livescience--2020-09-08--2,200-year-old Chinese text may be oldest surviving anatomical atlas

A series of 2,200-year-old Chinese texts , written on silk and found buried in ancient tombs , contain the oldest surviving anatomical atlas , scientists say .
The texts were discovered in the 1970s within tombs at the site of Mawangdui in south-central .
The tombs belonged to Marquis Dai , his wife Lady Dai and their son .
The texts are challenging to understand , and they use the term `` meridian '' to refer to parts of the .
In a paper recently published Sept. 1 in the journal , a research team led by Vivien Shaw , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wales in the United Kingdom , argues that these texts `` are the oldest surviving anatomical atlas in the world . ''
Additionally the texts `` both predate and inform the later texts , which have been the foundation for acupuncture practice in the subsequent two millennia , '' the researchers wrote in the study .
The find `` challenges the widespread belief that there is no scientific foundation for the 'anatomy of acupuncture , ' by showing that the earliest physicians writing about acupuncture were in fact writing about the physical body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which are written in Chinese characters , are difficult to understand .
`` The skills necessary to interpret them are diverse , requiring the researcher firstly to read the original Chinese , and secondly to perform the anatomical investigations that allow a re-viewing of the structures that the texts refer to , '' the researchers wrote in the paper .
But if the texts are read carefully , it can be seen that the `` meridians '' refer to parts of the human body .
For example , the text says ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` in the center of the palm , goes along the forearm between the two bones following straight along the , travels below the sinew into the bicep , to the armpit , and connects with the . ''
The researchers contend that this description of a `` meridian '' actually refers to the path of the ulnar artery , the main blood vessel of the forearm .
Another example from the ancient text describes a `` meridian '' in the foot that `` starts at the big toe and runs along the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Connects at the ankle , knee , and thigh .
It travels along the adductors of the thigh , and covers the abdomen . ''
This `` meridian '' actually describes the `` pathway of the long saphenous vein , '' the conduit that carries blood from the legs back to the heart , the researchers wrote .
The team concludes that the texts `` represent the earliest surviving anatomical atlas , designed to provide a concise description of the human body for students and practitioners of medicine in ancient China .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains were considered sacred in ancient China , the remains of law breakers were not always given this honor .
The researchers believe that ancient Chinese medical researchers dissected the corpses of prisoners to help them understand human anatomy .
For instance , the Han Shu ( Book of Han ) , a tome that covers the history of the Han Dynasty , records the dissection of the criminal Wang Sun-Qing in A.D. 16 , the researchers noted in the study .
Until now , the oldest known anatomical atlas of the human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , done by ancient Greek physicians such as Herophilus ( 335–280 B.C . )
and Erasistratus ( 304-c.250 B.C . )
however most of their texts have been lost and are known only from what other ancient writers wrote about them .
As a result , the Chinese texts are the earliest surviving anatomical atlas , the researchers said .
Vivienne Lo , a senior lecturer and convenor of University College London ’ s China Centre for Health and Humanity who is not affiliated with the research , said that she is hesitant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to describe these texts , and thinks that `` map '' or `` chart '' is a more appropriate term .
Lo said that the term `` atlas '' was a term that was used more during the 17th and 18th centuries and does n't seem appropriate to apply to a 2,200 year-old text .
Lo also noted that some of the finds discussed in the paper — such as the fact that prisoners were dissected to provide anatomical information — have been published by other researchers before .
TJ Hinrichs , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conducted research into ancient Chinese medicine but is not affiliated with this research , also did not think that `` anatomical atlas '' was an appropriate term to describe these texts .
Live Science has reached out to other experts not affiliated with the research , however most were not able to reply at time of publication .

A series of 2,200-year-old Chinese texts, written on silk and found buried in ancient tombs, contain the oldest surviving anatomical atlas, scientists say.
The texts were discovered in the 1970s within tombs at the site of Mawangdui in south-central China . The tombs belonged to Marquis Dai, his wife Lady Dai and their son. The texts are challenging to understand, and they use the term "meridian" to refer to parts of the human body . In a paper recently published Sept. 1 in the journal The Anatomical Record , a research team led by Vivien Shaw, an anatomy lecturer at Bangor University in Wales in the United Kingdom, argues that these texts "are the oldest surviving anatomical atlas in the world."
Additionally the texts "both predate and inform the later acupuncture texts, which have been the foundation for acupuncture practice in the subsequent two millennia," the researchers wrote in the study. The find "challenges the widespread belief that there is no scientific foundation for the 'anatomy of acupuncture,' by showing that the earliest physicians writing about acupuncture were in fact writing about the physical body," they added.
Related: In photos: 1,500-year-old tomb of a Chinese woman named Farong
The ancient texts were discovered in the 1970s in a series of tombs at the site of Mawangdui in China. Remains of the tombs are seen in this photo. (Image credit: Shutterstock)
Challenging texts
The texts, which are written in Chinese characters, are difficult to understand. "The skills necessary to interpret them are diverse, requiring the researcher firstly to read the original Chinese, and secondly to perform the anatomical investigations that allow a re-viewing of the structures that the texts refer to," the researchers wrote in the paper.
But if the texts are read carefully, it can be seen that the "meridians" refer to parts of the human body. For example, the text says (in translation) that one meridian starts "in the center of the palm, goes along the forearm between the two bones following straight along the tendons , travels below the sinew into the bicep, to the armpit, and connects with the heart ." The researchers contend that this description of a "meridian" actually refers to the path of the ulnar artery, the main blood vessel of the forearm.
Another example from the ancient text describes a "meridian" in the foot that "starts at the big toe and runs along the medial surface of the leg and thigh. Connects at the ankle, knee, and thigh. It travels along the adductors of the thigh, and covers the abdomen." This "meridian" actually describes the "pathway of the long saphenous vein," the conduit that carries blood from the legs back to the heart, the researchers wrote.
The team concludes that the texts "represent the earliest surviving anatomical atlas, designed to provide a concise description of the human body for students and practitioners of medicine in ancient China."
Although the human body and ancestral remains were considered sacred in ancient China, the remains of law breakers were not always given this honor. The researchers believe that ancient Chinese medical researchers dissected the corpses of prisoners to help them understand human anatomy. For instance, the Han Shu (Book of Han), a tome that covers the history of the Han Dynasty, records the dissection of the criminal Wang Sun-Qing in A.D. 16, the researchers noted in the study.
Until now, the oldest known anatomical atlas of the human body was thought to be from Greece, done by ancient Greek physicians such as Herophilus (335–280 B.C.) and Erasistratus (304-c.250 B.C.) however most of their texts have been lost and are known only from what other ancient writers wrote about them. As a result, the Chinese texts are the earliest surviving anatomical atlas, the researchers said.
Related: Photos: Tiny looms Found in Chinese tomb
Vivienne Lo, a senior lecturer and convenor of University College London’s China Centre for Health and Humanity who is not affiliated with the research, said that she is hesitant to use the word "atlas" to describe these texts, and thinks that "map" or "chart" is a more appropriate term. Lo said that the term "atlas" was a term that was used more during the 17th and 18th centuries and doesn't seem appropriate to apply to a 2,200 year-old text. Lo also noted that some of the finds discussed in the paper — such as the fact that prisoners were dissected to provide anatomical information — have been published by other researchers before.
TJ Hinrichs, a history professor at Cornell University who has conducted research into ancient Chinese medicine but is not affiliated with this research, also did not think that "anatomical atlas" was an appropriate term to describe these texts. Live Science has reached out to other experts not affiliated with the research, however most were not able to reply at time of publication.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-09-08--313-million-year-old track marks found in Grand Canyon

