More USA & Canada News – Page 27
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NewsScientists discover compounds that help cells fight a wide range of viruses
Researchers have identified compounds that can fight off viral infection by activating a defense pathway inside host cells. These compounds, they believe, could be used as antiviral drugs that work against not just one but any kind of virus.
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NewsTheory for aerosol droplets from contaminated bubbles bursting gives insight into spread of pollution and infectious disease
Researchers have conducted a systematic study to investigate bubble bursting jets – aerosol particles sprayed when bubble surfaces rupture – when surface contaminants are present.
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NewsLong Covid lessons: New cell therapy boosts immune recovery in cats with severe coronavirus
Feline infectious peritonitis is a serious and historically fatal disease in cats caused by a coronavirus. Scientists have found that mesenchymal stromal cells, or MSC therapy, in combination with antiviral drugs, helped cats’ immune systems recover and reduced systemic inflammation.
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NewsAnswers to existence of alien life might be found in Earth’s deep-sea volcanoes
NASA has awarded microbiologist James Holden $621,000 to spend the next three years using his expertise to help predict what life on Jupiter’s moon Europa might look like. For that, Holden turned to an unexpected place: the volcanoes a mile beneath our own oceans.
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NewsScientist’s cat on the hunt helps to discover a second new virus
Pepper, the pet cat who made headlines last year for his role in the discovery of the first jeilongvirus found in the U.S., is at it again. This time, his hunting prowess contributed to the identification of a new strain of orthoreovirus.
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NewsResearchers find genetic clues to infant formula pathogen’s global persistence
Researchers are shedding new light on how a dangerous foodborne pathogen—Cronobacter sakazakii—may have adapted to thrive in dried and powdered foods across the global supply chain.
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NewsTiny chip speeds up antibody mapping for faster vaccine design
By analyzing just a drop of blood, this microchip gives researchers quicker-than-ever insight into how a person’s antibodies are interacting with a virus or other pathogen.
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NewsHepatitis C treatment is not reaching some at-risk populations, studies show
Studies reveal that two vulnerable populations — children and recently pregnant women — face disparities in access to treatment for hepatitis C infection. Without treatment, they are at risk of long-term adverse health outcomes such as cirrhosis, liver cancer and death.
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NewsThyroid treatment may improve gut health in people with hypothyroidism
People with an underactive thyroid may have an increased risk of developing small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), a risk that may be reduced with thyroid hormone treatment, according to a study.
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NewsFecal samples from bowhead whales link ocean warming to rising algal toxins in Arctic waters
Rising toxins found in bowhead whales, harvested for subsistence purposes by Alaska Native communities, reveal that ocean warming is causing higher concentrations of algal toxins in Arctic food webs.
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NewsScientists ID new drug target for treating cancer and viral infections
An international team of researchers has identified a molecular mechanism that regulates the activity of N-myristoyltransferases, enzymes that ensure the proteins’ function by chemically modifying them during their production.
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NewsScientists receive $1M grant to study gulf’s mesophotic coral habitats
Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute has received a $999,664 grant from FLRACEP for a three-year project titled, “Influences of Upwelling and Riverine Nutrient Plumes on the Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems of the West Florida Shelf.”
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NewsVersion 4 update to Human Oral Microbiome Database includes expanded whole-genome sequence info
A recent update to the Human Oral Microbiome Database (HOMD) database includes a greatly expanded set of whole-genome sequences, reflecting a significant advancement in taxonomy of bacterial species and the study of microbial states in disease and health.
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NewsStructure of tick-borne virus revealed at atomic resolution for the first time
One emerging tick-borne virus in North America is the Powassan virus (POWV), which can cause encephalitis, seizures, paralysis and coma. Rates of POWV infections have increased in recent years and currently, there are no treatments available.
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NewsGut microbes key to understanding how exercise boosts cancer immunity
A new study shows how exercise improves cancer outcomes and enhances response to immunotherapy in mice by reshaping the gut microbiome. These benefits are driven by a specific compound called formate, which is produced by gut bacteria in exercised mice.
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NewsPrairie dogs carry genes linked to surviving plague
A study of the genetic basis of plague immunity in prairie dogs has broad implications for conservation. By comparing whole-genome sequences, the authors identified genetic variants associated with survivorship.
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NewsResearchers develop superstrong, eco-friendly materials from bacteria
Scientists have developed a scalable approach to engineer bacterial cellulose into high-strength, multifunctional materials. Their biosynthesis technique aligns bacterial cellulose fibers in real-time, resulting in robust biopolymer sheets with exceptional mechanical properties.
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NewsSummer travel ‘will increase the spread of measles,’ expert says
The number of measles cases in the U.S. has reached its highest point in 33 years, and outbreaks are expected to continue, especially amid national and international travel.
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NewsFrom COVID to cancer, new at-home ‘coffee-ring’ test spots disease with startling accuracy
A new, low-cost biosensing technology could make rapid at-home tests up to 100 times more sensitive to viruses like COVID-19. The diagnostic could expand rapid screening to other life-threatening conditions like prostate cancer and sepsis as well.
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NewsStudy reveals negative consequences of trained immunity in the lungs
Exposure to a common fungal molecule can reprogram immune cells in the lungs, causing them to overreact to infection-like signals and worsen lung damage, according to new research.