It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Monday, June 02, 2025
Empowering soil innovation: The PREPSOIL toolbox helps living labs grow
A powerful new resource is now available for soil health innovators: the PREPSOIL Toolbox for Soil Living Lab Growth is live on the PREPSOIL website, offering tailored guidance and practical tools to help Living Labs and Lighthouse initiatives thrive.
A powerful new resource is now available for soil health innovators: the PREPSOIL Toolbox for Soil Living Lab Growth is live on the PREPSOIL website, offering tailored guidance and practical tools to help Living Labs and Lighthouse initiatives thrive.
Developed to support soil health initiatives, the PREPSOIL Toolbox is an easily accessible online platform designed to accelerate progress for both new and established soil health initiatives. Whether you're launching a new Living Lab or refining an existing Lighthouse initiative, this toolbox provides structured support to help you grow with purpose and impact.
Created in close collaboration with active initiatives across Europe, the toolbox reflects real-world needs and has been refined through continuous feedback. For early-stage projects, it offers clear resources to guide development and scale up effectively. For mature initiatives, it helps pinpoint areas where further refinement can enhance results and alignment with EU mission goals.
What’s Inside the Toolbox?
The toolbox includes:
In-depth reports and guidance documents
Online tools to support evaluation and planning
Web resources tailored to key stakeholders
Practical materials focused on the EU Mission Soil criteria
Not Sure Where to Start?
Begin with the PREPSOIL Assessment—a quick way to understand your initiative’s progress and alignment with the EU Soil Mission criteria.
But don’t wait: The PREPSOIL assessment is closing soon. To be considered for evaluation, all submissions must be received no later than 5 June.
Explore the toolbox today and take your next step toward building healthier soils and more sustainable systems across Europe.
Dancing brainwaves – how sound reshapes your brain networks in real time
What happens inside your brain when you hear a steady rhythm or musical tone? According to a new study from Aarhus University and the University of Oxford, your brain doesn’t just hear it—it reorganizes itself in real time.
Dr. Mattia Rosso and Associate Professor Leonardo Bonetti from Center for Music in the Brain at Aarhus University are behind new research showing that the brain doesn’t just register sound – it reorganizes itself in real time.
What happens inside your brain when you hear a steady rhythm or musical tone? According to a new study from Aarhus University and the University of Oxford, your brain doesn’t just hear it—it reorganizes itself in real time.
Every beep, tone and new sound you hear travels from the ear to registering in your brain. But what actually happens in your brain when you listen to a continuous stream of sounds? A new study from Aarhus University and University of Oxford published in Advanced Science reveals that the brain doesn’t simply register sound: it dynamically reshapes its organization in real time, orchestrating a complex interplay of brainwaves in multiple networks.
The research, led by Dr. Mattia Rosso and Associate Professor Leonardo Bonetti at the Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University, in collaboration with the University of Oxford, introduces a novel neuroimaging method called FREQ-NESS - Frequency-resolved Network Estimation via Source Separation. Using advanced algorithms, this method disentangles overlapping brain networks based on their dominant frequency. Once a network is identified by its unique frequency, the method can then trace how it propagates in space across the brain.
“We’re used to thinking of brainwaves like fixed stations—alpha, beta, gamma—and of brain anatomy as a set of distinct regions”, says Dr. Rosso. “But what we see with FREQ-NESS is much richer. It is long known that brain activity is organized through activity in different frequencies, tuned both internally and to the environment. Starting from this fundamental principle, we’ve designed a method that finds how each frequency is expressed across the brain.”
Opens the door to precise brain mapping
The development of FREQ-NESS represents a major advance in how scientists can investigate the brain’s large-scale dynamics. Unlike traditional methods that rely on predefined frequency bands or regions of interest, the data-driven approach maps the whole brain’s internal organization with high spectral and spatial precision. And that opens new possibilities for basic neuroscience, brain-computer interfaces, and clinical diagnostics.
This study adds to a growing body of research exploring how the brain’s rhythmic structure shapes everything from music cognition to general perception and attention, and altered states of consciousness.
“The brain doesn’t just react: it reconfigures. And now we can see it”, says Professor Leonardo Bonetti, co-author and neuroscientist at Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University, and at the Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, University of Oxford. “This could change how we study brain responses to music and beyond, including consciousness, mind-wandering, and broader interactions with the external world.”
