Justice Dept. expected to file antitrust action vs. Google

The Justice Department is expected to bring an antitrust action against Google in coming weeks, focusing on its dominance in online search and whether it was used to stifle competition and hurt consumers, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press Thursday.

BMW fined $18 mn in US over inflated sales data

US securities regulators charged BMW with inflating its retail sales volumes to investors, fining the luxury car company $18 million in a settlement announced Thursday.

Hacked software provider won't say if ransomware involved

A day after informing customers that it had been hacked by an unknown intruder, a major U.S. provider of software services to state and local governments —including posting election data online— said the impact appeared limited and there is no reason to believe its customers were affected.

House backs bill to boost 'clean energy,' enhance efficiency

The House has approved a modest bill to promote "clean energy" and increase energy efficiency while phasing out the use of coolants in air conditioners and refrigerators that are considered a major driver of global warming.

Moscow mayor orders elderly to stay home as virus rebounds

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Friday ordered the elderly to stay at home and recommended employers allow home working after the Russian capital saw a sharp rise in virus cases.

Whale rescuers face grim task in Australia mass stranding

After days wading through chilly waters, surrounded by the pained cries of hundreds of stranded whales on Australia's south coast, rescuers faced the grim task Friday of disposing of the carcasses.

US probe to touch down on asteroid Bennu on October 20

After a four-year journey, NASA's robotic spacecraft OSIRIS-REx will descend to asteroid Bennu's boulder-strewn surface on October 20, touching down for a few seconds to collect rock and dust samples, the agency said Thursday.

Google removes street view virtual tour of Australia's Uluru

Google has removed images from its Street View that allowed users to virtually walk on Australia's Uluru, a sacred Aboriginal site closed to tourists since last year, the company said Friday.

Ultrapotent compound may help treat C. diff, reduce recurrence

Clostridioides difficile, or C. diff, is the leading cause of health care-associated infection in the U.S.

Heart rhythm in COVID-19 patients receiving short term treatment with hydroxychloroquine

Short-term hydroxychloroquine treatment is not associated with lethal heart rhythms in patients with COVID-19 who are risk assessed prior to receiving the drug. That's the finding of research published today in EP Europace, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

Tree rings show scale of Arctic pollution is worse than previously thought

The largest-ever study of tree rings from Norilsk in the Russian Arctic has shown that the direct and indirect effects of industrial pollution in the region and beyond are far worse than previously thought.

New vulnerability found in lung squamous cancer may facilitate drug targeting

New cancer research by scientists at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and colleagues, shows the potential for targeting a specific circular RNA, known as CDR1as, to attack lung squamous cell cancer. Lung squamous cell cancers comprise up to 30% of all lung cancers and are responsible for about 70,000 new cases and approximately 40,000 deaths each year in the U.S.

The male Y chromosome does more than we thought

New light is being shed on a little-known role of Y chromosome genes, specific to males, that could explain why men suffer differently than women from various diseases, including COVID-19.

3-D camera earns its stripes

Stripes are in fashion this season at a Rice University lab, where researchers use them to make images that plain cameras could never capture.

Simpler models may be better for determining some climate risk

Typically, computer models of climate become more and more complex as researchers strive to capture more details of our Earth's system, but according to a team of Penn State researchers, to assess risks, less complex models, with their ability to better sample uncertainties, may be a better choice.

Experts compare strategies for easing lockdown restrictions in Europe and Asia Pacific

Authors of a review of policies, based on the experiences of nine high-income countries and regions' easing of lockdown measures, published in The Lancet journal, are urging governments to consider five key factors in lockdown exit strategies.

Research challenges conventional wisdom about key autism trait

A new study into the causes of sensorimotor impairments prevalent among autistic people could pave the way for better treatment and management in the future, say psychologists.

How do Americans view the virus? Anthropology professor examines attitudes of COVID

In her ongoing research about Americans' responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, Northern Arizona University anthropology professor Lisa Hardy and her collaborators have talked to dozens of people. A couple of them stand out to the researchers.

Historical racial and ethnic health inequities account for disproportionate COVID-19 impact

A new Viewpoint piece published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society examines the ways in which COVID-19 disproportionately impacts historically disadvantaged communities of color in the United States, and how baseline inequalities in our health system are amplified by the pandemic. The authors also discuss potential solutions.

Higher COVID-19 mortality in men could be explained by differences in circulating proteins and immune system cells

New research presented at the ESCMID Conference on Coronavirus Diseases (ECCVID, online 23-25 September) suggests that the higher risk of poor COVID-19 outcomes in men could be explained by differences in circulating proteins and immune system cells compared with women. The study is by Gizem Kilic, Radbound University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands, and colleagues.

Study of UK key workers shows around half who had COVID-19 symptoms probably did not have the disease

New research from Public Health England (PHE) presented at this week's ESCMID Conference on Coronavirus Disease (ECCVID) shows up to half of UK key workers from a cohort of just under 3,000 individuals recruited (including police, fire and healthcare workers) who had self-reported symptoms of COVID-19 did not test positive for antibodies to the disease. This suggests that their symptoms were due to other conditions. The study was presented by Ranya Mulchandani, PHE, Birmingham, UK in collaboration with PHE colleagues and academic partners across the UK.

Older Western Europeans could already have systemic 'profile' that makes them susceptible to severe COVID-19

New research presented the ESCMID Conference on Coronavirus Disease (ECCVID, online 23-25 September) shows that the severe COVID-19 immunological profile, represented by changes in cell populations and circulating inflammatory proteins, is already partly present in older healthy individuals.

Novel neuroimaging study on dissociative symptoms reveals wounds of childhood trauma

Being traumatized can cause what are known as dissociative symptoms—such as experiencing amnesia, an out-of-body experience, feeling emotionally numb—which may help people cope. Experiencing these symptoms intensely or for a long time, however, can negatively impact an individual's ability to function.