livescience--2020-10-08--Leading medical journal blasts Trump's  'astonishing' failure in pandemic response, says to vote him

Leading medical journal blasts Trump's  'astonishing' failure in pandemic response, says to vote him out

The New England Journal of Medicine , one of the most prestigious medical journals , called the U.S. response to the pandemic an `` astonishing '' failure and called for leadership change in the upcoming presidential election , in a passionate published on Thursday ( Oct. 8 ) .
`` This crisis has produced a test of leadership , '' the editors of the journal wrote .
`` Here in the United States , our leaders have failed that test .
They have taken a crisis and turned it into a tragedy . ''
The U.S. has reported more COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the start of the pandemic , with 7.5 million cases and 211,917 deaths , according to the .
The death rate in the U.S. is more than double that in Canada , almost 50 times that in Japan , a country that has a `` vulnerable and elderly population , '' and almost 2,000 times that in lower middle-income countries such as Vietnam , according to the editorial .
`` Our current political leaders have demonstrated that they are dangerously incompetent , '' the editors wrote .
`` We should not abet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more Americans by allowing them to keep their jobs . ''
The U.S. , a country that `` came into this crisis with enormous advantages , '' from manufacturing capacity to a biomedical research infrastructure to incredible expertise in public health , health policy and biology , `` failed at almost every step '' of its pandemic response , trailing far behind other nations such as New Zealand , the authors wrote .
The New England Journal of Medicine ( NEJM ) has only published four editorials in the recent past that were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has never before weighed in on political races , according to CNN .
It is not a political journal `` but the issue here is around fact , not around opinion , '' co-author Dr. Eric Rubin , editor-in-chief of NEJM told CNN .
The editors did not specifically endorse a candidate , but they 're not the first scientific organization to take a political stance against the Trump administration .
In September , Scientific American published an editorial endorsing Former Vice President Joe Biden as a presidential candidate .
Though the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the virus first arrived , testing was delayed and officials failed to provide even basic personal protective equipment to the general public or healthcare workers , the editors wrote .
What 's more , the U.S. was slow and inconsistent in putting quarantine and isolation measures in place and placed little effort in enforcing them , the editors wrote .
Rules on social distancing in many places have been `` lackadaisical at best '' and leaders have made mask-wearing a political issue , the editors wrote .
The government `` appropriately invested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its rhetoric has politicized the development process and led to growing public distrust , '' the editors wrote .
Now , nearly 50 % of the public say they would n't get a COVID-19 vaccine if it were to be available today , according to the Pew Research Center .
U.S. leaders have chosen to ignore and criticize experts , and have rather turned to uninformed `` opinion leaders '' who `` obscure the truth , '' the editors wrote .
The federal government has largely left the disease response to governors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal government has .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) , once the world 's leading disease response organization has been `` eviscerated , '' The National Institutes of Health , who have played a key role in vaccine development , have been excluded from crucial government decision-making and the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) has been `` shamefully politicized , '' the editors wrote .
This failure of the U.S. response has `` exacerbated the tensions associated with inequality , '' as communities of color have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children have missed the opportunity to go to school during `` critical times '' of their social and intellectual development , the hard work of healthcare professionals has been squandered and disease rates have prevented many businesses from reopening , they wrote .
`` Anyone else who recklessly squandered lives and money in this way would be suffering legal consequences .
Our leaders have largely claimed immunity for their actions , '' they wrote .
`` But this election gives us the power to render judgment.
``

The New England Journal of Medicine, one of the most prestigious medical journals, called the U.S. response to the pandemic an "astonishing" failure and called for leadership change in the upcoming presidential election, in a passionate editorial published on Thursday (Oct. 8).
"This crisis has produced a test of leadership," the editors of the journal wrote. "Here in the United States, our leaders have failed that test. They have taken a crisis and turned it into a tragedy." The U.S. has reported more COVID-19 cases and deaths than any other country since the start of the pandemic, with 7.5 million cases and 211,917 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 dashboard .
The death rate in the U.S. is more than double that in Canada, almost 50 times that in Japan, a country that has a "vulnerable and elderly population," and almost 2,000 times that in lower middle-income countries such as Vietnam, according to the editorial.
Related: Coronavirus live updates
"Our current political leaders have demonstrated that they are dangerously incompetent," the editors wrote. "We should not abet them and enable the deaths of thousands more Americans by allowing them to keep their jobs." The U.S., a country that "came into this crisis with enormous advantages," from manufacturing capacity to a biomedical research infrastructure to incredible expertise in public health, health policy and biology, "failed at almost every step" of its pandemic response, trailing far behind other nations such as New Zealand, the authors wrote.
The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) has only published four editorials in the recent past that were signed by all of its editors, and has never before weighed in on political races, according to CNN. It is not a political journal "but the issue here is around fact, not around opinion," co-author Dr. Eric Rubin, editor-in-chief of NEJM told CNN. The editors did not specifically endorse a candidate, but they're not the first scientific organization to take a political stance against the Trump administration. In September, Scientific American published an editorial endorsing Former Vice President Joe Biden as a presidential candidate.
What went wrong
Though the U.S. had "ample warming," when the virus first arrived, testing was delayed and officials failed to provide even basic personal protective equipment to the general public or healthcare workers, the editors wrote. What's more, the U.S. was slow and inconsistent in putting quarantine and isolation measures in place and placed little effort in enforcing them, the editors wrote. Rules on social distancing in many places have been "lackadaisical at best" and leaders have made mask-wearing a political issue, the editors wrote.
The government "appropriately invested heavily" in vaccine development but "its rhetoric has politicized the development process and led to growing public distrust," the editors wrote. Now, nearly 50% of the public say they wouldn't get a COVID-19 vaccine if it were to be available today, according to the Pew Research Center .
U.S. leaders have chosen to ignore and criticize experts, and have rather turned to uninformed "opinion leaders" who "obscure the truth," the editors wrote. The federal government has largely left the disease response to governors, who don't have tools that the federal government has. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), once the world's leading disease response organization has been "eviscerated," The National Institutes of Health, who have played a key role in vaccine development, have been excluded from crucial government decision-making and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been "shamefully politicized," the editors wrote.
This failure of the U.S. response has "exacerbated the tensions associated with inequality," as communities of color have been disproportionately affected by the outbreak, children have missed the opportunity to go to school during "critical times" of their social and intellectual development, the hard work of healthcare professionals has been squandered and disease rates have prevented many businesses from reopening, they wrote.
"Anyone else who recklessly squandered lives and money in this way would be suffering legal consequences. Our leaders have largely claimed immunity for their actions," they wrote. "But this election gives us the power to render judgment. "
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-10-08--A mini fractal universe may lie inside charged black holes (if they exist)

