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☆ I struggled with infertility for 16 months. Then I used my science background to invent a product for at-home insemination and got pregnant on the 2nd try.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Kelly Burch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The doctor made a plan: We would try three months of intrauterine insemination — or IUI — before discussing in vitro fertilization. Members of LGBTQ communities have been using ICI for decades and pioneered a lot of the technology. I told my husband we could make our own ICI kit. During my fertile window, we wouldn't have sex but would use the ICI kit. There's no Food and Drug Administration-approved at-home ICI kit — the kits that are sold aren't approved or sterile.

Although many public health experts are expressing concern about the rising COVID cases in China, infectious disease experts have been increasingly worried about the XBB.1.5 variant. Recombinants of the BA.2 variant, XBB and XBB.1.5, together accounted for 44.1% of the total cases in the country for the week ended Dec. 31. For the week ended Dec.24, XBB.1.5 had made up 21.7% of the total cases. The XBB variant has been driving up cases in parts of Asia, including Singapore. It accounted for 3.6% of the total cases in the U.S. this week compared with 4.2% in the previous week.

☆ Beijing braces for surge in severe COVID cases as world watches with concern
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Bernard Orr | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/4] People wearing face masks commute in a subway station during morning rush hour, following the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19) outbreak, in Beijing, China January 20, 2021. China, which uses a narrow definition of what can be classified as COVID fatalities, reported no new COVID deaths for Dec. 20, compared with five the previous day. Severe cases rose by 53 across China on Tuesday, versus an increase of 23 the previous day. China does not provide absolute figures of severe cases. Blood clots, heart problems and sepsis - an extreme body response to infection - have caused countless deaths among COVID patients around the world.

And Wagner’s beloved fireflies – like so many insects worldwide – have largely vanished in what scientists are calling the global Insect Apocalypse. “Insects are the food that make all the birds and make all the fish,” said Wagner, who works at the University of Connecticut. Humans, too, see some 2,000 species of insects as food. “We’d see yields dropping of all of these crops.”And in nature, about 80% of wild plants rely on insects for pollination. WINNERS AND LOSERSWhile the situation is bleak for insects at large, a few types of insects are thriving.

☆ An early-stage HIV vaccine is showing positive results. If it works, it would be first successful HIV vaccine after almost 40 years of research.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Sarah Braner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An early trial for an experimental HIV vaccine candidate has shown promising results. 97% of recipients in a phase 1 study showed immune system activity in response to the vaccine. Researchers have been trying to create an HIV vaccine for nearly 40 yearsHIV is notoriously difficult to vaccinate against. By evolving and changing quickly, it can avoid the immune system by making itself harder to recognize. "That's sort of a whole new way of thinking about how to make a vaccine," Schief said.

☆ Omicron boosters probably aren't very effective against mild Covid illness, but will likely prevent hospitalizations, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The new omicron Covid boosters probably aren't very effective at preventing Covid infections and mild illness, but they will likely help keep the elderly and other vulnerable groups out of the hospital this winter, experts say. For seniors, the booster was 19% effective at preventing mild illness when administered as their fourth dose, compared to the unvaccinated. It was 23% effective against mild illness when given as their fifth dose. Though the vaccine's effectiveness against mild illness was low, people who received the boosters were better off than those who did not. Moore said people at higher risk from Covid have every reason to get a booster since it modestly increases protection.

People who got the updated booster shots after two or more shots of the original vaccine were compared to another group of people who received only two or more doses of the original vaccine. The updated booster shots performed better in preventing infections in all adult age groups, with higher vaccine efficacy seen in people who waited longer before getting the updated booster, the CDC found. He noted that studies have shown longer intervals between Covid vaccine doses can lead to higher antibody levels. Previous Covid infections may be underreported, the agency said, and low uptake of the updated boosters could have affected the results. New subvariants BQ.1.1 and BQ.1 are on the rise in the U.S., she said, and it’s unclear how the updated boosters will perform against those strains.

☆ What Covid taught scientists and the public about the flu
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Caroline Hopkins | Nbc News Contributor Caroline Hopkins Is A Health | Science Journalist Who Covers Cancer Treatment For Precision Oncology News. She Is A Graduate Of The Columbia University Graduate School Of Journalism. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

Flu transmission can be stoppedThe 2020-2021 flu season — the first full flu season of the Covid pandemic — defied Tedros’ message. ‘Nonpharmaceutical interventions’ workBefore Covid, experts put limited stock in so-called nonpharmaceutical — that is, nonvaccination — strategies for preventing flu transmission. Although the airline case study taught the research community about airborne flu transmission, she said the general public’s appreciation for these risks has increased because of Covid. In that study, the researchers compared mild Covid infections with mild flu infections in mice and humans and found that the brain effects were similar around seven days post-infection. Asymptomatic flu infections may be underappreciatedThe Covid pandemic put a spotlight on the extent and risk of asymptomatic infections.

