UK 'close contact' definition for track and trace should curb COVID-19 spread but at a cost

15 or more minutes within 2 meters of distance—used for its coronavirus track and trace system, should curb the spread of COVID-19 infection, indicates research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

Cyberbullying linked to post traumatic stress for victims and perpetrators

Cyberbullying—bullying online rather than face to face—is linked to various types of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, both for victims and perpetrators, suggests the first study of its kind, published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Inflammatory bowel disease linked to doubling in dementia risk

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, is linked to a more than doubling in the risk of developing dementia, finds research published online in the journal Gut.

Simple oral health steps help improve elite athletes' performance

Elite athletes who adopted simple oral health measures, such as using high fluoride toothpaste and cleaning between their teeth, reported significantly reduced negative effects on performance related to poor oral health, finds a study led by UCL.

Seaweed takes scientists on trip 'through time' in the waters of Monterey Bay

New research led by Monterey Bay Aquarium is helping to unlock the natural history of one of the most studied places on the planet. By tapping into a collection of dried, pressed seaweed—that dates back more than 140 years—researchers with the Aquarium's Ocean Memory Lab can now offer a window back in time to understand what the bay was like before the impacts of modern human activity.

Tobacco industry discounting linked to higher cigarette consumption in Europe

Tobacco industry discounting is linked to higher cigarette consumption the following year, finds an analysis of the impact of pricing differentials in 23 European countries and published online in the journal Tobacco Control.

Switching from general to regional anaesthesia may cut greenhouse gas emissions

Switching from general to regional anaesthesia may help cut greenhouse emissions and ultimately help reduce global warming, indicates a real life example at one US hospital over the course of a year, and reported in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.

Drug with new approach on impeding DNA repair shows promise in first clinical trial

In its first randomized clinical trial, a drug that targets a protein needed by cancer cells to maintain their dogged growth and division has shown considerable promise in combination with chemotherapy in patients with a common form of ovarian cancer, investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute report.

237+ million medication errors made every year in England

More than 237 million medication errors are made every year in England, the avoidable consequences of which cost the NHS upwards of £98 million and more than 1700 lives every year, indicate national estimates, published online in the journal BMJ Quality & Safety.

Siblings of infants who have died suddenly and unexpectedly at 10-fold risk of same death

The siblings of infants who have died suddenly and unexpectedly run 10 times the risk of dying in the same way, indicates a long term analysis of monitoring data, published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Only 1 in 3 COVID-19 research authors are women and even fewer are senior authors

Women make up only a third of all authors who have published research on COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic in January this year, and even fewer of them are senior authors on these papers, suggests an analysis in BMJ Global Health.

Human eggs prefer some men's sperm over others, research shows

Human eggs use chemical signals to attract sperm. New research from Stockholm University and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust shows that eggs use these chemical signals to choose sperm. Different women's eggs attract different men's sperm—and not necessarily their partner's.

Simple way of 'listening' to chicks could dramatically improve welfare

A simple and low-cost method of 'listening' to chicks may allow welfare issues to be picked up at the earliest possible opportunity, according to new research.

Widespread facemask use could shrink the 'R' number and prevent a second COVID-19 wave: study

Population-wide use of facemasks keeps the coronavirus 'reproduction number' under 1.0, and prevents further waves of the virus when combined with lockdowns, a modelling study from the universities of Cambridge and Greenwich suggests.

Using AI to unlock clues to the origins of the stars and planets

An artificial intelligence (AI) system analyzing data from the Gaia space telescope has identified more than 2,000 large protostars, young stars that are still forming and could hold clues to the origin of the stars in our Milky Way.

Swing voters, swing stocks, swing users

In group decision-making, swing voters are crucial...or so we've heard. Whether it's a presidential election, a Supreme Court vote, or a congressional decision —and especially in highly partisan environments, where the votes of the wings are almost guaranteed—the votes of the few individuals who seem to be in the middle could tip the scales.

Two lefties make a right—if you are a one-in-a-million garden snail

A global campaign to help find a mate for a left-coiling snail called 'Jeremy' has enabled scientists to understand how mirror-image garden snails are formed.

Scientists discover what an armored dinosaur ate for its last meal

More than 110 million years ago, a lumbering 1,300-kilogram, armor-plated dinosaur ate its last meal, died, and was washed out to sea in what is now northern Alberta. This ancient beast then sank onto its thorny back, churning up mud in the seabed that entombed it—until its fossilized body was discovered in a mine near Fort McMurray in 2011.

NIH funded research related to every new cancer drug approved from 2010-2016, totals $64B

Federally funded research contributed to the science underlying each of the 59 new cancer drugs approved by the FDA from 2010-2016 according to a study from Bentley University. The article, titled "NIH funding for research underlying new cancer therapies," suggests that the level of NIH funding for cancer research is substantially higher than previously estimated.

Evidence supports physical distancing, masks, and eye protection to help prevent COVID-19

A comprehensive review of existing evidence supports physical distancing of two meters or more to prevent person-to-person transmission of COVID-19, says an international team led by McMaster University and St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton.