer types in cats has identified genetic changes that could help treat the condition in humans and animals. By analyzing different types of tumors from almost 500 pet cats across five countries, experts at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the Ontario Veterinary College in Canada, the University of Bern, and their collaborators, discovered the genetic changes that drive cancer formation in cats and found similarities between these and ones seen in humans.

Scientists have long sought to understand why some plants are fragrant powerhouses while others remain subtle. Now, a research team from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has cracked a genetic "bottleneck," using precision gene editing to boost the scent of flowers and the nutritional profile of vegetables. The paper is published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

NASA took another crack at fueling its giant moon rocket Thursday after leaks halted the initial dress rehearsal and delayed the first lunar trip by astronauts in more than half a century.

In recent years, medical guidelines and national policies have pushed hospitals to offer more palliative care to patients who are seriously ill. This has led to a major rise in palliative care use, especially among people treated in ICUs. Although past research suggested that palliative care can help patients transition to hospice, the actual trends in hospice use after critical illness have not been described.

Centromeres play virtually the same central role across the entire tree of life: They ensure the faithful segregation of chromosomes during cell division. Yet the striking diversity in centromere architecture—from large, repeat-rich DNA arrays to the minimalistic "point" centromeres in yeast—combined with their rapid evolution has puzzled scientists for decades.

The eyes—specifically, the outer area of the retina—may provide a window into early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) long before irreversible brain damage has occurred, according to new research from Houston Methodist. This discovery could dramatically change how the disease is diagnosed, monitored and treated.

For the first time, an international team of astronomers have mapped the vertical structure of Uranus's upper atmosphere, uncovering how temperature and charged particles vary with height across the planet. Using Webb's NIRSpec instrument, the team observed Uranus for nearly a full rotation, detecting the faint glow from molecules high above the clouds.

Strong social networking plays an important role in human relationships. New research on female red deer shows that those bonds are also crucial for their reproductive success and survival. The study, which looked at more than 40 years of data for free-ranging adult female red deer on the Isle of Rum in Scotland, was recently published in Royal Society Open Science.

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have reported promising findings that may help redefine treatment for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, a potentially aggressive form of the disease traditionally treated with surgical removal of the bladder. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrates that ultra-sensitive testing of tumor-derived DNA in blood and urine may help identify patients who can safely preserve their bladder without compromising cancer outcomes.

Flexible electronics are often sold on a simple promise: bendable screens, lightweight solar cells or wearable devices that can bend and flex without breaking. But what does that "flexibility" actually look like at the molecular scale, and how does it affect performance? Researchers led by the University of Cambridge say they have taken a first step towards answering this question. Using ultra-sensitive atomic force microscopy—which analyzes materials by "feeling" them—the researchers were able to measure how stiff flexible semiconductor molecules are when packed together, down to the scale of just a few molecules.

Rare diseases are complex medical disorders that are notoriously difficult to diagnose because many present with a wide variety of symptoms that can overlap with more common illnesses. Currently, around 300 million people globally are affected by these disorders, and diagnosis often takes five years or more.

That the universe is expanding has been known for almost a hundred years now, but how fast? The exact rate of that expansion remains hotly debated, even challenging the standard model of cosmology. A research team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), the Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU) and the Max Planck Institutes, MPA and MPE, has now imaged and modeled an exceptionally rare supernova that could provide a new, independent way to measure how fast the universe is expanding. The studies are published on the arXiv preprint server.

DNA is the blueprint of life. Genes encode proteins and serve as the body's basic components. However, building a functioning organism also requires precise instructions about when, where, and how much those components should be produced.

A research team at the IPK Leibniz Institute has developed a method that enables the detailed observation of female meiosis—the process by which germ cells are formed—in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The FeM-ID (Female Meiotic cell IDentification) method overcomes a significant hurdle in plant biology. Until now, female meiotic cells were difficult to access, forcing most studies to focus on male cells. The results of the study have now been published in the journal The Plant Cell.

Researchers in China recently published a study in Science Translational Medicine describing a new antibody cocktail for protection against two common viruses. The proposed preventative treatment consists of antibodies identified in pediatricians who have been repeatedly exposed to viruses throughout their careers, causing them to build up an immune system capable of defending against an array of pathogens.

Many physicists are searching for a triplet superconductor. Indeed, we could all do with one, although we may not know it yet—or understand why. Triplet superconductors could be the key to achieving the most energy-efficient technology in the future.

