Mental health toll from isolation affecting kids on reentry

After two suicidal crises during pandemic isolation, 16-year-old Zach Sampson feels stronger but worries his social skills have gone stale.

One-third of elderly caregivers from gray market

Gray market care represents a substantial proportion of paid, long-term care for older adults, according to a study published online June 11 in the Journal of Applied Gerontology.

Nonpharmacologic interventions effective for pediatric migraine

Components of nonpharmacologic interventions may be effective for treating pediatric migraine, according to a review recently published in Pediatrics.

In US, experts make case for vaccine mandates

Neither the threat of dying from COVID nor an array of inducements from lottery tickets to guns and marijuana have been enough to sway America's staunchest vaccine holdouts.

Norway salmon farming moves to cleaner waters: indoors

Hundreds of thousands of salmon swim against the current in southeast Norway—in massive indoor tanks away from the nearest river as the controversial industry increasingly embraces greener land-based facilities.

Russia launches cargo ship to space station

Russia on Wednesday successfully launched an unmanned space freighter carrying supplies to the International Space Station from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

US newspaper woes deepened in pandemic year: survey

The troubled US newspaper sector cut thousands more jobs as circulation losses extended in a pandemic year, but saw some positive signs with growth in digital readers, a Pew Research Center report showed Tuesday.

Colombia catches hacker wanted in the U.S. for 'Gozi' virus

Colombian officials say they have arrested a Romanian hacker who is wanted in the U.S. for distributing a virus that infected more than a million computers from 2007 to 2012.

Japan's SoftBank says Pepper robot remains 'alive' and well

Japanese technology company SoftBank denies it's pulling the plug on its friendly, talking, bubble-headed Pepper robot.

Virus infections surging in Africa's vulnerable rural areas

For Pelagia Bvukura, who lives in a rural part of north-central Zimbabwe, COVID-19 had always been a "city disease," affecting those in the capital, Harare, or other, distant big towns.

Variant surge at border forces Bangladesh into new lockdown

In a state-run hospital near Bangladesh's border with India, Shahinul Islam prays his father does not become one of the facility's more than 300 patients who've died this month from the coronavirus.

Scores dead as record-breaking heat wave grips Canada, US

Scores of deaths in Canada's Vancouver area are likely linked to a grueling heat wave, authorities said Tuesday, as the country recorded its highest ever temperature amid scorching conditions that extended to the US Pacific Northwest.

2 Australian states urge against under 40s taking AZ vaccine

The Queensland and Western Australia state governments on Wednesday advised people under age 40 not to take the AstraZeneca vaccine because of the risk of a rare blood clotting disorder, despite the Australian government making those shots available to all adults.

Postmenopausal bleeding may be a sign of endometrial cancer in obese Asian women

The link between obesity and the risk of endometrial cancer has been well documented. A new study, however, shows that an even lower body mass index (BMI) than previously thought can signal an increased risk in Asian women with postmenopausal bleeding. Study results are published online today in Menopause.

Wildfire changes songbird plumage and testosterone

Fire can put a tropical songbird's sex life on ice.

Securing decent living standards for all while reducing global energy use

Fundamental changes in our economies are required to secure decent living standards for all in the struggle against climate breakdown, according to new research.

A promising new pathway to treating type 2 diabetes

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin, a scientific breakthrough that transformed Type 1 diabetes, once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, from a terminal disease into a manageable condition.

Scientists intensify electrolysis, utilize carbon dioxide more efficiently with magnets

For decades, researchers have been working toward mitigating excess atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. One promising approach captures atmospheric CO2 and then, through CO2 electrolysis, converts it into value-added chemicals and intermediates—like ethanol, ethylene, and other useful chemicals. While significant research has been devoted to improving the rate and selectivity of CO2 electrolysis, reducing the energy consumption of this high-power process has been underexplored.

Gene therapy breakthrough offers hope to children with rare and fatal brain disease

Scientists and doctors at University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (UCL GOS ICH) and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) have given hope of a gene therapy cure to children with a rare degenerative brain disorder called Dopamine Transporter Deficiency Syndrome (DTDS).

Novel heat-management material keeps computers running cool

UCLA engineers have demonstrated successful integration of a novel semiconductor material into high-power computer chips to reduce heat on processors and improve their performance. The advance greatly increases energy efficiency in computers and enables heat removal beyond the best thermal-management devices currently available.

