Large wildfires create weather that favours more fire

A new  study shows soot from large wildfires in California traps sunlight, making days warmer and drier than they ought to be.

Many studies look at the effect of climate change on wildfires. However, this study sought to understand the reverse—whether large fires are also changing the climate.

Published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, the study found that large fires did have an effect. They made it hotter and drier than usual on the days the fires burned. The extra heat and aridity may then make conditions favorable for more fire.

It appears these fires are creating their own fire weather.

There are likely two reasons for this. One—soot traps heat, and two —the extra heat reduces humidity in the atmosphere, making it more difficult for clouds to form.

Fires emit smoke with black carbon, or soot. Since it is very dark, the soot absorbs sunlight more readily than bright or reflective things.

There are two types of aerosols: reflective and absorptive. Sulfate aerosols, which are byproducts of fossil fuel burning, are reflective and can cool the environment. These particles reflect the sun's energy back into space, keeping it out of the atmosphere.

Recent research points to an unfortunate byproduct of improving air quality by reducing sulfate aerosols. Since these particles have a cooling effect, removing them makes climate change more severe and leads to an increase in wildfires, especially in northern hemisphere forests.

Sulfate aerosols can also help make clouds brighter, more reflective, and more effective at cooling the planet.

The researchers note that the only way to prevent additional wildfires when cleaning up reflective sulfate air pollution is to simultaneously reduce emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane.

Absorptive aerosols have the opposite effect. They trap light and heat in the atmosphere, which can raise temperatures. Black carbon, the most common aerosol emission from wildfires, is an absorbing aerosol. They not only directly make temperatures hotter, but indirectly as well by discouraging cloud formation and precipitation.

Fewer clouds mean less precipitation, which is problematic for drought-prone states.While some studies have shown an association between fires and brighter, more numerous clouds, this one did not.

James L. Gomez et al, California wildfire smoke contributes to a positive atmospheric temperature anomaly over the western United States, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2024). DOI: 10.5194/acp-24-6937-2024

More than a century ago, researchers observed that rats that consumed less food lived longer. We now know that being able to manipulate lifespan is not about specifically eating less, but actually is related to signals inside cells that turn on and off specific pathways in response to available nutrients. Many of those pathways are related to aging, such as controlling protein turnover and metabolism.

Some of those signals are the ketone bodies, which consist of acetoacetate (AcAc), β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and to a much lesser extent, acetone. These molecules are routinely produced in the liver. They ramp up when glucose is in short supply, whether due to caloric restriction, intense exercise or low carbohydrate intake, such as with a ketogenic diet.

Diego Acuña-Catalán et al, Ketogenic diet administration later in life improves memory by modifying the synaptic cortical proteome via the PKA signaling pathway in aging mice, Cell Reports Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101593

Study reveals genetic basis of sepsis response variability

Sepsis causes an estimated 11 million deaths worldwide per year, with one death every three seconds. 

Sepsis response varies between patients and depends on the different underlying immune response pathways.

Sepsis patients could be treated based on their immune system's response to infection, not their symptoms.

New research uncovers how different people respond to sepsis based on their genetic makeup, which could help identify who would benefit from certain treatments and lead to the development of targeted therapies.

The study, published in Cell Genomics, details the genetic basis of variability in sepsis response, and the different regulators and cell types involved in the different immune responses in each subgroup of patients.

Having a more detailed understanding of sepsis at a molecular level could identify those who would benefit from different therapies, helping to design rapid tests, organize clinical trials, and develop targeted treatments based on the individual immune response.

The ultimate aim is for patients to receive the most effective treatment for their sepsis more quickly, based on their immune response rather than their symptoms. In the future, this approach to personalized medicine could also be applied to other less severe infections, not just sepsis.

Sepsis arises when the body has an extreme response to an infection and injures its own tissues and organs. Sepsis can cause different downstream immune responses in different people. Depending on this immune response, the treatment varies. However, it is difficult to identify which response is happening based on symptoms alone. Sepsis can progress quickly, and if the wrong treatment is given, valuable time could be lost.

Understanding the regulatory networks underlying the different patient responses provides additional information for developing treatments that work with the immune system and are a step towards a personalized medicine approach to treating sepsis.

K. Burnham, eQTLs identify regulatory networks and drivers of variation in the individual response to sepsis, Cell Genomics (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100587. www.cell.com/cell-genomics/ful … 2666-979X(24)00171-X

Discovery of 'new rules of the immune system' could improve treatment of inflammatory diseases, say scientists

Scientists  have discovered that a type of white blood cell—called a regulatory T cell—exists as a single large population of cells that constantly move throughout the body looking for, and repairing, damaged tissue.

This overturns the traditional thinking that regulatory T cells exist as multiple specialist populations that are restricted to specific parts of the body. The finding has implications for the treatment of many different diseases—because almost all diseases and injuries trigger the body's immune system.

Current anti-inflammatory drugs treat the whole body, rather than just the part needing treatment. The researchers say their findings mean it could be possible to shut down the body's immune response and repair damage in any specific part of the body, without affecting the rest of it. This means that higher, more targeted doses of drugs could be used to treat disease—potentially with rapid results.

Researchers have uncovered new rules of the immune system. This 'unified healer army' can do everything—repair injured muscle, make your fat cells respond better to insulin, regrow hair follicles. To think that we could use it in such an enormous range of diseases is fantastic: it's got the potential to be used for almost everything.

To reach this discovery, the researchers analyzed the regulatory T cells present in 48 different tissues in the bodies of mice. This revealed that the cells are not specialized or static, but move through the body to where they're needed. The results are published in the journal Immunity.

Most white blood cells attack infections in the body by triggering an immune response. In contrast, regulatory T cells act like a 'unified healer army' whose purpose is to shut down this immune response once it has done its job—and repair the tissue damage caused by it.

