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Science20 May 2025

ICU delirium tests misclassify Spanish-speakers

EMBARGOED UNTIL: 9:15 a.m., Tuesday, May 20, 2025 Session: C17 - Delirium, Disparities, and Disability: Advancing Equity in Critical Illness Outcomes Achieving Health Equity in Delirium Detection in Spanish-speaking Latinx ICU Patients Date and Time: Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 9:15 a.m. PT Location: Room 2009/2011 (West Building, Level 2), Moscone Center ATS 2025, San Francisco – Delirium is common in the ICU, and guidelines call for daily screening. Now a new study published at the ATS 2025 International Conference suggests that standard screening tests may result in the ...

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Science20 May 2025

Terrence Sejnowski elected to the Royal Society and the American Philosophical Society

LA JOLLA (May 20, 2025)—Salk Professor Terrence Sejnowski, head of the Computational Neurobiology Laboratory and holder of the Francis Crick Chair, has been elected to the Royal Society and the American Philosophical Society. These prestigious elections recognize his outstanding leadership and extraordinary achievement in computational neuroscience. Sejnowski is one of the newest Foreign Members of the Royal Society, an independent scientific academy in the United Kingdom dedicated to promoting excellence in science for the benefit of humanity. Founded in 1660, the Royal Society is the world’s oldest scientific academy ...

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Environment20 May 2025

Commercially available peroxide binds incompatible polymers for recycling

ITHACA, N.Y. -Cornell University researchers have developed an inexpensive and potentially scalable approach that uses a commercially available peroxide to bind polyethylene and polypropylene together, thereby creating a more useful, high-quality plastic recycling additive. The findings were published May 19 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The co-lead authors were postdoctoral researcher Moritz Kränzlein and doctoral student Shilin Cui. The project was led by Geoffrey Coates, professor of chemistry and chemical biology. The ...

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Physics20 May 2025

Depression linked to physical pain years later

Middle-aged and older adults who experience pain are more likely to have had worsening symptoms of depression up to eight years before the pain began, according to a new study by UCL (University College London) researchers. The study, published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, suggests that among this age group, treatment for depression might help to prevent or reduce later aches and pains. The researchers compared survey data from 3,668 adults aged over 50 who often experienced moderate to severe pain with a matched group of the same number who did not. In the pain group, they found that depressive symptoms got rapidly worse in the eight years prior ...

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Medicine20 May 2025

Beyond ‘one size fits all’: Study reveals ethnic differences in breast cancer development and outcomes, demanding tailored care approaches

Women of African or South Asian genetic ancestry tend to develop breast cancer and die at a younger age than women of European ancestry, according to new research by Queen Mary University of London. The study, which looked at clinical and genetic data from over 7,000 women with breast cancer, also found important genetic differences in these women’s cancers that could impact their diagnosis and treatment. The findings, published today (20 May) in Nature Communications, highlight the underrepresentation of people of non-European genetic ancestry as participants in cancer ...

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Engineering20 May 2025

New flammable gas research facility under construction at Southwest Research Institute

SAN ANTONIO — May 20, 2025 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) will significantly expand its testing and research capabilities with a new hydrocarbon research facility. It will offer megawatt-scale testing of machinery and energy systems powered by hydrocarbons and other flammable gases. SwRI’s new 90,000-square-foot facility will evaluate a range of hydrocarbon machinery for efficiency, safety and durability. The facility is designed for the safe use of flammable gases including hydrogen, hydrocarbons, organic fluids and refrigerants. Hydrocarbons like natural ...

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Medicine20 May 2025

Planning grants awarded for competitive proposals testing efficacy of food is medicine

DALLAS, May 20, 2025 — Building on its work to study effective ways to incorporate healthy food into care for diet-related chronic disease, the American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all, today announced grant awards of nearly $1.2 million to 12 scientific researchers as part of its Health Care by Food™ initiative, a pioneering 10-year endeavor to make food is medicine reimbursable, scalable and sustainable. The research awards will provide support for ...

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Medicine20 May 2025

Substance use screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment among youth-serving clinicians

bout The Study: The findings of this study suggest that while most clinicians report screening youths for substance use disorders at least sometimes, a substantial proportion screened only intermittently. Efforts to improve screening rates through education and systems-based practice changes may facilitate offering anticipatory guidance and substance use disorder treatment in all youth-serving clinical settings. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Kathleen Ragan-Burnett, MSPH, email xwy3@cdc.gov. To access the embargoed study: ...

