The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has named two NJIT faculty members — Cesar Bandera, master teacher and Leir Endowed Chair for Entrepreneurship, and Sara Zapico, assistant professor of forensic science — to the 2026 class of Senior Members. They are among 230 emerging academic inventors from 82 member institutions selected for demonstrated success in producing technologies that have been patented, licensed, commercialized, or possess strong potential for real-world impact.  This year’s class collectively holds more than 2,000 U.S. patents, making it the Academy’s largest Senior Member cohort to date. “This year’s Senior ...

Although drug overdose deaths declined in the U.S. last year, the rate of substance use disorder is rising, and the problem remains undertreated: Fewer than one in five people with substance use disorder report that they’ve received any treatment for it. An especially vulnerable group are those who use substances and do not have stable housing, who research shows are both far more likely to experience overdose and much less likely to receive treatment for their condition compared to those who have secure housing. A new study has shown that a mobile app developed by researchers ...

DALLAS, Feb. 25, 2026 — Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young athletes, according to the American Heart Association, and too often it goes undetected. To help address this challenge, the Association has expanded its heart health education and Hands-Only CPR training efforts through a multi-year national campaign focused on students and families at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) nationwide. The initiative also amplified ...

In response to the societal challenge of growing electricity demand from AI data centers, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is launching the Next Generation Data Centers Institute (NGDCI). This internal ORNL institute will unite the laboratory’s unique expertise and facilities that span energy technologies, high-performance computing, cybersecurity, and grid science to ensure that America’s rapidly growing AI infrastructure remains secure, efficient, and reliable. https://youtu.be/rlGMm4M1mi0?si=IcVzId3k37M67Vhn ORNL’s launch of NGDCI comes as the federal government is advancing its own national initiative: Genesis Mission. ...

Sea level can temporarily change for a variety of reasons—atmospheric pressure shifts and water accumulation from wind and storms, for example—which can cause flooding in coastal communities and affect maritime industry operations. The key to mitigating the effects of short-term sea level variation is accurate prediction that provides ample warning time to affected areas.   Sea level anomaly (SLA) is a key parameter for predicting short-term variations in sea level. It reflects the absolute geostrophic current anomaly, which measures ...

ALBANY, N.Y. (Feb. 26, 2026) — Messenger RNA (mRNA) technology is transforming medicine by providing our cells with genetic instructions to produce proteins that help the immune system prevent or fight a wide range of diseases, including cancer and other rare disorders. Before the molecule can help fight disease, mRNA is packaged into lipid nanoparticles to protect it from rapid degradation. These fatty, protective bubbles act as a delivery vehicle, ensuring the mRNA properly enters the cell to deliver instructions for protein production. Researchers at the University at Albany are developing a new technique that can determine whether ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Scientists have developed a new edge-of-field water-treatment system that reduces the load of excess nutrients washing into waterways from farm drainage systems. Their method combines a woodchip bioreactor with a two-step biochar water-treatment module. A one-year field trial demonstrated that the system reduced both nitrogen and phosphorus runoff from farmland. The study, published in the Journal of Water Process Engineering, also included a techno-economic analysis that found that the bioreactor-biochar ...

An analysis of 35,000 Canadians shows that rising cannabis use and worsening mental‑health symptoms are increasingly appearing together, with the connection between the two strengthening over time. The study, led by McMaster University and published in The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry on Feb. 25, 2026, analyzed data from two large, nationally representative Statistics Canada surveys of Canadians aged 15 and older living in the provinces, to examine cannabis use and mental‑health outcomes between 2012 and 2022. With the ...

Researchers studying the soft bodied Ediacaran biotas of the world generally accept that there are three distinct assemblages: The 575–560-million-year-old (Ma) Avalon Assemblage—best known from the Ediacaran of Newfoundland, Canada, characterized by the weird and wonderful fractal Rangeomorpha like Charnia that thrived in the deep dark waters around the ancient continent of Avalonia. The 560–550-Ma White Sea Assemblage—best known from shallow marine rocks of Australia, Russia, and China, marking the acme of Ediacaran biodiversity and including some famous animal ...

February 26, 2026 — A small but growing body of evidence suggests that a minimally invasive surgical procedure called lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA) might be an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to a special article in the March issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters ...

New research from The University of Texas at Arlington shows that digital hotlines are changing how survivors of domestic and sexual violence access safety planning and support. Use of chat and text services has surged since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Rachel Joy Voth Schrag, a UT Arlington professor of social work. Understanding how survivors use these digital channels, she said, is critical for ensuring hotline advocates have the tools they need to support survivor and family safety. “When the ...

A monoclonal antibody created by the Nanobiotechnology for Diagnostics group (Nb4D) at the Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC), part of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), has demonstrated in cell cultures that it can neutralize the toxin pyocyanin produced by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which the World Health Organization considers highly dangerous due to its strong resistance to nearly all antibiotics and its prevalence in hospital settings. In this study, published in the journal ACS Pharmacology and Translational Science, the researchers ...

A new study examining small-scale farming in Tanzania argues that major agricultural development initiatives, including the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), are built on flawed assumptions about how rural households make decisions. The research, led by Daniel Tobin of the University of Vermont, finds that household composition, gender dynamics, and labor constraints strongly shape how small-scale farmers allocate land and labor, factors that AGRA and similar programs routinely overlook. Published as On Repeat? The Logic of Agricultural Modernization, the Choices of Tanzanian Small-scale Farmers, and Implications for the Second Green Revolution, ...

