Major genetic defect linked to female infertility identified

Manhattan plots for female infertility. Credit: The American Journal of Human Genetics (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2024.10.018 Up to 15% of all couples suffer from infertility at some point in their lives.…

Social connections change our microbiomes, study of isolated villages suggests

The researchers mapped the social networks and collected microbiome data of residents of 18 remote villages in Honduras. Credit: Human Nature Lab at Yale Friends tend to share common interests,…

War Impacts Child Development, Alters DNA

Summary: War exposure in Syrian refugee children triggered unique DNA methylation changes, marking genes involved in brain development and stress responses. These epigenetic changes suggest potential long-term effects on health…

Large-scale genetic study identifies 14 genes linked to neuroticism

Study overview. Credit: Nature Human Behaviour (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-02045-w Neuroticism is a key personality trait described by well-established psychological theories, associated with a tendency towards emotional instability and negative emotions.…

Stop-smoking pill varenicline to be offered by the UK’s NHS

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain For the first time since 2021, a pill used to help people quit smoking—varenicline—will again be available from the NHS. Varenicline is one of the most…

Rare formations of cave pearls found in the Ain Joweizeh spring system

Archaeologists from the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have uncovered formations of cave pearls during a study of the Ain Joweizeh spring system near Jerusalem. Ain…

Study highlights physician perspectives on emerging anti-amyloid treatments for Alzheimer’s disease

Physician perspectives on amyloid-targeted therapies. Panel A shows the percentages for all survey respondents; Panel B shows the percentages according to speciality, p = 0.018. Credit: Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease (2024). DOI:…

How AI Could Shape Human Evolution in Subtle Yet Profound Ways

Summary: Artificial intelligence is becoming a pivotal force in human lives, prompting questions about its evolutionary effects. A new study explores how AI may influence human evolution through everyday interactions,…

High exposure to everyday chemicals linked to asthma risk in children

By measuring the concentrations of 24 phenols—including nitrophenol, parabens, bisphenol, octylphenol, and nonylphenol—in urine samples collected during the first trimester of pregnancy, and performing logistic regression analysis, researchers identified that…

A better understanding of what people do on their devices is key to digital well-being

In an era where digital devices are everywhere, the term “screen time” has become a buzz phrase in discussions about technology’s impact on people’s lives. Parents are concerned about their…