Germany's daily Covid-19 deaths top 1,000 for first time

Germany's daily coronavirus death toll has crossed 1,000 for the first time, health authorities said Wednesday.

China's Sinopharm says vaccine '79% effective' against Covid-19

Phase 3 trials of a Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine found it was 79 percent effective, the Chinese pharma giant said Wednesday, lower than rival jabs developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna but a potential breakthrough in the battle to stem the pandemic in Asia.

Imaging of ballistic wounds, bullet composition and implications for MRI safety

According to an article in ARRS' American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR), because patients with ballistic embedded fragments are frequently denied MRI (due to indeterminate bullet composition sans shell casings), radiography and CT can be used to identify nonferromagnetic projectiles that are safe for MRI.

New AI tool can predict in seconds what a movie will be rated

Movie ratings can determine a movie's appeal to consumers and the size of its potential audience. Thus, they have an impact on a film's bottom line. Typically, humans do the tedious task of manually rating a movie based on viewing the movie and making decisions on the presence of violence, drug abuse and sexual content.

How to help dogs and cats manage separation anxiety when their humans return to work

When one of my co-workers found out about a tiny, orphaned kitten that needed a home a few months ago, he didn't hesitate to adopt it. He says his new companion helped make the months of COVID-19 isolation at home much less stressful.

Crops grown in Bangalore high on toxic heavy metals

Scientists in Bangalore, India have found toxic levels of four heavy metals, chromium, nickel, cadmium and lead, in crops and vegetables grown on soil irrigated with water from six lakes in the city, reports a study published December in Current Science.

New supercluster discovered by astronomers

By analyzing the data from the eROSITA Final Equatorial Depth Survey (eFEDS), an international team of astronomers has detected a new supercluster. The newly found structure consists of eight galaxy clusters. The discovery is reported in a paper published December 21 on the arXiv pre-print server.

Football: 'The wall' can make it harder to save free kicks – new research

In football, free kicks occur when the referee believes a rule has been broken. If central enough and within 30 metres from the goal, the attacking team typically attempts a direct shot on goal. However, the goalkeeper routinely places a "wall" of defensive players in between the ball and the goal to complicate the kicker's task of shooting on target.

Charles Dickens wrote about the diphtheria crisis of 1856—and it all sounds very familiar

A strange and frightening disease is killing people around the world. Medical opinion is divided and it's very difficult to get an accurate picture of what is going on. The authorities are trying to avoid a panic, travel has been disrupted and fake news is rife. All this was happening when Charles Dickens picked up his pen in August, 1856, to write a letter to Sir Joseph Olliffe, physician to the British embassy in Paris.

Mozzies biting? Here's how to choose a repellent (and how to use it for the best protection)

Mosquitoes are an inevitable part of the Australian summer. And this year, with COVID a consideration, we might be spending more time outdoors than usual.

Would you do this at home? Why we are more likely to do stupid things on holidays

As the COVID pandemic took hold in March, Ohio's Brady Sluder went to Miami for spring break, despite urgent calls for people to stay home and socially distance.

What's the best way to boost the economy? Invest in high-voltage transmission lines

When, in the midst of the pandemic, the Economic Society of Australia invited 150 of Australia's keenest young thinkers to come up with "brief, specific and actionable" proposals to improve the economy, amid scores of ideas about improving job matching, changing the tax system, providing non-repayable loans to businesses and accelerating telehealth, two proposals stood out.

Here's why you're checking work emails on holidays (and how to stop)

Finally, the holidays are here—the break you've been waiting for. You want to leave work behind, kick back and enjoy time with family and friends.

Clicks, bonks and dripping taps: listen to the calls of 6 frogs out and about this summer

Frog calls are iconic sounds of summer in Australia. There are more than 240 species native to Australia, almost all of which are found nowhere else on Earth.

To help trudge through the snow, the chang'e-5 recovery team wore powered exoskeletons

Other worlds aren't the only difficult terrain personnel will have to traverse in humanity's exploration of the solar system. There are some parts of our own planet that are inhospitable and hard to travel over. Inner Mongolia, a northern province of China, would certainly classify as one of those areas, especially in winter. But that's exactly the terrain team members from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASTC) had to traverse on December 16th to retrieve lunar samples from the Chang'e-5 mission. What was even more unique is that they did it with the help of exoskeletons.

Is forearm curvature in the 'Little Foot' Australopithecus natural or pathological?

The 3.67-million-year-old StW 573 ("Little Foot") Australopithecus from Sterkfontein, South Africa, is the most complete skeleton known in the hominin fossil record.  It's discoverers suggested that the significant curvature of its forearm is the result of a fall from a tree during childhood.  They argued this early Australopithecus suffered acute plastic bowing of the forearm—a deformity common in young children after suffering a traumatic fall onto an outstretched hand, as juvenile bones are more elastic than those of adults. 

Approved Mortgage Donates Christmas Day Meals to Local Hospital Staff

Local mortgage companies partner to provide 250 meals to the Franciscan Health COVID staff. Each meal was individually prepared and packaged by the Market District in Carmel, Indiana before being delivered directly to the hospital. [PR.com]

Voting Open for First Shoutout of the Week on DTR Inc.'s Radio Station Rock on Neon Radio

Rock on Neon Radio's new schedule starts January 1, 2021. The station's motto is “some that you recognize, some that you've hardly even heard of,” a quote from the song Celluloid Heroes by The Kinks. [PR.com]

Bell, Book and Camera Productions Releases Documentary on Famed Concert Series

"This Sacred Place" tells the story of Old Lynn Concerts. [PR.com]

Loveforce International Signs Multi-Genre Recording Artist Ami Cannon

Loveforce International Signs Multi-Genre Recording Artist Ami Cannon to a recording contract, an Administrative Co-Publishing, and book deal. [PR.com]

Marcie Manfredonia-Siciliano Honored as a Woman of Empowerment by P.O.W.E.R. (Professional Organization of Women of Excellence Recognized)

Marcie Manfredonia-Siciliano of Bedford Hills, New York has been honored as a Woman of Empowerment by P.O.W.E.R (Professional Organization of Woman of Excellence Recognized) for her outstanding contributions and achievements in the fields of construction maintenance, custom candles, and CBD products. About Marcie Manfredonia-Siciliano Marcie Manfredonia-Siciliano is the owner of Nationwide Maintenance, which is a woman [PR.com]

Conversations with Philatelists Wins Philatelic Traders’ Society Creative Concept of the Year Award

The Philatelic Traders’ Society held their first annual philatelic awards this year. These awards mark a pivotal point in the hobby, which has seen a booming increase in engagement this year, and sets apart those that have truly pioneered this new golden age of philately that is currently emerging. [PR.com]

Edgy Dramedy "Edgar" by Backbone Trail Arts to Start Production in 2021

Is it a nightmare? Or, is it just family? [PR.com]

Common brain malformation traced to its genetic roots

About one in 100 children has a common brain disorder called Chiari 1 malformation, but most of the time such children grow up normally and no one suspects a problem. But in about one in 10 of those children, the condition causes headaches, neck pain, hearing, vision and balance disturbances, or other neurological symptoms.

Brain imaging predicts PTSD after brain injury

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex psychiatric disorder brought on by physical and/or psychological trauma. How its symptoms, including anxiety, depression and cognitive disturbances arise remains incompletely understood and unpredictable. Treatments and outcomes could potentially be improved if doctors could better predict who would develop PTSD. Now, researchers using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have found potential brain biomarkers of PTSD in people with traumatic brain injury (TBI).