Researchers in America have been studying famotidine, the active ingredient in Pepcid, as a potential treatment for COVID-19.

The South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety have approved a local trial to evaluate nafamostat’s effectiveness in COVID-19 patients.

Neurological symptoms are common in patients with COVID-19, particularly if they have a severe infection, research published in JAMA Neurology suggests.

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Once thought of as pillars of monogamy in the animal kingdom, it appears the flame of love can burn out for swans as well. For the first time in 40 years, after following some 4 thousand swans at a reserve in the UK, researchers discovered one formerly

Researchers have used abundant and inexpensive materials to create a tandem solar cell that can store solar energy as hydrogen for use at any time of day.

Virginia Tech researchers figure out how to extract large quantities of hydrogen from any plant which could drive down fuel cell costs.

It tells you when to get up and to sit down, and checks up on you too.

Forget plugging in your phone to charge, soon the battery could stay topped off from swipes and typing.

As reported in the Otago Daily Times, the noticeable impacts of climate change on area coral reefs and a recent starfish outbreak are not as bad as previously thought due to noticeable changes in the Fijian lifestyle. From

Honeybees survey vast tracts of land during their communal foraging. They share their best finds in a waggle dance, which new research has turned into a powerful tool for assessing ecosystem health.

The autonomous robot allows scientists to more safely study polar enviroments and also collects valuable information on ice conditions for climate research.

Few other animals are known to be intrinsically motivated to assist others in need.

The device made from household objects could replace AA batteries for powering small electronics.

Record droughts, falling water tables and the rapid depletion of aquifers have helped make desalination, a process once considered impractical and too expensive, a viable technology -- at least in some places. As such, there has been a rash of stories --

Institut Marquès

Heavy rains may have put pressure on the Hawaiian volcano’s underground plumbing, setting off its major 2018 eruption

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

Belgian waffles may be about to become more environmentally friendly.

Melatonin is a hormone known to promote sleep. But, have you ever wondered how melatonin helps to promote sleep? Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine have discovered how melatonin suppresses the neurons in the brain that keeps you awake and alert. The findings of the study, which is published in the Journal of Pineal Research, could lead to new therapies for those who suffer from insomnia.

"We as a society are losing sleep because we are working too hard, and it's causing a variety of health concerns," said Mahesh Thakkar, lead author of the study. "We often don't even think about sleep or consider it important. However, there is nothing more important than sleep. We need to focus on therapies that can help you have quality sleep, not just sleep."

Using a mouse model, Thakkar's research found that melatonin infused in the brain at dark -- when the mice are awake and active -- increased sleep and reduced wakefulness by suppressing specific neurons that stimulate the brain to wake up.

Thakkar also discovered that blocking melatonin receptors in the brain at bedtime significantly increased wakefulness. The experiments singled out one receptor, MT1, as the mechanism via which melatonin acts to inhibit the specific orexin neurons that wake you up. This discovery could help lead to medications that target only the MT1 receptor instead of multiple receptors, which could lead to fewer side effects for those who take sleep-promoting drugs.

"Melatonin has been used as a sleep drug for many years, but people didn't know how it worked," Thakkar said. "Our research suggests that if you target the melatonin MT1 receptor, you will get the most sleep with minimal side effects."

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from PTI)

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Courting lovers by sending flowers is a thing of the past, for teens and adults nowadays. They have found a rather 'sexy' way to lure the object of their affection -- 'sexting' i.e. sending nude or semi-nude selfies of oneself to a boyfriend, girlfriend, crush or casual acquaintance from smartphones. This is also termed by some researchers as a 'sexual selfie'.

We look at factors that have led to this fast-emerging trend...

Representational picture

'Sext messages' and 'sexual selfies' popular with most adults
A recent survey revealed that, almost half of all adults - or 47 per cent - send sexy text messages or selfies to their partners. And one in nine people ‘sexts’ their partner every day, a new survey has found.

But the poll of 2,000 adults conducted by mobile phone experts found that one in 10 have mistakenly texted an inappropriate message to a friend or family member.

The poll also found almost one in five phone users are risking their relationship by secretly sexting people other than their partner.

Girls as young as 14 send sexy texts and selfies!
A new study has shed light on how an increasing number of girls in their early teens are resorting to sexting and sending explicit selfies to their boyfriends.

The study of 14 to 15-year-old girls revealed that four out of 10 did not find anything wrong in taking a topless selfie.

And one in six underage girls did not see anything inappropriate about posing fully nude for others.

Celeb nude photo scandals a major reason
Embarrassing and cautionary tales of celebrities caught in sexting and nude photo scandals are not dissuading the general public from such irrational behaviour, a new report has revealed.

According to the report, 43 percent of respondents to an Internet survey of 1,500 women between the ages of 18-40 admitted to sexting, which is the sending of sexually explicit text or email messages.

Given that so many stars like Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Lawrence, Blake Lively, Vanessa Hudgens, Miley Cyrus, Lily Allen, Khloe Kardashian and many others have been involved in sexting scandals in recent times, have those stars made it seem okay to be sending nude photos and sexually explicit messages?