A large-scale research program is now underway to build on this methodology, supported by an international network of neuroscientists. Due to the high reliability across experimental conditions and across datasets - FREQ-NESS might also pave the way for individualized brain mapping, explains Professor Leonardo Bonetti.
Behind the research result – more information
Method: Basic research
Collaborators: The study was carried out through a collaboration between Aarhus University (Center for Music in the Brain and Department of Clinical Medicine) and the University of Oxford (Department of Psychiatry)
External funding:The key foundations are the Danish National Research Foundation, Lundbeck Foundation and Carlsberg Foundation
Information on deviations from the principle that the research result is based on a peer reviewed article published in a scientific journal: Nothing to declare; the article has been peer reviewed and information about such process is freely available in the article
Direct link to the abstract or the scientific article
(Boston)—Firearm suicides (FS) are a major public health issue in the United States (U.S.) with a rate eight times higher than other high-income nations. Despite the disproportionate media coverage of firearm homicides, most firearm-related deaths are suicides. Although firearm homicides have decreased in the post-pandemic period, suicides using firearms reached new records with more than 26,000 deaths in 2022.
In recent decades, U.S. firearm laws have been primarily determined at the state level and as a result, vary greatly across the country. Rates of suicide by firearms also differ widely by state, and the general association between more restrictive state firearm legislation and reduced FS has been well studied. However, an important but unaddressed issue in the analysis of role of firearm laws in FS prevention is how a given type of firearm law may have variable effectiveness in different states with substantially different laws, populations and socioeconomic conditions.
A new study by researchers from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, has found that more than 110,000 firearm suicides could potentially have been prevented (from 2010-2019) had each state implemented the most impactful firearm related law in that state, specifically including child access prevention laws and concealed carry permitting policies.
“States have different laws, demographics and socioeconomic characteristics and may benefit differently or not at all from different firearm laws and policies. While other studies have examined national or state-specific data, we examined all states individually and the potential impact of firearm laws which were missing in each state. Overall, concealed carry permitting and child access prevention laws could have prevented the most deaths in the most states,” explained corresponding author Dane Scantling, DO, MPH, FACS, Assistant Professor of Surgery at BU.
The researchers performed a retrospective state-level study looking at the effects of state firearm laws on rates of firearm studies in each of the 'lower 48' states. They used data from 2010-2019 and 12 categories of firearm laws comprised of 125 individual policies. They then evaluated the relationship of a number of different demographic, societal and legal factors and incorporated the impact of legislation in neighboring states to estimate whether effective firearm laws like concealed carry permitting and child access prevention laws could have reduced firearm suicides per 100,000 people.
According to the researchers, a distinct state-by-state approach to firearm suicide is needed. “We hope that this data supports specific, standardized and evidence-based policies that could possibly save tens of thousands of American lives in the years to come,” said Scantling who also is a trauma surgeon and surgical critical care intensivist at Boston Medical Center.
Third-year BU medical student Aksel Laudon is the first author of this study.
These findings appear online in the journal Annals of Surgery.
Making a discovery with the potential for innovative applications in pharmaceutical development, a West Virginia University microbiology student has found a long sought-after fungus that produces effects similar to the semisynthetic drug LSD, which is used to treat conditions like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction.
Corinne Hazel, of Delaware, Ohio, an environmental microbiology major and Goldwater Scholar, discovered the new species of fungus growing in morning glory plants and named it Periglandula clandestina.
“We had a ton of plants lying around and they had these tiny little seed coats,” she said. “We noticed a little bit of fuzz in the seed coat. That was our fungus.”
The researchers prepared a DNA sample and sent it away for genome sequencing, funded by a WVU Davis College Student Enhancement Grant obtained by Hazel. The sequencing confirmed the discovery of a new species and the sequence is now deposited in a gene bank with her name on it.
“Sequencing a genome is a significant thing,” Panaccione said. “It’s amazing for a student.”
Morning glory plants live in symbiosis with fungi that produce the same ergot alkaloids the Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann modified when he invented LSD in the late 1930s.
Hofmann hypothesized that a fungus in morning glories produced alkaloids similar to those in LSD, but the species remained a mystery until Hazel and Panaccione’s discovery. They published their findings in Mycologia.
