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New study suggests Gigantopithecus became extinct 215,000-295,000 years ago

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Gigantopithecus brachyThe largest primate in history and one of the largest species of Southeast Asian megafauna, it lived in China from about 2 million years until its extinction during the Middle Pleistocene. New research shows that starting 2.3 million years ago, this environment was a mosaic of forests and grasses, providing ideal conditions to thrive. Gigantopithecus brachy population. However, from 295,000 years ago, just before and during the extinction period 215,000 years ago, increased seasonality led to increased environmental variability, changes in plant communities, and an increase in open forest environments. Although they are close relatives, Chinese orangutan (Pongo Weidenrach)managed to adapt their food preferences and behavior to this fluctuation. Gigantopithecus brachy There were signs of chronic stress and population decline. Ultimately, that struggle to adapt led to the extinction of the largest primate to ever live on Earth.

Impressions of a group of artists Gigantopithecus brachy In the forest of southern China. Image credit: Garcia / Joannes-Boyau, Southern Cross University.

Gigantopithecus brachy It is an extinct giant hominid that once lived in the jungles of Southeast Asia.

As the name suggests, this giant primate was larger than a gorilla, reaching up to 3 meters (10 feet) tall and weighing up to 540 kg (1,200 pounds).

“Our current understanding is that Gigantopithecus brachy “It originates from early to mid-Pleistocene cave deposits between the Yangtze River in southern China and the South China Sea,” said Professor Yingqi Zhang of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and colleagues.

“This primate is known for its unusually large molars, abnormally thick enamel, estimated height of about 3 meters, and weight of 200 to 300 kg, making it the largest primate to have ever existed on Earth. I am.”

“Despite 85 years of exploration, Gigantopithecus blacki's fossil record is limited to four mandibles and nearly 2,000 isolated teeth, with no postcranial evidence. ”

“The initial discovery as a 'dragon's tooth' in a pharmacy in Hong Kong led to the search for the first in situ finds, which led to the discovery of several cave sites in two major regions of Chongzuo and Fuping basins in Guangxi province. This led to the discovery of

“These sites contain important evidence of its survival and eventual demise.”

“Providing a clear cause for a species' extinction is a major feat, but establishing the exact time a species disappeared from the fossil record provides a target time frame for environmental reconstruction and behavioral assessment.” said Macquarie University geochronologist Dr John Martin. Kira Westaway.

“Without reliable dating, you're simply looking for clues in the wrong places.”

To identify potential causes Gigantopithecus brachy In case of extinction, the researchers applied a regional approach to 22 caves in the Chongzuo and Bupyeong basins. Gigantopithecus brachy-Bearing or non-bearing-Gigantopithecus brachy-Contains cave deposits.

They combined previous excavations with recently discovered caves to identify and sample fossil breccias for dating, paleoclimate estimation, and behavioral analysis.

Six different dating techniques were applied to the cave deposits and fossils, yielding 157 radiometric dates.

Luminescence dating measures light-sensitive signals in buried sediments. Gigantopithecus brachy Fossils were the primary technology supported by uranium series and electron spin resonance dating. Gigantopithecus brachy The tooth itself.

“Direct dating of the fossil remains allowed us to confirm that their ages match the luminescence order of the deposits in which they were found, providing a comprehensive and reliable chronology of the human extinction. Gigantopithecus brachy'' said Dr Renaud-Joan Boyau, a geochronologist at Southern Cross University.

The findings show that Gigantopithecus brachy They went extinct between 295,000 and 215,000 years ago, much earlier than previously thought.

Before this time, Gigantopithecus brachy They thrived in rich and diverse forests.

By 700,000 to 600,000 years ago, the environment had further changed due to increased seasonal intensity, leading to changes in the structure of forest communities.

orangutans etc. Pongo Weidenrach They adapted their size, behavior, and habitat preferences in response to changing conditions.

In comparison, Gigantopithecus brachy When preferences were not available, they relied on backup food sources with low nutritional value, reducing dietary diversity.

The primates experienced reduced locomotion, reduced geographic foraging range, chronic stress and population decline.

“Gigantopithecus brachy “It was the ultimate specialist compared to more agile adapters like orangutans, but this ultimately led to its demise,” Professor Chan said.

“With the threat of a sixth mass extinction looming over us, there is an urgent need to understand why species go extinct,” Dr Westaway said.

“Exploring the reasons for unresolved extinctions in the past is a good starting point for understanding the resilience of primates and the fate of other large animals in the past and future.”

of findings Published in today's diary Nature.

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Y. Chan other.The end of the giant ape Gigantopithecus brachy. Nature, published online on January 10, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06900-0

Source: www.sci.news

Study discovers that hearing aids could extend lifespan

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Are hearing aids really worth the investment? Recent research suggests that they may be more beneficial than previously thought. In fact, a new study indicates that using hearing aids can decrease the risk of premature death by about 25%. Despite this, a large portion of adults with hearing loss in the US and UK do not use hearing aids, even though they could greatly benefit from them.

Researchers at the University of South Carolina conducted the study and are hoping that their findings will encourage more people with hearing loss to utilize hearing aids. Dr. Janet Choi, the study’s principal investigator, stated that the results are particularly interesting as they point to the possibility that hearing aids can contribute to overall health and longevity.

The study, which was published in the Lancet Health and Longevity journal and involved 10,000 participants, found that regular users of hearing aids had a considerably lower risk of death compared to non-users. The research also suggested that consistent use of hearing aids, rather than occasional use, was key to reaping the benefits for longevity.

