livescience--2020-08-21--Will California's giant redwoods survive the raging wildfires?

The ancient giants were standing when Jesus was born , and they were still upright when the Normans conquered Britain .
But will the majestic of California 's coast survive the lightning-sparked fires raging across the state ?
One of the biggest conflagrations in the state , the CZU complex fire in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties , has severely damaged Big Basin State Park , which is home to a sprawling stand of these ancient redwoods , .
Related : Nature 's giants : Photos of the tallest trees in the world But though the buildings and campgrounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forests themselves are likely to survive .
That 's because these giant trees possess many defenses against flames , a scientist told Live Science .
In the past week , California experienced nearly 11,000 lightning strikes within a span of 72 hours , California Gov .
Gavin Newsom .
These strikes , combined with the heat wave California is now experiencing , helped trigger hundreds of .
Some of these fires have reached the home of the coast redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens ) .
Growing to 300 feet ( 90 meters ) or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living trees in the world , and `` can live up to 2,500 years , '' said Will Russell , a forest ecologist at San Jose State University in California .
He and his family were evacuated from the fires yesterday to a friend 's house .
Although some coast redwoods may die from these fires , `` many of the old-growth redwoods will likely survive as well , '' Russell said .
Coast redwoods have thick insulating bark , Russell said .
Moreover , their tops , or crowns , are high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from wildfires .
In addition , unlike most conifer trees , coast redwoods do not primarily rely on seeds to reproduce , but often reproduce `` vegetatively '' from parts of their bodies , `` which allows for fast regeneration , '' Russell said .
`` They can lose all green leaf tissue from a fire and sprout back vigorously . ''
Ultimately , fire can actually benefit many forests .
They provide fertilizer in the form of nutrient-rich ash and can open up growing space for young trees to grow .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coast redwood ecosystem , and old-growth trees have survived many fires over the centuries , '' Russell said .

The ancient giants were standing when Jesus was born, and they were still upright when the Normans conquered Britain.
But will the majestic redwoods of California's coast survive the lightning-sparked fires raging across the state?
One of the biggest conflagrations in the state, the CZU complex fire in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, has severely damaged Big Basin State Park, which is home to a sprawling stand of these ancient redwoods, SFGate reported .
Related: Nature's giants: Photos of the tallest trees in the world
But though the buildings and campgrounds may be utterly destroyed, the redwood forests themselves are likely to survive. That's because these giant trees possess many defenses against flames, a scientist told Live Science.
In the past week, California experienced nearly 11,000 lightning strikes within a span of 72 hours, California Gov. Gavin Newsom noted on Twitter . These strikes, combined with the heat wave California is now experiencing, helped trigger hundreds of wildfires .
Some of these fires have reached the home of the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). Growing to 300 feet (90 meters) or more, they are the tallest known living trees in the world, and "can live up to 2,500 years," said Will Russell, a forest ecologist at San Jose State University in California. He and his family were evacuated from the fires yesterday to a friend's house.
Although some coast redwoods may die from these fires, "many of the old-growth redwoods will likely survive as well," Russell said.
Coast redwoods have thick insulating bark, Russell said. Moreover, their tops, or crowns, are high off the ground, often preserving them from wildfires.
In addition, unlike most conifer trees, coast redwoods do not primarily rely on seeds to reproduce, but often reproduce "vegetatively" from parts of their bodies, "which allows for fast regeneration," Russell said. "They can lose all green leaf tissue from a fire and sprout back vigorously."
Ultimately, fire can actually benefit many forests. They provide fertilizer in the form of nutrient-rich ash and can open up growing space for young trees to grow.
"Fires are a natural part of the coast redwood ecosystem, and old-growth trees have survived many fires over the centuries," Russell said.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-21--Fishing boat outbreak suggests antibodies protect against COVID-19 reinfection

An outbreak of COVID-19 on a fishing boat has provided scientists with the first direct evidence that antibodies really do protect people from re-infection .
More than 100 of the 122 crew members aboard the vessel were infected ; but three sailors who had to the new in their blood prior to the voyage — indicating a past infection — did not catch the virus a second time .
These antibodies targeted the `` spike protein '' on SARS-CoV-2 that the virus uses to invade human cells .
Although scientists had suspected that having antibodies , particularly so-called `` neutralizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection , they did n't have studies in humans to back that up .
`` This is the first time to show that having these antibodies is a correlative of protection in people , '' study senior author Dr. Alex Greninger , an assistant professor of laboratory medicine and pathology at the University of Washington School of Medicine , said in a .
The findings could be good news for , which are generally trying to get the immune system to produce neutralizing antibodies against the virus , the authors said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pre-print database , and has not yet been published in a peer reviewed journal .
The study researchers examined samples taken from crew members before and after the voyage .
Prior to the boat 's departure from Seattle in May , all 122 members were tested for SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes COVID-19 , and none tested positive .
But three members were found to have , which block the virus from infecting cells .
The boat 's COVID-19 testing did n't stop infections from breaking out during the trip , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at sea .
A second round of testing revealed that more than 85 % of crew members were infected with COVID-19 .
Overall , 103 of the 117 crew members without neutralizing antibodies at the boat 's departure were infected during the trip , compared with zero of the three members with neutralizing antibodies .
`` This virus has shown the ability to infect a lot of people on boats ever since the beginning of the pandemic , '' Greninger said .
`` In a way , we 're sort of turning the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're using them to learn things about our ability to protect ourselves . ''
The authors acknowledge that their study was small , with just three people having antibodies prior to departure .
But the results were statistically significant , meaning there 's a low likelihood that they are due to chance .
`` Just looking at the numbers , it becomes clear that it ’ s unlikely that all of these three people were protected by chance , '' Florian Krammer , an immunologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The study also can not determine how long antibodies would provide protection , and studies over longer periods will be needed to examine this , Greninger said .
The study also does n't explain how a little over a dozen crew members apparently escaped infection without having preexisting immunity .
It 's possible that these crew members had jobs or behaviors that reduced exposure , Greninger told .

An outbreak of COVID-19 on a fishing boat has provided scientists with the first direct evidence that antibodies really do protect people from re-infection.
More than 100 of the 122 crew members aboard the vessel were infected; but three sailors who had antibodies to the new coronavirus in their blood prior to the voyage — indicating a past infection — did not catch the virus a second time. These antibodies targeted the "spike protein" on SARS-CoV-2 that the virus uses to invade human cells.
Although scientists had suspected that having antibodies, particularly so-called "neutralizing antibodies," against COVID-19 would confer protection, they didn't have studies in humans to back that up.
"This is the first time to show that having these antibodies is a correlative of protection in people," study senior author Dr. Alex Greninger, an assistant professor of laboratory medicine and pathology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, said in a video released by the university .
The findings could be good news for candidate COVID-19 vaccines , which are generally trying to get the immune system to produce neutralizing antibodies against the virus, the authors said.
The study was posted Aug. 14 date to the pre-print database medRxiv , and has not yet been published in a peer reviewed journal.
Related: 14 coronavirus myths busted by science
The study researchers examined samples taken from crew members before and after the voyage. Prior to the boat's departure from Seattle in May, all 122 members were tested for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and none tested positive. But three members were found to have neutralizing antibodies , which block the virus from infecting cells.
The boat's COVID-19 testing didn't stop infections from breaking out during the trip, and the vessel returned after 18 days at sea. A second round of testing revealed that more than 85% of crew members were infected with COVID-19.
Overall, 103 of the 117 crew members without neutralizing antibodies at the boat's departure were infected during the trip, compared with zero of the three members with neutralizing antibodies.
"This virus has shown the ability to infect a lot of people on boats ever since the beginning of the pandemic," Greninger said. "In a way, we're sort of turning the tide on the ships here, we're using them to learn things about our ability to protect ourselves."
The authors acknowledge that their study was small, with just three people having antibodies prior to departure. But the results were statistically significant, meaning there's a low likelihood that they are due to chance.
"Just looking at the numbers, it becomes clear that it’s unlikely that all of these three people were protected by chance," Florian Krammer, an immunologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, told The New York Times .
The study also cannot determine how long antibodies would provide protection, and studies over longer periods will be needed to examine this, Greninger said.
The study also doesn't explain how a little over a dozen crew members apparently escaped infection without having preexisting immunity. It's possible that these crew members had jobs or behaviors that reduced exposure, Greninger told The Seattle Times .
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-21--Astronaut spots California wildfires from space, sends 'thoughts and prayers' to victims

