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☆ Cloud seeding probably didn't cause Dubai's floods. The UAE has been trying to control its weather for years, and the US does it too.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Photos show how the UAE, United States, and other countries have been seeding clouds for decades. Historic floods in Dubai didn't come from cloud seeding, but humans' climate impacts are playing a role. Related storiesAccording to several scientists, cloud seeding isn't the driving force behind Dubai's historic floods. Packets of salt are pictured during a cloud seeding operation at a military airbase in Subang, Malaysia. The real threat behind Dubai's floodsMany atmospheric scientists have dismissed the idea that cloud seeding was behind Dubai's floods.

Persons: GIUSEPPE CACACE, Getty, Prometheus, Frankenstein —, Thomas Peipert, Al Hayer, Amr Alfiky, Andrea DiCenzo, Lim Huey Teng, there'd, Friederike Otto, John Marsham, Jeff Big Jeff, Gary Coronado, Marsham, Fred Greaves, Otto Organizations: Dubai didn't, Service, United Arab Emirates, United Arab, UAE, Reuters, National Center of Meteorology, United, UAE's National, of Meteorology, Militia, Imperial College London, Science Media, SMC, University of Leeds, Los Angeles Times, Getty, UAE isn't, National Park Service, AP Locations: UAE, United States, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Rocky, Lyons , Colorado, China, Australia, Al Ain, Utah, Dongkou county, Shaoyang, Hunan province, Subang, Malaysia, Bannon, Sacramento, , California, California's Sacramento County

☆ Weight-loss drug Wegovy offers benefits for people with diabetes and common form of heart failure, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The study, published Saturday in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed how the drug helped people with Type 2 diabetes who also had one of the most common kind of heart failure, obesity-related heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Obesity-related heart failure with preserved ejection fraction can severely limit a person’s ability to participate in the activities of daily life. Often, people with type 2 diabetes who have this kind of heart failure have a more severe form than those who don’t have diabetes. People with a more severe form of heart failure sometimes don’t respond as well to medication as those with less severe disease. One death in the Wegovy group and four in the placebo group were related to cardiovascular issues.

Persons: Wegovy, Ozempic, Dr, Mikhail Kosiborod, “, ” Kosiborod, Naveed Sattar, ” Sattar, Sanjay Gupta, Kosiborod, ” Organizations: CNN, New England, of Medicine, Novo Nordisk –, US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, St, University of Glasgow, Science Media, CNN Health, American College of Cardiology Locations: Asia, Europe, North, South America, Kansas City , Missouri, Atlanta

☆ Rare cases of possible Alzheimer’s transmission uncovered in recipients of discontinued medical treatment
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

All five adults had growth hormone deficiency as children and received pituitary growth hormones prepared in a specific way from cadavers. The treatment approach was discontinued after cases of a rare brain disorder called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease were found to be associated with the administration of contaminated human growth hormone from cadavers. Although Alzheimer’s is not a prion disease, some separate research suggests that the two proteins that are hallmarks in Alzheimer’s disease — amyloid beta and tau — behave like prions. “This study suggests that in very rare circumstances Alzheimer’s disease may be transmitted between humans via human growth hormone from deceased donors. “I’m also intrigued by how these results may inform potential therapeutic targets and strategies in the future,” Isaacson said, regarding Alzheimer’s disease.

Persons: John Collinge, Jakob, Creutzfeldt – Jakob, Alzheimer’s, ” Collinge, ’, –, ” Dr, Susan Kohlhaas, ” Kohlhaas, “ It’s, Dr, Richard Isaacson, ”, Isaacson, “ I’m, ” Isaacson, “, Gargi Banerjee, ” Banerjee, James Galvin, Sanjay Gupta, ” Galvin, Lewy Organizations: CNN, Nature, University College London Institute, University College London, National Hospital for Neurology, Neurosurgery, Alzheimer’s Research, Science Media, Comprehensive, Brain Health, University of Miami Health, CNN Health Locations: United Kingdom, United States, United, Florida, UHealth, Creutzfeldt

☆ New blood test that screens for Alzheimer’s may be a step closer to reality, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Alzheimer’s disease, a brain disorder that affects memory and thinking skills, is the most common type of dementia, according to the National Institutes of Health. “A blood test being negative speeds up the investigation for other causes of the symptoms and this is just as important,” Ashton said. Isaacson, who has researched blood biomarkers in people with no or minimal cognitive complaints, likened testing blood samples for signs of Alzheimer’s disease to how people undergo routine blood tests for high cholesterol. It is possible that currently available treatments for Alzheimer’s disease would work better in those diagnosed early in this way,” he said. The combination of a simple screening test with an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease would have a dramatic impact for individuals and for society.”

