SCIENCES ENERGIES ENVIRONNEMENT BLOGGER

 

Dear olivier hartmanshenn,

New on Science X: Key concepts and MeSH-based clinical categories We’re excited to announce a new feature across all Science X sites: Key Concepts, now available below every article. These highlight the main scientific ideas in each story and make it easier to explore related topics. On Medical Xpress, you’ll also notice MeSH-based clinical categories. Adapted from the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), these categories organize biomedical concepts into a clear, hierarchical structure. You can browse articles by research area, techniques, or topics of interest, helping you find exactly what matters to you. This update makes discovering, exploring, and connecting scientific content faster and more intuitive than ever. If you find this update useful, you can support our work with a donation and enjoy an ad-free account.

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for week 05: Fast-growing trees are taking over the forests of the future and putting biodiversity, climate resilience under pressure Forests are increasingly dominated by fast-growing tree species, while slow-growing, specialized species face heightened risk of extinction, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. This shift leads to reduced biodiversity, ecosystem homogenization, and diminished climate resilience, as fast-growing trees are less stable and store less carbon long-term. Human activities are the main drivers of these changes.   Saltwater crocodiles traveled thousands of miles across the Indian Ocean, genetic study suggests Genetic analysis shows that Seychelles crocodiles were not a distinct species but the westernmost population of the saltwater crocodile, Crocodylus porosus. DNA evidence indicates these crocodiles traveled at least 3,000 km across the Indian Ocean, demonstrating the species’ high mobility and wide historical range, which once extended over 12,000 km from Vanuatu to the Seychelles.   Milky Way is embedded in a 'large-scale sheet' of dark matter, which explains motions of nearby galaxies Simulations indicate that the Milky Way and Andromeda are embedded in a large-scale, flat sheet of dark matter, with voids above and below. This structure explains the observed motions and distribution of nearby galaxies, aligning with the Hubble-Lemaître law and resolving longstanding discrepancies in local galactic dynamics.   Snakes on trains: King cobras are 'hopping railways' to unsuitable habitats in India King cobras in India's Western Ghats are being inadvertently transported by trains into habitats that are less suitable for their survival, as indicated by rescue records and habitat modeling. Railway sites where cobras are found are drier and offer less prey and cover than their natural forested habitats, posing risks to both the snakes and humans. Public education and rescue efforts are recommended.   Ancient DNA reveals 12,000-year-old case of rare genetic disease Ancient DNA analysis identified a rare inherited growth disorder, acromesomelic dysplasia, Maroteaux type, in two 12,000-year-old females from southern Italy, likely a mother and daughter. Both carried variants in the NPR2 gene, with the daughter homozygous and the mother heterozygous. The findings demonstrate early occurrence of rare genetic diseases and evidence of social care in prehistoric communities.   Previously unknown bacterial component in kidney stone formation discovered Bacteria have been identified within calcium oxalate kidney stones, indicating a previously unrecognized microbial role in their formation. This challenges the view that these stones arise solely from chemical and physical processes and suggests that targeting bacterial biofilms could offer new prevention and treatment strategies for kidney stone disease.   AI makes quantum field theories computable Artificial intelligence enables optimal formulation of quantum field theories on discrete lattices for computer simulations, significantly improving computational efficiency and accuracy. By using AI-designed neural networks that respect physical laws, the action can be parameterized so that even coarse lattices yield minimal errors, facilitating more practical and reliable simulations of complex quantum phenomena.   Cuttlefish use polarized light to create a dramatic mating display invisible to humans Male Andrea cuttlefish use specialized arms to produce striking courtship displays by manipulating polarized light, a visual signal invisible to humans but highly conspicuous to other cuttlefish. This polarization effect is generated by iridophores and muscle layers in the arms, maximizing contrast for mate attraction. The findings highlight hidden complexity in animal communication and potential applications in optical technologies.   How gut bacteria control immune responses Gut bacteria can inject proteins directly into human cells using type III secretion systems, previously thought unique to pathogens. These proteins interact with human immune and metabolic pathways, modulating immune responses such as NF-κB and cytokine signaling. Genes for these effectors are more common in Crohn’s disease, linking this mechanism to chronic intestinal inflammation.   