All articles by Linda Stewart – Page 16
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NewsResearchers solve mystery behind rare clotting after adenoviral vaccines or natural adenovirus infection
Scientists have uncovered why a small number of people developed dangerous blood clots after either receiving certain COVID‑19 vaccines or experiencing a natural adenovirus infection - the answer lies in an unexpected case of misdirected targeting by the immune system.
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NewsRoot microbes could help oak trees adapt to drought
Microbes could help oak trees cope with environmental change. A study observing oaks growing in a natural woodland found that the trees’ above- and below-ground microbiomes were resilient to drought, nutrient scarcity, and exposure to pathogenic beetles and bacteria.
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NewsVirus-based therapy boosts anti-cancer immune responses to brain cancer
A study has shown that a single injection of an oncolytic virus—a genetically modified virus that selectively infects and destroys cancer cells—can recruit immune cells to penetrate and persist deep within brain tumors.
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NewsHow food shortages reprogram the immune system’s response to infection
When food is scarce, stress hormones direct the immune system to operate in “low power” mode to preserve immune function while conserving energy. This reconfiguration is crucial to combating infections amid food insecurity.
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NewsAvian malaria widespread across Hawaiʻi bird communities, new study finds
A new study shows that avian malaria can be transmitted by nearly all forest bird species in Hawaiʻi, helping explain why the disease is present almost everywhere mosquitoes are found across the islands.
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NewsBacterial hitchhikers can give their hosts super strength
Molecular hitchhikers living within bacteria can make their hosts extra resistant to medical treatment by corralling them into tightly packed groups. The study introduces a previously unknown avenue through which bacterial infections can become more difficult to treat.
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NewsShorter treatment regimens are safe options for preventing active tuberculosis
A study comparing one- and three-month antibiotic treatments to prevent active tuberculosis (TB) finds that a high percentage of patients successfully completed both regimens and suffered few adverse side effects.
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NewsUS study finds declining perception of safety of COVID-19, flu, and MMR vaccines
A sizable majority of Americans think the three vaccines that combat potentially deadly illnesses flu, Covid-19 and measles are safe to take, although perceptions of the safety of all three vaccines showed a statistically significant drop over the past three years.
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NewsRapid response launched to tackle new yellow rust strains threatening UK wheat
The UK’s wheat is under threat from a newly identified strain of the yellow rust pathogen, prompting an urgent mobilisation of research institutes to protect harvests. The new strain has overcome a key resistance gene that was protecting many major UK wheat varieties from yellow rust infection.
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NewsGenotype-specific response to 144-week entecavir therapy for HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B
HBV genotype B demonstrates superior histological responses to ETV therapy compared with genotype C, supporting the clinical value of HBV genotyping for personalized CHB management. These findings highlight the importance of considering viral genotype when evaluating treatment outcomes.
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NewsResearchers identify strategies for preventing the most infectious strains of S. aureus in the NICU
A new study has identified which strains of Staphylococcus aureus – commonly known as staph – are commonly transmitted in neonatal intensive care units and which specific strains are most likely to cause invasive and serious infections.
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NewsResearchers rebuild microscopic circadian clock that can control genes
Researchers have solved how the circadian clocks within microscopic bacteria are able to precisely control when different genes are turned on and off during the 24-hour cycle.
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NewsStudy reveals how chills develop and support the body’s defense against infection
Researchers in Japan have identified the neural mechanism behind chills and the instinct to increase body temperature during infection.
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NewsScientists create ‘smart underwear’ to measure human flatulence
Scientists have created Smart Underwear, the first wearable device designed to measure human flatulence. The device helps scientists revisit long-standing assumptions about how often people actually fart. It also opens a new window into measuring gut microbial metabolism in everyday life.
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NewsNew AI model improves accuracy of food contamination detection
Researchers have significantly enhanced an artificial intelligence tool used to rapidly detect bacterial contamination in food by eliminating misclassifications of food debris that looks like bacteria. Current methods often require specialized expertise and are time consuming — taking several days to a week.
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NewsNew algorithm enhances microbiome biomarker discovery by integrating biological relationships
Researchers have developed a novel algorithm, Microbiome Elastic Feature Extraction (MEFE), that significantly improves the identification of microbiome biomarkers by incorporating phylogenetic, taxonomic, and functional relationships among microbes.
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NewsDeep-sea microbes get unexpected energy boost
A study shows that sinking organic particles—known as marine snow—begin to leak dissolved carbon and nitrogen when they reach depths of 2–6 kilometres, presenting microbes in the surrounding seawater with nutrients. The leakage is caused by the intense hydrostatic pressure in the deep ocean.
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NewsResearchers develop simple at-home tests for detecting cat and dog viruses
Researchers report improved lateral flow assays for at-home screening of cats and dogs. In tests on veterinary clinic samples, the assays demonstrated 100% sensitivity and reproducibility for both feline parvovirus and canine parvovirus.
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NewsAccomplices in the spotlight: When the interaction between fungi and bacteria becomes a dangerous alliance
Researchers discover new co-infection strategies of Candida albicans and Enterococcus faecalis. Only some E. faecalis strains significantly increased cell damage when infected simultaneously with Candida albicans. These strains produced cytolysin, a toxin that perforates cell membranes and kills the cells.
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NewsAntibiotic-resistant bacteria found in many healthy birthing mothers and their newborns
A recent study found gut bacteria resistant to common antibiotics in a sizable percentage of healthy birthing mothers and their newborns. In this study, 38% of bacterial strains resistant to ceftriaxone transmitted from mother to infant were E. coli.