Traffic noise makes mating crickets less picky

A new study shows that the mating behaviour of crickets is significantly affected by traffic noise and other man-made sounds—a finding that could have implications for the future success of the species.

Extend 14-day human embryo research limit to 28 days, urges ethicist

It's time to extend the legal limit on human embryo research from 14 to 28 days, because technology and knowledge have moved on during the 40 years since it was introduced, urges a leading ethicist in the Journal of Medical Ethics.

Working outdoors linked to lower risk of breast cancer among older women

Working outdoors over many years is linked to a lower risk of breast cancer in women after the age of 50, finds research published online in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

Diabetes during pregnancy may increase risk of heart disease

Women with a history of diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) are twice as likely by mid-life to develop calcium in heart arteries—a strong predictor of heart disease—even if healthy blood sugar levels were attained many years after pregnancy, according to new research published today in the American Heart Association's flagship journal Circulation.

Nutrition, companionship reduce pain in mice with sickle cell disease, study finds

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine and the University of Minnesota have found that an enriched diet and companionship can reduce pain in mice with sickle cell disease by increasing serotonin. They also discovered that duloxetine, an antidepressant that boosts serotonin levels, could be an alternative to opioids in treating chronic pain.

Research yields breakthrough in mobile determination of QT prolongation

Researchers from Mayo Clinic and AliveCor Inc. have been using artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a mobile device that can identify certain patients at risk of sudden cardiac death. This research has yielded a breakthrough in determining the health of the electrical recharging system in a patient's heart. The researchers determined that a smartphone-enabled mobile EKG device can rapidly and accurately determine a patient's QTc, thereby identifying patients at risk of sudden cardiac death from congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) or drug-induced QT prolongation.

Israel extends nationwide coronavirus lockdown

Israel's nationwide lockdown was extended Monday to contain the coronavirus which has continued to spread rapidly as the country presses ahead with an aggressive vaccination campaign.

GameStop and Reddit: What's happening in the stock market?

In the past few days, the financial world has been buzzing about GameStop, Reddit, and a short squeeze. Finance Professor, Carlos Slawson, offers some insight into the recent frenzy in the stock market.

UK trains volunteer vaccine army in Covid inoculation race

More used to wielding a camera than a needle, taking part in a national vaccination campaign was the "last thing" documentary director Mike Day expected to be doing before the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

BioNTech-Pfizer pledges up to 75 mn more vaccine doses to EU

BioNTech and Pfizer said Monday they will ramp up their coronavirus vaccine deliveries to the European Union, pledging to send up to 75 million extra doses to the bloc in the spring.

GameStop: Two US senators call for Wall Street reform

Progressive US senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren called on Sunday for action against what they said were the Wall Street abuses by hedge funds revealed by the recent frenzy over GameStop shares.

Time to team up and tackle Long COVID, says WHO expert

It is time to start solving the mystery of Long COVID, an aspect of the pandemic blighting millions of lives, the World Health Organization's leader on post-COVID conditions told AFP.

Kazakhstan begins using Russian vaccine against coronavirus

Kazakhstan began its coronavirus vaccination campaign Monday with top health officials receiving Russia's Sputnik V vaccine.

Chicago mayor says schools safe to reopen despite pandemic

The mayor of Chicago has said the US city's public schools are "safe" and will reopen Monday, despite teachers union calls for them to continue remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ryanair forecasts biggest ever loss on virus hit

Irish no-frills carrier Ryanair warned Monday that it will suffer a record annual loss of almost 1.0 billion euros ($1.2 billion) as the coronavirus pandemic ravages demand for air travel.

WHO team in Wuhan visits provincial disease control center

A World Health Organization team investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic has visited a provincial disease control center that had an early hand in managing the outbreak.

It's twins! Detroit Zoo announces birth of 2 polar bear cubs

An 8-year-old polar bear named, Suka, has successfully given birth to two cubs, though one is being raised by humans after early health issues, the Detroit Zoo announced in a recent press release.

Major storm heads to Northeast after blanketing Midwest

After days of frigid temperatures, the Northeast on Sunday braced for a whopper of a storm that could dump well over a foot of snow in many areas, create blizzard-like conditions and cause travel problems for the next few days.

Britain lines up 40 mln more vaccine doses from Valneva

The British government has exercised an option to buy 40 million more doses of a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the French-Austrian group Valneva for delivery next year, the company said Monday.

Japan Airlines projects higher losses over pandemic

Japan Airlines said Monday it forecasts a larger-than-expected annual net loss of nearly $2.9 billion, as the aviation industry continues to struggle from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

EU: AstraZeneca to supply 9 million more vaccine doses

Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has agreed to supply 9 million additional doses of its coronavirus vaccine to the European Union during the first quarter, the bloc's executive arm said Sunday.

Nintendo profits soar as people play games during pandemic

Nintendo Co. reported Monday that its profit for the first three fiscal quarters nearly doubled as people around the world stayed home for the pandemic and turned to playing games.

Maine company successfully launches prototype rocket

A Maine company that's developing a rocket to propel small satellites into space passed its first major test on Sunday.

Australian prime minister says Bing could replace Google

The Australian prime minister said on Monday that Microsoft was confident that it could fill the void if Google carried out its threat to remove its search engine from Australia.

Larger panel finds more gene mutations, treatment targets for leukemia

A gene panel that looks for about 10 times the number of cancer-causing genes as panels currently used to diagnose and fine tune treatment for a variety of cancers is effective at identifying problematic genes in the most common leukemia, investigators report.

Alternate type of surgery may prevent total knee replacement

An underused type of knee surgery in younger patients, called high tibial osteotomy, shows considerable success in reducing the need for total knee replacement, according to new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).