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Potential NFL stadium moves closer to going on Inglewood ballot this summer

A rendering of he new stadium and complex to be built near the Forum in Inglewood was released by the Hollywood Park Land Company, Kroenke Group and Stockbridge Capital Group earlier this month.; Credit: Courtesy Hollywood Park Land Company

Ben Bergman

A measure that would allow an 80,000-seat NFL-caliber stadium to be built in Inglewood could be on that city’s ballot by this summer after developers submitted almost three times as many signatures than needed for a voter initiative.

“22,216 signatures were submitted to the city clerk today,” said Gerard McCallum, project manager with the Hollywood Park Land Company. “It was unbelievable. The response was more than we could have ever anticipated.”

Normally, before construction can begin on any project there has to be an environmental review, but that can take a long time and time is something in short supply for St. Louis Rams Owner Stan Kroenke and his plan to move the team to L.A.

“We would be going through another three year project process, and the current construction wouldn’t allow that,” said McCallum, referring to the redevelopment of 238 acres of the old Hollywood Park site that was permitted in 2009.

“If we were going to make any modifications, it would have to be approved this year,” said McCallum.

To speed things up, developers decided to bring the stadium project directly to Inglewood voters, which required 8,000 signatures.

Once the signatures are verified, Inglewood’s City Council will consider the measure, then developers hope a special election would take place before the start of the next NFL season.

McCallum says construction would begin whether the Rams or any other team decides to move here, though on Monday Kroenke made another move suggesting a return of the NFL to Los Angeles could be closer than it has been at any point during the last two decades, though not until after the 2015 season. From The St Louis Post-Dispatch:

Rams management sent a letter to regional officials on Monday afternoon. The letter said the team was converting its 30-year lease to an “annual tenancy,” effective April 1 and, “in the absence of intervening events,” extending through March 31, 2016.

The notice, which has long been expected, does two things:

  • It allows owner Stan Kroenke to pull the team out of St. Louis as soon as 2016, because the Rams lease will now expire at the end of every season. The original lease was to expire in 2025.
  • It also legally binds the Rams to play at the Edward Jones Dome next fall — a point on which many here were uncertain.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.




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Win10 Cloned M2 SSD won't boot




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Could graphene-lined clothing prevent mosquito bites?

Full Text:

A new study shows that graphene sheets can block the signals mosquitoes use to identify a blood meal, potentially enabling a new chemical-free approach to mosquito bite prevention. Researchers showed that multilayer graphene can provide a twofold defense against mosquito bites. The ultra-thin yet strong material acts as a barrier that mosquitoes are unable to bite through. At the same time, experiments showed that graphene also blocks chemical signals mosquitoes use to sense that a blood meal is near, blunting their urge to bite in the first place. The findings suggest that clothing with a graphene lining could be an effective mosquito barrier.

Image credit: Hurt Lab/Brown University




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Nuclear winter would threaten nearly everyone on Earth




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Barclays profits plunge with 40 percent

UK-based bank Barclays has announced profits plunged 40%...




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CloudMD Is My TeleHealth Stock

Source: Keith Schaefer for Streetwise Reports   04/28/2020

With telehealth becoming a rising star in the coronavirus era, Keith Schaefer discusses why one company rapidly expanding in Canada stands out.

An entirely new—and highly profitable—industry is being borne out in 2020—TeleHealth.

CloudMD Software & Services Inc. (DOC:CSE; DOCRF:OTCQB; 6PH:FSE) is my favorite way to play teleHealth. It's growing quickly with over 100,000 patients registered on its app and over 3000 doctors in 8 provinces in its Electronic Medical Records—EMR—system. It has MULTIPLE revenue streams and it just moved into Canada's largest market—Ontario—setting up an even faster growth rate.

The recent spread of coronavirus is only accelerating this. COVID-19 has forever changed how we all will think about visiting a hospital or seeing our doctor. We really don't want to do that at all, if possible. It will have a very positive and long lasting impact on teleHealth.

teleHealth companies in Canada are getting paid more money for services than bricks-and-mortar clinics, and have a fraction of the costs. Doctors want more of it, patients want more of it, government wants more of it—and the Market REALLY wants more of it. Everybody wins here; there is no downside.

The rapid scale-up and profitability is key for investors.

The stock market is now recognizing this trend—in spades. You can see it in the stock chart of the U.S. leader in teleHealth, Teladoc Health Inc. (TDOC:NYSE).

While the market plummeted Teladoc's business and share price soared.