The tissue-resident regulatory T cell pool is shaped by transient multi-tissue migration and a conserved residency program, Immunity (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2024.05.023. www.cell.com/immunity/fulltext … 1074-7613(24)00277-2

Starlings found to expend 25% less energy in follower position compared to flying solo

A multidisciplinary, multi-institutional team of researchers  has found that starlings that fly in a follower position expend 25% less energy than when they fly solo. In their study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group designed complex experiments to learn more about the amount of energy savings for birds following another bird in flight rather than going it alone.

Prior research and logic suggest that if a bird were to fly behind another bird, it would use less energy because there would be less wind resistance. But testing the idea has proven difficult. In this new effort, the research team designed and carried out what they describe as "difficult" experiments to test energy expenditure by birds in flight.

Sonja I. Friman et al, It pays to follow the leader: Metabolic cost of flight is lower for trailing birds in small groups, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2319971121

Researchers create new class of materials called 'glassy gels'

Researchers have created a new class of materials called "glassy gels" that are very hard and difficult to break despite containing more than 50% liquid. Coupled with the fact that glassy gels are simple to produce, the material holds promise for a variety of applications.

A paper describing this work, titled "Glassy Gels Toughened by Solvent," appears in the journal Nature.

Gels and glassy polymers are classes of materials that have historically been viewed as distinct from one another. Glassy polymers are hard, stiff and often brittle. They're used to make things like water bottles or airplane windows. Gels—such as contact lenses—contain liquid and are soft and stretchy.

Now researchers have created a class of materials that they've termed glassy gels, which are as hard as glassy polymers, but—if you apply enough force—can stretch up to five times their original length, rather than breaking.

What's more, once the material has been stretched, you can get it to return to its original shape by applying heat. In addition, the surface of the glassy gels is highly adhesive, which is unusual for hard materials.

A key thing that distinguishes glassy gels is that they are more than 50% liquid, which makes them more efficient conductors of electricity than common plastics that have comparable physical characteristics.

Considering the number of unique properties they possess, researchers are optimistic that these materials will be very useful.

Michael Dickey, Glassy gels toughened by solvent, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07564-0. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07564-0

New technology provides electrifying insights into how catalysts work at the atomic level

A team led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has invented a technique to study electrochemical processes at the atomic level with unprecedented resolution and used it to gain new insights into a popular catalyst material.

Electrochemical reactions—chemical transformations that are caused by or accompanied by the flow of electric currents—are the basis of batteries, fuel cells, electrolysis, and solar-powered fuel generation, among other technologies. They also drive biological processes such as photosynthesis and occur under the Earth's surface in the formation and breakdown of metal ores.

The scientists have developed a cell—a small enclosed chamber that can hold all the components of an electrochemical reaction—that can be paired with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to generate precise views of a reaction at an atomic scale. Better yet, their device, which they call a polymer liquid cell (PLC), can be frozen to stop the reaction at specific timepoints, so scientists can observe composition changes at each stage of a reaction with other characterization tools.

In a paper appearing in Nature, the team describes their cell and a proof of principle investigation using it to study a copper catalyst that reduces carbon dioxide to generate fuels.

Haimei Zheng, Atomic dynamics of electrified solid–liquid interfaces in liquid-cell TEM, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07479-w. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07479-w

Air pollution linked to nearly 2,000 child deaths a day: Report

Nearly 2,000 children die every day from health problems linked to air pollution, which is now the second biggest risk factor for early death worldwide, a report said recently.

Exposure to air pollution contributed to the deaths of 8.1 million people—around 12 percent of all fatalities—in 2021, according to the report from the US-based Health Effects Institute.

This means air pollution has overtaken tobacco use and poor diet to become the second leading risk factor for early death, behind only high blood pressure, it said.

Little kids are particularly vulnerable to air pollution, and the institute partnered with the UN Children's Fund UNICEF for its annual State of Global Air report.

Air pollution contributed to the deaths of more than 700,000 children under the age of five, the report found.

More than 500,000 of those deaths were attributed to cooking indoors using dirty fuels such as coal, wood or dung, mostly in Africa and Asia.

Nearly every person in the world breathes unhealthy levels of air pollution every day, the report found. Over 90 percent of the deaths were linked to tiny airborne pollutants called PM2.5, which measure 2.5 micrometres or less, it said. Inhaling PM2.5 has been found to increase the risk of lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and a range of other health problems.

The report aimed to link the rates of such diseases with air pollution levels.

But despite the "pretty stark" figures, the report could still be underestimating air pollution's impact, according to experts.

It did not take into account, for instance, how air pollution could affect brain health, neurodegenerative diseases or what impact using solid fuels for heating could have.

The report also found that ozone pollution—which is expected to get worse as the world warms due to human-driven climate change—was linked to nearly 500,000 deaths in 2021.

Source: AFP and other news agencies

https://ceh.unicef.org/spotlight-risk/air-pollution

Travelers urged to keep it local in the name of sustainable tourism

From rolling vineyards to stunning beaches, there's no shortage of beauty to discover in our own backyards.

A tourism expert from the University of South Australia is urging travelers to support local destinations and experiences close to home, instead of long-haul international trips, to lessen the impacts of tourism on the environment.

Adjunct Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management Dr. Freya Higgins-Desbiolles says we should be considering more localized travel and doing everything we can to reduce unnecessary emissions.

She says space travel, private jet travel and mass travel to far off and remote and extreme environments are "unethical" and contribute to a culture of privileged over-consumption.

"In these conditions, it is hard to justify tourism . We have to question our use of cruising or flights in our tourism consumption," she says.

We need to create a cultural shift that sees tourism consumption as a luxury to be savored and not something we can have every year or multiple times a year, like many have come to expect in the Global North. Shifting to an appreciation of local leisure and domestic travels and lower expectations of long-haul international travel is a must.

The Global North, i.e., the northern hemisphere, is responsible for 92% of global emissions.

Dr. Higgins-Desbiolles outlines how tourism is contributing to the depletion of natural resources, pollution, over-consumption and environmental destruction.