California is on fire , with scorching across the state .
Unsurprisingly , the effects are visible from space , as NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy shared images today ( Aug. 21 ) of huge billows of smoke above California as seen from his perch on the .
`` Thanks to all of the fire fighters and emergency teams who are working around the clock trying to get these fires contained , '' Cassidy said in the tweet .
`` Thoughts and prayers to all of the people in the impacted areas . ''
California 's difficult fire season is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a record-topping heatwave , according to The New York Times .
Moreover , the state relies heavily of inmates to staff its firefighting crews , and prisons have been hit particularly badly by the coronavirus pandemic , according to The Sacramento Bee ..
The state knew even before the current heatwave that this would be a tricky fire season .
A , the state 's firefighting agency , cited low precipitation rates leading to high risk in northern California , particularly in August and September , and wind-induced fire risk in the southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall .
NASA astronauts are used to monitoring disasters on Earth from their temporary home in space .
Earlier this month , Cassidy shared an , which saw devastating explosions .
Cassidy arrived at the space station in April with two Russian cosmonauts , and the trio will remain in orbit until October .
Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels @ space.com or follow her on Twitter @ meghanbartels .
Follow us on Twitter @ Spacedotcom and on Facebook .

In an image NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy shared on Aug. 21, 2020, smoke billows above California, which is fighting more than 360 fires.
California is on fire, with more than 360 individual blazes scorching across the state.
Unsurprisingly, the effects are visible from space, as NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy shared images today (Aug. 21) of huge billows of smoke above California as seen from his perch on the International Space Station .
"Thanks to all of the fire fighters and emergency teams who are working around the clock trying to get these fires contained," Cassidy said in the tweet . "Thoughts and prayers to all of the people in the impacted areas."
Related: Raging California wildfires spotted from space (photos, video)
California's difficult fire season is the result of unusual lightning-rich storms occurring during a record-topping heatwave, according to The New York Times . Moreover, the state relies heavily of inmates to staff its firefighting crews, and prisons have been hit particularly badly by the coronavirus pandemic, according to The Sacramento Bee ..
The state knew even before the current heatwave that this would be a tricky fire season. A forecast from CALFIRE , the state's firefighting agency, cited low precipitation rates leading to high risk in northern California, particularly in August and September, and wind-induced fire risk in the southern part of the state later in the fall.
In an image NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy shared on Aug. 21, 2020, smoke billows above California, which is fighting more than 360 fires. (Image credit: NASA)
Thanks to all of the fire fighters and emergency teams who are working around the clock trying to get these fires contained. Thoughts and prayers to all of the people in the impacted areas. #CaliforniaFires pic.twitter.com/XKx6Yak5bPAugust 20, 2020 See more
NASA astronauts are used to monitoring disasters on Earth from their temporary home in space. Earlier this month, Cassidy shared an image of Beirut, Lebanon , which saw devastating explosions.
Cassidy arrived at the space station in April with two Russian cosmonauts, and the trio will remain in orbit until October.
Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or follow her on Twitter @meghanbartels. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.


livescience--2020-08-21--Clouds of star-forming gas are being shot 'like bullets' across the galaxy

There 's a flood of scorching nuclear wind pouring out of our galaxy 's center , and astronomers have discovered two tiny islands of unborn baby stars caught in the riptide .
These two hunks of cosmic driftwood are actually freezing-cold clouds of gas , each one as frigid as ( about minus 400 degrees Fahrenheit , or minus 240 degrees Celsius ) and carrying the mass of more than 200 suns .
In calmer waters , they could be stellar nurseries — those ultra-dense clouds of gas where molecules can bundle up into stars .
However , the searing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have other plans for them , a new study published Aug. 19 in the journal suggests .
Flying `` like bullets '' away from the galactic center , the two tiny clouds of gas seem to be colliding head-on with hotter , more energetic winds from the galaxy 's heart , according to the study .
This ongoing collision threatens to dismantle the gas clouds entirely , smothering their star-forming potential .
Related : 11 fascinating facts about our Milky Way galaxy '' Galaxies can be really good at shooting themselves in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an astrophysicist at The Australian National University ( ANU ) , .
`` When you drive out a lot of mass , you 're losing some of the material that could be used to form stars , and if you lose enough of it , the galaxy ca n't form stars at all anymore . ''
Cold gas clouds are rare in the modern Milky Way , and especially within the vast central domain of the galaxy 's nuclear winds , the researchers said .
These two gas clouds sit toward the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hot gas and cosmic rays that tower 25,000 light-years over each side of the galactic center ( for comparison , the entire Milky Way is only about 100,000 in diameter ) .
Scientists have linked the Fermi Bubbles to a mighty outburst of energy from the galaxy 's central which occurred .
All these millennia later , those gassy blobs are still blazing hot , measuring more than 10,000 F ( 5,700 C ) — far too hot for star formation .
How the newly-discovered gas clouds ended up inside those inhospitable bubbles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the new study said .
Elsewhere in the universe , it 's not unusual for star-forming material to get swept through space by jets from an active supermassive black hole , or to be shunted by solar winds blowing out of the densely packed stars near a galaxy 's center .
But the Milky Way 's central black hole has not been active for a long time , the researchers said , nor does it contain enough stars near its center to create the sort of kick needed to send the gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know how either the black hole or the star formation [ in the Milky Way ] can produce this phenomenon , '' lead author Enrico Di Teodoro of Johns Hopkins University said in the statement .
`` We 're still looking for the smoking gun , but it gets more complicated the more we learn about it . ''
Hopefully , further observations will reveal how these cool clouds got punted into the cosmic inferno .

The cold molecular cloud known as the "Finger of God" is a stellar nursery in the Milky Way, just like two clouds recently discovered near the galaxy's center.
There's a flood of scorching nuclear wind pouring out of our galaxy's center, and astronomers have discovered two tiny islands of unborn baby stars caught in the riptide.
These two hunks of cosmic driftwood are actually freezing-cold clouds of hydrogen gas, each one as frigid as Pluto (about minus 400 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 240 degrees Celsius) and carrying the mass of more than 200 suns. In calmer waters, they could be stellar nurseries — those ultra-dense clouds of gas where molecules can bundle up into stars. However, the searing winds of the galactic center seem to have other plans for them, a new study published Aug. 19 in the journal Nature suggests.
Flying "like bullets" away from the galactic center, the two tiny clouds of gas seem to be colliding head-on with hotter, more energetic winds from the galaxy's heart, according to the study. This ongoing collision threatens to dismantle the gas clouds entirely, smothering their star-forming potential.
Related: 11 fascinating facts about our Milky Way galaxy
"Galaxies can be really good at shooting themselves in the foot," study co-author Naomi McClure-Griffiths, an astrophysicist at The Australian National University (ANU), said in a statement . "When you drive out a lot of mass, you're losing some of the material that could be used to form stars, and if you lose enough of it, the galaxy can't form stars at all anymore."
Cold gas clouds are rare in the modern Milky Way, and especially within the vast central domain of the galaxy's nuclear winds, the researchers said. These two gas clouds sit toward the base of the Fermi Bubbles — two gargantuan orbs of hot gas and cosmic rays that tower 25,000 light-years over each side of the galactic center (for comparison, the entire Milky Way is only about 100,000 light-years in diameter).
Scientists have linked the Fermi Bubbles to a mighty outburst of energy from the galaxy's central black hole, which occurred millions of years ago . All these millennia later, those gassy blobs are still blazing hot, measuring more than 10,000 F (5,700 C) — far too hot for star formation.
How the newly-discovered gas clouds ended up inside those inhospitable bubbles is still a mystery, the authors of the new study said. Elsewhere in the universe, it's not unusual for star-forming material to get swept through space by jets from an active supermassive black hole, or to be shunted by solar winds blowing out of the densely packed stars near a galaxy's center. But the Milky Way's central black hole has not been active for a long time, the researchers said, nor does it contain enough stars near its center to create the sort of kick needed to send the gas clouds soaring.
"We don't know how either the black hole or the star formation [in the Milky Way] can produce this phenomenon," lead author Enrico Di Teodoro of Johns Hopkins University said in the statement. "We're still looking for the smoking gun, but it gets more complicated the more we learn about it."
Hopefully, further observations will reveal how these cool clouds got punted into the cosmic inferno.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-21--First ever double hurricane could hit the Gulf of Mexico

