Photo: National Cancer Institute/Unsplash (CC0)
In today’s issue of Squirrel News, we’re talking about a German patient being the seventh to officially reach long-term HIV remission, the strong worldwide momentum in cervical cancer vaccination efforts, and the Global South’s growing leadership in renewable energy expansion.
The German patient has remained HIV-free for six years following a stem cell transplant originally performed to treat an aggressive form of leukemia. Unlike previous cases, where patients received donor cells carrying two copies of a gene mutation that confers strong HIV resistance, B2’s donor cells carried only a single copy.
Source: Science Alert
Since 2023, more than 86 million girls in high-risk countries have received the human papillomavirus vaccine as part of efforts to eradicate the preventable disease that’s responsible for roughly 350,000 deaths each year. New data indicates that global vaccination campaigns could prevent an estimated 1.4 million cervical cancer deaths in the future.
Source: India News Network
From Beijing to Nairobi to São Paulo, the shift toward renewable energy is gaining speed. China, Kenya, and Brazil are rapidly expanding their clean energy production, even as progress in Europe and the United States shows signs of slowing down.
Source: Deutsche Welle
Styrofoam, a commonly used plastic for insulation and packaging, may soon have a sustainable rival. Scientists in Alaska are developing a locally sourced, eco-friendly alternative made from mushrooms.
Source: BBC News
Even in arid desert environments, traces of humidity can be captured and converted into clean drinking water with the right materials. In recent years, scientists have created a range of sponge-like substances designed for this “atmospheric water harvesting” and a new ultrasonic device now speeds up the process from hours to just a few minutes.
Source: SciTech Daily
The new batteries charge quickly via USB and hold a charge, unlike earlier models. Already in use in the music industry, where reliable, long-lasting battery power is essential, over time they have the potential to save customers thousands of dollars and reduce battery waste by hundreds of thousands of tonnes.
Source: KPCW Radio
Researchers are sending a four-legged “robot dog” into European forests, guiding it across leaves and uneven ground to generate detailed 3D maps. The project is part of a wider effort to further develop sustainable forestry practices.
Source: Reuters
At Maple Farm, nature is returning in droves: nightingales, grass snakes, slowworms, bats and insects; all due to the vision of a group determined to accelerate its recovery.
Source: The Guardian
The Clean Slate programme pairs community service with hands-on training for future dermatology professionals. Unlike commercial tattoo parlors, Clean Slate is not open to the general public; it specifically supports adults over 18 with histories of incarceration, probation, or parole.
Source: Reasons To Be Cheerful
California’s newly launched CARE Court is an ambitious initiative tackling one of medicine’s toughest dilemmas: how to support people whose psychotic disorders prevent them from recognising they’re ill, whose entrenched delusions cast doctors as part of an alien plot, or whose internal voices warn them that medication is poison.
Source: KQED
