TB patients globally often incur "catastrophic costs" of up to $11,329 USD, despite many countries offering free treatment, with predominant drivers of cost being hospitalization and loss of income

Excessive screen time among adolescents negatively impacts multiple aspects of sleep, which in turn increases the risk of depressive symptoms — particularly among girls. That is the conclusion of a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS Global Public Health by Sebastian Hökby of Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, and colleagues.   Recently, the Swedish Public Health Agency published recommendations that adolescents use no more than two-to-three hours of daily leisure screen time, partly to promote better sleep. ...

When we move, it’s harder for existing wearable devices to accurately track our heart activity. But University of Missouri researchers found that a starfish’s five-arm shape helps solve this problem.  Inspired by how a starfish flips itself over — shrinking one of its arms and using the others in a coordinated motion to right itself — Sicheng Chen and Zheng Yan in Mizzou’s College of Engineering and collaborators have created a starfish-shaped wearable device that tracks heart health in real time.  Because the starfish-inspired device has multiple points touching the skin near the heart, it stays more ...

Jurassic dinosaurs milled about ancient Scottish lagoons, leaving up to 131 footprints at a newly discovered stomping ground on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, according to a study published April 2, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Tone Blakesley of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland and colleagues. In the rocks of the Isle of Skye, dinosaur footprints are abundant, providing insights into dinosaur distribution and behavior during an important time in their evolution. The footprints were left in the rippled sands of an ancient subtropical lagoon, dating back to the Middle Jurassic ...

Irvine, Calif., April 2, 2025 — Machine learning algorithms utilizing electronic health records can effectively predict two-year dementia risk among American Indian/Alaska Native adults aged 65 years and older, according to a University of California, Irvine-led study. The findings provide a valuable framework for other healthcare systems, particularly those serving resource-limited populations.   The computer modeling results also found several new predictors for dementia diagnosis that were identified consistently across different machine-learning models. Findings are published in the Lancet Regional Health – Americas. The National Institutes ...

The United States Cystic Fibrosis Foundation released the first guideline on newborn screening for cystic fibrosis (CF), in order to improve timely detection of CF in infants from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. The new guideline, based on systematic literature reviews and published in the International Journal of Neonatal Screening, reflects rigorous scientific investigation and perspectives from parents, CF specialists, public health representatives, primary care providers and genetic counselors. CF is a genetic disorder that causes problems with digestion and breathing. Currently, newborns in every state are screened for ...

World leaders should look to existing international law on the use of force to address the threat of space becoming ever more militarized, a new study shows. Space has the potential to be a source and place of armed conflict and regulating military activities in space is of pressing international concern. Tests of anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons have fuelled fears of warfare in space. Resulting space debris from ASAT weapon threatens other satellites in orbit, many of which underpin the operation of human societies and the functioning of global economies. Conflict ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Mosquitoes have been transmitting the West Nile virus to humans in the United States for over 25 years, but we still don’t know precisely how the virus cycles through these pests and the other animals they bite. A federally funded project aims to help pin down the process by using mathematical models to analyze how factors like temperature, light pollution, and bird and mosquito abundance affect West Nile virus transmission. The ultimate goal is to advise health departments of the best time of year to kill the bugs. “I’m hopeful that what we will uncover in this grant will help us to better understand what’s driving West Nile virus transmission, ...

Genevieve Graaf spent years as a mental health social worker specializing in children and youth with complex behavioral health needs. Many had to travel to other states or hundreds of miles from family to access adequate medical care. Drawing on her experience, Dr. Graaf, an assistant professor of social work at The University of Texas at Arlington, has continuously sought ways to improve community-based support programs and ease the burden on families. She will build on that work with her latest research through UT Arlington’s Center ...

Pancreatic cancer is projected to become the second-deadliest cancer by 2030. By the time it’s diagnosed, it’s often difficult to treat. So, for both individual patients and the general population, fighting pancreatic cancer can feel like a race against time. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Professor and Cancer Center Director David Tuveson offers a telling analogy: “We all have moles on our skin. Most of your moles are fine. But some of your moles you have a dermatologist looking at to make sure it’s always fine. They ...

Bottom Line: Precancerous pancreatic lesions and some pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumors harboring KRAS mutations had higher-than-normal expression of the FGFR2 protein, and FGFR2 inactivation delayed KRAS-mutated PDAC development in mice. Journal in Which the Study was Published: Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research Author: Claudia Tonelli, PhD, a research investigator in the laboratory of AACR Past President David A. Tuveson, MD, PhD, FAACR, at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Background: PDAC is the most common ...