v

GW survey evaluates influence of social media in attracting patients

A recent survey from the George Washington University suggests that patients do not take social media into consideration when looking for a dermatologist and recommend that practitioners should use social media as a tool in engaging and educating patients.




v

The Lancet Rheumatology: Small observational study of patients with severe COVID-19 treated with the arthritis drug anakinra finds clinical improvements

The first study to report use of the rheumatoid arthritis drug anakinra to treat COVID-19 patients found that high-dose anakinra was safe and was associated with respiratory improvements and reduced signs of cytokine storm [1] in 72% (21/29) of patients, according to results from patients studied for 21 days (enrolled from 17 to 27 March 2020) in a Milan hospital, published in The Lancet Rheumatology journal.




v

Key failings in government's approach to COVID-19 preparations and emergency response

The UK government made key failings in their strategic preparations and emergency response to coronavirus and this, in turn, undermined the NHS's ability to cope with the crisis.These are the findings recently published in a research paper for the Journal of Risk Research by academics from Cass Business School, Glasgow Caledonian University, Vlerick Business School, and Nottingham University Business School.




v

Treatment for Diverticulitis -- updated ASCRS Guidelines published in Diseases of the Colon & Rectum

Reflecting research-driven changes in clinical practice, a revised set of evidence-based recommendations for the medical and surgical treatment of left-sided colonic diverticulitis has been published in Diseases of the Colon & Rectum (DC&R), the official journal of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS). The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.




v

Traffic pollution drops in lockdown -- but other risks revealed by Manchester experts

Traffic pollution for most parts of the UK is plummeting thanks to the COVID-19 lockdown but more urban ozone -- a dangerous air pollutant which can cause airway inflammation in humans -- is probably being generated, say experts from The University of Manchester. Observations in cities across the UK show marked decreases in nitrogen oxides but with corresponding increases in ozone during lockdown.




v

Immunity of recovered COVID-19 patients could cut risk of expanding economic activity

New modeling of coronavirus behavior suggests that an intervention strategy based on shield immunity could reduce the risk of allowing the higher levels of human interaction needed to support expanded economic activity.




v

Stroke doctors establish best practices to protect against COVID-19

To keep patients and health-care providers safe from COVID-19, while providing urgent treatment to stroke patients, extra precautions must be taken, according to new guidelines published in the journal Stroke.




v

Loyola Medicine neurologist calls for broad changes in stroke care during COVID-19

Broad modifications to current standards for treating acute stroke patients during the COVID-19 pandemic may be needed to preserve health care resources, limit disease spread and ensure optimal care, according to a Loyola Medicine neurologist.




v

Editorial: US healthcare must take a more proactive approach to prepare for future disasters

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed major deficiencies and inequities in the US healthcare system, shining a spotlight on improvements that must be made to steel the country for future disasters, argues Maia.




v

Prediction tool shows how forest thinning may increase Sierra Nevada snowpack

Thinning the Sierra Nevada forest by removing trees by hand or using heavy machinery is one of the few tools available to manage forests. However, finding the best way to thin forests by removing select trees to maximize the forest's benefits for water quantity, water quality, wildfire risk and wildlife habitat remains a challenge for resource managers.




v

Scientists measured electrical conductivity of pure interfacial water

Skoltech scientists in collaboration with researchers from the University of Stuttgart, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and the Russian Quantum Center achieved the first systematic experimental measurements of the electrical conductivity of pure interfacial water, hence producing new results significantly extending our knowledge of interfacial water.




v

Olanzapine may help control nausea, vomiting in patients with advanced cancer

Olanzapine, a generic drug used to treat nervous, emotional and mental conditions, also may help patients with advanced cancer successfully manage nausea and vomiting unrelated to chemotherapy. These are the findings of a study published Thursday, May 7, 2020 in JAMA Oncology.




v

Gemini gets lucky and takes a deep dive into Jupiter's clouds

Researchers using a technique known as 'lucky imaging' with the Gemini North telescope on Hawaii's Maunakea have collected some of the highest resolution images of Jupiter ever obtained from the ground. These images are part of a multi-year joint observing program with the Hubble Space Telescope in support of NASA's Juno mission.




v

By the third day most with COVID-19 lose sense of smell

The loss of the sense of smell and taste are early indicators of possible COVID-19 infection along with symptoms of respiratory distress. These prognostic markers might assist in determining use of antiviral treatments currently being used and tested on COVID-19 patients.




v

Dendrimers finally have what it takes to break into the laser scene

A team including researchers from the University of Tsukuba has produced a family of dendrimers that form single-crystals and can harvest non-polarized light and transform it into polarized emission. The dendrimer crystals are both optically and mechanically stable to optical pumping, making them the first example of a crystalline material combining dendrimer properties and laser performance. The crystals are expected to have numerous applications in the field of laser optics, for example in displays.




