B.C. health officials warn of risks from algae blooms. Here's how to protect your kids - Vancouver Sun

One of science fiction’s oldest themes is its insistence that the future isn’t inevitable. Few contemporary authors embody that idea more than Becky Chambers, whose stories imagine alternative futures—not through grand revolutions or galaxy-spanning battles but through ordinary people trying to care for one another. As a defining voice of the “hopepunk” genre, Chambers has built a reputation for science fiction that prizes empathy as much as imagination. Her latest novel, As You Wake, Break the Shell, brings us to the hostile, unpredictable world of Fortune, where acid rain falls and billowing volcanoes shroud the horizon. The story follows a reclusive botanist and a spacefaring pilot across alternating timelines as they search for connection and purpose, attempting to navigate a life where Fortune has never favored the bold. We caught up with Chambers to discuss a toxic planet’s world-building, scientific accuracy in storytelling and the motivational merits of unrelenting spite. On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing.

Bioengineer.org news storyFor people living with HIV, modern antiretroviral therapy can suppress the virus to levels below what standard laboratory tests can detect. Yet some patients on long-term treatment experience a curious phenomenon: a single test result showing a small, transient amount of virus in the blood, followed by an immediate return to undetectable levels. These events, known as viral blips, have puzzled clinicians and researchers for years, raising questions about whether they represent harmless statistical noise, brief bursts of viral production from hidden reservoirs, or early warnings of impending treatment failure. A new nationwide Swedish study, published in BMC Infectious Diseases, offers one of the most comprehensive answers to date. Drawing on the Swedish national InfCareHIV cohort, researchers analyzed data from 4,210 treatment-naïve adults who began antiretroviral therapy from 1 January 2007 onward, with follow-up data extracted through 30 September 2020. The median observation time was 5.5 years, with some individuals followed for as long as 13.7 years.

European Medical Journal news storyPeople living with HIV may experience subtle changes in heart muscle function even when conventional measures of cardiac performance remain normal, according to findings from a systematic review and meta-analysis. Researchers identified significantly impaired global longitudinal strain (GLS) among people with HIV compared with HIV-uninfected individuals, despite preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in both groups. The findings suggest that speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) could provide additional information about early myocardial dysfunction in this population. Read the full news story here.

Among cancer patients, the high financial cost of cancer care is a prevalent problem. This financial burden is also associated with potentially harmful behavioral strategies that patients might use to cope with costs, such as delaying or forgoing treatment and skipping medications. Collectively, researchers refer to this impact as financial toxicity.