Some 313 million years ago , a large lizard-like creature crawled up a coastal sand dune in what is now the .
Some time later , a light dew wetted the tracks cementing them in place and then a wind-blown sand buried them , preserving the animal 's clawed footprints for eons .
The paleontologists who studied the trackway say they are the oldest recorded vertebrate tracks in Grand Canyon National Park .
Tetrapods , or four-legged beasts , left this set of tracks , along with another set imprinted a little later in time .
The second set of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had accumulated in the first set , and the researchers said these prints could belong to the same species .
These ancestors of modern reptiles lived in the sand 250 million years before , and they would have walked using a highly evolved gait .
Allan Krill , a Norwegian geology professor , initially discovered the imprinted tracks in 2016 while leading his students along Bright Angel Trail on an annual field trip to the Grand Canyon .
He noticed the fossilized footprints etched into a fallen boulder at the base of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photos of the prints and sent them to Steve Rowland , a geologist who often accompanied the Norwegian group on their trips .
Rowland and his team determined that the track-bearing boulder fell from a nearby cliff-exposure of the .
`` We were able to determine that it was from that area because we studied the nature of the rock , features such as its color and grain size , '' he said .
Knowing the origin of the rock also allowed researchers to date the tracks .
The size of the tracks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the size of a modern-day chuckwalla , 15 to 30 inches ( or 40 to 80 centimeters ) long , the researchers said .
When Rowland 's team examined the tracks , they found two surprising features .
`` The first is that they are the oldest known amniotes living in sand dunes , '' said study co-author Steve Rowland , Emeritus Professor of Geology at the University of Nevada Las Vegas .
Amniotes are animals like birds and reptiles whose eggs can survive outside of water .
Earlier-evolved species such as fish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in water .
`` Finding these amniote tracks in what was a coastal dune means that these ancestors of modern reptiles adapted to land almost as soon as they evolved , '' Rowland said .
`` The second surprising thing is the arrangement of the footprints -– these tracks revealed a lateral-sequence gait , '' Rowland told Live Science .
If you watch your pet dog or cat , especially when they are moving slowly , you might see it use a lateral-sequence gait in which they move the right-rear leg followed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left-rear followed by the left-front .
This sequence is more stable than the other known type of gait , called the diagonal-sequence gait , Rowland said .
Humans use this diagonal type of movement , swinging our left arm forward synchronously with our right leg , and vice versa .
Fish also use diagonal sequence when moving their fins .
Animals with four legs can use both types of gait .
`` Until we studied these tracks , '' Rowland said , `` no one knew how early in the history of animals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , we know that it was used very early in the history of amniotes , 313 million years ago . ''
Spencer Lucas , a paleontologist at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History who was not involved in this study , applauded the work .
The current research , he said , '' documents an important discovery : the oldest record of the footprints of tetrapod vertebrates in an eolian ( wind-formed ) rock layer .
It establishes that vertebrates were living in deserts millions of years earlier than was previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aug. 19 in the journal .

Some 313 million years ago, a large lizard-like creature crawled up a coastal sand dune in what is now the Grand Canyon . Some time later, a light dew wetted the tracks cementing them in place and then a wind-blown sand buried them, preserving the animal's clawed footprints for eons.
The paleontologists who studied the trackway say they are the oldest recorded vertebrate tracks in Grand Canyon National Park. Tetrapods, or four-legged beasts, left this set of tracks, along with another set imprinted a little later in time. The second set of footprints was laid down after some sand had accumulated in the first set, and the researchers said these prints could belong to the same species.
These ancestors of modern reptiles lived in the sand 250 million years before T. rex , and they would have walked using a highly evolved gait.
Related: Dinosaur sloshed around ancient lagoon
Allan Krill, a Norwegian geology professor, initially discovered the imprinted tracks in 2016 while leading his students along Bright Angel Trail on an annual field trip to the Grand Canyon. He noticed the fossilized footprints etched into a fallen boulder at the base of a canyon on the trail. Krill took photos of the prints and sent them to Steve Rowland, a geologist who often accompanied the Norwegian group on their trips.
Rowland and his team determined that the track-bearing boulder fell from a nearby cliff-exposure of the Manakacha Formation . "We were able to determine that it was from that area because we studied the nature of the rock, features such as its color and grain size," he said. Knowing the origin of the rock also allowed researchers to date the tracks.
The size of the tracks suggest the creatures would have been about the size of a modern-day chuckwalla, 15 to 30 inches (or 40 to 80 centimeters) long, the researchers said.
A surprising gait
When Rowland's team examined the tracks, they found two surprising features."The first is that they are the oldest known amniotes living in sand dunes," said study co-author Steve Rowland, Emeritus Professor of Geology at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Amniotes are animals like birds and reptiles whose eggs can survive outside of water. Earlier-evolved species such as fish and amphibians need to lay their eggs in water. "Finding these amniote tracks in what was a coastal dune means that these ancestors of modern reptiles adapted to land almost as soon as they evolved," Rowland said.
"The second surprising thing is the arrangement of the footprints -– these tracks revealed a lateral-sequence gait," Rowland told Live Science. If you watch your pet dog or cat, especially when they are moving slowly, you might see it use a lateral-sequence gait in which they move the right-rear leg followed by the right-front leg, and then the left-rear followed by the left-front. This sequence is more stable than the other known type of gait, called the diagonal-sequence gait, Rowland said. Humans use this diagonal type of movement, swinging our left arm forward synchronously with our right leg, and vice versa. Fish also use diagonal sequence when moving their fins.
Animals with four legs can use both types of gait. "Until we studied these tracks," Rowland said, "no one knew how early in the history of animals the lateral-sequence gait came into use. Now, we know that it was used very early in the history of amniotes, 313 million years ago."
Spencer Lucas, a paleontologist at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History who was not involved in this study, applauded the work. The current research, he said,"documents an important discovery: the oldest record of the footprints of tetrapod vertebrates in an eolian (wind-formed) rock layer. It establishes that vertebrates were living in deserts millions of years earlier than was previously known."
The findings were published Aug. 19 in the journal PLOS One .
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-09-08--Seven lineages of SARS-CoV-2 identified in Nigeria: Why that matters

