Stimulating the vagus nerve with a device attached to the outer ear can help make compassion meditation training more effective at boosting people’s capacity for self-kindness and mindfulness, finds a new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers. The study, published in Psychological Medicine, adds to evidence of the potential benefits of stimulating this key nerve that connects the brain with major organs in the chest and abdomen. The vagus nerve plays a crucial role in the 'rest-and-digest' (parasympathetic) ...

Unlike most cells in the human body, neurons—the functional cells of our nervous system—cannot typically replace themselves with healthy copies after being damaged.  Rather, after an injury from something like a stroke, concussion or neurodegenerative disease, neurons and their axons, fiber-like projections that relay electrical signals, are far more likely to degrade than regenerate.  But new research from the University of Michigan opens new ways to think about neurodegeneration that could help protect patients against that degradation ...

TUCSON, Ariz. — New research from the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health showed that living in resource-poor neighborhoods may raise the risk of women developing diabetes during pregnancy, a condition with potential long-term effects on the health of both mother and child.  Researchers found that mothers living in more deprived neighborhoods in Arizona were 20% more likely to have gestational diabetes mellitus, or GDM, compared with those living in neighborhoods with adequate resources. They reported their ...

At the time when patients with lupus, or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), are diagnosed, approximately 15% to 30% will already have the inflammation-caused kidney disease lupus nephritis, which compromises kidney function and can lead to kidney failure. Between 30% and 50% of SLE patients will ultimately go on to develop lupus nephritis, and half of them will eventually develop end-stage renal disease. A Medical University of South Carolina research team led by Jim Oates, M.D., director of the Division of Rheumatology and Immunology and vice chair for Research in the Department of Medicine, is developing ...

In a new study aimed at identifying the best approach to promote colorectal cancer screening in adults ages 45 to 49, UCLA researchers found that simply mailing a stool-based test directly to people's homes was the most effective strategy for increasing screening rates.   The study, published in JAMA, compared four strategies to increase colorectal cancer screening in this population, which only recently became eligible for screening. Of the four options tested, the researchers found that automatically mailing a stool-based ...

It’s not just how many – it’s when: global study reveals people judge a potential partner’s sexual history by timing, not total number A major international study has found that when it comes to choosing a long-term partner, people across the globe consider not just how many sexual partners someone has had, but also when those encounters took place. This is the first time researchers have explored the timing of sexual history alongside quantity – offering a fresh perspective on human mating psychology. Led by Swansea University, the study surveyed more than 5,000 participants from 11 countries across five continents. It found that ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Fast food like cheeseburgers, fried chicken, and pizza shouldn’t be sold in hospitals, say most Americans in a new Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine/Morning Consult poll. The poll comes as a new report from the Physicians Committee—a health advocacy nonprofit with 17,000 doctor members—finds that Chick-fil-A is located in at least 20 U.S. hospitals or medical centers. When asked, “Do you believe fast food—such as fried chicken, cheeseburgers, or pizza—should be sold in hospitals to patients, visitors, and staff?” 52% of respondents said “no,” and 57% said that hospitals should not ...

Have you ever wondered why some people who drink alcohol develop serious liver problems while others don't? A study from University of Louisville researchers published in May in Toxicological Sciences suggests that the answer might be hidden in everyday sources such as drinking water, food packaging or even non-stick cookware. Scientists at UofL, along with colleagues from Boston University and the University of Massachusetts Lowell, have identified perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) as a potential environmental factor that worsens alcohol-associated liver disease. PFOS is a man-made chemical belonging to the group known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often referred to ...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Using a custom-built tool to analyze electrical activity from neurons, researchers at Brown University have identified a brain-based biomarker that could be used to predict whether mild cognitive impairment will develop into Alzheimer’s disease. “We’ve detected a pattern in electrical signals of brain activity that predicts which patients are most likely to develop the disease within two and a half years,” said Stephanie Jones, a professor of neuroscience affiliated with Brown’s Carney Institute ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For seaside communities reducing their pollution, nitrogen is a prime target. Often found in agricultural runoff and human waste, nitrogen and the nitrogen-containing nitrate molecule can enter coastal waters as a critical nutrient for algae. Its abundance leads to a surplus of algal blooms, upsetting delicate balances of plant and marine life. Many South Florida communities dispose of treated wastewater — which contains nitrate and more — by shallowly injecting it ...

(Santa Barbara, Calif.) — Across North America, grackles are virtuosos of adaptation. The small- to medium-sized New World blackbirds are particularly social and known for foraging skills that help them flourish in environments ranging from rural farms to urban parking lots. They are often viewed as rather bold and somewhat amusing birds that pick up French fries and other fast food scraps — or, alternatively, as annoying pests that eat our grain crops.  UC Santa Barbara scientist Corina Logan, however, is fascinated by what goes on in their bird brains and how they manage to adapt to the growing footprint of human-made environments. In a pair of papers ...

Biodiversity is important in every ecosystem. Research has shown having a richer diversity of plant and animal species bolsters ecosystem functioning and stability, making habitats more resilient to the threats of things like pests, disease and climate change. Still, there are varying degrees of importance. Now, research led by the University of Michigan reveals some of the real-world implications of this fact in forests, providing valuable insights for land managers and conservationists working to protect these ...

Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 4 August 2025    Follow @Annalsofim on X, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin              Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives ...

