Wednesday 25 September 2019

Minnesota moves to get more electric vehicles on roads

Minnesota will require car manufacturers to sell more electric vehicles in the state starting in the 2023 model year, Gov. Tim Walz said Wednesday, a move meant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while defying the Trump administration's efforts to revoke California's clean air and fuel economy standards for cars and trucks.

Does migraine leave your head spinning? Noninvasive treatment shows early promise

There may be some good news for people with vestibular migraine, a type of migraine that causes vertigo and dizziness with or without headache pain. A small, preliminary study suggests that non-invasive nerve stimulation may show promise as a treatment for vestibular migraine attacks, a condition for which there are currently no approved treatments. The study is published in the September 25, 2019, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Emergency vaccination for deadly DR Congo measles outbreak: UN

The UN health agency on Wednesday said it would carry out an emergency vaccination campaign in six DR Congo provinces to counter an outbreak of measles that has killed 3,600 since the start of the year.

US appeals court to decide fight over jaguar habitat

It will be up to a federal appeals court to decide whether tens of thousands of acres in New Mexico should be reserved as critical habitat for the endangered jaguar.

Prediction system significantly increases palliative care consults

Palliative Connect, a trigger system developed at Penn Medicine and powered by predictive analytics, was found to be effective at increasing palliative care consultations for seriously ill patients, according to a new study from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. After the system was implemented, palliative care consultation increased by 74 percent. The study was published this month in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Fear not a factor in gun ownership: research

Are gun owners more or less afraid than people who do not own guns? A new study from researchers at Florida State University and the University of Arizona hopes to add some empirical data to the conversation after finding that gun owners tend to report less fear than non-gun owners.

AI helps scientists predict depression outcomes

The psychiatry field has long sought answers to explain why antidepressants help only some people.

Scientists solve mystery underlying heart toxicity caused by diabetes drugs

Like catching two fish with one worm, treating two problems with a single drug is efficient, but exceedingly difficult. In particular, for new diabetes medications, in which one drug aims to tackle two major complications of diabetes—the excess of both lipids and glucose in the blood—the therapeutic benefits, while great, frequently are accompanied by dangerous toxic effects to the heart.

NASA visualization shows a black hole's warped world

This new visualization of a black hole illustrates how its gravity distorts our view, warping its surroundings as if seen in a carnival mirror. The visualization simulates the appearance of a black hole where infalling matter has collected into a thin, hot structure called an accretion disk. The black hole's extreme gravity skews light emitted by different regions of the disk, producing the misshapen appearance.

New research analyzes video game player engagement

In the video game industry, the ability for gaming companies to track and respond to gamers' post-purchase play opens up new opportunities to enhance gamer engagement and retention and increase video game revenue.

Researchers developing new 'DNA stitch' to treat muscular dystrophy

A new therapeutic being tested by University of Alberta researchers is showing early promise as a more effective treatment that could help nearly half of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

Resistance to immune checkpoint blocker drug linked to metabolic imbalance

A metabolic imbalance in some cancer patients following treatment with a checkpoint inhibitor drug, nivolumab, is associated with resistance to the immunotherapy agent and shorter survival, report scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in collaborative work with the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

Climate change could cause drought in wheat-growing areas: study

In a new study, researchers found that unless steps are taken to mitigate climate change, up to 60 percent of current wheat-growing areas worldwide could see simultaneous, severe and prolonged droughts by the end of the century. Wheat is the world's largest rain-fed crop in terms of harvested area and supplies about 20 percent of all calories consumed by humans.

Researchers create 'player trait model' allowing for personalized games

University of Waterloo researchers have developed a novel tool that will enable user-experience designers to create more effective, personalized games and marketing campaigns.

Scientists tackle potential drug resistance by using new single-cell genetic method

Using a new technique that can identify genetic profiles of individual cells, University of Notre Dame researchers modeled a breast cancer tumor's potential resistance to a drug, and then identified a drug combination that reversed that resistance.

NASA-NOAA satellite sees Hurricane Lorenzo strengthening

Dropping cloud top temperatures from NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite indicated Hurricane Lorenzo was getting stronger in the North Atlantic Ocean.

NASA finds Tropical Storm Karen bringing heavy rain to Puerto Rico

Tropical Storm Karen has crossed over Puerto Rico and into the western Atlantic Ocean. Early on Sept. 25 when Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core satellite passed overhead, the satellite found heavy rain occurring over the territory.

How cities can leverage citizen data while protecting privacy

India is on a path with dual—and potentially conflicting—goals related to the use of citizen data.

Nanotechnology improves chemotherapy delivery

Michigan State University scientists have invented a new way to monitor chemotherapy concentrations, which is more effective in keeping patients' treatments within the crucial therapeutic window.

Many patients not receiving first-line treatment for sinus, throat, ear infections

Investigators have now shown that only half of patients presenting with sinus, throat, or ear infections at different treatment centers received the recommended first-line antibiotics, well below the industry standard of 80 percent. The research is published this week in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

Blood-brain barrier damage occurs even with mild head trauma

In a new study of adolescent and adult athletes, researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Stanford University and Trinity College in Dublin have found evidence of damage to the brain's protective barrier, without a reported concussion.

