Reproduction News and Research

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Researchers devise new molecular imaging strategy to observe the sperm selection process

A protein called CatSper1 may act as a molecular 'barcode' that helps determine which sperm cells will make it to an egg and which are eliminated along the way.

2 Dec 2020

Multiple pregnancies may affect the body's physical aging process

Having children doesn't just make you feel like you've aged overnight -- a new study led by Penn State researchers found that the number of times a person gives birth may also affect the body's physical aging process.

1 Dec 2020

Transmission 'hot zones' drive COVID-19 infection patterns, says study

A recent study describes two different mathematical models of high infection zones, which lead to different effects on viral transmission. This underlines the need to understand how the virus spreads within a community as well as within subgroups with different patterns of interaction.

30 Nov 2020

UK’s post-lockdown COVID-19 restrictions allows families to celebrate Christmas 2020 together

The UK's three-tier system of COVID-19 restrictions could be tweaked to allow a more effective control of viral spread, while still ensuring that families can choose their own course of action over the Christmas holidays, says a new preprint published on the medRxiv* server in late November 2020.

30 Nov 2020

Novel early-warning framework for evaluating control and elimination of SARS-CoV-2 in NZ

Researchers from the Imperial College London and the University of Oxford recently proposed a new framework for de-noising inter-wave data, showing how timely introduction of NPIs in New Zealand achieved local epidemic elimination and avoided dangerous resurgence of infection.

26 Nov 2020

Computational model can help predict cellular drug targets against COVID-19

A computational model of a human lung cell has been used to understand how SARS-CoV-2 draws on human host cell metabolism to reproduce by researchers at the University of Warwick.

25 Nov 2020

Consistent use of face masks slows the spread of COVID-19

The use of face masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19 has been widely recommended by health professionals.

25 Nov 2020

Tracking the effect of mitigation measures on COVID-19 spread in hard-hit states

Currently, there are over 10 million confirmed cases and more than 240,000 casualties attributed to COVID-19 in the U.S. Researchers at Louisiana State University have applied computational models to investigate infection rates in relation to social distancing measures.

24 Nov 2020

Ranking the effectiveness of worldwide COVID-19 government interventions

A recent article, published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, analyses quantitatively the NPIs implemented in different geographies and their impact on the effective reproduction number, Rt, of COVID-19.

22 Nov 2020

Study characterizes early chains and patterns of COVID-19 transmission in France

By using data from epidemiological investigations and contact-tracing efforts during the initial phase of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic in France, researchers were able to appraise secondary clinical attack rates and factors associated with the risk of a contact becoming a case. Their findings are currently available in a medRxiv preprint paper.

22 Nov 2020

Universal screening for SARS-CoV-2 may be an ineffective mitigation strategy, says study

A team of researchers in the Netherlands have reported that regular, universal and random screening and isolation of infectious individuals may not be a viable strategy for reopening society after bringing a wave of SARS-CoV-2 under control.

20 Nov 2020

Study uncovers an unexpected social life of giant poisonous rats

The African crested rat (Lophiomys imhausi) is hardly the continent's most fearsome-looking creature--the rabbit-sized rodent resembles a gray puffball crossed with a skunk--yet its fur is packed with a poison so lethal it can fell an elephant and just a few milligrams can kill a human.

19 Nov 2020

How the influenza virus takes control of a city, and implications for SARS-CoV-2

SARS-CoV-2 has spread around the world, passed across the borders of nations by travelers and cargo.

19 Nov 2020

How weather affects SARS-CoV-2 transmission: A US-based case study

How changes in the weather affect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been the topic of several studies. The preoccupation of researchers with this aspect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic follows from observations that the flu virus and other coronaviruses follow seasonal patterns. Understanding how SARS-CoV-2’s transmissibility is affected by seasonal changes can thus help us to develop more informed preventative measures against its spread.

18 Nov 2020

Universal mask-wearing can reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmissibility by almost two-thirds, study finds

A new study presents more empirical evidence that universal masking can reduce transmissibility by almost two-thirds, even with inadequate social distancing. The study was published on the preprint server medRxiv* in November 2020.

17 Nov 2020

Pollution may bear part of the blame for rapid spread SARS-CoV-2 in the U.S.

The United States may have set itself up for the spread of a pandemic without even knowing it.

12 Nov 2020

London-based Veraco launches product range to reduce microbes on frequently touched surfaces

London based Veraco has designed and manufactured a range of Antimicrobial adhesive pads and wraps to be used on frequently touched surfaces, such as door handles, shopping trolleys and handrails.

12 Nov 2020

Lessons from USS Theodore Roosevelt on limiting shipborne COVID-19 outbreaks

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in November 2020 discusses such a scenario in terms of various possible approaches. It suggests that a viable strategy could be evacuating everyone from the ship and extensive surveillance testing.

10 Nov 2020

NAU researcher leads international effort to study and track brucellosis

Northern Arizona University researcher Jeff Foster is leading an international effort to study and track the spread of one of the most important infectious diseases in humans and livestock worldwide.