Next week for the first time on record , two hurricanes could hit the Gulf of Mexico at the same time .
Twice before , in 1959 and 1933 , two tropical storms have entered the Gulf at the same time .
But never before have both been .
It might not go that way .
Only one of the storm systems has yet strengthened into a tropical storm — a dangerous cyclone , but not yet a hurricane .
The other remains a tropical depression , and its future is still unclear .
But forecast models have suggested the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 ) , and the storms are still following the path that would lead to double Gulf hurricanes .
Related : The 20 costliest , most destructive hurricanes to hit the US The National Hurricane Center ( NHC ) has across much of the Caribbean for Tropical Storm Laura , which reached tropical storm strength today ( Aug. 21 ) , meaning it has wind speeds between 39-73 mph ( 63 and 118 km/h ) .
It 's currently east of Puerto Rico and early forecast tracks show it whirling over that U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Haiti , the Dominan Republic , Cuba , Florida , and then into the Gulf over the course of the weekend and early next week .
Tropical depression 14 , expected to take the name Marco if it becomes a tropical storm , is moving more slowly .
Forecast tracks show it heading north from its current location near Honduras , straight up the Gulf .
The NHC has for parts of Honduras and southeastern Mexico , and a hurricane watch for much of eastern Mexico .
Early forecast maps of interacting winds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Gulf .
And meteorologists have said it 's still too early to predict exactly how the two storms will behave , particularly if they begin to interact strongly .
One possibility is a significant `` Fujiwhara effect . ''
According to the NHC , that 's a term meteorologists use for when two tropical cyclones near each other and start to `` . ''
It 's unclear at this point how that would impact the movements of the storms in the Gulf , though The Washington Post that one possibility is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it more time to strengthen over warm water .
The 2020 hurricane season has been extraordinarily busy , with Laura already a record setter today ( Aug. 21 ) as the earliest `` L '' storm ever .
( Tropical cyclones are named in alphabetical order as they achieve tropical storm strength . )
This year also saw the earliest C , E , F , G , H , I , J and K storms , as Houston-based meteorologist Matt Lanza noted on .
If tropical depression 14 becomes Marco , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record .
( These records date back to the late 19th Century , and include storms from the era when tropical storms were numbered but not named . )
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says that as warms the oceans , strong hurricanes are likely to than they were in previous years .

A map shows where at least tropical storm-force winds are expected in the coming days as the two storm systems approach one another in the Gulf of Mexico. Tropical Storm Laura's winds are seen approaching from the east.
Next week for the first time on record, two hurricanes could hit the Gulf of Mexico at the same time.
Twice before, in 1959 and 1933, two tropical storms have entered the Gulf at the same time. But never before have both been hurricanes .
It might not go that way. Only one of the storm systems has yet strengthened into a tropical storm — a dangerous cyclone, but not yet a hurricane. The other remains a tropical depression, and its future is still unclear. But forecast models have suggested the possibility since at least Thursday (Aug. 20), and the storms are still following the path that would lead to double Gulf hurricanes.
Related: The 20 costliest, most destructive hurricanes to hit the US
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued tropical storm warnings across much of the Caribbean for Tropical Storm Laura, which reached tropical storm strength today (Aug. 21), meaning it has wind speeds between 39-73 mph (63 and 118 km/h). It's currently east of Puerto Rico and early forecast tracks show it whirling over that U.S. territory, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Haiti, the Dominan Republic, Cuba, Florida, and then into the Gulf over the course of the weekend and early next week.
An image offers rough predictions of when Laura might bring its first tropical storm-force winds to each region. (Image credit: NOAA/NHC)
Tropical depression 14, expected to take the name Marco if it becomes a tropical storm, is moving more slowly. Forecast tracks show it heading north from its current location near Honduras, straight up the Gulf. The NHC has issued tropical storm warnings for parts of Honduras and southeastern Mexico, and a hurricane watch for much of eastern Mexico.
An image offers rough predictions of when Marco might bring its first tropical storm-force winds to each region. (Image credit: NOAA/NHC)
Early forecast maps of interacting winds from the two storms show them overlapping in the Gulf. And meteorologists have said it's still too early to predict exactly how the two storms will behave, particularly if they begin to interact strongly.
For what it's worth & it may not be much, next 5 days according to Euro Model. Takes #TD14/"Marco" on a more w'ward trek thereby permitting #Laura to follow suit more w'ward. Acadiana may begin to fall out of one cone & get deeper into another. Very low confidence forecast. #LAwx pic.twitter.com/0s69CDnCPCAugust 21, 2020 See more
One possibility is a significant "Fujiwhara effect." According to the NHC, that's a term meteorologists use for when two tropical cyclones near each other and start to " dance around their common center ."
A series of images taken between July 25 and August 1, 2017 shows hurricanes Irwin and Hilary circling each other and merging in the Pacific Ocean due to the Fujiwhara effect. (Image credit: GOES-16/NOAA/NHC)
It's unclear at this point how that would impact the movements of the storms in the Gulf, though The Washington Post reports that one possibility is a delayed arrival for Marco, giving it more time to strengthen over warm water.
The 2020 hurricane season has been extraordinarily busy, with Laura already a record setter today (Aug. 21) as the earliest "L" storm ever. (Tropical cyclones are named in alphabetical order as they achieve tropical storm strength.) This year also saw the earliest C, E, F, G, H, I, J and K storms, as Houston-based meteorologist Matt Lanza noted on Twitter . If tropical depression 14 becomes Marco, it will be the earliest M storm on record. (These records date back to the late 19th Century, and include storms from the era when tropical storms were numbered but not named.)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says that as climate change warms the oceans, strong hurricanes are likely to become more frequent than they were in previous years.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-21--Mauritius wreck that leaked tons of oil into the sea may soon be sunk to the bottom of the Indian Oc

Mauritius wreck that leaked tons of oil into the sea may soon be sunk to the bottom of the Indian Ocean

