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  • Women with ADHD three times more likely to experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder – new research

    Women with ADHD three times more likely to experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder – new research

    Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has historically been under-studied in women. This means we still have a limited understanding of how the condition may uniquely affect women – and what effect monthly hormonal changes may have on women with ADHD.

    But a recent study conducted by me and my colleagues has shown that women with ADHD are at higher risk for mental health struggles associated with the menstrual cycle. We found that having ADHD makes women around three times more likely to experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

    Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), is a serious condition that affects about 3% of women worldwide. The condition can seriously interfere with a person’s everyday life, causing symptoms such as mood swings, irritability, depressed mood and anxiety.

    These symptoms occur in the days before menstruation, and resolve after the period starts. For some, PMDD may lead to severe outcomes, such as being at an increased risk of attempting suicide.



    Read more:
    Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: the frightening psychological condition suffered by Dixie D’Amelio

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    We conducted an online survey of 715 women aged 18 to 34 in the UK. We asked them whether they experienced different symptoms of ADHD or PMDD, whether they’d received an ADHD diagnosis from a doctor and how symptoms interfered with their lives.

    We found that about 31% of women with a clinical ADHD diagnosis also had PMDD, as did around 41% of women who scored high for ADHD symptoms (whether they had been formally diagnosed with ADHD or not). In comparison, only about 9% of women without ADHD met the criteria for PMDD. We also found that women who had ADHD and a clinical diagnosis of depression or anxiety had an even greater risk of PMDD.

    The research showed that the most common PMDD symptoms women experienced were irritability, feeling overwhelmed and depression. But women with ADHD may also be more likely to experience insomnia when they have PMDD.

    A young woman sits on a couch looking sad.

    The PMDD and ADHD link

    Our study isn’t the first to show a link between the two conditions, but it is the first to identify a similar PMDD risk among women with ADHD symptoms, not just among those who were in treatment. We’re also the first to show that people who have ADHD plus depression or anxiety are at an even greater risk of PMDD.

    Other research suggests that women with ADHD may also be at higher risk for mental health problems during other times of hormonal change. For instance, one study found women with ADHD experienced higher rates of depression and anxiety after starting combined oral hormonal contraceptives. Another study found that women with ADHD were more likely to experience depression after giving birth than those without the condition.

    More research is now needed to understand why women with ADHD appear to be more vulnerable to PMDD, and whether this affects what treatments work best.

    It should be noted that our study assesses “provisional PMDD diagnosis”. An official diagnosis requires two months of symptom tracking across the menstrual cycle. But we asked women to remember how they felt across their menstrual cycle rather than tracking how they feel in real-time.

    This means we could be over- or under-estimating PMDD prevalence as we’re relying on participants to recall their symptoms.

    Future research should assess PMDD symptoms among women in real-time as they experience their menstrual cycles to more accurately assess symptoms without having to rely on people’s memory. Additionally, it may be difficult to distinguish PMDD from other disorders that may worsen during the premenstrual period, such as depression or anxiety. Tracking symptoms across the menstrual cycle in real-time would help to disentangle this.

    PMDD can have profoundly negative effects on women’s lives. Some women even report it can make them feel “physically unable to see the joy in things”. Although symptoms can be managed with prescription treatments, this can only happen if the condition is diagnosed by a doctor.

    Our new research shows us that women with ADHD are an at-risk group for PMDD, especially if they also have depression or anxiety. This suggests doctors should consider screening for PMDD among women with ADHD to reduce distress and adverse outcomes associated with the condition.

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  • Digital Technologies Could Unlock Billions in Revenue for Africa, Experts Say – African Development Bank Group

    1. Digital Technologies Could Unlock Billions in Revenue for Africa, Experts Say  African Development Bank Group
    2. Bridging the legal gap in Africa’s digital boom {Business Africa}  africanews.com
    3. Foyeke Ogundipe on Why Technology Must Be at the Center of Africa’s Growth  THISDAYLIVE
    4. Foyeke Ogundipe champions digital vision for Africa’s growth  The Guardian Nigeria News

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  • Researchers May Have Finally Figured Out How There Is So Much Gold And Other Heavy Elements In The Universe » TwistedSifter

    Researchers May Have Finally Figured Out How There Is So Much Gold And Other Heavy Elements In The Universe » TwistedSifter

    Gold bars

    Shutterstock

    When the average person looks around the universe, they don’t stop and think, “Wow, there is just too much gold.” That is, however, what many astronomers and other scientists think.

