Wednesday, May 14, 2025

GOOD AI

ChatGPT helps pinpoint precise locations of seizures in the brain, aiding neurosurgeons

AI and epileptologists should work together for the best results, find researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology

Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken, N.J., May 12, 2025 — Epilepsy, one of the most common neurological disorders characterized by recurrent seizures, affects over 70 million people worldwide. In the United States, about 3.4 million people live with this challenging condition. Around one third of the epilepsy cases cannot be controlled by medications. For those patients, surgical resection of the epileptogenic zone (EZ), an area whose removal can lead to seizure freedom — a period of time when a person with epilepsy experiences no seizures — can be an effective option to reduce or eliminate seizures.

However, the current success rate for resective surgery — in which the surgeon removes some of the brain tissues where seizures originate — is around 50% to 60%. One of the reasons is that the EZs were not accurately identified. To identify the EZs, patients undergo a series of tests, including MRI, electroencephalography or EEG and intracranial EEG. Epileptologists use these data and images to describe the so-called seizure semiology — the symptoms and behaviors during seizures. This information is used to predict the location of the EZs.

However, the language epileptologists use to describe seizure semiology can differ from one epilepsy center to another. “Different epilepsy centers may use different terms describing the same seizure semiology,” says Feng Liu, Assistant Professor at the Department of Systems and Enterprises, Schaefer School of Engineering and Science at Stevens Institute of Technology. “For example, terms ‘asymmetric posturing’ and ‘asymmetric tonic activity’ can be used to describe the same thing,” he shares one example, referring to a posture where one arm or one leg is extended while the other is flexed. “There are a lot of terms that can refer to the same thing, but different centers may use different terminology to describe it.”

That creates a certain inconsistency, presenting challenges to surgeons. Due to the descriptive nature of seizure semiology, Large Language Models or LLMs such as ChatGPT, which were trained on a vast cohort of public records, may be a valuable tool to help identify the EZs.

Liu and his team of collaborators evaluated the clinical value of using ChatGPT to interpret seizure semiology to predict the EZ location. “Large language models such as ChatGPT, could be valuable tools for analyzing complex textual information, helping interpret seizure semiology descriptions and assist in accurately localizing the epileptogenic zones,” says Liu.

For the study, the team surveyed five board-certified epileptologists who completed an online survey comprising 100 questions about localization of EZs given the description of seizure semiology. Then, the team used ChatGPT to do the same task and compared the performance of ChatGPT with that of epileptologists.

It turned out that ChatGPT responses matched or outperformed epileptologists’ responses related to the regions where epileptogenic zones are commonly located, such as the brain’s frontal lobe and the temporal lobe. However, epileptologists provided more accurate responses in regions where EZs are rarely located, such as the insula and the cingulate cortex. Those findings are published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research on May 12.

To further improve the performance of LLM, the team built the first LLM specially for interpreting seizure semiology, called EpiSemoLLM, which is hosted on a Stevens GPU server. This platform can be a useful assistant in the decision-making during the presurgical workup phase for neurosurgeons and epileptologists.

“Our results demonstrate that LLM and fine-tuned LLM might serve as a valuable tool to assist in the preoperative assessment for epilepsy surgery,” Liu says. “The best results would be for the humans and AI to work together.”

About Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology is a premier, private research university in Hoboken, New Jersey. Since 1870, technological innovation has been the hallmark and legacy of Stevens' education and research programs. Within the university's three schools, nearly 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students collaborate closely with faculty in an interdisciplinary, student-centric, entrepreneurial environment. Academic and research programs spanning business, computing, engineering, the arts and other fields actively advance the frontiers of science and leverage technology to confront global challenges. Stevens is consistently ranked among the nation's elite for return on investment for students, career services programs and mid-career salaries of alumni.

Journal

Journal of Medical Internet Research

Article Publication Date

12-May-2025

Nebraska-developed vaccine protects against swine, human and bird flu

Creates long-lasting immunity

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Lincoln, Nebraska, May 12, 2025 — Annual flu shots could become a thing of the past under a new vaccine strategy developed and tested by University of Nebraska–Lincoln virologist Eric Weaver and his laboratory team.

Research findings published April 29 in Nature Communications reveal a possible breakthrough. The study, “Epitope-Optimized Vaccine Elicits Cross-Species Immunity Against Influenza A Virus,” describes a vaccine that protects against H1N1 swine flu and can also protect against influenza in humans and birds.

