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The AI tools shaping patient care may be operating outside regulatory oversight. MIT researchers say it’s time to change that

Every day, across thousands of American hospitals, artificial intelligence quietly shapes decisions that determine patient outcomes. An algorithm flags a patient as high risk for sepsis; a risk score informs whether a woman receives additional cancer screening; a deterioration model triggers an alert that sends a care team to a bedside. These tools are embedded in the workflows of nearly two-thirds of US hospitals, integrated into the electronic health record systems clinicians rely on daily. But many have never been reviewed by the FDA.

A new viewpoint in The Lancet Digital Health, co-authored by researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and Jameel Clinic, traces how this problem took root, why it carries serious consequences, and what genuine transparency would require to fix it.

The argument, the scientists say, is not that AI has no place in clinical decision-making. It is that a $4 billion market of clinical decision support tools operates largely beyond public accountability, leaving patients and providers often unable to know whether the tools influencing their care have been validated, by whom, or for which populations they work as intended.

Long-read DNA test lifts rare disease diagnoses and could replace 15 other tests

A new test provides a much more complete picture of DNA than current standard diagnostics and leads to a diagnosis more often. The test can replace 15 other tests, making it faster and more efficient. Researchers from Radboud university medical center recommend in the New England Journal of Medicine that this test be adopted everywhere as the first choice for rare genetic disorders.

A condition is considered rare if it affects fewer than 1 in 2000 people. Nevertheless, up to 400 million people worldwide have a rare disease, as there are more than 7,000 different types. Eighty percent of these have a genetic cause. A diagnosis often takes years to obtain. Yet a diagnosis is important: It provides clarity, insight into the future, contact with others in similar situations, and the possibility to assess risks when planning to have children.

Researchers from Radboudumc and Maastricht UMC+ are working together to increase the chances of diagnosing genetic disorders. They compared current standard diagnostics—often involving multiple tests to reach a diagnosis—with a new DNA test in 1000 patients.

Scientists May Have Found a Protein That Spreads Aging

Ok so, the parabiosis was a temporary effect, but the answer turned out to be having a blood transfusion with yourself instead. So if this video is right there is a molecule called HMGB1 which can be blocked rather than having said transfusion.

Scientists may have identified one of the molecules that helps aging spread through the body.
Block HMGB1 in mice → less inflammation, better muscle regeneration, improved tissue repair.
The next wave of longevity therapies may focus on stopping aging signals, not just repairing the damage.

Prevalence and Modes of Transmission of Hepatitis C Virus Infection: A Historical Worldwide Review

Hepatitis C virus infection affects over 58 million individuals and is responsible for 290,000 annual deaths. The infection spread in the past via blood transfusion and iatrogenic transmission due to the use of non-sterilized glass syringes mostly in developing countries (Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Egypt) but even in Italy. High-income countries have achieved successful results in preventing certain modes of transmission, particularly in ensuring the safety of blood and blood products, and to a lesser extent, reducing iatrogenic exposure. Conversely, in low-income countries, unscreened blood transfusions and non-sterile injection practices continue to play major roles, highlighting the stark inequalities between these regions. Currently, injection drug use is a major worldwide risk factor, with a growing trend even in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Emerging high-risk groups include men who have sex with men (MSM), individuals exposed to tattoo practices, and newborns of HCV-infected pregnant women. The World Health Organization (WHO) has proposed direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy as a tool to eliminate infection by interrupting viral transmission from infected to susceptible individuals. However, the feasibility of this ambitious and overly optimistic program generates concern about the need for universal screening, diagnosis, linkage to care, and access to affordable DAA regimens. These goals are very hard to reach, especially in LMICs, due to the cost and availability of drugs, as well as the logistical complexities involved. Globally, only a small proportion of individuals infected with HCV have been tested, and an even smaller fraction of those have initiated DAA therapy. The absence of an effective vaccine is a major barrier to controlling HCV infection. Without a vaccine, the WHO project may remain merely an illusion.

When motion prevents order in active matter systems

Pack enough string-like objects together, and they will begin to align with one another. But replace the strings with worms or bacteria living in your gut, and this self-organization becomes much more difficult. A team of University of Amsterdam (UvA) researchers has demonstrated that activity can fundamentally alter one of the most important phase transitions in soft matter physics.

Many systems in nature spontaneously organize themselves: Bird flocks align their flight directions, schools of fish move collectively, snakes and worms protect themselves by forming tight entangled clusters, and even molecules can coordinate their orientation to form ordered phases.

For string-like objects, or filaments, a key transition happens when you increase how densely they are packed together. If the density is low, they point in random directions, much like a crowd of people walking aimlessly through a city square. Physicists call this the isotropic phase. As more filaments are added, however, they begin to align with one another. Eventually, most filaments point roughly in the same direction, creating an ordered state known as a nematic phase.

Is extracting oxygen from lunar soil the future of space exploration?

A new race to the moon is emerging between the United States and China. Unlike fifty years ago, the goal is no longer just about landing and leaving, but establishing a base that allows for a sustainable presence and extended stays on the surface of our natural satellite. The objective is now to use the moon as a testing ground for technologies that will enable us to travel further, particularly to Mars.

One of these key technologies is in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), which involves using available resources on-site to produce the consumables necessary for human activities: oxygen, water, rocket fuels, or construction materials. By producing these essentials directly on the moon, it will be possible to significantly reduce the mass of cargo sent from Earth, thereby reducing the logistical and financial costs of space exploration. Instead of importing these resources from Earth, the goal is to learn how to live on the moon.

Breaking down lunar dust to extract oxygen At the dawn of humanity’s sustainable return to the moon, ISRU is emerging as a strategic pivot. One of the major challenges is producing oxygen from regolith, the layer of soil covering the moon, primarily composed of small rock fragments and dust. The composition of regolith is complex, mainly consisting of several minerals (plagioclase, pyroxene, olivine) themselves made up of a mixture of metal oxides—chemical compounds that combine oxygen with another element such as silicon, iron, or calcium.

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