PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — With a $20 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation, Brown University researchers will lead an artificial intelligence research institute aimed at developing a new generation of AI assistants capable of trustworthy, sensitive and context-aware interactions with people. Work to develop the advanced assistants is specifically motivated by the potential for use in mental and behavioral health, where trust and safety are of the utmost importance.  The AI Research Institute on Interaction for AI Assistants (ARIA) will combine research on ...

Beef is growing in the Petri dishes of ETH professor Ori Bar-Nur, an expert in regenerative and muscle biology. However, he hasn’t yet tasted the cultivated meat because human consumption requires official approval in Switzerland. However, Bar-Nur has colleagues who have participated in approved tastings of lab-grown beef. They describe the taste and consistency as being similar to that of real meat. After all, it is beef, the only difference being that no cow needs to be slaughtered in order to obtain it. Bar-Nur and his team produce the meat in cell culture from bovine cells. They use precursor cells, known as myoblasts, that form muscle ...

New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has unveiled how Australian secondary schools make decisions about organising students into classes based on their perceived academic ability. Lead author Dr Olivia Johnston explained that the findings show class ability grouping is often used despite evidence suggesting the practice be delayed and minimised. “We need to support schools’ informed decision making about class ability grouping. Schools are busy places and there’s a lot of competing pressures. Forming class groups is one decision they make in a myriad ...

Dental caries remains a significant global public health burden, affecting billions worldwide despite preventive measures. While behavioral and socioeconomic factors are primary drivers, individual susceptibility varies markedly among those with similar risk profiles. This review synthesizes evidence establishing a substantial genetic component in caries etiology, mediated through polygenic mechanisms and epistatic interactions across key biological pathways. Genetic Pathways and Key Findings 1. Tooth Mineralization Genes: Key Genes: AMBN, AMELX, ENAM, MMPs (e.g., MMP2, MMP20), KLK4, TFIP11, BMP7, *DLX3/DLX4*. Mechanism: Variants ...

Background and objectives Histologic remission is recommended as an adjunctive treatment target in ulcerative colitis, and scoring systems have been proposed to enhance reproducibility. The Nancy Histologic Index (NHI) is increasingly used in clinical trials; however, its performance in real-world settings is not fully established. This study aimed to assess the interrater reliability (IRR) of the NHI among gastrointestinal pathologists in the United States. Methods Thirty-seven whole-slide images of colorectal biopsies from 34 treated ulcerative colitis patients enrolled in a multicenter adult cohort were independently ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion finds that inadequate leisure-time aerobic physical activity accounts for $192 billion in annual healthcare costs among U.S. adults—12.6% of total national health care spending. Researchers analyzed data from more than 76,000 adults between 2012 and 2019. The findings are stark: 52.4% of adults met aerobic activity guidelines   20.4% were insufficiently active   27.3% were completely inactive   The average adult incurred $6,566 in annual healthcare costs   Compared to active adults: Insufficiently active adults incurred $1,355 more than active adults in annual ...

In a major step towards early detection, University of South Australia researchers are investigating the biology behind multiple sclerosis (MS) to help predict people’s genetic risk of developing the disease, long before any symptoms appear.   Funded by an MS Australia Incubator Grant announced today, the Australian-first study will use a powerful new research method known as ‘recall by genotype’ to explore genetic causes of MS.   Specifically, the study will explore links between MS and the Epstein-Barr virus – a common ...

Air ducts: a contemporary issue for safety inspection Air ducts are everywhere in modern buildings and underground networks, but are challenging to access for inspection. Their narrow dimensions and inability to support human weight prevent essential interventions to maintain air quality, heating, and air conditioning. Small quadrotor drones offer a potential solution for exploring these air ducts because they can navigate both horizontal and vertical sections. However, they create airflows that recirculate inside the duct and destabilize the drone, creating important turbulences in an environment that has little space for error. Mapping the aerodynamic forces in a ...

Imagine you’re a molecular biologist wanting to launch a project seeking treatments for a newly emerging disease. You know you need the expertise of a virologist and an immunologist, plus a bioinformatics specialist to help analyze and generate insights from your data. But you lack the resources or connections to build a big multidisciplinary team.  Researchers at Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco and Stanford University now offer a novel solution to this dilemma: an AI-driven Virtual Lab through which a team of AI agents, each equipped with varied scientific expertise, can tackle sophisticated and open-ended scientific problems by formulating, refining, ...

FINDINGS A study led by investigators at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found that while blood-based tests offer a more convenient option for colorectal cancer screening, only 49% of patients completed a follow-up colonoscopy within six months, and just 56% did so at any point during the two-year study period. Follow-up colonoscopy is a critical next step to confirm the presence of colorectal cancer or pre-cancer after an abnormal screening result. These follow-up rates are comparable to those observed with stool-based screening tests, but remain far below optimal levels needed for timely cancer detection and treatment. The team also found that individuals ...

WASHINGTON, July 29, 2025 — Twangy voices are a hallmark of country music and many regional accents. However, this speech type, often described as “brassy” and “bright,” can also be used to get a message across in a noisy environment. In JASA Express Letters, published on behalf of the Acoustical Society of America by AIP Publishing, researchers from Indiana University found that it was easier to understand twangy female voices compared to neutral voices when surrounded by noise. Found in accents in American cities such as Chicago, Boston, New York, ...

LA JOLLA (July 29, 2025)—Of the 3.6 million babies born in the United States each year, around 80 percent begin breastfeeding in their first month of life. Breastfeeding has known benefits for both mother and child, reducing maternal risk of breast and ovarian cancers, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure, while simultaneously supporting the baby’s nutrition and immune system. But because pregnancy and lactation have been historically understudied, we still don’t understand the science behind many of these benefits. Salk Institute immunologists are changing that—starting with a map of ...

