The fatality rate for H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza in humans historically has been high, with more than half of people dying. Why, then, is the current H5N1 bird flu outbreak — which has caused massive die-offs in wild birds, farmed poultry and even wild mammals — causing mostly mild symptoms in the people it has infected? New research, led by scientists at Penn State and the University of Pittsburgh and published today (July 23) in the journal Science Translational Medicine, indicates that immunity to a seasonal influenza virus known as pandemic H1N1 that began circulating in 2009, provides protection from severe illness from H5N1 in a laboratory animal model.

A new Penn Nursing initiative explores the impact of federally funded international bioethics training programs. The collaborative initiative, published in the Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, highlights both the significant achievements and ongoing challenges in building bioethics research capacity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Drawing on a landmark 25-year study that followed Quebec children into adulthood, McGill University researchers have identified two distinct patterns in how suicidal thoughts emerge and the early signs that are often missed.

Suicidal thoughts are increasingly common among youth, but how they begin and what mental health symptoms often precede them are poorly understood, the researchers said.

A research team pioneers an automated, high-throughput pipeline using open-source tools to quantify over 50 root traits in diverse maize genotypes, enabling researchers to investigate how genetics, hormones, and developmental stages influence root growth.