By the first week of August 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic had caused about worldwide .
, as of July 28 , there were 38,945 confirmed cases recorded with 813 deaths .
The pandemic hit the , and the numbers remain comparatively low for most countries .
But there is a strong view among scientists that data recorded on the continent are an as countries struggle with testing .
As frantic work continues to , countries like Nigeria continue to do all they can to the spread of the virus .
In Nigeria this includes support from both the public and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the work being done is the testing and research being undertaken at the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases , Redeemer 's University , Ede , Osun State .
The centre has been focused on infectious disease research including malaria , Lassa fever , Ebola , HIV , yellow fever , and more recently SARS-CoV-2 .
Nigeria recorded its on February 27 , 2020 , through an Italian immigrant whose samples were sent to the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases by the Nigerian Centre for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a result of this work , the on the African continent was published on March 6 , 2020 .
Genome sequencing helps us understand the virus , its epidemiology and evolution .
Globally , there is only one strain of SARS-CoV-2 , which is also the same as the strain circulating in Nigeria .
However , there are more than of this novel virus in circulation around the world .
Lineage classification is based on mutations or genetic variants that connect the ancestral type to the genetics of the descendants , which do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Basically , viral lineages are formed when mutations occurring do not change the encoded viral protein .
However , any mutation that leads to a change in viral pathogenicity , virulence or immunogenicity , will become a new strain .
If a mutation affects the part of a virus that the immune system uses to neutralise the virus , this then becomes a strain that can infect people previously infected or vaccinated .
An example of this occurs with the flu virus , which is why a new vaccine is needed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have so far of these over 1,000 lineages in Nigeria .
Each lineage represents sequences from different countries .
Some of the lineages have overlapping sources of origin .
The first lineage represents viral sequences from China and global exports including South East Asia , Japan , South Korea , Australia , the US and Europe .
The second lineage represents a viral sequence from the Italian outbreak .
The third represents a new European lineage .
The fourth represents sequences from the UK , Iceland and Turkey .
The fifth represents sequences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Egypt , Finland and England .
The sixth represents a sequence from the Netherlands .
The seventh represents sequences from Turkey , Saudi Arabia , Egypt , Finland and England .
The lineages identified in Nigeria are not different from the ones identified in other parts of the world and there are no reports of strains or lineages unique to Nigeria thus far .
The number of lineages circulating in Nigeria will be updated as we generate more sequence data , taking into consideration the current evidence of community transmission .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be very useful for determining how a virus spreads through communities or populations .
This means that if a new strain should appear , scientists would have important information needed to contain it .
This is especially important for the African region because if the new strain happened to be more virulent , or more transmissible , it would put great pressure on weak health systems .
What a mutation in SARS-CoV-2 could mean A mutation in SARS-CoV-2 could confer an advantage to the virus .
For instance , a virus with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ readily , thereby spreading more easily between people ; it could be less recognized by the immune system , or more pathogenic .
suggest that new SARS-CoV-2 `` strains '' have arisen through mutation that have the potential to increase the severity of the pandemic .
analyzed a set of mutations in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 , and concluded that a specific mutation had increased in frequency as the virus spread from China into Europe , North America , and Australia .
The authors concluded that this increase in frequency arose because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transmissible .
Scientists in Nigeria , as elsewhere , have been tracking these developments very closely .
There is a in the increase in the number of this spike protein mutation in Nigeria .
Continuous monitoring of viral genetic changes or mutations is important as it provides valuable information on the evolution of the virus and its implications .
If a mutation occurs in the region of the virus that was used to develop the vaccine , the vaccine will not be as effective .
This is what happens in the case of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a new strain .
We do not know much about SARS-CoV-2 yet .
And we do n't know if the virus will mutate into a new strain down the line .
If it does happen , it could require the development of a new vaccine .
Nothing can be done to prevent viruses from mutating .
They do so naturally as a survival strategy .
These mutations happen when the virus makes an error when its DNA or RNA is being replicated , or due to selective pressure .
Currently , researchers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relevant strains of SARS-Cov-2 are circulating and what the consequences are for treatment and vaccine development .
This article was originally published at The Conversation .
The publication contributed the article to Live Science 's Expert Voices : Op-Ed & Insights .

The novel coronavirus uses its spike protein (dark blue) to infiltrate host cells, whose machinery it uses to replicate its RNA (yellow).
By the first week of August 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic had caused about 654,000 deaths worldwide. In Nigeria , as of July 28, there were 38,945 confirmed cases recorded with 813 deaths.
The pandemic hit the African continent last , and the numbers remain comparatively low for most countries. But there is a strong view among scientists that data recorded on the continent are an underestimate as countries struggle with testing.
As frantic work continues to find a vaccine , countries like Nigeria continue to do all they can to curb the spread of the virus.
In Nigeria this includes support from both the public and private sector and academia. One example of the work being done is the testing and research being undertaken at the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases , Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State. The centre has been focused on infectious disease research including malaria, Lassa fever, Ebola, HIV, yellow fever, and more recently SARS-CoV-2.
Nigeria recorded its first coronavirus infection on February 27, 2020, through an Italian immigrant whose samples were sent to the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control for genome sequencing. As a result of this work, the first SARS-CoV-2 sequence data on the African continent was published on March 6, 2020.
Genome sequencing helps us understand the virus, its epidemiology and evolution. Globally, there is only one strain of SARS-CoV-2, which is also the same as the strain circulating in Nigeria. However, there are more than 1,000 lineages of this novel virus in circulation around the world.
Lineage classification is based on mutations or genetic variants that connect the ancestral type to the genetics of the descendants, which do not change the physiology of the virus.
Basically, viral lineages are formed when mutations occurring do not change the encoded viral protein. However, any mutation that leads to a change in viral pathogenicity, virulence or immunogenicity, will become a new strain.
If a mutation affects the part of a virus that the immune system uses to neutralise the virus, this then becomes a strain that can infect people previously infected or vaccinated. An example of this occurs with the flu virus, which is why a new vaccine is needed for the seasonal flu each year.
We have so far identified seven of these over 1,000 lineages in Nigeria. Each lineage represents sequences from different countries.
The lineages
Some of the lineages have overlapping sources of origin.
The first lineage represents viral sequences from China and global exports including South East Asia, Japan, South Korea, Australia, the US and Europe.
The second lineage represents a viral sequence from the Italian outbreak. The third represents a new European lineage. The fourth represents sequences from the UK, Iceland and Turkey.
The fifth represents sequences from Netherlands, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Finland and England. The sixth represents a sequence from the Netherlands. The seventh represents sequences from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Finland and England.
The lineages identified in Nigeria are not different from the ones identified in other parts of the world and there are no reports of strains or lineages unique to Nigeria thus far.
The number of lineages circulating in Nigeria will be updated as we generate more sequence data, taking into consideration the current evidence of community transmission.
It is important to track lineages as they can be very useful for determining how a virus spreads through communities or populations. This means that if a new strain should appear, scientists would have important information needed to contain it. This is especially important for the African region because if the new strain happened to be more virulent, or more transmissible, it would put great pressure on weak health systems.
What a mutation in SARS-CoV-2 could mean
A mutation in SARS-CoV-2 could confer an advantage to the virus. For instance, a virus with an advantageous mutation could affect humans more readily, thereby spreading more easily between people; it could be less recognized by the immune system, or more pathogenic.
Recent reports suggest that new SARS-CoV-2 "strains" have arisen through mutation that have the potential to increase the severity of the pandemic.
A study analyzed a set of mutations in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, and concluded that a specific mutation had increased in frequency as the virus spread from China into Europe, North America, and Australia. The authors concluded that this increase in frequency arose because the mutation had made the virus more transmissible.
Scientists in Nigeria, as elsewhere, have been tracking these developments very closely. There is a trend in the increase in the number of this spike protein mutation in Nigeria.
Why it matters
Continuous monitoring of viral genetic changes or mutations is important as it provides valuable information on the evolution of the virus and its implications.
If a mutation occurs in the region of the virus that was used to develop the vaccine, the vaccine will not be as effective. This is what happens in the case of flu vaccines because the virus keeps mutating into a new strain.
We do not know much about SARS-CoV-2 yet. And we don't know if the virus will mutate into a new strain down the line. If it does happen, it could require the development of a new vaccine.
Nothing can be done to prevent viruses from mutating. They do so naturally as a survival strategy. These mutations happen when the virus makes an error when its DNA or RNA is being replicated, or due to selective pressure.
Currently, researchers are working to determine how many medically relevant strains of SARS-Cov-2 are circulating and what the consequences are for treatment and vaccine development.
This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.


