Apple to press ahead on mobile privacy, despite Facebook protests

Apple confirmed Thursday it would press ahead with mobile software changes that limit tracking for targeted advertising—a move that has prompted complaints from Facebook and others.

Switch to electric vehicles could 'end oil era': analysis

Emerging markets switching from petrol and diesel engines to electric vehicles (EVs) could save $250 billion annually and slash expected growth in global oil demand by as much as 70 percent, an industry analysis showed Friday.

Australia signals shift away from climate credit 'cheating'

Australia's prime minister said the country may no longer rely on a much-criticised accounting tactic to meet its emissions targets, stepping away from an approach international partners had labelled "cheating".

Health experts clash over use of certain drugs for COVID-19

Health officials around the world are clashing over the use of certain drugs for COVID-19, leading to different treatment options for patients depending on where they live.

South Australia to end lockdown early after pizza parlour blunder

South Australia's six-day "circuit-breaker" lockdown will be cut short, officials said Friday, blaming a pizza parlour worker who misled contact tracers about how he contracted the virus.

Official: Italy to start COVID vaccinations in January

A significant number of Italians who want to be vaccinated against COVID-19 should have received their shots by next September, Italy's special commissioner for the virus emergency said Thursday.

Idaho is top pick for Energy Department nuclear test reactor

The U.S. government said Thursday that Idaho is its preferred choice ahead of Tennessee for a test reactor to be built as part of an effort to revamp the nation's fading nuclear power industry by developing safer fuel and power plants.

Coaching sales agents? Use AI and human coaches

Researchers from Temple University, Sichuan University, and Fudan University published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that explores the growing use of AI to coach sales agents to determine if there are any caveats that inhibit the effective use of this technology.

Simple, no-cost ways to help the public care for the commons

Researchers from University of Wisconsin-Madison, New York Institute of Technology, University of Iowa, and Cornell University published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines whether it is possible to make people feel as if the property is theirs—a feeling known as psychological ownership—and how this affects their stewardship behaviors.

Limited access to buprenorphine restricts resident physicians treating opioid abusers

A survey of resident physicians in Florida indicates they are interested in treating opioid addiction but face barriers to offering patients treatment using buprenorphine, an FDA-approved medication shown to successfully decrease opioid use, overdose events, and deaths associated with opioids.

The microbiome of Da Vinci's drawings

The work of Leonardo Da Vinci is an invaluable heritage of the 15th century. From engineering to anatomy, the master paved the way for many scientific disciplines. But what else could the drawings of Da Vinci teach us? Could molecular studies reveal interesting data from the past? These questions led an interdisciplinary team of researchers, curators and bioinformaticians, from both the University of Natural Resources and Life Science and the University of Applied Science of Wien in Austria, as well as the Central Institute for the Pathology of Archives and Books (ICPAL) in Italy, to collaborate and study the microbiome of seven different drawings of Leonardo Da Vinci.

Researchers reverse severe lymphatic disorder in patient with Noonan syndrome

Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have resolved a severe lymphatic disorder in a girl with Noonan Syndrome that had led to upper gastrointestinal bleeding, fluid collection around the lungs, and numerous surgeries that had been unable to resolve her symptoms. By identifying a genetic mutation along a pathway related to lymphatic vessel development and function, the research team was able to target the pathway using an existing drug they had used in a previous case to remodel a patient's lymphatic system.

Climate change and 'atmospheric thirst' to increase fire danger and drought in NV and CA

Climate change and a "thirsty atmosphere" will bring more extreme wildfire danger and multi-year droughts to Nevada and California by the end of this century, according to new research from the Desert Research Institute (DRI), the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, and the University of California, Merced.

Predicting preterm births

Predicting preterm birth can be difficult, especially for women who have not given birth. It has long been known that the best predictor of preterm birth is someone who has had a prior preterm birth; however, this information is helpful only in second and subsequent pregnancies. For women in their first pregnancy, it is a challenge for obstetricians and midwives to advise them on their risks. To address this issue, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital studied how family history can predict preterm birth. Their findings were published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

College students are less food insecure than non-students

College students are significantly less likely to be food insecure than non-students in the same age group, according to a new study from the University of Illinois.

Infectiousness peaks early in COVID-19 patients, emphasising the need to rapidly isolate cases: study

Although SARS-CoV-2 genetic material may still be detected in respiratory or stool samples for several weeks, no live virus (that can cause infection) was found in any type of sample collected beyond nine days of symptoms starting and people with SARS-CoV-2 are mostly likely to be highly infectious from symptom onset and the following five days, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of three human coronaviruses published in The Lancet Microbe journal.

