When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in 2020, the R rate became well-known shorthand for the reproduction of the disease. Yet a new study suggests it's time for 'A Farewell to R' in favour of a different approach based on the growth rate of infection rather than contagiousness. The study, published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface and led by researchers from the University of Cambridge, is based on time series models developed using classical statistical methods....
The gap in life expectancy between black and white Americans has narrowed by nearly 50% in three decades, largely due to improvements among black Americans, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Co-authored by researchers at Princeton University's Center for Health and Wellbeing, the study analysed data from 1990 to 2018 to compare mortality rates between black and white Americans, through the lens of place, reports Medical Xpress. They also...
A team of researchers has found that it is possible to reprogram heart muscle to repair damaged tissue in mice, reports Medical Xpress. There are two main kinds of heart attack. The first occurs when something prevents the heart from beating. The second occurs when blood flow is restricted to parts of the heart, preventing the muscle in that area from beating. The first kind is generally fatal unless the heart can be restarted very quickly. The second is...
A group of 13 scientists from the U.S., the U.K., Scotland, Israel, Europe, Canada, Brazil, and Australia has penned a consensus statement regarding the use of paracetamol/acetaminophen (APAP) by pregnant women. In their paper, published in the journal Nature Reviews Endocrinology, the group suggests that pregnant women only take paracetamol/acetaminophen if it is medically necessary. Nature has also published an Editorial in the same journal issue noting that the statement's authors are not calling for a ban...
A process that injects carbon dioxide deep below ground, then circulates it to extract heat and geothermal energy, has proven viable in a feasibility study by University of Alberta researchers, reports Tech Xplore. The research moves the technology a step closer to pilot testing and to becoming part of a low-carbon economy, said Alireza Rangriz Shokri, a research associate in the U of A Faculty of Engineering who conducted the study. "This is a step...
Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have published a detailed map of where human antibodies bind to SARS-CoV-2, a map that was generated by a global collaboration comparing nearly all leading clinical candidates. The new research, published in Science, will help guide the development of more effective COVID-19 antibody therapies and help scientists develop effective vaccines to address emerging viral variants. The findings propel COVID-19 research in three key ways:
Hundreds of antibodies contributed by...
As more young women with breast cancer opt to have mastectomies, many experience a persistent decline in their sexual and psychosocial well being following the procedure, as detailed in new research by Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center. The findings, reported in JAMA Surgery, highlight the importance of doctors and patients discussing the potential long-term physical and emotional consequences of the procedure, researchers say. In a multicenter prospective cohort of young women diagnosed with breast cancer, moderate to large...
With every new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that emerges, a worrisome question arises: could the virus eventually arrive at a set of mutations that would enable it to fully evade our immune response? A new study, published in Nature, suggests that it will be hard for the virus to get there. Studying dozens of naturally occurring and laboratory-selected mutations, including those found in Delta and other concerning variants, researchers found that a future SARS-CoV-2 variant will need to pack about...
The night sky is going to get much busier thanks to thousands of new internet satellites set to launch over the next few years – and researchers say it's going to affect Canada more than most regions, reports Phys.org. Researchers from the University of Toronto, the University of Regina, and the University of British Columbia found that most light pollution is expected to happen near 50 degrees latitude north and south due to the orbits of...
According to a review article published today in the journal iScience, when it comes to getting healthy and reducing mortality risk, increasing physical activity and improving fitness appear to be superior to weight loss. The authors say that employing a weight-neutral approach to the treatment of obesity-related health conditions also reduces the health risks associated with yo-yo dieting, reports Medical Xpress. "We would like people to know that fat can be fit, and that fit...
