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Dec 26 2024WEATHER

Sea Storm Wreaks Havoc on Santa Cruz Pier

Santa Cruz experienced a dramatic scene on Monday as a fierce storm wreaked havoc on its iconic wharf. Waves as high as 60 feet, part of the massive storm, caused a 150-foot section of the pier to crumble into the sea. The wharf, which was under renovation due to previous storm damages, saw several

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Dec 25 2024HEALTH

Malaria Complications in China: How Imports Impact Treatment

China has successfully eradicated malaria, but the threat of reintroduction via imported cases remains active. We examined data on imported malaria from 2014 to 2021 to understand what makes some cases severe and others prone to relapse. Patients first diagnosed with non-malarial illnesses were abou

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Dec 24 2024WEATHER

California Storm: A Pier Collapses, Lives Lost

A powerful storm hit California's central coast on Monday, causing flooding and huge waves. A man died when he was trapped under debris on a beach, and a pier in Santa Cruz partially collapsed, tossing three people into the ocean. The storm was expected to bring extreme winds and waves up to 60 feet

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Dec 24 2024WEATHER

Disaster Strikes: California's Santa Cruz Wharf Meets Its End in Storm

The Santa Cruz Wharf in California got a rough wake-up call from a storm on a Monday. A chunk of the wharf gave way due to heavy surf from a major storm brewing in the Pacific Northwest. Two people fell into the ocean but were quickly rescued by lifeguards, while another person managed to swim to sa

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Dec 23 2024HEALTH

Viruses and Heparan Sulfate: A Survival Trade-Off

Viruses change quickly to survive in new environments. Sometimes, they pick up positively charged proteins on their surface to stick to negatively charged heparan sulfate (HS) when grown in lab dishes. We studied a virus called enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) and found that a variant, MP4-97R/167G, doesn't

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Dec 23 2024TECHNOLOGY

Boosting Paper Batteries with Super Chargers

Paper is an eco-friendly choice for many products, but it's not great at storing electrical charges. Think of it like a leaky bucket—the charge just slips away. Scientists have figured out a way to make paper hold onto charge better by adding tiny pockets, or "traps, " for the charge to hide in. The

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Dec 22 2024ENVIRONMENT

Strengthening Communities After Disaster: The Case of the Morandi Bridge Collapse

Let’s take a look at the Morandi Bridge collapse in Italy as an example of how communities can bounce back after trauma. The disaster wasn’t just about rebuilding infrastructure; it was about rebuilding a sense of community too. The Beyond the Bridge Project was involved in this process. We talked

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Dec 20 2024HEALTH

Why Some Small Hospitals Struggle More Than Others

Ever wondered why some small hospitals face bigger financial challenges than their larger counterparts? Let's dive into the world of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and other acute care hospitals to find out. CAHs, as the name suggests, are crucial for rural communities. They're small, usually wit

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Dec 18 2024SCIENCE

Space Travelers' Return Postponed Again, Now Set for Spring

NASA's recent announcement brings unwelcome news for astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore. Their trip back to Earth on Boeing's Starliner capsule has been delayed once more, pushing their return to late March or even April. This extends their mission to a whopping 10 months, which is quite a s

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Dec 18 2024HEALTH

Clean Water and Compost: Breaking the Poverty-Disease Cycle

Did you know that removing certain water plants can cut disease rates and boost farm incomes? In Africa, a type of snail lives in these plants and spreads an illness called schistosomiasis. When farmers use fertilizers, they grow more plants, giving the snails more homes. In trial runs, taking out t

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