Tag Archives: proximity

Proximity to Windows May Enhance Blood Sugar Control in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes

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Another incentive to secure a window seat is its potential to help manage blood sugar levels.

Anton Dios/Shutterstock

Many of us prefer sitting by a window to enhance our mood, but exposure to natural light during the day may also be beneficial for blood sugar control in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Our cells and tissues operate on circadian rhythms, or 24-hour metabolic cycles that influence factors like blood sugar levels. Studies indicate that exposure to artificial light at night can disrupt these rhythms. This raises blood sugar levels, while individuals who spend more time outdoors in sunlight experience enhanced insulin response, a hormone crucial for regulating those levels.

Despite these findings, none of these studies explored the advantages of receiving natural light through windows, especially since most people spend significant time indoors, according to Joris Fuchs from Maastricht University in the Netherlands.

To investigate further, Fuchs and his team enlisted 13 participants with type 2 diabetes, averaging 70 years old, to spend 4.5 days in a room with only natural light from large windows from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Participants continued their usual diabetes medications and largely sat at desks with access to their mobile phones and computers, with their screens dimmed. In the evenings, they were exposed to soft artificial light and could use their devices until 11 p.m., then slept in complete darkness until 7 a.m. They consumed similar meals three times daily to maintain stable weight and followed consistent exercise routines over the 4.5 days.

The researchers conducted a similar experiment with the same group, this time in a windowless room under artificial light. This phase occurred either one month before or after the natural light segment of the study.

Throughout both experiments, participants wore devices to monitor their blood sugar levels continuously; however, due to technical difficulties, data was only obtainable from 10 individuals.

The results indicated that during weeks with more natural light, participants maintained their blood sugar levels within a healthy range 50% of the time, compared to only 43% in the artificial light experiment.

The researchers defined a healthy blood sugar range as 4.4 to 7.2 mmol per liter, aligning with guidelines from the UK National Health Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although the difference between the two studies may seem minor, extended periods outside of a healthy range can impact an individual’s health significantly, increasing the risk of diabetes-related complications, including heart problems, according to Fuchs.

The positive impact of sunlight may stem from the fact that light-sensitive cells in the eye, crucial for regulating metabolic activity cycles, are particularly responsive to shorter wavelengths present in natural light, Fuchs explained.

Further research is essential to validate these findings; however, Fuchs suggests that many individuals with type 2 diabetes can benefit from increased exposure to natural light, even if it’s simply by sitting near a window. “It’s easy, free, and accessible to all,” Hoeks said. It remains uncertain whether individuals with type 1 diabetes or prediabetes gain similar benefits.

Glenn Jeffrey from University College London emphasizes the necessity for larger studies to substantiate these results. Nonetheless, he noted, “the significance of sunlight is gradually gaining recognition.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Strange events occurring in close proximity to a neighboring galaxy

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The little Magellan Clouds (SMCs), a dwarf galaxy that is orbiting near our own Milky Way, appear to satisfy a rather dramatic ending.

That is the conclusion of a new study published in Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series astronomers have tracked over 7,000 large stars in SMC. Each one is more than eight times the size of our sun.

These star heavyweights burn a short life that lives bright and fast, providing clues about their own movements as well as their turbulent gas clouds.

And what researchers found was impressive. This former codbone universe’s neighbor is torn apart quite badly by the gravity of the large Magellan Cloud (LMC).

The milky stripes of this star-filled sky are two d-star galaxies visible only from the southern hemisphere – here is a small Magellan cloud photographed above the Delusional Observatory of Eso in Chile. -ESO/j. Corosimo

“SMCs are interacting galaxies that are coupled to the LMC by gravity.” Satoya Nakano the first author of the study said BBC Science Focus. “The stars on the side of the SMC near the LMC experience stronger gravity and are moving towards the LMC, but the stars experience even weaker pulls.”

This gravitational tug of war slowly pulls the SMC apart with possible nudges from our own Milky Way approaching about 200,000 light years away.

So why is this important?

