Science X / Phys.org

Study highlights risks of cesarean births to future pregnancies Women who have cesarean births at an advanced stage of labor are about eight times more likely to develop scars in the womb which are known to increase the likelihood of premature births in future pregnancies, UCL researchers have found.

Cesarean births performed at an advanced stage of labor are linked to a higher risk of poorly healed scars near the cervix, increasing the likelihood of preterm births in future pregnancies. doi.org/g953kw

Whole genome sequencing could match more breast cancer patients to tailored therapies and trials Whole genome sequencing offered to breast cancer patients is likely to identify unique genetic features that could either guide immediate treatment or help match patients to clinical trials, say scientists at the University of Cambridge.

Whole genome sequencing can identify genetic features in breast cancer that inform personalized treatment decisions and expand access to relevant clinical trials.

Exercise 'snacks' may boost cardiorespiratory fitness of physically inactive adults Exercise "snacks"—intentional short bursts of physical activity—may be an effective way of boosting the cardiorespiratory fitness of physically inactive adults, finds a synthesis of the available research, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Short bursts of moderate to vigorous physical activity, known as exercise "snacks," may improve cardiorespiratory fitness in physically inactive adults and support adherence to regular activity.

Widely-prescribed opioid painkiller tramadol not significantly effective for easing chronic pain, analysis finds The strong opioid painkiller tramadol is not significantly effective at easing the chronic pain for which it's widely prescribed, finds a pooled data analysis of the available research, published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine.

Tramadol provides only minimal relief for chronic pain and is linked to increased risks of serious and non-serious side effects, suggesting its harms likely outweigh its benefits.

Flash Joule heating lights up lithium extraction from ores A new one‑step, water‑, acid‑, and alkali‑free method for extracting high‑purity lithium from spodumene ore has the potential to transform critical metal processing and enhance renewable energy supply chains.

A rapid, one-step flash Joule heating process enables high-purity lithium extraction from spodumene ore without water, acids, or alkalis, offering a cleaner and faster alternative to traditional methods. doi.org/g953kj

'Cost-optimal' solutions don't always provide best mix for power generation, study finds As industries, utilities and regulators consider the best ways to accommodate our increasing need for power generation, cost concerns weigh heavily on their decision-making.

Selecting power generation strategies based solely on lowest cost can overlook more balanced solutions; allowing slight cost flexibility may yield outcomes better aligned with social and environmental goals. doi.org/p8b5

Scientists unlock new patterns of protein behavior in cell membranes Cellular membrane proteins play many important roles throughout the body, including transporting substances in and out of the cell, transmitting signals, speeding up reactions and helping neighboring cells stick together.

A new computational approach enables the design of stable synthetic membrane proteins, revealing how specific amino acid motifs contribute to protein structure and stability within cell membranes. doi.org/g953kd

Bacterial enzyme and nanoparticle discoveries hold promise for treating gut pain Abdominal pain is a hallmark of many digestive disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome.

A newly identified bacterial enzyme and nanoparticle-based drug delivery targeting the PAR2 receptor offer promising strategies for managing gut pain linked to digestive disorders. doi.org/g953j2

High-speed onion mist: Cutting technique and blade sharpness affect droplet spray, study shows A new discovery about how cutting onions ejects pungent aerosols up to two-thirds of a meter into the air has led to practical advice for reducing the spray: Cut onions slowly with a sharpened blade or coat an onion in oil before cutting.

Cutting onions quickly with a dull blade can eject aerosolized droplets at speeds up to 40 m/s, potentially spreading irritants and pathogens farther than previously recognized. doi.org/g953g5

Antarctic Circumpolar Current flowed three times faster 130,000 years ago, core samples reveal The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is Earth's largest oceanic current, circling around Antarctica from west to east in alignment with Earth's rotation.

