EDMOND, Okla. – May 13, 2025 -- Watkins-Conti Products, Inc. ("Watkins-Conti"), a company that develops innovative solutions for women's pelvic health, today announced the peer-reviewed publication of clinical trial results evaluating Yōni.Fit® Bladder Support ("Yōni.Fit®"). Designed and manufactured in the United States, Yōni.Fit® obtained 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2024 for the temporary management of urine ...

When summarizing scientific studies, large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and DeepSeek produce inaccurate conclusions in up to 73% of cases, according to a new study by Uwe Peters (Utrecht University) and Benjamin Chin-Yee (Western University, Canada/University of Cambridge, UK). The researchers tested the most prominent LLMs and analyzed thousands of chatbot-generated science summaries, revealing that most models consistently produced broader conclusions than those in the summarized texts. Surprisingly, prompts ...

This new Kids First data creates a fuller understanding of how genetics contributes to childhood cancers and congenital disorders, opening additional doors for prevention and treatment.  WHO: The Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program (Kids First), an initiative of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Kids First data, tools, and resources are available via the Kids First Data Resource Center (DRC). WHAT: The 2025 releases represent the first batch of long read sequencing data ...

Scientists have developed a dual-laser Brillouin optical correlation-domain reflectometry (BOCDR) system that uses two frequency-modulated lasers. By scanning the relative modulation phase between the pump and reference lasers, the setup measures strain and temperature all along an optical fiber. In a proof-of-concept test on a 13-meter silica fiber, the team recorded Brillouin gain spectra (BGS) at only about 200 MHz—over 50 times lower than the usual 11 GHz band. Their research was published in Journal of Physics: Photonics on April 25, 2025. “The dual-laser approach makes BOCDR equipment simpler, more cost-effective, ...

SAN FRANCISCO—Zhaoqi Yan, PhD, a scientist at Gladstone Institutes, has been named a 2025 Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholar. The fellowship award is given annually to five postdoctoral researchers in the United States who demonstrate exceptional creativity in the field of neuroscience. Yan studies how blood proteins that leak into the brain through damaged blood vessels can drive brain inflammation and neurodegeneration. Molecular mechanisms behind this dysfunction in the blood-brain barrier remain unclear, and effective therapeutic strategies are lacking—something Yan hopes to change. With the support from the Warren Alpert Foundation, he will use cutting-edge techniques to ...

The field of subwavelength optics has opened new avenues for investigating light–matter interactions by enabling the exploration of novel phenomena at the subwavelength scale. In recent decades, advancements in fundamental understanding and micro–nano-technologies have significantly propelled the development of subwavelength optics and its practical applications. For instance, progress in surface plasmon subwavelength optics, which facilitates the confinement of light at scales below the diffraction limit, forms a basis for transformative applications such as sub-diffraction-limit imaging, waveguiding and sensing. Moreover, advancements ...

An international research team studying fossilized oyster shells has revealed substantial annual temperature variation in sea water during the Early Cretaceous. The finding overturns the assumption that Earth's greenhouse periods are marked by universally warmer and uniformly stable temperatures.   The team, led by Prof. DING Lin from the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in collaboration with researchers from the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate ...

Imagine a T-shirt that could monitor your heart rate or blood pressure. Or a pair of socks that could provide feedback on your running stride. It may be closer than you think, with new research from Washington State University demonstrating a particular 3-D ink printing method for so-called smart fabrics that continue to perform well after repeated washings and abrasion tests. The research, published in the journal ACS Omega, represents a breakthrough in smart fabric comfort and durability, as well as using a process that is more environmentally friendly. Hang Liu, a textile researcher at WSU and the corresponding author of the paper, ...

Bottom Line: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends early, universal screening for syphilis infection during pregnancy; if an individual is not screened early in pregnancy, the USPSTF recommends screening at the first available opportunity. Untreated syphilis infection during pregnancy can be passed to the fetus, causing congenital syphilis. Congenital syphilis is associated with premature birth, low birth weight, stillbirth, neonatal death, and significant abnormalities in the infant such as deformed bones, anemia, enlarged liver and spleen, jaundice, brain and nerve problems (e.g., permanent vision or hearing ...

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2025 – Butterflies’ flight trajectories often appear random or chaotic, and compared with other hovering insects, their bodies follow seemingly mysterious, jagged, jerking motions. These unique hovering patterns, however, can potentially provide critical design insights for developing micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) with flapping wings. To help achieve these applications, researchers from Beihang University studied how butterflies use aerodynamic force generation to achieve hovering. They discuss ...

A new treatment approach significantly improves survival rates for patients with aggressive, inherited breast cancers, according to Cambridge researchers. In a trial where cancers were treated with chemotherapy followed by a targeted cancer drug before surgery, 100% of patients survived the critical three-year period post-surgery. The discovery, published today in Nature Communications, could become the most effective treatment to date for patients with early-stage breast cancer with inherited BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. Breast cancers with faulty copies of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are challenging to treat, and came to public ...

About The Study: In this study, associations of structural and social determinants of health with mortality persisted with adjustment for percentage African genetic ancestry. The findings support the hypothesis that structural and social determinants of health should be the primary factors to consider for eliminating health disparities. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Hari S. Iyer, ScD, MPH, email hi97@cinj.rutgers.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.10016) Editor’s ...