This research indicates that hearing aids can lead to improved mental health and cognitive function, ultimately contributing to a longer and healthier life. Interestingly, the study found that factors such as degree of hearing loss, age, ethnicity, and income did not impact the benefits of hearing aids on lifespan.

These findings suggest that the benefits of using hearing aids go beyond improved hearing and may actually play a crucial role in promoting overall health and well-being.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

New Study Unveils the Reasons and Mechanisms behind Some Cats’ Fetch-playing Behavior

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A recent study delved into the play preferences of cats and discovered that cats enjoy having control over when, where, and how they play. This finding sheds light on how to encourage cats to play fetch.

According to research published in Scientific Reports, scientists found that cats initiated and concluded the fetch game more frequently than their owners. And, when the cats were the ones to start the game, they played for a longer duration compared to when their owners initiated the game.

Interestingly, cats actually continued playing for longer periods even after their owners had stopped the game. This suggests that while cats seem to be in control of the fetch game, they are willing to continue playing as long as they are allowed to.

This study, announced in Scientific Reports, surveyed 924 cat owners with cats who play fetch, involving 1,154 current or former cats.

The study revealed that fetching cats typically have favorite items to retrieve and play with, often opting for various household objects over toys, especially those that are mouse-sized, such as hair ties or bottle tops.

Moreover, these cats tend to have a preferred family member and location for playing and fetching. The researchers from the University of Sussex, including Gemma Forman, noted that cats show a preference for bedrooms and stairs, with different heights adding to their interest in playing.

But why do some cats play fetch?

Researchers speculate that fetching behavior mirrors hunting behavior, but with an added element of social interaction with their owner, creating a unique interspecific dynamic that is not commonly observed in cats.

Among purebred cats, Siamese cats are more likely to engage in fetch, while mixed-breed cats exhibit higher involvement in the fetch game.

For pet owners who are not professional pet trainers, the study offered some encouragement – 94% of pet owners reported that their cats started playing fetch without needing to be taught. Additionally, most cats begin fetching at a young age, with 61% of the cats in the study starting before they were one year old.

Gemma Forman, one of the study authors, emphasized the importance of being open and accepting of their cat’s needs and behaviors, as their cat might have already indicated its desire to play, even if communicating this need can be challenging.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

New study sheds light on the visual masking phenomenon, unraveling the mystery of “invisibility”

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A new study has revealed how visual masking, a phenomenon in which rapid succession of images leads to unconscious image processing, occurs in both humans and mice. This study highlights the role of the cortex in conscious perception and provides important insights into the brain’s visual processing mechanisms.

Delve into the mysterious optical illusions and science of visual masking.

Recent research published in natural neuroscience Visual masking is a phenomenon that plays an important role in how we perceive things, or rather how we don’t “see” them. This study not only revealed aspects of conscious perception in the brain, but also demonstrated that this phenomenon occurs in both humans and mice.

Visual masking occurs when a person does not consciously recognize an image because another image is displayed in rapid succession. For effective masking, the first image must appear and disappear quickly, followed by her second image within about 50 milliseconds.

Groundbreaking research in visual perception

Allen Institute researcher Dr. Sean Olsen and his colleagues have delved into the science behind this optical illusion and shown for the first time that it also occurs in mice. After training the mice to report what they saw, the researchers were also able to pinpoint the specific areas of the brain needed for the visual masking illusion to work.

“This is an interesting observation, that what exists in the world is not accurately reflected in your perception,” Olsen said. “Like other optical illusions, we think this tells us something about how the visual system works and, ultimately, the neural circuits underlying visual perception.”

Exploring the brain’s role in visual recognition

Scientists discovered this strange phenomenon in the 19th century, but why and how the human brain does this remains a mystery.

The study narrows down the parts of the brain involved in perceiving the world around us, said Dr. Christoph Koch, a Distinguished Fellow at the Allen Institute who led the study with Dr. Olsen and Dr. Sam Gale. Ta. , a scientist at the Allen Institute.

When a rain of photons hits our retina, the information follows a predetermined path from the eyeball through several different areas of the brain and into the highly-processed areas of the cortex, the wrinkled outermost shell of the brain. It ends with Previous research on visual masking has led scientists to believe that neurons in early parts of the brain, in the retina and its pathways, are activated even when a person is unaware that they are looking at an image. I know. In other words, your brain sees things without your knowledge.

From mouse to human: parallel recognition

To explore where unconscious sensations turn into conscious perceptions and actions, scientists first taught 16 mice to move a small mouse in the direction of a rapidly flashing image in exchange for a reward if they chose the correct direction. I trained him to spin a Lego wheel. The scientists then added different masking images on either side of the screen immediately after the target image. Adding a mask prevented the animal from performing the task correctly. This means that the animal can no longer recognize the original target image.

Visual masking had never been tested in mice before, so the research team had to create a task for mice, in which the images and the way they were displayed were different from those used in previous human studies. I meant that. To confirm that the optical illusion they showed to rodents was also relevant to us, the research team tested it on 16 people (using keystrokes instead of a wheel). It turns out that human perception (or lack thereof) and mouse perception of this particular visual masking illusion are very similar.

This result implies that conscious perception is occurring in the visual cortex or in higher regions of the cortex downstream. This is consistent with the general sentiment in the field that the cortex is the seat of conscious cognition in mammals, including us, Koch said.