Persons: ” Nicholas Ashton, Ashton, ”, Kaj Blennow, Henrik Zetterberg, antiamyloid, immunoassay, ” Ashton, Richard Isaacson, ” Isaacson, Isaacson, ‘, “, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, David Curtis, ” Curtis Organizations: CNN, University of Gothenburg, National Institutes of Health, Quest Diagnostics, Alzheimer’s, Alzheimer’s Association, Get CNN, CNN Health, University College London, Science Media Locations: Sweden, United States, Wisconsin, Pau, Florida

☆ An image of Israel Kamakawiwoʻole shows Google search still can't tell AI-generated pictures apart from genuine ones
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AdvertisementIf you're struggling to differentiate AI-generated images from real ones, you're not alone. An AI-generated image of the late Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwoʻole is currently showing up as the top search result on Google when you search his name. Business Insider searched for "Israel Kamakawiwoʻole" on Sunday evening and found the AI-generated images continuing to appear as the top search results. Noah Giansiracusa, a professor at Bentley University, pointed out on X that the AI-generated images show Kamakawiwoʻole playing a guitar. Google told 404 Media a day later that it had removed the AI-generated image from search results.

Persons: —, Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, Ethan Mollick, VdZmuUAwCK, Noah Giansiracusa, Google's, Giansiracusa, Kamakawiwoʻole, Judy Garland's, Edward Hopper, Johannes Vermeer Organizations: Service, Google, University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, Business, Bentley University, Reddit, Media Locations: Hawaiian, Reddit

☆ Scientists said the ozone hole was recovering. That good news was premature, one study claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Angela Dewan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But in a new study published Tuesday, some scientists claim it may not be recovering at all, and that the hole may even be expanding. In a paper, published by Nature Communications, they found that ozone levels have reduced by 26% since 2004 at the core of the hole in the Antarctic springtime. They used historical data to compare that behavior and changing ozone levels, and to measure signs of ozone recovery. “Altogether, our findings reveal the recent, large ozone holes may not be caused just by CFCs,” Kessenich said. “Those events have been shown to have strongly decreased the ozone hole size,” he said, “so including those events would probably have nullified any long-term negative trend.”

Persons: ”, Hannah Kessenich, didn’t, ” Kessenich, —, Martin Jucker Organizations: CNN, Nature Communications, University of Otago, University of New, Science Media Center Locations: UN, Montreal, New Zealand, El, Southern, University of New South Wales, Australia

☆ UK regulators approve medical treatment involving CRISPR gene editing in world first
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The United Kingdom has become the first country to give regulatory approval to a medical treatment involving the revolutionary CRISPR gene editing tool. The treatment, made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, is administered by taking stem cells out of a patient’s bone marrow and editing a gene in the cells in a lab. “Modifying the stem cells from the bone marrow of the patient avoids the problems associated with immune compatibility, i.e. The release from the MHRA did not say how much the treatment would cost, but it’s likely to be expensive. CRISPR-Cas9 has had a major impact on biomedical research, clinical medicine and agriculture and is widely used in labs around the world.

Persons: —, ”, Julian Beach, “, — Emmanuelle Charpentier, Jennifer A, Doudna —, Casgevy, Alena Pance, ” Pance, Cas9, Jiankui Organizations: CNN, country’s Medicines, Healthcare, Agency, Beta, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, US Food and Drug Administration, University of Hertfordshire, Science Media Centre Locations: United Kingdom, South Asian

☆ A volcano could erupt in Iceland within hours. Experts say you shouldn't cancel your flights — yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementThere's no reason to cancel your travel plans to Iceland, despite the country warning of potentially dangerous volcanic activity happening within the next few hours or days, experts told Insider. Iceland declared a state of emergency after an unexpected acceleration of activity at Iceland's Fagradalsfjall volcano near the town of Grindavik. It is always difficult to know exactly how a volcanic eruption will develop, but the latest developments in the peninsula took volcanologists by surprise, McGarvie said. While the Reykjanes peninsula was known to have volcanic activity, and its volcano had had fairly mild eruptions over the past decade, this activity accelerated drastically since mid-October. "It is not something that's ever been observed in Iceland, certainly monitored in Iceland, in the last few decades," he said.

