Researchers from Japan find that certain antioxidant enzymes, called selenoproteins, significantly contribute to fighting cell aging. The team used a gene knockout mouse model to help them study the effects of disrupting selenoprotein synthesis. This knockout negatively impacted hematopoietic stem cells and B cell-lineage immune cells, which was driven by the lack of selenoprotein-mediated fighting of lipid peroxides. These phenotypes mimic what is observed in age-related diseases, emphasizing the importance of selenoproteins in these disorders.

Batteries power the clean energy transition, but their production comes at a cost — environmental and human health impacts from critical mineral extraction and processing. A new study, by the Yannay Institute for Energy Security at Reichman University, highlights the risks and offers sustainable solutions including circular economy strategies and pollution mitigation measures to ensure energy storage technologies truly benefit the planet and its people.

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have studied how nurses perceive words showing high and low risk ailments. They looked for directional bias, e.g. whether words denoting lower (higher) risk led to a quicker response when placed on the left (right) side or vice versa. They found faster response for significantly higher or lower risk, but different people had different directional biases. Their findings might inform better ways to present clinical information.