Friday 4 December 2020

Iron deficiency can be managed better

Australian and European researchers have released updated, evidence-based guidance for managing iron deficiency, a serious worldwide health problem.

Data shows Americans couldn't resist Thanksgiving travel

Americans couldn't resist the urge to gather for Thanksgiving, driving only slightly less than a year ago and largely ignoring the pleas of public health experts, who begged them to forgo holiday travel to help contain the coronavirus pandemic, data from roadways and airports shows.

Ecuador finds nest of huge, endangered sea turtle

Conservationists in Ecuador have found a nest of endangered leatherback sea turtles, a whopper of a species that can weigh up to a tonne and be three meters (10 feet) long.

Pacific Islands Forum to hold virtual climate summit

Pacific island leaders will hold a virtual summit next week to demand urgent worldwide action on climate change ahead of UN-brokered talks on the issue.

NASA buying Moon dust for $1

The US space agency NASA awarded contracts to four companies on Thursday to collect lunar samples for $1 to $15,000, rock-bottom prices that are intended to set a precedent for future exploitation of space resources by the private sector.

Trash tracking satellites help Indonesia tackle marine waste

Every year, pounding rains wash away mountains of plastic waste from the streets of Jakarta, with some of it ending up as far away as Bali's beaches. So scientists are turning to satellites to trace the rubbish and figure out how to tackle the problem.

World War II vet beats COVID-19, marks 104th birthday

An Alabama man who spent World War II repairing bomb-damaged trains in France recovered from a fight with COVID-19 in time to mark his 104th birthday on Thursday.

Vaccine rollout could ease crisis, but who gets it first?

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine to the right people could change the course of the pandemic in the United States. But who are the right people?

California monolith pops up after finds in Utah, Romania

Days after the discovery and swift disappearance of two shining metal monoliths half a world apart, another towering structure has popped up and then quickly vanished, this time from the pinnacle of a trail in California.

Amazon workers in bid to unionize at Alabama warehouse

Workers at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama are seeking to form a union, setting up a potential battle in the Deep South with a company that has opposed unionization efforts.

Tapping overlooked marketing data to drive business growth

Researchers from University of Houston, Columbia University, Emory University, and University of Connecticut published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that reviews factors that contribute to the disconnect between the data companies create and the productive use of that data.

Chemists get peek at novel fluorescence in carbon nanotubes

That carbon nanotubes fluoresce is no longer a surprise. Finding a second level of fluorescence is surprising and potentially useful.

Household-grown food leads to improved health for children

Children grow taller in rural households where their mothers are supported to grow their own food—according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA).

Study finds metformin reduced COVID-19 death risks in women

University of Minnesota Medical School and UnitedHealth Group researchers found that metformin was associated with significantly reduced COVID-19 death risks in women in one of the world's largest observational studies of COVID-19 patients.

Increased school choice linked to better mental health for students

Allowing families to choose schools that are more suited to their children may play a key role in improving student mental health, including reducing adolescent suicide rates, suggests new research published in the peer-reviewed journal School Effectiveness and School Improvement.

New review confirms disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black, Hispanic populations

Black and Hispanic populations are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, according to a systematic review published this week.

Scientists took a rare chance to prove we can quantify biodiversity by 'testing the water'

Organisms excrete DNA in their surroundings through metabolic waste, sloughed skin cells or gametes, and this genetic material is referred to as environmental DNA (eDNA).

Advancing gene editing with new CRISPR/Cas9 variant

Using a new variant to repair DNA will improve both safety and effectiveness of the much-touted CRISPR-Cas9 tool in genetic research, Michigan Medicine researchers say.

People with rare autoimmune diseases at increased risk of dying during COVID-19 pandemic

A new study, led by experts from the University of Nottingham, has shown that people with rare autoimmune rheumatic diseases are at a greater risk of dying at a younger age during the COVID-19 pandemic.

New DNA modification 'signature' discovered in zebrafish

Researchers at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research have uncovered a new form of DNA modification in the genome of zebrafish, a vertebrate animal that shares an evolutionary ancestor with humans ~400 million years ago.

Pediatric ER saw steep drop in asthma visits during spring COVID-19 lockdown

A new study published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society discusses a steep drop off from prior years in asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits at Boston Children's Hospital during the spring 2020 COVID-19 surge and lockdown.