Comment

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 17 hours ago

India typically has two monsoons: one from June to September moving southwest to northeast, and another from October to December going the opposite direction.

But with more planet-warming gases in the air, the rain now only loosely follows this pattern. This is because the warmer air can hold more moisture from the Indian Ocean, and that rain then gets dumped all at once. It means the monsoon is punctuated with intense flooding and dry spells, rather than sustained rain throughout.

Landslides and flooding are increasing, alongside high temperatures and longer periods of drought that are adding to farmers' woes.

This  erratic rain is a significant blow to farmers' livelihood. Unless they adapt to this new uncertainty, the future looks bleak for them, unless science helps them.

Source: AP and other news agencies.

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 17 hours ago

Climate change makes India's monsoons erratic

Each year from June to September, a heavy band of rain makes its way from India's southwest coast to its northeastern borders, quenching farmers' thirsty fields.

India's monsoon season is arguably the single most important weather phenomenon for the country, and a good monsoon can noticeably boost the nation's economy and the livelihoods of its 120 million farmers. But human-caused climate change is making the rainfall more erratic, making it difficult for farmers to plant, grow and harvest crops on their rain-fed fields.

Either it rains too much within a short time or it doesn't rain at all. 

The Indian Meteorological Department had predicted good rainfall from the monsoon clouds earlier this year, but extreme heat in northern India stalled the rain's progress. The agency revised its predictions in June, saying the rainfall this year will be less than previously expected.

Many are looking for ways to adapt to this new, unpredictable reality. Experts suggest growing crops that need less water, better and more localized forecasting methods and protection against unexpected weather. But changing centuries-old ways of tending to the land won't be an easy task.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 17 hours ago

New study confirms forever chemicals are absorbed through human skin

A study of 17 commonly-used synthetic 'forever chemicals' has shown that these toxic substances can readily be absorbed through human skin.

New research, published in Environment International proves for the first time that a wide range of PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances)—chemicals which do not break down in nature—can permeate the skin barrier and reach the body's bloodstream.

PFAS are used widely in industries and consumer products from school uniforms to personal care products because of their water and stain repellent properties. While some substances have been banned by government regulation, others are still widely used and their toxic effects have not yet been fully investigated.

PFAS are already known to enter the body through other routes, for example being breathed in or ingested via food or drinking water, and they are known to cause adverse health effects such as a lowered immune response to vaccination, impaired liver function and decreased birth weight.

It has commonly been thought that PFAS are unable to breach the skin barrier, although recent studies have shown links between the use of personal care products and PFAS concentrations in human blood and breast milk. The new study is the most comprehensive assessment yet undertaken of the absorption of PFAS into human skin and confirms that most of them can enter the body via this route.

Oddný Ragnarsdóttir et al, Dermal bioavailability of perfluoroalkyl substances using in vitro 3D human skin equivalent models, Environment International (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108772

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 18 hours ago

Overall, the findings gathered by this research team suggest that changes in brain activity in the prefrontal cortex influence how one is perceived, particularly in terms of their physical attractiveness. Yet these changes were found to have no effect on how attractive the individuals with this change in activity perceive themselves to be, suggesting that internal perceptions are not a good indicator of how others perceive us.

Attraction is altered via modulation of the medial prefrontal cortex without explicit knowledge. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience(2024). DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1333733. www.frontiersin.org/journals/h … 024.1333733/abstract

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 18 hours ago

Stimulating the medial prefrontal cortex changes a person's perceived attractiveness, study suggests

Humans typically perceive others and themselves as more or less physically attractive, yet the neural underpinnings of these attractiveness-related perceptions remain widely unexplored. While some past studies found that stimulating the brain, particularly the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), can change a person's physical appearance, they did not determine whether it altered how attractive they were perceived to be by others.

Researchers at Montclair State University recently tried to answer this research question, by conducting a two-phase experiment involving human participants. Their findings, published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, suggest that modulating activity in the MPFC using brain stimulation techniques changes how attractive one is perceived to be by others.