“Morning glories contain high concentrations of similar lysergic acid derivatives that give them their psychedelic activities,” Panaccione said. “This inspired Hofmann and others to investigate morning glories for the presence of a hidden fungus related to the ergot fungus that might be the source of these chemicals. They found very similar chemicals, but they could never find the fungus itself.”
Ergot alkaloids are made exclusively by fungi. In addition to morning glories, they’re often found growing on grains like rye. They can be poisonous to humans and livestock and, when used therapeutically, can have unwanted side effects. Still, some clinicians use them to treat conditions like migraines, dementia, uterine hemorrhaging and Parkinson’s disease.
Periglandula clandestina is highly efficient at making ergot alkaloids in large quantities, a characteristic that may play a role in future pharmaceuticals. The discovery of the fungus opens a host of potential research avenues, Panaccione said.
“Many things are toxic. But if you administer them in the right dosage or modify them, they can be useful pharmaceuticals. By studying them, we may be able to figure out ways to bypass the side effects. These are big issues for medicine and agriculture.”
The researchers dubbed the fungus “Periglandula clandestina” for its ability to have eluded investigators for decades.
“I think that’s the perfect name,” Panaccione said. “And I love that we did this project together. Corinne has a ton of talent. It’s about students recognizing the opportunities, seizing them and having the skill and the brain power to bring this work to fruition.”
Hazel is now studying the most effective ways to culture the slow-growing fungus and is interested in whether other morning glory species may also contain ergot alkaloids from a fungal symbiote that has yet to be described.
“I’m lucky to have stumbled into this opportunity,” she said. “People have been looking for this fungus for years, and one day, I look in the right place, and there it is. I’m very proud of the work that I’ve done at WVU.”
Against the backdrop of global restrictions on scientific freedom, and not least in light of recent political developments in the United States, the science academies of the G7 countries have today jointly published the Ottawa Declaration. The document stresses the importance of academic freedom, institutional autonomy, the integrity of research, research security, and the responsible conduct of research in support of the public good. The Ottawa Declaration is a result of the Science 7 Summit, which took place in the Canadian capital on 7 and 8 May. As part of the Science 7 process, the National Academies of the G7 countries provide evidence-based policy advice for the annual G7 summits and jointly draft statements on scientific topics that are linked to the agenda and require a multilateral approach.
The academies write that the G7 countries greatly benefit from investments in research, the mobility of researchers, and international cooperation. These factors foster knowledge creation, innovation, and are key to economic and social development. The declaration points out the central role that governments, universities, academies, and civil society play in promoting scientific cooperation and the pursuit of knowledge to advance the public good. The science academies state that they commit to strengthen their efforts to protect the integrity of science and the science advice systems, as these are core components of free and democratic societies.
This year’s G7 summit of heads of state and government takes place in Kananaskis in the Canadian province of Alberta from 15 to 17 June 2025. Information about the G7 process and policy advice provided by the science academies as well as the current statements is available here: https://www.leopoldina.org/en/international/g7-and-g20-policy-advice/
About the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina As the German National Academy of Sciences, the Leopoldina provides independent science-based policy advice on matters relevant to society. To this end, the Academy develops interdisciplinary statements based on scientific findings. In these publications, options for action are outlined; making decisions, however, is the responsibility of democratically legitimized politicians. The experts who prepare the statements work in a voluntary and unbiased manner. The Leopoldina represents the German scientific community in the international academy dialogue. This includes advising the annual summits of Heads of State and Government of the G7 and G20 countries. With around 1,700 members from more than 30 countries, the Leopoldina combines expertise from almost all research areas. Founded in 1652, it was appointed the National Academy of Sciences of Germany in 2008. The Leopoldina is committed to the common good.
It’s not too late to start eating better for your brain
Adopting the MIND diet—even later in life—is linked with reduced dementia risk
The likelihood of developing dementia was 12%-13% lower overall among people with high adherence to the MIND diet compared to those with low adherence. This relationship was most pronounced among Latinos, Whites and African Americans, while it was not as apparent among Asian Americans and showed a weaker trend in Native Hawaiians.
Credit: Dr. Unhee Lim, University of Hawaii at Manoa
As the U.S. population ages and dementia cases rise, many people are asking whether it is possible to prevent this devastating disease. According to a new study, the answer may be on your plate: People who followed a dietary pattern known as the MIND diet were significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease or related forms of dementia.
