Elephant seals recognize their rivals from years prior

Male elephant seals respond to recorded calls of their old rivals, demonstrating lasting familiarity. 

Acoustical Society of America

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A male elephant seal in the middle of a vocalization. NMFS Permit #23188

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Credit: Caroline Casey

HONOLULU, Dec. 1, 2025 — How would you react if you overheard the voice of a long-lost friend or old co-worker? Chances are, just the sound of their voice will bring back memories of times you spent together. Humans are not the only animals that can remember the voices of their old acquaintances. Elephant seals, too, can remember the calls of their rivals even a year later.

Caroline Casey, research scientist and adjunct professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, will present her team’s research on elephant seal memory Monday, Dec. 1, at 2:45 p.m. HST as part of the Sixth Joint Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and Acoustical Society of Japan, running Dec. 1-5 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Casey and her team have spent over a decade studying the seals on Año Nuevo Island off the coast of California. They have observed male elephant seals engaging in dominance displays year after year, and it led them to wonder if the seals remembered their past bouts.

“Male elephant seals come back to the exact same breeding location year after year and engage in competitive interactions with a number of familiar individuals,” said Casey. “It would make sense, then, that they would retain some memory of past rivals over multiple seasons.”

To test this, the team would find a male seal returning to the island at the start of the mating season and play recorded calls from his old rivals.

“When males heard their most familiar dominant rival from last year, they tended to orient faster, exhibit a faster posture change, and often would retreat from the speaker,” said Casey. “Their responses were less severe when they were presented with their subordinate rival from the previous season, and sometimes they would even approach the speaker.”

They also played calls recorded at other colonies, observing that these unfamiliar calls elicited a much smaller response from the seals. This proved that the seals were not just responding to random strangers but actually recognizing and remembering individuals they had met the year prior.

The researchers are continuing to study elephant seal reproductive behaviors.

“Right now, we are working on a project evaluating the traits that lead to eventual reproductive success in male elephant seals,” said Casey. “Essentially, what does it take to become an alpha seal? We are measuring lots of different aspects of behavior and physiology and linking it to true reproductive success in this species.”

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Main Meeting Website: https://acousticalsociety.org/honolulu-2025/

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ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

The Acoustical Society of America is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world’s leading journal on acoustics), JASA Express Letters, Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. See https://acousticalsociety.org/.

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN

ASJ publishes a monthly journal in Japanese, the Journal of the Acoustical Society of Japan, as well as a bimonthly journal in English, Acoustical Science and Technology, which is available online at no cost https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/browse/ast. These journals include technical papers and review papers. Special issues are occasionally organized and published. The Society also publishes textbooks and reference books to promote acoustics associated with various topics. See https://acoustics.jp/en/.

 

Beat the bugs, enjoy the beats

Flinders University

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Associate Professor Jacqueline Stephens, FHMRI, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University

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Credit: Flinders University

As summer festivals and youth gatherings return in full swing, new research from Flinders University is revealing the hidden health risks that come with multi-day events, and how to avoid them.

A comprehensive review led by public health experts to identify and understand the risks that occur at multi-day events reveals that infectious disease outbreaks and foodborne illnesses are the most common public health threats at youth-focused mass gatherings.

The global study examined 19 multi-day events attended predominantly by young people, ranging from music festivals and cultural celebrations, to sporting and religious gatherings.

It found that nearly 70 per cent of reported emergencies were infectious disease outbreaks, with influenza, measles, and meningococcal disease topping the list.

Foodborne illnesses, such as Hepatitis A which can cause serious liver infection, accounted for more than one in five incidents, often linked to poor food handling practices.

Flinders University epidemiologist, Associate Professor Jacqueline Stephens, lead author on the study, says the findings highlight the importance of proactive planning and collaboration between event organisers and health authorities along with the importance of vaccinations and hygiene for event attendees.

“Young people love the energy and freedom of festivals, but these environments do carry health risks,” says Associate Professor Stephens from FHMRI Healthcare Access & Equity.