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Medicine20 May 2025

LJI scientists uncover key clues to how a viral infection can lead to arthritis-like disease

LA JOLLA, CA—Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne pathogen that has been identified in more than 110 countries around the world. The virus typically causes flu-like symptoms, but it can also trigger chronic, severe joint pain in some people. Researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) are working to understand how a viral infection can cause persistent joint pain that closely resembles rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease. In a new study, LJI scientists share a critical first ...

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Medicine20 May 2025

Aging and DNA damage: investigating the microbiome’s stealthy impact – a perspective

The authors detail how a balanced microbiome (eubiosis) sustains immune tolerance and systemic health, while dysbiosis disturbs gut barrier integrity and promotes inflammatory cascades. This section underscores Toll-like receptors, the gut-lung axis, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) as mediators of microbiome–immune dialogue. Case studies link microbiota composition to diseases ranging from COVID-19 and chronic lung conditions to autoimmune disorders, mental health, and even zoonotic infections like leptospirosis. These findings emphasize ...

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Medicine20 May 2025

Updated economic geography model incorporates heterogeneity in firm productivity and environmental pollution

Regional and urban economics employs theoretical modeling to examine how real-world factors shape regional development. These models provide a rigorous framework for evidence-based policymaking, offering insights to promote balanced economic growth and foster sustainable development. New updates to an existing theoretical model incorporate environmental pollution and a variable called firm heterogeneity which captures productivity distribution patterns among industrial and manufacturing firms, to better analyze how industrial cluster forms, where manufacturers operate, and where workers choose to live. ...

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Technology20 May 2025

Magnetic shaftless propeller millirobot with multimodal motion for small-scale fluidic manipulation

A research paper by scientists at Beijing Institute of Technology presented a magnetic shaftless propeller-like millirobot (MSPM) that possesses the capabilities of rotating-based multimodal 3-dimensional motion and cargo transportation with untethered manipulation. The research paper, published on Mar. 12, 2025 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems. In recent years, magnetic miniature robots have shown great potential in biomedical, environmental remediation, micro control and other fields, especially in thrombosis treatment, drug delivery, endoscopic ...

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Environment20 May 2025

Green tea, turmeric, and berries may help reverse epigenetic aging in men

“These findings suggest that consuming foods categorized as methyl adaptogens may reduce markers of epigenetic aging.” BUFFALO, NY — May 20, 2025 — A new research paper was published in Aging (Aging-US) Volume 17, Issue 4, on April 17, 2025, titled “Dietary associations with reduced epigenetic age: a secondary data analysis of the methylation diet and lifestyle study.” In this study, researchers led by first author Jamie L. Villanueva from the University of Washington and the National University of Natural Medicine, along ...

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Medicine20 May 2025

The Online Journal of Public Health Informatics invites submissions on opportunities and challenges in the applications of AI in public health informatics

(Toronto, May 20, 2025) JMIR Publications invites submissions to a new theme issue titled “Opportunities and Challenges in the Applications of AI In Public Health Informatics” in its open access journal Online Journal of Public Health Informatics. The premier, peer-reviewed journal is indexed in PubMed, PubMed Central (PMC), DOAJ, Sherpa/Romeo, Web of Science Core Collection: Emerging Sources Citation Index and Scopus. The application of artificial intelligence (AI) in public health informatics presents both significant challenges and opportunities. AI has the potential to revolutionize public health by enabling better data ...

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Environment20 May 2025

Thousands of animal species threatened by climate change, novel analysis finds

CORVALLIS, Ore. – A novel analysis suggests more than 3,500 animal species are threatened by climate change and also sheds light on huge gaps in fully understanding the risk to the animal kingdom. The study was published today in BioScience. “We’re at the start of an existential crisis for the Earth’s wild animals,” said Oregon State University’s William Ripple, who led the study. “Up till now, the primary cause of biodiversity loss has been the twin threats of overexploitation and habitat alteration, but as climate change intensifies, we expect it to become a third ...

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Medicine20 May 2025

Shorter MRI exam effectively detects cancer in dense breasts

OAK BROOK, Ill. – Abbreviated breast MRI shortens exam time while retaining a high level of diagnostic accuracy of breast cancer in women with extremely dense breasts, according to an article published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Women with extremely dense breasts have a high proportion of dense glandular and fibrous tissue and very little fatty tissue. This can be a risk factor for breast cancer due to the similar appearance of tumors and dense breast tissue on mammograms. Supplemental MRI screening is generally recommended for women with extremely dense ...

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Technology20 May 2025

Radiologists share tips to prevent AI bias

OAK BROOK, Ill. – Radiologists, computer scientists and informaticists outline pitfalls and best practices to mitigate bias in artificial intelligence (AI) models in an article published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). “AI has the potential to revolutionize radiology by improving diagnostic accuracy and access to care,” said lead author Paul H. Yi, M.D., associate member (associate professor) in the Department of Radiology and director of Intelligent Imaging Informatics at ...