Part 1

She recommends that travelers be more considerate in their choices of holiday destinations and reflect on the impact of their activities on the environment.

"Tourism should be defined by the local community, with decision-making controlled at the lowest level and an emphasis on the interrelationships between people, place, ecology and all living things. We need to slow down—stay longer, stay local, be thoughtful with our holiday choices," she says. "There are so many resources out there like Rise Travel Institute or The Travel Foundation that shed light on sustainable, responsible and just tourism.
It's about respecting the destination, looking out for codes of responsibility, and making yourself aware of the culture and what challenges the communities you're visiting are facing. I encourage people to try being more conscious on their next trip—stay in one place longer, travel more slowly, go for nature walks, engage with the culture, try to leave the destination a better place than how you found it."
Tourism Research Australia forecasts that over the next five years, domestic travel will see only moderate growth, largely due to increased competition from international outbound travel, which is set to continue to climb.

The tourism industry contributes 8% of total global carbon emissions, yet the Tourism Panel on Climate Change—an international body of climate scientists and tourism experts—focuses on profit-first climate-resilient tourism, rather than addressing the contribution of the industry to environmental destruction.
Dr. Higgins-Desbiolles says it's up to everyone to make more environmentally conscious travel decisions.

"We must see all governments willing to legislate and regulate tourism better. For example, France has passed legislation banning short-haul flights—the transport method contributing the second most to emissions—when a train journey of less than 2.5 hours is available," she says.

"Meaningful change is needed at every level; governments, organizations and travelers need to put their focus towards sustainable and climate-just tourism."

Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, The end of tourism? Contemplations of collapse, Journal of Tourism Futures (2024). DOI: 10.1108/JTF-11-2023-0259

Part 2

Personalized cancer vaccines are coming
The same mRNA technology that underpins COVID-19 vaccines could train the immune system to attack cancer cells. In a small trial, mRNA treatment in combination with an established immunotherapy nearly halved the risk of melanoma recurrence, compared with the immunotherapy on its own. We have the first proof of concept that these things can work, says cancer immunologists. Now, we just need to make them better. Key to this will be to predict which of the cancer cells’ mutant proteins — unique to each person and cancer type — the vaccine needs to target.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01717-x?utm_source=Live+...

Improving crops with laser beams and 3D printing

A demonstration of how new technologies can be used in 21st century crop breeding comes from just published research that combines laser scanning and 3D printing to create a detailed 3D model of a sugar beet plant.

Taking the next step beyond having genetic information to guide intelligent breeding, the 3D plant models here capture the essential characteristics of the above-ground parts of the sugar beet plant and can be used for AI-assisted crop improvement pipelines. The sugar beet plant models are reproducible and fit for field use.

All the research information, data, methodology, as well as the 3D printing files are freely available. Crop management is gaining much needed tools, and, of course, everyone can now print their own 3D sugar beet plant (Minimum maintenance required.) The sugar beet plant 3D model and its validation are presented in a  new publication    in the journal GigaScience.

Jonas Bömer et al, A 3D printed plant model for accurate and reliable 3D plant phenotyping, GigaScience (2024). DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giae035

Researchers discover why people who lack a specific blood group are genetically predisposed to be overweight or obese

A team of international researchers has discovered that people with a genetic variant that disables the SMIM1 gene have higher body weight because they expend less energy when at rest.

SMIM1 was only identified 10 years ago, while researchers were searching for the gene encoding a specific blood group, known as Vel. One in 5,000 people lack both copies of the gene, making them Vel-negative. The findings from the new research suggest that this group is also more likely to be overweight, a conclusion that could one day lead to new treatments.

The study found that people without both copies of the gene have other measures linked to obesity, including high levels of fat in the blood, signs of fat tissue dysfunction, increased liver enzymes as well as lower levels of thyroid hormones.

SMIM1 absence is associated with reduced energy expenditure and excess weight', Med (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2024.05.015. www.cell.com/med/fulltext/S2666-6340(24)00219-8

Turning infrared light visible: New device uses 2D material to up-convert infrared light

The human eye can only see light at certain frequencies (called the visible spectrum), the lowest of which constitutes red light. Infrared light, which we can't see, has an even lower frequency than red light. Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have now fabricated a device to increase or "up-convert" the frequency of short infrared light to the visible range.

Up-conversion of light has diverse applications, especially in defense and optical communications. In a first, the IISc team used a 2D material to design what they call a non-linear optical mirror stack to achieve this up-conversion, combined with widefield imaging capability. The stack consists of multilayered gallium selenide fixed to the top of a gold reflective surface, with a silicon dioxide layer sandwiched in between.
Traditional infrared imaging uses exotic low-energy bandgap semiconductors or micro-bolometer arrays, which usually pick up heat or absorption signatures from the object being studied.

Infrared imaging and sensing is useful in diverse areas, from astronomy to chemistry. For example, when infrared light is passed through a gas, sensing how the light changes can help scientists tease out specific properties of the gas. Such sensing is not always possible using visible light.
However, existing infrared sensors are bulky and not very efficient. They are also export-restricted because of their utility in defense. There is, therefore, a critical need to develop indigenous and efficient devices.

The method used by the IISc team involves feeding an input infrared signal along with a pump beam onto the mirror stack. The nonlinear optical properties of the material constituting the stack result in a mixing of the frequencies, leading to an output beam of increased (up-converted) frequency, but with the rest of the properties intact. Using this method, they were able to up-convert infrared light of wavelength around 1550 nm to 622 nm visible light. The output light wave can be detected using traditional silicon-based cameras.

 Jyothsna Konkada Manattayil et al, 2D Material Based Nonlinear Optical Mirror for Widefield Up‐Conversion Imaging from Near Infrared to Visible Wavelengths, Laser & Photonics Reviews (2024). DOI: 10.1002/lpor.202400374

Four in five people want more climate action: UN survey

Four in every five people want their country to strengthen its commitments to addressing climate change, according to a global poll of 75,000 participants published this week.

The survey by the UN Development Program, Oxford University and GeoPoll posed 15 questions by randomized telephone calls to people in 77 countries representing 87 percent of the world's population.

The key finding was that 80 percent of respondents want their governments to increase efforts to fight against global warming.

Poorer countries beat this drum the loudest, with 89 percent in favor, though appetite is also high in the wealthy G20 nations (76 percent), according to the survey.

China (73 percent) and the United States (66 percent)—the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitters—also saw a majority of respondents in favor of climate action.

As world leaders decide on the next round of pledges under the Paris Agreement by 2025, these results are undeniable evidence that people everywhere support bold climate action.

A majority of respondents in 62 of the 77 countries surveyed said they supported a quick transition away from fossil fuels to clean energy.

Worries about global warming have also increased, the survey found, with 56 percent saying they think about climate change at least once a week.

Over half (53 percent) of those surveyed said they were more worried about climate change than last year, compared with 15 percent who said they were less worried.

More than two-thirds of survey respondents (69 percent) said that global warming had impacted their life decisions, such as where to live or work and what to buy.

Source: AFP and other news agencies.

Defunct satellites burning up in the atmosphere could damage the ozone layer

Communications companies such as Starlink plan to launch tens of thousands of satellites into orbit around Earth over the next decade or so. The growing swarm is already causing problems for astronomers, but recent research has raised another question: What happens when they start to come down?

When these satellites reach the end of their useful life, they will fall into Earth's atmosphere and burn up. Along the way, they will leave a trail of tiny metallic particles.

According to a study published last week by a team of American researchers, this satellite rain may dump 360 tons of tiny aluminum oxide particles into the atmosphere each year. The aluminum will mostly be injected at altitudes between 50 and 85 kilometers, but it will then drift down to the stratosphere—home to Earth's protective ozone layer.

What does that mean? According to the study, the satellite's contrail could facilitate ozone-destroying chemical reactions.

This could destroy the ozone layer that protects life on Earth.

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024GL109280

https://www.space.com/air-pollution-reentering-space-junk-detected

https://theconversation.com/defunct-satellites-burning-up-in-the-at...

How extreme heat kills

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has calculated that heat kills at least half a million people every year but warns that the real figure could be up to 30 times higher.

How does extreme heat damage the body and how physical activity outdoors raises the risk?

In normal conditions, the body regulates its own temperature like a thermostat, holding it steady at about 36.8C (98.2F).

When outside heat rises, the body cools itself by raising blood-flow to vessels near the skin.

This emits heat at the surface, while perspiration also cools the outside of the body.

To ensure the correct functioning of the cells, enzymes and vital organs, the body's temperature must stay constant, whatever the external conditions.

During an outside activity such as workers working in fields, where people spend hours outdoors in the sun, "the body can quickly become exhausted and can no longer find the reserves of water needed to perspire". Then the kidneys, heart and brain risk overheating and "stop working".

When the body's natural thermostat is overwhelmed in this way, symptoms strike: fatigue, headaches, fever and broken sleep.

These can herald more serious effects, such as dehydration, which chokes off water to the vital organs.

The biggest risk is heatstroke, when the body's temperature exceeds 40C (104F) as the body has its limits. When the weather is too hot or when extreme heat is combined with physical activity, for example, the body can find itself unable to self-regulate.

Babies, the elderly, people with health problems and outdoor workers are most at risk.

The number of sweat glands in the body decreases with age, leaving the body less able to cool itself.

Several factors determine our reaction to heat: age, body mass, physical activity, genes. But when the heat is too strong, even young, healthy bodies can lack the energy to keep the temperature close to 37C.

The WHO warns that hot nights pose a particular health risk.

Nighttime heat gives the body no chance to cool down, leading to a rise in heart attacks.

Part 1

Worldwide, people were exposed to an average of 86 days of life-threatening temperatures in 2022, according to The Lancet Countdown report last year.

The number of people over 65 who died from heat rose by 85 percent between the periods 1991-2000 and 2013-2022, the leading medical journal added.

Climate change caused by humans burning fossil fuels is increasing heat waves and other extreme weather events.
On the current trajectory, the world is on track to warm about 2.7C above the pre-industrial average by the end of this century, according to Climate Action Tracker.

The Lancet Countdown projected that under a 2C warming scenario, about five times as many people will die from the heat each year by 2050.

Source: AFP and other news agencies
Part 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CSIR-NIIST inks MoU with AIIMS for validating alternative tech for disposing biomedical waste

New Delhi, June 25: CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR-NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram, has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, for validating the technology that offers a sustainable and energy-efficient alternative to current practices in disposing pathogenic biomedical waste.

The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the curtain raiser of CSIR’s ‘One Week One Theme’ (OWOT) programme at India Habitat Centre, here yesterday.

CSIR-NIIST has developed a dual disinfection-solidification system that can spontaneously disinfect and immobilize degradable pathogenic biomedical waste such as blood, urine, saliva, sputum, and laboratory disposables, besides imparting a pleasant natural fragrance to otherwise foul-smelling biomedical waste. 

CSIR-NIIST, a constituent laboratory under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, has developed the technology at its laboratory at Pappanamcode in Thiruvananthapuram.

The technology has the potential for far-reaching consequences in the global biomedical arena, as it can address the limitations of conventional technologies, including energy-intense incineration. It will be validated via a pilot-scale installation and accompanying R&D at the AIIMS. The two institutions will have a technical meeting for finalizing the specifications prior to initiation of the proposed study.

The developed technology has also been confirmed by expert third-parties for its antimicrobial action and non-toxic nature of the treated material. Soil studies have confirmed that the treated biomedical waste is superior to organic fertilizers like vermicompost.

 Part 1

CSIR-NIIST Director Dr C. Anandharamakrishnan and Director, AIIMS, New Delhi, Dr M Srinivas, exchanged the MoU in the presence of Union Minister of State for Science & Technology and Vice President, CSIR, Dr. Jitendra Singh.

Secretary, DSIR and Director General, CSIR, Dr. N Kalaiselvi; and Director, CSIR-CBRI, Prof R. Pradeep Kumar, were also present. 

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Jitendra Singh said scientists need to look into how all those resources which have remained unexplored are going to do the value addition to carry India to the top pedestal.  

“Scientific community need to explore Himalayan and marine resources and we have an opportunity to explore further the lesser explored. That is going to add value as we are already saturated,” Dr. Singh added. 

Dr. Kalaiselvi said OWOT is one platform wherein CSIR can showcase to the entire nation innovative ideas based on seven themes.

 “These ideas will help us win the confidence of stakeholders. We’ll showcase to the entire world that CSIR will be the ultimate technology provider and help the nation stay itself as a leading capital on global arena as far as technology transfer is concerned,” Dr. Kalaiselvi added.       

CSIR-NIIST Director Dr C. Anandharamakrishnan said CSIR-NIIST is actively working on various waste management strategies, including biomedical waste, and environmental wellbeing.

“Global sustainability is our prime concern at CSIR-NIIST. The technology that we developed for converting pathogenic biomedical waste into value-added soil additives is a perfect example for the ‘Waste to Wealth’ concept,” he said.

Dr Anandharamakrishnan said CSIR-NIIST is committed to delivering sustainability in every technology with societal, national and global significance. It also targets an innovative solution for the safe and eco-friendly management of pathogenic biomedical waste through the present technology.

Biomedical waste, which includes potentially infectious and pathogenic materials, presents a significant challenge for proper management and disposal. As per a 2020 report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), India produces around 774 tonnes of biomedical waste daily.

CSIR-NIIST has also developed an automated and integrated equipment to ensure minimal human exposure during any stage of pathogenic biomedical waste treatment. The equipment was displayed at a previous expo organized by CSIR at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital last year.

On the occasion, CSIR-NIIST also transferred the technology for manufacturing plant leather alternatives from agri waste (cactus) to startup Veganvista Corp Pvt Ltd., Ahmedabad. This technology assures reduction of carbon footprint and utilisation waste lands in arid and semi-arid regions for cactus cultivation and value addition to farmers in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.

Besides, CSIR-NIIST’s technology for making plant oil sourced bio-resin for paper coating was also transferred to a startup owned by Sanchit Gulati and his team, Panipat, Haryana, at the event.

The process knowhow developed on bio-resin coating from plant oils can replace single use plastic liner on paper and other cellulosic products to design an eco-friendly, green and sustainable packaging material with biodegradability and re-pulpability potential.

Part 2

Study links gut microbiome changes to increased risk of type 2 diabetes

The largest and most ethnically and geographically comprehensive investigation to date of the gut microbiome of people with type 2 diabetes (T2D), prediabetes, and healthy glucose status has found that specific viruses and genetic variants within bacteria correspond with changes in gut microbiome function and T2D risk.

The microbiome is highly variable across different geographic locations and racial and ethnic groups. If you only study a small, homogeneous population, you will probably miss something.

The gut microbiome's relationship to complex, chronic, heterogeneous diseases like T2D is quite subtle. Much like studies of large human populations have been crucial for understanding human genetic variation, large and diverse populations are necessary—and increasingly feasible—for detailed microbiome variation studies as well.

T2D affects approximately 537 million people worldwide. In T2D, the body gradually loses its ability to regulate blood sugar effectively. Research over the last decade has linked changes in the gut microbiome—the collection of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that inhabit our intestines—to the development of T2D. However, prior studies of the gut microbiome and its role in T2D have been too small and varied in study design to draw significant conclusions.

This study analyzed data from the newly established Microbiome and Cardiometabolic Disease Consortium (MicroCardio). The investigation included newly generated data and those originally captured during several other experiments, encompassing a total of 8,117 gut microbiome metagenomes from ethnically and geographically diverse participants.

People included in the study had T2D, prediabetes, or no changes in their blood sugar levels and hailed from several countries in the world. 

Part 1

With this large study, the researchers asked two questions. One is, 'What are the roles of species and strains that make up the gut microbiome in type 2 diabetes?' The other question is, 'What are these microbes doing?'"

When they analyzed this data, they found a relatively consistent set of microbial species linked to type 2 diabetes across their study populations. Many of those species have never been reported before.

To understand the role of these microbes in the gut, the team analyzed species' functional abilities. Different strains of a microbial species can have varied functions, like the ability to make a specific amino acid. The team found that certain strains had functions that may be linked to varied T2D disease risk.

One major functional difference they saw was that a strain of Prevotella copri—a common microbe in the gut that has the capacity to produce large amounts of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)—was more commonly seen in diabetes patients' gut microbiomes. Previous studies have shown that people with chronically high blood levels of BCAAs have a higher risk of obesity and T2D.

The researchers also found evidence suggesting that bacteriophages—viruses that infect bacteria—could be driving some of the changes they detected within certain strains of gut bacteria.

This could mean that the virus infects the bacteria and changes its function in a way that increases or decreases type 2 diabetes risk, but more work is needed to understand this connection.

In another analysis, the team studied a small subset of samples from patients newly diagnosed with T2D to assess microbiomes that are less likely to have been impacted by medication use or long-term high glucose status. Their results were similar to their larger findings.

The researchers firmly think that changes in the gut microbiome cause type 2 diabetes. The changes to the microbiome may happen first, and diabetes develops later, not the other way around—although future prospective or interventional studies are needed to prove this relation firmly. This is just one study.

If these microbial features are causal, we can find a way to change the microbiome and reduce type 2 diabetes risk. The microbiome is amenable to intervention—meaning you can change your microbiome, for example, with dietary changes, probiotics, or fecal transplants.

