Modernize scope of practice for health-care professionals, researchers say

Around the country, the collective voice of eight directors of health workforce research centers came together to call for a reforming of laws and regulations that limit the practice of health professionals.

Preclinical study links human gene variant to THC reward in adolescent females

A common variation in a human gene that affects the brain's reward processing circuit increases vulnerability to the rewarding effects of the main psychoactive ingredient of cannabis in adolescent females, but not males, according to preclinical research by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. As adolescence represents a highly sensitive period of brain development with the highest risk for initiating cannabis use, these findings in mice have important implications for understanding the influence of genetics on cannabis dependence in humans.

Researchers shrink laser-induced graphene for flexible electronics

You don't need a big laser to make laser-induced graphene (LIG). Scientists at Rice University, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT Knoxville) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are using a very small visible beam to burn the foamy form of carbon into microscopic patterns.

Fossilized insect from 100 million years ago is oldest record of primitive bee with pollen

Beetle parasites clinging to a primitive bee 100 million years ago may have caused the flight error that, while deadly for the insect, is a boon for science today.

New data shows rising repeat ER visits for opioid-related emergencies

The emergency department is being increasingly utilized as a patient's best or only treatment option for opioid use disorder (OUD). New analysis in Annals of Emergency Medicine shows that the prevalence of patients who visited emergency departments at four Indiana hospital systems for repeat opioid-related emergencies jumped from 8.8 percent of all opioid-related visits in 2012 to 34.1 percent in 2017—nearly a four-fold increase in just five years.

US health authority shipped faulty coronavirus test kits across country

A number of test kits sent out by US health authorities to labs across the country to diagnose the deadly novel coronavirus are faulty, a senior official said Wednesday.

Britain starts setting up 'first internet watchdog'

The British government said Wednesday it plans to allow its broadcast regulator to police the internet and issue substantial fines when social media giants fail to remove "online harm".

New material has highest electron mobility among known layered magnetic materials

All the elements are there to begin with, so to speak; it's just a matter of figuring out what they are capable of—alone or together. For Leslie Schoop's lab, one recent such investigation has uncovered a layered compound with a trio of properties not previously known to exist in one material.

World Mobile Congress cancelled over coronavirus fears

Organisers of the World Mobile Congress said Wednesday they have cancelled the world's top mobile trade fair due to fears stemming from the coronavirus that sparked an exodus of industry heavyweights.

EU seeks better coordination to tackle coronavirus

European Union nations will on Thursday discuss ways to increase cooperation in a bid to tackle the threat posed by the coronavirus which has killed over 1,100 people in China and spread to several EU member states.

UN: Congo's Ebola outbreak slows but still global emergency

The World Health Organization said although signs are now "extremely positive" in Congo that the Ebola outbreak is winding down, the epidemic remains a global health emergency.

Researchers develop 'multitasking' AI tool to extract cancer data in record time

As the second-leading cause of death in the United States, cancer is a public health crisis that afflicts nearly one in two people during their lifetime. Cancer is also an oppressively complex disease. Hundreds of cancer types affecting more than 70 organs have been recorded in the nation's cancer registries—databases of information about individual cancer cases that provide vital statistics to doctors, researchers, and policymakers.

Researchers link quartz microbalance measurements to international measurement system

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have found a way to link measurements made by a device integral to microchip fabrication and other industries directly to the recently redefined International System of Units (SI, the modern metric system). That traceability can greatly increase users' confidence in their measurements because the SI is now based entirely on fundamental constants of nature.

Protecting redundancy in the food web helps ensure ecological resilience

In 2014, a disease of epidemic proportions gripped the West Coast of the U.S. You may not have noticed, though, unless you were underwater.

Bacteriophages may play a role in childhood stunting... and be able to help treat it

New research spearheaded by McGill University has discovered that bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) found in the intestinal tracts of children may play a role in childhood stunting, a significant impediment to growth that affects 22% of children under the age of five around the world.

How bird flocks with multiple species behave like K-pop groups

Birds of a feather don't always flock together: Peer into a forest canopy, and you will likely spot multiple bird species flying and feeding together, a phenomenon most spectacular in the Amazon where 50 species may travel as a unit. But are birds in these mixed flocks cooperating with one another or competing?

Cracks in perovskite films for solar cells easily healed, study finds

A new study reveals good news for the possibility of using perovskite materials in next-generation solar cells.

Faith-centered tattoos are analyzed in study of university students

With more than a quarter of U.S. adults now having tattoos—and nearly half of millennials sporting them—only a handful of studies have focused on religious tattoos. But a new study by researchers at Baylor University and Texas Tech University analyzes faith-centered tattoos and is the first to use visual images of them.

Researchers develop new method for analyzing metal

Warfighters on the battlefield often rely on machines, vehicles and other technologies with rotating parts to complete their mission. Army researchers have devised a new method of testing for a major factor in equipment failure and breakdown in order to ensure that those tools meet the proper standard of quality.

New etching technique could advance the way semiconductor devices are made

Microelectronics like semiconductor devices are at the heart of the technologies we use each day. As we move into an era where we are stretching the limits of Moore's Law, it is essential to find new ways to continue to pack more circuitry into each individual device in order to increase the speed and capability of our computers.

What is the best way to encourage innovation? Competitive pay may be the answer

Economists and business leaders agree that innovation is a major force behind economic growth, but many disagree on what is the best way to encourage workers to produce the "think-outside-of-the-box" ideas that create newer and better products and services. New research from the University of California San Diego indicates that competitive "winner-takes-all" pay structures are most effective in getting the creative juices flowing that help fuel economic growth.

