With robotaxis still a distant dream, lidar makes itself useful

The promise of self-driving cars and robotaxi fleets once seemed just around the corner, but reality is setting in. Makers of the underlying technology are pivoting to more realistic ways of making money in the here and now.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-robotaxis-distant-lidar.html

TikTok countersues rival video app Triller in patent defense

TikTok and its parent firm ByteDance have fired back in court against a patent lawsuit by rival video-sharing app Triller, in a move aimed at heading off infringement claims.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-tiktok-countersues-rival-video-app.html

New tool simplifies data sharing, preserves privacy

Meet Company X. Company X makes a popular product that lots of people—millions, in fact—use on a daily basis. One day, Company X decides it would like to improve some of the hardware in its product, which is manufactured by Vendor Y. To make these improvements, the company would need to share data with Vendor Y about how its customers use the product.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-tool-privacy.html

Predictive model reveals function of promising energy harvester device

A small energy harvesting device that can transform subtle mechanical vibrations into electrical energy could be used to power wireless sensors and actuators for use in anything from temperature and occupancy monitoring in smart environments, to biosensing within the human body.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-reveals-function-energy-harvester-device.html

EU digital boss: New rules to curb big tech aim for fairness

The European Union is set to propose new laws to rein in the power of big tech companies, including measures to ensure customers are protected, smaller rivals are treated fairly, and illegal content is dealt with, the bloc's digital and antitrust chief said on Thursday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-eu-digital-boss-curb-big.html

Marvell snags Inphi in yet another semiconductor tie-up

The pace of consolidation in the semiconductor industry continues to accelerate with Marvell Technology saying Thursday that it will pay $10.63 billion for Inphi in a cash-and-stock deal.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-marvell-snags-inphi-semiconductor-tie-up.html

Advanced facade material for urban heat island mitigation

A joint research team led by Asst. Prof. Jihui Yuan at the Dept. of Architecture and Civil Eng. of Toyohashi University of Technology, in collaboration with Osaka City University, has proposed two analytical models to evaluate the reflection directional characteristics of retro-reflective (RR) materials applied to building envelopes for urban heat island (UHI) mitigation, based on the measured data of optical experiments. It was shown that the predication result of the anisotropic body of rotation of the normal distribution function (AND) model is more accurate than that of the original analytical model.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-advanced-facade-material-urban-island.html

Canada extends international travellers ban

Canada on Friday extended a restriction on non-essential international entries until the end of November as COVID-19 cases rise, while easing quarantine rules for some cut-off Canada-US border communities.

Greek PM declares partial coronavirus lockdown

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Saturday declared a one-month partial coronavirus lockdown, shutting down restaurants and other leisure activities in Athens and other major cities from Tuesday.

Europe and US pass virus milestones as France locks down

Europe passed 10 million coronavirus infections, the United States topped nine million and France entered a new lockdown on Friday as the resurgent pandemic increasingly forced other countries to consider following suit.

New evidence our neighborhood in space is stuffed with hydrogen

Only the two Voyager spacecraft have ever been there, and it took than more than 30 years of supersonic travel. It lies well past the orbit of Pluto, through the rocky Kuiper belt, and on for four times that distance. This realm, marked only by an invisible magnetic boundary, is where Sun-dominated space ends: the closest reaches of interstellar space.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-evidence-neighborhood-space-stuffed-hydrogen.html

US judge sets up fresh roadblock in Trump bid to ban TikTok

A US federal judge on Friday issued an injunction temporarily blocking an executive order by President Donald Trump aimed at banning TikTok, throwing up a legal roadblock ahead of a November 12 deadline.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-fresh-roadblock-trump-tiktok.html

Philippines evacuates nearly 1 million as Typhoon Goni nears

Nearly a million people in the Philippines were evacuated from their homes Saturday as the most powerful typhoon of the year so far barrelled towards the country, with authorities warning of "destructive" winds and flooding.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-philippines-evacuate-typhoon-goni-nears.html

