(HealthDay)—It is not clear if acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) will follow its usual pattern and if we will see a spike of cases in 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. The disease affects the spinal cord and nerves, mostly in children, and has been linked to an enterovirus, CNN reported. In […]
Pioneering the study of genetic diseases with quantum computing
University of Virginia School of Medicine scientists are harnessing the mind-bending potential of quantum computers to help us understand genetic diseases—even before quantum computers are a thing. UVA’s Stefan Bekiranov, Ph.D., and colleagues have developed an algorithm to allow researchers to study genetic diseases using quantum computers, once there are much more powerful quantum computers […]
Coronavirus numbers confusing you? Here’s how to make sense of them
Turn on the TV news, or look at a news website, and you’ll see charts, graphics, and dashboards that supposedly indicate the latest with COVID-19—statistics revealing the number of tests, cases, hospitalizations and deaths, along with where they happened and whether they are rising or falling. Different stories are told depending on the dashboard. But […]
Silent spread of virus keeps scientists grasping for clues
One of the great mysteries of the coronavirus is how quickly it rocketed around the world. It first flared in central China and, within three months, was on every continent but Antarctica, shutting down daily life for millions. Behind the rapid spread was something that initially caught scientists off guard, baffled health authorities and undermined […]
Militant optimism: A state of mind that can help us find hope in dark times
The COVID-19 crisis has had a grave impact on jobs, wellbeing, mental health and the economy worldwide. But it has also prompted public expressions of hope—people have come together to sing on balconies and clap in the streets. Communities have been joining forces, with a surge in people donating to local food banks and looking […]
A neurological study of classical musicians trained in different styles
A new study looks at differences between the brains of Japanese classical musicians, Western classical musicians, and nonmusicians. Researchers investigated specific kinds of neural behavior in participants as they were exposed to unfamiliar rhythms and nonrhythmic patterns. Trained musicians showed greater powers of rhythmic prediction compared to nonmusicians, with more subtle differences between those trained […]
Coronavirus pandemic: 63 percent of Americans believe their job will 'never return to normal,' poll claims
Working from home amid coronavirus outbreak: How parents can balance work and family With many parents having to work from home in the midst of a virus outbreak, it becomes increasingly difficult to give adequate time to both your work and your children. Here are some tips from Dr. Jennifer Dragonette, PsyD, on how to […]
Study finds no relationship between blood type and severity of COVID-19
Blood type is not associated with a severe worsening of symptoms in people who have tested positive for COVID-19, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have reported, dispelling previous reports that suggested a correlation between certain blood type and COVID-19. A study published in Annals of Hematology did find, however, that symptomatic individuals with blood […]
Lesion of doom—how a parasitic bacterium induces blood vessel formation to cause lesions
Bacteria of the genus Bartonella are parasites that can be transmitted to humans via insect bites and animal scratches, resulting in an infection known as bartonellosis. Cat-scratch disease and trench fever are forms of bartonellosis caused by different Bartonella species infecting humans. Bartonella bacteria can cause lesions to pop up in the skin and internal […]
St18 is a negative regulator of VEGF
Pro-inflammatory cytokines and pathogen-associated molecular patterns such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) are known to activate NF-kB. NF-kB is a master regulator of inflammation and induces pro-inflammatory cytokines. Although LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokiens are indispensable for host defense against pathogens, dysregulated production can lead to septic shock. Septic shock is the most common cause of death in intensive […]