JMIR Publications released two feature News and Perspectives articles this week covering deepfake scams impersonating physicians and novel applications of robotics in bedside nursing.

Some genetic disorders are known for a clear connection between the gene product effected and the suite of symptoms produced. But genes do not work in isolation, and many other conditions can be bafflingly complex, as when an affected gene product impacts the function of many tissues throughout the body. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a collection of genetic disorders of the connective tissue, is particularly challenging for those who live with it because of its varied and poorly understood effects.

Three recent studies led by Christina Laukaitis, a clinical associate professor of biomedical and translational sciences at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, add to our understanding of a particular form of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Laukaitis and collaborators synthesized multiple types of data, including patient demography, range and severity of symptoms, and physiological data as part of an effort to clarify the occurrence and disease progression of hypermobile EDS.

Exposure to sugar in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life increases the risk of developing anxiety in adulthood, a new study from the University of Surrey reports. Scientists also found that sugar intake in early life can impact brain development with significant differences identified in 11 out of the 80 regions of the brain.