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Moderna SARS-CoV-2 vaccine highly effective against alpha and beta variants

The Moderna SARS-CoV-2 vaccine was widely distributed and had a reported efficacy in clinical trials of 94.1% against the wildtype SARS-CoV-2 following the second dose administration. Therefore, Chemaitelly et al. used this as an opportunity to measure the vaccine's efficacy against these variants as reported in a recent Nature Medicine paper, finding that the vaccine has good efficacy in all aspects.

16 Jul 2021

Scientists decipher the activity of the brain in deep sleep

Thanks to a unique system that decodes brain activity during sleep, a UNIGE team is deciphering the neuronal mechanisms of memory consolidation.

16 Jul 2021

Spending time outdoors has a positive effect on the brain, study shows

If you're regularly out in the fresh air, you're doing something good for both your brain and your well-being.

16 Jul 2021

Study shows joint effects of perceived risk and availability on cannabis use

Combined perceptions of the risk and availability of cannabis influence the risk of cannabis use more than perceived risk and perceived availability alone, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

16 Jul 2021

Mixing COVID vaccines generates a comparable immune response

The validity and safety of mixing first and second doses of different types are explored in a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server medRxiv* by Rose et al. (July 13th, 2021), finding that robust antibody response is induced, comparable to, and perhaps even exceed that generated by homologous dosing.

16 Jul 2021

Brain signals translated into speech give paralyzed man back his words

Scientists at UC San Francisco have successfully developed a "speech neuroprosthesis" device that has enabled a man with severe paralysis to communicate in sentences, translating signals from his brain to text on a screen.

15 Jul 2021

Water-soluble vitamin E compounds directly inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication and synergize with remdesivir

Researchers in the United States have shown that water-soluble derivatives of vitamin E (α-tocopherol) exhibit potent antiviral activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

15 Jul 2021

'Super glue' from snake venom can stop life-threatening bleeding in seconds

Indiana Jones hates snakes. And he's certainly not alone. The fear of snakes is so common it even has its own name: ophidiophobia.

15 Jul 2021

Research shows the effect of physical activity on bowel cancer cell growth

New research presented at The Physiological Society's Annual Conference Physiology 2021 shows that molecules released into the bloodstream during exercise (such as small proteins) can act directly on bowel cancer cells to slow down their growth.

15 Jul 2021

Researchers identify a new, promising biomarker for bacterial soft tissue infections

Rapid diagnosis is crucial in bacterial soft tissue infections to reduce the risk of severe injury or amputation.

15 Jul 2021

COVID-19 vaccine candidate that can be produced in yeast proves effective in macaques

Researchers in the United States have designed a modular protein subunit vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that elicited a strong immune response in macaques and prevented the animals from developing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

15 Jul 2021

Mindfulness training for pregnant women doubles the chance of natural birth

A short, group-based mindfulness training for pregnant women and their partners reduces the chance of a medically unnecessary cesarean birth by 50% and doubles the chance of a natural birth.

15 Jul 2021

High screen-time may exacerbate cognitive, behavioral problems in children born extremely preterm

Among 6- and 7-year-olds who were born extremely preterm--before the 28th week of pregnancy--those who had more than two hours of screen time a day were more likely to have deficits in overall IQ, executive functioning (problem solving skills), impulse control and attention, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

15 Jul 2021

Food insufficiency associated with lack of mental health support during COVID-19 pandemic

A new national study published in Public Health Nutrition on July 15 found that Americans experiencing food insufficiency were three times as likely to lack mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic than those not experiencing food insufficiency.

15 Jul 2021

COVID-19 researchers review 184 drug repurposing candidates

New research describes the use of integrative bioinformatics analyses of transcriptomic profiles for COVID-19 therapeutics.

15 Jul 2021

Autophagy disruption may be at the root of early cognitive changes in Huntington’s disease

Huntington's Disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition characterized by motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms, and motor symptoms are often preceded by cognitive changes.

15 Jul 2021

Study opens the door to improved treatment for psychosis sufferers

University of Otago scientists have opened the door to improved treatment of brain dysfunction which causes psychosis.

15 Jul 2021

Researchers examine the effect of silicon intake on lung morphology of rodents

Bone density, skin and hair health, and the mobility of joints depend to a great extent on the microelement of silicon.

15 Jul 2021

Antihypertension drug may benefit patients with neurofibromatosis type 2

New research led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts Eye and Ear indicates that the blood pressure drug losartan may benefit patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), a hereditary condition associated with vestibular schwannomas, or noncancerous tumors along the nerves in the brain that are involved with hearing and balance.

15 Jul 2021

About 4 in 100 COVID-19 hospitalized children may develop neurological complications, a study finds

In a recently published article in The Lancet’s Child & Adolescent Health, scientists have described in detail neurological and psychiatric manifestations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in children. As mentioned in the study, an estimated prevalence of infection-related neurological complications and pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome in hospitalized children and adolescents is about 3.8 cases per 100 patients.

15 Jul 2021