Depression is the most prevalent mental health disorder in our society, the leading cause of disability and closely linked to suicide. Although there are some psychological treatments, they only reach a small fraction of those who need them. The use of smartphones is a possible solution to expand access to these treatments; however, interventions based on these devices still face high dropout rates.

Urinary infections by Escherichia coli are a frequent issue among postmenopausal women, often recurring due to persistent bacteria. Dr. Takanori Sekito and his team at Okayama University discovered that E. coli strains isolated from both urine and vaginal samples in patients with recurrent infections were genetically identical and showed similar drug sensitivity. This highlights the crucial need to target vaginal infections alongside urinary treatments to fully eradicate these resilient pathogens.

New research led by Oregon Health & Science University reveals a promising approach to developing a universal influenza vaccine — a so-called “one and done” vaccine that confers lifetime immunity against an evolving virus. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, tested an OHSU-developed vaccine platform against the virus considered most likely to trigger the next pandemic.

As technology proliferates, misinformation and conspiracy theories seem to flourish. Conspiracy beliefs specifically about technology include popular commercial technologies, such as Amazon Echo and Google Search, as well as non-profit technologies designed to support health, such as contact tracing apps. These conspiracy beliefs are well-known, as is the way that technology speeds up the spread of misinformation. However, less well-understood is what characterizes technology conspiracy theories and what makes people believe in them. This study, conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Göttingen and other universities, is the first to demonstrate the extent, causes and consequences of these beliefs. The results were published in the journal Information Systems Research.