Thursday 8 July 2021

Vaccines rushed to Sydney as outbreak spirals

Australia's prime minister announced 300,000 coronavirus vaccine doses will be rushed to Sydney Thursday, as the country's largest city struggled to bring a Delta outbreak under control.

Indonesians ignore warnings in rush to buy anti-parasite drug for COVID

Indonesians have ignored health warnings to stock up on a "miracle cure" for COVID-19 backed by leading politicians and social media influencers, as an out-of-control virus surge sweeps the country.

Do I need to take precautions at hotels if I'm vaccinated?

Do I need to take precautions at hotels if I'm vaccinated?

Study: Northwest heat wave impossible without climate change

The deadly heat wave that roasted the Pacific Northwest and western Canada was virtually impossible without human-caused climate change that added a few extra degrees to the record-smashing temperatures, a new quick scientific analysis found.

Summer swelter trend: West gets hotter days, East hot nights

As outlandish as the killer heat wave that struck the Pacific Northwest was, it fits into a decades-long pattern of uneven summer warming across the United States.

Drought, heat, fire force fishing ban on Colorado River

Colorado wildlife officials on Wednesday urged anglers to avoid fishing along a stretch of the Colorado River because low flows during a historic drought in the U.S. West, critically warm water temperatures and sediment runoff from wildfire burn scars are all starving trout of oxygen.

More EVs could reduce CO2 emissions in Hawaii by 93% in less than 30 years

By 2050, faster adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and faster generation of renewable energy will result in 99% less fossil fuel consumed and 93% less CO2 emissions from passenger and freight vehicles on Oʻahu. That's under the most ambitious scenario in an article published in World Electric Vehicle Journal, by University of Hawaii at Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) faculty member Katherine McKenzie.

Biological fireworks show 300 million years in the making

Five years ago, researchers at Northwestern University made international headlines when they discovered that human eggs, when fertilized by sperm, release billions of zinc ions, dubbed "zinc sparks."

Wage inequality negatively impacts customer satisfaction and does not improve long-term firm performance

Researchers from University of Mannheim published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines the effect of wage inequality on customer satisfaction and firm performance.

Yoga helps reduce work-related stress

Physical relaxation through yoga or other practices can help reduce work-related stress, according to an analysis of studies conducted in healthcare staff.

Novel study of high-potency cannabis shows some memory effects

Even before the pandemic made Zoom ubiquitous, Washington State University researchers were using the video conferencing app to research a type of cannabis that is understudied: the kind people actually use.

Five million deaths a year caused by global climate related abnormal temps

More than five million extra deaths a year can be attributed to abnormal hot and cold temperatures, according to a world first international study led by Monash University.

Open-source software to help cities plant in pursuit of clean air

Software to help towns and cities use street-planting to reduce citizens' exposure to air pollution has been developed by researchers at the University of Birmingham.

Reading the rocks: Geologist finds clues to ancient climate patterns in chert

A million years ago, dry seasons became more frequent and forests retreated before the encroaching savanna. Meanwhile, clustered around a nearby lake, our ancient ancestors fashioned stone tools.

Study: Hospitalizations for eating disorders spike among adolescents during COVID

The number of adolescents admitted to the hospital for severe illness from eating disorders has increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, new research suggests.

EHR alerts go unread, do not lead to deprescribing of medicines linked to dementia

The vast majority of electronic health record (EHR) alerts attempting to reduce the prescribing of high-risk medications linked to dementia in older adults went unread in a study led by research scientists from Regenstrief Institute, Purdue University and Indiana University School of Medicine. The goal of the intervention was to facilitate the deprescribing of anticholinergics through both provider and patient-based alerts, however, engagement with the alerts was so low, the study team was unable to conclude if this approach could be an effective method.

A summary of myocarditis cases following COVID-19

Myocarditis-or inflammation around the heart—has been reported in some patients with COVID-19. After searching the medical literature, researchers have now summarized the results of 41 studies describing myocarditis in 42 patients with COVID-19.

How does endometriosis influence women's work life?

In women in their mid-40s to early 50s, endometriosis—a condition in which tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside the uterus—was linked with poor work ability and more sick days, but not with unemployment or early retirement.

Has the COVID-19 pandemic lessened bullying at school?

Students reported far higher rates of bullying at school before the COVID-19 pandemic than during the pandemic across all forms of bullying—general, physical, verbal, and social—except for cyber bullying, where differences in rates were less pronounced. The findings come from a study published in Aggressive Behavior.

What is the evidence on how to improve older adults' functional abilities at home?

A new analysis called an evidence and gap map has mapped what we know about improving the functional ability of older adults living at home or in nursing homes, retirement homes, or other long-term care facilities.

How can counselors address social justice amid climate change?

We're currently living in what many scientists are calling the Anthropocene, the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment. An article published in the Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development discusses how counselors can promote environmental justice during this time.

How experiencing diverse emotions impacts students

Experiencing a variety of positive emotions—or emodiversity—may benefit high school students, according to a study published in the British Journal of Educational Psychology.

Improving transparency of integrated assessment models related to climate change

Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) connect trends in future socio-economic and technological development with impacts on the environment, such as global climate change. Critics have taken issue with the transparency of IAM methods and assumptions as well as the transparency of assessments of IAMs by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.