Comment

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 46 minutes ago

two particularly important findings:

On a dataset of questions designed to test for social biases in language models, they found cases in which LLMs provide explanations that mask their reliance on social biases. In other words, the LLMs make decisions that are influenced by social identity information, such as race, income, and gender—but then they justify their decisions based on other factors, such as an individual's behavior.
On a dataset of medical questions involving hypothetical patient scenarios, the team's method revealed cases in which LLM explanations omit pieces of evidence that have a large effect on the model's answers regarding patient treatment and care.
The research team says that, by uncovering specific patterns in misleading explanations, their method can enable a targeted response to unfaithful explanations.

Katie Matton et al. Walk the Talk? Measuring the Faithfulness of Large Language Model Explanations. ICLR 2025 Spotlight. openreview.net/forum?id=4ub9gpx9xw

Part 2

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 47 minutes ago

How can we tell if AI is lying? New method tests whether AI explanations are truthful

Given the recent explosion of large language models (LLMs) that can make convincingly human-like statements, it makes sense that there's been a deepened focus on developing the models to be able to explain how they make decisions. But how can we be sure that what they're saying is the truth?

In a new paper, researchers from Microsoft and MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) propose a novel method for measuring LLM explanations with respect to their "faithfulness"—that is, how accurately an explanation represents the reasoning process behind the model's answer.

If an LLM produces explanations that are plausible but unfaithful, users might develop false confidence in its responses and fail to recognize when recommendations are misaligned with their own values, like avoiding bias in hiring.

In areas like health care or law, unfaithful explanations could have serious consequences: the researchers specifically call out an example in which GPT-3.5 gave higher ratings to female nursing candidates compared to male ones even when genders were swapped, but explained its answers to be affected only by age, skills, and traits.

Prior methods for measuring faithfulness produce quantitative scores that can be difficult for users to interpret—what does it mean for an explanation to be, say, 0.63 faithful? 

To accomplish this, they introduced "causal concept faithfulness," which measures the difference between the set of concepts in the input text that the LLM explanations implies were influential to those that truly had a causal effect on the model's answer. Examining the discrepancy between these two concept sets reveals interpretable patterns of unfaithfulness—for example, that an LLM's explanations don't mention gender when they should.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 59 minutes ago

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla blasts off into space next week as the first Indian to join the International Space Station (ISS).

An air force fighter pilot, 39-year-old Shukla is joining a four-crew mission launching from the United States with private company Axiom Space, aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

He will become the first Indian to join the ISS, and only the second ever in orbit—an achievement that the world's most populous nation hopes will be a stepping stone for its own human flight.

The air force group captain—equivalent to an army colonel or navy captain—will pilot the commercial mission slated to launch June 10 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a joint team between NASA and ISRO, the Indian Space Research Organization.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced plans to send a man to the moon by 2040.

India's ISRO said in May that it planned to launch an uncrewed orbital mission later this year, before its first human spaceflight in early 2027.

Shukla's voyage comes four decades after Indian astronaut Rakesh Sharma joined a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in 1984.

Unlike the symbolic undertones of India's first human spaceflight, this time the focus is on operational readiness and global integration.

If he is unable to fly on Tuesday, fellow air force pilot Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, 48, is expected to take his place.

India has flexed its ambitions in the last decade with its space program growing considerably in size and momentum, matching the achievements of established powers at a much cheaper price tag.

In August 2023, it became just the fourth nation to land an unmanned craft on the moon after Russia, the United States and China.

Source: Various news Agencies

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 2 hours ago

Two days later, analysis of the caterpillar poo revealed a new molecule, [6]MCPP-oxylene, which is [6]MCPP that has incorporated an oxygen atom. This subtle change caused the molecule to become fluorescent.

Using techniques such as mass spectrometry, NMR, and X-ray crystallography, the researchers determined [6]MCPP-oxylene's structure. Experiments using molecular biology pinpointed two enzymes, CYP X2 and X3, as being responsible for the transformation.

Further genetic analyses confirmed that these enzymes are essential for the reaction to occur.

Computer simulations found that these enzymes could simultaneously bind two [6]MCPP-oxylene molecules and directly insert an oxygen atom into a carbon–carbon bond—a rare and previously unobserved phenomenon.

It is extremely difficult to reproduce the chemical reactions occurring inside insects in a laboratory setting. Lab-based attempts at this oxidation reaction failed or had very low yields.
True to the philosophy of the PRI, this work pioneers a new direction in materials science: making functional molecules using insects. The shift from traditional test tubes to biological systems—enzymes, microbes, or insects—will allow the construction of complex nanomolecules.

