Ever wondered how air quality might affect marathon times? A study from researchers at an Ivy League university decided to find out. They looked at over 2. 5 million male and female marathon finishers, and added pollution data to the mix. How did they do this? They used a fancy model to pinpoint pol
As COVID-19 restrictions eased, there was a surge in viral respiratory infections (VRIs). This increase might have raised the risk of invasive bacterial infections (IBIs), such as complicated pneumonia, sinusitis, and invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS). To understand these changes better, researc
Meet Empagliflozin, a diabetes drug that's making waves in the medical world. Beyond its usual job of controlling blood sugar, it's showing promise in protecting kidneys too. Let's talk about chronic kidney disease (CKD), a serious condition that affects millions. Some people with CKD also have a co
Respiratory syncytial virus, often called RSV, is a big problem for little kids. Babies under a year old get sick the most from this virus. Recently, Australia approved a new vaccine that protects moms during pregnancy, so their babies stay healthier. It's a smart move to check if this vaccine is wo
In cities, sewage treatment plants use unique reactors with moving bed biofilms to clean wastewater. These reactors rely on microbes to break down the waste. Scientists studied how cold temperatures impact these microbes. They found that when it gets cold, the quality of the treated water decreases.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are game-changers in cancer therapy, but they don’t come without drawbacks. These drugs can cause issues in different parts of the body, and scientists are trying to understand why. It turns out that certain immune cells like T cells and myeloid cells are key play
Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, or PCP, is a severe lung infection that often affects people living with HIV (HIV+) who have weakened immune systems. The go-to treatment for PCP is trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), even though it comes with some side effects. But is TMP-SMX really the best
Recently, there's been a hiccup in our understanding of magnetic semiconductors. A particular theory, known as the self-consistent spin wave theory, didn't quite hit the mark when it came to explaining these materials at low temperatures or near their critical temperature (T_c). Scientists J. K"onig
The Oldenburg Sentence Test (OLSA) is a popular German hearing test that helps determine speech recognition thresholds (SRT). It's commonly used to fit hearing aids and cochlear implants. However, there's no set standard for different ages yet. Scientists wondered if the time of day you take the tes
Xylazine, a drug often mixed with opioids, is causing serious health issues in the United States. While it's mainly known for affecting α2-adrenergic receptors, its harmful effects can't be fully reversed by drugs that block these receptors. Scientists have now found that xylazine also targets α7 ni
