In a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, a team of researchers from Wuhan, China, found that various insectivorous bat species in central China were natural hosts or reservoirs of β- and γ-herpesviruses, with viruses from the Herpesviridae family showing host range restrictions, and phylogenetic analyses indicating previous cross-species transmissions. Study:…

What does it take to help a parent avoid and manage burnout? Experts at Ohio State University came together to design a study on triggers of parental burnout and reported the results of their survey in a report published online. They offer methods and solutions that could help connect struggling parents and outline ways to…

In a recent study published in BMJ Medicine, researchers explored the long-term effects of flooding on mortality. Study:  Floods and cause-specific mortality in the UK: a nested case-control study . Image Credit: Valery Zotev/Shutterstock.com Background Floods are a major global issue that inflicts fatalities, property damage, and disruptions to critical services such as…

In a recent study published in the Nutrients, a group of researchers assessed the effectiveness of Vitamin D3 supplementation in reducing intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related mortality through a meta-analysis of 13 randomized clinical trials. Study:  Effect of Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Severe COVID-19: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical…

A team led by the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI) has developed a vaccine approach that works like a GPS, guiding the immune system through the specific steps to make broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV. Publishing in the journal Cell Host & Microbe, the study describes an approach that provides step-by-step directions for the immune…

Bill Thompson's wife had never seen him smile with confidence. For the first 20 years of their relationship, an infection in his mouth robbed him of teeth, one by one. "I didn't have any teeth to smile with," the 53-year-old of Independence, Missouri, said. Thompson said he dealt with throbbing toothaches and painful swelling in…

In a recent research paper uploaded to the bioRxiv preprint* server, researchers developed and tested novel bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) comprising both the N-terminal domain (NTD) and the receptor binding domain (RBD) for their efficacy against emergent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs). These antibodies were synthesized using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs)…

In a recent study published in the journal JAMA Network Open, researchers used a large prospective cohort study to investigate the long-term associations between olive oil consumption and dementia mortality risk. Their cohort comprising 92,383 American adults revealed that consuming seven or more grams of olive oil per day was associated with a 28% reduction…

May 8 2024 In a recent study published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, researchers developed a unique vaccination technique using virus-like particles (VLPs) with numerous protein variations to widen the immune response to infections such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). They synthesized connected receptor-binding domains (RBDs) from SARS-like betacoronaviruses…

In a recent case-control study published in Scientific Reports, researchers compared single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene between mild and severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. They found that the TT genotype of SNP rs11568820 was significantly less frequent in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, suggesting its protective role against severe illness…