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spoilerThe herbicide ingredient used to replace glyphosate in Roundup and other weedkiller products can kill gut bacteria and damage organs in multiple ways, new research shows.

The ingredient, diquat, is widely employed in the US as a weedkiller in vineyards and orchards, and is increasingly sprayed elsewhere as the use of controversial herbicide substances such as glyphosate and paraquat drops in the US.

But the new piece of data suggests diquat is more toxic than glyphosate, and the substance is banned over its risks in the UK, EU, China and many other countries. Still, the EPA has resisted calls for a ban, and Roundup formulas with the ingredient hit the shelves last year. Foam washes up from a body of water onto sandy ground with scrubby plants. ‘We thought we’d got the numbers wrong’: how a pristine lake came to have the highest levels of ‘forever chemicals’ on record Read more

“From a human health perspective, this stuff is quite a bit nastier than glyphosate so we’re seeing a regrettable substitution, and the ineffective regulatory structure is allowing it,” said Nathan Donley, science director with the Center For Biological Diversity, which advocates for stricter pesticide regulations but was not involved in the new research. “Regrettable substitution” is a scientific term used to describe the replacement of a toxic substance in a consumer product with an ingredient that is also toxic.

Diquat is also thought to be a neurotoxin, carcinogen and linked to Parkinson’s disease. An October analysis of EPA data by the Friends of the Earth non-profit found it is about 200 times more toxic than glyphosate in terms of chronic exposure.

Bayer, which makes Roundup, faced nearly 175,000 lawsuits alleging that the product’s users were harmed by the product. Bayer, which bought Monsanto in 2018, reformulated Roundup after the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as a possible carcinogen.

The new review of scientific literature in part focuses on the multiple ways in which diquat damages organs and gut bacteria, including by reducing the level of proteins that are key pieces of the gut lining. The weakening can allow toxins and pathogens to move from the stomach into the bloodstream, and trigger inflammation in the intestines and throughout the body. Meanwhile, diquat can inhibit the production of beneficial bacteria that maintain the gut lining.

Damage to the lining also inhibits the absorption of nutrients and energy metabolism, the authors said.

The research further scrutinizes how the substance harms the kidneys, lungs and liver. Diquat “causes irreversible structural and functional damage to the kidneys” because it can destroy kidney cells’ membranes and interfere with cell signals. The effects on the liver are similar, and the ingredient causes the production of proteins that inflame the organ.

Meanwhile, it seems to attack the lungs by triggering inflammation that damages the organ’s tissue. More broadly, the inflammation caused by diquat may cause multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, a scenario in which organ systems begin to fail.

The authors note that many of the studies are on rodents and more research on low, long-term exposure is needed. Bayer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Despite the risks amid a rise in diquat’s use, the EPA is not reviewing the chemical, and even non-profits that push for tighter pesticide regulations have largely focused their attention elsewhere.

Donley said that was in part because US pesticide regulations are so weak that advocates are tied up with battles over ingredients like glyphosate, paraquat and chlorpyrifos – substances that are banned elsewhere but still widely used here. Diquat is “overshadowed” by those ingredients.

“Other countries have banned diquat, but in the US we’re still fighting the fights that Europe won 20 years ago,” Donley said. “It hasn’t gotten to the radar of most groups and that really says a lot about the sad and sorry state of pesticides in the US.”

Some advocates have accused the EPA of being captured by industry, and Donley said US pesticide laws were so weak that it was difficult for the agency to ban ingredients, even if the will exists. For example, the agency banned chlorpyrifos in 2022, but a court overturned the decision after industry sued.

Moreover, the EPA’s pesticides office seems to have a philosophy that states that toxic pesticides are a “necessary evil”, Donley said.

“When you approach an issue from that lens there’s only so much you will do,” he said.

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submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by micnd90@hexbear.net to c/science@hexbear.net
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Today I learned polygamy is technically not gender equal

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tfw can't work from home

tfw can't work from office because no office

https://eos.org/research-and-developments/national-science-foundation-staff-booted-from-headquarters

Staff at the National Science Foundation (NSF) were notified on 25 June that the agency’s office space, located in Alexandria, Va., will be taken over by Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) staff, raising the question of where more than 1,800 NSF employees will work.

One NSF employee told E&E News that they had “literally zero idea” the news was coming until word spread among staff the previous evening. Many NSF employees had relocated to Northern Virginia on short notice when return-to-work orders were issued in January. NSF only moved into the newly constructed building in 2017 from its prior location in Arlington, Va.

In front of a banner reading “The New Golden Age of HUD” at a 25 June press conference, HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced that a “staggered and thoughtful” relocation process would take place. The relocation will move forward “as quickly as possible,” Michael Peters, commissioner of the Public Buildings Service for the U.S. General Services Administration, said at the press conference.

On 24 June, Jesus Soriano, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AGFE) Local 3403, a union representing NSF staff, sent an alert to union members informing them that “HUD will take over the NSF building” and that NSF had not been involved in the decision, according to E&E News.

Speakers at the press conference did not provide details about HUD’s plans for the space. In a statement, AGFE Local 3403 indicated that the union was told that plans would include an executive suite for Turner, the construction of a new executive dining room, exclusive use of one elevator for Turner, and a gym for Turner and his family.

“While Secretary Turner and his staff are busy enjoying private dining and a custom gym, NSF employees are being displaced with no plan, no communication, and no respect,” AGFE Local 3403 wrote in the statement.

Turner rebuked the idea that the move was about personal perks. “This is not about Scott Turner. I didn’t come to government to get nice things,” Turner said. “This is about the HUD employees.”