“This research sets the stage for developing universal influenza vaccines so people won’t have to go to the doctor and get a flu shot every year,” Weaver said. “This vaccine will protect you against the different strains that are out there.”

Swine vaccinated with the immunogens designed in Weaver’s laboratory exhibited no signs of illness after being exposed to a commonly circulating flu strain; developed antibodies against a multitude of viruses from several decades and multiple species; and maintained their immune response throughout the six-month longitudinal study.

Post-experiment regression analysis indicated that the immunity would not dissipate for a decade, Weaver said.

The Epigraph vaccine, named after computer software used to design it, significantly outperformed a commercial vaccine used by the pork industry and a “wild type” vaccine based on naturally occurring strains with similar immunogens.

The study was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, along with the National Institutes of Health.

The newly published results confirm previous research that demonstrated the vaccine design protected against the H3 influenza subtype. The new results are particularly encouraging, Weaver said, because H1 swine flu variants are detected twice as often as H3 variants — and have nearly three times more genetic diversity.

“This H1 subtype is the largest and most genetically diverse subtype in pigs,” Weaver said. “It’s also among the viruses that jumped from swine to humans to cause the 2009 swine flu pandemic. It’s a big target and one of the harder targets to hit.”

The influenza A virus regularly infects as much as 15% of the human population and causes thousands of deaths each year. Current vaccines often fail to provide long-lasting protection because of the genetic diversity and rapid mutation of proteins that help form the virus. The H1 and H3 subtypes, for example, reflect different mutations of hemagglutinin, the molecules of protein and carbohydrate that coat the surface of a virus and enable it to infiltrate the body’s cells.

Another challenge in controlling influenza is that it infects multiple species: birds, swine, horses and dogs, along with humans. Swine often act as a mixing vessel because they are susceptible to human and bird flu variants, contributing to the evolution of novel forms of the disease that can be transmitted back to humans.

The 2009 swine flu pandemic, for example, resulted from a zoonotic transmission from hogs to humans. About 25% of the human population was infected with the new variant and more than a half million people died from it in the first year, according to some estimates. The 1918 Spanish Flu, 1957 Asian Flu and 1968 Hong Kong Flu pandemics also resulted from cross-species transmission to humans.

“If we can prevent influenza in swine, we can also prevent zoonotic jumps from avians to swine to humans, or from swine directly to humans. We could basically cut off this evolutionary arsenal or advantage that the virus has,” Weaver explained. “The ultimate goal is to eliminate or eradicate influenza.”

Weaver’s vaccine strategy, which has been patented, used the Epigraph software to analyze the genetic codes of more than 6,000 strains of influenza virus occurring from 1930 to 2021 and create a vaccine cocktail representing their most common epitopes.

Epitopes are regions on a virus that trigger the immune system to produce antibodies to neutralize the virus and to send T-cells to destroy infected cells. As the virus evolves, some epitopes disappear, thus evading the immune response. The computationally derived Epigraph strategy increases the likelihood that the vaccine contains the epitopes needed to trigger an immune response and prevent illness.

Data analysis showed the vaccines provided protection for human influenza varieties that emerged during the last 20 years and for swine influenza varieties that emerged over the past century.

"That’s an incredibly powerful thing,” Weaver said. “The ultimate goal would be to have a significant impact on the disease burden in our society.”

Weaver said he believes vaccine science is on the precipice of a major leap forward, thanks in part to improvements in gene sequencing technology and databases.

“Our ability to understand how viruses evolve has increased exponentially in the past 20 years,” he said. “What I see on the horizon is a third wave, where we go from good vaccines to universal lifelong vaccines.”

In the swine study, four groups of five pigs were vaccinated with Epigraph, wild type, commercial or sham vaccines.

Functional antibodies were measured against four swine flu clades, including the 2009 swine flu pandemic variant, two representative human H1N1 strains from the 2009 pandemic and a representative bird flu strain. Epigraph-vaccinated pigs reached threshold immunity levels for all 12 strains tested, while wild type-vaccinated pigs showed immunity against eight of 12 strains. The commercially vaccinated pigs had antibody responses three to five times lower than those observed in the Epigraph and wild type-vaccinated pigs, reaching threshold levels in only six of 12 strains tested. Importantly, the swine study also showed that the Epigraph vaccine induced significantly higher T-cell responses.