How rotavirus causes severe gastrointestinal disease

Rotavirus is a major cause of diarrhea and vomiting, especially in children, that results in approximately 128,000 deaths annually. The virus triggers the disease by infecting enterocyte cells in the small intestine, but only a fraction of the susceptible cells has the virus. In the mid-90s, scientists proposed that the small portion of infected cells promotes severe disease by sending out signals that disrupt the normal function of neighboring uninfected cells, but the nature of the signal has remained a mystery.

Spill-over effects show prioritising education of very poorest improves attainment of all

International development projects that target the education of the world's very poorest children and marginalised girls also significantly improve other young people's attainment, according to new research that suggests such initiatives should become a priority for international aid.

Artificial intelligence and satellite technologies reveal detailed map of air pollution across UK

A novel method that combines artificial intelligence with remote sensing satellite technologies has produced the most detailed coverage of air pollution in Britain to date.

Children's Hospital Los Angeles conducts largest pediatric genomic COVID-19 study to date

When it comes to children, it is becoming clear that COVID-19 impacts them more than was initially realized. Yet there is relatively little information about SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease, in pediatric populations. Scientists at Children's Hospital Los Angeles have just published the largest pediatric COVID-19 study to date, suggesting, for the first time, a possible link between specific viral mutations and severity of the disease.

Study evaluates new World Health Organization Labor Care Guide for maternity care providers

The World Health Organization developed the new Labour Care Guide to support clinicians in providing good quality, women-centred care during labour and childbirth. In a study published in Birth, researchers evaluated the usability, feasibility, and acceptability of the new Labour Care Guide for maternity care providers in six countries.

WHO Guideline Development Group advises against use of remdesivir for COVID-19

The antiviral drug remdesivir is not suggested for patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19, regardless of how severely ill they are, because there is currently no evidence that it improves survival or the need for ventilation, say a WHO Guideline Development Group (GDG) panel of international experts in The BMJ today.

December vaccine rollout possible, BioNTech CEO says

BioNTech co-founder Ugur Sahin said on Thursday the frontrunner COVID-19 vaccine his German firm is developing with Pfizer could be rolled out before the year is over in the United States or Europe.

What are clinical trials and how do they work?

To find out whether experimental COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, researchers design clinical trials involving thousands of volunteers, divided into groups that receive either the drug under investigation or a placebo.

Virus-drained nurses hang up uniforms for other jobs

One is a pastry-cook. Another dreams of becoming a bookseller. All have slammed the door on the hospitals where they used to work, exhausted by wave after wave of COVID-19 patients.

US virus death toll passes 250,000, New York closes schools

US coronavirus deaths passed a quarter of a million people Wednesday as New York announced it would close schools to battle a rise in infections and anti-restriction protests in Europe turned violent.

Los Angeles and Google partner on 'Tree Canopy' project

Los Angeles and Google have struck a partnership to track canopy density in the huge metropolis to determine which neighborhoods need more trees as a means of fighting extreme temperatures.

Pacific's Samoa records first case of coronavirus

Samoa announced its first case of COVID-19 on Thursday, as the coronavirus pandemic continued to spread to previously untouched Pacific island nations.

Storm Iota leaves over 30 dead in Central America

Iota's death toll rose to over 30 on Wednesday after the storm unleashed mudslides, smashed infrastructure and left thousands homeless in its wake across Central America, revisiting areas devastated by Hurricane Eta just two weeks ago.

Robot reminds Japan shoppers to wear masks

Asking someone to put on a mask is a touchy subject, so one shop in Japan has enlisted a robot to make sure its customers wear them during the pandemic.

Will social distancing weaken my immune system?

Will social distancing weaken my immune system?

African continent hits 2 million confirmed coronavirus cases

The African continent has surpassed 2 million confirmed cases as health officials warn of infections starting to creep up again into a second surge.

Not just COVID: Nursing home neglect deaths surge in shadows

As more than 90,000 of the nation's long-term care residents have died in the coronavirus pandemic, advocates for the elderly say a tandem wave of fatalities is quietly claiming tens of thousands more who are succumbing not to the virus but to neglect by overwhelmed staffs and slow declines from isolation.

Japan's daily virus cases surge past previous record high

Japan's new coronavirus infections hit a record high Thursday, and the prime minister urged maximum caution but stopped short of calling for restrictions on travel or business.

Phase 2 trial of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine in healthy older adults finds it is safe and provokes immune response

The UK's vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 shows similar safety and immunogenicity results in healthy older adults (aged 56 years and over) to those seen in adults aged 18-55 years. The promising early stage results are published in The Lancet.

