Tag: News Approved

Posted on

Usability, Relevance, and User Engagement of a Government-Sponsored and Community Co-Designed Digital Mental Health Website During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Pilot Study on Latino/a/x Adults

Background: Latino/a/x adults have higher rates of unmet mental health needs than other racial and ethnic groups. One promising solution to help bridge this gap in care is digital mental health tools. Digital tools, such as self-help websites, have demonstrated the ability to enhance mental health literacy, reduce stigma, and improve mental health symptoms. Despite the potential benefits, engagement remains a critical challenge, and there has been a large oversight of unique considerations for Latino/a/x adults as end users. Objective: Guided by the Technology Acceptance Model and the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations, the study’s overarching objective is to characterize within-group variation of Latino/a/x adults’ engagement with a government-funded, prevention-focused mental health website that was co-designed with community partners during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The Together for Wellness/Juntos Por Nuestro Bienestar (T4W/Juntos) website offered free digital mental health resources to help Californians cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. A pilot evaluation of the website involved baseline and 4-week follow-up surveys about demographics, behavioral health needs, and overall website user experience. This current subanalysis focused on a stratified sample of Latino/a/x adult participants (baseline N=131; baseline and follow-up n=68). The baseline sample was mostly female (106/130, 81.5%); 66.9% (87/130) preferred to use the website in English and 30% (39/130) preferred Spanish. Behavioral health needs were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item scale, and a COVID-19 stressors checklist. We measured usability, comfort using the website, relevance of the website, and past-month use of resources. Data were analyzed using ordered and standard logistic regression methods. Results: Latino/a/x adults who preferred using the website in English (odds ratio [OR] 13.76, <.001) compared with Spanish were more comfortable using the website. Compared with adults aged 18‐30 years, adults aged 41‐50 years had significantly lower odds of agreeing that the website was easy to use. Sensitivity analyses revealed that participants who found the website easier to use (OR 2.22, =.001) and those with greater behavioral health needs (OR 1.22, =.045) were more likely to perceive the website’s topics as relevant. Participants with higher behavioral health needs at baseline were more likely to use the website and engage with resources for anxiety or stress at follow-up (OR 1.42, =.047). Conclusions: This study addresses gaps in understanding Latino/a/x adults’ experiences with a prevention-focused mental health website. The language-based disparity in comfort highlights the need to significantly improve the user experience for Latino/a/x Spanish speakers. Still, the website can be a helpful resource for Latino/a/x adults with high behavioral health needs, bridging a critical gap in support. A collaborative approach to developing resource-rich websites with trusted community organizations is vital for effectively reaching Latino/a/x communities and tailoring resources to address their unique needs.
Posted on

STAT+: Your sepsis algorithm shouldn’t require a time machine

You’re reading the web edition of STAT’s AI Prognosis newsletter, our subscriber-exclusive guide to artificial intelligence in health care and medicine. Sign up to get it delivered in your inbox every Wednesday. 

The verdict is in: “Health care” will remain two words instead of one at STAT. You can click here to read more about the decision and what STAT readers on both sides of the issue said in our survey.

You know what else is two words? Ice cream. I got an ice cream maker at a garage sale over the weekend. Send your best ice cream recipes, AI story tips, and your questions to aiprognosis@statnews.com

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

Posted on

OB-GYN association, deviating from CDC guidance, issues its own vaccine recommendations

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has released a recommended vaccine schedule for pregnant people, one that diverges from the advice currently offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

ACOG is recommending four vaccines be routinely administered during pregnancy, with several other vaccines recommended under certain circumstances. The new schedule is endorsed by 13 medical societies and health organizations.

Read the rest…

Posted on

STAT+: Hope for Kendall Square’s lab market

Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox.

Good morning. In today’s news, we have: pricing conundrums, lab demand, and drug shortages.

The need-to-know this morning

  • Sanofi said it was halting a Phase 3 study of its drug riliprubart in a rare autoimmune disease after an interim analysis showed the therapy was not effective. It’s the latest blow to the French firm’s R&D efforts, which new CEO Belén Garijo has been brought in to revitalize.
  • Parabilis Medicines, a developer of cancer medicines, raised $670 million in an initial public offering. It’s the largest-ever biotech IPO, topping obesity drugmaker Kailera Therapeutics’ $625 million debut in April. 