Next steps include testing a vaccine to protect against both H1 and H3 strains of influenza. Weaver hopes eventually to form a partnership with a biotechnology company to pursue a human vaccine. Although the results so far have been gratifying, Weaver said he is eager to see if other scientists confirm his results.

“We do the most stringent controls that we can possibly do, because we want to be absolutely certain — and I have no doubt that this vaccine is better than the current vaccines,” he said.

Journal

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-025-59182-7

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Epitope-optimized vaccine elicits enduring immunity against swine influenza A virus

Article Publication Date

30-Apr-2025

COI Statement

E.A.W. is an inventor of the Epigraph immunogens in this study and has a patent application in progress (Application: 62/734,791; International Application: PCT/US19/52137). Due to patents and pending applicatons restrictions apply regarding the public availability of sequence information for the reported immunogens. However, unique biologicals and sequence information can be requested at Nutech Ventures, Lincoln, NE (US by contacting info@nutechventures.org and will be processed as promptly as possible. All other authors declare no competing interests.

First evidence of mother-offspring attachment types in wild chimpanzees

New study finds wild chimpanzees do not show disorganized attachment

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

Chimpanzee mother nursing her offspring — image:
A chimpanzee mother (Xela) nursing her offspring (Xort). Researchers have for the first time identified distinct mother-offspring attachment types in wild chimpanzees.
view more
Credit: © Liran Samuni, Taï Chimpanzee Project

To the point

Mother-offspring attachment in the wild: Wild chimpanzees develop secure or insecure-avoidant attachments to their mothers, but not disorganised attachments, suggesting that it is not a viable survival strategy in the wild.
Attachment types: Chimpanzees with secure attachment are confident, while those with insecure-avoidant attachment are more independent. Disorganised attachment, common in humans and captive chimps, is linked to emotional and mental health issues.
Potential parenting lessons: Taking into account the impact of the caregiving environment on attachment types and how early life experiences shape social and emotional development may lead to more effective parenting strategies.

Have you ever wondered how your childhood relationship with your parents shaped the person you are today? Scientists have long known that early attachment to caregivers plays a crucial role in human development, but what about one of our closest relatives, the chimpanzee?

By observing the behaviour of wild chimpanzees in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire, over four years, researchers discovered that young chimpanzees, like human children, develop different types of attachment to their mothers. Some feel secure, relying on their mother in times of distress and exploring their environment confidently, knowing she is there to support them. Others have insecure-avoidant attachment, which means they tend to be more independent and do not seek comfort from their mothers as much. However, unlike humans, where 23.5 percent of children show disorganised attachment, and captive orphaned chimpanzees, where 61 percent show this type of attachment, wild chimpanzees showed no signs of disorganised attachment.

Wild chimpanzees do not show disorganised attachment

In humans, disorganised attachment occurs when a child experiences fear, trauma or aggression from their caregiver. As a result, the child may display confusing behaviours, wanting affection but also fearing the caregiver. This type of attachment can lead to difficulties with emotional regulation, social integration and long-term mental health problems. Disorganised attachment is thought to be maladaptive because it leaves the child uncertain about how to respond in times of distress, potentially hindering their ability to cope effectively and affecting their overall survival.

Captive chimpanzees, particularly orphans raised by humans, often develop disorganised attachment, probably due to the lack of a permanent caregiver. But in the wild, where chimpanzees grow up in stable family groups and face natural survival pressures such as predation, the researchers found no evidence of disorganised attachment. "In the wild, we found no evidence of disorganised attachment patterns, which supports the hypothesis that this type of attachment may not be an adaptive survival strategy in the face of environmental constraints," says first author Eléonore Rolland. This suggests that if disorganised attachment does occasionally occur in wild chimpanzees, these individuals are unlikely to survive or reproduce.

Potential implications for human parenting

Attachment theory is a key concept in psychology that explains how early relationships shape emotional and social development. Secure attachment is associated with confidence and resilience, while insecure and disorganised attachment can be associated with anxiety, stress or difficulties in relationships. The fact that wild chimpanzees showed only secure or insecure avoidant attachment raises new questions about modern human parenting. "Our results deepen our understanding of chimpanzees' social development and show that humans and chimpanzees are not so different after all," says Eléonore Rolland. "But they also make us think: have some modern human institutions or caregiving practices moved away from what is best for infant development?"