Persons: —, Dave McGarvie, Raul Moreno, Andrew Hooper, Lionel Wilson, Hooper, McGarvie Organizations: Service, University of Lancaster, Emergency Management, —, Getty, Geophysics, Leeds, University of Leeds, Planetary Sciences, Lancaster University, UK's Science Media, Icelandic, Iceland Google Locations: Grindavik, Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull, Reykjavik, tktktk

☆ A volcano could erupt in Iceland within hours, but maybe don't cancel your international flights yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But that shouldn't affect your travel plans, though the Blue Lagoon may be off-limits, experts said. AdvertisementAdvertisementThere's no reason to cancel your travel plans to Iceland, despite the country warning of potentially dangerous volcanic activity happening within the next few hours or days, experts told Insider. Iceland declared a state of emergency after an unexpected acceleration of activity at Iceland's Fagradalsfjall volcano near the town of Grindavik. It is always difficult to know exactly how a volcanic eruption will develop, but the latest developments in the peninsula took volcanologists by surprise, McGarvie said. "It is not something that's ever been observed in Iceland, certainly monitored in Iceland, in the last few decades," he said.

☆ Experimental spinal cord implant helps Parkinson’s patient walk in new study
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Manav Tanneeru | Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

In a new study, Gauthier was surgically implanted with an experimental spinal cord neuroprosthesis to correct walking disorders in people with Parkinson’s disease. Marc Gauthier, 63, who has Parkinson's disease, was treated with a spinal cord neuroprosthesis for his locomotor symptoms. Then, Gauthier was invited to participate in the new study to test the experimental spinal cord neuroprosthesis. Next, they implanted an array of electrodes against the lower region of Gauthier’s spinal cord to target those zones. “With this spinal cord stimulation, we still have an effect, but we have to fight against worse and more severe symptoms,” Bloch said.

Persons: Marc Gauthier, Gauthier, ” Gauthier, Dr, Eduardo Moraud, ” Moraud, Gilles Weber, CHUV Gauthier, Jocelyn Bloch, ” Bloch, ”, Svjetlana, Miocinovic, David Dexter, Parkinson’s, Dexter, Sanjay Gupta, Moraud, Michael J, Bloch, Grégoire, ” Courtine, “ Organizations: CNN, Nature, Lausanne University Hospital, Emory University School of Medicine, Parkinson’s, Science Media, DBS, CNN Health, Fox Foundation, Medical Locations: Bordeaux, France, Switzerland, Netherlands

☆ Climate change: Rapid melting of West Antarctica ice now 'unavoidable,' study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Rapid melting of West Antarctica’s ice shelves may now be unavoidable as human-caused global warming accelerates, with potentially devastating implications for sea level rise around the world, new research has found. Even if the world meets ambitious targets to limit global heating, West Antarctica will experience substantial ocean warming and ice shelf melting, according to the new study published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change. They act like buttresses, helping hold ice back on the land, slowing its flow into the sea and providing an important defense against sea level rise. While there has been growing evidence ice loss in West Antarctica may be irreversible, there has been uncertainty about how much can be prevented through climate policies. “The thing that’s depressing is the committed nature of sea level rise, particularly for the next century,” Scambos told CNN.

Persons: ”, Kaitlin Naughten, Naughten, ” Naughten, Ted Scambos, ” Scambos, Scambos, Tiago Segabinazzi Dotto, I’ve Organizations: CNN, British Antarctic Survey, University of Colorado Boulder, “, National Oceanography, Science Media Center Locations: West Antarctica, Antarctica

☆ Researchers link popular weight loss drugs to serious digestive problems for ‘hundreds of thousands’ worldwide
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

They can help people with diabetes control their blood sugar and lead to substantial weight loss for people with or without diabetes. Liraglutide was FDA approved as a weight loss medicine since 2014. What’s been less clear is whether patients taking these drugs for weight loss may have the same serious side effects. CNN reached out to Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of both injectable weight loss drugs examined in this study, for comment. Sodhi said they started the man on a medication that treats stomach paralysis, “and he got a lot better,” Sodhi said.

