China free of malaria for the first time since 1940s


The World Health Organization declared Wednesday that China is malaria-free after a 70-year effort of targeted action against the disease that reportedly affected 30 million in the 1940s. File Photo by Anawat Sudchanham/Shutterstock


June 30 (UPI) -- The World Health Organization declared Wednesday that China is malaria-free after a 70-year effort of targeted action against the disease that reportedly affected 30 million Chinese residents in the 1940s.

It's the first country in the WHO Western Pacific Region to receive the award in over three decades. Forty countries and territories globally have been granted malaria-free certification from the WHO.

"China's tireless effort to achieve this important milestone demonstrates how strong political commitment and strengthening national health systems can result in eliminating a disease that once was a major public health problem," Dr. Takeshi Kasai, regional director of the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office, said in a press release. "China's achievement takes us one step closer towards the vision of a malaria-free Western Pacific Region."

China started targeting the disease in the 1950s by providing antimalarial medicines for those at risk and treatment for those who contracted it. China also reduced mosquito breeding grounds and increased its use of insecticide spraying in homes.

The "523 Project" was launched in 1967, beginning research into new treatments for malaria. Over 500 scientist across 60 institutions were part of the project. In the 1970s, China discovered one of the most effect antimalarial drugs -- artemisinin.

China extensively tested insecticide-treated nets to prevent malaria in the 1980s. By 1988, more than 2.4 million nets were distributed nationwide, leading to substantial reductions in malaria.

Two years later, cases plummeted to 117,000 and deaths were reduced by 95%. Within another 10 years, the number of cases fell to 5,000.

China provides basic healthcare free of charge, allowing its residents to access affordable services for the diagnosis and treatment of malaria regardless of legal or financial status.

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112-year-old Puerto Rican dubbed world's oldest living man


Puerto Rican man Emilio Flores Marquez was dubbed the world's oldest living man by Guinness World Records at the age of 112 years, 326 days. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records

June 30 (UPI) -- Guinness World Records announced a new record holder for the world's oldest living man: 112-year-old Emilio Flores Marquez of Puerto Rico.

The record-keeping organization said Marquez, of Trujillo Alto, was issued a certificate as the world's oldest living man at age 112 years, 326 days.

Marquez was born Aug. 8, 1908, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. He was the second of 11 children born to his parents.

"My dad raised me with love and taught me to love everyone. He always told me and my brothers and sisters to do good, to share everything with others," Marquez said.

Marquez was married to Andrea Perez De Flores for over 75 years prior to her death in 2010. The couple had four children, two of whom are still living.

The record for oldest living man was previously held by Dumitru Comanescu, who died June 27, 2020, at age 111 years, 219 days. He had only held the record for under a month prior to his death.

Bubonic plague was killing people thousands of years earlier than known


The skull of a 5,000-year-old hunter-gatherer found in Latvia in the 1800s, pictured, contains the oldest strain of the bacteria causing bubonic plague ever found. Photo by Dominik Göldner/Berlin Society for Anthropology, Ethnology, and Prehistory

The Black Death was stalking people thousands of years earlier than previously known, new evidence reveals.

The oldest strain of Yersinia pestis -- the bacteria behind the bubonic plague that may have killed as much as half of Europe's population in the 1300s -- has been found in the remains of a 5,000-year-old hunter-gatherer, researchers report.

The skeleton of the 20- to 30-year old man was unearthed in the late 1800s in a region of Latvia called Rinnukalns. But the skeleton soon vanished, only to reappear in 2011 as part of an anthropologist's collection.

A genetic analysis revealed the presence of a strain of Y. pestis that likely killed the man, even though scientists think it was less contagious and less deadly than the medieval strain.

RELATED Plague transmission rates increased from the Black Death to the Great Plague

After comparing it to other ancient strains, the researchers concluded that the strain in this hunter-gatherer is the oldest found to date.

It likely belonged to a lineage that emerged about 7,000 years ago, a few hundred years after Y. pestis split from its predecessor, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, according to the authors of the study published Tuesday in the journal Cell Reports.

