July 14, 2025 • By Kendall Waltz

Disney World is undergoing significant transformations, with numerous projects and renovations currently in progress. Several attractions are closed, including Tom Sawyer Island, Rivers of America, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Magic Kingdom, as well as Test Track in EPCOT and DinoLand, U.S.A. in Animal Kingdom. Despite the closures, ticket prices continue to rise. New projects, such as Villains Land and Piston Peak, are expected to open in the coming years, but the construction process is causing inconvenience for visitors. The question arises whether Disney should lower ticket prices during this time, considering the limited number of available attractions.

July 14, 2025 • By Eric O'Dea

World of Warcraft's upcoming patch 11.2 will introduce new battle pets, including demonic capybaras with various fur options. Capybaras are large, semi-aquatic rodents that can weigh over 200 pounds. The new pets will be available through the Trading Post, allowing players to collect them later this summer or fall. The patch will also include other new battle pets, such as adorable versions of past Outland pets and thorntails.

July 14, 2025 • By Greg Petro, Contributor, Greg Petro, Contributor https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregpetro/

A recent survey by First Insight found that 37% of shoppers trust the quality of store brand products over national brands, while 47% consider them to be as good as national brands. This shift in consumer preference has led to a decline in national brand sales, with private label sales rising by nearly 4% to a record $271 billion last year. The survey also found that high-income consumers are increasingly trusting store brands, with 61% saying they trust them over national brands. This trend has claimed its first national brand victim, with Del Monte Foods filing for bankruptcy last week citing declining demand. The private label insurgency extends beyond groceries, with retailers like Amazon and Walmart offering their own brands, and companies like Lululemon facing allegations of knockoff products being sold under private labels. As a result, companies need to understand consumer willingness to switch to private brands, their optimal costs, and how they feel about private brands versus national brands.

July 14, 2025 • By Jessica Rendall

A dermatologist advises on the importance of sunscreen, especially during summer. SPF (sun protection factor) measures the amount of solar energy needed to produce a sunburn on protected skin. While higher SPF offers more protection, the difference between SPF 30 and SPF 50 is small (96.7% vs 98% blocking). However, using enough sunscreen is crucial, as people often apply only 25-50% of the recommended amount. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends SPF 30 or higher, broad-spectrum protection, and water-resistance. For those who may not apply enough sunscreen, a higher SPF (50 or 60) may be beneficial. Additionally, people with darker skin tones should still use at least SPF 30, and those with sensitive skin may prefer mineral sunscreens with zinc and/or titanium. Other sun protection measures include wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sun-protective clothing, and seeking shade.

July 14, 2025 • By Erica Chayes Wida, Erica Chayes Wida

A new restaurant, Dolores, has opened in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, offering an authentic Mexico City cantina-style experience. The restaurant is the second concept from husband-and-wife team Cressida Greening and Emir Dupeyron, who also own Winona's, a neighborhood haunt for seasonal American cuisine. Dolores serves traditional cantina bites and bold flavors, with a focus on shareable plates, tacos, and daily specials. The menu includes dishes such as lengua "El Bosque" (braised beef tongue tacos) and cochinita pibil "El Turix," as well as seafood aguachile and gordita de chicharrón prensado. The restaurant has a lively atmosphere, with a packed bar and outdoor seating area, and a drink menu that features agave cocktails and Mexican cerveza. The name "Dolores" is a nod to Emir's great-grandmother, a skilled cook, and the restaurant aims to provide a welcoming space for locals to gather and enjoy good food and company.

July 14, 2025 • By Tarun Mahajan, Sergei Maslov

Here is a concise summary of the news article: Researchers have developed a simplified consumer-resource model to predict the dynamics of complex microbial communities in serial dilution experiments. The model was tested on a synthetic human gut microbiome with 63 species and accurately predicted microbial population dynamics based on nutrient consumption and production data. The model can be used to investigate strain interactions, assess community responses to nutrient changes, and identify ways to balance species abundances. The study provides a valuable tool for understanding and managing complex microbial communities, with potential applications in fields such as gut microbiome transplantation therapy.

