Wednesday, April 08, 2026

Turmeric/ginger extract shows multiple benefits for bone implants

Washington State University

PULLMAN, Wash. – An extract of turmeric and ginger helps bone implants bond strongly while killing bacteria and cancer cells, according to new research from Washington State University with implications for millions of patients with joint replacements and bone cancer.

In early tests, the extract roughly doubled bone bonding within six weeks around the implant site, killed more than 90% of bacteria on implant surfaces, and sharply reduced cancer-causing cells. The findings marry elements of a naturopathic approach drawing on traditional medicine with current medical technologies. Turmeric, a golden-orange spice, and ginger root have been used for food and medicinal purposes in China and India for thousands of years.

“Basically, I say it’s combining the best with the latest,” said Susmita Bose, the Westinghouse Distinguished Chair Professor in WSU’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and corresponding author of the paper. “The best part is from the food, and the latest aspect comes from the biomedical device.”

The new study, published in the Journal of American Ceramic Society, is the most recent work from Bose and Amit Bandyopadhyay, Boeing Distinguished Professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, demonstrating that compounds from turmeric and ginger can be effective supplements to cutting-edge medical treatment. That work builds upon their earlier research into the use of 3-D printing to produce bone implants, an idea once considered far-fetched that is now a common way to manufacture implants.

In the current study, the researchers targeted a range of medical and health problems associated with bone implants. At a time when roughly 7 million Americans are living with metal hip and knee replacements, a significant portion of the implants must be repaired after they fail to bond strongly with the existing bone or weaken over time. There are also serious problems arising from infections on the metal surfaces of the implants themselves — something that occurs in nearly a third of failed implant cases and is very difficult to treat.

“Often, an infection will require the removal of the implant,” Bose said. “There is no other way of fixing bone in patient's body. So, infection-related problems can cause really a huge health issues and financial burden.”

The extract also was tested for its effects on cells that cause osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer that is the most prevalent malignancy among pediatric patients and young people. Even following treatment regimens including surgery, chemotherapy and bone implants, some cancer-causing cells remain present.

The research team tested whether an extract of ginger and curcumin, the active agent in turmeric, could be applied with a coating of a titanium implant that would slowly release over time. The extract was tested in vitro and in an experiment on a femur implant in rats.

The extract helped foster a strong bond between the titanium implant and the bone, roughly doubling bone-bonding effects six weeks after surgery. It also killed 92% of bacteria on the surface of the implant and reduced cancer-causing cells around the site by 11-fold compared to untreated controls.

“There are many, many facets of this challenge,” Bandyopadhyay said. “We are making an implant that will offer some infection resistance. We are making an implant that can help with bone bonding. This paper is focused on very big problems, and we’re telling the world a lot of little things you can do that may add significant benefit to the patient's life, whether it's a hip implant, knee implant, spinal implant, or shoulder implant. That's really the holy grail of it.”

Also contributing to the paper were first author Arjak Bhattacharjee, a PhD graduate from WSU who is now an assistant professor at New Mexico Tech; Ujjayan Majumdar, also a WSU PhD graduate; and William Dernell, an emeritus professor of veterinary medicine at WSU.

Bose noted that the effectiveness of ginger and turmeric in reducing infection and cancer-causing cells are just some of the health benefits that the compounds offer. When incorporated into the diet, turmeric and ginger have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, among other benefits.

“I'm very passionate about these natural medicinal compounds, because I feel that they can be used so easily as preventative care in our everyday life,” Bose said. “Curcumin, from turmeric, has very good anti-inflammatory effect – and inflammatory bone loss is a big challenge. And ginger may have an anti-cancer effect. We can use these compounds as preventative care.”

Journal

Journal of the American Ceramic Society

DOI

10.1111/jace.70532

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

ZnO-Hydroxyapatite-Coated Ti-6Al-4V With Curcumin and Ginger Extract for Load-Bearing Implants

Guidance aims to improve collaboration between scientists, tribal nations

North Carolina State University

A team of university and Tribal researchers has developed a blueprint for creating research agreements that enable respectful research with Tribes and on Tribal lands. The guidance was developed to address shortcomings in most research policies that are written without Tribal input, often leaving Tribes with unclear protections, data vulnerabilities, and limited control over how information about their lands and people is used.

