New research links prenatal chemical exposure to chromosomal abnormalities in adult sperm

Environmental health epidemiologist Melissa Perry and collaborators report new human evidence that prenatal and childhood exposure to persistent environmental chemicals may influence sperm chromosomal integrity decades later.

George Mason University

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Environmental health epidemiologist Melissa Perry, Sc.D., MHS, MBA, (pictured) and a dedicated research team  have conducted one of first human studies suggesting prenatal childhood chemical exposure was associated with sperm abnormalities. 

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Credit: Photo by Rene Ayala/George Mason University College of Public Health

An estimated 7% of all men are affected by infertility. Multiple animal studies indicated that exposure to persistent environmental chemicals in early life can negatively impact male reproductive health, and now a human study suggests the same. Environmental health epidemiologist Melissa Perry and a dedicated research team (see full list of authors below) have conducted one of first human studies suggesting prenatal childhood chemical exposure was associated with sperm abnormalities.  

Semen quality plays a critical role in reproductive outcomes and healthy sperm have 23 chromosomes (i.e. human genetic materials). Researchers found extra chromosomes in the sperm of participants who were exposed to chemicals early in life. Abnormal, poor sperm quality increases the risk of miscarriages and congenital birth defects, such as Klinefelter Syndrome.  

"These findings provide new evidence that fetal and subsequent chemical exposures can have an enduring influence into adulthood on the genetic integrity of sperm,” said Perry, dean of the College of Public Health at George Mason University. 

Perry and the team examined semen samples from men aged 22-24 years whose mothers provided blood samples during pregnancy from 1986 to 1987. Forever chemicals, including polychlorinated compounds (PCBs) and perfluorinated compounds (PFASs), were measured in the mother’s blood. The same boys were tested again for chemicals in their blood at ages 7 and 14. Decades later, the men provided sperm, which were assessed in this study. Fetal and early life exposure to higher levels of PCBs and PFASs (found through maternal blood samples and blood in childhood) was associated with sperm containing additional chromosomes in adulthood. 

Normal sperm contain either an X (i.e., the designated chromosome for females) or Y (i.e., the one present in males) chromosome. PCB concentration in blood samples was associated mainly with having an additional Y chromosome, while PFAS exposure was consistently associated with both extra Y and X chromosomes. 

Researchers theorize that PCB exposure could be from a maternal diet of contaminated seafood. PFAS exposure was likely due to environmental pollutants in food, water, and air. 

“Chemical exposure is a public health issue, and there are strong associations with declining sperm concentration and quality. We really need to look toward policy solutions that prevent these chemicals from entering our environment and prevent related harms,” Perry said.  

In utero and childhood exposure to organochlorines and perfluorinated chemicals in relation to sperm aneuploidy in adulthood was published in Environmental Health in May 2026. Contributing authors include Alessandra Meddis and Esben Budtz-Jørgensen from Copenhagen University, Heather A. Young and C. Rebecca Robbins from The George Washington University, Niels Jørgensen from Copenhagen University Hospital, Jónrit Halling and Maria Skaalum from The National Hospital of the Faroe Islands, Pál Weihe from the University of Faroe Islands, and Philippe Grandjean from the University of Denmark.  

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Journal

Environmental Health

DOI

10.1186/s12940-026-01303-w 

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

In utero and childhood exposure to organochlorines and perfluorinated chemicals in relation to sperm aneuploidy in adulthood

Article Publication Date

2-May-2026

 

The wildfire paradox: How social media quickens response but strains resources

Social media buzz helps speed wildfire response, but may also trigger costly over-reaction

University of Waterloo

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Dr. Garros Gong, an alum of University of Waterloo’s management science and engineering PhD program, led the study. 

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Credit: University of Waterloo

Social media posts are a double-edged sword for public agencies that respond to emergencies such as wildfires. 

New research from the University of Waterloo shows that while posts by citizens who see emergencies in the making can help first responders spring into action faster, they may also result in costly over-reaction. 

“A post that contains useful location or situational information may help speed up response, but highly emotional posts with limited informational content can also amplify urgency and unintentionally distort how resources are allocated,” said Dr. Garros Gong, who led the study as a PhD student in management science and engineering at Waterloo. 

