Chocolate infused with prebiotics, probiotics and flavorings could have enhanced health benefits. Image Credit: Smriti Gaur

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Science Reports
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Chocolate’s Surprising Health Benefits Uncovered

Many people will soon load up Easter baskets with chocolate candy for children and adults to enjoy. On its own, dark chocolate has health benefits, such as antioxidants that neutralize damaging free radicals. And a report in ACS Food Science & Technology suggests that packing the sweet treat with pre- and probiotics could make it more healthful. Flavoring agents, however, can affect many properties, including moisture level and protein content of the chocolate product. Probiotics, found in fermented foods such…

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Social Sciences

Exploring the World of Fragrances: A Comprehensive Dictionary

Researchers at the University of Jena develop data sets for the description and recording of odours People all over the world largely agree on what the colour blue looks like or what the shape of a ball feels like. But when it comes to describing odours, opinions often differ. This is because, unlike the processing of wavelengths of light in the brain, which makes it possible to determine colours relatively clearly, it is still not easy to deduce the smell…

IF enhances the production of IPA from intestinalClostridium sporogenes, which directly attenuates platelet activation and thrombosis, and alleviates microvascular thrombosis after I/R injury by binding to platelet PXR and activating the downstream signaling. Image Credit: Zhiyong Qi, Luning Zhou, Shimo Dai, Peng Zhang, Haoxuan Zhong, Wenxuan Zhou, Xin Zhao, Huajie Xu, Gang Zhao, Hongyi Wu, Junbo Ge
Studies and Analyses

Intermittent Fasting Reduces Thrombosis Risk Through Platelet Inhibition

Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of death worldwide, with platelet hyperactivity and subsequent thrombosis playing a pivotal role in these conditions. While intermittent fasting has long been recognized for its metabolic benefits, including improvements in metabolic diseases, weight loss, and even lifespan extension, its effect on platelet activation and thrombosis formation remains less understood. A recent study by Professor Junbo Ge team at Fudan University unveiled a novel mechanism by which intermittent fasting can significantly reduce the risk of…

A coarse-grained model of the DNA origami lilypad used in the study. The tails hanging down indicate where redox reporters are located. For scale, the diameter of the disk is approximately 80 nm. Image Credit: Model: Matteo Guareschi/Caltech; Software: OxView (https://sulcgroup.github.io/oxdna-viewer/#) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41596-022-00688-5 https://academic.oup.com/nar/article/48/12/e72/5843822?login=false
Science Reports

DNA Origami Paves Way for Reusable Biosensors

Using an approach called DNA origami, scientists at Caltech have developed a technique that could lead to cheaper, reusable biomarker sensors for quickly detecting proteins in bodily fluids, eliminating the need to send samples out to lab centers for testing. “Our work provides a proof-of-concept showing a path to a single-step method that could be used to identify and measure nucleic acids and proteins,” says Paul Rothemund (BS ’94), a visiting associate at Caltech in computing and mathematical sciences, and…

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Studies and Analyses

Gynaecological Disorders and Increased Heart Disease Risk

They include polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, heavy or irregular periods Having one or more common gynaecological disorders, such as endometriosis or heavy or irregular periods, may be linked to a heightened risk of heart disease and conditions that affect blood flow to the brain (cerebrovascular disease), finds a pooled data analysis of the available evidence published online in the journal Heart. Although the quality of the studies included in the analysis was variable, the researchers nevertheless conclude that clinicians and the…

Syracuse University Researcher Jeewon Oh. Image Credit: Syracuse University
Social Sciences

Optimism Boosts Healthy Habits for Better Living

Do you see the glass as half empty or half full? If you rewind to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, chances are you experienced some level of pessimism. And who could blame you? With social isolation, health concerns and economic uncertainty, fear and anxiety became a daily reality for many. A team of researchers from Syracuse University and Michigan State University recently explored the personal characteristics that help people handle prolonged stressors, such as the pandemic. Led by Jeewon Oh,…

UTA has invested heavily in research infrastructure, purchasing cutting-edge scientific equipment and technology, such asNorth Texas’ most advanced gene sequencerand a super-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging machine for theClinical Imaging Research Center. The funds also support collaboration with other research organizations. Image Credit: UTA
Studies and Analyses

UTA Research Drives Economic Impact: Key Findings from Study

University’s $59 million research spending in 2024 boosted local, state and national economies while supporting student development University of Texas at Arlington research projects contributed $59 million to the national economy in 2024—an increase of 39% from 2023, according to a new report from the Institute for Research on Innovation and Science (IRIS). UTA has invested heavily in research infrastructure, purchasing cutting-edge scientific equipment and technology, such as North Texas’ most advanced gene sequencer and a super-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging machine for the Clinical…

Isabella Anderberg, PhD student, College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University. Image Credit: Flinders University
Social Sciences

Fitness Apps Linked to Disordered Eating Trends

With New Year resolutions in full swing and health tracking apps at our fingertips, new research reveals concerning links between health and fitness apps and disordered eating, body image concerns and excessive exercise. “Diet and fitness apps are marketed as tools to improve health, however they may also have unintended negative consequences, such as creating pressure to meet goals, concerns about body image as well as provoking feelings of guilt if goals aren’t achieved,” says Ms Isabella Anderberg in the…

Pradeep (left) and Aarda Kachroo (right) are leading experts in plant pathology. Both are professors in the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Photo by Martin-Gatton CAFE. Image Credit: Photo by Martin-Gatton CAFE.
Studies and Analyses