This research work  's aimed at answering two main research questions. The first was whether, after brain stimulation, a person would be perceived as more attractive. The second was whether they would themselves feel more attractive or confident in their appearance.

To do this, the researchers recruited a total of 440 participants, 10 of which took part in the first phase of their experiment and 430 of which in the second. In the first experimental phase, they stimulated the brain of 10 participants and then took a picture of them.

The researchers used five different conditions. They knew that the prefrontal cortex (the frontal part of the human brain) was the area of interest. So they sped up activity there (excitation). They also slowed activity there (inhibition). They then compared these two conditions with some controls.

They  found that people did not feel more attractive or more confident after their brain was stimulated. In other words, after receiving brain stimulation, participants reported feeling exactly the same about themselves as they did before the experiment.

During the second phase of the experiment, the researchers asked 430 new individuals to rate the pictures they had taken of the first 10 initial candidates, following brain stimulation. Remarkably, they found that the inhibition of the frontal cortex made people more attractive, while exciting it made them less attractive. In other words, people whose frontal cortex was inhibited using brain stimulation were rated as more attractive by others than those whose frontal cortex had been excited (i.e., speeding up activity of neurons in the region).

This is the first time that brain stimulation has been found to change attractiveness. Furthermore, this is one of the first, if not the first study that has had a large sample of people rate on any measure of a person following brain stimulation. Third, people become more attractive without experiencing any conscious change themselves. The changes in one's appearance took place in an unconscious manner

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on Saturday

How a microbe and a prebiotic work together against food allergies

What causes food allergies to develop? There's compelling evidence that suggests imbalances of the gut microbiome could be to blame, creating inflammation of the intestinal tract and a gut environment that's prone to food allergies.

Now, new research reveals a mutually beneficial relationship between an unassuming microbial species and the prebiotic lactulose—together, they encourage the production of an important metabolite known for its positive influence on gut health, butyrate, that's generated as bacteria feed in the gut.

Butyrate is a four-carbon molecule that has huge effects in the gut… this could have broad impacts for food allergies because it could pave the way to development of a synbiotic therapeutic that "addresses dysbiosis of the microbiome, rather than treating the response to an individual allergen."

In a paper published in Cell Host and Microbe,  researchers report that treatment with a concoction of A. caccae and the prebiotic lactulose increased butyrate levels in the intestinal tracts of mice, stifling allergic responses to cow's milk.

Lauren A. Hesser et al, A synbiotic of Anaerostipes caccae and lactulose prevents and treats food allergy in mice, Cell Host & Microbe (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2024.05.019

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on Saturday

Melamine sponges shed microplastics when scrubbed, study shows

Melamine sponges practically erase tough stains and scuffs through their unique abrasiveness and without additional cleaning products. But these "magic" sponges shed microplastic fibers when worn down.

Researchers publishing in the journal Environmental Science & Technology report that, worldwide, melamine sponges could release over a trillion microplastic fibers every month.

Melamine foam is made of poly(melamine-formaldehyde) polymer—a network of hard, plastic strands assembled into a soft, lightweight foam that's surprisingly abrasive, making it the perfect material for very scrubby sponges. But, as the sponges wear away from use, the foam breaks down into smaller pieces that can release microplastic fibers that wash into sewer systems.

Once released into the environment, the fibers can be consumed by wildlife and make their way into the food chain.

Researchers found that sponges made from denser foam wore down more slowly and produced fewer microplastic fibers than less dense sponges. They  determined that a single sponge releases approximately 6.5 million fibers per gram of worn-out sponge and assumed that all sponges sold, on average, are worn down by 10%.

To get a rough idea of how many fibers could be released per month, they looked at Amazon's monthly sales for August 2023. Assuming these numbers stay consistent, the team calculated that 1.55 trillion fibers from melamine sponges could be released every month. However, this number only takes into account one online retailer, so the actual amount could be even higher.