To assess the impact of social media on emergency response costs and effectiveness, researchers analyzed detailed data on California wildfires and related posts on Twitter, now called X, between 2007 and 2021. 

The study builds on previous work by the research team that found monitoring social media activity can help firefighters and other first responders identify and react to emergencies faster. 

Their new findings, obtained by filtering out irrelevant ‘noise’ from the social media signal during wildfires, suggest it can also have a costly downside if public attention and pressure lead to over-allocation of firefighters and other resources. 

“While it was expected that social media could improve responsiveness, it was surprising to find that beyond a certain point, the same visibility can reduce operational efficiency in terms of suppression costs per acre,” said Gong, who was supervised by Dr. Stan Dimitrov, a professor of management science and engineering. 

To help emergency agencies deal with what they call the “visibility-efficiency paradox,” researchers developed a tool that tracks social media posts during the early stages of an emergency and quantifies its seriousness by weighing factors including population and location. 

Gong said such insights will be increasingly valuable as the costs of wildfires in terms of deaths, property damage and suppression climb along with their rising frequency worldwide. 

“The key lesson is not that agencies should ignore social media, which is now part of the operating environment,” Gong said. “The real challenge is how to govern the attention pressure it creates.  

“Our findings suggest that agencies should pair fast responses with clearer escalation thresholds, disciplined resource-trigger rules and post-event reverse audits to ensure public visibility improves responsiveness without pushing systems into costly over-allocation.” 

The study, Sustainable Wildfire Management Meets Social Media: How Virtual Interaction Affects Wildfire Response Costs, appears in the journal Production and Operations Management. 

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Journal

Production and Operations Management

 

Two whale groups separated by seas—but not by genes, study finds

Oxford University Press USA

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A new paper in Genome Biology and Evolution, published by Oxford University Press, discovers that the endangered Mediterranean fin whale is not completely isolated from Atlantic groups. Both Atlantic and Mediterranean populations have declined for the past 200,000 years. Considering more recent threats to the whales, this finding has important implications for conservation, particularly considering increasing anthropogenic pressures.

Whales have long captured human fascination, due to their massive size but also because of their complex behaviors, migratory patterns, and ecological importance. Whales play a crucial role in maintaining ocean ecosystems by redistributing nutrients on which other marine life depends. Whales face increasing environmental pressures, from climate change to human-induced disturbances. As the climate crisis accelerates, genomic studies have become essential tools for investigating population structure, evolutionary history, and patterns of isolation in order to facilitate conservation efforts.

The fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) is the second-largest whale species on earth, second only to the blue whale. Despite its classification as endangered, the fin whale from the Mediterranean Sea remains poorly characterized at the genomic level. Scientists previously identified the Mediterranean fin whale population as distinct from the North Atlantic populations through studies of sounds and whale tracking. Previous studies suggested the presence of both sedentary and migratory whale subgroups within the Mediterranean Sea. However, genetic characterization of this fin whale population has been limited, with only partial evidence for differentiation and possible gene flow. Researchers here attempted to reconstruct the Mediterranean fin whale’s genetic structure, as well as its demographic and evolutionary history. The investigators inferred the potential for adaptation and vulnerability to increasing environmental disturbances by using the estimated level of genomic variability within the Mediterranean population.

By comparing genomes from the Mediterranean group with those of fin whales from the North Atlantic, North Pacific, and new sequences from Sea of Cortez, researchers evaluated the degree of genetic isolation and placed the Mediterranean population within a broader evolutionary and conservation context. The results show that although Mediterranean fin whales form a distinct genetic cluster, they are not fully isolated from North Atlantic populations. They also detected genetic differences within the Mediterranean group, with some individuals showing no evidence of admixture, whereas others display clear genetic contributions from other populations, likely reflecting ongoing migration and interbreeding.

“These incredibly fascinating mammals enrich the Mediterranean as an essential component of its ecosystem," said the paper’s lead author, Roberto Biello. “By generating the first complete genomes for multiple individuals from this population, our study provides a valuable resource for investigating their adaptive potential in response to specific environmental pressures. Our findings highlight that effective conservation of this unique population will require both preventing population decline and maintaining connectivity with nearby populations.”

