Researchers at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center have published the first set of data from the Risks Underlying Rural Areas Longitudinal, or RURAL, Heart and Lung study in Franklin Parish. The data book for Franklin Parish is now available to explore. Researchers identified several key findings from the Franklin Parish data that help build a clearer picture of the health challenges facing rural communities and may help explain persistent health risks. Among the most notable findings, 82% of adults in Franklin Parish have overweight or obesity — significantly higher than both the Louisiana average (72%) and the national average (68%). Researchers found obesity rates were elevated across all demographic groups in the parish.

Genetically engineered CAR T cells expressing artificial receptor proteins are increasingly used in the clinic to boost the immune system’s response against leukemias and other cancers. In a study to be published July 6 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), researchers in Switzerland have adapted this approach to suppress the immune system’s response to a common allergen, reducing or preventing asthma symptoms in mice. The technique could eventually be used to treat a wide variety of allergies in humans.

A research paper by scientists from Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College applied transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) with continuous-wave (CW) and 40-Hz pulsed light to target neurovascular pathology in 5xFAD mice.

The new research paper, published on Jun. 23 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems, has uncovered how two distinct transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) protocols–continuous‑wave (CW) and 40‑Hz pulsed light–can tackle both amyloid pathology and vascular impairment through different glial‑mediated mechanisms.

A research paper by scientists from Zhejiang University presented a novel approach utilizing thin and flexible carbon nanotube piezoresistive fibers as a bandage, helically integrated on the surface of existing slender medical continuum robots for shape sensing.

The new research paper, published on Jun. 24 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems, has developed a simple, low‑cost alternative: a carbon‑nanotube piezoresistive fiber bandage that wraps around the outside of any existing continuum robot and lets it “feel” its own shape in real time.