Black holes are perhaps the strangest , least-understood objects in our universe .
With so much potential — being linked to everything from wormholes to new baby universes — they have sucked in physicists for decades .
But as strange as these known objects are , even stranger types of black holes could be dreamed up .
In one upside-down , hypothetical version of the universe , a bizarre type of black hole could exist that is stranger than an M.C .
Escher sketch .
Now , a team of researchers has plunged into the mathematical heart of so-called charged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surprises , including an inferno of and an exotic fractal landscape … and potentially more .
Related : 9 ideas about black holes that will blow your mind There are all sorts of potential , hypothetical black holes : ones with or without electric charge , ones spinning or stationary , ones surrounded by matter or those floating in empty space .
Some of these hypothetical black holes are known for certain to exist in our universe ; for example , the rotating black hole surrounded by infalling matter is a pretty common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picture of one .
But some other kinds of black holes are purely theoretical .
Even so , physicists are still interested in exploring them — by diving into their mathematical foundations , we can realize new relationships and implications of our physical theories , which can have real-world consequences .
One such theoretical black hole is an electrically charged black hole surrounded by a certain kind of space known as anti-de Sitter .
Without getting into too much of the nitty-gritty , this kind of space has constant negative geometric curvature , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know is not a good description of our universe .
( A cosmos with anti-de Sitter space , all else being the same , would have a negative cosmological constant , which means that any matter would tend to condense into a black hole , versus the known accelerating expansion that is flinging the universe apart .
This horse-saddle space does n't exist in our universe , But that 's okay : It turns out that these exotic black holes still have surprisingly intricate structures worth exploring .
One of the reasons it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holes share a lot of similarities with rotating black holes , which certainly do exist in our universe , but charged black holes are mathematically simpler to grapple with .
So by studying charged black holes we can gain some insights into real-world rotating black holes .
Also , physicists have found that when these black holes become relatively cool , they build up a `` haze '' of quantum fields around their surfaces .
This haze sticks to the surface , pulled inward by the never-tiring of the black hole itself , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the same black hole .
A haze of quantum fields operating in stability on a surface is also known as a superconductor .
Superconductors have real-world applications ( namely , they can transmit electric current with no resistance ) , so seeing how superconductors play out in these exotic scenarios helps us understand their mathematical structures , which can potentially lead to new insights with actual applications .
In a study published Aug. 28 to the preprint database , a team of researchers has recently used the language of superconductivity to discover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these hypothetical black holes .
`` Normal '' charged black holes — those surrounded by a typical garden-variety space-time that you might find in our universe — have a few quirks on their inside .
First , beyond the event horizon ( the boundary of every black hole , where once you fall in you ca n't get out ) lies something called an inner horizon , a region of intense quantum energies .
Beyond that is a wormhole , a bridge to a white hole in some other lonely section of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I should note here that we do n't really know whether wormholes like this exist in real life , because the mathematics of charged black holes breaks down at the inner horizon , and nothing more can be learned until we develop new physics .
Fortunately , the charged black holes surrounded by anti-de Sitter space , which for now we 'll call superconductor black holes , avoid this problem .
The good news is that the inner horizon of a superconductor black hole breaks down , allowing you to smoothly sail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would in an ordinary , stationary black hole .
The bad news is that the wormhole bridge inside a superconductor black hole also tears itself apart , so you do n't get to transport yourself to the distant stars .
But that does n't mean that nothing interesting happens to you .
Just inside what would have been the inner horizon , the interior of a superconductor black hole gets a little frothy .
Normally , particles in a real-life superconductors can oscillate , supporting waves sloshing back and forth in an effect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inside these black holes , space itself vibrates back and forth .
If you were to physically fall into one of these beasts , you 'd be in for a bumpy ride .
But once you made it past the vibrating space-time , what comes next is truly mystifying .
The researchers discovered that the innermost regions of a superconductor black hole can feature an expanding universe in grotesque miniature , a place where space can stretch and deform at different rates in different directions .
Related : 5 reasons we may live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depending on the temperature of the black hole , some of these regions of space can trigger a new round of vibrations , which then create a new patch of expanding space , which trigger a new round of vibrations , which then create a new patch of expanding space , and so on and so on at ever smaller scales .
It would be a mini fractal universe , repeating endlessly from large scales to small .
It 's downright impossible to describe what it would be like to traverse such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weird .
At the center of this strange fractal , chaotic mess is the singularity : the point of infinite density , the place where every bit of matter that ever fell into the black hole resides .
Unfortunately , even with their super-charged superconducting mathematical techniques , the researchers ca n't describe what happens at the singularity .
All known physics breaks down , requiring new theories of gravity to fully describe .
Who knows what you 'll find at the center of a superconductor black hole , but at least you @ @ @ @ @ @

Black holes are perhaps the strangest, least-understood objects in our universe. With so much potential — being linked to everything from wormholes to new baby universes — they have sucked in physicists for decades.
But as strange as these known objects are, even stranger types of black holes could be dreamed up. In one upside-down, hypothetical version of the universe, a bizarre type of black hole could exist that is stranger than an M.C. Escher sketch. Now, a team of researchers has plunged into the mathematical heart of so-called charged black holes and found a slew of surprises, including an inferno of space-time and an exotic fractal landscape … and potentially more.
Related: 9 ideas about black holes that will blow your mind
Welcome to a holographic superconductor
There are all sorts of potential, hypothetical black holes: ones with or without electric charge, ones spinning or stationary, ones surrounded by matter or those floating in empty space. Some of these hypothetical black holes are known for certain to exist in our universe; for example, the rotating black hole surrounded by infalling matter is a pretty common presence. We've even taken a picture of one .
But some other kinds of black holes are purely theoretical. Even so, physicists are still interested in exploring them — by diving into their mathematical foundations, we can realize new relationships and implications of our physical theories, which can have real-world consequences.
One such theoretical black hole is an electrically charged black hole surrounded by a certain kind of space known as anti-de Sitter. Without getting into too much of the nitty-gritty, this kind of space has constant negative geometric curvature, like a horse saddle, which we know is not a good description of our universe. (A cosmos with anti-de Sitter space, all else being the same, would have a negative cosmological constant, which means that any matter would tend to condense into a black hole, versus the known accelerating expansion that is flinging the universe apart.
This horse-saddle space doesn't exist in our universe, But that's okay: It turns out that these exotic black holes still have surprisingly intricate structures worth exploring.
Related: The 18 biggest unsolved mysteries in physics
One of the reasons it's worth exploring is that charged black holes share a lot of similarities with rotating black holes, which certainly do exist in our universe, but charged black holes are mathematically simpler to grapple with. So by studying charged black holes we can gain some insights into real-world rotating black holes.
Also, physicists have found that when these black holes become relatively cool, they build up a "haze" of quantum fields around their surfaces. This haze sticks to the surface, pulled inward by the never-tiring gravity of the black hole itself, but pushed outward by the electric repulsion of the same black hole. A haze of quantum fields operating in stability on a surface is also known as a superconductor. Superconductors have real-world applications (namely, they can transmit electric current with no resistance), so seeing how superconductors play out in these exotic scenarios helps us understand their mathematical structures, which can potentially lead to new insights with actual applications.
In a study published Aug. 28 to the preprint database arXiv , a team of researchers has recently used the language of superconductivity to discover what lies farther beneath the surface of these hypothetical black holes.
Let's dive in.
The almost-wormhole
"Normal" charged black holes — those surrounded by a typical garden-variety space-time that you might find in our universe — have a few quirks on their inside. First, beyond the event horizon (the boundary of every black hole, where once you fall in you can't get out) lies something called an inner horizon, a region of intense quantum energies. Beyond that is a wormhole, a bridge to a white hole in some other lonely section of the universe (at least, according mathematics ).
Related: Where do black holes lead?
I should note here that we don't really know whether wormholes like this exist in real life, because the mathematics of charged black holes breaks down at the inner horizon, and nothing more can be learned until we develop new physics. Fortunately, the charged black holes surrounded by anti-de Sitter space, which for now we'll call superconductor black holes, avoid this problem.
The good news is that the inner horizon of a superconductor black hole breaks down, allowing you to smoothly sail past it without getting spaghettified as you would in an ordinary, stationary black hole. The bad news is that the wormhole bridge inside a superconductor black hole also tears itself apart, so you don't get to transport yourself to the distant stars.
But that doesn't mean that nothing interesting happens to you. Just inside what would have been the inner horizon, the interior of a superconductor black hole gets a little frothy.
Normally, particles in a real-life superconductors can oscillate, supporting waves sloshing back and forth in an effect known as Josephson Oscillations. And deep inside these black holes, space itself vibrates back and forth. If you were to physically fall into one of these beasts, you'd be in for a bumpy ride.
A strange universe
But once you made it past the vibrating space-time, what comes next is truly mystifying. The researchers discovered that the innermost regions of a superconductor black hole can feature an expanding universe in grotesque miniature, a place where space can stretch and deform at different rates in different directions.
Related: 5 reasons we may live in a multiverse
What's more, depending on the temperature of the black hole, some of these regions of space can trigger a new round of vibrations, which then create a new patch of expanding space, which trigger a new round of vibrations, which then create a new patch of expanding space, and so on and so on at ever smaller scales.
It would be a mini fractal universe, repeating endlessly from large scales to small. It's downright impossible to describe what it would be like to traverse such a landscape, but it would surely be weird.
At the center of this strange fractal, chaotic mess is the singularity: the point of infinite density, the place where every bit of matter that ever fell into the black hole resides.
Unfortunately, even with their super-charged superconducting mathematical techniques, the researchers can't describe what happens at the singularity. All known physics breaks down, requiring new theories of gravity to fully describe.
Who knows what you'll find at the center of a superconductor black hole, but at least you'll enjoy the ride down.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-10-08--Germanic lord buried with a harem of 6? Not quite, but the real story is fascinating.