The new guidance allows for the creation of agreements that clearly define the rights of Tribes and researchers with regard to both research planning and ownership of the resulting data, with the goal of avoiding extractive practices that leave many Tribes feeling taken advantage of by the research community.

“It can be difficult for Tribes and university researchers to develop agreements that enable research involving Tribal resources, culture and expertise that benefit both Tribes and researchers and respect the autonomy of Tribes,” says Christina Perella, corresponding author of a paper on the work and a Ph.D. student at North Carolina State University.

“There’s a long history of research involving Tribes, but it’s really been research on Tribes,” says Caleb Hickman, co-author of the paper and supervisory fish and wildlife biologist with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ Office of Fisheries and Wildlife Management.

“Both historically and recently, that research has been largely extractive, and Tribes weren’t consulted in a meaningful way,” Hickman says. “Tribal nations steward some of the most ecologically rich and culturally important lands in North America, yet research done on or about those lands has not always protected Tribal rights, knowledge or data. Data-sharing agreements offer a practical solution: they clearly define who owns information, how it can be used and how it must be protected. Our work provides simple guidance for Tribes and researchers on choosing the right type of agreements, safeguarding sensitive cultural and ecological information, and ensuring that Tribal sovereignty is upheld in areas such as conservation and climate research.”

“There are already a lot of resources focused on data sharing and research agreements that have been developed by and for Tribes,” Perella says. “However, there is no centralized location for accessing all of those resources, and it can take time to find these resources and choose the right agreement type for a particular collaboration. The goal of this guidance is to synthesize the existing information and provide our own experiences to give Tribes and researchers tools they can use to develop agreements that are tailored to the goals of the project and respect the needs of all parties involved.”

The guidance may be particularly valuable for Tribes that have limited administrative infrastructure and associated capacity for developing and reviewing research proposals.

“Research involving Tribal lands can rely on several types of agreements, each serving a different purpose in protecting Tribal rights and clarifying responsibilities,” Hickman says. “For example, a memorandum of understanding outlines the overall relationship and expectations between partners, while a data-sharing agreement specifies who owns the information collected, how it will be stored, and what can be shared publicly. Together, these tools allow Tribes and researchers to define clear boundaries, prevent misuse of information, and build more ethical and transparent research relationships.”

The guidance document lays out four types of agreements that Tribes and researchers may want to consider. The four agreement categories are not mutually exclusive.

Data-Sharing Agreements (DSA) or Information-Sharing Agreements;
Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) or Memoranda of Agreement (MOA);
Cost-Sharing Agreements, Service Agreements or Research Agreements; and
Non-Disclosure Agreements.

“Most people are aware that these types of agreements exist,” says Jelena Vukomanovic, co-author of the paper and an associate professor of parks, recreation and tourism management at NC State. “What our guidance contributes is a discussion of the circumstances in which Tribes might want to consider entering into each type of agreement. When might you want an MOU versus an MOA? When might you need a DSA? Why?”

To that end, the guidance offers a decision tree that can be used to identify which agreements are best suited to any given scenario. The co-authors of the paper also provide the agreement they developed between the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and NC State as a template, detailing the specific challenges and considerations that went into developing the language and structure of that agreement.

“We’re optimistic that this guidance can help Tribes make decisions that protect them from extractive practices and allow for respectful collaboration while preserving their data sovereignty,” says Hickman.

“Our guidance also discusses other issues that can facilitate effective collaboration between Tribes and external researchers,” says Perella. “For example, when writing grants, researchers may want to consider including funds in the research budget that can be used to increase Tribal research capacity – such as more robust data-storage infrastructure. However, even here, it is important to consult with Tribal collaborators, because making use of federal grant funding may also trigger federal data-sharing requirements. Certain agreements may help prevent Tribal information from becoming vulnerable to federal open-records requests, an issue many Tribes have raised as a threat to data sovereignty.”

“The onus should be on researchers who want to work with Tribes to familiarize themselves with the history of research in these spaces and the need for these types of agreements,” says Vukomanovic. “Being prepared and respectful will make the research process smoother and more fruitful.”

The paper, “Data sharing agreements for conservation science and management,” appears in the inaugural issue of From the Field – Elevating Indigenous Voices, a journal published by the Native American Fish & Wildlife Society.

