Amid rising threats of bird flu killing hundreds of birds and also spilling over to some mammals and even humans, a global research team on Friday announced Steadfast -- an advanced diagnostic kit for detecting the highly pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus (AIV).

This development marks a significant breakthrough in avian influenza monitoring, reinforcing global efforts in pandemic preparedness, said the team from Diagnostics Development Hub (DxD Hub) -- a national platform hosted by the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A-STAR), Singapore, in collaboration with researchers from Japan.

The newly developed Steadfast offers rapid detection of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus. It also helps differentiate between highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) strains -- critical for effective control measures.

While conventional sequencing methods take two to three days for results, Steadfast can detect HPAI H5 strains (H5N1, H5N5, H5N6) in about three hours.

In the recent past, the highly pathogenic bird flu virus has caused mass mortality in chickens and wild birds worldwide. The infections also spread to seals, cats, cattle, and even from cattle to humans -- increasing the threat of a potential next pandemic virus.

While caregiving roles often take a toll on women’s sleep, a new study on Thursday suggested that biological factors may also play a role in why females sleep less.

The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, showed that women sleep less, and wake up more often. They also get less restorative sleep than men.

The findings based on experiments in mice shed new light on what may underlie sleep differences in men and women.

“In humans, men and women exhibit distinct sleep patterns, often attributed to lifestyle factors and caregiving roles,” said Rachel Rowe, assistant professor of integrative physiology at the University of Colorado at Boulder, US.

Scientists at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), an autonomous institution under the Department of Science and Technology, have developed a novel diagnostic technology to aid in the early and accurate detection of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) -- a retrovirus responsible for the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

The GQ Topology-Targeted Reliable Conformational Polymorphism (GQ-RCP) platform was initially designed for the fluorometric detection of pathogens like SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the recent Covid-19 pandemic, said the team.

The novel technology can better detect the HIV genome using G-Quadruplex (GQ) -- a four-stranded unusual and characteristic DNA structure -- via a fluorometric test.

Even as the national capital continues to battle poor air quality, experts on Wednesday said that the toxic pollutants are raising dry eyes, irritations, and allergies in the eyes of children and adults.

On Wednesday morning, Delhi’s air quality remained in the “severe” category with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) at 427 at 10 am, making it the most polluted city in India, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

“Pollution poses a serious threat to our eyes, particularly to the conjunctiva and the cornea, which is the first point of contact with harmful particles in the air. The fine particulate matter, allergens, and toxins in polluted environments can irritate the ocular surface and make it highly susceptible to infections,” Dr. Rohit Saxena, professor of ophthalmology, R P Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, AIIMS New Delhi,

“This is especially of concern in children and adults already experiencing dry eyes or allergic reactions, as these conditions worsen with exposure to poor air quality,” he added.

Nearly 7 in 10 married South Korean women have experienced career interruptions due to pregnancy and child-rearing, data showed on Tuesday.

The number of married women aged 15-54 who left the workforce reached 1.22 million in the first half of this year, according to the data from Statistics Korea, news agency reported.

This year's figure represents a decrease of 133,000, partly due to a reduction in the total married female population within the age group, the agency said.

The total number of married women in the country came to 7.65 million, down some 290,000 from a year earlier, the data showed.

Nigeria records at least 15,000 deaths related to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) every year despite efforts by the government to curb the spread of the deadly disease in the most populous African country, a local official said.

Temitope Ilori, head of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), told reporters on Thursday during an advocacy and sensitisation event in Abeokuta, the capital of the southwestern state of Ogun, that more than 22,000 new cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which attacks the body's immune system at the early stage of AIDS, have been reported so far this year, news agency reported.

"Approximately 140,000 children between the ages of 0 to 14 are living with HIV," Ilori said referring to the surge in the prevalence rate in the country.

A team of Canadian researchers has found an existing US Food and Drug Administration-approved drug that could significantly improve the quality of life for patients affected with Sandhoff and Tay-Sachs diseases -- two rare genetic disorders.

Sandhoff and Tay-Sachs diseases cause progressive damage to nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

There is currently no cure for both disorders.

After years of investigating the diseases’ underlying mechanisms, the research at McMaster University identified a potential therapeutic compound: 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA).

4-PBA is an FDA-approved drug that was initially developed for another condition.

More than 4 in 5 Indians, or 86 per cent of Indians living with diabetes have experienced anxiety, depression, or another mental health condition as a result of their diabetes, according to a report, ahead of World Diabetes Day, on Wednesday.

The report based on a global survey of seven countries including India, by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), reveals that diabetes impacts mental well-being more than previously thought.

The mental health conditions among diabetics were driven commonly due to the fear of developing complications (76 per cent). Other factors included daily diabetes management (72 per cent), accessing support from a healthcare professional (65 per cent), and accessing medicines and supplies (61 per cent).

New research has found a link between high-speed internet activities and Australia's growing rate of obesity.

According to a study published on Monday, sedentary internet activities such as online gaming and binge-watching on streaming platforms are driving increasing obesity in Australia.

"Access to high-speed internet connection decreases the likelihood of individuals meeting the minimum physical activity recommendation proposed by the World Health Organisation (WHO)," said Klaus Ackermann, senior author of the research from Melbourne's Monash University.

The research team from Monash University, the University of Melbourne, and the RMIT University analysed data from the comprehensive Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey covering the period 2006-2019 to explore the impact of high-speed internet on obesity.

They found that a one-per cent increase in the adoption rate of the National Broadband Network (NBN) is associated with an increase in the prevalence of obesity, news agency reported.

A team of Chinese researchers found that healthy and successful ageing is determined by sleep patterns.

The team from Wenzhou Medical University in China defined successful ageing, as the absence of major chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, chronic lung diseases, heart disease, and stroke; having good cognitive and mental health; and with no physical impairments.

The study called for maintaining stable and adequate sleep durations to promote healthy ageing.

“The findings underscore the critical importance of monitoring dynamic changes in sleep duration in middle-aged and older adults,” said the team in the paper, published in the journal BMC Public Health.