UK 'close contact' definition for track and trace should curb COVID-19 spread but at a cost

15 or more minutes within 2 meters of distance—used for its coronavirus track and trace system, should curb the spread of COVID-19 infection, indicates research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

Cyberbullying linked to post traumatic stress for victims and perpetrators

Cyberbullying—bullying online rather than face to face—is linked to various types of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, both for victims and perpetrators, suggests the first study of its kind, published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Inflammatory bowel disease linked to doubling in dementia risk

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, is linked to a more than doubling in the risk of developing dementia, finds research published online in the journal Gut.

Simple oral health steps help improve elite athletes' performance

Elite athletes who adopted simple oral health measures, such as using high fluoride toothpaste and cleaning between their teeth, reported significantly reduced negative effects on performance related to poor oral health, finds a study led by UCL.

Seaweed takes scientists on trip 'through time' in the waters of Monterey Bay

New research led by Monterey Bay Aquarium is helping to unlock the natural history of one of the most studied places on the planet. By tapping into a collection of dried, pressed seaweed—that dates back more than 140 years—researchers with the Aquarium's Ocean Memory Lab can now offer a window back in time to understand what the bay was like before the impacts of modern human activity.

Drug with new approach on impeding DNA repair shows promise in first clinical trial

In its first randomized clinical trial, a drug that targets a protein needed by cancer cells to maintain their dogged growth and division has shown considerable promise in combination with chemotherapy in patients with a common form of ovarian cancer, investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute report.

Human eggs prefer some men's sperm over others, research shows

Human eggs use chemical signals to attract sperm. New research from Stockholm University and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust shows that eggs use these chemical signals to choose sperm. Different women's eggs attract different men's sperm—and not necessarily their partner's.

Simple way of 'listening' to chicks could dramatically improve welfare

A simple and low-cost method of 'listening' to chicks may allow welfare issues to be picked up at the earliest possible opportunity, according to new research.

Widespread facemask use could shrink the 'R' number and prevent a second COVID-19 wave: study

Population-wide use of facemasks keeps the coronavirus 'reproduction number' under 1.0, and prevents further waves of the virus when combined with lockdowns, a modelling study from the universities of Cambridge and Greenwich suggests.

Using AI to unlock clues to the origins of the stars and planets

An artificial intelligence (AI) system analyzing data from the Gaia space telescope has identified more than 2,000 large protostars, young stars that are still forming and could hold clues to the origin of the stars in our Milky Way.