v

Dearth of medical resources in Africa for COVID-19 reminiscent of early HIV/AIDS pandemic

'We have seen this before.' Global health scholars have issued a clarion call about the needless loss of life expected because of a foreseeable prospect of 'slow and inadequate access to supplies' to control COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa. They say what is unfolding now is similar to when lifesaving diagnostics and treatments came to the region long after they were available elsewhere.




v

Controlling quantumness: Simulations reveal details about how particles interact

A recent study at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University has described new states that can be found in super-cold atom experiments, which could have applications for quantum technology.




v

Ancient DNA paints genetic portrait of Andes civilizations

An international team of researchers including the University of Adelaide, has completed the first large-scale study of DNA belonging to ancient humans of the central Andes in South America and found early genetic differences between groups of nearby regions, and surprising genetic continuity over thousands of years.




v

New invisibility concept and miniaturization of photonic circuits using ultrafast laser

Thanks to its unique three-dimensional manufacturing capacity, ultrafast laser writing is a prime candidate to meet the growing demand for the miniaturization of photonic circuitry, e.g., for scaling up optical quantum computers capacity. Towards this goal, scientists from Canada discovered a phenomenon related to the material electronic resonance that allows a much greater miniaturization of the laser written devices. Surprisingly, the new phenomenon allows other intriguing applications such as a new concept of invisibility.




v

How herpes simplex virus can evade the immune response to infect the brain

A research team has discovered a molecular mechanism that helps Herpes simplex virus (HSV1) evade the innate immune system and infect the brain causing a rare disease with high mortality. The study from Aarhus University, University of Oxford, and University of Gothenburg, led by first author Chiranjeevi Bodda in Søren Paludan's lab, will be published May 8 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM).




v

Pangolins may possess evolutionary advantage against coronavirus

Pangolins lack two genes that function to sound the alarm when a virus enters the body, triggering an immune response in most other mammals. The findings from the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, are significant because, while the exotic animals can be carriers of coronavirus, they appear able to tolerate it through some other unknown mechanism. Understanding how pangolins are able to survive coronavirus may point to possible treatment options for humans.




v

New antigen test for detecting COVID-19 could help triage patients during the pandemic

A new antigen test for detecting COVID-19 can return results within 15 minutes. Researchers who evaluated the assay, which was developed by a biotech company in Belgium, say it could help with patient diagnostics in areas hardest hit by the pandemic. While not as sensitive as tests that use viral RNA to detect the presence of an antigen, the COVID-19 Ag Respi-Strip test could be a useful tool in slowing the spread of the virus.




v

Newly discovered mechanism can explain increased risk of dementia

Millions of people around the world use acid suppressants called proton pump inhibitors for conditions like heartburn, gastritis and stomach ulcers. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now report that how the long-term use of these drugs could increase the risk of developing dementia. Their results are published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia.




v

How does the brain link events to form a memory? Study reveals unexpected mental processes

The brain has a powerful ability to remember and connect events separated in time. And now, in a new study in mice published today in Neuron, scientists at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute have shed light on how the brain can form such enduring links.




v

Prehistoric sea creatures evolved pebble-shaped teeth to crush shellfish

Ichthyosaurs were marine reptiles during the time of the dinosaurs, and scientists don't know much about their ancestry. But by CT-scanning the fossil of one of the first ichthyosaurs, scientists discovered pebble-shaped teeth hidden in its short snout. These strange teeth, probably used for crushing the shells of snails and clam-like bivalves, help illuminate the ways that early ichthyosaurs filled different roles in Triassic marine ecosystems.




v

Computer vision helps SLAC scientists study lithium ion batteries

New machine learning methods bring insights into how lithium ion batteries degrade, and show it's more complicated than many thought.




v

Disproportionate burden of COVID-19 for immigrants in the Bronx, New York

The authors explain why COVID-19 presents a greater burden for immigrant communities and this article advocates for a more equitable health care system.




v

Sea level could rise by more than 1 meter by 2100 if emission targets are not met

An international study led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) scientists found that the global mean sea-level rise could exceed 1 meter by 2100 and 5 meters by 2300 if global targets on emissions are not achieved.




v

Canadian study finds temperature, latitude not associated with COVID-19 spread

Temperature and latitude do not appear to be associated with the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to a study of many countries published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), but school closures and other public health measures are having a positive effect.




v

KIST-CUK research team develops vaccine platform applicable to various viruses

MERS, which struck South Korea in a 2015 outbreak, was caused by a coronavirus--the same family of viruses that is responsible for COVID-19. Recently, a Korean research team announced that it had developed a new vaccine platform using RNA-based adjuvants for the MERS coronavirus. The research team successfully conducted an experiment on nonhuman primates. It is expected that the new vaccine platform will soon be applicable to the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, an urgent global health priority.




v

Scientists have created new nanocomposite from gold and titanium oxide

ITMO University researchers together with their colleagues from France and the USA have demonstrated how a femtosecond laser can be used to tune the structure and nanocomposite properties for titanium dioxide films filled with gold nanoparticles.




