|
|
You’ve most likely heard of the gut microbiome – the trillions of microbes that live in our digestive tract – and its important role in health. University of Washington gastroenterologist Christopher Damman’s article on the microbiome-mitochondria axis will deepen your understanding and help you appreciate the medicinal potential of food. He explains that this area of research, which focuses on how the “microbiome’s biochemical signals regulate the growth and function of energy-producing mitochondria” in certain cells, could be critical to understanding which types of foods can address chronic diseases.
Millions of Americans have been diagnosed with ADHD, and the recent shortage of the drug Adderall has brought attention to people with this condition. University of Florida neuroscientist Habibeh Khoshbouei provides an excellent explainer on how amphetamines like Adderall and Ritalin affect people’s dopamine levels and act as treatment for people with ADHD. She also details the dangers to people without ADHD who use these drugs, which include cardiovascular complications, sleep disturbances and addiction.
Last month the CDC issued a warning on the fungus Candida auris, which is spreading disease in hospitals; our editors reached out to an infectious disease expert to explain what you need to know. One of the most widely covered climate studies last week was one that found that global warming is contributing to the trend of more home runs in professional baseball. And in a story popular with readers last week, a coastal
scientist writes about the huge floating mats of brown seaweed called sargassum now heading toward Florida in the Caribbean.
Also in this week’s science news:
If there’s a subject you’d like our team of science editors to investigate, please reply to this email.
|
|
Martin La Monica
Director of Editorial Projects and Newsletters
|
|
The gut microbiome may play a role in regulating the body’s appetite, cognition and immune responses.
nopparit/iStock via Getty Images Plus
Christopher Damman, University of Washington
Research has examined how ultraprocessed foods can contribute to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and mood disorders. A healthier diet is one way to use food as medicine.
|
Many people with ADHD are finding it difficult to get their Adderall prescriptions filled amid the shortage.
AP Photo/Jenny Kane
Habibeh Khoshbouei, University of Florida
For those who need it, Adderall and other stimulants can be game-changing medications that help restore the chemical imbalances underlying ADHD. But for those who don’t, these drugs can be harmful.
|
The Drake Passage, seen from Antarctica, is one of the most turbulent ocean regions on Earth.
Lilian Dove
Lilian (Lily) Dove, California Institute of Technology
Working with underwater robots, scientists show how deep sea mountains and fast currents between Antarctica and South America play a crucial role in stabilizing the climate.
|
|
Mayank Kejriwal, University of Southern California
Language model AIs are smooth talkers, but you shouldn’t rely on them to make important decisions. That’s because they have trouble telling the difference between a gain and a loss.
| |
Erin Siracusa, University of Exeter; Noah Snyder-Mackler, Arizona State University
Many older people tend to trim their social circles and focus their social efforts on family and close friends. New research on our close primate relatives may help explain why.
|
Camille Stevens-Rumann, Colorado State University
Even in death, a tree helps others live.
| |
Mike Sori, Purdue University
The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer and Europa Clipper missions will arrive at Jupiter in the 2030s and provide researchers with unprecedented access to the icy moons orbiting the gas giant.
|
Arif R. Sarwari, West Virginia University
Candida auris is a relatively new addition to a family of fungi that can infect people. Most of these infections occur in sick, hospitalized patients and can be deadly.
| |
Christopher W. Callahan, Dartmouth College; Justin S. Mankin, Dartmouth College
Scientists analyzed 100,000 baseball games, from the days of Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays to Aaron Judge. Here’s what they learned about the climate’s growing role.
|
|
|
|
-
Wendie A. Berg, University of Pittsburgh
Dense breast tissue is common and normal, but it can make cancer more difficult to detect. FDA requirements going into effect in September 2024 will dictate that patients be better informed about it.
-
Megan Keller, Cornell University
Antibiotic resistance has contributed to millions of deaths worldwide. Research suggests that any bacteria can develop antibiotic tolerance, and possibly resistance, when pushed to their limits.
-
James Phillips, University of Washington
Motion sickness results when your senses report conflicting information to your brain that it can’t reconcile based on its expectations about how the world works.
-
Stephen P. Leatherman, Florida International University
Scientists are predicting a record sargassum bloom in 2023. It’s already starting to wash up on beaches in Florida and the Caribbean and cause a stink.
-
John V. Williams, University of Pittsburgh
Similar to the patterns seen with COVID-19, flu and RSV, HMPV is making a comeback after years of being repressed by people wearing masks and social distancing.
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|