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A battery-free sneaker could help doctors monitor changes in movement and recovery

• Rutgers researchers developed a prototype smart shoe that analyzes walking patterns without needing a rechargeable battery.

• The shoe uses artificial intelligence to classify movements, including walking at different speeds, running, and climbing stairs.

• The technology achieved 95.4% accuracy in testing, but more research is needed before it can be used to monitor patients with movement disorders.

Smartwatches and fitness trackers can help people keep tabs on their activity, but Rutgers University engineers are exploring another way to monitor movement: putting the technology directly into a shoe.

The researchers developed a prototype sneaker that analyzes how people walk and uses energy generated by their own footsteps to power its electronics. The design could eventually help doctors monitor changes in walking patterns among people with Parkinsons disease, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and other conditions that affect movement.

Walking patterns, also known as gait, include details such as speed, balance, stride, and rhythm. Changes in these patterns can offer clues about a person's health, risk of falling, or progress during rehabilitation.

Currently, doctors often assess gait by watching patients walk during relatively short appointments. A wearable device that collects information over longer periods could eventually provide a more complete picture of how someone moves in everyday life.

How researchers developed and tested the shoe

The team, led by Rutgers biomedical engineering professor Simiao Niu, designed a system that combines movement sensors, a small processor, and artificial intelligence. The findings were published in the journal Science Advances.

The shoe contains a device in its sole that generates electricity from the pressure and friction created with each step. A specially designed circuit converts that energy into a usable form, allowing the electronics to operate without a conventional rechargeable battery.

When you are walking or running, you automatically have biomechanical energy available, so you can harvest this energy, Niu said in a news release.

We want to solve the fundamental bottleneck in current wearable devices. We are developing a smart wearable with integrated AI functionality that can harvest energy on its own, so you dont need to worry about charging. Once you put it onto the charger, you typically forget about it, and then you dont wear it.

An accelerometer measures foot movement along three axes, while an AI algorithm analyzes the measurements. The system classifies activity in 15-second intervals, identifying slow walking, fast walking, running, or climbing stairs. The results appear on a screen attached to the shoe.

Researchers initially developed an AI model that examined 21 movement characteristics. However, it required more memory than the shoe's processor could accommodate. By focusing on variations in movement along the three axes, they created a smaller model that ran faster and required less power.

The researchers developed and evaluated the system using data from four healthy volunteers between the ages of 23 and 26.

What the findings could mean for consumers

The streamlined AI model classified movements with 95.4% accuracy. It also ran about 15 times faster and used approximately one-sixth as much current as the original model. Laboratory testing showed that even slow walking generated enough electricity to power the system.

If further research supports its use, the technology could eventually help healthcare providers track changes in patients' movement, assess rehabilitation progress, or identify unusual walking patterns that may warrant closer attention.

The prototype is still in its early stages. It has not been tested in older adults, people with movement disorders, or patients undergoing rehabilitation. It also cannot currently diagnose medical conditions, predict falls, or determine whether a treatment is working.

The findings offer an early look at how everyday footwear might eventually help people and their healthcare providers understand changes in movement without adding another device to charge.

New research finds elementary and middle school students are increasingly affected, while teens face more severe outcomes

• Reported intentional substance exposures at school rose 77.5% between 2000 and 2024, according to a new study.

• Elementary school students saw the biggest increase in reported exposure rates, followed by middle school students.

• High school students continued to experience more serious medical outcomes, highlighting the need for earlier prevention and stronger support.

Substance-related incidents at school aren't just a concern for teenagers. New research suggests elementary and middle school students are increasingly involved in intentional substance exposures, raising questions about how schools and families can help prevent these incidents.

Researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Central Ohio Poison Center examined reports made to U.S. poison centers over a 25-year period. Their findings, published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, showed that reported intentional substance exposures at school increased overall, with the sharpest increases occurring among younger children.