Now that a firm trend is in place—and teleHealth is one that makes a lot of sense—I'm looking for the junior with the best leverage to this new long term trade.

CloudMD is established, growing quickly and trading at a fraction of its peers.

The average multiple of competitors in the sector trade at 5-7x revenue, and CloudMD is trading way below that at 2.5x per revenue. I'll have more on those comps in a moment.

But realize that the Canadian use of telemedicine is still just a fraction of where it is in the U.S—so the quick, early upside is even bigger.

Literally the Canadian Version of Teladoc Health

The story with this stock is very simple. CloudMD is literally the Canadian version of Teladoc Health—just at an earlier stage in the growth curve.

The market desperately wants to own teleHealth right now (see also the stock charts of LVGO-NASD and CATS-NASD). I see CloudMD as the best way to do that in the junior sector (where the leverage is!).

For this stock to have a major run all that needs to happen is for institutional investors to wake up to the fact that the company exists. That's happening now with the company entering the province of Ontario—which has 14.5 million people, over one-third of Canada's population.

CloudMD is a fully integrated health care company—kind of like a hospital-in-the-sky. They do have five bricks-and-mortar clinics, but they also own their own EMR—Electronic Medical Records—system that operates in eight provinces and is used by over 3,000 doctors and is supported by an in-house 25 person development team. They have their own CloudMD app—which has over 100,000 registered patients already.

Folks, we really are in front of the institutions on this one. I don't have room in this article to even talk to you about the depth and credibility of CEO Dr. Essam Hamza, but after several conversations with him I can say that shareholders are in very good hands.

The EMR gives CloudMD a recurring monthly revenue stream, which The Street loves. The app gives them high margin fees from doctors, specialists and groups like massage therapists and counselors. These people are revenue, not costs. As I said, full hospital-in-the-sky. Multiple revenue sources with lower costs.

To schedule a virtual doctor's appointment all that a patient has to do is download the free CloudMD app and then arrange an appointment with one of the doctors. There is zero charge for the patient and they can see a doctor very quickly.

CloudMD can scale up the number of patients VERY quickly—and they are.

Every aspect of healthcare that's very fractured and disjointed will now be in the one CloudMD ecosystem.

Everyone wins with this system. Patients, doctors, the medical system, society, even investors. Everyone.

TeleHealth Is MUCH More Profitable Than Clinics

Doctors who have signed up with CloudMD work remotely from home or wherever they are (like their winter home down south). The rapid scale-up potential excites me. CloudMD can add in unlimited number of doctors and patients—so it has a virtually unlimited ability to scale quickly with little incremental cost.

Profit margins are wide and there is no cap on the number of customers that can be handled.

After a patient has an appointment, CloudMD bills the government directly just like every bricks-and-mortar clinic in Canada does. CloudMD records 100% of the revenue and gets to keep 30% of the billing for every patient that is seen through telemedicine, which is actually 10% more than what a bricks-and-mortar clinic receives. That is because the governments are trying to push teleHealth.

The doctor gets the other 70% and doesn't have to deal with any headaches of commuting or running a business.

Without the overhead of a bricks-and-mortar clinic, AND more revenue—CloudMD will be much more profitable than traditional health care stocks.

Faster scale, more cash flow. And they just entered Canada's largest market. This is the right stock in the right market at the right time.

When CloudMD goes from one doctor to 10 doctors to 100 doctors working at the same time, they don't have to build more clinics. They don't have to create more rooms for them or hire more staff. They just sign them on. That's it.

And we are not just talking about family doctors. They are also adding specialists and third party services like counseling and physiotherapists to the platform—and again, all these people are revenue, not costs.

That's the great thing about this business model. It's very scalable, very easy, and it grows very quickly.

CloudMD has been growing its recurring SAAS (Software-as-a-Service) revenue by 30% YoY with its EMR system. But this year the company is expecting that doctor growth to be much much higher—with a new full time sales team and the coronavirus pandemic. SaaS revenue is highly lucrative!

Consumer growth (patients) using the CloudMD app is growing even faster. And the recent COVID-19 situation will only turbocharge that.

Another Revenue Stream, Another Win-Win

There's another angle here—pharmacies. CloudMD says they will partner with more than 150 pharmacies in 2020 alone who are afraid of losing prescription business to Amazon (AMZN-NASD).

Those pharmacies are paying $500 a month for CloudMD kiosks to be in their pharmacies—where customers can get a prescription from a doctor on demand.

