Science & Technology
Omicron ‘less severe’ than Delta for children ages 4 and younger, study suggests
New research suggests that the children younger than age 5 who are infected with the COVID-19 Omicron variant have less risk of severe health outcomes than those infected with the Delta variant.
New research shows survival rate improvement for extremely pre-term infants
A study conducted at 19 medical centers from 2013-2018 found that the survival rate of babies born at 22 weeks (30%) and 23 weeks (55.8%) had increased significantly compared to the same study conducted from 2008-2013, in which only 7% of babies born a…
New research shows what it takes to make society change for the better
New research suggests that social change may depend on the relationship between beneficial behaviors and policies. Using an innovative mathematical model, researchers studied a behavior that benefits groups, but does not spread without policy support, …
‘Flash droughts’ coming on faster, global study shows
Just like flash floods, flash droughts come on fast — drying out soil in a matter of days to weeks. These events can wipe out crops and cause huge economic losses. And according to scientists, the speed at which they dry out the landscape has increased.
The future of 5G+ infrastructure could be built tile by tile
5G+ (5G/Beyond 5G) is the fastest-growing segment and the only significant opportunity for investment growth in the wireless network infrastructure market, according to the latest forecast. But currently 5G+ technologies rely on large antenna arrays th…
CRISPR and HIV: New technique in human blood unveils potential paths toward cure
Gene editing used to discover human proteins hijacked by HIV to replicate in blood • By better understanding how the virus replicates, treatments could one day become cures • ‘This new assay is the most faithful representation of what’s happening in th…
Monkeys routinely consume fruit containing alcohol, shedding light on our own taste for booze
Scientists analyzed the ethanol content of fruit eaten by spider monkeys in Panama, and found that the fruit regularly contained alcohol: between 1% and 2%. The researchers also collected urine samples, most of which contained secondary metabolites of …
Pandemic’s urgency drove new collaborative approaches worldwide
In a new paper, nearly 130 authors from institutions around the world describe their groundbreaking collaborative work, ‘Defining the risk of SARS-CoV-2 variants on immune protection.’
Are ‘person’ or ‘people’ gender-neutral concepts? New study finds male tilt in analysis of billions of words
The concept of a ‘person’ or ‘people’ is, despite its definition, not gender-neutral when it comes to how we use these terms. In fact, we tend to prioritize men when referring to people in general, shows a new study by a team of psychology and linguist…
Drenching rains to pose greater threat to fire-damaged areas in West
The western US this century is facing a greatly heightened risk of heavy rains inundating areas recently scarred by wildfires, new research warns. Such events can cause significant destruction, including debris flows, mudslides, and flash floods, becau…
Study shows: Fish can calculate
Cichlids and stingrays can perform simple addition and subtraction in the number range of one to five. This has been shown in a recent study by the University of Bonn, which has now been published in the journal Scientific Reports. It is not known what…
Combination of biomarkers can identify common cognitive disease
In recent years, subcortical small-vessel disease has become an increasingly common cognitive diagnosis. Researchers have now shown that it is possible to identify patients with the disease by combining two biomarkers that are measured in spinal fluid …
Can weekly prednisone treat obesity?
Obese mice that were fed a high-fat diet and that received prednisone one time per week had improved exercise endurance, got stronger, increased their lean body mass and lost weight, reports a new study. The mice also had increased muscle metabolism. T…
Polarized speech: A function of self-persuasion
A new study finds competitive debaters, randomly assigned a position, persuade themselves to the superiority of their side, even if it falls contrary to their own personal beliefs.
Are COVID-19-linked arrhythmias caused by viral damage to the heart’s pacemaker cells?
The SARS-CoV-2 virus can infect specialized pacemaker cells that maintain the heart’s rhythmic beat, setting off a self-destruction process within the cells, according to a preclinical study. The findings offer a possible explanation for the heart arrh…