Nearly a month after a ship struck a off the island nation of Mauritius , causing a catastrophic oil spill , tugboats lugged it out to sea where , according to news reports , it is now going to be sunk , despite opposition from environmentalists .
On July 25 , the Japanese-owned vessel called the MV Wakashio hit a coral reef 2 miles ( 3.2 kilometers ) off the country 's southeast coast , near Pointe d'Esny .
The ship was en route from China to Brazil , carrying 4,290 tons ( 3,894 metric tons ) of low- fuel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tons ) of diesel and 99 tons ( 90 metric tons ) of lubricant oil , .
After the crash , the crew was safely evacuated , but early efforts to stabilize the ship and pump out the oil were unsuccessful , Live Science previously reported .
Eventually , a new crack appeared in the vessel 's hull and oil started spilling into the pristine waters around Mauritius , which lies to the east of Madagascar .
On Aug. 15 , the vessel split into two , according to the United Nations Conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company that owns the vessel said most of the oil on board was pumped out prior to that , some 1,202 to 2,204 tons ( 1,000 to 2,000 metric tons ) of fuel oil is thought to have already spilled in the surrounding waters , endangering coral , fish and other marine life and threatening the economy , food security and health of the country , according to the United Nations .
On Thursday ( Aug. 20 ) , two tugboats pulled the larger , front part of the broken ship 15 kilometers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indian Ocean where the plan is to now sink it to a depth of 10,433 feet ( 3,180 meters ) , according to The Guardian .
But environmentalists immediately criticized this decision .
`` Sinking this vessel would risk biodiversity and contaminate the ocean with large quantities of heavy metal toxins , threatening other areas as well , notably the French island of La Réunion , '' Happy Khambule , Greenpeace Africa Senior Climate and Energy Campaign Manager , on Aug.19 .
`` More pollution further risks their tourist-based economy and fish-based food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear how the accident happened , with one theory involving some sort of accident that happened while a birthday was being celebrated on the ship and another being that the ship swung close to shore to pick up WiFi signals and crashed , according to the BBC .
The ship 's captain , Sunil Kumar Nandeshwar , was arrested and charged with endangering safe navigation , according to the BBC .

This aerial view photo taken on Aug. 17, 2020 shows the MV Wakashio vessel in two pieces near Mauritius
Nearly a month after a ship struck a coral reef off the island nation of Mauritius, causing a catastrophic oil spill, tugboats lugged it out to sea where, according to news reports, it is now going to be sunk, despite opposition from environmentalists.
On July 25, the Japanese-owned vessel called the MV Wakashio hit a coral reef 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) off the country's southeast coast, near Pointe d'Esny. The ship was en route from China to Brazil, carrying 4,290 tons (3,894 metric tons) of low- sulfur fuel oil, 228 tons (207 metric tons) of diesel and 99 tons (90 metric tons) of lubricant oil, according to a previous Live Science report .
After the crash, the crew was safely evacuated, but early efforts to stabilize the ship and pump out the oil were unsuccessful, Live Science previously reported. Eventually, a new crack appeared in the vessel's hull and oil started spilling into the pristine waters around Mauritius, which lies to the east of Madagascar.
Related: In photos: Exxon Valdez oil spill
On Aug. 15, the vessel split into two, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development . Though the company that owns the vessel said most of the oil on board was pumped out prior to that, some 1,202 to 2,204 tons (1,000 to 2,000 metric tons) of fuel oil is thought to have already spilled in the surrounding waters, endangering coral, fish and other marine life and threatening the economy, food security and health of the country, according to the United Nations.
On Thursday (Aug. 20), two tugboats pulled the larger, front part of the broken ship 15 kilometers (9 miles) out in the Indian Ocean where the plan is to now sink it to a depth of 10,433 feet (3,180 meters), according to The Guardian .
But environmentalists immediately criticized this decision.
"Sinking this vessel would risk biodiversity and contaminate the ocean with large quantities of heavy metal toxins, threatening other areas as well, notably the French island of La Réunion," Happy Khambule, Greenpeace Africa Senior Climate and Energy Campaign Manager, said in a statement on Aug.19. "More pollution further risks their tourist-based economy and fish-based food security."
It's still not clear how the accident happened, with one theory involving some sort of accident that happened while a birthday was being celebrated on the ship and another being that the ship swung close to shore to pick up WiFi signals and crashed, according to the BBC. The ship's captain, Sunil Kumar Nandeshwar, was arrested and charged with endangering safe navigation, according to the BBC.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-21--Coronavirus outbreak: Live updates

