Reproduction News and Research

RSS

Does SARS-CoV-2 show seasonal variation in transmission in temperate countries?

The need to understand how and why such spread occurs is vital to containing it. A new medRxiv* preprint describes a significant reduction in transmission during the summer (by 42%), which is comparable to the impact of the most effective non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI).

15 Jun 2021

Changes in community networks impact the ensuing spread of disease

The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear the importance of understanding precisely how diseases spread throughout networks of transportation. However, rigorously determining the connection between disease risk and changing networks--which either humans or the environment may alter--is challenging due to the complexity of these systems.

10 Jun 2021

ACTG launches phase 1 HIV cure study evaluating two promising therapies

The AIDS Clinical Trials Group, the largest global HIV research network, today announced the launch of A5386, a phase 1 HIV cure study evaluating two promising therapies.

10 Jun 2021

Is B.1.617.2 more transmissible than earlier SARS-CoV-2 variants?

A new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, reports that the B.1.617.2 variant is possibly more transmissible than earlier variants, based on the discovery that the serial intervals were not prolonged with this strain.

10 Jun 2021

Restoration can improve mining contamination, indicates study

Mining involves moving a lot of rock, so some mess is expected. However, mining operations can continue to affect ecosystems long after activity has ended. Heavy metals and corrosive substances leach into the environment, preventing wildlife and vegetation from returning to the area.

9 Jun 2021

New chip mimicking bovine endometrium could play key role in cattle’s pregnancy success

To investigate factors that can jeopardize pregnancy success in cattle, researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil used a kind of chip to mimic the environment of the endometrium, the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus.

8 Jun 2021

Study reveals mechanism through which 'good' viruses can attack 'bad' bacteria

The battle against antibiotic-resistant bacteria: A new study at Tel Aviv University revealed a mechanism through which "good" viruses can attack the systems of "bad" bacteria, destroy them and block their reproduction.

7 Jun 2021

Effect of India's 2021 Assembly Election on COVID-19

In a recent study, Indian researchers from Midnapore City College, and Indian Center for Space Physics, looked at how the assembly elections conducted during the second wave of COVID-19 impacted the transmission of the infection - on the effective contact rate and the effective reproduction number of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The study is published on the preprint server, medRxiv*.

4 Jun 2021

New research focuses on cow's milk as a possible source of COVID-19 control

Physiologically, milk contains biocomponents that are highly protective against infections. In light of this, the AGR-149-Infectious Diseases group at the University of Cordoba's Department of Animal Health is doing research that focuses on cow's milk as a possible source of Covid-19 control. The results have been published, partially, in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.

4 Jun 2021

Could a green tea compound combat SARS-CoV-2?

Researchers recently published an article that reviewed the mechanisms by which EGCG could inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection and the various syndromes caused by COVID-19.

3 Jun 2021

Newly developed spheroidal structure reproduces the microenvironment of tumors

Every tumor is different, every patient is different. So how do we know which treatment will work best for the patient and eradicate the cancer? In order to offer a personalised treatment that best suits the case being treated, a team of scientists led by the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, had already developed a spheroidal reproduction of tumors that integrates the tumor cells, but also their microenvironment.

3 Jun 2021

Researchers review 50 years of progress in women's health

Debates over women's health have long been contentious, but have also resulted in significant improvements in areas like equitable access to health care and survivorship. But the overall picture remains far from perfect.

31 May 2021

New SARS-CoV-2 lineages continue to threaten pandemic control in England, suggests genomic study

A new study shows the pattern of the rise of various strains in the UK, as shown by the data collected by the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium. This allows the rise and fall of 62 different viral lineages to be traced through over 300 local authorities from September 2020 to April 2021.

28 May 2021

Modeling the risk of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks upon lifting non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs)

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server medRxiv* by Sachak-Patwa et al. (May 22nd, 2021), mathematical models are developed to assess the probability and impact of such localized outbreaks, accounting for changing general immunity levels in the population as vaccines are distributed.

25 May 2021

How conservative are the current COVID-19 pandemic global statistics?

After almost a year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, the actual case count of those infected with its causative virus – SARS-CoV-2 – remains unclear. Though well over 167.2 million cases have been reported worldwide, this is certainly believed by many to be a massive undercount. A new epidemiological study uses the classical SIR-C mathematical model to find the peak size and date of cases, both documented and unidentified, and the gap between them.

24 May 2021

Oxytocin-vasopressin circuit has distinct dynamics throughout embryonic development

The work, carried out by Pilar Madrigal and Sandra Jurado, from the UMH-CSIC Neurosciences Institute in Alicante, a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council and Miguel Hernández University, has been published in Communications Biology, a Nature group´s journal.

22 May 2021

Masks and physical distancing could reduce SARS-CoV-2 spread to 1% among essential food plant workers, says study

The food supply is an essential service. Yet, workers in this industry are at high risk of acquiring infection with the novel coronavirus in their workplace unless proper mitigation measures are put in place. A new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, shows that the risk of infection may be reduced to less than 1% with proper precautions.

21 May 2021

B.1.1.7 not associated with change in serial interval of COVID-19

With data obtained from the Virus Watch study in England and Wales, researchers found that the serial interval of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is broadly similar to estimates from previous studies and there is no evidence that the B.1.1.7 variant is associated with any change.

19 May 2021

Sperm deliver signals to female reproductive tissues to increase the chances of conception

Sperm are generally viewed as having just one action in reproduction - to fertilize the female's egg - but studies at the University of Adelaide are overturning that view.

18 May 2021

New focus on adverse impact of male factors in assisted reproductive treatments

The adverse impact of male factors in assisted reproductive treatments was brought into a clear and disturbing focus at the 10th Congress of the Asia Pacific Initiative on Reproduction.

17 May 2021