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Tech & Engineering

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 24-Oct-2026 23:17 ET (25-Oct-2026 03:17 GMT/UTC)

A new route to localized oscillations in networked reaction-diffusion systems

Science China Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

From rhythmic activity in localized populations of cortical neurons to dengue hotspots that repeatedly reappear across Medellín, Colombia, localized oscillations shape collective dynamics in complex networked systems ranging from the brain to urban epidemics. However, existing explanations are often constrained by strict requirements on system dimensionality. This study reveals a more general mechanism for the emergence of localized oscillations, showing how collective dynamics can transcend these conventional constraints and broadening the theoretical framework for understanding localized collective behavior.

Journal: National Science Review

Getting paid to vape? Researchers say that’s a dangerous combination

Medical University of South Carolina
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The rise of “smart” vaping devices that combine nicotine or cannabis with cryptocurrency rewards, gamification and artificial intelligence is raising new public health concerns. In a New England Journal of Medicine perspective, MUSC Hollings Cancer Center researchers Amanda Palmer, Ph.D., Tracy Smith, Ph.D., and Benjamin Toll, Ph.D., warn that these products may reinforce addictive behaviors by rewarding users for vaping rather than quitting. The researchers are particularly concerned about their potential appeal to adolescents, young adults and people experiencing financial hardship, as well as regulatory gaps that have struggled to keep pace with rapidly evolving vaping technology. They are calling for greater scrutiny of these products before they become more widespread.

Journal: New England Journal of Medicine

Terasaki institute awarded $6.9 million NIH grant to develop smart contact lens platform for real-world PTSD monitoring

Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation
Grant and Award Announcement

Los Angeles, CA, September 28, 2026 - The Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation has been awarded an NIH U01 research grant of approximately $6.9 million to develop a first-of-its-kind multimodal smart contact lens platform for monitoring post-traumatic stress disorder in real-world settings. The multi-institutional project brings together Principal Investigators Dr. Yangzhi Zhu of the Terasaki Institute, Dr. Nanthia Suthana of Duke University, and Dr. Ximin He of UCLA, combining complementary expertise in bioengineering, neuroscience, wearable biosensing, ocular bioelectronics, and clinical translational research.

High-altitude wetland reveals a distinctive genetic signature in DNA polymerase genes

Shenyang Agricultural University Collaborative Journals
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Wetlands are well known for filtering water, storing carbon, and supporting biodiversity. Yet much of their microbial genetic diversity remains unexplored, particularly in high-altitude ecosystems. A new study of the Napahai plateau wetland in Yunnan Province, China, has uncovered a distinctive pattern in DNA polymerase genes, suggesting that this isolated alpine wetland contains a genetic profile that differs from those found in marine, freshwater, hot spring, and agricultural environments.

Journal: Environmental and Biogeochemical Processes

From single-target tests to real-time multipathogen surveillance for safer water

Shenyang Agricultural University Collaborative Journals
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Waterborne pathogens remain a major threat to public health, but many current monitoring methods are too slow or too narrowly focused to provide rapid warning of emerging biological risks. A new perspective published in Biocontaminant outlines how integrated biosensing systems could move aquatic pathogen surveillance from periodic single-target testing toward rapid, online monitoring of multiple pathogens at once.

Journal: Biocontaminant

New research finds that misleading AI-generated summaries can distort human memory

Georgetown University Medical Center
Reports and Proceedings

A new study from a team of researchers at Georgetown University and the University of Washington suggests that when prompted to summarize a video, AI systems that output incorrect information can manipulate people’s memory and the perception of truth.

Treating a deadly brain tumor before it recurs? AI tool may help

University of California - San Francisco
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new AI-based model can predict where glioblastoma is most likely to return after initial surgery, potentially giving doctors a chance to treat it before it becomes visible on MRI.

Journal: Science Advances

JMIR news: Patient simulator robots, participation fraud in online research, and more

JMIR Publications
Reports and Proceedings

JMIR Publications released six feature News and Perspectives articles this week, covering everything in digital health from patient simulator robots to a novel mobile app for patients to store their digital health records.

Journal: Journal of Medical Internet Research

Higher pollution levels linked to slower marathon times across six world marathon majors

University of Leicester
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study of more than 2.7 million marathon performances has found that higher levels of air pollution on race day were associated with significantly slower finishing times, with recreational runners affected more than elite athletes.

Journal: Sports Medicine
Funder: NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre

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