Pfizer-BioNTech's updated booster shot generates a stronger immune response against the omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 compared with the original Covid vaccine, the companies said in a release Friday. Pfizer's original vaccine formula, which was first administered to older adults in December 2020, was designed to target the original coronavirus strain. The updated booster shot is designed to target the original virus strain, as well as BA.4 and BA.5, in a single shot. Two independent studies posted online late last month suggested that the updated shots do not offer better protection against the new omicron subvariants than the original vaccines do. The new findings may hint that the updated booster is better than the original vaccine, but not by much, said John Moore, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College.

☆ New RSV vaccines may soon put an end to rough seasons
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

The monoclonal antibody, Synagis, is given monthly during RSV season to protect preemies and other high-risk babies. In the failed RSV vaccine trial, the chemical the researchers used to deactivate the virus denatured its proteins – essentially flattening them. Four companies have RSV vaccines for adults in the final phases of human trials: Pfizer and GSK are testing vaccines for pregnant women as well as seniors. Janssen, Pfizer and GSK each appear effective at preventing infections in adults for the first RSV season after the vaccine. The vaccines for pregnant women are meant to get newborns through their first RSV season.

☆ Updated Covid-19 boosters offer protection, but new studies suggest they don't offer an edge against Omicron
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Similar immune responsesThe studies have important limitations, and they aren’t the final word on the updated boosters. In Barouch’s study, antibody concentrations were 15 times higher after the original boosters, rising from 184 to 2,829. They were 17 times higher after the updated shots, jumping from 211 to 3,693. After waiting the recommended three months since his last Covid-19 infection, President Joe Biden got an updated booster Tuesday and urged eligible Americans to do the same. Worobey says that when the strains are combined as they are in the updated boosters, they actually end up competing.

☆ The top 6 germiest places to avoid when traveling, according to experts
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Jen Glantz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Traveling, even with disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer, can still be filled with high-risk areas to avoid. Experts name the six germiest spots with the most bacteria and viruses that travelers should avoid. While it can be hard to avoid touching an escalator handrail, Gerba suggests washing your hands or using hand sanitizer immediately afterward. Gerba said a study of public restrooms found that the most common virus was adenoviruses, found in about 70% of public restrooms. Public water fountainsIf you want to fill up your water bottle before a flight, Dr. Michael May, the medical director at the Wimpole Clinic, warned that public water fountains can be breeding grounds for germs and bacteria.

☆ Pfizer-BioNTech releases first human results on updated booster, citing an increase in antibodies
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Berkeley-Lovelace-Jr.Jpg | Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The results are based on blood samples taken from adults one week after they received the updated booster. The FDA also authorized Moderna's updated booster based on similarly limited data. The FDA authorized the updated shots based on studies in mice — plus human trial results from a similar booster that targets the original omicron strain, called BA.1. At the time, Dr. Peter Marks, the FDA's top vaccine regulator, said the agency hoped the updated vaccines will provide stronger protection against symptomatic disease than the older vaccines. Moderna didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about when it will release new data on its updated booster.

Scientists may have found a culprit for what can trigger Crohn’s disease. Cadwell and his colleagues discovered the norovirus connection to Crohn’s fortuitously when they were studying mice that had been engineered to develop the intestinal disease. Many of the mice had gotten norovirus and “the mice developed intestinal abnormalities only in the presence of a viral infection,” Cadwell explained. On a hunch, the researchers treated the mice that had developed the rodent version of Crohn’s with the human version of the API5 protein. Crohn's treatments can worsen infectionsThat would be welcome news to Heather Schlueter, who learned three years ago that her excruciating abdominal pain was due to Crohn’s disease.

☆ Mpox in the United States Fast Facts
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-05 | by ( Cnn Editorial Research | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Here’s a look at mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, in the United States. 2003 - An outbreak in the United States is linked to infected pet prairie dogs imported from Ghana and results in more than 80 cases. June 22, 2022 - The CDC announces a partnership with five commercial laboratories to ramp up testing capacity in the United States. June 23, 2022 - New York City launches the first mpox vaccination clinic in the United States. July 22, 2022 - Two American children contract mpox – a first in the United States.

A new 3D printed vaccine can be applied to the skin without the need for a jab. The patches can be easily transported and they don't require any special training to use. Their initial research appeared in UNC news in September, and detailed how the researchers are working to incorporate vaccines like those used against coronavirus into the patches. The 3D vaccine may also be customized to help in cases of flu or measles. The team used a prototype CLIP 3D printer, which was invented by DeSimone and produced by CARBON, a Silicon Valley company he co-founded.

