Light pollution drives increased risk of West Nile virus

Florida has experienced a relatively mild winter, which typically translates to more mosquitoes in the summer and more birds on which they can feast. If history repeats itself, it's likely there will be an uptick in West Nile virus cases this year, especially in the outer fringes of the suburbs where much of the nighttime illumination emanates from the skyglow of nearby cities.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-pollution-west-nile-virus.html

Light pollution drives increased risk of West Nile virus

Florida has experienced a relatively mild winter, which typically translates to more mosquitoes in the summer and more birds on which they can feast. If history repeats itself, it's likely there will be an uptick in West Nile virus cases this year, especially in the outer fringes of the suburbs where much of the nighttime illumination emanates from the skyglow of nearby cities.

Snappy evolution was behind the success of ancient crocodiles

New research led by the University of Bristol has revealed that crocodiles once flourished on land and in the oceans as a result of fast evolution.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-snappy-evolution-success-ancient-crocodiles.html

Snappy evolution was behind the success of ancient crocodiles

New research led by the University of Bristol has revealed that crocodiles once flourished on land and in the oceans as a result of fast evolution.

Individual SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody immunity lasts from days to decades

Scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School, the National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID) and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Infectious Diseases Labs found that antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 wane at different rates, lasting for mere days in some individuals, while remaining present in others for decades. The study, published in The Lancet Microbe, shows that the severity of the infection could be a deciding factor in having longer-lasting antibodies. Individuals with low levels of neutralizing antibodies may still be protected from COVID-19 if they have a robust T-cell immunity.

Rugby study identifies new method to diagnose concussion using saliva

A University of Birmingham-led study of top-flight UK rugby players—carried out in collaboration with the Rugby Football Union (RFU), Premiership Rugby, and Marker Diagnostics—has identified a method of accurately diagnosing concussion using saliva, paving the way for the first non-invasive clinical test for concussion for use in sport and other settings.

'Catastrophic' Australia floods prompt helicopter rescues

Military helicopters, jet skis and rubber boats were deployed to rescue people stranded by "catastrophic" floods along Australia's populous east coast Tuesday, with thousands of homes damaged.

AstraZeneca may have included 'outdated' data in US vaccine trials: regulator

AstraZeneca may have included out-of-date drug data in information provided during US trials for its COVID-19 vaccine, a regulator said late Monday, citing concerns from a monitoring board.

Germany extends virus lockdown till mid-April as cases rise

Germany has extended its lockdown measures by another month and imposed several new restrictions, including largely shutting down public life over Easter, in an effort to drive down the rate of coronavirus infections.

US weather model upgraded to better forecast extreme events

The National Weather Service has turbocharged its lagging forecast model to better predict extreme weather events such as hurricanes, blizzards and downpours, as well as day-to-day weather.

Partnership with churches increases COVID-19 vaccine delivery among Black population

Incorporating Black churches and clergy in COVID-19 vaccination education and distribution has been found to be an effective model in helping to increase vaccination delivery to historically at-risk populations in San Bernardino County, a study says.

Study outlines testing strategies for safer air travel during the pandemic

Almost 90 percent of infectious travelers could be detected with rapid SARS-CoV-2 tests at the airport, and most imported infections could be prevented with a combination of pre-travel testing and a five-day post-travel quarantine that would only lift with a negative test result, according to a computer simulation by UC San Francisco researchers.

A leader's gender plays a role in local government sustainability policymaking

When it comes to local government, does the gender of a mayor or county executive matter in sustainability policymaking? Yes, but only in certain ways, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.

Food industry lobbying was intense on failed bill to limit marketing to Canadian children

Researchers at the University of Toronto have found that food industry interactions with government heavily outnumbered non-industry interactions on Bill S-228, also known as the Child Health Protection Act, which died in the Senate of Canada in 2019.

Nintendo teams up with Pokemon Go creator for smartphone games

Japanese games giant Nintendo is teaming up with the US firm behind runaway hit Pokemon Go to develop augmented reality smartphone games, the two companies said Tuesday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-03-nintendo-teams-pokemon-creator-smartphone.html

'Catastrophic' Australia floods prompt helicopter rescues

Military helicopters, jet skis and rubber boats were deployed to rescue people stranded by "catastrophic" floods along Australia's populous east coast Tuesday, with thousands of homes damaged.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-catastrophic-australia-prompt-helicopter.html

Facebook hit by French lawsuit over hate speech

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders announced Tuesday that it has filed a lawsuit against Facebook in France, saying the website breaks its own terms by failing to protect users against hate speech.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-03-facebook-french-lawsuit-speech.html

US weather model upgraded to better forecast extreme events

The National Weather Service has turbocharged its lagging forecast model to better predict extreme weather events such as hurricanes, blizzards and downpours, as well as day-to-day weather.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-weather-extreme-events.html

A leader's gender plays a role in local government sustainability policymaking

When it comes to local government, does the gender of a mayor or county executive matter in sustainability policymaking? Yes, but only in certain ways, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-03-leader-gender-role-local-sustainability.html

Facebook hit by French lawsuit over hate speech

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders announced Tuesday that it has filed a lawsuit against Facebook in France, saying the website breaks its own terms by failing to protect users against hate speech.

PB Asset Managements Henry Drake Announced as Marketing Director

PB Asset Management announced today that Henry Drake has taken over duties as marketing director after the retirement of Dillan Morris at the start of the year. CEO and founder Peter Burton released the following statement, "First of we would like to thank the incredible service of Dillan, he has been a very important part of the PB family for the last 9 years helping to grow us into the global force we are today. [PR.com]

Green Bay Pet Food Manufacturer, Carnivore Meat Company, Ranks 155 on Inc Magazine's Fastest Growing Private Companies in Midwest Regionals

Inc. Magazine announced Carnivore Meat Company is ranked No. 155 on the 2021 Inc. 5000 Regionals Midwest list. [PR.com]

Sunil Ramlall Publishes Research Article on the Relevance of Competency-based Education

Sunil Ramlall is the author of an article on competency-based education. This article examines the practices around Competency-Based Education (CBE) in the U.S. by examining best practices and interviews with leaders at multiple academic institutions to understand strategies being used, identify strengths and opportunities of CBE initiatives. [PR.com]

Deborah R. Herder Honored as a Woman of the Month for February 2021 by P.O.W.E.R.

Deborah R. Herder of Sewell, New Jersey has been honored as a Woman of the Month for February 2021 by P.O.W.E.R. (Professional Organization of Women of Excellence Recognized) for her outstanding contributions and achievements in the field of beauty and cosmetics. Each month P.O.W.E.R. features women to represent their professions and industries due to their expertise and success in their chosen specialty. About Deborah [PR.com]

"Mode One" Author Sees Spike in Book Sales Due to YouTuber's Viral Video

Author Alan Roger Currie recently experienced a spike in his book sales due to a viral video on YouTube that has garnered close to one million views in the last 21 months. Currie, who is a professional dating coach for men, saw his 2006 eBook version of "Mode One: Let the Women Know What You're REALLY Thinking" rise to #3 on Amazon.com in the category of "Communication Skills" and he saw his audiobook version of the same [PR.com]