The MIND diet, which stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, combines the Mediterranean diet with the blood pressure-lowering DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet and also emphasizes proven brain-healthy foods like leafy green vegetables, berries, nuts and olive oil.
According to the study, the MIND diet had a stronger and more consistent risk reduction relationship with dementia than other healthy diets, although the relationship varied among five racial groups. Those who improved their adherence to the diet the most over time showed the greatest pattern of risk reduction. This beneficial relationship was seen similarly among younger and older groups, suggesting that there are benefits to adopting the diet at any age.
“Our study findings confirm that healthy dietary patterns in mid to late life and their improvement over time may prevent Alzheimer’s and related dementias,” said Song-Yi Park, PhD, associate professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. “This suggests that it is never too late to adopt a healthy diet to prevent dementia.”
Park will present the findings at NUTRITION 2025, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held May 31–June 3 in Orlando, Florida.
Park and colleagues analyzed data from nearly 93,000 U.S. adults who provided information about their diet as part of a research cohort known as the Multiethnic Cohort Study starting in the 1990s. Participants were between 45-75 years old at baseline and over 21,000 developed Alzheimer’s or related dementias in the years that followed.
Overall, participants who scored higher for MIND adherence at baseline had a 9%
lower risk of dementia, with an even greater reduction—around 13%—among those who identified as African American, Latino or White. Baseline MIND diet adherence was not associated with a significant risk reduction among Native Hawaiian or Asian American participants.
“We found that the protective relationship between a healthy diet and dementia was more pronounced among African Americans, Latinos and Whites, while it was not as apparent among Asian Americans and showed a weaker trend in Native Hawaiians,” said Park. “A tailored approach may be needed when evaluating different subpopulations’ diet quality.”
The results also showed that people who improved their adherence to MIND over 10 years (including those who didn’t follow the diet closely at first) had a 25% lower risk of dementia compared to those whose adherence declined. This trend was consistent across different ages and racial groups.
Researchers said that differences in dietary patterns and preferences among racial and ethnic groups could play a role in the variation they observed in the dementia-diet relationship. Since Asian Americans also experience lower rates of dementia than other groups, it is possible that the MIND diet may not reflect the advantages of diets that are more common among this population. Park said that further studies could help to clarify these patterns and added that interventional studies would be needed to verify cause and effect since the study was based on observational data.
Park will present this research at 9:06-9:18 a.m. EDT on Monday, June 2, during the Dietary Patterns and Health: A Global Perspective session at the Orange County Convention Center (abstract;presentation details).
Please note that abstracts presented at NUTRITION 2025 were evaluated and selected by a committee of experts but have not generally undergone the same peer review process required for publication in a scientific journal. As such, the findings presented should be considered preliminary until a peer-reviewed publication is available.
Overall, people who adhered most closely to the MIND diet showed the greatest trend in risk reduction for dementia, but this relationship varied across racial and ethnic groups. This suggests that some healthy foods within cultural or local cuisines (particularly those common among Asian Americans) could be protective against dementia even though they do not align with the MIND diet scoring criteria.
Credit
Dr. Unhee Lim, University of Hawaii at Manoa
About NUTRITION 2025
NUTRITION 2025 is the flagship meeting of the American Society for Nutrition and the premier educational event for nutritional professionals around the globe. NUTRITION brings together lab scientists, practicing clinicians, population health researchers, and community intervention investigators to identify solutions to today’s greatest nutrition challenges. Our audience also includes rising leaders in the field – undergraduate, graduate, and medical students. NUTRITION 2025 will be held May 31–June 3, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. https://nutrition.org/meeting #Nutrition2025
About the American Society for Nutrition (ASN)
ASN is the preeminent professional organization for nutrition research scientists and clinicians around the world. Founded in 1928, the society brings together the top nutrition researchers, medical practitioners, policy makers and industry leaders to advance our knowledge and application of nutrition. ASN publishes four peer-reviewed journals and provides education and professional development opportunities to advance nutrition research, practice, and education. Since 2018, the American Society for Nutrition has presented NUTRITION, the leading global annual meeting for nutrition professionals. http://www.nutrition.org