Plant Immunity and Epilepsy: The Role of Amino Acids Explained

A groundbreaking study led by a team of researchers at the University of Kentucky has revealed a surprising biochemical connection between plant immune responses and human neurological health. A groundbreaking study led by a team of researchers at the University of Kentucky’s Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment has revealed a surprising biochemical connection between plant immune responses and human neurological health. Researchers have discovered that the metabolic pathways regulating vitamin B6 homeostasis — critical in certain forms of…

Tauhou/silvereye birds, photographed in Dunedin, came to Aotearoa from Australia during the 1850s. Image Credit: Photo: Dr Pascale Lubbe
Science Education

New Zealand’s Bird Life Transformed by Invasive Species

Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka research shows Aotearoa has been increasingly accepting new bird species from around the world since the start of the Ice Age, offering clues into future migration patterns. Since the Ice Age drastically changed the Aotearoa landscape from widely forested to grass and shrubland, researchers set out to determine which of our living and recently extinct birds are a result of existing lineages that adapted to their environment tens of millions of years ago and which are the…

Neurons Electrical Pulses
Studies and Analyses

Decoding Brain Dynamics with Geometric Deep Learning

EPFL scientists have developed a geometric deep learning method that can create a coherent picture of neuronal population activity during cognitive and motor tasks across experimental subjects and conditions  In the parable of the blind men and the elephant, several blind men each describe a different part of an elephant they are touching – a sharp tusk, a flexible trunk, or a broad leg – and disagree about the animal’s true nature. The story illustrates the problem of understanding an…

Blood–brain-barrier-crossing lipid nanoparticles (BLNPs) effectively and safely deliver mRNA to the brain via systemic administration. Image Credit: Created with BioRender.com in the lab of Yizhou Dong, PhD, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Studies and Analyses

New Lipid Nanoparticle Platform Transports mRNA to the Brain

The findings, demonstrated in mouse models and isolated human brain tissue, could expand treatment options for neurological and psychiatric diseases  Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed a lipid nanoparticle system capable of delivering messenger RNA (mRNA) to the brain via intravenous injection, a challenge that has long been limited by the protective nature of the blood-brain barrier. The findings, in mouse models and isolated human brain tissue, were published in the February 17 online…

Open field in Masai Mara area of Kenya, Africa with one topi standing on termite mound under an acacia tree
Social Sciences

Restoring African Grasslands: A Path to Peace for Wildlife and People

Conservation researchers working on grassland restoration in Kenya found that larger areas of restored habitat reduced both social conflicts and human-wildlife conflicts  Across Kenya, grasslands underpin people’s lives — as well as those of animals like elephants, giraffes, and hyenas. But the climate crisis is drying out these habitats, forcing people and animals to compete for resources, and increasing both community tensions and conflict between humans and wildlife. Researchers monitoring both grassland restoration and conflicts have now found that restoration…

Studies and Analyses

Opsin 3: New Insights into Food Regulation in Mice

Researchers at Brown University and Cincinnati Children’s found that suppressing opsin 3 in the brain of mice makes them eat less, raising new questions about the mechanisms involved in regulating human metabolism.  Scientists discovered years ago that the hypothalamus — which helps to manage body temperature, hunger, sex drive, sleep and more — includes neurons that express the protein opsin 3 (OPN3). Far less clear, however, was what this light-sensing protein does so deep inside the brain. A study published in PNAS…

Incorporating cultured myoblasts into healthy tissue.Transplanting myoblasts in a fluid containing ECM helped new cells graft into existing tissue. To confirm engraftment, new cells have been designed to emit a green dye, as seen in the bottom right. Image Credit: Tokyo Metropolitan University
Studies and Analyses

Cellular Scaffold Enables Successful Myoblast Implantation

Big leap for regenerative medicine to treat ageing but intact skeletal muscle  Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have developed a way to treat ageing-related muscular atrophy using regenerative medicine. Conventional methods to implant myoblasts, precursors to muscle fiber, required prior scarring for the new cells to graft properly. By adding extracellular matrix (ECM) fluid into the implant, the team successfully grafted myoblasts onto healthy muscle in mice. Their technique opens the way for using implantation to treat…

Mountaineers take samples from a glacier. Image Credit: Zoe Salt
Studies and Analyses

Deadly Nanoplastics Travel Far: New Alpine Evidence

UFZ researchers detect microscopic plastic particles on alpine glaciers with the help of mountaineers Nanoplastics – plastic particles smaller than 1 µm – are widely dispersed because of their low weight. A research team coordinated by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) has now published an article in Scientific Reports that shows the extent to which glaciers at an altitude of more than 3,000 m in the Alps are polluted by nanoplastics. The researchers relied on citizen science to…

Jared Fischer, Ph.D., and Jose Luis Montoya Mira, Ph.D., cancer researchers at Oregon Health & Science University, have developed PAC-MANN, a test that uses a small blood sample to detect changes in protease activity, a key indicator of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common and deadliest form of pancreatic cancer. (OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks). Image Credit: OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks
Studies and Analyses

New Blood Test Detects Pancreatic Cancer With 85% Accuracy

Called PAC-MANN, the test developed at OHSU could help save lives  A new blood test could help doctors detect pancreatic cancer earlier, potentially improving survival rates for one of the deadliest cancers. Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have developed a test called PAC-MANN, the abbreviation for “protease activity-based assay using a magnetic nanosensor,” which uses a small blood sample to detect changes in protease activity — a key indicator of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, or PDAC, the most common…

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