Scientists show that cyberattacks not only threaten the technical systems they target but also spark extensive social media discussions that can escalate into broader community crises. Their analysis reveals that public reactions online can be intense, emotional, and wide-ranging. The researchers examine the 2021 cyberattack on the Oldsmar, Florida, water treatment plant as a case study. In that incident, a hacker gained remote access to the facility’s control system in a bid to significantly raise the concentration of sodium hydroxide (lye) in the water supply. Although the intruder initially succeeded in altering the chemical levels, a plant operator noticed the unauthorized changes in real time and quickly reversed them, preventing what could have been a serious public health threat.

A recent study from the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) and the New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine establishes a direct analytical link between the axonal microgeometry and non-invasive, millimetre-scale diffusion MRI (dMRI) signals – diffusion MRI measures the diffusion of water molecules within biological tissues and is sensitive to tissue microstructure.

Excitement is building for FIFA World Cup soccer games in Toronto and Vancouver in June and July, yet Canada’s overburdened health systems may buckle with any additional demand, cautions an editorial published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.252094.

Analysis of the medical records of 1,269 elderly patients with advanced cancer by researchers at University of Tsukuba has found that more than 70% were prescribed potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and that the prescription rate declined closer to the patient's death. Discontinuation was more frequent among patients admitted to palliative care units, those with polypharmacy, and females. These findings may help reduce treatment burden among patients nearing the end of their life.

Researchers at University of Tsukuba examined how dog ownership and exercise self-efficacy affected physical activity among Japanese office workers before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings show that dog owners exhibited a significant decline in physical activity during the pandemic but returned to prepandemic levels afterward. Across all time points, exercise self-efficacy remained a strong predictor of physical activity.