Canada’s response to restricting access to the country by non-citizens has changed rapidly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, culminating with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finally announcing a closure of the Canada-U.S. border to “non-essential travel” while still allowing food, goods and medical supplies to cross.
Culture
EAST LANSING, Mich. - In a time where many are practicing "social distancing" from the outside world, people are relying on their immediate social circles more than usual. Does a sense of obligation - from checking on parents to running an errand for an elderly neighbor - benefit or harm a relationship? A Michigan State University study found the sweet spot between keeping people together and dooming a relationship.
A group of researchers led by Leif Schroeder from the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut fuer Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) have found a way to detect metastases in certain types of cancer in the brain at an early stage, using only minimal amounts of contrast agent. To this end, the team uses a synthetic molecule that helps to detect the formation of new blood vessels, producing much more sophisticated imaging than is possible with conventional methods of diagnosis. The results have now been published in Advanced Biosystems.
New York, NY--March 19, 2020--While beam steering systems have been used for many years for applications such as imaging, display, and optical trapping, they require bulky mechanical mirrors and are overly sensitive to vibrations. Compact optical phased arrays (OPAs), which change the angle of an optical beam by changing the beam's phase profile, are a promising new technology for many emerging applications.
Healthy ageing has become one of the priorities of research in Europe. University of Tartu researchers looked for differences in the immune systems of young and old people. They focused on monocytes and found that the monocytes of the elderly do not seem to produce as much energy, and there is an increase in inflammation markers compared to younger people. Looking into the future, this research gives food for thought as to how to slow down age-related changes.
CHAPEL HILL-- An analysis of evidence from multiple scientific studies found six substances that have a strong link to bladder cancer in the urine of people who had used electronic cigarettes and sometimes other tobacco products, researchers from the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and NYU Langone Health reported.
New Rochelle, NY, March 19, 2020--A new study has shown a novel peptide antagonist, given in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor, to be safe and well-tolerated in patients with advanced, refractory pancreatic and rectal cancer. The highest dose tested had a good safety profile and was recommended for use in future patient trials, as reported in Journal of Pancreatic Cancer, a peer-reviewed open access publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.
Homeless people receive less treatment in hospitals for heart attacks, have higher readmission rates
ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Homelessness has become a social crisis and public health problem around the world, affecting people of all ages. Most homeless people are at a disadvantage with few resources, and may or may not have adequate health insurance. Mental illness and substance abuse are common issues in the homeless community. People living on the streets have a high likelihood of developing heart disease. Yet they have little ability to take care of their health.
An international team of scientists, led by the University of Bristol, has found that current estimates of flood risk rely upon methods for calculating flood damage which are inadequately verified and match poorly with observations.
Instead, building damage at a given flood depth is highly variable and can be characterized by a beta distribution.
Automated Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) controlled by artificial intelligence
First demonstration of fully autonomous, long-term SPM operation
An Australian-German collaboration has demonstrated fully-autonomous SPM operation, applying artificial intelligence and deep learning to remove the need for constant human supervision.
The new system, dubbed DeepSPM, bridges the gap between nanoscience, automation and artificial intelligence (AI), and firmly establishes the use of machine learning for experimental scientific research.
They are among the most common ailments for those residing at post-acute and long-term care (PALTC) centers, yet diagnosing and managing urinary tract infections (UTIs) remains a challenging prospect for caregivers at these facilities.
Researchers working towards understanding the brain in high-definition, single-cell level of detail have designed a new computer program to identify each nerve cell in fluorescent microscope images of living worms. Previous attempts to automate the identification of individual nerve cells have been thwarted by the fact that the same cell can be in vastly different locations in different worms.
Negligence claims against the NHS due to failure to inform patients before they consent to procedures have spiralled up since a landmark legal ruling in 2015, a new study has found.
The research, conducted by Queen Mary University of London, found that while the rate of increase of other claims has remained steady, cases relating to consent have risen fourfold overall since March 2015 - and where failure to inform was added as a contributory claim, the rise was nearly ten-fold.
An investigation by The BMJ has uncovered links between groups and individuals campaigning for wider access to cannabis for medical reasons and those pushing for the legalisation of cannabis for recreational use.
It also explores how a research collaboration that includes Oxford University is taking funding from the tobacco industry for research into the medicinal properties of cannabis.
Findings from a phase 2 clinical trial show that the drug selumetinib improves outcomes for children with the genetic disorder neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). In the trial, selumetinib shrank the inoperable tumors that develop with NF1 called plexiform neurofibromas, and children experienced reduced pain, improved function, and better overall quality of life after receiving the treatment.