102 articles from FRIDAY 3.9.2021

Covid treatment improving as doctors learn to fight the disease and access new drugs

Coronavirus patients with high-risk comorbidities are being given a newly approved antibody drug, which limits the virus’s ability to replicate in the bodyFollow our Covid live blog for the latest updatesRestrictions: NSW; Vic; Qld; bordersVaccine rollout tracker; get our free news app; get our morning email briefingAustralia’s treatment of Covid-19 patients has improved with doctors claiming...

Vaccines on horseback: Fiji doctors take long and muddy road to protect remote villages from Covid

A team of medics hiked in the mountains for hours to take supplies to the small village of NakidaSee all our coronavirus coverageTo reach Nakida village in the highlands of Fiji, Dr Losalini Tabakei and her colleagues hiked for hours, up and down mountains, through forests, down muddy slopes, across rivers and along treacherous ridges with steep slopes of bamboo forest on either side.Their...

Thousands of kilometres from anywhere lies Point Nemo, a watery grave where space stations go to die

The space cemetery, named for the fictional captain in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, is where the International Space Station is likely to end upAt the furthest point from any landmass on earth, and 4km under the sea, lies the space cemetery.When their outer space journeys come to an end, old satellites, rocket parts and space stations are sent to this desolate spot in the Pacific Ocean to rest on...

Hurricane Ida Raises the Question: How Can Cities Keep Subways Safe in an Era of Climate Crisis Flooding?

As the remnants of Hurricane Ida passed over the northeast Wednesday night, dumping a record-shattering 3.15 inches of rain on New York City in a single hour, water began to pour into the city’s subways. The system flooded in 46 locations and the MTA cut service across all lines overnight. Rescue operations had to be carried out to reach those unlucky enough to be caught in at least 15...

Imaging single spine structural plasticity at the nanoscale level

Researchers have developed a new imaging technique capable of visualizing the dynamically changing structure of dendritic spines with unprecedented resolution. By combining two cutting-edge types of microscopies, scientists now have the tools necessary to unravel the ultrastructural complexities of spines during the process of synaptic plasticity.

Covid jabs for UK children: a very tight decision that could be overruled

Analysis: The JCVI would not back vaccination of all 12 to 15-year-olds, but the impact on schools will now have to be consideredCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIt was, the scientists said, a very finely balanced decision. On the one hand, Covid vaccines undoubtedly help to reduce infection and illness. On the other, Covid vaccines – like every other vaccine in...

Gut bacteria influence brain development

Extremely premature infants are at a high risk for brain damage. Researchers have now found possible targets for the early treatment of such damage outside the brain: Bacteria in the gut of premature infants may play a key role. The research team found that the overgrowth of the gastrointestinal tract with the bacterium Klebsiella is associated with an increased presence of certain immune cells...

Severe infections during pregnancy associated with complications around childbirth

Individuals who are hospitalized during pregnancy due to sepsis have higher odds of complications surrounding childbirth, according to a new study. The study found that pregnancies complicated by sepsis were associated with an increased risk of cesarean delivery, postpartum hemorrhage and preterm delivery, highlighting the risk of any severe infection during pregnancy.

Identification of plant-parasitic nematode attractant

Scientists have purified and identified an attractant for crop-infecting root-knot nematodes from flaxseeds. Their experiments revealed that rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I), a flaxseed cell wall component, can attract root-knot nematodes. The linkages between rhamnose and L-galactose are essential for the attraction.

Predicting possible Alzheimer’s with nearly 100 percent accuracy

Researchers have developed a deep learning-based method that can predict the possible onset of Alzheimer's disease from brain images with an accuracy of over 99 percent. The method was developed while analyzing functional MRI images obtained from 138 subjects and performed better in terms of accuracy, sensitivity and specificity than previously developed methods.

Subscription-based payment models may improve access to hepatitis C medications

Subscription-based payment models (SBPM), a novel approach in which states contract exclusively with a single manufacturer to supply prescriptions at a reduced price, could increase access to these life-saving treatments, according to a new study. In a SBPM, states pay reduced per prescription prices for medications until a certain utilization threshold. After this threshold, the cost of...