Wednesday 30 September 2020

Green shoots: Rooftop farming takes off in Singapore

On the rooftop of a Singapore shopping mall, a sprawling patch of eggplants, rosemary, bananas and papayas stand in colourful contrast to the grey skyscrapers of the city-state's business district.

Belgium coronavirus death toll passes 10,000

Belgium, one of the European countries hardest hit by the coronavirus, on Wednesday reported its death toll from the pandemic had surpassed 10,000.

Even before pandemic struck, more US adults were uninsured

About 2.5 million more working-age Americans were uninsured last year, even before the coronavirus pandemic struck, according to a government report issued Wednesday.

Walmart looks to airports as inspiration of new store layout

Walmart is getting inspiration from the airport terminal as it revamps the layout and signage of its stores to speed up shopping and better cater to smartphone-armed customers.

Virus-hit Shell says cutting up to 9,000 jobs by 2022

Energy major Shell unleashed Wednesday a major restructuring to combat plunging oil prices driven by the coronavirus pandemic, warning it will also spark more asset writedowns in the third quarter.

Germany puts first auto boss on trial over 'dieselgate' fraud

Five years after "dieselgate" emissions cheating revelations rocked the car industry, ex-Audi CEO Rupert Stadler on Wednesday became the first top executive to stand trial in Germany.

Tuesday 29 September 2020

EPA ridicules California's proposed ban of new gas cars

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chief Andrew Wheeler on Monday ridiculed California Gov. Gavin Newsom's plan to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035, saying the proposal raises "significant questions of legality."

Preventing heart disease could keep more people employed and save billions for the economy

Preventing 10 years of coronary heart disease would save nearly USD $15 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) by keeping people gainfully employed. That's the finding of a study published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

China's air pollutant reduction success could make it tougher to control climate change

China's success in improving air quality by cutting polluting emissions may have a negative knock-on effect on climate change overall, a new study has found.

Plant droplets serve as nutrient-rich food for insects

Small watery droplets on the edges of blueberry bush leaves are loaded with nutrients for many insects, including bees, wasps and flies, according to a Rutgers-led study, the first of its kind.

Lung cancer screening a step closer to reality following combined study

Newly released study results present a strong case for lung cancer screening in New Zealand—particularly for Māori whose mortality rates are between three and four times higher than other ethnic groups.

New drug targeting DNA repair shows promise in range of advanced cancers

A new precision drug which stops cancer from repairing its DNA has shown promise in an early-stage clinical trial—highlighting the potential of a new class of drugs known as ATR inhibitors.

Understanding ghost particle interactions

Scientists often refer to the neutrino as the "ghost particle." Neutrinos were one of the most abundant particles at the origin of the universe and remain so today. Fusion reactions in the sun produce vast armies of them, which pour down on the Earth every day. Trillions pass through our bodies every second, then fly through the Earth as though it were not there.

Girls benefit from doing sports

Girls—but not boys—who participate actively in school sports activities in middle childhood show improved behavior and attentiveness in early adolescence, suggests a new Canadian study published in Preventative Medicine.

Wednesday 23 September 2020

Lower zinc levels in the blood are associated with an increased risk of death in patients with COVID-19

New research presented at this week's ESCMID Conference on Coronavirus Disease (ECCVID, held online from 23-25 September) shows that having a lower level of zinc in the blood is associated with a poorer outcome in patients with COVID-19. The study is by Dr. Roberto Güerri-Fernández, Hospital Del Mar, Barcelona, Spain, and colleagues.

Study shows that 40% of healthcare workers asymptomatic when COVID-19 positive, raising risk of silent transmission

A review of studies (meta-analysis) presented at this year's ESCMID Conference on Coronavirus Diseases (ECCVID, online 23-25 September) shows that 40% of healthcare workers who test positive for COVID-19 were asymptomatic, raising the risk of silent transmission in healthcare settings.