The paper, “One Sea, Different Whales: Genomics Sheds Light on a Small Population of Fin Whales,” is available (at midnight on April 28th) at https://academic.oup.com/gbe/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/gbe/evag084.

Direct correspondence to: 
Roberto Biello
Department of Life Science and Biotechnology
University of Ferrara
44121, Ferrara, ITALY
roberto.biello@unife.it

To request a copy of the study, please contact:
Daniel Luzer 
daniel.luzer@oup.com

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Journal

Genome Biology and Evolution

DOI

10.1093/gbe/evag084 

Method of Research

Content analysis

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

One Sea, Different Whales: Genomics Sheds Light on a Small Population of Fin Whales

Article Publication Date

28-Apr-2026

 

Impact of China’s “wolf warrior diplomacy” on public opinion in East Asia

Researchers show aggressive diplomatic messaging lowers China’s favorability across East Asian democracies, often triggering backlash against China

Waseda University

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Researchers show that aggressive diplomatic messaging by China reduces favorability and fails to win public support in the East Asian democracies.

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Credit: Prof. Tetsuro Kobayashi from Waseda University, Japan

China’s “Wolf Warrior Diplomacy,” known for its confrontational tone, may be counterproductive in East Asia. However, its impact on public opinion in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan remains unclear. Now, researchers have found that exposure to such messaging reduced favorability toward China, especially in South Korea. While some perceptions of the United States also declined, these effects were inconsistent. In addition, participants were reluctant to share such messages, suggesting limited persuasive power.

China’s increasingly assertive “Wolf Warrior Diplomacy”—a communication style marked by sharp criticism of other countries and strong nationalist rhetoric—has drawn global attention in recent years. However, less is known about its impact on public opinion in democratic countries, which significantly influences foreign policy-making processes. While widely visible on social media, a key question remains: How these populations interpret and respond to China’s aggressive diplomatic messaging and does it actually persuade them?

To answer this, a research team led by Professor Tetsuro Kobayashi from the School of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University, Japan, along with Dr. Yuan Zhou formerly from the Graduate School of Law, Kobe University, Japan, and currently from the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Okayama University, Japan, and Mr. Lungta Seki from the Graduate School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Koç University, Turkey, conducted preregistered online survey experiments in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. The study was published online in the journal of The International Journal of Press/Politics on April 2, 2026.

“We were intrigued by the growing international visibility of China’s “Wolf Warrior Diplomacy,” which had attracted major media, and wanted to test how it affects public opinion in East Asian democracies, especially in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, where public opinion can shape foreign policy,” says Kobayashi.

Using preregistered online survey experiments with over 6,000 participants across the three countries, the team examined how people responded to social media posts resembling real-world diplomatic messaging. Participants were randomly shown either a set of five neutral, apolitical posts about China or five “Wolf Warrior” posts that praised China while criticizing the United States.

The findings reveal a clear pattern: rather than improving China’s image, exposure to these posts significantly reduced favorability toward China in all three countries. The strongest and most consistent backlash was observed in South Korea, where participants reported declines not only in overall sentiment but also in trust toward the Chinese government and perceptions of its global influence. In contrast, any negative effects on perceptions of the United States were weaker and less consistent, appearing only in specific contexts.

“Our results show that “Wolf Warrior” messaging may fail to win public support and can even damage the sender’s reputation. In addition, it highlights that democratic values in East Asia remain resilient, even when exposed to forceful anti-democratic rhetoric,” says Kobayashi.

Importantly, the study also tested whether such messaging could influence deeper political attitudes or spread widely through social networks. It was found that support for democratic values remained stable across all three countries, despite explicit criticisms of democracy in the messages. At the same time, participants showed low willingness to share “Wolf Warrior” content, suggesting limited potential for organic dissemination.

These findings have practical implications for policymakers, journalists, and communication professionals navigating today’s complex information environment. The study sheds light on how comparative narratives that glorify one country while attacking another are received by democratic audiences, offering insights relevant to public diplomacy, misinformation research, and strategic communication. Moreover, it underscores that not all influence attempts are successful—and that, in some cases, they may produce the very opposite of their intended effect.