A new study provides a clearer timeline for one of the most significant prehistoric sites worldwide for the study of human evolution. By integrating three advanced dating techniques, researchers have determined that the site of 'Ubeidiya in the Jordan Valley likely dates back to at least 1.9 million years ago. This revised age suggests that 'Ubeidiya is among the oldest known sites of early humans outside of Africa.

Storms that recently ravaged Britain's coastline have revealed 2,000-year-old footprints on an Angus beach—one of only a handful of locations in the U.K. where markings of this kind have ever been discovered. The imprints of human and animal feet—made around the time of Boudicca, Jesus, and the height of the Roman Empire—were temporarily revealed by shifting sands at Lunan Bay and spotted by vigilant members of the public.

A pioneering genetic test is improving early diagnosis and treatment for people with hereditary cancer caused by a genetic condition. The test, developed with the help of Newcastle University scientists, identifies specific signs in a person's DNA that are characteristic of cancers linked with Lynch syndrome.

Early hydrocortisone treatment of extremely premature babies increases their chances of survival without lung disease, according to a study led by Linköping University. The study also shows that the treatment is safe to give. The results are published in JAMA Network Open.

The urgent onset of "the munchies" after cannabis use isn't imaginary—it's a cognitive response that occurs regardless of sex, age, weight or recent food consumption and could offer clues to help people struggling with appetite loss. Those findings from a collaborative study, conducted by researchers at Washington State University and the University of Calgary, were recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

A research team at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) has developed technology using advanced machine learning techniques that detects signs of gender violence from paralinguistic characteristics of the voice such as tone, rhythm, and intensity. This innovative method helps to recognize situations of psychological stress or trauma while preserving the privacy of the speakers, which could have major implications for telephone helplines and telemedicine services.

If our bodies are machines and food is fuel, it is safe to say that elite performance requires high-octane nutrition. As the Winter Olympics continue in Italy, the world watches as top athletes display the highest capabilities of the human body. Behind the scenes, nutritionists and dietitians are working to ensure these athletes are ready to compete at the peak level.

Imagine balancing a ruler vertically in the palm of your hand: you have to constantly pay attention to the angle of the ruler and make many small adjustments to make sure it doesn't fall over. It takes practice to get good at this.

Scientists have long known that people living at high altitudes, where oxygen levels are low, have lower rates of diabetes than people living closer to sea level. But the mechanism of this protection has remained a mystery. Now, researchers at Gladstone Institutes have explained the roots of the phenomenon, discovering that red blood cells act as glucose sponges in low-oxygen conditions like those found on the world's highest mountaintops.

When part of a SpaceX rocket re-entered Earth's atmosphere exactly a year ago, it created a spectacuglar fireball that streaked across Europe's skies, delighting stargazers and sending a team of scientists rushing toward their instruments.

Researchers at Columbia Engineering have developed a new gel electrolyte that both improves the lifetime and safety of anode-free lithium batteries, an emerging battery architecture that could dramatically boost energy density while simplifying manufacturing. Although such a design promises higher energy density and lower cost, the approach has long been plagued by short battery life and safety concerns caused by unstable lithium plating and parasitic reactions at the electrode-electrolyte interface.

In a 2023 paper on hypoxia and glucose metabolism, our lab showed how organisms rewire their metabolism to adapt to low oxygen levels—such as those found at high altitudes. One of the most striking observations from that work was a dramatic drop in circulating blood sugar.

It happens every day—a motorist heading across town checks a navigation app to see how long the trip will take, but they find no parking spots available when they reach their destination. By the time they finally park and walk to their destination, they're significantly later than they expected to be.

It is commonly assumed that tiny particles just go with the flow as they make their way through soil, biological tissue, and other complex materials. But a team of Yale researchers led by Professor Amir Pahlavan shows that even gentle chemical gradients, such as a small change in salt concentration, can dramatically reshape how particles move through porous materials. Their results are published in Science Advances.

Researchers from the Department of Computer Science at Bar-Ilan University and from NVIDIA's AI research center in Israel have developed a new method that significantly improves how artificial intelligence models understand spatial instructions when generating images—without retraining or modifying the models themselves. Image-generation systems often struggle with simple prompts such as "a cat under the table" or "a chair to the right of the table," frequently placing objects incorrectly or ignoring spatial relationships altogether. The Bar-Ilan research team has introduced a creative solution that allows AI models to follow such instructions more accurately in real time.

