Health & Fitness

Using intercellular calcium waves, rotavirus amplifies its ability to cause disease beyond the cells it directly infects. This is the first virus identified to activate ADP-mediated intercellular calcium waves.

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Researchers have used machine learning, a type of artificial intelligence, to develop a prediction model for the early diagnosis of opioid use disorder.

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Scientists have found that the use of long-acting antipsychotic medication combined with the use of cognitive training in group settings led to improved cognition and increased productivity.

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Researchers used computer-generated models to numerically simulate sneezes in different types of people and determine associations between people's physiological features and how far their sneeze droplets travel and linger in the air. They found that people's features, like a stopped-up nose or a full set of teeth, could increase their potential to spread viruses by affecting how far droplets travel when they sneeze.

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A mutation in the CLCN6 gene is associated with a novel, particularly severe neurodegenerative disorder. Scientists have now analyzed the effect of a point mutation that was found in three unrelated affected children.

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By combing the ocean for antimicrobials, scientists have discovered a new antifungal compound that efficiently targets multi-drug-resistant strains of deadly fungi without toxic side effects in mice.

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Researchers have developed an ultrathin pressure sensor that can be attached directly to the skin. It can measure how fingers interact with objects to produce useful data for medical and technological applications. The sensor has minimal effect on the users' sensitivity and ability to grip objects, and it is resistant to disruption from rubbing. The team also hopes their sensor can be used for the novel task of digitally archiving the skills of craft workers.

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For young people with cystic fibrosis, lung infection with Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, is common and is treated with antibiotics in the hope that this will prevent a decline in lung function. However there has recently been debate over the role S. aureus plays in CF lung disease. Researchers have used a new model of CF lungs which could be used to make better decisions about future use of antibiotics.

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Researchers studied how family history can predict preterm birth.

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Unlike so many other deadly viruses, HIV still lacks a vaccine. The virus has proven especially tricky to prevent with conventional antibodies, in part because it evolves so rapidly in the body. A solution would require coaxing the body into producing a special type of antibody that can act broadly to defeat multiple strains of the virus at once. Scientists have moved closer to attaining that goal with an approach that would rely on genetically engineered immune cells from the patient's body.

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A collaborative research team published an opinion article that addresses the gap in the discovery of new antibiotics.

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Scientists have devised a system that combines robotics and artificial intelligence to fully automate the routine aspects of synthesizing, testing, and optimizing new materials according to fabrication conditions. Their approach can produce and test compounds ten times faster than scientists doing manual work, allowing for the rapid creation of huge shared databases. In turn, the autonomous system and database will be used to discover exotic material properties and new laws of physics.

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Last year, researchers identified the early origins of neural crest cells -- embryonic cells in vertebrates that travel throughout the body and generate many cell types -- in chick embryos. Now the researchers have used a human model to figure out when neural crest cells acquire distinctive molecular and functional attributes.

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A new study finds that lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with an increase in high blood pressure among patients admitted to emergency.

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In a new study, people who spent more time on their phones -- particularly on gaming or social media apps -- were more likely to reject larger, delayed rewards in favor of smaller, immediate rewards.

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Implicit racial attitudes within a community can effectively explain racial disparities seen in rates of COVID-19 in the United States, according to a new study.

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Researchers have discovered that a protein thought to only be involved in the development of neurons in the brain also plays a major role in the development and growth of pancreatic cancer. Their findings demonstrate for the first time how the protein, called Netrin-G1, helps pancreatic cancer cells survive by protecting them from the immune system and supplying them with nutrients.

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Infections with two pathogens pose a serious threat in the clinics. Researchers have developed a technique that provides new insights into this process and can be used as an early warning system.

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Researchers have discovered how the MSL complex responsible for dosage compensation can distinguish the X chromosome from autosomes in flies. A lab used a unique research approach to determine the minimal molecular components essential for recognizing the X chromosome. The study shows that the MSL2 protein and the roX RNA form a gel which 'attaches' the MSL complex to the X chromosome.

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A study found a significant increase in the number of online search queries for 'insomnia' between April and May 2020, when governments across the U.S. and around the world implemented stay-at-home orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Current chemotherapy regimens slow cancer progression and save lives, but these powerful drugs affect both healthy and cancerous cells. Now, researchers have designed DNA-based nanogels that only break down and release their chemotherapeutic contents within cancer cells, minimizing the impacts on normal ones and potentially eliminating painful and uncomfortable side effects.

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A new study of more than 1,200 individuals found that time spent with digital technology during adolescence has little impact on long-term use, suggesting that worries about widespread tech addiction may be overblown. Parental limits on youth tech use had no lasting impact on use in adulthood.

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Researchers want to make it easier to catch diseases earlier in the process, improving patient outlooks and taking some of the load off the medical system.

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Researchers have developed a chip that is powered wirelessly and can be surgically implanted to read neural signals and stimulate the brain with both light and electrical current. The technology has been demonstrated successfully in rats and is designed for use as a research tool.

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Using the power of single-cell analysis, researchers have assessed the effects of age on egg cells (oocytes) in mice, particularly looking to identify genomic and epigenetic factors that relate to reduced developmental competence. The knowledge uncovered by this research provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying egg quality and is relevant to the development of techniques to assess the quality of human egg cells, an area of growing importance as the use of fertility treatments increases.

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The polio vaccines heralded the elimination of polio from the U.S., saving countless children from sudden paralysis and death. In the developing world, however, outbreaks of poliovirus still occur sporadically, an ironic consequence of the polio vaccine itself. A new genetic study of the vaccine poliovirus reveals how this happens in real time.

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An experimental Alzheimer's disease treatment is proving effective at treating some of the most persistent, life-threatening antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Researchers have discovered that the drug called PBT2 is effective at disrupting and killing a class of bacteria - known as Gram-negative bacteria - that cause infections such as pneumonia, bloodstream infections and meningitis.

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Similar to genetic mutations, epigenetic changes, i.e. gene modifications that do not occur on the primary DNA sequence, sometimes arise accidentally in plants and can be transmitted across generations. Using trees as a model, researchers have now shown for the first time that these so-called epimutations accumulate continuously throughout plant development, and that they can be employed as a molecular clock to estimate the age of a tree.

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Immunologists have determined the process driving life-threatening inflammation, lung damage and organ failure in patients with COVID-19, sepsis and other inflammatory disorders suggesting possible treatment using existing drugs.

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