"What's most astonishing is that we can push back the appearance of Y. pestis 2,000 years farther than previously published studies suggested," said senior author Ben Krause-Kyora, head of the aDNA Laboratory at the University of Kiel in Germany.

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"It seems that we are really close to the origin of the bacteria," he added in a journal news release.

The researchers also found that the newly identified strain lacked the gene that enables fleas to act as vectors to spread the bacteria to and between humans. It likely took thousands of years for Y. pestis to develop all the mutations needed for flea-based transmission.

Learning more about the history of Y. pestis could provide new insight into human genetics, according to the researchers.

RELATED Study: Cancer far more common in medieval times than thought

"Different pathogens and the human genome have always evolved together. We know Y. pestis most likely killed half of the European population in a short timeframe, so it should have a big impact on the human genome," Krause-Kyora said.

"But even before that, we see major turnover in our immune genes at the end of the Neolithic Age, and it could be that we were seeing a significant change in the pathogen landscape at that time as well," he added.More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on plague.

Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

New beetle species found in the fossilized feces of ancient dinosaur ancestor

Scientists found several well preserved specimens of a new beetle species inside the fossilized feces of an ancient dinosaur ancestor. Photo by Qvarnström et al./Current Biology


June 30 (UPI) -- Scientists have discovered of a new beetle species preserved in fossilized feces deposited by Silesaurus opolensis, an ancient dinosaur ancestor. It's the first time scientists have found a new insect species inside a coprolite.

Researchers detailed the tiny beetle species, Triamyxa coprolithica, in a new paper, published Wednesday in the journal Current Biology.

Silesaurus opolensis lived some 230 million years ago, around the time some of the earliest dinosaur species appear in the fossil record.

The reptile was not itself a dinosaur, but a so-called dinosauriform. The slender, speedy reptile stood 7.5 feet tall and ate lots of insects, especially beetles.

The fossilized feces described in the new study, which scientists attributed to Silesaurus opolensis, featured numerous beetle parts and several intact specimens -- all representative of the same species.

The well-preserved specimens allowed scientists to compare the new beetle genus and species to more modern genera.

The analysis showed the beetles found in the coprolite belonged to a previously unknown extinct lineage of the suborder Myxophaga. Today, the new beetle's closest relatives colonize mats of algae in marshy environs.

"We were absolutely amazed by the abundance and fantastic preservation of the beetles in the coprolite fragment. In a way, we must really thank Silesaurus, which likely was the animal that helped us accumulating them," study co-author Martin Qvarnström, researcher at Uppsala University in Sweden, said in a press release.

Researchers linked the ancient fossilized feces with Silesaurus opolensis after analyzing the shape, size and contents of the coprolite. Silesaurus opolensis is one of the most well studied dinosauriforms. More than 20 specimens have been recovered from ancient deposits in Poland.

Paleontologists estimate the ancient dinosaur ancestor used its bird-like beak to rummage through the dirt in search of grubs and insects.

Because the newly named beetle species was so small, scientists suspect Silesaurus opolensis was likely targeting larger beetles species that happened to share habitat with Triamyxa coprolithica.

"I never thought that we would be able to find out what the Triassic precursor of the dinosaurs ate for dinner," study co-author Grzegorz Niedwiedzki, a palaeontologist at Uppsala University, said in the release.

Researchers said they hope the discovery will motivate other paleontologists to subject coprolites to advanced imaging and analysis.

Coprolites could help scientists reconstruct the evolution of ancient insects and provide new insights in the diets of extinction insectivores, they said.

BARBAROUS PRACTICE
Study: More evidence spanking kids doesn't work, causes harm

By Alan Mozes, HealthDay News

Is spanking good for parents? Is spanking good for kids? Is spanking good for anyone? No, no and no, according to a big new review of prior research.

"Zero studies found that physical punishment predicted better child behavior over time," said study co-author Elizabeth Gershoff, a professor of human development and family sciences at the University of Texas at Austin.

