Furthermore, the targeted Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) intervention was safe, less costly, and more cost-effective compared with standard ‘blanket’ IRS, meaning savings could potentially be reallocated to other malaria control and elimination activities. The study, by the Wits Research Institute for Malaria (WRIM) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), was published…

Researchers have developed a noninvasive technique that can capture images of rod and cone photoreceptors with unprecedented detail. The advance could lead to new treatments and earlier detection for retinal diseases such as macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss. «We are hopeful that this technique will better reveal subtle changes in the size,…

Researchers have developed a range of permanent hair dyes that avoid the allergenic properties of traditional formulations. When applied as hair color, paraphenylenediamine (PPD) — a common ingredient in permanent dyes — undergoes a chemical reaction that turns the hair a dark color that won’t wash out over time. This reaction, however, can also produce…

To search for answers about how blood droplets from a gunshot wound can reverse direction while in flight, researchers explored the influence of propellant gases on blood backspatter. They report using numeric modeling to capture the behavior of gun muzzle gases and predict the reversal of blood droplet flight, which was captured experimentally. Their experiments…

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used in medicine to detect, diagnose and treat diseases such as cancer, while relying on experts’ interpretation of images. Quantitative MRI, which obtains numerical measurements during the scans, can now potentially offer greater accuracy, repeatability and speed — but rigorous quality control is needed for it to reach its…

Researchers have published the results of a new study evaluating the acoustic effects of face masks on speech. The team tested medical masks, disposable surgical masks, masks with clear plastic windows around the mouth, and homemade and store-bought cloth masks made of different fabric types and numbers of layers. Corey, an electrical and computer engineering…

Researchers have succeeded in detecting anti-avian influenza virus antibody in blood serum within 20 minutes, using a portable analyzer they have developed to conduct rapid on-site bio tests. If a suitable reagent is developed, this technology could be used to detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the causative virus of COVID-19. Avian influenza is a poultry disease…

Reactive electrophilic drugs like Tecfidera, approved for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis, show a lot of potential but are also mystery. Scientists have now used an innovative chemical method to uncover the biological mechanisms of Tecfidera, providing a powerful tool for exploring other reactive electrophilic drugs. In 2014, the European Medicines Agency approved the…

As the cell’s protein factory, the ribosome is the only natural machine that manufactures its own parts. That is why understanding how the machine, itself, is made, could unlock the door to everything from understanding how life develops to designing new methods of drug production. Prof. Roy Bar-Ziv and Staff Scientist Dr. Shirley Shulman Daube…

Researchers report on the development of a low-cost, portable, non-invasive device that uses light and saliva to test COVID-19 patients in less than 30 minutes. The results have shown that the device can detect very low concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 with a sensitivity of 91.2 percent and a specificity of 90 percent, similar to that of…