Ikoma, Japan—Gram-negative bacteria pose a significant threat to global health due to their high resistance to antibiotics compared to that of Gram-positive bacteria. Their formidable defensive capabilities stem from their outer membrane (OM), which acts as a selective barrier against harmful compounds. The OM is not merely a static shield but a dynamic structure crucial for the bacteria’s survival and virulence. Thus, understanding how the OM is built and maintained is critical in our battle against drug-resistant infections. To construct such an ...

A new study led by researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that although many technologies claim to clean indoor air and prevent the spread of viruses like COVID-19 and the flu, most have not been tested on people and their potential risks are not yet fully understood. Published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the research analyzed nearly 700 studies between 1929 and 2024 on engineering controls such as HEPA filters, ...

COLLEGE PARK, M.d. – People in America adopt hundreds of thousands of children every year, but not all of them receive health insurance once adopted into their second home. A study by University of Maryland (UMD) School of Public Health, out today in Health Affairs, reveals major differences in coverage depending on adoption type (domestic or international) and citizenship status of the adoptive parent.  “Adopted children generally have more and different health needs – such as cognitive or physical difficulties – than non-adopted children. Previous studies, ...

While analyzing the mountains of data harvested from three decades of butterfly counting in the Midwest, a Michigan State University PhD candidate had seen enough studies to be braced for bad news. But, as reported in this week’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, finding that none of the 136 species of butterflies’ populations increased over that time took Wendy Leuenberger aback. “We expected to find that at least some species had done well over the past 32 years,” she said. Leuenberger ...

EMBARGOED UNTIL 4-AUG-2025 15:00 ET Scientists have discovered a previously unknown virus in farmed Pacific oysters during a mass die-off in B.C., Canada. The discovery serves as a reminder that growers should exercise caution when moving young oysters internationally and domestically, to prevent potential spread of pathogens, according to a paper published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “We’ve recently seen annual mass die-offs in B.C. and elsewhere of Pacific oysters, the most widely farmed shellfish worldwide,” said first author Dr. Kevin Zhong, research associate in the UBC department ...

From fabricated research to paid authorships and citations, organized scientific fraud is on the rise, according to a new Northwestern University study. By combining large-scale data analysis of scientific literature with case studies, the researchers led a deep investigation into scientific fraud. Although concerns around scientific misconduct typically focus on lone individuals, the Northwestern study instead uncovered sophisticated global networks of individuals and entities, which systematically work together to undermine the integrity of academic publishing. The problem is so widespread that the publication of fraudulent science is ...

Kyoto, Japan -- Opioids like morphine are widely used in medical practice due to their powerful pain-relieving effects. However, they carry the risk of serious adverse effects such as respiratory depression and drug dependence. For this reason, Japan has strict regulations in place to ensure that these medications are prescribed only by authorized physicians. In the United States, however, the opioid OxyContin was once prescribed frequently triggering a surge in the misuse of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. As a result, the number of deaths caused by opioid overdose surpassed 80,000 in 2023, escalating ...

The evolutionary success of our species may have hinged on minute changes to our brain biochemistry after we diverged from the lineage leading to Neanderthals and Denisovans about half a million years ago  Two of these tiny changes that set modern humans apart from Neanderthals and Denisovans affect the stability and genetic expression of the enzyme adenylosuccinate lyase, or ADSL. This enzyme is involved in the biosynthesis of purine, one of the fundamental building blocks of DNA, RNA, and other important biomolecules. In a study now published in PNAS, researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Japan and the Max Plank Institute for Evolutionary ...

Ukrainian refugees prefer countries with better job opportunities to countries with higher social benefits. This is the finding of a recent study by the ifo Institute and LMU Munich, which surveyed over 3,300 Ukrainian refugees in Europe. “The prospect of a job that matches their qualifications and a higher wage level has a much stronger effect on refugees than social assistance or child benefits,” says Panu Poutvaara, Director of the ifo Center for Migration and Development Economics and professor at LMU’s Faculty of ...

Scientists have uncovered the remains of a vast animal community that lived in the European Arctic 75,000 years ago.   The bones of 46 types of animals – including mammals, fish and birds – were discovered in a cave on the coast of Northern Norway, representing the oldest example of an animal community in the European Arctic during this warmer period of the ice age.   The findings have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).   The research team believe the bones will help scientists understand how wildlife once responded to dramatic climate shifts, insights that ...

PHILADELPHIA (August 1, 2025) – Faculty and doctoral students at Penn Nursing are at the forefront of advancing human milk feeding through a series of research studies, featured in the current issue of MCN The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing. The issue, edited by Penn Nursing's Diane L. Spatz, PhD, RN-BC, FAAN, FAWHONN, the Helen M. Shearer Professor of Nutrition and Professor of Perinatal Nursing in the Department of Family and Community Health, highlights articles showcasing critical strategies to enhance lactation care and improve outcomes for families. These investigations highlight critical strategies, from empowering frontline healthcare providers and fostering ...

A new review article published in JAMA underscores the critical need for comprehensive long-term medical care for patients treated for firearm injuries, which has become an epidemic in the U.S. fueled by years of rising gun violence. More than 48,000 people died of firearm injuries in the U.S. in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with 120,000 suffering from gunshot wounds that they recover from. While emergency care protocols are well established, long-term recovery pathways for survivors—particularly in the outpatient setting—remain poorly defined and inconsistently applied, according to the review paper ...