As dangerous lithium-ion battery fires are on the rise, regulators and manufacturers are scrambling for solutions. Unfortunately, one common strategy may cause serious health harm and not work to slow or stop the fires. A new Viewpoint in Environmental Science & Technology explains that adding flame retardants to the plastic cases surrounding these batteries has no proven fire-safety benefit. The scientists further warn that the types of flame retardants widely used in electronics enclosures are linked to cancer and other health harms and can end up in children’s toys, food containers, and other products made from recycled plastic. “The use of flame ...

Research with smallholder farmers in Kenya shows that tree-planting schemes must account for complex local issues and preferences. Tree planting is central to many countries’ climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation goals, and Kenya alone plans to plant 15 billion trees by 2032. Adding trees and shrubs to farmland (called agroforestry) can boost biodiversity, carbon storage, soil health, food production and income. But many tree-planting schemes overlook diversity and promote a narrow range of species. The new study – led by the University of Exeter – examined the factors that enable or prevent Kenyan smallholders from increasing the diversity of ...

A collaborative study between researchers from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), and the Institute for Biostatistics and Informatics in Medicine and Ageing Research, Rostock University Medical Center, Germany, investigated how advanced AI tools, like Large Language Models (LLMs), can make it easier to evaluate interventions for ageing and provide personalised recommendations. The findings were published in the leading review journal Ageing Research Reviews.   Research into ...

In a fascinating blend of technology and artistry, researchers present a study in PeerJ Computer Science, showcasing how humanoid robots can collaborate seamlessly with human musicians during live musical performances. This innovative work highlights the evolving role of robotics in entertainment and creativity. The study introduces a human-robot musical band featuring Polaris, a mid-sized humanoid robot as a drummer, and Oscar, a Robotis-OP3 humanoid robot as a keyboardist. These robots performed alongside human musicians, achieving natural synchronization and ...

New research indicates that regularly seeing the same GP could reduce workload in practices and hospitals, potentially freeing up appointments for patients. The study was conducted by Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, the University of Exeter Medical School and St Leonard’s Practice in Exeter. The research focuses on continuity of care – whether there’s any benefit from patients seeing the same GP at most of their appointments. This continuity has been steadily decreasing in patient care since 2012, and increasingly patients see multiple GPs within a practice, or temporarily placed GPs, known as locums. Now, the new research, published in the ...

The first trial of an Australian-developed technology has detected mysterious objects by sifting through signals from space like sand on a beach.   Astronomers and engineers at CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, developed the specialised system, CRACO, for their ASKAP radio telescope to rapidly detect mysterious fast radio bursts and other space phenomena.   The new technology has now been put to the test by researchers led by the Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy ...

MOBILE, Ala., Jan. 27, 2025 — The American Heart Association and the Reese’s Senior Bowl™ teamed up to ensure more people are confident and capable when faced with a cardiac emergency. On Senior Bowl Community Service Day, Jan. 27, the potential NFL Draft prospects who have completed their college eligibility and coaches learned Hands-Only CPR and how to use an automatic external defibrillators (AED) to respond in a cardiac emergency. According to American Heart Association data, 9 out of every 10 of people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, in part because ...

When young adults start working, the amount of daily physical activity they do increases sharply, only to fall away again over the new few years, while the amount of sleep they get falls slightly, according to new research led by scientists at the University of Cambridge. The increase in physical activity was mainly seen in those doing semi-routine occupations such as bus driving or hairdressing, and routine occupations such as cleaning or waiting, or technical jobs. There was little change seen among people entering managerial or professional occupations. The largest drop in levels of physical activity was seen ...

Archaeologists have uncovered evidence that a house in England is the site of a lost residence of Harold, the last Anglo-Saxon King of England, and shown in the Bayeux Tapestry. By reinterpreting previous excavations and conducting new surveys, the team from Newcastle University, UK, together with colleagues from the University of Exeter, believe they have located a power centre belonging to Harold Godwinson, who was killed in the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Bosham, on the coast of West Sussex, is depicted ...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Most animal, plant and fungal cells contain organelles called mitochondria. These descendants of a primordial bacterial endosymbiont still preserve distinct genes and are known for their ability to create ATP as chemical energy. They also have other important functions, including cell signaling, viral and bacterial sensing, cell division, cell death, and innate and adaptive immune responses. Consequently, impairment in mitochondrial function can result in aging and age-related diseases. An emerging area of research is the evolutionarily conserved transfer of mitochondria between cells. Yet researchers ...

Background and Goal: Depression impacts an  estimated 18 million Americans each year,  yet depression screening rarely occurs in the outpatient setting. This study evaluated an AI-based machine learning biomarker tool that uses speech patterns to detect moderate to severe depression, aiming to improve access to screening in primary care settings. Study Approach: The study analyzed over 14,000 voice samples from U.S. and Canadian adults. Participants answered the question, “How was your day?” with at least 25 seconds of free-form ...

Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 27 January 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. ...

Background and Goal: Adopted individuals often have limited access to their family medical history, complicating  their health care. This study explored the approaches of primary care physicians when caring for adult adopted patients with limited family medical history. Study Approach: Researchers conducted in-depth interviews, including hypothetical clinical scenarios,  with 23 primary care physicians from Rhode Island and Minnesota to understand their experiences, practices, knowledge, and training gaps when addressing limited family medical history and adoption-related issues. Main Results:  Primary care physicians report ...

