Author Archives
In short, I review clinical research on an almost daily basis. What I post tends to be articles that are relevant to the readers in addition to some curiosities that have intriguing potential.
As a hobby, I truly enjoy the puzzle-solving play that statistics and programming as in the python language bring to the table. I just do not enjoy problem-solving, I love problem-solving and the childlike inspiration and exploration of that innocent exhilaration of discovering something new.
Enjoy ;-)
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Smartphones can tell when you’re drunk by analyzing your walk
Your smartphone can tell when you’ve had too much to drink by detecting changes in the way you walk, according to a new study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. Source: Smartphones can tell when you’re… Read More ›
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Using personal frequency to control brain activity
Individual frequency can be used to specifically influence certain areas of the brain and thus the abilities processed in them – solely by electrical stimulation on the scalp, without any surgical intervention. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Human… Read More ›
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A novel strategy for quickly identifying twitter trolls
Two algorithms that account for distinctive use of repeated words and word pairs require as few as 50 tweets to accurately distinguish deceptive ”troll” messages from those posted by public figures. Sergei Monakhov of Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany,… Read More ›
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Study: Americans prize party loyalty over democratic principles
It is conventional wisdom that Americans cherish democracy — but a new study by Yale political scientists reports that only a small fraction of U.S. voters are willing to sacrifice their partisan and policy interests to defend democratic principles. Source:… Read More ›
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Untapped potential for TikTok to convey COVID-19 guidance
Research published in DeGruyter’s International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health suggests TikTok is rich with untapped educational potential. The platform could play a vital role in conveying important health information alongside lip-syncing videos and viral dance challenges, the paper’s… Read More ›
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Honeysuckle Decoction Inhibits SARS-CoV-2
In a new study in Cell Discovery, Chen-Yu Zhang’s group at Nanjing University and two other groups from Wuhan Institute of Virology and the Second Hospital of Nanjing present a novel finding that absorbed miRNA MIR2911 in honeysuckle decoction (HD)… Read More ›
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Lava tubes on Mars and the Moon are so wide they can host planetary bases
Researchers at the Universities of Bologna and Padua studied the subsurface cavities that lava created underground on Mars and the Moon. These cavities can shield from cosmic radiations Source: Lava tubes on Mars and the Moon are so wide they… Read More ›
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Study: Most Americans don’t have enough assets to withstand 3 months without income
A new study from Oregon State University found that 77% of low- to moderate-income American households fall below the asset poverty threshold, meaning that if their income were cut off they would not have the financial assets to maintain at… Read More ›
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An easier way to go vegan, Vitamin B12 CAN be produced during grain fermentation
The highest production was found in the rice bran (ca. 742 ng/g dw), followed by the buckwheat bran (ca. 631 ng/g dw), after fermentation. Meanwhile, the addition of L. brevis was able to dominate indigenous microbes during fermentation and thus… Read More ›
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Survey finds Americans social media habits changing as national tensions rise
A new national survey commissioned by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center finds more Americans are adjusting how they use social media platforms. Many participants cited stress from COVID-19 and divisive political issues as reasons for taking a social… Read More ›
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Owe the IRS? No problem, some Americans say
A new study shows the surprising way that many American taxpayers adjust their standard of living when they owe money to the IRS versus when they receive tax refunds. Researchers found that when households received tax refunds, they immediately started… Read More ›
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Post-pandemic brave new world of agriculture
Recent events have shown how vulnerable the meat processing industry is to COVID-19. Professor Robert Henry says reducing risk of spreading infection in a future pandemic will require automation. But is the public ready for robots slaughtering and eviscerating animals… Read More ›
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Surprising number of exoplanets could host life
A new study shows other stars could have as many as seven Earth-like planets in the absence of a gas giant like Jupiter. Source: Surprising number of exoplanets could host life
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Pandemic leads to higher depression, anxiety and fear, studies show
Using an internet survey distributed in the last week of March that sampled 10,368 adults from across the country, researchers found increased levels of depression, anxiety, suicidal tendencies and psychological trauma among American adults. Source: Pandemic leads to higher depression,… Read More ›
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A rebranding of ‘freedom’?