European countries at odds over drug-pricing policies

In Europe, countries are grappling with what to do about drug prices as they contend with conflicting pressures. Aging populations and growing rates of chronic disease are straining their budgets, but, at the same, the U.S. and drugmakers are demanding they pay more for medicines.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

Posted on

STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about U.S. pressure on European drug prices, longer shortages, and more

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the middle of the week. Congratulations on making it this far, and remember, there are only a few more days until the weekend arrives. So keep plugging away. After all, what are the alternatives? While you ponder the possibilities, we invite you to join us for a delightful cup of stimulation. Our choice today is maple cinnamon French toast, a pantry favorite. Remember that no prescription is required — so no need to reach for your abacus to calculate a co-pay or rebate. Meanwhile, here is the latest menu of tidbits to help you on your way. Have a wonderful day, and please do stay in touch. …

The number of prescription drug shortages in the U.S. fell by 23% last year, marking the second consecutive year of declines and the lowest level since 2017, according to a new analysis that otherwise found troubling signs about medicines that are in short supply, STAT says. For instance, the average drug shortage lasted 5.3 years, exceeding the 4.3 years seen in 2024 and greatly outpacing the average two-year shortage experienced in 2019. Moreover, nearly two-thirds of out-of-stock medicines were in short supply for more than three years, and 39% were unavailable for more than five years. Meanwhile, the 75 drugs that were in short supply last year spanned 130 therapeutic categories, indicating that shortages affected a wide range of diseases and patient populations.

In Europe, two divergent paths are emerging as countries grapple with what to do about drug prices, affecting pharma companies and patients across the continent — and testing the influence of the U.S., STAT explains. In the U.K., after a pressure campaign from both pharma companies and the Trump administration, the government has adopted more industry-friendly policies while also simply promising to spend more on medicines. Germany, another of the continent’s biggest markets, is headed in the opposite direction. Facing growing deficits in its health budget, the government has proposed moves that would cut spending and increase the fees the industry has to pay.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

Posted on

The Download: the “steroid olympics” and a safer Mythos

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.

The “steroid olympics” were a circus—and a window into our culture

—Amit Katwala

A couple of weeks ago, at a $50 million arena built in a casino parking lot in Las Vegas, I witnessed a libertarian thought experiment come to life. The inaugural Enhanced Games were the first sporting competition where participants were encouraged to take performance-enhancing drugs.

For supporters of the event, the Enhanced Games offered a glimpse of a future in which medical advances push the human race to new heights—and they never have to get old. As I watched the games unfold, two questions bounced around my head: were they right? And what does that mean for the rest of us?

Read the full story to understand the answers.

MIT Technology Review Narrated: a reality check on the AI jobs hysteria

Despite the growing hysteria over AI’s threat to white-collar jobs, there’s still scant evidence that the technology has had a large-scale impact on the labor market.

Analysis of US labor data shows that unemployment in occupations most exposed to AI is actually lower than in less-exposed jobs. There are also no signs that large numbers of workers are shifting from AI-threatened professions into supposedly safer manual-labor jobs.

It’s true that things aren’t great in the job market. But the reason isn’t simply the rise of AI.


—David Rotman

This is our latest story to be turned into an MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, which we publish each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform, and follow us to get all our new content as it’s released.

The must-reads

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 Anthropic has released a “safe” version of Mythos
It promises it has enough guardrails and user limitations to be safe. (BBC)
+ It has a price tag twice as high as the previous flagship system. (NYT $)
+ Anthropic previously claimed Mythos was too dangerous to release. (CNBC)
+ But critics suspect that was a marketing play. (Guardian)
+ Selective access has become a key strategy for AI labs. (Axios)

2 Seattle has banned new data centers for a year
It’s the largest US city to have passed such a moratorium.(Guardian)
+ Its biggest tech firm, Amazon, has tried to stop the ban. (The Verge)
+ The movement to stop data centers is growing. (NYT $)

3 Democratic senators are pushing for a military AI restriction law
They want a human commander to have the final say. (Gizmodo)
+ But humans in the loop in an AI war is an illusion. (MIT Technology Review)

4 SpaceX plans to launch space data center tests by late 2027
Orbital compute is central to the company’s growth pitch. (Reuters $)
+ It’s also shared new designs for its space data centers. (BI)
+ We’d need these four things to put them in orbit. (MIT Technology Review)

5 China has been accused of escalating AI espionage
A report claims Beijing is hacking tech firms to catch up with the US. (CNBC)
+ There are no winners in a US-China AI arms race. (MIT Technology Review)

6 The Trump family has made about $2.3 billion from crypto
While investors lost about the same amount. (Gizmodo)
+ The Trumps risked next-to-nothing on their crypto ventures. (Reuters $)

7 Apple isn’t launching Siri AI in the European Union
It’s blaming EU interoperability requirements. (The Verge)
+Brussels says Apple didn’t try to find a compliance solution. (Reuters $) 

8 China’s new drone rules have spooked its thriving industry 
Drone firms face new commercial barriers. (Financial Times $)
+ China’s drone sector leads the world. (NYT $)

9 A judge has cancelled a trial after finding both legal teams used AI
The case descended into GenAI tools arguing against each other. (404 Media)
+ Courts have been flooded with AI-generated lawsuits. (MIT Technology Review)

10 The dinosaur-killing asteroid created a thriving new ecosystem
Microscopic life flourished in the extended heat. (New Scientist $)

Quote of the day

“AI technologies today are designed by and for WEIRD societies—Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic.” 