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Science20 May 2025

Fine-tuned LLMs boost error detection in radiology reports

OAK BROOK, Ill. – A type of artificial intelligence called fine-tuned large language models (LLMs) greatly enhances error detection in radiology reports, according to a new study published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Researchers said the findings point to an important role for this technology in medical proofreading. Radiology reports are crucial for optimal patient care. Their accuracy can be compromised by factors like errors in speech recognition software, variability ...

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Environment20 May 2025

Climate change emerges as third major threat to global wildlife, scientists warn

New research published in BioScience reveals that climate change is rapidly emerging as a third major threat to Earth's wild animals, joining habitat alteration and overexploitation in what scientists call a shift from "twin to triple threats." The research team, led by William J. Ripple of Oregon State University, analyzed data for 70,814 animal species from 35 classes, using two publicly available biodiversity datasets to assess climate change vulnerability among the world's wild animal populations. Their ...

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Medicine20 May 2025

New blood test developed at Mass General Brigham shows superior sensitivity in detecting HPV-associated head and neck cancers

A new liquid biopsy blood test could help detect cases of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated head and neck cancers with significantly higher accuracy than currently used methods, including before patients develop symptoms, according to new Mass General Brigham research. The researchers at Mass Eye and Ear, a member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, found that the blood-based diagnostic test they developed called HPV-DeepSeek achieved 99% sensitivity and 99% specificity for diagnosing cancer at the time of first clinical presentation, including ...

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Science20 May 2025

The hidden drivers of aging: microbial influence on genomic stability and telomere dynamics

Aging is a multifaceted process driven by interconnected biological mechanisms, among which genomic instability and telomere attrition stand as primary hallmarks. Emerging research underscores the pivotal role of the human microbiome in modulating these processes, offering novel insights into aging and age-related diseases. This review synthesizes current evidence on how microbial dysbiosis accelerates aging by disrupting genomic integrity and telomere dynamics, while also exploring therapeutic strategies to promote healthy ...

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Medicine20 May 2025

Neurosymbolic AI could be leaner and smarter

Could AI that thinks more like a human be more sustainable than today’s LLMs? The AI industry is dominated by large companies with deep pockets and a gargantuan appetite for energy to power their models’ mammoth computing needs. Data centers supporting AI already account for up to 3.7% of global greenhouse emissions. In a Perspective, Alvaro Velasquez and colleagues propose an alternative model: neurosymbolic AI, which would require far less computing power, creating opportunities for smaller players to enter the field and allowing society to enjoy the benefits of AI without the environmental costs. Neurosymbolic AI is built on data-driven neural ...

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Social Science20 May 2025

Intuition-guided reinforcement learning for soft tissue manipulation with unknown constraints

A research paper by scientists at Hefei University of Technology presented an intuition-guided deep reinforcement learning framework for soft tissue manipulation under unknown constraints. The research paper, published on Apr. 14, 2025 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems. Intraoperative soft tissue manipulation is a critical challenge in autonomous robotic surgery. Furthermore, the intricate in vivo environment surrounding the target soft tissues poses additional hindrances to autonomous robotic decision-making. Previous studies assumed the grasping point was known and the target deformation could be achieved. The constraints were assumed to be constant during the ...

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Medicine20 May 2025

Mount Sinai surgeons perform first heart-liver-kidney transplants in New York State

A team of Mount Sinai surgeons has performed the first heart-liver-kidney triple organ transplants in New York. They successfully completed two of these complex surgeries on patients from Westchester County, who have since returned home and are making full recoveries. Heart-liver-kidney transplants are extremely rare—only 58 have been done across the country since the United Network for Organ Sharing, the government agency that oversees transplantation, started tracking cases in 1987. The two procedures at The Mount Sinai Hospital, which took place on January 10 and March 8, were among only four to date in the ...

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Science20 May 2025

‘Sharkitecture:’ A nanoscale look inside a blacktip shark’s skeleton

Sharks have been evolving for more than 450 million years, developing skeletons not from bone, but from a tough, mineralized form of cartilage. These creatures are more than just fast swimmers – they’re built for efficiency. Their spines act like natural springs, storing and releasing energy with each tailbeat, allowing them to move through the water with smooth, powerful grace. Now, scientists are peering inside shark skeletons at the nanoscale, revealing a microscopic “sharkitecture” that helps these ancient apex predators withstand extreme physical demands of constant motion. Using synchrotron X-ray nanotomography with detailed ...

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