At least eight bat species commute or forage over pig farms in Northern Italy
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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 15-Oct-2025 14:11 ET (15-Oct-2025 18:11 GMT/UTC)
Many traditional metapopulation models often overlook the spread of infectious disease through commuting, because they are designed primarily for migration, so in the journal Chaos, researchers from South Korea introduce a Commuter Metapopulation Model to include daily mobility patterns. The model was used to simulate the spread of COVID-19 with actual commuting data, revealing it could better capture spatial variety in outbreak patterns.
Given the renewed interest in the steroid dexamethasone, as a host-directed treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trinity College Dublin team - based at St James’s Hospital, Dublin - wanted to understand how steroids selectively affect human macrophages, which are a key cellular player in the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb); the bacteria which causes TB. This new study is published in the journal Scientific Reports.
An international team of scientists has generated a new ring-shaped protein nanomaterial capable of strongly binding to and neutralising the SARS-CoV2 virus. The study, published in Advanced HealthCare Materials, highlights the versatility of the system devised to design the nanorings, which can integrate therapeutic and diagnostic capabilities, and be adapted to combat other viruses. The work was carried out by researchers from the Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (IBB-UAB) and the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) of Argentina.
Researchers at The University of Osaka have discovered precursor T follicular regulatory cells (preTfr), comprising 30-50% of circulating Tfr in human blood. preTfr are significantly reduced in severe COVID-19 and sepsis, correlating with increased anti-interferon-gamma autoantibodies and activated atypical B cells. Unlike stable conventional naïve regulatory T cells, preTfr are specifically depleted during severe disease. When stimulated, preTfr up-regulate suppressive molecules including IL-1RA and show enhanced wound healing capacity. Conversely, mRNA vaccination increases preTfr frequency, suggesting controlled immune participation. The findings identify preTfr as a therapeutic target for preventing autoantibody production during severe infections.
Researchers have developed a revolutionary high accuracy blood test to diagnose Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS).
It is hoped that the breakthrough could pave the way for a similar blood test to diagnose long Covid.
ME/CFS is a debilitating long-term illness which affects millions worldwide. But it is poorly understood and has long lacked reliable diagnostic tools. Some patients report being ignored or even told that their illness is ‘all in their head’
With no definitive tests, many patients have gone undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for years.
With 96 per cent accuracy, the new test offers hope for those living with the condition.
A new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows that an unusual heart rhythm disorder, POTS, is particularly common in people with long COVID. The majority of those affected are middle-aged women. The study has been published in the scientific journal Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology.