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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on March 5, 2025 at 8:48am

Environmental scientists highlight role of paint in microplastic pollution

Plastic waste is recognized as a major cause of environmental harm, with products like water bottles, plastic bags and clothing fibers acknowledged as major contributors to plastic pollution—but research by  environmental scientists shows another source deserves more attention: paint.

In a study published in the journal Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry, researchers show how paint has been severely understudied when it comes to research on microplastics.

Defined as plastic particles less than five millimeters in size, microplastics are known to accumulate in air, water, food and even our bodies over time—and have been shown to have toxic effects on both marine life and human health.

The researchers say paint has been severely underestimated as a microplastic pollutant because it can be difficult to identify. Often, paint will show up as 'anthropogenic unknowns' when characterizing microplastics. Researchers have been wondering what such particles are and hypothesizing, based on computer modeling, that paint might be responsible for a large portion of them.

To investigate this further, the researchers surveyed existing literature to determine where paint pollution comes from. They found there were around 800 studies published on microplastics in 2019, but only 53 focused on paint, making for a significant research gap.

Although paint has traditionally been considered a form of plastic, on average, 37% of it is composed of synthetic resins that bind pigments together.

However, special vacuums  can prevent paint emissions from leeching into the environment during building construction.

There's paint from boats. There's also paint on buildings, on our roads. Once you walk around the city, you start to see it everywhere you look. So it's vital to devise and deploy more measures to reduce paint pollution, given the ubiquitous nature of paint, say the researchers.

 Zoie T Diana et al, Paint: a ubiquitous yet disregarded piece of the microplastics puzzle, Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (2025). DOI: 10.1093/etojnl/vgae034

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on March 5, 2025 at 8:40am

Smoking and antibiotic resistance: How cigarette waste promotes the spread of resistant germs

Antibiotic resistance is a major global health problem: it implies that vital drugs are no longer effective. A new study by researchers demonstrates that pollutants from cigarette smoke and cigarette waste can promote the growth and spread of resistant bacteria in the environment. The interdisciplinary and international research group also shows that smoking increases the spread of resistant bacteria in the human lung. The study is published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Every year, millions of people die from the direct consequences of smoking. The study by the  scientists now shows that smoking also poses indirect health risks when pollutants from cigarette smoke and cigarette butts are released into the lung and the environment.

Cigarette filters contain many of the toxic substances found in cigarette smoke.  When these filters end up in waterbodies, they are increasingly colonized by potentially pathogenic bugs and bacteria displaying antibiotic resistance, as these are particularly well adapted to the adverse conditions on the filters.

The cigarette butts colonized with resistant and pathogenic bacteria can then be transported to rivers, other waterbodies, or beaches, contributing to the spread of dangerous bacteria. "This underlines the need for stricter measures against the careless discarding of cigarette butts and highlights another hidden health hazard caused by smoking.

The study also confirms the effects for the consumers of tobacco products: Smokers could promote a faster spread of resistant germs in their own lungs, resulting in a lower effectiveness of administered antibiotics in the case of future lung infections.

Different bacterial species can exchange resistance genes via so-called plasmids—small DNA molecules that bacteria pass on to each other. This enables bacteria that were previously treatable with antibiotics to acquire resistance to these antibiotics, making them no longer treatable.

In their experiments the researchers were able to show that the toxic substances that accumulate in the lung fluid due to cigarette smoke trigger a stress reaction in the bacteria, which, among other things, more than doubles the frequency with which resistance genes are passed on between bacteria via plasmids.

Peiju Fang et al, Effects of cigarette-derived compounds on the spread of antimicrobial resistance in artificial human lung sputum medium, simulated environmental media and wastewater, Environmental Health Perspectives (2025). DOI: 10.1289/EHP14704

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on March 5, 2025 at 8:21am

Heat from the sun plays a role in seismic activity on Earth

Seismology has revealed much of the basics about earthquakes: Tectonic plates move, volcanic activity, causing strain energy to build up, and that energy eventually releases in the form of an earthquake.

In recent years, research has focused on a possible correlation between the sun or moon and seismic activity on Earth, with some studies pointing to tidal forces or electromagnetic effects interacting with the planet's crust, core, and mantle.

