The Daily Trickle

Human blood-brain barrier chip tested with ultrasound

This is a preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists. It describes a lab model of the human blood-brain barrier made from a single layer of cultured endothelial cells, whose permeability the authors say comes close to values measured in vivo. Ultrasound-activated microbubbles increased the model's permeability more than sixfold, allowing fluorescent nanodroplets to pass into the gel compartment.

Published

Oct 5, 2026

Rules clarify reimbursements through a financial management services vendor

This final rule from the Washington Department of Social and Health Services takes effect October 22, 2026. It clarifies how eligible beneficiaries and family members can request reimbursement, payment and purchases made by a financial management services vendor. It also adds two new rules on other services that such a vendor provides.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Effective

Oct 22, 2026

How to weigh in: No comment period: this is a final rule.

Emergency rules continue long-term care services for a limited group

A temporary emergency rule from the Washington Department of Social and Health Services, in effect since September 21, 2026, continues services for a limited group of people whose immigration status makes them ineligible for federal medicaid coverage of long-term care services. The department prioritizes clients in residential settings who are at risk of losing their housing or who have higher levels of acuity. The department says emergency rules are needed to protect the health, safety and general welfare of clients and to receive state funds.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Effective

Sep 21, 2026

How to weigh in: No comment period: this is a final rule.

Decision-making holds up as drowsiness sets in, preprint reports

This is a preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists. Participants doing a task that required locating sounds and touches were tracked with electroencephalography (EEG) as their alertness fell. Drowsiness slowed responses and led to more missed responses, but accuracy stayed largely intact and touch cues still influenced choices.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Mesaconic acid reduced inflammation in mouse models of Crohn's disease

This is a preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists. The study tested two ways to raise levels of mesaconic acid in the gut, a probiotic bacterium engineered to make it and a zinc-based formulation, in mouse models of Crohn's disease. Both reduced gut permeability and inflammation in the authors' tests, but the work is in mice and does not show effects in people.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Magnetic brain stimulation helped arm recovery in a small stroke pilot

This is a preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, describing a nonrandomized pilot trial of seven people with chronic stroke. The method, kilohertz transcranial magnetic perturbation (kTMP), was paired with motor training for four weeks, and scores on a standard upper-limb motor test rose during treatment. The authors report no device-related adverse events and say larger randomized trials are needed.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Preprint links DNA methylation to Alzheimer's and metabolic conditions

This is a preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists. It analyzed deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation data from 551 patients of Mexican American or Non-Hispanic White ancestry enrolled in the Texas Alzheimer's Research and Care Consortium. Five sites showed statistically significant differences, and the authors report that one was replicated in an independent Mexican American cohort.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Method images archived tissue samples in 3D, preprint reports

This is a preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists. The authors describe REZCUE, a chemical method that lets archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue be imaged in 3D while keeping its ribonucleic acid (RNA), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and proteins usable for later tests. In one 25-year-archived breast cancer specimen, they report it supported several molecular assays on the same tissue.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Root hormone transport tunes photosynthesis, preprint reports

This is a preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists. In the plant Arabidopsis, the authors report that two transporters, NPF2.4 and NPF2.5, move abscisic acid (ABA) from roots to shoots and affect how quickly stomata open when light changes. Mutant plants showed faster photosynthetic induction, more biomass and more seed yield without losing long-term drought tolerance.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Omega-3 dose effects on preterm birth differ by a gene variant

This peer-reviewed study is a post hoc secondary analysis of the Assessment of DHA on Reducing Early Preterm Birth (ADORE) trial, which compared 200 or 1,000 mg/d of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in pregnancy. Among women carrying at least one copy of the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) Indel insertion allele, the higher dose was associated with fewer preterm and early preterm births, while the effect was small in women without it. The authors say the genotype-by-dose comparison was not prespecified and should be confirmed prospectively.

Published

Oct 8, 2026

Computer model ties turn-related freezing in Parkinson's to value estimation

This is a preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists, and it is a computer simulation rather than a study in patients. The model, built on reinforcement learning and inspired by brain circuits, showed reduced turning speed and step length in simulated Parkinson's disease, with larger impairments in simulated freezers. The authors suggest freezing of gait may reflect impaired estimation of value over space.

