The rapid global transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) led to a pandemic commonly known as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). To date, this pandemic has affected approximately 686 million people and claimed more than 6.8 million lives worldwide. Even though this virus is primarily transmitted through respiratory droplets or direct contact with an infected person, SARS-CoV-2 has also been detected in feces. It is, therefore, possible that SARS-CoV-2 may be excreted in human feces and other bodily secretions, such as saliva and urine, and be transported subsequently to wastewater treatment plants. Study: Survival of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. Image Credit: Avigator Fortuner / Shutterstock Background The recent identification of SARS-CoV-2 in feces has raised the concern that it could be an additional route of viral transmission. A similar occurrence was recorded in 2003, during the first SARS pandemic. During this period, SARS cases increased due to aerosolized fecal matter, which resulted from faulty ...
The high rate of obesity has become a growing problem in the modern world. Obesity is associated with the incidence of several comorbidities, such as cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. Despite weight loss being considered the most important remedy for obesity, long-term weight maintenance is also important. Background Metabolic adaptation, i.e., adaptive thermogenesis (AT), could be the key factor preventing long-term weight-loss maintenance. AT causes a decrease in energy expenditure, which is significantly more than the predictions based on reductions in fat mass (FM) or fat-free mass (FFM). Energy expenditure adaptations have been found to last multiple years after a weight loss period. Therefore, after weight loss, a reduction in AT is extremely important for long-term weight loss maintenance. Some factors have been identified to reduce AT, such as physical activity, cold-induced brown adipose tissue activation, tea catechins, and capsaicinoids. Furthermore, high protein (HP) intake was also ...
Researchers from Russia and the U.S. have found language impairment in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to be associated with a lower volume of gray matter and greater gyrification in the temporal and frontal lobes of the cerebral cortex. These regions play a critical role in language functioning. Understanding the structural characteristics that underlie behavioral deficits can aid in designing special education programs for children with autism. A paper with the study’s findings has been published in Scientific Reports. Autism Spectrum Disorder is typically characterized by issues with social interaction and communication skills, and by stereotypical behaviors. These symptoms are often attributed to genetic factors that impact the development of the nervous system. Children with ASD frequently experience language difficulties, ranging from mild speech disorders to a complete inability to communicate verbally. These difficulties can become obstacles to effective communication and social interaction. But the neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders remain poorly ...
In the majority of cases, graft failure after heart transplantation is attributable to abnormalities like severe coronary artery disease. As donors with extended criteria like advanced age and pre-existing heart conditions become eligible for heart transplantation, careful screening for congenital abnormalities has become crucial. Invasive coronary angiography is an essential screening tool that can detect coronary artery disease (CAD), a condition characterized by cholesterol deposits in the heart’s arteries. However, logistical challenges limit utility so it’s used for fewer than a third of donors who are at risk of developing CAD. To overcome this limitation, a new heart preservation procedure called “ex situ heart perfusion” (ESHP) has been developed. By allowing the supply of oxygenated nutrients to the heart via blood vessels, ESHP allows doctors to monitor the performance of the heart and screen it for any defects outside the body. However, coronary angiography conducted during ESHP is known to damage ...
The FDA approval of AbbVie’s oral CGRP inhibitor Qulipta in chronic migraine could unleash a fresh phase of growth for the drug. That is the conclusion of survey data gathered by Spherix Global Insights, which found most physicians are very willing to prescribe the drug to patients with chronic migraine. Prior to the FDA approval, Spherix spoke to 74 neurologists and 101 primary care physicians about the migraine market, including their interest in prescribing Qulipta for the treatment of patients who have headaches at least 15 days per month. The survey suggests that AbbVie’s work to drum up interest in Qulipta since winning approval in episodic migraine in 2021 has primed the product for growth. Almost two-thirds of the surveyed neurologists said they would be very willing to prescribe Qulipta to chronic migraine patients, up from half earlier in the launch. Similarly, more than 50% of primary ...