Higher risk of death in cancer patients with COVID-19 may be due to advanced age and more pre-existing conditions

New research presented at this this week's ESCMID Conference on Coronavirus Diseases (ECCVID, online 23-25 September) suggests that the poor outcomes and higher death rates in cancer patients with COVID-19 could be due to them generally being older and having more underlying conditions, rather than due to the cancer itself. The study is by Dr. Maria Rüthrich, Jena University Hospital, Germany, and colleagues.

Analysis shows high level of SARS-CoV-2 contamination in patient toilets, staff and public areas in hosptials

A systematic review of evidence being presented at this week's ESCMID Conference on Coronavirus Disease shows that air around patients with COVID-19, as well as patients toilets, and staff and public areas in hospitals are all show significant levels of contamination with SARS-CoV-2. The study is by Dr. Gabriel Birgand, University Hosptial Centre Nantes, France, and colleagues.

Tuesday 22 September 2020

New drug candidate found for hand, foot and mouth disease

A study appearing next week in the journal Nature Communications offers some good news in the search for antiviral drugs for hard-to-treat diseases. Researchers have identified a potential new drug candidate against enterovirus 71, a common cause of hand, foot and mouth disease in infants and young children.

Scientists identify hormone that might help treat malabsorption

Scientists at Cincinnati Children's used human intestinal organoids grown from stem cells to discover how our bodies control the absorption of nutrients from the food we eat. They further found that one hormone might be able to reverse a congenital disorder in babies who cannot adequately absorb nutrients and need intravenous feeding to survive.

Average person with type 1 diabetes will live 8 years less, and those with type 2 diabetes 2 years less: study

A new modelling study presented at this year's Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), held online this year, suggests that the average person with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) in the UK today will live almost eight years less than the average person in the general population without diabetes, while those with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) will live almost 2 years less. The study is by modelling expert Mike Stedman, Res Consortium, Andover, UK, and Dr. Adrian Heald, University of Manchester, UK, and colleagues.

Team confirms existence of residual non-functioning beta cells in living individuals with longstanding type 1 diabetes

Scientists have found that a non-invasive imaging technique can detect residual, non-functioning beta cells in living individuals with longstanding type 1 diabetes—a breakthrough that brings us one step closer to the promise of beta cell regeneration—restoring insulin-producing cells lost in type 1 diabetes.

Study suggests heightened risk of dementia in individuals with type 2 diabetes varies by type of dementia

It is well known that having type 2 diabetes is associated with an increased risk of dementia, but a large observational study comparing over 370,000 people with type 2 diabetes with nearly 2 million matched controls over an average of 7 years, now suggests that the risk is highest for vascular dementia and among individuals with poor blood sugar control.

Study suggests regular hot baths are associated with improving various risk factors for type 2 diabetes

New research presented at this year's Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), held online this year, suggests regular heat exposure through a hot bath is associated with a beneficial effect on risk factors for type 2 diabetes, including glycated haemoglobin |(HbA1c), a measure of blood sugar control. The study is by Dr. Hisayuki Katsuyama, Kohnodai Hospital, Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan, and colleagues.

Glucocorticoids associated with increased risk for infection, even at low doses

Glucocorticoids are associated with an increased risk for infection, even at doses as low as 5 mg or less per day. These findings are significant, as low-dose glucocorticoids are generally considered safe and are widely prescribed. Physicians should consider this information when weighing the benefits and risks of glucocorticoid treatment for patients with RA. An observational cohort study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Study reveals type 2 diabetes remission can restore pancreas size and shape

In 2019, research revealed that achieving remission of type 2 diabetes by intensive weight loss can restore the insulin-producing capacity of the pancreas to levels similar to those in people who have never been diagnosed with the condition. Now, new research being presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), held online this year, demonstrates for the first time that reversing type 2 diabetes can also restore the pancreas to a normal size and shape.

TikTok deal aims to thread needle on US, China demands

A fragile deal to put the popular video app TikTok in American control appeared in jeopardy Monday amid disagreement on the ownership structure and Chinese involvement.

Does the coronavirus spread easily among children?

Does the coronavirus spread easily among children?

NASA plans for return to Moon to cost $28 billion

NASA on Monday revealed its latest plan to return astronauts to the Moon in 2024, and estimated the cost of meeting that deadline at $28 billion, $16 billion of which would be spent on the lunar landing module.