Published

Oct 8, 2026

Tinnitus and listening problems show altered neural gain, preprint reports

This is a preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists. In young adults with exceptional hearing thresholds, those with persistent tinnitus or self-reported listening problems showed signs of altered neural gain in the brainstem and cortex. The authors' conceptual model suggests damage to high-threshold auditory nerve fibres could produce a compensatory increase in neural gain in higher brain centres.

Published

Oct 8, 2026

Bacterial and fungal infections affected about 1-in-17 hospitalised COVID-19 episodes

This is a preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists. Researchers linked hospital COVID-19 records from England with UK Health Security Agency infection data and found that 5.8% of 173,947 hospitalised episodes had a bacterial or fungal infection before, alongside or after COVID-19. The authors say the 28-day death rate was above 25% and that antibiotics were often given without firm evidence of bacterial infection.

Published

Oct 8, 2026

Vibrotactile nerve stimulation reduced brain responses during memory tasks

This is a preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists. In twenty healthy adults doing working-memory tasks, active vibrotactile transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation reduced scalp-recorded brain responses to visual stimuli compared with sham stimulation. The authors read this as enhanced cortical efficiency rather than amplified sensory responses, and they report similar reductions in recordings from patients with epilepsy.

Published

Oct 8, 2026

New protein design method controls sugar chains on proteins, preprint reports

This is a preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists. The authors describe a computer pipeline that uses a protein's three-dimensional structure to set where N-linked glycans (sugar chains) attach and how they are processed, by limiting access of the cell's enzymes. The resulting glycoproteins blocked uropathogenic Escherichia coli bacteria from attaching to human bladder cells in tests.

Published

Oct 8, 2026

Fentanyl withdrawal alters gene activity differently by brain circuit in mice

This is a preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists. In male and female mice, 24 hours of spontaneous withdrawal after chronic fentanyl exposure changed gene activity in neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) differently depending on their projection target. Neurons projecting to the prefrontal cortex responded differently from those projecting to the nucleus accumbens and amygdala, and the authors say the findings point to molecular mechanisms relevant to opioid use disorder.

Published

Oct 9, 2026

Tumour-front pattern links to breast cancer recurrence, preprint says

This is a preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists. In a Swedish multicentre cohort study of 6106 breast cancer patients, researchers looked at where high-risk tissue clusters sit at the tumour front, rather than relying only on an overall score from an artificial intelligence (AI) tool. Cluster-positive status was associated with a 2.30-fold increased risk of recurrence in the independent test group, and the authors say the link held among patients the overall score classed as low-risk.

Published

Oct 9, 2026

Oral bacterium protein weakens immune cells' bacteria-killing activity

This is a preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists. The authors describe a serpin, a protein-blocking molecule, made by Tannerella forsythia, an oral bacterium, that suppresses neutrophils, the immune cells that kill microbes. It also binds and inhibits myeloperoxidase (MPO), an enzyme in these cells, and the authors report that this helped bacteria survive in vivo without significantly changing tissue inflammation.

Published

Oct 9, 2026

Random mitochondrial DNA mutations mapped to cell effects, preprint reports

This is a preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists. The authors describe mtDIVE, a method that randomly introduces mutations into mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in human epithelial cells and zebrafish embryos, then links each cell's genotype to its state. They report that highly mutated cells were eliminated by cell death under obligate oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), but were outcompeted under glycolytic conditions.

Published

Oct 9, 2026

Brain white matter ages unevenly and links to thinking skills differently

This is a preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists. In eighty-six cognitively normal adults (33 younger and 53 older), the authors used diffusion brain imaging to compare white matter microstructure, and older adults showed widespread reductions in fractional anisotropy and neurite density. The study found that younger adults' language and visual memory were more tied to commissural and association tracts, while older adults' executive and language function leaned more on projection and limbic tracts.

Published

Oct 9, 2026

CXCR3 on transferred T cells is needed for vaccine-boosted cell therapy

This is a preprint, not yet reviewed by other scientists. Adoptive T-cell therapy (ACT) combined with viral-vector vaccines produced durable regression of established tumors in the authors' experiments. The authors report that CXCR3, a receptor on the transferred T cells rather than on the host, was needed for the combined effect and helped those cells reach the vaccine-draining lymph node and the tumor.