'Sexting' termed worst technology jargon!
The term ‘sexting’ has been chosen as the most irritating phrase to enter lexicons in recent years. However, selfie as a term has been appreciated and even included in day-to-day conversation.

A UK tech magazine, which conducted the poll, a few years ago, awarded ‘sexting’ its ‘Unspeakable Award’ for the worst new piece of technology jargon.

Sexting teens are not offenders
According to experts, to consider labeling a teen a sex offender because of a sexting incident -- a label that will stick for life -- defies common sense.

A Canadian researcher presented a paper on children's sexuality, defending the practice as a modern variation on "playing doctor or spin-the-bottle."

The expert argued that such online activities are safer than traditional sexual games because there is no immediate physical contact and thus are less likely to lead to pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.

It's not the same as face-to-face sexual relationships
The way people get involved in and develop sexual relationships with others has changed dramatically over the last 20 years due to the increased availability of devices such as computers, video cams and cell phones.

But at the end of the day there is no substitute for physical, face-to-face contact in our sexual relationships, according to a new study.

[Source: Research & Innovation] Armed with a novel biosensor that uses acoustic waves to detect tumour DNA, an EU-funded project could increase the precision and affordability of cancer diagnosis and help make personalised treatment a reality for more patients.

CDC researchers have developed new tools using GPS technology and PDAs to help prevent the spread of malaria in Africa, according to a study published

Conducted electrical weapons (CEWs), best known by the brand name Taser - have proved to be a generally safe and effective way for law-enforcement officers

Scientists, physicians in surgery and anesthesia and informatics experts created machine-learning models for each surgical specialty and individual surgeons

Current regulations for the smartphone apps to spot skin cancers does not provide adequate protection to the public, said researchers. The findings of the study are published in The BMJ.

Researchers at The Rockefeller University in New York said they discovered two promising new antibiotics by sifting through the human microbiome with the help of a software.

The growth and reproduction of yeast and E.coli suggests that alien life could be thriving in some giant exoplanets.

Unlike elephants, these giant ice age sloths roamed across the earth's surface in two legs around 20,000 years ago.

Scientists co-operate on search for Covid-19 origins despite charges Beijing is withholding data

Paper released by UK regulators homes in on tactic known as latency arbitrage

Twitter is making it possible for developers and researchers to study the public conversation around COVID-19 in real time with an update to its API platform. The company is introducing a new COVID-19 stream endpoint to those participating in Twitter Developer Labs — a program that offers access to new API endpoints and other features […]

Vaping is a controversial habit: it certainly has its downsides, but anecdotally it’s a fantastic smoking cessation aid. The thing is, until behavioral scientists know a bit more about who does it, when, how much and other details, its use will continue to be something of a mystery. That’s where the PuffPacket comes in. Designed […]

A team of researchers from Apple and Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute have presented a system for embedded AIs to learn by listening to noises in their environment without the need for up-front training data or without placing a huge burden on the user to supervise the learning process. The overarching goal is for […]

None of the rats tested at Philadelphia's Wistar Institute contracted Zika after getting the vaccine. It is the best result of a Zika vaccine to date, and it is the same being tested in the first human trials.

Researchers from the Queensland University of Technology have found a way to kill the Zika virus using compounds found in an Australian native plant.

Professor Bryan Fry, from the University of Queensland's Venom Evolution Lab, took a team of researchers to Indonesia to study slow lorises.

Head of the FDA drug research arm, Dr Janet Woodcock, warned in a webinar that if every potential coronavirus drug is trialled separately, we could run out of scientists to run them the studies.

Yale University will begin a clinical trial to test the safety and effectiveness of asthma drug ibudilast after it was found to reduce lung inflammation caused by coronavirus in mouse models.

A new study from the University of Texas at Austin found that antibodies produced by llamas bind to proteins found on the coronavirus and prevent them from infecting cells.

Scientists in Italy claim antibodies made against the virus in mice were able to kill the infection in human cells, but British researchers said the discovery was routine in vaccine development.

The experimental vaccine being trialed by scientists at the University of Queensland is already generating immunity levels higher than in recovered coronavirus patients, researchers said.

The concepts brought to life by UK firm LeaseFetcher - which include a behemoth suspended beneath two giant corkscrews - were all patented.

A group of university researchers have partnered with NASA to build the technology for a self-sustaining, zero-waste human settlement on Mars, mostly running on recycled materials.

According to a report from Forbes , researchers in charge of the team of robots, which have already begun testing samples, say that they're conducting tests on about 200 samples per day.

Kernel, has unveiled two new devices according to a report by Bloomberg , both of which are about the size of a helmet. Those devices can both see and record brain activity.

Engineers at North Carolina State University have achieved a new record for the fastest moving soft robot, using silicon bands to mimc the elastic running motions of a cheetah.

A study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison wrapped the e-bandage around the chests of rats who had a cut on their backs. This caused the wound to heal in just three days versus 12 in others.

The research, which was published in Current Biology, is aimed at studying about how the reproduction process evolved in the plants over the years.

The project aims to gather information about the spread of coronavirus, assessing the emergency response and tackling the misinformation during the crisis.

They found almost 200 recurrent genetic mutations of the new coronavirus - SARS-CoV-2 - that show how it may be evolving as it spreads in people.