Answers to microbiome mysteries in the gills of rainbow trout

While many immunologists use mouse models to conduct their research, J. Oriol Sunyer of Penn's School of Veterinary Medicine has made transformational scientific insights using a very different creature: rainbow trout.

Mind the trust gap: It's wider than you think

New Yorkers are more trusting of others compared to Alabamans or Texans. While this regional divide between southerners and the rest of Americans is well documented, the gap is wider than perceived, a study from York University reveals.

Golfing regularly could be a hole-in-one for older adults' health

Regularly golfing—at least once per month—was found to lower the risk of death among older adults, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2020—Feb. 19-21 in Los Angeles, a world premier meeting for researchers and clinicians dedicated to the science of stroke and brain health.

Developing seizures after stroke may increase risk of death, disability

Seizures may be linked to a higher risk of death or disability in adults who have had a severe ischemic stroke, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2020—Feb. 19-21 in Los Angeles, a world premier meeting for researchers and clinicians dedicated to the science of stroke and brain health.

Damaged eye vessels may indicate higher stroke risk for adults with diabetes

Damaged small blood vessels in the eye may be a marker for increased stroke risk among people with diabetes, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2020—Feb. 19-21 in Los Angeles, a world premier meeting for researchers and clinicians dedicated to the science of stroke and brain health.

Blacks, Hispanics of Caribbean descent have higher stroke risk than white neighbors

Both Blacks and Hispanics of Caribbean descent living in Northern Manhattan have a significantly higher risk of stroke than their non-Hispanic, white neighbors, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2020—Feb. 19-21 in Los Angeles, a world premier meeting for researchers and clinicians dedicated to the science of stroke and brain health.

Genetics enhance sex's role as a stroke, heart attack risk factor

Genetics enhances the role sex plays in determining risk for stroke and heart attack in healthy middle-aged adults (ages 40 to 60), according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2020—Feb. 19-21 in Los Angeles, a world premier meeting for researchers and clinicians dedicated to the science of stroke and brain health.

Nutrition a key ingredient for psychological health in Canadian adults

A new study investigating factors that contribute to psychological distress in adults has found that that risk of malnourishment is linked to psychological distress among Canadians aged 45 years and older.

Mom-to-be's cosmetics chemicals could lead to heavier baby

When pregnant women use cosmetics containing parabens, their children may have a greater likelihood of becoming overweight, a new study suggests.

A brain implant system may become path to sight for blind

A woman who was blind for 16 years was able to see with a brain implant rather than artificial eye, and that has sparked a number of new reports about the latest progress made in exploring the sight restoring potential of brain implants.

Scientists examine reporters' portrayal of US border under Trump

Social scientists analyzed journalistic stories over the course of three years in the run-up and during the Trump campaign. The researchers found that the long-held implicit beliefs that tend to shape American thought about others, sovereignty and immigration seeped into the national news narratives that reporters reproduced.

'Exhausted': Doctors at China's virus epicentre overworked and unprotected

Doctors on the frontline of China's new coronavirus epidemic are facing a daunting task: treat an ever-growing number of infected patients and risk getting infected themselves due to a drastic shortage of masks and other protective equipment.

China virus death toll tops 1,100 as new cases fall

The death toll from China's new coronavirus epidemic climbed past 1,100 on Wednesday but the number of new cases fell for a second straight day, as the World Health Organization urged global unity to combat the "grave threat".

GM Korea to suspend assembly line as virus hits parts supply

The biggest US car company General Motors was caught up on Wednesday in the supply chain disruptions caused by the coronavirus in China when its South Korean unit announced a partial suspension of operations next week.

Hunger stalks southern Africa as climate crisis deepens

Just under a year ago, Alice Posha fled her home in the middle of the night and then watched as it was swept away by floods.

Esports league starts strong on ambitious global schedule

They stood, they cheered, they booed and they boozed. Turns out, esports fans in New York aren't much different from their traditional sports counterparts.

2 patients in Russia with COVID-19 have fully recovered

Two Chinese nationals hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia last month have fully recovered from the disease and were discharged from hospitals this week, officials said.

Surprise! One in five Americans hit with unexpected bills after surgery

One in five Americans who undergo elective surgery receive surprise bills—despite their insurance covering the procedure—researchers said Tuesday, with the average debt around $2,000.

Google vs EU: a decade-long saga goes to court

Google and the EU have a big day in court Wednesday as the search engine giant enters a new phase of a legal saga that began a decade ago.

Australia bushfires ignite calls for indigenous fire practices

For tens of thousands of years, Australia's Aboriginal people have used fire to manage the landscape, and after a summer of raging bushfires the practice is increasingly being seen as a way to help stem future disasters.

Vapers show chemical changes in their genome linked to cancer

Biologically important changes in DNA seen in smokers are also being found in people who vape, according to a new study published in the journal Epigenetics.

Foot-and-mouth-disease virus could help target the deadliest cancer

The foot-and-mouth-disease virus is helping scientists to tackle a common cancer with the worst survival rate—pancreatic cancer.

MAiD is not driven by socioeconomic vulnerability or poor access to palliative care

A new study of people who received medical assistance in dying (MAiD) in Ontario found that about three-quarters were cared for by palliative care practitioners at the time of their request for MAiD, and MAiD recipients were younger, wealthier and more likely to be married than the general population at time of death. These findings dispel concerns that MAiD requests are driven by lack of access to palliative care services or by socioeconomic vulnerabilities.The article is published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) along with a related editorial.