Coronavirus outbreak: Live updates

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90-year-old woman in the UK receives first dose of Pfizer vaccine, FDA review confirms vaccine is safe and effective A 90-year-old woman (who will turn 91 next week) became the first in the world to be given Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials, according to the BBC. Margaret Keenan, who is originally from Northern Ireland, was given the vaccine at the University Hospital in Coventry, England. She received the first of 800,000 doses expected to be administered in the U.K. in the coming weeks, according to the BBC. "I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19," Keenan said, according to the BBC."It's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the new year after being on my own for most of the year." "My advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it. If I can have it at 90, then you can have it too," she added. Up to four million doses of Pfizer's vaccine is expected to be given to people in the U.K. by the end of the month. Meanwhile, a 53-page Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review published Tuesday (Dec. 8) confirmed that Pfizer's vaccine is safe and effective, according to The Washington Post.
Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine starts to work just 10 days after 1st dose Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine starts to protect people from the novel coronavirus just 10 days after the first dose, according to new documents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The documents were released on Tuesday (Dec. 8), two days before a meeting of the FDA's vaccine advisory panel, which will vote on whether to recommend authorization of the vaccine in the U.S, Live Science reported . The FDA analyzed data from Pfizer's phase 3 clinical trial, which included some 44,000 people in the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Germany and Turkey, about half of whom received the vaccine while the other half received a placebo. Both groups received two shots, 21 days apart. About 10 days after the first dose, there was a noticeable drop-off in new COVID-19 cases in the vaccine group compared with the placebo group, indicating that even one dose provides some protection, the report said. However, scientists don't know how long the protection from a single dose will last, so it will still be important for people to receive two shots, according to The New York Times . Overall, the vaccine was 52% effective after the first dose and 95% effective after the second dose, the report said.
People with significant allergies should avoid Pfizer vaccine, UK warns The U.K.'s Regulatory Agency is advising people with a history of "significant" allergic reactions to avoid Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine, after two National Health Service members developed severe allergic reactions to it on Tuesday (Dec. 8), Live Science reported. "As is common with new vaccines the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) have advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination after two people with a history of significant allergic reactions responded adversely yesterday," Stephen Powis, the national medical director for England's National Health Service said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec. 9). Both workers have a history of severe allergies and carry adrenaline auto injectors (such as EpiPens) around with them, according to The Guardian. Shortly after receiving the vaccine, both NHS workers developed anaphylaxis-like symptoms, or severe allergic reactions, but have recovered after receiving treatment. The MHRA will investigate further and Pfizer and BioNTech will support their investigation, according to Reuters. "Allergic reaction occurs with quite a number of vaccines, and perhaps even more frequently with drugs. So it is not unexpected," Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said in remarks to journalists published by Britain's Science Media Center. “What would be wise, as the MHRA have already advised, would be for anyone who has known severe allergic reaction such that they need to carry an EpiPen, to delay having a vaccination until the reason for the allergic reaction has been clarified," he said. For the general population this does not mean that they would need to be anxious about receiving the vaccination, he added. "One has to remember that even things like marmite [a quintessential British food spread] can cause unexpected severe allergic reactions.”
Canada approves Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine Canada has authorized Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine, with the first doses expected to be administered there as early as next week. Health Canada, the country's health regulatory agency, said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec. 9) that it had determined that the vaccine "meets the Department's stringent safety, efficacy and quality requirements for use in Canada," according to CTV News . "We expect vaccines to arrive maybe as early as Monday [Dec. 14]. It takes time to prepare the vaccine," said Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, the top military general leading the vaccine rollout for the Public Health Agency of Canada, according to CTV News. The first doses could be administered by the middle of next week, he said. Canada is the third country in the world to authorize the Pfizer vaccine, following the United Kingdom and Bahrain. The country should receive up to 249,000 doses of the vaccine by the end of December, and has purchased 20 million doses total, with the option to purchase more, CTV News reported.
Daily COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. reaches record-high, surpassed 9/11 On Wednesday (Dec. 9), the U.S. recorded 3,124 new COVID-19 deaths, the highest daily death toll to date, according to CNN . In comparison, 2,977 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks. The U.S. has now recorded 280,488 deaths related to the virus, according to The COVID Tracking Project . A forecast from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that the total death toll can increase to between 332,000 and 362,000 by January 2, according to CNN. There are currently 106,671 people hospitalized with the virus in the U.S.; 20,903 of them are currently in the ICU and 7,621 are currently on a ventilator, according to the COVID Tracking Project. On Thursday (Dec. 10), the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is set to meet to discuss an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.
FDA panel recommends authorization of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine A panel of experts for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that the agency authorize Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. On Thursday (Dec. 10), the panel voted 17 to 4 to recommend that the vaccine receive emergency use authorization (EUA) for people ages 16 and older, according to The New York Times . The FDA typically follows the advice of its panels, and so today's vote is an important step towards the vaccine's authorization. It is anticipated that the agency will officially authorize the vaccine on Saturday (Dec. 12), the Times reported. Several countries have already authorized Pfizer's vaccine, including Canada, the United Kingdom and Bahrain.
Vaccine approval could come this weekend, as U.S. continues to record high daily death tolls On Thursday (Dec. 10), the U.S. recorded another 2,902 COVID-19 deaths, a day after the country set a record of 3,253 deaths, according to Reuters . “Probably for the next 60 to 90 days, we’re going to have more deaths per day than we had on 9/11 or we had at Pearl Harbor,” Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday, according to Reuters. "The reality is the vaccine approval this week is not going to really impact that, I think, to any degree for the next 60 days." On Thursday, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee discussed, voted and recommended that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should grant an emergency use authorization for Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine has already been approved in the U.K. and in Canada, and FDA approval for use in the U.S. could come this weekend.
Australia abandons local COVID-19 vaccine after it caused false-positive HIV tests An Australian COVID-19 vaccine that had shown promising results in early trials is being abandoned after researchers found that the shot caused false-positive results on HIV tests. On Friday (Dec. 11), Australian officials said they had canceled an order for some 51 million doses of the vaccine, which was being developed by The University of Queensland and CSL Ltd., a local biotech company, according to The New York Times . In an early trial with 216 participants, the vaccine appeared to be safe and to produce a robust immune response against COVID-19, according to a statement from CSL . But some volunteers falsely tested positive for HIV, which officials feared would undermine trust in the vaccine, the Times reported. The vaccine contained small fragments of an HIV protein, which helped stabilize the vaccine. Some of the participants developed antibodies against these fragments, and these antibodies triggered false positive results on some HIV tests. It's important to note that there is no way for the vaccine to cause an HIV infection, because it contains harmless fragments of the virus.
ICU nurse in New York becomes first person in the US to receive a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials New York, the worst-hit state at the start of the pandemic, just became the first to administer a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials, kicking off a long, massive effort to vaccinate the American people, Live Science reported. Around 9 a.m. E.T. on Monday (Dec. 14), the very first dose of Pfizer and BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine was given to Sandra Lindsay, an intensive care nurse in Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, New York, according to The New York Times. This comes as the U.S. continues to battle a massive wave of the virus that has more than 109,000 people currently hospitalized, according to The COVID Tracking Project. Since the start of the pandemic, New York has recorded more than 780,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 35,100 deaths, according to The Times. "This vaccine is exciting because I believe this is the weapon that will end the war," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during a live broadcast of the first vaccination. "It's the beginning of the last chapter of the book, but now we just have to do it."
FDA analysis confirms Moderna's vaccine is safe and effective, emergency authorization is likely to come Friday A new briefing document from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released on Tuesday (Dec. 15) confirmed that Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, according to NPR . Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is 94% effective and has "a favorable safety profile," according to the document. A panel of experts is set to meet on Thursday (Dec. 17) to discuss the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine and vote on whether or not the FDA should grant emergency approval to the vaccine. Last week, the same panel voted that the FDA should grant emergency approval to Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine; the authorization came a day late and the first doses were given on Monday (Dec. 15). The FDA will likely approve Moderna's vaccine for emergency use on Friday (Dec. 18), according to The New York Times .
FDA authorizes first over-the-counter COVID-19 test The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the first over-the-counter COVID-19 test, which can be done at home and does not need a prescription. The test, made by the Australia-based company Ellume, provides results in as little as 20 minutes, according to a statement from the FDA . It is a "lateral flow antigen test," meaning it works in a similar way to a home pregnancy test, by running a "liquid sample along a surface with reactive molecules," the FDA said. The test works in conjunction with a smartphone app. Users take a nasal swab and place their sample in an analyzer, which communicates to the smartphone app via Bluetooth. The results are delivered through the app, and also reported to public health authorities (based on a user's zip code) through a secure cloud connection, the company said . Ellume is ramping up production of its test, and expects to produce three million tests in January 2021, and 20 million within the first half of 2021.
A wild mink tested positive for the coronavirus, it may be the first wild animal to have a confirmed case A wild mink in Utah may be the first "free-ranging, native wild animal" confirmed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Live Science reported. The mink was found near a mink farm and likely picked up the infection from the farmed mink. There's no evidence that the virus spread to other minks or wild animals; but if the virus does begin circulating in wild animals, it could pick up mutations that COVID-19 vaccines may not protect well against if it spreads back to humans, according to the report. "If it does [establish a reservoir], then we've got a long-term issue here, where this virus has the potential to be with us for millennia," Sarah Olson, associate director of the health program at the Wildlife Conservation Society, told Vox. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has screened other animal species for the virus near mink farms in Utah, Michigan and Wisconsin, but all of them have tested negative so far, according to a statement.
An FDA advisory panel will meet today to vote on whether to recommend Moderna's coronavirus vaccine for emergency approval On Thursday (Dec. 17), a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee will meet to determine whether to recommend that Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency approval, according to The New York Times . This panel, composed of independent experts, will vote on whether to recommend the vaccine after hearing from the company, FDA scientists and the public, according to The Times. Last week, the same panel of experts met to discuss Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine and voted to recommend emergency authorization; the authorization came the next day. There have now been more than 16.9 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and more than 307,000 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins dashboard . There are currently 113,090 people hospitalized across the country with more than 21,900 of them in the ICU and 7,778 on a ventilator, according to The COVID Tracking Project .
California becomes new epicenter of COVID-19 in U.S. California, once praised for its early pandemic response, is now the new U.S. hotspot for COVID-19 infections. The state has reported an alarming surge in cases, breaking previous records for daily cases. On Thursday (Dec. 17), the state reported some 50,000 COVID-19 infections in 24 hours, and nearly 100,000 in 48 hours, according to The Washington Post . That's more than the daily cases reported in many countries, including India, Germany and Britain, the Post reported. The state also set a record for daily deaths on Thursday, with 379 fatalities reported, up from the previous high of 293. Capacity in intensive care units has also dropped dramatically, with hospitals in Southern California reporting zero percent capacity on Thursday. "I want to be very clear: Our hospitals are under siege, and our model shows no end in sight," said Christina Ghaly, director of Los Angeles County's Department of Health Services, the Post reported.
FDA expected to authorize Moderna's vaccine on Friday The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine on Friday (Dec. 18). Once authorized, it will be the second coronavirus vaccine to get the green light from the agency in just a week, with Pfizer's vaccine gaining authorization on Dec. 11. Moderna is expected to begin shipping 5.9 million doses of its vaccine on Sunday (Dec. 20), with the first deliveries arriving Monday (Dec. 21), according to The New York Times . Unlike the Pfizer vaccine, Moderna's vaccine does not require storage in extremely cold temperatures, and states are hoping to distribute the vaccine to rural hospitals and community health centers, the Times reported.
COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the U.S. There have now been more than 17 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and more than 300,000 deaths, according to The COVID Tracking Project . There are currently 114,237 people hospitalized across the country and 21,900 people in the ICU. California is facing a massive surge in cases; the state reported 41,012 new COVID-19 cases and 300 new deaths on Thursday (Dec. 17), according to the state's COVID-19 dashboard . By comparison, at the start of November, California was reporting a seven-day average of 4,183 cases, compared to an average of 38,774 on Thursday, according to CNN . "We're experiencing an explosive and very deadly surge," Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Public Health Director said, according to CNN. Intensive care unit beds are rapidly filling up across the state; there are only 1,234 ICU beds left available in California, according to the dashboard. Current closures across California are impacting around 98% of the state's population, according to CNN.
London and southeast England are under an emergency lockdown Following concerns of a new version of the coronavirus that might be more transmissible, London and most of southeast England are now under an emergency lockdown, according to The New York Times . Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the lockdown on Saturday (Dec. 19) citing concerns that the mutated virus — which was detected a couple of weeks ago in southeast England — may be as much as 70% more transmissible than previous versions, according to the Times. The new version of the coronavirus is detected in more than 60% of new infections in London and have also been detected in several other countries, according to the Times. But it's not yet clear if this coronavirus version is any more infectious than the last and thorough analyses will need to be conducted before conclusions are made, scientists cautioned. In South Africa, a similar version of the virus has been found in up to 90% of new cases detected since mid-November, according to The Times . It's common for viruses to mutate, and this particular coronavirus has mutated many times since the start of the pandemic. But experts told The Times that it would take years for the virus to mutate enough such that it would make the current vaccines developed to fight COVID-19 ineffective.
Biden gets Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine President-elect Joe Biden received a dose of Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine on Monday (Dec. 21), according to The New York Times . He received the shot on camera at the Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware. "I'm doing this to demonstrate that people should be prepared when it's available to take the vaccine. There's nothing to worry about," Biden said.
Antarctica has its 1st COVID-19 outbreak The first COVID-19 cases have been reported in Antarctica , meaning the disease has now spread to every continent in the world. On Tuesday (Dec. 22), Chilean officials reported an outbreak of 36 COVID-19 cases at the Chilean research base General Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme on the Antarctic Peninsula, according to the BBC . Of these, 26 cases were military personnel and 10 were maintenance workers, the BBC reported. All of these cases have been evacuated from Antarctica to Punta Arenas, Chile, according to The Guardian . Antarctica had been COVID-19 free up until the current outbreak. The continent has no permanent residents, but about 1,000 people, including scientists and other workers, stayed there this past winter, The Guardian reported.
Live updates will continue in 2021!


