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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 10, 2025 at 11:33am

Handheld electro-shockers can pose risk for individuals with cardiac implants, study finds

Research has found that handheld electro-shockers commonly used for self-defense can potentially interact with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) such as pacemakers, putting individuals at risk.

The study in Heart Rhythm shows that the individual interactive risk is primarily based on the applied voltage, but also on the manufacturer and type of implanted CIED.

The use of TASER pistols by security forces has been controversial because of associated health risks for subjects receiving a TASER shock. In contrast to TASER pistols, which shoot electrical darts over a distance of up to 10 meters and transmit electrical currents through large parts of a person's body, a handheld electro-shocker delivers energy superficially by directly applying the device to a target.

The handheld electro-shockers tested in this study are legal to own and carry in most countries and therefore, patients with CIEDs might have an increased risk of coming into contact with these devices. This is the first time a study has evaluated the effects of these electro-shockers on CIEDs.

Effects of handheld electro-shockers on cardiac implantable electronic devices, Heart Rhythm (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2025.02.025

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 10, 2025 at 11:24am

Study finds pet dogs pose significant threat to wildlife and ecosystems

New research into the overlooked environmental impact of pet dogs has found far-reaching negative effects on wildlife, ecosystems and climate.

While ecological damage caused by cats has been extensively studied, the new research found dogs, as the world's most common large carnivores, present a significant and multifaceted environmental threat.

The paper, "Bad Dog? The environmental effects of owned dogs," has been published in Pacific Conservation Biology.

The research found that human-owned, pet dogs disturb and directly harm wildlife, particularly shorebirds, even when leashed.

As well as predatory behavior like chasing wildlife, dogs leave scents, urine and feces, which can disrupt animal behavior long after the dogs have left. Studies have found that animals like deer, foxes and bobcats  are less active or completely avoid areas where dogs are regularly walked, even in the absence of the dogs.

Dog waste also contributes to pollution in waterways and inhibits plant growth, while wash-off from chemical treatments used to clean and guard dogs from parasites can add toxic compounds to aquatic environments. In addition, the pet food industry, driven by a vast global dog population, has a substantial carbon, land and water footprint.

Addressing these challenges required a careful balance between reducing environmental harm and maintaining the positive role of dogs as companions and working animals, say the researchers.

The sheer number of pet dogs globally, combined with uninformed or lax behaviors by some owners, is driving environmental issues that we can no longer ignore.

Bad Dog? The environmental effects of owned dogs, Pacific Conservation Biology (2025). doi.org/10.1071/PC24071

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 10, 2025 at 10:47am

A total of 173 newborns with antenatal opioid exposure and 96 unexposed controls were recruited from four sites across the United States. All infants were born at or after 37 weeks of gestation and underwent brain MRI scans before eight weeks of age.

Three-dimensional volumetric MRI scans were acquired during natural sleep using Siemens and Philips 3T scanners. Volumetric data were analyzed using covariance models that controlled for postmenstrual age at scan, sex, birth weight, maternal smoking, and maternal education.

Opioid-exposed newborns had significantly smaller total brain volume compared to unexposed controls: 387.51 cm3 vs. 407.06 cm3. Reductions were also found in cortical gray matter: 167.07 cm3 vs. 176.35 cm3, deep gray matter: 27.22 cm3 vs. 28.76 cm3, white matter: 159.90 cm3 vs. 166.65 cm3, cerebellum: 23.47 cm3 vs. 24.99 cm3, and brainstem: 6.80 cm3 vs. 7.18 cm3.

Amygdala volume was also reduced in opioid-exposed infants. Left amygdala volume measured 0.48 cm3 compared to 0.51 cm3 in controls. Right amygdala volume measured 0.51 cm3 vs. 0.55 cm3 in controls.
Methadone-exposed newborns showed significantly smaller white matter volume. Buprenorphine-exposed newborns showed significantly smaller right amygdala volume.

Newborns exposed to opioids only and those exposed to opioids plus other substances both exhibited significant reductions in cortical and deep gray matter, cerebellum, brainstem, right amygdala, and total brain volume. Polysubstance-exposed newborns also showed reductions in white matter and the left amygdala.
Researchers concluded that antenatal opioid exposure is associated with reductions in global, regional, and tissue-specific brain volumes in newborns. Structural differences were observed across multiple brain regions and varied by type of opioid exposure.

Methadone exposure was linked with reduced white matter volume. Buprenorphine exposure was associated with smaller right amygdala volume. Newborns with polysubstance exposure showed volume reductions in additional areas, including white matter and the left amygdala.

According to the authors, these structural brain differences may represent early biomarkers of later neurodevelopmental dysfunction.

Yao Wu et al, Antenatal Opioid Exposure and Global and Regional Brain Volumes in Newborns, JAMA Pediatrics (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.0277

Nethra K. Madurai et al, Following the Developing Brain Affected by Opioid Exposure, JAMA Pediatrics (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.0274

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 10, 2025 at 10:45am

In utero opioid use associated with smaller brain regions in newborns

Researchers have found that newborns exposed to opioids in utero exhibited smaller brain volumes in multiple regions compared to unexposed infants.

