Journalists

An international group of scientists has studied epidemiological data since 2005 and more than 10,000 viral genomes to conclude that the epicentre of H5 avian influenza has shifted from Asia to parts of Africa and Europe. New lineages have emerged from these regions between 2020 and 2022, which evolved by genetic reassortment with low pathogenic viral variants as they spread. According to the authors, who publish their findings in the journal Nature, the increasing persistence of avian influenza in wild bird populations may be driving the evolution and spread of new strains.

Spermidine is a naturally occurring compound that has been linked to increased longevity in some organisms. New research shows that supplementation with this compound improves oocyte quality and fertility in older female mice. If its action and safety in humans is confirmed, the authors argue that it could serve as a therapeutic strategy to "improve the reproductive outcome of older women, either through natural pregnancy or assisted reproductive technologies". The results are published in the journal Nature Aging.
 

The Science group of journals publishes several parts of a high-resolution atlas of human brain cells, the largest 'map' of its kind to date. It is a series of papers from an international mega-project, the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative - Cell Census Network (BICCN), launched in 2017 to study brain cell types and their functions in humans, non-human primates and rodents. The data "will now allow researchers to address fundamental scientific questions about the human brain and its genetic organisation," states the introduction to the journal's special issue.

Currently, when an organ transplant is performed, the patient has to take immunosuppressive drugs to prevent his or her system from rejecting the new organ. These drugs must be taken for life and have numerous side effects. In a phase 1 clinical trial, researchers gave patients receiving a liver transplant regulatory dendritic cells derived from the original donor, with the hypothesis that these cells could 'teach' the recipient's immune system to tolerate the new organ. The research, published in Science Translational Medicine, suggests that this treatment could reduce or even eliminate the need for long-term use of immunosuppressants.

Living as a private renter is associated with faster biological ageing than owning a home, according to a study using a UK database with data available on 1,420 people. The team, whose research is published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, used DNA methylation data - chemical modifications - to measure people's biological age, and says this correlation is stronger than the association between biological ageing and unemployment, or having been a smoker. Apart from blood samples from the database, the research also used historical data from a national survey.

Research has compiled data on brewing hop yields and alpha content - which gives beer its bitter aroma and affects quality - between 1971 and 2018 in hop-growing areas of Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovenia. The results, published in the journal Nature Communications, show that, compared to 1994, hop production has decreased by 0.2 tonnes per hectare per year and alpha bitterness content has fallen by 0.6%. Combining the data with climate models, the authors estimate that by 2050 hop yields and alpha content will fall by 4 - 18% and 20 - 31% respectively. According to the models, the cause will be higher temperatures and more frequent and severe droughts due to climate change.

On the occasion of World Mental Health Day on 10 October, the Science Media Centre Spain organised an information session on the mental health of young people and the threat posed by deepfakes and cyberbullying. At the meeting, experts Esther Calvete and Irene de la Vega explained their risks and possible repercussions, their characteristics and some tools to reduce their frequency and impact.

The Neurology Commission of the New World Stroke Organization and The Lancet has estimated that stroke deaths will increase from 6.6 million in 2020 to 9.7 million in 2050, with a widening gap between low- and middle-income and high-income countries. The economic analysis indicates that the treatment, rehabilitation and indirect costs of stroke would double from $891 billion in 2020 to as much as $2.3 trillion in 2050.