Published

Oct 11, 2026

Washington clarifies documents needed for mass layoff notice exemptions

A new rule from the Washington Employment Security Department, in effect since October 10, 2026, explains what documents employers must give the department to show that an exception to a notice requirement applies. A 2025 Washington law requires certain employers to give notice of business closures and mass layoffs, with specific exceptions. The rule clarifies the documentation requirements and gives examples of the types of documentation an employer may submit.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Effective

Oct 10, 2026

How to weigh in: No comment period: this is a final rule.

Washington adjusts commercial salmon net schedules in Catch Area 7C

A temporary emergency rule from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, in effect since September 6, 2026, adjusts commercial purse seine and gillnet schedules in Salmon Management and Catch Area 7C. The change avoids possible gear conflicts during a treaty commercial crab opening in the area. The department says there was not enough time to adopt permanent rules.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Effective

Sep 6, 2026

How to weigh in: No comment period: this is a final rule.

Recreational fishing closed in the Quillayute River

A temporary emergency rule from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, in effect since September 9, 2026, closes recreational fishing in the Quillayute River. Low river flows have left Chinook and coho salmon holding in the lower river instead of reaching spawning grounds, which increases fishing pressure on fish that are more vulnerable to handling deaths. The department says returning salmon will be monitored and the rules may change.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Effective

Sep 9, 2026

How to weigh in: No comment period: this is a final rule.

Columbia River hatchery coho limit raised by one fish

A temporary emergency rule from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, in effect since September 12, 2026, lets anglers keep one more adult hatchery coho as part of the daily salmon and steelhead limit. It covers the Columbia River from Buoy 10 up to the west end of Puget Island. The rule brings Washington limits into line with Oregon rules, following a compact action.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Effective

Sep 12, 2026

How to weigh in: No comment period: this is a final rule.

Salmon fishing opens in the lower Yakima River

A temporary emergency rule from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, in effect since September 15, 2026, opens retention of Chinook and coho salmon in the lower Yakima River. Current fish passage through the Prosser Diversion Dam indicates the fall Chinook return is large enough to support sport fishing. There was not enough time to adopt permanent rules.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Effective

Sep 15, 2026

How to weigh in: No comment period: this is a final rule.

Recreational fishing closed in part of the Satsop River

A temporary emergency rule from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, in effect since September 16, 2026, closes recreational fishing in a portion of the Satsop River. The rule gives no other reason beyond saying the closure is necessary.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Effective

Sep 16, 2026

How to weigh in: No comment period: this is a final rule.

Recreational all-shrimp fishing closes in parts of Marine Areas 4 and 5

A temporary emergency rule from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, in effect since September 15, 2026, closes the recreational all shrimp fishery in Marine Area 4 east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line and in Marine Area 5. Previously announced recreational nonspot shrimp openings in Puget Sound remain in place. The department says the rule keeps the fishery orderly, stays within court-ordered sharing requirements and meets conservation objectives.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Effective

Sep 15, 2026

How to weigh in: No comment period: this is a final rule.

Puget Sound nonspot shrimp harvest closed in Region 2W

A temporary emergency rule from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, in effect since September 17, 2026, closes Region 2W to nonspot shrimp harvest by Puget Sound shrimp pot license holders. It also sets hard closure dates for all open nonspot shrimp areas, to stay within agreed quotas and seasons. Permanent rules for state commercial shrimp harvest will need to adopt the seasons set in this rule.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Effective

Sep 17, 2026

How to weigh in: No comment period: this is a final rule.

Salmon daily limit cut in Catch Record Card Areas 8-2 and 9

A temporary emergency rule from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, in effect since September 19, 2026, reduces the salmon daily limit in Catch Record Card Areas 8-2 and 9. Recreational coho catches have far exceeded preseason expectations, and the department calls the cut a precaution to meet conservation objectives for coho in the Stillaguamish and Snohomish rivers. There was not enough time to adopt permanent rules.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Effective

Sep 19, 2026

How to weigh in: No comment period: this is a final rule.