Cortical gray matter, white matter, deep gray matter, cerebellum, brainstem, and the amygdala all showed reduced size, indicating possible early markers of neurodevelopmental impairment.

Opioid exposure affects a growing number of pregnancies in the world. An estimated 7% of pregnant individuals report using opioids during pregnancy. These substances cross the placenta and may interfere with fetal brain development.

Antenatal opioid exposure has been linked to lower infant cognitive and language scores, increased rates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and difficulties with executive functioning.

Confounding influences such as socioeconomic status, co-exposure to other substances, parenting environment, and genetic factors complicate any direct causal interpretation. In some studies, once these environmental risks are controlled, associations between opioid exposure and neurodevelopmental outcomes weaken or disappear.

In the study, "Antenatal Opioid Exposure and Global and Regional Brain Volumes in Newborns," published in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers conducted a multisite, prospective observational study.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 10, 2025 at 8:58am

The researchers gathered interesting new insights about the effects of general anesthesia on the brain and its unique patterns of neural activity. In the future, the results of their study could inspire further cross-species research looking at the brain before, during and after the administration of anesthetics, which could in turn inform the development of interventions to facilitate the rehabilitation of both people and animals after medical procedures that require anesthesia.
The researchers hope that by learning how the brain reboots consciousness after anesthesia, they can learn how to help recovery of consciousness in patients who suffer from coma and other forms of chronic unconsciousness after a brain injury.

Andrea I. Luppi et al, General anaesthesia decreases the uniqueness of brain functional connectivity across individuals and species, Nature Human Behaviour (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41562-025-02121-9

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 10, 2025 at 8:56am

General anesthesia reduces uniqueness of brain's functional 'fingerprint,' study finds

Past psychology research suggests that different people display characteristic patterns of spontaneous thought, emotions and behaviors. These patterns make the brains of distinct individuals unique, to the point that neuroscientists can often tell them apart based on their neural activity.

Researchers recently carried out a study aimed at investigating how general anesthesia influences the unique neural activity signatures that characterize the brains of different people and animals.

Their findings, published in Nature Human Behavior, show that general anesthesia suppresses each brain's unique functional connectivity patterns (i.e., the connections and communication patterns between different regions of the brain), both in humans and other species.

Every person is unique, they think and feel and act in unique ways. This uniqueness comes from our brain. The way that areas of the brain interact with each other is unique to each individual: it can be used like a 'brain fingerprint.

But when you lose consciousness, for example during deep sleep, your sense of being 'you' is gone. So, the question 's: what happens to brain fingerprints when we lose consciousness, such as during the artificial sleep induced by general anesthesia?

To explore the effects of anesthesia on the brain's functional connectivity patterns, the researchers employed an imaging technique commonly used in neuroscience research called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This technique allows neuroscientists to monitor the activity of different brain regions over time and non-invasively, by measuring changes in blood flow.

They collected fMRI scans from healthy human volunteers before general anesthesia, then when they were unconscious because of the anesthesia, and then again after they recovered consciousness. 

For each scan, they  measured 'functional connectivity': a representation of how brain regions interact. They used this functional connectivity to obtain 'brain fingerprints,' telling them how easy or difficult it is to tell people apart based on their brain activity.

Interestingly, the fMRI scans collected by the researchers showed that the brain activity of people while they were under the influence of anesthesia was suppressed. In fact, anesthesia made people almost impossible to tell apart from each other solely by examining their brain activity, which was possible when they were still conscious.

In contrast, using brain fingerprints it is very easy to tell people apart when they are conscious. This effect is not uniform in the brain: it is strongest in the parts of the brain that are uniquely human and mostly distinguish us from other species. The implication is that just as your own conscious experience is unique to you, so are the brain patterns that support it. When consciousness is gone, people's brain activity is also less unique.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 9, 2025 at 11:06am

Eating only during the daytime could protect people from heart risks of shift work, study suggests

A study  by researchers  suggests that, when it comes to cardiovascular health, food timing could be a bigger risk factor than sleep timing.

Numerous studies have shown that working the night shift is associated with serious health risks, including to the heart. However, a new study suggests that eating only during the daytime could help people avoid the health risks associated with shift work. Results are published in Nature Communications.

Prior research has shown that circadian misalignment—the mistiming of our behavioral cycle relative to our internal body clock—increases cardiovascular risk factors. So  what can be done to lower this risk? This new research suggests food timing could be that target.

Animal studies have shown that aligning food timing with the internal body clock could mitigate the health risks of staying awake during the typical rest time.

In the experiments conducted during this study, the  cardiovascular risk factors increased after simulated night work compared to the baseline in the participants who were scheduled to eat during the day and night. However, the risk factors stayed the same in the study participants who only ate during the daytime, even though how much and what they ate was not different between the groups—only "when" they ate.

