July 25, 2018 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Reports Suggest Children Throughout China Likely Injected With Faulty Vaccines(NPR)
• Chinese Company's Flawed Vaccines Draw Anger And A Criminal Inquiry  (NPR)
• Marines Who Fired Rocket Launchers Now Worry About Their Brains(NPR)
• Pepperidge Farm recalls Goldfish crackers amid salmonella scare (NPR)
• Ticks And Lyme Disease: 3 Factors Determine Risk Of Infection (NPR)
• Friends with Benefits: The latest research (Jewish World Review)
• Doctors Worry as Cancer Study Reveals Dark Side of Complementary Medicine (Inverse)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• Adobe is using machine learning to make it easier to spot Photoshopped images (The Verge)
• Physicists Go Small: Let's Put A Particle Accelerator On A Chip (NPR)
• Migrating Arctic Geese Are Confused, Exhausted By Rising Temperatures (NPR)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Reports Suggest Children Throughout China Likely Injected With Faulty Vaccines(NPR)

hundreds of thousands of children throughout the country have likely been injected with faulty vaccines….  China are one of the largest exporters of vaccines around the world, so this issue goes just beyond China.

Chinese Company's Flawed Vaccines Draw Anger And A Criminal Inquiry  (NPR)

President Xi Jinping has ordered an investigation — and promised serious punishment — after a drug company was found to have faked production records for a rabies vaccine and sold more than 250,000 doses of a vaccine for infants that didn't meet medical standards…Public outrage has grown steadily, with the news echoing a large recall from late last year, when Changsheng recalled 252,600 doses of the infant DPT vaccine (for diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus).

Marines Who Fired Rocket Launchers Now Worry About Their Brains(NPR)

Studies show that troops who repeatedly fire powerful, shoulder-launched weapons can experience short-term problems with memory and thinking. They may also feel nauseated, fatigued and dizzy. In short, they have symptoms like those of a concussion.

Pepperidge Farm recalls Goldfish crackers amid salmonella scare (NPR)

Pepperidge Farm announced a voluntary recall of four varieties of Goldfish crackers in a press release on Monday.

Ticks And Lyme Disease: 3 Factors Determine Risk Of Infection (NPR)

As it turns out, the chance of catching Lyme disease from an individual tick ranges from zero to roughly 50 percent, according to Mather. The exact probability depends on three factors: the tick species, where it came from and how long the tick was feeding.

Friends with Benefits: The latest research (Jewish World Review)

While research on the benefits of social connections has generally focused on the importance of "strong ties," or the intimate relationships we have with family and close friends, a growing body of research is shedding light on the hidden benefits of casual acquaintances, too.

Doctors Worry as Cancer Study Reveals Dark Side of Complementary Medicine (Inverse)

…While promising clinical trials have earned some practitioners of complementary medicine, like acupuncture, a greater degree of acceptance by the medical community in recent years, many patients in the United States, whether out of financial insecurity or mistrust of medicine, are pursuing complementary medicine instead of conventional medicine, rather than as a complement to conventional medicine. A new study in JAMA Oncology suggests that this trend has deadly consequences for cancer patients.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Adobe is using machine learning to make it easier to spot Photoshopped images (The Verge)

Experts around the world are getting increasingly worried about new AI tools that make it easier than ever to edit images and videos — especially with social media’s power to share shocking content quickly and without fact-checking. Some of those tools are being developed by Adobe, but the company is also working on an antidote of sorts by researching how machine learning can be used to automatically spot edited pictures.

Physicists Go Small: Let's Put A Particle Accelerator On A Chip (NPR)

…Scientists in California think small is beautiful. They want to build an accelerator on semiconductor chips. An accelerator built that way won't achieve the energy of its much larger cousins, but it could accelerate material research and revolutionize medical therapy.

Migrating Arctic Geese Are Confused, Exhausted By Rising Temperatures (NPR)

… The journey north usually takes about a month, and the geese make multiple stops along the way to eat and fatten up before they lay their eggs, says Bart Nolet of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology and the University of Amsterdam.But that pattern of migration is changing, as rapidly rising temperatures have led to earlier springs in the Arctic.

September 19, 2018 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Cancers ‘rising around the world’ (BBC)
• Americans eating less meat: Johns Hopkins survey (NBC 7)
• Why 'BPA Free' May Not Mean a Plastic Product Is Safe (National Geographic)
• Seniors and low-dose aspirin (Jewish World Review)
• Whole Fat Dairy: It Does a Body Good* (Reason)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• The Moon Is Electric—Especially When It's Full (National Geographic)
• Record Breaking Magnetic Field 50 Million Times Stronger Than Earth’s Created by Scientists (Newsweek)
• R.I.P. Beetle: After 70 years, VW’s iconic car will officially die in 2019  (CNET)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Cancers ‘rising around the world’ (BBC)

There will be 18.1 million new cases of cancer and 9.6 million people will die with the disease this year worldwide, a report predicts.

Americans eating less meat: Johns Hopkins survey (NBC 7)

Two-thirds of respondents reported eating less meat – especially red and processed meat – over the past three years. Higher consumption of red and processed meats is associated with heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers. Most of the respondents said they were cutting back on meat for health reasons or to save money.

Why 'BPA Free' May Not Mean a Plastic Product Is Safe (National Geographic)

 - ...the latest work adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests all is not safe in the world of BPA-free plastics.... When chemicals are removed from the market, they're often replaced by others that not only look similar—but act similarly in our bodies.

Seniors and low-dose aspirin (Jewish World Review)

A regimen of low-dose aspirin offers healthy, older people no benefit in staving off cardiovascular disease, dementia or disability and increases their risk of bleeding in the digestive tract and brain, according to a large study released Sunday.

Whole Fat Dairy: It Does a Body Good* (Reason)

Consuming whole fat dairy foods lowers mortality and cardiovascular risks, according to a new Lancet study.  The study followed the eating habits of more than 130,000 people for more than 9 years. It found that folks who consume higher levels of whole fat dairy products actually lowered their overall mortality and cardiovascular disease risks compared to those who consumed lower amounts or none.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

The Moon Is Electric—Especially When It's Full (National Geographic)

 Fresh measurements of its flimsy atmosphere back up the idea that our lunar companion is surrounded by an electric shell, and that shell seems to gather power when Earth shields it from the fury of the sun during a full moon.

Record Breaking Magnetic Field 50 Million Times Stronger Than Earth’s Created by Scientists (Newsweek)

The magnetic field is the largest ever generated indoors and has major implications for the development of nuclear fusion.

R.I.P. Beetle: After 70 years, VW’s iconic car will officially die in 2019  (CNET)

 Final Edition models mark the end of the road for Volkswagen's Bug.

October 4, 2018 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Man diagnosed with world's first human case of rat disease hepatitis E (CBS)
• Only these 8 states require sex education classes to mention consent (CNN)
• How Trump may actually succeed at lowering drug prices (Jewish World Review)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• The Facebook hack affecting 50 million people also let the attackers access users' Tinder, Spotify, and Instagram accounts (Business Insider)
• NASA captures polluted Carolina rivers spilling into ocean after Florence (Time)
• Physics Nobel for laser pioneers includes first woman in 55 years  (Reuters)
• A Nonprofit Plans to Store Human Knowledge in DNA and Store It on the Moon (Apple News)

For excerpts and full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Man diagnosed with world's first human case of rat disease hepatitis E (CBS)

A 56-year-old man from Hong Kong has developed the world's first human case of rat hepatitis E, Chinese scientists announced Friday. Researchers from the University of Hong Kong discovered the case after testing showed abnormal liver function following a liver transplant.