Reference: “Visual cortex is required for posterior masking in mice” by Samuel D. Gale, Chelsea Stroder, Corbett Bennett, Stefan Mihalas, Christoph Koch, and Sean R. Olsen, November 13, 2023 Day, natural neuroscience.
DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01488-0

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New UCLA study challenges traditional views of bioengineering and stem cell dynamics

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Confocal microscopy images show mesenchymal stem cells (green) captured within nanovials (pink). Nanovial technology was developed by Dino Di Carlo and colleagues at UCLA. Credit: Shreya Udani/UCLA
University of California Los Angeles Stem cell scientists have uncovered surprising genetic instructions for promoting protein secretion, with major implications for biotechnology and cell therapy.
Mesenchymal stem cells present in the bone marrow secrete therapeutic proteins that may help regenerate damaged tissue.
The UCLA study examining these cells challenges conventional understanding of what genetic instructions drive the release of these therapeutic proteins.
The discovery could help advance both regenerative medicine research and the laboratory production of biological therapeutics already in use.
Expanding the possibilities of antibody-based medicineToday, drugs based on antibodies (proteins that fight infection and disease) are prescribed for everything from cancer to disease. COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection) For high cholesterol. Antibody drugs are supplied by genetically engineered cells that act as small protein-producing factories in the lab.
Meanwhile, researchers are targeting cancer, internal organ damage, and many other diseases with a new strategy that involves transplanting similarly engineered cells directly into patients.
These biotechnological applications rely on the principle of causing cellular changes. DNA When a cell produces more genetic instructions to make a particular protein, it releases more of that protein.
Challenging established biological principlesBut a groundbreaking study from UCLA challenges this long-held belief, at least when it comes to certain types of stem cells.
The researchers looked at mesenchymal stem cells, which reside in the bone marrow and can self-renew and grow into bone, fat, and muscle cells. Mesenchymal cells secrete a protein growth factor called VEGF-A. Scientists believe this may play a role in blood vessel regeneration, repairing damage caused by heart attacks, kidney damage, arterial disease in the extremities, and other diseases.
Amazing discoveries in stem cell researchWhen the researchers compared the amount of VEGF-A released by each mesenchymal cell to the expression of the gene encoding VEGF-A in the same cells, the results were surprising. There was only a weak correlation between gene expression and actual growth factor secretion. Scientists have identified other genes that better correlate with growth factor secretion, including genes that code for proteins on the surface of some stem cells. The research team isolated stem cells with the protein on their surface, cultured a population that secreted large amounts of VEGF-A, and continued to secrete it even after several days.
Biotechnology and its impact on medicineThe findings were published Dec. 11 in the journal natural nanotechnologyco-author Dino Di Carlo said, suggesting that fundamental assumptions in biology and biotechnology may be worth reconsidering. UCLA Samueli School of Engineering.
“The central dogma is that there are instructions in DNA, and these instructions are transcribed. RNAThe RNA is then translated into protein,” said Di Carlo, who is also a member of UCLA. California Nanosystems Institute and Eli and Edythe Regional Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research. “Based on this, many scientists assumed that if you had more RNA, you would get more protein, and more protein would be released from the cell. I had doubts.”
It seems inconceivable that when a gene is expressed at a higher level, there is more secretion of the corresponding protein. We found a clear example where this does not occur, and many new questions arise.” Ta.
“The results could help make the production of antibody-based therapeutics more efficient and define new, more effective cell therapies. Knowing the right genetic switches to flip could enable the manipulation and selection of highly productive cells to create or deliver therapeutics.
Breakthrough in single cell analysisThe UCLA study was conducted using standard laboratory equipment enhanced with technology invented by Di Carlo and his colleagues. Nanovials, microscopic bowl-shaped hydrogel containers, each capturing a single cell and its secretions. By leveraging a new analytical method using nanovials, scientists were able to measure the amount of VEGF-A released by each of 10,000 mesenchymal stem cells compared to tens of thousands of genes expressed by that same cell. I was able to link it to the mapped atlas.
“The ability to link protein secretion to gene expression at the single-cell level holds great promise for the fields of life science research and therapeutic development,” said David, a member of the Broad Stem Cell Research Group and a professor of biology at the University of California, Los Angeles. said chemistry professor Kathryn Plath. Center and co-corresponding author of the study. “Without that, we would not have been able to reach the unexpected results found in this study. Now we have learned something new about the mechanisms that underpin the fundamental processes of life, and we have We have an incredible opportunity to leverage this to improve human health.”
A new path in therapeutic drug developmentAlthough activation of genetic instructions for VEGF-A showed little correlation with protein release, the researchers identified a cluster of 153 genes with strong associations with VEGF-A secretion. Many of them are known for their functions in blood vessel development and wound healing. For others, their functionality is currently unknown.
One of the top matches encodes the cell surface protein IL13RA2, but its purpose is poorly understood. Its outer location made it easy for scientists to use it as a marker and separate those cells from other cells. Cells with IL13RA2 showed 30% more VEGF-A secretion than cells lacking the marker.
In a similar experiment, the researchers kept isolated cells in culture for six days. At the end of that period, cells with the marker secreted 60% more VEGF-A compared to cells without the marker.
Potential impact on clinical applicationsMesenchymal stem cell-based therapies have shown promise in laboratory studies, but many of these new options are safe but not effective in clinical trials with human participants. It is shown that there is no. Her ability to use IL13RA2 to sort VEGF-A-rich cells could help change this trend.
“Identifying the subpopulations that produce more and the markers associated with that population means that they can be separated very easily,” Di Carlo said. “If we had very pure populations of cells that produced high levels of therapeutic proteins, we would have better treatments.”The nanovials are commercially available from Partillion Bioscience, a company co-founded by Di Carlo and founded in CNSI’s on-campus incubator. Expand.
Reference: “Correlating growth factor secretion in nanovials with single cell transcriptome using SEC-seq” Shreya Udani, Justin Langerman, Doyeon Koo, Sevana Baghdasarian, Brian Cheng, Simran Kang, Citradewi Soemardy, Joseph de Rutte, Kathrin Plath, Dino Di Carlo, December 11, 2023; natural nanotechnology.
DOI: 10.1038/s41565-023-01560-7The study’s lead author is Shreya Udani, who received her PhD from UCLA in 2023. Other co-authors, all at UCLA, are staff scientist Justin Langerman; Doyoung Koo, who received his Ph.D. in 2023. graduate students Sevana Bagdasarian and Chitradewi Somardi; undergraduate student Brian Chen; Simran Kang received her bachelor’s degree in 2023. and Joseph de Rutte, who completed his PhD in 2020 and is co-founder and CEO of Partillion.This research was supported by: National Institutes of Health It also won the Stem Cell Nanomedicine Program Award, jointly funded by CNSI and the Broad Center for Stem Cell Research.
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New Study Finds Human Insulin is Less Sensitive to Temperature Than Previously Believed

