Tag: study

Part of China’s Great Wall not built for war: study

JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) — The northern segment of the Great Wall of China was built not to block invading armies but rather to monitor civilian movement, an Israeli archaeologist said Tuesday. When researchers fully mapped the Great Wall’s 740-kilometre (460-mile) Northern Line for the first time, their findings challenged previous assumptions. “Prior to our research, most people thought the wall’s purpose was to stop Genghis Khan’s army,” said Gideon Shelach-Lavi from Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, who led […]

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Anti-viral drug trio found to shorten COVID-19 illness in mild cases: study

by Kelly MACNAMARA Agence France Presse Researchers in Hong Kong have found that patients suffering milder illness caused by the new coronavirus recover more quickly if they are treated with a three-drug antiviral cocktail soon after symptoms appear. Authors of the study, published in the Lancet on Friday, described the findings as “early but important”. They called for larger-scale research on critically-ill patients to ascertain if the drug combo could be a viable treatment for […]

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Study shows middle-age COVID-19 mortality risk

by Patrick GALEY PARIS, France (AFP) — Middle-aged people, and not just the elderly, have a dramatically higher risk of dying or developing serious illness from COVID-19, new research from Britain showed Tuesday. The findings came in a new comprehensive analysis of virus cases in mainland China. Researchers from Britain analyzed more than 3,600 confirmed COVID-19 cases as well as data from hundreds of passengers repatriated from the outbreak city of Wuhan. They found that […]

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‘Collective fear’ psychologist explains panic behavior amid coronavirus pandemic

French professor and researcher, Dr. Jocelyn Raude, sits down with Agence France-Presse (AFP), to explain the psychology of “Collective fear” and panic behavior. “There are contagion effects on the social level: this small minority generates a feeling of concern spread to the rest of the population through the mobilization of resources for basic necessities.” Dr. Raude also explains the difference between the elderly (most affect by the virus) and the youth about their fears. “When […]

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Potential breakthrough: Doctors in Australia map body’s COVID-19 immune response

by Patrick GALEY and Marlowe HOOD Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP)—Researchers in Australia said Tuesday they had mapped the body’s immune response to the novel coronavirus, in a potential breakthrough in the fight against the global killer. A team of scientists were able to test blood samples from a patient who had contracted COVID-19 and was hospitalized with moderate symptoms. Authors of the study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, said it was the first time […]

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Air pollution ‘pandemic’ shortens lives by 3 years: study

By Marlowe HOOD Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — A ‘pandemic’ of air pollution shortens lives worldwide by nearly three years on average, and causes 8.8 million premature deaths annually, scientists said Tuesday.  Eliminating the toxic cocktail of molecules and lung-clogging particles cast off by burning oil, gas and coal would restore a full year of life expectancy, they reported in the journal Cardiovascular Research. “Air pollution is a larger public health risk than tobacco smoking,” […]

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WWI helmet was better blast protection than new one: US study

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A helmet used by French soldiers in World War I provided better protection from overhead blasts than a modern American model, according to a US university study. Biomedical engineers from North Carolina’s Duke University tested the performance of several models of World War I helmet and the US Advanced Combat Helmet by subjecting them to shock waves. “While we found that all helmets provided a substantial amount of protection against […]

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New coronavirus study places incubation period at around 5 days

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The period between exposure to the new coronavirus that originated in China and symptoms is 5.2 days on average, but varies greatly among patients, according to one of the largest studies yet published on the deadly epidemic. While admitting that the estimate is “imprecise,” the Chinese team behind a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) on Wednesday said their findings support a 14-day medical observation period […]

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E-cigs may damage the heart, study says

by Elizabeth DONOVAN PARIS, France (AFP) — Vaping devices and the chemicals they deliver — increasingly popular among teens — may damage the cardiovascular system, a study said Thursday, adding to a growing chorus of concern over injury and deaths related to e-cigarettes. The latest findings, published in the journal Cardiovascular Research, come after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month declared an “outbreak of lung injuries” linked to vaping. “E-cigarettes contain […]

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Himalayan glaciers melting twice as fast: study

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Himalayan glaciers are melting twice as fast now as they were before the turn of the century, according to a new study that relied on recently declassified Cold War-era satellite imagery. The study, which appeared in Science Advances on Wednesday, is the latest indication that climate change is eating the Himalayan glaciers, threatening water supplies for hundreds of millions of people downstream across South Asia. “This is the clearest picture […]

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Women’s brains appear ‘years younger’ than men’s: study

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Women tend to outlive men and stay mentally sharp longer, and a new study out Monday could explain why: female brains appear on average about three years younger. The study enrolled 121 women and 84 men, who underwent PET scans to measure brain metabolism or the flow of oxygen and glucose in their brains. Like other organs in the body, the brain uses sugar as fuel. But just how it […]

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Human diet causing ‘catastrophic’ damage to planet: study

by Marlowe HOOD Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — The way humanity produces and eats food must radically change to avoid millions of deaths and “catastrophic” damage to the planet, according to a landmark study published Thursday. The key to both goals is a dramatic shift in the global diet — roughly half as much sugar and red meat, and twice as many vegetables, fruits and nuts, a consortium of three dozen researchers concluded […]

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