Targeting young adults beginning university may be especially effective for encouraging pro-environmental behaviors

PLOS

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When starting college, many young people report adopting pro-environmental behaviors such as active travel (e.g. walking, biking) and reduced meat consumption, so targeted interventions in these transition moments could be especially effective. 

Article URL: https://plos.io/4pZVamA

Article Title: Shifting horizons: Significant life events and pro-environmental behaviour change in early adulthood

Author Countries: United Kingdom

Funding: This work was supported by the European Research Council (ERC), under the project “Understanding and leveraging ‘moments of change’ for pro-environmental behaviour shifts” [grant number: 820235 to LW; KM; MG; NN] The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

 

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Journal

PLOS Climate

DOI

10.1371/journal.pclm.0000709 

Article Publication Date

15-Oct-2025

Starting university boosts recycling and greener travel, a University of Bath study finds

University of Bath

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Starting university doesn’t just change where students live or study; it can also lead to changing their habits. New research from the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) at the University of Bath shows that young people are more likely to adopt sustainable behaviours, like recycling and active travel, during major life transitions.

The study, published in PLOS Climate, tracking hundreds of 16–24-year-olds, examined two “moments of change”: the move from school to university and the sudden disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both events reshaped daily routines, offering opportunities for environmentally friendly habits and highlighting where interventions could make the biggest difference.

Key findings

• University transition: Students reported more recycling, increased walking and cycling, and lower consumption of meat and dairy products. However, ethical shopping and environmental activism fell during the adjustment to student life.
• COVID-19 pandemic: Young people reduced food waste and cut back on animal products, but lockdown restrictions limited activism and active travel.

The research also shows that values matter - those who cared most about others and the environment were more likely to take green actions. But the researchers stress that values alone aren’t enough. Without supportive infrastructure and opportunities, good intentions can be lost.

Lead author Dr Kaloyan Mitev, an environmental psychologist and a behavioural scientist from CAST and the Department of Psychology said: “Big life changes shake up our habits. That disruption can be a golden opportunity to go greener but only if the right support is there. Policymakers and universities should be ready to step in at these key moments, whether that’s better cycling infrastructure, greener student living, or campaigns to help young people cut food waste.”

Co-author Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh, Co-Director of CAST said: “Life transitions, from leaving home to starting a job, are powerful moments to encourage greener habits. Targeted interventions at these points could make a real difference in tackling climate change.”

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Journal

PLOS Climate

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Shifting horizons: Significant life events and pro-environmental behaviour change in early adulthood

Article Publication Date

15-Oct-2025

 

How cilia choreograph their “Mexican wave”, enabling marine creatures to swim

New research has unravelled the mystery of how microscopic cilia coordinate to move and propel marine creatures through water.

University of Exeter

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Cilia moving under microscope 

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Credit: Rebecca Poon & Kirsty Wan, University of Exeter

New research has unravelled the mystery of how microscopic cilia coordinate to move and propel marine creatures through water.

Cilia are tiny, hair-like protrusions found in many organisms, including humans and many aquatic animals. Almost all marine plankton have a life stage where they have cilia, which act like microscopic oars,  fundamental to the organism’s  ability to feed, move and disperse through water, avoid predators, and select suitable habitats.

Proper coordination of cilia is essential for the normal physiology of many organisms, from single cells to humans. Yet despite decades of research, the mechanisms of cilia coordination remain disputed. Scientists have  particularly investigated  how coordinated waves of activity known as metachronal waves occur, which are fundamental to moving the organism effectively. These patterns travel through the array of beating cilia like a Mexican wave through a crowd

To address this question, a team at the University of Exeter studied the larvae of the marine rag worm Platynereis, selected for its spherical body shape with one single band of cilia, and a very simple nervous system. Their research, funded by the European Research Council (ERC) and Wellcome, and published in Science Advances, used whole-body high-speed imaging to examine the wave behaviour, and the effects of various physical and biological manipulations.

Their results reveal an unprecedented wave structure. Despite the illusion of a single wave travelling across the entire circle of the ciliary band, coordination is only present within individual cells, and the wave does not transmit across cell boundaries. For the first time, the research revealed that short-range ‘steric’ interactions, where cilia ‘bump into each other’, are crucial for maintaining coordination in these very densely packed cilia.

Professor Kirsty Wan, of the University of Exeter’s Living Systems Institute, led the research, and said: “Marine plankton form the basis of food webs. Cilia are crucial to their effective dispersal and ability to control their position within the water column – without them, marine ecosystem would break down. Using this unique model larva, we’ve discovered a new mechanism behind cilia’s ‘Mexican wave’, redefining our understanding of how they move and interact. We also found that the waves are surprisingly robust, meaning that the larvae can still swim when the ciliary band is damaged accidentally - a very clever feat of evolution and prime example of robustness in living organisms.”