She and her team sifted through the findings of 61 U.S. studies and eight international investigations. All examined how childhood behavior changed -- for better or for worse -- after children were exposed to physical punishment of some sort, including spanking.

"We reviewed all studies of physical punishment that looked at children's behavior at two or more points in time," explained Gershoff.

RELATED  Spanking on the decline among American parents, survey says

"This allowed us to determine if physical punishment predicted changes in children's behavior. If physical punishment was effective, we would see improvements in children's behavior over time. Unfortunately, we found the opposite," she said.

"We found that physical punishment increases child aggression and other behavior problems over time," Gershoff said. "It does not improve children's attention, cognitive [thinking] abilities, social relationships or social skills."

The study team members said their conclusion held up regardless of a child's sex, race or ethnicity, and whether or not a caregiver also engaged in more positive parenting behaviors.

RELATED Pediatricians group strengthens recommendation against spanking

The team also concluded that more was worse: The more often a child is exposed to physical punishment, the greater the negative impact on their behavior and psyche.

The findings are clear, said Gershoff: "Physical punishment is harmful to children's development and well-being. There is no evidence that it has any positive outcomes whatsoever."

Many countries have already come to that conclusion. Sixty-two countries have banned the practice outright, in line with an advisory issued by the United Nations, according to the study authors.

RELATED Teen violence down in countries that ban spanking, study says

                  

Still, in many corners of the world, such behavior is commonplace. In the United States, it is legal for parents to punish their children physically in all 50 states, the authors said. And corporal punishment in schools remains legal across 19 states.

The study team also points out that globally 63% of all children between ages 2 and 4 -- roughly 250 million kids -- are routinely exposed to physical punishment by their caregivers.

But the review found that children are not the only victims in this dynamic. Caregivers who inflict physical punishment on children may see their own behavior deteriorate over time, as their physical interventions escalate and they become increasingly violent, the researchers said.

"The term 'discipline' comes from a Latin word meaning 'to teach,'" Gershoff said. "As parents, we have the important job of teaching children about the world, including guiding them to choose behaviors that do not harm others.

"Punishments of any kind do not on their own teach children how we want them to behave; that job requires the harder work of talking with children to explain what behaviors we expect of them and why," she added.

Dr. Robert Sege, a pediatrician specializing in child abuse, seconded those thoughts. He was not part of the study review.

"The most important relationship in our lives is typically between parent and child. And spanking introduces violence and fear into that relationship, where it's not called for and doesn't belong," said Sege, who is affiliated with Tufts Children's Hospital in Boston. He is also a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics.

"Spanking is also ineffective. Numerous studies have shown that it doesn't really work," Sege added. Instead of promoting self-control, "spanking promotes children thinking how to avoid getting spanked," he said.

The pediatricians' group advises parents to talk to pediatricians about how to use effective discipline with their children, said Sege. "We advise parents not to spank their children, and not to belittle them verbally," he added.


The findings are in the this week issue of The Lancet.More information

There's more on spanking at the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children.

Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

U.N. report: COVID-19 hit on global tourism worth $4 trillion for 2020, 2021

Travelers are seen at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on June 23. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo

June 30 (UPI) -- A lull in international tourism brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is costing global economies trillions of dollars, probably won't return to normal levels for another two years, according to a joint United Nations report published Wednesday.

The assessment, compiled by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and World Tourism Organization, projects that sagging tourism will amount to a combined total of $4 trillion in global economic losses for 2020 and 2021.

The report expects international tourism to stagnate for the rest of this year, except for a few Western markets. Further, it says a return to prepandemic tourism could take another two years, or more.

It notes that the rate of COVID-19 vaccinations is playing a major factor in the return to normal. The availability of coronavirus vaccinations remains uneven worldwide, which the report says could account for up to 60% of the economic losses.

"The world needs a global vaccination effort that will protect workers, mitigate adverse social effects and make strategic decisions regarding tourism, taking potential structural changes into account," UNCTAD Acting Secretary-General Isabelle Durant said in a statement.

