New Australian fossil lizard

Some of Australia's most famous animals—wombat, platypus, kangaroos and the extinct marsupial tiger thylacine—have been traced back to their fossil ancestors in remarkable finds in central South Australia.

Ablation beats drug therapy for women and men with A-fib

(HealthDay)—For patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), those undergoing ablation have a significantly reduced risk for recurrent AF compared with those receiving drug therapy, regardless of sex, according to a study published in the Feb. 16 issue of Circulation.

ICI need not be withheld in those with autoimmune disease

(HealthDay)—For patients with advanced melanoma, response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is similar for those with and without preexisting autoimmune disease (AID), according to a study published online Feb. 16 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Blacks, hispanics at higher risk of COVID death in U.S. nursing homes

(HealthDay)—U.S. nursing homes have been hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the toll on Black and Hispanic residents has been especially harsh, a new study confirms.

Radioactive bone cement found to be safer in treating spinal tumors

A radioactive bone cement that's injected into bone to provide support and local irradiation is proving to be a safer alternative to conventional radiation therapy for bone tumors, according to a study led by University of California, Irvine researchers.

Drop in PSA screening linked to increase in metastatic prostate cancer

(HealthDay)—Reductions in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening are associated with increases in the incidence of metastatic prostate cancer at diagnosis, according to a study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, held virtually from Feb. 11 to 13.

Can I gather with friends and family after getting the COVID-19 vaccine? Can I travel? Here are what health experts say.

The U.S. is inching closer to herd immunity almost two months into the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, with more than one million Americans getting vaccinated per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

33 weeks pregnant, an emergency delivery and heart failure

About 33 weeks into her pregnancy, Lupita Garcia struggled to breathe so much that she slept sitting up. Three days later, she awoke with heart palpitations and chest discomfort.

Ask the Pediatrician: What will happen if I give birth and I have tested positive for COVID-19?

If I've tested positive for COVID-19, what will happen when I give birth?

New hope for treating chronic pain without opioids

According to some estimates, chronic pain affects up to 40% of Americans, and treating it frustrates both clinicians and patients––a frustration that's often compounded by a hesitation to prescribe opioids for pain.

Diagnosis bias of borderline personality disorder high among LGB community

Some health care professionals allow their bias toward lesbian, gay and bisexual persons to show when diagnosing borderline personality disorder, says a University of Michigan researcher.

Zero Covid in Europe: Possible or pipe dream?

Hit the virus quick and hard, undergoing drastic short-term measures in order to allow life to return to normal. Several nations in Asia and Oceania have pursued "Zero COVID" strategies.

Groundwater recharge rates mapped for Africa

Effective governance and investment decisions need to be informed by reliable data, not only about where groundwater exists, but also the rate at which groundwater is replenished. For the first time using ground measurements, a recent study has quantified groundwater recharge rates across the whole of Africa—averaged over a fifty-year period—which will help to identify the sustainability of water resources for African nations.

Hospitals still ration medical N95 masks as stockpiles swell

Mike Bowen's warehouse outside Fort Worth, Texas, was piled high with cases of medical-grade N95 face masks. His company, Prestige Ameritech, can churn out 1 million masks every four days, but he doesn't have orders for nearly that many. So he recently got approval from the government to export them.

South Africa's health care workers eager for first vaccines

After testing thousands of people for coronavirus, South African nurse Asnath Masango says she can't wait to get vaccinated.

NASA wants to fly a helicopter on Mars for the first time

More than a century after the first powered flight on Earth, NASA intends to prove it's possible to replicate the feat on another world.

Perseverance rover lands on Mars this week

After a seven-month journey, NASA's Perseverance rover prepares to touch down on Mars on Thursday after first negotiating a risky landing procedure that will mark the start of its multi-year search for signs of ancient microbial life.

Kenya's locust hunters on tireless quest to halt ancient pest

As dawn breaks in central Kenya, a helicopter lifts off in a race to find roosting locusts before the sun warms their bodies and sends them on a ravenous flight through farmland.

Heavy snowfall blankets Athens; vaccinations postponed

Unusually heavy snowfall has blanketed central Athens, with authorities warning residents particularly in the Greek capital's northern and eastern suburbs to avoid leaving their homes Tuesday morning.

Australia to amend laws to make Google and Facebook pay

Australia's government said on Tuesday it will amend draft laws that would make Google and Facebook pay for news to clarify that publishers would be paid in lump sums rather than per click on news article links.

WHO authorizes AstraZeneca's COVID vaccine for emergency use

The World Health Organization has granted an emergency authorization to AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine, a move that should allow the U.N. agency's partners to ship millions of doses to countries as part of a U.N.-backed program to tame the pandemic.

No new virus cases raise hopes New Zealand will end lockdown

For a second consecutive day, New Zealand reported no new community cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, raising hopes that a lockdown in Auckland will be lifted Wednesday.

Kazakhstan to roll out first locally produced Sputnik vaccine

Kazakhstan will be the first country in the world to locally produce Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, after a pharmaceutical company received government authorisation to make the jab, the company said Tuesday.

Teens may be more likely to use marijuana after legalization for adult recreational use

Adolescents who live in California may be more likely to use marijuana since adult recreational marijuana use was legalized in 2016, according to a new report in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

Zika vaccine candidate shows promise in phase I trial

The Zika virus candidate, Ad26.ZIKV.001, a replication-incompetent human adenovirus serotype 26 (ad26) vector showed promising safety and immunogenicity in a phase I clinical trial. Researchers say the vaccine warrants further development should the need reemerge. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Brief survey tool tracks symptoms, aids in evaluating effectiveness of treatment

Researchers from Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Medicine have developed and validated a short questionnaire to help patients report symptoms and assist healthcare providers in assessing the severity of symptoms, and in monitoring and adjusting treatment accordingly.

How to improve gender equity in medicine

Gender equity and racial diversity in medicine can promote creative solutions to complex health problems and improve the delivery of high-quality care, argue authors in an analysis in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).