Only these 8 states require sex education classes to mention consent (CNN)

… A study conducted by the Center for American Progress, a nonpartisan policy institute, found that the majority of America's public school students don't know how to identify healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviors. As it is, only 24 states and the District of Columbia mandate sex education in public schools, the study found.  Of those, only eight states require mention of consent or sexual assault…

How Trump may actually succeed at lowering drug prices (Jewish World Review)

Surprise! The Trump administration is actually making progress to reduce drug prices, and not just by "browbeating" pharmaceutical executives.  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently announced new options to increase competition for physician- administered drugs and lower the cost of some innovative medications, and the Food and Drug Administration is exploring importation to create more competition in the generics market.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

The Facebook hack affecting 50 million people also let the attackers access users' Tinder, Spotify, and Instagram accounts (Business Insider)

 Not only did the hackers obtain the ability to access the Facebook accounts of the affected users, they also had access to any other service in which a person used their Facebook account to register — including apps like Tinder, Spotify, and Airbnb.

NASA captures polluted Carolina rivers spilling into ocean after Florence (Time)

Time - The images revealed rivers discolored by debris and other contaminants

Physics Nobel for laser pioneers includes first woman in 55 years  (Reuters)

Reuters - The County of San Diego will pay millions of dollars to settle a pair of lawsuits filed by two former foster children who accused officials of failing to protect them from abuse by their foster parent, then invaded the privacy of one boy during resulting litigation, county officials said…. / Canada’s Donna Strickland, of the University of Waterloo, becomes only the third woman to win a Nobel for physics, after Marie Curie in 1903 and Maria Goeppert-Mayer in 1963.

A Nonprofit Plans to Store Human Knowledge in DNA and Store It on the Moon (Apple News)

Futurism - Imagine, for a second, that human life has been snuffed out like the flame of a candle. Wouldn’t it be nice if we’d archived the sum of our knowledge for whoever might come along next?  That’s the idea behind the Arch Mission Foundation, a nonprofit exploring ways to store vast amounts of information. in formats that will last for “thousands to millions” of years. And after all, spreading caches of information around the solar system is the ultimate backup.

October 11, 2018 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Bites, punches, guns: ER doctors often targets of assault (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• When Giving Birth For The First Time, Push Away (NPR)
• A Brain Scientist Who Studies Alzheimer's Explains How She Stays Mentally Fit (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Tiny Gecko Makes 'a Bazillion' Phone Calls From Inside Hawaiian Animal Hospital (Gizmodo)
• U.S. warns of new hacking spree from group linked to China (Reuters)
• Israel develops bomb-detecting robot to save soldiers’ lives (JPost)
• U.S. approval for Bose hearing aid a blow to traditional makers (Reuters)
• How Fruit Became So Sugary (NPR)
• 2017 earthquake off Mexico broke through an entire tectonic plate (Arts Technica)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Bites, punches, guns: ER doctors often targets of assault (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Getting spit on by a patient is so common that it’s hardly worth mentioning. It’s the bites, punches, firearms and airborne objects that you really need to watch out for….  Thousands of emergency room specialists are in town this week for the 50th annual meeting of the American College of Emergency Physicians…Nearly half of those surveyed said they have been physically assaulted on the job, and seven out of 10 have witnessed a colleague subjected to physical assault. In pretty much every case, a patient or a patient’s family member, friend or other relation caused the violence, which was almost never prosecuted. Only 3 percent of responding doctors said they pressed charges after a violent incident.

When Giving Birth For The First Time, Push Away (NPR)

If you're a first-time mother and you opt for epidural anesthesia during labor, your doctor may suggest you wait about an hour after your cervix is completely dilated before you start trying to push the baby down the birth canal. But a study published Tuesday in JAMA, the flagship journal of the American Medical Association, suggests that might not be the best advice.

A Brain Scientist Who Studies Alzheimer's Explains How She Stays Mentally Fit (NPR)

If you like sudoku, go ahead and play. But staying sharp means using many parts of your brain.

SCIENCE AND TECH

Tiny Gecko Makes 'a Bazillion' Phone Calls From Inside Hawaiian Animal Hospital (Gizmodo)

Sometimes, technical problems are just a bug. Other times, it’s a lizard. 

U.S. warns of new hacking spree from group linked to China (Reuters)

The U.S. government on Wednesday warned that a hacking group widely known as cloudhopper, which Western cybersecurity firms have linked to the Chinese government, has launched attacks on technology service providers in a campaign to steal data from their clients.

Israel develops bomb-detecting robot to save soldiers’ lives (JPost)

JPost - The system is installed on a robotic platform made by IAI and integrates a combination of multiple sensors that detect IEDs which may be hidden in “complex areas.”

U.S. approval for Bose hearing aid a blow to traditional makers (Reuters)

The U.S. approval of audio products maker Bose Corp's new hearing aid, which can be used without a doctor's assistance, could pressure traditional makers of the devices struggling to keep up with demands from more tech-savvy users.

How Fruit Became So Sugary (NPR)

At the Melbourne Zoo, the monkeys are no longer allowed to eat bananas. And the pandas are getting pellets instead of plums. In fact, fruit has been phased out completely. That's because the fruit that humans have selectively bred over the years has become so full of sugar the zoo's fruitarian animals were becoming obese and losing teeth. So how did fruit get so sugary? And what does that mean for us humans? 

2017 earthquake off Mexico broke through an entire tectonic plate (Arts Technica)

Magnitude 8.2 in Mexico involved more fault movement than thought possible.

October 31, 2018 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Malaria: Sniffer dogs to help in effort to eradicate the disease (BBC)
• Air pollution may lead to dementia in older women (USC)
• When Adolescents Give Up Pot, Their Cognition Quickly Improves (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• ‘Right-to-repair’ advocates claim major victory in new smartphone copyright exemption (Washington Post)
• More than a dozen cities are challenging the FCC over how to deploy 5G cell sites
• Trump is rolling back two Obama-era memos on wireless technology and replacing them with his own ‘national spectrum strategy’
• Amazon met with ICE officials over facial-recognition system that could identify immigrants
• Ready to Get Off Facebook? Reason Reviews 5 Alternative Social Networks (Reason)
• 60% of world's wildlife has been wiped out since 1970 (CBC)
• Coastal Pacific Oxygen Levels Now Plummet Once A Year (NPR)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Malaria: Sniffer dogs to help in effort to eradicate the disease (BBC)

Scientists in the UK and The Gambia say they have the first evidence that dogs can sniff out malaria. They have trained dogs to recognise tell-tale aromas using clothes from people infected with the disease. It is hoped the animals can be used to stop malaria spreading and eventually help with eradication.

Air pollution may lead to dementia in older women (USC)

USC-led study suggests that tiny, dirty airborne particles known as PM2.5 invade the brain

When Adolescents Give Up Pot, Their Cognition Quickly Improves (NPR)

A study published Tuesday in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry finds that when adolescents stop using marijuana – even for just one week – their verbal learning and memory improves. The study contributes to growing evidence that marijuana use in adolescents is associated with reduced neurocognitive functioning. / More than 14 percent of middle and high school students reported using marijuana within the last month, finds a National Institutes of Health survey conducted in 2017.

SCIENCE AND TECH

‘Right-to-repair’ advocates claim major victory in new smartphone copyright exemption (Washington Post)

It's legal now to fix your smartphone on your own or jailbreak voice assistants.

More than a dozen cities are challenging the FCC over how to deploy 5G cell sites

Millions of dollars in local fees are at stake over efforts to accelerate the spread of 5G wireless technology.

Trump is rolling back two Obama-era memos on wireless technology and replacing them with his own ‘national spectrum strategy’

With one eye on China, Trump wants more wireless airwaves made available to U.S. businesses.

Amazon met with ICE officials over facial-recognition system that could identify immigrants

The move could shove the tech giant further into a growing debate over the industry’s work with the government.

Ready to Get Off Facebook? Reason Reviews 5 Alternative Social Networks (Reason)

Facebook, Twitter, and other mainstream social networks have their issues. Are these 5 platforms viable alternatives?

Eighteen US volcanoes considered 'very high threat', government says (The guardian)

 US Geological Service included volcanos from Hawaii to California on danger list, its first updated threat assessments since 2005 Scientists have classified 18 US volcanoes as “very high threat” because of their activity and proximity to people. The US Geological Survey has updated its volcano threat assessments for the first time since 2005.

