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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 10, 2026 at 10:01am

Newly mapped brain circuit offers clues to how slow nasal breathing eases anxiety

A slow breath in and out does the trick for many people when calming their nerves and dealing with anxiety, a disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. Pranayama, Taoism and meditation have long used slow nasal breathing to ease a negative mood. How this simple act works its magic, however, has been tickling the gray cells of scientists curious to unravel the biological pathways behind it. Now, scientists may have found a clue.

A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences discovered a nose-to-brain circuit that may help explain how the rhythm of nasal breathing can influence anxiety.

Researchers mapped a specific neural highway running directly from the nose into the brain's emotional network. This circuit begins with olfactory sensory neurons in the nasal cavity and continues to mitral cells in the olfactory bulb, the brain's smell-processing center. It then connects to a specific type of neuron, parvalbumin-positive interneurons (PV⁺), in a nearby brain region called the perirhinal cortex, which in turn links to the amygdala, the brain's fear and anxiety hub.

The frequency of nasal stimulation appeared to steer anxiety in different directions. Slow, low-frequency stimulation eased anxiety and boosted high-gamma brain waves in the perirhinal cortex, while faster stimulation had the opposite effect, increasing anxiety.
Breathing happens largely on autopilot, with the brainstem setting its rhythm. The breath, however, also sends information back to the brain. The same nasal neurons that detect odours can sense the movement of air, and the rhythm of that airflow can synchronize activity in brain regions involved in emotion. Humans have used slow breathing for ages to influence emotional states, even without conscious control.
Despite its widespread use, researchers didn't know whether simply changing the pace of this nasal sensory signal could directly shift anxiety, nor had they pinpointed the exact brain pathway connecting nasal airflow to emotional states. In this study, researchers identified that missing link, exposing the brain pathway that could explain why slow, deliberate breathing feels so calming.
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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 9, 2026 at 10:09am

We saw the results, we looked at ourselves, we said, 'this can't be correct'!

Arctic Rivers Are Breaking The Rules of Erosion

And scientists formed a new theory around Arctic erosion

Arctic landscapes are eroding much faster than previously thought, according to new SFU research. Fueled by climate change and extreme weather events, Arctic erosion is leading to the creation of new river systems as ice in frozen riverbeds melts. Earth scientists previously believed that the ice acted as a sort of glue, holding the landscape together and slowing down erosion. But surprising new findings suggest thawing ice in the ground can actually increase erosion rates up to 10 times compared to unfrozen rivers. SFU researchers explain how they carried out their research and what impact it could have.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-026-03468-1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 9, 2026 at 9:59am

A Mold Living in Your Gut May Help Protect Against Radiation Damage

Mold isn't typically something you want growing inside your body.

But in the case of Mucor racemosus, there may be compelling reasons to make an exception.

That's because this symbiotic fungus that lives inside the human gut appears capable of protecting us from radiation, according to a new study in PNAS.

It might sound a bit hard to believe, but this isn't the first time we've seen fungi doing weird things with radiation.

We know that there are different kinds of radiation-resistant fungi, including species that survive being blasted with up to 200 times the fatal human dose of X-rays.

There's also the funky world of radiotrophic fungi, which use radiation as an energy source – like the bizarre fungus living its best life in the radioactive remains of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

M. racemosus has a different kind of parlor trick for radiation, but it's no less impressive.
In their research, a team of scientists found the fungus can confer protection from radiation to its host through a couple of different mechanisms, suggesting M. racemosus may be a beneficial presence in the gut.

In experiments with mice exposed to radiation, the researchers found that animals administered M. racemosus experienced less weight loss, inflammation, and oxidative stress than control mice that weren't given a fungal dose, suggesting M. racemosus provided the treated animals with a radioprotective effect.

This radioprotective effect was boosted when the researchers preadapted the fungus to the oxygen-poor conditions of the gut.

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2608386123

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 9, 2026 at 9:43am

Xanthelasma and its association with developing major cardio-cerebrovascular events

A Warning Sign of Heart Attack And Stroke May Show Up on Your Face

Atherosclerosis, the accumulation of fatty plaques in the arteries that causes restricted blood flow, is responsible for most heart attacks and strokes – but it often builds up slowly and silently, without symptoms, before causing a major medical emergency.

That's why researchers are looking for warning signs of atherosclerosis that might help doctors spot it earlier.

A new study, published in Atherosclerosis, looks at a condition called xanthelasma, where yellow patches appear around the eyes.

Those patches puff up when immune cells called macrophages get stuffed with cholesterol and other fats. The condition is often (but not always) associated with higher cholesterol in the blood, too.

As fatty clumps also play a role in atherosclerosis, researchers thought there might be a link.
A few studies have supported the association between xanthelasma and an increased risk of cardiovascular events, while others debate that it may not be an independent risk factor once traditional risk factors are accounted for.
The study analyzed health data from 17,925 people diagnosed with xanthelasma and the same number of matched controls – people with presbyopia, a condition that leads to farsightedness, chosen because it would have involved an eye examination, ensuring the controls didn't have xanthelasma.
Across the first year of data, 1 percent of those with xanthelasma (178 patients) suffered a heart attack compared to 0.35 percent (or 63) of the controls.

