As the FDA moves to finalize a rule requiring front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labels on most packaged foods and beverages in the US, new research suggests that while the proposed “Nutrition Info Box,” showing levels of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar, was found to work best for consumers who had higher nutrition literacy, it may not be the most effective choice for all Americans. The findings from the study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, provide timely evidence on how FOP labels will help consumers identify healthier foods, which could ultimately support healthier eating.

New study shows that aggressive cancer cells can be identified in a simple, new way; by how they physically behave, not just by their genes. Using specially textured Meta surfaces pattered with tiny immobilized particles, the researchers found that aggressive cancer cells grip more strongly, swallow more particles, and change shape in ways that less aggressive cells do not, differences that standard flat lab tests completely miss. This matters because it offers a fast, label-free and potentially low-cost method to distinguish aggressive cancer cells, improves our understanding of how cancer spreads, and opens the door to new diagnostic and research tools that could better predict which cancers are most likely to metastasize.

Surgeons operate on fetuses in the womb to repair congenital conditions like spina bifida before birth. Current tools only allow for continuous monitoring of the fetus’s heartbeat but not other vital signs. New soft, flexible device fits through an operative port already used for fetoscopic surgery to track heart rate, blood oxygen levels and temperature. In large animal model, the device accurately and precisely tracked vital signs even as the uterus and fetus were moved during surgery. Device could sense fetal distress sooner, enabling earlier interventions to prevent complications.

Impulsivity, hyperactivity and difficulty concentrating are some of the symptoms associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is estimated that 6% of schoolchildren in Catalonia suffer to a greater or lesser extent from this neurodevelopmental condition. Although genetic factors are the main cause, environmental factors such as exposure to pollutants can increase the risk of developing ADHD or can intensify its symptoms. “These factors influence brain development during pregnancy and the early years of a child’s life,” warned Fina Canals, a researcher with the URV’s Nutrition and Mental Health research group, which has investigated how exposure to metals affects neuropsychological performance and has linked it to the presence of ADHD during childhood.