The federal government should not rely on polygraph examinations for screening prospective or current employees to identify spies or other national-security risks because the test results are too inaccurate when used this way.

Eleven questions that should shape the next decade of geographical sciences research were identified today in a new report by the National Research Council.

One of the nation’s largest surveys of crime victims is likely undercounting incidences of rape and sexual assault, making it difficult to ensure that adequate law enforcement resources and support services are available for victims, says a new report by the National Research Council.

Potentially useful biomarker tests for molecularly targeted therapies are not being adopted appropriately into clinical practice because of a lack of common evidentiary standards necessary for regulatory, reimbursement, and treatment decisions, says a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The National Academy of Engineering announced today that the 2018 Charles Stark Draper Prize for Engineering will be awarded to Bjarne Stroustrup.

Given the current state of quantum computing and the significant challenges that still need to be overcome, it is highly unlikely that a quantum computer that can compromise public-key cryptography – a basis for the security of most of today’s computers and networks – will be built within the next decade, says a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) this week requested that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine rapidly examine the information and data needed to help determine the origins of the novel coronavirus that is causing a global outbreak of respiratory illness.

Today the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released its review of the National Toxicology Program’s (NTP) draft monograph Systematic Review of Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive Health Effects.

Formed earlier this month, the National Academies’ Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats was assembled at the request of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The recently formed National Academies Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats, assembled at the request of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, has been providing rapid expert consultations on several topics, such as social distancing and severe illness in young adults.

The recently formed National Academies Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats, assembled at the request of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, has been providing rapid expert consultations on several topics, such as social distancing and severe illness in young adults.

A new rapid expert consultation from a standing committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine responds to questions from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) regarding survival of the COVID-19 virus in relation to temperature and humidity and potential for seasonal reduction and resurgence of cases.

A new rapid expert consultation from a standing committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

A new rapid expert consultation from a standing committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine responds to questions from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) regarding the effectiveness of homemade fabric masks to protect others from the viral spread of COVID-19 from potentially contagious asymptomatic or presymptomatic individuals.

Maurice Jackson of Proven and Probable discusses the future of DNI Metals with the company's executive chairman.

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

Source: Streetwise Reports   05/06/2020

Biopharmaceutical company Horizon Therapeutics Inc. (HZNP:NASDAQ), which focuses on developing and commercializing medicines for treatment of rare and rheumatic diseases, today announced its Q1/20 financial results for the period ending March 31, 2020. The firm began by advising that it is raising its FY/20 net sales guidance and revised its adjusted EBITDA guidance.

For Q1/20 the company reported that net sales increased by 27% to $355.9 million over Q1/19. The firm provided a breakdown of revenue by business unit and listed that in Q1/20 compared with Q1/19, its Orphan segment net sales increased 47% to $245.4 Million, KRYSTEXXA® net sales rose by 78% to $93.3 million and TEPEZZA (teprotumumab-trbw) net sales were $23.5 million, which exceeded expectations.

The firm advised that it is increasing FY/20 net sales guidance to $1.40-1.45 billion driven primarily by significantly higher TEPEZZA net sales and reflecting anticipated impacts from COVID-19. The company also presented revised FY/20 adjusted EBITDA guidance of $450-500 million, which reflects increased TEPEZZA program investment to support higher-than-expected demand.

The firm indicated that in Q1/20 it posted a GAAP net loss of $13.6 million with adjusted EBITDA of $107.2 million and non-GAAP net income of $83.2 million.

The company's Chairman, President and CEO Timothy Walbert commented, "We had a very strong start to 2020, highlighted by the early approval and rapid uptake of TEPEZZA, which significantly exceeded expectations, excellent KRYSTEXXA growth and our recent acquisition of HZN-825...We are increasing our full-year net sales guidance to account for significantly higher TEPEZZA net sales that more than offset the expected impact from COVID-19 this year, and we are widening both our net sales and adjusted EBITDA guidance ranges to account for future uncertainty. The fundamentals of our business are strong, including a robust cash position, and we continue to be very well positioned for the long term."

