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Blood test can identify patients at high risk of severe COVID-19

A blood test on hospital admission showing the presence or absence of SARS-CoV-2 can identify patients at a high risk of severe COVID-19.

2 Sep 2020

Study shows link between lipid metabolism and onset of psychosis

Changes in blood lipids give an early warning for the development of psychosis in individuals who are at risk. Weight gain displays the same connection. This is shown in a new study at örebro University.

2 Sep 2020

Circadian rhythms help in brain's unique process of waste removal

New research details how the complex set of molecular and fluid dynamics that comprise the glymphatic system - the brain's unique process of waste removal - are synchronized with the master internal clock that regulates the sleep-wake cycle.

2 Sep 2020

New theory changes the understanding of complex social interactions

Tracking the extent to which other people think differently from yourself appears to be more relevant than understanding someone else's thoughts per se. Neuroscientists at Ghent University and the University of New South Wales (Sydney) came to this conclusion.

2 Sep 2020

Novel technique to detect the fungus responsible for causing severe pneumonia

Research staff of the University of Valencia and the Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of the Valencian Community, among other institutions, have developed a very sensitive and fast in-vitro method for the diagnosis of infection by Pneumocystis jirovecii, a fungus that causes severe pneumonia.

2 Sep 2020

Durable IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 from the Iceland experience

Now, a team of scientists at the Reykjavik-based deCODe Genetics, a subsidiary of the U.S. biotech company Amgen, and several universities and hospitals in Iceland, says that the antibodies developed to fight SARS-CoV-2 last for at least four months and do not fade quickly as previously thought.

2 Sep 2020

Exponential rise in COVID-19 hospitalization risk with age due to waning T cell immunity

The age-related increase in the risk of severe disease and death from COVID-19 mirrors earlier patterns seen with infections. Such trends may help understand the mechanisms underlying the clinical feature. A recent study published in the preprint server medRxiv* in August 2020 shows the effect of age and sex on COVID-19 hospitalization rates in the USA and helps understand how immune function is involved in this pandemic.

2 Sep 2020

Simple test can help healthcare professionals identify patients at risk of type 2 diabetes

A simple test such as the strength of your handgrip could be used as a quick, low-cost screening tool to help healthcare professionals identify patients at risk of type 2 diabetes.

2 Sep 2020

Study examines the brain's reactions in conditions of uncertainty

A new Tel Aviv University study examined the brain's reactions in conditions of uncertainty and stressful conflict in an environment of risks and opportunities.

2 Sep 2020

UNC-Chapel Hill and BASF sign Master Research Agreement

BASF and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill today announced the signing of a Master Research Agreement.

2 Sep 2020

Misfiring brain cells may create swallowing difficulties in children with neurodevelopmental disorders

Misfiring brain cells that control key parts of the mouth and tongue may be creating swallowing difficulties in children with neurodevelopmental disorders, according to neuroscientists with Virginia Tech and George Washington University.

2 Sep 2020

Study: BIRC2 overexpression could be a key marker for immunotherapy resistance

Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have added to evidence that a gene responsible for turning off a cell's natural "suicide" signals may also be the culprit in making breast cancer and melanoma cells resistant to therapies that use the immune system to fight cancer.

2 Sep 2020

ACE2/TMPRSS2 not expressed in pancreatic islet endocrine cells

A new study by researchers at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in August 2020 reports that both key enzymes that are required for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) entry into the human host cell are lacking in the beta cells of the pancreatic islet. This rules out the direct injury hypothesis for impaired glucose control in patients with COVID-19 disease.

1 Sep 2020

High-pressure preconcentration devices for detecting small amounts of virus in early infections

Diagnostic devices that are used at home or in doctors' offices are often not sensitive enough to detect small amounts of a virus that might be present in samples from asymptomatic patients, which can occur in early stage COVID-19.

1 Sep 2020

Study shows unprecedented impact of COVID-19 on surgical care in Ontario

The estimated time to clear surgeries postponed in Ontario because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is 84 weeks, with a target of 717 surgeries per week, according to a new modelling study in CMAJ.

1 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2-RNA viremia is a robust marker of critical illness in COVID-19

A new study by a large team of Spanish researchers and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in August 2020 reports that the presence of viral RNA in the blood is a useful marker of impending acute disease and can help triage COVID-19 disease patients who will require hospital care.

1 Sep 2020

Relatives' grief symptoms after bereavement can be helped earlier

Many relatives who experience severe long-term grief reactions after bereavement have more frequent contact with their general practitioner already prior to bereavement, as well as a higher consumption of antidepressants and sedatives than those who have fewer critical symptoms of grief over time.

1 Sep 2020

Negligible ACE2 expression in human beta-cells

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv reports that even though the fatality rate is significantly higher in diabetics, there is no evidence that this is due to direct viral infection of pancreatic beta cells, which produce the key hormone in glucose homeostasis, namely insulin.

1 Sep 2020

New research sheds light on the risks of COVID-19 for pregnant women and their babies

New research findings published today in the BMJ helps to shed light on the risks of COVID-19 for pregnant women and their babies.

1 Sep 2020

Educational mailing for atrial fibrillation patients fails to increase uptake of stroke prevention drugs

An educational mailing for atrial fibrillation patients and their clinicians did not increase uptake of stroke prevention drugs, according to results of the IMPACT-AFib trial presented in a Hot Line session today at ESC Congress 2020.

1 Sep 2020