livescience--2020-09-08--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--2020-09-08--Record-breaking 2.2 million acres burned by California wildfires

California is having a record-breaking year of flames , as dozens of have set the state ablaze .
Wildfires have burned more than 2.2 million acres ( 8,903 square kilometers ) across California this year , killing at least eight people and destroying more than 3,300 structures , according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection ( Cal Fire ) .
That 's an area more than twice the size of Rhode Island .
`` This is crazy .
We have n't even got into the October and November fire season and we 've broken the all-time record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cordova .
`` It concerns us because we need to get these firefighters off these lines and get them breaks from battling these wildfires . ''
There are more than 14,000 firefighters working across the state to contain around 25 major fires .
Most of the state is under a red flag warning today ( Sept. 7 ) and into tomorrow ( Sept. 8 ) , meaning that conditions including strong , gusty winds and low humidity are ideal for wildfire strengthening and spread , according to Cal Fire .
is increasing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state and across the globe , .
The area that 's burned by wildfires in California has been increasing in size each year since 1950 , as temperatures climb , according to the Board .
And more than a century of fire suppression practices have left many forests with plants prone to `` exceedingly hot fires , '' The Creek Fire that began burning on Friday ( Aug. 4 ) evening , is 0 % contained and has spread across 135,523 acres ( 548 square km ) in the Big Creek drainage area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Huntington Lake in the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains .
The California Army National Guard had to evacuate more than 200 people who were trapped by the fast-moving fire at the Wagner Mammoth Pool campground , according to the government 's .
Yesterday , the wrote on Twitter that a military helicopter was trying to rescue people trapped by the fire near Lake Edison in the Sierra National Forest , but was unsuccessful due to heavy smoke conditions .
But at least 13 people were rescued from the Sierra National Forest overnight , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A `` pyrotechnic device , '' that generated smoke during a gender reveal party sparked the El Dorado Fire , which has burned 10,574 acres ( 42.79 square km ) of land in Southern California 's San Bernardino County and is currently 16 % contained , according to a statement from Cal Fire .
Lightning strikes caused most of the other fires , .
Some of the worst air quality in the world is currently plaguing the Golden State , with some regions recording `` very unhealthy '' and `` hazardous '' levels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the U.S. Air Quality Index .
The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service yesterday ( Sep. 7 ) , that it has temporarily closed eight national forests , including the Sierra and Sequoia National Forests due to the `` threat of unprecedented and dangerous fire conditions '' amid extreme heat , significant wind events , dry conditions and limited firefighting resources as teams tackle fires across the country .
California faced an immense heatwave on Labor Day weekend .
Los Angeles County recorded its highest temperature ever at 121 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday ( Sep. 6 ) , according to a tweet from the National Weather Service Los Angeles .
`` The wildfire situation throughout California is dangerous and must be taken seriously .
Existing fires are displaying extreme fire behavior , new fire starts are likely , weather conditions are worsening , and we simply do not have enough resources to fully fight and contain every fire , '' Randy Moore , the Regional Forester for the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region , said in the Forest Service statement .

California is having a record-breaking year of flames, as dozens of wildfires have set the state ablaze.
Wildfires have burned more than 2.2 million acres (8,903 square kilometers) across California this year, killing at least eight people and destroying more than 3,300 structures, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). That's an area more than twice the size of Rhode Island.
"This is crazy. We haven't even got into the October and November fire season and we've broken the all-time record," Cal Fire Capt. Richard Cordova told CNN . "It concerns us because we need to get these firefighters off these lines and get them breaks from battling these wildfires."
There are more than 14,000 firefighters working across the state to contain around 25 major fires. Most of the state is under a red flag warning today (Sept. 7) and into tomorrow (Sept. 8), meaning that conditions including strong, gusty winds and low humidity are ideal for wildfire strengthening and spread, according to Cal Fire.
Related: Raging western wildfires in photos
Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of wildfires in the state and across the globe, according to California Environmental Protection's Agency's Air Resources Board . The area that's burned by wildfires in California has been increasing in size each year since 1950, as temperatures climb, according to the Board. And more than a century of fire suppression practices have left many forests with plants prone to "exceedingly hot fires," according to Cal Fire
The Creek Fire that began burning on Friday (Aug. 4) evening, is 0% contained and has spread across 135,523 acres (548 square km) in the Big Creek drainage area between Shaver Lake, Big Creek and Huntington Lake in the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains. The California Army National Guard had to evacuate more than 200 people who were trapped by the fast-moving fire at the Wagner Mammoth Pool campground, according to the government's Incident Information System .
Yesterday, the Fresno Fire public information office wrote on Twitter that a military helicopter was trying to rescue people trapped by the fire near Lake Edison in the Sierra National Forest, but was unsuccessful due to heavy smoke conditions. But at least 13 people were rescued from the Sierra National Forest overnight, the Army National Guard Col. David Hall said on NBC's "Today" show .
A "pyrotechnic device," that generated smoke during a gender reveal party sparked the El Dorado Fire, which has burned 10,574 acres (42.79 square km) of land in Southern California's San Bernardino County and is currently 16% contained, according to a statement from Cal Fire . Lightning strikes caused most of the other fires, according to NPR .
Some of the worst air quality in the world is currently plaguing the Golden State, with some regions recording "very unhealthy" and "hazardous" levels of smoky particulate matter in the air, according to the U.S. Air Quality Index .
The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service announced in a statement yesterday (Sep. 7), that it has temporarily closed eight national forests, including the Sierra and Sequoia National Forests due to the "threat of unprecedented and dangerous fire conditions" amid extreme heat, significant wind events, dry conditions and limited firefighting resources as teams tackle fires across the country.
California faced an immense heatwave on Labor Day weekend. Los Angeles County recorded its highest temperature ever at 121 degrees Fahrenheit (49.4 degrees Celsius) on Sunday (Sep. 6), according to a tweet from the National Weather Service Los Angeles .
"The wildfire situation throughout California is dangerous and must be taken seriously. Existing fires are displaying extreme fire behavior, new fire starts are likely, weather conditions are worsening, and we simply do not have enough resources to fully fight and contain every fire," Randy Moore, the Regional Forester for the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region, said in the Forest Service statement.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-09-08--Ultradeep melting rocks drive invisible quakes beneath San Andreas Fault

