A long-running Pittsburgh study called Phresh, begun 15 years ago to study food deserts and neighborhood change, was halted when federal health funding tied to the National Institutes of Health was cut under the Trump administration. The project had randomly recruited about 600 residents from two predominantly Black, low-income neighborhoods and evolved from grocery-access research into an intensive life-course and brain-health study: wearables and biometric data, detailed surveys about childhood adversity and trauma, and two rounds of cognitive testing intended to be adjudicated by a neuropsychologist and geriatric psychiatrist. Investigators including Tamara Dubowitz and field coordinator La’vette Wagner say the sudden termination - part of a broader removal of more than 5,700 grants and a 90-day shutdown timeline - prevents them from completing adjudications and from returning promised cognitive results to participants.
The cancellation highlights practical and ethical consequences: delayed or lost Alzheimer’s diagnoses for a high-risk, underrepresented cohort and the undermining of trust built over years. Black Americans face nearly double the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia, yet most Alzheimer’s research skews white; of roughly 12,000 brain-imaging studies only about 700 report race and those report more than 87% white participants. NIH leadership characterized life-course self-report metrics as misaligned with priorities, a rationale critics say will rebalance studies toward wealthier, whiter populations and could cut off studies that link structural factors to health.
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AI analysis of over 400,000 Reddit posts uncovered reports of unexpected symptoms such as menstrual changes, chills, hot flashes, and fatigue among users of Ozempic and similar drugs. These signals, not fully documented in clinical trials, suggest areas for further medical investigation. (sciencedaily.com)
Researchers state that Europe can reduce emissions significantly without deindustrializing its economy. They emphasize that sustainable policies can balance environmental goals with industrial growth. (phys.org)
China's CAS institute has developed a 3nm GAA semiconductor process using DUV technology without EUV lithography. This milestone could enable advanced chip manufacturing with potentially lower costs and complexity. (digitimes.com)
Ctenophores, also known as comb jellies, are marine animals known for their stunning appearance and unique biological features. They are considered biological wonders due to their distinct nervous systems and regenerative abilities. (quantamagazine.org)
A new species of small but fierce cat has been discovered in Bolivia, the first such find in a century. The discovery highlights ongoing biodiversity in the region. (nytimes.com)
Research suggests that the human brain functions as two separate organs rather than a single one. This discovery could impact our understanding of brain structure and function. (medicalxpress.com)
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