306 articles from TUESDAY 3.3.2020

Chest CT findings in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pneumonia

New research on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a multi-center study (n=101) of the relationship between chest CT findings and the clinical conditions of COVID-19 pneumonia -- which determined that most patients with the disease have ground-glass opacities (GGO) (86.1%) or mixed GGO and consolidation (64.4%) and vascular enlargement in the lesion (71.3%). CT involvement score can help evaluate...

Previous coronavirus daily briefing updates, Feb. 27-29

Current daily briefings on the coronavirus can be found here. Scroll below to read previous reports, listed in eastern time.Seattle and King County health officials announced three new presumptive positive cases of coronavirus COVID-19, which included the person who died.Two of the new cases are associated with the Life Care nursing facility, a long-term care facility, according to Dr. Jeffery...

Murder inquiries to be halted if coronavirus hits police numbers

Up to one-fifth of UK workforce could be off sick at peak of epidemic, government warnsPolice investigations into some homicides would be halted and 999 response times extended under contingency plans to help forces cope with a severe coronavirus outbreak, the Guardian has learned.As the number of confirmed UK cases reached 51, the government warned that up to a fifth of the workforce could be off...

Design of inorganic materials for brain-like computing

Ever wish your computer could think like you do or perhaps even understand you? That future may not be now, but it's one step closer, thanks to scientists and engineers and their recent discovery of a materials-based mimic for the neural signals responsible for transmitting information within the human brain.

Can't sleep? Prebiotics could help

New research shows that animals on a prebiotic diet sleep better and are buffered from the physiological impacts of stress. The undigestible dietary compounds, found in fibrous foods and some dairy products, serve as nourishment for beneficial bacteria and influence metabolites that, in turn, impact the brain.

Jellyfish help us understand timing of egg production

In animals, releasing eggs in a timely manner is vital to maximize the chances of successful fertilization. However, how this process evolved and is controlled in different species is poorly understood. A new regulator of egg release has been identified in jellyfish. The finding sheds light on how the complex hormonal control of sexual reproduction in animals evolved.

'It felt like we were in a bad dream:' Tennessee man shares terrifying story of brush with Nashville tornado

James Duncan, 27, had just eased into bed late on Monday night when a smartphone notification from AccuWeather alerted him and his girlfriend, Britni, of a life-threatening tornado that was fast approaching.This vital information was the first warning that they received about the confirmed tornado that was tracking toward their location in Germantown, located just north of downtown Nashville,...

Tornadoes tear though Tennessee, 22 dead

Tornadoes ripped through Tennessee early Tuesday, claiming at least 22 lives as they destroyed buildings and toppled power lines, hours before the southern US state began voting in Super Tuesday primaries.

'Optical tweezers' help in quest for better cancer treatments

Stem cells involved in replenishing human tissues and blood depend on an enzyme known as telomerase to continue working throughout our lives. When telomerase malfunctions, it can lead to both cancer and premature aging conditions. Roughly 90% of cancer cells require inappropriate telomerase activity to survive.

Health experts warn coronavirus could be the 'Hurricane Sandy of epidemics'

South Korean soldiers wearing protective gear walk to spray disinfectant as a precaution against the new coronavirus in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. China's coronavirus caseload continued to wane Tuesday even as the epidemic took a firmer hold beyond Asia. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) Infectious disease experts working on the coronavirus, or COVID-19, warn that the outbreak could...

Atomic-scale imaging reveals secret to thin film strength

An international team of scientists and engineers, led by University of Minnesota Associate Professor K. Andre Mkhoyan and Professor Emeritus Michael Tsapatsis (currently, a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University), have made a discovery that could further advance the use of ultra-thin zeolite nanosheets, which are used as specialized molecular filters. The discovery could...

NASA maps show the effect of a quarantine on air pollution

"This is the first time I have seen such a dramatic drop-off over such a wide area for a specific event," said NASA air quality researcher Fei Liu. She made that statement after NASA's Earth Observatory released maps showing a dramatic drop in air pollution in the Wuhan region. Industrial output in the region would have already been down significantly due to the Lunar New Year....

Coral Reefs in Turks and Caicos Islands resist global bleaching event

A study that relied on citizen scientists to monitor the health of corals on Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean from 2012 to 2018 found that 35 key coral species remained resilient during a 2014-17 global coral-bleaching event that harmed coral reefs around the world. Even corals that experienced bleaching quickly recovered, the researchers found. Some corals appeared healthier in 2017 than...

For anxious spouses, a baby may be a rival

A new child can spark feelings of jealousy in a person who already fears being abandoned by his or her partner, research suggests. A new study found that partners who showed signs of relationship anxiety before the birth of their first child were more likely to be jealous of the child after it was born.

Magnetic whirls in future data storage devices

Magnetic (anti)skyrmions are microscopically small whirls that are found in special classes of magnetic materials. They could be used to host digital data. A team of scientists has now made the observation that skyrmions and antiskyrmions can coexist bringing about the possibility to expand their capabilities in storage devices.

Study explores sexual harassment at AADR conferences

The American Association for Dental Research (AADR) released findings of a new research study, "Survey of Dental Researchers' Perceptions of Sexual Harassment at AADR Conferences: 2015-2018" in the Journal of Dental Research (JDR).

Researchers develop new explanation for destructive earthquake vibrations

Earthquakes produce seismic waves with a range of frequencies, from the long, rolling motions that make skyscrapers sway, to the jerky, high-frequency vibrations that cause tremendous damage to houses and other smaller structures. A pair of Brown University geophysicists has a new explanation for how those high-frequency vibrations may be produced.

Manipulating atoms to make better superconductors

Scientists have been interested in superconductors—materials that transmit electricity without losing energy—for a long time because of their potential for advancing sustainable energy production. However, major advances have been limited because most materials that conduct electricity have to be very cold, anywhere from -425 to -171 degrees Fahrenheit, before they become superconductors.

Does your cat have degenerative joint disease?

With an estimated 10-15% of adults over the age of 60 having some degree of osteoarthritis, otherwise known as degenerative joint disease (DJD), many people will be familiar with, or will know someone who suffers from, this painful and debilitating condition. What is not well recognised is that DJD, where the protective cartilage that cushions the end of the bones wears down over time, affects a...