This keeps the customer in the pharmacy for their prescription—not out to see a doctor and then off to Costco to get it filled.

Pharmacies that don't see the writing on the wall will become the blockbusters of the industry and get left behind.

With the kiosk in the pharmacy, a person can just see a doctor right away, within 10 minutes, and walk the prescription back to the pharmacist.

Buy-outs Are Happening at High Valuations

We know that these businesses are worth.

Grocery giant Loblaws purchased QHR—another Canadian based EMR company—for $3.10/share or 7.5X revenue. Note that QHR's former Chairman Mark Kohler recently joined CloudMD's Board of Directors.

Teladoc bought a company out of Quebec just two months ago called InTouch for about US$600 million, which again is about 7.5X revenue. Teladoc itself trades at more than 10X revenue.

CloudMD trades at 2.5X revenue, less than a third of recent transactions. Meanwhile the company is poised to grow revenues at a high double digit rate for the foreseeable future.

TeleHealth is the future of how our healthcare is delivered.

Everyone has always expected that the growth would be just like what Netflix experienced with streaming, shaped like a hockey stick. The hockey stick shape is slow at the start as early adopters move and then straight up as the mainstream catches up with plot.

The demand for teleHealth from COVID-19 just took the flat part of that hockey stick out of the equation and instead took the industry directly to the exponential growth curve.

The jumping off point for teleHealth is here and I think CloudMD is the best pure-play teleHealth stock right now.

TeleHealth is to healthcare what streaming was to video rentals, and what Amazon was to retail. IT IS THE FUTURE.

Now is the time for investors to get on board, especially in Canada where virtual healthcare only accounts for 0.15% of the market and the growth curve will be much steeper.

And for me, that's CloudMD. It's the new normal. I'm long.

Keith Schaefer is editor and publisher of the Oil & Gas Investments Bulletin. He has a degree in journalism and has worked for several Canadian dailies but has spent over 15 years assisting public resource companies in raising exploration and expansion capital.

Sign up for our FREE newsletter at: www.streetwisereports.com/get-news

Disclosure:
1) Keith Schaefer: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: CloudMD. I personally am, or members of my immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: CloudMD. My company has a financial relationship with the following companies mentioned in this article: None. Additional disclosures are listed below.
2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. As of the date of this article, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports has a consulting relationship with CloudMD. Please click here for more information.
3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy.
4) This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.
5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of CloudMD, a company mentioned in this article.

Keith Schaefer Disclosures:

CloudMD has reviewed and sponsored this article. The information in this newsletter does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of a corporation or entity, including U.S. Traded Securities or U.S. Quoted Securities, in the United States or to U.S. Persons. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption therefrom. Any public offering of securities in the United States may only be made by means of a prospectus containing detailed information about the corporation or entity and its management as well as financial statements. No securities regulatory authority in the United States has either approved or disapproved of the contents of any newsletter.

Keith Schaefer is not registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"): as a "broker-dealer" under the Exchange Act, as an "investment adviser" under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, or in any other capacity. He is also not registered with any state securities commission or authority as a broker-dealer or investment advisor or in any other capacity.

Charts provided by the author.




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SmileDirectClub Awarded US Patent for SmileShop Concept and Plans to Reopen Stores in May

Source: Streetwise Reports   04/28/2020

SmileDirectClub shares traded 20% higher after the company reported it has been awarded a U.S. patent for its SmileShop retail concept and treatment process and that it plans to reopen stores on a rolling basis starting in May.

SmileDirectClub Inc. (SDC:NASDAQ) today announced "it has been issued a patent for its SmileShop intellectual property from the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office which further strengthens the telehealth dentistry pioneer's efforts to bring affordable, accessible oral care to more people through its unique and innovative teledentistry platform and direct-to-consumer business model." The firm claimed that the patent will prevent other clear aligner competitors from duplicating its business model for the next 18 years.

The company's CEO David Katzman commented, "This patent designation is a significant validation of our unique customer-oriented care model, and expands our category ownership, including the manufacturing and retail experience...As the industry pioneer and inventor of the SmileShop concept, this patent is recognition that SmileDirectClub offers an innovative way for consumers to access oral care that is safe, doctor-directed and convenient. We look forward to welcoming customers back to our SmileShops at the earliest and safest possible time."

"We are focused on the entire teeth straightening and care process, and we now own the manufacturing process of our clear aligner products, the customer experience via our teledentistry platform, as well as the retail experience for clear aligner therapy. This patent is another step in our process as we continue to grow and protect our business," Katzman added.

