Europe quits Russian Moon missions
The European Space Agency (ESA) announced last week it will stop partnerships with Russia on three upcoming Moon missions because of the war in Ukraine. The agency said it would shift instruments scheduled to fly on Russia’s Luna-25, -26, and -27 probes to lunar missions planned by Japan and the United States. ESA asked Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, to remove an instrument—a camera called Pilot D—that was already installed on the Luna-25 robotic lander, which is due for launch later this year. The decision came after ESA announced in March it was suspending work with Russia on the ExoMars rover mission.
EPA ups formaldehyde warning
A long-delayed assessment of the health effects of formaldehyde has concluded that the widely used chemical poses a greater cancer risk than had been estimated, which could lead to greater regulation. Most people are exposed to formaldehyde in airborne emissions from the glue in treated plywood and particle board used in buildings. A draft assessment 12 years ago by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that linked formaldehyde exposure to an increased risk of leukemia and other cancers drew objections from members of Congress and industry representatives, who maintain that products containing formaldehyde are safe. The new draft, released last week, finds a higher risk of myeloid leukemia. In an unusual step, it will be reviewed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which 11 years ago criticized EPA for not clearly presenting its methods in the earlier assessment. If the agency formally classifies formaldehyde as a carcinogen, EPA could tighten restrictions on its use under the Toxic Substances Control Act, although the regulatory
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Sub-subvariants hit New York state
Two new lineages of SARS-CoV-2, descendants of an already rapidly spreading spinoff of the Omicron variant of concern, have surged in central New York state, accounting for more than 90% of infections there by 13 April—the first reported instance of significant community spread for the lineages in the United States, authorities said. The New York State Department of Health said last week that BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1 are more contagious than their parent, the Omicron subvariant BA.2, and are “likely contributing to the rising cases.” As of 1 April, infection and hospitalization rates in central New York were more than double the state average. No evidence so far suggests these latest versions of Omicron make people sicker, the state said. BA.2.12.1 has a spike protein mutation, L452Q, that increased the infectivity of a previous variant of interest, Lambda. BA.2.12.1 was first identified in mid-January in Canada, where 63 cases have now been found, and a few cases have been detected in five other countries besides the United States, but only in single-digit numbers. More than 1900 U.S. cases have been identified.
There should be a mandatory course in public health in our nation’s law schools.
- Vaccine researcher Peter Hotez, about a U.S. district court ruling that struck down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 mask mandate on public transportation.
U.K. tests antibiotic subscriptions
The United Kingdom is moving closer to a world first: paying pharma companies a subscription-style fee for access to new antibiotics. The model is designed to give companies a financial incentive to innovate. New antibiotics are needed because their widespread use in human and veterinary medicine has led to the spread of resistant bacteria. But pharma companies see little financial reward in developing novel antibiotics, which are usually held in reserve for cases in which other antibiotics do not work, and then given for just a few days. The subscription model provides guaranteed income for drugs that have been proven efficacious and licensed. A test of the subscription model could begin soon using two new antibiotics, one developed by Japanese drugmaker Shionogi and the other by U.S. manufacturer Pfizer. In an important milestone, the U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence concluded last week that the drugs’ medical value was worth paying each company £10 million yearly for up to 10 years. Negotiations with the companies are underway.
Team finds Notre Dame relics
Scientists have discovered a trove of significant artifacts and tombs beneath the floor of Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral, some of which may date to the 13th century. The excavation was to help prepare a section of the floor for scaffolding to support the planned replacement of the iconic cathedral’s spire, which toppled in a catastrophic 2019 fire. The team found 10 sarcophagi, which it estimates were buried between the 14th and 18th centuries, the French National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research said last week in a summary. Scientists peeked through a crack in one of the vessels using a tiny camera and saw a skeleton and what appeared to be fabric and hair. Scientists plan to conduct DNA and carbon-dating tests. The team also recovered well-preserved painted sculptures and many pieces of the medieval rood screen, which once divided congregants from clergy until it was demolished under Louis XIV.
Rebuilt oyster reefs thrive, benefiting ecosystems
Oyster reefs can be restored and gain important ecological functions in coastal zones in as few as 6 years and persist, according to a long-term study. Oysters filter water, and reefs made of their shells provide habitats for young fish and other creatures. Beginning in the 19th century, many U.S. reefs were overharvested for food, and diseases wiped out others. After 2000, publicly and privately funded groups expanded projects to rebuild reefs by seeding them with oyster shells and larvae—but scientists have typically not monitored results for more than a year or two. A research team at the University of Virginia tracked dozens of reefs in coastal Virginia created by the Nature Conservancy during the past 15 years, in work supported by the National Science Foundation’s Long-Term Ecological Research program. Many have become just as large and densely populated as nearby, surviving natural reefs, the team reported this month in Conservation Letters. The rebuilt reefs are stable in storms, and mud crabs—which serve as food for large fish—are now just as abundant as elsewhere.
Young kids get mystery hepatitis
Scientists are investigating an outbreak of severe hepatitis that has sickened dozens of formerly healthy young children in Western Europe and the U.S. state of Alabama. The viruses that commonly cause hepatitis were not found in the children, but many were carrying adenovirus, which usually causes colds and conjunctivitis. None was vaccinated against COVID-19, and several had the disease at or shortly before hospital admission. At least nine children have required liver transplants.
NSF seeks safer field studies
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) pledged last week to better police sexual and other forms of harassment at field sites and on research vessels, as part of a push on diversity by President Joe Biden’s administration. In an “equity action plan” released on 14 April, the $8.8 billion agency noted that field sites and vessels have been associated with higher risks of harassment, especially for minorities within a field team. It said it would “engage in [harassment] monitoring, evaluation, and mitigation activities” with its grantees. The agency, a major funder of field studies, published on 13 April proposed changes to its grant awards procedures, requiring applicants to submit a written plan for maintaining safe, inclusive fieldwork sites.