☆ 23 Black leaders who are shaping history today
▼ + stars: | 2021-02-01 | by ( Courtney Connley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +39 min

Following the lead of trailblazers throughout American history, today's Black history-makers are shaping not only today but tomorrow. —Cory StiegRosalind Brewer, 58, Walgreens' next CEO and only Black woman to currently lead a Fortune 500 firmWalgreens' next CEO Rosalind Brewer. When she steps into this new role, she will be the only Black woman currently leading a Fortune 500 firm, and just the third Black woman in history to serve as a Fortune 500 CEO. "When you're a Black woman, you get mistaken a lot," she said during a 2018 speech at her alma mater, Spelman College. —Tom Huddleston Jr.Jason Wright, 38, first Black president of a National Football League teamWashington Football Team president Jason Wright.

Persons: Shirley Chisholm, John Lewis, Maya Angelou, Mary Ellen Pleasant, Kamala Harris, Gene Kim, Harris, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, Shyamala, —, — Cory Stieg Rosalind Brewer, Rosalind Brewer, Ursula Burns, Mary Winston, Brewer, Kimberly, Clark, she's, — Courtney Connley, Kizzmekia, Corbett, Kizzmekia Corbett, Anthony Fauci, Fauci, Dr, — Cory Stieg Victor J, Glover , Jr, Victor Glover, Amanda Gorman, Joe Biden, Gorman, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr, Lady Jill Biden, Robert Frost, Oprah, Angelou, — Jennifer Liu, Amanda Gorman's, Raphael Warnock, Georgia's, Kelly Loeffler, Warnock, Ebenezer Baptist Church —, — Abigail Johnson Hess Rashida Jones, Rashida Jones, Jones, Kristen Welker, Carole Simpson, Nicolle Wallace's, Dorothy Tucker, Brown, — Taylor Locke Sandra Lindsay, Sandra Lindsay, Lindsay, She's, I'm, Jade Scipioni Nicholas Johnson, Princeton's, Nicholas Johnson, Princeton University's, Johnson, William Massey, — Abigail Johnson Hess Cynthia, Cynt, Marshall, Cynthia Marshall, Cynt Marshall, George Floyd, Marshall —, Mark Cuban, Scipioni, Cynthia Marshall's, Dallas Mavericks Cori Bush, Missouri's, Missouri, Cori Bush, Michael Brown, Ferguson, William Lacy Clay Jr, Bush, Essence.com, I've, he's, Louis, Clay, — Jennifer Liu Alicia Boler Davis, Amazon's, Jeff Bezos Alicia Boler Davis, Alicia Boler Davis, Boler Davis, Jeff Bezos, alums, Jennifer Liu, Noah Harris, Harvard Noah Harris, Harvard's, It's, we've, Fentrice Driskell, Du Bois, — Abigail Johnson Hess, Harvard Mellody Hobson, Mellody Hobson, Ariel Investments, Hobson, — Courtney Connley Sydney Barber, Sydney Barber, Barber, Ms, Janie Mines, wasn't, Mines, Jesse Collins, Collins, Indiewire, " Collins, Jennifer Liu Nia DaCosta, Nia DaCosta, Marvel, DaCosta, Nora Ephron, Jordan Peele, Peele, — Tom Huddleston Jr, Aicha Evans, Zoox, Evans, Jason Wright, Wright, He's, Dan Snyder, — Emmie Martin Dana Canedy, Dana Canedy, Simon, Simon & Schuster, Dana Canedy's, Canedy, Denzel Washington, Alicia Adamczyk, Schuster Bozoma Saint John, Saint John, Beyonce, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Michael Jackson, — Courtney Connley Cheick Camara, Ermias Tadesse, Cornell University's, Cheick Camara, Ermias Organizations: CNBC, White, South, Latina, Howard University, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, Democrat, United States Senate, U.S, Walgreens, Fortune, Starbucks, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Xerox, Bed, Sam's, Walmart, Nonwovens, Spelman College, Moderna, National Institute of Allergy, National Urban League, FDA, Vaccine Research, University of North, Space Station, NASA, Capitol, LA, Poet, Harvard, Georgia, Black, Morehouse College cum, Ebenezer Baptist Church, United, MSNBC, University of Missouri's School of Journalism, NBC, ABC News, National Association of Black Journalists, Jewish Medical Center, Northwell, Long, Pfizer, Pew Research Center, Princeton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, NBA Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Mavericks, NBA, Mavericks, Congress, Senate, Democratic, Green New Deal, General Motors Institute, GM, Amazon, Employees, Amazon's, Ariel Investments, Ariel, Financial Planning's Diversity, Princeton University, JPMorgan, Lucas Family Foundation, Hobson College, Naval, U.S . Naval Academy, U.S . Naval, Naval Academy, Academy, Super, Super Bowl, Jesse Collins Entertainment, ViacomCBS Cable Networks, BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Paramount Network, VH1, Marvel, Marvel Studios, Marvel Universe, Tribeca, Wall Street, George Washington University, Intel, Financial, Automotive News, National Football League, Washington Football, Washington Football Team, National Football, NFL, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, University of Chicago, McKinsey & Company, Washington, Morning, Simon &, New York Times, Jordan, Crown Publishers, New Yorker, Netflix, Saint, Longtime, Endeavor, Uber, Apple, PepsiCo, BlackGen Capital, Cornell, BlackGen Locations: United States, Oakland , California, India, America, White, California, University of North Carolina, Chapel, Los Angeles, Georgia's, Savannah , Georgia, Ebenezer, Long, New York, Queens , New York, Jamaica, Princeton, Montreal, Canada, Spring, Missouri, Louis, St, Detroit, Hattiesburg , Mississippi, Florida, Chicago, U.S, Lake Forest , Illinois, Sydney, mull, Senegal, Zoox, Charlottesville , VA

