Comment

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 11, 2025 at 10:01am

Almost all nations miss UN deadline for new climate targets

Nearly all nations missed a UN deadline Monday to submit new targets for slashing carbon emissions, including major economies under pressure to show leadership following the US retreat on climate change.

Just 10 of nearly 200 countries required under the Paris Agreement to deliver fresh climate plans by February 10 did so on time, according to a UN database tracking the submissions.

Under the climate accord, each country is supposed to provide a steeper headline figure for cutting heat-trapping emissions by 2035, and a detailed blueprint for how to achieve this.

Global emissions have been rising but need to almost halve by the end of the decade to limit global warming to safer levels agreed under the Paris deal.

This latest round of national pledges are the most important policy documents of this century.

Yet just a handful of major polluters handed in upgraded targets on time, with China, India and the European Union the biggest names on a lengthy absentee list.

Most G20 economies were missing in action with the United States, Britain and Brazil—which is hosting this year's UN climate summit—the only exceptions.

There is no penalty for submitting late targets, formally titled nationally determined contributions (NDCs).

They are not legally binding but act as an accountability measure to ensure countries are taking climate change seriously and doing their fair share toward achieving the Paris goals.

The sluggish response will not ease fears of a possible backslide on climate action as leaders juggle Trump's return and other competing priorities from budget and security crises to electoral pressure.

Source: News Agencies

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 11, 2025 at 9:43am

Potassium-enriched salt shows promise for cutting recurrent stroke risk in clinical trial

Potassium supplements in salt were associated with reduced rates of recurrent stroke and mortality in a large-scale cluster randomized clinical trial involving patients.

Findings come from a subgroup (stroke patients) analysis within the original Salt Substitute and Stroke Study (SSaSS), an international study conducted by researchers.

Stroke ranks among the top causes of death and disability in low- and middle income countries, and recurrent events remain a major concern. High sodium intake and low potassium intake are considered key risk factors.

The SSaSS trial involved 600 villages and 20,995 individuals in rural China. In the previous studies, researchers replaced participants' salt with a 75% salt, 25% potassium chloride substitute.

In the study, "Salt Substitution and Recurrent Stroke and Death: A Randomized Clinical Trial," published in JAMA Cardiology, the team analyzed data from 15,249 participants who had previously reported suffering from stroke.

Researchers used data from the original study, which monitored blood pressure, stroke recurrence, mortality, and safety outcomes, including hyperkalemia risk. Urinary sodium/potassium excretion was also tracked.

Over the study period, recurrent stroke was 14% lower in the 25% potassium substitute group compared with the regular salt group, the same as found in the original full cohort study.

Mean systolic blood pressure over follow-up was lower in the salt substitute group compared with controls. A total of 2,735 recurrent stroke events occurred, with 691 fatal and 2,044 nonfatal episodes.

Hemorrhagic stroke showed a 30% relative reduction, and stroke-related deaths decreased by 21%. No meaningful difference in hyperkalemia was observed between groups.

Findings indicate that salt reduction with 25% potassium is a safe, low-cost dietary intervention that can reduce stroke recurrence and mortality among stroke survivors. Researchers suggest broader implementation of salt substitutes, particularly in regions with high sodium intake and limited access to preventive health care.

Xiong Ding et al, Salt Substitution and Recurrent Stroke and Death, JAMA Cardiology (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamacardio.2024.5417

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 11, 2025 at 9:21am

Earth's inner core is less solid than previously thought

The surface of the Earth's inner core may be changing, as shown by a new study by  scientists that detected structural changes near the planet's center, published in Nature Geoscience.

The changes of the inner core have long been a topic of debate for scientists. However, most research has been focused on assessing rotation.

Located 3,000 miles below the Earth's surface, the inner core is anchored by gravity within the molten liquid outer core. Until now, the inner core was widely thought of as a solid sphere.

But a study conducted recently showed a different picture.

The study utilized seismic waveform data—including 121 repeating earthquakes from 42 locations near Antarctica's South Sandwich Islands that occurred between 1991 and 2024—to give a glimpse of what takes place in the inner core.

