Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are emerging pollutants. Human exposure occurs mainly through ingestion of contaminated food and water and inhalation of airborne particles. MNPs can cross the intestinal barrier, accumulate in gastrointestinal (GI) tissues, and induce oxidative stress, DNA damage, inflammation, endocrine disruption, and gut dysbiosis—mechanisms relevant to carcinogenesis. The GI tract is particularly vulnerable due to direct mucosal contact and high epithelial turnover. Epidemiological evidence is limited, but early findings support a plausible link with GI cancers. As MNPs may be a modifiable risk factor, prevention should prioritize reduced plastic exposure, antioxidant-rich diets, and environmental monitoring.

Researchers at the University of Missouri have uncovered a promising way to protect saliva-producing glands from radiation damage that can make it difficult to eat, swallow, sleep and maintain oral hygiene.

The linear mixed model (LMM) has emerged as a powerful statistical tool in genetic association studies, enabling researchers to control for population structure and relatedness among study participants to reduce false positive findings. In the standard LMM framework, a hyperparameter η quantifies the relative contribution of random genetic effects versus random noise. While classical approaches treat η as known, genome-wide association studies require its estimation, typically via maximum likelihood (ML) or restricted maximum likelihood (REML) methods. Although likelihood ratio tests and Wald tests provide p-values for association testing under the LMM, Bayes factors offer distinct advantages—particularly when comparing multiple non-nested alternative models. However, no efficient method has been available for computing Bayes factors under the LMM framework in the context of genetic association studies.

 

Researchers have detected electrically driven terahertz emission from an N-polar gallium nitride transistor at room temperature, creating a new platform for studying compact terahertz sources.

Researchers report highly efficient dual-channel doublet emission from open-shell cerium(III) complexes. Increasing the coordination number from seven and eight to nine creates a crowded yet adaptable environment that undergoes photoinduced structural relaxation, giving access to two emissive 5d states. The nine-coordinate complexes emit through both channels with photoluminescence quantum yields of up to nearly 100%, offering a design strategy for advanced multichannel luminescent materials.

AI incorporates researchers’ knowledge and experience expressed in natural language into experimental planning, reducing the number of searches needed to reach target performance to one-quarter or less.

Pancreatic cancer cells are remarkably good at doing one thing: growing. But new Texas A&M research suggests that two tiny molecules already present in the body may help slow them down.

Researchers at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) and the College of Education and Human Development found that increasing levels of two microRNAs, known as miR-15a and miR-16, reduced protein synthesis and slowed the growth of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells.

UIC College of Dentistry researcher Christine Wu found another reason to add these tart treats to your grocery cart: oral health.

Domestication has given cultivated carnations striking colors, varied forms, and long vase life, but often at the cost of fragrance. 

A team at XPANCEO has developed a way to turn advanced materials into clean, stable inks, pointing toward sensors that can be drawn by hand and, in time, become the functional layers of a smart contact lens.