 Chellappa SL et al. Daytime eating during simulated night work mitigates changes in cardiovascular risk factors: secondary analyses of a randomized controlled trial, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57846-y

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 9, 2025 at 10:56am

Sperm don't just swim, they screw their way forward

Researchers have discovered that swimming sperm create swirling fluid vortices—shaped like rolling corkscrews—giving them an extra boost in the race to the egg.

The study, published in Cell Reports Physical Science, reveals that these vortices attach to the sperm cell and rotate in sync, adding extra spin that enhances propulsion and helps keep them on a direct path through the fluid.

As the sperm swims, its flagellum (tail) generates a whipping motion that creates swirling fluid currents that could optimize its propulsion in the reproductive tract. What's really fascinating is how these spiral-like 'imprints' in the surrounding fluid attach to the sperm body and rotate in sync, adding extra thrust.

The size and strength of these flow structures could impact sperm interactions with nearby surfaces, other sperm, or even the egg itself.

Farzan Akbaridoust et al, Superhelix flow structures drive sperm locomotion, Cell Reports Physical Science (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2025.102524. www.cell.com/cell-reports-phys … 2666-3864(25)00123-7

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 9, 2025 at 10:00am

Turning pollution into fuel with record-breaking carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide conversion rates

What if we could transform harmful pollution into a helpful energy source? As we strive towards carbon neutrality, researching energy innovations that reduce pollution is crucial.

Researchers developed a streamlined process for converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into carbon monoxide (CO)—a key precursor for synthetic fuels. Their method achieved record-breaking efficiency, cutting down the required time from 24 hours to just 15 minutes. The study is published in the journal Advanced Science.

CO₂-to-CO conversion is currently a hot topic to address climate change, but the conventional techniques had major pitfalls that scientists wanted to address.

The materials are expensive, unstable, has limited selectivity, and took long to prepare. It just wouldn't be feasible to use them in an actual industrial setting.

With industrial standards in mind, the researchers selected various phthalocyanines (Pc) expected to improve performance [metal-free (H₂Pc), iron (FePc), cobalt (CoPc), nickel (NiPc), and copper (CuPc)]. These were sprayed onto gas diffusion electrodes to directly form crystalline layers of the phthalocyanines on the electrode surface. Ultimately, CoPc—a low-cost pigment and metal complex—showed the highest efficiency in converting CO₂ to CO.

This graffiti-like method of simply spraying the catalyst on a surface reduces the typical processing time down to a mere 15 minutes. Conventional methods require a tedious process of mixing conductive carbon and binders, drying, and heat treatment over 24 hours.

Furthermore, under a current density of 150 mA/cm², the new system maintained stable performance for 144 hours. Using the DigCat Database (the largest experimental electrocatalysis database to date), the researchers confirmed that their catalyst surpassed all previously reported Pc-based catalysts.

Not only is this the best Pc-based catalyst for producing CO to date, but it successfully exceeds the industrial standard thresholds for its reaction rate and stability, say the researchers.

 Tengyi Liu et al, Surface Charge Transfer Enhanced Cobalt‐Phthalocyanine Crystals for Efficient CO₂‐to‐CO Electroreduction with Large Current Density Exceeding 1000 mA cm⁻², Advanced Science (2025). DOI: 10.1002/advs.202501459

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 9, 2025 at 9:53am

Scientists make water-repellent replacement for toxic 'forever chemicals'

A team of international scientists has invented a substitute for synthetic chemicals, called PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances), which are widely used in everyday products despite being hazardous to health and the environment.

Until now, it was believed fluorine—the element in such products which forms a highly effective barrier between substances like air and water, making them water repellent—could not easily be replaced because of its unique properties.

But scientists have discovered that the unique "bulky" attribute of fluorine, which makes it especially good at filling space, can actually be replicated in a different, non-toxic form. The findings are published in the Journal of Colloid and Interface Science.

From fire-fighting foam to furniture, food packaging and cookware, to make-up and toilet tissue, PFAS products are everywhere. Despite the risks to human health, and the fact they don't degrade, perfluoroalkyl substances persist in the environment, finding an alternative with comparable properties has proven elusive. But after many years of intensive research,  researchers have made a great breakthrough now. 

The results of their discovery are published in a study which unpacks the chemical structure of PFAS and pinpoints the characteristic "bulkiness" they sought to replicate in a safer form. It also demonstrates how non-fluorinated components, containing only non-toxic carbon and hydrogen, could be equally effective replacements.

Through extensive experimentation, it turns out these 'bulky' fragments feature in other common chemical systems like fats and fuels. So scientists took those principles and created modified chemicals which have these positive attributes and are also much safer.

Using their specialized laboratories for chemical synthesis, they substituted the fluorine in PFAS with certain groups containing only carbon and hydrogen. The whole process has taken about 10 years and the implications are very significant not least because PFAS is used in so many different products and situations.

The researchers now plan on using these principles discovered in the lab to design commercially viable versions of PFAS substitutes.

Masanobu Sagisaka et al, New fluorine-free low surface energy surfactants and surfaces, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2025.03.018

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