The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how the same health information affects the behavior of individuals differently. A recent study revealed cultural differences in how people respond to hypothetical COVID-19 infection information at the local level. The analysis also found differences in how individual subgroups react differently to pandemic information.

Researchers at the University of Navarra have developed FLIP-HEDOS, a pioneering model that measures radiation exposure in circulating blood during cancer treatment. The study, led by Dr. Marina García-Cardosa in collaboration with the University’s Cancer Center, highlights a long-overlooked factor in radiotherapy: protecting blood as an “organ at risk.” By integrating patient anatomy, blood flow, and treatment plans, FLIP-HEDOS predicts cumulative radiation doses and their impact on the immune system. The findings open new paths for safer, more precise oncology care, from reducing side effects to improving outcomes in patients receiving radiotherapy and immunotherapy.

While both yogurt and hot spring bathing have been reported to positively influence the gut environment, the health effects of their combination had not been investigated. The researchers demonstrated that combining yogurt intake with hot spring bathing may have even greater beneficial effects on the gut microbiota and defecation status than yogurt alone.

At school, it’s often presented as a tidy double helix but scientists are revealing the varied and intricate shapes of DNA molecules.  

DNA is a molecule found in just about every living cell. Because the molecule is long, it ends up twisting on itself and getting tangled. Enzymes in the body try to regulate this process but when that fails, normal activity in the cell can be disrupted, which triggers ill health and could be a factor in diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration.

To find cures for major illnesses, scientists need to understand the complex shape of DNA tangles. Existing lab techniques enable them to plot the shape and structure of DNA tangles but it is laborious and time consuming. 

An international scientific team led by the University of Sheffield in the UK has now automated the process. Using what is known as an atomic force microscope, advanced computer software and AI - they are able to visualise the DNA molecules, trace their paths and measure them.

This new study, led by Director C. Justin LEE of the Center for Cognition and Sociality within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in Daejeon, South Korea, set out to identify the brain’s own defenses against a particularly harmful form of ROS — hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Using advanced imaging and molecular analysis, the team discovered that hemoglobin exists in the nucleolus of astrocytes — star-shaped brain cells critical for neuronal support — where it acts as a “pseudoperoxidase,” breaking down H₂O₂ into harmless water.