Arterial stiffness may be a novel risk factor for metabolic syndrome in teens, a paper published in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology concludes. The study was conducted in collaboration between the University of Bristol in the UK, the University of Exeter in the UK, and the University of Eastern Finland. The presence of any three of high blood pressure, high trunk fat mass, high fasting glucose, high fasting triglyceride and low fasting high-density lipoprotein cholesterol describes metabolic syndrome. Arterial stiffness in adolescents measured with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity may potentially cause metabolic syndrome in young adulthood via an increase in fasting insulin resistance and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Image Credit: Andrew Agbaje. The World Health Organization describes metabolic syndrome as the constellation of three or more of the following: abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in US middle-aged adults is 30%, ...
In a recent study published in Preventive Medicine Reports Journal, researchers performed a randomized clinical trial (RCT) to investigate whether adhering to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) with or without limiting calorie intake could improve cognition. Background Obesity, lifestyle choices including diet and exercise, and cardiometabolic comorbidities elevate the risk of cognitive decline. To date, there are no efficient pharmaceutical therapeutics available to prevent, retard, or manage cognitive deficits. However, studies have shown that MedDiet and weight loss benefit cognition, and combining the two may enhance cognitive function. However, RCTs have shown inconsistent results, with either a favorable or negligible impact of nutrition on cognition, warranting further research. About the study In the present three-arm RCT, researchers evaluated the potential cognitive benefit of adhering to MedDiet with or without limiting calorie intake. The Building Research in Diet and Cognition study was conducted between January 2017 and ...
by Center for Genomic Regulation Researchers have developed a new method to distinguish between cancerous and healthy stem cells and progenitor cells from samples of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a disease driven by malignant blood stem cells that have historically been difficult to identify. The findings, published today in the journal Cell Stem Cell, pave the way for the development of new techniques to predict whether patients will respond to chemotherapy. AML is a type of cancer characterized by the rapid growth and accumulation of abnormal white blood cells. It is thought to develop when blood progenitor cells, which normally turn into all other types of blood cells, fail to mature properly and become abnormal. In this process, blood stem cells carry a special importance because they give rise to progenitor cells and are thought to be the cell type in which leukemic mutations occur. Leukemic stem cells are thought ...
Known as DERMAdoctor Comfort + Joy Psoriasis Therapeutic Moisturizing Cream with 3% salicylic acid, the product will be introduced on the QVC network. The new cream will be used to treat and provide relief for psoriasis symptoms, including redness, irritation, itching, flaking, and scaling, and also helps to restore moisture in skin. It has been developed to relieve and prevent the recurrence of psoriasis symptoms. The new Psoriasis Therapeutic Moisturizing Cream with 3% Salicylic Acid delivers a mix of ceramides, hyaluronic acid, essential fatty acids, aloe vera, shea butter, and botanicals to calm and moisturise dry, uncomfortable skin. The company noted that the steroid-free and fragrance-free formulation of the cream is even suitable for the most sensitive skin from head to toe. NovaBay Pharmaceuticals chief product officer Dr Audrey Kunin said: “Psoriasis afflicts about 125 million people worldwide and nearly eight million in the ...
Can we really call ourselves patient-centric if we don’t embrace personalization? In a world where consumers can order a customized latte, stream a personalized playlist, and get tailored fashion recommendations with a few clicks, it’s no wonder that patients are increasingly demanding that same level of personalization from the pharmaceutical companies that provide them with life-changing medications. In comparison to other industries, such as retail and banking, pharma is still considered to be somewhat behind in delivering on this patient expectation. This has been largely due to a lack of data integration across the ecosystem, disparate access to digital technologies, and regulatory constraints. However, the industry is well poised to overcome these challenges because of two major forces. The first is the democratization of information, providing access to data to power personalization; 63% of patients would be willing to share their data with pharma companies for greater personalization.1 The ...
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