Sustained attention, the ability to maintain focus on a specific stimulus or task for an extended period without significant lapses in concentration, is a foundational cognitive process that underlies many other cognitive functions, impacts daily functioning and is commonly impaired across a diverse population. While upsetting thoughts and experiences can disrupt one’s ability to focus attention while performing everyday tasks, translating this phenomenon to the laboratory has remained elusive.

In a new study, researchers from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and VA Boston Healthcare System have shown that when people are sustaining attention, distractions that are upsetting or unpleasant are most likely to disrupt that focus. The researchers hope these findings will assist in treating anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders.

@AmerGeriatrics names Marie Bernard, MD as the 2025 recipient of the Nascher/Manning Award in Geriatrics #AGS25 https://ow.ly/O22l50VCmvl

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a globally prevalent malignancy with high morbidity and mortality rates, closely linked to aberrant epigenetic modifications. Among these, pseudouridine (Ψ), one of the most abundant RNA chemical modifications, plays a pivotal role in tumorigenesis by regulating mRNA stability, translation efficiency, and splicing processes. Recent studies have demonstrated that the small-molecule inhibitor Pyrazofurin, targeting the pseudouridine synthase DKC1, exhibits significant anti-tumor activity, suggesting Ψ modification as a promising therapeutic strategy for CRC. However, the dynamic changes and clinical implications of transcriptome-wide Ψ modifications in CRC remain poorly understood.