The firm advised that "the patent encompasses the unique SmileShop concept and process" which includes appointment scheduling, conducting an intraoral scan, generating an approved treatment plan by a licensed dentist or orthodontist and then creating and shipping the aligners to the customer. The company noted that so far more than one million customers have used its clear aligner therapy platform.

The company stated that it is planning to slowly reopen its SmileShops in the U.S. and other markets starting in May as local governments begin to lift business restrictions. The firm indicated that it will be supplying all of its SmileShop team members with face shields and other PPE and will institute staggered appointment times, temperature scans and other social distancing and sanitary measures to provide a safe experience for all staff and customers.

SmileDirectClub is an oral care company headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. The firm stated that it is the creator of the first direct-to-consumer medtech platform for teeth straightening. The company has since expanded its business and now offers its products directly through dentist and orthodontists' offices. Some of the products offered by the company include aligners, impression kits, retainers and whitening gel. In addition to the U.S., the company also operates in Australia, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand and the U.K.

SmileDirectClub began the day with a market capitalization of around $2.1 billion with approximately 385 million shares outstanding and a short interest of about 10.4%. SDC shares opened more than 26% higher today at $6.76 (+$1.37, +26.42%) over yesterday's $5.39 closing price. The stock has traded today between $6.13 to $6.80 per share and is currently trading at $6.64 (+$1.25, +23.14%).

Sign up for our FREE newsletter at: www.streetwisereports.com/get-news

Disclosure:
1) Stephen Hytha compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor. He or members of his household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. He or members of his household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None.
2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees.
3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.
4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.
5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases.
6) This article does not constitute medical advice. Officers, employees and contributors to Streetwise Reports are not licensed medical professionals. Readers should always contact their healthcare professionals for medical advice.

( Companies Mentioned: SDC:NASDAQ, )




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Episode 955 Scott Adams: Extra Cussing Tonight. Put the Kids to Bed. Close Your Windows, Get Under the Covers

My new book LOSERTHINK, available now on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/rqmjc2a Content: Hydroxychloroquine as a game-changer Winning a Pulitzer A logical back to work metric Yearly flu death numbers aren’t real Remdesivir does NOT change survival rate The FBI’s reputation If you would like my channel to have a wider audience and higher production quality, please donate […]

The post Episode 955 Scott Adams: Extra Cussing Tonight. Put the Kids to Bed. Close Your Windows, Get Under the Covers appeared first on Scott Adams' Blog.




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Can reserve networks protect coral reefs from climate change?

A new study has conducted a preliminary investigation into the design of reserves that would help protect coral reefs from climate change. The results indicate that, 15 per cent of coral reefs in the Bahamas, the study area, would be able to withstand rising temperature, and would therefore be appropriately placed in reserves.




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Sustainability programmes: eclectic toolboxes or clear roadmaps?

Sustainable consumption and production (SCP) programmes are frameworks to systemically develop sustainability. New research has analysed three national SCP programmes in the UK, Sweden and Finland and concluded that, rather than provide a strong roadmap for sustainability, they tend to be a toolbox of good but scattered initiatives.




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Cities tackling climate change: a new strategy for mitigation

Cities are key players in global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A new World Bank study has proposed a three-stage plan for mitigating climate change at a local level. Its recommendations include improving urban infrastructure and encouraging lifestyle change, but most importantly, clarity in the way urban GHG inventories are calculated.




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Climate change impacts not yet detectable in river flow data




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Environmental impacts of electric vehicle batteries weighed up

A recent study has assessed the lifecycle environmental impact during the production and use phase of three battery types for plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and full performance battery electric vehicles (BEV). The study indicates that newer lithium-ion (Li-ion) technologies outperform current nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries and identifies processes contributing to 13 environmental impacts




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Particle fragments: an overlooked hazard of oil and gas exploration

Fragments of crushed rock released into the ocean during oil and gas exploration can physically bury organisms that live on the seafloor, accounting for 55% of offshore drilling???s environmental impact, according to a recent study. To allow more informed marine policy decisions, this physical impact must be recognised alongside the impact of chemicals released in drilling waste.




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Study indicates decline in seabed-dwelling fish in the Mediterranean

Using data gathered by satellites, scientists have monitored changes in fishing activity around Italy in the Mediterranean Sea for the period 2007-2010. From this, they developed new ecological indicators that gave a more detailed pattern of fishing activity in the Italian seas. In addition, the new indicators suggest that fish stocks on the seabed around Italy are continuing to decline.




