Studies explore fluids in pancakes, beer, and the kitchen sink

Mechanical engineer Roberto Zenit spent the summer of 2019 trying to solve a problem that now plagues science departments around the world: How can hands-on fluid dynamics experiments, usually carried out in well-stocked lab rooms, be moved off campus? Since the pandemic hit, leading researchers like Zenit have found creative ways for students to explore flow at home.

Snorkeling gear, animal noses inspire better personal protective equipment

In March, Stanford University bioengineer Manu Prakash flew from France to his home in California and spent two weeks in personal quarantine. After being holed up in the room where he stores his snorkeling and scuba equipment, Prakash emerged with an idea for addressing two of the pandemic's most pressing challenges.

Researchers record largest aggregation of fishes in abyssal deep sea

The largest aggregation of fishes ever recorded in the abyssal deep sea was discovered by a team of oceanographers from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (UH, U.S.), Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI, U.S.) and the National Oceanography Centre (NOC, UK). Their findings were published recently in Deep-Sea Research.

Flow physics could help forecasters predict extreme events

About 1,000 tornadoes strike the United States each year, causing billions of dollars in damage and killing about 60 people on average. Tracking data show that they're becoming increasingly common in the southeast, and less frequent in "Tornado Alley," which stretches across the Great Plains. Scientists lack a clear understanding of how tornadoes form, but a more urgent challenge is to develop more accurate prediction and warning systems. It requires a fine balance: Without warnings, people can't shelter, but if they experience too many false alarms, they'll become inured.

Early, late stages of degenerative diseases are distinct, study shows

Rice University biochemists Michael Stern and James McNew have studied how neurodegeneration kills cells. They've conducted countless experiments over more than a decade, and they've summarized all they've learned in a simple diagram they hope may change how doctors perceive and treat degenerative diseases as varied as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and muscle atrophy.

Unique Schwann cells: The eyes have it

The insulation around nerve cell components in our corneas have unique properties, and little is known about them. But UConn School of Medicine neuroscience professor Royce Mohan believes his lab is on the verge of uncovering a path to better understanding that ultimately could lead to several vision-preserving advances.

Q&A: COVID-19 and contact tracing

I have two children back in school. Recently, I got a note that one of their teachers was quarantined due to exposure to COVID-19. The school says it's proceeding with contact tracing, and, for now, my child does not have to stay home. Can you explain the term, why it's important and if I should be worried?

World's smallest atom-memory unit created

Faster, smaller, smarter and more energy-efficient chips for everything from consumer electronics to big data to brain-inspired computing could soon be on the way after engineers at The University of Texas at Austin created the smallest memory device yet. And in the process, they figured out the physics dynamic that unlocks dense memory storage capabilities for these tiny devices.

Nature's toolkit for killing viruses and bacteria

They burst out of toilet bubbles, swim across drinking water, spread through coughs. Tiny infectious microbes—from the virus that causes COVID-19 to waterborne bacteria—kill millions of people around the world each year. Now engineers are studying how zinc oxide surfaces and natural hydrodynamic churning have the power to kill pathogens first.

BICRA gene provides answers to patients, doctors and scientists

Physicians and scientists are constantly on the lookout for new disease genes that can help them understand why patients have undiagnosed medical problems. Often the first clues come from genetic testing that reveals a change or mutation in a gene that they see in a child but not their parents. This is exactly what led to a new study published today in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

How to protect healthcare workers from COVID-19

The rapid spread of COVID-19 overwhelmed hospitals that were unable to contend with the increasing number of patients, many requiring ventilators and other critical care. Such conditions can put medical workers at risk. Now researchers are studying methods to increase hospital safety and efficacy during the pandemic.

Niacin to boost your HDL 'good' cholesterol

Niacin is an important B vitamin that may raise your HDL, ("good"), cholesterol. Find out if you should talk to your health care provider about taking niacin alone or with cholesterol medications.

Colon cancer: A growing risk for young men

When Chadwick Boseman died of colon cancer a few months ago, I was surprised that he was so young—I always thought it was an old person's disease. What are the risk factors for younger people, especially men?