Sri Lanka returns illegal waste to Britain after court order

Sri Lanka has started shipping 242 containers of hazardous waste, including body parts from mortuaries, back to Britain after a two year court battle by an environment watchdog, officials said Saturday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-sri-lanka-illegal-britain-court.html

US jury tells Apple to pay $503 mn in patent case

A jury in Texas on Friday decided that Apple should pay $503 million for infringing virtual private network technology patented by software security firm VirnetX.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-jury-apple-mn-patent-case.html

Experts see substantial danger to democratic stability around 2020 election

On the eve of the November 3 election, Bright Line Watch—the political science research project of faculty at the University of Rochester, the University of Chicago, and Dartmouth College—finds that experts are concerned about substantial risks to the legitimacy of the election, including potential problems in the casting and counting of votes, the Electoral College, and in the resolution of electoral disputes.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-experts-substantial-danger-democratic-stability.html

Slovakia begins mass virus testing in global first

Slovakia on Saturday begins a programme to screen its entire population for coronavirus with antigen tests in what would be a global first, but critics have said the plan is poorly thought out.

US judge sets up fresh roadblock in Trump bid to ban TikTok

A US federal judge on Friday issued an injunction temporarily blocking an executive order by President Donald Trump aimed at banning TikTok, throwing up a legal roadblock ahead of a November 12 deadline.

US hits record of 94,000 coronavirus cases in 24 hours

The US hit a record number of new coronavirus cases on Friday for the second day in a row, topping 94,000 infections in 24 hours, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.

England set for another virus lockdown: reports

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is considering imposing a new lockdown across England within days following warnings his localised restrictions strategy has failed to curb soaring coronavirus rates, reports said Saturday.

US jury tells Apple to pay $503 mn in patent case

A jury in Texas on Friday decided that Apple should pay $503 million for infringing virtual private network technology patented by software security firm VirnetX.

Italian nurse on coronavirus duty sees the nightmare return

A 54-year-old nurse became convinced the coronavirus "hated" her during the first seven months of Italy's outbreaks. Those are Cristina Settembrese's words for it.

Living near green space linked to lower rates of smoking and higher chances of quitting

People are significantly less likely to smoke—and are more likely to successfully quit—if they live in green neighbourhoods, new research has found.

ICE detention centers saw sustained outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, says study

More than a dozen U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers experienced large, repeated outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illnesses in the last three years, according to a new study by researchers at UC San Francisco.

Study shows COVID-19 risk to firefighters and emergency medical workers in New York City

Firefighters and emergency medical workers in New York City were 15 times more likely to be infected during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the general public, according to a study published in ERJ Open Research.

Study of COVID-19 levels in oncology staff suggests need for more extensive testing

A study of oncology staff carried out immediately after the spring peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK indicates that many had been infected with the coronavirus as they tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies. This included staff who did not show any symptoms.

Study reveals impact of COVID-19 on oncology staff and their work

The results of a survey of 1038 doctors, nurses, pharmacists, administrators and allied health professionals (such dieticians and physiotherapists) working in oncology in the UK National Health Service (NHS) during the spring wave of COVID-19 will be presented at the NCRI Virtual Showcase.

Early results from DETECT study suggest fitness trackers can predict COVID-19 infections

Examining data from the first six weeks of their landmark DETECT study, a team of scientists from the Scripps Research Translational Institute sees encouraging signs that wearable fitness devices can improve public health efforts to control COVID-19.

Remdesivir for COVID-19: FDA approved but still unproven

The United States has become the epicenter of the world in the ever increasing pandemic of COVID-19. While public health prevention strategies of social distancing, crowd avoidance, masking and frequent hand washing are of proven benefit, effective drug therapies for treatment are sparse. Not surprisingly, remdesivir has attracted worldwide attention, first receiving an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and especially with U.S. President Donald Trump taking the drug for COVID-19 earlier this month. Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) published the largest randomized trial showing no benefit on reducing hospital stays or mortality. Nonetheless, remdesivir has received approval from the FDA for standard of care use for patients who are hospitalized.

