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Navigating careers and higher education amidst Covid-19

The pandemic has had rippling effects on jobs in most sectors from pay cuts, job losses to an increased demand for professionals engaged in Research & Development to tackle Covid-19, qualified laboratory staff for PCR testing as well as medical staff.Covid-19 has also shaken the education sector with lectures and in some cases laboratory sessions shifting to online platforms. If you have any questions as to how the pandemic might impact you or if you have any general questions in pursuing higher education or a career in a scientific field e-mail us at editor@scienceabode.com

Remote neuropsychology tests for children shown effective

Administering neuropsychology evaluations to children online in the comfort of their own homes is feasible and delivers results comparable to tests traditionally performed in a clinic, a new study led by UT Southwestern researchers and Children’s Health indicates. The finding, published online this month in the Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, could help expand access to specialists and reduce barriers to care, particularly as the popularity of telemedicine grows during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Factors inherent to obesity could increase vulnerability to COVID-19

Inflammation in the lungs combined with high viral loads of the novel coronavirus create a perfect storm for obese patients with COVID-19, UTSW scientists say

Conditions related to obesity, including inflammation and leaky gut, leave the lungs of obese patients more susceptible to COVID-19 and may explain why they are more likely to die from the disease, UTSW scientists say in a new article published online in eLife. They suggest that drugs used to lower inflammation in the lungs could prove beneficial to obese patients with the disease.

Circadian Rhythms Help Guide Waste from Brain

New research details how the complex set of molecular and fluid dynamics that comprise the glymphatic system – the brain’s unique process of waste removal – are synchronized with the master internal clock that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. These findings suggest that people who rely on sleeping during daytime hours are at greater risk for developing neurological disorders.

Researchers Draw More Links between Vaping, Smoking, Young People, and Coronavirus

What do vapers, smokers, and non-smokers with chronic conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes have in common? They all are at higher risk for COVID-19.

The scientific explanation behind this is complex and not yet certain — but it may boil down to an enzyme known as ACE2, that lives on the surface of many cells in the lungs and serves as the entry point for the coronavirus.

Reprogramming immune cells to reduce inflammation, promote tissue repair

Macrophages are white blood cells that, depending on the signals they get from the immune system, become specialized in either increasing or decreasing inflammation. When macrophages are programmed to be pro-inflammatory, they help to increase inflammation, which is beneficial for fighting infections; when they are programmed to be anti-inflammatory, they help to decrease inflammation.

Key brain region was “recycled” as humans developed the ability to read

Part of the visual cortex dedicated to recognizing objects appears predisposed to identifying words and letters, a study finds.

Humans began to develop systems of reading and writing only within the past few thousand years. Our reading abilities set us apart from other animal species, but a few thousand years is much too short a timeframe for our brains to have evolved new areas specifically devoted to reading.