Cellular pathway of genetic heart disease similar to neurodegenerative disease

Research on a genetic heart disease has uncovered a new and unexpected mechanism for heart failure. This landmark discovery found a correlation between the clumping of RNA-binding proteins—long linked to neurodegenerative disease—and the aggregates of protein found in the heart tissue of patients with RBM20 dilated cardiomyopathy.

Drug eases recovery for those with severe alcohol withdrawal

A drug once used to treat high blood pressure can help alcoholics with withdrawal symptoms reduce or eliminate their drinking, Yale University researchers report Nov. 19 in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Tau protein changes correlate with Alzheimer's disease dementia stage

Research into Alzheimer's disease has long focused on understanding the role of two key proteins, beta amyloid and the tau protein. Found in tangles in patients' brain tissue, a pathological form of the tau protein contributes to propagating the disease in the brain.

Air pollution costs Utahns billions annually and shortens life expectancy by two years

Air pollution has been a problem in Utah since before the territory was officially recognized as a state. The mountain valleys of this high elevation region are particularly vulnerable to the buildup of air pollution from vehicles, household heating and power production. Together with high per-capita energy use, this has resulted in periods of poor air quality. However, with so many types of pollution and regional conditions, determining the overall effects of air pollution on Utah's health and economy has been a major challenge. A new study from 23 Utah-based researchers, including five from the University of Utah, sought to do just that.

Missing the radiological forest for the trees

There's a classic video demonstrating how our brains process information and allocate attention in which people bounce and pass basketballs and the viewer is asked to count the passes.

Synthesis study demonstrates phytoplankton can bloom below Arctic sea ice

Small photosynthetic marine algae are a key component of the Arctic marine ecosystem but their role for the ecology of the Arctic Ocean have been underestimated for decades. That's the conclusion of a team of scientists who synthesized more than half a century of research about the occurrence, magnitude and composition of phytoplankton blooms under Arctic sea ice. The results were published in a special issue of Frontiers in Marine Science devoted to Arctic Ocean research.

Scientists identify possible COVID-19 treatment

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause significant illness and death while treatment options remain limited. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have discovered a potential strategy to prevent life-threatening inflammation, lung damage and organ failure in patients with COVID-19. The research appeared online in the journal Cell.

Mining and megaprojects emerge as alarming threat to tropical forests and biodiversity

A new study assessing progress on global efforts to end forest loss worldwide offers the most comprehensive overview to date of the large role that infrastructure and mining play in tropical deforestation, now and in the future. The study finds that an increasing number of megaprojects—massive and complex development projects that may combine transportation, energy and other infrastructure—planned for tropical forests are on track to destroy forests and open remote forested areas to even more development. In particular, this new infrastructure is on track to increase mining activity deeper in the remote forests of South America, Southeast Asia and Central Africa.

Controversy continues over '13 Reasons Why' and adolescent suicide

After its release in 2017, the Netflix series "13 Reasons Why" spurred controversy over concerns that its portrayal of a teenage girl's suicide could increase suicide contagion among adolescents.

Commentary: Want to understand health disparities? Get your antiracist goggles on

When it comes to understanding why children from non-white race groups have such poor health outcomes compared with their white counterparts, it's time for researchers to look beyond their genes and delve deeper into social factors, according to a commentary published today in the journal Pediatrics.

Study questions blood pressure drug guidance based on age and ethnicity

No evidence found to support differing advice according to age and ethnicity

Birds of a feather do flock together

Nearly 200 years ago, Charles Darwin noted striking diversity among the finches of the Galapagos Islands, and his observations helped him propose the role of natural selection in shaping species. Today, some biologists focus their attention on a related group of birds, the finch-like capuchino seedeaters of South America, and their studies are deepening our understanding of the forces that drive evolution.

Farms, tables and vast impacts between and beyond

Bountiful harvests in one location can mean empty water reservoirs and environmental woes far from farmlands. A unique study in this week's Nature Communications examines how food, energy, water and greenhouse gases create a vast front in the battle to feed the planet.

AI may predict response to immune checkpoint blockade in patients with metastatic melanoma

A computational method that combines clinicodemographic variables with deep learning of pre-treatment histology images could predict response to immune checkpoint blockade among patients with advanced melanoma, according to results published in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Oil droplet predators chase oil droplet prey

Oil droplets can be made to act like predators, chasing down other droplets that flee like prey. The behavior, which is controlled by chemical signaling produced by the droplets, mimics behavior seen among living organisms but, until now, had not been recreated in synthetic systems. This tunable chemical system could potentially serve a model to help understand interactions in many-body systems such as schools of fish, bacterial colonies, or swarms of insects.