EurekAlert! News by Subject: Medicine & Health

Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 8-Jun-2026 12:16 ET (8-Jun-2026 16:16 GMT/UTC)

3-Jun-2026

Moderate biochar use may help ants strengthen soil ecosystem functions, study finds

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers studying the ant Formica japonica found that rice straw biochar applied at moderate levels, especially 2.5% to 5%, improved several colony behaviors linked to soil health. Ants in moderately amended soils showed stronger habitat preference, built larger and more complex nests, found food more quickly, and maintained more effective social recognition. However, when the biochar dose reached 10%, the benefits declined and ant survival dropped sharply.

Journal: Biochar

3-Jun-2026

Iron-modified biochar turns soil oxygen into a cleaner for antibiotic pollution

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Antibiotic residues in agricultural soils are an emerging environmental concern, with potential impacts on soil health, crop safety, and the spread of antimicrobial resistance. A new study published in Biochar reports a promising solution: an iron-modified biochar that helps soil use its own oxygen and iron chemistry to break down sulfamethoxazole, a commonly detected antibiotic pollutant.

Journal: Biochar

3-Jun-2026

A 3-D printed stent, shaped like a lily, could speed recovery after weight-loss surgery

NYU Tandon School of Engineering
Peer-Reviewed Publication

NYU researchers developed the "Lily stent," a redesigned drain for gastric leaks after sleeve gastrectomy surgery. Unlike standard bile duct stents, its shape is optimized for stomach cavities, reducing slippage and repeat procedures.

Journal: Advanced Healthcare Materials

3-Jun-2026

Living in rural areas associated with worse health for people with epilepsy

American Academy of Neurology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

For people with epilepsy, living in counties that are more rural was associated with poorer health outcomes than for people living in more urban counties, according to a study published June 3, 2026, in Neurology^®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. People living in the most rural counties hospitalized for epilepsy had nearly twice the odds of dying in the hospital than those living in the most urban counties. The study does not prove that living in rural areas causes worse health; it only shows an association.

Journal: Neurology

3-Jun-2026

Monitoring reveals elevated antidepressant levels in some waterways

American Chemical Society
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Depression, anxiety and sleep disorders are among the conditions often treated with antidepressant drugs. Yet, up to 90% of these drugs pass through the body into wastewater. They’re also difficult to remove during water treatment, presenting a possible risk of environmental contamination and threats to ecological and human health. Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology found some antidepressant drugs at levels that could be harmful to aquatic wildlife in North Carolina waterways.

Journal: Environmental Science & Technology

3-Jun-2026

Marshall Health Network, Intermed Labs advance next-generation surgical visualization through spatial arthroscopy

Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine
Business Announcement

Marshall Health Network, in collaboration with Intermed Labs (IL), has announced the development of spatial arthroscopy, an innovative technology designed to transform how surgeons visualize and interact with minimally invasive procedures. The project, currently in development, was conceptualized by Chad D. Lavender, M.D., and represents a new frontier in surgical ergonomics and digital integration.

3-Jun-2026

Wayne State University secures new U.S. patent for breakthrough surgical technology innovation

Wayne State University - Office of the Vice President for Research
Business Announcement

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) officially issued a new patent to Wayne State University and RediMinds Inc. of Southfield, Michigan. The patent protects a pioneering technological advancement developed in the university's laboratories.

3-Jun-2026

Getting an exercise form coaching assist from AI

Drexel University
Reports and Proceedings

In hopes of preventing home-exercise injuries and extending the expert guidance of coaches, researchers from Drexel University and Michigan State University have developed a prototype of a program that uses artificial intelligence and computer vision to analyze video and provide form coaching in real time.

3-Jun-2026

Deep South HIV prevention care has gaps where patients need it most

University of Mississippi
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A recent study identified hundreds of counties in the South where HIV prevention and health care may not be keeping pace with the local needs, leaving communities without resources to address the persistent problem.

Journal: Frontiers in Public Health