Hops are an essential ingredient in beer brewing and an important economic crop. The female flowers of hops are covered in tiny glandular trichomes that synthesize and store a variety of specialized metabolites, collectively defining the flavor and quality of beer. Terpenes provide the distinctive aroma, xanthohumol has potent antioxidant properties that benefit human health, and α-bitter acids give beer its characteristic bitterness.
Background Although voting is recognised as a social determinant of health, the association between electoral participation and subsequent mortality at an individual level has not been established.
Objective To assess whether voters and non-voters differ in mortality risk.
Methods We used register-based information on electoral participation in the 1999 parliamentary elections from the full electorate of at least 30-year-old Finnish citizens living in mainland Finland linked to registers containing sociodemographic and mortality information by Statistics Finland. Mortality was assessed with Cox proportional hazards regression models, with follow-up until the end of 2020 (n=3 185 572 individuals; 58 133 493 person-years; 1 053 483 deaths).
Straight-aligned hair paired with higher shine evokes the appearance of greater youth, health, and attractiveness, according to researchers at The Procter & Gamble Company, which owns several brands of hair care products, including ones designed to make hair shinier.
Studies on appearance often center on facial shape and skin condition. Previous studies also note that skin topography and coloration can influence judgments of age, health, and attractiveness across populations. Facial studies often remove hair cues to avoid biasing feature focused framing of perception.
Hair holds social cues that observers can read quickly. Work with computer-rendered hair has tied diameter, density, style, and color to shifts in perceived age, health, and attractiveness, and some studies previously associated healthier-looking hair with the appearance of better reproductive health.
Researchers at the University of Warwick have created a straightforward new way to predict how irregularly shaped nanoparticles, a harmful type of airborne pollutant, move through the air.
Each day, people inhale countless microscopic particles such as soot, dust, pollen, microplastics, viruses, and engineered nanoparticles. Many of these particles are so small that they can reach deep into the lungs and even pass into the bloodstream, where they may contribute to serious health problems including heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
While most airborne particles have uneven shapes, existing mathematical models often treat them as perfect spheres because that makes the equations easier to handle. This simplification limits scientists’ ability to accurately describe or track how real, non-spherical particles move, especially those that are more dangerous.
I wrote this educational primer on ebolavirus as a fun exploration of a topic not related to my current research. While such knowledge may be useful in the event of some future ebolavirus epidemic, it is mostly just an exercise in curiosity and intellectual enrichment. #virology #molecularbiology.
My website version: [ https://logancollinsblog.com/2025/11/04/an-introduction-to-ebolavirus-biology/](https://logancollinsblog.com/2025/11/04/an-introduction-to-ebolavirus-biology/)
Substack version: [ https://loganthrashercollins.substack.com/p/an-introduction-…us-biology](https://loganthrashercollins.substack.com/p/an-introduction-…us-biology)
PDF version: An Introduction to Ebolavirus Biology – Logan Thrasher Collins
I wrote this educational primer as a fun exploration of a topic not related to my current research. While such knowledge may be useful in the event of some future ebolavirus epidemic, it is mostly just an exercise in curiosity and intellectual enrichment. I hope that you too enjoy learning about this fascinating (but scary!) virus as you browse my writeup. Also, if you’re an ebolavirus expert with concepts, edits, and/or ideas to offer, feel free to reach out with your additional insights! Shoutout: I’d like to give a special shoutout/thanks to Jain et al. (reference 4) and Bodmer et al. (reference 2). I used their papers extensively throughout the creation of writeup!
Genome
Researchers at Imperial’s National Heart & Lung Institute (NHLI) have reported encouraging results from the first phase of clinical trials for a new peanut allergy vaccine.
This vaccine aims to ‘reset’ the immune system, potentially allowing the individual to tolerate peanuts without triggering the severe allergic reactions that often occur when peanut proteins are ingested.
Phase 1 trials for a new peanut allergy vaccine show promising results, offering potential long-term relief from allergic reactions.
In collaboration with industry partner Allergy Therapeutics, the team from Imperial has developed a vaccine using virus-like particle (VLP) technology to encapsulate the peanut allergen protein Ara h2. In the latest paper, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI), a phase 1 first-on-human clinical trial demonstrated the VLP peanut allergy vaccine’s safety and tolerability, with no reactivity observed during skin prick tests comparing the vaccine to control treatments.
A global team of experts from academia and industry has joined forces in a landmark Consensus Statement on next-generation photodetectors based on emerging light-responsive materials, which could accelerate innovative applications across health care, smart homes, agriculture, and manufacturing.
Professor Vincenzo Pecunia, head of the Sustainable Optoelectronics Research Group (www.sfu.ca/see/soe), has led this global initiative culminating in the publication of a Consensus Statement in Nature Photonics. Featured on the journal’s cover, the paper provides a unified framework for characterizing, reporting, and benchmarking emerging light-sensing technologies. These guidelines could catalyze the adoption of such sensors across a wide range of applications, enhancing quality of life, productivity, and sustainability.
Light sensors, also known as photodetectors, are devices that convert light into electrical signals. They are at the heart of countless smart devices and represent a global market valued at over $30 billion, reflecting both their ubiquity and economic significance. Emerging photodetectors—including those based on organic semiconductors, perovskites, quantum dots, and two-dimensional materials—could take this field even further by enabling ultrathin, flexible, stretchable, and lightweight sensors. These next-generation photodetectors promise lower costs, enhanced performance, and unique functionalities, paving the way for applications that were previously impossible.
The study notes in its conclusions, “We have presented G-FLight printing as an effective tool for the rapid gravity-independent fabrication of aligned tissues, focusing on muscle tissue as an application.”
Can muscle tissue be 3D-printed in outer space to improve astronaut health? This is what a recent study published in Advanced Science hopes to address as a team of scientists investigated how human tissue can be manufactured in space. This study has the potential to help scientists, researchers, and the public better understand new methods for not only aiding in long-term space travel but also combating diseases on Earth.
For the study, the researchers used a series of parabolic flights to test G-FLight (Gravity-independent Filamented Light), which is a novel 3D printing biomanufacturing system capable of producing muscle cells and fibers in a matter of seconds. The purpose of the parabolic flights was to simulate microgravity, which is produced by the airplane sharply diving after gradually rising in altitude. The goal of the study was to ascertain if G-Flight could successfully 3D-print muscle fibers under microgravity conditions. In the end, the researchers found that G-FLight successfully produced muscle fibers under microgravity conditions during parabolic flights.
Reusable menstrual cups reduce waste and are more cost-effective than single-use pads and tampons. But some people avoid the cups because they require thorough cleaning and are sometimes messy to empty. To solve these problems, researchers coated a commercially available silicone cup in silicone oil and created a plant-based, absorbent tablet. These design adjustments could make menstrual cups safer and easier to use, according to a study published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
“This research bridges advanced engineering and women’s health, creating a menstrual product that is not only self-cleaning and sustainable, but also opens doors for future health monitoring,” says Tohid Didar, one of the senior researchers of this study from McMaster University.
Nearly 2 billion people menstruate, and their desire for sustainable, reusable options—menstrual cups, disks and period underwear—is rising. Menstrual cups are designed to hold more fluid than tampons, allowing longer wear than the disposable option, and they can be cleaned and reused for years.