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Microplastic particles in North Sea could harm marine organisms and enter human food chain

Researchers have discovered high levels of plastic particles and fibres, as well as black carbon (BC), which is formed by the incomplete burning of fossil fuels, in the waters of the Jade Bay, an inshore basin off the coast of Germany in the Southern North Sea. The concentration of suspended particles are of concern because they have the potential to be ingested by fish and other marine life, and enter the food chain.




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Green roofs reduce energy demands but watering costs in warm climates can be high

Green roofs can cool buildings in summer and prevent heat loss in winter. A new study suggests, however, that in the warm climates of southern Europe the additional cost of watering means that 'cool roof coatings??? may be more cost effective.




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Living walls help cool buildings in hot climates

Covering walls with plants can significantly reduce the temperature of building walls during hot summer months. A recent study of three different types of these ???living walls??? in Italy suggests that they can be 20??C cooler than a bare wall on sunny days. An added advantage is that living walls can be retrofitted to existing buildings.




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Consumer footprints for personal hygiene and cleaning products

A new study provides recommendations to reduce the environmental impact of personal hygiene and cleaning products on the environment. Researchers undertook life-cycle assessments of products including detergents, soaps and toilet cleaners, and compared their environmental footprints looking at different types of environmental damage.




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Sustainable nanotechnology: a combined life cycle and risk assessment approach

As the development of nanomaterials increases, a recent study recommends combining life cycle analysis and risk assessment to improve our understanding of the potential environmental and human health impacts of products containing nanomaterials.




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EU guidelines on better life cycle assessment produced

The EU Joint Research Centre has produced a new part of the handbook that provides guidelines for developing and using Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), which evaluate the environmental impacts of products, focusing specifically on life cycle impact assessment (LCIA). It recommends that assessments should be comprehensive, accessible and easy to apply in order to make LCA a more mainstream concept in decision-making.




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Recycled plastic reduces carbon footprint of packaging

Increasing the use of recycled materials could substantially reduce the carbon footprint of plastic packaging, research suggests. A new study of the life-cycle of plastic trays has shown that increasing the proportion of recycled material could lead to a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.




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Rail vehicle manufacturer Stadler hit by cyberattack, blackmailed

International rail vehicle construction company, Stadler, disclosed that it was the victim of a cyberattack which might have also allowed the attackers to steal company and employee data. [...]




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Clear recognition of uncertainty is lacking in scientific advice for policymakers

Sustainable management of complex ecosystems requires clear understanding of uncertainty. However, scientific guidance documents show a lack of clarity and coherence regarding uncertainties and tend to focus solely on the need for more data or monitoring, new research indicates. The researchers suggest that scientific guidance should recognise uncertainty as an inherent part of any complex ecosystem.




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Framework to aid decisions on translocating species threatened by climate change

A new framework to help decide whether to translocate species that are threatened by climate change has been developed. The framework provides a simple method of assessing different strategies and ensuring that limited budgets are used effectively.




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Predicting fish species’ decline before it’s too late

An early warning system to predict the overfishing of individual species, far in advance of severe population decline, has been developed by researchers. The ‘eventual threat index’ was applied by the researchers to historical data on tuna and billfish populations, and accurately predicted their current declines as early as the 1950s.




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‘Emerging risks’ identified as first of four key stages in a risk cycle

The phrase ‘emerging risk’ has been widely used in scientific and business communities, but without consensus on how to define and govern such a risk. A new study proposes that risk emergence goes through four states, from ‘unknown unknowns’ to risks that are fully in the public domain. Understanding emergence as a process can help decision makers detect and manage risks on the basis of scientific evidence.




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COPD exacerbations lead to lung function decline, particularly among those with mild COPD

Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, are associated with significant long-term lung function loss, according to research published online, ahead of print in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

read more



  • Health & Medicine

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Cleaning up the Baltic Sea with mussel power

Excess nutrients in sea water can cause eutrophication, a major environmental concern. Shellfish species such as mussels can ‘soak up’ some of these nutrients. A recent Swedish study examines the cost-effectiveness of mussel farming in the Baltic Sea as a method of reducing nutrient concentration and compares its potential with other methods of combating eutrophication.




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Climate change to reduce crop yields and increase child malnutrition

Adverse effects of climate change on agriculture will counteract any improvements in reducing levels of child malnutrition in the developing world, according to a new report, which calculates that twenty-five million more children will face malnutrition by 2050.




