Remote experiments show the value of global connections during the pandemic

Researchers at the University of Leeds deepened their understanding of a synthetic detergent without ever setting foot in the lab where their experiments took place.

For struggling older adults, support from paid peers may alleviate loneliness, depression

An initiative that paired paid visitors with racially diverse older adults, many of whom lived alone and struggled with taking care of their basic needs, resulted in reduced loneliness and plunging rates of depression.

Higher numeracy skills led to better hurricane evacuation decisions by government officials

When a hurricane is bearing down on a coastal city, emergency management officials are tasked with making life-and-death choices: Do they mandate that people leave the area? Which communities should evacuate, and when?

Mining waste could be used as an ingredient for cheaper hydrogen fuel production

Researchers have discovered a way to use mining waste as part of a potential cheaper catalyst for hydrogen fuel production.

Ancient marsupial 'junk DNA' might be useful after all

Fossils of ancient viruses are preserved in the genomes of all animals, including humans, and have long been regarded as junk DNA. But are they truly junk, or do they actually serve a useful purpose?

HIV linked with increased risk of sudden cardiac death

People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have a higher risk of sudden cardiac death than people who do not have HIV, especially if the virus is not well-controlled or if they have other heart disease risk factors, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Zoning policies that boost affordable housing: Good for the heart?

Inclusionary zoning policies that increase the supply of affordable housing may be good for the heart. So says a first-of-a-kind study published today by researchers at the George Washington University. The study notes that such zoning programs were associated with lower rates of heart disease.

COVID has 'devastating' impact on fight against HIV, TB, malaria: Global Fund

The COVID-19 pandemic had a "devastating" impact on the fight against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria in 2020, according to a report released by the Global Fund on Wednesday.

On thin ice: Near North Pole, a warning on climate change

A massive icebreaker cuts its way through the frozen waters of the Arctic Ocean, clearing a path to the North Pole, all white as far as the eye can see. But even here, the impact of climate change can be felt.

Major earthquake shakes Mexico, leaving one dead

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Mexico on Tuesday near the Pacific resort city of Acapulco, leaving at least one person dead and shaking buildings in the capital several hundred kilometers away.

Sea of plastic: Med pollution under spotlight at conservation meet

Plastic packaging and discarded fishing nets bob in the tranquil waters of the Mediterranean, signs of the choking pollution that has stirred strong feelings at the world conservation congress in the French port city Marseille this week.

Amazon to open 2 cashier-less Whole Foods stores next year

There will be something missing at two Whole Foods stores opening next year: the rows of cashiers.

Silicon Valley finds remote work is easier to begin than end

Technology companies that led the charge into remote work as the pandemic unfurled are confronting a new challenge as the crisis winds down: how, when and even whether they should bring long-isolated employees back to offices that have been designed for teamwork.

Ford hires exec formerly in charge of Apple's car project

Ford Motor Co. has hired a former executive from Apple and Tesla to be the company's head of advanced technology and new embedded systems, a critical post as the auto industry moves to adopt vehicles powered by electricity and guided by computers.

Official: Wildfire near Lake Tahoe largely kept from towns

The huge wildfire near the Lake Tahoe resort region was about half contained Tuesday, with the head of California's firefighting agency saying crews largely have been able to keep flames away from populated areas.

Missing people fall through the cracks after government cuts

Police forces in England say the potential for significant harm to people who go missing is rising after decades of cuts to police budgets, rising demand and lack of training.

Bulgaria, EU's least vaccinated nation, faces deadly surge

Standing outside the rundown public hospital in Bulgaria's northern town of Veliko Tarnovo, the vaccination unit's chief nurse voices a sad reality about her fellow citizens: "They don't believe in vaccines."

Smaller breathing tubes are better when intubating singers, everyone

Smaller is better when it comes to the flexible plastic endotracheal tubes placed in the windpipe to help patients breathe, say the medical professionals who treat vocal professionals.

Overweight and obesity may affect asthmatic children's response to inhaled steroids

Asthmatic children are less likely to respond to inhaled steroid medication if they are overweight or obese, and this leads to more frequent asthma attacks, according to research presented at the 'virtual' European Respiratory Society International Congress today.

Artificial intelligence could help diagnose lung cancer a year earlier

An artificial intelligence (AI) program can spot signs of lung cancer on CT scans a year before they can be diagnosed with existing methods, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress.

New study on COVID-19 vaccinations in the largest US cities finds stark inequities

In a study of the 9 largest U.S. cities, researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health found stark racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequities in COVID-19 vaccination rates across neighborhoods. The study showed that high vaccination neighborhoods had more white residents, fewer people of color, higher incomes, and lower poverty rates. These high vaccination neighborhoods also had lower historical COVID-19 death rates, showing that lifesaving vaccines have been slow to reach the areas that were hardest-hit by the pandemic. The findings are published online in JAMA Health Forum.