Researchers  explored the likelihood that Earth's climate, as affected by solar heat, plays a role.

The study builds on one that a pair of the researchers had published in the same journal in 2022; that study connected solar activity, particularly sunspot numbers, with seismic systems on Earth to establish a causal effect.

Solar heat drives atmospheric temperature changes, which in turn can affect things like rock properties and underground water movement.

Such fluctuations can make rocks more brittle and prone to fracturing, for example—and changes in rainfall and snowmelt can alter the pressure on tectonic plate boundaries. While these factors may not be the main drivers of earthquakes, they could still be playing a role that can help to predict seismic activity.

Using mathematical and computational methods, the researchers analyzed earthquake data alongside solar activity records and surface temperatures on Earth. Among other findings, they observed that when they included Earth surface temperatures into their model, the forecasting became more accurate, especially for shallow earthquakes. That makes sense, since heat and water mostly affect the upper layers of the Earth's crust.

The findings suggest the transfer of solar heat to the surface of the Earth does affect seismic activity, however minutely, and that incorporating solar activity predictions into detailed Earth temperature models may help issue earthquake forecasts.

 The role of solar heat in earthquake activity, Chaos An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science (2025). DOI: 10.1063/5.0243721

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on March 5, 2025 at 8:10am

Preclinical Alzheimer's disease: Study finds faster tau accumulation in females

An international team of researchers has conducted a meta-analysis revealing that women with high β-amyloid (Aβ) exhibit significantly faster tau accumulation in key brain regions compared to men. Findings suggest that sex differences in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology may influence treatment efficacy, prompting a need for sex-specific therapeutic strategies.

The paper is published in the journal JAMA Neurology.

Alzheimer's disease is nearly twice as prevalent in women compared to men, yet the biological mechanisms driving this disparity remain unclear. While both sexes show similar levels of Aβ burden, studies indicate that women may be more susceptible to tau pathology, a protein linked to neurodegeneration and cognitive decline.

Previous research has shown higher tau deposition in women through cross-sectional studies, but longitudinal evidence confirming whether women experience faster tau accumulation has been limited.

In the study, titled "Sex Differences in Longitudinal Tau-PET in Preclinical Alzheimer Disease: A Meta-Analysis," researchers performed a meta analysis of longitudinal data from six major aging and Alzheimer's disease cohorts. The objective was to determine whether the female sex is associated with faster tau accumulation in the presence of high Aβ levels and to examine whether sex modifies the relationship between APOEε4 carrier status and tau accumulation.

Data was sourced from 1,376 participants across the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), Berkeley Aging Cohort Study (BACS), BioFINDER 1 (BF-1), Harvard Aging Brain Study (HABS), Mayo Clinic Study of Aging (MCSA), and the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer Prevention (WRAP).

Among individuals with high Aβ, women showed significantly faster tau accumulation in specific brain regions compared to men. These accelerated accumulations were detected in the inferior temporal cortex, temporal fusiform gyrus, and lateral occipital cortex.

Women who carried the APOEε4 allele also experienced faster tau accumulation in the inferior temporal region. No significant differences were observed in other brain regions.

Findings indicate that sex differences in tau accumulation rates may contribute to the increased prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in women.

Elevated tau in women with high Aβ may accelerate disease progression, warranting sex-specific considerations in future therapeutic interventions.

Gillian T. Coughlan et al, Sex Differences in Longitudinal Tau-PET in Preclinical Alzheimer Disease, JAMA Neurology (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2025.0013

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on March 5, 2025 at 7:57am

Scientists observe that smartphone restriction for three days can alter brain activity

A smartphone's glow is often the first and last thing we see as we wake up in the morning and go to sleep at the end of the day. It is increasingly becoming an extension of our body that we struggle to part with. In a recent study in Computers in Human Behavior, scientists observed that staying away from smartphones can even change one's brain chemistry.

The researchers recruited young adults for a 72-hour smartphone restriction diet where they were asked to limit smartphone use to essential tasks such as work, daily activities, and communication with their family or significant others.

During these three days, the researchers conducted psychological tests and did brain scans using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the effects of restricting phone usage. Brain scans showed significant activity shifts in reward and craving regions of the brain, resembling patterns seen in substance or alcohol addiction.

