Tuesday 24 September 2019

ER visits escalate when kids with asthma also have depression, anxiety

Children with asthma have a higher likelihood of also suffering from anxiety and depression, and when all three conditions are present, patients are almost twice as likely as those with asthma alone to seek care in the Emergency Room.

Jackdaws learn from each other about 'dangerous' humans

Jackdaws can learn from each other to identify "dangerous" humans, new research shows.

Percentage of women in internal med residencies increasing

(HealthDay)—From 1999 to 2016, the percentage of women in internal medicine residencies increased, but the percentage in subspecialty fellowships decreased, according to a research letter published online Sept. 23 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Improved mapping of Swedish genes from 1,000 individuals

People—or more specifically just Swedes—are more like chimpanzees than previously known. This is indicated in a genetic mapping of one thousand Swedish individuals, where new DNA sequences that should be included in the reference genome have been identified.

Train tracks deadly for kids, but many parents underestimate the danger

(HealthDay)—Think the chances that your kid could be hit by a train are slim to none?

A healthy diet may help prevent kidney disease

Maintaining a healthy diet may help prevent kidney disease, according to an analysis of published studies. The findings appear in an upcoming issue of CJASN.

Only thing certain about flu season: you need to get your shot

(HealthDay)—Although no one knows yet how severe this flu season will be, now is the time to get vaccinated, health officials say.

Russian hacker pleads guilty in massive data theft scheme

A Russian hacker has admitted to his involvement in one of the biggest thefts of consumer data from a U.S. financial institution.

French retailers widening crypto acceptance

French retailers are gradually widening acceptance of payments in crypto currencies, a group of companies said Tuesday on the sidelines of Paris Retail Week.

Pakistani officials say outbreak of dengue fever kills 20

Pakistani health officials are battling an outbreak of dengue fever in the South Asian nation, confirming over 10,000 cases and 20 deaths in recent months.

Indonesian forest fires putting 10 million children at risk: UN

Indonesian forest fires are putting nearly 10 million children at risk from air pollution, the United Nations warned Tuesday, as scientists said the blazes were releasing vast amounts of greenhouse gases.

New independent watchdog to keep extremists off internet

The leaders of New Zealand and France are backing a watchdog organization aimed at keeping internet platforms from being used by extremists—and preparing speedy responses to future attacks.

Seoul confirms 4th swine fever case, asks Pyongyang for cooperation

South Korea confirmed its fourth case of African swine fever on Tuesday, as Pyongyang was yet to respond to Seoul's request to make joint efforts to tackle the deadly animal disease.

Highest EU court to rule on Google 'right to be forgotten' case

Europe's top court will on Tuesday rule whether US search giant Google must apply worldwide a ruling that it comply with requests to remove online links, or whether the "de-referencing" should be limited to just EU domains.

Starbucks, Fiat brace for EU court decision on taxes

An EU court on Tuesday will decide if orders by Brussels that Starbucks and Fiat Chrysler pay back taxes are legal, in an early signal on how the same judges will decide a similar case with Apple.

Bats starving to death in Australia drought

Large numbers of bats are being found severely emaciated or starved to death in Australia amid a prolonged drought that is crippling their food supply, according to wildlife carers and environment officials.

Jellyfish thrive in the man-made disruption of the oceans

Thousands of them plague our beaches to the horror of holidaymakers who dread their sting, but thanks to man's disruption of the oceans, jellyfish are thriving.

Australia probes PayPal over child abuse payments

Australia's financial regulator on Tuesday ordered an investigation into global money transfer platform PayPal over concerns it is being misused by sex offenders to buy child abuse material from Asia.

Facebook buys startup working on mind-control of machines

Facebook on Monday said it had made a deal to buy a startup working on ways to command computers or other devices using thought instead of taps, swipes, or keystrokes.

NASA in megadeal with Lockheed for moon mission

NASA on Monday earmarked almost $3 billion to Lockheed Martin to build three Orion capsules, to allow US astronauts to return to the moon by 2024.

China planning controls on e-cigarettes amid health concern

China plans to join governments that are imposing controls on tobacco liquid and additives for e-cigarettes amid rising concern about deaths and illnesses blamed on vaping, a state news agency said Tuesday.

Green gaming: Video game firms make climate promises at UN

Gaming is going green—and some of the biggest game companies hope players will, too.

Child abuse associated with physiologically detected hot flashes

Childhood abuse has been shown to lead to an array of health problems later in life. A new study now shows that such abuse may be linked with physiologically detected hot flashes. Study results will be presented during The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting in Chicago, September 25-28, 2019.

Self-silencing may lead to increased risk of stroke

Expressing your true feelings is not only good for your mental health, but it could also be important for your physical health. A new study associates self-silencing (inhibiting one's self-expression) with greater carotid plaque buildup which could lead to a stroke and other cardiovascular problems. Study results will be presented during The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting in Chicago, September 25 to 28, 2019.

Deep brain stimulation for refractory severe tinnitus

Researchers from the University of California San Francisco and Veterans Affairs Health Care System, San Francisco investigated the safety and efficacy of deep brain stimulation in the treatment of refractory severe tinnitus in a small group of patients. They found the procedure to be safe and the results to be encouraging. Detailed findings are found in the article, "Phase I trial of caudate deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant tinnitus," by Steven W. Cheung, M.D., and colleagues, published today in the Journal of Neurosurgery.

Racial/ethnic mortality disparities widen among many age groups

Years of progress towards reducing disparities in racial/ethnic group mortality rates in the United States came to a halt between 2009 and 2012, according to a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Prior to this inflection period, improvements in mortality rates within the African American population had largely been closing the gap. Since then, racial/ethnic mortality rate disparities have been widening rather than shrinking among many age groups, especially the very young and middle-aged.

More discussion needed about vulvovaginal health at well woman visits

Despite the wealth of information now available about menopause, women are still not comfortable in proactively discussing vaginal issues related to menopause with their healthcare providers, who appear equally uncomfortable and unlikely to initiate the conversation. That's according to a new study which will be presented during The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting in Chicago, September 25-28, 2019.

Hormone therapy linked to decrease level of diabetes biomarkers

The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) remains one of the most highly quoted when debating the benefits and risks of hormone therapy. Now a new study based on WHI data demonstrates that, among other benefits, hormone therapy decreases a number of metabolites that are directly linked with Type 2 diabetes. Study results will be presented during The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting in Chicago, September 25 to 28, 2019.