Some COVID-19 "long haulers" experience lasting skin problems

Some patients with COVID-19 have persistent skin-related symptoms long after their initial infection has cleared, according to a new analysis. The findings, presented at the 29th Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), point to another burden experienced by so-called "long haulers" who get better but don't seem to fully recover from COVID-19.

Ford shares jump after strong 3Q profits

Ford reported a big jump in third-quarter profits Wednesday, pointing to strong sales in North America where large vehicles commanded generous prices amid tight inventories.

France, Germany impose drastic curbs as virus surges in Europe

France was preparing to begin a new month-long national lockdown as Germany imposed drastic new curbs, with European leaders set to meet Thursday to discuss the explosive spikes in coronavirus infections on the continent.

Gilead Sciences reports almost $900 mn in Q3 remdesivir sales

Remdesivir, a therapeutic to treat Covid-19, boosted third-quarter sales for pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences by nearly $900 million, according to results released Wednesday by the drugmaker.

'Made-in-Gaza' device fights coronavirus spread

Entering a Gaza City restaurant, customers are welcomed by a multi-tasking disinfection machine designed by a Palestinian businesswoman to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the crisis-hit enclave.

Short of medics as virus surges, central Europe sounds alarm

Soldiers in Poland are giving coronavirus tests. American National Guard troops with medical training are headed to the Czech Republic to work alongside doctors there. A Czech university student is running blood samples to labs, and the mayor of the capital is taking shifts at a hospital.

India passes eight million coronavirus cases

India on Thursday passed eight million coronavirus cases, with the world's second-worst-hit country bracing for a possible second wave ahead of winter and a series of religious festivals.

US authorities warn of 'imminent' cyber threat to hospitals

US security authorities warned Wednesday of an "imminent cybercrime threat" to hospitals and healthcare providers, urging them to increase their protection.

India's coronavirus cases cross 8 million, behind US

India's confirmed coronavirus caseload surpassed 8 million on Thursday with daily infections dipping to the lowest level this week, as concerns grew over a major Hindu festival season and winter setting in.

Taiwan marks 200 days without domestic COVID-19 infection

Taiwan hit 200 days without any domestically transmitted cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, highlighting the island's continued success at keeping the virus under control even as cases surge in other parts of the world.

How does the coronavirus affect the heart?

How does COVID-19 affect the heart?

UK under pressure as COVID-19 epidemic doubling every 9 days

The British government is under pressure to develop a national strategy to combat a surge of COVID-19 cases and "rescue Christmas'' as scientists warn that the number of people hospitalized with the disease in the U.K. could almost triple by the end of next month unless something more is done now.

Samsung Electronics Q3 net profit leaps after Huawei boost

Samsung Electronics' net profit jumped by almost half in the third quarter, it reported Thursday, as the South Korean giant's mobile and chip businesses were boosted by US sanctions against Chinese rival Huawei.

Artificial intelligence can help to improve prognosis and treatment for glioblastoma

In the first study of its kind in cancer, researchers have applied artificial intelligence to measure the amount of muscle in patients with brain tumours to help improve prognosis and treatment.

Results of COVID-19 host genetics initiative study announced at ASHG 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis. Insights into why some people develop more severe symptoms than others and how to better treat the disease are desperately needed. The COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative was created to study the relationship between variation in the human genome and SARS-CoV-2 infection. This is an ongoing, international, collaborative effort to learn the genetic determinants of COVID-19 susceptibility, severity, and outcomes. Andrea Ganna, Ph.D., EMBL-group leader at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland and an instructor at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, presented the results of the initiative's first genome-wide association studies and follow-up analyses at the American Society of Human Genetics 2020 Virtual Meeting.

Genetics and the COVID-19 pandemic

With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging worldwide, members of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) are working to understand how the virus spreads and infects people, why there is so much variability in susceptibility and severity, and where to look for potential therapeutics. Researchers presented the results of several studies relevant to the current pandemic at the ASHG 2020 Virtual Meeting.