July 14, 2025 • By Juan-Juan Xu, Qing-Yun Chen, Li-Fang Qin, Yuan Liu, You-Zhi Li, Xian-Wei Fan

Citation: Xu J-J, Chen Q-Y, Qin L-F, Liu Y, Li Y-Z, Fan X-W (2025) The regulatory role of ZmSTOMAGEN1/2 in maize stomatal development is elucidated via gene editing and metabolic profiling. PLoS One …

July 14, 2025 • By Haoyu Duan, Tianyu Wang, Xinyang Zhang, Dan Xia, Zeyi Wang, Tsz Hei Fong, Tianxiang Li, Rongzhen Yan, Yang Zhan, Yulong Li, Wen-Jun Gao, Qiang Zhou

Here is a concise summary of the news article: Researchers have made a significant discovery about how memories influence behavior, particularly in the context of threat conditioning. Using a mouse model, they found that retrieving a conditioned threat memory activates two distinct types of neurons in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC): transient (T-neurons) and sustained (S-neurons) neurons. S-neurons are responsible for freezing behavior, a common defensive response, and require auditory inputs and the release of norepinephrine (NE) in the dmPFC. The activation of the locus coeruleus (LC) is initiated by dmPFC T-neuron inputs and sustained by auditory inputs, and is necessary for the transition to freezing behavior. The study also found that activating LC neurons can generalize behavior to non-conditioned cues, which may provide insights into anxiety disorders. The findings highlight the critical role of the LC/NE system in the transition from memory to behavior and suggest that it may contribute to the emotional aspect of threat memory.

July 14, 2025 • By Tatiana Bautista

The article celebrates the arrival of blueberry season and provides a collection of favorite blueberry recipes to make the most of it. The recipes include a variety of sweet treats such as cakes, muffins, pies, and cookies, each showcasing the flavor and versatility of blueberries. Some highlights include a simple blueberry muffin cake, blueberry hand pies, sugar-crusted muffins, and a deep-dish blueberry pie. The article also offers tips and variations for making the recipes gluten-free and customizable. With these recipes, readers can enjoy the sweetness of blueberry season and create delicious baked goods perfect for summer.

July 14, 2025 • By Yujie Wang, Jiaman Zhang, Xintong Yang, Fuwen Wang, Long Jin, Jing Li, Xuewei Li, Mingzhou Li

Here is a concise summary of the news article: Researchers studied the effects of obesity on skeletal muscle in pigs, comparing them to humans and mice. They found that pigs on high-fat diets maintained metabolic homeostasis and were resistant to liver fat accumulation, unlike humans and mice. The study analyzed the skeletal muscle transcriptome of obese pigs and compared it to publicly available data from obese humans and mice. The results showed that obesity activated lipid catabolism genes and inhibited immune response genes in pig skeletal muscle, contrasting with humans and mice. The study identified expanding gene families in pigs, such as olfactory receptors and ABC transporters, which were upregulated in obesity. The findings suggest that gene dosage and transcriptional plasticity contribute to species-specific responses to obesity, and may reveal new insights into obesity-related metabolic disorders and therapeutic targets.

July 14, 2025 • By Son Hai Nguyen, Mai Thi Tran

Here is a concise summary of the news article: Researchers have developed an absorbance biosensor that uses chitosan-capped zinc sulfide nanoparticles doped with manganese to detect doxycycline, a vital antibiotic used to combat bacterial diseases in humans and animals. The sensor demonstrates robust performance, with nearly 100% recovery and stability over time, and can detect doxycycline from 0 to 72.2 pM with limits of detection and quantification of 4.5 pM and 15 pM, respectively. The sensor also shows excellent selectivity when tested with other analytes, including glucose, amoxicillin, tetracycline, penicillin, ampicillin, and cephalexin. The study highlights the potential of this sensor for clinical settings, patient care, and environmental surveillance, which can help curb the spread of antibiotic resistance globally. The sensor's performance was optimized by evaluating the concentration of the nanomaterials and testing its applicability across different media, including milk, tap water, and bottled water. The results demonstrate the sensor's high sensitivity, reliability, and stability, making it a promising tool for detecting doxycycline in various environments.

July 14, 2025 • By Kaipeng Wang, Luohua Jiang, Jie Zhu, Spero M. Manson

A recent study examined the relationship between depressive disorders, bad mental health days, and diabetes management behaviors among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) adults with diabetes. The study used data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2018-2021) and included 2,272 self-identified non-Hispanic AI/AN adults with non-gestational diabetes. The results showed that 24.8% of participants had a prior diagnosis of depressive disorder, and 19.5% reported at least 14 bad mental health days in the past month. The study found that individuals with depressive disorders were less likely to check their feet daily, and those with at least 14 bad mental health days were less likely to take a diabetes management class and check their feet daily. The findings suggest that mental health support is crucial in diabetes management programs for AI/AN adults, as depressive disorders and frequent bad mental health days can negatively impact diabetes management behaviors. The study highlights the importance of addressing mental health disparities in diabetes care, particularly among AI/AN populations, who experience higher rates of diabetes and related complications compared to other racial/ethnic groups. The results emphasize the need for comprehensive and targeted interventions to improve diabetes management and mental health outcomes among AI/AN adults.