For strokes, the respective figures were 0.95 percent and 0.3 percent, and for transient ischemic attack (TIA) or a 'mini-stroke', it was 0.6 percent and 0.19 percent.
Those are all low percentages, but the risk was several times larger for the xanthelasma group.

The gap between the two groups narrowed slightly over time, but at the 5- and 10-year time points, the risk was still substantially higher for those with xanthelasma.

Xanthelasma is associated with higher short- and long-term incidence of MACCEs up to 10 years, highlighting its value as a clinical marker for cardiocerebrovascular risk stratification and preventive management," write the researchers.

Incidence rates of these cardiac events were similar in the xanthelasma group whether or not they had abnormally high levels of fat in their blood – suggesting this isn't the only underlying factor at play.

While the pale, puffy patches that characterize xanthelasma are seen as harmless in themselves, the findings are more evidence that they could signify something else, and perhaps future cardiovascular problems.
This new study study suggests that xanthelasma can be considered as a risk factor for future MACCEs.
Xanthelasma patches are easy for doctors to spot, and for these people at least, may be a useful warning sign so that lifestyle changes or medications could be put in place early – before MACCEs are triggered.

https://www.atherosclerosis-journal.com/article/S0021-9150(26)00013-4/fulltext

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 9, 2026 at 9:36am

Bunsen burners make poor air-cleansers

Bunsen burners’ reputation for sterilizing workplaces flames out

Study shows that the venerable device does not waft bacteria away from workbenches, as is often assumed.

Bunsen burners, long used to cleanse airspaces and surfaces in labs of bacteria-laden particles, aren’t actually very effective at doing so, and might even make contamination worse. Researchers seeded the air above lab benches with the bacterium Gordonia rubripertincta and opened two Petri dishes — one near a lit Bunsen burner and one near an unlit one. They found that in several trials of differently sized burners, bacterial levels in dishes beside lit burners were as high as or higher than the other ones.

https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.01028-26

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-02758-0?utm_source=Live+...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 9, 2026 at 9:21am

Almost half of farmers are being poisoned
There are more than 400 million cases of unintentional, acute pesticide poisoning every year, finds a new estimate — meaning that an estimated 46% of farmers worldwide are being poisoned. The analysis suggests there are 11,000 pesticide-related deaths annually, with nearly 60% of these in India. And that’s not taking into account long-term health impacts that are not immediately felt, such as a possible link with Parkinson’s disease.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 9, 2026 at 9:16am

What students gain and lose as AI chatbots take over parts of university teaching
AI tools can provide timely, accessible feedback, tutoring, practice, and language support while enabling institutions to set boundaries on student AI use. Risks include inaccuracies, biased simplification, environmental costs, and limited governance. Replacing educators may also reduce reciprocal recognition, adaptive teaching, and students’ sense that their intellectual development is seriously judged.

Thomas Corbin et al, Hybrid reading practices: how GenAI summarisers can support rather than replace reading, Studies in Higher Education (2026). DOI: 10.1080/03075079.2026.2708138

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 9, 2026 at 9:15am

Eating a handful of nuts each day is linked with lower risk of high blood pressure, research shows
A meta-analysis of 143,000 participants linked daily consumption of 30–35 g of nuts with a 26% lower hypertension risk versus no nut intake. Evidence is observational and cannot establish causality; benefits may reflect broader plant-rich diets and healthier lifestyles. Unsalted nuts may be preferable because sodium raises blood pressure.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 9, 2026 at 9:04am

How dense breast tissue may lead to cancer
Stiff, fibrotic breast tissue activates STAT3 signaling, recruiting macrophages. In stiff environments, macrophages generate reactive oxygen species that form diffusible aldehydes, causing DNA damage in nearby breast cells. Higher stiffness, macrophage abundance, aldehydes, and DNA damage were associated with more advanced disease.

Mary-Kate Hayward et al, Tissue tension fosters macrophage-driven lipid peroxidation-induced DNA damage, Cancer Cell (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2026.03.022

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 9, 2026 at 7:29am

Soft back belts ease everyday low back pain, 12-week trial suggests
For many in the workforce, spending hours at a computer is an unavoidable part of daily life. Sitting for prolonged periods in the same position can contribute to low back pain (LBP), which affects up to 80% of people over their lifetime and remains a leading cause of disability worldwide. A group of French researchers decided to find out whether wearing a soft, flexible lower-back support belt can help people with common, unexplained lower back pain feel better and move more easily.
The study, across 17 medical centers in France, followed 168 adults ages 18–75 with unexplained low back pain lasting 1–6 months. Adding a soft lower-back belt to standard care made a difference in their recovery.

On a standard disability scale, patients who wore the belt improved by 10 points, compared with 5.3 points for those who received usual care alone. Some 60.5% of patients in the belt group reached a level of improvement considered clinically meaningful, compared with 40.5% in the usual-care group.

Laurent Grange et al, Lumbar Belt for Nonspecific Low Back Pain, JAMA Network Open (2026). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.29793

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