Turner added that unsafe working conditions at the current HUD office space in Washington, D.C. were the reason for the move. “I would hope that no leader in government or otherwise would expect staff to work in an atmosphere where the air quality is questionable, leaks are nearly unstoppable, and the HVAC is almost unworkable. It’s time for a change.”

Addressing the coming transition for NSF, Peters said, “We are going to continue to support the National Science Foundation as we support every agency across the federal government to identify space that allows them to continue to fulfill their mission.”

In its statement, AGFE Local 3403 pointedly questioned the merit of the relocation plan: “At a time when they claim to be cutting government waste, it is unbelievable that government funding is being redirected to build a palace-like office for the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The hypocrisy is truly dumbfounding.”

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This telescope is now online & will be imaging the entire night sky every 3-4 days, bringing an unprecedented time resolution to high-fidelity, wide-field images of the night sky. Check back in a week and presumably this viewer will be fully filled in.

Some background on the project.

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spoilerA small team of researchers has reported a striking achievement: they succeeded in raising a mouse that came from two male parents, and it grew into a healthy adult. Their work unveils a set of genetic changes that overcomes the imprinting barriers that typically block such development.

Scientists in various fields have tried for years to figure out how paternal-only DNA could sustain a mammal through all stages of life.

A small team of researchers has reported a striking achievement: they succeeded in raising a mouse that came from two male parents, and it grew into a healthy adult. Their work unveils a set of genetic changes that overcomes the imprinting barriers that typically block such development.

Scientists in various fields have tried for years to figure out how paternal-only DNA could sustain a mammal through all stages of life.

Biological imprinting is an inherited pattern of gene expression. It involves certain genes getting turned on or off depending on whether they come from the father or the mother.

Researchers found that if you adjust a selection of these imprinting genes, you can open the door for unique reproductive feats, such as an embryo that starts with only paternal cells.

“This work will help to address a number of limitations in stem cell and regenerative medicine research,” explains Wei Li of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.

In this case, the scientists homed in on key sections of DNA that are known to control fetal growth and viability.

What this means for biology

When a mouse embryo is formed in the usual way, paternal and maternal DNA come together. That combination produces a precise balance of imprinted genes.

In paternal-only embryos, certain growth-related genes can become overstimulated, but the team was able to selectively modify them so these embryos could mature.

“These findings provide strong evidence that imprinting abnormalities are the main barrier to mammalian unisexual reproduction,” said Qi Zhou, co-lead of this study.

By re-engineering the problematic gene regions, the researchers made it possible for two sets of male chromosomes to support a developing mouse. Therapeutic ideas

A number of genetic and metabolic disorders in humans stem from errors in imprinting. Scientists have asked whether strategies used here might be adapted to correct imprinting problems that cause diseases in people.

One potential target is KCNK9, which has been linked to Birk-Barel syndrome. Precise gene editing of such imprinting sites could help in the design of improved treatments for these rare disorders.

In practice, these ideas may take time to progress. Mouse models are often a first step in studying how imprinting influences development.

The more scientists understand about restoring the right imprinting patterns, the closer they might come to tackling certain medical conditions. Gene imprinting implications

The modified imprinting genes not only allowed bi-paternal mice to survive to adulthood, they also improved the efficiency of stem cells used in the process.

The researchers reported that these engineered embryonic stem cells were about twice as likely to develop into full-term pups compared to unmodified cells.

This improved developmental stability could change how scientists approach cloning. Currently, cloned animals often suffer from low survival rates and severe abnormalities, in part due to faulty imprinting.

Fixing imprinting errors ahead of time might make future cloning methods more reliable, especially in complex mammals like primates. Ethical considerations

Questions often arise about how these approaches could extend to humans.

According to guidelines from the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), heritable genome editing is not currently allowed for human reproductive purposes because it is considered unsafe.

Researchers continue to examine these practices in animal models before even considering steps that approach human application. Investigators involved in this work remain cautious.

While a mouse with two fathers has captured headlines, translating similar methods to people is a bigger leap.

The focus remains on unraveling how imprinted genes function, and how targeted interventions might fix imprinting-related diseases down the road. Next questions

There is still room to explore how best to refine these genetic strategies to improve survival rates and lessen the chance of complications.

Specialists are also looking at future animal models to see if placental differences, organ development, or immune responses undergo subtle changes when imprinting is modified.

Some foresee that data gleaned from these methods will shape the next generation of gene-editing research.

Ongoing studies point to a need for caution. Issues like longevity, fertility, and normal physiology require much deeper evaluation.

Still, scientists see value in applying these insights to refine cloning and enhance studies of embryonic stem cells. Even partial solutions could inform safer protocols for regenerating cells and tissues in healthcare settings.

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This breakthrough was led by Wei Li of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and Qi Zhou of the same institution, with further input from collaborators at Sun Yat-sen University.

The study is published in Cell Stem Cell.

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@thelastaxolotl@hexbear.net what you hiding

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Hello all! Among the many massive cuts to science in Trumps budge request the cuts to NASA astrophysics and the nasa ballooning program stand out as being extremely short sighted. The ballooning program in particular is extremely inexpensive and delivers huge gains for science. This program is completely cut to 0% in the new budget. In hopes of convincing congress not to go along with this one of my students created this petition. Please consider signing if you want to fight these cuts to a critical NASA program:

Change.org petition

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cross-posted from: https://lemmit.online/post/6054530

A new study identifies 195 million hectares globally as optimal for reforestation without harming people or wildlife. Restoring these areas could remove 2.2 billion tonnes of CO₂ per year—equivale...

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/science by /u/-Mystica- on 2025-06-12 01:41:50+00:00.

Original Title: A new study identifies 195 million hectares globally as optimal for reforestation without harming people or wildlife. Restoring these areas could remove 2.2 billion tonnes of CO₂ per year—equivalent to the annual emissions of the European Union.

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