Part 2

One major limitation of the study is that, for the most part, it looked at patients' microbiomes at one point in time. It didn't look at changes to the gut microbiome or disease status over time. Future studies that build on this work include studying this link over an extended period and examining the strain-specific functions to understand better how they lead to T2D.

A benefit and a challenge of the human microbiome is that it is highly personalized. 

The fact that we each have highly distinct microbial communities and microbial genetics means that very large population studies are needed to find consistent patterns. But once we do, individual microbiomes have the potential to be reshaped to help reduce disease risk.

Mei, Z et al. Strain-Specific gut microbial signatures in Type 2 Diabetes Revealed by a Cross-Cohort Analysis of 8,117 Metagenomes, Nature Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-03067-7

Part 3

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Scientists identify safe havens we must preserve to prevent 'the sixth great extinction of life on Earth'

In a new article, a coalition of conservationists and researchers have shown how we can protect Earth's remaining biodiversity by conserving just a tiny percentage of the planet's surface. This affordable, achievable plan would make it possible for us to preserve the most threatened species from extinction, safeguarding Earth's wildlife for the future.

Most species on Earth are rare, meaning that species either have very narrow ranges or they occur at very low densities or both. And rarity is very concentrated. In a recent study, zooming in on this rarity, researchers found that we need only about 1.2% of the Earth's surface to head off the sixth great extinction of life on Earth. 

To meet ambitious conservation goals, an additional 1.2 million square kilometers of land were protected between 2018 and 2023. But do these new conservation areas effectively protect critical biodiversity? Scientists estimated that the 2018-2023 expansion only covered 0.11 million square kilometers with range-limited and threatened species. Planning protected areas is crucial, ensuring that we target our efforts and resources as effectively as possible.

The scientists started by mapping the entire world, using six layers of global biodiversity data. By combining these layers of data with maps of existing protected areas and a fractional land cover analysis, using satellite images to identify the remaining habitat available to rare and threatened species, the scientists were able to identify the most critical, currently unprotected areas of biodiversity. They called these Conservation Imperatives: a global blueprint to help countries and regions plan conservation at a more local level.

These 16,825 sites, covering approximately 164 Mha, could prevent all predicted extinctions if they were adequately protected. Just protecting the sites found in the tropics could stave off most predicted extinctions. Additionally, 38% of Conservation Imperatives are very close to already-protected areas, which could make it easier to absorb them into protected areas or to find other ways of conserving them.

These sites are home to over 4,700 threatened species in some of the world's most biodiverse yet threatened ecosystems. These include not only mammals and birds that rely on large intact habitats, like the tamaraw in the Philippines and the Celebes crested macaque in Sulawesi, Indonesia, but also range-restricted amphibians and rare plant species.

To calculate the price of this protection, the scientists modeled a cost estimate using data from hundreds of land protection projects over 14 years, and accounting for the type and amount of land acquired as well as country-specific economic factors. These numbers are approximate because a variety of land purchase or long-term lease options, each with different costs, might work well for protecting Conservation Imperatives. Stakeholders worldwide, including indigenous peoples, communities with jurisdiction over Conservation Imperative sites, and other members of civil society, will need to decide which options work best for them.

Their analysis estimated that protecting the Conservation Imperatives in the tropics would cost approximately $34 billion per year over the next five years.

This represents less than 0.2% of the United States' GDP, less than 9% of the annual subsidies benefiting the global fossil fuel industry, and a fraction of the revenue generated from the mining and agroforestry industries each year.

Part 1

Preserving wildlife is also key to halting and reversing the climate crisis. Preserving biodiversity means protecting the Earth's forest cover, which acts as a carbon sink: by conserving carbon-rich, wildlife-rich forested regions, we protect both threatened species and humans. While securing Conservation Imperatives is only part of the work—for example, just purchasing land won't prevent poaching—it's the first critical step we need to take.

What will we bequeath to future generations? A healthy, vibrant Earth is critical for us to pass on. So we've got to get going. We've got to head off the extinction crisis. Conservation Imperatives drive us to do that.

Conservation Imperatives: securing the last unprotected terrestrial sites harboring irreplaceable biodiversity, Frontiers in Science (2024). DOI: 10.3389/fsci.2024.1349350. www.frontiersin.org/journals/s … ci.2024.1349350/full

Part 2

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Dietary fiber found to regulate gut bacteria's use of tryptophan, impacting health

We get healthy dietary fiber from consuming fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. But why is fiber so good for us? A team of researchers has discovered that dietary fiber plays a crucial role in determining the balance between the production of healthy and harmful substances by influencing the behavior of bacteria in the colon.

Researchers have now uncovered an essential part of why this is the case. Different types of bacteria inside our colon compete to utilize an essential amino acid called tryptophan. This competition may lead to either good or bad outcomes for our health.

The research, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, reveals that when we eat a lot of dietary fiber, gut bacteria help turn tryptophan into healthy substances. But if we don't eat enough fiber, tryptophan can be converted into harmful compounds by our gut bacteria.

These results emphasize that our dietary habits significantly influence the behavior of gut bacteria, creating a delicate balance between health-promoting and disease-associated activities. In the long term, the results can help us design dietary programs that prevent a range of diseases.

 Dietary fibre directs microbial tryptophan metabolism via metabolic interactions in the gut microbiota, Nature Microbiology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01737-3. www.nature.com/articles/s41564-024-01737-3

China lunar probe returns to Earth with samples

A Chinese probe carrying samples from the far side of the moon returned to Earth on Tuesday, capping a technically complex 53-day mission heralded as a world first.

The landing module of the Chang'e-6 spacecraft touched down at a predetermined site in Inner Mongolia recently, the China National Space Administration said, hailing the mission a "complete success".

It comes bearing soil and rocks from the side of the moon facing away from Earth, a poorly understood region that scientists say holds great research promise because its rugged features are less smoothed over by ancient lava flows than the near side.

That means the materials harvested there may help us to better understand how the moon formed and how it has evolved over time.