For this study, 25 young adults aged 18 to 30 who regularly used smartphones were selected. Before the 72-hour restriction period, participants were screened for the severity of physical, psychological, and social issues related to smartphone use and computer gaming, as well as to ensure they did not have any existing mental health conditions.

To assess their mood, smartphone habits, and cravings, participants completed two questionnaires before their first brain scan. They were then instructed to limit phone use for the next 72 hours.

After the three-day restriction period, participants underwent fMRI scans while being shown different sets of images: neutral scenes (such as landscapes and boats), smartphones turned on, and smartphones turned off.

The scans revealed that limiting smartphones led to brain activity changes in areas associated with dopamine and serotonin—neurotransmitters that regulate mood, emotions and also addiction.

The researchers noted that smartphone restriction can resemble withdrawal from addictive substances or even food cravings in some ways, which was noticeable in both heavy (ESU) and regular smartphone (non-ESU) participants.

Mike M. Schmitgen et al, Effects of smartphone restriction on cue-related neural activity, Computers in Human Behavior (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2025.108610

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on March 4, 2025 at 1:29pm

Vesuvius volcano turned this brain to glass

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on March 4, 2025 at 12:35pm

Study links intense energy bursts to ventilator-induced lung injury

A new study  suggests that repeated collapse and reopening of tiny alveoli—air sacs in the lungs essential for breathing—during mechanical ventilation may cause microscopic tissue damage, playing a key role in ventilator-related injuries that contribute to thousands of deaths annually.

Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study sheds light on ventilator-induced lung injury, a complication that gained increased attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a surge in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. These devices pump oxygen-rich air into a patient's airways when they are unable to breathe adequately on their own.

The study identified that alveolar recruitment/derecruitment—when collapsed air sacs in the lungs repeatedly open and close—accounts for only 2–5% of energy dissipation during ventilation but correlates directly with lung injury in a model of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

It's like a tiny explosion at the delicate lung surface. Though small in magnitude, it creates a power intensity of about 100 watts per square meter—comparable to sunlight exposure.

ARDS is a severe lung condition that affects roughly 10% of intensive care unit patients and carries a mortality rate of 30–40%, even with modern ventilation techniques. Using a pig model of ARDS, the team examined how ventilator energy is transferred and dissipated in the lungs.

The researchers found that reducing this type of energy dissipation led to rapid recovery, while patients continued to deteriorate when 5–10% of alveoli underwent repetitive recruitment/derecruitment.

The study suggests that minimizing these repetitive collapse-and-reopening cycles could significantly reduce ventilator-induced lung injury. Researchers noted that adjusting ventilation strategies to prevent such events may improve outcomes for critically ill patients.

The study's findings could also help inform the development of new ventilation protocols aimed at reducing lung injury and improving patient care in intensive care units worldwide.

Gaver, Donald P., Mechanical ventilation energy analysis: Recruitment focuses injurious power in the ventilated lung, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2419374122. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2419374122

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on March 4, 2025 at 12:12pm

Polymers used in everyday products can degrade into toxic chemicals, study finds

The scientific community has long believed that polymers—very large molecules—are too big to migrate out of products into people and therefore pose no health risks. As a result, polymers have largely evaded regulation. For example, polymers are exempt from the major toxics acts. However, a study published recently in Nature Sustainability demonstrates that polymers used as flame retardants can break down into smaller harmful chemicals.

The study suggests polymers can act as a trojan horse for toxic chemicals.

They are added to products as inert large molecules, but over time they can degrade, exposing us to their harmful breakdown products.

The researchers tested two polymeric brominated flame retardants (polyBFRs) that were developed as "non-toxic" alternatives to banned flame retardants. They found that both polyBFRs broke down into dozens of types of smaller molecules. Toxicity testing of these smaller molecules in zebrafish showed significant potential for causing mitochondrial dysfunction and developmental and cardiovascular harm.

The scientists went on to search for these polymer break-down products in the environment and, further raising alarm, detected them in soil, air, and dust. The levels were highest near electronic waste recycling facilities and lessened moving away from the facilities. These results confirm that the use of polyBFRs in electronics leads to the release of toxic breakdown products into the environment with potential for human and wildlife exposure and harm.