One of the most striking findings was how the age pattern changed over time, researcher Hannah Hays, MD, said in a news release. By about 2015, the reported exposure rate among middle-school-aged children had surpassed that among high-school-aged youth. At the same time, high-school-aged adolescents continued to experience the most serious medical outcomes. These findings tell us that prevention needs to begin earlier, while older adolescents also need ready access to clinical and mental health support.

How researchers examined school-related exposures

For the study, researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of data from the National Poison Data System, a database maintained by America's Poison Centers. They reviewed reports involving children ages 6 through 18 from 2000 to 2024.

The team used U.S. Census Bureau population estimates to calculate exposure rates per 100,000 children, allowing researchers to compare trends across different age groups and over time. They also examined the substances involved, the circumstances surrounding exposures and the resulting medical outcomes.

After excluding certain records that did not meet the study's criteria, researchers identified 122,700 reports of intentional substance exposures occurring at school during the study period. Because the analysis relied on poison center reports, the findings reflect reported cases rather than necessarily capturing every incident that occurred in schools.

What the findings mean for families and schools

The overall rate of reported intentional substance exposures at school increased 77.5%, from 7.5 per 100,000 children in 2000 to 13.3 in 2024. Among elementary school students ages 6 to 10, the rate climbed 287.4%. For middle school students ages 11 to 13, it increased 111.9%. Meanwhile, the rate among high school students ages 14 to 18 declined 4.2%.

The substances involved also varied by age. Elementary school exposures commonly involved cosmetics and personal care products, arts and crafts supplies, and plants. Among middle schoolers, cosmetics and personal care products were also common. High school reports more frequently involved pain relievers, stimulants and street drugs, and certain prescription medications.

Although many cases did not require treatment at a healthcare facility, 10% were associated with serious medical outcomes, including two deaths. Pharmaceutical exposures were particularly concerning: They were about 10 times more likely to result in a serious medical outcome than exposures involving non-pharmaceutical substances.

For families and schools, the findings underscore the importance of age-appropriate substance education, safe storage practices, and early identification of students who may need help.

The increasing rate of reported intentional substance exposures at school among elementary school- and middle school-aged children, combined with the greater severity observed among high school-aged children, underscores the need for targeted and coordinated prevention and early identification strategies that integrate substance use education and mental health screening and intervention, researcher Gary Smith, M.D., DrPH, said in the release.

Collaboration among school officials and educators, clinicians, poison centers, and public health professionals is important for reducing intentional substance exposures in schools, especially those associated with suspected self-harm and suicidal intent and substance abuse.

For immediate concerns about a possible poisoning, the national Poison Help Line at 1-800-222-1222 offers free, confidential guidance around the clock.

A European study finds that energy efficiency is already influencing lending decisions, with extreme weather potentially playing a bigger role

• Homes with better energy ratings may qualify for more favorable mortgage terms, while less efficient properties could face financing challenges.

• Researchers interviewed 25 financial and real estate experts to understand how sustainability factors into European property lending.

• Flooding, wildfires, and other climate risks could increasingly influence financing decisions, potentially making affordable housing harder to access.

When shopping for a home, buyers usually focus on the purchase price, monthly mortgage payment, and neighborhood. But a propertys energy efficiency could also affect how easily buyers secure financing and what terms they receive.

A new study from researchers at Aalto University in Finland found that European banks are already considering properties energy performance when making lending decisions. Looking ahead, climate-related risks, including flooding and wildfires, could become increasingly important.

The research highlights a growing connection between a homes environmental performance and its financial prospects. A property with a strong energy rating may qualify for a green mortgage or other financing advantages. Meanwhile, a home with poor energy efficiency could require costly upgrades, potentially making it a riskier investment for lenders.

For people taking out a mortgage, or considering buying a home, it is important to understand that the environmental performance of the property already affects banks lending decisions and loan terms, researcher Seppo Junnila, Professor of Real Estate Economics at Aalto University, said in a news release.

How researchers examined mortgage lending

Published in the Journal of European Real Estate Research, the study explored how sustainability affects residential property financing across Europe.