As the researchers analyzed the waveforms from receiver-array stations located near Fairbanks, Alaska, and Yellowknife, Canada, one dataset of seismic waves from the latter station included uncharacteristic properties the team had never seen before.

 The new study indicates that the near surface of the inner core may undergo viscous deformation, changing its shape and shifting at the inner core's shallow boundary.

The clearest cause of the structural change is interaction between the inner and outer core. The molten outer core is widely known to be turbulent, but its turbulence had not been observed to disrupt its neighbour the inner core on a human timescale.

The discovery opens a door to reveal previously hidden dynamics deep within Earth's core, and may lead to better understanding of Earth's thermal and magnetic field.

John Vidale, Annual-scale variability in both the rotation rate and near surface of Earth's inner core, Nature Geoscience (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-025-01642-2. www.nature.com/articles/s41561-025-01642-2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 9, 2025 at 11:09am

PRESS RELEASE sent to me by DST, Govt. of India to share online:

CSIR-NIIST develops technology for converting biomedical waste into soil additives

· Science & Technology Minister Jitendra Singh to launch the Research-based Point-of-Care Validation of technology at AIIMS New Delhi on Feb 10

New Delhi, Feb 08: Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh will formally launch an automated biomedical waste conversion rig that can disinfect pathogenic biomedical waste such as blood, urine, sputum, and laboratory disposables, without the use of costly and energy-intensive incinerators, besides imparting a pleasant fragrance to these foul-smelling toxic waste.

The rig, christened as “Sṛjanam” and developed by CSIR-NIIST based at Thiruvananthapuram, will be installed and commissioned at a function at AIIMS, New Delhi on February 10.

The prototype equipment, with a daily capacity of 400 kg, can handle 10 kg degradable medical waste per day in the initial phase. The technology, once validated, will be ready for full-scale implementation after securing approval from competent authorities.

Through this technology, CSIR-NIIST (National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology) aims at an innovative and alternative solution for the safe, inexpensive and environment-friendly disposal of pathogenic biomedical waste.

The event will be attended by Dr. M Srinivas, Director, AIIMS New Delhi; Dr. (Mrs.) N Kalaiselvi, Secretary, DSIR & DG, CSIR; Shri Tanmay Kumar, Secretary, MoEFCC; Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, DHR & DG, ICMR; and Dr. V K Paul, Member, NITI Aayog.

Dr. C Anandharamakrishnan, Director, CSIR-NIIST, will propose the vote of thanks.

The technology, developed by CSIR-NIIST, has been confirmed by expert third-parties for its antimicrobial action and non-toxic nature of the treated material. It can also disinfect laboratory disposables for direct recycling. Soil studies have confirmed that the treated biomedical waste is superior to organic fertilizers like vermicompost.

“With its potential to transform treated waste into value-added soil additives with minimal human intervention, our technology provides a safer solution for healthcare facilities, avoids the risk of spills and occupational exposure, and assists in preventing uncontrolled spread of infectious microbes,” said Dr. C Anandharamakrishnan.

India produces 743 tonnes of biomedical waste daily, according to the 2023 annual report of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). It presents a significant challenge for proper management and disposal.

Improper segregation, open dumping, open burning, and inadequate incineration lead to severe health hazards, such as the release of harmful human carcinogens, particulate matter, and ash residues. Increased biomedical waste generation demands more transportation facilities, increasing the risk of accidents and spills. The WHO has also emphasized the importance of innovative and alternative protocols for pathogenic biomedical waste disposal.

Dr. C Anandharamakrishnan said the dumping of biomedical waste at any premise is prohibited by law. However, there have been several incidents of dumping the biomedical waste generated in one state across the borders of the neighbouring states.

Incineration is a costly energy-intensive strategy that forces the stakeholders to adopt simpler and cheaper, but sometimes illegal means, to dispose biomedical waste.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 8, 2025 at 12:00pm

Evidence of cannibalism by ancient Magdalenian people found in cave in Poland

A team of archaeologists, paleontologists, and historians from several institutions in Spain, Germany, and Poland, has found evidence of Magdalenian people from approximately 18,000 years ago, living in a cave in what is now Poland, engaging in cannibalism. In their paper published in Scientific Reports, the group describes their analysis of bones found in the cave many years ago, and the evidence that strongly suggests that the early people were consuming human flesh.

