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Putting low-cost diagnostics to the test
Rapid diagnostic tests for malaria have an important role in areas with limited access to health care.Credit: Sadak Souici/Le Pictorium/Alamy Nobody enjoys twirling a swab up their nose to test for COVID-19, but many people had cause to be grateful for at-home diagnostic tests during the height of the pandemic. Users could learn in 15…
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What’s behind China’s mysterious wave of childhood pneumonia?
Credit: Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty China is grappling with a surge in respiratory illnesses, including pneumonia, in children. The World Health Organization (WHO) said last week that common winter infections — rather than any new pathogens — are behind the spike in hospitalizations. A surge of infections was expected in the country this winter, China’s first…
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Sexism in academia is bad for science and a waste of public funding
Higher education and research institutions are critical to the well-being and success of societies, meaning their financial support is strongly in the public interest. At the same time, value-for-money principles demand that such investment delivers. Unfortunately, these principles are currently violated by one of the biggest sources of public funding inefficiency: sexism. Before she helped…
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Modeling walking accessibility to urban parks using Google Maps crowdsourcing database in the high-density urban environments of Hong Kong
Abstract Accessing urban parks is important for promoting physical activities and improving public health. In this study, we propose the use of Google Maps crowdsourcing data and the incorporation of park attractiveness to model urban park accessibility in the complex urban environments of Hong Kong. The difference between using geometric and route distance, the effect…
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STEM doctorate recipients with disabilities experienced early in life earn lower salaries and are underrepresented among higher academic positions
Abstract There is paucity of data examining disparities in salary and representation for disabled scientists, which is needed to advance inclusion and equity for people with disabilities in STEM. Using data from the 2019 Survey of Doctorate Recipients (United States, N = 1,148,817), we show that doctorate recipients working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) with…
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High-throughput identification and quantification of bacterial cells in the microbiota based on 16S rRNA sequencing with single-base accuracy using BarBIQ
Abstract Bacteria often function as a community, called the microbiota, consisting of many different bacterial species. The accurate identification of bacterial types and the simultaneous quantification of the cells of each bacterial type will advance our understanding of microbiota; however, this cannot be performed by conventional 16S rRNA sequencing methods as they only identify and…
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Metabolic health status and renal disorders: a cross-sectional study
Abstract Previous surveys suggests that body mass index (BMI) may be positively related to development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, this association might be altered by metabolic syndrome. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the association of metabolic health status with CKD. The present cross-sectional study was carried out on 3322 representative sample of Iranian…
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Novel light regimes in European forests
Abstract Tree canopies are one of the most recognizable features of forests, providing shelter from external influences to a myriad of species that live within and below the tree foliage. Canopy disturbances are now increasing across European forests, and climate-change-induced drought is a key driver, together with pests and pathogens, storms and fire. These disturbances…
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A dance for the ages: balancing art and science
Reading Time: 3 minutes [email protected] In this series, the lads ask if farming is more science or art. For many years I rowed competitively. In rowing, naturally talented people use long limbs and height to be effective. Anyone on the shorter side, like me, must employ different tactics. We graft to get results. The “10,000…
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L’Oréal, Great Barrier Reef Foundation Launch Global Coral Restoration
Great Barrier Reef Foundation The L’Oréal Fund for Nature Regeneration has committed to a decade-long investment aimed at pioneering a world-first method of calculating the value of coral reef biodiversity and support the deployment of heat-tolerant corals. This innovative methodology is expected to stimulate a market for nature rehabilitation, thereby securing crucial funding to safeguard…