Researchers Maria Holopainen, Anniina Saari, and Seppo Junnila began by gathering preliminary information through industry interviews and workshops, then compared those insights with existing research to develop questions for further investigation.

They subsequently interviewed 25 lending and sustainability experts from 14 organizations, including 10 banks and four real estate advisory firms. Participants represented Northern and Central Europe, with some specializing in residential mortgages and others in commercial property lending.

The researchers analyzed the interviews alongside publicly available documents outlining banks green financing policies. This approach helped them identify common practices, differences between markets, and the factors lenders consider when evaluating properties.

What the findings mean for homebuyers

The researchers found that energy performance certificates, which document a buildings energy efficiency, are already a central part of European green property lending. However, the financial benefits of owning an energy-efficient home vary by market and lender rather than following one consistent formula.

The study also found that banks often favor financing new buildings because they can more easily meet green lending requirements. Older homes that need energy improvements may face a disadvantage, even when renovations could improve their environmental performance.

Climate risks are another concern. Banks are increasingly paying attention to hazards such as floods and wildfires, although their importance varies depending on a property's location. These risks could eventually play a larger role in financing decisions.

For consumers, the findings suggest that a homes energy efficiency and exposure to climate hazards may deserve closer attention during the buying process. Asking lenders about green mortgage options and researching potential renovation costs could help buyers better understand their choices.

The deal potentially challenges established wireless carriers, offering consumers alternatives

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• SpaceX has agreed to buy nationwide wireless spectrum that could help Starlink become a major U.S. mobile carrier.

• The proposed network would combine satellite and ground service, potentially improving coverage in rural areas, cellular dead zones and buildings.

• Consumers could gain another wireless choice, but the deal requires regulatory approval, and pricing, launch timing and supported phones remain unannounced.

SpaceX is taking another step toward turning Starlink into a full-fledged mobile service, announcing an agreement to acquire nationwide wireless spectrum from investment firm Grain Management.

The agreement covers up to 14 megahertz of paired spectrum in the 800 MHz band. The transaction remains subject to Federal Communications Commission approval and other closing conditions.

For consumers, the potential payoff is broader coverage and another company competing for their cellphone business. However, buying spectrum the radio frequencies used to carry wireless communications is one step toward building a network consumers can use.

Combining satellites and towers

SpaceX says the acquisition addresses a key technical gap in its ambition to make Starlink Mobile a major mobile carrier in the United States. Its planned network would combine satellite connections with a ground-based wireless deployment after final FCC approval.

The new frequencies would serve a different purpose from Starlink Mobiles existing 2 GHz mid-band spectrum. SpaceX says the mid-band spectrum would provide high-capacity service, while the lower-frequency 800 MHz spectrum would add coverage capable of reaching through obstacles, including walls, to devices inside buildings. Those are company expectations; the announcement does not establish how well the finished network will perform in individual homes or workplaces.

That indoor capability would be a significant expansion beyond the conditions advertised for todays Starlink-powered T-Satellite service. T-Mobile describes that offering as providing texting and selected satellite-ready apps on compatible devices in most outdoor areas where users can see the sky.

More rural connectivity

A successful satellite-and-ground network could be particularly useful for people living in rural communities, driving through areas with spotty reception or spending time beyond conventional cellular coverage. The practical benefit would be fewer places where a phone loses its connection, although actual coverage would depend on the network SpaceX deploys.

The deal also raises the prospect of another substantial competitor to AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. More competition could encourage lower prices, better coverage or more generous plans. Those are potential consumer benefits, however, rather than savings promised in the announcement.

Several questions remain unanswered. SpaceXs announcement did not include retail pricing, a launch date or a supported-device list for the expanded network. Consumers therefore cannot yet determine whether their current phones will work or whether switching would reduce their bills.

When service details become available, consumers should compare coverage where they actually use their phones, the full monthly cost, device requirements and any limits on calling or data. For now, the spectrum agreement signals a broader mobile ambition, with the consumer offer still to come.