Source: Various news agencies

Researchers identify potential hazards in biosolid fertilizers

Fertilizers manufactured from the sludgy leftovers of wastewater treatment processes can contain traces of potentially hazardous organic chemicals, according to a new study.

The research, published in Environmental Science & Technology, provides one of the most comprehensive looks at the chemical composition of so-called biosolids  and is the first step toward identifying common chemical contaminants that may need  regulation. 

Using analytical chemistry techniques capable of identifying thousands of chemicals, researchers screened 16 samples of biosolids from wastewater treatment facilities in nine U.S. and three Canadian cities. Samples contained traces of pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, and a variety of fragrances. Among them were bisphenol A (BPA), commonly found in plastics, and carbamazepine, a drug used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder.

Using biosolids can be beneficial, the researchers said. They are rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients that help plants grow. They require less energy to make than synthetic alternatives. And wastewater facilities can sell biosolids to generate revenue to offset treatment costs and reduce waste sent to landfills or incinerators.

But...

While direct contact with biosolids is likely limited to occupational exposures, the broader population could be exposed to contaminants absorbed by crops grown in such fertilizers, the researchers said.

The team plans to measure the identified compounds in the biosolids and vegetables grown in biosolid-amended soil to determine if their concentration levels warrant concern. The researchers are also investigating risks to farmers, landscapers, and composters who work with biosolids.

Combining non-targeted analysis with computer-based hazard comparison approaches to support prioritization of unregulated organic contaminants in biosolids, Environmental Science & Technology (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c02934

2.6 million die annually due to alcohol: WHO

Alcohol kills nearly three million people annually, the World Health Organization said this week, adding that while the death rate had dropped slightly in recent years it remained "unacceptably high".

The United Nations health agency's latest report on alcohol and health said alcohol causes nearly one in 20 deaths globally each year, through drink driving, alcohol-induced violence and abuse, and a multitude of diseases and disorders.

The report said 2.6 million deaths were attributed to alcohol consumption in 2019—the latest available statistics—accounting for 4.7 percent of all deaths worldwide that year.

Nearly three-quarters of those deaths were in men, it said.

Substance use severely harms individual health, increasing the risk of chronic diseases,mental health conditions, and tragically resulting in millions of preventable deaths every year," WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

Drinking is linked to a slew of health conditions, including cirrhosis of the liver and some cancers.

Of all fatalities it caused in 2019, the report found that an estimated 1.6 million were from noncommunicable diseases.

Of these, 474,000 were from cardiovascular diseases, 401,000 from cancer and a huge 724,000 from injuries, including traffic accidents and self-harm.

Alcohol abuse also makes people more susceptible to infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV and pneumonia, the report found.

An estimated 209 million people lived with alcohol dependence in 2019—3.7 percent of the global population.

Source: AFP

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How gut bacteria affect cancer drugs
Gut microbiome discovery provides roadmap for life-saving cancer therapies
The balance between bacterial communities in the gut affects the likelihood of a positive response to drugs called checkpoint inhibitors.
The gut microbiome can usefully predict how people respond to certain immunotherapy drugs for treating cancer. Instead of singling out individual microbes, researchers showed that the overall balance between bacterial communities in the gut affects a person’s response. The team developed a scoring system based in part on the ratio between two different populations of gut microbes. When applied to hundreds of people with cancer, the score could mostly predict who would respond to immunotherapy. The work “is a breakthrough from a diagnostic point of view”.
The study might also improve the effectiveness of faecal microbiome transplants — when healthy volunteers donate bacterial samples to people who don’t respond well to certain drugs.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-02070-9?utm_source=Live+...

Elusive ‘polar rain aurora’ spotted

Gigantic oddball aurora seen from Earth for the first time

As the solar wind dropped to a whisper for 28 hours in December 2022, scientists got the first-ever unimpeded view from Earth of the ‘polar rain aurora’. The rare phenomenon created a diffuse glow spanning more than 3,000 kilometres across the North Pole. Polar rain auroras form when electrons from the Sun's outermost atmosphere crash into Earth's atmosphere. Usually, the solar wind — a flood of other charged particles coming from the Sun — prevents their formation. They have only occasionally been spotted by satellites looking down on the poles from above.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-02072-7?utm_source=Live+...

Iceland's volcano eruptions may last decades, researchers find

Iceland's ongoing volcanic eruptions may continue on and off for years to decades, threatening the country's most densely populated region and vital infrastructure, researchers predict from local earthquake and geochemical data.

The eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula have forced authorities to declare a state of emergency, with a series of eight eruptions having occurred since 2021. This southwestern region is home to 70% of the country's population, its only international airport, and several geothermal power plants that supply hot water and electricity. The most recent eruption from May through June triggered the evacuation of residents and visitors from the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, a popular tourist attraction, for the third time in more than two months.

Although Iceland sees regular eruptions because it sits above a volcanic hot spot, the Reykjanes Peninsula has been dormant for 800 years. Its last volcanic era continued over centuries, however, prompting scientists to predict the renewed volcanism to be the start of a long episode.

An international team of scientists has been watching the volcanoes over the past three years. Analyzing seismic tomography imaging and the composition of lava samples, they've uncovered parts of the geological processes behind the new volcanic era. They predict the region may have to prepare for recurring eruptions lasting years to decades and possibly centuries.

 The Fagradalsfjall and Sundhnúkur Fires of 2021-2024: a single magma reservoir under the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland?, Terra Nova (2024). DOI: 10.1111/ter.12733

'Wake-up call': third of adults not doing enough physical activity

Nearly a third of all adults are not doing enough physical activity, posing a growing threat to health across the world, a major study said this week.

More than 31 percent of adults—1.8 billion people—did not get the recommended amount of physical exercise in 2022, an increase of five percentage points from 2010, according to a study by the World Health Organization and other researchers.

"Physical inactivity is a silent threat to global health, contributing significantly to the burden of chronic diseases," said Ruediger Krech, director of the WHO's health promotion department.