The experts say vaccinations are limited in developing countries where tourism losses have worsened. Rates also widely vary from country to country; as high as 60% in some nations and less than 1% in others.

"Tourism is a lifeline for millions, and advancing vaccination to protect communities and support tourism's safe restart is critical to the recovery," UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said in a statement, emphasizing that most developing nations heavily rely on money generated from tourism.

RELATED U.S. economy grew 6.4% in 1st quarter; 2nd-largest gain of COVID-19 era

A loss in tourism also results in losses in other sectors like food, beverages, retail trade, communications and transport, the assessment says.

For example, international tourism in Turkey typically contributes to about 5% of its gross domestic product. With the disruption, it could see a loss of $33 billion. In 2020, foreign tourist arrivals in Turkey plummeted by almost 70%, the groups said.

The groups performed three simulations to show possible global tourism outcomes for 2021. The worst of the three shows an overall decline of 75%, worth $2.4 trillion. The best of the three showed a loss of $1.7 trillion.

The countries that performed the worst across all three simulations were Turkey, Ecuador, South Africa, Ireland and Switzerland. The regions that performed the worst were Central America, East Africa, Southeast Asia, North Africa and the eastern European Union.

STALINIST VACATION

North Korea calls attention to new beachside 'holiday camp'

A North Korean publisher is promoting the Thongchon Holiday Camp for Diplomatic Corps in new material made available Monday. Image screenshot of Thongchon Holiday Camp brochure/Foreign Languages Publishing House

June 28 (UPI) -- North Korea is highlighting a beach resort in new publicity material that promotes the Thongchon Holiday Camp for Diplomatic Corps in Kangwon Province, in a move that appeared to be targeting international travelers.

Pyongyang's Foreign Languages Publishing House issued a new pictorial that features a pristine beach with aqua-blue water, where guests can "regain youthful vigor," South Korean news agency Yonhap reported Monday.

"Thongchon Holiday Camp for Diplomatic Corps is located in Thongchon County, Kangwon Province, DPRK," the publicity material stated. "It is a comprehensive service center which receives dozens of people at a time and provides medical treatment and other services."

The brochure said that the camp provides "holiday makers various kinds of services such as sea bathing and mud therapy in the natural environment and pure anionic air."

Pictures also showed stately dining rooms, dishes "prepared with just-caught sea creatures" and other hotel-style food options.

According to the bilingual brochure, the resort is equipped with a modern gym, body fat analyzer machines, billiard halls, karaoke facilities and an outdoor restaurant.

Tourism, mainly from neighboring China, was a significant source of revenue for the regime before the coronavirus pandemic.

Kim Jong Un prioritized the construction of resorts before COVID-19. His emphasis on the economy has prevailed after a difficult 2020.

Workers' Party paper Rodong Sinmun said Monday in an editorial that the ruling party must serve the people. The article also condemned the "abuse of power and corruption" among Party officials.

Kim is rarely blamed in North Korea for policy shortcomings even though he has said his past economic plans were a failure. State media images recently showed a visibly thinner Kim and reactions from North Koreans.

KCTV released footage Friday of a North Korean man who said he was "heartbroken" over Kim's weight loss, CNN reported. Experts have said discussing the leader's health is a taboo subject. The footage did not run again, according to the report.

North Korea defined by 'hybridity,' South Korean analyst says in new book



A South Korean academic’s new book argues that different systems co-exist in North Korea in which marketization has occurred from below, but the government has rejected reforms that would open the country more to the outside world. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

June 25 (UPI) -- A new book on North Korea from a South Korean academic proposes studying the country's "hybridity" to better understand North Korean society.

Koh Yu-hwan, a professor of North Korean studies and director of the Institute of North Korea at Dongguk University in Seoul, says in his new book that North Korea can best be understood when studying the effects of mixture upon North Korean identity and culture, Hankyoreh reported Friday.