This work was done with support from the U.S. Geological Survey Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center under grant G24AC00006-00.

Method of Research

Case study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Data sharing agreements for conservation science and management

Bird flu spread could be impacted by where waterfowl like to live

Reduced movement in human-heavy landscapes may change how the virus travels

University of Georgia

The movement patterns of waterfowl, including ducks, swans and geese, may affect the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza in bird populations, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.

Researchers found that birds travel much shorter distances in areas with human activity, likely because those landscapes have plenty of food, water and shelter.

When birds stay in one place, disease doesn’t spread as much. But it could also mean more intense hotspots of disease outbreaks in concentrated areas.

By understanding the movement patterns of waterfowl outside of typical migration periods, scientists could better predict where bird flu, or H5N1, might spread next.

“Birds are like us. They’re always responding to what’s around them, whether that’s food availability or disturbance from people or other animals,” said Claire Teitelbaum, assistant unit leader with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, lead author of the study and an adjunct assistant professor in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. “We can take the environment, predict how much we think birds are moving and then use that to predict where avian flu is going to go.”

Waterfowl stay put in areas with diverse habitats, human influence

The researchers analyzed 20 years of data containing movement information from more than 4,600 total waterfowl spanning 26 species in the Northern Hemisphere. The scientists tracked how far the waterfowl moved over time during breeding and winter seasons, when birds “commute” regularly between areas used for resting and eating.

The distance of these so-called commutes, which took place outside of their regular seasonal migrations, appeared to depend on the birds’ environment. Birds in uniform areas, such as vast expanses of grasslands or farmlands, traveled six times farther to acquire food or a safe location to rest compared to birds in more diverse landscapes.

The waterfowl in those more varied landscapes, which ranged from wetlands to urban green spaces, often didn’t need to travel more than a mile around their “home” to meet all or most of their daily needs.

“If we provide enough diverse attractive habitats, these animals may want to stick around,” Teitelbaum said. “Like humans, if you live in a suburban neighborhood where it’s just single-family homes for miles and miles, you’re going to have to drive miles and miles out of that area to get to work or shop. If you live in an urban center, you have everything you need right there.”

Locations with a significant human population also played a role, as they were more likely to have protected green spaces with water sources or cover. Human activity could also mean literal blocks that prevent bird movement, such as roads or fences.

Birds in these regions traveled about one-third of the distance of birds residing in sparser areas.

Different seasons could play role in bird flu spread outside of seasonal migrations

While yearly migrations are a major factor in the spread of H5N1, the present study aimed to understand how flight during breeding and winter seasons may add to transmission.

The researchers found that during winter months, movements were over twice as far when compared to travel during the breeding season. Waterfowl often had to fly farther in their daily routines to secure food or places to sleep, potentially carrying the virus with them.

In addition to studying these daily movements, the researchers found the same patterns when studying birds’ weekly movement distances. That’s key, Teitelbaum explained, as one week is also the incubation period for the virus.

Breeding season could present its own challenges. During this time, birds were less likely to travel far distances, instead remaining close to their nests. Although that can limit wider spread, it also could increase the risk for localized hotspots of the virus.

“If we want to keep the flu from spreading, we might want to see what we can do to keep the birds in one place, but there’s that flipside. Outbreaks happen when birds are in high density, so we might have increased transmission locally,” she said. “That’s the underpinning: How can we link the distances that birds are moving to the distances that flu is moving?”

This study was published in Ecology Letters.

Journal

Ecology Letters

DOI

10.1111/ele.70265

Article Title

Waterfowl Move Less in Heterogeneous and Human-Populated Landscapes, With Implications for Spread of Avian Influenza Viruses

Why we’re skeptical of the emotions we see on our screens

Cornell University

ITHACA, N.Y. — If you’ve poured your heart out on social media about a political issue, it might have felt cathartic — but it likely wasn’t persuasive, new Cornell University research finds.

Americans are skeptical of emotional comments they see in their news and social media feeds, political scientist Talbot Andrews reports in “Emotions on Our Screens.” Over six experiments, involving nearly 6,400 participants, viewers questioned the sincerity of fear or sadness people expressed about climate change in simulated news reports, text messages, and TikTok posts. Such comments were rated as less authentic and appropriate than more neutral ones — even when the observer agreed politically with the speaker.