Adult fly intestine could help understand intestinal regeneration

Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) are exposed to diverse types of environmental stresses such as bacteria and toxins, but the mechanisms by which epithelial cells sense stress are not well understood. New research by the universities of Bristol, Heidelberg and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have found that Nox-ROS-ASK1-MKK3-p38 signaling in IECs integrates various stresses to facilitate intestinal regeneration.

Benefits for mind, body and work ability seen in Medicaid Expansion study

Expanding Medicaid to more low-income adults helped many of them feel healthier, and do a better job at work or a job search, in just one year after they got their new health coverage, a University of Michigan study finds.

California ballot proposal would tighten data privacy rules

A San Francisco developer who pressured California lawmakers into enacting the nation's most sweeping data privacy act is pushing a ballot measure to expand the law.

Beijing opens glitzy airport ahead of China's 70th anniversary

A futuristic new airport in Beijing, which is expected to become one of the busiest in the world, was opened by President Xi Jinping on Wednesday.

Facebook exempts political speech from fact-checking

Facebook will not fact-check the statements politicians post to the site, the social network announced Tuesday ahead of the US 2020 elections, even as it works to discredit false information meant to manipulate public opinion.

Officials: 75,000 vaping cartridges seized in Anoka County

Law enforcement officials say they've seized 75,000 vaping cartridges in Anoka County.

Shoe-mounted laser to 'unfreeze' people with Parkinson's scoops €1 million prize

A shoe-mounted laser beam that helps people with Parkinson's disease 'unfreeze' by shining a green line in front of their feet has been awarded the EU's €1 million Horizon Prize for Social Innovation.

Race against time to finish Brazil's particle accelerator

Brazilian scientists are racing against time to finish building a particle accelerator the size of the Maracana football stadium before government funds run out or it is superseded by rival technology.

Germany's climate-stressed trees face 'catastrophe' as bugs attack

Germany's forests have long been treasured by its people, so the country has reacted with alarm and dismay as a beetle infestation has turned climate-stressed woodlands into brown ecological graveyards.

Swedish climate activist Thunberg wins 'Alternative Nobel'

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is among four people named Wednesday as the winners of a Right Livelihood Award, also known as the "Alternative Nobel."

Caribbean gets smart to cope with hurricanes

After monster Hurricane Irma annihilated the farm sector of Barbuda in 2017, growers got smart: among other changes, they moved their crops to higher ground.

'Blue finance' hopes to put oceans on a sustainable path

The world's oceans are set to become an increasingly vital resource for helping the planet cope with soaring population growth, but officials are only beginning to craft regulatory frameworks that would ensure "blue financing" goes where it's needed most.

Greta Thunberg's 'How dare you?' a major moment for climate movement

Her imperious "How dare you?" to world leaders at the UN cemented Swedish teen Greta Thunberg's role as her generation's leading spokeswoman on climate change, the culmination of a year of dogged relentlessness, say those who know her.

California ramps up efforts to combat invasive swamp rodents

One of the most recent threats to California's environment has webbed feet, white whiskers, shaggy fur and orange buck teeth that could be mistaken for carrots.

Vox Media and owner of 'New York' magazine to merge

Vox Media announced a merger agreement Tuesday with New York Media, home of the prestigious "New York" magazine and a series of other titles.

Tropical fish swim into Europe's waters as common species head north

Cod, sole and plaice might be regulars on European dinner tables but as climate change heats the oceans common species are heading to cooler northern waters—with profound potential consequences for fish stocks and consumers.

First systematic review and meta-analysis suggests AI may be as effective as health professionals at diagnosing disease

Artificial intelligence (AI) appears to detect diseases from medical imaging with similar levels of accuracy as health-care professionals, according to the first systematic review and meta-analysis, synthesising all the available evidence from the scientific literature published in The Lancet Digital Health journal.

Bats use private and social information as they hunt

In the arms race between predators and prey, each evolves more and more sophisticated ways of catching or escaping from the other. Rachel Page, staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Ximena Bernal, associate professor at Purdue University, review in Functional Ecology how bats use both private and social information to attack their prey.

Sexual trauma common in postmenopausal women veterans

Thanks to increased media attention, sexual assaults occurring in the military are finally getting the attention they deserve. However, most reports involve reproductive-aged women Veterans from recent service eras. A new study confirms the problem has a long history with assaults linked to numerous mental and physical problems. Study results will be presented during The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting in Chicago, September 25 to 28, 2019.

Bird droppings defy expectations

For every question about bird poop, uric acid appears to be the answer.

Scientists identify benefits, challenges to using film in public health research

The research community is increasingly recognizing video as more than just a medium to disseminate scientific findings after a study's conclusion. A powerful tool, film can engage study participants and become an integral part of the scientific process, when deployed thoughtfully.

Studies link air pollution to mental health issues in children

Three new studies by scientists at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Cincinnati, highlight the relationship between air pollution and mental health in children.

Private boats in the Mediterranean have extremely high potential to spread alien species

This is the first study in the Mediterranean to combine boat and marina sampling data with crew surveys to better understand the role these boats play in spreading alien species. The researchers from the University of Pavia, Italy found that boats traveling to new marinas were likely to be transporting alien species in the biofouling: living growth on submerged areas of the vessel.