Beyond glowing molecular nanocarbons, with tools like genome editing and directed evolution, in-insect synthesis could be applied to a wide range of molecules and functions, forging links between organic chemistry and synthetic biology.

 Atsushi Usami et al, In-insect synthesis of oxygen-doped molecular nanocarbons, Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.adp9384. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adp9384

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 2 hours ago

When Chemistry combines with Biology: Caterpillar factories produce fluorescent nanocarbons

Researchers have successfully used insects as mini molecule-making factories, marking a breakthrough in chemical engineering. 

Referred to as "in-insect synthesis," this technique offers a new way to create and modify complex molecules, which will generate new opportunities for the discovery, development, and application of non-natural molecules, such as nanocarbons.

Molecular nanocarbons are super-tiny structures made entirely of carbon atoms. Despite their minuscule size, they can be mechanically strong, conduct electricity, and even emit fluorescent light. These properties make them ideal for use in applications like aerospace components, lightweight batteries, and advanced electronics.

However, the precision required to manufacture these tiny structures remains a major obstacle to their widespread use. Conventional laboratory techniques struggle with the fine manipulation needed to put these complex molecules together atom by atom, and their defined shapes make it especially difficult to modify them without disrupting their integrity.

As strange as the idea may sound, it's rooted in biology. Insects, particularly plant-eating insects like grasshoppers and caterpillars, have evolved sophisticated systems in the gut for breaking down foreign substances like plant toxins and pesticides. These metabolic processes rely on enzymes capable of complex chemical transformations.

 Researchers hypothesized that insects could serve as living chemical factories, performing the types of chemical modifications to nanocarbons that are difficult to replicate in the laboratory.

To test their concept, they fed tobacco cutworm caterpillars—common agricultural pests with well-mapped metabolic pathways—a diet containing a belt-shaped molecular nanocarbon known as [6]MCPP.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 3 hours ago

These results offer new insights into what might go wrong in the brain during psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia, where patients struggle to keep apart imagination and reality. The findings may also inform future virtual reality technologies by identifying how and when imagined experiences feel real.

 A neural basis for distinguishing imagination from reality, Neuron (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2025.05.015. www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(25)00362-9

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 3 hours ago

Brain mechanisms that distinguish imagination from reality discovered

Areas of the brain that help a person differentiate between what is real and what is imaginary have been uncovered in a new study.

The research, published in Neuron, found that a region in the brain known as  the fusiform gyrus—located behind one's temples, on the underside of the brain's temporal lobe—is involved in helping the brain to determine whether what we see is from the external world or generated by our imagination.

For the study, researchers asked 26 participants to look at simple visual patterns while imagining them at the same time.

Specifically, participants were asked to look for a specific faint pattern within a noisy background on a screen and indicate whether the pattern was actually present or not. A real pattern was only presented half of the time.

At the same time, participants were also instructed to imagine a pattern that was either the same or different to the one they were looking for, and indicate how vivid their mental images were.

When the patterns were the same, and participants reported that their imagination was very vivid, they were more likely to say they saw a real pattern, even in trials in which nothing was presented. This means they mistook their mental images for reality.

While participants performed the tasks, their brain activity was monitored using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This technology enabled the researchers to identify which parts of the brain showed patterns of activity that helped distinguish reality from imagination.

The team found that the strength of activity in the fusiform gyrus could predict whether people judged an experience as real or imagined, irrespective of whether it actually was real.

When activity in the fusiform gyrus was strong, people were more likely to indicate that the pattern was really there.

Usually, activation in the fusiform gyrus is weaker during imagination than during perception, which helps the brain keep the two apart. However, this study showed that sometimes when participants imagined very vividly, activation of the fusiform gyrus was very strong and participants confused their imagination for reality.

These findings suggest that the brain uses the strength of sensory signals to distinguish between imagination and reality.

The study also showed that the fusiform gyrus collaborates with other brain areas to help us decide what is real and what is imagined.

Specifically, activity in the anterior insula—a brain region in the prefrontal cortex (the front part of the brain that acts as a control center for tasks such as decision-making, problem solving and planning)—increased in line with activity in the fusiform gyrus when participants said something was real, even if it was in fact imagined.

Part1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 3 hours ago

Baby's microbiome may protect against later childhood viral infection

A baby's makeup of gut bacteria—their microbiome—which starts to form as soon as they are born, could help protect against viral infections later in childhood, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that babies with a specific mix of gut bacteria at one week old, which was only found in some babies born vaginally, were less likely to be hospitalized for viral lower respiratory tract infections (vLRTI) in the first two years of life.