As rich nations struggle, Africa's virus response is praised

At a lecture to peers this month, John Nkengasong showed images that once dogged Africa, with a magazine cover declaring it "The Hopeless Continent." Then he quoted Ghana's first president, Kwame Nkrumah: "It is clear that we must find an African solution to our problems, and that this can only be found in African unity."

Rescuers race to save 180 stranded whales in Australia

Rescuers faced a race against time to save nearly 200 whales stuck in a remote Australian harbour on Tuesday, hoping to prevent the toll of 90 dead from rising further after managing to free "a small number" of the stranded mammals.

CDC changes, then retracts, web posting on how virus spreads

The top U.S. public health agency stirred confusion by posting—and then taking down—an apparent change in its position on how easily the coronavirus can spread from person to person through the air.

Charging ahead: Tesla teases big news on 'Battery Day'

Tesla chief Elon Musk has promised "insane" battery news at a streamed event after the company's annual shareholders' meeting on Tuesday.

Nearly 20 percent of Americans don't have enough to eat

More than 18 percent of U.S. adults do not know whether they will have enough to eat from day to day, and the numbers are worse for Hispanics, Blacks, people with obesity, and women, a new report shows.

'Best' hospitals should be required to deliver tobacco treatment

A UCLA-led report published today in the JAMA Internal Medicine exposes what the authors call a weakness in the high-profile "Best Hospitals Honor Roll" published annually by U.S. News and World Report.

Suspension of fertility treatments during COVID-19 has mental health impacts

The suspension of fertility treatments due to the COVID-19 pandemic has had a variety of psychological impacts on women whose treatments were cancelled, but there are several protective factors that can be fostered to help in the future, according to a new study by Jennifer Gordon and Ashley Balsom of University of Regina, Canada, published 18 September in the open-access journal PLOS ONE.

Diabetes dramatically reduces the kidney's ability clean itself

The kidneys often become bulky and dysfunctional in diabetes, and now scientists have found that one path to this damage dramatically reduces the kidney's ability to clean up after itself.

Childhood sexual abuse: Mental and physical after-effects closely linked

A new Canadian study reveals that the psychological and physical effects of childhood sexual abuse are closely tied.

Saturday 19 September 2020

Storms Alpha and Beta named for Greek alphabet, second time ever

Meteorologists were forced to break out the Greek alphabet Friday to name Atlantic storms for only the second time ever after the 2020 hurricane season blew through their usual list, ending on Tropical Storm Wilfred.

Polio vaccine in the crossfire of misinformation

As scientists around the world rush to find a vaccine to stem the spread of COVID-19, another deadly disease, polio, has become the latest target of misinformation campaigns online.

US TikTok users prepare for a possible exit from platform

American TikTok users reacted with a collective shrug Friday to the US move to ban new downloads of the video-sharing app—but many are already planning an exit to other platforms should the clampdown lead to an outright ban.

'Power of positive': Michigan conjoined twins separated

Doctors at the University of Michigan have separated 1-year-old conjoined twin sisters.

In California, Wi-fi minivans help disadvantaged students

A minivan with a Wi-fi router attached to the dashboard and a satellite antenna on the roof is helping 200 disadvantaged students in Santa Ana, close to Los Angeles, cope with the rigors of distance learning during the coronavirus pandemic.

WeChat, TikTok ban is test for open internet, free expression

The US ban on Chinese-owned apps WeChat and TikTok sets up a pivotal legal challenge on digital free expression with important ramifications for the global internet ecosystem.

Evidence-based vocational rehab practices raise employment rates after spinal cord injury

Researchers at Kessler Foundation authored a new article, "Employment after spinal cord injury," published by Current Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Reports on May 24, 2020. Authored by John O'Neill, Ph.D., and Trevor Dyson-Hudson, MD, the article highlights evidence-based practices in vocational rehabilitation.

Pointed tips on aluminum 'octopods' increase catalytic reactivity

Points matter when designing nanoparticles that drive important chemical reactions using the power of light.

Thursday 17 September 2020

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