Koh's book, Social Change and Hybridity in North Korea, available only in Korean, says most theories of North Korean society assumes that marketization is the foundation of new changes.

Marketization theory asserts that if privatized trade continues and new entrepreneurs emerge, these economic developments lead to political openness.

Koh argues in his book that marketization theory may not be sufficient to understand contemporary North Korea. Recent history indicates that even though a marketization from below is taking place, the direction of the North Korean leadership suggests Pyongyang has not changed since the Cold War.

The author instead proposes hybridity may best capture what is occurring at multiple levels of North Korean society, where different systems exist side by side. Social Change and Hybridity is the first volume in a six-book series from Koh.

The books will examine the emergence of informal relationships in North Korea amid the more formal and officially recognized relationship between state and citizen, according to Hankyoreh.

Changes in North Korea are taking root among these networks of informal relationships. Post-socialist transactions, including bribes, are reshaping society and how North Koreans relate to one another. Those developments will be covered in future books of the series, according to the Hankyoreh.

Informal markets in North Korea have played an important role in replenishing the food supply, according to defectors.

Thae Yong-ho, the former North Korean diplomat now lawmaker in Seoul, told KBS Friday that North Korea's current food shortage does not compare to the famine of the 

Markets have taught the North Korean people the ability to "self-sustain" and it is unlikely mass starvation will occur as in the past, Thae said, according to the report.

Reports: Rebel Tigray forces enter regional capital in Ethiopia



Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is shown speaking during a question and answer session in parliament, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on November 30, 2020. File photo by EPA-EFE/STR


June 28 (UPI) -- Rebel forces have entered the capital of the Tigray region of Ethiopia, dealing a blow to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's efforts to regain control of the restive region, multiple reports indicated Monday.

Soldiers of the dissident Tigray Defense Forces entered the regional capital of Mekelle in northern Ethiopia late Monday night, Bloomberg reported.

Ethiopian government troops retreated from the city as thousands of residents sympathetic to the rebels celebrated by waving flags and shooting off fireworks, according to the New York Times.

Ethiopian broadcaster Fana Corp. reported Abraham Belay, head of the Tigray regional government installed by Abiy nine months ago following a military assault, has called for a cease-fire.

Ongoing fighting in Tigray, which started in November between the government and Tigray political rivals to Abiy, has forced more than 2 million from their homes and killed thousands, along with sparking famine fears.

Shortly after the assault began, the prime minister said government forces had taken control of Mekelle and declared the fighting over. But the TDF has since regrouped and in recent days claimed it had scored major victories against the Ethiopian Defense Forces.

Following those claims, an airstrike on a crowded market northwest of Mekelle last week killed and injured scores of people, including many civilians, according to United Nations and witnesses.

The government denied responsibility for the airstrike, but the incident has resulted in increased international pressure on Abiy to end the conflict and enter into negotiations with Tigray's ousted leaders.

PRIVATIZED MEDICINE USA
Walmart rolls out first private-brand 

analog insulin for diabetes



The company says the new insulin will be available at Walmart pharmacies this week and at Sam's Club next month. File Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI | License Photo


June 29 (UPI) -- Walmart announced Tuesday that it is launching its first-ever private-brand insulin that it says will save customers on the diabetes treatment.

The company said the ReliOn NovoLog Insulin will be available at Walmart locations this week and Sam's Club in mid-July.

The insulin is manufactured by Denmark-based Novo Nordisk.

Customers will need a prescription for the rapid-acting insulin analog, which is used to control blood sugar in adults and children.

The brand will offer insulin vials for about $73 and a FlexPan for $86, Walmart said. The retailer said the brand will save shoppers 50% to 75%.

"We know many people with diabetes struggle to manage the financial burden of this condition, and we are focused on helping by providing affordable solutions," Walmart Health and Wellness Executive Vice President Dr. Cheryl Pegus said in a statement.

"We also know this is a condition that disproportionately impacts underserved populations."

Walmart already sells a lower-price insulin, but it's an older formulation that is typically not as effective as newer, analog versions.