A rare pulmonary disease that is linked to bats has made Alberta home, according to new research led by provincial lab scientists. Infectious disease experts at Alberta Precision Laboratories (APL) and the University of Alberta have confirmed that histoplasmosis—a fungal infection transmitted through bat and bird droppings—is now found in Alberta. Their study extends the […]
In a study aimed at investigating the mechanism responsible for exacerbating rheumatoid arthritis in smokers, researchers at the Center for Research on Inflammatory Diseases (CRID), linked to the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil, discovered a novel path in the inflammatory process associated with the bone damage caused by rheumatoid arthritis. The discovery opens […]
People in prisons are at an increased risk of COVID-19—with a death rate over three times higher than that of the general population—and should be made a vaccine priority, according to UCL-led team of researchers. In an article published today in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, the research team reveals that there were 121 deaths related […]
The vast majority of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 clear the virus, but those with compromised immunity—such as individuals receiving immune-suppressive drugs for autoimmune diseases—can become chronically infected. As a result, their weakened immune defenses continue to attack the virus without being able to eradicate it fully. This physiological tug-of-war between human host and pathogen offers […]
Imposter syndrome is a considerable mental health challenge to many throughout higher education. It is often associated with depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and self-sabotage and other traits. Researchers at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University wanted to learn to what extent incoming medical students displayed characteristics of imposter syndrome, and found that […]
If you count yourself among those who lose themselves in the lives of fictional characters, scientists now have a better idea of how that happens. Researchers found that the more immersed people tend to get into “becoming” a fictional character, the more they use the same part of the brain to think about the character […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of green spaces and urban parks, especially during periods of lockdown. Even a short walk, an ocean view or a picnic by a river can leave us feeling invigorated and restored. There is now a growing body of evidence establishing the link between such nature encounters and our […]
About 6.2 million Americans suffer from heart failure, an incurable disease with a staggering mortality rate—some 40 percent of patients die within five years of diagnosis. Heart failure is one form of heart disease for which new therapies are desperately needed. Now, in new work, scientists at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine (LKSOM) at […]
Around three times as many males are diagnosed with autism than females. This suggests that biological sex factors may play a role in the development and presentation of autism. Studies on the neurobiology (brain biology) of males and females with autism have begun to examine brain networks but results have been mixed. This is largely […]
Scientists at The Wistar Institute identified a new function of ADAR1, a protein responsible for RNA editing, discovering that the ADAR1p110 isoform regulates genome stability at chromosome ends and is required for continued proliferation of cancer cells. These findings, reported in Nature Communications, reveal an additional oncogenic function of ADAR1 and reaffirm its potential as […]