60% of world's wildlife has been wiped out since 1970 (CBC)

CBC News - Well over half the world’s population of vertebrates, from fish to birds to mammals, have been wiped out in the past four decades, says a new report from the World Wildlife Fund

Coastal Pacific Oxygen Levels Now Plummet Once A Year (NPR)

NPR - Scientists say West Coast waters now have a hypoxia season, or dead-zone season, just like the wildfire season.

December 13, 2018 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Investigation of generic ‘cartel’ expands to 300 drugs (Washington Post)
• U.S. top court, Kavanaugh spurn Planned Parenthood defunding case (Reuters)
• Emergency allergy shots less effective after heat exposure (Reuters Health)
• Treatment for Epstein-Barr Virus May Help People With Multiple Sclerosis    (Healthline)
• Careful use of neti pot advised after woman contracts rare but fatal brain infection (NBC News)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• NASA’s Voyager 2 Enters Interstellar Space  (NASA on YouTube)
• Trump plan to reclassify nuke waste alarms environmentalists (Associated Press)
• Google reveals new security bug affecting over 52 million users (Wash. Post)
• Facebook offered advertisers special access to users’ data, documents show (Wash. Post)
• Top U.S. general urges Google to work with military (Reuters)

 For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Investigation of generic ‘cartel’ expands to 300 drugs (Washington Post)

Executives at more than a dozen generic-drug companies had a form of shorthand to describe how they conducted business...The “sandbox,” according to investigators, was the market for generic prescription drugs…“Fair share” described dividing up the sales pie to ensure that each company reaped continued profits. “Trashing the market” was used when a competitor ignored these unwritten rules and sold drugs for less than agreed-upon prices."… Officials from multiple states say these practices were central to illegal price-fixing schemes of massive proportion.  

U.S. top court, Kavanaugh spurn Planned Parenthood defunding case (Reuters)

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected appeals by Louisiana and Kansas seeking to end their public funding to women's healthcare and abortion provider Planned Parenthood through the Medicaid program, with President Donald Trump's appointee Brett Kavanaugh among the justices who rebuffed the states.  

Emergency allergy shots less effective after heat exposure (Reuters Health)

 The medicine in emergency allergy shots like the EpiPen can deteriorate when exposed to heat, so don't leave them in the car on a hot day, researchers warn.

Treatment for Epstein-Barr Virus May Help People With Multiple Sclerosis    (Healthline)

Researchers say the new immunotherapy can help bolster T cells that can then help relieve MS symptoms.

Careful use of neti pot advised after woman contracts rare but fatal brain infection (NBC News)

A report this week about a Seattle woman who died from a brain-eating amoeba after using a neti pot has users of the nasal irrigation device worried. …The 69-year-old woman, who had a chronic sinus infection, used tap water filtered by a Brita water purifier, according to a report published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases. “Fortunately, these amoebic infections are quite rare, but we have documented that some have occurred due to use of tap water in neti pots," Dr. Jennifer Cope, a medical epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told NBC News…

SCIENCE AND TECH

NASA’s Voyager 2 Enters Interstellar Space  (NASA on YouTube)

Forty-one years after it launched into space, NASA’s Voyager 2 probe has exited our solar bubble and entered the region between stars. Its twin, Voyager 1, made this historic crossing in 2012. Edward Stone, the Voyager mission’s project scientist, and Suzanne Dodd, the mission project manager, discuss this major milestone and what’s to come for the trailblazing probe.

Trump plan to reclassify nuke waste alarms environmentalists (Associated Press)

The Trump administration wants to reclassify some radioactive waste left from the production of nuclear weapons to lower its threat level and make disposal cheaper and easier.

Google reveals new security bug affecting more than 52 million users (Washington Post)

Google revealed Monday that its soon-to-be shuttered social network suffered from another security lapse, a software bug that could have allowed third-party apps and developers to gain access to 52 million users' personal information without their permission.

Facebook offered advertisers special access to users’ data, documents show (The Washington Post)

A key British lawmaker alleged Wednesday that Facebook maintained “whitelisting agreements” that gave select companies preferential access to valuable data on users without their consent, echoing a key claim from an app developer that has been embroiled in a lawsuit with the social network in a California court.

Top U.S. general urges Google to work with military (Reuters)

 The top U.S. general said on Thursday that it was "inexplicable" that technology giants like Alphabet Inc's Google did not want to work with the Pentagon even as they seek out business with China, where companies have less freedom than in the United States.

 

December 19, 2018 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its Baby Powder (Reuters)
• Surgeon General Warns Youth Vaping Is Now An 'Epidemic' (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• D.C. attorney general sues Facebook over alleged privacy violations from Cambridge Analytica scandal (Washington Post)
• Kiwibot delivery robot catches fire after `human error’ (BBC)
• Amazon uses dummy parcels to catch thieves (BBC)
• Here's how to block robocalls on iPhone and Android (Fox News)
• How to stop Apple and Google from tracking you (Fox News)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its Baby Powder (Reuters)

Internal documents show that J&J talcum powder was sometimes tainted with carcinogenic asbestos and that the company kept that information from regulators and the public.

Surgeon General Warns Youth Vaping Is Now An 'Epidemic' (NPR)

Vaping by U.S. teenagers has reached epidemic levels, threatening to hook a new generation of young people on nicotine. That's according to an unusual advisory issued Tuesday by U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams about the the dangers of electronic cigarette use among U.S. teenagers. "I am officially declaring e-cigarette use among youth an epidemic in the United States," Adams said at a news conference. "Now is the time to take action.”

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

D.C. attorney general sues Facebook over alleged privacy violations from Cambridge Analytica scandal (Washington Post)

The attorney general for the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Facebook for allowing Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy, to gain access to the names, "likes" and other personal data about tens of millions of the social site's users without their permission.

Kiwibot delivery robot catches fire after `human error’ (BBC)

A food delivery robot was destroyed after it caught fire because of "human error", its creator has confirmed. Kiwibot autonomous delivery robots have been rolling around the University of California, Berkeley campus for two years. On Friday, students found one of the robots in flames and shared photos on social media.

Amazon uses dummy parcels to catch thieves (BBC)

Officers in New Jersey are planting dummy boxes fitted with GPS trackers, coupled with hidden doorbell cameras, at homes around the city of Jersey. The homes selected for the experiment were chosen using the city's own crime statistics combined with mapping data of theft locations supplied by Amazon. One box was stolen three minutes after it was "delivered".

Here's how to block robocalls on iPhone and Android (Fox News)

Unwanted calls are often harmless but some are after your credit card information, IDs or passwords. All are a distraction and a waste of your time.

How to stop Apple and Google from tracking you (Fox News)

Apple and Google can track your every move. But there are ways to mitigate this or shut it down.

December 27, 2018 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Audit divides blame for San Diego's Hep A crisis (San Diego Reader)
• Hospital Prices: Full Cost Lists Must Be Published From January 1, New Federal Rule Says (Newsweek)
• Is chemotherapy on the way out?  (Healthline)
• Health benefits of gold, frankincense and myrrh (Medical News Today)
• Certain antibiotics may cause aortic aneurysm, FDA warns (CNN)

SCIENCE & TECH

• The Tech That Was Fixed in 2018 and the Tech That Still Needs Fixing (NY Times)
• Climate change: Huge costs of warming impacts in 2018 (BBC)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Audit divides blame for San Diego's Hep A crisis (San Diego Reader)

Bureaucratic foot-dragging cited for devastating downtown epidemic: A report by state auditor Elaine Howle released December 20 blames both city and county for the severity of last year's deadly Hepatitis A breakout in downtown San Diego.

Hospital Prices: Full Cost Lists Must Be Published From January 1, New Federal Rule Says (Newsweek)

Hospitals across the country have geared up to publish online price lists for all the medical services they provide, as a federal law takes effect on January 1. The new law, which was announced in April, should also make it easier for patients to get access to their medical records, according to officials… Currently, under the Affordable Care Act, hospitals must release public price lists, but from the start of 2019 they will be required to post these prices online in a format that can be downloaded to computers.