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A Cochrane review has shown that certain types of insulin can remain effective when stored at room temperature for several months, offering a practical solution for diabetes treatment in areas without stable refrigeration. This finding is particularly crucial for people with diabetes in low- and middle-income countries, as well as those affected by conflict, natural disasters, and environmental challenges.

Insulin storage options have been highlighted in the review, which summarizes the results of various studies investigating the effects of storing insulin outside the refrigerator. It was found that unopened vials and cartridges of certain types of human insulin can be stored for extended periods at temperatures up to 25°C and 37°C without any clinical consequences or loss of insulin activity. This has significant implications for people living in areas where access to refrigeration is limited.

Dr. Bernd Richter led a research team that conducted a comprehensive study on insulin stability under different storage conditions. The review analyzed 17 studies and found consistent insulin efficacy at temperatures ranging from 4°C to 37°C, providing reassurance that alternatives to powered cooling of insulin are possible without compromising its stability.

The study also identified areas for future research, such as better understanding the efficacy of insulin after storage under different conditions, studies of mixed insulin, effects of movement on insulin pumps, contamination of opened vials and cartridges, and cold environmental conditions.

The study was funded by the World Health Organization.

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Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Asteroids Found to Predate the Solar System, New Study Shows

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Astronomical observations have shown that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are abundant and widespread in the interstellar medium. A PAH molecule consists of several adjacent aromatic rings terminated with hydrogen. In the new study, scientists conducted laboratory isotope analysis of PAHs in samples of the asteroid Ryugu and meteorite Murchison collected by JAXA’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft. They argue that at least some of the Ryugu PAHs formed in cold interstellar clouds and therefore must be older than our solar system.

This image of asteroid Ryugu was taken on June 26, 2018 by the Telescopic Optical Navigation Camera (ONC-T) aboard JAXA’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft from a distance of 13.7 miles (22 km).Image provided by: JAXA / University of Tokyo / Kochi University / Rikkyo University / Nagoya University / Chiba Institute of Technology / Meiji University / University of Aizu / AIST

PAHs contain about 20% of the carbon in the interstellar medium.

These can be produced in the circumstellar environment (temperatures above 1000 K), in cold interstellar clouds (temperatures around 10 K), or by the processing of carbon-rich dust particles.

“PAHs are organic compounds composed of carbon and hydrogen that are common on Earth but also occur in celestial bodies such as asteroids and meteorites,” said study co-author and director of the Western Australian Center for Organic Isotope Geochemistry. said researcher Professor Kriti Grice. Curtin University.

“We conducted controlled combustion experiments on plants in Australia and found that PAHs found in debris from the asteroid Ryugu returned to Earth by a Japanese spacecraft in 2020, and comparable to the Murchison meteorite that landed in Australia in 1969. I compared them physically.”

“We analyzed the bonds between light and heavy carbon isotopes in PAHs to reveal the temperatures at which they form.”

“Selected PAHs from Ryugu and Murchison were found to have different characteristics, with smaller ones probably forming in cold outer space and larger ones probably forming in warmer regions such as near stars or inside celestial bodies. It is thought to have been formed in the environment.”

A model of the molecular structure of ribose and an image of the Murchison meteorite. Image credit: Yoshihiro Furukawa.

“Understanding the isotopic composition of PAHs can help elucidate the conditions and environments in which these molecules were formed, providing insight into the history and chemistry of astronomical objects such as asteroids and meteorites,” says the study. said Dr. Alex Holman, co-author and fellow Westerner. Australian Center for Organic and Isotopic Geochemistry at Curtin University.

“This research gives us valuable insight into how organic compounds form extraterrestrially and where in the universe they come from.”

“Through the use of high-tech methods and creative experiments, we show that select PAHs on asteroids can form even in cold space.”

of result Published in this week’s magazine science.

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Sarah S. Zeichner other. 2023. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Ryugu samples formed in the interstellar medium. science 382 (6677): 1411-1416; doi: 10.1126/science.adg6304

Source: www.sci.news

Excessive Cannabis Use Associated with Numerous Health Problems According to New Study

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A Yale University study that analyzed the genomes of more than 1 million people revealed genetic factors associated with cannabis use disorder and potential links to psychiatric problems, substance abuse, and lung cancer risk. The importance of understanding the health effects is emphasized.Credit: Illustration by Michael S. Helfenbein

A comprehensive study conducted by researchers at Yale University and involving the analysis of the genomes of more than 1 million people has provided new insights into the biology of cannabis use disorder. The study also investigated links to various mental illnesses, the propensity to abuse other substances such as tobacco, and the potential increased risk of lung cancer associated with cannabis use.