"Unfortunately the world is not going in the right direction," he told an online press conference.

To be healthy, the WHO recommends all adults spend at least 150 minutes every week doing moderate-intensity physical activity—which can include walking, cycling or even heavy household chores—or at least 75 minutes of more vigorous exercise, such as running or competing in sport.

A combination of the two will also get people over the line.

A combination of the two will also get people over the line. Not getting this level of exercise increases the risk of people developing heart disease, diabetes, some cancers as well as mental health problems, Krech said.

If current trends continue, adult inactivity levels are projected to rise to 35 percent by 2030, according to the study in The Lancet Global Health.

This would fall far short of the WHO's goal of reducing physical inactivity by 15 percent by the end of the decade.

Fiona Bull, head of the WHO's physical activity unit, said the research was "a wake-up call that we're not doing enough".

Part 1

Inactivity rates varied widely between countries. For example, 66 percent of adults do not get enough physical activity in the United Arab Emirates, while the figure was under three percent in Malawi.

There was also a gender gap. Nearly 34 percent of women worldwide do not reach the activity threshold, compared to 29 percent of men.

There are "multiple causes" for activity rates declining overall, including that people are walking less, working at computers more and generally spending more leisure time looking at screens, Bull said.

Don't just sit on (your) chairs, get up and be active—every step counts!

 Tessa Strain et al, National, regional, and global trends in insufficient physical activity among adults from 2000 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 507 population-based surveys with 5·7 million participants, The Lancet Global Health (2024). DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(24)00150-5

Part 2

How bioelectricity shapes muscle development

A new research work describes how nerve cells and muscle cells communicate through electrical signals during development—a phenomenon known as bioelectricity.

The communication, which takes place via specialized channels between cells, is vital for proper development and behavior. The study identifies specific genes that control the process, and pins down what happens when it goes wrong.

The finding offers clues to the genetic origins of muscle disorders in humans, and taps into longstanding questions in developmental biology.

Model organisms like mice, fruit flies and worms allow scientists to do experiments that aren't possible in humans, answering fundamental biological questions and providing guidance for more focused testing in humans.

Zebrafish were a promising addition to the scene. Zebrafish and humans share many genes, making the fish useful for testing the genetic underpinnings of human diseases and conditions. And because zebra fish embryos are transparent, scientists can watch development happen in real time under the microscope.

Zebrafish are the perfect species to study electrical communication. Thanks to their transparent embryos,  researchers can image electricity flowing through cells in real time.

Part 1

While hunting for zebrafish with different gap junction mutations, the researchers made an intriguing find: a zebrafish that couldn't move its tail properly. Usually, a zebrafish embryo will flop around and spontaneously flick its tail, but these fish didn't do that.
In healthy zebrafish, researchers can watch the electrical signals propagate through the gap junctions between muscle cells, like a plume of food dye diffusing into a cup of water. In fish with this mutation, the signals don't flow. The mutation was impairing electrical communication between the cells via the gap junctions.

And that communication breakdown led to improper muscular development, the team showed. In an ordinary healthy zebrafish, the muscle fibers are straight and orderly. In this zebrafish with this mutation, the muscle fibers are crinkly and wavy, like crepe paper streamers.

The researchers pinned the change on a mutation in a specific gene. Through a series of experiments, they showed that this gene, when functioning normally, makes the gap junction channels between muscle cells that allow the nervous system to coordinate the activity of early developing muscle. And without appropriate electrical signaling at the right time during development, the muscle fibers can't organize properly, causing crinkly muscle fibers and severe muscle defects.
So scientists figured out that this gap junction channel is a conduit—it allows electricity from the nerve cells to be sent out to muscle fibers.
More than a curiosity, though, the findings can help inform scientists' understanding of muscle development in humans. In disorders where muscles don't develop properly, faulty gap junction channels might be one cause, a link that was previously unknown.
The transfer of bioelectricity from one organ system to another is critical for development and adult function. Finding the genes that allow this to occur, understanding how they work, and exactly what goes wrong when communication is disrupted, will provide new insight into human disease.

Gap-junction-mediated bioelectric signaling required for slow muscle development and function in zebrafish, Current Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.007. www.cell.com/current-biology/f … 0960-9822(24)00759-0

Part 2

Biologists uncover how key carbohydrate-attachment mechanism malfunctions and causes various diseases

Researchers have uncovered how a structure in bodily carbohydrates (sugar chains or "glycans") that regulates how they attach themselves to other molecules interacts with key enzymes, and in so doing can contribute to a range of diseases.

One of the most essential bodily biochemical processes involves carbohydrates (sugar chains or "glycans") attaching themselves to proteins and fats (lipids), and when this process malfunctions, the risk of contracting a raft of diseases sharply increases. Researchers have recently discovered how a crucial enzyme's interaction with a small structure in glycans during this attachment can contribute to such breakdowns.

Their findings are described in a paper published online in the Journal of Biological Chemistry on June 4, 2024.

Part 1

Within organisms, the attachment of carbohydrates, or "glycans," onto proteins or lipids—a process called "glycosylation"—plays an essential role in a staggering number of physiological processes. It is necessary for cell recognition, cell signaling, immune response, protein folding, development and fertilization. Meanwhile, the slightest alteration in the structure of glycans can lead to or aggravate diseases from cancer and diabetes to Alzheimer's and muscular dystrophy.

Glycans and their associated processes are in fact so important that they get their own field: glycobiology. And within this discipline, almost all of the enzymes—the molecules that kick off or speed up chemical reactions—that are responsible for production of glycans in humans have been identified and categorized, as well as the various production processes, or "biosynthetic pathways."

Studying these mechanisms in detail is vital for disease process identification and controlling it.

Full details about the work can be found here: 

 Yuko Tokoro et al, LacdiNAc synthase B4GALNT3 has a unique PA14 domain and suppresses N-glycan capping, Journal of Biological Chemistry (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107450

Part 2