The just-approved malaria vaccine could represent one of the biggest ever achievements in global development.
Why it matters: Malaria kills more than 400,000 people a year, more than half of whom are under the age of 5, and it notably slows the pace of economic growth in the sub-Saharan countries most affected by the mosquito-borne disease.
Seattle's City Council voted unanimously on Monday to decriminalize psilocybin and other naturally occurring psychedelics, Bloomberg reports.
Why it matters: The city's move comes amid a broader discussion regarding the medical application of psychedelic drugs and their potential applications for treating a range of mental and behavioral health disorders.
Why it matters: In September, manufacturers warned that the U.S. was weeks away from the production levels needed for President Biden's plan of mass-scale rapid COVID-19 testing.
The Los Angeles City Council approved a new ordinance that will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter indoor venues, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Why it matters: The ordinance would require people to be fully vaccinated to enter indoor public spaces including restaurants, bars, gyms and sports arenas. It is one of the nation’s strictest mandates as vaccination rates have stagnated and cases persist in Los Angeles.
The Biden administration will spend an additional $1 billion on rapid at-home COVID-19 tests, a White House official confirmed Wednesday.
Why it matters: Despite vaccination efforts, public health officials have said rapid home tests will be essential for businesses, homes and schools to get back on track to normalcy.
The World Health Organization on Wednesday recommended the first vaccine against malaria for widespread use inoculating children in sub-Saharan Africa and other at-risk regions.
Why it matters: Malaria kills more than 400,000 people per year, more than half of them children under 5. The introduction of the first vaccine could reinvigorate the fight against the disease, which has stagnated in recent years, per the press release.
While Americans reported heightened symptoms of anxiety and depression during the pandemic peaking last winter, their symptoms had improved by this past June, according to a new CDC study.
The big picture: Still, Americans reported their anxiety and depression symptoms are still higher than they were before the pandemic.
Democrats' push to extend health coverage to millions of very low-income people in red states has a lot working against it: It's expensive, it's complicated, it may invite legal challenges, and few national Democrats stand to gain politically from it.
Yes, but: The policy is being framed as a test not only of Democrats' commitment to universal health coverage, but also their commitment to racial equity.
Several organ procurement organizations will open up at least a decade's worth of their data for analysis in the first such effort to improve the understanding of the American organ procurement system, the Federation of American Scientists announced late Tuesday.
Why it matters: The federal government knows very little about how those on the organ donation list are being helped in real-time. HHS data suggests improvements in organ recovery practices could lead to at least 7,000 additional lifesaving transplants every year.
This is especially timely as COVID-19 is expected to increase the demand for organs such as hearts and lungs, as well as exacerbate treatments for kidney damage, the analysis aims to point out solutions to the inefficiencies.
Ford is working with neuroscientists to develop brain-scanning technology that can more quickly detect when drivers are getting tired or distracted.
Why it matters: It's crucial that drivers stay engaged behind the wheel, even as cars become more automated. But there's mounting evidence that people get complacent using driver-assistance features like Tesla Autopilot, which is why federal safety regulators are investigating the systems.
“The brain processes huge amounts of information when we are driving, but that may change as driver assistance technologies do some of the driving for us," said Stefan Wolter, research engineer, Research and Advanced Engineering, Ford of Europe.
"Drivers also get tired and their minds can wander. Identifying more quickly when this happens could be of critical importance," he added.
Driving the news: Ford scientists in Europe are working with medical researchers at Uniklinik RWTH Aachen in Germany to map brain patterns to driver’s reactions.
Ford hopes that by identifying the brain responses that reveal lapses in concentration, it may then be possible to match the scans to physical changes in heart rate or breathing, for example.
A change in heart rate detected via wearable technology, for example, could then trigger an alert for the driver to pay attention.
How it works: Study participants complete a driving simulation while their brain activity is scanned by an MRI machine. A mirror allows them to see the simulation on a screen inside the MRI machine.
The scenario, designed using gaming technology, involves a three-lane highway at night where a vehicle in the middle lane brakes suddenly and the participant has to take over and move the car to the left or right, using a handheld device.
The MRI machine scans the brain before and during these actions, while the researchers measure how quickly the participant reacts and if they make the right decision.
They also monitor changes to heart rate, breathing rate and other physiological measures.
What they're saying: "We believe that by capturing this data we could one day be able to generate unique physiological driver fingerprints so that drivers of the vehicles of the future can be prepared to react and to intervene immediately in case it is required," said Professor Klaus Mathiak M.D. Ph.D., head of Psychoneurobiology and lead consultant for Psychosomatic Medicine, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen.
Some 1,400 Kellogg Company workers went on strike at all of the company's U.S. cereal plants Tuesday.
The big picture: The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union said in a statement it's seeking a "fair contract" for workers in negotiations with the company after the previous one expired at midnight Monday.