Along the near the town of Parkfield , California , an incredibly sensitive array of seismic and GPS instruments has for years been detecting something strange : deep that occur well below where most seismic movement occurs in California .
These quakes ca n't be felt at the surface , but they 're intriguing because this same segment of the San Andreas near the town of Parkfield also shudders with magnitude-6 or so earthquakes every 20 or 40 years — strong enough to damage buildings and pose a danger to people nearby .
And these deep tremors may be linked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new research finds the root of these silent , deep quakes .
They may occur when rocks sliding against each other more than 10 miles ( 16 kilometers ) deep heat up ( due to ) enough to melt , which enables them to slide faster and cause tremors .
These tremors may also redistribute stresses in a way that affects the crust above .
`` There is a possibility that these tremors may play an important role for triggering larger earthquakes near the surface , '' said Sylvain Barbot , a geophysicist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who led the research .
The San Andreas at Parkfield is perhaps the best-monitored section of the fault .
Scientists began focusing on monitoring the area around Parkfield because of its relative predictability .
They hoped to be able to make the first successful earthquake prediction on this section of the fault , a hope that was dashed in 1993 when the fault failed to repeat one of its magnitude-6 quakes on schedule .
Instead , the fault snapped on Sept. 28 , 2004 , .
In 2004 , researchers drilled into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.8 miles ( 2 to 3 km ) deep to better detect the movements of the San Andreas .
Along with GPS instruments that allow scientists to measure deformation of the ground that does n't create shaking — or aseismic movement — these instruments allow for detailed surveillance of the fault , even showing earthquakes that ca n't be otherwise detected .
These tremors occur 10.5 miles ( 17 km ) below the surface of E , more than a mile ( 2 km ) deeper than seismic activity elsewhere in California .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ quakes ] because these earthquakes occur every few months , '' Barbot told Live Science .
`` So it gives us an opportunity to understand them with a lot of data , but these findings apply to understanding large earthquakes . ''
Barbot and his colleague Lifeng Wang at the China Earthquake Administration in Beijing used a computer model to mimic the real-life fault and its movements .
They found that temperature is a key metric in reproducing the regular , almost monthly , tremors deep beneath the fault .
As the rocks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up and begin to melt .
Depending on the type of rock , this melting occurs at between 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit and 1650 F ( 600 to 900 degrees Celsius ) .
The gooey rocks move more easily , generating even more friction , warming up even more and moving even faster .
This positive feedback loop creates the deep earthquakes detected by the seismic monitoring .
The researchers published their findings Sept. 4 in the journal .
It 's possible that these deep tremors play a role in triggering the strong earthquakes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Barbot said .
The relationship may also work the other way around , with movement higher up in the crust helping to drive the deep tremors .
Barbot and his colleagues now hope to search for signatures of this melting in rocks that are now at the surface .
If they can learn more about the rocks that are deep below the fault and what happens to them as they melt , the researchers may be able to improve their models and better predict how the San Andreas will behave .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are in fact part of a broader spectrum of things that can happen on a fault , from completely aseismic to mildly seismic to extremely seismogenic and dangerous , '' Barbot said .
`` We 're trying to understand the whole spectrum of this behavior . ''

Along the San Andreas fault near the town of Parkfield, California, an incredibly sensitive array of seismic and GPS instruments has for years been detecting something strange: deep earthquakes that occur well below where most seismic movement occurs in California.
These quakes can't be felt at the surface, but they're intriguing because this same segment of the San Andreas near the town of Parkfield also shudders with magnitude-6 or so earthquakes every 20 or 40 years — strong enough to damage buildings and pose a danger to people nearby. And these deep tremors may be linked to the surface temblors.
Now, new research finds the root of these silent, deep quakes. They may occur when rocks sliding against each other more than 10 miles (16 kilometers) deep heat up (due to friction ) enough to melt, which enables them to slide faster and cause tremors. These tremors may also redistribute stresses in a way that affects the crust above.
Related: Photo journal: The gorgeous San Andreas Fault
"There is a possibility that these tremors may play an important role for triggering larger earthquakes near the surface," said Sylvain Barbot, a geophysicist at the University of Southern California, who led the research.
The mysteries of Parkfield
The San Andreas at Parkfield is perhaps the best-monitored section of the fault. Scientists began focusing on monitoring the area around Parkfield because of its relative predictability. They hoped to be able to make the first successful earthquake prediction on this section of the fault, a hope that was dashed in 1993 when the fault failed to repeat one of its magnitude-6 quakes on schedule. Instead, the fault snapped on Sept. 28, 2004, generating a magnitude-6.0 quake .
In 2004, researchers drilled into the fault zone to set seismometers 1.2 to 1.8 miles (2 to 3 km) deep to better detect the movements of the San Andreas. Along with GPS instruments that allow scientists to measure deformation of the ground that doesn't create shaking — or aseismic movement — these instruments allow for detailed surveillance of the fault, even showing earthquakes that can't be otherwise detected.
These tremors occur 10.5 miles (17 km) below the surface of E arth , more than a mile (2 km) deeper than seismic activity elsewhere in California.
"We're studying these [small quakes] because these earthquakes occur every few months," Barbot told Live Science. "So it gives us an opportunity to understand them with a lot of data, but these findings apply to understanding large earthquakes."
Melty rocks
Barbot and his colleague Lifeng Wang at the China Earthquake Administration in Beijing used a computer model to mimic the real-life fault and its movements. They found that temperature is a key metric in reproducing the regular, almost monthly, tremors deep beneath the fault. As the rocks slide against each other, they heat up and begin to melt. Depending on the type of rock, this melting occurs at between 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit and 1650 F (600 to 900 degrees Celsius).
The gooey rocks move more easily, generating even more friction, warming up even more and moving even faster. This positive feedback loop creates the deep earthquakes detected by the seismic monitoring. The researchers published their findings Sept. 4 in the journal Science Advances .
It's possible that these deep tremors play a role in triggering the strong earthquakes that occur at the surface at Parkfield, Barbot said. The relationship may also work the other way around, with movement higher up in the crust helping to drive the deep tremors.
Barbot and his colleagues now hope to search for signatures of this melting in rocks that are now at the surface. If they can learn more about the rocks that are deep below the fault and what happens to them as they melt, the researchers may be able to improve their models and better predict how the San Andreas will behave.
"In general, we understand that earthquakes are in fact part of a broader spectrum of things that can happen on a fault, from completely aseismic to mildly seismic to extremely seismogenic and dangerous," Barbot said. "We're trying to understand the whole spectrum of this behavior."
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-09-08--China's reusable experimental spacecraft returns to Earth after two-day mystery mission

