Chinese scientist at center of virus controversy denies lab-leak theory

The Chinese scientist at the center of theories that the coronavirus pandemic originated with a leak from her specialized lab in the city of Wuhan has denied her institution was to blame for the health disaster.

China's trekking elephants wait for youngster to catch up

A herd of elephants on a mammoth trek across China is taking an enforced break—as they wait for a wayward youngster to catch-up.

Doctors warn of burns from asphalt as heat wave hits US West

Doctors who work in Arizona and Nevada burn centers are warning of injuries from contact with super-heated roadways and other surfaces as the first extreme heat wave of the year extends across the U.S. West.

Emirates Air posts $5.5B loss as virus disrupts travel

The Middle East's largest airline, Emirates, announced on Tuesday a net loss of $5.5 billion over the past year as revenue fell by more than 66% due to global travel restrictions sparked by the coronavirus pandemic.

Critical entities targeted in suspected Chinese cyber spying

A cyberespionage campaign blamed on China was more sweeping than previously known, with suspected state-backed hackers exploiting a device meant to boost internet security to penetrate the computers of critical U.S. entities.

Costly frost in France attributed to climate change

Scientists say damaging frost that caused significant economic loss to France's central winegrowing region this year was made more likely by climate change.

California reopens, says goodbye to most COVID-19 rules

California, the first state in America to put in place a coronavirus lockdown, is now turning a page on the pandemic.

New survey method proves Rhode Island's rarest frog may not be so rare

The rarest frog in Rhode Island may not be as rare as scientists once thought after a study by University of Rhode Island researchers using a seldom-used methodology turned up many more of the endangered animals than they expected.

NASA snow campaign wraps for 2021

As the last snow melts, NASA's SnowEx teams are packing up the snowshoes, skis, and scientific instruments they've used all winter to study snow in mountains and prairies. Now, they're turning their attention to a different kind of mountain—all of the data they collected.

Targeted drug found effective in thwarting pancreatic tumors

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease in which malignant cells form in the tissues of the pancreas, a long and flat gland located behind the stomach that helps with digestion and blood sugar regulation. Because pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect early, it is associated with a low survival rate, accounting for just over 3% of all new cancer cases in the U.S., but leading to nearly 8% of all cancer deaths, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Human-driven climate change only half the picture for krill

In the heart of their Antarctic habitat, krill populations are projected to decline about 30% this century due to widespread negative effects from human-driven climate change. However, these effects on this small but significant species will be largely indistinguishable from natural variability in the region's climate until late in the 21st century, finds new University of Colorado Boulder research.

AI-driven soldier technology wins praise from engineering society

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Communications Society recognized an Army researcher and collaborators their work on artificially intelligent techniques that will enhance Soldiers' situational awareness in the multi-domain operating environment.

Can encroachment benefit hotel franchisees?

Researchers from University of Texas at Dallas and Emory University published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines the issue of encroachment in the hotel industry.

New app tracks human mobility and COVID-19

Analyzing how people move about in their daily lives has long been important to urban planners, traffic engineers, and others developing new infrastructure projects.

More than a bumpy ride: Turbulence offers boost to birds

Most sensible air travelers dread turbulence. A little atmospheric hiccup can shake airplanes, rattle nerves and spill beverages. A Cornell University-led study found that birds don't mind at all.

A third dose of COVID-19 vaccine increased antibody levels in organ transplant recipients

A small study offers the first hint that an extra dose of COVID-19 vaccines just might give some organ transplant recipients a needed boost in protection.

Psychologists identify 18 best measures to assess intimate partner violence

Millions of people experience intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime and assessment is important in conducting therapy and assisting victims. A team of psychologists at Binghamton University, State University of New York have evaluated dozens of available measures used to assess intimate partner violence and have pinpointed the most effective ones.

Combining classical and quantum computing opens door to new discoveries

Researchers have discovered a new and more efficient computing method for pairing the reliability of a classical computer with the strength of a quantum system.

Job-related stress threatens the teacher supply: RAND survey

Nearly one in four teachers may leave their job by the end of the current (2020-'21) school year, compared with one in six who were likely to leave prior to the pandemic, according to a new RAND Corporation survey. Teachers who identified as Black or African American were particularly likely to consider leaving.

Novel radiopharmaceutical tracks 'master switch' protein responsible for cancer growth

A protein that is critical in cancer cell metabolism has been imaged for the first time with a newly developed radiopharmaceutical, 18F-DASA-23. Imaging with this novel agent has the potential to improve the assessment of treatment response for patients, specifically those with brain tumors. This study was presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2021 Annual Meeting.

New PET tracer detects hallmark of Alzheimer's disease years before symptoms emerge

A novel positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer has been shown to effectively measure increases in brain tau—a distinguishing characteristic of Alzheimer's disease—before any symptoms of the disease are observed. With the potential to measure increases in tau over a long period of time, this tracer offers an important tool to assess the effectiveness of Alzheimer's disease treatments in clinical trials. This research was presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2021 Annual Meeting.

Lipophilic statin use linked to increased risk of dementia

In patients with mild cognitive impairment, taking lipophilic statins more than doubles their risk of developing dementia compared to those who do not take statins. According to research presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2021 Annual Meeting, positron emission tomography (PET) scans of lipophilic statin users revealed a highly significant decline in metabolism in the area of the brain that is first impacted by Alzheimer's disease.

Young adults' alcohol use increases when casually dating

When young adults are more interested in socializing and casually dating, they tend to drink more alcohol, according to a new paper led by a Washington State University professor.