“Overall, our study addresses a pressing global challenge: how authoritarian states attempt to influence public opinion beyond their borders. In an era of heightened geopolitical competition, understanding the effectiveness of aggressive foreign messaging is crucial. Thus, it highlights that Wolf Warrior Diplomacy is ineffective and may also damage a country’s image abroad,” concludes Kobayashi.

Reference:

Authors:
Yuan Zhou¹, Tetsuro Kobayashi², and Lungta Seki³

Affiliations:
¹ Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Okayama University
² School of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University
³ Graduate School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Koç University

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About Waseda University

Located in the heart of Tokyo, Waseda University is a leading private research university that has long been dedicated to academic excellence, innovative research, and civic engagement at both the local and global levels since 1882. The University has produced many changemakers in its history, including eight prime ministers and many leaders in business, science and technology, literature, sports, and film. Waseda has strong collaborations with overseas research institutions and is committed to advancing cutting-edge research and developing leaders who can contribute to the resolution of complex, global social issues. The University has set a target of achieving a zero-carbon campus by 2032, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015. 

To learn more about Waseda University, visit https://www.waseda.jp/top/en  

About Professor Tetsuro Kobayashi

Dr. Tetsuro Kobayashi is a Professor at Waseda University’s Faculty of Political Science and Economics. He earned his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from The University of Tokyo in 2009. Before joining Waseda University, he held positions at the National Institute of Informatics in Japan and the City University of Hong Kong. His research interests encompass political communication, political psychology, and public opinion. Kobayashi’s research has been published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals, spanning the fields of political science, communication, and psychology.

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Journal

The International Journal of Press/Politics

DOI

10.1177/19401612261431042 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Evaluating the Impact of China’s “Wolf Warrior Diplomacy” in East Asia: An Experimental Approach

 

Digital twin can reveal alcohol consumption in crime cases

Linköping University

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Henrik Podéus Derelöv, PhD student at LiU.

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Credit: Marcus Pettersson

Using a so-called digital twin, it is possible to predict with greater precision than at present how much alcohol a person has consumed and at what time. The study was conducted by researchers at Linköping University and the Swedish National Board of Forensic Medicine. The findings, published in Scientific Reports, pave the way for more reliable investigations into crimes where alcohol is believed to have been involved. 

In criminal investigations, it can be crucial to know when a person last consumed alcohol in order to determine responsibility with certainty. However, according to Robert Kronstrand, chief toxicologist at the Swedish National Board of Forensic Medicine and adjunct professor at Linköping University, current techniques, where alcohol levels are measured in exhaled breath and blood samples, are too imprecise:

“One thing we do is assess when a person last drank alcohol, for example in a drink-driving case. The person has crashed, been unobserved for a period before the police arrive, and when tested is positive for alcohol. The person then says that all intake occurred after the journey, and that the blood test therefore doesn’t reflect the situation while they were driving,” he says.

This argument is known as post-incident drinking, or hip flask defence, and can be difficult to disprove using current techniques. Another situation where alcohol consumption is an important piece of the puzzle in investigations is in various types of violent crime or accidents.  

“Then we want to be able to extrapolate backwards from an analytical result that may have been obtained three, five or ten hours after the event, and estimate the alcohol level at the time of the offence and perhaps also when the person stopped drinking,” says Robert Kronstrand.

To achieve this, the research group at Linköping University, together with the Swedish National Board of Forensic Medicine, has developed a computational model for a so-called digital twin. Digital twin technology can, in simplified terms, be described as a virtual model of a person where individual differences such as sex, age, height, weight and medical conditions are taken into account when calculating alcohol levels in the body.

In the LiU researchers’ model, data from a person’s exhaled breath, blood and urine samples are analysed. These data consist of various metabolites from alcohol metabolism, found in blood and urine. All this information is then used together with the digital twin to generate individualised results on drinking patterns.

According to the researchers, the digital twin could also take into account gastric emptying rates and alcohol absorption, which depend on food intake or the type of alcoholic beverage consumed.