Prior research has shown that multiple groups or entire cultures have at times throughout human history engaged in cannibalism. The practice has most often been performed as part of a ritual of some sort, although there are also many examples of people resorting to eating the remains of others in their group due to starvation conditions.

For this new study, the researchers took a new look at bones and bone fragments that had been removed from Maszycka Cave in southern Poland from digs that took place in the 19th century and as recently as the 1960s. Because the bones had been broken and splintered, it was not known until now that they were even of human origin.

In taking a close look at some of the fragments, the researchers noted there were marks on them consistent with marks on bones from animals that had been cut up and consumed. They also found that many of the bones had been cracked open so that the nutrient-rich marrow inside could be removed, and perhaps also consumed. They also note that the human bones were mixed in among bone fragments of other animals which had the same types of cut marks on them, suggesting they too were consumed.

The final piece of evidence was the timing; all the bones were from roughly the same time period, suggesting that they had been entombed together, possibly during a single event. Also, the bones are from a time not long after the last ice age—as more land opened up with the receding ice, cannibalism may have reflected the violence of competing for territory.

The research team suggests that taken together, the evidence strongly suggests cannibalism, though they acknowledge there is a little wiggle room. Some early cultures have been known to strip the bones of their dead clean as a form of ritual or burial. They note it is possible the people who left the bones behind were doing something similar.

 Francesc Marginedas et al, New insights of cultural cannibalism amongst Magdalenian groups at Maszycka Cave, Poland, Scientific Reports (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-86093-w

**

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 8, 2025 at 10:26am

Common bacterial infection may trigger lung transplant rejection

A large team of surgeons and organ transplant researchers affiliated with multiple institutions  has found an association between lung transplant patients who become infected with the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and rejection of the transplanted lung.

In their study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the group analyzed lung transplant case histories looking for patients with P. aeruginosa and lung rejection.  Other researchers have published a Focus piece in the same journal issue outlining the work.

The relief that patients with sick lungs experience after a lung transplant is often quickly displaced by fear of their body rejecting the new lungs despite immunosuppressive drugs. Lung transplantation has one of the lowest rates of success of all organ transplants. One of the team members noticed that many patients who experienced lung rejection also had a P. aeruginosa infection.

The team wondered if such infections played a role in transplant rejections. To find out, they analyzed patient case histories and found the rate to be higher than expected. This prompted them to conduct experiments with lab mice.

In their lab experiments, otherwise healthy lab mice were infected with P. aeruginosa and were then given new lungs from another mouse. As the team monitored their progress, they found that the test mice infected with P. aeruginosa experienced bacterial spread to lymphoid tissue, where the infection killed CD4+ cells. That led to growth in the number of B cells expressing a protein called CXCR3, which were sensitive to antigens in the donated lungs. As a result, the B cells produced donor-specific antibodies, which led to rejection of the lungs.

The team also found that giving the test mice drugs that blocked the expression of CXCR3 by the B cells inhibited the mechanism that led to rejection, allowing the mice to keep their new lungs. Thus, the team not only found a possible association between P. aeruginosa infections and rejection of transplanted lungs, but a possible solution for the problem.

Fuyi Liao et al, Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection induces intragraft lymphocytotoxicity that triggers lung transplant antibody-mediated rejection, Science Translational Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adp1349

Idaira M. Guerrero-Fonseca et al, No tolerance for Pseudomonas in lung transplants, Science Translational Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adu6563

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 7, 2025 at 1:47pm

Exactly what may be in the air depends on the fuels that fed the fire. Smoke from burning vegetation is full of fine particles and chemicals, including ozone, sulfur dioxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other volatile compounds that can be hazardous to health.

Increasingly, urban areas are burning too, especially as development snuggles up next to wildlands. So heavy metals are another health worry.

Urban wildfires represent a unique challenge because of the types of pollutants that are generated.
When buildings and automobiles burn, heavy metals, such as lead and copper, get dispersed. Older homes may release asbestos fibers. Plastics and electronics give off noxious chemicals and metals. All of that can contaminate air, soil and water.
Some worry that the chemicals used to fight the fire pose a risk, too. Among the many iconic images of the LA fires were low-flying planes dumping fire retardants that painted neighborhoods red.
But the main component of fire retardant “is ammonium phosphate, which is basically just fertilizer,” say the experts. “The red color comes from iron oxide, which is more or less rust.” Gum or other thickeners may be added. Those are “not so harmful,” they say.

