Mathematicians based in Australia and China have developed a method to analyze the large amount of data accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The technique, described in the journal Chaos, by AIP Publishing, can identify anomalous countries — those that are more successful than expected at responding to the pandemic and those that are particularly unsuccessful. The...
World
East and West Germany Exhibit Health Disparities 30 Years After Reunification
East Germany has many more hospitalisations for heart failure compared to West Germany despite a nationwide healthcare system, according to research presented today on HFA Discoveries, a scientific platform of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Heart failure is the most common reason for hospital admissions and is responsible for a large part of the total...
Coronavirus: Narco Gangs Could See Big Popularity Boost from Helping Residents in Latin America
La Loma is an area of the city of Medellin, Colombia, which is divided into small neighbourhoods controlled by gangs known as “combos”. Each combo is loyal to one or other of the country’s organised-crime groups. La Loma is also a main route for trafficking drugs, narcotics and weapons to different parts of the country....
COVID-19 is Deadlier for Black Brazilians, a Legacy of Structural Racism That Dates Back to Slavery
The United States and Brazil have much in common when it comes to the coronavirus. Both are among the world’s hardest-hit countries, where hundreds die daily. Their like-minded presidents, Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro, have both been widely criticized for their poor handling of the pandemic. And in both countries the virus is disproportionately affecting...
Overcoming Crime in Costa Rica
ta Rica is known around the world over for its rainforests, coffee and beaches. But despite Costa Rica’s reputation for safety and its recent economic growth, criminals use its strategic location for smuggling activities. A team of U.S. forensic science experts, led by two West Virginia University professors from Costa Rica, aim to fix that. A new...
Overconsumption and Growth Economy Key Drivers of Environmental Crises
A group of researchers, led by a University of New South Wales (UNSW) sustainability scientist, have reviewed existing academic discussions on the link between wealth, economy and associated impacts, reaching a clear conclusion: technology will only get us so far when working towards sustainability – we need far-reaching lifestyle changes and different economic paradigms. In...
When Planting Trees Threatens the Forest
Campaigns to plant huge numbers of trees could backfire, according to a new study that is the first to rigorously analyze the potential effects of subsidies in such schemes. The analysis, published on June 22 in Nature Sustainability, reveals how efforts such as the global Trillion Trees campaign and a related initiative (H. R. 5859)...
Planting New Forests Is Part of but Not the Whole Solution to Climate Change
The large-scale planting of new forests in previously tree-free areas, a practice known as afforestation, is hailed as an efficient way to remove excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere – a so-called natural climate solution. But a new study led by a Colorado State University biology researcher finds that the carbon-capture potential of afforestation may...
Helping to Protect the Most Illegally Trafficked Mammals in the World
As China upgrades pangolins to the highest protected status level, an alternative approach to using long standing forensic methods is helping wildlife crime investigators disrupt poachers and animal traffickers in an effort to bring them to justice. A team of scientists and experienced investigators from the University of Portsmouth have joined the battle to stop...
Ancient Societies Hold Lessons for Modern Cities
Today’s modern cities, from Denver to Dubai, could learn a thing or two from the ancient Pueblo communities that once stretched across the southwestern United States. For starters, the more people live together, the better the living standards. That finding comes from a study published in the journal Science Advances and led by Scott Ortman, an archaeologist at...