About The Study: In this cross-sectional study examining clinical notes of more than 18,000 patients admitted for labor and birth, there were notable disparities in how stigmatizing and positive language was documented across racial and ethnic groups. This underscores the necessity for improving documentation and communication practices to reduce the use of stigmatizing language. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Veronica Barcelona, PhD, RN, email vb2534@cumc.columbia.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.9599) Editor’s ...

Background and Aims Inherited metabolic liver diseases (IMLDs) have complex etiologies and vary widely in clinical presentation, with a significant overall incidence. With the advancements in diagnostic and treatment technologies, an increasing number of children with inherited metabolic diseases are surviving into adolescence and adulthood. These advancements have improved our understanding of the IMLD disease spectrum and clinical outcomes. This study aimed to analyze changes in the disease spectrum and epidemiological characteristics of inherited metabolic liver diseases (IMLD) over the past 20 years in two specialized liver disease hospitals in northern China. Methods A ...

Radiation sterilization technology destroys the DNA and cellular structures of bacteria and microorganisms using electromagnetic waves with far higher energy than ultraviolet radiation. This technique has become indispensable for sterilization in various fields, including medical devices (e.g., disposable syringes, catheters, artificial joints), pharmaceuticals (e.g., raw materials, tissue grafts), and food products (e.g., sprout inhibition in potatoes). Traditionally, it has been believed that the effectiveness of radiation sterilization depends solely on the total irradiation ...

A research paper by scientists at Shandong University presented a novel coordinated motion distribution and tracking algorithm for quadruped manipulators. The research paper, published on Mar. 19, 2025 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems. Quadruped manipulators can use legs to mimic legged animals for crossing unstructured environments. They can also use a bionic arm to execute manipulation tasks. The increasing demands for such robots have pushed research progress. However, there remain challenging works ...

(Toronto, May 13, 2025) JMIR Publications invites submissions to a new theme issue titled “AI-Powered Therapy Bots and Virtual Companions” in its open access journal JMIR Mental Health (2024 Impact Factor 4.8). The premier, peer-reviewed journal is indexed in PubMed Central and PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Sherpa/Romeo, DOAJ, EBSCO/EBSCO Essentials, SCIE, PsycINFO and CABI.    Artificial intelligence (AI)–driven mental health tools—including chatbots, avatars, and virtual agents—have gained traction for their accessibility and scalability. However, most studies to date have focused ...

OAK BROOK, Ill. – In one of the larger studies of its kind, researchers have identified six breast texture patterns that may be associated with increased cancer risk, according to a new study published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Women with dense breasts, which are breasts with a higher proportion of glandular tissue compared to fatty tissue, make up a large proportion of screening-eligible women. Breast cancer can be difficult to detect on mammograms of dense breasts due to the similarity ...

Martela’s latest study finds that generative AI meets all three of the philosophical conditions of free will —  the ability to have goal-directed agency, make genuine choices and to have control over its actions. It will be published in the journal AI and Ethics on Tuesday. Drawing on the concept of functional free will as explained in the theories of philosophers Daniel Dennett and Christian List, the study examined two generative AI agents powered by large language models (LLMs): the Voyager agent in Minecraft and fictional ‘Spitenik’ killer drones with the cognitive function of today's unmanned aerial vehicles. ...

A research paper by scientists at Kyushu University presented a novel needle-free reagent injection method that improves the depth of reagent injection by reflecting shock waves through microbubble dynamics. The research paper, published on Mar. 19, 2025 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems. Currently, drug administration for disease treatment and prophylaxis generally adopts an injector with a metal needle. However, because the needle is in direct contact with the patient’s mucus and blood, the spread of infectious diseases through the use of different ...

A newly published clinical feeding study out of South Dakota State University suggests that lean pork can play a central role in plant-forward dietary patterns for aging adults, offering high-quality protein, broad acceptability and alignment with current dietary guidance.i*  The PRODMED study, an 18-week crossover randomized controlled trial published in Current Developments in Nutrition, compared diets centered on lean pork to those built around plant proteins (such as lentils and chickpeas) in free-living older adults. ...

In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine have identified a never-before-seen mechanism that enables the human immunodeficiency type 1 virus (HIV-1) to evade the body’s natural defenses and use it to support its survival and replication. The “loophole?” A biological process that involves circular RNAs (circRNAs), which form a “loop” or circle inside cells – unlike regular RNA molecules that are shaped like a straight line. This looped shape makes circRNAs much more ...

Over 6 million Americans are impacted by Alzheimer’s disease, and researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh  are discovering how lifestyle habits can impact the likelihood of developing the disease. According to a new research study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, researchers found that increased sedentary behavior, time spent sitting or lying down, in aging adults was associated with worse cognition and brain shrinkage in areas related to risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.   The research ...

DARIEN, IL – Five individuals have been selected as the 2025 American Academy of Sleep Medicine award recipients for their outstanding contributions to the field of sleep medicine. They will be recognized Monday, June 9, during the plenary session of the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Seattle. “Congratulations to this year’s award recipients for their exceptional dedication to advancing the field of sleep medicine,” said AASM President Dr. Eric J. Olson. “Their leadership and achievements in research, education, advocacy, and clinical care reflect ...

Images available via link in the notes section Researchers at the University of Oxford, Durham University and the University of Toronto have detailed the geological ingredients required to find clean sources of natural hydrogen beneath our feet. The work details the requirements for natural hydrogen, produced by the Earth itself over geological time, to accumulate in the crust, and identifies that the geological environments with those ingredients are widespread globally. Hydrogen is $135 billion industry, essential for making fertiliser and other important societal ...