MIT researchers have introduced an efficient reinforcement learning algorithm that enhances AI’s decision-making in complex scenarios, such as city traffic control. By strategically selecting optimal tasks for training, the algorithm achieves significantly improved performance with far less data, offering a 50x boost in efficiency. This method not only saves time and resources but also paves [...]
AI and Human Evolution As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly widespread and advanced, it prompts new questions about its impact on human life and society. A recent paper in The Quarterly Review of Biology explores how these technologies might influence human evolution. In “How Might Artificial Intelligence Influence Human Evolution?” author Rob Brooks examines the gradual yet inevitable [...]
In a recent study published in Scientific Reports, researchers reported that drug adsorption on micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) has severe consequences. Introduction Plastic degradation results in the formation of particles with diverse shapes, sizes, and compositions. Research suggests these micro- and nano-sized fragments, viz., MNPs, are present in the environment and enter the human body, [...]
A radical stem cell transplant has significantly improved the blurry vision of three people with severe damage to their cornea. The clinical trial, which took place in Japan, is the first of its kind in the world, and a significant advancement for stem cell research. Two years after the operation, no serious safety concerns have come to [...]
The bidirectional research examines both laboratory findings and human clinical trial data, revealing that the medicinal use of white button mushrooms reduces the type of cells that suppress the immune system and facilitate the spread of prostate cancer. Researchers at City of Hope, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment [...]
Recent estimates indicate that deadly antibiotic-resistant infections will rapidly escalate over the next quarter century. More than 1 million people died from drug-resistant infections each year from 1990 to 2021, a recent study reported, with new projections surging to nearly 2 million deaths each year by 2050. In an effort to counteract this public health [...]
A new UC Davis Health study has uncovered how Salmonella bacteria, a major cause of food poisoning, can invade the gut even when protective bacteria are present. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, explains how the pathogen tricks the gut environment to escape the body's natural defenses. The digestive system is [...]
An experimental vaccine has shown promise in protecting against the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia, researchers report. Lab mice given the vaccine were able to rapidly clear subsequent chlamydia infections, and were less likely to develop severe infections compared with unvaccinated mice, researchers reported Nov. 11 in the journal npj Vaccines. The vaccine contains chlamydia whole-cell [...]
MSK researchers discovered that the innate immune system’s chronic activation due to issues in the Mre11 complex can lead to cancer, highlighting new therapeutic targets. In addition to defending against pathogens, the body’s innate immune system plays a surprising role in safeguarding genome stability — a function with significant implications for cancer development, as [...]
Findings suggest that PER3 gene variants prevent adrenal adaptation to winter daylight, leading to serotonin disruption and depression-like behaviors. A recent study in Nature Metabolism used humanized mice with modified PERIOD3 gene variants (P415A and H417R) to explore the genetic role in winter seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Male mice exposed to short, winter-like daylight showed SAD-like [...]