For this study, researchers analyzed genome-wide genetic variation in individuals from multiple ancestry groups enrolled in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Million Veterans Program, one of the world’s largest genetic databases. set and incorporated additional information from several other genomic databases. . They were able to identify dozens of genetic variants associated with cannabis use disorder, as well as a variety of behavioral and health problems associated with cannabis use disorder.

Understand the risks of marijuana use

The study was led by Daniel Levey, assistant professor of psychiatry, and Joel Gelernter, Foundation Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience, and was published Nov. 20 in the journal Psychiatry. natural genetics.

“Understanding the biology of cannabis use disorder can help us better understand associated disorders and inform the public about the risks associated with cannabis use,” said Levy, lead author of the study. .

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, marijuana is the most commonly used federally illegal drug in the United States, with more than 48 million people (18% of Americans) using marijuana at least once in 2019. There is. Previous research has shown that approximately one-third of marijuana users develop cannabis use disorder, a pattern of problematic cannabis use that results in clinically significant impairment and distress. Defined.

Genetic factors and health risks associated with cannabis use

The new findings provide insight into the genetic factors underlying this phenomenon and other health risks that may be associated.

For example, researchers found that variants in genes encoding three different types of receptors on neurons are associated with an increased risk of developing cannabis use disorder.

They found that these mutations associated with cannabis use disorder were also associated with the development of lung cancer. However, the authors added that more research is needed to distinguish the effects of marijuana use from the effects of tobacco use and other environmental factors on cancer diagnosis.

“This is the largest genome-wide study of cannabis use disorder ever conducted, and as more states legalize or decriminalize marijuana use, studies like this one will “This could help us understand the public health risks associated with this increase,” said Gelernter.

Reference: “Multi-ancestral genome-wide association study of cannabis use disorder provides insight into disease biology and public health implications” Daniel F. Levey, Marco Galimberti, Joseph D. Dieck, Frank R. Wendt, Arjun Bhattacharya, Dora Koller, Kelly M. Harrington, Rachel Quaden, Emma C. Johnson, Priya Gupta, Mahantesh Birader, Max Lamb, Megan Cook, Veera M. Rajagopal, Stephanie LL Empke, Han Zhou, Yaira Z. Nunez, Henry R. Kranzler, Howard J. Edenberg, Alpana Agrawal, Jordan W. Smaller, Todd Lentz, David M. Hougaard, Anders D. Borglum, Ditte Demotis, Veterans Affairs Million – Veterans Program, J. Michael Gaziano, Michael J. Gandal, Renato Polimanti, Murray B. Stein, Joel Gelernter, November 20, 2023, natural genetics.
DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01563-z

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New Study Finds COVID-19 Vaccination Does Not Increase Risk of Miscarriage

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A study by Boston University researchers found no increased risk of miscarriage associated with the COVID-19 vaccine among individuals planning a pregnancy. This encouraging evidence supports the safety of preconception vaccination and is consistent with health authorities’ recommendations for vaccination of people planning pregnancy.

The new study is the first to prospectively assess the relationship between bias and bias. COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection) We found that vaccinating both partners and having a miscarriage slightly reduced the risk of miscarriage among vaccinated partners trying to conceive.

In many studies, It is shown COVID-19 vaccines do not cause infertility or increase the risk of pregnancy-related problems, including miscarriage.Despite this evidence, people still on guard About the potential negative effects of vaccines on pregnancy.

A recent study conducted by researchers at the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) provided more comprehensive information about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for individuals considering pregnancy.

It was published in the magazine human reproductionthe study found no increased risk of early or late miscarriage as a result of either the man or the woman’s partner receiving the COVID-19 vaccine before pregnancy.

Insights from new research on pre-pregnancy vaccine safety

This study is the first to assess the risk of early miscarriage (<8 weeks gestation) following preconception COVID-19 vaccination, and the first to assess vaccination and miscarriage in men. The researchers hope these results will be useful information for individuals planning pregnancy and health care providers.

“These findings should be replicated in other populations, but are reassuring for couples planning pregnancy,” says lead author Jennifer Eland, an epidemiology doctoral student at BUSPH at the time of the study. .

Study details and results

For this study, Yland and colleagues analyzed survey data on COVID-19 vaccination and miscarriage among male and female participants of the BUSPH-based Online Pregnancy Study (PRESTO). National Institutes of Health– A funded study that enrolls women who wish to become pregnant and follows them from before pregnancy until 6 months after giving birth. Participants in this new analysis included 1,815 women in the United States and Canada who were followed in the study from December 2020 to November 2022. They were observed from the first positive pregnancy test until miscarriage or other event (e.g. induced abortion, ectopic pregnancy) occurred. , or 20 weeks of pregnancy)—whichever comes first.

Among female participants, 75% had received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine before becoming pregnant. Almost a quarter of pregnancies led to miscarriage, 75% of which occurred before 8 weeks of pregnancy, but there was no increased risk.

The risk of miscarriage was 26.6% for unvaccinated female participants, 23.9% for female participants who received one dose of vaccine before pregnancy, and 24.5% for female participants who completed the full first dose before pregnancy. and 22.1% among female participants who completed the vaccination series. 20.1% of women received only one dose of the two-dose vaccine three months before pregnancy.

“The miscarriage rate among vaccinated people was not only comparable to that among PRESTO participants who became pregnant before the pandemic, but also that the risk of miscarriage among vaccinated people was higher than that of unvaccinated people. “Our data showed that it was slightly lower than the previous year,” Yland said.