livescience--2020-08-21--Florida releasing genetically modified mosquitoes to prevent diseases like Zika

Hundreds of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes will soon be released in the Florida Keys island chain to wipe out local populations of disease-carrying mosquitoes , according to news reports .
The big questions are , will it work and will it have unintended effects on the environment ?
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District currently budgets about $ 1 million a year to combat the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito , which can carry diseases like and dengue fever and pass them on to humans , .
In comparison to costly mosquito control tactics , such as aerial spraying of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million mosquitoes to mate with local A. aegypti may be less expensive and more effective , according to the board .
`` The science is there .
This is something Monroe County needs , '' mosquito board member Jill Cranny-Gage told .
`` We 're trying everything in our power , and we 're running out of options . ''
The board voted 4-1 in favor of the plan and will begin releasing the mosquitoes sometime next year .
But not everyone agrees that the science is up to snuff .
The biotech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pests , did so by introducing a `` lethal `` into male A. aegypti mosquitoes , .
In theory , the modified males should mate with female mosquitoes and pass the lethal gene on to female offspring , causing the offspring to die before reaching maturity because they can not properly build an essential protein .
This same genetic change does not affect male survival , so the Oxitec mosquitoes survive to mate with females , .
Only female bite humans , as they need the blood to produce and mature their eggs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and therefore do n't infect people with deadly diseases , Gizmodo reported .
In lab studies , Oxitec found that about 3 % of female offspring with the lethal gene survive to adulthood , but these survivors are too feeble to produce offspring , Live Science previously reported .
However , that trend may not hold true in the wild .
When Oxitec released millions of the mosquitoes in Jacobina , Brazil between 2013 and 2015 , genes from the modified pests cropped up in local mosquito populations , indicating that some female @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass on their genes , according to a 2019 study published in the journal .
These resulting hybrid mosquitoes did not carry the lethal gene introduced by Oxitec , but instead carried genes from the original Cuban and Mexian mosquito populations first used to create the genetically modified mosquitoes .
The study authors speculated that , due to the increase in genetic variation , this hybrid mosquito might be `` more robust , '' meaning that the bug might be more resistant to insecticides compared with native populations .
At the time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misleading and speculative statements '' be reviewed by the journal , Science Magazine reported .
At this point , scientists do n't know how an influx of hybrid mosquitoes might affect humans or animals sharing an environment with the pests .
Some argue that the Oxitec mosquitoes , themselves , may also harm local wildlife in unintended ways .
`` An ecosystem is so complicated and involves so many species , it would be almost impossible to test them all in advance in a lab , '' Max Moreno , an expert in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not involved with Oxitec or the pilot project , told the AP .
Oxitec has already released these genetically modified mosquitoes in the Cayman Islands , Panama and Malaysia , in addition to Brazil , and has reported that local A. aegypti populations fell by at least 90 % in each location following their introduction , .
The company also plans to release the mosquitoes in Harris County , Texas , where Houston is located , beginning in 2021 , .
The plan to release mosquitoes into the Florida Keys has now been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Protection Agency , but the Center for Food Safety and Florida Keys Environmental Coalition , among other groups , continue to push back against the decision , Gizmodo reported .
An earlier plan to release Oxitec mosquitoes in the Keys was overturned in 2018 , when local residents vehemently opposed the idea , .

