Adolescents who undergo bariatric surgery face a higher risk of weight regain, which can undermine treatment success and long-term health, if they have elevated blood levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) prior to the procedure, according to new USC research. PFAS are manufactured chemicals used in consumer products that accumulate in the body over time and are increasingly linked to a range of health concerns, including kidney problems, liver damage and various ...

North American river otters have lived for a long time in Chesapeake Bay, yet relatively little is known about how their surroundings impact them. So what does daily life for river otters on the Atlantic coast of the US look like? What do they eat? Where do they socialize? Where do they go to poo? Researchers in Maryland decided to investigate and have now published their findings in Frontiers in Mammal Science. “River otters in the Chesapeake Bay eat a wide range of animals, including those that live in the water and on land. Parasites, ...

North American river otters have terrible hygiene when it comes to their food. They eat, play and defecate in the same place. But their unhealthy habits make them ideal for detecting future health threats in the environment, according to scientists. In a new study published Aug. 14, Smithsonian scientists analyzed the otters’ diets and “latrine” habitats in the Chesapeake Bay for the first time. They discovered river otters often eat food riddled with parasites—and that may not be a bad thing for the larger ecosystem. “River otters are impressive apex predators that play a vital role in ecosystems,” ...

Imagine a single piece of material that can change its shape, stiffness, and function—on demand—like a Swiss Army knife made of plastic. That's what researchers at the Harbin Institute of Technology have created with their new 4D-printed "smart" metamaterials, capable of reprogramming themselves for different tasks without any extra tools or infrastructure. Reported in in the International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, these multi-material, multi-responsive, multi-shape shape memory polymer (SMP) gradient metamaterials ...

Kyoto, Japan -- For many endangered species, population decline to the brink of extinction leads to inbreeding, exposing a species to deleterious recessive mutations that severely limit its potential to recover. But the red-headed wood pigeon, endemic to the Ogasawara Islands in Japan, followed a different trajectory. Although this pigeon population fell to below 80 individuals in the 2000s, it began to increase markedly after the removal of an introduced predator, the feral cat. Such a remarkable recovery raised questions regarding inbreeding, and why harmful mutations that could cause inbreeding depression, ...

Unlocking the power within: Recycling lithium batteries for a sustainable future    Increased demand for electric vehicles, portable electronics, and renewable energy storage has resulted in lithium becoming a truly critical mineral. As the world races toward a clean energy future, the recycling of lithium batteries has become crucial.   New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has highlighted that tapping into used batteries as a secondary source of lithium not only helps reduce environmental impact ...

Many New Zealand GPs have taken up the use of AI scribes to transcribe patient notes during consultations despite ongoing challenges with their legal and ethical oversight, data security, patient consent, and the impact on the doctor-patient relationship, a study led by the University of Otago, Wellington – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, Pōneke has found. The researchers surveyed 197 health providers working in primary care in February and March of 2024, providing a snapshot in time of the use of AI-scribes in clinical practice. Most of the respondents were GPs but others included nurses, nurse practitioners, rural emergency ...

Recipient Professor Enrico Petretto from Duke-NUS is spearheading groundbreaking research to develop new drugs for lung disease and uncover new therapeutic targets for kidney disease. The project is a bold step towards first-in-class therapy, harnessing a cutting-edge gene analysis approach augmented with AI and an emerging quantum computing platform. This award aims to accelerate the drug development pathway and foster the creation of new therapeutic companies in Singapore. Singapore, 13 August 2025—65LAB has awarded US$1.5 million (approx. S$1.9 million) to Professor Enrico Petretto to advance a breakthrough drug discovery platform developed at Duke-NUS Medical School. The project ...

New York, NY (August 14, 2025) – Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen may increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in children. The study, published today in BMC Environmental Health, is the first to apply the rigorous Navigation Guide methodology to systematically evaluate the rigor and quality of the scientific literature. Acetaminophen (often sold under the brand name Tylenol®, and known as paracetamol outside the United States and Canada) is the most commonly used over-the-counter ...

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Aug.  14, 2025 — Nicholas J. Schork, Ph.D., an international authority on human longevity and health maintenance, has joined HonorHealth Research Institute as Research Director of Longevity, Prevention and Interception. Dr. Schork heads a unique laboratory that is part of the Research Institute’s newly created Center for Translational Science, and his appointment is part of a significant push on the part of the Institute to expand its collaborations and the realm of precision medicine possibilities; providing specific answers to individual patients with ...

In the latest evidence that meaningful social connections bolster health, a team from The University of Texas at Austin and University of Massachusetts Boston has found that regular time spent helping outside the home significantly slows cognitive decline in middle-age and older adults. The new study of more than 30,000 adults in the U.S. looking at individuals over two decades found that the rate of cognitive decline associated with aging fell by 15%-20% for people who formally volunteer their services or who help in more informal ways with neighbors, family or friends outside the home on a regular basis. This cognitive benefit was consistently observed when individuals ...

A CU Boulder-led initiative to reduce youth violence in hard-hit Denver neighborhoods was associated with a 75% decline in arrests for murder, assault, robbery and other youth crimes in recent years, new research shows. “We now have concrete data to show that when communities come together and mobilize, we can prevent youth violence, even in urban settings with a very high burden,” said senior author Beverly Kingston, director of CU’s Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV).  The study, published ...

Drug treatment for people with newly diagnosed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with significantly reduced risks of suicidal behaviours, substance misuse, transport accidents, and criminality, finds a study published by The BMJ today.  The researchers say this is the first study of its kind to show beneficial effects of ADHD drug treatment on broader clinical outcomes for all ADHD patients and should help inform clinical practice. ADHD affects around 5% of children and 2.5% of adults worldwide and is associated with adverse outcomes including suicidal behaviours, substance ...