“We want to explore alcohol intake and how it breaks down in the body. This involves measurements of both alcohol directly in blood and urine, and secondary  metabolites that arise during the breakdown of alcohol,” says Henrik Podéus Derelöv, doctoral student at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Linköping University (LiU).

The aim is to develop a user-friendly tool for forensic investigations where sample data are entered, and the model provides probable answers as to when a person last drank and how much. According to Henrik Podéus Derelöv, the results are intended as a support in assessments and do not replace the overall forensic medicine evaluation.

“The model will always involve inherent uncertainty, but that also applies to current methods, and the ambition is to create a more flexible tool.”

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Journal

Scientific Reports

DOI

10.1038/s41598-026-44093-4 

Article Title

A digital twin framework for forensic reconstruction of alcohol intake via fast and slow metabolite kinetics

Mainz University and the German Police University launch joint research project on qualified language mediation for efficient forensic communication surveillance

German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space is funding the project with around EUR 880,000 through its Validation of the Technological and Social Innovation Potential of Scientific Research (VIP+) program

Johannes Gutenberg Universitaet Mainz

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An intercept interpreter / translator (IIT) at work

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Credit: photo/©: Katja Preusse / German Police University

In cases involving serious criminal offenses, the police are permitted to conduct acoustic surveillance of telephones, private premises, or vehicles to record conversations of suspected offenders or to analyze chat communications. When criminal groups communicate in languages other than German, language mediators or so-called intercept interpreters-translators (IITs) are tasked with rendering the content into German. Their role extends beyond mere linguistic transfer to include the communication of additional information relevant to the investigation. The results of their work also serve as evidence in court proceedings. To ensure effective crime prevention and prosecution, the police, the prosecuting attorneys, and courts depend on precise intercept interpreting and translation.

This is the very topic of the new research project on "Qualified language mediation for efficient forensic communication surveillance", QSEK for short. The interdisciplinary research consortium – involving academics from translation studies, law, and criminology – aims to raise awareness of the specific challenges and importance of intercept interpreting and translation among law enforcement, the judiciary, and the language services sector. It seeks to develop general standards for the legally sound use of language-mediated evidence and to provide targeted training for both language professionals and police personnel.

For the police and the judiciary, the professionalization of IITs is expected to yield significant cost savings as high-quality translation enhances investigative efficiency and reduces the risk of misinterpretation. At the same time, standardized procedures facilitate the work of prosecuting authorities, enable the assessment of AI-based applications, and strengthen the legal reliability of evidence derived from intercept interpreting and translation.

For IITs themselves, the introduction of a standardized qualification profile creates opportunities to acquire both specialized translation and forensic competencies, as well as to prepare themselves for the professional use of AI technologies. Ultimately, these innovations contribute to fair and transparent criminal proceedings and uphold the right of defendants to be heard, thereby reinforcing public trust in law enforcement and judicial processes.

The practical implementation of the project results is of central importance. In the framework of the Validation of the Technological and Social Innovation Potential of Scientific Research (VIP+) program, this transfer will be supported by the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf as innovation mentor. In addition, the project is supported by an advisory board comprising the German Federal Public Prosecutor at the Federal Court of Justice and representatives from the German Federal Criminal Police Office, the Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office, the German Federal Association of Interpreters and Translators (BDÜ), the German Institute for Human Rights, and criminal defense attorney Dr. Alexander Paradissis (WisteV). This broad backing underscores that QSEK addresses an urgent and widely recognized need.

The project supervisors, namely Professor Cornelia Griebel of the Faculty of Translation Studies, Linguistics, and Cultural Studies of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), Chief of the Criminal Division Joachim Faßbender, and Professor Lars Berster of the German Police University (DHPol), welcome this strong support from key stakeholders. They are confident that QSEK will provide a comprehensive solution to current challenges in intercept interpreting and translation. By integrating academic research, practice-oriented training, and support for technological innovation, the project is intended to make a sustainable contribution to high-quality and efficient language mediation in this field.

The German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) is providing financial support of EUR 878,799 to the QSEK project through its VIP+ validation funding program.


Related links:

• https://www.validierungsfoerderung.de/validierungsprojekte/qsek – Validation project "Qualified language mediation for efficient forensic communication surveillance" (QSEK) [in German]