It’s widely known that breastfeeding impacts the health of both mother and child, but the underlying biology that leads to these effects has been understudied. In a review article publishing in the Cell Press journal Trends in Immunology on February 26, researchers highlight recent studies showing T cells—white blood cells that play a pivotal role in the immune system—shape the baby’s immune system, support healthy gut bacteria, and reduce the risk of breast cancer for the mother.   “Lactation is not just a nutritional ...

The preference of some mosquitoes in the Anopheles leucosphyrus (Leucosphyrus) group — including those that transmit malaria — for feeding on humans may have evolved in response to the arrival of early hominins in Southeast Asia around 1.8 million years ago. The findings are published in Scientific Reports. A preference for feeding on humans is uncommon among the 3,500 known mosquito species, yet this feeding preference is the main factor influencing the potential of mosquitoes to spread disease-causing pathogens. Upasana Shyamsunder Singh, Catherine ...

About The Study: In this survey study, the rate of reported protective eyewear use was low among pickleball professionals and higher, but still less than half, among amateurs. Many players used personal prescription glasses, which may not meet the specifications for adequate protection. Given the rise in pickleball-related eye injuries, further efforts to improve the consistent use of high-quality protective eyewear seem warranted.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Daniel Henick, MD, email daniel.henick@yale.edu. To access the embargoed ...

About The Study: This study found that donation after circulatory death donors now comprise about half of deceased donors, including most donors at 44% of organ procurement organizations. Furthermore, contemporary donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors are more medically complex than those from prior eras. This growing reliance on DCD organs to maintain transplant access necessitates establishing best practices in DCD organ selection, preservation, and allocation. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding ...

About The Article: Cancer treatment can impair fertility and raise concerns about potential health risks to offspring. Clinicians should inform all patients undergoing cancer treatments about options for fertility preservation, ideally prior to initiation of cancer treatment, with consideration of the planned treatment’s gonadotoxic potential. This article summarizes the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s 2025 updated recommendations on fertility preservation in people with cancer. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Andrew M. Davis, MD, MPH, email amd@uchicago.edu. To access the embargoed study: ...

Researchers at the University of Liège have identified a key genetic regulator that enables macrophages to reach full maturity and preserve the health of our organs. The MafB factor, a veritable "molecular switch", activates or deactivates certain genes at the right time and in the right place, leading to the production of macrophages responsible for defending our body and supporting the functioning of our organs. Without MafB, macrophages can become dysfunctional, no longer performing their beneficial roles properly.  Macrophages are essential immune cells found ...

Unlike some other forms of lymphoma, advanced stage follicular lymphoma is considered incurable. But a new analysis of long-term data on patients treated for the disease years ago with standard regimens of immunotherapy and a chemotherapy combination known as CHOP suggests that many of those patients can now be considered cured. The analysis is just published in the journal JAMA Oncology.  “A subset of advanced-stage follicular lymphoma patients can achieve cure with CHOP-based chemoimmunotherapy, as relapse rates decline over time,” said Wilmot Cancer Institute Director Jonathan W. Friedberg, MD, MMSc, at the ...

Breasts are necessary for breastfeeding, but their size is not decisive in terms of milk production. A large part of the breast consists of adipose tissue, and earlier theories have suggested that they function, for example, as a body fat reserve. Another theory proposes that breasts evolved through sexual selection as a signal of individual fitness, similar to facial symmetry. The University of Oulu study examined the possible role of breasts in the thermoregulation of a breastfeeding infant. Newborns are particularly susceptible to hypothermia because their own thermoregulatory system is still underdeveloped. The ...

Organ donation after the heart stops beating, a practice called donation after circulatory death, has gone from rare to routine in the United States, a new study shows. This shift over the past 25 years, aided by technological advances, is helping to meet the growing demand for transplants, the authors say.  More than 100,000 Americans are currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. To address the shortage, experts have long searched for ways to safely and ethically increase the number of usable organs recovered from people who die.  Led by NYU Langone Health researchers, the new analysis traced how the deceased-donor ...

Spending time in nature, even briefly, triggers changes in the brain that calm stress, restore attention and quiet mental clutter, a new study has found. Researchers at McGill University and colleagues at Adolfo Ibáñez University in Chile have examined more than 100 brain-imaging studies from various disciplines. The result is one of the most comprehensive reviews to date of how the brain responds to nature. The findings add neuroscientific weight to the emerging field of nature connectedness, which seeks to better ...

MIAMI, FLORIDA (EMBARGOED UNTIL FEB. 26, 2026, AT 10 A.M. EST) – A new study using serial liquid biopsies to track how metastatic prostate cancer evolves under treatment pressure showed that androgen receptor (AR) alterations consistently emerged and were linked to poorer outcomes across therapies. The findings, published Feb. 26 in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, suggest that a single genomic test at diagnosis is no longer sufficient for managing advanced prostate cancer ...

The Gulf of America is experiencing accelerated sea-level rise due to a complex interplay of ocean dynamics, steric effects and vertical land motion. These changes pose serious challenges for coastal communities, particularly rural and under-resourced areas that lack the infrastructure and data to plan for flooding and long-term adaptation. Understanding the drivers of regional sea-level variability and developing actionable forecasting tools is critical for supporting decision-making and resilience planning. Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute has been awarded a $900,000, four-year ...