An early medieval cemetery unearthed in Germany may not contain `` a harem for the hereafter , '' as some news outlets reported ; but it 's still a remarkable find , likely holding the remains of a wealthy aristocrat and about 80 other people , some buried with riches such as glass bowls , gold jewelry and sharp weapons , according to the State Museum of Prehistory in Halle , Germany .
The individuals buried at the roughly 1,500-year-old aristocratic estate were part of the short-lived Thuringian Kingdom , which lasted for about 80 years before the Franks conquered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demise , the kingdom reigned during a tumultuous time known as the Migration Period , when the so-called , such as the , and , gained power as the remains of the Western Roman Empire crumbled .
Some of the Thuringian graves held highly affluent people , at least according to the artifacts buried with them .
`` In general , the women were equipped with their jewelry ( fibulae/brooches , hairpins , necklaces of glass beads ) and men with their weapons ( sword , lance/spear , shield ) , '' Arnold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Migration and Early Medieval Period at the State Museum of Prehistory , told Live Science in an email .
Archaeologists discovered the cemetery in the summer of 2020 , ahead of the construction of a poultry farm in Saxony-Anhalt , in central Germany .
The discovery was originally covered in the news as a salacious find — The Times reported that an `` Ancient Germanic lord was buried with circle of six women , '' and the Daily Mail called it `` A harem for the hereafter , '' noting that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or sacrificed themselves '' upon the Germanic lord 's death .
But that 's not the case , Muhl said .
`` Our assumption is that these articles refer to an overinterpretation of an earlier stage of the excavation , '' he said .
What 's more , despite reports of a `` Germanic lord , '' there is not thought to be one buried here .
`` But it is fair to say that the richest of these burials certainly belong to the wealthy owner family of an aristocratic manor , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it helps to visualize the site .
The cemetery itself , which dates to A.D. 470-540 , is a `` linear cemetery , in which the graves lie next to each other in rows , '' Muhl said .
The site also has a pit filled with 11 animal burials ( four cattle , five horses and two dogs ) , which was removed from the cemetery in a single earthen block that archaeologists plan to thoroughly excavate soon .
Inside that block , archaeologists also found bronze fragments , which may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` but only future excavation of the block can confirm this assumption , '' Muhl said .
Other news outlets reported that perhaps the `` lord 's '' ashes were interred in this supposed cauldron .
But `` cremation was highly unusual in this time period , '' Muhl said .
`` Therefore , we do not expect a hidden cremated individual in the block excavation . ''
Furthermore , early in the excavation , researchers noticed that six graves in one of the cemetery 's rows made `` a slight curve at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as if this row was avoiding an already existing structure '' — a burial mound holding an important person , for instance , Muhl said .
But subsequent excavations have n't uncovered any such burial .
`` Probably this row of six graves was the cause of the speculations [ by news outlets ] of the widows/concubines , who followed [ their ] princely husband to death , '' Muhl said .
This speculation has another problem , Muhl noted : The sex of these six individuals has yet to be determined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was really based on no evidence .
But `` even without a 'sacrificed harem , ' the cemetery of Brücken-Hackpfüffel is a great discovery , '' Muhl said .
`` A complete and untouched burial place from the time of the Thuringian Kingdom has not been discovered since 40 years [ ago ] and offers the exceptional opportunity to accurately investigate everything with the most modern scientific methods . ''
For example , the researchers plan to look at the DNA in these people and at the isotopes ( different variations of strontium @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that can determine where people were born and grew up , as strontium isotopes in water that people drink as youngsters end up in their chompers .
These analyses may reveal where some of the females in the cemetery came from , especially those buried with jewelry that may be from other Germanic cultures , such as the Lombards ( also spelled Langobards ) and Alemanni .
Back then , dynastic connections between different tribes and territories were common among nobility , Muhl said .
Other burials also held artifacts from different parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ archaeologists unearthed high-quality glass vessels that were imported from the Frankish Rhineland ( what is now western Germany ) .
These vessels `` have been preserved completely and are as good as new , '' Muhl said .
`` Actually , these glass vessels were prestige objects and are only discovered in the burials of the wealthy elite . ''
The archaeologists hope to learn more about this Thuringian estate as they analyze the animal-burial block and other artifacts back in their lab , Muhl said .

Archaeologist Arnold Muhl shows early medieval fibulae, a part of women's clothing, that were discovered in the cemetery. This and other artifacts from the excavation are now in the workshop of the Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte (State Museum for Prehistory) in Germany.
An early medieval cemetery unearthed in Germany may not contain "a harem for the hereafter," as some news outlets reported; but it's still a remarkable find, likely holding the remains of a wealthy aristocrat and about 80 other people, some buried with riches such as glass bowls, gold jewelry and sharp weapons, according to the State Museum of Prehistory in Halle, Germany.
The individuals buried at the roughly 1,500-year-old aristocratic estate were part of the short-lived Thuringian Kingdom, which lasted for about 80 years before the Franks conquered them in A.D. 531. Before its demise, the kingdom reigned during a tumultuous time known as the Migration Period, when the so-called Barbarian peoples , such as the Huns , Goths and Vandals , gained power as the remains of the Western Roman Empire crumbled.
Some of the Thuringian graves held highly affluent people, at least according to the artifacts buried with them. "In general, the women were equipped with their jewelry (fibulae/brooches, hairpins, necklaces of glass beads) and men with their weapons (sword, lance/spear, shield)," Arnold Muhl, an archaeologist and expert on the Migration and Early Medieval Period at the State Museum of Prehistory, told Live Science in an email.
Related: In Photos: Ancient Roman fort discovered
Archaeologists discovered the cemetery in the summer of 2020, ahead of the construction of a poultry farm in Saxony-Anhalt, in central Germany. The discovery was originally covered in the news as a salacious find — The Times reported that an " Ancient Germanic lord was buried with circle of six women ," and the Daily Mail called it " A harem for the hereafter ," noting that the six women "may have been killed or sacrificed themselves" upon the Germanic lord's death.
But that's not the case, Muhl said. "Our assumption is that these articles refer to an overinterpretation of an earlier stage of the excavation," he said. What's more, despite reports of a "Germanic lord," there is not thought to be one buried here. "But it is fair to say that the richest of these burials certainly belong to the wealthy owner family of an aristocratic manor," Muhl said.
To understand the excavation, it helps to visualize the site. The cemetery itself, which dates to A.D. 470-540, is a "linear cemetery, in which the graves lie next to each other in rows," Muhl said. The site also has a pit filled with 11 animal burials (four cattle, five horses and two dogs), which was removed from the cemetery in a single earthen block that archaeologists plan to thoroughly excavate soon. Inside that block, archaeologists also found bronze fragments, which may be the remains of a cauldron, "but only future excavation of the block can confirm this assumption," Muhl said.
Other news outlets reported that perhaps the "lord's" ashes were interred in this supposed cauldron. But "cremation was highly unusual in this time period," Muhl said. "Therefore, we do not expect a hidden cremated individual in the block excavation."
Furthermore, early in the excavation, researchers noticed that six graves in one of the cemetery's rows made "a slight curve at a certain distance around the animal burial, as if this row was avoiding an already existing structure" — a burial mound holding an important person, for instance, Muhl said. But subsequent excavations haven't uncovered any such burial.
"Probably this row of six graves was the cause of the speculations [by news outlets] of the widows/concubines, who followed [their] princely husband to death," Muhl said.
This speculation has another problem, Muhl noted: The sex of these six individuals has yet to be determined. So the idea of a harem was really based on no evidence.
But "even without a 'sacrificed harem,' the cemetery of Brücken-Hackpfüffel is a great discovery," Muhl said. "A complete and untouched burial place from the time of the Thuringian Kingdom has not been discovered since 40 years [ago] and offers the exceptional opportunity to accurately investigate everything with the most modern scientific methods." For example, the researchers plan to look at the DNA in these people and at the strontium isotopes (different variations of strontium) in their teeth — a technique that can determine where people were born and grew up, as strontium isotopes in water that people drink as youngsters end up in their chompers.
Related: 12 bizarre medieval trends
These analyses may reveal where some of the females in the cemetery came from, especially those buried with jewelry that may be from other Germanic cultures, such as the Lombards (also spelled Langobards) and Alemanni. Back then, dynastic connections between different tribes and territories were common among nobility, Muhl said.
Other burials also held artifacts from different parts of Europe. For instance, the archaeologists unearthed high-quality glass vessels that were imported from the Frankish Rhineland (what is now western Germany). These vessels "have been preserved completely and are as good as new," Muhl said. "Actually, these glass vessels were prestige objects and are only discovered in the burials of the wealthy elite."
The archaeologists hope to learn more about this Thuringian estate as they analyze the animal-burial block and other artifacts back in their lab, Muhl said.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-10-09--Planets more hospitable to life than Earth may already have been discovered

