Europe

Assortment of pills

Novel AI model rapidly determines if an antidepressant will work

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Amsterdam University Medical Center (UMC) and Radboud UMC researchers have developed an algorithm that, based on patient MRI scans and other data, can determine within a week if a particular antidepressant will, offering faster relief and minimizing often painful and damaging side effects. “This is important news for patients,” said Liesbeth Reneman, Professor of Neuroradiology at Amsterdam UMC. “Normally, it takes six to eight weeks before it is known whether an antidepressant will work.”

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Woman putting organic waste in the compost bin

France implements compulsory composting

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As of January 2024, municipalities in France must now provide residents with ways to sort bio-waste, which includes food scraps, vegetable peels, expired food and garden waste. Households and businesses are required to dispose of organic matter either in a dedicated small bin for home collection or at a municipal collection point. The waste will then be turned into biogas or compost to replace chemical fertilizers.

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Cosmetics

E.U. will force cosmetic companies to pay to reduce micropollutants

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Under draft rules that follow the “polluter pays principle”, companies that sell medicines and cosmetics will have to cover at least 80% of the extra costs needed to get rid of tiny pollutants that are dirtying urban wastewater. Governments will pay the rest, members of the bloc said, in an effort to prevent vital products from becoming too expensive or scarce.

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Lionesses and cubs

Belgium bans import of hunting trophies from endangered species

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Before the ban, Belgium allowed the import of trophy species vulnerable to extinction such as hippopotamus, cheetahs and polar bears. The new law will stop the import of hunting trophies from many species currently at risk of extinction or that could be threatened unless trade is limited. The bill will protect all species listed in the European Regulation on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora.

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EU flag at night

E.U. fossil fuel CO2 emissions hit 60-year low

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The European Union pumped out 8% less carbon dioxide from the fossil fuels it burned in 2023 than it did in 2022, pushing these emissions down to their lowest level in 60 years. The fall is the steepest yearly drop on record behind 2020, when governments shuttered factories and grounded flights to stop the spread of Covid-19, according to analysis from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

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Person having blood drawn

Breakthrough Alzheimer’s blood test could detect disease 15 years before symptoms emerge

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A recent trial of 786 people – conducted by Dr. Nicholas Ashton at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and colleagues – found the new test to be as accurate at detecting the signs of Alzheimer’s as painful lumbar punctures, and better than a range of other tests currently being worked on. Experts say it could pave the way for national screening programs for people 50 and over, and that current treatments could work better with the cases picked up earlier.

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Doctor holding vial of HPV vaccine

No cervical cancer cases in HPV-vaccinated women in Scotland

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A new study from Public Health Scotland has found that no cases of cervical cancer have been detected in young women who have been fully-vaccinated as part of the HPV immunization program, concluding that the vaccine was “highly effective” in preventing the development of the cancer. Scotland’s HPV vaccination program started in 2008 with girls offered the vaccine in their first year at secondary school.

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Domestic violence victim

U.K. announces groundbreaking ‘Flee Funds’ scheme for domestic abuse survivors

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Building on the success of a pilot plan last year, which provided 600 victims with critical funding, the new initiative aims to expand what are now known as “flee funds.” Survivors will each receive a monetary reward of around $3,200, meeting a critical need for people who face financial difficulties in leaving abusive environments.

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