This research, published in The Lancet Microbe, is the first study to show an association between the makeup of the gut microbiome in the first week of life and hospital admissions for respiratory infections in early childhood.

The team did this using whole genome sequencing and analysis of stool samples from 1,082 newborns and then used their electronic health records to track admissions to hospital up to the age of two years old.

Building on previous findings  this new research suggests that certain microbiome compositions could give different benefits, such as protection against viral infections.

The gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem of millions of microbes that are vital for human health and important in immune system development. As it begins to form immediately at birth, the first month is the earliest window for intervention that could be used to restore or boost the microbiome.

Previously, the researchers  found that babies born vaginally have a different microbiome compared to those born via cesarean section (C-section), although the differences largely evened out by the time the child was one-year old.

A different study by the same team also found that all UK babies have one of three bacteria within the first week of life, called pioneer bacteria. Two of these, Bifidobacterium longum (B. longum) and Bifidobacterium breve (B. breve), are considered beneficial as they help promote the development of a stable microbiome.

However, not all babies born vaginally had the same microbiome composition. The team identified two other groups of babies based on their microbiome profile, who had a higher risk of hospital admission for vLRTI compared to those in the B. longum group. These other microbiome profiles were found in babies born vaginally and by C-section.

It's important to note that the team observed this finding as an association, otherwise known as correlation, and further research is needed to prove any causal links.

The neonatal gut microbiota and its association with severe viral lower respiratory tract infections in the first two years of life: a birth cohort study with metagenomics, The Lancet Microbe (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.lanmic.2024.101072

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 22 hours ago

Depriving mice of iron can increase the chance of intersex offspring

Iron deficiency in pregnant mice may lead to the development of ovaries in a small proportion of offspring carrying XY chromosomes, which typically determine male sex. The findings, published in Nature this week, reveal a link between iron metabolism and sex determination in mammals.

A key gene responsible for male sex determination in mammals is Sry, which controls the development of the testes and is found on the Y chromosome. An enzyme called KDM3A that is essential for regulating Sry gene expression is known to rely on Fe²⁺ for its activity. However, how iron levels may influence sex determination remains unclear.

To explore the potential connection between iron metabolism and sex determination in mammals,  researchers conducted a series of experiments using cultured cells and mice. They found that genes favoring accumulation of Fe²⁺ are upregulated in developing mouse embryonic gonads during the crucial period of sex determination.

When the researchers reduced iron levels in cultured cells to approximately 40% of normal levels, expression of the Sry gene was largely suppressed, and the XY gonads began to show genetic markers associated with ovary development.

The researchers then tested the effects of both short-term and long-term iron deficiency in pregnant mice. Short-term iron deficiency was induced by administering an iron-removing drug to pregnant mice for about five days around the time of embryonic sex determination. Among 72 XY offspring born to these mothers, four developed two ovaries and one developed an ovary and a testis. Long-term iron deficiency was induced through a low-iron diet starting four weeks before pregnancy and continuing for six weeks.

This long-term low-iron diet showed no effect on sex determination until a loss-of-function mutation in the gene that encodes KDM3A was introduced in the mothers. This resulted in male-to-female sex reversal in two of 43 XY offspring. No abnormalities were observed in offspring born to mothers with normal iron levels in either of the experiments.

The findings demonstrate a key role of iron in mammalian sex determination, although the effects of iron deficiency on human pregnancies were not investigated.

 Makoto Tachibana, Maternal iron deficiency causes male-to-female sex reversal in mouse embryos, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09063-2. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09063-2

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 22 hours ago

In animal experiments with SARS‑CoV‑2‑infected hamsters, phenformin significantly reduced the viral load in the respiratory tract. In cell cultures, phenformin also inhibited the multiplication of dengue viruses, for which there is currently no approved treatment.

Extensive clinical studies on the use of phenformin as an antidiabetic agent have already established its safety in humans. Further clinical studies are needed to determine if phenformin has an antiviral effect in humans. In contrast, atpenin A5 is an experimental substance that demonstrates the feasibility of the methodological approach in cell culture.

Further studies must be conducted to determine whether variants of the substance can be used in animal models where they are both tolerated and have an antiviral effect.

According to the scientists, the developed methods and identified drug candidates are an important step in the rapid development of potential treatments for future pandemics.

Alina Renz et al, Metabolic modeling elucidates phenformin and atpenin A5 as broad-spectrum antiviral drugs against RNA viruses, Communications Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s42003-025-08148-y

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