—Aditya Vashistha, an assistant professor at Cornell University, tells Rest of World why AI systems don’t serve global needs.

One More Thing

""

LAUREN SIMKIN BERKE


Why the definition of design might need a change

The word “design” once carried a far wider set of meanings than it does today. They ranged from the literal and material (like tracing) through the tactical (to contrive and achieve a goal) to the organizational and institutional—the “designation” of people and objects.

Over centuries, as designing became increasingly separated from making, that broader understanding faded. But now there is a growing case for reclaiming the word’s original sense: not just the search for a more beautiful shape, but the shaping of a more beautiful and sustainable world. 

Find out why we should retool the word “design.”

—Nicholas de Monchaux

We can still have nice things

A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.)

+ This history of humanity’s search for alien life is fascinating.
+ Watch a damaged painting slowly return to life in this art restoration video.
+ Admire young stars across every stage of cosmic formation in this stunning space picture of the month.
+ Daredevil divers have captured the first-ever underwater footage of an adult great white in the Mediterranean Sea.

Posted on

Deep and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation improves motor dysfunction after basal ganglia infarction: preliminary findings on efficacy and electrophysiological mechanisms

ObjectiveTo observe the therapeutic effects of deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on upper and lower limb motor dysfunction in patients with basal ganglia infarction, and to preliminarily explore their underlying electrophysiological mechanisms.MethodsThirty patients with motor dysfunction secondary to basal ganglia infarction, hospitalized at the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College between October 2024 and December 2025, were enrolled in this study. All eligible participants were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: dTMS (n = 10), rTMS (n = 10), or sham stimulation (n = 10). All patients in the three groups received routine medical treatment and conventional rehabilitation training. On this basis, the dTMS group was treated with 10 Hz dTMS, the rTMS group with 10 Hz rTMS, and the sham stimulation group with sham stimulation, 5 sessions per week for 2 consecutive weeks. Before treatment, on the first day after treatment, and at 30 days after treatment, the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Modified Barthel Index (MBI) were used to evaluate motor function of the affected side and activities of daily living. The resting motor threshold (rMT) and central motor conduction time (CMCT) of the affected hemisphere were measured simultaneously.ResultsThe baseline data among the three groups were comparable (all p > 0.05); After treatment, there was a statistically significant interaction between group and time in FMA-UE, FMA-LE, MBI, and BBS scores among the three groups (all p < 0.05); Compared with baseline, FMA-UE, FMA-LE, MBI, and BBS scores were significantly increased on the first day and at 30 days after treatment in all three groups (all p < 0.001); Compared with the sham stimulation group, the dTMS group exhibited higher FMA-UE, FMA-LE, MBI, and BBS scores on the first day and at 30 days after treatment (all p < 0.05); Compared with the rTMS group, the dTMS group showed no significant differences in FMA-UE and MBI scores on the first day after treatment (all p > 0.05), but higher FMA-LE and BBS scores (all p < 0.05), at 30 days after treatment, FMA-UE, FMA-LE, MBI, and BBS scores were all higher in the dTMS group (all p < 0.05). There was a statistically significant interaction between group and time in rMT and upper limb CMCT among the three groups after treatment (all p < 0.05); Compared with baseline, rMT and upper limb CMCT were significantly decreased on the first day and at 30 days after treatment in all three groups (all p < 0.001); Compared with the sham stimulation group, the dTMS group had lower rMT and upper limb CMCT on the first day and at 30 days after treatment (all p < 0.05); Compared with the rTMS group, the dTMS group showed lower rMT and upper limb CMCT on the first day after treatment (p < 0.05), at 30 days after treatment, rMT was lower (p < 0.05), while no significant difference was found in upper limb CMCT (p > 0.05).Conclusion(1) Both high-frequency dTMS and rTMS can improve upper limb motor dysfunction after basal ganglia cerebral infarction to some extent, and the therapeutic effect of dTMS lasts longer; (2) dTMS has a certain rehabilitative effect on lower limb motor and balance function; (3) The mechanisms underlying the improvement of motor dysfunction after basal ganglia cerebral infarction by high-frequency dTMS and rTMS may be associated with increased excitability of the affected cerebral cortex, enhanced function of the corticospinal tract pathway. In addition, dTMS can directly act on deeper and wider brain regions; (4) Both high-frequency dTMS and rTMS are safe.
Posted on