Hundreds of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes will soon be released in the Florida Keys island chain to wipe out local populations of disease-carrying mosquitoes, according to news reports.
The big questions are, will it work and will it have unintended effects on the environment?
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District currently budgets about $1 million a year to combat the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can carry diseases like Zika virus and dengue fever and pass them on to humans, according to Gizmodo . In comparison to costly mosquito control tactics, such as aerial spraying of insecticides, the plan to release 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes to mate with local A. aegypti may be less expensive and more effective, according to the board.
"The science is there. This is something Monroe County needs," mosquito board member Jill Cranny-Gage told The Associated Press . "We're trying everything in our power, and we're running out of options." The board voted 4-1 in favor of the plan and will begin releasing the mosquitoes sometime next year.
But not everyone agrees that the science is up to snuff.
Related: Zika prevention: The buzz on genetically modified mosquitoes
The biotech company Oxitec, which designed the modified pests, did so by introducing a "lethal gene " into male A. aegypti mosquitoes, Live Science previously reported . In theory, the modified males should mate with female mosquitoes and pass the lethal gene on to female offspring, causing the offspring to die before reaching maturity because they cannot properly build an essential protein. This same genetic change does not affect male survival, so the Oxitec mosquitoes survive to mate with females, according to Science Magazine .
Only female mosquitoes bite humans, as they need the blood to produce and mature their eggs, while male mosquitoes only drink nectar and therefore don't infect people with deadly diseases, Gizmodo reported. In lab studies, Oxitec found that about 3% of female offspring with the lethal gene survive to adulthood, but these survivors are too feeble to produce offspring, Live Science previously reported.
However, that trend may not hold true in the wild.
When Oxitec released millions of the mosquitoes in Jacobina, Brazil between 2013 and 2015, genes from the modified pests cropped up in local mosquito populations, indicating that some female offspring survived long enough to mate and pass on their genes, according to a 2019 study published in the journal Scientific Reports . These resulting hybrid mosquitoes did not carry the lethal gene introduced by Oxitec, but instead carried genes from the original Cuban and Mexian mosquito populations first used to create the genetically modified mosquitoes.
The study authors speculated that, due to the increase in genetic variation, this hybrid mosquito might be "more robust," meaning that the bug might be more resistant to insecticides compared with native populations. At the time, Oxitec requested that the authors' "misleading and speculative statements" be reviewed by the journal, Science Magazine reported.
Related: Genetics by the numbers: 10 tantalizing tales
At this point, scientists don't know how an influx of hybrid mosquitoes might affect humans or animals sharing an environment with the pests. Some argue that the Oxitec mosquitoes, themselves, may also harm local wildlife in unintended ways. "An ecosystem is so complicated and involves so many species, it would be almost impossible to test them all in advance in a lab," Max Moreno, an expert in mosquito-borne diseases at Indiana University who is not involved with Oxitec or the pilot project, told the AP.
Oxitec has already released these genetically modified mosquitoes in the Cayman Islands, Panama and Malaysia, in addition to Brazil, and has reported that local A. aegypti populations fell by at least 90% in each location following their introduction, Gizmodo reported in 2016 . The company also plans to release the mosquitoes in Harris County, Texas, where Houston is located, beginning in 2021, according to a statement .
The plan to release mosquitoes into the Florida Keys has now been approved by the state and the Environmental Protection Agency, but the Center for Food Safety and Florida Keys Environmental Coalition, among other groups, continue to push back against the decision, Gizmodo reported. An earlier plan to release Oxitec mosquitoes in the Keys was overturned in 2018, when local residents vehemently opposed the idea, WLRN reported .
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-21--Why is wildfire smoke so bad for your lungs?

If I dare to give the coronavirus credit for anything , I would say it has made people more conscious of the air they breathe .
A friend texted me this week after going for a jog in the foothills near Boise , Idaho , writing : `` My lungs are burning … explain what 's happening !
!
! ''
A wildfire was burning to the east of town — one of dozens of fires that were sending smoke and ash through communities in .
As , I research how air pollution , particularly wood smoke , impacts human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friend the short answer : The state had issued a yellow , or moderate , air quality index warning due in part to wildfires .
The high temperature for the day was expected to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit , and it was already approaching 90 .
That combination of high temperatures and elevated levels of particles from a fire can affect even healthy lungs .
For someone with lung damage or respiratory illness , moderate levels of smoke particulate can That 's only the start of the story of how wildfire smoke affects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and how to stay healthy , is important to understand as the western wildfire season picks up .
What exactly is in a wildfire 's smoke depends on a few key things : what 's burning — grass , brush or trees ; the temperature — is it flaming or just smoldering ; and the distance between the person breathing the smoke and the fire producing it .
The distance affects the ability of smoke to `` age , '' meaning to be acted upon by the sun and other chemicals in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can make it more toxic .
Importantly , large particles like what most people think of as ash do not typically travel that far from the fire , but small particles , or aerosols , can travel .
Smoke from wildfires contains , including carbon monoxide , volatile organic compounds ( VOCs ) , carbon dioxide , hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides .
The most prevalent pollutant by mass is particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter , roughly 50 times smaller than a grain of sand .
Its prevalence is one reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PM2.5 as the metric .
What does that smoke do to human bodies ?
There is another reason PM2.5 is used to make health recommendations : It defines the cutoff for particles that can travel deep into the lungs and cause the most damage .
The human body is equipped with natural defense mechanisms against particles bigger than PM2.5 .
As I tell my students , if you have ever or blown your nose after being around a campfire and discovered black or brown mucus in the tissue , you have witnessed these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bypass these defenses and disturb the air sacks where oxygen crosses over into the blood .
Fortunately , we have specialized immune cells present in the air sacks called macrophages .
It 's their job to seek out foreign material and remove or destroy it .
However , have shown that repeated exposure to elevated levels of wood smoke can suppress macrophages , leading to increases in lung inflammation .
What does that mean for COVID-19 symptoms ?
Dose , frequency and duration are important when it comes to smoke exposure .
Short-term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Long-term exposure to wildfire smoke over days or weeks , or breathing in heavy smoke , can raise the risk of and may also contribute to .
Considering that it is the macrophage 's job to remove foreign material — including smoke particles and pathogens — it is reasonable to make a between smoke exposure and risk of viral infection .
Recent evidence suggests that long-term exposure to PM2.5 may make the coronavirus more deadly .
A nationwide study found that even a small increase in PM2.5 from one U.S. county to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 .
What can you do to stay healthy ?
The advice I gave my friend who had been running while smoke was in the air applies to just about anyone downwind from a wildfire .
Stay informed about air quality by identifying local resources for air quality alerts , information about active fires , and recommendations for better health practices .
If possible , avoid being outside or doing strenuous activity , like running or cycling , when there is an air quality warning for your area .
Be aware that not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the context of COVID-19 , the best data currently suggests that a cloth mask benefits public health , especially for those around the mask wearer , but also to some extent for the person wearing the mask .
However , most cloth masks will not capture small wood smoke particles .
That requires an N95 mask in conjunction with fit testing for the mask and training in how to wear it .
Without a proper fit , N95s do not work as well .
[ Deep knowledge , daily .
Sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] Establish a clean space .
Some communities in western states have offered `` clean spaces '' programs that help people take refuge in buildings with clean air and air conditioning .
However , during the pandemic , being in an enclosed space with others can create other health risks .
At home , a person can create clean and cool spaces using a window air conditioner and a .
people to avoid anything that contributes to indoor air pollutants .
That includes vacuuming that can stir up pollutants , as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and smoking .
This article was originally published at The Conversation .
The publication contributed the article to Live Science 's Expert Voices : Op-Ed & Insights .