Is chemotherapy on the way out?  (Healthline)

New, less toxic cancer treatments are emerging, but don’t expect chemo to disappear anytime soon.

Health benefits of gold, frankincense and myrrh (Medical News Today)

Three compounds, connected by their mention in the story of Jesus' birth, may provide benefits beyond their gift of seasonal joy. Here, we investigate their healing powers.

Certain antibiotics may cause aortic aneurysm, FDA warns (CNN)

The US Food and Drug Administration warned that the benefits of fluoroquinolone antibiotics do not outweigh the risks — which include aortic aneurysm — for certain patients. These drugs are under the names ciprofloxacin (Cipro), gemifloxacin (Factive), levofloxacin (Levaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox), norfloxacin (Noroxin) and ofloxacin (Floxin).

SCIENCE & TECH

The Tech That Was Fixed in 2018 and the Tech That Still Needs Fixing (NY Times)

From Facebook to creepy online ads, the worst tech of the year made the internet feel like an unsafe place to hang out. Yet there were some products that were fixed, our personal tech critic writes.

Climate change: Huge costs of warming impacts in 2018 (BBC)

Extreme weather events linked to climate change cost thousands of lives and caused huge damage throughout the world in 2018, say Christian Aid. The charity's report identified ten events that cost more than $1bn each, with four costing more than $7bn each.

January 3, 2019 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Israeli researchers raise $1 million for revolutionary eye drops that could replace glasses (Nocamels)
• In Screening for Suicide Risk, Facebook Takes On Tricky Public Health Role (New York Times)
• Big Pharma ushers in new year by raising prices of more than 1,000 drugs (CBS)

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• A rising threat to wildlife: electrocution (New York Times)
• 19 insanely cool gadgets that are going to sell out this year (Prime8)
• China ‘lifts mysterious veil’ by landing on moon’s dark side (Reuters)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Israeli researchers raise $1 million for revolutionary eye drops that could replace glasses (Nocamels)

Researchers from Shaare Zedek Medical Center and Bar Ilan University recently raised a $1 million investment to fund research and development for eye drops they say can correct refractive-related vision problems, thereby potentially making eyeglasses obsolete.

In Screening for Suicide Risk, Facebook Takes On Tricky Public Health Role (New York Times)

A police officer on the late shift in an Ohio town recently received an unusual call from Facebook. Earlier that day, a local woman wrote a Facebook post saying she was walking home and intended to kill herself when she got there, according to a police report on the case. Facebook called to warn the Police Department about the suicide threat.

Big Pharma ushers in new year by raising prices of more than 1,000 drugs (CBS)

Drugmakers are starting 2019 with a slew of price hikes, affecting more than 1,000 medications.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

A rising threat to wildlife: electrocution (New York Times)

Power lines and electrified fences are killing birds, monkeys, pangolins and even elephants in surprising numbers.

19 insanely cool gadgets that are going to sell out this year (Prime8)

We've been keeping track of gadget sales through all 2018, and the following 19 products are going to be selling like hot cakes well into the new year (each with at least an average user rating of 4.5 stars

China ‘lifts mysterious veil’ by landing on moon’s dark side (Reuters)

A Chinese space probe successfully touched down on the far side of the moon on Thursday, China’s space agency said, hailing the event as a historic first and a major achievement for the country’s space program.

February 7, 2019 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Trump administration fires all members of HIV/AIDS advisory council (Washington Post)
• How your health information is sold and turned into ‘risk scores’ (Politico)
• Federal Appeals Court Blocks San Francisco Law On Ad Warnings For Sugary Drinks (NPR)

SCIENCE & TECH

• As mysterious BMW fires continue, calls for investigation into possible causes grow (ABC News)
• The doorbells have eyes: The privacy battle brewing over home security cameras (Washington Post)
• Why Is the Cold Weather So Extreme if the Earth Is Warming? (New York Times)
  

HEALTH

Trump administration fires all members of HIV/AIDS advisory council (Washington Post)

The remaining members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS were fired en masse this week. Months after a half-dozen members resigned in protest of the Trump administration's position on health policies, the White House dismissed the rest through a form letter.

How your health information is sold and turned into ‘risk scores’ (Politico)

Companies are starting to sell “risk scores” to doctors, insurers and hospitals to identify patients at risk of opioid addiction or overdose, without patient consent and with little regulation of the kinds of personal information used to create the scores.

Federal Appeals Court Blocks San Francisco Law On Ad Warnings For Sugary Drinks (NPR)

A federal appeals panel has blocked a San Francisco law requiring the beverage industry to post health warnings on advertisements for soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks. - In a unanimous ruling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the law, approved by San Francisco voters in June 2015, is an unconstitutional infringement on commercial speech.

SCIENCE & TECH

As mysterious BMW fires continue, calls for investigation into possible causes grow (ABC News)

Despite continued reports of parked BMWs bursting into flames, the government watchdog for automotive safety does not have an active investigation into possible causes.  Consumers have filed more than 90 complaints about the issue to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, including 30 since ABC News first brought the problem to the public's attention, prompting critics to call for a federal probe.

The doorbells have eyes: The privacy battle brewing over home security cameras (Washington Post)

Police want to register — and even subsidize — private security cameras. That’s just the start of the ethical challenges ahead.

Why Is the Cold Weather So Extreme if the Earth Is Warming? (New York Times)

As climate change heats up the planet, winters are warming faster than summers. But during periods of extremely cold weather, many people wonder, “If the Earth is getting warmer, how can winter still be so cold?”… There’s growing evidence to suggest that the polar vortex is appearing outside the Arctic more frequently, because of changes in the jet stream that are attributed to the warming atmosphere.

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Trump administration fires all members of HIV/AIDS advisory council (Washington Post)

The remaining members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS were fired en masse this week. Months after a half-dozen members resigned in protest of the Trump administration's position on health policies, the White House dismissed the rest through a form letter.

How your health information is sold and turned into ‘risk scores’ (Politico)

Companies are starting to sell “risk scores” to doctors, insurers and hospitals to identify patients at risk of opioid addiction or overdose, without patient consent and with little regulation of the kinds of personal information used to create the scores.

Federal Appeals Court Blocks San Francisco Law On Ad Warnings For Sugary Drinks (NPR)

A federal appeals panel has blocked a San Francisco law requiring the beverage industry to post health warnings on advertisements for soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks. - In a unanimous ruling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the law, approved by San Francisco voters in June 2015, is an unconstitutional infringement on commercial speech.

SCIENCE & TECH

As mysterious BMW fires continue, calls for investigation into possible causes grow (ABC News)

Despite continued reports of parked BMWs bursting into flames, the government watchdog for automotive safety does not have an active investigation into possible causes.  Consumers have filed more than 90 complaints about the issue to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, including 30 since ABC News first brought the problem to the public's attention, prompting critics to call for a federal probe.

The doorbells have eyes: The privacy battle brewing over home security cameras (Washington Post)

Police want to register — and even subsidize — private security cameras. That’s just the start of the ethical challenges ahead.

Why Is the Cold Weather So Extreme if the Earth Is Warming? (New York Times)

As climate change heats up the planet, winters are warming faster than summers. But during periods of extremely cold weather, many people wonder, “If the Earth is getting warmer, how can winter still be so cold?”… There’s growing evidence to suggest that the polar vortex is appearing outside the Arctic more frequently, because of changes in the jet stream that are attributed to the warming atmosphere.

By José A. Álvarez, County of San Diego Communications Office

Video by James Kecskes

February 8, 2019 (San Diego) - It’s February – the time of year when our attention turns to matters of the heart. What better time to get your blood pressure checked?

On Thursday, Feb. 14, people can get their blood pressure checked for free at any of nearly 300 locations across the U.S. and Mexico for Love Your Heart Day. Many faith-based organizations are getting in on the action by hosting blood pressure checks this weekend on Feb. 9 and 10.