Core samples indicate the Antarctic Circumpolar Current flowed over three times faster about 130,000 years ago, likely influenced by changes in Earth’s orbit and axial tilt. doi.org/g953gv

Questionable lead reporting for drinking water virtually vanished after Flint water crisis, study reveals Public water systems in the U.S. were far less likely to report suspiciously rounded lead levels after the Flint, Michigan water crisis drew national outrage and federal scrutiny, according to new research led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

After the Flint water crisis, U.S. public water systems became much less likely to report suspiciously rounded lead levels, aligning reported data more closely with expected statistical patterns. doi.org/g953gt

Glycoprotein shows potential for treating both 'leaky gut' and severe depression What if a protein could be injected to help heal both "leaky gut" and severe depression? New research from the University of Victoria (UVic), published in Chronic Stress, shows that a glycoprotein called reelin may one day be able to do just that.

Reelin, a glycoprotein present in the body, may help restore gut barrier integrity and reduce depressive symptoms by targeting both gut and brain processes under chronic stress conditions. doi.org/g953gr

Depression genetics differ by sex: Study find females carry higher risk than males do Important genetic differences in how females and males experience depression have been revealed for the first time in findings that could pave the way for more targeted intervention and treatments.

Genetic factors appear to play a greater role in depression risk for females than males, with distinct DNA variations identified that may inform more personalized approaches to treatment. doi.org/g953gp

Disabling a critical cellular pathway could be key to stopping deadly rotavirus infection Rotavirus causes severe dehydrating diarrhea in infants and young children, contributing to more than 128,500 deaths per year globally despite widespread vaccination efforts.

Disabling the FA2H enzyme in cells blocks rotavirus from escaping endosomes, preventing infection and suggesting a promising target for new antiviral therapies. doi.org/g953gg

Splitting water: How order and disorder direct chemical reactivity In nature, the behavior of systems—whether large or small—is always governed by a few fundamental principles. For instance, objects fall downward because it minimizes their energy.

Strong electric fields can accelerate water splitting by increasing disorder among water molecules, highlighting the key role of entropy in chemical reactivity under electrochemical conditions. doi.org/g953gf

Leafcutter ants have blind spots, just like truck drivers We have all been in that situation: The moving boxes are large and heavy, but we are determined to carry them all in one trip, even if that means we can't see where we're going.

Leafcutter ants carrying oversized loads experience visual "blind spots," slowing their movement and reducing trail-following accuracy, which can impact foraging efficiency and forest nutrient cycling. doi.org/g953gd

Eco-friendly technology removes toxic PFAS from water Rice University researchers, in collaboration with international partners, have developed the first eco-friendly technology to rapidly capture and destroy toxic "forever chemicals" (PFAS) in water.

A new copper-aluminum layered material efficiently captures and destroys PFAS in water, offering a sustainable solution for removing these persistent environmental contaminants. doi.org/g953gc

Bamboo-based plastic can be made to biodegrade quickly, but still holds up in tough conditions A new method to produce strong, biodegradable plastic from bamboo is reported in Nature Communications this week. The bioplastic resembles oil-based plastics in strength, shapability, and thermal stability but can biodegrade in soil within 50 days, presenting a new pathway toward sustainable plastic alternatives.

A new bamboo-based plastic matches the strength and durability of conventional plastics, yet biodegrades in soil within 50 days, offering a promising sustainable alternative for industrial use. doi.org/g953gb

Sleep patterns linked to variation in health, cognition, lifestyle and brain organization Researchers led by Aurore Perrault at Concordia University, Canada and Valeria Kebets at McGill University, Canada, have used a complex data-driven analysis to uncover relationships among multiple aspects of sleep and individual variation in health, cognition, and lifestyle.

Distinct sleep patterns are associated with specific health, cognitive, lifestyle factors, and unique brain network organization, highlighting the complexity of sleep’s role in overall well-being. doi.org/g953f9

New treatment for psoriatic arthritis shows promising results in early trial A new treatment for a debilitating inflammatory condition which affects joints and skin has shown promising early results in an international clinical trial of more than 200 patients worldwide.