☆ Medicamentul care oprește complet răspândirea coronavirusului în 24 de ore
▼ + stars: | 2020-12-15 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +2 min

Experții în sănătate sunt de acord cu privire la faptul că vaccinul ar putea pune punct pandemiei de coronavirus. Este vorba despre MK-4482/EIDD-2801 – Monulpiravir – care ar putea să elimine total răspândirea coronavirusului în doar 24 de ore, potrivit studiului efectuat de Institutul de Științe Biomedicale al Universității de Stat din Georgia. Medicamentul antiviral a fost dezvoltat la Universitatea Emory din Atlanta și a fost inițial conceput pentru a trata gripa și pentru a preveni multiplicarea virusului. Aceste proprietăți au făcut din MK-4482 / EIDD / 2801 un candidat puternic pentru controlul farmacologic al Covid-19”, scrie în raport. Dacă tratamentul se dovedește eficient și în cazul oamenilor, ar însemna că pacienții infectați cu SARS CoV-2 și tratați cu Monulpiravir ar putea deveni neinfecțioși în 24 de ore de la începerea tratamentului.

Persons: Dr . Robert Cox Organizations: Universității de Stat, Nature, Universitatea Emory Locations: Georgia, Atlanta

☆ Революционное лечение Covid. За 24 часа пациенты могли избавиться от инфекции
▼ + stars: | 2020-12-11 | by ( Mld Media Srl | ) noi.md time to read: +2 min

Новый противовирусный препарат может заблокировать коронавирус всего за 24 часа. Согласно исследованию, проведенному в Институте биомедицинских наук Американского университета Джорджии, это первый случай, когда благодаря пероральному лечению удается остановить передачу нового коронавируса. Если данные, полученные на хорьках, подтвердятся на людях, пациенты с Covid-19, получавшие препарат, могут стать неинфекционными через 24 часа после начала лечения. Противовирусный препарат монулпаривир, разработанный в Университете Эмори в Атланте фармацевтической компанией Drug Innovation Ventures из Эмори (DRIVE), изначально был разработан для лечения гриппа и предотвращения размножения вируса, создавая ошибки на этапе размножения РНК. Если он окажется эффективным, его можно будет назначать в начале заболевания, чтобы остановить прогрессирование до тяжелого заболевания, сократить инфекционную фазу и быстро остановить распространение вируса.

Persons: doctorulzilei.ro Covid Organizations: Microbiology, Drug Innovation Ventures, Институт биомедицинских наук, Американский университет, Университет Эмори Locations: Джорджия, Атланта, Эмори ()

☆ What happens to your body after you die
▼ + stars: | 2017-10-31 | by ( Skye Gould | Rebecca Harrington | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

There's no fighting it; each of us will die at some point. Without preservation techniques like embalming or mummification, your body slowly begins to decay the second your heart stops beating. It starts small, down at the cellular level. Your cells die, then bacteria, animals, and even the body itself digests your organs and tissues. Here's how the complete, gruesome process plays out:Marianne Ayala/InsiderMarianne Ayala/InsiderMarianne Ayala/InsiderMarianne Ayala/InsiderMarianne Ayala/InsiderMarianne Ayala/InsiderMarianne Ayala/InsiderMarianne Ayala/InsiderMarianne Ayala/InsiderMarianne Ayala/InsiderMarianne Ayala/InsiderMarianne Ayala/InsiderMarianne Ayala/InsiderSkye Gould/Business InsiderSources: Nature, Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Microbiology Today, EPEC Participant's Handbook, BMJ, Australian Museum, Decomposition of Human Remains

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