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Locust swarms can wipe out crops across entire regions, threatening food supplies and livelihoods. Now, scientists working with farmers in Senegal have shown that improving soil health can dramatically reduce locust damage. By enriching soil with nitrogen, crops become less appealing to the insects, leading to fewer locusts, less plant damage, and harvests that doubled in size.
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People with spinal cord injuries often lose movement even though their brains still send the right signals. Researchers tested whether EEG brain scans could capture those signals and reroute them to spinal stimulators. The system can detect when a patient is trying to move, though finer control remains a challenge. Scientists hope future improvements could turn intention into action.
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A large, decades-long study suggests that signs of ADHD in childhood may have consequences that extend well beyond school and behavior. Researchers followed nearly 11,000 people from childhood into midlife and found that those with strong ADHD traits at age 10 were more likely to experience multiple physical health problems and health-related disability by their mid-40s.
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Chronic inflammation may be quietly reshaping the colon and making it more vulnerable to early-onset colorectal cancer. Scientists found that colon tissue in younger patients was stiffer, even in areas that appeared healthy, suggesting these changes may happen before cancer develops. Lab experiments showed that cancer cells grow faster in rigid environments.
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Aging immune cells may be sabotaging the body from within. Researchers found that macrophages produce a protein that locks them into a chronic inflammatory state, making infections like sepsis more deadly in older adults. Turning off this signal reduced inflammation and improved survival in older models. The findings hint at future treatments that could dial back harmful immune overreactions.