About The Study: Among U.S. adolescents, current medical use of prescription stimulants for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increased between 2005 and 2023, while nonmedical use decreased. Lifetime nonmedical use was more prevalent than medical use in early cohorts but shifted to being less prevalent in recent cohorts. These findings are consistent with declines in peer-to-peer diversion among adolescents following COVID-related school closures and findings from adult studies.  Corresponding ...

A team of Canadian scientists has discovered a surprising new way to improve blood sugar levels and reduce liver damage: by trapping a little-known fuel made by gut bacteria before they wreak havoc on the body. The findings, published in Cell Metabolism on July 29, 2025, could open the door to new therapies to treat metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease. Researchers at McMaster University, Université Laval and the University of Ottawa showed that a molecule produced by microbes in ...

Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have discovered that PD-1—a molecule best known for putting the brakes on immune cells—also plays a critical role in helping T cells become long-term immune defenders in the skin. Early during infection, PD-1 acts like a steering wheel, guiding T cells to become protective resident memory T cells (TRM) that stay in place. These cells remember invading germs or cancer and quickly mount a response if that enemy reappears. The preclinical findings, published July 29 ...

Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), characterized by abdominal obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance, represents a global health crisis with escalating prevalence. Its comorbidities—including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), atherosclerosis, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)—share underlying molecular pathways. Among these, the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and its ligands (AGEs, HMGB1, S100 proteins) form the AGE/RAGE axis, a key driver of inflammation, oxidative stress, and tissue damage in MetS. While targeting this axis is a promising therapeutic strategy, ...

OAK BROOK, Ill. – An AI algorithm for breast cancer screening has potential to enhance the performance of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), reducing interval cancers by up to one-third, according to a study published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).   Interval breast cancers—symptomatic cancers diagnosed within a period between regular screening mammography exams—tend to have poorer outcomes due to their more aggressive biology and rapid growth. DBT, or 3D mammography, can improve visualization of breast lesions and reveal cancers that may be obscured by dense tissue. Because DBT is ...

OAK BROOK, Ill. – Renowned physician-scientist Eric J. Topol, M.D., and Harvard artificial intelligence (AI) expert Pranav Rajpurkar, Ph.D., advocate for a clear separation of the roles between AI systems and radiologists in an editorial published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). “We’re stuck between distrust and dependence, and missing out on the full potential of AI,” said Dr. Rajpurkar, associate professor of Biomedical Informatics at Harvard University. The ...

SAN ANTONIO — July 29, 2025 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is expanding its antenna measurement capabilities with a state-of-the-art spherical near-field antenna range. The 1,260-square-foot indoor range, lined with radio frequency and microwave foam absorbers, is equipped to accurately sample the near field of an antenna. Near-field measurements can be mathematically transformed into far-field data. “Near field” refers to the complex electromagnetic fields close to the antenna, while the “far field” encompasses the predictable ...

Lithium is considered a key ingredient in the future commercial fusion power plants known as tokamaks, and there are several ways to use this metal to enhance the process. But a key question remained: How much does it impact the amount of fuel trapped in the walls of tokamaks? According to new research from a global collaboration spanning nine institutions, the dominant driver of fuel retention is co-deposition: a process where fuel is trapped alongside lithium. Co-deposition can happen with lithium that is directly added during plasma operations, ...

There are about 70 million baby boomers in the United States, many now over age 65. As people age, rates of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases rise, leading to more use of blood thinners such as warfarin. At the same time, older adults face a higher risk of head injuries and brain bleeding, especially after falls. Falls are the leading cause of injury and death in older adults, causing 38,000 deaths and 3 million emergency department visits in 2021. The health care cost for non-fatal falls in this group reached $80 billion in 2020, up sharply from 2015. While anticoagulants protect against heart and ...

Children who develop deep wrinkles, stunted growth, and rapidly aging bones and blood vessels as early as 1 to 2 years of age may be suffering from Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS), a rare and incurable genetic disorder that affects approximately one in eight million people. The average life expectancy for patients is just 14.5 years, and to date, no curative treatment exists. The only FDA-approved drug for progeria, lonafarnib (Zokinvy), comes at an extraordinary cost—approximately 1.4 billion ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:   Dan Verello Mount Sinai Press Office 212-241-9200 daniel.verello@mountsinai.org The Mount Sinai Hospital Ranked Among Top in the Nation by U.S. News & World Report® Five specialties ranked among Top 10; nine among Top 20 Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai Morningside nationally ranked in 5 specialties New York, NY (July 29, 2025) – The Mount Sinai Hospital, the flagship hospital of Mount Sinai Health System, was listed among the nation’s top 20 hospitals for care excellence by U.S. News & World Report® for 2025-26, marking the 10th consecutive year the hospital has been listed on the publication’s “Honor ...

Background and objectives Artemisia argyi H. Lév. & Vaniot essential oil (AAEO) holds significant pharmacological potential, but its application is constrained by hepatotoxicity. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of reducing AAEO’s toxicity through storage and to evaluate changes in chemical composition, toxicity, and bioactivity. Methods Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to analyze compositional changes during storage. Zebrafish acute toxicity tests and the liver-specific transgenic zebrafish model ...

The DNA packed inside every human cell contains instructions for life, written in billions of letters of genetic code. Every time a cell divides, the complete code, divided among 46 chromosomes, must be faithfully copied. This staggering task happens over and over with extraordinary precision. Decades of research have revealed how dozens of proteins work together to copy chromosomes reliably. Now, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) President Bruce Stillman and colleagues have compiled these findings into a comprehensive view of the very first step: a “licensing” ...