    Not because the amount of gold (and other heavy elements) is causing any type of problem (the opposite, in fact) but because based on what they know of how gold is created, there shouldn’t be so much of it in the universe.

    For some time now, scientists have been trying to figure out exactly how and why there is so much of it out there, but one group might have found an answer. At least a partial one.

    First, let’s look at why it is believed that there is more gold than there should be. At the big bang and for some time after it, various elements were created. Light elements like hydrogen and helium were formed relatively easily as the universe cooled. Atomic nuclei were able to capture electrons, which created vast amounts of these very common elements.

    Neutron StarNeutron Star

    Shutterstock

    Heavier elements are more difficult to make since they require far more protons and neutrons to come together. The creation of all of the elements up to iron (which has 26 protons, about 30 neutrons, and 26 electrons) can be explained either from the natural cooling of the universe or the forging of these elements via nuclear fusion within stars. The extraordinary temperature and pressure creates elements like iron without much trouble.

    A team of researchers set out to understand how these heavier elements, including gold, were created in the quantities that are observed in the universe. In a paper published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the researchers explain how it is understood that some of these elements are made:

    “Roughly half of the elements in our universe heavier than iron are synthesized through the rapid neutron capture process (r-process). Despite this recognition, identifying the astrophysical sites that give rise to the necessary conditions for an r-process has remained challenging.”

    Some of the events in the universe that have the necessary conditions to go through the r-process include things like when neutron stars merge, the proto-neutron star winds during a supernovae, and the outflows of black hole accretion disks.

    These don’t happen frequently enough, or early enough in the evolution of the universe, to account for the amount of these heavy elements. When trying to understand this issue, the researchers looked at data from both NASA and ESA telescopes that was gathered back in 2004 for other types of research.

    What they found was information that suggested that magnetars may be responsible for somewhere between 1 and 10% of all of the heavy element creation in our galaxy. A magnetar is a specific type of neutron star that has a very strong magnetic field. The team had a hypothesis that if the magnetars were creating these heavier elements, they would be able to identify it in the light coming from the stars.

    Magnetar Researchers May Have Finally Figured Out How There Is So Much Gold And Other Heavy Elements In The UniverseMagnetar Researchers May Have Finally Figured Out How There Is So Much Gold And Other Heavy Elements In The Universe

    NASA

    To prove their theory, they looked back at the data gathered during a 2004 giant flare that took place on a distant magnetar. What they saw matched with their predictions very closely. The team wrote:

    “The finding that magnetars produce heavy elements, as just the second directly confirmed r-process source after neutron star mergers, has implications for the chemical evolution of the galaxy. In particular, giant flares offer a confirmed source that promptly tracks star formation.”

    This is good evidence that this is indeed where at least least some of the heavier elements came from, helping to balance the scales between what is observed and what is expected. Additional data will be needed to get a better understanding of just how much of a given heavy element might be created in this type of environment.

    Fortunately, NASA is set to launch the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) in 2027. This will be able to gather the specific type of data needed to test their theory further.

    If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about 50 amazing finds on Google Earth.

    Categories: NATURE/SPACE, SCI/TECH
    Tags: · astrophysics, big bang, esa, gold, heavy elements, magnetars, NASA, science, single topic, space, top

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  • Tour de France Daily | Stage 7 | Baudin breaks away in Bretagne

    Tour de France Daily | Stage 7 | Baudin breaks away in Bretagne

    Alex Baudin won the Tour de Limousin last year, finished second at the Coppa Bernocchi, and came third on GC at the Tour of Guangxi, but the 23-year-old from the French Alps says that his most memorable ride is still a month-long bikepacking adventure he took across Europe. He is going to fit right in in his first season in EF Education-EasyPost pink.