Study provides insights into cardiovascular disease risk among people living with HIV

The AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG), the largest global HIV research network, today announced that findings from a sub-study of REPRIEVE (A5332/A5332s, an international clinical trial studying heart disease prevention in people living with HIV) have been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open (JAMA Network Open). The study found that approximately half of study participants, who were considered by traditional measures to be at low-to-moderate risk of future heart disease, had atherosclerotic plaque in their coronary arteries.

Analysis of 58 studies finds male sex and obesity are not associated with COVID-19 ICU mortality, but many factors are

A new analysis of 58 studies and 44305 patients published in Anaesthesia (a journal of the Association of Anaesthetists) shows that, contrary to some previous research, being male and increasing body mass index (BMI) are not associated with increased mortality in COVID-19 in patients admitted into intensive care (ICU).

Diaries of infection preventionists give inside look at the unsung heroes of the pandemic

Much has been rightfully made of the valiant work of doctors and nurses during the coronavirus pandemic. But what of infection preventionists (IP), whose job was to keep those workers and their facilities safe, and who many Americans do not even know exist?

Baby reef fishes swim for gold

A new study has found baby coral reef fishes can outpace all other baby fishes in the ocean.

In a dish, a mouse, crafted from stem cells, begins to form

The tiny mouse embryo has a heart that beats. Its muscles, blood vessels, gut and nervous system are beginning to develop. But this embryo is unusual: It was made in a lab, out of mouse embryonic stem cells, and represents the most sophisticated in vitro (in a dish) model of a mammal ever so created.

Mountaintop glacier ice disappearing in tropics around the world

Mountaintop glacier ice in the tropics of all four hemispheres covers significantly less area—in one case as much as 93% less—than it did just 50 years ago, a new study has found.

Researchers find most nitrogen in Gulf of Mexico comes from coastal waters

Almost all of the nitrogen that fertilizes life in the open ocean of the Gulf of Mexico is carried into the gulf from shallower coastal areas, researchers from Florida State University found.

New insight into photosynthesis could help grow more resilient plants

A research team led by Washington State University has created a computer model to understand how plants store energy in the thylakoid membrane, a key structure to photosynthesis in plant leaves.

Hotter, more frequent droughts threaten California's iconic blue oak woodlands

2016 drought in California triggered widespread tree cover loss and die-offs of a variety of species in the region. A new study in the open access journal Frontiers in Climate is the first to show that California's iconic blue oak (Quercus douglasii) woodlands have also decreased by more than 1,200 km2. By another metric, which reflects the altered or deteriorating condition of the tree cover, the blue oak range has lost over 600 km2 in addition. These findings highlight the need to raise awareness about the vulnerability of these ecosystems and to adapt conservation strategies to increasing climate extremes.

Two studies explore link between inflammation and leukemia

Two recent collaborative publications by CU Cancer Center members provide insights into how chronic inflammation can serve as a key factor in the development of leukemia and other blood cancers.

Coronavac COVID-19 vaccine safe in children and adolescents and triggers antibodies

Two doses of CoronaVac are safe and provoke a strong antibody response among children and adolescents aged 3-17 years, according to a randomised controlled trial of 550 young people published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.

GluN3A knockout mouse: Alternative model for Alzheimer's neurodegeneration

In recent debate over the FDA's approval of the Alzheimer's drug aducanumab, we've heard a lot about the "amyloid hypothesis." In that context, it's refreshing to learn about a model of Alzheimer's neurodegeneration that doesn't start with the pathogenic proteins amyloid or Tau.

Study: Hundreds of lives saved in Kansas counties that adopted mask mandates

Despite facing cultural and political pushback, the evidence remains clear: Face masks made a difference in Kansas.

Pulling wisdom teeth can improve long-term taste function

Patients who had their wisdom teeth extracted had improved tasting abilities decades after having the surgery, a new Penn Medicine study published in the journal Chemical Senses found. The findings challenge the notion that removal of wisdom teeth, known as third molars, only has the potential for negative effects on taste, and represent one of the first studies to analyze the long-term effects of extraction on taste.

Evidence against physically punishing kids is clear, researchers say

A conclusive narrative review has found physical punishment of children is not effective in preventing child behavior problems or promoting positive outcomes and instead predicts increases in behavior problems and other poor outcomes over time. The study by an international group of scientists including a researcher from The University of Texas at Austin was published today in The Lancet.