Acupuncture modulates the microbiota-gut-brain axis to treat irritable bowel syndrome: a mechanistic exploration

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder involving dysregulation of the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis. Acupuncture effectively alleviates IBS symptoms, yet its underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This review synthesizes current evidence to propose a mechanistic framework by which acupuncture treats IBS through MGB axis modulation. We systematically examine: (1) MGB axis dysfunction in IBS pathophysiology across neural, endocrine, and immune pathways; (2) acupuncture’s modulation of gut microbiota structure (alpha/beta diversity, specific bacterial genera); (3) functional consequences including enhanced short-chain fatty acid production and tryptophan metabolism; (4) causal evidence from fecal microbiota transplantation; (5) correlations between microbiota changes and clinical improvement. Key findings reveal that acupuncture induces “convergent remodeling” of microbial structure toward a healthy profile, exerts “bidirectional regulation” on beneficial and harmful bacteria, and establishes a “niche selection” mechanism via neuro-immune pathways. These microbiota-mediated effects integrate with neural, endocrine, and immune pathways, forming a “point-to-surface” networked regulatory pattern that explains acupuncture’s dual efficacy in alleviating both gastrointestinal and psychological symptoms. This review provides a novel theoretical framework for understanding acupuncture’s therapeutic mechanisms and supports its clinical application in IBS management.
Posted on

Without getting under your skin: non-invasive stimulation activates the vagus nerve

Cervical non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) has emerged as a practical neuromodulation approach with FDA-cleared indications in primary headache disorders, yet skepticism persists over whether transcutaneous stimulation can reliably engage vagal fibers or whether observed benefits reflect nonspecific cervical activation. Here, we synthesize converging anatomical, biophysical, physiological, and clinical evidence demonstrating that nVNS does, in fact, activate vagal pathways without surgical implantation. We first review cervical vagus anatomy and the biophysical basis for target engagement, including ultrasound-measured nerve depth and multi-scale computational models showing that clinically relevant stimulation can recruit predominantly large myelinated vagal fibers. We then integrate mechanistic evidence across complementary modalities: functional imaging consistently modulates canonical vagal projection sites (including brainstem nuclei), electrophysiology demonstrates peripheral vagal recruitment and centrally transmitted evoked responses, immune studies reveal reproducible suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines consistent with cholinergic anti-inflammatory reflex engagement, and autonomic biomarkers show shifts toward increased parasympathetic tone. Finally, we contextualize these mechanistic findings with sham-controlled randomized trials in cluster headache and migraine, where nVNS repeatedly outperforms sham for acute and preventive outcomes with a favorable safety profile. Together, these independent lines of evidence form a coherent mechanistic fingerprint that is difficult to reconcile with placebo or superficial muscle stimulation accounts. We conclude that nVNS provides a credible, scalable means of accessing vagal neurophysiology and represents a clinically validated, paradigm-shifting advance in bioelectronic medicine.
Posted on

Predicting early neurological deterioration in acute branch atheromatous disease without reperfusion therapy: a machine learning model

BackgroundAcute branch atheromatous disease (BAD) is one of the leading contributors to morbidity and disability in Asia, and early neurological deterioration (END) is common in affected patients. This study aimed to establish machine learning models to predict the risk of END in patients without reperfusion therapy.MethodsPatients with acute BAD who did not receive reperfusion therapy were retrospectively enrolled. Core predictive features were selected by LASSO regression with bootstrap stability assessment, and we used seven machine learning algorithms to build models. XGBoost was selected based on validation performance, nested cross-validation, and 1,000-iteration bootstrap validation. A spline logistic regression model served as the non-linear baseline. SHAP analysis was used to explain the model and develop a simple scoring system. Model discrimination was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and clinical utility was evaluated using decision curve analysis (DCA).ResultsA total of 369 patients were included in our research. We screened predictive factors with LASSO regression and ultimately identified five key variables. These included maximum infarct area, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), number of infarct slices, admission systolic blood pressure (SBP), and neutrophil count. The XGBoost model achieved the best overall performance, with AUC of 0.927 in the training set and 0.846 in the validation set. Nested cross-validation yielded an unbiased AUC of 0.866 (95% CI: 0.817–0.925), and bootstrap validation produced a mean OOB AUC of 0.855 (95% CI: 0.760–0.941). The scoring system stratified patients into low (0–6 points), intermediate (7–13 points), and high (14–20 points) risk groups. DCA demonstrated favorable clinical utility. SHAP analysis also indicated that maximum infarct area and LDH were the top two predictors of END.ConclusionAn XGBoost-based prediction model and a simple scoring system, integrating maximum infarct area, LDH, number of infarct slices, admission SBP, and neutrophil count, provide reliable END risk prediction for acute BAD patients without reperfusion therapy.