    Alex is a punchy climber, who excels at sustained, explosive efforts like the Ardennes classics demand. His favorite race that he has done so far is the Clásica de San Sebastián. He also likes the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal and Québec, because his uncles, who now live in Canada, can come to cheer. But Alex always returns home to the Alps and the roads he has been riding ever since he was a child.

    He first fell in love with cycling when he was four-years-old. His dad was a racer and would take him up into the mountains to watch the Tour de France whenever the race neared their Albertville home. Alex was soon tearing up climbs like the Cormet de Roselend with his father, emulating the heroes he’d seen attacking through the colorful crowds. His dad was his first coach and had to tell him to slow down.

    As Alex got older, he began to train harder and soon established himself as one of the most promising young climbers in France. The mountains are where he is most at home.

    As soon as snow falls in the Alps, Alex heads to his local cross-country trails. Gliding across meadows and through forests is a great way for him to build his fitness and get away from it all.

    To fuel all his time outside, Alex also loves to cook. When he is done cycling, Alex thinks he might become a chef.

    For now, his focus is 100 percent on cycling. He wants to fly in his first year in pink.

    This summer, Alex will make his Tour de France debut. Watch him soar in the mountains all around France this July.

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  • 140,000-year-old child’s skull may have been part modern human, part Neanderthal — but not everyone is convinced

    140,000-year-old child’s skull may have been part modern human, part Neanderthal — but not everyone is convinced

    The child’s skull has a mix of features that appear to align with both modern Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. (Image credit: Israel Hershkovitz/Tel Aviv University)

    One of the earliest known human burials — that of a young child — could have been a cross between modern humans and Neanderthals, a new study suggests.

    Researchers analyzed a skull that was found at a 140,000-year-old burial site and concluded that the child it belonged to had both modern human (Homo sapiens) and Neanderthal characteristics. However, the child’s precise ancestry is still uncertain.

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  • Amid setbacks for the U.S., the global energy…

    Amid setbacks for the U.S., the global energy…

    It’s been a bad week for the U.S. energy transition.

    President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans effectively repealed large swaths of the landmark Inflation Reduction Act last Friday, a move that will set back the nation’s efforts to decarbonize just as they were gaining steam.

    But the United States is not the only country in the world. It’s one of the biggest emitters, true, but it’s responsible for only about 13% of global carbon dioxide emissions.

    And luckily, even as Trump hitches the U.S. to fossil fuels, the world is continuing to move quickly toward cleaner sources. Let’s take a tour of some global energy-transition bright spots.

    In China, the world’s biggest carbon emitter, wind and solar capacity overtook coal and gas in the first quarter of 2025 — a first, according to a Global Energy Monitor report released this week. The country is still building and using immense amounts of fossil fuels, but reports suggest its emissions may finally be in reverse.

    In the European Union, solar was the largest source of electricity across all of June. It’s the first time solar has led the pack for an entire month in the EU, according to a new Ember report, producing 22% of the region’s electricity. Meanwhile, coal fell to its lowest-ever level, a reflection of the region’s push to eliminate the dirty fuel: Ireland shuttered its last coal plant in late June, becoming Europe’s 15th coal-free country. Italy and Spain are slated to close their last major coal plants this summer, too.

    Across the entire world, $2 is now invested in clean energy, efficiency, and the grid for every $1 invested in fossil fuels. That’s serious progress, and a big reason why clean energy is growing so rapidly worldwide. Last year, more than 90% of the new electricity built globally was clean energy. Meanwhile, EV adoption is set to leap 25% this year, compared with 2024, setting yet another record even amid headwinds in the U.S., according to BloombergNEF. More than one-quarter of new passenger vehicles sold worldwide will be battery-powered.

    To be clear, the trajectory the world is on right now is not fast enough to meet global climate commitments. All of the progress mentioned above needs to accelerate further — and the U.S. resisting the energy transition is a big deal. But with or without the U.S., the global energy transition is happening, and a future that’s powered by solar, wind, batteries, nuclear, and other forms of carbon-free power is on the way.

