Monday, March 22, 2021

Study identifies concerning delays in tuberculosis diagnoses in the US

Tuberculosis remains a rare disease in the United States, but when it does occur, delays in diagnosing it often exceed recommendations by the World Health Organization, according to a new report by Harvard Medical School researchers published March 22 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Global biodiversity awareness tracked with Wikipedia page views

Wikipedia page views could be used to monitor global awareness of biodiversity, proposes a research team from UCL, ZSL, and the RSPB.

Taiwan gives health workers island's 1st AstraZeneca doses

Health care workers received the first shots in Taiwan's COVID-19 vaccination drive Monday, beginning a campaign that won't use supplies from China amid uneven distribution of the vaccines globally.

Trump to launch own social media platform: ex-aide

Donald Trump plans to return to social media soon, using "his own platform" after being banned from Twitter and other outlets, a former advisor said Sunday.

First ever tweet turns 15 years old

Fifteen years ago Jack Dorsey typed out a banal message—"just setting up my twttr"—which became the first ever tweet, launching a global platform that has become a controversial and dominant force in civil society.

Germany poised to tighten curbs into April as virus rages

Germany is poised to prolong and tighten a partial lockdown into April as new virus cases soar, according to a draft document seen by AFP ahead of a government meeting on Monday.

Europe can achieve herd immunity by July: EU commissioner

Europe could have herd immunity against COVID-19 by July, a European Union commissioner has said, as incoming jabs are expected to speed up the continent's sluggish vaccine rollout.

Fresh deluge worsens 'one in 100 year' Australia floods

Torrential rain lashed Australia's southeast again Monday, worsening once-in-a-century flooding that has forced 18,000 people to evacuate their homes and shuttered hundreds of schools.

France's limited lockdown beset by glitches as cases rise

Residents of Paris and several other regions of France spent their first weekend under a limited monthlong lockdown. While the French government insisted the rules would be less strict than in the past, the measures have been criticized as messy.

A rapid COVID-19 vaccine rollout backfired in some US states

Despite the clamor to speed up the U.S. vaccination drive against COVID-19 and get the country back to normal, the first three months of the rollout suggest faster is not necessarily better.

Mars findings cataloged in Navajo language

Native people have had ties to land in North America since time immemorial, and now that connection is expanding to the cosmos.

Personal values and political worldviews shape perception of COVID-19 risk more than its severity

People's politics and values are exerting a bigger influence on how much of a threat they feel from COVID-19 compared to objective indicators such as the number of confirmed cases.

In both gorillas and humans, it takes a village to raise a child

A study by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund shows that gorilla families come together to support young gorillas that lose their mothers.

Eating processed meat could increase dementia risk

Scientists from the University of Leeds's Nutritional Epidemiology Group used data from 500,000 people, discovering that consuming a 25g serving of processed meat a day, the equivalent to one rasher of bacon, is associated with a 44% increased risk of developing the disease.

Having a single personal doctor may sometimes lead to unnecessary tests

Patient care by a single primary care physician is associated with many health benefits, including increased treatment adherence and decreased hospital admissions and mortality risk. But can the relationship built between doctor and patient also lead to unnecessary care?

Evidence supports COVID hearing loss link, say scientists

Hearing loss and other auditory problems are strongly associated with COVID-19 according to a systematic review of research evidence led by University of Manchester and NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) scientists.

Study estimates rising global burden of gallbladder and biliary tract cancer

Although cancers that occur in the gallbladder or bile ducts are rare, their rates are increasing. A recent study provides details on the burden of gallbladder and biliary tract cancer (GBTC) across 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017. The findings are published early online in Cancer.

Readmission rate high for adults hospitalized for diabetic ketoacidosis

One in five adults with type 1 diabetes who require in-hospital treatment of the life-threatening condition diabetic ketoacidosis has an unplanned repeat hospital visit within a month and is twice as likely to die during the second hospitalization, a new study finds. The results, which will be presented at ENDO 2021, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting, also identified several factors that increased the readmission risk for these patients.

Weekly insulin helps patients with type 2 diabetes achieve similar blood sugar control to daily insulin

A new once-weekly basal insulin injection demonstrated similar efficacy and safety and a lower rate of low blood sugar episodes compared with a daily basal insulin, according to a phase 2 clinical trial. The study results, which will be presented at ENDO 2021, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting, compared an investigational drug called basal insulin Fc (BIF) with insulin degludec, a commercially available long-lasting daily insulin, in patients with type 2 diabetes.

IAVWTR Certified 5,239 Exporters in the Middle East and North Africa in 2020

The International Association for Verification of World Trade Records (IAVWTR) released its 2020 figures today for its global trader verification and certification service introduced to bring transparency to first-time deals between importers and exporters. The IAVWTR certified 5,239 exporters, operating in more than 23 sectors, in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region alone. In mainly India, Pakistan, and [PR.com]

Happiness Ever After Announces the Happiness Everyday Challenge: 10 Minutes of Happy a Day for 21 Days to Make Happiness a Habit

Join the Happy Everyday Day challenge. Free 10 minutes of Happiwork a day for 21 days to make happiness a habit. Free daily challenge to help you coach yourself to happiness. Happiness Ever After is releasing free happiness coaching content across all their social channels and their website starting April 5, 2021. [PR.com]