Additional doses of covid-19 vaccine are recommended for immunocompromised patients, especially for organ transplant recipients who are least able to make antibodies to fight off coronavirus, say experts in The BMJ today. The findings reinforce the importance of additional doses of covid-19 vaccine to protect people with a weakened immune system. It is already known that after vaccination, […]

 Published in Science, University of Minnesota Medical School researchers found that blood pressure medications have an unanticipated effect on the brain. The research team discovered that drugs used to treat blood pressure unexpectedly increase the effect of opioids that the brain naturally produces. This can fine-tune the function of a specific brain circuit and counteract […]

Nearly 11% of U.S. households experienced difficulty accessing food in 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. With limited food options, food-insecure people tend to eat more red and processed meats. A study by Penn State College of Medicine researchers shows a link between diets high in red and processed meats, food insecurity and increased risk […]

Control mechanisms for heating, ventilation and air conditioning in buildings follow set parameters to make conditions in a building more comfortable, but what they save on time can reduce efficiency and increase energy costs, according to Gregory Pavlak, assistant professor of architectural engineering. More sophisticated control models, known as model predictive controllers, can optimize multiple […]

Experimental work from an international team of scientists has determined the relative contributions from two competing theories that seek to account for why an ionic liquid is viscous. An ionic liquid is a salt with a melting point lower than 100°C. Ionic salts are more viscous than molecular liquids – a property that affords ionic […]

Researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI) have discovered that power-producing organelles in the eye’s photoreceptor cells, called mitochondria, function as microlenses that help channel light to these cells’ outer segments where it’s converted into nerve signals. The discovery in ground squirrels provides a more precise picture of the retina’s optical properties and could help […]

An anti-inflammatory drug candidate, known as 3,6’-dithiopomalidomide (DP), designed by researchers at the National Institute on Aging (NIA), protected lab mice against cognitive decline by reducing brain inflammation. An international research team led by the NIA scientists published their findings in Alzheimer’s and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. NIA is part of the National […]

A recent pilot program measuring the results of online tutoring for K-12 students has shown positive, promising results, according to a new study from the University of California San Diego’s Rady School of Management. Disruptions to in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic have increased interests in expanding online tutoring to K-12 students. However, expanding virtual […]

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterial infection that has become resistant to most of the antibiotics used to treat regular staph infections. Bruce Donald, PhD, James B Duke Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, and collaborators at the University of Connecticut are working to develop new enzyme inhibitors to fight MRSA. In research published in PLOS […]

[embedded content] Tatiana Segura has discovered a way to modify biomaterials—such as polymers that are found naturally in living organisms—to create a novel gel that regrows tissue in damaged areas of the body and promotes wound healing. Her lab’s efforts are leading to transformative outcomes for those who have experienced stroke, brain damage, bone malformation, […]