There may be twice as many vertebrates on the planet as previous estimates claimed, according to a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. That's not because of any errors or miscalculation, but because thousands of species have been hiding in plain sight. These are so-called cryptic species that appear identical to our eyes but are actually very different genetically.

The race to develop a virtual scientist—an AI creation that conducts every stage of research, from idea to publication—has consumed researchers, start-up founders, and tech juggernauts alike.

A University of Glasgow-led research project is releasing a free tool to help organizations, policymakers, and the public maximize the benefits of AI applications while identifying their potential harms. The tool, developed as part of the Participatory Harm Auditing Workbenches and Methodologies (PHAWM) project, aims to help address the urgent need for rigorous assessments of AI risks caused by the rapid expansion and adoption of the technology across a wide range of sectors.

Small, possibly portable, nuclear reactors that can't melt down are moving toward reality in the United States, with what may be the first two coming online or beginning construction this year.

Researchers at Kogakuin University have discovered that adding phosphorus (P2O5) to sodium-yttrium-silicate glasses significantly enhances their performance as solid electrolytes for next-generation sodium-ion batteries. This improvement arises from the formation of the high-performance Na5YSi4O12 crystal phase, which promotes high ionic conductivity and stability, making sodium-based batteries a safer and promising alternative to lithium-ion technologies. However, the effects of phosphorus on the glass structure and its location after crystallization had not been fully understood.

Researchers have developed a solar cell system that uses mirrors to concentrate solar energy. In addition to electricity, it produces heat for a plant that will capture carbon from industrial emissions. The solar cells in the large pilot plant are a full 5 meters high and consist of many mirrors that are angled toward the solar cells to concentrate sunlight. They make it possible to collect the sun's rays into concentrated solar energy, as well as heat that supports a plant designed to capture CO2.

The EU is expected to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. How far along is it? "At its core, we simply don't know. We have a good picture of the supply side—how quickly wind turbines are being erected, grids expanded, and storage capacity increased. But there are no official figures on how fast industry and firms are retrofitting, replacing their machinery, and electrifying their processes," says CSH President Stefan Thurner.

Thousands of years from now, what will remain of our digital era? The ever-growing vastness of human knowledge is no longer stored in libraries, but on hard drives that struggle to last decades, let alone millennia.

Combining wind turbines with wave, solar and tidal devices on shared platforms reduces construction costs, improves stability and generates more reliable power, according to researchers from the University of Surrey. The comprehensive review examined hybrid offshore renewable energy harvest systems that integrate multiple technologies on a single foundation. These systems could help countries meet ambitious climate targets while minimizing impact on marine ecosystems. The work is published in the journal Energy Conversion and Management.

Due to cheaper cost, ease of production and environmental benefits, battery makers and electric vehicle manufacturers have long pursued dry processes for building electrodes. A new dry-processed electrode architecture from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) demonstrates a fourth benefit: better performance. The results are published in Nature Energy.

Restaurants looking for new ways to engage and inform customers may benefit from incorporating augmented reality (AR) technology into their menus, according to new research from Washington State University. The study, published in the International Journal of Hospitality Management, finds that AR menus can significantly increase customers' interest in visiting a restaurant and may result in more positive word-of-mouth marketing, when compared to printed or QR-code menus.

Would you ever kick your Roomba? Or leave a scathing review of the robot at a Thai restaurant who delivered your green curry? What about sending a mean message to ChatGPT?

Advances in ultrasound—the same imaging technology that uses sound waves to allow doctors to monitor babies in utero—are being applied by engineers at the University of California San Diego to make railroad track inspection more effective. Ensuring the safety of the vast 140,000-mile network of existing rail infrastructure in the United States is critical, especially as that figure grows with the addition of new high-speed passenger rail lines.

A broken motor in an automated machine can bring production on a busy factory floor to a halt. If engineers can't find a replacement part, they may have to order one from a distributor hundreds of miles away, leading to costly production delays. It would be easier, faster, and cheaper to make a new motor onsite, but fabricating electric machines typically requires specialized equipment and complicated processes, which restricts production to a few manufacturing centers.

In the race for lighter, safer and more efficient electronics—from electric vehicles to transcontinental energy grids—one component literally holds the power: the polymer capacitor. Seen in such applications as medical defibrillators, polymer capacitors are responsible for quick bursts of energy and stabilizing power rather than holding large amounts of energy, as opposed to the slower, steadier energy of a battery.