Biomolecular analysis of medieval parchment 'birthing girdle'

Childbearing in medieval Europe was a highly perilous time with considerable risks for both mother and baby.

The benefits of the Mediterranean diet pass on to the families of patients who follow it

People living with a patient undergoing an intensive weight loss treatment also benefit from this therapy. This has been demonstrated by a team of researchers from the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM-Hospital del Mar) along with doctors from Hospital del Mar and the CIBER on the Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERObn), in collaboration with IDIAPJGol, the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute (IISPV), IDIBELL, IDIBAPS and the Sant Joan de Reus University Hospital. The study has been published in the journal International Journal of Obesity.

Updates on the Baylor cranial gunshot wound prognosis score

In 2014, the Journal of Neurosurgery published a paper by a group of researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, who developed a prognostic scoring system for use in patients who present to the emergency department with a gunshot wound to the head (GSWH).

Food insecurity may make losing weight more difficult, even with an intense intervention

Participants with obesity and food insecurity lost less weight than food secure participants with obesity over 24 months when following an intensive, lifestyle-based intervention for weight loss. These findings suggest that weight loss approaches that address both obesity and food insecurity are needed. Findings from a post hoc analysis of the PROPEL (Promoting Successful Weight Loss in Primary Care in Louisiana) study are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Full evolutionary journey of hospital superbug mapped for the first time

Modern hospitals and antibiotic treatment alone did not create all the antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria we see today. Instead, selection pressures from before widespread use of antibiotics influenced some of them to develop, new research has discovered.

'Wearable microgrid' uses the human body to sustainably power small gadgets

Nanoengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a "wearable microgrid" that harvests and stores energy from the human body to power small electronics. It consists of three main parts: sweat-powered biofuel cells, motion-powered devices called triboelectric generators, and energy-storing supercapacitors. All parts are flexible, washable and can be screen printed onto clothing.

First AI system for contactless monitoring of heart rhythm using smart speakers

Smart speakers, such as Amazon Echo and Google Home, have proven adept at monitoring certain health care issues at home. For example, researchers at the University of Washington have shown that these devices can detect cardiac arrests or monitor babies breathing.

Tropical cyclone exposure linked to rise in hospitalizations from many causes for older adults

An increase in overall hospitalizations was reported for older adults in the week following exposure to a tropical cyclone, according to a new study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University's Earth Institute and colleagues at Colorado State University and Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.

Italy factory to produce Sputnik vaccine, first in EU: trade body

An Italian-Swiss pharmaceutical company has agreed to produce Russia's Sputnik V vaccine in Italy, the first such deal in the European Union, a trade body said Tuesday.

Desert country Jordan aims for green with 10-million tree campaign

On a bare hill in Jordan's verdant Ajloun region, dozens of people plant saplings as part of a reforestation effort that aims to reach 10 million trees in 10 years.

US daily virus toll below 1,000 for first time in months

For the first time in nearly three and a half months, the United States recorded fewer than 1,000 deaths in a day from COVID-19 on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Decade after Fukushima, Japan towns struggle to rebuild community

Masakazu Daibo has reopened his family's eel restaurant in part of Japan declared a no-go zone after the 2011 nuclear disaster, but so far he has barely a single neighbour.

More than 700,000 COVID-19 deaths in Latin America

More than 700,000 lives have been lost to COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean since the pandemic began, according to an AFP tally on Monday evening from official sources.

Fake news makes Czechs vaccine-wary despite COVID crisis

As the Czech Republic struggles to cope with the world's highest coronavirus infection rate, a tidal wave of disinformation and a bungled government response are hampering vaccination efforts.

China launches virus passport

China has launched a health certificate programme for Chinese international travellers, leading the world in plans for so-called virus passports.

Airline industry pushes US to standardize health papers

Leading airline and business groups are asking the Biden administration to develop temporary credentials that would let travelers show they have been tested and vaccinated for COVID-19, a step that the airline industry believes will help revive travel.

Breaking waves and moisture transport drive extreme precipitation events

Around the world each year, extreme precipitation events cause catastrophic flooding that results in tragic loss of life and costly damage to infrastructure and property. However, a variety of different weather systems can cause these extreme events, so a detailed understanding of the atmospheric processes that lead to their formation is crucial.

Engineering platform offers collaborative cloud options for sustainable manufacturing

A Purdue University engineering innovator has developed a cloud-based platform aimed at mapping inter-industry dependence networks for materials and waste generation among manufacturers in sectors such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals and other industries tied to biobased economies.

The broader impacts of COVID-19: Societal perspective in health economic evaluations

The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) has not only left societies with a high number of excess deaths and a wide range of health consequences, but also taken a heavy toll on wider global economies—impacting other sectors outside health.

Majority of women can still give birth naturally if their water breaks early

About 11% of women who carry to term will experience prelabor rupture of membrane—a condition where the amniotic sac breaks open early, but labor doesn't begin.

Research shows that BSers are more likely to fall for BS

People who frequently try to impress or persuade others with misleading exaggerations and distortions are themselves more likely to be fooled by impressive-sounding misinformation, new research from the University of Waterloo shows.