Persons: Ozempic, ”, Mahyar, —, It’s, Liraglutide, it’s, Mohit Sodhi, Sodhi, Ian Musgrave, Musgrave, What’s, “, ” Sodhi, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, University of British, US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, “, University of Adelaide, Science Media Centre, BMI, Novo Nordisk, CNN Health Locations: University of British Columbia, Australia, Novo

The eastern Libyan city of Derna, the epicenter of the disaster, had a population of around 100,000 before the tragedy. A ferocious stormThe extreme rainfall that hit Libya on Sunday was brought by a system called Storm Daniel. The medicane strengthened as it crossed the unusually warm waters of the Mediterranean before dumping torrential rain on Libya on Sunday. The Derna dam is 75 meters (246 feet) high with a storage capacity of 18 million cubic meters (4.76 billion gallons). The Sebha University paper warned that the dams in Derna had a “high potential for flood risk” and that periodic maintenance is needed to avoid “catastrophic” flooding.

Persons: Cross, Storm Daniel, it’s, ”, Hannah Cloke, Ahmed Madroud, Al Jazeera, Liz Stephens, “, ” Stephens, ” Derna, Khalifa Haftar, Petteri Taalas, ” Taalas, Talaas, ” Cloke, “ We’re Organizations: CNN, International Committee, Storm, University of Reading, Libya’s Sebha University, University, Science Media Center, ISIS, Libyan National Army, United Nations, Meteorological Organization Locations: Derna, Libyan, Libya, Africa, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Yugoslav, Mansour, Wadi, ”, United Kingdom

Relatives of those still missing told CNN they are terrified. Here’s what we know so far:Where did the flood hit? Morgues are stacked to capacity and dead bodies have been left on the sidewalks outside, Osama Aly, spokesperson for the Emergency and Ambulance Service in Libya, told CNN Tuesday. Analysts have said that climate forecasts gave warnings days before the storm hit Libya, but that authorities in the east did not act quickly enough. Tamer Ramadan, head of international Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Libya, told CNN Tuesday that the issue of rival governments in Libya doesn’t affect their operations.

Persons: “, Areej’s, Emad Milad, ” Milad, Osama Aly, Muammar Gaddafi, Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, Khalifa Haftar, Osama Hamad, Esam Omran, Reuters Derna, Ahmed Al, Mismari, ” Al, Al, Tamer Ramadan, ”, Jamal Alkomaty, Daniel, ” Karsten Haustein Organizations: CNN —, Authorities, United Nations ’ International Organization for Migration, CNN, Emergency, Ambulance Service, UN, of National Unity, GNU, Libyan National Army, Reuters, Arabiya, Federation of Red, Red Crescent Societies, Leipzig University, Science Media Center Locations: Derna, Libya, Tobruk, Benghazi, NATO, Tripoli, Egypt, UAE, Turkey, Italy, Algeria, Libya’s, Greece, Germany

☆ Climate change: Parts of tropical rainforests could get too hot for photosynthesis, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Some leaves in tropical forests from South America to South East Asia are getting so hot they may no longer be able to photosynthesize, with big potential consequences for the world’s forests, according to a new study. They found that average forest canopy temperatures peaked at 34 degrees Celsius (93 Fahrenheit) but some exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). This level of warming is not expected under current climate policies, which are estimated to bring 2.7 degrees Celsius of warming above pre-industrial levels. While these figures may seem small, the risk is significant given how critical tropical trees are for life, the climate system and the planet. But, he added, there are more immediate concerns for tropical forests, including deforestation, wildfires and droughts.

Persons: photosynthesize, Christopher Doughty, ” Doughty, Martin Zwick, ”, Kevin Collins, Christopher Still, there’s, it’s, “, Chloe Brimicombe, ” Joshua Fisher Organizations: CNN, Northern Arizona University, Getty, Open University, Science Media, Oregon State University, University of Graz, Chapman University Locations: South America, South East Asia, Nature, Australia, Brazil, ecoinformatics, Mobuku, Uganda, ”, Austria

☆ Spanish researchers aim to 'trick nature' with artificial womb
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Horaci Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BARCELONA, June 29 (Reuters) - Researchers in Barcelona are trying to "trick nature" by creating an artificial womb for extremely premature babies after tests on animals kept foetuses alive for 12 days. Their artificial placenta prototype recreates a protective environment with a translucent container made of biocompatible material inside which the foetus' lungs, intestines and brain can continue to develop. Babies born after six months of pregnancy or less are considered extremely premature with a high risk of death or disability. It's a challenge, it's extremely delicate to achieve this, to trick nature to make this possible," Gratacos said. "Although it is an exciting development, the artificial placenta is not intended to replace a natural placenta," Werner said.

