Extremely preterm newborns who weigh less than 3.3 pounds have immature lungs that often require high levels of ventilation oxygen in the hospital. This contributes to the chronic lung disease bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or BPD, the most common cause of death for these tiny infants. BPD exacts a devastating toll on the immature lung. In one of the most extensive studies of the microorganisms in the intestines of very preterm infants, University of Alabama at Birmingham and University of Tennessee Health Science Center researchers show that the gut composition of fungi in the second week of life predicts the later development of BPD, weeks to months before diagnosis of that disease. They analyzed gut fungi in the first true non-meconium stool produced before two weeks of life and found that the fungal intestinal microbiome — known as the mycobiome — of infants who later developed BPD differed in community diversity, composition and interconnectivity from the infants who never got BPD, as measured by the most up-to-date bioinformatic techniques.

An Osaka Metropolitan University-led team investigated whether participation in community gathering places reduces the risk of LOI among older adults, including those with mild disability.

As the automotive industry shifts toward electric vehicles (EVs), reducing weight has become critical to improving energy efficiency and driving range. Traditional steel components, while robust, significantly increase vehicle mass, leading to higher energy consumption. Composite materials, especially carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP), offer a compelling alternative—combining high strength, stiffness, and corrosion resistance with remarkable weight savings. However, designing composite structures for EVs remains challenging due to their multi-scale nature and anisotropic properties.