Male fin whales surprise scientists by swapping songs

Until now, scientists believed the male fin whale sings just one song pattern, which is unique to the males in his particular group—but new research has blown this theory out of the water. The study, published in Frontiers in Marine Science, suggests that these endangered deep-sea giants actually sing multiple different songs, which may spread to different parts of the ocean through migrating individuals. Understanding the complexity of fin whale song provides new insights into how their populations move and change over time, helping efforts to better protect and manage the world's second largest mammal.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-male-fin-whales-scientists-swapping.html

Study provides new estimates of breast cancer risks associated with HRT

A new study published by The BMJ today provides new estimates of the increased risks of breast cancer associated with use of different hormone replacement therapy (HRT) preparations in the UK.

Health workers and their families account for 1 in 6 hospital COVID-19 cases

Healthcare workers and their families account for a sixth (17%) of hospital admissions for COVID-19 in the working age population (18-65 years), finds a study from Scotland published by The BMJ today.

US senators to quiz Big Tech CEOs on legal protections

Tech platform CEOs on Tuesday defended a US law making them immune from liability for third-party content ahead of a hearing where senators are expected to rebuke the Silicon Valley firms over their handling of social media.

Here's why Ant Group is about to shatter IPO records

Stella Su, who lives and works in Shanghai, has used an ATM only once in the past year. Instead of cash, in recent years she has done almost all her business using the digital wallet Alipay –- shopping in a mall, buying stuff online or transferring money to friends.

US senators to quiz Big Tech CEOs on legal protections

Tech platform CEOs on Tuesday defended a US law making them immune from liability for third-party content ahead of a hearing where senators are expected to rebuke the Silicon Valley firms over their handling of social media.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-senators-quiz-big-tech-ceos.html

Europe to send modules, astronauts to NASA moon station

The European Space Agency says it has agreed to provide several modules for NASA's planned outpost around the moon, in return for a chance to send European astronauts to the lunar orbiter.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-europe-modules-astronauts-nasa-moon.html

Here's why Ant Group is about to shatter IPO records

Stella Su, who lives and works in Shanghai, has used an ATM only once in the past year. Instead of cash, in recent years she has done almost all her business using the digital wallet Alipay –- shopping in a mall, buying stuff online or transferring money to friends.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-ant-group-shatter-ipo.html

How computer scientists and marketers can create a better CX with AI

Researchers from Erasmus University, The Ohio State University, York University, and London Business School published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines the tension between AI's benefits and costs and then offers recommendations to guide managers and scholars investigating these challenges.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-scientists-cx-ai.html

Reforestation plans in Africa could go awry

The state of mature ecosystems must be taken into account before launching massive reforestation plans in sub-Saharan Africa, according to geo-ecologist Julie Aleman, a visiting researcher in the geography department of Université de Montréal.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-reforestation-africa-awry.html

Coral researchers find link between bacterial genus and disease susceptibility

Corals that appear healthy are more prone to getting sick when they're home to too many parasitic bacteria, new research at Oregon State University shows.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-coral-link-bacterial-genus-disease.html

Mountain gorillas are good neighbours—up to a point

Mountain gorilla groups are friendly to familiar neighbours—provided they stay out of "core" parts of their territory—new research shows.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-mountain-gorillas-good-neighboursup.html

Merkel eyes 'lockdown light' to tame virus

Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to push for a "lockdown light" in crisis talks with Germany's regional leaders Wednesday, as the number of coronavirus cases soars and hospital beds fill up.

Greater prostate cancer incidence; mortality among Black men linked to genetic alterations

Prostate cancer tumors from African American men had higher frequencies of certain genetic alterations that may be associated with aggressive disease, compared with prostate cancer tumors from white men, according to results from a study published in Molecular Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Experts outline key challenges for assessing clinical efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines

Collaboration and standardised approaches for assessing different vaccine efficacy endpoints are key for meaningful comparison of different COVID-19 vaccine candidates to ensure that the most effective vaccines are deployed, say authors of an opinion piece based on a review of evidence, and published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.

Residential context important factor in risk of COVID-19 mortality among older adults, Stockholm study suggests

Older people living with or in close contact with people of working age may be at higher risk of COVID-19 mortality in Stockholm, Sweden, according to an observational study published today in The Lancet Healthy Longevity journal.