Persons: Eduard Gratacos, Gratacos, Kelly Werner, Werner, Horaci Garcia, Emma Pinedo, David Latona, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Reuters, Fundacion La Caixa, Caixabank, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Columbia University, Science Media Centre, Thomson Locations: BARCELONA, Barcelona, Spanish

☆ Daytime naps may be good for our brains, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Taking daytime naps may help maintain brain health as we age, according to a new study. The results show “a small but significant increase in brain volume in people who have a genetic signature associated with taking daytime naps,” she told the Science Media Centre. “Even with those limitations, this study is interesting because it adds to the data indicating that sleep is important for brain health,” she said. MoMo Productions/Digital Vision/Getty ImagesHowever, such a technique can only show an association between nap and brain health, not cause and effect. Grandner directs the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at the Banner-University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona, and was not involved in the study.

Persons: ”, Victoria Garfield, Tara Spires, Jones, Valentina Paz, they’re, Paz, MoMo, Michael Grandner, Grandner, Raj Dasgupta, “ Organizations: CNN, University College London, UCL, University of, British Neuroscience Association, Centre, Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Science Media, Sleep Health, Alzheimer’s Association, Sleep Medicine, Banner - University Medical Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern Locations: Republic of Uruguay, Tucson , Arizona, University of Southern California

CNN —The collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine is one of the biggest industrial and ecological disasters in Europe for decades. Satellite images of the Nova Kakhovka dam before its collapse (left, on June 5) and after the disaster (right, on June 7). The Ukrainians point out that the facility has been under Russian control for the past year, making it easy for Russian forces to plant explosives. But much of the east bank of the river south of the Nova Kakhovka dam remains under Russian control. Maxar Technologies/APThere are also suggestions that the dam collapse took at least some Russian forces by surprise.

Persons: António Guterres, it’s, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Mykhailo Podolyak, Zelensky, ”, Dmitry Peskov, “, Andrei Pidlisnyi, Chris Binnie, Craig Goff, ” Goff, They’ve, ” Binnie, Goff Organizations: CNN, United Nations, UN, NATO, Maxar Technologies, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Ukrainian Agricultural Ministry, Maxar, University of Exeter, Engineering, Environmental Services, UK Science Media, HR, Royal Air Force, “ Locations: Nova, Ukraine, Europe, Russia, Moscow, Russian, Kyiv, Dnipro, Kherson, Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia, “, Crimea, Korsunka

The flooding has already killed 300 animals at the Nova Kakhovka zoo, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. Satellite images show a close-up view of the Nova Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power facility before and after the dam collapse on June 6, 2023. Satellite images show homes along the Dnipro River before and after the Nova Kakhovka dam collapsed. Several Ukrainian regions that receive some of their water supply from the reservoir of the Nova Kakhovka dam are making efforts to conserve water. Local residents carry their personal belongings on a flooded street after the Nova Kakhovka dam collapsed, in Kherson, Ukraine, on June 6.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Ihor Syrota, ” Syrota, ” Olena, Alina Smutko, Ruslan Strilets, Strilets, António Guterres, Vladyslav Musiienko, Martin Griffiths, Griffiths, ” Griffiths, Zelensky, Oleksandr Prokudin, Maxar Technologies Griffiths, Mohammad Heidarzadeh, Heidarzadeh, Vladimir Saldo, Rafael Grossi, ” Grossi Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Reserve, Nova, Ukrainian Defense Ministry . United Nations, ”, UN Security, Dnipro, Maxar, Maxar Technologies, University of Bath, Science Media, Russian Foreign Ministry, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, UN Locations: Nova, Ukraine, Russian, Kyiv, Moscow, Russia, Dnipro, Kherson, Reuters Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia, England, Dnipropetrovsk, Kryvyi

☆ Mysterious flying objects across the US probably aren't aliens, but experts believe life is out there. Here are 13 reasons why we haven't made contact yet.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Aylin Woodward | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Even if intelligent aliens aren't flying overhead, though, many experts believe they're out there. Nobel Physics Laureate Didier Queloz speaks during a press conference at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden. Jonas Ekstromer /TT News Agency via AP"I can't believe we are the only living entity in the whole universe. Queloz had just won the Nobel prize in physics for his discovery of the first exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star. He said that his work has led him to become "absolutely convinced" that humans will detect alien life in the next 100 years.