Key mutations in Alpha variant enable SARS-CoV-2 to overcome evolutionary weak points

One of the key mutations seen in the 'Alpha variant' of SARS-CoV-2—the deletion of two amino acids, H69/V70—enables the virus to overcome chinks in its armour as it evolves, say an international team of scientists.

Study highlights the importance of lived experience provided by prisoners

What is unique about the study is the combination of interviews with current and former people in prison, custodial professionals, and healthcare providers to identify and understand barriers in delivering high-quality healthcare and support to those in custody. In addition, researchers gathered data on the number, types and stages of cancers diagnosed in patients within prisons.

How we measure biodiversity can have profound impacts on land-use

The world's human population is expanding, which means even more agricultural land will be needed to provide food for this growing population. However, choosing which areas to convert is difficult and depends on agricultural and environmental priorities, which can vary widely.

Personal networks are associated with clean cooking fuel adoption in rural South India

A new, first-of-its-kind study led by researchers from Boston College has found that personal networks in India could play an important role in advancing the adoption of a cleaner cooking fuel, in this case liquefied petroleum gas, according to a report published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

How humans brought change to a tropical paradise

After centuries of human impact on the world's ecosystems, a new study from Flinders University details an example of how a common native bee species has flourished since the very first land clearances by humans on Fiji.

Young adult cancer survivors reluctant to get COVID vaccines

A new paper in JNCI Cancer Spectrum, published by Oxford University Press, indicates that many survivors of adolescent and young adult cancers hesitate to obtain COVID-19 vaccinations.

Researchers discover unique 'spider web' mechanism that traps, kills viruses

Immunologists at McMaster University have discovered a previously unknown mechanism which acts like a spider web, trapping and killing pathogens such as influenza or SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19.

Video: How lead (maybe) caused the downfall of ancient Rome

Ancient Rome's emperors did some pretty bizarre stuff—bursting into uncontrollable fits of laughter, appointing a horse as a priest, dressing in animal skins and attacking people ... the list goes on.

How two California hospitals prevented the spread of a deadly fungal infection during the pandemic

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, infection preventionists at two Southern California hospitals took extreme measures to stop the spread of a deadly fungus that has emerged in the U.S. and around the world. The two will detail their proactive responses in oral presentations today at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology's (APIC's), 48th Annual Conference.

Case reports thrombocytopenia with thrombosis following COVID-19 mRNA vaccine

A single case reports thrombocytopenia with thrombosis syndrome (TTS) following the mRNA-1273 vaccine for COVID-19. Previously, it was hypothesized that adenoviral vector-based vaccines were the sole cause of TTS or vaccine-induced TTS (VITT). The case is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Study sheds light on persistent racial disparities in prostate cancer care in the United States

Black men most likely to benefit from advanced prostate cancer therapies are 11 percent less likely to get them than non-Black men. This happens despite apparent equal opportunities in obtaining health care services, a new study in American veterans shows.

Using photos of toasters and fridges to train algorithms in detecting COVID-19

New research using machine learning on images of everyday items is improving the accuracy and speed of detecting respiratory diseases, reducing the need for specialist medical expertise.

Deep machine learning completes information about one million bioactive molecules

The Structural Bioinformatics and Network Biology laboratory, led by ICREA Researcher Dr. Patrick Aloy, has completed the bioactivity information for a million molecules using deep machine-learning computational models. It has also disclosed a tool to predict the biological activity of any molecule, even when no experimental data are available.

Could life exist in the atmosphere of a sub-Neptune planet?

Earth is perfectly suited for organic life. It stands to reason then that similar worlds orbiting distant stars might also be rich with life. But proving it will be a challenge. One of the better ways to discover extraterrestrial life will be to study the atmospheres of inhabited exoplanets, but Earth is fairly small for a planet and has a thin atmosphere compared to larger worlds. It will be much easier to study the atmospheres of gas planets, but could such worlds harbor life? A new paper in Universe argues it could.

Women feel positive about at-home sampling for cervical cancer screening

Although most participating patients and doctors find the self-collection cervical screening pathway "highly acceptable," key implementation barriers reduce the capacity of primary care providers to offer it as an alternative to traditional cervical screening tests.