All USA & Canada articles – Page 12
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NewsFungal compound could help protect against influenza
A preclinical trial uncovers how beta-glucan, a compound found in all fungal cell wall, can ‘reprogram’ immune cells to prevent lung inflammation from influenza and lower the risk of death by the host immune responses.
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NewsScientists develop new natural killer cell strategy to target HIV
Scientists have successfully identified a new approach using natural killer (NK) cells to target and kill the HIV-positive cells that allow the virus to persist. They genetically modified NK cells to express CD64, a protein not normally expressed by NK cells.
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NewsMonitoring approach could help snuff out Legionella outbreaks
Routine, relatively low-cost monitoring of several factors influencing water safety could ward off Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care settings, a new study suggests.
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NewsProfessor awarded NSF grant to advance research on silica-scaled chrysophytes
A new National Science Foundation (NSF) grant will support a major effort to synthesize decades of research on protists. The project will integrate findings from Professor Peter Siver’s lifelong study of silica-scaled chrysophytes, a group of protists found in freshwater environments.
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NewsUsing population-level characteristics for the surveillance of antimicrobial-resistant gonorrhea
As the antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) gonorrhea poses a major threat to public health, there is an urgent need for expanding the surveillance of its prevalance to control the spread of the pathogen, through monitoring its association with the population density and HIV prevalence in cities.
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NewsThe hidden battle in your gut: How one bacterium outsmarts its rivals
Scientists have undertaken a deep dive into the inner workings of the ‘microbial arms race’ in your gut, revealing an elegant strategy that gut microbes use to stay a step ahead of their neighbors.
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NewsEliminating HIV funding program would lead to >600k deaths in South Africa alone: warning
A new analysis finds that eliminating PEPFAR would lead to 601,000 HIV-related deaths, 565,000 new HIV infections, and would increase population-level healthcare expenditure by $1.7 billion over the next decade in South Africa alone.
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NewsOpen water swimmer contracts Legionnaires’ disease from lake dip
Swimming in some lakes with still water can lead to infection with Legionella, bacteria that can cause pneumonia, and people who engage in open water swimming should be aware of this risk, a new paper warns.
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NewsResearch team identifies carbonate-dissolving microorganisms
Researchers have identified new microscopic players in the global carbon cycle, a discovery that paints a clearer picture of carbon flow through the environment and provides key information for the sustainable development of bioenergy sources.
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NewsStalled microbiomes: cystic fibrosis disrupts early gut development in infants
A new study highlights key differences in the gut microbiome (communities of bacteria) of infants with cystic fibrosis (CF) compared to that of healthy infants, and how these alterations may adversely affect their health.
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NewsEvolutionary tradeoffs: Research explores the role of iron levels in COVID-19 infections
Iron has been found to be essential to both human physiology and pathogen replication. The richer the iron availability, the more likely to be susceptible to infections, such as COVID-19. A balance of iron levels is thus critical for homeostasis and preventing pathogenic infections.
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NewsKilling H5N1 in waste milk — an alternative to pasteurization
Researchers have found that acidification can kill H5N1 in waste milk, providing dairy farmers an affordable, easy-to-use alternative to pasteurization of waste milk.
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NewsMarine fungi that degrade plastic can train to do it faster
Researchers recently discovered that many species of fungi isolated from Hawai‘i’s nearshore environment have the ability to degrade plastic and some can be conditioned to do it faster.
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NewsResearchers explore Spanish flu’s impact on Appalachia
A new book examines how the 1918 influenza pandemic disproportionately impacted Appalachian communities, exacerbating long-standing health disparities. Those included limited health care access, poor working conditions and systemic poverty.
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NewsResearchers unlock new potential porcine virus treatment
Researchers have identified a novel small molecule for the development of preventative treatment for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV).
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NewsNew modeling approach could help design antivirals for shape-shifting viruses
New research utilizes an innovative computational modeling approach to capture the complex and diverse shapes that viral proteins can adopt.
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NewsSymbiotic bacteria ride along with marine cells in ocean’s upper layer
Symbiotic bacteria often accompany single-celled protists in the ocean’s upper layer. Some of these symbionts, scientists have discovered, are close relatives of bacteria pathogenic to animals, including humans.
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NewsProtein shuttling mechanism helps bacteria pump out antibiotics
By a joint-university effort, the mechanism of a bacterial efflux pump complex to remove molecules, including antibiotics, has been determined and the extent of bacterial toxin resistance by the complex has also been evaluated with a cutting-edge device.
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NewsBacterial cellulose promotes plant tissue regeneration
Researchers have successfully uncovered the molecular mechanisms by which bacterial cellulose patches stimulate the regeneration of plant wounds, offering potential applications in grafting, pruning, and ornamental flower cutting for enhanced plant healing.
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NewsDiabetes can drive the evolution of antibiotic resistance, study reveals
A new study shows that people with diabetes are more likely to develop antibiotic-resistant strains of Staph. The results show how the diabetic microbial environment produces resistant mutations, while hinting at ways antibiotic resistance can be combatted in this patient population.