The secret origins of China's 40-year plan to end carbon emissions

The biggest emitter of planet-warming pollution managed to take almost the whole world by surprise. In a September speech to the United Nations, Chinese President Xi Jinping put a 2060 end date on his country's contribution to global warming. No other nation can do more to keep warming below the 1.5C threshold set in the Paris Agreement. Yet diplomats, climate activists and even policy experts inside China for the most part had not anticipated this pivotal turnabout.

Facebook labeled 167 million user posts for COVID-19 misinformation

Facebook Inc. said it labeled 167 million user posts this year for including information about COVID-19 that was "debunked" by the social network's fact-checkers.

Coping with lockdown loneliness during the holidays

(HealthDay)—Pandemic lockdowns will increase Americans' risk of loneliness and depression this holiday season, an expert warns.

China launches mission to bring back material from moon

China launched an ambitious mission on Tuesday to bring back rocks and debris from the moon's surface for the first time in more than 40 years—an undertaking that could boost human understanding of the moon and of the solar system more generally.

Apple to extend fee waiver for paid events due to pandemic

Apple said Monday it would extend through June 30 a waiver on app fees for paid events such as tutoring and fitness classes, citing the coronavirus pandemic.

Google Pay: What opting into personalized offers can really mean for your privacy and finances

When Google says some of its controversial tracking features are "opt-in" only, do you realize you've actually agreed to let them snoop on you? Take, for instance, Google's new Pay app.

Earlier menopause, fewer pregnancies linked to early onset of progressive MS

Women who experience early menopause may be more likely to face an early onset of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). That is the finding of a Mayo Clinic study recently published in Brain Communications.

Choked, strangled and drowned. How balloons and plastic bags are killing marine animals

In Florida, a critically endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle was entangled in a plastic bag that had become filled with sand. The plastic bag had wrapped around the turtle's neck, which likely led it to drown or suffocate.

Previewed Reality: A system that allows users to predict future changes in their environment

When robots and humans interact in a shared environment, it is important for them to move in ways that prevent collisions or accidents. To reduce the risk of collisions, roboticists have developed numerous of techniques that monitor an environment, predict the future actions of humans moving in it, identify safe trajectories for a robot and control its movements accordingly.

Creating self-constructed folded macrocycles with low symmetry

The synthesis and self-organization of biological macromolecules is essential for life on earth. Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich chemists now report the spontaneous emergence of complex ring-shaped macromolecules with low degrees of symmetry in the laboratory.

Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 are detected up to 3 months after infection

A new study in health care workers led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) shows that IgA and IgM antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 decay quickly, while IgG antibody levels are maintained for at least three months after infection. The longer follow-up of this cohort will provide much-needed information on the duration of different types of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as well as their role in protecting from disease and reinfection.

Dormant threat: Abnormal proteins unleash latent toxicity in neurodegenerative diseases

Though neurodegenerative diseases are becoming more common in today's aging societies, the exact way in which accumulated abnormal proteins become toxic to neurons is unknown. In a recent study conducted at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Korea, scientists have discovered a new mechanism of action by which these abnormal proteins actually unlock the normally latent toxicity of native proteins. Their results represent a completely new avenue toward the development of effective therapies.

T-cell abnormalities in severe COVID-19 cases

There is an idea within the coronavirus research field that there is some kind of T-cell abnormality in critically ill COVID-19 patients, but specific details have not yet been clarified. To shed light on the problem, a research collaboration based in Kumamoto University (Japan) has performed a genetic analysis of T-cells from lung tissue of COVID-19 patients. Their work revealed abnormalities in T-cells that resulted in overactivation that may cause severe pneumonia. The researchers believe that their findings will lead to new ways of avoiding severe pneumonia caused by coronavirus infections.

EU regulator could approve Covid vaccines 'late 2020, early 2021'

Europe's medicines regulator said Monday that it could approve the first coronavirus vaccines late this year or early next, as it evaluates the most promising candidates.

Jumbo task: Elephant hoisted from deep well in India

A wild elephant that fell into a well in southern India was lifted out with a crane following a 16-hour rescue mission involving dozens of rangers and firefighters.

Greenhouse gas levels at new high, despite COVID-19 measures

Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the main driver of climate change, hit record highs last year and have continued climbing this year, despite measures to halt the pandemic, the UN said Monday.