According to recent Gallup polls, socialism is now more popular than capitalism among Democrats and young people, and support for ”some form of socialism” among all Americans is at 43% (compared to 25% in 1942). Policies that went unmentioned or… Read More ›
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Junk DNA might be really, really useful for biocomputing
When you don’t understand how things work, it’s not unusual to think of them as just plain old junk. So it was with DNA that repeats the same sequences over and over again; how could such junk DNA be useful?… Read More ›
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COVID-19 lockdown caused 50% global reduction in human-linked Earth vibrations
The lack of human activity during lockdown caused human-linked vibrations in the Earth to drop by an average of 50% between March and May 2020. Source: COVID-19 lockdown caused 50% global reduction in human-linked Earth vibrations
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Fertility is likely to decline in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study finds
Fertility is likely to decline in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, a new Bocconi University study finds Source: Fertility is likely to decline in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study finds
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Researchers develop a method for predicting unprecedented events
Researchers combined avalanche physics with ecosystem data to create a computational method for predicting extreme ecological events. The method may also have applications in economics and politics. Source: Researchers develop a method for predicting unprecedented events
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Preventing the next pandemic
A Policy Forum article published today in Science shows that an annual investment of $30 billion should be enough to offset the costs of preventing another global pandemic such as COVID-19. Source: Preventing the next pandemic
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Health, well-being and food security of families deteriorating under COVID-19 stress
The ongoing disruptive changes from efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 are having a substantial negative impact on the physical and mental well-being of parents and their children across the country, according to a new national survey published today… Read More ›
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Livestock expansion is a factor in global pandemics
The number of epidemics of infectious diseases affecting humans is positively associated with global livestock increases from the beginning of the 1960s until 2019. Source: Livestock expansion is a factor in global pandemics
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China 2050: How the US should prepare for an ascendant China — RAND Report
New RAND report says US should prepare for a triumphant or ascending People’s Republic of China — scenarios that not only align with current PRC national development trends but also represent the most challenging future scenarios for the US military…. Read More ›
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Black raspberries show promise for reducing skin inflammation, allergies
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COVID-19 lockdown caused 50% global reduction in human-linked Earth vibrations
The lack of human activity during lockdown caused human-linked vibrations in the Earth to drop by an average of 50% between March and May 2020. Source: COVID-19 lockdown caused 50% global reduction in human-linked Earth vibrations
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Pandemic disproportionately affects scientists with young children
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a disproportionate, negative impact on the careers of scientists with young children at home, a new survey finds. They have been forced to drastically reduce the amount of time they spend on their research, which… Read More ›
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Global sentiments towards COVID-19 shifts from fear to anger
The fear that people developed at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak has given way to anger over the course of the pandemic, a study of global sentiments led by NTU Singapore has found. Xenophobia, a common theme among anger-related… Read More ›
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Nitrous Oxide May bring quick relief from PTSD
Nitrous Oxide May bring quick relief from PTSD For this new study, three veterans with PTSD were asked to inhale a single one-hour dose of 50% nitrous oxide and 50% oxygen through a face mask. Within hours after breathing nitrous… Read More ›
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Ups and downs in COVID-19 data may be caused by data reporting practices
As data accumulates on COVID-19 cases and deaths, researchers have observed patterns of peaks and valleys that repeat on a near-weekly basis. A study published this week in mSystems reports that those oscillations arise from variations in testing practices and… Read More ›
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Pesticide mixtures a bigger problem than previously thought
New research led by The University of Queensland has provided the first comprehensive analysis of pesticide mixtures in creeks and rivers discharging to the Great Barrier Reef. Source: Pesticide mixtures a bigger problem than previously thought
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Women, newborns, young children and adolescents lose 20 percent of health and social services to COVID-19
Health systems worldwide are massively struggling and services for mothers, newborns, young children and adolescents are crumbling, warns the UN Secretary-General’s Independent Accountability Panel for Every Woman, Every Child, Every Adolescent reviewing the impact of COVID-19. Especially worrisome: declines in… Read More ›
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Researchers find the worst reason to give a gift
Here’s a good way to make sure a friend hates a gift from you: Say it will save him money. In a series of studies, researchers found that people reacted negatively to gifts that they were told – or that… Read More ›
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Self-isolation may increase susceptibility to COVID-19