July 14, 2025 • By Kendra A. Dagg, Alden S. Estep, Cason E. Bartz, Edwin R. Burgess I.V.

Here is a concise summary of the news article: Researchers have developed a modified version of a forced oviposition method to encourage mosquito egg-laying in laboratory settings. The method was tested on two mosquito species, Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus, and was found to be highly effective in generating eggs from both laboratory-reared and wild-caught strains. The study found that the method was more effective for Aedes aegypti, with over 80% of females ovipositing, compared to Culex quinquefasciatus, which had a 50-60% oviposition rate. The researchers also found that the size of the oviposition container had an impact on oviposition rate, with smaller containers (1.5mL and 5mL) resulting in higher oviposition rates. The study's findings have important implications for mosquito vector control research and could help improve the efficacy of vector control programs.

July 14, 2025 • By Blake Seidel, Blake Seidel

A kindhearted person found a hungry, gentle giant street dog during a rainstorm and decided to help. They gave the dog food and shelter, and eventually took it home to be part of their family. The dog's sweet and gentle nature, despite struggling to survive on the streets, has captured hearts.

July 14, 2025 • By Tatiana Bautista

The article celebrates the arrival of blueberry season and provides a collection of favorite blueberry recipes to make the most of it. The recipes include a variety of sweet treats such as cakes, muffins, pies, and cookies, all featuring fresh blueberries as the main ingredient. Some of the highlighted recipes include an easy blueberry muffin cake, blueberry hand pies, famous Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins, and a deep-dish blueberry pie. The article also provides links to each recipe and suggests additional ingredients and tools to enhance the baking experience. With these recipes, readers can enjoy the sweetness of blueberry season and create delicious treats for breakfast, dessert, or any occasion.

July 14, 2025 • By Hattie Lindert

<ul><li> </li><li>The festival returns to Takilma from September 25th through 28th this year.</li><li></li><li>Oregon festival Osmosis In The Trees has confirmed a lineup for 2025. The techno and d…

July 14, 2025 • By Lena Huebl, Aloysious Nnyombi, Patricia Apoko, Denis Okello, Eddy Walakira, Ruth Kutalek

Here is a concise summary of the news article: A qualitative study was conducted in Uganda to explore local perceptions of yellow fever (YF) outbreaks among vulnerable groups, including older adults and pregnant women. The study found that participants often recognized jaundice as a symptom of YF, but did not distinguish it from other causes of jaundice. They perceived YF as a deadly disease, but had limited knowledge of its transmission, prevention, and treatment. Participants believed that YF could be transmitted through multiple pathways, including mosquito bites, airborne transmission, and close contact with sick individuals. The study highlights the need for strengthening health literacy and public participation in vulnerable communities, as well as enhancing access to diagnostic testing for YF. The findings aim to inform future public health campaigns and improve disease control programs in Uganda.

July 14, 2025 • By Sheida Hadji Rasouliha, Gustavo Aguilar, Cindy Reinger, Shinya Matsuda

Here is a concise summary of the news article: Researchers have made a breakthrough in understanding how cells respond to a signaling molecule called Dpp, which helps shape the fruit fly wing. By creating a fluorescent version of Dpp, they were able to track the molecule both inside and outside cells. They found that cells must take in Dpp from their surface to start signaling, and that the signal is terminated when Dpp reaches a specific compartment inside the cell. When this termination step is blocked, cells continue responding to Dpp longer than they should, even if the amount of Dpp outside the cells remains unchanged. This shows that cells respond not only to the amount of Dpp they see on the surface but also to how long they are exposed to it inside. The study helps explain how cells use these signals to determine their position and fate during development. The researchers used a combination of genetic and imaging techniques to study the role of endocytic trafficking in Dpp gradient formation and signaling. They found that Dynamin-mediated internalization is required for Dpp signaling activation, while Rab5-mediated early endosomal trafficking is dispensable for Dpp spreading and signaling initiation but is required for signal termination. The study also showed that Dpp signaling is terminated at the multivesicular body (MVB), likely through ESCRT-dependent sorting of activated receptors into intraluminal vesicles (ILVs). Overall, the study provides new insights into the mechanisms of Dpp gradient formation and interpretation, and highlights the importance of endocytic trafficking in regulating Dpp signaling.