Background and Goal: Despite the removal of the X-waiver requirement, which once restricted clinicians from prescribing buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD), only a small percentage of primary care clinicians currently prescribe medication for OUD (MOUD). This study evaluated a structured support program to help small, rural primary care clinics improve their capacity to provide this treatment.  Study Approach: Researchers worked with 15 primary care practices in Colorado over a 12-month period from January 2022 through January 2023. The program provided clinics with monthly educational sessions, direct access to an addiction medicine specialist, and support from practice facilitators ...

Background and Goal: Transgender and gender-diverse individuals often experience additional difficulties navigating health care. This study examined the effectiveness of a peer health navigator pilot program in Saskatchewan, Canada that aimed to improve access to affirming health care for transgender and gender-diverse individuals. Study Approach: Two peer health navigators were recruited to pilot the program. The navigators were required to be transgender or gender diverse and have experience in health care or community-based organizations. Navigators supported clients by providing information on gender transition and ...

ackground and Goal: Integrated behavioral health (IBH), which combines behavioral health and primary care, improves patient outcomes and experience. This study evaluated whether a tailored, toolkit-based intervention could improve IBH and patient outcomes in primary care practices serving patients with multiple chronic medical and behavioral health conditions. Study Approach: The study used a cluster randomized controlled trial design. Practices were randomized into two groups. The intervention arm received ...

Background and Goal: Managing type 2 diabetes involves complex treatment, workload, and costs that impose a significant burden on individuals, impacting their physical and mental health. This study examines how general practitioners (GPs) in China identify and respond to these burdens during patient consultations. Study Approach: The study examined video recordings of 29 GP-patient consultations recorded between 2018 and 2019 in a primary care clinic in China. Researchers reviewed these consultations for discussions related to treatment burdens in managing type 2 diabetes and analyzed the interviews to identify specific burdens and the strategies GPs employed to address them. Main ...

Background and Goal: In 2023, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) struck down race-conscious admissions in higher education, reshaping affirmative action policies. This special report examines the ruling’s wide-reaching effects, particularly on underrepresented minority (URM) students, and proposes strategies for preserving diversity in higher education and professional fields, including medicine. Key Insights: Institutions such as MIT and Amherst College have reported significant declines in Black and Latino student enrollment. In medical school admissions, the lack of standardized guidelines ...

Editorial Family Medicine Journal Editors Suggest Guiding Principles for AI Use in Publishing Background: This editorial by editors of family medicine journals provides a unified stance on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in family medicine research and publishing.  Editorial Stance: Family medicine journals must address the implications of AI, including ethical considerations, accuracy, and potential for bias. The authors recommend guiding principles for AI use in family medicine publishing, emphasizing: Full disclosure of AI tool use in research and manuscript preparation Accountability ...

Background and Goal: The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) system standardizes diagnostic codes globally, enabling accurate comparisons of health data. This study investigated regional differences in respiratory infection diagnoses in Poland to identify potential ambiguities in ICD coding and their implications for data comparability. Study Approach: Researchers analyzed over 292 million primary care visits for acute respiratory infections in Poland between 2010 and 2019, using ICD-10 codes (J00–J22). Diagnosis data were ...

Background and Goal: Research in family medicine is vital for improving patient care, health care systems, and population health. However, family medicine faces barriers to producing scholarly work, including high patient care demands and limited funding. This study examined whether financial incentives and department size influence the amount and type of scholarly activity produced by family medicine departments. Study Approach: Researchers surveyed family medicine department chairs across the U.S. and Canada using a Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance (CERA) questionnaire. The survey gathered data ...

Background and Goal: Primary care clinicians face significant burnout, driven by excessive administrative tasks and time spent on electronic health records (EHRs). This report emphasizes that generative AI tools must focus on addressing specific, impactful problems. Key Insights: The Segway, once expected to revolutionize transportation, failed because it did not solve a real need. Conversely, rentable scooters succeeded by addressing a narrow, specific problem: the “last-mile” challenge in urban commutes. Similarly, AI in primary care must tackle clinicians' “last-mile” issue—time. With over half of ...

The AHRQ EvidenceNOW initiative, launched in 2019, implemented a comprehensive approach to help primary care practices reduce stigma and better serve patients who exhibit risky or harmful alcohol use.  The program engaged practice facilitators (PFs) to support primary care practices in integrating universal screening, brief interventions, and medication-assisted therapy/medication for alcohol use disorders. PFs trained clinicians to use person-centered communication, and modeled empathetic and nonjudgmental interactions, to normalize unhealthy alcohol use screenings. PFs also  taught clinicians ...

Experimental research is fundamental to criminology, but reaching consensus on rigorous evidence and using that evidence to determine what works remains an ongoing challenge to the field. In a new article, the former director of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) within the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice programs, proposes a framework to situate both the role of rigorous evaluation and its results in a more robust understanding of the effectiveness of social programs. According to her new framework, the more deliberate the implementation of a social program, the more likely it will yield its intended impact. “Deliberate implementation can ...

January 27, 2025 New research shows a scientific approach can optimize bike lane planning. Toronto – When it comes to opinions about bike lanes, few of us are stuck in neutral. Love them or hate them though, new research says a dose of scientific rationality can help locate them in the best places. Congestion is minimized while more people ditch the car in favour of emissions-free, two-wheeled commuting. Working with two other academics, smart city researcher Sheng Liu pulled data and talked to city planners in Vancouver and Chicago to develop a model that can help ...