Federal health officials continue to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for people planning pregnancy, emphasizing that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the potential risks of vaccination before or during pregnancy. ing.

Reference: “Prospective Cohort Study of Preconception COVID-19 Vaccination and Miscarriage” Jennifer J Yland, Amelia K Wesselink, Annette K Regan, Elizabeth E Hatch, Kenneth J Rothman, David A Savitz, Tanran R Wang, Krista By F Huybrechts, Sonia Hernández-Diaz, Michael L. Eisenberg, Lauren A. Wise, October 20, 2023. human reproduction.
DOI: 10.1093/hamrep/dead211

The study was funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the National Science Foundation.

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New Study Seeks to Rewrite History by Highlighting Women as Hunters

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A new study reveals that prehistoric women not only participated in hunting, but may have been physiologically suited for it. The study is based on physiological studies and archaeological evidence, highlighting women’s endurance and the lack of a strict division of labor in early societies. This study highlights the need to reevaluate long-standing prejudices about women’s abilities.

When Carla Okobock was a child, she often wondered about the images in movies, books, comics, and cartoons depicting prehistoric men and women. Accompanying her are a “man hunter” with a spear in his hand and a “female gatherer” with a spear. The baby was strapped to his back, and in his hand was a basket of crop seeds.

“This was something everyone was used to seeing,” Okobock said. “This is an assumption that we all had in our heads, and it was carried through at the Natural History Museum.”

Many years later, Ocobock, an assistant professor in the University of Notre Dame’s anthropology department and director of the Human Energetics Laboratory, realized that she was a human biologist, studying physiology and prehistoric evidence, and working with early women. I discovered that many of these notions about women are true. Men were less accurate. The accepted reconstruction of human evolution assumed that men were biologically superior, but that interpretation did not tell the whole story.

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Neanderthals May Have Been Early Risers, New Study Finds

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When the ancestors of modern Eurasians migrated from Africa and interbred with the archaic humans of Eurasia, namely Neanderthals and Denisovans, the DNA of the archaic ancestors became anatomically integrated into the genomes of modern humans. homo sapiens. This process could accelerate adaptation to Eurasian environmental factors, such as reduced UV radiation and increased seasonal variation. In a new study, scientists from Vanderbilt University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of California, San Francisco have discovered lineage-specific genetic differences in circadian genes and their regulatory elements between humans and Neanderthals. They found that the introgressed genetic variants were enriched with effects on circadian regulation and consistently increased morningness tendencies in Europeans. The results expand our understanding of how the genomes of humans and our closest relatives responded to environments with different light-dark cycles.

Velasquez Alsuley other. They found that genetic material from Neanderthal ancestors may contribute to the tendency of some people today to be early risers, the type of people who wake up early and go to bed more easily. Image credit: Holger Neumann / Neanderthal Museum.

All anatomically modern humans trace their origins to the African continent about 300,000 years ago, where environmental factors shaped many of their biological characteristics.

They arrived in Eurasia 70,000 years ago, but other humans, Neanderthals and Denisovans, lived there for more than 400,000 years.

These archaic humans diverged from anatomically modern humans about 700,000 years ago, and as a result, humans and archaic hominid ancestors evolved under different environmental conditions.

“Although there was considerable variation in the latitudinal range of each group, Eurasian hominids primarily lived at consistently high latitudes and were therefore exposed to larger amplitude seasonal fluctuations in photoperiod,” said the University of California. said the San Francisco school. Dr. John Capra and his colleagues.

“Given the influence of environmental cues on circadian biology, we hypothesized that these separate evolutionary histories produced differences in circadian traits adapted to different environments.”

Although previous studies have shown that many of the archaic ancestors of modern humans are not beneficial and have been removed by natural selection, some archaic hominin variants that remain in human populations has shown evidence of adaptation.

For example, archaic genetic variation is thought to be associated with differences in hemoglobin levels, immune resistance to new pathogens, levels of skin pigmentation, and fat composition among Tibetans at high altitudes.

Changes in patterns and levels of light exposure have biological and behavioral effects that lead to evolutionary adaptations.

Scientists have extensively studied the evolution of circadian adaptations in insects, plants, and fish, but humans have been less well studied.

The Eurasian environment where Neanderthals and Denisovans lived for hundreds of thousands of years is located at higher latitudes and has more variable daylight hours than where modern humans evolved before leaving Africa.

Dr. Capra and his co-authors therefore investigated whether there was genetic evidence for differences in circadian clocks between Neanderthals and modern humans.

Using a combination of literature searches and expert knowledge, they defined a set of 246 circadian genes.

They found hundreds of genetic variations unique to each strain that can affect genes involved in the circadian clock.

Using artificial intelligence techniques, they identified 28 circadian genes that contain mutations that could alter splicing in archaic humans and that may be differentially regulated between modern and archaic humans. identified 16 circadian genes.

This indicates that there may be functional differences between the circadian clocks of ancient and modern humans.

Eurasian modern humans and Neanderthal ancestors interbred, so some humans may have acquired circadian variation from Neanderthals.

To test this, researchers investigated whether introgressed genetic variants were associated with the body’s preferences for wakefulness and sleep in a large cohort of hundreds of thousands of people at UK Biobank. did.

They found a number of introgressed mutants that affected sleep preferences, and most surprisingly, they found that these mutants consistently increased morningness, or the tendency to rise early.

This suggests a directional influence on this trait and is consistent with adaptations to high latitudes observed in other animals.