To help minimize the emission of microplastic fibers, the researchers recommend that manufactures create denser, tougher sponges that are more resistant to wear. Additionally, they suggest that consumers opt for natural cleaning products that do not use plastics and recommend installing filtration systems to capture sloughed-off microplastic fibers either in the home or in wastewater treatment plants.

Yu Su et al, Mechanochemical Formation of Poly(melamine-formaldehyde) Microplastic Fibers During Abrasion of Cleaning Sponges, Environmental Science & Technology (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c00846

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on Saturday

Research suggests activity in the gut microbiome and brain shapes resiliency

A new health study has found that resilient people exhibit neural activity in the brain regions associated with improved cognition and regulating of emotions, and were more mindful and better at describing their feelings. The same group also exhibited gut microbiome activity linked to a healthy gut, with reduced inflammation and gut barrier.

For the study, rather than examine microbiome activity and composition linked to disease conditions—like anxiety and depression—the researchers wanted to flip the script and study the gut microbiome and brain in healthy, resilient people who effectively cope with different types of stress, including discrimination and social isolation.

"If we can identify what a healthy resilient brain and microbiome look like, then we can develop targeted interventions to those areas to reduce stress.

The researchers  focused on methods to cope with stress because research has shown that untreated stress can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity, and diabetes. While stress is an inevitable part of life, studying how to handle stress can help prevent developing diseases.

To conduct the study, published in Nature Mental Health, the researchers surveyed 116 people about their resiliency—like trust in one's instincts and positive acceptance of change—and separated them into two groups. One group ranked high on the resiliency scale and the other group ranked low. The participants also underwent MRI imaging and gave stool samples two or three days before their scans.

The researchers found that people in the high resiliency group were less anxious and depressed, less prone to judge, and had activity in regions of the brain associated with emotional regulation and better cognition compared to the group with low resiliency.

The high resiliency group also had different microbiome activity than the low resiliency group. Namely, the high resiliency group's microbiomes excreted metabolites and exhibited gene activity associated with low inflammation and a strong and healthy gut barrier. A weak gut barrier, otherwise known as a leaky gut, is caused by inflammation and impairs the gut barrier's ability to absorb essential nutrients needed by the body while blocking toxins from entering the gut.

The researchers were surprised to find these microbiome signatures associated with the high resiliency group.

"Resilience truly is a whole-body phenomenon that not only affects your brain but also your microbiome and what metabolites that it is producing.

Only thing is we should have this whole community of the right microbes in our gut that exudes these therapeutic properties and biochemicals.

Stress-resilience impacts psychological wellbeing as evidenced by brain–gut microbiome interactions, Nature Mental Health (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s44220-024-00266-6

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on Friday

Sunlight and plastic: A risky combination for bottled water safety
Plastic water bottles are ubiquitous due to their convenience, yet they harbor potential risks. Sunlight exposure can lead these containers to degrade and emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are potentially detrimental to human health. The booming bottled water market underscores the urgency for safer alternatives. In response to these concerns, there is a pressing need for in-depth research into more secure materials and production methods for water containers.
New research published in Eco-Environment & Health, provides fresh insights into how sunlight can transform plastic water bottles into sources of air pollution.

The research analyzed the VOCs released from six types of plastic water bottles subjected to UV-A and sunlight. Results showed that all tested bottles emitted a complex mixture of alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, aldehydes, and acids, with significant variations in VOC composition and concentration among the bottles.

Notably, highly toxic VOCs, including carcinogens like n-hexadecane, were identified, highlighting serious health risks. Prolonged exposure scenarios indicated an increased concentration of VOCs, pointing to a growing cumulative risk.

This study not only casts light on the chemical stability of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles but also carries significant implications for public health and safety regulations. Understanding the conditions under which these VOCs are released can guide the improvement of manufacturing practices and material selection for bottled water containers.

Furthermore, it underscores the need for enhanced consumer awareness and stricter industry regulations to reduce exposure to these potentially harmful compounds.

Ruijuan Liu et al, Characterizing the photodegradation-induced release of volatile organic compounds from bottled water containers, Eco-Environment & Health (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.eehl.2024.01.005

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on Friday

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