Source: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/toxic-danger-lurk-burn-los-ange...

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 7, 2025 at 1:44pm

Toxic dangers lurk in LA, even in homes that didn’t burn

Houses still standing after the LA fires may release dangerous chemicals indoors for months.

Even as firefighters douse the deadly LA wildfires, a more insidious danger remains. Chemicals from the ashy residue of thousands of burned homes and cars, scorched plastic pipes and even lifesaving fire retardants have blanketed parts of the region.

And that may jeopardize the immediate health of people living near burn zones for months to come. Long-term health consequences are also possible.

Wildfires’ aftermath may expose people to toxic chemicals and harmful particles in the air and water both outside and inside their homes, experts warn.

Ash, soot and other pollutants that settle out of smoke may get stirred up and resuspended by wind and as people move about. These emissions are not necessarily captured by the regional air quality monitoring.

So even if your city’s air “looks good or healthy or green, that doesn’t necessarily indicate that the air quality is good around your home.” That’s especially a problem for those living close to burned areas but may be an issue kilometers away, too.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 7, 2025 at 12:43pm

Why some heavy drinkers develop advanced liver disease, while others do not

Why do some people who consume a few glasses of alcohol a day develop advanced liver disease while others who drink the same amount don't? The answer may lie in three common underlying medical conditions, according to a new study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology from Keck Medicine of USC. The research found that heavy drinkers with either diabetes, high blood pressure or a high waist circumference are as much as 2.4 times more likely to develop advanced liver disease.

The results identify a very high-risk segment of the population prone to liver disease and suggest that preexisting health issues may have a large impact on how alcohol affects the liver.

Diabetes, high blood pressure and a high waist circumference (35 inches for women; 40 inches for men), which is associated with obesity, belong to a cluster of five health conditions that influence an individual's risk for heart attack and stroke known as cardiometabolic risk factors.

Cardiometabolic risk factors have been linked to the buildup of fat in the liver (also known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease), which can lead to fibrosis, or scarring of the liver.

Alcohol also causes fat buildup in the liver.

Researchers discovered that heavy drinkers with either diabetes or a high waist circumference were 2.4 times more likely to develop advanced liver disease and those with high blood pressure 1.8 times more likely.

They found that the other two cardiometabolic risk factors—high triglycerides (elevated levels of a type of fat in the blood) and low HDL (high-density lipoprotein or "good" cholesterol) had less significant correlations to liver disease.

 Brian P. Lee et al, Association of Alcohol and Incremental Cardiometabolic Risk Factors with Liver Disease: A National Cross-Sectional Study, Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2025.01.003

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 7, 2025 at 12:02pm

While the cerebral cortex has long been considered the brain's primary center for learning, memory and behavioral flexibility, we found the subcortical vLGN and not the visual cortex actually stores these crucial memories. This neural pathway can provide a link between cognitive neocortical processes and 'hard-wired' brainstem-mediated behaviors, enabling animals to adapt instinctive behaviors.
The researchers also uncovered the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind this process. Learning occurs through increased neural activity in specific vLGN neurons, triggered by the release of endocannabinoids—brain-internal messenger molecules known to regulate mood and memory.

This release decreases inhibitory input to vLGN neurons, resulting in heightened activity in this brain area when the visual threat stimulus is encountered, which suppresses fear responses.
The implications of this discovery extend beyond the laboratory.
These findings could also help advance our understanding of what is going wrong in the brain when fear response regulation is impaired in conditions such as phobias, anxiety and PTSD. While instinctive fear reactions to predators may be less relevant for modern humans, the brain pathway we discovered exists in humans too.

This could open new avenues for treating fear disorders by targeting vLGN circuits or localized endocannabinoid systems.

Sara Mederos et al, Overwriting an instinct: Visual cortex instructs learning to suppress fear responses, Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.adr2247. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr2247

Part 2

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