The new paper is titled ‘Dynamics and emergence of metachronal waves in the ciliary band of a metazoan larva’ and is published in Science Advances.

Cilia under microscope

Credit

Rebecca Poon & Kirsty Wan, University of Exeter

Journal

Science Advances

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Dynamics and emergence of metachronal waves in the ciliary band of a metazoan larva

Article Publication Date

15-Oct-2025

Why women's brains face higher risk: scientists pinpoint X-chromosome gene behind MS and Alzheimer's

Mouse study reveals how females' double X chromosomes drive brain inflammation and identifies diabetes drug as potential treatment

University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences

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New research by UCLA Health has identified a sex-chromosome linked gene that drives inflammation in the female brain, offering insight into why women are disproportionately affected by conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis as well as offering a potential target for intervention.

The study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, used a mouse model of multiple sclerosis to identify a gene on the X chromosome that drives inflammation in brain immune cells, known as microglia. Because females have two X chromosomes, as opposed to only one in males, they get a “double dose” of inflammation, which plays a major role in aging, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

When the gene, known as Kdm6a, and its associated protein were deactivated, the multiple sclerosis-like disease and neuropathology were both ameliorated with high significance in female mice.    

“It has long been known that there are sex differences in the brain. These can impact both health and neurological diseases,” said study lead author Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl, director of the Multiple Sclerosis Program at UCLA Health and lead neurologist for the UCLA Comprehensive Menopause Program. “Multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease each affect women more often than men, about two to three times as often. Also, two-thirds of healthy women have ‘brain fog’ during menopause. These new findings explain why and point to a new treatment to target this.”

When first author Dr. Yuichiro Itoh of the Voskuhl lab genetically “knocked out” the gene Kdm6a in brain immune cells, the inflammatory molecules shifted from being activated to a resting state. Additionally, the Voskuhl team performed a pharmacologic "knock down" of the protein made by this gene using metformin. Metformin is widely used as a treatment for diabetes but is currently being researched for potential anti-aging properties.

While these interventions were highly significant in female mice, their effect was almost undetectable in males, Voskuhl said.

“This is consistent with there being ‘more to block’ in females due to having two copies of the X-linked gene,” said Voskuhl, who is also a professor of neurology at UCLA Health. “It’s also why females are more likely to get MS and AD than males. This has implications for the clinic. Women may respond differently to metformin treatment than men.”

Voskuhl said the findings may also have implications for explaining a connection to brain fog in healthy women during menopause.

“Sex chromosomes and sex hormones achieve a balance through evolution,” Voskuhl said. “There is a selection bias to do so. Females have a balance between X chromosome-driven inflammation that can be good to fight infections at child-bearing ages. This is held in check by estrogen, which is anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective. As women age, menopause causes loss of estrogen, unleashing the proinflammatory and neurodegenerative effects of this X chromosome the brain immune cell.”

Voskuhl says together, these findings may support use of estrogens that target the brain to keep the balance, and thereby protect the brain, during menopause.

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Journal

Science Translational Medicine

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Microglia-specific deletion of the X-chromosomal gene Kdm6a reverses the disease-associated microglia translatome in female mice

Article Publication Date

15-Oct-2025

New study reveals alarming mental health and substance use disparities among LGBTQ+ youth

University of Delaware researchers identify elevated risks and point to schools as key sites for support

University of Delaware

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New research from the University of Delaware finds that LGBTQ+ adolescents in Delaware face strikingly higher rates of mental health challenges and substance use compared to their peers.

In one of the first state-level studies conducted after the COVID-19 pandemic, Assistant Professor Eric Layland and colleagues in UD’s College of Education and Human Development analyzed responses from more than 17,000 eighth and eleventh grade students collected through the 2022–2024 Delaware School Surveys. About one in four students identified as LGBTQ+ and these youth reported substantially higher rates of anxiety, depression and underage substance use.

By eighth grade, LGBTQ+ students were already using alcohol and other drugs at higher rates and up to 80% reported current anxiety symptoms – compared to about half of other students.

The study also highlights opportunities for schools to serve as powerful sources of support. Brittany Zakszeski, a UD expert in school psychology, is a co-author. The study notes that inclusive policies, staff training and affirming school climates can make a measurable difference in student well-being.

Layland and his team encourage Delaware educators and policymakers to expand protective policies – such as LGBTQ+ inclusive curricula and anti-bullying measures – to improve youth mental health outcomes across the state.

Expert contact:
Eric Layland, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Sciences
University of Delaware
Expertise: LGBTQ+ youth development, mental health, affirmative interventions 

Contact at mediarelations@udel.edu

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Journal

Delaware Journal of Public Health

DOI

10.32481/djph.2025.07.08 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Mental Health and Substance Use Disparities by Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Among Delaware Youth