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Modern agriculture and land use behind the decline in bees

Estonian research has identified land use practices and agrochemical use as the main pressures that are causing a decline in pollinating insects in Europe, such as bees and butterflies. It calls for increased funds for agri-environment measures from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to help tackle pollinator loss.




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Fertiliser resource limitations: recycling for food security

Global population growth since 1850 has been largely enabled by commercial phosphorus and nitrogen fertilisers. The availability of these nutrients for food production relies upon steadily diminishing resources of natural gas and phosphorus rock. A recent study suggests that to secure a long-term affordable food supply, policy intervention is needed to conserve these essential resources.




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Soil quality and crop yield decline under plastic tunnels

Recent research in Italy has suggested that soil quality deteriorates over time when intensively farmed under plastic tunnels. The tunnels are an obstacle to natural rainfall and artificial irrigation increases soil salinity and, as a consequence, agricultural yields can be significantly reduced.




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Recent evidence on climate change risks for African agriculture




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Link between climate change and child health: call for more research

UN researchers highlight the need to develop better ways to measure the impacts of climate change on children's health. They suggest more attention be given to impact analysis of different social groups and ages, as well as nutrition.




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Managing infectious disease under climate change

Health experts have called for a proactive, joined-up approach to public health in Europe under a changing climate. A recent study has examined the evidence for the influence of the climate on infectious disease and proposes a new integrated network for environmental and health data.




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Recycled water from ???managed aquifer recharge??? safe for irrigation

The health risks to humans of using recycled water to irrigate crops needs to be carefully managed. New research has demonstrated that ???managed aquifer recharge??? can be just as effective as conventional water treatments in improving the quality of recycled water for use in irrigation.




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Global pollinator decline may lead to human malnutrition

The worldwide decline of pollinators could increase cases of vitamin and micronutrient deficiencies in humans, new research suggests. For instance, pollination is needed for the crops that produce half of all plant-derived vitamin A across much of south-east Asia. Furthermore, areas which depend most on pollination for micronutrient supply tend to be poorer and already at higher risk of deficiencies.




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Microplastics: new methods needed to filter tiny particles from drinking water

The presence of plastics in aquatic environments is a growing concern across the EU. This study explored the amount of microplastic particles present in raw and treated water at three water-treatment plants in the Czech Republic. While treated water contained fewer particles than raw1 fresh water, the amount found in treated water was not negligible, and largely comprised tiny particles of <10 micrometres (μm) in diameter. Ways to filter microplastics from potable water must be identified and their risk to humans, sources and routes into drinking water determined, say the researchers.




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Air Pollution and Climate Change

Continued reductions in air pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are essential, as they pose serious threats to both people's health and the environment across the world. Air quality and climate policies can provide mutual benefits and there can also be trade-offs. This thematic issue reports on research which helps us understand the relationship between air pollution and climate change and how the two policy areas can be integrated to produce the greatest results.




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Managing water demand, reuse and recycling

To meet demand, more and more water is being abstracted from the land and transported long distances. This thematic issue addresses the most pressing policy issues within this field as Europe looks for an effective strategy to deal with water supply and consumption.




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Cleaning up after smss-DoOoMs virus attack




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Spring cleaning




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Got and Closed Pop-up Worried about Infection




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PLEASE READ: Am I Infected is Closed. Help is going back to Virus Removal Forum




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Recycling and reuse of WEEE by businesses may be more widespread than reported

A recent survey of businesses in France, Germany and the UK has revealed that they recycle and refurbish much of their waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). However, some of this information is not being reported under the EU’s WEEE Directive because the waste is being disposed of informally or by contractors, rather than by manufacturers who are responsible for the whole life cycle of the products.




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Changes in household consumption could help tackle climate change

A new analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Swiss household consumption reveals a large difference between the best and worst households – which range between the equivalent of 5 to 17 tons of CO2 per capita per year. It suggests GHG reductions are possible if more households adopt similar consumption patterns to those with the lowest emissions.




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Updates to climate change knowledge since IPCC 2007 report

A research update on climate change has indicated that many global risks are now assessed as stronger than predicted by the 2007 IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (AR4). The risk of large sea-level rise, extreme weather events and ocean acidification are all thought to be underestimated by the AR4.




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Making energy systems more resilient to climate change

A set of indicators has been devised to assess the vulnerability of energy systems to climate change and suggest possible adaptation measures that could be taken in response.