program | Common News Update

Mar12021 by adminNo Comments

CDC: Israel’s COVID-19 vaccine program lowers cases of severe disease among older adults

Health

Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Widespread acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among older adults in Israel has led to a decline in those requiring mechanical ventilation during treatment for the disease, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Israel launched a robust vaccination program in December and, by Feb. 9, 84% of those age 70 and older had received both doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, the agency said. Advertisement From October through December of last year, prior to the start of the vaccination campaign, adults age 70 and older were nearly six times as likely to require mechanical ventilation to treat COVID-19 compared to adults under age 50 years. By February, after widespread vaccination, older adults were just under twice as likely to req...

Feb52021 by adminNo Comments

Machine-learning program imagines a protein’s many possible structures

Science

Feb. 4 (UPI) -- To study biological molecules like proteins, scientists rely on cryo-electron microscopy. The 3D-imaging technology is ideal for studying proteins that exist in only a single structural arrangement, or conformation. Unfortunately, many proteins can assume a variety of shapes, complicating bio-molecular surveys. Advertisement Thanks to a new machine-learning algorithm, however, scientists can now anticipate and recognize a protein's varied structural iterations. The new AI-system, described Thursday in the journal Nature Methods, does more than image a diversity of conformations, it can also predict the varied motions of different protein structures. Instead of mapping different protein structures on individual 3D lattices, the neural network combines the full assemblage o...

Jan202021 by adminNo Comments

Study: Education, advocacy program reduces pregnancy complications in at-risk mothers

Health

Jan. 19 (UPI) -- A program designed to bring education and care services to communities most at-risk for preterm birth and infant death reduces these complications by nearly 50%, a study published Tuesday by the Journal of Maternal and Child Health found. Infant mortality among babies born to mothers who took part in the program, called Moms2B, was less than 1%, while it was nearly 2% for babies born to women who were not exposed to it, the data showed. Advertisement About 11% of babies born to mothers in the program were delivered preterm -- at less than 37 weeks -- compared to 13% for non-Moms2B mothers, the researchers said. "Our program is neighborhood-based, so we are in churches and community meeting rooms where women are comfortable," study co-author Dr. Patricia Gabbe told UPI. "...

Dec282020 by adminNo Comments

Tyndall AFB in Florida conducts Weapon System Evaluation Program

Business

Dec. 28 (UPI) -- An 11-day Weapons System Evaluation Program event ended successfully at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., the Air Force announced. The WSEP, conducted regularly, evaluates air-to-ground and air-to-air weapons systems, with an emphasis on missile firing and combat skills, according to Air Force officials. Advertisement Tyndall's 43rd Fighter Squadron, and the U.S. Navy's Strike Fighter Squadrons 11, 34, 81, and 211 of Carrier Air Wing One, based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Va., participated in the evaluation. "Pre-deployment joint training is crucial to success for the future," Lt. Cmdr. Thomas Kellner, 83rd Fighter Squadron FA-18 program manager, said in a press release. "The [Navy and Air Force] joint team help each other meet the nation's tasking and maintain a sharp edge...

Dec162020 by adminNo Comments

Army talent management program a success, director says

Business

Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The director of the U.S. Army Talent Management Task Force this week called 2020 a success, citing innovations in finding and retaining officers. The office was elevated in prominence in 2019 after Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville called for making Army personnel a greater priority, with talent management a special interest. Advertisement Since Fiscal Year 2020 began in September 2019, the Army found preferred assignments for over 30,000 active-duty officers with the Army Talent Alignment Process, a system designed to match the needs of soldiers and incoming units, according to the Army. "2020 has been a rough year for everyone, but when you look at the Talent Management Task Force you see how we've taken the chief's No. 1priority and made it a reality," Maj. Gen...