“Making people emotional is a great way to motivate them to care about an issue. But expressing your own emotions is not necessarily going to change others’ minds about that issue,” said Andrews, an assistant professor of government.

With today’s media environment exposing people to emotional expression more than ever, Andrews spoke with the Cornell Chronicle about the findings. Selected excerpts are below.

– – –

Skepticism persists across platforms

“We thought people might see emotions as more authentic in news articles, where journalists act as gatekeepers, compared to social media, where people have editorial control before sharing anything. Surprisingly, we didn’t find many differences. Skepticism was stronger when viewers saw a sad face, rather than just text, in simulated TikTok screenshots. People thought that seemed especially inappropriate.”

Political agreement doesn’t eliminate skepticism

“People are skeptical when they disagree with social media posts at all, but the effect of emotional expression is pretty similar either way. We saw the same pattern in an experiment featuring posts from a climate skeptic. People tended to see the emotion as manipulative. Like, ‘I think you’re crying crocodile tears to make me feel bad about this, and I see through that ploy.’”

Emotional posts don’t reduce concern, just raise eyebrows

“[Backlash toward emotional posts] seems localized to the person who’s being emotional. It’s more that people will be skeptical of your sincerity in posting, but participants were no less worried about climate change because they saw someone get emotional about it. Study participants didn’t punish emotional content, just viewed it as less appropriate and authentic than more stoic expressions.”

Expressing emotion can help, even if it doesn’t persuade

“Emotional expression can serve an important role, helping people find a community that cares about their issue. Even if it doesn’t achieve any influential goal — like persuading others or building social media clout — expressing emotions often makes people feel better. The takeaway is not that people should keep their feelings to themselves, but that such expression won’t always be taken at face value.”

The complete Q&A is available here.

Cornell University has dedicated television and audio studios available for media interviews.

-30-

DOI

10.1017/9781009613668

Article Title

Emotions on Our Screens

TIME TRAVEL

Why some people mentally travel into the future more often than others

Ruhr-University Bochum

image:
Ekrem Dere is Professor at the Research and Treatment Center for Mental Health at Ruhr University Bochum.
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Credit: RUB, Kramer

In order to predict the potential consequences of actions, it helps to envision yourself in the future and imagine the coming scenario. Some people do this more often than others. Professor Ekrem Dere of Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, and Sorbonne Université in Paris has developed a theory for why. He believes that mental time travel activates the reward system in the brain, thereby reinforcing one’s behavior. Dere describes his approach in the journal Psychological Review, published online on April 6, 2026.

“The benefit of future-oriented mental time travel is clear,” says Dere, from the Research and Treatment Center for Mental Health at Ruhr University Bochum. “It allows us to be more successful and less stressed in our day-to-day, as the future becomes more predictable and thus easier to plan.” However, he adds, one may ask why people invest time in this challenging cognitive task that does not provide any immediate rewards and has no guarantee of success.

Mental time travel follows a universal learning principle

In response to this, Dere formulated the self-reinforcement hypothesis of future-oriented mental time travel. He postulates that this process follows a universal learning principle known as operant conditioning, which states that behavior that is rewarded or punished will occur in the future either more or less frequently, respectively.

Dere theorizes that if future-oriented mental time travel seems like a promising solution to a social or professional problem, the reward system in the brain is activated. This makes it easier to remember the plan of action until it is realized, and it reinforces the behavior, causing it to occur more frequently in the future.

According to Dere, this theory can be tested with functional magnetic resonance imaging: People who mentally travel to the future more frequently should have a more reactive reward system, i.e., a more responsive mesolimbic dopamine system.

Mental time travel can have a disease-preserving effect

“In a pathopsychological context, the cognitive function of mental time travel can also be hijacked by disease-preserving processes,” says Dere. This can cause one to ruminate on negative past experiences and project them into the future. Such catastrophizing projections bring forth negative emotions, foster a bad self-image, and trigger maladaptive safety and avoidance behavior. A mental disorder can then become chronic. “For this reason, it would be important to psychotherapeutically train constructive and adaptive future-oriented mental time travel, and to recognize and halt catastrophizing future projections.”

Journal

Psychological Review

DOI

10.1037/rev0000624

Article Title

Future-oriented Mental Time Travel and Self-reinforcement

Article Publication Date

6-Apr-2026

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