The company noted that it received FDA approval for TEPEZZA for the treatment of thyroid eye disease (TED) earlier this year in January. The firm described TED as "a rare, serious, progressive and vision-threatening autoimmune disease, and is associated with proptosis (eye bulging), diplopia (double vision), blurred vision, pain and facial disfigurement." The company further s explained that "TEPEZZA, a fully human monoclonal antibody insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) inhibitor, is the first and only FDA-approved medicine for the treatment of TED."

Horizon Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. The firm researches, develops and commercializes medicines for treatment of rare and rheumatic diseases.

Horizon has a market capitalization of around $7.1 billion with approximately 190.2 million shares outstanding and a short interest of about 4.9%. HZNP shares opened 10% higher today at $44.19 (+$3.81, +10.19%) over yesterday's $37.38 closing price and reached a new 52-week high price this morning of $43.57. The stock has traded today between $40.00 and $43.90 per share and is currently trading at $42.95 (+$5.57, +14.90%).

Disclosure:
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Urban planning policy has had a powerful influence on the amount of green space in cities, according to a recent UK study. It found that a change in planning policy in 2000 led to a decline in urban green space in nine cities between 2001 and 2006, although the amount of green space in all but one of the cities studied has increased overall since 1991.

Geography and ecology are key factors that have influenced the genetic makeup of human groups in southern Africa, according to new research discussed in the journal GENETICS, a publication of the Genetics Society of America. By investigating the ancestries of twenty-two KhoeSan groups, including new samples from the Nama and the ≠Khomani, researchers conclude that the genetic clustering of southern African populations is closely tied to the ecogeography of the Kalahari Desert region.

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A new class of drugs called HIF-2 inhibitors is more effective and better tolerated than the standard of care drug sunitinib in treating kidney cancer, researchers with the Kidney Cancer Program at Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center have found.

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New research on climate-driven reductions in Arctic sea ice has predicted that, by 2040 to 2059, new shipping routes will become passable across the Arctic, linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. An increase in traffic has implications for the ecosystems of this fragile area.

The potential of recycling aluminium scrap in Austria has been modelled in a new study. A surplus of mixed aluminium scrap is expected by 2045 if no advanced sorting technologies are applied. Increased demand for wrought aluminium alloys could mean this surplus occurs sooner. New methods to intensively sort aluminium could prevent this excess and contribute towards REACH1 recycling and climate targets.

Researchers have shown that graphene paper can be used to construct flexible and rechargeable batteries, which may even perform better than non-flexible batteries. These might be used in a range of portable, bendable and rollable devices and could also help develop new energy generation technology, such as flexible solar cells.

In-depth soil information is increasingly required to achieve an array of environmental and economic goals. In particular, accurate estimates of soil carbon stocks are necessary to guide land-management practices and climate- related policymaking. To help meet this need, Australian scientists have developed a new sensing method to analyse cylindrical soil samples (soil cores), known as the Soil Condition ANalysis System (SCANS). By integrating a novel automated soil- core sensing system (CSS) with advanced statistical analytics and modelling, the SCANS provides a level of detail that is difficult to achieve with existing alternatives. SCANS is not only rapid, accurate and inexpensive1, but is likely to be a useful tool for farmers, land managers and policymakers, as the improved assessment of soil functions, structures and carbon stocks will facilitate more informed, sustainable decision-making.

The expression dog is man's best friend might have more weight in the case of first-year university students suffering from homesickness, according to a new UBC study.

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New research on climate-driven reductions in Arctic sea ice has predicted that, by 2040 to 2059, new shipping routes will become passable across the Arctic, linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. An increase in traffic has implications for the ecosystems of this fragile area.

Khudoleĭ, K. M

Researchers have identified a possible way of reducing the survival rate of the pine processionary moth, a destructive pine forest pest. Including patches of broadleaf trees in pine woodland could trick the caterpillars into pupating in soil that is unsuitable for their survival.

Gaul, Gilbert M., author

Flood management could be improved by including socio-demographic information in the assessment of flood risk, suggests new research. The research combined traditional flood risk assessment with information on the ‘social vulnerability’ of people living in flood risk areas. The results show that there are almost twice as many people of high social vulnerability (e.g. low-income or elderly) in flood risk areas of Rotterdam as low social vulnerability people.