☆ Experimental drug appears to slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease in clinical trial but raises safety concerns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

It involved 1,795 adults, ages 50 to 90, with mild cognitive impairment due to early Alzheimer’s disease or mild Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia. Such a score is consistent with early Alzheimer’s disease, with a higher number associated with more cognitive impairment. By 18 months, the CDR-SB score went up 1.21 points in the lecanemab group, compared with 1.66 in the placebo group. Overall, there were serious adverse events in 14% of the lecanemab group and 11.3% of the placebo group. The researchers also wrote that about 0.7% of participants in the lecanemab group and 0.8% of those in the placebo group died, corresponding to six deaths documented in the lecanemab group and seven in the placebo group.

Many of the most destructive and potentially deadly impacts of a hurricane — including storm surge, flooding and rainfall — are not accounted for in a storm's category number. "Hurricane Ian is a very large, slow-moving hurricane. "There have been several alternative scales proposed over the years and none have gained enough attention or traction by the National Hurricane Center," Collins said. "It is important to have such evidence before even proposing to the National Hurricane Center that this should be considered as a replacement." Kantha said the National Hurricane Center acts conservatively and carefully with changes, particularly those with legal implications.

☆ Rising Covid-19 cases in the UK may be a warning for the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —There are signs that the United Kingdom could be heading into a fall Covid-19 wave, and experts say the United States may not be far behind. A recent increase in Covid-19 cases in England doesn’t seem to be driven by a new coronavirus variant, at least for now, although several are gaining strength in the US and across the pond. Spector runs the Zoe Health Study, which uses an app to let people in the UK and US report their daily symptoms. After seeing a downward trend for the past few weeks, the Zoe study saw a 30% increase in reported Covid-19 cases within the past week. In the US, some models have predicted that Covid-19 cases will begin to rise again in October and continue to increase into the winter.

☆ STUDIU: Varianta britanică de coronavirus nu provoacă forme mai grave de COVID-19
▼ + stars: | 2021-04-13 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +2 min

Autorii primului studiu, publicat în The Lancet Infectious Diseases, au analizat datele a 341 de pacienţi cu COVID-19 spitalizaţi la Londra între 9 noiembrie şi 20 decembrie, odată cu apariţia variantei 501Y.V1, în prezent dominantă în mare parte din Europa.58% dintre ei au fost infectaţi cu această variantă, cunoscută sub numele de B.1.1.7, şi 42% cu alte tulpini.36% dintre pacienţii din primul grup s-au îmbolnăvit grav sau au murit, comparativ cu 38% din al doilea grup, sugerând că B.1.1.7 nu este asociată cu o severitate mai mare a bolii.Cu toate acestea, cercetătorii au arătat că probele provenite de la pacienţii infectaţi cu varianta britanică conţineau în medie o cantitate mai mare de virus, indicând o transmisibilitate mai ridicată.Al doilea studiu, publicat în The Lancet Public Health, a analizat datele a circa 37.000 de utilizatori ai unei aplicaţii mobile concepute în Marea Britanie pentru a raporta simptomele de COVID-19, care au fost diagnosticaţi pozitiv în perioada 28 septembrie - 27 decembrie.Plecând de la numărul de persoane care au raportat simptome săptămânal într-o anumită zonă, studiul a concluzionat că varianta "britanică" a avut o rată de reproducere de 1,35 ori mai mare, adică fiecare pacient contaminat a infectat în medie cu 35% mai multe persoane decât în cazul tulpinilor anterioare de coronavirus.Cu toate acestea, varianta B.1.1.7 nu a provocat simptome mai grave sau o probabilitate mai mare de a avea simptome pe termen lung ("Covid long").Într-un comentariu la primul studiu, trei cercetători de la Centrul Naţional pentru Boli Infecţioase (NCID) din Singapore subliniază că descoperirile acestuia contrastează cu trei studii anterioare, care asociază varianta "britanică" cu o probabilitate mai mare de deces şi forme severe de COVID-19.Potrivit acestora, studiul publicat în The Lancet are avantajul de a fi utilizat secvenţierea completă a virusului în analizele sale, însă concluzia sa "liniştitoare" trebuie "confirmată de studii mai ample". "Acest studiu se concentrează pe rezultatele clinice ale unui grup de persoane deja spitalizate cu COVID-19", observă epidemiologul Nicholas Davies, citat de Science Media Centre din Marea Britanie. "Nu contrazice elementele deja adunate de studii anterioare", care tind să arate că "infecţia cu B.1.1.7 este asociată la nivel global cu un risc mai mare de mortalitate, spitalizare şi internare de urgenţă în rândul tuturor persoanelor testate pozitiv pentru SARS-CoV-2", a adăugat el.

Persons: ., Nicholas Davies Organizations: Science Media Locations: Londra, Europa, Singapore

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