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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 1, 2024 at 8:54am

43% of cocoa products exceed lead safety levels, study finds

When our friends, relatives and colleagues come from the US they bring lots of chocolates  and we consume them very fondly. But this new information is alarming ....

A new study  found a disquieting percentage of cocoa products in the U.S. contain heavy metals that exceed guidelines, including higher concentrations in organic products.

The study, "A Multi-Year Heavy Metal Analysis of 72 Dark Chocolate and Cocoa Pr... was published on July 31, 2024 in Frontiers in Nutrition.

Researchers analyzed 72 consumer cocoa products, including dark chocolate, every other year over an eight year period for contamination with lead, cadmium, and arsenic, heavy metals that pose a significant health hazard in sufficient amounts.

We all love chocolate but it's important to indulge with moderation, as with other foods that contain heavy metals, including large fish like tuna and unwashed brown rice. While it's not practical to avoid heavy metals in your food entirely, you must be cautious of what you are eating and how much.

The researchers used a threshold of maximum allowable dose levels to assess the extent of heavy metal contamination in an array of chocolate products, found on grocery store shelves.

Key findings:

43% of the products studied exceeded the maximum allowable dose level for lead. 35% of the products studied exceeded the maximum allowable dose level for cadmium.

None of the products exceeded the maximum allowable dose level for arsenic. Surprisingly, organic labeled products showed higher levels of both lead and cadmium compared to non-organic products.

For the average consumer, consuming a single serving of these cocoa products may not pose significant health risks based on the median concentrations found. However, consuming multiple servings or combining consumption with other sources of heavy metals could lead to exposures that exceed the maximum allowable dose level.

Foods with high lead levels may include animal foods that can bioaccumulate heavy metals (shellfish, organ meats) and foods or herbal supplements grown in contaminated soil and/or imported from countries with less regulation.  For cadmium, the main concerns are the same with the addition of some seaweeds.

Consumers should be aware of potential cumulative exposure risks, particularly with cocoa products labeled organic, as they may have higher heavy metal concentrations. A serving size of dark chocolate is typically one ounce and has been generally suggested to have health benefits including cardiovascular health, cognitive performance, and chronic inflammation.

 Study Finds Many Cocoa Products Contaminated by Heavy Metals, Frontiers in Nutrition (2024). DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1366231 , www.frontiersin.org/journals/n … 024.1366231/abstract

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 31, 2024 at 12:47pm

Scientists 'Mind Controlled' Mice Remotely 

At the mere flick of a magnetic field, mice engineered with nanoparticle-activated 'switches' inside their brains were driven to feed, socialize, and act like clucky new mothers in an experiment designed to test an innovative research tool.

While 'mind control' animal experiments are far from new, they have generally relied on cumbersome electrodes tethering the subject to an external system, which not only requires invasive surgery but also sets limits on how freely the test subject can move about.
In what is claimed to be a breakthrough in neurology, researchershave developed a method for targeting pathways in the brain using a combination of genetics, nanoparticles, and magnetic fields.

They call the technology Nano-MIND, an acronym for Magnetogenetic Interface for NeuroDynamics. And while mind-control is a coarse but relatively accurate way of describing it, the system in its current form is intended to provide researchers with a means of remotely activating neural circuits for a range of research applications.

This is the world's first technology to freely control specific brain regions using magnetic fields. Magnetic stimulation is an emerging field of research in neurology, where washing the brain with pulses of electromagnetism broadly massages whole regions into subtly changing their behavior. 

To target specific circuits, the researchers took a leaf out of another field of research called optogenetics, which genetically engineers mechanisms into cells that can be readily activated by a light source. In this case, the team integrated ion channels into targeted populations of brain cells in mice. Instead of delivering light through a localized fiber, as in optogenetics, the ion channels could be switched on magnetically with a twist of a tiny actuator. All that's required is a surrounding field that's strong enough to pull at the nanoparticle.

similar nanotechnology may even treat poor mental health in humans or play a significant role in therapies for debilitating neurological conditions, thereby returning complete control of a person's mind back to the individual.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-024-01694-2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 31, 2024 at 11:55am

Study finds working from home stifles innovation

Remote and hybrid working may be great for employees' work-life balance, but it may be stifling innovation, according to new research.

The study found that staff who worked in a hybrid model were less likely to come up with innovative ideas than colleagues who always worked in the office. And staff working from home tended to produce lower quality innovative ideas than those who always worked in the office. 

Innovation in the workplace can occur through random, spontaneous 'watercooler' conversations between employees. However, these 'productive accidents' are less likely to occur when employees work from home. This  research work has found that innovation is suffering as a result.

Michael Gibbs et al, Employee innovation during office work, work from home and hybrid work, Scientific Reports (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67122-6

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 31, 2024 at 11:50am

More women are ending pregnancies on their own, a new study suggests. Some resort to unsafe methods

A growing number of women said they've tried to end their pregnancies on their own by doing things like taking herbs, drinking alcohol or even hitting themselves in the belly, a new study suggests.