Changes to cougar diets and behaviors reduce their competition with wolves in Yellowstone, study finds Cougars in Yellowstone reduce competition with wolves by shifting to smaller prey, such as deer, and by avoiding wolf kill sites and staying near escape terrain. Wolves dominate interactions, often stealing cougar kills and occasionally killing cougars, while cougars do not kill wolves. These behavioral and dietary changes facilitate coexistence, with prey diversity and escape terrain being key factors.   Exceptionally well-preserved ant in Goethe's amber examined A 40-million-year-old ant fossil from Goethe's Baltic amber collection was analyzed using synchrotron micro-computed tomography, enabling detailed 3D reconstruction and visualization of internal structures. The specimen, †Ctenobethylus goepperti, provided new morphological data and insights into its evolutionary relationships and likely arboreal nesting behavior.   Aging populations could cut global water use by up to 31%, study finds Aging populations are projected to reduce global water withdrawals by 15–31% by 2050, with the effect most pronounced in parts of Asia. A 1% increase in the population aged 65+ correlates with a 2.17% decrease in water use, especially in industry. Demographic aging alters consumption patterns, slowing water demand growth, but does not eliminate the need for water management strategies.   Higher water levels could turn cultivated peatland in the North into a CO₂ sink Raising groundwater levels in cultivated Arctic peatlands sharply reduces CO₂ emissions and can shift these areas from carbon sources to slight carbon sinks, with minimal increases in methane and nitrous oxide under cool conditions. This effect is strongest in cold climates with long daylight, but diminishes as soil temperatures rise. Fertilization had little impact on emissions, while frequent harvesting may reduce long-term carbon storage.   A lost world: Ancient cave reveals million-year-old wildlife Fossils from a cave in New Zealand reveal that about 33–50% of ancient bird and frog species went extinct between 1.55 and 1 million years ago, driven by rapid climate change and volcanic eruptions. The remains include ancestors of the Kākāpō and Takahē, indicating significant faunal turnover and evolutionary diversification before human arrival.   Webb pushes boundaries of observable universe closer to Big Bang The James Webb Space Telescope has confirmed the existence of galaxy MoM-z14 at a redshift of 14.44, corresponding to 280 million years after the Big Bang. MoM-z14 is unusually bright and nitrogen-rich, challenging existing models of early galaxy formation. Its properties provide new insights into the timeline of cosmic reionization and the nature of the early universe.   Scientists just mapped the family tree of all 11,000 bird species—and you can explore it A comprehensive online tool now maps the evolutionary relationships among all 11,000 bird species, integrating current phylogenetic research and taxonomy. The Birds of the World Phylogeny Explorer enables interactive exploration of avian ancestry, trait evolution, and biodiversity, supporting both scientific research and personalized birding experiences.   Superfluids are supposed to flow indefinitely. Physicists just watched one stop moving A superfluid in bilayer graphene was observed to transition into an insulating state at low temperatures and densities, suggesting the emergence of a supersolid phase—an elusive quantum state combining crystalline order with frictionless flow. This finding demonstrates that 2D materials like graphene enable new ways to explore and control quantum phases such as superfluidity and supersolidity.   The infant universe's 'primordial soup' was actually soupy, study finds Quark-gluon plasma, present in the early universe, behaves as a dense, nearly perfect liquid that responds collectively to fast-moving quarks, producing fluid-like wakes. Experiments at the Large Hadron Collider using Z bosons as tags provide direct evidence of these wake effects, confirming that the plasma flows and ripples rather than scattering like individual particles.   Metformin shown to prevent long COVID across risk groups in multiple randomized trials Metformin, when administered during or shortly after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, significantly lowers the risk of developing long COVID across diverse adult risk groups. On average, treating 50 acute cases with metformin for 14 days prevents one case of long COVID. Metformin also reduces viral load and is safe for most adults, but its effects in children and on established long COVID remain unknown.   Jurassic amphibian with a projectile tongue named as a new species A new Jurassic amphibian species, Nabia civiscientrix, has been identified from 150-million-year-old fossils in Portugal. Measuring about 5 cm, it had scaly skin, claws, eyelids, and a projectile tongue. The species belongs to the extinct Albanerpetontidae group and represents some of the oldest known remains of this lineage in the Iberian Peninsula. Detailed micro-CT analysis enabled anatomical revision of the group.