The sperm is not a passive supplier of genetic material to the egg. A study from Linköping University, Sweden, shows that certain molecules that come with the sperm, so-called micro-RNA, contribute to the development of the embryo several days after conception. The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, may in the long term contribute to better diagnosis and treatment of involuntary childlessness.

In patients with Long COVID, a new study has revealed structural association between circulating microclots and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). This finding suggests the existence of underlying physiological interactions between microclots and NETS that, when dysregulated, may become pathogenic.

The study investigates the complex link between offspring number and health in a large cohort of over 500,000 Chinese adults over 12 years. Addressing past research gaps, the study used a Phenome-Wide Association Study, performing separate analyses for men and women. This rigorous, sex-stratified approach, relying on Cox Proportional-Hazards Models, was used to systematically quantify health risks across a vast range of diseases and mortality while adjusting for potential confounders.

An international research team included institutions from China, the Netherlands and Belgium, uncovers the global patterns and drivers of symbiotic interactions between orchids and mycorrhizal fungi. Their global meta-analysis concludes that an orchid's mycorrhizal fungal community is determined primarily by its physiology and geographic location—not by its phylogenetic relationships.