Researchers surveyed reproductive-age women in the U.S. before and after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. The proportion who reported trying to end pregnancies by themselves rose from 2.4% to 3.3%.

A lot of people are taking things into their own hands.

Study authors acknowledged that the increase is small. But the data suggests that it could number in the hundreds of thousands of women.

Researchers surveyed about 7,000 women six months before the Supreme Court decision, and then another group of 7,100 a year after the decision. They asked whether participants had ever taken or done something on their own to end a pregnancy. Those who said yes were asked follow-up questions about their experiences.

The data show that making abortion more difficult to access is not going to mean that people want or need an abortion less frequently.

Women gave various reasons for handling their own abortions, such as wanting an extra measure of privacy, being concerned about the cost of clinic procedures and preferring to try to end their pregnancies by themselves first.

They reported using a range of methods. Some took medications—including emergency contraception and the abortion pills misoprostol and mifepristone obtained outside the medical system and without a prescription. Others drank alcohol or used drugs. Some resorted to potentially harmful physical methods such as hitting themselves in the abdomen, lifting heavy things or inserting objects into their bodies.

Some respondents said they suffered complications like bleeding and pain and had to seek medical care afterward. Some said they later had an abortion at a clinic. Some said their pregnancies ended after their attempts or from a later miscarriage, while others said they wound up continuing their pregnancies when the method didn't work.

Respondents may be under-reporting their abortions because researchers are asking them about "a sensitive and potentially criminalized behaviour."

 The study's findings confirm the statement : If you make it hard to get (an abortion) in a formal setting, people will just do it informally.

Lauren Ralph et al, Self-Managed Abortion Attempts Before vs After Changes in Federal Abortion Protections in the US, JAMA Network Open (2024). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.24310

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 30, 2024 at 11:33am

First, keep your head back with your ears submerged to keep your airways open. Resist the urge to panic, try to relax and breathe normally. Gently move your hands paddling them as this will aid in keeping afloat. Don't fret if your legs sink, everyone's buoyancy is different. Finally, spread your arms and legs as this really helps maintain your stability in the water.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 30, 2024 at 11:31am

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 30, 2024 at 11:21am

Blocking One Protein Extends Lifespan in Mice by Up to 25%

A protein called interleukin 11 (IL-11) appears to play a crucial role in aging, with scientists extending the lifespans of mice by up to 25 percent simply by blocking the molecule's effects.

Researchers  used genetic engineering to turn off IL-11 production in a sample of mice, while injecting other mice with an anti-IL-11 drug.

Deaths from cancer and tumorous growths were reduced in both groups, while health conditions related to the effects of aging – including chronic inflammation and poor metabolism – were also less common.

The treated mice had fewer cancers, and were free from the usual signs of aging and frailty, but researchers also saw reduced muscle wasting and improvement in muscle strength. In other words, the old mice receiving anti-IL-11 were healthier.

Interleukin 11 has been of interest to scientists studying the aging process for several years. We know that it builds up in the body as we get older, and it's linked to increasing levels of inflammation, scar tissue, and overall frailty.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07701-9

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 30, 2024 at 10:04am

Confirmed link between maternal asthma and child allergies

For the first time, researchers  have confirmed maternal asthma increases risks of child allergies.

In a systematic review of more than 20,000 sources, the researchers discovered children whose mothers have asthma are 76% more likely to have the condition themselves.

The review is the first time anyone has brought together the data on how severity and control of asthma during pregnancy affects allergy and asthma outcomes in children. It also found that better asthma control during pregnancy reduces the risk in children.

They found found maternal asthma is associated with an increased risk of wheeze (59%), food allergy (32%), eczema (17%) and hay fever (18%),

The findings are published in the BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology.

Associations between maternal asthma and risks of progeny asthma were similar when the exposure was maternal asthma during the index pregnancy or as a history of asthma, consistent with the chronic nature of asthma.

Uncontrolled and more severe maternal asthma during the index pregnancy were also associated with increased risk of progeny asthma.

Andrea J. Roff et al, Maternal asthma during pregnancy and risks of allergy and asthma in progeny: A systematic review and meta‐analysis, BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (2024). DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.17900

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 30, 2024 at 9:59am

How to cope with increasingly hot summers

• Use an electric fan, a particularly effective method in humid climates like Quebec's. But remember: using a fan can be counter-productive in very low humidity or above 40° C temperatures.
• Sponge yourself regularly with cool water.
• Soak your feet in cold water.
• Stay socially connected (especially important for seniors and the socially isolated).
• Set your air conditioner to 25° C instead of 20° C to build up your tolerance to higher temperatures (and reduce energy consumption).

More information: Hadiatou Barry et al, The Effect of Heat Exposure on Myocardial Blood Flow and Cardiovascular Function, Annals of Internal Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.7326/M24-3504

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 30, 2024 at 9:52am

 Chimpanzees  are capable of speech

Axel G. Ekström et al, Chimpanzee utterances refute purported missing links for novel vocalizations and syllabic speech, Scientific Reports (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67005-w

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