Scientists develop novel therapy for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus

Army scientists working as part of an international consortium have developed and tested an antibody-based therapy to treat Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), which is carried by ticks and kills up to 60 percent of those infected. Their results are published online today in the journal Cell.

How an elephant's trunk manipulates air to eat and drink

New research from the Georgia Institute of Technology finds that elephants dilate their nostrils in order to create more space in their trunks, allowing them to store up to nine liters of water. They can also suck up three liters per second—a speed 50 times faster than a human sneeze (150 meters per second/330 mph).

Time-dependent viral interference between influenza virus and coronavirus in the infection of differ

A new study carried out in pig cells suggests previous infection with swine influenza virus (SIV) can protect against the development of porcine respiratory coronavirus (PRCoV) if there is a zero- or three-day interval between infections.

Researchers explore ways to detect 'deep fakes' in geography

Can you trust the map on your smartphone, or the satellite image on your computer screen?

Forged books of seventeenth-century music discovered in Venetian library

In 1916 and 1917, a musician and book dealer named Giovanni Concina sold three ornately decorated seventeenth-century songbooks to a library in Venice, Italy. Now, more than 100 years later, a musicologist at Penn State has discovered that the manuscripts are fakes, meticulously crafted to appear old but actually fabricated just prior to their sale to the library. The manuscripts are rare among music forgeries in that the songs are authentic, but the books are counterfeit.

Study finds major anti-inflammatory immune activity that favors oral cancer tumors

A collaborative research led by immunologist Estefania Nova-Lamperti from the Universidad de Concepción (Chile), with a branch of researchers from MELISA Institute and other international academic centers, made progress in the understanding of molecular mechanisms preventing an effective antitumor immune response in oral cancer; The latter due to the production of chemical mediators that induce an anti-inflammatory regulatory response that favors tumor development through the vitamin D signaling pathway. The study was published in Frontiers in Immunology on May 7, 2021.

Turning the tables—how table corals are regenerating reefs

Table corals have been dubbed as "extraordinary ecosystem engineers"—with new research showing these unique corals can regenerate coral reef habitats on the Great Barrier Reef faster than any other coral type.

Aortic condition more deadly in women than in men

Women who experience acute aortic dissection—a spontaneous and catastrophic tear in one of the body's main arteries—not only are older and have more advanced disease than men when they seek medical care, but they also are more likely to die, according to research published online today in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

NIH launches clinical trial of universal influenza vaccine candidate

A first-in-human, Phase 1 trial assessing the safety and immunogenicity of an investigational nanoparticle influenza vaccine designed to provide long-lasting protection against multiple flu virus strains has begun at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Healthy participants 18 to 50 years old will receive either a licensed seasonal influenza vaccine or the experimental vaccine, FluMos-v1. Scientists from NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) developed FluMos-v1 to stimulate antibodies against multiple influenza virus strains by displaying part of the influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) protein on self-assembling nanoparticle scaffolds. Alicia T. Widge, M.D., of NIAID's Vaccine Research Center (VRC), is the principal investigator of the NIAID-sponsored single-site trial.

COVID-19 simulation shows importance of safety efforts during vaccine distribution

Research published by JAMA Network Open shows how non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) like mask wearing and physical distancing can help prevent spikes in COVID-19 cases as populations continue to get vaccinated. The study, led by Mehul Patel, Ph.D., a clinical and population health researcher in the department of Emergency Medicine at the UNC School of Medicine, focuses on the state of North Carolina. Similar modeling studies have been used in different states, and can serve as guidance to leaders as they make decisions to relax restrictions and safety protocols.

New algorithm could help enable next-generation deep brain stimulation devices

By delivering small electrical pulses directly to the brain, deep brain stimulation (DBS) can ease tremors associated with Parkinson's disease or help relieve chronic pain. The technique works well for many patients, but researchers would like to make DBS devices that are a little smarter by adding the capability to sense activity in the brain and adapt stimulation accordingly.

Adults with cognitive impairment who use pain medication have higher falls risk

Older adults with cognitive impairment are two to three times more likely to fall compared with those without cognitive impairment. What's more, the increasing use of pain medications for chronic pain by older adults adds to their falls risk. Risks associated with falls include minor bruising to more serious hip fractures, broken bones and even head injuries. With falls a leading cause of injury for people aged 65 and older, it is an important public health issue to study in order to allow these adults increased safety and independence as they age.

Scientists learn what fuels the 'natural killers' of the immune system

Despite a name straight from a Tarantino movie, natural killer (NK) cells are your allies when it comes to fighting infections and cancer. If T cells are like a team of specialist doctors in an emergency room, NK cells are the paramedics: They arrive first on the scene and perform damage control until reinforcements arrive.

After being driven to near extinction, wolves are back in Washington. Can we coexist with them?

They walked in on their own: The first wolves in more than 100 years known to call Washington state home, after this native species was nearly wiped out by hunting, trapping and government extermination campaigns.

A startup says it helps parents pick healthier embryos. Experts say it's not that simple

The decision of whether to have a child can be hard even under the best of circumstances. For those with a family history of debilitating disease, it's often gut-wrenching. If only there were some way to answer the all-important question: Will my child be healthy?

Researchers develop prototype of robotic device to pick, trim button mushrooms

Researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences have developed a robotic mechanism for mushroom picking and trimming and demonstrated its effectiveness for the automated harvesting of button mushrooms.

New method developed to improve durability of nano-electronic components, further semiconductor manufacturing

University of South Florida researchers recently developed a novel approach to mitigating electromigration in nanoscale electronic interconnects that are ubiquitous in state-of-the-art integrated circuits. This was achieved by coating copper metal interconnects with hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), an atomically-thin insulating two-dimensional (2-D) material that shares a similar structure as the "wonder material" graphene.

Modulating rapamycin target protein promotes autophagy, lowering toxic Huntingtin protein

Researchers world-wide are focused on clearing the toxic mutant Huntingtin protein that leads to neuronal cell death and systemic dysfunction in Huntington's disease (HD), a devastating, incurable, progressive neurodegenerative genetic disorder. Scientists in the Buck Institute's Ellerby lab have found that the targeting the protein called FK506-binding protein 51 or FKBP51 promotes the clearing of those toxic proteins via autophagy, a natural process whereby cells recycle damaged proteins and mitochondria and use them for nutrition.

Residents near Fresno-area farms aren't told when pesticides are sprayed. Some want that changed

Advocates for people living in rural communities this week organized a statewide effort to get agriculture commissioners in Fresno and surrounding counties to begin notifying residents before pesticides are sprayed nearby.

Most kids' ear infections can be treated with antibiotics, study finds. But parents may opt for tubes.

What is that on Ryan's nose? Ringworm?