226 articles from FRIDAY 6.11.2020

Q&A: Sustainability manager on the benefits of a plastic bag ban

It's estimated that each Nova Scotian is responsible for approximately 450 plastic bags ending up in landfills each year. As of last week, Nova Scotia became the third province in Canada to officially ban the use such plastic shopping bags by retailers. The purpose of the Plastic Bags Reduction Act is to reduce the use of plastic bags and other single-use plastic products that contribute to air...

Honey bees lose sleep after ingesting pesticides, leading to greater stress and lower hive survival rates

Bees that ingest nonlethal levels of popular pesticides resembling nicotine, known as neonicotinoids, are losing sleep, according to new research from Vanderbilt University. That disruption of their circadian rhythm causes honey bees to lose their sense of time and navigation, leading to broader stress within highly social bee populations and lower hive survival rates.

Record weekly Covid cases in England but new infections 'stabilise'

Official ONS figures show 618,700 people had the virus in the week ending 31 OctoberCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAlmost 620,000 people in England had coronavirus in the past week, according to the latest official estimates, but the rate of infection is slowing.The Office for National Statistics estimates that 618,700 people in England were infected with the virus...

UN urges resumption of mass measles and polio vaccinations

Unicef and WHO say Covid disruption has left 94 million without measles immunisationCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageUnicef and the World Health Organization have called for urgent action to prevent millions of avoidable child deaths from measles and polio by resuming mass vaccinations disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.They say that while there is no vaccine against...

Patients reported international hydroxychloroquine shortages due to COVID-19

A new study shows that patients with rheumatic diseases across Africa, Southeast Asia, the Americas and Europe had trouble filling their prescriptions of antimalarial drugs, including hydroxychloroquine, during the 2020 global coronavirus pandemic, when antimalarials were touted as a possible COVID-19 treatment. Patients who could not access their antimalarial drugs faced worse physical and mental...

Anti-depressant repurposed to treat childhood cancer

A new study has found that a commonly prescribed anti-depressant may halt growth of a type of cancer known as childhood sarcoma, at least in mice and laboratory cell experiments. The findings ignite hope of novel treatment strategies against this disease.

Seeing dark matter in a new light

A small team of astronomers have found a new way to 'see' the elusive dark matter haloes that surround galaxies, with a new technique 10 times more precise than the previous-best method.

Vaccine shows promise against herpes virus

A genetically edited form of a herpes simplex virus has outperformed a leading vaccine candidate in a new study. When challenged with a virulent strain of the sexually transmitted HSV-2, vaccinated guinea pigs displayed fewer genital lesions, less viral replication and less of the viral shedding that most readily spreads infection.

Russian scientists discover huge walrus haulout in Artic circle

Scientists in northern Russia have discovered a huge walrus haulout on the shores of the Kara Sea where their habitat is under threat from shrinking ice and human activity. The haulout, a place of refuge where walruses congregate, reproduce, and socialise, is located in a remote corner of Russia's Yamal peninsula, and scientists say they counted over 3,000 animals there last month. Walrus...