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Various scientific disciplines examine dog-human bond: Brain waves tied to relaxation increase when people walk or play with dogs, according to a study published in PLOS ONE that also connects concentration-linked brain waves to grooming and playing. In addition to the study’s details about the mechanisms of animal-human interaction, science on the 15,000-year-old relationship has proliferated in recent years, incorporating findings from paleobiology, psychology, and neurology.

Machine Learning (ML) aids in diagnosing autism from stool sample: After using machine learning (ML) to analyze stool samples from children aged one (1) year to 13 years, researchers were able to distinguish autistic individuals from those that are neurotypical with 82% accuracy. This suggests that the microbiome might influence autism expression and offers the potential for new diagnostic tools and treatments, said Qi Su, Lead Researcher of the Nature Microbiology study.

Innovation removes invasiveness, pain of pap smears: The Papcup cervical screening device created by Imperial College London postgraduate student Sanziana Foia makes it possible for women to test their menstrual blood for potential signs of cervical cancer without invasive procedures that require appointments at medical offices. The next steps will be “bringing it all together and being able to demonstrate this on the table, raising investment so we can refine the bio-sensor, and down the line clinical trials so we can finally bring this to women as a product,” says Foia.

Mouse studies reveal how the brain disposes of waste: Three (3) recent studies in Nature detail the brain’s waste removal functions in mice, demonstrating that during sleep, slow electrical waves stimulate the movement of cerebrospinal fluid that flushes waste from deep regions of the brain to the surface, which is then carried away to the liver and kidneys for disposal. This waste removal system, called the Glymphatic System, removes amyloid and other wastes from the brain, and interventions that enhance brain waste removal might help prevent or treat neurodegenerative disorders.

Gut bacteria may bacteria may be linked to food addiction: Researchers found that an abundance of Proteobacteria in the gut is linked to food addiction in both humans and mice, while higher levels of Blautia and Actinobacteria appear to have protective effects against this condition. The findings, presented at the Federation of European Neurosciences Societies meeting and published in Gut, highlight the potential for manipulating gut microbiota to treat food addiction and related eating disorders.

Radioactive chips may protect rhinos from poaching: Scientists in South Africa injected tiny radioactive pellets into the horns of twenty (20) live rhinoceros in an antipoaching project led by the University of the Witwatersrand’s Radiation and Health Physics Unit. The radioactive chips will not harm the environment or the rhinos’ health; however, they will render the horns useless for human consumption and will make them easier to detect at borders, airports, and harbors

AI (Artificial Intelligence) detects 13 cancer types with 98.2% accuracy: An AI model, EMethylNET, was 98.2% accurate in detecting 13 cancer types and other non-cancer samples using DNA data from tissue samples, researchers reported in the journal Biology Methods and Protocols. “Depending on the availability of training data, this method can be extended to detect hundreds of cancer types,” researchers said.

Brain implants significantly reduces boy’s severe seizures: A young patient with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS), a treatment-resistant form of epilepsy, is the first to receive a neurostimulator implant to control seizures. The device sends electrical signals deep into the brain and appears to have lessened the boy’s severe daytime seizures by at least 80%.

Bionic leg enables amputees to walk naturally and faster: A bionic leg that boosts brain and spinal cord signals has enabled seven amputees to walk 41% faster than those with standard robotic prosthetics, with peak speeds comparable to those without amputations, offering a more natural walking experience for amputees. “This is the first study that demonstrates natural gait patterns with a full neural modulation where the person’s brain is 100% in command of the bionic prosthesis, not a robotic algorithm,” said Hugh Herr, Co-Author of the study in Nature Medicine.

FDA issues draft guidance for clinical trial diversity: The FDA is accepting comments on draft guidance suggesting ways that drugmakers and medical device makers can improve diversity in clinical trial participant pools. Goals for a “diversity action plan” should consider the estimated prevalence of the target disease, and the agency will require most makers of new drugs and devices to submit clinical trial diversity plans.