Insights into the roots of human social behaviour

"By identifying attachment patterns in wild chimpanzees, we provide important insights into the roots of human social behaviour," says senior author Roman Wittig. This study bridges psychology, animal behaviour and anthropology, shedding light on how attachment strategies have evolved across species. Senior author Catherine Crockford adds: "Our findings suggest that shared attachment strategies in primates may reflect a common evolutionary heritage. The high prevalence of disorganised attachment in humans and captive orphan chimpanzees, in contrast to wild chimpanzees, also supports the idea that the rearing environment plays an important role in shaping attachment types."

These findings bring us closer to understanding both chimpanzees and humans, and encourage deeper reflection on how early life experiences shape social and emotional development across species.

Like human children wild chimpanzees develop critical secure and insecure-avoidant attachment patterns to their mothers. However, unlike humans and some captive chimpanzees, they do not exhibit disorganised attachment.

Credit

Journal

Nature Human Behaviour

DOI

10.1038/s41562-025-02176-8

Article Title

Evidence of organized but not disorganized attachment in wild Western chimpanzee offspring (Pan troglodytes verus)

Article Publication Date

12-May-2025

Mental distress among females following 2021 abortion restrictions in Texas

JAMA Network Open

About The Study:

The findings of this study suggest that Texas’s abortion restrictions were associated with increases in mental distress among females of reproductive age, especially among younger individuals who may have less ability to overcome barriers to abortion care.

Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Jusung Lee, PhD, email jusung.lee@utsa.edu.

To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/

(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.9576)

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

# # #

http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.9576?utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_term=051225

About JAMA Network Open: JAMA Network Open is an online-only open access general medical journal from the JAMA Network. On weekdays, the journal publishes peer-reviewed clinical research and commentary in more than 40 medical and health subject areas. Every article is free online from the day of publication.

Journal

JAMA Network Open

First-generation and low-income students in the US national medical student body

JAMA Network Open

About The Study:

This cross-sectional study of U.S. medical student matriculants found a decrease in the number of matriculants who were first-generation. These students were at significant risk of attrition from medical school, particularly when considering the intersectionality with low-income and underrepresented in medicine identities. These results suggest a need to recruit and retain these students, so that the physician workforce better reflects the backgrounds and experiences of the communities served.

Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Sophia C. Kamran, MD, email skamran@mgh.harvard.edu.

To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/

(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.9769)

# # #

http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.9769?utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_term=051225

Journal

JAMA Network Open

U.S. children living with a parent with substance use disorder

JAMA Pediatrics

About The Study:

Nearly 19 million children were estimated to be living in a household with at least 1 parent with substance use disorder, accounting for one-quarter of all U.S. children in 2023. Children in such households are more likely to develop adverse health outcomes than their peers without exposure to parental substance use disorder.

Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Sean Esteban McCabe, PhD, email plius@umich.edu.

To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/

(doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.0828)

# # #

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.0828?guestAccessKey=dcf72854-df5c-4668-b7b7-3416a6d5b634&utm_source=for_the_media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=051225

Journal

JAMA Pediatrics

Changes in physical and mental health after the end of SNAP emergency allotments

JAMA Network

About The Study:

After the end of emergency allotments nationwide by March 2023, there were significant increases in food insecurity and poor physical health days among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants. No changes in poor mental health days or poor or fair health status were observed.

Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Rishi K. Wadhera, MD, MPP, MPhil, email rwadhera@bidmc.harvard.edu.

To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/

(doi:10.1001/jama.2025.6010)

# # #

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jama.2025.6010?guestAccessKey=6d242e12-c6f6-4965-860c-125b1eb8c0d9&utm_source=for_the_media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=051225

Journal

JAMA

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

ChatGPT helps pinpoint precise locations of seizures in the brain, aiding neurosurgeons

Journal

Article Publication Date

Nebraska-developed vaccine protects against swine, human and bird flu

Journal

DOI

Method of Research

Subject of Research

Article Title

Article Publication Date

COI Statement

First evidence of mother-offspring attachment types in wild chimpanzees

To the point

Wild chimpanzees do not show disorganised attachment

Potential implications for human parenting

Insights into the roots of human social behaviour

Credit

Journal

DOI

Article Title

Article Publication Date

Mental distress among females following 2021 abortion restrictions in Texas

Journal

First-generation and low-income students in the US national medical student body

Journal

U.S. children living with a parent with substance use disorder

Journal

Changes in physical and mental health after the end of SNAP emergency allotments

Journal

About Me