Culture
For more than a decade, Hiranmoy Das, Ph.D., has been investigating how Kruppel-like Factor 2 (KLF2), a gene that codes protein into a specific human chromosome, influences the development of bone and musculoskeletal diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis.
A new assessment tool developed by Kaiser Permanente researchers and physicians helps guide clinical decisions in emergency departments and urgent care centers
PASADENA, Calif. -- A study published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine this month reports on an assessment tool developed by Kaiser Permanente researchers and physicians that helps ensure patients get the right care, when they need it, by accurately predicting the probability that patients with COVID-19 symptoms will experience severe disease or even death.
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich physicists have introduced a new method that allows biological pattern-forming systems to be systematically characterized with the aid of mathematical analysis. The trick lies in the use of geometry to characterize the dynamics.
Simon Fraser University professors Paul Tupper and Caroline Colijn have found that physical distancing is universally effective at reducing the spread of COVID-19, while social bubbles and masks are more situation-dependent.
The researchers developed a model to test the effectiveness of measures such as physical distancing, masks or social bubbles when used in various settings.
Their paper was published Nov. 19 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
of the United States of America (PNAS).
For COVID-19 Surveillance, Test Frequency and Turnaround Time Are Paramount, Modeling Suggests
There is growing evidence that adipose tissue plays a key role in the aggravation of COVID-19. One of the theories under investigation is that fat cells (adipocytes) act as a reservoir for SARS-CoV-2 and increase viral load in obese or overweight individuals. Scientists also suspect that during infection fat cells release into the bloodstream substances that boost the inflammatory reaction triggered by the virus in the organism.
If songbirds could appear on "The Masked Singer" reality TV competition, zebra finches would likely steal the show. That's because they can rapidly memorize the signature sounds of at least 50 different members of their flock, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley.
In findings recently published in the journal Science Advances, these boisterous, red-beaked songbirds, known as zebra finches, have been shown to pick one another out of a crowd (or flock) based on a particular peer's distinct song or contact call.
VIRTUAL MEETING (CST), November 22, 2020 -- Wear a mask. Stay six feet apart. Avoid large gatherings. As the world awaits a safe and effective vaccine, controlling the COVID-19 pandemic hinges on widespread compliance with these public health guidelines. But as colder weather forces people to spend more time indoors, blocking disease transmission will become more challenging than ever.
VIRTUAL MEETING (CST), November 22, 2020 -- Eric Hester has spent the last three years chasing icebergs. A mathematics graduate student at the University of Sydney in Australia, Hester and researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts are studying how the shape of an iceberg shapes the way it melts.
"Ice deforms as it melts," said physical oceanographer Claudia Cenedese, who has worked with Hester on the project. "It makes these very weird shapes, especially on the bottom, like the way the wind shapes a mountain on a longer time scale."
Structuring negotiations between insurers and providers, standardizing fee-for-service payments and negotiating prices can lower the United States' health care spending by slowing the rate at which healthcare prices increase, according to a Rutgers study.
The study, published in the journal Health Affairs, examined how other high-income countries that use a fee-for-service model regulate health care costs.
WeChat group of chest pain center for patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction
In a new publication from Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications; DOI https://doi.org/10.15212/CVIA.2019.0590, Liu Yue, Qin Zhu-Yun, Yang Xin, Tang Rong and Gao Ling-Yun from the The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China consider the use of a social media platform (WeChat) to provide faster treatment and improve prognoses for a group of patients with acute ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. -- Before the COVID-19 pandemic, information about the dangers of vaping was emerging. To investigate the potentially serious health and respiratory implications of vaping, Mayo Clinic researchers wanted to better understand the factors influencing vaping in the community. They were ready to launch a survey of young adults in rural and urban areas when COVID-19 shifted the focus of this survey.
In a new publication from Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications; DOI https://doi.org/10.15212/CVIA.2019.1262, Wen-Yuan Ding, Jia-Min Li, Fei Zheng, Li-Li Wang, Xin-Yi Wei and Guo-Hua Li from Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Ji'nan, China, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ji'nan, China and Shandong First Medical University, Tai'an, China consider the challenges of treating acute myocardial infarction due to variant angina.
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have identified how the architecture of the cell nucleus can change gene activity in plants. This discovery reveals fundamental knowledge about genome regulation and points towards future methods for potentially manipulating the expression of many genes simultaneously.
Thanks to modern medicine, humans tend to live much longer than before. Unfortunately, this also opens a wider window to develop chronic diseases with late onset, such as neurodegenerative diseases. Despite considerable research being devoted toward developing a cure for diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, there are currently no effective treatments.