For one, the team discovered that the SMC was not rotating the way astronomers had assumed. Spiral galaxies like our own usually rotate with stars and gas processing around the central axis. But not all galaxies are – and SMC may be one of them.

“The question of when rotational motion appears in galaxies is a very interesting topic among researchers,” Nakano said.

“SMC was considered a rotating galaxy, but this study shows that it is not actually rotating. It suggests that if even a nearby galaxy like SMC is misinterpreted, it requires much more attention when assessing galaxy rotations further away.”

The colours of the arrows represent the direction of the movement of the giant stars in the SMC. Compared to the LMC at the bottom left of the image, most red arrows show movement towards the LMC, while most light blue arrows show movement away from the LMC, suggesting that they are being pulled apart. – Satoya Nakano

And SMC is very close by space standards. Just 200,000 light years away, it is more than ten times closer to Andromeda, the nearest largest galaxy.

The lack of rotation not only changes our understanding of SMC’s structure, but also allows us to discard estimates of mass.

“The SMC is not rotating, so historical estimates of its mass may be incorrect.” Professor Tahara the author of another study said BBC Science Focus.

“The estimates of mass were born from previously estimated rotational motions. However, if these are not reliable, the estimates need to be revised. Without this, we cannot predict the future existence of SMC.”

Nakano and Tahara hope that detailed simulation observations to model the fate of the galaxy open the door. But for now, the future appears to be far from bright.

About our experts

Satoya Nakano is a doctoral candidate from the Faculty of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Japan.

Tahara Sword He is an associate professor at Nagoya University Graduate School of Science, Japan. His research is Publications of the Japanese Astronomical Association, Astrophysical Journal and Astronomy and Astrophysics.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Binary star system found in close proximity to the central black hole of the Milky Way galaxy

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Using data from ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the Keck Telescope, astronomers detected a binary star system in the S star cluster near Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. I discovered it. This is the first time that a binary star has been discovered near a supermassive black hole.

This image shows the location of binary star D9 orbiting Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. Image credit: ESO / Peißker et al. / S. Guizard.

Sagittarius A* is orbited by fast stars and dusty objects collectively known as the S cluster.

Binary star systems (two stars gravitationally bound to each other around a common center of mass) are predicted to exist within the S cluster, but have not been detected so far.

Previous studies have suggested that such stars are unlikely to be stabilized by their interactions with Sagittarius A*.

“Black holes are not as destructive as we think,” says Florian Peisker, an astronomer at the University of Cologne.

“Our findings show that some binaries can temporarily thrive even under disruptive conditions.”

The newly discovered binary star, named D9, is estimated to be just 2.7 million years old.

Due to the strong gravity of the nearby black hole, it will probably merge into a single star within just a million years, a very short time for such a young system.

“This only provides a short window on the cosmic timescale for observing such binary star systems, but we succeeded,” said Dr. Emma Bordier, also from the University of Cologne. Ta.

“The D9 system shows clear signs of gas and dust surrounding the star, suggesting it may be a very young system that must have formed near a supermassive black hole. ” said Dr. Michal Zajacek. Astronomer at Masaryk University and the University of Cologne.

The most mysterious of the S clusters are the G objects, which behave like stars but look like clouds of gas and dust.

It was while observing these mysterious objects that the research team discovered a surprising pattern in D9.

“This result sheds new light on what the mysterious G-objects are,” the authors said.

“They may actually be a combination of binaries that have not yet merged and leftover material from stars that have already merged.”

“Planets often form around young stars, so this discovery allows us to speculate about their existence,” Dr. Pisker said.

“It seems like it’s only a matter of time before planets are detected at the center of the galaxy.”

a paper This discovery was published in today’s magazine nature communications.

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F. Peisker others. 2024. A binary star system in the S star cluster near the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*. Nat Commune 15, 10608; doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-54748-3

Source: www.sci.news

Reveals your proximity to the mouse right now

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This longstanding claim has been circulating for over a century, but its origins remain a mystery. Experts unanimously debunk this myth as completely untrue, unless you happen to reside in a sewer system.