China 's mysterious reusable experimental spacecraft has safely landed after two days in space , according to state media , and may have deployed a satellite while in orbit .
A in the state-run Chinese media outlet Xinhua said the spacecraft , which launched on Friday ( Sept. 4 ) , landed on Sunday ( Sept. 6 ) .
The launch has been linked with China 's plans these past few years to build and operate a reusable space plane , although that connection has not yet been confirmed .
The spacecraft touched down at `` the scheduled landing site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Xinhua added , without specifying the landing site 's location .
The mission launched on a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China , at a time that Chinese officials have not yet specified .
The landing site is thought to be in the Taklamakan Desert , which is also in northwest China , according to a report from Forbes that cited astrophysicist and satellite tracker , based on the object 's orbit .
McDowell , an astronomer at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not assume the spacecraft is a space plane .
`` 'Reusable ' does n't necessarily mean 'winged , ' '' he wrote on Twitter on Sunday .
`` Still could be a [ SpaceX ] Dragon-style capsule , with a parachute , landing in the Taklamakan somewhere .
Exact launch and landing times not announced by China . ''
China has announced the name of the spacecraft , which is called Chongfu Shiyong Shiyan Hangtian Qi , McDowell said on Twitter on Friday .
The name `` translates as Repeat Use Test Space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spacecraft a bit more loosely ) , '' McDowell added .
Also , analysis of a newly found object in space suggests that the Chinese spacecraft released something while it was in orbit , , although what that may be is pure speculation .
`` My analysis suggests it was ejected from China 's experimental spacecraft near 22:25 UT [ 6:25 p.m. EDT ] on the 5th , about two revolutions before landing , '' Marco Langbroek , a Leiden University space situational awareness consultant , on Sunday .
He credited McDowell with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
, whatever the object was , it was released two orbits before the spacecraft began its return to Earth .
Neither Chinese nor United States space-tracking organizations have released details , the report added. ''
have previously released 'Banxing ' small companion satellites for monitoring , '' SpaceNews said .
`` An experimental new-generation crew spacecraft released a test inflatable reentry and descent technology module in May .
The experiment suffered an anomaly during reentry . ''
To be fair , the Chinese are n't alone in keeping the activities of experimental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's discussions of sending a space plane aloft have been compared with the secretive X-37B that the United States Space Force flies in orbit for months at a time , with little information about its activities .
That said , that the extra precautions associated with the recent Chinese launch , such as not releasing images of the spacecraft or letting observers nearby , sound strange given China 's assurance that the intention of the mission is peaceful .
`` The successful flight marked the country 's important breakthrough in reusable spacecraft research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and low-cost round trip transport for the peaceful use of the space , '' Xinhua said in its report on Sunday .
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @ howellspace .
Follow us on Twitter @ Spacedotcom and on Facebook .

China's mysterious reusable experimental spacecraft has safely landed after two days in space, according to state media, and may have deployed a satellite while in orbit.
A brief report in the state-run Chinese media outlet Xinhua said the spacecraft, which launched on Friday (Sept. 4), landed on Sunday (Sept. 6). The launch has been linked with China's plans these past few years to build and operate a reusable space plane, although that connection has not yet been confirmed.
The spacecraft touched down at "the scheduled landing site after a two-day in-orbit operation," Xinhua added, without specifying the landing site's location. The mission launched on a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, at a time that Chinese officials have not yet specified.
Related: Latest news about China's space program
The landing site is thought to be in the Taklamakan Desert, which is also in northwest China, according to a report from Forbes that cited astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell's projections on Twitter , based on the object's orbit.
McDowell, an astronomer at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA), stressed that we cannot assume the spacecraft is a space plane. "'Reusable' doesn't necessarily mean 'winged,'" he wrote on Twitter on Sunday . "Still could be a [SpaceX] Dragon-style capsule, with a parachute, landing in the Taklamakan somewhere. Exact launch and landing times not announced by China."
China has announced the name of the spacecraft, which is called Chongfu Shiyong Shiyan Hangtian Qi, McDowell said on Twitter on Friday . The name "translates as Repeat Use Test Space Craft (let's say Reusable Test Spacecraft a bit more loosely)," McDowell added.
Also, analysis of a newly found object in space suggests that the Chinese spacecraft released something while it was in orbit, according to SpaceNews , although what that may be is pure speculation.
"My analysis suggests it was ejected from China's experimental spacecraft near 22:25 UT [6:25 p.m. EDT] on the 5th, about two revolutions before landing," Marco Langbroek, a Leiden University space situational awareness consultant, wrote on Twitter on Sunday. He credited McDowell with spotting the object in the first place.
SpaceNews said that , whatever the object was, it was released two orbits before the spacecraft began its return to Earth. Neither Chinese nor United States space-tracking organizations have released details, the report added.
" Chinese crew capsules have previously released 'Banxing' small companion satellites for monitoring," SpaceNews said. "An experimental new-generation crew spacecraft released a test inflatable reentry and descent technology module in May. The experiment suffered an anomaly during reentry."
To be fair, the Chinese aren't alone in keeping the activities of experimental spacecraft close to the vest. China's discussions of sending a space plane aloft have been compared with the secretive X-37B that the United States Space Force flies in orbit for months at a time , with little information about its activities.
That said, space observers have pointed out that the extra precautions associated with the recent Chinese launch, such as not releasing images of the spacecraft or letting observers nearby, sound strange given China's assurance that the intention of the mission is peaceful.
"The successful flight marked the country's important breakthrough in reusable spacecraft research, and is expected to offer convenient and low-cost round trip transport for the peaceful use of the space," Xinhua said in its report on Sunday.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.


livescience--2020-09-09--Coronavirus outbreak: Live updates

Coronavirus outbreak: Live updates


livescience--2020-09-09--3,200-megapixel camera of the future Vera Rubin Observatory snaps record-breaking 1st photos

The camera core for the future has snapped its first test photos , setting a new world record for the largest single shot by a giant digital camera .
The imaging sensor array , which comprises the focal plane for Vera Rubin 's SUV-sized , snapped the 3,200-megapixel images during recent tests at the Department of Energy 's ( DOE ) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in California .
( `` SLAC '' stands for `` Stanford Linear Accelerator Center , '' the facility 's original name . )
The photos are the largest single-shot pictures ever taken , SLAC officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of them full-size would require 378 4K ultra-high-definition TVs .
The resolution is so good that a golf ball would be visible from 15 miles ( 25 kilometers ) away .
Vera Rubin : The astronomer who brought dark matter to light The first images do n't show distant golf balls , however .
The SLAC team that 's building Vera Rubin 's LSST ( Legacy Survey of Space and Time ) Camera focused on nearby objects , including a Romanesco broccoli , whose intricately textured surface allowed the sensors to strut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a major accomplishment , '' SLAC scientist Aaron Roodman , who 's responsible for the assembly and testing of the LSST Camera , said in a statement .
`` With the tight specifications , we really pushed the limits of what 's possible to take advantage of every square millimeter of the focal plane and maximize the science we can do with it . ''
Like the imaging sensor in your camera , the LSST Camera 's focal plane converts light emitted or reflected by an object into electrical signals that generate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Camera 's imaging core is far larger , more complex and more capable than any consumer electronic product .
The newly tested focal plane is more than 2 feet ( 0.6 meters ) wide and harbors 189 individual sensors , or charge-coupled devices ( CCDs ) .
The CCDs and their associated electronics are housed in 21 separate `` rafts , '' subunits that are about 2 feet tall , weigh about 20 lbs .
( 9 kilograms ) and cost up to $ 3 million apiece .
The rafts were built at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York and then transported to SLAC .
In January 2020 , the SLAC team finished slotting the 21 sensor-bearing rafts , plus another four specialty rafts not used for imaging , into their assigned places in the focal-plane grid , an exacting and nerve-wracking process that took about six months .
The rafts are packed incredibly tightly to maximize the focal plane 's imaging area ; the gap between CCDs on neighboring rafts is less than the width of five human hairs , SLAC officials said .
And the sensors are fragile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another .
Related : The world 's largest telescopes : How they stack up '' The combination of high stakes and tight tolerances made this project very challenging , '' SLAC mechanical engineer Hannah Pollek , a member of the sensor-integration team , said in the same statement .
`` But with a versatile team , we pretty much nailed it . ''
The newly released images are part of extensive , ongoing tests designed to vet the focal plane , which has not yet been installed on the LSST Camera .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few months , as will the addition of the camera 's lenses and other key components , if all goes according to plan .
The camera should be ready for final testing by the middle of next year , SLAC officials said .
It will then be shipped to the Chilean Andes , where the Vera C. Rubin Observatory is being built .
The observatory , previously known as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope , will use its 27.6-foot-wide ( 8.4 m ) mirror and 3.2-billion-pixel camera to conduct a landmark 10-year study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Space and Time for which the camera is named .
The camera will generate a panorama of the southern sky every few nights , amassing an astronomical treasure trove that will include imagery of about 20 billion different .
`` These data will improve our knowledge of how galaxies have evolved over time and will let us test our models of and more deeply and precisely than ever , '' Steven Ritz , project scientist for the LSST Camera at the University of California , Santa Cruz , said in the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a wonderful facility for a broad range of science — from detailed studies of our solar system to studies of faraway objects toward the edge of the visible universe , '' Ritz said .
Mike Wall is the author of `` Out There '' ( Grand Central Publishing , 2018 ; illustrated by Karl Tate ) , a book about the search for alien life .
Follow him on Twitter @ michaeldwall .
Follow us on Twitter @ Spacedotcom or Facebook .

