New technology diagnoses sickle cell disease in record time

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have developed a new way to diagnose diseases of the blood like sickle cell disease with sensitivity and precision and in only one minute. Their technology is smaller than a quarter and requires only a small droplet of blood to assess protein interactions, dysfunction or mutations.

Conquering CHD, Children's Hospital Colorado encourage others to provide cardiac outcomes

Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect in the United States, occurring in approximately one in every 100 babies. However, hospital data regarding short- and long-term outcomes for patients has been limited and oftentimes difficult to access and/or interpret.

A promising new tool in the fight against melanoma

An Edith Cowan University (ECU) study has revealed that a key blood marker of cancer could be used to select the most effective treatment for melanoma.

Preliminary results find COVID-19 vaccine candidate based on inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus is safe

A Chinese COVID-19 vaccine candidate based on the inactivated whole SARS-CoV-2 virus (BBIBP-CorV) is safe and elicits an antibody response, findings from a small early-phase randomised clinical trial published today in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal have found.

Study reveals the influence of race correction in kidney disease care

A new study examines whether the "race multiplier" correction factor for Black patients, used when estimating kidney function, may contribute to disparities in care for these patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Black patients with CKD have worse outcomes than other racial groups, including higher rates of anemia and hypertension, longer waits for referral to nephrology, and poorer access to transplantation. A research team led by investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital examined whether removing the race multiplier from calculations that estimate kidney function would change the way Black patients were classified. They found that up to one in every three Black patients would be reclassified as having a more severe stage of CKD, with one-quarter of Black patients going from stage 3 to stage 4—an important jump that could lead to more advanced kidney care and in some cases, key conversations about dialysis. Results of the study are published in The Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Chronic disease and public health failures fuel COVID-19 pandemic

Australia was not spared as a 30-year global rise in chronic illness and related risk factors such as obesity, high blood sugar, and outdoor air pollution created a perfect storm to fuel coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths, new research shows.

E-cigarettes might not be safe alternative in reducing harm to babies

E-cigarettes might not be a safer alternative to smoking during pregnancy, according to the first known study into the effects of prenatal nicotine exposure on babies.

During COVID, scientists turn to computers to understand C4 photosynthesis

When COVID closed down their lab in March, a team from the University of Essex turned to computational approaches to understand what makes some plants better adapted to transform light and carbon dioxide into yield through photosynthesis. They published their findings in the journal Frontiers of Plant Science.

Supergene discovery leads to new knowledge of fire ants

A unique study conducted by University of Georgia entomologists led to the discovery of a distinctive supergene in fire ant colonies that determines whether young queen ants will leave their birth colony to start their own new colony or if they will join one with multiple queens.

Researchers find diverse communities comprise bacterial mats threatening coral reefs

Researchers are learning more about the brightly colored bacterial mats threatening the ecological health of coral reefs worldwide. In new research released this month, a Florida State University team revealed that these mats are more complex than scientists previously knew, opening the door for many questions about how to best protect reef ecosystems in the future.

New technology diagnoses sickle cell disease in record time

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have developed a new way to diagnose diseases of the blood like sickle cell disease with sensitivity and precision and in only one minute. Their technology is smaller than a quarter and requires only a small droplet of blood to assess protein interactions, dysfunction or mutations.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-technology-sickle-cell-disease.html

During COVID, scientists turn to computers to understand C4 photosynthesis

When COVID closed down their lab in March, a team from the University of Essex turned to computational approaches to understand what makes some plants better adapted to transform light and carbon dioxide into yield through photosynthesis. They published their findings in the journal Frontiers of Plant Science.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-covid-scientists-c4-photosynthesis.html

Supergene discovery leads to new knowledge of fire ants

A unique study conducted by University of Georgia entomologists led to the discovery of a distinctive supergene in fire ant colonies that determines whether young queen ants will leave their birth colony to start their own new colony or if they will join one with multiple queens.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-supergene-discovery-knowledge-ants.html

Researchers find diverse communities comprise bacterial mats threatening coral reefs

Researchers are learning more about the brightly colored bacterial mats threatening the ecological health of coral reefs worldwide. In new research released this month, a Florida State University team revealed that these mats are more complex than scientists previously knew, opening the door for many questions about how to best protect reef ecosystems in the future.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-diverse-comprise-bacterial-mats-threatening.html

More US Adults want the government to have a bigger role in improving peoples' lives than before the pandemic

The share of U.S. adults who support an active government role in society increased by more than 40 percent during the initial pandemic response—up from 24 percent in September 2019 to 34 percent in April 2020—according to a new national public opinion survey conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins University SNF Agora Institute.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-adults-bigger-role-peoples-pandemic.html

History shows that societies collapse when leaders undermine social contracts

All good things must come to an end. Whether societies are ruled by ruthless dictators or more well-meaning representatives, they fall apart in time, with different degrees of severity. In a new paper, anthropologists examined a broad, global sample of 30 pre-modern societies. They found that when "good" governments—ones that provided goods and services for their people and did not starkly concentrate wealth and power—fell apart, they broke down more intensely than collapsing despotic regimes. And the researchers found a common thread in the collapse of good governments: leaders who undermined and broke from upholding core societal principles, morals, and ideals.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-history-societies-collapse-leaders-undermine.html

Supergiant star Betelgeuse smaller, closer than first thought

It may be another 100,000 years until the giant red star Betelgeuse dies in a fiery explosion, according to a new study by an international team of researchers.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-supergiant-star-betelgeuse-smaller-closer.html

More US Adults want the government to have a bigger role in improving peoples' lives than before the pandemic

The share of U.S. adults who support an active government role in society increased by more than 40 percent during the initial pandemic response—up from 24 percent in September 2019 to 34 percent in April 2020—according to a new national public opinion survey conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins University SNF Agora Institute.

History shows that societies collapse when leaders undermine social contracts

All good things must come to an end. Whether societies are ruled by ruthless dictators or more well-meaning representatives, they fall apart in time, with different degrees of severity. In a new paper, anthropologists examined a broad, global sample of 30 pre-modern societies. They found that when "good" governments—ones that provided goods and services for their people and did not starkly concentrate wealth and power—fell apart, they broke down more intensely than collapsing despotic regimes. And the researchers found a common thread in the collapse of good governments: leaders who undermined and broke from upholding core societal principles, morals, and ideals.

Supergiant star Betelgeuse smaller, closer than first thought

It may be another 100,000 years until the giant red star Betelgeuse dies in a fiery explosion, according to a new study by an international team of researchers.

Immunotherapy combo halts rare, stage 4 sarcoma in teen

A patient with end-stage and rapidly progressing soft-tissue cancer whose tumor did not respond to standard treatment, had a "rapid and complete response" to a novel combination of immunotherapy, according to new research published by a team of scientists from John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center and the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, both of whom are part of the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Consortium.

Instituting a minimum price for alcohol reduces deaths, hospital stays

When governments create a minimum price for alcoholic beverages, deaths and hospitalizations related to alcohol use significantly decrease, according to results from a new report in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.