Latest News Releases 31 March

The inability to pay for healthcare in the U.S. has reached a new high, with more than one-third of Americans (35%), or an estimated 91 million people, reporting that they could not access quality healthcare if they needed it today, according to the latest West Health-Gallup Healthcare Affordability Index. The Index has been tracking healthcare affordability and access in the U.S. since 2021.

Scientists from the Singapore University of Technology and Design have developed a novel method to control electron spin using only an electric field, paving the way for the future of ultra-compact, energy-efficient spintronic devices.

This article examines the ethical implications of telemedicine in sexual medicine, focusing on privacy, informed consent, and healthcare equity. Despite its benefits in improving accessibility, telemedicine raises concerns about data security, potential diagnostic limitations, and exacerbating healthcare disparities, particularly in sensitive areas like urology. The authors analyze these challenges through a systematic literature review, emphasizing the need for robust ethical frameworks to guide telemedicine integration as a complement to traditional care. They stress maintaining patient-centered practices, ensuring equitable access, and upholding confidentiality to preserve trust and quality outcomes in sexual health services.

This narrative review centers on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into surgical sperm retrieval techniques for nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA). It details conventional surgical sperm retrieval (SSR) procedures and their varying success rates. AI has diverse applications in reproductive medicine, such as predictive models and sperm image recognition. It improves sperm detection in azoospermic samples, yet faces challenges like specimen variability and ethical concerns. Future AI advancements may enhance SSR precision and transform male infertility treatment.

Cell aging has always been an important topic in biological research, and telomere shortening is one of the key issues in cell aging studies.

A team of Chinese researchers led by Prof. WANG Likun from the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has provided new insights into metabolic disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic strategies by identifying a novel intercellular signaling mechanism between adipocytes (fat cells) and hepatocytes (liver cells).

KAIST researchers have successfully developed a novel drug to restore vision.

More mammals were living on the ground several million years before the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs, new research led by the University of Bristol has revealed.