v

More selective elimination of leukemia stem cells and blood stem cells

Hematopoietic stem cells from a healthy donor can help patients suffering from acute leukemia. However, the side effects of therapies are often severe. A group of researchers led by the University of Zurich have now shown how human healthy and cancerous hematopoietic stem cells can be more selectively eliminated using immunotherapy instead of chemotherapy in mice. The aim is to test the new immunotherapy in humans as soon as possible.




v

Newly discovered cell type plays crucial role in immune response to respiratory infections

With a discovery that could rewrite the immunology textbooks, an international group of scientists, including the teams of Bart Lambrecht, Martin Guilliams, Hamida Hammad, and Charlotte Scott (all from the VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research) identified a new type of antigen-presenting immune cell.




v

Our pupil moves to the rhythm of the environment

Regular processes in the environment improve our eyesight.




v

NTU Singapore scientists develop sustainable way to extract chitin from prawn shells

Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a green way to create chitin, by using two forms of food waste - prawn shells and discarded fruit - and fermenting them.




v

Better antibiotic dosing could save lives in ICU

More lives could be saved in intensive care units around the world if new antibiotic guidelines designed by The University of Queensland are adopted.




v

Like a molecular knob: That is how a gene controls the electrical activity of the brain

Its name is Foxg1, it is a gene, and its unprecedented role is the protagonist of the discovery just published on the journal Cerebral Cortex. Foxg1 was already known for being a "master gene" able to coordinate the action of hundreds of other genes. As this new study reports, the "excitability" of neurons, namely their ability to respond to stimuli, communicating between each other and carrying out all their tasks, also depends on this gene.




v

Computer modeling reveals behavior of individual lipid molecules

Lipids are essential building blocks of cell membranes, which control the exchange of substances and energy between a cell and its environment. Developed at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, a new open-source software tool PCAlipids aims to analyze lipid behavior.




v

Chemistry breakthrough could speed up drug development

Scientists have successfully developed a new technique to reliably grow crystals of organic soluble molecules from nanoscale droplets, unlocking the potential of accelerated new drug development.




v

How to manipulate light on the nanoscale over wide frequency ranges

An international team has discovered an effective method for controlling the frequency of confined light at the nanoscale in the form of phonon polaritons (light coupled to vibrations in the crystal). The results have now been published in Nature Materials.




v

Perspective: Rapid repurposing of drugs for COVID-19

Given the rapid spread of COVID-19 and its relatively high mortality, filling the gap for coronavirus-specific drugs is urgent.




v

Perspective: Rapid COVID-19 vaccine development

When seeking the fastest pathway to a vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), defining the stakes and potential hurdles is critical, says Barney Graham in this Perspective.




v

USF researchers find human-driven pollution alters the environment even underground

The Monte Conca cave system in Sicily is showing signs of being altered by pollution from above.




v

International research improves quality of CT scan imagery

Computerized tomography (CT) is one of the most effective medical tests for analysing the effects of many illnesses, including COVID-19. An international team has developed a new method that improves the quality of the images obtained from CT scans. The algorithm, tested on simulated data, enables them to distinguish different body's tissue types better and opens the door to lowering the doses of radiation to which patients are exposed during this type of test.




v

The Lancet: New triple antiviral drug combination shows early promise for treating COVID-19 in phase 2 randomized trial

A two-week course of antiviral therapy with interferon beta-1b plus lopinavir-ritonavir and ribavirin, started within 7 days of showing COVID-19 symptoms, is safe and more effective at reducing the duration of viral shedding than lopinavir-ritonavir alone in patients with mild to moderate illness, according to the first randomized trial of this triple combination therapy involving 127 adults (aged 18 and older) from six public hospitals in Hong Kong.




v

COVID-19 and the role of tissue engineering

Tissue engineering has a unique set of tools and technologies for developing preventive strategies, diagnostics, and treatments that can play an important role during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.




v

Discovered a multilayer haze system on Saturn's Hexagon

The most extensive system of haze layers ever observed in the solar system have been discovered and characterised on the planet Saturn.




v

Understanding the impact of COVID-19 in pets and livestock

A new paper identifies the critical need for research on the ability of the COVID-19 virus to infect certain animal species, the transmissibility of infection between humans and those animals, and the impact infection could have on food security and the economy.




v

Stroke evaluations drop by nearly 40% during COVID-19 pandemic

A study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found that stroke evaluations fell by nearly 40% during a period of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that many stroke patients are not seeking potentially life-saving medical treatment.




v

Neighborhood and cognitive performance in middle-age: Does racial residential segregation matter?

A study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health found that black subjects who were exposed to highly segregated neighborhoods in young adulthood exhibited worse performance in cognitive skills in mid-life. This outcome may explain black-white disparities in dementia risk at older age.