Widespread use of these polyBFRs in electronics may result in exposures when these products are manufactured, when they're in our homes, and when they're discarded or recycled, the researchers say.

Xiaotu Liu et al, Environmental impacts of polymeric flame retardant breakdown, Nature Sustainability (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41893-025-01513-z

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on March 4, 2025 at 12:03pm

One therapy that has proven effective is a fecal microbiota transplant, which is designed to restore a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut. However, it's not without risks.

To a certain extent, a fecal transplant is almost like going to the pharmacist where they take a little bit of everything off the shelf and put it into one pill, assuming that something will probably help. But we don't know 100% what's in there.The research team set out to identify C. difficile's "friends" and "foes;" in other words, those that tend to either co-occur with C. difficile or those that may reduce the growth of C. difficile. They gathered information on the human microbiome from 12 previously published studies, which included microbiome sequencing data and clinical diagnoses of C. difficile colonization.

They then used machine learning to home in on the key features of microorganisms that were positively and negatively associated with C. difficile.

Thirty-seven strains of bacteria were found to be negatively correlated with C. difficile. In other words, when these microorganisms were present, there was no C. difficile infection. Another 25 bacteria were positively correlated with C. difficile, meaning that they were present alongside C. difficile infection.
In the lab, the researchers then combined bacteria that appeared to repress C. difficile and developed a synthetic version of a fecal transplant.

When tested in vitro and given orally to mice, the synthetic microbiome therapy significantly reduced growth of C. difficile, resisted infection and was as effective as a traditional human fecal transplant. In mice, it was also shown to protect against severe disease, delay relapse and decrease the severity of recurrent infections caused by antibiotic use.

Through experiments, the researchers determined that just one bacterial strain was critical for suppressing C. difficile. Alone, it was just as effective as a human fecal transplant in preventing infection in a mouse model.
If you have this Peptostreptococcus strain, you don't have C. difficile. It's a very potent suppressor and is actually better than all 37 strains combined.

The team's approach to microbiome science could be used to understand complex host-microbial interactions in other conditions like inflammatory bowel disease with the potential to develop novel therapies.

The goal is to develop the microbes as targeted drugs and therapies.

A designed synthetic microbiota provides insight to community function in Clostridioides difficile resistance, Cell Host & Microbe (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2025.02.007. www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe … 1931-3128(25)00055-1

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on March 4, 2025 at 11:59am

Synthetic microbiome therapy suppresses bacterial infection without antibiotics

A synthetic microbiome therapy, tested in mice, protects against severe symptoms of a gut infection that is notoriously difficult-to-treat and potentially life-threatening in humans, according to a team of researchers who developed the treatment for Clostridioides difficile, or C. difficile, a bacterium that can cause severe diarrhea, abdominal pain and colon inflammation.

C. difficile can overgrow when the balance of the gut microbiome—the trillions of organisms that keep your body healthy—is disrupted. The team said their findings could lead to the development of new probiotic strategies for humans to treat C. difficile infections as an alternative to antibiotics and conventional fecal microbiota transplants.

While it draws on the idea of human fecal transplants, a medical procedure where bacteria from a healthy donor's stool is transferred to a patient's gastrointestinal tract to restore balance to the microbiome, the new approach doesn't require any fecal matter.

Instead, this microbiome therapy uses fewer but more precise bacteria strains that have been linked to C. difficile suppression. It was as effective as human fecal transplants in mice against C. difficile infection and with fewer safety concerns.

The findings were published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe and the researchers also filed a provisional application to patent the technology described in the paper.

Typically, the organisms in the microbiome keep each other in check. While many people carry C. difficile in their gut, it usually doesn't cause a problem. However, antibiotics can tip the scales, creating an environment where C. difficile can flourish by knocking out good bacteria along with harmful ones. C. difficile accounts for 15% to 25% of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Infection can often set in after a visit to the hospital or other health care setting.

Treating these infections is challenging. Antibiotics aren't effective against C. difficile because the bacteria are drug-resistant. Antibiotics also further disrupt the gut microbiome, creating a positive feedback loop that leads to recurrent infections.

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