An innovative circuit design could enable miniature devices, such as microdrones and other microrobotics, to be powered for longer periods of time while staying lightweight and compact. Researchers from the University of California San Diego and CEA-Leti developed a novel self-sustaining circuit configuration—featuring miniaturized solid-state batteries—that combines high energy density with an ultra lightweight design.  The results will be presented at the 2025 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC), which will take place from Feb. 16 to 20 in San Francisco.  One important application envisioned for microdrones is ...

OAK BROOK, Ill. – Different sociodemographic groups, especially racial and ethnic minorities, are less likely to receive timely breast cancer diagnostic services after an abnormal screening mammogram, according to a study published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Routine yearly screening mammography is an important first step in the early diagnosis of breast cancer. When a screening mammogram comes back as abnormal, additional imaging and image-guided biopsy may be necessary to diagnose breast cancer. When it is caught early enough, before symptoms are present, breast cancer can be easier to treat and significantly ...

OAK BROOK, Ill. – Research scientists in Switzerland have developed and tested a robust AI model that automatically segments major anatomic structures in MRI images, independent of sequence, according to a new study published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). In the study, the model outperformed other publicly available tools. MRI provides detailed images of the human body and is essential for diagnosing various medical conditions, from neurological disorders to musculoskeletal injuries. For in-depth interpretation of MRI images, the organs, muscles and bones in the images are outlined ...

Despite similar availability of diagnostic technologies to women of different racial and ethnic groups, significant disparities were seen in who actually received same-day diagnostic services and biopsies after abnormal mammogram findings, new research shows.  Even when breast-care facilities had the necessary technology and capabilities, minority groups were less likely than white women to receive diagnostic imaging on the same day as an abnormal screening result. Black women in particular were less likely to receive same-day biopsies, compared with white women. The findings of a retrospective study are to be published ...

New research brings hope for improved outcomes and survival rates for patients facing a pancreatic cancer diagnosis The discovery of a 'biomarker panel' could have a profound impact on the ability to identify patients at risk of developing PC at an earlier stage Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the worst prognosis cancer globally, with just 13% of patients who are diagnosed with PC surviving for 5 years or more after initial diagnosis. In Ireland, there are approximately 900 cases of PC per year, and 820 PC-related deaths. Early detection of PC is the primary concern of most PC research, as it has the potential to make a substantial difference to the treatment and survival of patients. Survival ...

Gene editing techniques may eventually allow trisomy to be treated at the cellular level, according to an in vitro proof-of-concept study. Down syndrome is caused by the presence of a third copy of the 21st chromosome. The condition occurs in approximately 1 in 700 live births and is relatively easy to diagnose at early stages of development. However, there are no treatments. Ryotaro Hashizume and colleagues use the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system to cleave the third chromosome in previously generated trisomy 21 cell lines derived from both pluripotent cells and skin fibroblasts. The technique is able to identify which chromosome has been duplicated, ...

Heat stroke poses a significant health risk, especially during extreme temperature conditions. As global temperatures rise due to climate change, the frequency and severity of heatwaves have increased, putting vulnerable populations at greater risk. This shift underscores the need for effective, real-time methods for early detection and response to heat stroke risks, ensuring timely intervention and reduced impact of these rising threats. While previous studies have highlighted the potential of social media posts, such as tweets, to offer real-time insights into various events, its application in detecting heat stroke risks ...

ARLINGTON, Va. (Feb. 18 2025) – A new study led by Conservation International scientists and published today has found that grassland restoration can reduce human-wildlife conflict and social conflicts in communities facing resource scarcity. Grasslands, vital ecosystems for livelihoods and biodiversity, are under increasing pressure from climate change and human activity. The Chyulu Hills region of Kenya exemplifies these challenges, as it is home to iconic wildlife such as African elephants and black rhinos, which share the land with pastoral Maasai communities. This coexistence often leads to competition over limited water, land and pasture, sparking ...

Some people wake up vividly recalling their dreams from the night, and can tell precise stories experienced during the night, while others struggle to remember even a single detail. Why does this happen? A new study, conducted by researchers at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, and published on Communications Psychology explores the factors that influence so called "dream recall"— the ability to remember dreams upon awakening—and uncovers which individual traits and sleep patterns shape this phenomenon. The reason why there is such a difference in recalling dreams remains a mystery. Some studies found that women, young persons, ...

The immune systems of cancer patients are highly disrupted, with those who have a higher number of immune cells in their blood having a better survival rate, finds a new study that uses a pioneering technique developed by researchers at UCL and the Francis Crick Institute. The tool, described in Nature Genetics, is called Immune Lymphocyte Estimation from Nucleotide Sequencing (ImmuneLENS). It enables researchers to calculate the proportion of T cells and B cells (types of immune cell) from whole genome sequencing (WGS) data for the first time.   Whole genome sequencing (WGS) uses a blood sample to create a complete ...

*** Embargoed for release until Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, at 5 a.m. EST *** A newly identified part of a brain circuit mixes sensory information, memories, and emotions to tell whether things are familiar or new, and important or just “background noise.” Led by researchers from NYU Langone Health, the work found that a circuit known to carry messages from a brain region that processes sensory information, the entorhinal cortex (EC), to the memory processing center in the hippocampus (HC) has a previously unrecognized pathway that carries messages directly back to the EC.  Publishing online Feb. 18 in Nature Neuroscience, the study results show that this direct feedback ...

The origins of human language remain mysterious. Are we the only animals truly capable of complex speech? Are Homo sapiens the only hominids who could give detailed directions to a far-off freshwater source or describe the nuanced purples and reds of a dramatic sunset? Close relatives of ours such as the Neanderthals likely had anatomical features in the throat and ears that could have enabled the speaking and hearing of spoken language, and they share with us a variant of a gene linked to the ability to speak. And yet it is only in modern humans that we find expanded brain regions that are critical for language production and comprehension. Now researchers from The Rockefeller University ...