“This yearly event offers residents a free opportunity to get their blood pressure checked, which is a great first step for heart health,” said Supervisor Greg Cox of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. “Love Your Heart is a regional effort that involves an ever-growing number of partners coming together for health and wellness.”

Residents can call 2-1-1 or go to loveyourheartsd.org for the nearest screening location. Locations include fire stations, libraries, community centers, health clinics, houses of worship, businesses and County facilities, among others.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and the second leading cause of death in San Diego County. In 2016, the most recent year for which statistics are available, more than 4,800 people died from diseases of the heart in San Diego County.

“Love Your Heart is one of the many initiatives the County and its partners are working on together to build a healthier future for families and children in San Diego County,” said County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher. “Our message is simple: A few minutes taking this free screening can add years on to your life.”

Last year, more than 36,600 people got their blood pressure checked for Love Your Heart Day.

Hours for each screening site vary. For more information, call 2-1-1 or visit the Love YourHeart webpage.

July 4, 2019 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Why you should learn mental health first aid (CNN)
• Facebook wants to limit the reach of bogus medical ‘cures’ by treating them like spam (Washington Post)
• AMA Abortion Lawsuit Puts Doctors In The Thick Of Debate (Kaiser Health News)
• Incarceration, falling incomes may play a role in the US opioid epidemic, study says (CNN)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• SpaceX faces daunting challenges if it’s going to win the internet space race (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• A vast water reservoir has been discovered deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean (NBC News)
• U.S. judge blocks Qualcomm effort to put antitrust ruling on hold

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Why you should learn mental health first aid (CNN)

One in five adults in the US lives with a mental health problem according to the National Institute of Mental Health, but most don't seek out professional help. That's where Mental Health First Aid - an eight-hour workshop - hopes to fill the gap. The class trains citizens how to recognize the signs and symptoms of various mental illnesses -- from depression to anxiety disorder and substance abuse disorder.Participants also learn how to listen non judgmentally and de-escalate in crisis situations…The program began in the United States 12 years ago and has been growing in popularity with nearly 2 million Americans trained nationwide.

Facebook wants to limit the reach of bogus medical ‘cures’ by treating them like spam (Washington Post)

For years, medical misinformation has thrived on Google and Facebook.

 AMA Abortion Lawsuit Puts Doctors In The Thick Of Debate (Kaiser Health News)

The American Medical Association is suing North Dakota to block two abortion-related laws, the latest signal the doctors’ group is shifting to a more aggressive stance as the Trump administration and state conservatives ratchet up efforts to eliminate legal abortion…said AMA President Patrice Harris in an interview, the organization felt it had to take a stand because new laws forced the small number of doctors who perform abortions to lie to patients, putting “physicians in a place where we are required by law to commit an ethical violation.”

Incarceration, falling incomes may play a role in the US opioid epidemic, study says (CNN)

The increasing number of deaths from drug use in the United States has been linked with a surge in the distributionof prescription painkillers as one factor. A new study suggests that some other overlooked factors might be contributors, as well. In counties across the United States, when incarceration rates rise and household incomes fall, drug-related deaths increase, according to a study published Wednesday in the medical journal Lancet Public Health.

SCIENCE AND TECH

SpaceX faces daunting challenges if it’s going to win the internet space race (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Elon Musk and SpaceX have staked their legacy on a spaceship capable of carrying a hundred passengers to Mars. But to pay for that dream, the Hawthorne company is banking on a project that is ambitious in its own way: selling broadband internet service delivered by more than 1,000 small satellites.

A vast water reservoir has been discovered deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean (NBC News)

If similar reservoirs exist in other coastal areas, they could be valuable resources for water-starved regions around the world.

U.S. judge blocks Qualcomm effort to put antitrust ruling on hold

(Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Wednesday ruled against Qualcomm Inc’s effort to block the implementation of a sweeping antitrust ruling against it as the mobile chip supplier pursues an appeal that could take more than a year to wind through the courts.

September 19, 2019 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Babies born with deformed hands spark investigation in German (CNN)
• India announces ban on e-cigarettes (BBC)
• How climate crisis is accelerating the global spread of deadly dengue fever (CNN)
• Vaping related illnesses surge as FDA announces criminal probe (Washington Post)
• Most young children shouldn’t drink plant-based milk, new health guidelines say (CNN)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Space-X wants to beam Internet across Southern states by late 2020 (CNN)
• Facebook plans launch of its own “Supreme Court” for handling takedown appeals (Ars Technica)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click "read more" and scroll. down.

HEALTH

Babies born with deformed hands spark investigation in German (CNN)

Since bringing attention to the cases, Liggett-Igelmund said she has been contacted by many families across Germany whose children have been born with similar deformities..Roughly speaking, all the children have been born in the past three years, and many of them this summer."… The latest cases in Germany follow a similar cluster in isolated rural regions of France last year…Additional tests conducted with hospital data in the Ain region, near the Swiss border, revealed a further 11 cases, amounting to a total of 18 cases between 2000 and 2014…The new cases in Germany are also reminiscent of the thalidomide scandal of the 1960s…

India announces ban on e-cigarettes (BBC)

India's cabinet has announced a ban on the production, import and sale of electronic cigarettes, saying they pose a risk to health. An executive order had been approved banning vaping products because of their impact on young people, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.

How climate crisis is accelerating the global spread of deadly dengue fever (CNN)

Explosive outbreaks of dengue fever have rapidly spread in countries across Asia, killing more than 1,000 people, infecting hundreds of thousands and straining hospitals packed with sick families.

Vaping related illnesses surge as FDA announces criminal probe (Washington Post)

Federal officials said Thursday that at least 530 people in 38 states have become sickened by a mysterious vaping-related lung illness, part of a growing national outbreak. In a sign of the seriousness of the e-cigarette investigation, officials disclosed that the enforcement arm of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been conducting a probe in parallel with the public health investigation led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Officials said they still do not know the cause of the lung injuries that are making people so sick. There have been seven confirmed deaths.

Most young children shouldn’t drink plant-based milk, new health guidelines say (CNN)

Most children under the age of 5 should avoid plant-based milk, according to new health guidelines about what young children should drink. Plant-based milk made from rice, coconut, oats or other blends -- with the exception of fortified soy milk -- lack key nutrition for early development, according to guidelines released on Wednesday by leading health organizations.

SCIENCE AND TECH

Space-X wants to beam Internet across Southern states by late 2020 (CNN)

SpaceX wants to become one of the world's largest internet providers by deploying a constellation of thousands of satellites to beam broadband from space. And it wants to get it done fast… Separately, a report published by Morgan Stanley on Tuesday estimates that Starlink could turn SpaceX into a $52 billion company… potentially making it the most valuable private company in the US. Its coverage area could grow to include US territories, such as the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, by the time the 2021 hurricane season ends, according to the documents. One key benefit of reaching those areas: satellite internet access wouldn't be wiped out by bad weather.

Facebook plans launch of its own “Supreme Court” for handling takedown appeals (Ars Technica)

Facebook, which has managed to transcend geographic borders to draw in a population equal to roughly a third of all human life on Earth, has made its final charter for a "Supreme Court" of Facebook public. The company pledges to launch this initiative by November of next year.  The new Oversight Board will have five key powers, according to a charter (PDF) Facebook released yesterday.

