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Singer Dolly Parton has died at age 80, remembered for her philanthropic contributions to science alongside her music career. She provided early funding for Moderna's vaccine research and publicly received her own COVID-19 vaccination to counter public hesitancy, while her Imagination Library program continues distributing over three million books monthly to children worldwide.
A study of more than 70,000 people published in Nature Medicine found that those who received the current Shingrix shingles vaccine, rather than an older formulation, had a reduced risk of heart disease and heart failure. Researchers compared recipients of the two vaccine types rather than vaccinated versus unvaccinated people, a design meant to avoid the bias seen in earlier studies where healthier people were more likely to get vaccinated.
Nature.com published a compilation summarizing five notable developments in nuclear-power research, though the underlying content was inaccessible due to browser compatibility restrictions. The page redirected visitors to a stripped-down, styleless version of the site rather than displaying the actual research summaries.
Scientists led by Wu and colleagues determined eight structural snapshots of UDP-glucose ceramide glucosyltransferase (UGCG), the enzyme that initiates production of nearly all glycosphingolipids in cells. The structures, published in Nature, expose a previously unknown catalytic mechanism and show how existing drugs bind and inhibit the enzyme. They also uncovered a regulatory 'brake' element unique to primate versions of UGCG.
New reactor designs, including smaller modular units, are being developed to make nuclear fission a more flexible and reliable source of carbon-free electricity. This shift comes after decades in which nuclear power failed to deliver on early promises of cheap, abundant energy following its transition from wartime use to civilian power generation.
A growing cluster of private companies is building experimental fusion reactors, aiming to harness the same energy process that powers the sun and stars. One facility under construction includes large D-shaped magnetic confinement components and circular platforms designed to contain and control plasma at extreme temperatures.
Researchers acknowledge that although SSRIs remain among the world's most widely prescribed medications, the precise biological mechanism by which they relieve depression is still not understood. The debate intensified after US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed the drugs are overprescribed and carry withdrawal risks comparable to heroin, sparking pushback from some clinicians while others said he raised a legitimate concern.
South Africa's government has proposed a law requiring 'practising natural scientists' to register with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions, covering anyone providing scientific services or advice, whether paid or unpaid. Exceptions apply to educators at recognized institutions and those crafting government science policy, but failure to comply could result in up to a year in prison.
Country music legend Dolly Parton has died at age 80 following a brief battle with cancer, her representatives announced. Beyond her decade-spanning music career and 10 Grammy wins, Parton was widely recognized for her philanthropic support of medical research, including a $1 million donation that helped fund Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine development at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She also lent her name, indirectly, to Dolly the sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.
Nature reports that the nuclear power sector is increasingly turning to small modular reactors (SMRs) as a way to overcome the cost overruns and construction delays that have long plagued large-scale nuclear plants. These smaller, factory-built designs promise faster deployment and lower upfront capital costs than traditional gigawatt-scale reactors.
Scientists have outlined a new enzymatic approach that reuses byproducts to synthesize thiophosphate molecules, compounds valued for their applications in chemistry and biology. The method relies on biological catalysts rather than traditional chemical synthesis routes, offering a more sustainable pathway to these materials.
Several companies are developing small nuclear reactors compact enough to be transported by aircraft or shipped in standard containers, each carrying roughly a decade's worth of fuel. Backers envision deploying these units directly from factories to isolated locations like rural Alaska, remote mining operations, or even future space outposts, where conventional power infrastructure is costly or impractical.