At least two dozen planets outside the might be better for life than .
These planets are just a little older , a little wetter , a little warmer and a little larger than Earth is , researchers wrote Sept. 18 in the journal .
All of these factors could mean that some of these planets are the best places to search for extraterrestrial life .
`` We have to focus on certain planets that have the most promising conditions for complex life .
However , we have to be careful to not get stuck looking for a second Earth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be more suitable for life than ours , '' University of Washington astrobiologist Dirk Schulze-Makuch .
Related : 9 strange , scientific excuses for why humans have n't found aliens yet Astronomers have discovered more than 4,000 exoplanets , or planets outside our solar system , so far .
Most of these are not particularly conducive to life .
For example , planet KELT-9b is so hot that its atmosphere is .
The darkest known planet , TrES-2b , has an atmospheric temperature of 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit ( 980 degrees Celsius ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ spectrum is , whose discoverers described it as the coldest Neptune-like planet ever discovered .
But there are also many planets within their star 's habitable zone , or the `` just-right '' distance conducive to surface temperatures that are n't too hot or too cold for life as we know it to evolve .
Schulze-Makuch and his colleagues aimed to identify exoplanets most likely to be `` superhabitable , '' or not only in the habitable zone but also boasting other features that might make them a good place for life to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the right size and life span , especially considering that it took complex life 3.5 billion years to evolve on Earth , and 4 billion years for life as advanced as humans to appear .
A large size could mean more space for landmass and habitat ; a larger planet would also have higher gravity , which would make for a thicker atmosphere , something that could be beneficial for organisms that travel by flight , the researchers wrote .
A planet slightly warmer than Earth would be more habitable , given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but that warmer planet would also need to be wetter than Earth so that deserts would n't dominate the landmasses .
A more habitable planet might thus resemble Earth in the early Carboniferous , about 359 million years ago , when much of the world 's landmass had the climate of a tropical .
( Modern-day global warming is n't good for life on Earth both because the change is happening too quickly for many animals to adapt and because of the effects on human infrastructure due to rising sea levels ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't inherently bad for life . )
Related : 10 interesting places in the solar system we 'd like to visit A better version of Earth might also have a slightly larger , or a moon slightly closer to the planet , which would help stabilize its orbit and prevent life-disrupting wobbles , the researchers wrote .
The researchers came up with a set of parameters to use to meet all these criteria .
According to these parameters , the perfect superhabitable planet would be in orbit around a K dwarf star , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s slightly cooler than our sun ( which is considered a yellow dwarf ) ; about 5 billion to 8 billion years old ; about 10 % larger than Earth ; about 9 F ( 5 C ) warmer than Earth , on average ; moist with an atmosphere that is 25 % to 30 % oxygen , with scattered land and water .
The perfect planet would also have or a similar geological process in order to recycle minerals and nutrients through the crust and to create diverse habitats and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between 1 % and 10 % of its size orbiting it at a moderate distance .
It 's not possible to evaluate distant exoplanets on all these criteria .
There is no way to calculate an exoplanet 's landmass area , for example , much less how it 's distributed .
But based on factors that can be measured , such as star type and planet radius , the researchers honed in on objects that seem to meet that criteria and have been spotted by the Kepler telescope ; they found 24 Kepler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that may or may not be planets .
Two of the 24 have been confirmed as exoplanets ( Kepler 1126 b and Kepler-69c ) .
Some of the others may be false positives that do n't turn out to be planets .
Of the 24 objects , nine were orbiting around the proper type of star , 16 fell into the correct age range , and five were in the right temperature range .
Only one candidate , KOI 5715.01 , fell into the correct range for all three categories , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the strength of the greenhouse effect in its atmosphere , the researchers wrote .
The 24 possible planets are all more than 100 light-years away , and some are probably too far to study right now even with the strongest telescopes .
, for example , is more than 2,000 light-years away , meaning astronomers probably wo n't be able to examine it more closely for signs of life anytime soon .
However , pinpointing what makes a planet `` superhabitable '' is important , Schulze-Makuch and his colleagues wrote , because it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be discovered within 100 light-years .
If so , they wrote , that planet should be the first place Earthlings turn to find out if there is other life in the universe .

At least two dozen planets outside the solar system might be better for life than Earth .
These planets are just a little older, a little wetter, a little warmer and a little larger than Earth is, researchers wrote Sept. 18 in the journal Astrobiology . All of these factors could mean that some of these planets are the best places to search for extraterrestrial life.
"We have to focus on certain planets that have the most promising conditions for complex life. However, we have to be careful to not get stuck looking for a second Earth because there could be planets that might be more suitable for life than ours," University of Washington astrobiologist Dirk Schulze-Makuch said in a statement .
Related: 9 strange, scientific excuses for why humans haven't found aliens yet
Seeking superhabitable planets
Astronomers have discovered more than 4,000 exoplanets, or planets outside our solar system, so far. Most of these are not particularly conducive to life. For example, planet KELT-9b is so hot that its atmosphere is constantly melting . The darkest known planet, TrES-2b, has an atmospheric temperature of 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit (980 degrees Celsius). On the other end of the inhospitable spectrum is GJ 433 d , whose discoverers described it as the coldest Neptune-like planet ever discovered.
But there are also many planets within their star's habitable zone, or the "just-right" distance conducive to surface temperatures that aren't too hot or too cold for life as we know it to evolve. Schulze-Makuch and his colleagues aimed to identify exoplanets most likely to be "superhabitable," or not only in the habitable zone but also boasting other features that might make them a good place for life to blossom.
These features included a star of the right size and life span, especially considering that it took complex life 3.5 billion years to evolve on Earth, and 4 billion years for life as advanced as humans to appear. A large size could mean more space for landmass and habitat; a larger planet would also have higher gravity, which would make for a thicker atmosphere, something that could be beneficial for organisms that travel by flight, the researchers wrote. A planet slightly warmer than Earth would be more habitable, given a lack of largely barren polar regions, but that warmer planet would also need to be wetter than Earth so that deserts wouldn't dominate the landmasses. A more habitable planet might thus resemble Earth in the early Carboniferous, about 359 million years ago, when much of the world's landmass had the climate of a tropical rainforest . (Modern-day global warming isn't good for life on Earth both because the change is happening too quickly for many animals to adapt and because of the effects on human infrastructure due to rising sea levels; slightly warmer temperatures, however, aren't inherently bad for life.)
Related: 10 interesting places in the solar system we'd like to visit
A better version of Earth might also have a slightly larger moon , or a moon slightly closer to the planet, which would help stabilize its orbit and prevent life-disrupting wobbles, the researchers wrote.
The researchers came up with a set of parameters to use to meet all these criteria. According to these parameters, the perfect superhabitable planet would be in orbit around a K dwarf star, which is a relatively small star star that’s slightly cooler than our sun (which is considered a yellow dwarf); about 5 billion to 8 billion years old; about 10% larger than Earth; about 9 F (5 C) warmer than Earth, on average; moist with an atmosphere that is 25% to 30% oxygen, with scattered land and water. The perfect planet would also have plate tectonics or a similar geological process in order to recycle minerals and nutrients through the crust and to create diverse habitats and topography, and would have a moon between 1% and 10% of its size orbiting it at a moderate distance.
Looking for life
It's not possible to evaluate distant exoplanets on all these criteria. There is no way to calculate an exoplanet's landmass area, for example, much less how it's distributed.
But based on factors that can be measured, such as star type and planet radius, the researchers honed in on objects that seem to meet that criteria and have been spotted by the Kepler telescope; they found 24 Kepler Objects of Interest, which are objects that may or may not be planets. Two of the 24 have been confirmed as exoplanets (Kepler 1126 b and Kepler-69c). Some of the others may be false positives that don't turn out to be planets. Of the 24 objects, nine were orbiting around the proper type of star, 16 fell into the correct age range, and five were in the right temperature range. Only one candidate, KOI 5715.01, fell into the correct range for all three categories, but the planet's true surface temperature depends on the strength of the greenhouse effect in its atmosphere, the researchers wrote.
The 24 possible planets are all more than 100 light-years away, and some are probably too far to study right now even with the strongest telescopes. Kepler-69c , for example, is more than 2,000 light-years away, meaning astronomers probably won't be able to examine it more closely for signs of life anytime soon. However, pinpointing what makes a planet "superhabitable" is important, Schulze-Makuch and his colleagues wrote, because it's possible that one of these planets will be discovered within 100 light-years. If so, they wrote, that planet should be the first place Earthlings turn to find out if there is other life in the universe.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-10-09--15 million tons of microplastics pollute the seafloor