October 8, 2019 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Carcinogens have infiltrated the generic drug supply in the U.S. (Bloomberg Business Week)
• FDA announces generic Zantac recalls after cancer concerns (Drugwatch)
• Tests show bootleg marijuana vapes tainted with hydrogen cyanide (NBC) Purdue Pharma, Accused Of Fueling Opioid Crisis, Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy  (NPR)
• Dengue cases are surging around the world. Experts blame climate change. (Washington Post)
• Trump Signs Proclamation Denying Entrance to Immigrants Who Cannot Afford Health Care (NPR)
• Smartphone App Can Help Detect Leukocoria, A Sign Of Eye Cancer : Shots - Health News  (NPR)
• Kitchen Countertops Tied To Silicosis, Lung Damage, Deaths In Workers : Shots - Health News  (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Election Security And Voting Machines: What You Need To Know  (NPR)
• Iranians tried to hack U.S. presidential campaign in effort that targeted hundreds, Microsoft says (Washington Post)
• Mysterious magnetic pulses discovered on Mars (National Geographic)
• Facebook Can Be Forced to Delete Content Worldwide, E.U.’s Top Court Rules (New York Times)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Carcinogens have infiltrated the generic drug supply in the U.S. (Bloomberg Business Week)

An FDA quality-control nightmare reveals how impurities end up in America’s blood pressure pills.

FDA announces generic Zantac recalls after cancer concerns (Drugwatch)

Some generic versions of the heartburn drug Zantac are being recalled in the United States because they may contain low levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a substance that could cause cancer, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Tests show bootleg marijuana vapes tainted with hydrogen cyanide (NBC)

NBC News commissioned laboratory tests of knock-off marijuana vapes that found a pesticide linked to hydrogen cyanide in 10 out 10 products.

Purdue Pharma, Accused Of Fueling Opioid Crisis, Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy  (NPR)

Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Sunday night, just days after striking a settlement with more than 2,000 local governments over its alleged role in creating and sustaining the deadly opioid crisis. The filing in New York follows the Sackler family agreeing to relinquish ownership of the lucrative company. The family also agreed to provide $3 billion in cash over several years and future revenue from the sale of OxyContin to assist communities hardest hit by the opioid epidemic.

Dengue cases are surging around the world. Experts blame climate change. (Washington Post)

Preliminary figures from the World Health Organization show 2.7 million reported cases of the mosquito-borne viral disease worldwide through August. Dengue is fatal in less than 1 percent of cases and most people recover on their own, but careful medical supervision is sometimes required.

Trump Signs Proclamation Denying Entrance to Immigrants Who Cannot Afford Health Care (NPR)

 President Trump signed a proclamation late Friday barring legal immigrants who cannot prove they will have health care coverage or the means to pay for it within 30 days of their arrival to the United States.

Smartphone App Can Help Detect Leukocoria, A Sign Of Eye Cancer : Shots - Health News  (NPR)

It's hard for doctors to do a thorough eye exam on infants. They tend to wiggle around — the babies, that is, not the doctors. But a new smart phone app takes advantage of parents' fondness for snapping pictures of their children to look for signs that a child might be developing a serious eye disease.

Kitchen Countertops Tied To Silicosis, Lung Damage, Deaths In Workers : Shots - Health News  (NPR)

Artificial stone used to make kitchen and bathroom countertops has been linked to cases of death and irreversible lung injury in workers who cut, grind and polish this increasingly popular material. The fear is that thousands of workers in the United States who create countertops out of what's known as "engineered stone" may be inhaling dangerous amounts of lung-damaging silica dust, because engineered stone is mostly made of the mineral silica.

SCIENCE AND TECH

Election Security And Voting Machines: What You Need To Know  (NPR)

Voting systems in the United States have come a long way since the hanging chads of the 2000 recount in Florida — but now cybersecurity is as big a concern as ballot fidelity.  

Iranians tried to hack U.S. presidential campaign in effort that targeted hundreds, Microsoft says (Washington Post)

An effort believed to be tied to the Iranian government attempted to identify, attack and breach email accounts belonging to a U.S. presidential campaign, government officials and journalists, according to new data unveiled by Microsoft, highlighting the continued global security threats that loom over the fast-approaching 2020 election.

Mysterious magnetic pulses discovered on Mars (National Geographic)

The nighttime events are among initial results from the InSight lander, which also found hints that the red planet may host a global reservoir of liquid water deep below the surface.



Facebook Can Be Forced to Delete Content Worldwide, E.U.’s Top Court Rules (New York Times)

The decision that individual countries can order Facebook to take down posts globally sets a benchmark for the reach of European laws governing the internet.

January 6, 2020 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Health officials warn of measles exposure at five U.S. airports (ABC)
• Number of children swallowing dangerous magnets surges as industry largely polices itself (Washington Post)
• Micro Implants Could Restore Standing and Walking (Science News Daily)
• In a first, an Ebola vaccine wins approval from the FDA (Science News)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• A decade on earth, captured from space (Reuters)
• New lithium-sulfur battery could charge your phone for five days, researchers say  (CNN)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Health officials warn of measles exposure at five U.S. airports (ABC)

"A small number of cases are capable of quickly producing epidemics."

Number of children swallowing dangerous magnets surges as industry largely polices itself (Washington Post)

The number of children ingesting rare-earth magnets — powerful tiny balls that are a popular desk toy and can shred a child’s intestines — has skyrocketed in the three years since courts blocked the efforts of federal regulators to force changes to the industry, which largely holds the power to regulate itself.

Micro Implants Could Restore Standing and Walking (Science News Daily)

Researchers are focused on restoring lower-body function after severe spinal injuries using a tiny spinal implant. n new research, the team showcases a map to identify which parts of the spinal cord trigger the hip, knees, ankles and toes, and the areas that put movements together.

In a first, an Ebola vaccine wins approval from the FDA (Science News)

The drug is crucial to efforts to curb an ongoing outbreak of the deadly disease in Congo

SCIENCE AND TECH

A decade on earth, captured from space (Reuters)

The biggest news events of the past decade have been chronicled from space.  The last 10 years have seen a boom in the use of satellite imagery for reporting, led by a growth in commercial satellites that has slashed the cost of such images, and advances in technology that have made high-resolution images from many parts of the world accessible, almost instantly, even on a phone.

New lithium-sulfur battery could charge your phone for five days, researchers say  (CNN)

Australian researchers claim they have developed a battery that can keep a smartphone charged for five days or power an electric car for 1,000 kilometers (over 600 miles). If the technology comes to be used widely, it would represent a significant breakthrough in the hunt for greener, more efficient energy.  The team from Monash University in Melbourne says the lithium-sulfur battery it has created is the "world's most efficient," and can outperform traditional batteries by four times. The researchers said they are "on the brink" of commercializing the innovation, and touted its benefits for the fight against climate change.

January 16, 2020 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Flu Taking a Toll, Pediatric Deaths Hit 17-Year High (Healthline)
• It’s okay to eat romaine lettuce again as officials declare e-coli outbreak over (CNN)
• Some hospital are ditching lead aprons during x-rays (ABC News)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Ocean temperatures hit record high as rate of heating accelerates (Guardian)
• 'There's something here': teen discovers new planet while interning at NASA (Guardian)
• Belching in a good way: How livestock could learn from Orkney sheep (BBC)
• How a mysterious seismic hum led scientists to the birth of an enormous undersea volcano (Washington Post)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Flu Taking a Toll, Pediatric Deaths Hit 17-Year High (Healthline)

The United States may be gearing up for one of the worst flu seasons in years, health experts predict. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Friday that there have been 32 pediatric deaths so far this season. That’s the most flu-related deaths we’ve seen in children since the CDC started tracking flu numbers 17 years ago.

It’s okay to eat romaine lettuce again as officials declare e-coli outbreak over (CNN)

Caesar salad lovers rejoice -- your crispy romaine lettuce leaves are OK to eat now.  The nationwide, months long E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce ended Wednesday, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Food and Drug Administration.

Some hospital are ditching lead aprons during x-rays (ABC News)

Patients have come to expect a technician to drape their torsos with a heavy lead apron when they get an X-ray, but new thinking among radiologists and medical physicists is upending the decades-old practice of shielding patients from radiation. Some hospitals are ditching the ritual of covering reproductive organs and fetuses during imaging exams after prominent medical and scientific groups have said it’s a feel-good measure that can impair the quality of diagnostic tests and sometimes inadvertently increase a patient’s radiation exposure.