A new nanobody treatment for psoriatic arthritis demonstrated significant improvements in joint and skin symptoms, with most patients reaching minimal disease activity after 24 weeks. doi.org/g953dx

The world's snow leopards are very similar genetically—findings suggest that doesn't bode well for their future There are relatively few snow leopards in the world, and it has likely been that way for a long time, a new study indicates.

Snow leopards show very low genetic diversity, a factor that may limit their ability to adapt to environmental changes and increase their risk of extinction. doi.org/g953dp

SHIELD activated: Researchers build defense to protect drones from cyberattacks Fooled into following a hacker's rogue commands, a drone is liable to do any number of things. Fly erratically. Speed up.

A new cybersecurity framework called SHIELD monitors drones’ entire control systems, enabling rapid detection and recovery from sophisticated cyberattacks to help ensure mission completion. doi.org/g953dn

Friction-based landing gear enables drones to safely land on fast-moving vehicles Drones have become a more common sight in our skies and are used for everything from consumer hobbies like aerial photography to industrial applications such as farming, surveillance and logistics.

A friction-based landing gear system allows drones to land safely on vehicles moving at high speeds, reducing accident risk and expanding operational possibilities in challenging environments. doi.org/g953dm

Brain-on-a-chip technology reveals how sepsis and neurodegenerative diseases damage the brain In lieu of animal experiments, researchers from the University of Rochester are using state-of-the-art microchips with human tissue to better understand how the brain operates under healthy conditions and is damaged through neurodegenerative diseases or conditions like sepsis.

Brain-on-a-chip models using human tissue are advancing understanding of how sepsis and neurodegenerative diseases compromise the blood-brain barrier, informing potential strategies for brain protection. doi.org/g953dk

Harvesting hydrogen from biomass for energy can provide substantial carbon emissions reduction Hydrogen fuel provides energy without producing carbon dioxide emissions, which makes it a promising option for decarbonizing the economy.

Hydrogen produced from biomass offers significant greenhouse gas mitigation compared to fossil-based methods, presenting a cost-effective pathway for reducing emissions in hard-to-abate sectors. doi.org/g953dj

Neutron scanning of coral fossils reveals Earth's hidden climate history A University of Sydney student has developed a completely new way to peer inside coral fossils to recover lost records of past climate change.

Neutron computed tomography enables detailed 3D mapping of original coral minerals, allowing scientists to extract precise records of ancient sea-level and climate changes from fossilized corals. doi.org/g953b6

Observing quantum weirdness in our world: Nobel physics explained The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to three scientists on Tuesday for discovering that a bizarre barrier-defying phenomenon in the quantum realm could be observed on an electrical circuit in our classical world.

Quantum tunneling, once thought limited to the microscopic realm, has been observed in electrical circuits, paving the way for advances in quantum computing and sensitive measurement technologies.

Physicists detect water's ultraviolet fingerprint in interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS For millions of years, a fragment of ice and dust drifted between the stars—like a sealed bottle cast into the cosmic ocean.

Ultraviolet observations of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS have detected hydroxyl gas, providing the first evidence of water release from such an object at large distances from the Sun. doi.org/g953b4

Between rain and snow, machine learning finds nine precipitation types In research that could improve weather forecasting and winter driving safety, a University of Michigan-led study distinguished nine distinct precipitation types—varieties of rain, snow and mixed-phase (e.g., sleet)—using unsupervised machine learning and nearly a decade's worth of high-speed camera data.

Machine learning has identified nine distinct precipitation types—including multiple forms of rain, snow, and mixed-phase—improving the classification and prediction of weather events. doi.org/g953bw

Quantifying viral mimicry: How repetitive DNA in cancer cells triggers an immune response Understanding the interaction between immune cells and cancer cells has important implications for cancer immunotherapies, including checkpoint inhibitor drugs and cell-based therapies, as well as newer treatments like cancer vaccines.

A new mathematical model quantifies how repetitive DNA in cancer cells can mimic viral patterns, triggering innate immune responses and informing future cancer immunotherapy strategies. doi.org/g953bd