The complete focal plane of the future LSST Camera is more than 2 feet wide and contains 189 individual sensors that will produce 3,200-megapixel images.
The camera core for the future Vera C. Rubin Observatory has snapped its first test photos, setting a new world record for the largest single shot by a giant digital camera.
The imaging sensor array, which comprises the focal plane for Vera Rubin's SUV-sized digital camera , snapped the 3,200-megapixel images during recent tests at the Department of Energy's (DOE) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in California. ("SLAC" stands for "Stanford Linear Accelerator Center," the facility's original name.)
The photos are the largest single-shot pictures ever taken, SLAC officials said — so big that showing just one of them full-size would require 378 4K ultra-high-definition TVs. The resolution is so good that a golf ball would be visible from 15 miles (25 kilometers) away.
Vera Rubin: The astronomer who brought dark matter to light
The first images don't show distant golf balls, however. The SLAC team that's building Vera Rubin's LSST (Legacy Survey of Space and Time) Camera focused on nearby objects, including a Romanesco broccoli, whose intricately textured surface allowed the sensors to strut their stuff.
"Taking these images is a major accomplishment," SLAC scientist Aaron Roodman, who's responsible for the assembly and testing of the LSST Camera, said in a statement. "With the tight specifications, we really pushed the limits of what's possible to take advantage of every square millimeter of the focal plane and maximize the science we can do with it."
Like the imaging sensor in your cellphone camera, the LSST Camera's focal plane converts light emitted or reflected by an object into electrical signals that generate a digital photo. But the LSST Camera's imaging core is far larger, more complex and more capable than any consumer electronic product.
The newly tested focal plane is more than 2 feet (0.6 meters) wide and harbors 189 individual sensors, or charge-coupled devices (CCDs). The CCDs and their associated electronics are housed in 21 separate "rafts," subunits that are about 2 feet tall, weigh about 20 lbs. (9 kilograms) and cost up to $3 million apiece.
The rafts were built at the DOE's Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York and then transported to SLAC. In January 2020, the SLAC team finished slotting the 21 sensor-bearing rafts, plus another four specialty rafts not used for imaging, into their assigned places in the focal-plane grid, an exacting and nerve-wracking process that took about six months.
The rafts are packed incredibly tightly to maximize the focal plane's imaging area; the gap between CCDs on neighboring rafts is less than the width of five human hairs, SLAC officials said. And the sensors are fragile, cracking easily if they touch one another.
Related: The world's largest telescopes: How they stack up
Crews at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have taken the first 3,200-megapixel images with the complete focal plane of the LSST Camera, the future “eye” of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. They are the largest digital images ever taken in a single shot. One of the first objects photographed was a Romanesco broccoli, chosen for its very detailed texture. (Image credit: Greg Stewart/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)
"The combination of high stakes and tight tolerances made this project very challenging," SLAC mechanical engineer Hannah Pollek, a member of the sensor-integration team, said in the same statement. "But with a versatile team, we pretty much nailed it."
The newly released images are part of extensive, ongoing tests designed to vet the focal plane, which has not yet been installed on the LSST Camera. That integration step will happen in the next few months, as will the addition of the camera's lenses and other key components, if all goes according to plan.
The camera should be ready for final testing by the middle of next year, SLAC officials said. It will then be shipped to the Chilean Andes, where the Vera C. Rubin Observatory is being built .
The observatory, previously known as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, will use its 27.6-foot-wide (8.4 m) mirror and 3.2-billion-pixel camera to conduct a landmark 10-year study of the cosmos — the Legacy Survey of Space and Time for which the camera is named. The camera will generate a panorama of the southern sky every few nights, amassing an astronomical treasure trove that will include imagery of about 20 billion different galaxies .
"These data will improve our knowledge of how galaxies have evolved over time and will let us test our models of dark matter and dark energy more deeply and precisely than ever," Steven Ritz, project scientist for the LSST Camera at the University of California, Santa Cruz, said in the same statement.
"The observatory will be a wonderful facility for a broad range of science — from detailed studies of our solar system to studies of faraway objects toward the edge of the visible universe," Ritz said.
Mike Wall is the author of "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.


livescience--2020-09-09--California's fast-moving Creek Fire spawns 'fire cloud' visible from space

Fires continue to , with five new blazes igniting since Friday ( Sept. 4 ) .
The worst of those fires started on Friday and has already covered more than 75,000 acres ( 300 square kilometers ) .
Called the Creek Fire , it has likely spawned fire tornadoes and forced the California Air National Guard to rescue more than 200 people trapped by the flames , according to the Washington Post .
The Creek Fire also created a staggering `` `` that a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) satellite could see from space .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California 's # CreekFire , which grew explosively today after igniting in the Sierra National Forest on Friday , '' NOAA 's public affairs office on Sunday ( Sept. 6 ) .
`` In this loop , you can see the fire 's extraordinary # Pyrocumulonimbus cloud , which reached an estimated 45,000+ ft [ 14,000 meters , or about 8.5 miles ] high . ''
A pyrocumulonimbus cloud is basically a thunder cloud triggered by the heat and moisture that a fire kicks into the atmosphere , .
Such structures can also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upper atmosphere , .
A second NOAA Twitter account shared additional imagery from the same , which shows the spread of the Creek Fire .
GOES-17 has monitored weather in the Western U.S. since its launch in 2018 .
Most recently , the same satellite spotted smoke billowing across nearly all of California and Nevada in the evening of Monday ( Sept. 7 ) , according to a .
According to California 's fire agency , the five fires sparked since Friday have burned more than 100,000 acres ( 400 square kilometers ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ space.com or follow her on Twitter @ meghanbartels .
Follow us on Twitter @ Spacedotcom and on Facebook .

