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Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 22-Dec-2025 10:11 ET (22-Dec-2025 15:11 GMT/UTC)

Concern over growing use of AI chatbots to stave off loneliness

BMJ Group
Peer-Reviewed Publication

AI chatbot systems, such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Copilot, are used increasingly as confidants of choice, but turning to AI chatbots for companionship and emotional support is a cause for concern, especially in younger people, say experts in the Christmas issue of The BMJ.

Journal: The BMJ

New UBCO research challenges traditional teen suicide prevention models

University of British Columbia Okanagan campus
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The old proverb “it takes a village to raise a child” also applies to preventing youth suicide, according to UBC Okanagan researchers who found that community support is essential.

In Canada, suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among children under 14 and the second for youth and young adults between 15 and 34 years old. The UBCO Faculty of Health and Social Development researchers say governments, schools and community agencies need to rethink how youth suicide prevention efforts are designed.

Journal: Critical Public Health

Long term biochar aging reshapes antibiotic transport in farmland soils, new study finds

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University

A new study published in Biochar reveals that biochar, a carbon rich soil amendment widely used to improve soil health and reduce pollution, continues to influence the movement of veterinary antibiotics in farmland soils even after five years in the field. The work shows that biochar’s ability to retain pollutants changes in surprising ways over time, shifting from adsorption driven effects in the first year to soil structure driven mechanisms after long term aging.

Journal: Biochar

Scientists identify the most effective tools for capturing airborne microbes in indoor environments

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Indoor air contains countless microscopic particles, including bacteria and viruses that can affect human health. A new study from the Jiangsu Center for Disease Control and Prevention provides the most detailed comparison to date of four commonly used microbial aerosol samplers. The findings offer practical guidance for researchers and public health agencies working to monitor airborne pathogens in homes, hospitals, schools, and other indoor spaces.

UTA researcher joins National Academy of Inventors

University of Texas at Arlington
Business Announcement

The National Academy of Inventors has named University of Texas at Arlington researcher Muthu B.J. Wijesundara as a 2025 fellow.

$4.2M CDC grant to increase colorectal cancer screening in Pennsylvania

Penn State
Grant and Award Announcement

A five-year, $4.2 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to the College of Medicine aims to increase colorectal cancer screening rates among communities with the greatest need. The award marks the first time an institution in the commonwealth has received funding from the CDC to support colorectal cancer screening in rural and underserved communities.

Funder: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Calcium in breast arteries predicts future cardiovascular disease

Penn State
Reports and Proceedings

Mammograms can detect calcium in the breast’s arteries, a sign that the blood vessels are getting stiffer. New findings from a faculty member at Penn State College of Medicine revealed that the severity and progression of calcium accumulation seen on mammograms predicted future cardiovascular disease.

Meeting: 111th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)

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