Category: research

Lack of Domestic Vaccines Has Raised Calls for Pharmaceutical Policy Reforms, While Some Advise Caution

The lack of Canadian capacity to produce COVID-19 vaccines has raised new questions on how governments should approach the pharmaceutical industry. Amid calls for Canada to create a better investment environment for pharmaceutical companies, some are advising caution to avoid overcompensation and a culture that could foster over-prescription, instead suggesting a more results-based approach. Walter…


Study Cites Childhood Tumor Risk for Pesticide Exposure During Pregnancy

LOS ANGELES—Pesticide exposure during pregnancy might lead to the development of central nervous system tumors during childhood, according to a study involving researchers from the University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA), University of Southern California and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The increased risk of these tumors, estimated as much as twice to 2.5 times higher for some…


Australia’s Chief Scientist Wants Impact From Research

Australia’s scientific research should not just end as academic writing but lay the groundwork for innovative products to benefit the nation. That’s the focus of Australia’s new chief scientist Cathy Foley, who has on Wednesday given her first major address in the role. Foley worked on indium nitride for her PhD, finding the chemical was responsive…


UCI Study Shows Upswing in Gunshot and Knife Wounds During Pandemic

ORANGE—University of California–Irvine (UCI) researchers led a study that shows that gunshot and knife wounds increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in Southern California, but injuries from traffic crashes were down. UCI Health researchers reviewed 20,450 trauma patients who were treated at 11 hospitals across seven counties. The study, which the researchers say is the first…


Insecticide Decimating Popular Pollinator, the Squash Bee, Ontario Research Suggests

A popular insecticide used on farms across Canada has been shown to have dire effects on ground-nesting bees, according to new research from the University of Guelph. Female hoary squash bees, workhorse pollinators on pumpkin and squash farms, dug 85 percent fewer nests when exposed to crops treated with the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid, the research…


Britain to Launch ‘High Risk, High Reward’ Science Agency

The UK is to launch a new “high risk, high reward” agency to quickly identify cutting-edge science and technology research, it was revealed on Friday. The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) will allow world-leading scientists the freedom to find and back “ground-breaking discoveries that could transform people’s lives for the better,” the government said…


Could Your Next Doctor Be Made of Metal? Meet UC Iris

University of California (UC) researchers are turning to robots for help during the ongoing pandemic. A research team—which includes members from UC’S Irvine, San Diego, and Los Angeles campuses—are developing advanced robots that will allow healthcare workers to conduct remote exams. Called UC Iris, the bots will also give quarantined California’s an easier way to…


UCI Reduces COVID-19 Hospitalizations Through Transfusions 

The University of California–Irvine (UCI) says it’s found a way to reduce COVID-19 related hospitalizations, and the strategy is so effective that a federal virus response team has tapped it as a model. The UCI is using monoclonal antibodies (antibodies developed in a laboratory) to help lessen virus symptoms for those who tested positive for…


COVID-19 `Fatigue’ Causing Drop in Some Protective Measures, Study Finds

LOS ANGELES—COVID-19 “fatigue” is having a negative effect on some protective measures that people are taking to guard against the coronavirus—although mask-wearing is up, according to a new University of Southern California (USC) survey. Protective measures such as avoiding close contact with non-household members and staying home are waning as the pandemic drags on, the…


Mutated COVID-19 Strain Detected in Orange County

A mutated strain of COVID-19 has landed in numerous Southern California counties, health officials said as they worked to better understand the variant. The California Department of Public Health (CDCH) said Jan. 17 that the 452R variant has been detected in about a dozen counties, including Orange, San Diego, and Los Angeles counties.  The department…