If I dare to give the coronavirus credit for anything, I would say it has made people more conscious of the air they breathe.
A friend texted me this week after going for a jog in the foothills near Boise, Idaho, writing: "My lungs are burning … explain what's happening!!!"
A wildfire was burning to the east of town — one of dozens of fires that were sending smoke and ash through communities in hot, dry western states . As an environmental toxicologist , I research how air pollution, particularly wood smoke, impacts human health and disease.
I gave my friend the short answer: The state had issued a yellow, or moderate, air quality index warning due in part to wildfires. The high temperature for the day was expected to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and it was already approaching 90. That combination of high temperatures and elevated levels of particles from a fire can affect even healthy lungs. For someone with lung damage or respiratory illness, moderate levels of smoke particulate can exacerbate respiratory problems.
That's only the start of the story of how wildfire smoke affects humans who breathe it. The rest, and how to stay healthy, is important to understand as the western wildfire season picks up.
What's in wildfire smoke?
What exactly is in a wildfire's smoke depends on a few key things: what's burning — grass, brush or trees; the temperature — is it flaming or just smoldering; and the distance between the person breathing the smoke and the fire producing it.
The distance affects the ability of smoke to "age," meaning to be acted upon by the sun and other chemicals in the air as it travels. Aging can make it more toxic . Importantly, large particles like what most people think of as ash do not typically travel that far from the fire, but small particles, or aerosols, can travel across continents .
Smoke from wildfires contains thousands of individual compounds , including carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. The most prevalent pollutant by mass is particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, roughly 50 times smaller than a grain of sand. Its prevalence is one reason health authorities issue air quality warnings using PM2.5 as the metric.
What does that smoke do to human bodies?
There is another reason PM2.5 is used to make health recommendations : It defines the cutoff for particles that can travel deep into the lungs and cause the most damage.
The human body is equipped with natural defense mechanisms against particles bigger than PM2.5. As I tell my students, if you have ever coughed up phlegm or blown your nose after being around a campfire and discovered black or brown mucus in the tissue, you have witnessed these mechanisms firsthand.
The really small particles bypass these defenses and disturb the air sacks where oxygen crosses over into the blood. Fortunately, we have specialized immune cells present in the air sacks called macrophages. It's their job to seek out foreign material and remove or destroy it. However, studies have shown that repeated exposure to elevated levels of wood smoke can suppress macrophages, leading to increases in lung inflammation.
What does that mean for COVID-19 symptoms?
Dose, frequency and duration are important when it comes to smoke exposure. Short-term exposure can irritate the eyes and throat. Long-term exposure to wildfire smoke over days or weeks, or breathing in heavy smoke, can raise the risk of lung damage and may also contribute to cardiovascular problems . Considering that it is the macrophage's job to remove foreign material — including smoke particles and pathogens — it is reasonable to make a connection between smoke exposure and risk of viral infection.
Recent evidence suggests that long-term exposure to PM2.5 may make the coronavirus more deadly. A nationwide study found that even a small increase in PM2.5 from one U.S. county to the next was associated with a large increase in the death rate from COVID-19.
What can you do to stay healthy?
The advice I gave my friend who had been running while smoke was in the air applies to just about anyone downwind from a wildfire.
Stay informed about air quality by identifying local resources for air quality alerts, information about active fires, and recommendations for better health practices.
If possible, avoid being outside or doing strenuous activity, like running or cycling, when there is an air quality warning for your area.
Be aware that not all face masks protect against smoke particles. In the context of COVID-19, the best data currently suggests that a cloth mask benefits public health, especially for those around the mask wearer, but also to some extent for the person wearing the mask . However, most cloth masks will not capture small wood smoke particles. That requires an N95 mask in conjunction with fit testing for the mask and training in how to wear it. Without a proper fit, N95s do not work as well.
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Establish a clean space. Some communities in western states have offered "clean spaces" programs that help people take refuge in buildings with clean air and air conditioning. However, during the pandemic, being in an enclosed space with others can create other health risks. At home, a person can create clean and cool spaces using a window air conditioner and a portable air purifier .
The EPA also advises people to avoid anything that contributes to indoor air pollutants. That includes vacuuming that can stir up pollutants, as well as burning candles, firing up gas stoves and smoking.
This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.


livescience--2020-08-22--Coronavirus news of the week (video)

Coronavirus news of the week (video)

Since the discovery of the virus that causes COVID-19 , the daily news cycle has become swamped with updates about how the pathogen spreads , what the bug does to the body and what solutions might finally bring an end to the pandemic .
But staying up-to-date on all the latest coronavirus news can be a challenge .
To help keep you informed , we at Live Science have compiled a short list of standout news stories from the week — these are the ones that really caught our attention .
This week , the U.S. Food and Drug Administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an for COVID-19 that can deliver results in less than three hours .
The test , called SalivaDirect , was developed by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health and offers several advantages over nasal swab tests .
First , the saliva sample can be collected in any sterilized container , unlike nasal swab tests that require a special swab to be inserted deep inside the nose .
Second , Yale expects that labs will offer the test for only $ 10 per saliva sample .
And finally , Yale does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead release instructions for labs to conduct the test themselves , using only commercially available components .
Federal officials announced that the FDA wo n't authorize the use of blood plasma to treat COVID-19 patients until more data about the treatment can be reviewed .
So-called convalescent plasma therapy uses the liquid portion of blood drawn from people who have recovered from COVID-19 .
While coronavirus patients can get the treatment in the context of a clinical trial , the FDA will not authorize plasma for wider use until more `` gold standard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must be randomized and controlled , meaning patients randomly receive either plasma or a standard treatment , as a point of comparison .
These trials are challenging to organize during a pandemic , due to the limited supply of eligible plasma and differences in COVID-19 prevalence in different regions .
COVID-19 pandemic could be deadlier than 1918 flu A new study suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic could potentially become more deadly than the 1918 flu pandemic .
The 1918 flu pandemic is remembered as the deadliest pandemic in recent history , having claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To compare the 1918 outbreak with the current pandemic , researchers zeroed in on data from New York City .
They began by analyzing the deaths from all causes in New York City between October and November 1918 , the peak of the flu pandemic , and compared those to all-cause deaths in the same months in years preceding the pandemic .
They then calculated all-cause deaths during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak , between March and May , and compared those to rates in recent years .
They found that all-cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1918 flu than in the same months in preceding years , while all-cause mortality was 4.15 higher during the COVID-19 outbreak than it had been in recent years .
That said , the authors note that the relative increase in deaths appears greater in 2020 because we started out at a lower baseline death rate .
Overall , the all-cause mortality rate was higher during the fall of 1918 than the spring of 2020 .
`` All we know is that in this little slice of time that we looked at , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't be just shrugged off , '' the lead researcher said .

Since the discovery of the virus that causes COVID-19, the daily news cycle has become swamped with updates about how the pathogen spreads, what the bug does to the body and what solutions might finally bring an end to the pandemic.
But staying up-to-date on all the latest coronavirus news can be a challenge. To help keep you informed, we at Live Science have compiled a short list of standout news stories from the week — these are the ones that really caught our attention.
New saliva test
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the use of an inexpensive saliva test for COVID-19 that can deliver results in less than three hours.
The test, called SalivaDirect, was developed by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health and offers several advantages over nasal swab tests. First, the saliva sample can be collected in any sterilized container, unlike nasal swab tests that require a special swab to be inserted deep inside the nose. Second, Yale expects that labs will offer the test for only $10 per saliva sample. And finally, Yale does not plan to commercialize the test and will instead release instructions for labs to conduct the test themselves, using only commercially available components.
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
Federal officials announced that the FDA won't authorize the use of blood plasma to treat COVID-19 patients until more data about the treatment can be reviewed.
So-called convalescent plasma therapy uses the liquid portion of blood drawn from people who have recovered from COVID-19. While coronavirus patients can get the treatment in the context of a clinical trial, the FDA will not authorize plasma for wider use until more "gold standard" trials are completed. The trials must be randomized and controlled, meaning patients randomly receive either plasma or a standard treatment, as a point of comparison.
These trials are challenging to organize during a pandemic, due to the limited supply of eligible plasma and differences in COVID-19 prevalence in different regions.
COVID-19 pandemic could be deadlier than 1918 flu
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
A new study suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic could potentially become more deadly than the 1918 flu pandemic.
The 1918 flu pandemic is remembered as the deadliest pandemic in recent history, having claimed at least 50 million lives worldwide. To compare the 1918 outbreak with the current pandemic, researchers zeroed in on data from New York City.
They began by analyzing the deaths from all causes in New York City between October and November 1918, the peak of the flu pandemic, and compared those to all-cause deaths in the same months in years preceding the pandemic. They then calculated all-cause deaths during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak, between March and May, and compared those to rates in recent years.
They found that all-cause mortality was 2.8 times higher during the 1918 flu than in the same months in preceding years, while all-cause mortality was 4.15 higher during the COVID-19 outbreak than it had been in recent years. That said, the authors note that the relative increase in deaths appears greater in 2020 because we started out at a lower baseline death rate. Overall, the all-cause mortality rate was higher during the fall of 1918 than the spring of 2020.
"All we know is that in this little slice of time that we looked at, there are certainly enough resemblances that it can't be just shrugged off," the lead researcher said.
Originally published on Live Science.