Eye exam could lead to early Parkinson's disease diagnosis

A simple eye exam combined with powerful artificial intelligence (AI) machine learning technology could provide early detection of Parkinson's disease, according to research being presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Researchers create 3-D-printed nasal swab for COVID-19 testing

In response to the critical shortage of nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Radiology at University of South Florida (USF) Health in Tampa set out to design, validate and create NP swabs using a point-of-care 3-D printer. Results of the first clinical trial of 3-D-printed NP swabs for COVID-19 testing are being presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Many Americans flying for holiday despite CDC pleas

Millions of Americans bought tickets to fly somewhere for Thanksgiving before the nation's top public health agency pleaded with them not to travel for the holiday.

Understanding ion channel inhibition to open doors in drug discovery

Scientists have discovered how drug-like small molecules can regulate the activity of therapeutically relevant ion channels—and their findings could transform ongoing drug development efforts.

COVID-19 cases could nearly double before Biden takes office: study

President-elect Joe Biden has signaled that fighting the COVID-19 pandemic will be an immediate priority for his administration. He recently announced a coronavirus advisory board of infectious disease researchers and former public health advisers along with an updated strategy that will include increases in testing and contact tracing, as well as transparent communication.

Toronto enters virus lockdown as US looks to vaccine rollout

Canada's biggest city entered lockdown on Monday in the latest bid to curb coronavirus infections, with case numbers surging across North America even as US officials said vaccinations could be available within weeks.

US hopes to start virus vaccines in December as pandemic surges

The United States hopes to begin coronavirus vaccinations in early December, a top government health official said Sunday, the latest positive news to emerge even as cases surge across the worst-hit nation and elsewhere around the globe.

Concrete jungle threatens mangroves on Pakistan island

A short boat ride from the shores of Karachi, mangrove trees sprout along the quiet inlets of an uninhabited island that environmentalists say provides vital coastal protection to Pakistan's largest city.

China in final preparations for latest lunar mission

Chinese technicians were making final preparations Monday for a mission to bring back material from the moon's surface in what would be a major advance for the country's space program.

China tests millions after coronavirus flareups in 3 cities

Chinese authorities are testing millions of people, imposing lockdowns and shutting down schools after multiple locally transmitted coronavirus cases were discovered in three cities across the country last week.

Risk of death high among those with alcohol-related visits to ED: study

The risk of death is high for people who visit the emergency department (ED) for alcohol use, and the risk increases with frequency, according to a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Vegans, vegetarians and pescetarians may be at higher risk of bone fractures

Compared with people who ate meat, vegans with lower calcium and protein intakes on average, had a 43% higher risk of fractures anywhere in the body (total fractures), as well as higher risks of site-specific fractures of the hips, legs and vertebrae, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Medicine. Vegetarians and people who ate fish but not meat had a higher risk of hip fractures, compared to people who ate meat. However, the risk of fractures was partly reduced once body mass index (BMI), dietary calcium and dietary protein intake were taken into account.

Some parents prioritize Thanksgiving traditions over reducing COVID-19 risks

For some families, one of the most difficult steps in reducing COVID-19 risks has been keeping children apart from grandparents and other extended family members.

Social needs linked to low health-related quality of life among African American cancer survivors

Social needs—such as food and economic insecurity, poor housing and neighborhood conditions, and lack of access to transportation—were common in a group of African American cancer survivors in Detroit, and they were associated with lower health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The findings are published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society (ACS).

NHS Breast Screening Programme still effective in reducing deaths in England

An England-wide case-control study led by Queen Mary University of London has shown that, despite major improvements in diagnostic techniques and treatments, mammography screening continues to play an important role in lowering the risk of dying from breast cancer.

Growing risks of STIs in over-45s

Over-45s are at a higher risk of contracting STIs than ever before because of society's unwillingness to talk about middle-aged and older people having sex, a new report has found.

AstraZeneca/Oxford say Covid vaccine shows 70% efficacy

British drugs group AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford on Monday said their jointly-developed vaccine against COVID-19 has shown "an average efficacy of 70 percent" in trials.