Teen dislike of physical appearance strong predictor of depression in early adulthood

Teens who are unhappy with their physical appearance are at significantly heightened risk of depression by the time they reach early adulthood, reveals the first UK study of its kind, published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

Current treatment period may be too short to remove competitive advantage of transgender athletes

Transgender women elite athletes may need more than the recommended year of feminising hormone therapy to remove the competitive advantage conferred by testosterone, suggests research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Study shows why some people may become seriously ill from meningococcal bacteria

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have come one step closer toward understanding why some people become seriously ill or die from a common bacterium that leaves most people unharmed. In a study published in The Lancet Microbe, the researchers linked RNA mutations within the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis to invasive meningococcal disease, marking the first time a non-coding RNA in a bacterium has been linked to disease progression.

Japan space agency hails return of asteroid dust on Earth

Japan space agency officials on Sunday hailed the arrival of rare asteroid samples on Earth after they were collected by space probe Hayabusa-2 during an unprecedented mission.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-12-japan-space-agency-hails-asteroid.html

US probe finds no 'misconduct' in Kodak loan: report

A US watchdog report has found no "evidence of misconduct" in the processing of a government loan to Kodak that was subsequently suspended pending investigations into the deal, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-12-probe-misconduct-kodak-loan.html

Moroccan geeks flock to 'paradise for hackers'

With its rows of sleek computers and ultra-modern study methods, Morocco's 1337 campus is a dream come true for budding geeks, in a country where IT skills are in high demand.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-12-moroccan-geeks-flock-paradise-hackers.html

Schools confront 'off the rails' numbers of failing grades

The first report cards of the school year are arriving with many more Fs than usual in a dismal sign of the struggles students are experiencing with distance learning.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-12-schools-rails-grades.html

Last month the hottest November on record: EU

Last month was the hottest November on record as Europe basked in its highest Autumn temperatures in history, the European Union's satellite monitoring service said Monday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-12-month-hottest-november-eu.html

Airbnb to increase IPO price: report

Home-sharing giant Airbnb, which is scheduled to go public this week, will significantly raise its IPO price, valuing the group at more than $40 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-12-airbnb-ipo-price.html

Chinese probe orbiting moon with Earth-bound samples

A Chinese probe was orbiting the moon on Monday in preparation for the returning of samples of the lunar surface to Earth for the first time in almost 45 years.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-12-chinese-probe-orbiting-moon-earth-bound.html

Twilio CEO discusses why pandemic lifted tech to new heights

Twilio has emerged as a technological backbone for thousands of companies during the pandemic. Its users rely on its digital tools to connect with customers through mobile apps, call centers and messaging services as the shift to online commerce and curbside pickup accelerates.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-12-twilio-ceo-discusses-pandemic-tech.html

Australian surfer survives great white shark attack

An Australian surfer told Monday how he managed to paddle back to shore and walk hundreds of meters to get help after being attacked by a great white shark.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-12-australian-surfer-survives-great-white.html

Giant vertical farm opens in Denmark

A purple glow illuminates stacked boxes where lettuce, herbs and kale will soon be sprouting at one of Europe's biggest "vertical farms" which has just opened in a warehouse in an industrial zone in Copenhagen.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-12-giant-vertical-farm-denmark.html

The world's first DNA 'tricorder' in your pocket

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) scientists developed the world's first mobile genome sequence analyzer, a new iPhone app called iGenomics. By pairing an iPhone with a handheld DNA sequencer, users can create a mobile genetics laboratory, reminiscent of the "tricorder" featured in Star Trek. The iGenomics app runs entirely on the iOS device, reducing the need for laptops or large equipment in the field, which is useful for pandemic and ecology workers. Aspyn Palatnick programmed iGenomics in CSHL Adjunct Associate Professor Michael Schatz's laboratory, over a period of eight years, starting when he was a 14-year-old high school intern.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-12-world-dna-tricorder-pocket.html

Chinese Covid-19 vaccine maker gets $500 million funding boost

Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech has secured half a billion dollars in extra funding to produce its COVID-19 vaccine, it said Monday, as the country races to roll out a jab for general use.

Schools confront 'off the rails' numbers of failing grades

The first report cards of the school year are arriving with many more Fs than usual in a dismal sign of the struggles students are experiencing with distance learning.

Last month the hottest November on record: EU

Last month was the hottest November on record as Europe basked in its highest Autumn temperatures in history, the European Union's satellite monitoring service said Monday.

Health officials warn Americans not to let their guard down

With a COVID-19 vaccine perhaps just days away in the U.S., most of California headed into another lockdown Sunday because of the surging outbreak and top health officials warned Americans that this is no time to let their guard down.

As virus slams rural California, many still pan restrictions

Brenda Luntey is openly violating California's order to close her restaurant to indoor dining. But she wants her customers and critics to know she isn't typically a rule-breaker. It's a matter of survival.

Chinese probe orbiting moon with Earth-bound samples

A Chinese probe was orbiting the moon on Monday in preparation for the returning of samples of the lunar surface to Earth for the first time in almost 45 years.

Australian surfer survives great white shark attack

An Australian surfer told Monday how he managed to paddle back to shore and walk hundreds of meters to get help after being attacked by a great white shark.

Cervical cancer survival may improve by targeting senescent 'zombie' cells

How well women with cervical cancer respond to treatment and survive correlates with the level of 10 proteins in their blood that also are associated with a "zombie" cell state called senescence, Medical College of Georgia scientists report.

Trench fever in urban people who are homeless

A disease common during the First World War, trench fever, has been found in some urban populations experiencing homelessness in Canada, and physicians should be aware of this potentially fatal disease, highlights a practice article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Study finds obesity contributes to 40% mortality gap between Black and white women with early breast cancer

In an analysis of women with early breast cancer, Black women had higher rates of obesity and other health conditions that can affect survival, compared with white women. The findings are published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society (ACS).

The world's first DNA 'tricorder' in your pocket

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) scientists developed the world's first mobile genome sequence analyzer, a new iPhone app called iGenomics. By pairing an iPhone with a handheld DNA sequencer, users can create a mobile genetics laboratory, reminiscent of the "tricorder" featured in Star Trek. The iGenomics app runs entirely on the iOS device, reducing the need for laptops or large equipment in the field, which is useful for pandemic and ecology workers. Aspyn Palatnick programmed iGenomics in CSHL Adjunct Associate Professor Michael Schatz's laboratory, over a period of eight years, starting when he was a 14-year-old high school intern.

New study shows every week of lockdown increases binge drinking

Harmful drinking among adults increases the longer they spend at home in lockdown, according to a study published in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.