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Medicine 2026-03-04

As GLP-1 Drug Use Tripled, Bariatric Surgery Rates Fell Sharply After 2023

Semaglutide and tirzepatide use climbed dramatically from 2018 to 2025 among surgery-eligible patients, while bariatric surgery rates dropped substantially beginning in 2023. The shift was most pronounced for sleeve gastrectomy and patients with lower BMI - raising questions about who is and isn't getting the best treatment for their situation.
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Medicine 2026-03-04

Your Gut Bacteria May Predict Heart Disease Before Symptoms Appear

Korean researchers analyzing fecal samples from 1,384 people identified a gut microbiome signature associated with dyslipidemia, the lipid imbalance that often precedes cardiovascular disease. The findings point toward future microbiome-based tools for early risk stratification - though individual bacterial species are not yet therapeutic targets.
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Earth Science 2026-03-04

Laughing Gas Kills Soil Microbes That Help Plants Grow

Nitrous oxide, long studied for its climate impact, may also reshape the microbial communities at plant roots that control nutrient access and disease protection. MIT researchers estimate 30 percent of bacteria with sequenced genomes are vulnerable to N2O toxicity - and agricultural fertilization spikes its concentration for days at a time.
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Technology 2026-03-04

A $4.5 Million Air Force Flight Simulator Is Now a University Research Lab

Florida Atlantic University's engineering college received a $4.5 million T-1A Jayhawk mixed-reality flight simulator from the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research. The system offers a controlled, reconfigurable environment for research into AI decision-making, human performance, sensor fusion, and cybersecurity - at a fraction of the cost of live aircraft testing.
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Technology 2026-03-04

Robots Could Soon Feel Like Elephant Trunks and Octopus Tentacles

SimTac, developed by researchers at King's College London, is the first simulator capable of accurately modeling touch sensors with complex biological shapes. It combines particle physics, optical rendering, and neural networks to achieve real-time performance and near-perfect transfer from simulation to physical robots.
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