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Tulane researchers develop test that can detect childhood tuberculosis a year ahead
Researchers at Tulane University School of Medicine have developed a highly sensitive blood test that can find traces of the bacteria that causes tuberculosis (TB) in infants a year before they develop the deadly disease, according to a study published in BMC Medicine.
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BU study: Racial disparities in COVID-19 mortality wider than reported
More than a year into the pandemic, the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 among racial and ethnic minorities in the US has been well documented. But a new study by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) reveals that previous research has underestimated the true extent of racial disparities in COVID-19 deaths--as well as the extent to which structural racism contributes to these deaths.
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Experts call for better design of early drug trials for Alzheimer's and related dementias
An expert panel convened by the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation and The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration provides guidance on best practices for the design of early drug trials for neurodegenerative dementias. Their guidance was published in the May 18, 2021 issue of Neurology®.
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Environmental concerns propel research into marine biofuels
A global effort to reduce sulfur and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships has researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and other Department of Energy facilities investigating the potential use of marine biofuels.
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Scientists map gene changes underlying brain and cognitive decline in aging
Alzheimer's disease shares some key similarities with healthy aging, according to a new mathematical model described today in eLife.
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Diabetes-prevention program supports addition of years to average lifespan
In a new study, West Virginia University School of Public Health researchers found that taking part in a year-long diabetes-prevention program supports the addition of 4.4 quality-adjusted life-years to participants' average lifespan.
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New material could create 'neurons' and 'synapses' for new computers
Classic computers use binary values (0/1) to perform. By contrast, our brain cells can use more values to operate, making them more energy-efficient than computers. This is why scientists are interested in neuromorphic (brain-like) computing. Physicists from the University of Groningen (the Netherlands) have used a complex oxide to create elements comparable to the neurons and synapses in the brain using spins, a magnetic property of electrons.
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New testing platform for COVID-19 is an efficient and accurate alternative to gold-standard RT-qPCR tests
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain shortages of reagents and test kits have limited the rapid expansion of clinical testing needed to contain the virus. Investigators have developed and validated a new microchip real-time technology platform that uses 10-fold less reagents compared to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-approved tube-based RT-PCR tests, and reports results in as little as 30 minutes. Its accuracy was 100 percent predictive in clinical samples, investigators explain in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.
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Conn. medication-assisted opioid treatment programs retain patients at higher rates
According to a new study, Connecticut's MAT programs have higher-than-average patient retention rates - more people who enter Connecticut's programs stay in the program to completion. But the study also found that younger patients and patients who reported cocaine or crack use in addition to opioid dependence had a harder time sticking with the MAT treatment program.
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How Russia can protect its rights in the Artic
Climate change-induced ice melting in the Arctic has led to contradictions in the assessment of Russia's rights in the region. As ice cover diminishes, Russia may be losing its influence on the territories that it has historically developed. There are alternative legally valid ways to establish fair borders, which are described by researchers of the HSE Institute of Ecology in their paper 'Prospects for the evolution of the system of baselines in the Arctic'.
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Iran's groundwater depletion is reaching crisis levels, warn Concordia researchers
More than three quarters of Iran's land is under extreme groundwater overdraft, where the rate of human uptake is higher than the rate of natural recharge. This is according to a new study led by Concordia researchers published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports. Mismanagement by the country's authorities is exacerbating existing strains on the semi-arid country's aquifers by an inefficient agriculture industry. Without urgent action, they note, the country faces multiple national crises.
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Socioeconomic status non-factor in worse COVID-19 for racial, ethnic groups in Twin Cities
A research team, led by the University of Minnesota Medical School, found that regardless of socioeconomic status, Twin Cities residents of underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds endure worse COVID-19 outcomes compared to people who are white.
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How a virtual program may help kids get ready for kindergarten
With pandemic lockdowns still in place last summer, The Ohio State University couldn't host its in-person Summer Success Program to help preschoolers from low-income families prepare for kindergarten.Staff and teachers quickly pivoted to a fully virtual program, but they were worried: Could this really work with 4- and 5-year-olds who had no previous experience with preschool?A new study suggested it did.
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People who have had dengue are twice as likely to develop symptomatic COVID-19
This is the main finding of a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.The authors analyzed blood samples collected in a town in the Brazilian Amazon before and after the first wave of the pandemic to detect the presence of antibodies against dengue virus and SARS-CoV-2.
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Peatlands pose complex, poorly understood risk for similar fires, researchers warn
Five years after a disastrous wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alberta, researchers are warning that the complex role of peatlands, a factor critical to projecting the risk and behaviour of future fires, is missing from the forecasting model.
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Time to capitalize on COVID-19 disruptions to lock-in greener behaviors
New analysis suggests that as lockdown measures ease there is a small window of opportunity in which to shift people's habits towards pro-environmental choices.
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White roofs and more green areas would mitigate the effects of heat waves in cities
A study by the ICTA-UAB evaluates the effectiveness of different urban solutions to reduce the temperature in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona
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Preventive interventions can improve mental health outcomes in children, teens and young adults
Offering interventions to young people in the general community can prevent the emergence of certain mental health disorders, according to the first comprehensive systematic review to address this question. The results appear in the May/June issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry, which is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
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Hygiene rules are also effective against new coronavirus variants
The mutant Sars Cov-2 viruses B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 are classified as "variants of concern", because they are more easily transmitted than the wild type virus or because our immune system does not recognise them as easily. A research team from Bochum, Jena, Nuremberg and Duisburg-Essen studied how the so-called British and South African variants react to disinfection and cleaning and how long they remain infectious on different surfaces.
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Primary school children have long-term mental health benefit from counselling in school
Researchers analysed data on 740 children who took up one-to-one counselling. The research, published in European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, used data from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) completed by teachers and parents. One year later, this data showed that the children who spoke to counsellors had considerably better mental health than a comparative group of children who had poor mental health yet had not seen a counsellor.
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