Culture
Osaka, Japan - The ongoing global pandemic has created an urgent need for rapid tests that can diagnose the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the pathogen that causes COVID-19, and distinguish it from other respiratory viruses. Now, researchers from Japan have demonstrated a new system for single-virion identification of common respiratory pathogens using a machine learning algorithm trained on changes in current across silicon nanopores. This work may lead to fast and accurate screening tests for diseases like COVID-19 and influenza.
Tohoku University scientists have found that human editing enzymes are likely behind a type of mutation in the COVID-19 virus that stimulates the release of pro-inflammatory molecules called cytokines by immune cells in the body. The finding, published in the journal Scientific Reports, is important for understanding how the virus is evolving.
Osaka, Japan -- It's a fact of life that things break down. And when they do, whether it's your car, the roof, or a blocked artery, there are people who we can call to help with the repairs. A lesser known fact of life is that DNA also regularly breaks down and needs to be repaired. Researchers led by Noriyuki Sugo at Osaka University in Japan have been studying natural DNA repairmen in the developing brain. In a new study, they show that an enzyme known as Polβ prevents breaks in the DNA of specific neurons in the brain's hippocampus soon after birth.
Specialized reflective panels located on top of buildings and deployed widely across a city could significantly improve network coverage, shows a KAUST modeling study.
Next-generation cellular networks (5G and beyond) will provide communication coverage to wider rural areas, while improving data exchange rates to meet rapidly rising demand. In urban areas in particular, obstacles in the form of buildings and other structures can impede wireless communication links, reducing mobile device signals and slowing data exchange.
The action of metformin, the classic drug used to treat diabetes by stabilizing blood sugar, can be blocked by a molecule from the bacteria in our intestines, a University of Gothenburg study shows.
Metformin is the primary treatment option for type 2 diabetes, but there are major variations in how individuals respond to this drug. In some people it lowers blood glucose (sugar) and delays the course of the disease, while in others its effects are less favorable.
Naturally occurring compounds in ash leaves could be linked to susceptibility or resistance of individual trees to the fungal disease ash dieback (ADB).
Scientists at the University of Warwick and University of Exeter have identified a group of chemicals present in ash leaves which could be used as biomarkers to look for susceptibility or resistance to ADB.
Identifying resistant trees and breeding from them could help populate the UK with ADB resistant ash.
More investment and important changes are needed to boost UK testing services, to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and build a diagnostics service that will head off future UK health challenges, says a meeting report* published by the Academy of Medical Sciences today [Wednesday 11 November 2020].
HANOVER, N.H. - Tuesday, November 10, 2020 - A "molecular volume knob" regulating electrical signals in the brain helps with learning and memory, according to a Dartmouth study.
The molecular system controls the width of electrical signals that flow across synapses between neurons.
The finding of the control mechanism, and the identification of the molecule that regulates it, could help researchers in their search for ways to manage neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy.
Hearing loss is the second most common disability in the United States and comes with it a higher risk for being diagnosed with significant health conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, dementia and depression, as well as higher health care cost and use. The Early Auditory Referral-Primary Care (EAR-PC) study was designed to address the lack of data about hearing loss screening.
Primary Care Teams Test New Tool to Prescribe Referrals for Community Health and Social Services
Family physicians provide the majority of health care for underserved rural and urban populations in the U.S. and treat a more diverse population of patients than any other medical specialty. They have an important role to play in helping to mitigate health inequities by connecting patients to community-based wellness and self-care resources such as food and nutrition supports, weight management and smoking cessation to support them in preventing and managing cardiovascular disease.
Under-Insured Transgender Americans Turn to Riskier, Non-Licensed Sources for Gender-Affirming Hormones
New Analysis Finds Lung Cancer Screening Reduces Rates of Lung Cancer-Specific Death
Representation of Female Authors in Family Medicine Academic Journals is Trending Upward
Most women are receiving fewer than half the services recommended during their comprehensive postpartum medical checkup, according to a study by University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers.
"These findings underscore the importance of efforts to reconceptualize postpartum care to ensure women have access to a range of supports to manage their health during this sensitive period," concludes the study, published Nov. 10 in JAMA Network Open. "There is substantial room to improve the delivery of postpartum care."
Researchers from HEC Montreal and York University published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines how people who attain "prestigious" posts in high-profile organizations can manage their professional brands to promote career mobility.
The study, forthcoming in the Journal of Marketing, is titled "Working It: Managing Professional Brands in Prestigious Posts" and is authored by Marie-Agnès Parmentier and Eileen Fischer.