Human childbirth is commonly viewed as uniquely difficult and dangerous. The reason: the combination of bipedalism and large brains creates a tight fit between the baby and the birth canal. Research at the University of Vienna has now shown that many other mammals – from domestic livestock to wild species – face similar birth problems and mortality. In some species, these complications even occur as often as in some human populations, such as hunter-gatherers without modern medical care. The findings suggest that difficult childbirth is not uniquely human. The study was published in Biological Reviews.

A team led by USC Stem Cell scientist Zhongwei Li, PhD, has produced some of the most complex and mature lab-grown kidney models to date. Supported by a three-year grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), Li and his colleagues are now mapping the characteristics, structure and function of these mini-kidney structures, known as human synthetic kidney organoids (hSKOs), to show how they can advance research on disease.

A new worm model developed by Brown University researchers could play a key role in treating a rare genetic disease that causes paralysis in children and worsens with age. Developed in the lab of neuroscientist Anne Hart, a genetically engineered C. elegans nematode model provides a fast, inexpensive way to evaluate potential drug treatments for alternating hemiplegia of childhood, or AHC, a disorder that currently has no cure or effective treatments.

Soils are home to some of the most diverse animal communities on Earth. These animals – including nematodes, springtails, mites, earthworms, spiders and other arthropods – drive decomposition, regulate microbial communities and contribute to nutrient cycling. However, little is known about how these animals’ “trophic diversity” – meaning the variety of feeding activities – is affected by land use and climate. An international research team led by the University of Göttingen has now shown that soil animal communities have greater trophic diversity in agricultural ecosystems and in tropical regions. The study analysed carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios from over 17,000 soil samples, covering 28 major groups of organisms from 456 sites across 19 countries. The results were published in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

For decades, scientists have known that estrogen protects cardiovascular health, but exactly how that protection works—and what happens when it disappears—has remained unclear. New research from University of Texas at Arlington points to the liver and the immune system as critical players.

A new study by University of Victoria and Pacific Salmon Foundation scientists has uncovered what adult Chinook salmon in the Salish Sea are eating—and revealed diet can differ according to region. 

Restoring dry forests in the Pacific Northwest, shaped by frequent low-intensity fire and widely spaced trees, often means thinning dense stands that accumulated after decades of fire suppression. This can make forests healthier and more resilient to wildfire, but it can raise concerns about protecting wildlife that depend on dense tree cover, including the northern spotted owl.

A new study by researchers at Oregon State University and the U.S. Forest Service and just published in Forest Ecology & Management, suggests that restoration of landscapes that historically burned frequently through planned, controlled fire does not have to conflict with spotted owl conservation.