SEATTLE – Scientists have developed a breakthrough method to track diet using stool metagenomic data. Developed by researchers at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB), the new method, called MEDI (Metagenomic Estimation of Dietary Intake), detects food-derived DNA in stool samples to estimate dietary intake. MEDI leverages stool metagenomics, which refers to sequencing all the DNA present in fecal samples (including microbial, human, and food-derived DNA). This non-invasive, data-driven approach offers an objective alternative to traditional food diaries and questionnaires, ...

Hundreds of different species of microbes live, laugh, and love in your gut. In the future, one of these might serve a new function: microscopic in-house pharmacist. A new study published Feb. 18 in Nature Biotechnology shows how gut bacteria can be directed to produce and release proteins within the lower gastrointestinal tract — eliminating a major roadblock to delivering drugs to that part of the body. Oral medication is the most common and practical means of drug administration, but the stomach doesn’t let much pass through unscathed. This is good when it comes to things like foodborne ...

The effectiveness of a common drug to quit smoking could be down to people’s genes, according to a study from the University of Leicester (United Kingdom). Varenicline is widely recognised as the most effective medication for helping people stop smoking, but unfortunately it does not work for everyone. Researchers from Leicester have uncovered important insights into how people’s DNA affects their response to the drug, which will soon be available to smokers through the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). Varenicline ...

MONTREAL, Québec, Canada, 18 February 2025 - A comprehensive review published today in Brain Medicine by leading neuroendocrinologist Professor Hyman M. Schipper from McGill University’s Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery maps out the extensive influence of reproductive hormones on neurological health and disease. This landmark review, appearing in a special Festschrift issue honoring Dr. Seymour Reichlin’s centennial, systematically examines how sex hormones affect a broad ...

Across Kenya, grasslands underpin people’s lives — as well as those of animals like elephants, giraffes, and hyenas. But the climate crisis is drying out these habitats, forcing people and animals to compete for resources, and increasing both community tensions and conflict between humans and wildlife. Researchers monitoring both grassland restoration and conflicts have now found that restoration can help reduce human-wildlife conflict and improve community relations: the more local grassland is restored, the less conflict there is.  “Grassland restoration is playing a role in reducing human-wildlife conflicts, social conflicts and the overall feeling of insecurity ...

Bioaerosol emissions during toilet flushing are an often-overlooked source of potential health risks in shared public facilities. A new study published in Risk Analysis found that bioaerosol concentrations of two bacteria -- Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) -- exceeded acceptable levels established by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) after toilet flushing. Inhaling these biological particles can produce symptoms like abdominal cramps, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. The research was conducted in two restrooms located in an office building in China. One contained a squat toilet and the other a bidet toilet. Scientists measured the emissions ...

Swimming in some lakes with still water can lead to infection with Legionella, bacteria that can cause pneumonia, and people who engage in open water swimming should be aware of this risk, say the authors of a practice article published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.241086. “Legionella infection represents a public health hazard owing to its ability to spread through exposure to natural water bodies and human-made water reservoirs,” writes Dr. Ashley Bryson, an internal medicine resident at the University of Manitoba, with coauthors. Legionella infection is an atypical cause of community-acquired ...

UNDER STRICT EMBARGO UNTIL UNDER STRICT EMBARGO UNTIL MONDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2025 AT 23.30 (UK TIME).    Peer reviewed | Randomised Controlled Trial | People  The NIDUS-Family package of care uses goal setting to help people with dementia live well at home for longer. New research from Queen Mary University of London in collaboration with UCL shows that, in addition to these known benefits, NIDUS-Family also reduces the costs associated with providing support to people with dementia.  Approximately ...

Targets for universal access, national roadmaps and more affordable and accessible care are vital to help fill the medical oxygen gap affecting more than half of the world’s population, according to a new global report. The Lancet Global Health Commission report details for the first time how future investment in strengthening medical oxygen systems could have a huge impact by saving millions of lives and improving pandemic preparedness. Almost 400 million children and adults require medical oxygen every year. More than five billion people, 60 per cent of the world’s population, don’t have access to safe and ...

Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 17 February 2025    @Annalsofim          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 are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they represent.          ----------------------------       1. ...

High demand: Mental health now tops health concerns in Singapore, surpassing cancer and COVID-19. New regional hub: MHIN Asia Hub, based in Singapore, aims to share innovative resources and ideas to promote mental health support across Asia. SINGAPORE, 17 February 2025 – In a significant advancement for mental health care, the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute, in collaboration with the Mental Health Innovation Network (MHIN), unveiled today the MHIN Asia Hub. This milestone event, a cornerstone of the inaugural Global Mental Health in Asia Symposium, marks a major step in addressing ...

Researchers found that teens with obesity ate more later in the day than their peers of healthy weight, and that their eating behaviors were strongly influenced by their internal body clock By 2030, roughly half of Americans are expected to have obesity, a condition that contributes to the onset of chronic diseases, including diabetes and cancer. While previous research has highlighted connections between sleep, eating patterns, and weight gain, scientists remain uncertain of the role of the circadian system—our internal biological clock—in shaping eating patterns. A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham and the Warren Alpert Medical School ...

EMBARGOED PRESS RELEASE: MONDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2025 3:00PM U.S. EASTERN TIME (8:00PM GMT) Animals are not just inhabitants of the natural world—they are its architects. A new study led by Professor Gemma Harvey from Queen Mary University of London has revealed how hundreds of species shape the landscapes we depend on, from vast termite mounds visible from space to hippos carving drainage systems and beavers creating entire wetlands. Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), this first-of-its-kind global synthesis identifies 603 species, genera, or families that influence ...