Gestational diabetes raises health risks for both mother and baby From 2016 to 2024, rates rose in every racial and ethnic group Highest rates seen in American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian and Pacific Islander women CHICAGO --- Gestational diabetes rose every single year in the U.S. from 2016 through 2024, according to a new Northwestern Medicine analysis of more than 12 million U.S. births. The condition, which raises health risks for both mother and baby, shot up 36% over the nine-year period (from 58 to 79 cases per 1,000 births) and increased across every racial and ethnic group. “Gestational diabetes ...

A research team at Oregon Health & Science University has discovered a promising new drug combination that may help people with acute myeloid leukemia overcome resistance to one of the most common frontline therapies. In a study published today in Cell Reports Medicine, researchers analyzed more than 300 acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, patient samples and found that pairing venetoclax, a standard AML drug, with palbociclib, a cell-cycle inhibitor currently approved for breast cancer, produced significantly stronger and more durable ...

About The Study: In this survey study of patients with breast cancer, exposure to medical misinformation was common, underscoring the need for better survivorship communication with patients; fear of recurrence was not associated with exposure to misinformation. Further research on how patients process medical misinformation is essential, especially in populations at highest risk for misinformation spread. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Kaitlyn Lapen, MD, email lapenk@mskcc.org. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.49809) Editor’s ...

About The Study: This study found an association between glucagonlike peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) use and a lower risk of acute asthma exacerbations in adolescents with overweight or obesity. The findings suggest a potential dual benefit for this population, where a single class of medication could address both weight management and lower risk for asthma exacerbation, thereby potentially reducing the burden of 2 common and interconnected chronic conditions. Corresponding Authors: To contact the corresponding ...

MMWs, a form of non-ionizing, non-thermal electromagnetic radiation, have emerged as a promising solution. Operating at a frequency of 35 GHz with an energy density of ≤10 mW/cm², MMWs do not raise tissue temperatures or cause cellular damage. Instead, they interact with biological macromolecules (e.g., proteins, DNA) through resonance absorption, inducing conformational changes that modulate their function. In preclinical studies using 4T1 breast cancer and CT26 colorectal cancer models—both classic "cold tumors"—researchers found that MMW irradiation alone inhibited ...

In recent years, several serious traffic accidents have exposed the shortcomings of current autonomous driving systems in making safe decisions. Traditional decision-making methods, due to functional deficiencies or machine performance limitations, struggle to address potential risky behaviors, leading to a continued need for human intervention in complex driving scenarios. To address this, researchers have begun exploring the use of human physiological states as an information source to improve the safety decision-making of autonomous vehicles. “Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS), as a non-invasive real-time brain activity monitoring method, can provide cognitive ...

As fires burn the landscape, they spew airborne gases and particles, though their impact on air pollution might be underestimated. A study in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology reports that, around the world, wildfires and prescribed burns (i.e., wildland fires) could emit substantially more gases, including ones that contribute to air pollution, than previously thought. The researchers identified several regions with high wildland fire and human activity emissions, which may pose complex air-quality challenges. “Our new estimates increase the organic compound emissions from ...

Fukuoka, Japan—Researchers from Kyushu University have developed an innovative computational method, called ddHodge, that can reconstruct the complex dynamics of how cells decide their fate. As reported in Nature Communications, this approach paves the way for a deeper understanding of the biological processes involved in development, regeneration, and disease. Understanding how a developing cell chooses its destiny, such as differentiating into a nerve cell or a muscle cell, is a central challenge in biology and medicine. To study ...

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have studied the relationship between numerical information in our vision, and how it affects our perception of space. Volunteers were asked to identify the center of lines and squares filled with numbers; how far they were from the true center revealed unexpected biases. Crucially, their work with squares showed how our perception of space is a complex interplay between “object-based” processing and our processing of numerical ...

The Society of Inorganic Materials, Japan (SIMJ) has announced a prestigious international book initiative entitled “Sustainable Materials for a Better Environment: Advances in Gypsum, Lime, Cement, and Other Inorganic Materials” to commemorate the 75th anniversary of its founding. The initiative was officially announced at the Board of Directors’ executive meeting held on November 26th, 2025. The project aims to bring together leading researchers and experts from Japan and around the world within industry and academia ...

About The Study: In this cohort study, higher fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure was associated with lower birth weight for gestational age z score, with critical windows identified during early pregnancy to mid-pregnancy; however, findings varied by sex and region. Understanding windows of susceptibility to environmental exposures can help guide research on underlying biological processes and can inform strategies for limiting exposure during certain periods of pregnancy. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Whitney Cowell, PhD, email whitney.cowell@nyulangone.org. To ...

About The Study: In this national longitudinal cohort study, middle-aged and older adults at high risk of obstructive sleep apnea had consistently worse mental health outcomes. These findings bridge knowledge gaps on the association between obstructive sleep apnea and mental health, highlighting the need for integrated screening and intervention strategies. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Tetyana Kendzerska, MD, PhD, email tkendzerska@toh.ca. To access the embargoed study: ...

Talking while driving is widely recognized as a major source of distraction, but the specific ways conversation interferes with the earliest stages of visual processing have remained largely unclear. While previous research has shown that cognitive distraction can slow braking or reduce situational awareness, the question of whether talking disrupts the foundational gaze processes that precede physical reactions has remained unanswered. Now, researchers from Fujita Health University have demonstrated that talking imposes cognitive load strong enough to delay essential eye-movement ...

