Italy virus death toll could be 19,000 higher than reported: agency

Italy's death toll from the novel coronavirus in March and April could be nearly 19,000 higher than the official figure of 32,000, the national social security agency said Thursday.

Court says dinosaur fossils worth millions aren't minerals

Dinosaur fossils aren't minerals under state law, a divided Montana Supreme Court said in a ruling Wednesday that has implications in an ongoing legal battle over the ownership of millions of dollars of fossils unearthed on an eastern Montana ranch.

Capturing the coordinated dance between electrons and nuclei in a light-excited molecule

Using a high-speed "electron camera" at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, scientists have simultaneously captured the movements of electrons and nuclei in a molecule after it was excited with light. This marks the first time this has been done with ultrafast electron diffraction, which scatters a powerful beam of electrons off materials to pick up tiny molecular motions.

NASA Snow campaign wraps 2020 survey

As spring and summer temperatures return to the Northern Hemisphere, winter's snow is melting, releasing precious fresh water into Earth's streams, rivers and oceans. This annual change provides liquid water for drinking, agriculture and hydropower for more than one billion people around the world. In the future, NASA plans to use a satellite mission to measure how much water the world's winter snowpack contains, and to do that, they need to know what combination of instruments and techniques will efficiently measure this information from space.

Scientists identify chemicals in noxious weed that 'disarm' deadly bacteria

Scientists have identified specific compounds from the Brazilian peppertree—a weedy, invasive shrub in Florida—that reduce the virulence of antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria. Scientific Reports published the research, demonstrating that triterpenoid acids in the red berries of the plant "disarm" dangerous staph bacteria by blocking its ability to produce toxins.

Teleradiology enables social distancing during coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic

Remote reading of imaging studies on home PACS workstations can contribute to social distancing, protect vulnerable radiologists and others in the hospital, and ensure seamless interpretation capabilities in emergency scenarios, according to an open-access article published ahead-of-print by the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR).

COVID-19 evidence and strategies for orthopaedic surgeons

How should orthopaedic surgeons respond to the COVID-19 pandemic? A review in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery analyzes evidence and strategies for managing the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus—including critical lessons from past pandemics.

Low-severity fires enhance long-term carbon retention of peatlands

High-intensity fires can destroy peat bogs and cause them to emit huge amounts of their stored carbon into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases, but a new Duke University study finds low-severity fires spark the opposite outcome.

Advertising slump during virus crisis hits media jobs

Media redundancies, partial layoffs and managerial wage cuts are on the rise as advertising markets implode, despite customers showing an ever stronger appetite for information on the coronavirus crisis.

Facebook ramps up remote work service as pandemic shuts offices

Facebook on Thursday bulked up the Workplace version of its social network that helps employees get their jobs done remotely, investing in a trend it believes will outlast the pandemic.

UK buys 10 million antibody tests for care staff, patients

Britain on Thursday announced it had signed deals to buy more than 10 million coronavirus antibody tests from pharmaceutical firms Roche and Abbott for distribution to frontline healthcare workers.

France's daily virus toll dips to 83, no sign of second wave

The number of coronavirus deaths registered in France over the last 24 hours dipped to 83 on Thursday, as a top doctor said he was not seeing a second wave of infections despite the country easing its lockdown.

Turkey sees drop in daily coronavirus infections

Turkey on Thursday reported its lowest daily increase in confirmed coronavirus cases in the past two months, with 961 new infections in the past 24 hours.

Virus cases spike in California county on Mexican border

As much of California begins reopening businesses amid improved coronavirus conditions, a farming region on the state's border with Mexico is experiencing a spike in hospitalizations that some believe is driven by American citizens who live in Mexico coming to the U.S. for care.

Cape Town is virus hot spot for South Africa and continent

Cape Town has become the center of the COVID-19 outbreak in South Africa and one of Africa's hot spots.

Just a little physical activity pays big dividends to high risk breast cancer patients

Results of a comprehensive analysis of exercise and its protective role for high-risk breast cancer patients show that women who exercise not only live longer, but also are more likely to remain cancer-free after their treatment. What's more, the study suggests that even a modest amount of exercise can be beneficial.

New 3-D printing study shows promise for predictive maintenance

Army researchers have discovered a way to monitor the performance of 3-D printed parts, which tend to have imperfections that affect performance in ways traditionally-machined parts do not.

High stress related to coronavirus is the new normal for many parents, says new APA survey

Nearly half of parents of children under age 18 say their stress levels related to the coronavirus pandemic are high, with managing their kids' online learning a significant source of stress for many, according to a new survey by the American Psychological Association.

Emerging evidence on genetics of schizophrenia raises hopes for new treatment targets

In recent years, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified many different genetic variants associated with schizophrenia. These genetic discoveries raise the promise of developing urgently needed new treatments targeting the underlying biology and pathophysiology of schizophrenia, according to a special article in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology.

Researchers collaboratively test mask effectiveness to fight spread of COVID-19

In the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, masks were in such short supply they were nearly impossible to find. As a result, people began creating substitute masks out of anything possible—scarves, repurposed old T-shirts, even vacuum bags.

Researcher develops contact tracing technology

How does society establish a new normal during a pandemic?

Biophysicists find a way to take a peek at how membrane receptors work

In a study published in Current Opinion in Structural Biology, MIPT biophysicists explained ways to visualize membrane receptors in their different states. Detailed information on the structure and dynamics of these proteins will enable developing effective and safe drugs to treat many sorts of conditions.

Next-generation perovskite solar cells pass strict international tests

Australian scientists have for the first time produced a new generation of experimental solar energy cells that pass strict International Electrotechnical Commission testing standards for heat and humidity.