Health
Scientists discover why Kent meningitis outbreak was so severe
The bacteria responsible picked up some new genetic material, say experts.
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Business
Investors discover their new favorite consumer AI play in Meta. Options volume is surging
Shares of the social media giant surged 12% Monday.
Science
Stanford scientists discover the human brain may actually be two separate organs
Scientists have found that the human brain develops from two distinct cellular systems, suggesting that evolution fused together two ancient nervous systems with very different jobs. The discovery also allowed researchers to grow human hindbrain neurons in the lab, opening new possibilities for studying ALS, spinal muscular atrophy, and other brainstem diseases.
Science
Scientists discover a hidden “ID card” in cat urine
Cats may identify one another through a surprisingly durable chemical “calling card” made from 13 unusual fatty acids in their urine. The compounds appear linked to mysterious fat droplets in the kidneys and may represent a scent-recognition system shared across the cat family.
Science
Scientists discover the first diplodocus ever found outside North America
A 150-million-year-old dinosaur fossil from Spain has been identified as the first confirmed Diplodocus ever found outside North America. The giant sauropod measured about 25 meters long and was preserved well enough for researchers to match distinctive features in its tail bones to the famous genus. Its unexpected appearance in Europe suggests dinosaurs were moving between the continents during the Late Jurassic, possibly across temporary land connections.
Science
Scientists solve a 50-year mystery and discover a new human blood group
Scientists have identified the genetic cause behind the mysterious AnWj blood group antigen, solving a puzzle that began in 1972 and establishing a new blood group system called MAL. The discovery could make it much easier to find extremely rare AnWj-negative patients and donors and protect them from potentially dangerous transfusion reactions.
World
Scientists discover first new wild cat in more than 100 years
Scientists have identified a previously unknown species of wild cat living at a wildlife sanctuary in Bolivia. The tiny, spotted feline had lived at the sanctuary for years before genetic analysis revealed it as the first new living wild cat species identified in more than a century.
Science
Scientists discover new 'immune hubs' in skull bone marrow
"Immune hubs" that actively defend the brain have been discovered in mouse skull marrow. Similar cells exist in human skulls, but their role remains unclear.
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Health
Scientists discover strange link between low vitamin D and pain
Low vitamin D levels may make recovery from breast cancer surgery more painful, according to a study of 184 women undergoing mastectomy. Patients with vitamin D deficiency were three times more likely to experience moderate to severe pain during the first 24 hours after surgery and also used substantially more of the opioid painkiller tramadol. They received slightly more fentanyl during surgery and experienced more postoperative nausea as well.
Science
Scientists discover a major brain shift between ages 50 and 75
Scientists have uncovered sweeping changes in how the human brain controls and organizes its genome beginning in midlife, offering new clues to why aging sharply increases the risk of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. One of the biggest shifts occurred between about ages 50 and 75, when many of the brain’s original immune cells declined and were replaced by cells with more inflammatory characteristics. Researchers also found weakening of cells that help maintain the blood-brain barrier, along with widespread deterioration in the genome’s three-dimensional organization.
Health
Scientists discover cells that cheat death and rebuild damaged tissue
Scientists discovered a population of cells that can start the process of programmed cell death, survive it, and then help rapidly rebuild damaged tissue. Their descendants become far more resistant to future damage, revealing a mechanism that could improve healing but may also help cancers return after treatment.
Science
Scientists discover a mysterious new frog hiding in the Amazon
Scientists discovered a new frog species in the flooded forests of the western Amazon, distinguishing it from nearly identical relatives through DNA and its unique call. Adenomera varcena highlights how much Amazonian biodiversity remains hidden even as habitat loss and climate change threaten these poorly understood species.