An estimated 15 million tons ( 14 million metric tons ) of microplastics have settled in the deep ocean , according to a new report by Australia 's national science agency .
That 's more than double the amount of plastic at the ocean 's surface .
Researchers sampled seafloor sediments in locations hundreds of miles from Australia 's coastline , discovering that the quantity of microplastics was far higher than anticipated .
From that evidence , they calculated how widespread microplastics might be in ocean sediments worldwide — and their staggering number was a conservative estimate , they wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shown that millions of tons of plastic enter the ocean each year .
And though scientists recognize plastic pollution as an important ecological issue , little is known about plastic accumulation near the sea bottom and what its impacts might be on marine life and ecosystems .
This is especially true of microplastics ; plastic particles that are less than 0.2 inches ( 5 millimeters ) in length , no bigger than a sesame seed , according to the National Ocean Service .
`` The extent of microplastic pollution in deep-sea sediments has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study co-author Denise Hardesty , a principal research scientist with Australia 's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation ( CSIRO ) , a government agency responsible for scientific research .
`` That 's understandable given how difficult , time-consuming and costly it is to sample the depths of the 'big blue ' .
But understanding how much microplastic finds its way to the seafloor is imperative for predicting the distribution and potential impacts of global plastic pollution , '' Hardesty told Live Science in an email .
For the new study , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) to scoop 51 seafloor cores — cylinders of packed sediment — from six locations in an ocean region off the coast of southern Australia , known as the Great Australian Bight ( a `` bight '' is a curve in a coastline holding an open bay ) .
They sampled at depths ranging from 5,430 to 10,046 feet ( 1,655 to 3,062 meters ) , at distances of 179 to 221 miles ( 288 to 356 kilometers ) from the shore .
Rinsing the samples and spinning them in a centrifuge flushed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easier to detect .
The researchers then stained the samples with fluorescent dyes , isolating and identifying microplastic particles with an optical microscope that used fluorescence to highlight organic material , according to the study .
In the samples , a single gram of seafloor sediment held as many as 14 plastic particles .
Based on the average number of particles in the samples and the size of the ocean — which covers 139.4 million square miles , or 361.1 million square km — the scientists calculated that the total , global amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between 9 million and 15 million tons ( 8 million and 14 million metric tons ) .
However , the amount of ocean microplastics worldwide could easily be much higher , Hardesty told Live Science .
Particle density from the Great Australian Bight was likely lower than in ocean regions that are nearer to heavily populated coastal areas .
And plastic microfibers , another known source of microplastic ocean pollution , were omitted from the analysis , in case the fibers they found in the sediment cores were introduced by clothing or other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We did n't expect to have such high recorded levels of microplastics , particularly given how careful our sampling approach was , '' Hardesty said .
`` Therefore , our results are a conservative estimate of how much microplastic there is in deep-sea sediments . ''
The impacts of larger plastic pollution on ocean life and ecosystem health are all too clear , visible in that collect at the sea surface ; as hardened `` `` coating island coastlines ; as deadly nooses that ; and as obstructions that fill the bellies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highlight the extent of plastic pollution , and shows that no area of the ocean is immune to the plastic problem .
We hope this work has people thinking about the choices we make , the impacts of what we make , buy , use and discard and where it can end up , '' Hardesty said .
`` Hopefully , people start to see the connection between what we do in our daily lives and how far-reaching those impacts may be on what are considered the most pristine ecosystems in the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were published online Oct. 6 in the journal .

Density of microplastics in the deep sea is much higher than once thought.
An estimated 15 million tons (14 million metric tons) of microplastics have settled in the deep ocean, according to a new report by Australia's national science agency. That's more than double the amount of plastic pollution at the ocean's surface.
Researchers sampled seafloor sediments in locations hundreds of miles from Australia's coastline, discovering that the quantity of microplastics was far higher than anticipated.
From that evidence, they calculated how widespread microplastics might be in ocean sediments worldwide — and their staggering number was a conservative estimate, they wrote in the report.
Related: Images of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Prior studies have shown that millions of tons of plastic enter the ocean each year. And though scientists recognize plastic pollution as an important ecological issue, little is known about plastic accumulation near the sea bottom and what its impacts might be on marine life and ecosystems. This is especially true of microplastics; plastic particles that are less than 0.2 inches (5 millimeters) in length, no bigger than a sesame seed, according to the National Ocean Service .
"The extent of microplastic pollution in deep-sea sediments has historically been poorly known," said study co-author Denise Hardesty, a principal research scientist with Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), a government agency responsible for scientific research.
"That's understandable given how difficult, time-consuming and costly it is to sample the depths of the 'big blue'. But understanding how much microplastic finds its way to the seafloor is imperative for predicting the distribution and potential impacts of global plastic pollution," Hardesty told Live Science in an email.
Separated from sediment
For the new study, the scientists used remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to scoop 51 seafloor cores — cylinders of packed sediment — from six locations in an ocean region off the coast of southern Australia, known as the Great Australian Bight (a "bight" is a curve in a coastline holding an open bay). They sampled at depths ranging from 5,430 to 10,046 feet (1,655 to 3,062 meters), at distances of 179 to 221 miles (288 to 356 kilometers) from the shore.
Rinsing the samples and spinning them in a centrifuge flushed away organic matter, making the microplastics easier to detect. The researchers then stained the samples with fluorescent dyes, isolating and identifying microplastic particles with an optical microscope that used fluorescence to highlight organic material, according to the study.
In the samples, a single gram of seafloor sediment held as many as 14 plastic particles. Based on the average number of particles in the samples and the size of the ocean — which covers 139.4 million square miles, or 361.1 million square km — the scientists calculated that the total, global amount of microplastics on the seafloor would be between 9 million and 15 million tons (8 million and 14 million metric tons).
However, the amount of ocean microplastics worldwide could easily be much higher, Hardesty told Live Science. Particle density from the Great Australian Bight was likely lower than in ocean regions that are nearer to heavily populated coastal areas. And plastic microfibers, another known source of microplastic ocean pollution, were omitted from the analysis, in case the fibers they found in the sediment cores were introduced by clothing or other fabrics after the samples were collected.
"We didn't expect to have such high recorded levels of microplastics, particularly given how careful our sampling approach was," Hardesty said. "Therefore, our results are a conservative estimate of how much microplastic there is in deep-sea sediments."
The impacts of larger plastic pollution on ocean life and ecosystem health are all too clear, visible in great garbage patches that collect at the sea surface; as hardened " plasitcrusts " coating island coastlines; as deadly nooses that strangle sharks and rays ; and as obstructions that fill the bellies of dead sea turtles and whales .
"These findings highlight the extent of plastic pollution, and shows that no area of the ocean is immune to the plastic problem. We hope this work has people thinking about the choices we make, the impacts of what we make, buy, use and discard and where it can end up," Hardesty said.
"Hopefully, people start to see the connection between what we do in our daily lives and how far-reaching those impacts may be on what are considered the most pristine ecosystems in the world," she said.
The findings were published online Oct. 6 in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science .
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-10-09--Masks and closures in Arizona led to a 75% decrease in coronavirus cases