AI Chatbots that provide human-like interactions are used by millions of people every day, however new research has revealed that they can be easily manipulated to encourage users to reveal even more personal information. Intentionally malicious AI chatbots can influence users to reveal up to 12.5 times more of their personal information, a new study by King’s College London has found. For the first time, the research shows how conversational AI (CAIs) programmed to deliberately extract data can successfully encourage users to reveal private information using known prompt techniques and psychological ...

(MEMPHIS, Tenn. – August 13, 2025) Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness, which, when untreated, prevents infants with the most severe form from gaining motor development — never gaining the ability to sit — and typically leads to death before 2 years of age. The oral drug risdiplam benefits symptomatic patients with improved motor function and increased survival, but had only been Food and Drug Administration–approved for use in patients aged 2 months and older. An international consortium, co-led by Richard Finkel, MD, of St. ...

As the nation gears up for the rollout of an updated COVID-19 vaccine, a new study shows the economic benefits of continued broad vaccination in adults. In fact, the country would ultimately save more money that it would spend on vaccinating every person over age 65 with a single dose of an updated mRNA vaccine against coronavirus, the study concludes. That’s because of the power of the vaccine to prevent deaths, hospitalizations, short- and long-term illness and lost productivity such as lost workdays in this age group, the researchers report based on a computer model. The model focused on people without immunocompromising conditions or medications. Meanwhile, ...

Study after study shows that walking is very good for those who are able, and generally more is better. A 2023 study found that even 4,000 steps a day improves all-cause mortality risk. (The U.S average is 4,000 to 5,000.) For each 1,000 extra daily steps, risk decreased by 15%. Walk Scores have been used since 2007 to quantify how quickly people can typically walk to amenities like grocery stores and schools in an area. Cities are assigned scores from 0 to 100; for instance, Seattle’s 74 means it’s “very walkable.” It may seem self-evident that in cities ...

Cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death in childhood. This is in part due to cancer-associated genes called oncogenes that can be found far from chromosomes in cell nuclei on ring-shaped DNA inside tumor cells. Circular extra-chromosomal DNA elements (ecDNA) are pieces of DNA that have broken off normal chromosomes and then been wrongly stitched together by DNA repair mechanisms. This phenomenon leads to circular DNA elements floating around in a cancer cell. “We have shown that these ecDNAs are ...

If you’ve been to a routine eye exam at the optometrist’s office, chances are you’ve had to place your chin and forehead up close to a bioimaging device.  It’s known as optical coherence tomography (OCT), and it’s widely used in eye clinics around the world. OCT uses light waves to take high-resolution, cross-sectional images of the retina in a non-invasive manner. These images can be essential for diagnosing and monitoring eye conditions.  In any bioimaging—either retinal or in-vivo imaging that takes place inside the human body—devices ...

MSU has a satellite uplink/LTN TV studio and Comrex line for radio interviews upon request.  Why this matters: Microbes, or microorganisms, are all around us and play an important role in bodily functions. MSU researchers found that microbes can also impact brain development. This work is significant because modern obstetric practices like peripartum antibiotic use and Cesarean delivery disturb the microbiome of mothers and newborns. EAST LANSING, Mich. – New research from Michigan State University finds that microbes play an important role in shaping early brain development, specifically in a key brain region that controls stress, social behavior, and vital body ...

NEW YORK, NY (Aug. 13, 2025)--For a few dozen people in the world, the downside of living with a rare immune condition comes with a surprising superpower—the ability to fight off all viruses.   Columbia immunologist Dusan Bogunovic discovered the individuals’ antiviral powers about 15 years ago, soon after he identified the genetic mutation that causes the condition.  At first, the condition only seemed to increase vulnerability to some bacterial infections. But as more patients were identified, its unexpected antiviral benefits became ...

Alexandria, VA – The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) and the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) have announced the publication of a new study in JDR Clinical & Translational Research that demonstrates that arginine dentifrices reduce dental caries in children with active caries as much as, or more than, a sodium fluoride dentifrice, depending on the arginine concentration. Dental caries remain a significant oral health burden globally. Scientific evidence has demonstrated the dose-dependent, anticaries action of fluoride; however, ...

Aug. 11, 2025 MSU has a satellite uplink/LTN TV studio and Comrex line for radio interviews upon request.                                           Why this matters: A new MSU study shows that simple, hands-on activities, such as writing letters and pointing out words in daily life, are the most effective way to build early reading skills. Both children with and without speech and/or language impairments experienced literacy gains from print-related activities; however, ...

For the third consecutive year, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center has been recognized with the Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award by the Mitral Foundation for demonstrated excellence in heart valve repair. NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center is one of 23 centers across the U.S. to receive this award. This award recognizes NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center’s contribution to advancing best practices in the surgical treatment of mitral valve disease, a common valvular problem which occurs when irregularities develop in the heart valve between the left heart chambers. Mitral valve repair is one of the most challenging heart operations, ...

Reston, VA (August 13, 2025) A new study from Denmark shows for the first time that men with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer who undergo PSMA PET/CT before salvage radiotherapy have improved survival rates compared to those who do not. Using data collected nationwide over a period of eight years, researchers confirmed that PSMA PET/CT is a valuable tool for identifying patients who are likely to benefit from salvage radiotherapy. This research was published in the August issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy occurs in up to 40 percent of prostate cancer patients and salvage radiotherapy ...