One-day gillnet fishery opens in Puget Sound Area 12A

A temporary emergency rule from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, in effect since September 22, 2026, opens a one-day commercial gillnet fishery in Salmon Management and Catch Reporting Area 12A. Summer chum escapement, the number of fish reaching the Quilcene River, reached 1,500, which allows the opening under the summer chum salmon conservation initiative and an in-season comanager agreement. There was not enough time to adopt permanent rules.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Effective

Sep 22, 2026

How to weigh in: No comment period: this is a final rule.

Fishing closed in the lower Deschutes River

A temporary emergency rule from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, in effect since September 22, 2026, closes fishing in the lowest section of the Deschutes River. The rule gives no other reason beyond saying the closure is necessary.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Effective

Sep 22, 2026

How to weigh in: No comment period: this is a final rule.

Sea cucumber harvest closed in District 2-1

A temporary emergency rule from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, in effect since September 21, 2026, closes sea cucumber harvest in District 2-1 immediately to prevent overharvest of the quota. The rule notes that harvestable surpluses of sea cucumbers exist in the districts it specifies. There was not enough time to adopt permanent rules.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Effective

Sep 21, 2026

How to weigh in: No comment period: this is a final rule.

Edmonds public fishing pier exempted from salmon limit cut

A temporary emergency rule from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, in effect since September 22, 2026, exempts the Edmonds public fishing pier from an earlier rule that reduced the salmon daily limit in Catch Record Card Areas 8-2 and 9. The pier was included by mistake. Few public piers are open for salmon year-round under permanent rules, and they are usually exempt from limit cuts because they offer easy access with little effect on fisheries.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Effective

Sep 22, 2026

How to weigh in: No comment period: this is a final rule.

California proposes new forms for declaring imported dead fish and wildlife

This proposed rule from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife would update section 712.5 of Title 14 to add two new declaration forms, one for individuals and one for commercial passenger fishing vessels, and to delete the current Form DFW 901. The forms let people declare fish and wildlife brought into California from out of state, which the department uses to track imports. The department also says the proposal corrects an error in the current form's instructions.

Published

Oct 9, 2026

How to weigh in: No comment deadline is listed; see the document.

Texas proposes changes to alcohol server school rules

This proposed rule from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission would amend seller server school certificate rules, based on recommendations from the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office to eliminate unnecessary or ineffective rules. Background checks would apply only to owners with more than 25 percent interest, executive officers and instructors who interact with students, and schools could meet security requirements with standardized third-party certifications. Applicants for multiple branch schools could file one master application.

Published

Oct 9, 2026

Comments close

Nov 9, 2026

How to weigh in: Comment by November 9, 2026.

Washington updates outdated rules under chapter 434-840

Rules under chapter 434-840 are outdated and do not fully match actual operating procedures, according to this filing from the Washington Secretary of State. The amendments update, correct and clarify procedures, add needed definitions, and minimize requirements the filing calls overreaching. They are in effect from October 3, 2026.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Effective

Oct 3, 2026

How to weigh in: No comment period: this is a final rule.

Washington proposes higher professional licensing fees

This proposed rule from the Washington Department of Licensing would raise and clarify application and license fees for professional licenses, including boxing and wrestling. The department says state law requires its licensing programs to be fully cost self-sufficient, and it wants fee wording that is clearer for customers and the public. It is a proposal and has not been adopted.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Comments close

Oct 27, 2026

How to weigh in: Comment by October 27, 2026.

Washington proposes changes to child welfare financial rules

This proposed rule from the Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families would amend financial and business services rules, including child welfare rules, to comply with a state bill. It is a proposal and has not been adopted.

Published

Oct 7, 2026

Comments close

Oct 27, 2026

How to weigh in: Comment by October 27, 2026.

Federal IT risk ratings fail to fully reflect risk, GAO finds

This final report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed risk ratings that chief information officers (CIOs) give major federal information technology (IT) investments on the IT Dashboard. GAO's own assessments matched the CIO ratings for 27 of 53 investments, showed more risk for 24 and less risk for two. The report says 21 CIO ratings were not updated in a timely manner, and that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has announced steps to replace the Dashboard without giving a timeframe.

Published

Oct 7, 2026