Mask mandates , closures of certain businesses and other COVID-19 mitigation strategies implemented over the summer led to a 75 % drop in new coronavirus cases in Arizona , according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) .
In stark contrast , when the state 's stay-at-home order was lifted at the start of June , but such measures were n't yet put in place , the number of new COVID-19 cases increased 151 % within two weeks , according to the report .
As mounting evidence has shown , `` widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures , including mask wearing , '' can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 , the authors wrote in the report .
Arizona has now reported more than 224,000 COVID-19 cases and more than 5,700 related deaths , according to the Arizona Department of Health Services ( ADHS ) .
On March 11 , Arizona declared a public health state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 crisis and on March 31 , the ADHS issued a stay-at-home order , according to the report .
From the start of April to mid-May , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Arizona loomed between 154 to 443 .
From April 29 to May 11 , Arizona started reopening businesses , stores and restaurants using a phased approach and ended the stay-at-home order on May 15 .
On June 1 , the average number of daily cases was 808 .
By June 15 , it had skyrocketed to 2,026 , more than doubling , according to the report .
Mask-wearing at the time was n't `` widely mandated or enforced '' until the state provided local governments with the authority to implement mask policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona took a number of steps to slow the spread of COVID-19 , including limiting public events to fewer than 50 people ; closing bars , gyms , movie theaters , water parks and recreational tubing facilities ; limiting indoor dining capacity to less than 50 % and requiring social distancing in those spaces .
The average number of cases in the state peaked between June 29 an July 2 , with 4,148 cases to 4,377 new daily cases , stabilized for the next 10 days and then decreased by 75 % from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the report .
The mitigation measures were kept in place through August .
`` A combination of voluntary and enforceable measures is more effective than any single measure , '' the authors wrote in the report .
Policies that mandate such mitigation measures can `` effectively '' increase social distancing and wearing masks `` has prevented transmission of SARS-CoV-2 . ''
Such measures `` should be implemented by communities and persons to slow COVID-19 spread , particularly before a vaccine or therapeutic treatment becomes widely available , '' the authors added .

Mask mandates, closures of certain businesses and other COVID-19 mitigation strategies implemented over the summer led to a 75% drop in new coronavirus cases in Arizona, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In stark contrast, when the state's stay-at-home order was lifted at the start of June, but such measures weren't yet put in place, the number of new COVID-19 cases increased 151% within two weeks, according to the report. As mounting evidence has shown, "widespread implementation and enforcement of sustained community mitigation measures, including mask wearing," can help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the authors wrote in the report.
Arizona has now reported more than 224,000 COVID-19 cases and more than 5,700 related deaths, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS). On March 11, Arizona declared a public health state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 crisis and on March 31, the ADHS issued a stay-at-home order, according to the report.
Related: Coronavirus live updates
From the start of April to mid-May, the seven-day average number of daily cases in Arizona loomed between 154 to 443. From April 29 to May 11, Arizona started reopening businesses, stores and restaurants using a phased approach and ended the stay-at-home order on May 15.
On June 1, the average number of daily cases was 808. By June 15, it had skyrocketed to 2,026, more than doubling, according to the report. Mask-wearing at the time wasn't "widely mandated or enforced" until the state provided local governments with the authority to implement mask policies on June 17.
After that, Arizona took a number of steps to slow the spread of COVID-19, including limiting public events to fewer than 50 people; closing bars, gyms, movie theaters, water parks and recreational tubing facilities; limiting indoor dining capacity to less than 50% and requiring social distancing in those spaces.
The average number of cases in the state peaked between June 29 an July 2, with 4,148 cases to 4,377 new daily cases, stabilized for the next 10 days and then decreased by 75% from July 13 to Aug. 7, according to the report. The mitigation measures were kept in place through August.
"A combination of voluntary and enforceable measures is more effective than any single measure," the authors wrote in the report. Policies that mandate such mitigation measures can "effectively" increase social distancing and wearing masks "has prevented transmission of SARS-CoV-2."
Such measures "should be implemented by communities and persons to slow COVID-19 spread, particularly before a vaccine or therapeutic treatment becomes widely available," the authors added.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-10-09--Why are Armenia and Azerbaijan fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region?

Since the end of September , hundreds of soldiers and civilians are thought to have been killed in a rapidly developing conflict between the rival Caucasus nations of Armenia and Azerbaijan .
But why are they in conflict ?
It turns out that they 're fighting over the landlocked , mountainous and kidney shaped Nagorno-Karabakh region , which is not much larger than Rhode Island , and that the conflict over this region goes back a century .
When s Red Army marched on both countries back in the 1920s and later incorporated them into the U.S.S.R , the Armenian-majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Soviet republic of Azerbaijan .
When communism began to fall in the late 1980s and early 1990s , there were calls for Nagorno-Karabakh to be handed over to Armenian control from the then-independent Azerbaijan .
Those demands eventually escalated into a full-on war in 1992 , which left approximately 30,000 dead and 1 million refugees .
In 1994 , a ceasefire was negotiated ; by then , Armenian militia — which are said to have coordinated with the official Armenian government — had taken control of the disputed region along with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Azerbaijan proper .
In other words , by the mid-1990s , Armenia had de facto taken control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region .
`` Those parts of Azerbaijan were occupied and kept kind of as bargaining chips , '' said Scott Radnitz , an associate professor in the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington in Seattle .
That 's more or less how things have been since , with periodic violence cropping up now and then , notably in 2016 .
So , for analysts who have been watching events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the recent happenings are shocking .
`` I am not surprised by the current escalation since Azerbaijani military capabilities have substantially increased in recent years , '' said Arsen Gasparyan , a former senior advisor to the Prime Minister of Armenia and a professor of international relations at the Lomonosov Moscow State University 's Yerevan branch in Armenia .
`` This change in capability has been matched by a change in intent . ''
That view is n't shared by the Azerbaijani government .
Unsurprisingly , on the other for kicking off this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't think anyone knows for sure why this recent conflict started now .
It looks like Azerbaijan started it , but it 's difficult to know what really happens in the confusion when skirmishes break out , '' Radnitz told Live Science .
Why has conflict returned to Nagorno-Karabakh now , rather than last year or next year ?
`` A lot of people say that COVID is causing people to become dissatisfied with their governments and lash out , which makes governments do things like this , '' said Radnitz .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ A lot of stuff happened before and will happen after COVID , '' Radnitz said , referring to the COVID-19 pandemic .
What has changed , however , is Turkey 's attitude toward the discord .
The regional power has now given its tacit backing to Azerbaijan .
This could be one of the major factors that has emboldened Azerbaijan to try to recapture the land it lost in the war before the 1992 ceasefire .
`` That 's one hypothesis and , to be honest , it might be the only thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months , '' said Radnitz .
If Turkey 's new geopolitical backing is truly one of the major reasons for the recent fighting , it could make a resolution to end hostilities — whatever form that may take — all the more complex , Gasparyan told Live Science .
`` The situation in this conflict zone has changed with the shift in Turkish foreign policy , '' he said .
`` Turkish officials have already stated that they are supporting Azerbaijan . ''
Perhaps the most worrisome part of this recent violence is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Radnitz said .
`` They 're saying that they wo n't stop short of recovering all the occupied territories and [ Nagorno- ] Karabakh .
It 's hard to get a face-saving compromise when that 's the wording . ''