 SCIENCE AND TECH

Ocean temperatures hit record high as rate of heating accelerates (Guardian)

The heat in the world’s oceans reached a new record level in 2019, showing “irrefutable and accelerating” heating of the planet. The world’s oceans are the clearest measure of the climate emergency because they absorb more than 90% of the heat trapped by the greenhouse gases emitted by fossil fuel burning, forest destruction and other human activities. The new analysis shows the past five years are the top five warmest years recorded in the ocean and the past 10 years are also the top 10 years on record.

'There's something here': teen discovers new planet while interning at NASA (Guardian)

Wolf Cukier, 17, discovered a planet 6.9 times larger than Earth and only the 13th of its kind.

Belching in a good way: How livestock could learn from Orkney sheep (BBC)

The northernmost Orkney island, North Ronaldsay, is home to just 50 people and 2,000 sheep. Since the 19th Century, when islanders built a stone wall to confine the flock to the shoreline, it has survived on seaweed alone - and it now seems that this special diet could hold the key to greener, more climate-friendly livestock farming.

How a mysterious seismic hum led scientists to the birth of an enormous undersea volcano (Washington Post)

The volcano came into the world wailing, but for a while nobody heard it.

February 6, 2020 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Medicaid cuts may force retirees out of nursing homes (New York Times)
• ‘I would like a medal for smoking’: Old radio shows haunt Rush Limbaugh after he reveals advanced lung cancer (RawStory)
• Bayer considers new tactic in Roundup settlement talks (Reuters)
• San Diego judge orders Johnson & Johnson to pay $344M for ‘deceptive’ pelvic mesh marketing (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Study Links Autism To 'Insulation' That Coats Brain Cells And Speeds Signals : Shots - Health News 

SCIENCE AND TECH

• As primary season gets underway, YouTube cracks down on doctored election videos (Washington Post)
• Stephen King quits Facebook over ‘flood of false information’ and privacy concerns (Washington Post)
• The containers the U.S. plans to use for nuclear waste storage may corrode (Science News)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more and scroll down.

HEALTH

Medicaid cuts may force retirees out of nursing homes (New York Times)

…On Thursday, Senate Republicans joined their House colleagues in proposing steep cuts to Medicaid, part of the effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Conservatives hope to roll back what they see as an expanding and costly entitlement. But little has been said about what would happen to older Americans in nursing homes if the cuts took effect.

‘I would like a medal for smoking’: Old radio shows haunt Rush Limbaugh after he reveals advanced lung cancer (RawStory)

Rush Limbaugh, who announced this week that he has advanced lung cancer, has a history of praising the practice of smoking. Speaking to a caller in 2015, Limbaugh said that Americans should thank smokers.

Bayer considers new tactic in Roundup settlement talks (Reuters)

As Bayer AG tries to settle U.S. lawsuits claiming that its weedkiller Roundup causes cancer, the company is considering a proposal that would bar plaintiffs' lawyers involved in the litigation from advertising for new clients, according to a person familiar with the matter.

San Diego judge orders Johnson & Johnson to pay $344M for ‘deceptive’ pelvic mesh marketing (San Diego Union-Tribune)

 A San Diego Superior Court judge on Thursday ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay almost $344 million in penalties, finding that the company had deceptively marketed its pelvic-mesh products.

Study Links Autism To 'Insulation' That Coats Brain Cells And Speeds Signals : Shots - Health News 

Scientists have found a clue to how autism spectrum disorder disrupts the brain's information highways. The problem involves cells that help keep the traffic of signals moving smoothly through brain circuits, a team reported Monday in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

SCIENCE AND TECH

As primary season gets underway, YouTube cracks down on doctored election videos (Washington Post)

YouTube said it will ban certain election-related videos that are doctored or misleading ahead of the 2020 primaries. Policing them could be difficult.

Stephen King quits Facebook over ‘flood of false information’ and privacy concerns (Washington Post)

The prolific horror writer joined a chorus of criticism toward the social media giant as it resists pressure to remove false claims from politicians.

The containers the U.S. plans to use for nuclear waste storage may corrode (Science News)

…When a nuclear waste package is exposed to groundwater, chemical interactions between a stainless steel canister and its glass or ceramic contents may cause the materials to corrode slightly faster than expected, researchers report online January 27 in Nature Materials. That corrosion risks exposing the radioactive waste stored in the container.

February 12, 2020 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Wuhan coronavirus has now killed more people worldwide than SARS (CNN)
• Coronavirus 'could infect 60% of global population if unchecked' (Guardian)
• Baby tests positive for coronavirus just 30 hours after birth (CBS)
• The coronavirus crisis could shut auto plants around the world (CNN)
• Cruise ship coronavirus infections double, exceeding the total for any country but China (Washington Post)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Ancestry Fights The US Government As Feds Try To Grab DNA Data (Forbes)
• Twitter to label deepfakes and other deceptive media (Reuters)
• Don’t sell my data! We finally have a law for that (Washington Post)
• Solar orbiter: Sun mission blasts off (BBC)
• Amazon wants to question Trump over loss of $10bn 'war cloud' contract (Guardian)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Wuhan coronavirus has now killed more people worldwide than SARS (CNN)

The global death toll from the Wuhan coronavirus is at least 805, surpassing the number of fatalities from the deadly 2003 SARS outbreak.

Coronavirus 'could infect 60% of global population if unchecked' (Guardian)

The coronavirus epidemic could spread to about two-thirds of the world’s population if it cannot be controlled, according to Hong Kong’s leading public health epidemiologist. His warning came after the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said recent cases of coronavirus patients who had never visited China could be the “tip of the iceberg”

Baby tests positive for coronavirus just 30 hours after birth (CBS)

The coronavirus has infected at least 24,000 people worldwide, and officials in China now say the youngest person with the illness is a newborn baby who was infected just 30 hours after being born. The state-run news site XinhuaNet says…that according to medical experts, it may be a case of mother-to-child transmission. Reuters reports state broadcaster CCTV is now warning that pregnant women with the coronavirus may be able to pass it along to their unborn children. 

The coronavirus crisis could shut auto plants around the world (CNN)

The human cost of China's coronavirus outbreak is tragic, mounting and already readily apparent. The cost to businesses around the world could also become severe in the coming weeks. Manufacturers around the world have come to depend on parts from China to keep their own supply chains going. Experts fear that factories across the globe could ground to a halt if many of the plants across China remain closed this coming week.

Cruise ship coronavirus infections double, exceeding the total for any country but China (Washington Post)

The number of people with coronavirus on a cruise ship in the port of Yokohama, Japan  nearly doubled to 135 Monday, prompting imperiled crew members to plead for help and setting off debate among experts over whether the more than 3,700 people quarantined aboard should be taken ashore or left on the ship. Eleven Americans were among the 65 people aboard the Diamond Princess who were newly diagnosed with the respiratory infection, giving the ship the largest number of infections outside China.

SCIENCE AND TECH

Ancestry Fights The US Government As Feds Try To Grab DNA Data (Forbes)

Ancestry has revealed it is fighting the U.S. government over an order to hand over DNA data.  This is only the second-known case in which the leading family history company has been served with a warrant demanding genetic information on its users.

Twitter to label deepfakes and other deceptive media (Reuters)

Twitter (TWTR.N) said on Tuesday it would start applying a label to tweets containing synthetic or deceptively edited forms of media, as social media platforms brace for a potential onslaught of misinformation ahead of the 2020 presidential election. The company also said it would remove any deliberately misleading manipulated media likely to cause harm, including content that could result in threats to physical safety, widespread civil unrest, voter suppression or privacy risks.

Don’t sell my data! We finally have a law for that (Washington Post)

How to take advantage of America's first broad data privacy law, the California Consumer Privacy Act — even if you don't live in California.

Solar orbiter: Sun mission blasts off (BBC)

Europe's audacious Solar Orbiter probe has lifted off on its quest to study the Sun from close quarters.

Amazon wants to question Trump over loss of $10bn 'war cloud' contract (Guardian)

Company claims president’s interference harmed its chances of receiving military contract that was eventually awarded to Microsoft.