One of the challenges is the limited knowledge about the secretive behaviors and populations of rats.

According to the 2018 Natural England report, Britain’s rat population is estimated to be 7 million, while the British Pest Control Association suggests it could be as high as 120 million.

Regardless of the exact numbers, rats in the UK are not evenly distributed. Certain regions, like parts of the Scottish Highlands, have no rat presence at all, and encountering a rat in the middle of the English countryside is rare unless you’re near a barn.

Rats are seen as symbiotic creatures, living in close proximity to humans and feeding off their resources. Even in urban settings like London, the true rat population remains a mystery.

In 2012, Dave Cowan, head of the wildlife program at the Food and Environmental Research Agency, stated in the BBC that around 3.5 million rats inhabit British cities.

However, some pest control experts, albeit biased, claim that London alone harbors 20 million rats.

To put this into perspective, if the 20 million rats were evenly spread across London’s 1,572km2 area, each rat would cover 78.6 million square feet. This would suggest that you are likely within 5 meters of a rat at any given time.

With a more conservative estimate of 3 million rats, the nearest one would be approximately 13 meters away.

Dispelling a popular belief, a 2023 study revealed that there are actually fewer than 3 million rats in New York City, roughly equating to one rat for every three residents. Read more here.

Rats tend to congregate where food sources are plentiful, such as near trash bins, eateries, and markets, as well as in less traversed areas like sewers, abandoned structures, and construction sites.

They typically stay at ground level and within 200 meters of their birthplace, making it relatively feasible to avoid encountering them in certain areas.

This article addresses the question posed by Esther Lamb of Worthing: “Is it true that you are always within 6 feet of a rat?”

If you have any inquiries, please reach out to us via email at: questions@sciencefocus.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (be sure to include your name and location).

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Hubble photographs star-forming galaxies in close proximity

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This stunning view of a pair of spiral galaxies called Arp 72 is a violent collision occurring in slow motion, according to the Hubble team.

This image shows Arp 72, a galaxy pair that includes NGC 5996 (a large spiral galaxy) and NGC 5994 (a small companion star in the lower left of the image). The color images were taken in the visible and infrared regions of the spectrum using Hubble's Altitude Survey Camera (ACS) and the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) mounted on NSF's Victor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope. created from separate exposures. Cerro Toloro Interamerican Observatory in Chile. Four filters were used to sample different wavelengths. Color is obtained by assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credits: NASA / ESA / Hubble / L. Galvany / J. Dalcanton / Dark Energy Survey / DOE / FNAL / DECam / CTIO / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA.

of alp 72 system It is located approximately 160 million light years away in the constellation Serpens.

Arp 72 is made up of a strangely shaped spiral galaxy NGC 5996 and smaller, less deformed spiral galaxies NGC5994.

NGC 5996 was first discovered on March 21, 1784 by German-British astronomer William Herschel.

NGC 5994 is discovered Written by Irish engineer and astronomer Bindon Stoney on March 9, 1851.

“The centers of these galaxies are approximately 67,000 light-years apart from each other,” the Hubble astronomers said.

“Furthermore, the distance between galaxies at their closest points is even smaller, close to 40,000 light-years.”

“This may still sound vast, but from a galactic separation perspective, it's really, really cozy!”

“For comparison, the distance between the Milky Way and its closest independent galactic neighbor Andromeda is about 2.5 million light-years.”

“Alternatively, the distance between the Milky Way and its largest and brightest satellite galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud, is about 162,000 light-years.”

“Given this and the fact that NGC 5996 is roughly comparable in size to the Milky Way, it is not surprising that NGC 5996 and NGC 5994 are interacting,” the researchers said.

“In fact, this interaction may be responsible for distorting the helical shape of NGC 5996 and apparently pulling it toward NGC 5994.”

“That's also… Formation of very long and faint tails of stars and gas It curves away from NGC 5996 to the upper right of the image. ”

“This tidal tail is a common phenomenon that appears when galaxies approach each other, as seen in some Hubble images.”

Source: www.sci.news