Increased morning time in humans is associated with a shortened circadian clock period. This may be beneficial at high latitudes, as it has been shown that sleep and wakefulness can be coordinated more quickly with external timing cues.

Shortening of the circadian period is required to synchronize the long summer light period at high latitudes in Drosophila, and selection for a shorter circadian period results in a latitudinal shift with increasing latitude in natural Drosophila populations. There is a latitudinal gradient in which the period decreases.

Therefore, the bias toward morningness in introgressed mutants may indicate selection for shortened circadian periods in populations living at high latitudes.

The tendency to be a morning person may have been evolutionarily beneficial to our ancestors who lived in the high latitudes of Europe, and would have been a Neanderthal genetic trait worth preserving.

“By combining ancient DNA, extensive genetic studies in modern humans, and artificial intelligence, we discovered substantial genetic differences in the circadian systems of Neanderthals and modern humans,” Dr. Capra said. .

“And by analyzing fragments of Neanderthal DNA that remain in the genomes of modern humans, we discovered surprising trends, many of which influence the regulation of circadian genes in modern humans. These effects are primarily in the consistent direction of increasing Neanderthal tendencies.” Morning people. ”

“This change is consistent with the effects of living at high latitudes on animals’ circadian clocks, and changes in seasonal light patterns may allow them to adjust their circadian clocks more quickly. ”

“Our next steps include applying these analyzes to more diverse modern human populations and investigating the effects of the Neanderthal variants we identified on circadian clocks in model systems. and applying similar analyzes to other potentially adaptive traits.”

of the team paper It was published in the magazine Genome biology and evolution.

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Kayla Velasquez-Arsley other. 2023. Archaic genetic introgression shaped human circadian characteristics. Genome biology and evolution 15 (12): evad203; doi: 10.1093/gbe/evad203

Source: www.sci.news

Recent study challenges previous beliefs about forest resilience

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Recent research has shown that trees in humid regions are more vulnerable to drought, challenging previous beliefs about tree resilience. The study, which included analysis of more than 6.6 million tree rings, revealed that trees in arid regions are surprisingly drought tolerant. This finding highlights the widespread effects of climate change on forests and suggests that genetic diversity in drier regions may be important for adapting to changing conditions. There is. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

Scientists have flipped the script and revealed that trees in humid regions are more sensitive to drought.

This holiday season brings some surprising news about Christmas trees. Scientists have found that globally, trees that grow in wetter regions are more sensitive to drought. This means that if your tree was grown in a humid climate, it has likely been damaged over generations.

Debate over drought tolerance of trees

Scientists have long debated whether arid environments make trees more or less tolerant of drought. It seems intuitive that trees living at the biological margin are most vulnerable to climate change. Because even the slightest bit of extra stress can send a tree over the brink. On the other hand, these populations may be better able to withstand drought because they are adapted to harsher environments.

The trees of this lush temperate forest in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state may be less drought tolerant than trees in drier regions of the South.Credit: Joan Dudney

Insights from new research

According to a new study published in the journal science Increased water availability could “kill” trees by reducing their ability to adapt to drought, according to researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Davis. “And that’s really important to understand when we think about the global vulnerability of forest carbon stocks and forest health.” said Joan Dudney, an assistant professor and ecologist. “You don’t want to be a ‘spoiled’ tree when faced with a major drought.”

Dudney and his co-authors predicted that trees growing in the driest regions would be more sensitive to drought because they were already living on the edge of their limits. Furthermore, climate change models predict that these regions will dry out more rapidly than wetter regions. This change in climate can expose trees to conditions beyond their ability to adapt.

Methodology: Tree ring analysis

To measure drought sensitivity, the authors analyzed 6.6 million tree ring samples from 122 trees. seed World wide. They measured whether a tree was growing faster or slower than average based on the width of its growth rings. They correlated these trends with historical climate data such as precipitation and temperature.

The team then compared different regions’ responses to drought. “As you move to the drier edge of a species’ range, trees become less and less sensitive to drought,” said lead author Robert Heilmeyer, an environmental economist with the Environmental Research Program and the Bren School. he said. “Those trees are actually very resilient.”

Dudney, Heilmeyer, and their co-author Frances Moore were partially inspired by UCSB professor Tamma Carleton’s research on the effects of climate change on humanity. “This paper highlights the value of interdisciplinary scientific research,” added Moore, an associate professor at the University of California, Davis. “We applied economics methods originally developed to study how people and businesses adapt to changing climate, and applied them to ecological contexts to study the sensitivity of forests to drought. could be applied to.”

“A heat wave is likely to kill more people in a cool place like Seattle than in a hot city like Phoenix,” Heilmeyer said. It’s already quite hot in the Southwest, with a scorching heatwave occurring. But cities in the region are adapted to extreme climates, he points out. We now know that forests exhibit similar trends.

Impact on warm regions

Unfortunately, temperate regions are expected to become disproportionately drier in the coming decades. “Significant parts of the species’ ranges will be faced with entirely new climates, a phenomenon that these species do not find anywhere else in their ranges today,” Heilmeyer explained. The authors found that in 2100, 11% of the average species’ range will be drier than the driest part of its historical range. For some species, this increases to 50% or more.

“Broadly speaking, our study highlights that very few forests will be immune to the effects of climate change,” Dudney said. “Even wet forests are under more threat than we realize.”

But there’s also the other side of the coin. This species stores drought-tolerant resources in drier parts of its range and has the potential to strengthen forests in wetter regions. Previous research UCSB researchers have revealed that many species have the ability to adapt to environmental changes. But these researchers also discovered that trees move slowly from one generation to the next. This means that human intervention, such as assisted migration, may be required to take advantage of this genetic diversity.