February 25, 2020 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Live updates: Spread of coronavirus in U.S. appears inevitable, health officials warn (Washington Post)
• Analysis: How close are we to a pandemic? (BBC)
• Coronavirus Outbreak Sees China Ban Trade and Consumption of Wild Animals ((Newsweek)

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• These 26 words 'created the internet.' The US government is coming for them (CNN)
• Jeff Bezos pledges $10 billion to fight climate change: ‘`We can save the earth’ (HuffPost)
• Images from Space Show Antarctica Melting After Hottest Day Ever Recorded (Newsweek)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Live updates: Spread of coronavirus in U.S. appears inevitable, health officials warn (Washington Post)

Health officials in the United States warned Tuesday that the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country appears inevitable, marking a significant change in tone as global travel disruptions continued to worsen, South Korea neared 1,000 cases and Iran reported at least 15 deaths.

Analysis: How close are we to a pandemic? (BBC)

… The new coronavirus is no longer a problem just in China, with a small number of exported cases. It has many people asking if the virus is about to become a pandemic and whether containing it is still possible?

Coronavirus Outbreak Sees China Ban Trade and Consumption of Wild Animals ((Newsweek)

COVID-19 has killed over 2,000 people since late last year.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

These 26 words 'created the internet.' The US government is coming for them (CNN)

For decades, many of the biggest names in tech have leaned on a little-known law to avoid being held responsible for some of the most controversial content on their platforms. The companies have invoked this federal law, known as Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, in one court case after another to dismiss potentially costly lawsuits over messages, videos and other content created by users. But now, big changes could be coming to Section 230 that might expose Facebook (FB), YouTube and others to more lawsuits over hate speech and misinformation for the first time in their histories.

Jeff Bezos pledges $10 billion to fight climate change: ‘`We can save the earth’ (HuffPost)

Amazon’s chief executive, Jeff Bezos, is pledging $10 billion to help fight climate change. On Monday, the richest man in the world announced on Instagram that he would be launching “the Bezos Earth Fund.”

Images from Space Show Antarctica Melting After Hottest Day Ever Recorded (Newsweek)

On February 6, the temperature at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula reached 18.3 degrees Celsius.

April 7, 2020 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future—including the latest breakthroughs impacting COVID-19.

HEALTH

• FDA eases restrictions on gay blood donors amid ‘urgent need’ (NBC)
• Early Data Shows African Americans Have Contracted and Died of Coronavirus at an Alarming Rate (Pro Publica)
• Despite Ford and GM’s warlike effort to make ventilators, production is expected to come too late and fall short of needs (Washington Post)
• Those hooked up to ventilators for long periods face a difficult recovery (Washington Post)
• Helmet-based ventilation is superior to face mask for patients with respiratory distress Univ. of Chicago Medicine)
• Ignoring Expert Opinion, Trump Again Promotes Use of Hydroxychloroquine (New York TImes
• Dr. Stephen Smith on effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine: 'I think this is the beginning of the end of the pandemic' (Fox)
• Likelihood of survival of coronavirus disease 2019 (Lancet)
• For the first time, researchers use gene-editing to cure mice of HIV (Salon)

SCIENCE

• Everybody seems to be using Zoom. But its security flaws could leave users at risk. (Washington Post)
• Zoom founder responds to safety and privacy concerns (CNN)
• Oceans can be restored to former glory within 30 years, say scientists (Guardian)
• Apple to make millions of face shields for hospitals desperate for gear (San Jose Mercury)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

FDA eases restrictions on gay blood donors amid ‘urgent need’ (NBC)

The decision to reduce the donation deferral period for men who have sex with men comes as blood drives are being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Early Data Shows African Americans Have Contracted and Died of Coronavirus at an Alarming Rate (Pro Publica)

No, the coronavirus is not an “equalizer.” Black people are being infected and dying at higher rates. Here’s what Milwaukee is doing about it — and why governments need to start releasing data on the race of COVID-19 patients.

Despite Ford and GM’s warlike effort to make ventilators, production is expected to come too late and fall short of needs (Washington Post)

The automakers said they are racing to produce as many of the medical devices as possible. But their relatively late start means the bulk of their production could come after the peak of virus cases hits the country.

Those hooked up to ventilators for long periods face a difficult recovery (Washington Post)

People who survive the most dire cases of disease caused by the novel coronavirus are about to learn one of the cruelest lessons of the pandemic: After defeating the virus, the really hard part begins. Those saved through extreme medical interventions, including being attached to mechanical ventilators for a week or two, often suffer long-term physical, mental and emotional issues, according to a staggering body of medical and scientific studies. Even a year after leaving the intensive care unit, many people experience post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer’s-like cognitive deficits, depression, lost jobs and problems with daily activities such as bathing and eating.

Helmet-based ventilation is superior to face mask for patients with respiratory distress Univ. of Chicago Medicine)

Striking news footage from Italy shows doctors treating coronavirus patients who are wearing bubble-shaped containers over their heads. These devices are used for patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by COVID-19… In 2016, researchers from the University of Chicago Medicine led a study showing that using these helmets instead of standard face masks that cover the nose and mouth helps critically ill patients breathe better and can prevent them from needing intubation with a ventilator machine. Patients with helmet ventilation also spent less time in the intensive care unit and had better survival.

Ignoring Expert Opinion, Trump Again Promotes Use of Hydroxychloroquine (New York TImes

The president’s advocacy of the anti-malarial drug has created tensions in his administration, and fears among doctors that it could unnecessarily expose patients to risks…Dr. Klein said that even people with normal hearts are at risk for developing a fatal arrhythmia. And he said other medications could interact with hydroxychloroquine and cause serious medical complications…Other researchers have noted that while future trials may show a benefit, hydroxychloroquine has disappointed in the past, even though it has been tested as a treatment for other viruses, including influenza.

Dr. Stephen Smith on effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine: 'I think this is the beginning of the end of the pandemic' (Fox)

Dr. Stephen Smith, founder of The Smith Center for Infectious Diseases and Urban Health, said on “The Ingraham Angle” on Wednesday night that he is optimistic about the use of antimalarial medications and antibiotics to treat COVID-19 patients, calling it “a game-changer.”…Smith, who is treating 72 COVID-19 patients, said that he has been treating "everybody with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin [an antibiotic]. We’ve been doing so for a while.”… He pointed out that not a single COVID-19 patient of his that has been on the hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin regimen for five days or more has had to be intubated.

Likelihood of survival of coronavirus disease 2019 (Lancet)

Estimating the case fatality ratio for COVID-19 in real time during its epidemic is very challenging. Nevertheless, this ratio is a very important piece of data that will help to guide the response from various government and public health authorities worldwide. The disease has brought tremendous pressure and disastrous consequences for the public health and medical systems in Wuhan, as well as in Iran, Italy, and in other countries. However, current estimates of case fatality ratio for COVID-19 vary depending on the datasets and time periods examined.

For the first time, researchers use gene-editing to cure mice of HIV (Salon)

The so-called CRISPR-LASER ART method is being tested on non-human primates now.

SCIENCE

Everybody seems to be using Zoom. But its security flaws could leave users at risk. (Washington Post)

Its billionaire chief said the video-conferencing company never expected that “every person in the world would suddenly be working, studying, and socializing from home.”

Zoom founder responds to safety and privacy concerns (CNN)

Zoom founder and CEO Eric Yuan responds to concerns about the privacy and security of its video conferencing app after federal officials are now warning of "Zoombombing."

Oceans can be restored to former glory within 30 years, say scientists (Guardian)

Major review reports recovery of marine life but a redoubling of efforts is still needed

Apple to make millions of face shields for hospitals desperate for gear (San Jose Mercury)

In a tweeted video, CEO Tim Cook said the tech giant would make a million shields, which provide an extra barrier between health care workers and the droplets that spread the deadly disease, per week and ship them to hospitals around the U.S. and potentially beyond.