The world could experience the highest ever global sea-level rise in the history of human civilisation if global temperature rises exceed 2 °C, predicts a new study. Under current carbon-emission rates, this temperature rise will occur around the middle of this century, with damaging effects on coastal businesses and ecosystems, while also triggering major human migration from low-lying areas. Global sea-level rise will not be uniform, and will differ for different points of the globe.

Solar panels are attractive to aquatic insects because they reflect light in a similar way to water, indicates recent research. This has ecological implications, especially if insects lay eggs on the panels. However, if panels are surrounded by white borders and divided by white grids, they are considerably less attractive to the insects.

Wet grasslands abandoned less than 40 years ago can be successfully restored within a decade, a recent analysis suggests. By examining the findings of a range of studies, it identified the causes and consequences of abandonment and the key factors in successful restoration.

The number of birds in Europe has fallen by more than 420 million between 1980 and 2009, new research has found. The study, which examined 144 bird species across 25 countries, found that 90% of the lost numbers were accounted for by common species, such as house sparrows (Passer domesticus). The decline was steepest in the first half of the study (1980–1994), followed by a period of greater stability in the second (1995-2009). More needs to be done to conserve common, as well as rare species, the researchers say.

This study is one of few to assess the genetic diversity of crops in an agroecosystem over several years. Researchers analysed the genetic makeup of oilseed rape plants within and outside crop fields over four years. They found similarity between cultivars of field plants in one year and those of feral plants (unplanted) in the following year. They also found persistence of the cultivars within the feral plants, which suggests that feral populations with genetically modified (GM) traits might result from persistent GM traits within field seed banks. The researchers say their findings could aid impact assessments of GM crops.

A guide has been published on the known and potential health and safety effects of human exposure to graphene. It is designed to help inform those working with graphene and graphene-based nanomaterials and could be especially useful as a growing number of industries begin to experiment with and use these materials.

Growing sugar beet varieties which are resistant to their pest, the cyst nematode, is the best way to achieve high sugar yields in northern Germany, recent research has concluded. The researchers say this method is better than growing trap crops or using pesticides to control the pests.

The title function is the third most commonly-used function in my 13 years of writing this blog, after imshow and imread. You have probably all used this function many times.... read more >>

Fine particles in the air produced by road transport trap more radiation in the earth's atmosphere than previously estimated, and therefore may contribute more to global warming than realised, according to new research. In contrast, the impact of particles from shipping appears to reflect more radiation than previously thought, whilst the effect of particles from aviation is comparatively small.

Careful planting and pruning is needed to ensure that air pollution in tree-lined streets is minimised, new research suggests. While planting trees in urban areas can have many benefits, such as enhancing biodiversity, trees can trap particulate matter pollution, say the study’s authors.

Researchers have developed a new computer model to help decision-makers quickly assess proposed strategies to cut air pollution, by generating an array of useful data and maps in under half a minute. The model uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to quickly make sense of the complex problem of urban air quality, and innovatively considers the influence of public opinion in its assessment of emission reduction strategies — given that some are deemed more socially acceptable than others.

New research suggests that feral oilseed rape poses little risk of contaminating crops, but if the oilseed is genetically modified (GM), it could be a minor source of GM traits in weeds. Throughout Europe, feral oilseed rape is now widespread on waysides and wasteland, making it potentially more problematic than some other crops, such as maize, which do not easily establish feral populations.

A new study from Poland has confirmed the potential of fungal Trichoderma species to control diseases of oilseed rape crops. The use of Trichoderma can reduce the growth of disease-causing oilseed rape pathogens, which may allow a decrease in the use of harmful pesticides.

Disease-fighting microbes, insect-eating predators and mating-disrupting pheromones are among the tools listed in a new review of methods that can be used to reduce synthetic pesticide use on grapevines in Europe. Using these alternative methods can reduce the environmental and health risks associated with chemical pesticides, but further development is required to make them attractive to growers.

The cash-strapped NRL is just days away from securing a stunning new TV broadcast deal worth up to $2.3 billion, the richest in Australia’s sporting history.

The post Penny Wong biographer’s tale of tenacity appeared first on The Lead SA.

FREDERICKSBURG , Va. – An additional evening of work is required this week for an ongoing pin replacement on the Robert O. Norris Bridge, and...