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55 articles from ScienceDaily

Individual risk-factor data could help predict the next Ebola outbreak

Researchers have examined how social and economic factors, such as level of education and general knowledge of Ebola, might contribute to 'high-risk behaviors' that may bring individuals into contact with potentially infected animals. A focus on geographical locations with high concentrations of individuals at high-risk could help public health officials better target prevention and education...

Full 3-D view of binary star-planet system

Astronomers using the VLBA have produced a full, 3-D view of a binary star system with a planet orbiting one of the stars. Their achievement promises important new insights into the process of planet formation.

How 'prediction markets' could improve climate risk policies and investment decisions

A market-led approach could be key to guiding policy, research and business decisions about future climate risks, a new study outlines. Now that organizations appreciate how essential it is to consider climate risks within their strategic plans, the pressing need for forward-looking, reliable information is growing. However, researchers say current climate-risk forecasts that guide key business...

A therapy found to improve cognitive function in patients with Down syndrome

Scientists have tested the efficacy of GnRH injection therapy in order to improve the cognitive functions of a small group of patients with Down syndrome. First the scientists revealed a dysfunction of the GnRH neurons in an animal model of Down syndrome and its impacts on the cognitive function impairment associated with the condition. Then a pilot study testing GnRH pulsatile injection therapy...

Researchers propose new framework for regulating engineered crops

A Policy Forum article calls for a new approach to regulating genetically engineered (GE) crops, arguing that current approaches for triggering safety testing vary dramatically among countries and generally lack scientific merit -- particularly as advances in crop breeding have blurred the lines between conventional breeding and genetic engineering.

Global analysis identifies at-risk forests

Researchers quantify the risk to forests from climate change along three dimensions: carbon storage, biodiversity and forest loss from disturbance, such as fire or drought. The results show forests in some regions experiencing clear and consistent risks. In other regions, the risk profile is less clear, because different approaches that account for disparate aspects of climate risk yield diverging...

Researchers report encouraging immunotherapy option for relapsed myeloma patients

Researchers have published results that show encouraging therapeutic options for patients with the blood cancer multiple myeloma after first-line treatment with bispecific antibodies fails. Bispecific antibodies are a type of antibody that can bind to two different antigens at the same time -- they are meant to enhance the immune system's destruction of tumor cells.

How the gut may help to drive COVID-19

New findings have demonstrated a molecular link between COVID-19 and serotonin cells in the gut. The research could help provide further clues to what could be driving COVID-19 infection and disease severity and supports previous evidence that antidepressants, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), could reduce the severity of COVID symptoms.

Link between disrupted enzyme and intellectual disability revealed

A new study reveals how a rare genetic mutation leads to intellectual disability. The P212L mutation in an enzyme called CaMKIIalpha, which is important for learning and memory, is known to be linked to intellectual disability. However, the exact process by which the mutation affected the enzyme's activity was unclear, until now.

These mice grow bigger on the rainier sides of mountains: It might be a new rule of nature

Scientists studying mice from the Andes Mountains in Patagonia noticed something they couldn't explain: the mice from the western side of the mountains were bigger than the ones from the east, but DNA said that they were all from the same species. The researchers examined the skulls of 450 mice from the southern tip of South America, and found that existing biological laws didn't explain the size...

Global fish stocks can't rebuild if nothing done to halt climate change and overfishing

Global fish stocks will not be able to recover to sustainable levels without strong actions to mitigate climate change, a new study has projected. Researchers projected the impact that different global temperature increases and ranges of fishing activity would have on biomass, or the amount of fish by weight in a given area, from 1950 to 2100. Their simulations suggest that climate change has...