U.S. pediatric COVID hospitalizations have surged since Delta became predominant, but a new study suggests that fears the variant causes more severe disease are unfounded, reports Medical Xpress. The health agency analysed hospital records from across an area covering around 10 percent of the U.S. population between March 1, 2020, and August 14, 2021. This covered the period before the emergence of Delta, the most contagious strain to date, and after it became dominant, from...
Scientists have simulated the transition of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein structure from when it recognizes the host cell to when it gains entry, according to a study published today in eLife. The research shows that a structure enabled by sugar molecules on the spike protein could be essential for cell entry and that disrupting this structure could be a strategy to halt virus transmission. An essential aspect of SARS-CoV-2's lifecycle is its ability to attach to host...
Online gamers under the age of 18 will only be allowed to play for one hour on weekends and holidays, China's video game regulator has said. The National Press and Publication Administration told state-run news agency Xinhua that game playing would be allowed only between 8 and 9 p.m., the BBC reports. It instructed gaming companies to prevent children playing outside these times. Earlier this month, a state media outlet branded online games "spiritual opium". Inspections of online...
Researchers at University of Geneva in Switzerland have carried out a study investigating how the brain selects memories that will be reprocessed during sleep. Their findings, presented in a paper published in Nature Communications, suggest that the brain tends to prioritize the consolidation of memories or life experiences with high motivational relevance, namely those associated with rewards, reports Medical Xpress. "From an evolutionary perspective, individuals must retain information that promotes survival, such as avoiding dangers, finding food, or...
Researchers have discovered the universal mathematical formula that can describe any bird's egg existing in nature. Egg shape has long attracted the attention of mathematicians, engineers, and biologists as large enough to incubate an embryo, small enough to exit the body in the most efficient way, not roll away once laid, structurally sound enough to bear weight, and be the beginning of life for 10,500 species that have survived since the dinosaurs. The egg...
An international team of researchers led by Stanford University have developed rechargeable batteries that can store up to six times more charge than ones that are currently commercially available, reports Tech Xplore. The advance, detailed in a new paper published Aug. 25 in the journal Nature, could accelerate the use of rechargeable batteries and puts battery researchers one step closer to creating a high-performance rechargeable battery that could enable cellphones to be charged once a week and help...
The human body can be genetically inclined to attack its own cells, destroying the beta cells in the pancreas that make insulin, which helps convert sugar into energy. Called Type 1 diabetes, this disorder can occur at any age and can be fatal if not carefully managed with insulin shots or an insulin pump to balance the body's sugar levels. But there may be another, personalized option on the horizon, according to Xiaojun Lian,...
According to a new study, among adolescents aged 10 to 14 in the United States, the overall rate of drug use remained relatively stable in the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a decreased use of alcohol, but an increased use of nicotine and misuse of prescription drugs, reports Medical Xpress. The findings, published in the August 24 issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health, are derived from the ongoing Adolescent Brain Cognitive...
Some 38 million records stored on a Microsoft service, including private information, were mistakenly left exposed this year, security firm UpGuard said Monday. The data, including names, addresses, financial information and Covid-19 vaccination statuses, was made vulnerable – but not compromised – before the problem was resolved, according to the digital security company's investigation. Among the 47 affected organizations were American Airlines, Ford, JB Hunt and public agencies such as the Maryland Department of Health and...
Elon Musk has announced that he will have an initial prototype of an androgynous "Tesla Bot" by next year, reports Tech Xplore. Based on the same technology as the company's semi-autonomous vehicles, the robot will be able to perform basic repetitive tasks with the aim of eliminating the need for people to handle dangerous or boring work, Musk said. "Tesla is arguably the world's biggest robotics company because cars are semi-sentient robots on wheels,"...
