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Autism diagnoses rising fastest among girls and women, according to new JAMA research

A new study from Saint Louis University found that autism diagnoses are rising fastest among girls and women, driven by increased awareness and diagnosis rates, not an epidemic. The study analyzed nearly a decade of health records and tracked sex-specific trends across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

SourceSaint Louis University·JournalJournal of the American Medical Association·TypeData/statistical analysis

Boston University study provides first window into the cognitive impairments that people experience from autopsy proven CTE

A Boston University study analyzed 33 NFL players with confirmed CTE, revealing cognitive impairments in memory, executive function, language, and attention. The findings provide an important roadmap for recognizing CTE in living patients and highlight limitations of the NFL Concussion Settlement's testing program.

SourceBoston University School of Medicine·JournalJAMA Network Open·TypeCase study

Immune drug anifrolumab linked to lower risk of infection and hospitalization for skin lupus

The study found that patients taking anifrolumab had lower rates of infections requiring hospitalization compared to those on conventional immunosuppressants. Anifrolumab also reduced the need for systemic antibiotics and increased the likelihood of viral infections, offering distinct benefits over conventional treatments.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalJournal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology

Heidelberg geoinformation scientists classify global road networks

Researchers at Heidelberg University have developed an open-access dataset to map and classify over 9 million kilometers of roads worldwide, capturing changes in road conditions over time. This dataset serves as an important indicator of socioeconomic development, particularly in data-scarce regions, and can be used for humanitarian ap...

SourceHeidelberg University·JournalNature Communications

A life-inspired framework for more autonomous and adaptive AI

Researchers propose an AI framework, called interoceptive AI, that uses internal states to inform learning and decision-making in dynamic environments. This approach treats internal conditions as a continuous source of context, influencing what an agent learns, prioritizes, and does.

SourceInstitute for Basic Science·JournalNature Machine Intelligence·TypeComputational simulation/modeling

How much clearcutting can nature sustain? A study determines the ecological limit for boreal forest birds

Researchers found that maintaining old-growth forest bird populations requires a forest rotation period of at least 90 years or 10% clearcutting threshold. The study provides a concrete target for ecologically sustainable forest management, reconciling forest use with biodiversity protection.

SourceUniversity of Jyväskylä - Jyväskylän yliopisto·JournalJournal of Applied Ecology·TypeData/statistical analysis

Mini-tumors reveal new drug combinations for liver cancer

Researchers at the University of Basel have developed new drug combinations for liver cancer using mini-tumors, which retained key characteristics of the original tumor. The study identified several potent anti-tumor effects and combination therapies that could be effective despite significant biological differences between tumors.

SourceUniversity of Basel·JournalCell Reports

Wind damage can trigger years of forest vulnerability

A large-scale study found that forests damaged by windstorms remain vulnerable to subsequent bark beetle or snow damage, depending on forest structure, climate, and topography. Forests with mixed stands and warmer conditions are more prone to bark beetle damage, while those on steeper terrain require closer monitoring for snow damage.

SourceUniversity of Eastern Finland·JournalForest Ecology and Management

When health uncertainty follows you to work: The hidden labor of staying functional

People with unresolved health concerns may experience invisible work to maintain productivity and stability, while uncertainty can unsettle taken-for-granted assumptions about the body, identity, and routines. The study highlights the importance of workplace and relational support in managing health uncertainty.

SourceKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.·JournalQualitative Research in Medicine & Healthcare·TypeCase study

A newly discovered role for tension wood: the “muscle” trees use to correct their posture

Plants use proprioception to control their posture and maintain a straight shape, utilizing tension wood as a muscle-like structure that can bend and straighten. This complex biological process is regulated at the cellular level and unfolds through several stages, governed by the plant's proprioception.

Why Britons disagree about poverty: they draw the line differently

A new study from the University of Bath found that people with different political beliefs disagree on poverty definitions, with right-leaning individuals drawing narrower lines and left-leaning individuals adopting broader definitions. The research highlights the importance of understanding how people define poverty, as it shapes perc...

SourceUniversity of Bath·JournalResearch in Social Stratification and Mobility·TypeData/statistical analysis

Comets may have transported water to a young planetary system

Astronomers at Lund University detected sodium gas variations in front of a young star, suggesting comets may transport water to inner planetary system regions. Comets' orbits were simulated, showing they can be flung towards the star by gas giants' gravitational pull, transporting volatile substances.

SourceLund University·JournalNature Communications

High oxygen pressure based chemical avenue enables ultra-effectiveness in the growth of Eu-doped infinite layer nickelates showing RE-4f related quantum competition between high-Tc and reentrant superconductivity

Researchers created Eu-doped infinite-layer nickelates using high oxygen pressure, revealing robust high-Tc superconductivity and reentrant superconductivity in both underdoped and overdoped regions. Rare-earth substitution provided an additional control knob, strengthening the superconducting state and enhancing pairing.

SourceScience China Press·JournalNational Science Review·TypeExperimental study

AI-designed proteins enable a new generation of RNA transporters

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich developed Synthetic Transfer Vehicles (STVs), an entirely new class of RNA transporters. STV-C8 is the most efficient candidate, transporting RNA far more efficiently than traditional lipid nanoparticles. In animal models, STV-C8 demonstrates effective delivery and expression of RNA in a living organism.

Lumos Labs launches the Lumosity Research Platform

Lumos Labs has launched the Lumosity Research Platform, offering cognitive assessments, digital training interventions, and real-world data for researchers. The platform is designed to support large-scale randomized controlled trials and advance cognitive science.

SourceLumos Labs Inc·TypeNews article

An explainable AI framework for scientific discovery and high-stakes applications

A new AI framework, Perspective, provides a structured approach to explaining complex patterns in AI predictions, enabling researchers to test hypotheses and improve designs. By revealing the underlying relationships, XAI can support discovery, optimisation, and certification for AI in high-stakes fields.

SourceNational University of Singapore College of Design and Engineering·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study

Exotic pines in the Southern Hemisphere grow faster and are more drought-resistant, according to a new study in Nature

A new study challenges the idea that plants cannot grow rapidly while tolerating water stress, finding exotic conifers in the Southern Hemisphere grow up to four times faster and are more resistant to drought. Carbon reserves and absence of natural enemies in the Southern Hemisphere may be key factors contributing to this advantage.

SourceInstituto de Ecologia y Biodiversidad·JournalNature·TypeObservational study

Serial ketamine infusions for treatment-resistant bipolar depression

Serial ketamine infusions have been found to be well-tolerated and significantly effective in treating treatment-resistant bipolar depression, with antidepressant effects comparable to midazolam. The study's results provide promising hope for patients struggling with this condition, highlighting ketamine as a potential therapeutic option.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalJAMA Psychiatry

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