COVID-19: Call for millions spent on failing system to be diverted to local services

A group of doctors is calling on the government to divert the hundreds of millions of pounds being spent on the failing centralised privatised COVID-19 national test and trace service into local primary care, local NHS labs and local public health services. Writing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, the doctors say this would avoid the fragmentation created by private companies, restore and rebuild much needed service capacity and reintegrate management of COVID-19 into health services.

Facebook content moderators call for better treatment

As Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg prepares to be grilled by a Senate committee about the handling of politically-charged posts, content moderators are insisting that properly valuing their work is key.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-facebook-content-moderators-treatment.html

NASA to launch delicate stowing of OSIRIS-REx asteroid samples

NASA's robotic spacecraft OSIRIS-REx is set to begin on Tuesday a delicate operation to store the precious particles it scooped up from the asteroid Bennu, but which were leaking into space when a flap got wedged open.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-nasa-delicate-stowing-osiris-rex-asteroid.html

Second-hand site Vinted happy to scare clothing retailers

With more than 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in sales last year on its platform and a new acquisition under its belt, second-hand clothes innovator Vinted believes it is starting to scare fashion retailers—for the good of the planet.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-second-hand-site-vinted-happy-retailers.html

With new tools, Facebook aims to avoid election fiasco repeat

Facebook is leveraging its vast resources to help protect the 2020 election against the kind of massive manipulation and disinformation efforts that the platform failed to act on in 2016.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-tools-facebook-aims-election-fiasco.html

3-D printing the first ever biomimetic tongue surface

Scientists have created synthetic soft surfaces with tongue-like textures for the first time using 3-D printing, opening new possibilities for testing oral processing properties of food, nutritional technologies, pharmaceutics and dry mouth therapies.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-d-biomimetic-tongue-surface.html

Ultrasounds show impact of COVID-19 on the heart

Cardiac ultrasounds (also known as echocardiograms) are providing a view of the heart and the impact of the COVID-19 virus on patients. A new study by researchers at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai identifies different types of cardiac structural damage experienced by COVID-19 patients after cardiac injury that can be associated with deadly conditions including heart attack, pulmonary embolism, heart failure, and myocarditis. These abnormalities are associated with higher risk of death among hospitalized patients. The findings, published the October 26 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, offer new insights that may help doctors better understand the mechanism of cardiac injury, leading to quicker identification of patients at risk and guidance on future therapies.

Artificially sweetened drinks may not be heart healthier than sugary drinks

Sugary drinks and artificially sweetened beverages are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, which suggests artificially sweetened beverages may not be the healthy alternative they are often claimed to be, according to a research letter in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Facebook content moderators call for better treatment

As Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg prepares to be grilled by a Senate committee about the handling of politically-charged posts, content moderators are insisting that properly valuing their work is key.

Can I celebrate Halloween during the pandemic?

Can I celebrate Halloween during the pandemic?

Second-hand site Vinted happy to scare clothing retailers

With more than 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in sales last year on its platform and a new acquisition under its belt, second-hand clothes innovator Vinted believes it is starting to scare fashion retailers—for the good of the planet.

Asymptomatic virus sufferers lose antibodies sooner: study

Asymptomatic coronavirus sufferers appear to lose detectable antibodies sooner than people who have exhibited COVID-19 symptoms, according to one of the biggest studies of its kind in Britain published on Tuesday.

Australia's virus epicentre records second day with no cases

Melbourne on Tuesday recorded its second consecutive day with no new coronavirus cases, as bars and restaurants in the epicentre of Australia's second-wave outbreak prepared to reopen after a lengthy lockdown.

With new tools, Facebook aims to avoid election fiasco repeat

Facebook is leveraging its vast resources to help protect the 2020 election against the kind of massive manipulation and disinformation efforts that the platform failed to act on in 2016.

Lilly antibody drug fails in a COVID-19 study; others go on

U.S. government officials are putting an early end to a study testing an Eli Lilly antibody drug for people hospitalized with COVID-19 because it doesn't seem to be helping them.