Previous research points to the effect of social stressors on developing upper respiratory infections, holding clues to COVID-19 risk. Source: Self-isolation may increase susceptibility to COVID-19
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5G networks have few health impacts, Oregon State study using zebrafish model finds
Findings from an Oregon State University study into the effects of radiofrequency radiation generated by the wireless technology that will soon be the standard for cell phones suggest few health impacts. Source: 5G networks have few health impacts, Oregon State… Read More ›
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Contracting COVID-19, lifestyle and social connections may play a role
A new article published in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science explores how lifestyle, social, and psychological factors may increase the risk of contracting COVID-19. Source: Contracting COVID-19, lifestyle and social connections may play a role
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Liquid water is more than just H2O molecules
Skoltech scientists in collaboration with researchers from the University of Stuttgart showed that the concentration of short-lived ions (H3O+ and OH-) in pure liquid water is much higher than that assumed to evaluate the pH, hence significantly changing our understanding… Read More ›
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Commentary in Pediatrics: Children don’t transmit Covid-19, schools should reopen in fall
Based on one new and three recent studies, the authors of this commentary in Pediatrics conclude that children rarely transmit Covid-19, either among themselves or to adults. Based on the evidence, the authors recommend that schools reopen in the fall,… Read More ›
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Far-UVC light safely kills ( or inactivate ) airborne coronaviruses
Far-UVC light safely kills ( or inactivate ) airborne coronaviruses The researchers found that more than 99.9% of the exposed virus had been killed by a very low exposure to far-UVC light. Based on their results, the researchers estimate that… Read More ›
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Norman Conquest of 1066 did little to change people’s eating habits
Archaeologists from Cardiff University and the University of Sheffield have combined the latest scientific methods to offer new insights into life during the Norman Conquest of England. Until now, the story of the Conquest has primarily been told from evidence… Read More ›
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Why are patient and public voices absent in COVID-19 policy-making?
Patient and public voices were ”regrettably” absent in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, but must now move centre stage, argue experts in The BMJ today. Source: Why are patient and public voices absent in COVID-19 policy-making?
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Study: 35% of excess deaths in pandemic’s early months tied to causes other than COVID-19
Since COVID-19’s spread to the United States earlier this year, death rates in the U.S. have risen significantly. But deaths attributed to COVID-19 only account for about two-thirds of the increase in March and April, according to a study published… Read More ›
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States with highest income inequality experienced a larger number of COVID-19 deaths
States with the highest level of income inequality had a larger number of COVID-19-related deaths compared with states with lower income inequality. For instance, New York state, with the highest income inequality, had a mortality rate of 51.7 deaths per… Read More ›
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Surge in domestic child abuse during pandemic, reports specialist UK children’s hospital
There has been a surge in domestic child abuse during the coronavirus pandemic, suggests the experience of one specialist UK children’s hospital, reported in Archives of Disease in Childhood. Source: Surge in domestic child abuse during pandemic, reports specialist UK… Read More ›
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Science fiction becomes fact — Teleportation helps to create live musical performance
A new study by the University of Plymouth explains for the first time how quantum supercomputers could be helpful in the world of making and performing music Source: Science fiction becomes fact — Teleportation helps to create live musical performance
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National survey on COVID-19 pandemic shows significant mental health impact
The findings of a nationwide survey assessing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the emotional wellbeing of U.S. adults show 90 percent of survey respondents reported experiencing emotional distress related to the pandemic. Source: National survey on COVID-19 pandemic… Read More ›
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Global threats: How lessons from COVID-19 can prevent environmental meltdown
COVID-19, climate emergencies, and mass extinction all share striking similarities, especially with regard to their ‘lagged impacts.’ In each, early intervention can prevent further damage. Source: Global threats: How lessons from COVID-19 can prevent environmental meltdown
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Declining eyesight improved by looking at deep red light
Declining eyesight improved by looking at deep red light Staring at a deep red light for three minutes a day can significantly improve declining eyesight, finds a new study, the first of its kind in humans. #vision #eyesight #redlight Glen… Read More ›
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Machine learning has a flaw; it’s gullible
Research forthcoming in Strategic Management Journal explores potential biases that limit the effectiveness of ML process technologies and the scope for human capital to be complementary in reducing such biases. Source: Machine learning has a flaw; it’s gullible
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Ideologically extreme Facebook users spread the most fake news
Facebook is a more fertile breeding ground for fake news than Twitter, and ideological extremists are most likely to spread it, according to a new study of 783 social media users. Source: Ideologically extreme Facebook users spread the most fake… Read More ›
Engineering Evil 