Google’s OSS Rebuild checks package builds to stop supply chain attacks in Python, npm, and Rust.
Get the latest international news and world events from around the world.
New Organ Recovery Technique Could Make More Heart Transplants Available
Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers have developed a groundbreaking new method for the recovery of hearts from deceased organ donors after circulatory death (DCD). The method (rapid recovery with extended ultra-oxygenated preservation [REUP]), which involves flushing the donor heart with a cold oxygenated preservation solution after death, avoids the disadvantages of two existing preservation methods, both of which reanimate the heart, one that has ethical questions and another that
Technology Landscape Review of In-Sensor Photonic Intelligence: From Optical Sensors to Smart Devices
Optical sensors have undergone significant evolution, transitioning from discrete optical microsystems toward sophisticated photonic integrated circuits (PICs) that leverage artificial intelligence (AI) for enhanced functionality. This review systematically explores the integration of optical sensing technologies with AI, charting the advancement from conventional optical microsystems to AI-driven smart devices. First, we examine classical optical sensing methodologies, including refractive index sensing, surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA), surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), surface plasmon-enhanced chiral spectroscopy, and surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF) spectroscopy, highlighting their principles, capabilities, and limitations. Subsequently, we analyze the architecture of PIC-based sensing platforms, emphasizing their miniaturization, scalability, and real-time detection performance. This review then introduces the emerging paradigm of in-sensor computing, where AI algorithms are integrated directly within photonic devices, enabling real-time data processing, decision making, and enhanced system autonomy. Finally, we offer a comprehensive outlook on current technological challenges and future research directions, addressing integration complexity, material compatibility, and data processing bottlenecks. This review provides timely insights into the transformative potential of AI-enhanced PIC sensors, setting the stage for future innovations in autonomous, intelligent sensing applications.
A Naked Mole Rat Gene Was Put Into Mice, And It Made Them Live Longer
Naked mole rats are well known for living far longer lives than any rodent ought to have. It’s just one of their amazing talents for surviving in a challenging, even hostile underground environment.
A fascinating new study led by researchers from the University of Rochester in the US has shown a single gene could play a significant role in their longevity, one that could be transferred into other mammals to give their own life spans a nudge.
The gene – a version of what’s known as hyaluranon synthase 2 – produces an abundance of high-molecular-mass hyaluronic acid (HMM-HA), a compound already thought to mediate the risk of cancer in naked mole rats (Heterocephalus glaber).
Targeting the ‘undruggable’: New molecular degraders offer hope for aggressive breast cancer
In the battle against aggressive breast cancer, a once-elusive target is now within reach—thanks to a breakthrough from a team from the Faculty of Medicine at Hebrew University. Dr. Raphael Benhamou and M.Sc. student Liann Kassabri have developed innovative druglike molecules capable of degrading HuR, a key RNA-binding protein that stabilizes oncogenes and fuels cancer progression.
HuR (also known as ELAVL1) has long been labeled “undruggable” due to its structural flexibility and lack of a conventional active site. Overexpressed in many cancer types—particularly breast cancer—HuR fortifies malignant cells by protecting mRNAs that drive cell growth and survival.
“We knew that simply blocking HuR wasn’t enough,” says Dr. Benhamou. “We needed to eliminate it altogether.” Strikingly, this elimination led to a three to four orders of magnitude improvement in anticancer properties compared to traditional HuR-binding molecules that do not induce degradation.
Skin swabs may help detect Parkinson’s years before symptoms appear
Remote, scalable cognitive behavioral therapy–based chronic pain programs are effective for treating individuals with high-impact chronic pain.
Importance Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) skills training interventions are recommended first-line nonpharmacologic treatment for chronic pain, yet they are not widely accessible.
Objective To examine effectiveness of remote, scalable CBT-based chronic pain (CBT-CP) treatments (telehealth and self-completed online) for individuals with high-impact chronic pain, compared with usual care.
Design, Setting, and Participants This comparative effectiveness, 3-group, phase 3 randomized clinical trial enrolled 2,331 eligible patients with high-impact chronic musculoskeletal pain from 4 geographically diverse health care systems in the US from January 2021 through February 2023. Follow-up concluded in April 2024.
Feature: Cough medicine shows promise in treating Parkinson’s disease
An over-the-counter cough medicine may be the key to slowing the progression of Parkinson’s disease.
Called Ambroxol, the drug is commonly used to break up phlegm, but early studies have shown it can also prevent the build-up of misfolded clumps of protein in the brain, known as Lewy bodies – a hallmark of Parkinson’s and other types of dementia.
Robarts scientist Dr. Stephen Pasternak is leading a phase 2 clinical trial to further study Ambroxol’s potential as a disease-modifying drug.
“Current treatments for Parkinson’s target the symptoms of the disease, such as movement, but don’t change the long-term progression of pathology in the brain,” he explained. “We hope Ambroxol will be a disease-changing drug.”
Dr. Stephen Pasternak is leading a phase 2 clinical trial to study Ambroxol, an over-the-counter cough medicine, with the goal of slowing or stopping the progression of Parkinson’s Disease Dementia.
Integrated geophysical prospecting for deep ore detection in the Yongxin gold mining area, Heilongjiang, China
Geophysical exploration techniques play a pivotal role in enhancing the accuracy of mineral prospecting predictions. However, relying solely on individual methods often introduces uncertainties. This study presents a case study from the Yongxin gold deposit, where we integrated audio-frequency magnetotelluric (AMT) methods with gravimetric surveying and high-resolution magnetic profiling to overcome this challenge. Advanced three-dimensional modeling techniques were utilized to precisely delineate lithological variations and deep-seated mineralization features inherent to the area. The inversion and interpretation of cross-sectional AMT data provided insights into the subsurface structure down to a depth of 1.5 km. This enhanced data reliability was achieved through an integrated interpretation constrained by multiple datasets, enabling a more accurate inference of the deeper geological framework. Furthermore, by amalgamating various datasets, we uncovered characteristics of deep mineralization, the three-dimensional configuration of mineralization-related rock masses, and the spatial orientation of known ore deposits. This holistic approach facilitated a comprehensive understanding of the deeper geological formations. A detailed analysis of ore-controlling structures and exploration markers led to the development of a tailored geological-geophysical model for mineral exploration within the study area, serving as a valuable reference for future deep exploration efforts.
(Note China found over $80 billion worth of gold with the help of new mineral prospecting technological advances)
Scientific Reports -Sci Rep 15, 7258 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-92108-3
Mum says new diabetes drug would be ‘kind of magic’ if it works
A world-first human trial of a drug designed to treat the underlying cause of type 1 diabetes has begun in Australia.
Five patients with the condition have already been dosed as part of the trial, including mum-of-two Caecilie Wickstroem Giralde, who was diagnosed last year.
University of Queensland researcher Ranjeny Thomas has spent more than a quarter of a century developing the drug, designed to rebalance the body’s immune response in people with type 1 diabetes, which affects more than 130,000 Australians.
The immune system starts to recognise insulin-producing cells in the pancreas as something it needs to attack and destroy in people with type 1 diabetes — one of dozens of auto-immune diseases in which the body starts to attack itself.
Professor Thomas, who is based at UQ’s Frazer Institute, said the experimental drug — dubbed ASITI-201 — was designed to retrain the immune system so it no longer attacks the insulin-producing pancreatic cells, known as beta cells.
The drug, given as an injection under the skin, combines fragments of a protein found in the beta cells of people with type 1 diabetes and vitamin D to calm the immune response.