Since the end of September, hundreds of soldiers and civilians are thought to have been killed in a rapidly developing conflict between the rival Caucasus nations of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
But why are they in conflict?
It turns out that they're fighting over the landlocked, mountainous and kidney shaped Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is not much larger than Rhode Island, and that the conflict over this region goes back a century.
Related: 10 epic battles that changed history
When Russia' s Red Army marched on both countries back in the 1920s and later incorporated them into the U.S.S.R, the Armenian-majority area of Nagorno-Karabakh was lumped in with the Soviet republic of Azerbaijan. When communism began to fall in the late 1980s and early 1990s, there were calls for Nagorno-Karabakh to be handed over to Armenian control from the then-independent Azerbaijan. Those demands eventually escalated into a full-on war in 1992, which left approximately 30,000 dead and 1 million refugees. In 1994, a ceasefire was negotiated; by then, Armenian militia — which are said to have coordinated with the official Armenian government — had taken control of the disputed region along with a number of additional parcels of land in Azerbaijan proper.
In other words, by the mid-1990s, Armenia had de facto taken control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
"Those parts of Azerbaijan were occupied and kept kind of as bargaining chips," said Scott Radnitz, an associate professor in the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington in Seattle.
That's more or less how things have been since, with periodic violence cropping up now and then, notably in 2016. So, for analysts who have been watching events unfold over the decades, none of the recent happenings are shocking.
"I am not surprised by the current escalation since Azerbaijani military capabilities have substantially increased in recent years," said Arsen Gasparyan, a former senior advisor to the Prime Minister of Armenia and a professor of international relations at the Lomonosov Moscow State University's Yerevan branch in Armenia. "This change in capability has been matched by a change in intent."
That view isn't shared by the Azerbaijani government. Unsurprisingly, both countries cast blame on the other for kicking off this latest round of violence. "I don't think anyone knows for sure why this recent conflict started now. It looks like Azerbaijan started it, but it's difficult to know what really happens in the confusion when skirmishes break out," Radnitz told Live Science.
Why has conflict returned to Nagorno-Karabakh now, rather than last year or next year? "A lot of people say that COVID is causing people to become dissatisfied with their governments and lash out, which makes governments do things like this," said Radnitz. "I'm skeptical of that. A lot of stuff happened before COVID and will happen after COVID," Radnitz said, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What has changed, however, is Turkey's attitude toward the discord. The regional power has now given its tacit backing to Azerbaijan. This could be one of the major factors that has emboldened Azerbaijan to try to recapture the land it lost in the war before the 1992 ceasefire. "That's one hypothesis and, to be honest, it might be the only thing that's notably changed the last two months," said Radnitz.
If Turkey's new geopolitical backing is truly one of the major reasons for the recent fighting, it could make a resolution to end hostilities — whatever form that may take — all the more complex, Gasparyan told Live Science. "The situation in this conflict zone has changed with the shift in Turkish foreign policy," he said. "Turkish officials have already stated that they are supporting Azerbaijan."
Perhaps the most worrisome part of this recent violence is the tone of statements coming from Azerbaijan, Radnitz said. "They're saying that they won't stop short of recovering all the occupied territories and [Nagorno-]Karabakh. It's hard to get a face-saving compromise when that's the wording."
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-10-09--Trump's COVID case could be entering a crucial stage

Early in the morning on October 2 , President Donald Trump tweeted that he had tested positive for COVID-19 .
Only 33 days away from a highly contentious election , the diagnosis plunged the nation into uncertainty .
Doctors , scientists and pundits quickly began speculating on what will happen to the president , and the White House has been both tight-lipped and prone to giving conflicting information about the VIP patient .
But in general , the course of this disease is no longer a complete black box to medicine .
Trump will be at a fork in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , say infections disease and critical care physicians who spoke with Scientific American .
He could be heading for a bad stretch in a prolonged illness or he could be on an upward swing to recovery .
Doctors sadly have the experience of treating more than 36 million COVID-19 patients worldwide and more than 7.5 million in the U.S .
Using this clinical history , many now divide the disease into several stages , each with distinct symptoms and treatments .
Based on when he first reported symptoms , Trump appears to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the verge of the next .
Here is the sequence that physicians usually see and how it applies to the president .
A COVID-19 infection begins when the SARS-CoV-2 virus enters cells in the body and begins to replicate .
This period of time , after infection but before symptoms start , is called the incubation period—and it occurs between two and 14 days after contracting the virus .
While people may not know they are sick , they often become contagious two or three days before symptoms begin .
Symptoms start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most people , and they include fever , cough , sore throat , fatigue , aches , pains , gastrointestinal issues , and loss of smell or taste .
Taison Bell , a pulmonary and critical care physician at the University of Virginia , says that when symptoms arise , this change signals a person is at `` peak infectivity , '' which means they are shedding lots of virus particles into the air , putting nearby people at risk .
This timing has big implications for the president and those around him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ famous person in the world right now has COVID-19 , and one could assume , based on the time line , that he could have been infectious during the presidential debate . ''
The televised argument with challenger Joe Biden took place last Tuesday , and Trump began showing symptoms on the following Thursday .
`` He is still infectious now and was when he took his joyride , '' says Bell , referring to short trip Trump took in a car with Secret Service agents on Sunday .
The vehicle traveled around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Military Medical Center , where he was being treated .
At this early stage of the disease , most people do not receive aggressive treatment , but Trump was given two experimental drugs : the antiviral medication remdesivir and an infusion of monoclonal antibodies .
He also received an established medication : the steroid dexamethasone .
Bell says that remdesivir and the antibody therapy made sense at that point in the progression of COVID-19 because they aim to slow or stop viral replication .
But dexamethasone is used at a later stage to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Frieden , former head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and an infectious disease physician , calls early use of an immune-system inhibitor `` puzzling '' because , at the beginning of a COVID-19 bout , the body needs its natural defenses to work to fight the virus .
`` I do n't know what to make of it , '' he says .
Frieden also notes that most people do not have access to the experimental drugs , partially because of shortages and a lack of FDA approval , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get all three .
But it is not unusual for presidents to get special treatment because of their leadership role .
The next phase of the illness , usually occurring between six and 10 days after infection , is when the immune system goes into overdrive .
`` It 's kind of like the gas pedal gets pushed too hard and gets stuck , '' Bell says .
Not all patients go down this path , but the bodies of those who do get amped up when chemical signals called cytokines become abnormally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inflammatory response that leads to high fevers , immune cells that attack healthy tissues and lungs that fill with fluid .
If this immune reaction is not controlled , patients can suffer organ failure and require mechanical ventilation .
This could be the period Trump is entering , given the timing of the onset of his symptom .
According to Abraar Karan , a physician at Brigham and Women ’ s Hospital in Boston , who specializes in emerging infectious diseases , it will be a critical moment .
In his practice , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early viral infection—and even go home from the hospital—but then decline suddenly and `` come back feeling much sicker , with even worse oxygen levels and possibly other harm to the body 's organs , '' he says .
And when patients go down that path , there can be a lot of problems such as heart attack , organ damage , and more .
Edy Kim , a critical care physician at Brigham and Women ’ s , explains that a striking feature of the COVID-19 pandemic is how many patients suffer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his practice , he sees a lot of people who are hospitalized with blood clots and secondary bacterial infections , such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ( MRSA ) .
Some doctors prescribe preventive anticoagulants to manage clotting or preventive antibiotics to halt infection in the intensive care unit .
Clotting complications , which can affect as many as 31 percent of COVID-19 patients in the ICU , can occur in even mild cases .
Kim says all patients with the disease admitted to his hospital are given a very low dose of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medication was absent from the list of Trump ’ s treatments that was provided by his doctors .
It is possible that it was not given to Trump because he was feeling well enough to be walking around , and activity reduces the chances of clotting , Kim says .
For those patients who eventually fight off the virus and survive the inflammatory assault , an estimated 10 percent are left with months of debilitating symptoms .
Some doctors are beginning to think of this tail end of COVID as another stage .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , deep exhaustion and an assortment of other problems .
G. Marshall Lyon , an infectious disease physician at Emory University , says many of these difficulties look similar to myalgic encephalomyelitis , also called chronic fatigue syndrome , which is a long-term illness that affects a wide variety of body parts and systems .
He says he has seen some success with antidepressants , but doctors are still in the learning phase , and research on effective interventions continues .
Lyon , who has treated patients during the 2014 Ebola epidemic says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begins .
`` It 's nearly impossible to tell , in the first few days of infection , who ’ s going to get supersick and who 's not , '' he says .
But after a week or so of illness , the prognosis becomes clearer .
For Trump , Kim believes that what happens during the latter half of this week will be key .
Bell agrees and says Trump could be on the cusp of heading into that immune overdrive phase—if he enters it at all .
Kim admits he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` that 's generally what I ’ d expect . ''
Read more about the coronavirus outbreak from Scientific American here .
And read coverage from our international network of magazines here .
This article was first published at ScientificAmerican.com .
© ScientificAmerican.com .
All rights reserved Follow Scientific American on Twitter @ SciAm and @ SciamBlogs .
Visit ScientificAmerican.com for the latest in science , health and technology news .