    More big energy stories

    Megabill fallout

    One week ago today, Trump signed the GOP megabill into law and changed the trajectory of the U.S. energy transition with the stroke of a pen.

    The law made deep cuts to the Inflation Reduction Act, the national climate law passed by the Biden administration in 2022. As a result, the U.S. is now expected to install clean energy at a slower pace, sell fewer EVs, and emit a lot more carbon dioxide in the coming years. Oh, and energy prices are going to rise, too. If you’re looking for a piece to share widely that covers the basics, try this one I published on Monday.

    Trump’s pro-coal push faces challenges

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  • T20 World Cup qualifiers: Jersey on cricket map after beating Scotland

    T20 World Cup qualifiers: Jersey on cricket map after beating Scotland

    “This morning somebody asked me where Jersey was,” says the island cricket side’s captain Charles Perchard.

    After Friday’s last-ball win over Scotland, there will be few in the sport who can fail to have heard of the tiny Channel Island.

    But for hosts Netherlands beating Italy by nine wickets on Friday evening, Jersey – with its population of just over 100,000 – would have been heading to India and Sri Lanka next February to take on the globe’s best in the T20 World Cup.

    Despite the disappointment of missing out after finishing third behind Italy on net run rate in the ICC T20 World Cup Europe qualifying group, Jersey know they are capable of mixing it with the big boys.

    “We lost a nail-biter to the Dutch – they chased our score with three balls to go,” Perchard told BBC Sport.

    “Time and time again when we’ve been coming up the gears to play against these better sides, we’ve rubbed shoulders with them very well.

    “We’ve caused some scares – we could have beaten Zimbabwe when they were at home, in Scotland we blew another tight run chase against them.

    “That win today shows we can do it and the belief will be there for the guys so that hopefully next time we’ve got a tight run chase, we will know we’ve been there before, we’ve done it before and we can do it again.”

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  • Togedemaru and Greedent Star in This Pokémon TCG Pocket Wonder Pick Event

    Togedemaru and Greedent Star in This Pokémon TCG Pocket Wonder Pick Event

    These two Pokémon are charging up to electrify wonder picks in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket! From July 10, 2025, at 11:00 p.m. to July 20, 2025, at 10:59 p.m. PDT, Togedemaru and Greedent are headlining a new Wonder Pick event featuring their very own promo cards.

    Be on the lookout for bonus picks, a type of wonder pick in which you can receive items or promo cards without using any wonder stamina. The Togedemaru and Greedent promo cards are marked with an image of the Pokémon Chansey.

    The event will also feature missions that award event shop tickets for wonder picking or collecting certain cards. Show off your collection in style by exchanging these tickets for accessories, such as  an icon, backdrop, and card sleeve featuring Gladion, a Silvally Pokémon coin, and Gladion and Silvally together on a playmat and binder cover.

    Have fun wonder picking during this event, Trainers!

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  • Collect Unova Pokémon in Scarlet & Violet—Black Bolt and White Flare

    Collect Unova Pokémon in Scarlet & Violet—Black Bolt and White Flare

    The Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Black Bolt and Scarlet & Violet—White Flare split expansion celebrates all things Unova and features every Pokémon first discovered in the Unova region. If you’re looking to open a booster pack and find your favorite Pokémon, though, you’ll need to choose wisely. Scarlet & Violet—Black Bolt and Scarlet & Violet—White Flare have unique card pools with different Pokémon, and we have just the thing to help.

    Download both of these handy Pokédex-style infographics featuring a total of 156 Pokémon first discovered in the Unova region. Each expansion features 78 different Pokémon—all of them appearing as beautiful illustrations—and they’re just waiting to be collected. Looking for a fun collecting challenge? Create a Pokédex-style binder to match the infographics themselves!

