Researchers have discovered that Kilauea volcano showed signs of internal changes nearly a year before its 2018 eruption, according to a study in AGU Advances. "Our hypothesis is that a blockage formed between the volcano's two summit magma reservoirs, impeding the flow, and pressure began to build beneath Kīlauea's East Rift Zone," said Sin-Mei Wu, an author of the study.

A study in Communications Earth Environment suggests that a rapid cooling of mid-depth tropical Pacific waters 1.5 million years ago was caused by cold water traveling from the Southern Ocean through ocean tunnels. The research analyzed sediment cores from the Manihiki Plateau, showing a significant drop in temperature and salinity coinciding with Antarctic ice growth.

A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences observes that after a violent territorial expansion, the Ngogo chimpanzees in Uganda experienced a significant increase in birth rates and infant survival. The chimpanzees expanded their territory by 22% through coordinated attacks, resulting in more than double the fertility rate and a drastic decrease in infant mortality.

Future black hole images may be detailed enough to test Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity against alternative theories of gravity, according to research in Nature Astronomy. "The differences grow predictably as imaging resolution and fidelity improve, establishing that next-generation horizon-scale imaging could tell Einstein's black holes apart from non-Einstein black holes," researcher Akhil Uniyal says.

A study in Nature Cell Biology reveals that greying hair might be a byproduct of the body's defense against cancer. Researchers found that pigment-producing cells shut down when their DNA experiences double-strand breaks, preventing the spread of mutations. Over time, this leads to fewer pigment cells and grey hair.

Chronic hepatitis C was associated with an increased risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, according to a study involving more than 6 million US veterans. The research, published in JAMA Network Open, found the risk was particularly high for those with HCV genotypes 3 and 1. "Screening and its subsequent treatment for HCV infection can lead to improved patient outcomes and lower health expenses," a separate team of researchers noted in an accompanying commentary.

A study in The Lancet Psychiatry found metformin helps manage weight gain in children taking second-generation antipsychotics for bipolar disorder. The study involved more than 1,500 children ages 8 to 19 who were overweight or obese. "[Y]outh with overweight or obesity should be started on metformin at the same time a second-generation antipsychotic is initiated," says study leader Melissa DelBello.

A study in JAMA Internal Medicine shows the scale of the damage caused by federal cuts to NIH funding earlier this year, with 383 clinical trial grants terminated and disruptions affecting more than 74,000 participants in trials involving HIV prevention, COVID-19, cancer, mental health and global health research. Researchers warn that the turmoil crippled clinical infrastructure, reduced access to care for trial participants and may have compromised scientific outcomes that relied on uninterrupted treatment or measurement.