Safe dietary strategies to enhance fat metabolism might help mitigate excess fat accumulation within skeletal muscle. Now, researchers have discovered that pterostilbene, a natural dietary compound, modulates lipid metabolism in muscle cells by protecting a key metabolic protein, PPARδ, from degradation. Rather than directly activating the protein, pterostilbene stabilizes PPARδ, enabling increased fatty acid oxidation and reducing lipid accumulation. The findings can support future nutritional approaches for improving metabolic health.

A nationwide Japanese birth cohort study of 101,864 children found that ovulation induction, intrauterine insemination and in vitro fertilization were associated with a higher risk of Kawasaki disease before age five compared with spontaneous conception. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection showed no clear difference in risk. The findings remained broadly consistent after adjustment for maternal comorbidities and highlight the need for further research into underlying mechanisms.

A new study by researchers from the Atopy (Allergy) Research Center of the Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan, led by Professor François Niyonsaba, has uncovered an “arms race” between melanoma cells and the surrounding skin cells called keratinocytes. Keratinocytes produce LL-37, an antimicrobial peptide that can directly suppress melanoma growth and spread. Melanoma cells escape this protective mechanism by transferring hsa-miR-221-5p through exosomes to keratinocytes in their vicinity, reducing their LL-37 production.

Halogenated organic compounds (HOCs) are widely used in industrial and consumer products, but some are highly persistent and difficult to analyze and manage. In a new study, researchers have developed an innovative approach for carbon isotope ratio analysis of these compounds, which has been previously difficult. This approach will help track the source and environmental pathways of such pollutants, contributing to the development of effective management strategies.

Shaft resistance of large-diameter bored piles is commonly estimated using empirical adhesion (α) and friction (β) factors, but their values vary widely and remain poorly defined for intermediate geomaterials (IGMs). In a new study, researchers developed field-calibrated empirical correlations by back-analyzing 20 instrumented static load tests. The proposed equations improve prediction of shaft resistance in clay, sand, and IGMs, enabling more reliable and economical foundation design in soil–rock transition environments.