Apathy could predict onset of dementia years before other symptoms

Apathy—a lack of interest or motivation—could predict the onset of some forms of dementia many years before symptoms start, offering a 'window of opportunity' to treat the disease at an early stage, according to new research from a team of scientists led by Professor James Rowe at the University of Cambridge.

New dinosaur showed descendants how to dress to impress

Scientists have found the most elaborately dressed-to-impress dinosaur ever described and say it sheds new light on how birds such as peacocks inherited their ability to show off.

African families in UK are 'parenting in fear'

Black African families in the UK are parenting in fear of being penalized by authorities due to cultural differences and institutional racial misconceptions, according to new research published today in The British Journal of Social Work.

Type and abundance of mouth bacteria linked to lung cancer risk in non-smokers

The type and abundance of bacteria found in the mouth may be linked to lung cancer risk in non-smokers, finds the first study of its kind, published online in the journal Thorax.

Vastly differing opioid prescribing patterns in England even in similarly deprived areas

Opioid prescribing patterns vary hugely across England, even in similarly deprived areas, reveals an analysis of general practice data, published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

Study reveals the devastating impact and hidden danger of type 2 diabetes diagnosis in younger adults

Type 2 diabetes and its complications are often associated with adults of middle or older age. However new research published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes [EASD]) shows that younger, rather than older, age at diabetes diagnosis are associated with a higher risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease.

Optical pre-processing makes computer vision more robust and energy efficient

Image analysis is ubiquitous in contemporary technology: from medical diagnostics to autonomous vehicles to facial recognition. Computers that use deep-learning convolutional neural networks—layers of algorithms that process images—have revolutionized computer vision.

Ocean heatwave has triggered new toxic algal blooms on the US west coast

Fishermen, swimmers and seafood enthusiasts may already know the dangers of "red tides," but a recent study in Frontiers in Climate shows that climate change is increasing the frequency of one type of highly toxic algal bloom off the US west coast. These algae produce a neurotoxin—called domoic acid—that causes severe and potentially lethal digestive and neurological symptoms. This threat to marine wildlife and humans is restricting shellfish harvest in the region, but local bulletins are helping to forecast the blooms.

Wearable sensor may signal you're developing COVID-19—even if your symptoms are subtle

A smart ring that generates continuous temperature data may foreshadow COVID-19, even in cases when infection is not suspected. The device, which may be a better illness indicator than a thermometer, could lead to earlier isolation and testing, curbing the spread of infectious diseases, according to a preliminary study led by UC San Francisco and UC San Diego.

Remdesivir likely to be highly effective antiviral against SARS-CoV-2

The drug remdesivir is likely to be a highly effective antiviral against SARS-CoV-2, according to a new study by a team of UK scientists. Writing in Nature Communications, the researchers describe giving the drug to a patient with COVID-19 and a rare immune disorder, and observing a dramatic improvement in his symptoms and the disappearance of the virus.

High blood pressure at any age, no matter how long you have it, may speed cognitive decline

High blood pressure appears to accelerate a decline in cognitive performance in middle-aged and older adults, according to new research published today in Hypertension.

China's Alibaba, Tencent unit fined under anti-monopoly law

China's market regulator on Monday said it fined Alibaba Group and a Tencent Holdings-backed company for failing to seek approval before proceeding with some acquisitions.

Japan's symbol of year nods to no-lockdown virus strategy

A written character that evokes everything people in Japan were urged to avoid this year—crowds, confined spaces and close contact with others—was on Monday voted the country's top linguistic symbol of 2020.

Righting a wrong, nuclear physicists improve precision of neutrino studies

Led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a new study clears up a discrepancy regarding the biggest contributor of unwanted background signals in specialized detectors of neutrinos. Better characterization of background could improve current and future experiments to detect real signals from these weakly interacting, electrically neutral subatomic particles and understand their role in the universe.

Workers riot at India iPhone factory over 'exploitation' claims

Authorities vowed to crack down on workers who went on a violent rampage at a Taiwanese-run iPhone factory in southern India over allegations of unpaid wages and exploitation, with 100 people arrested so far.

New Zealand aims to open to Australians in early 2021

New Zealand hopes to open a travel bubble with Australia by April next year and is working to finalise the necessary anti-coronavirus border measures, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday.

Russia stages 'successful' second launch of new rocket

Russia on Monday conducted a second launch of its new heavy-class Angara rocket—the first developed after the fall of the Soviet Union—nearly six years after its maiden voyage.

Storms help Australia contain UNESCO heritage island fire

Australian firefighters have managed to control a bushfire that burned more than half of the UNESCO world heritage-listed Fraser Island, around two months after a suspected illegal campfire sparked the blaze.

Reddit snaps up TikTok rival Dubsmash

Reddit has acquired the Tik Tok-like app Dubsmash, both companies said Sunday, as big tech moves to carve out territory in the lucrative short-form video-sharing market.

US to start vaccinating as Germany returns to partial lockdown

The United States prepared to start its COVID-19 vaccination program on Monday as the nation's death toll edged towards 300,000, while Germany announced a partial lockdown over the holidays due to an explosion of cases.

Researchers reveal how our brains know when something's different

Imagine you are sitting on the couch in your living room reading. You do it almost every night. But then, suddenly, when you look up you notice this time something is different. Your favorite picture hanging on the wall is tilted ever so slightly. In a study involving epilepsy patients, National Institutes of Health scientists discovered how a set of high frequency brain waves may help us spot these kinds of differences between the past and the present.

Social media use increases belief in COVID-19 misinformation

The more people rely on social media as their main news source the more likely they are to believe misinformation about the pandemic, according to a recent survey analysis by Washington State University researcher Yan Su.

No association between COVID-19 and Guillain-Barré syndrome: study

Neuroscientists at UCL have found no significant association between COVID-19 and the potentially paralysing and sometimes fatal neurological condition Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Research reveals unexpected insights into early dinosaur's brain, eating habits and agility

A pioneering reconstruction of the brain belonging to one of the earliest dinosaurs to roam the Earth has shed new light on its possible diet and ability to move fast.

Molecule holds promise to reprogram white blood cells for better cancer treatment

Cancer immunotherapy using "designer" immune cells has revolutionized cancer treatment in recent years. In this type of therapy, T cells, a type of white blood cell, are collected from a patient's blood and subjected to genetic engineering to produce T cells carrying a synthetic molecule termed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that is designed to enable T cells to recognize and destroy cancer cells. Then these genetically modified CAR T cells are expanded to large quantity and infused back to the patient.

Everything you want to know about sunscreen

From safety and effectiveness to who should use sunscreen and how to apply it, Canadian dermatologists review the latest evidence and guidelines on use of sunscreen.

US agencies hacked in monthslong global cyberspying campaign

U.S. government agencies were ordered to scour their networks for malware and disconnect potentially compromised servers after authorities learned that the Treasury and Commerce departments were hacked in a monthslong global cyberespionage campaign discovered when a prominent cybersecurity firm learned it had been breached.

Endangered-species decision expected on beloved butterfly

Trump administration officials are expected to say this week whether the monarch butterfly, a colorful and familiar backyard visitor now caught in a global extinction crisis, should receive federal designation as a threatened species.

Scientists focus on bats for clues to prevent next pandemic

Night began to fall in Rio de Janeiro's Pedra Branca state park as four Brazilian scientists switched on their flashlights to traipse along a narrow trail of mud through dense rainforest. The researchers were on a mission: capture bats and help prevent the next global pandemic.