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  • Managing Severe Asthma in the Real World

    Managing Severe Asthma in the Real World

    Nicola A. Hanania, MD, MS

    Credit: American Lung Association

    Over the past decade, the treatment paradigm for severe asthma has been reshaped by the approval of targeted biologics and a deeper understanding of inflammatory pathways driving disease. What began with agents like omalizumab has rapidly expanded with the approvals of mepolizumab, benralizumab, and dupilumab—and most recently, tezepelumab in 2021, which became the first biologic approved for severe asthma regardless of baseline eosinophil count. These therapies have set a new standard of care for type 2–high asthma and are prompting earlier identification of eligible patients, more nuanced treatment algorithms, and greater emphasis on biomarker-driven decisions.1 More recently, the 2024 approval of dupilumab for eosinophilic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has opened new doors for targeted therapy in a population that long lagged behind asthma in biologic innovation.2

    With each new approval, the expectations for disease control and long-term outcomes continue to evolve, ushering in a new era where earlier diagnosis, individualized therapy selection, and consistent biomarker assessment are becoming essential components of care. Clinicians are now tasked not just with managing symptoms, but with navigating a growing array of therapeutic options, understanding nuanced eligibility criteria, and integrating these treatments into increasingly complex clinical workflows. The potential for long-term steroid-sparing, exacerbation reduction, and quality-of-life improvements is greater than ever—but so too is the need for clear guidance on optimizing these innovations in practice.

    At a recent clinical forum convened by HCPLive in Houston, Texas, a group of pulmonologists, led by Nicola A. Hanania, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine Airways Clinical Research Center, gathered to examine how these developments are playing out in practice.

    Their discussion focused on the practicalities of initiating and sequencing biologics, the value and limitations of biomarkers like eosinophils and FeNO, and the need for more structured approaches to early referral and diagnosis. They discussed how the last 2 decades of asthma research have shifted clinical paradigms toward targeted, phenotype-driven biologic therapies.

    “The biggest thing that I think is missed in all these discussions are that the steroid inhalers are still the key and making sure they’re taking it correctly. And taking regularly Because the compliance on the steroid inhaler is still the biggest problem. They get better, they stop using it,” one panelist pointed out.

    Type 2 inflammation remains a central focus, with discussion on how eosinophils, FeNO, and IgE levels guide patient selection and biologic choice, although real-world use is hampered by access, education, and insurance hurdles. These barriers highlight how real-world implementation is now the critical frontier in maximizing biologic impact. They also emphasized the critical role of multidisciplinary collaboration in delivering personalized asthma care.

    “The big issue is, should we phenotype everybody with asthma? Probably not. But the ones that we see as specialists are the ones that are problematic. I think primary care, we are trying to build bridges with primary care for them at least to look at the blood eosinophils, to think about deferring patients with high risk of exacerbation,” Hanania said.

    Panel participants shared insights on challenges in diagnosis, treatment adherence, inhaler technique, and navigating insurance for biologics, underscoring the complexity of treating severe asthma in both public and private settings. They outlined how shared decision-making, comorbidity considerations, and patient convenience shape treatment plans.

    Looking at the long-term impact of biologics on the asthma field, they reiterated that real-world evidence supports sustained biologic efficacy, while questions do remain about tapering, biomarker monitoring, and the possibility of treatment discontinuation in clinical remission. The group also touched on emerging needs in COPD and non-type 2 asthma, as well as the potential for dual-target or multi-mechanism therapies in the future.

    “I think every single biologic out there has to be experimented with. I’d really love to see if we can expand the use of what’s out there that people can do and make it even a little more accessible for patients,” one panelist concluded.

    REFERENCES
    1. FDA Approves Tezspire™ (Tezepelumab-ekko) in the U.S. for Severe Asthma. News release. Amgen. December 17, 2021. https://www.amgen.com/newsroom/press-releases/2021/12/fda-approves-tezspire-tezepelumabekko-in-the-us-for-severe-asthma
    2. Dupixent® (dupilumab) Approved in the U.S. as the First-ever Biologic Medicine for Patients with COPD. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. September 27, 2024. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/09/27/2954552/0/en/Dupixent-dupilumab-Approved-in-the-U-S-as-the-First-ever-Biologic-Medicine-for-Patients-with-COPD.html.

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