Can we have higher yields and better taste? Using a natural extract from the fungus Pseudozyma aphidis, this method improves the firmness and natural sugar content of crops like tomatoes and melons while significantly boosting production. This discovery offers a practical path to meeting global food demands without compromising the health of the planet or produce quality . Furthermore, because the approach uses stable microbial secretions instead of live cultures, it ensures consistent and reliable performance across various agricultural environments and climates.

Fine particles (PM₂.₅) were associated with around 79,000 preventable deaths, followed by nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ozone (O₃) and coarser particles (PM₂.₅-₁₀, particles with a diameter between 2.5 and 10 micrometres). These are among the findings of a new study conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the ”la Caixa” Foundation, in collaboration with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center–Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS), which provides the first Europe-wide estimate of short-term mortality associated with the combined effects of multiple pollutants across 31 European countries. The findings, published in Nature Health, support the development of impact-based early warning systems to help protect the population from the health effects of air pollution.

Perimenopausal women were two times more likely to have a low cardiovascular health score compared to women having regular menstrual cycles, according to an analysis of nationwide U.S. data published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

MIT engineers developed a new way to amplify the T cell response to mRNA vaccines, using an mRNA adjuvant. This approach could lead to much more powerful cancer vaccines and stronger protection against infectious diseases.

 

A recent study shows that the rapid increase of new nicotine products and the influence of the tobacco industry are perceived to significantly hinder the European countries’ ability to achieve ambitious tobacco control goals. Without strong support at the EU level and rapid responses to changes in the market, the targets risk remaining unmet.

Experts from the University of Plymouth’s Brain Research and Imaging Centre and the University of Exeter Medical School believe the results of a new study lay important groundwork for exploring the therapeutic use of transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) in people experiencing chronic pain through conditions including fibromyalgia, back pain and arthritis, or while they are recovering after cancer treatment.