Clinical Trials & Research

Counties that banned in-person religious gatherings and those with a greater number of hospitals per capita were associated with a decreased case-fatality rate of COVID-19 during the pandemic’s first wave, according to a new University of Michigan study. On the other hand, counties with high prevalence of asthma and a greater concentration of people over

The newest Olympus DP series microscope camera—the DP23M monochrome camera—continues the series’ reputation for delivering high-quality images. With advanced features found on high-end microscope cameras, the DP23M monochrome camera provides premium fluorescence images at a reasonable cost. Image Credit: Olympus Fast, Efficient Fluorescence Protein Expression Checks The camera’s sensitive back side illuminated monochrome CMOS sensor,

The initial strain severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was found in Wuhan, in China. Due to high transmission rates, the virus rapidly spread around the world. Over 4.87 million people have died so far, and many countries have been plunged into economic crises due to the harsh restrictions required to prevent the further

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have developed a completely new stimulation method, using ultra-thin microelectrodes, to combat severe pain. This provides effective and personalized pain relief without the common side effects from pain relief drugs. The study, which was conducted on rats, has been published in the research journal Science Advances. The lack of

Eating whole grain rye products instead of refined wheat alternatives can offer worthwhile health benefits. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, recently published a study showing that people who ate high-fibre products made from whole grain rye lost more body fat and overall weight than those who ate corresponding products made from refined wheat.

Children are not at risk for more severe COVID-19 disease with Delta compared to earlier severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants, finds a new medRxiv* preprint study. In the first large-scale epidemiological study comparing SARS-CoV-2 infection between variants in children, researchers found children were more likely to be as sick from Delta as

Cases of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders have increased by more than 25 per cent worldwide, according to a world-first study of the impact of COVID-19 on mental health. The research, led by researchers from The University of Queensland’s School of Public Health, Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research and Institute for Health Metrics

During the pandemic, it has become increasingly evident that people with cardiovascular disease and obesity are at a much higher risk of developing very severe, even fatal COVID-19 disease. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have identified some metabolic processes that SARS-CoV-2 uses to attack lung tissue. The results, which are published in Molecular &

A new preprint deals with the characterization of neutrophil phenotypes in an attempt to provide biomarkers that can predict severe disease in patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Study: Longitudinal characterization of circulating neutrophils uncovers distinct phenotypes associated with disease severity in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Image Credit: Kateryna Kon/ Shutterstock A preprint version of

A technology developed by scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) shows great promise for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms arise, potentially changing the course of research and treatment for this condition, which affects millions of people worldwide and is estimated to be the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. “This

It’s remarkable that the reputation of the National Institutes of Health has remained mostly intact through the covid-19 pandemic, even as other federal science agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have come under partisan fire. That is in no small part due to NIH’s soft-spoken but politically

People with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder act out their dreams. While sleeping safely in bed, for example, they might throw up their arms to catch an imaginary ball, or try to run from an illusory assailant. Such actions are more than just a nuisance. People with the disorder have a 50 to

Researchers at The University of Toledo have developed an experimental vaccine that shows significant promise in preventing rheumatoid arthritis, a painful autoimmune disease that cannot currently be cured. The findings, detailed in a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, represent a major breakthrough in the study of rheumatoid arthritis

Eleven years ago this month, the scans and exams that hold the most power to spot the early signs of cancer became available for free to many American adults. Now, two new studies show that when those screening tests reveal potentially troubling signs, patients could face hundreds of dollars in costs for follow-up tests. The

Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners launched the first ever global strategy to defeat meningitis – a debilitating disease that kills hundreds of thousands of people each year. By 2030, the goals are to eliminate epidemics of bacterial meningitis – the most deadly form of the disease – and to reduce deaths by

A promising study shows that a combination of two monoclonal antibodies effectively neutralized the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in monkeys and proved efficacious against newer variants of concern in vitro. This could help develop preventive pharmacological measures against the spread of the virus to susceptible contacts. Study: A combination of two human

For years, Millicent McKinnon of Dallas went without health insurance. She was one of roughly 1 million Texans who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid in the state but too little to buy their own insurance. That is, until she died in 2019. She was 64 and had been unable to find consistent care

The Family Health Centers at NYU Langone in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, has been awarded a $24 million federal grant through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to advance COVID-19 vaccination and education and expand access to high-quality comprehensive care in some of New York City’s lowest-income neighborhoods. The 2-year grant is part of a

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded approximately $36.3 million to three academic institutions to conduct research to develop vaccines to protect against multiple types of coronaviruses and viral variants. The awards are intended to fuel vaccine research for a diverse family of coronaviruses,

A Kaiser Permanente analysis of more than 100,000 pregnancies in Northern California finds a 25% increase in the rate of cannabis use early in pregnancy after the pandemic began in spring 2020. The analysis was reported in a research letter in the September 27 issue of JAMA. The study found that in the year before

A 2013 study by Pérez et al. reported a very high accumulation of the industrial chemical perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) in human lungs and kidneys. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) checked these results using a more precise quantification method. The result: Only one sample contained a quantifiable PFBA value of 0.17 nanograms (ng)

Developing the advanced and powerful detection techniques to characterize as many endocrine disruptors as possible with ultra-sensitivity in the environment is still challenging, however highly demanded. Environmental estrogens (EEs), as typical endocrine disruptors, have been listed as one of the global environmental issues to be addressed through international collaboration by the United Nations. They are

This landmark study aims to improve the treatment of patients receiving end-of-life care and lead to a more uniform approach and consistent management within the NHS. The trial will assess the overall effectiveness and cost-effectiveness ofclinically-assistedhydration in reducing the frequency of delirium and its effect on the frequency of pain and other symptoms such as

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has mutated since its initial emergence in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. to survive. A select few mutations have allowed the virus to spread faster and cause more severe infection. Variants of concern that contain such mutations, such as the Delta variant, have also acquired mutations to

Scientists from the USA have recently compared the dynamics of humoral and cellular immune responses induced by mRNA-based and adenoviral vector-based coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. The findings reveal a difference in humoral immune responses. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server. Background In the USA, three COVID-19 vaccines have been approved

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disproportionately affects patients 65 years and older. Age-related impaired host immunity has been implicated for severe outcomes of COVID-19. Researchers have performed a study on large data set to understand better the molecular basis of vulnerability in aged COVID-19 patients. They observed certain age-linked immunoinflammatory factors associated with severe COVID-19 and

A distinguishing feature of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) compared to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is that it is spread not only via symptomatic people but also asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic people. Asymptomatic cases are becoming of increasing concern due to the potential of people unknowingly causing local outbreaks within their communities. In

While assessing a pregnant woman with premature labor in 1983, Linda Bullock noticed bruises on the woman. When she asked what happened, the woman told Bullock a refrigerator had fallen on her while cleaning the kitchen. Something didn’t seem right, but I didn’t know what to say at the time. I just went on to