Countries battle rising virus cases as WHO sees 'exponential' rise

A number of countries tightened anti-coronavirus measures on Saturday, with France extending a curfew and Belgium bringing forward its own, as Germany's death toll passed 10,000 and the US reported 80,000 infections in a single day.

Crews vacuum 'murder hornets' out of Washington nest

Heavily protected crews in Washington state worked Saturday to destroy the first nest of so-called murder hornets discovered in the United States.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-crews-vacuum-hornets-washington.html

Facebook demands academics disable ad-targeting data tool

Academics, journalists and First Amendment lawyers are rallying behind New York University researchers in a showdown with Facebook over its demand that they halt the collection of data showing who is being micro-targeted by political ads on the world's dominant social media platform.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-facebook-demands-academics-disable-ad-targeting.html

Thousands of seals found dead in Namibia

An estimated 7,000 Cape fur seals have been discovered dead at a breeding colony in central Namibia, scientists said on Saturday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-thousands-dead-namibia.html

New model predicts which patients with kidney disease may develop heartbeat irregularities

A new model that uses machine learning, which is a type of artificial intelligence, may help predict which patients with kidney disease are at especially high risk of developing heart beat irregularities. The findings come from a study that will be presented online during ASN Kidney Week 2020 Reimagined October 19-October 25.

Model predicts acute kidney injury requiring dialysis in patients with COVID-19

A new artificial intelligence-based algorithm may help clinicians predict which patients with COVID-19 face a high risk of developing acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring dialysis. The research will be presented online during ASN Kidney Week 2020 Reimagined October 19-October 25.

No escaping from Wales: UK police to enforce travel ban

A police force in England says it will try to stop people from leaving Wales, which has started a 17-day lockdown to slow a surging rate of coronavirus infections.

Facebook demands academics disable ad-targeting data tool

Academics, journalists and First Amendment lawyers are rallying behind New York University researchers in a showdown with Facebook over its demand that they halt the collection of data showing who is being micro-targeted by political ads on the world's dominant social media platform.

Spain braces for national emergency to allow curfews

Spain was bracing for a new national state of emergency to allow the imposition of curfews as its regions on Saturday pushed for action to slow surging virus cases.

Biden pledges free Covid vaccine for 'everyone' in US if elected

Democrat Joe Biden said Friday that if elected president he would mandate COVID-19 vaccines be free for all Americans, part of a national strategy to "get ahead" of the coronavirus.

US sees daily record of nearly 80,000 new COVID-19 cases

A record of nearly 80,000 new COVID-19 infections over the course of a day were reported in the United States on Friday, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.

Germany virus death toll passes 10,000: health institute

Germany has suffered more than 10,000 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to official data published Saturday.

AstraZeneca, J&J vaccine trials back on track in US

Two major clinical trials for experimental COVID-19 vaccines got back on track in the United States Friday—providing a glimmer of hope as the number of cases skyrocket across the country.

Proton therapy for lung cancer may help reduce risk of heart diseases

Treating lung cancer patients with proton therapy may help reduce the risk of radiation-induced heart diseases, suggests a new study from Penn Medicine. In a retrospective trial of more than 200 patients, mini-strokes were significantly less common among patients who underwent proton therapy versus conventional photon-based radiation therapy. Proton therapy patients also experienced fewer heart attacks.

ASTRO highlights Winship study showing increased failure-free survival in prostate cancer

A study from Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University (Winship) has the potential to change how patients whose prostate cancer recurs after prostatectomy are treated. The study will be featured in both the plenary session and press program of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting on Monday, October 26.

New algorithm predicts likelihood of acute kidney injury

A new artificial intelligence-based tool can help clinicians predict which hospitalized patients face a high risk of developing acute kidney injury (AKI). The research will be presented online during ASN Kidney Week 2020 Reimagined October 19-October 25.

'Patient activation' may improve quality of life in individuals with kidney disease

Researchers previously demonstrated that online peer mentoring for individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) improves patient activation—or patients' willingness and ability to take actions to manage their health and care—and quality of life (QOL). Now the investigators have looked at the correlation between QOL and patient activation among patients with CKD who participated in an online peer mentoring program, which provides guidance from others who live with CKD. The study that will be presented online during ASN Kidney Week 2020 Reimagined October 19-October 25.

Why do minorities have higher rates of kidney failure?

A new study investigates the reasons behind higher incidences of kidney failure among US minorities. The findings will be presented online during ASN Kidney Week 2020 Reimagined October 19-October 25.

Achieving high concentrations of sunitinib in tumors is linked to improved survival

A strategy for giving intermittent, high doses of the anti-cancer drug sunitinib is well-tolerated by patients with advanced cancer and increases concentrations of the drug in tumours, which is associated with improved survival, according to research to be presented at the 32nd EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, which is taking place online.

Acute kidney injury among African Americans with sickle cell trait and disease

Sickle cell trait and sickle cell disease are risk factors for experiencing kidney function decline among Black individuals. A new study indicates that the risk of acute kidney injury is also higher in adults with sickle cell trait or disease, and it may play a role in the kidney function decline experienced by these individuals. The findings come from a study that will be presented online during ASN Kidney Week 2020 Reimagined October 19-October 25.

Asteroid samples escaping from jammed NASA spacecraft

A NASA spacecraft is stuffed with so much asteroid rubble from this week's grab that it's jammed open and precious particles are drifting away in space, scientists said Friday.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-asteroid-samples-nasa-spacecraft.html

South America ravaged by unprecedented drought and fires

Under stress from a historic drought, large swathes of forest and wetlands in central South America known for their exceptional biodiversity have been ravaged by devastating fires.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-south-america-ravaged-unprecedented-drought.html

Galapagos sees record rise in penguins, flightless cormorants

The population of Galapagos penguins and flightless cormorants, two species endemic to the islands, has seen a record increase, study results released Friday showed.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-galapagos-penguins-flightless-cormorants.html