Early in the morning on October 2, President Donald Trump tweeted that he had tested positive for COVID-19. Only 33 days away from a highly contentious election, the diagnosis plunged the nation into uncertainty. Doctors, scientists and pundits quickly began speculating on what will happen to the president, and the White House has been both tight-lipped and prone to giving conflicting information about the VIP patient.
But in general, the course of this disease is no longer a complete black box to medicine. Trump will be at a fork in the road during the latter half of this week, say infections disease and critical care physicians who spoke with Scientific American. He could be heading for a bad stretch in a prolonged illness or he could be on an upward swing to recovery. Doctors sadly have the experience of treating more than 36 million COVID-19 patients worldwide and more than 7.5 million in the U.S. Using this clinical history, many now divide the disease into several stages, each with distinct symptoms and treatments. Based on when he first reported symptoms, Trump appears to be at the end of one phase and the verge of the next. Here is the sequence that physicians usually see and how it applies to the president.
Exposure and incubation
A COVID-19 infection begins when the SARS-CoV-2 virus enters cells in the body and begins to replicate. This period of time, after infection but before symptoms start, is called the incubation period—and it occurs between two and 14 days after contracting the virus. While people may not know they are sick, they often become contagious two or three days before symptoms begin.
Viral replication
Symptoms start by the fifth day after infection for most people, and they include fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, aches, pains, gastrointestinal issues, and loss of smell or taste. Taison Bell, a pulmonary and critical care physician at the University of Virginia, says that when symptoms arise, this change signals a person is at "peak infectivity," which means they are shedding lots of virus particles into the air, putting nearby people at risk.
This timing has big implications for the president and those around him, Bell says: "The most famous person in the world right now has COVID-19, and one could assume, based on the time line, that he could have been infectious during the presidential debate." The televised argument with challenger Joe Biden took place last Tuesday, and Trump began showing symptoms on the following Thursday. "He is still infectious now and was when he took his joyride," says Bell, referring to short trip Trump took in a car with Secret Service agents on Sunday. The vehicle traveled around and just outside the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he was being treated.
At this early stage of the disease, most people do not receive aggressive treatment, but Trump was given two experimental drugs: the antiviral medication remdesivir and an infusion of monoclonal antibodies. He also received an established medication: the steroid dexamethasone. Bell says that remdesivir and the antibody therapy made sense at that point in the progression of COVID-19 because they aim to slow or stop viral replication. But dexamethasone is used at a later stage to tamp down immune system overreactions. Tom Frieden, former head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and an infectious disease physician, calls early use of an immune-system inhibitor "puzzling" because, at the beginning of a COVID-19 bout, the body needs its natural defenses to work to fight the virus. "I don't know what to make of it," he says.
Frieden also notes that most people do not have access to the experimental drugs, partially because of shortages and a lack of FDA approval, and a typical patient probably will not get all three. But it is not unusual for presidents to get special treatment because of their leadership role.
Immune overdrive
The next phase of the illness, usually occurring between six and 10 days after infection, is when the immune system goes into overdrive. "It's kind of like the gas pedal gets pushed too hard and gets stuck," Bell says. Not all patients go down this path, but the bodies of those who do get amped up when chemical signals called cytokines become abnormally hyperactive. The cytokines trigger a strong inflammatory response that leads to high fevers, immune cells that attack healthy tissues and lungs that fill with fluid. If this immune reaction is not controlled, patients can suffer organ failure and require mechanical ventilation.
This could be the period Trump is entering, given the timing of the onset of his symptom. According to Abraar Karan, a physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, who specializes in emerging infectious diseases, it will be a critical moment. In his practice, he has seen people recover from the early viral infection—and even go home from the hospital—but then decline suddenly and "come back feeling much sicker, with even worse oxygen levels and possibly other harm to the body's organs," he says. And when patients go down that path, there can be a lot of problems such as heart attack, organ damage, and more.
Inflammatory complications
Edy Kim, a critical care physician at Brigham and Women’s, explains that a striking feature of the COVID-19 pandemic is how many patients suffer complications from the cytokine storm. In his practice, he sees a lot of people who are hospitalized with blood clots and secondary bacterial infections, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Some doctors prescribe preventive anticoagulants to manage clotting or preventive antibiotics to halt infection in the intensive care unit. Clotting complications, which can affect as many as 31 percent of COVID-19 patients in the ICU, can occur in even mild cases. Kim says all patients with the disease admitted to his hospital are given a very low dose of an anticoagulant. He notes this kind of medication was absent from the list of Trump’s treatments that was provided by his doctors. It is possible that it was not given to Trump because he was feeling well enough to be walking around, and activity reduces the chances of clotting, Kim says.
The long haul
For those patients who eventually fight off the virus and survive the inflammatory assault, an estimated 10 percent are left with months of debilitating symptoms. Some doctors are beginning to think of this tail end of COVID as another stage. Patients suffer debilitating headaches, mental fog, deep exhaustion and an assortment of other problems. G. Marshall Lyon, an infectious disease physician at Emory University, says many of these difficulties look similar to myalgic encephalomyelitis, also called chronic fatigue syndrome, which is a long-term illness that affects a wide variety of body parts and systems. He says he has seen some success with antidepressants, but doctors are still in the learning phase, and research on effective interventions continues.
Lyon, who has treated patients during the 2014 Ebola epidemic says COVID-19 is notoriously unpredictable when the illness begins. "It's nearly impossible to tell, in the first few days of infection, who’s going to get supersick and who's not," he says.
But after a week or so of illness, the prognosis becomes clearer. For Trump, Kim believes that what happens during the latter half of this week will be key. Bell agrees and says Trump could be on the cusp of heading into that immune overdrive phase—if he enters it at all. Kim admits he cannot predict the future, but "that's generally what I’d expect."
Read more about the coronavirus outbreak from Scientific American here. And read coverage from our international network of magazines here.
This article was first published at ScientificAmerican.com. © ScientificAmerican.com. All rights reserved Follow Scientific American on Twitter @SciAm and @SciamBlogs. Visit ScientificAmerican.com for the latest in science, health and technology news.