How Well Does the Monkeypox Vax Work? No One Knows for Sure
Across an American gay male community worried about catching monkeypox, one message suggests this is all temporary: A few months of sexual caution plus vaccination will usher in a care-free autumn. “For your own safety, and to spare you the horrors of this disease,” sex columnist Dan Savage suggested on Twitter last weekend, “you might […]
Skin: An additional tool for the versatile elephant trunk: Elephant biomechanics suggests a new approach for soft robotics
A new study from Georgia Institute of Technology suggests that an elephant’s muscles aren’t the only way it stretches its trunk — its folded skin also plays an important role. The combination of muscle and skin gives the animal the versatility to grab fragile vegetation and rip apart tree trunks. The research, in collaboration with […]
Dietary cholesterol worsens inflammation, sickness in mice with influenza
New research from the University of Illinois suggests high levels of dietary cholesterol make mice sicker when infected with influenza. The study is the first to link cholesterol in the diet with exacerbation of a viral infection. Previously, scientists linked high-fat diets and elevated blood cholesterol with increased susceptibility to infection and lowered immune response. […]
Omicron ‘less severe’ than Delta for children ages 4 and younger, study suggests
New research from the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine 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. The study, published Friday in JAMA Pediatrics, is the first large-scale research effort […]
To keep or not to keep those New Year’s resolutions?
New research suggests that people may not always want help with sticking to their New Year’s resolutions. Individuals often make resolutions in January to maintain healthy lifestyle regimes — for example to eat better or exercise more often — then fail to keep them. Behavioural scientists frequently interpret such behaviour as evidence of a conflict […]
Compounds derived from hops show promise as treatment for common liver disease
Research by Oregon State University suggests a pair of compounds originating from hops can help thwart a dangerous buildup of fat in the liver known as hepatic steatosis. The findings, published today in eLife, are important because the condition affects roughly one-fourth of people in the United States and Europe. While heavy drinking is often […]
Under a moon spell: Shark attacks related to lunar phases
New research from LSU and the University of Florida suggests that more shark attacks occur during fuller phases of the moon. While the exact cause remains unclear, the researchers found that more shark attacks than average occur during periods of higher lunar illumination and fewer attacks than average occur during periods of lower illumination. Many […]
Two new species of large predatory dinosaur discovered on Isle of Wight, UK
A new study led by palaeontologists at the University of Southampton suggests that bones found on the Isle of Wight belong to two new species of spinosaurid, a group of predatory theropod dinosaurs closely related to the giant Spinosaurus. Their unusual, crocodile-like skulls helped the group expand their diets, allowing them hunt prey on both […]
Gene for sex hormone synthesis could play key role in eczema: Potential new treatment target for common skin condition
A study led by UT Southwestern dermatologists suggests that a common inflammatory skin condition may stem from poorly regulated sex hormones. The finding, published this week in PNAS, could offer an unexpected new target to fight this condition. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a form of eczema. AD affects up to 13% of children and 10% […]
Astronomers explain origin of elusive ultradiffuse galaxies: How very faint dwarf galaxies are born
As their name suggests, ultradiffuse galaxies, or UDGs, are dwarf galaxies whose stars are spread out over a vast region, resulting in extremely low surface brightness, making them very difficult to detect. Several questions about UDGs remain unanswered: How did these dwarfs end up so extended? Are their dark matter halos — the halos of […]