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Language skills are essential to a child’s ability to communicate and develop. These skills enable children to engage with other people and learn from their surroundings and in the classroom.

Neuroscientists split on whether memories can be extracted from preserved brains

A new survey of 312 neuroscientists reveals strong support for synaptic connectivity as the basis of long-term memory, but deep divides remain over memory extraction and brain emulation feasibility. The findings highlight both emerging consensus and sharp uncertainty in how memories are physically stored.

21 Aug 2025

Seattle’s Fresh Bucks program boosts food security and diet but benefits fade when funding ends

A lottery-based cohort study of Seattle’s Fresh Bucks program found that providing a $40 monthly fruit and vegetable benefit improved food security by 5.5 percentage points and increased daily produce consumption by 7.5 percentage points, while disenrollment reversed these gains. These findings highlight the potential of healthy food benefit programs to reduce nutrition-related disparities in low-income populations.

21 Aug 2025

Can AI help you eat healthier?

Researchers developed and validated an AI-based nutrition recommendation system (AINR) that generates weekly Mediterranean meal plans tailored to individual needs and dietary restrictions. Tested on 4,000 simulated users, the system achieved high accuracy in calorie and nutrient targets but struggled with profiles involving milk and nut allergies.

21 Aug 2025

Scientists explore hookworm proteins as potential treatment for inflammation

It's been a long-accepted reality that with age comes increased inflammation – so widely accepted it's been dubbed "inflammaging."

21 Aug 2025

Planned parenthood bets on redistricting to push back against GOP funding cuts

Abortion rights groups are backing California Democrats in the escalating battle to redraw congressional maps, warning that Republicans are rigging seats on the heels of deeply unpopular cuts to safety net health programs and restrictions on reproductive care.

20 Aug 2025

MIT technique reveals how AI models predict protein functions

Within the past few years, models that can predict the structure or function of proteins have been widely used for a variety of biological applications, such as identifying drug targets and designing new therapeutic antibodies.

19 Aug 2025

How listening can transform the patient experience and the healthcare system

When you visit a doctor, you expect them to listen. But in today's fast-paced health care system, real listening - the kind that makes you feel seen, heard and understood - can be the first thing to go.

19 Aug 2025

Laboratory reagent contamination threatens accuracy of infectious disease research

A new study warns that contamination from laboratory reagents could be misleading scientists worldwide in their hunt for emerging infectious diseases.

18 Aug 2025

Using AI to enhance the design of nanoparticles for RNA therapies

Using artificial intelligence, MIT researchers have come up with a new way to design nanoparticles that can more efficiently deliver RNA vaccines and other types of RNA therapies.

18 Aug 2025

Amino acid metabolism shapes the tumor immune microenvironment and therapy response

The tumor microenvironment is not just a site of cancer growth—it is a high-stakes metabolic contest where tumor and immune cells vie for limited resources.

17 Aug 2025

Therapy dog programs lack standard rules in England

A national survey on therapy animals highlights the importance of standardized practices in dog-assisted interventions to improve outcomes and ensure safety.

14 Aug 2025

Study identifies why stroke impairs ability to use word meanings in reading

A key discovery about the impact of stroke on a person's ability to read reveals why a deficit occurs – a finding that presents a possible opportunity for new therapeutic strategies to help people recover one of the most important life skills.

13 Aug 2025

Clinicians more likely to express doubt in medical records of Black patients

Clinicians are more likely to indicate doubt or disbelief in the medical records of Black patients than in those of White patients-a pattern that could contribute to ongoing racial disparities in healthcare.

13 Aug 2025

Research explores connection between reading imagination and mental health

A new tool to understand how people imagine differently when reading could have potential implications for the treatment of mental ill health.

13 Aug 2025

AI breakthrough designs peptide drugs to target previously untreatable proteins

A study published in Nature Biotechnology reveals a powerful new use for artificial intelligence: designing small, drug-like molecules that can stick to and break down harmful proteins in the body - even when scientists don't know what those proteins look like.

13 Aug 2025

Study shows how targeted communication can aid online patient engagement

A new study by researchers at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and Amsterdam UMC shows how targeted communication can help patients engage more with online health communities.

13 Aug 2025

Finnish study reveals why the longest-lived region doesn’t follow Blue Zone rules

Researchers examined four regions in Western Finland to see if any met Blue Zone lifestyle principles and matched high longevity, finding that the most long-lived area, Åland, had top health but low lifestyle adherence, while Swedish-speaking Ostrobothnia showed promising, but unconfirmed potential.

12 Aug 2025