Fires continue to ravage California , with five new blazes igniting since Friday (Sept. 4).
The worst of those fires started on Friday and has already covered more than 75,000 acres (300 square kilometers). Called the Creek Fire, it has likely spawned fire tornadoes and forced the California Air National Guard to rescue more than 200 people trapped by the flames, according to the Washington Post .
Related: California wildfire damage spotted from space (photos)
A still from a NOAA animation of a pyrocumulonimbus cloud over California that was shared on Sept. 6, 2020. (Image credit: NOAA)
The Creek Fire also created a staggering " fire cloud " that a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite could see from space.
"@NOAA's #GOES17 has been monitoring California's #CreekFire, which grew explosively today after igniting in the Sierra National Forest on Friday," NOAA's public affairs office wrote on Twitter on Sunday (Sept. 6). "In this loop, you can see the fire's extraordinary #Pyrocumulonimbus cloud, which reached an estimated 45,000+ ft [14,000 meters, or about 8.5 miles] high."
A pyrocumulonimbus cloud is basically a thunder cloud triggered by the heat and moisture that a fire kicks into the atmosphere, according to NASA . Such structures can also send huge amounts of pollutants into the upper atmosphere, according to NASA .
UPDATE: @NOAA's #GOES17🛰 has been monitoring California's #CreekFire, which grew explosively today after igniting in the Sierra National Forest on Friday. In this loop, you can see the fire's extraordinary #Pyrocumulonimbus cloud, which reached an estimated 45,000+ ft high. pic.twitter.com/pcWwnrA2zsSeptember 6, 2020 See more
This GOES-17 Natural Color Fire RGB satellite imagery shows the explosive growth on Saturday of the latest in a series of terrible fires to impact California this season. This new fire called the Creek Fire is located in Fresno County and has grown to over 36,000 acres in size. pic.twitter.com/a5PZiC4hbqSeptember 6, 2020 See more
A second NOAA Twitter account shared additional imagery from the same GOES-17 satellite , which shows the spread of the Creek Fire. GOES-17 has monitored weather in the Western U.S. since its launch in 2018.
Most recently, the same satellite spotted smoke billowing across nearly all of California and Nevada in the evening of Monday (Sept. 7), according to a NOAA tweet . According to California's fire agency, the five fires sparked since Friday have burned more than 100,000 acres (400 square kilometers).
On this #MondayMorning, look at a Labor Day p.m. capture of the #California fires by @NOAA's #GOESWest. As of late last night, the Creek, Valley, and Oak fires were under 5% containment. Strong winds with gusts of 40-50 mph are forecast today, possibly fanning the flames. pic.twitter.com/OtvFf85JRSSeptember 8, 2020 See more
Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or follow her on Twitter @meghanbartels. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.


livescience--2020-09-09--Why AstraZeneca just paused its coronavirus vaccine trial

Editor 's Note : This story was updated at 5:30 p.m. E.D.T .
to include new information on the serious event that paused the trial .
Clinical trials for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University have been put on hold after a participant developed a suspected adverse reaction , .
But do n't worry ; this is exactly how clinical trials are meant to work .
The decision to pause the trial also does n't mean the vaccine caused the adverse event ; the side effect could have occurred by chance in someone who received the vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paused vaccination to allow review of safety data by an independent committee , '' a company spokesperson .
`` This is a routine action that has to happen when there is a potentially unexplained illness in one of the trials . ''
In large clinical trials with thousands of participants , `` illnesses will happen by chance , '' but each illness must be independently reviewed to uncover whether the reaction was at all related to the vaccine , the spokesperson added .
Related : Here are the most promising coronavirus vaccine candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.K. — showed neurological symptoms often associated with transverse myelitis , a condition where the spinal cord becomes inflamed , AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot told investors during a private call on Sep. 9 , .
These symptoms can include pain , muscle weakness , paralysis and bladder problems .
Soriot confirmed that the patient did receive the real COVID-19 vaccine and not a placebo shot , but her diagnosis of transverse myelitis has yet to be confirmed and may or may not be linked to the vaccine itself .
`` This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phase 2 , phase 3 trials , '' Dr. Phyllis Tien , an infectious disease physician at the University of California , San Francisco , told The Times .
`` I think halting the trial until the safety board can figure out whether or not this was directly related to the vaccine is a good idea . ''
The AstraZeneca trials were put on pause in July , as well , when a different patient developed neurological symptoms , Soriot said during the conference call , according to Stat News .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company determined that the illness was not related to the vaccination , he said .
AstraZeneca is one of nine drug companies to publicly pledge that they will not release a vaccine without adequate safety and efficacy data from `` large , high-quality clinical trials , '' .
In recent weeks , President Donald Trump has teased that a COVID-19 vaccine could be available before election day , raising concerns from scientists and health officials that a vaccine might be released without clear proof that it 's safe and actually works .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ nine big vaccine manufacturers ... said they would not do anything premature , '' Dr. Judith Feinberg , the vice chairwoman for research in medicine at West Virginia University , told The Times .
`` I think there 's enormous pressure to do something premature . ''

Editor's Note: This story was updated at 5:30 p.m. E.D.T. to include new information on the serious event that paused the trial.
Clinical trials for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University have been put on hold after a participant developed a suspected adverse reaction, Stat News first reported .
But don't worry; this is exactly how clinical trials are meant to work. The decision to pause the trial also doesn't mean the vaccine caused the adverse event; the side effect could have occurred by chance in someone who received the vaccine.
The pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca "voluntarily paused vaccination to allow review of safety data by an independent committee," a company spokesperson said in a statement . "This is a routine action that has to happen when there is a potentially unexplained illness in one of the trials." In large clinical trials with thousands of participants, "illnesses will happen by chance," but each illness must be independently reviewed to uncover whether the reaction was at all related to the vaccine, the spokesperson added.
Related: Here are the most promising coronavirus vaccine candidates out there
The participant — a woman in the U.K. — showed neurological symptoms often associated with transverse myelitis, a condition where the spinal cord becomes inflamed, AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot told investors during a private call on Sep. 9, according to Stat News . These symptoms can include pain, muscle weakness, paralysis and bladder problems. Soriot confirmed that the patient did receive the real COVID-19 vaccine and not a placebo shot, but her diagnosis of transverse myelitis has yet to be confirmed and may or may not be linked to the vaccine itself.
"This is the whole point of doing these phase 2, phase 3 trials," Dr. Phyllis Tien, an infectious disease physician at the University of California, San Francisco, told The Times. "I think halting the trial until the safety board can figure out whether or not this was directly related to the vaccine is a good idea."
The AstraZeneca trials were put on pause in July, as well, when a different patient developed neurological symptoms, Soriot said during the conference call, according to Stat News. However, that patient was later diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and the company determined that the illness was not related to the vaccination, he said.
Related: 5 dangerous myths about vaccines
AstraZeneca is one of nine drug companies to publicly pledge that they will not release a coronavirus vaccine without adequate safety and efficacy data from "large, high-quality clinical trials," The New York Times reported Sep. 8 . In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has teased that a COVID-19 vaccine could be available before election day, raising concerns from scientists and health officials that a vaccine might be released without clear proof that it's safe and actually works.
"I love the fact that the nine big vaccine manufacturers ... said they would not do anything premature," Dr. Judith Feinberg, the vice chairwoman for research in medicine at West Virginia University, told The Times. "I think there's enormous pressure to do something premature."
Originally published on Live Science.