The Ceramic Society of Japan’s Oxoate Ceramics Research Association is delighted to announce the launch of a major international book project titled “Functional Oxoate Ceramics and Glasses: Current Progress and Future Perspectives” to be published by Jenny Stanford Publishing. The scholarly endeavor was officially announced at The 38th Fall Meeting held at Gunma University. The forthcoming edited volume aims to curate high-quality contributions from leading researchers in Japan and abroad who specialize in glass science and functional oxoate ceramics. After three years leading up to the ...

The secret to a healthier and “younger” heart lies in the vagus nerve. A recent study coordinated by the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa and published in Science Translational Medicine has shown that preserving bilateral cardiac vagal innervation is an anti-aging factor. In particular, the right cardiac vagus nerve emerges as a true guardian of cardiomyocyte health, helping to preserve the longevity of the heart independently of heart rate. The study is characterised by a strongly multidisciplinary approach, integrating experimental medicine and bioengineering applied to cardiovascular research. Specifically, the research was led ...

Preclinical study identifies Rb1 deficiency as key therapeutic vulnerability in a subset of breast cancers resistant to standard CDK4/6 inhibitors Drugs that may exploit this vulnerability are already in clinical trials Rb1-deficient cancers represent nearly 40% of triple-negative and estrogen receptor–positive tumors, which together account for roughly 20% of all breast cancers Rb1 status could also serve as an important predictive biomarker for other treatment strategies HOUSTON, DECEMBER 24, 2025 ― A new study published today in Science Translational Medicine by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center details a ...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly advancing across modern healthcare, yet its role in pediatric surgery remains limited and ethically complex. This study reveals that although surgeons recognize AI’s potential to enhance diagnostic precision, streamline planning, and support clinical decision-making, its practical use is still rare and mostly academic. Pediatric surgeons expressed strong concerns about accountability in the event of AI-related harm, the difficulty of obtaining informed consent for children, the risk of data privacy ...

Prescription stimulants, such as Ritalin and Adderall, are widely used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), including in children. In the U.S., about 3.5 million kids ages 3 to 17 take an ADHD medication, a number that has increased as more children have been diagnosed with the neurodevelopmental disorder. Stimulant medications have long been thought to treat ADHD by acting upon regions of the brain that control attention, but a new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis casts doubt on that thinking. Led by Benjamin Kay, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of neurology, and Nico U. Dosenbach, ...

Scientists at HSE University have found that current AI models, including ChatGPT and Claude, tend to overestimate the rationality of their human opponents—whether first-year undergraduate students or experienced scientists—in strategic thinking games, such as the Keynesian beauty contest. While these models attempt to predict human behaviour, they often end up playing 'too smart' and losing because they assume a higher level of logic in people than is actually present. The study has been published in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization. In the 1930s, British economist John Maynard Keynes developed the theoretical ...

An international team, including researchers from HSE University, has created the first comprehensive map of quadruplexes—unstable DNA structures involved in gene regulation. For the first time, scientists have shown that these structures function in pairs: one is located in a DNA region that initiates gene transcription, while the other lies in a nearby region that enhances this process. In healthy tissues, quadruplexes regulate tissue-specific genes, whereas in cancerous tissues they influence genes responsible for cell growth and division. These findings may contribute to the development of new anticancer drugs that target quadruplexes. The study has been published in Nucleic ...

Researchers have developed experimental drugs that encourage the mitochondria in our cells to work a little harder and burn more calories. The findings could open the door to new treatments for obesity and improve metabolic health. Obesity is a global epidemic and a risk factor for many diseases, including diabetes and cancer. Current obesity drugs require injections and can cause side effects, so a safe way to boost weight loss could deliver significant public health benefits. The study, led by Associate Professor Tristan Rawling from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), has just been published ...

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University have discovered a practical way to detect and fix common labeling errors in large radiographic collections. By automatically verifying body-part, projection, and rotation tags, their research improves deep-learning models used for routine clinical tasks and research projects. Deep-learning models using chest radiography have made remarkable progress in recent years, evolving to accomplish tasks that are challenging for humans such as estimating cardiac and respiratory function. However, AIs are only as good as the images ...

Even a low daily intake of alcohol—-just 9 g or around one standard drink—is linked to a 50% heightened risk of mouth (buccal mucosa) cancer in India, with the greatest risk associated with locally brewed alcohol, finds a large comparative study, published online in the open access journal BMJ Global Health.   And when combined with chewing tobacco, it likely accounts for 62% of all such cases in India, the findings suggest.   Mouth cancer is the second most common malignancy in India, with an estimated 143,759 new cases and 79,979 deaths every year. Rates ...

Members of the American Meteorological Society (AMS), the professional society for weather, water, and climate sciences and services, have elected Richard (Rick) Spinrad to the position of AMS president-elect for 2026, as well as electing five new council members.  Spinrad, an oceanographer, formerly served as U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and the 11th administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He will be inducted as president-elect on Sunday, 25 January, 2026, during the AMS’s 106th Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas.  The five newly elected AMS Council Members are Marilyn Averill, Julie Demuth, Jordan Gerth, ...

As countries around the world grapple with the challenge of achieving net-zero emissions, a newly released online webinar recording is drawing attention to one of the most promising and underappreciated climate solutions: biomass-based carbon capture. The full recording of the international seminar, held online on December 17, 2025, is now freely available on YouTube, offering researchers, policymakers, and the public an accessible deep dive into how nature’s carbon cycle can be harnessed for large-scale climate mitigation. The webinar, ...