Why are people in some regions happier and healthier than in other regions? For the first time, an international team of historians, psychologists, and economists has linked ancient Roman borders to today’s differences in personality, health and well-being across regions. ‘Our study shows how historical events from thousands of years ago can leave long-lasting psychological effects on populations today,’ says lead researcher Martin Obschonka from the University of Amsterdam.

Genetic changes are a significant cause of infertility, impacting over 15% of the global population. TLE6, a major protein involved in early embryonic development, is known to affect female fertility. In this study, researchers unravel its role in male fertility using a novel Tle6-deficient mouse model. Abnormal sperm morphology with a marked reduction in sperm count and motility highlighted the role of Tle6 in sperm function and production, and its potential association with male infertility.

An estimated 800 million people's food and income are threatened by rapidly spreading cassava diseases. But in good news for cassava breeders and farmers, breakthrough research has established the pathogens and the first diagnostic tests for two diseases: Cassava Frogskin Disease and Cassava Witches’ Broom Disease. This achievement can revolutionize cassava disease management across Latin America and the Caribbean as well as Southeast Asia, where farmers and researchers have been working side-by-side to fight the spread of these diseases for decades.

In an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary study, an international team led by the University of Vienna and the Danish Technical University/Umea University examined the social risks for Arctic regions associated with thawing permafrost. They identified five key risks related to infrastructure, transport and supply, water quality, food security and health. The scientists found that the thawing permafrost posed an increased risk of exposure to infectious diseases and release of contaminants, and interruptions of supply routes. The study has been published in the renowned journal Communications Earth and Environment. 

Two new studies led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a possible way to block the progression of several forms of blood cancer using a drug already in clinical trials against breast cancer.

The FDA ban on Red Dye 3, cancer survivorship and what it  means to live with cancer, global trends in lung cancer deaths, researching gynecologic cancer disparities in women of Arican ancestry and more are included in Sylvester Cancer's January tip sheet.