“Close social interactions, shared accommodation, and sometimes risky behaviours create the perfect storm for disease transmission.

“Simple measures like vaccination, good hygiene, and safe food practices can make a huge difference in safeguarding against the risks.”

The review also revealed that outbreaks were often detected through routine surveillance or on-site medical teams, underscoring the need for strong health systems and rapid response capabilities.

Recommendations include setting up on-site clinics, ensuring surge capacity in local hospitals, and implementing clear communication protocols for emergencies.

Public health researcher and co-author Dr Josh Trigg says that festival-goers themselves play a vital role in staying safe.

“If you’re heading to a multi-day event, check your vaccinations, wash your hands regularly, and be mindful about what you eat and drink,” says Dr Trigg from the College of Medicine and Public Health.

“Public health isn’t just about big systems - it’s about individual choices that protect you and the people around you.”

The findings highlight the importance of enforceable food safety standards and better training for food handlers at events with past outbreaks being traced to contaminated coleslaw, undercooked meat, and even infected food workers.

“Foodborne illness can ruin a festival experience and, in some cases, lead to serious health consequences,” says Associate Professor Stephens.

“Organisers need to make sure vendors follow strict hygiene protocols.”

While the review focused on health risks, it also acknowledged the unique challenges of youth gatherings, including mental health concerns and risk-taking behaviours.

Initiatives like pill testing at some Australian festivals have shown promise in reducing drug-related harm, but the authors stress that more evidence-based, youth-specific strategies are needed.

“Festivals are a highlight of the year for many young people,” adds Dr Trigg.

“By planning ahead and following simple precautions, we can keep them safe, fun, and memorable.”

The article, ‘Public health at multi-day youth-focused mass gathering events: a scoping review of the evidence’, by Jacqueline H. Stephens and Joshua Trigg was published in Public Health. DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2025.105989

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Journal

Public Health

DOI

10.1016/j.puhe.2025.105989 

Method of Research

Systematic review

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Public health at multi-day youth-focused mass gathering events: a scoping review of the evidence

 

Common food preservative linked to kidney injury through disrupted cellular crosstalk

FAR Publishing Limited

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This illustration outlines the comprehensive research strategy combining computational biology, machine learning, and experimental validation. Using network toxicology, 238 overlapping targets were identified from 374 PS-related targets and 4,037 kidney injury-related targets, and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed. Machine learning was employed to screen for pivotal genes, and molecular docking coupled with molecular dynamics simulations were utilized to validate the binding between PS and core targets (e.g., MMP9, APP). Single-cell transcriptome analysis further uncovered the critical role of intercellular communication. The central mechanistic discovery: PS upregulates Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP), which acts as a ligand engaging CD74 and PTGER2 receptors on endothelial cells. This interaction promotes aberrant communication between endothelial cells and immune cells (e.g., NK cells), ultimately contributing to glomerulonephritis, renal tubular cell damage, and fibrosis. Finally, in vitro experiments—including CCK-8 cell viability assay, wound healing assay, and Western blot—using human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) confirmed the cytotoxicity of PS, its inhibitory effect on cell migration, and the upregulation of APP protein expression.

 

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Credit: Yimao Wu and Meng-Yao Li

Potassium sorbate is widely used as a preservative in processed foods and beverages and is generally considered safe. However, emerging evidence suggests potential health risks with long-term or high-level exposure. A study published on November 23, 2025, in iMetaMed provides the first systematic evidence that this common additive can induce acute kidney injury through molecular mechanisms involving oxidative stress, inflammation, and dysregulated cell-to-cell communication.

The research team, led by scientists from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and Guangdong Medical University, applied a multi-disciplinary strategy to uncover how potassium sorbate damages renal tissue. They began by predicting potential targets using network toxicology, then validated interactions through molecular docking and dynamics simulations. Machine learning algorithms further prioritized key genes from clinical datasets.

Among the top candidates, amyloid precursor protein emerged as a central regulator. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of human kidney tissues revealed that APP mediates communication between endothelial cells and immune cells—such as monocytes and natural killer cells—through the APP-CD74 and APP-PTGER2 ligand-receptor pairs.

“This is the first time that APP has been implicated in potassium sorbate-induced kidney injury, and the first evidence that it facilitates endothelial-immune crosstalk in a toxicological context,” said corresponding author Dr. Meng-Yao Li. “Our findings provide a cellular mechanism that helps explain how a common food additive could trigger renal inflammation and functional decline.”

In vitro experiments using human renal tubular cells confirmed that potassium sorbate exposure significantly reduced cell viability, inhibited migration—a key repair process—and upregulated APP protein expression in a dose-dependent manner.

The study also identified other key targets, including MMP9 and SIRT1, and highlighted relevant pathways such as lipid metabolism, atherosclerosis, and the AGE-RAGE signaling cascade, which are known to be involved in kidney disease progression.

These findings not only advance the understanding of food additive safety but also establish a new methodology for evaluating environmental toxin risks using multi-optic and computational tools.

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Journal

iMeta

DOI

10.1002/imm3.70017 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Potassium Sorbate Triggers Kidney Injury via Dysregulated Intercellular Communication: A Study Combining Network Toxicology, Machine Learning, Molecular Docking, and Single-Cell RNA Sequencing

 

Cause of partner’s death linked to widowhood mortality – differences more pronounced in cohabiting couples

University of Oulu, Finland

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People who lived in cohabiting relationships face greater financial uncertainty and weaker legal protection after their partner’s death. “This may help explain why their mortality risk is higher, especially following an unexpected loss,” says Associate Professor Marko Korhonen from the University of Oulu Business School.

“Notably, the finding that accidental death raises mortality more among those widowed from cohabitation than among those widowed from marriage is new. It highlights the need to examine the roles of socioeconomic status and weakened legal protection as mechanisms influencing mortality,” Korhonen explains.

This is believed to be the first study to examine the significance of a partner’s cause of death on such a broad scale by comparing mortality among widowed individuals who were previously in either cohabiting or married relationships.

The results also show that forming a new relationship reduces mortality compared to living alone. A new partnership – particularly marriage – is associated with clearly lower mortality for both women and men.

The study is based on a nationwide longitudinal dataset covering the entire Finnish population, including 318,351 individuals aged 40–65 who had lived in either cohabiting or married relationships. They were followed from 1995 to 2020. Mortality was assessed over 20 years after the partner’s death and compared against a similarly matched individual whose partner remained alive during that period.

The research provides new insights into the mortality risks faced by people widowed from marriage versus cohabitation when their partner has died either accidentally or from natural causes. The findings offer important background information for planning welfare and health services.

“The results can be used to tailor support measures for widowed individuals depending on the partner’s cause of death and the nature of the relationship, so that assistance can be directed to those at greatest risk,” Korhonen says.

Widows and widowers from cohabiting relationships require special support, as they often have a weaker socioeconomic position and fewer legal safeguards than married spouses. Those who have experienced accidental loss may benefit from early psychological and social support. Based on the study, mental health services, pension systems and survivor benefits could be better targeted toward at-risk groups.

The study is published in The Journals of Gerontology:
Marko Korhonen, DEc; Janne Lehto, MSc (Econ); Ina Rissanen, MD, PhD: : Widowhood mortality among married and cohabiting partners: a nationwide study in Finland

DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbaf164

Further information:

Associate Professor, University Researcher Marko Korhonen, University of Oulu Business School, phone +358445281270, marko.korhonen@oulu.fi

Communications Specialist Anna-Maria Hietapelto, University of Oulu, phone +358407650015, anna-maria.hietapelto@oulu.fi

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Journal

Journal of Gerontology

DOI

10.1093/geronb/gbaf164 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Widowhood mortality among married and cohabiting partners: a nationwide study in Finland