Christmas tree and the fate of the forest

Whether the Christmas tree lives in a dry or humid region, its growth may decrease in the future. But understanding how trees respond to climate change can help secure the future of Tannenbaum and its wild trees.

Reference: “Drought sensitivity of mesic forests increases vulnerability to climate change” by Robert Heilmeyer, Joan Dudney, and Frances C. Moore, December 7, 2023. science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.adi1071

Source: scitechdaily.com

Chia Genome Sequenced by Researchers, New Study Finds

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Cheer (salvia hispanica) It is one of the most popular nutrient-dense foods and pseudocereals of the Lamiaceae family Lamiaceae. Chia seeds are rich in protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, dietary fiber, and antioxidants. A team of scientists at Oregon State University has sequenced the chia genome, providing a blueprint for future research to exploit the nutritional and human health benefits of the chia plant.

chia seeds. Image credit: Valeria Lu.

Chia is an annual herbaceous plant in the Lamiaceae family, which also includes popular culinary herbs.

It is grown in southern Mexico and Central America for its nutrient-rich seeds containing protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, dietary fiber, antioxidants, and minerals.

Compared to dietary fiber sources such as soy, wheat, and corn, chia seeds contain approximately 54g of dietary fiber per 100g, of which 93% is insoluble fiber.

Similarly, 60% of the total fatty acids are composed of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and proteins constitute 18–24% of the seed mass.

Additionally, the health-beneficial effects of chia seeds on improving muscle lipid content, cardiovascular health, total cholesterol ratio, triglyceride content, and anti-carcinogenic properties have been demonstrated in humans and animals.

The high fiber content in chia seeds also helps to reduce hypoglycemic effects and stabilize blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

Professor Pankaj Jaiwal from Oregon State University said, “Our study opens up the possibility for scientists to study chia seeds with a view to improving human health, while also expanding knowledge of chia’s full range of nutritional benefits.” We will continue to deepen our understanding.”

“Long-term food and nutritional security currently requires diversifying human diets through breeding and genetic improvement of nutrient-rich so-called minor crops like chia,” said Dr. Sushma Naisani of Oregon State University. We have reached a stage where this is necessary.”

In the study, the authors assembled a haploid chia genome with an estimated genome size of 356 Mb.

They identified genes and genetic markers in chia that could help agricultural researchers breed plants to amplify plant traits valuable to human health.

They discovered 29 genes involved in the biosynthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids and 93 genes that aid chia seeds’ gel-forming properties.

They also found 2,707 genes highly expressed in the seeds that are likely to produce small biologically active peptides (biopeptides) derived from proteins.

When seed proteins are digested in the intestinal tract, these small biopeptides are released and absorbed into the body, with potential properties that may help alleviate human health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Masu.

“This is the first report in silico “Annotation of plant genomes for protein-derived small biopeptides associated with improved human health,” the researchers said.

of findings It was published in the magazine Frontiers of plant science.

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parul gupta other. 2023. Reference genome of the nutrient-rich orphan crop chia (salvia hispanica) and implications for future breeding. front.plant science 14; doi: 10.3389/fps.2023.1272966

Source: www.sci.news

Effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines diminishes with passage of time, study finds

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A study by the UK Health and Safety Executive that analyzed more than 10 million coronavirus patients found that vaccination significantly reduced the risk of death, with the most significant benefit seen within six months of vaccination. Became. The results of this study support the success of vaccination programs and the need for booster vaccinations. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

According to a study by the UK Health and Safety Executive, COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection) Vaccination significantly reduces the risk of death, especially within 6 months after vaccination, highlighting the importance of booster vaccination.

The risk of dying from COVID-19 is significantly reduced after vaccination, but this protection wears off after six months, providing evidence to continue giving booster shots, a new study has found.

Researchers from the UK Health and Safety Agency (UKHSA) analyzed more than 10 million coronavirus infections in adults between May 2020 and February 2022. The result is Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (JRSM).

Vaccination and mortality reduction

Cross-referencing vaccination status with case fatality risk (CFR), the proportion of cases that result in death, revealed a clear association between vaccination and lower mortality rates. Of note, this study highlights a critical period (within 6 months of last vaccination) in which CFR was consistently lowest across all age groups. After this time, the protective effect started to decrease and the CFR increased.

Noteworthy findings in the elderly

The study highlights that the COVID-19 vaccination program has been successful in reducing mortality rates.

Among adults aged 50 years and older, CFR was 10 times higher among those who had not been vaccinated (6.3%) compared with those who had received the vaccine within 6 months of testing positive (0.6%). The study also found a sharp decline in CFR in early 2021, coinciding with the initial vaccine rollout.

Florence Halford, from UKHSA’s Covid-19 Vaccines and Epidemiology Unit, said: ‘The risk of dying from Covid-19 is reduced after vaccination, and those vaccinated up to six months before the sample collection date. This was the lowest of all age groups.” This provides some evidence for the continuation of booster doses in the elderly group. ”

Reference: “Temporal changes in the risk of adult mortality from COVID-19 after vaccination in the UK from May 2020 to February 2022: a national surveillance study” Florence Halford, Kathryn Yates, Tom Clare , by Jamie Lopez Bernal, Megan Karl, and Hester Allen, December 13, 2023, Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.
DOI: 10.1177/01410768231216332

Source: scitechdaily.com

“Study suggests Neanderthal DNA might be linked to being a morning person” – UK Researchers

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Have you ever wondered why your partner stays awake with a lark while you doze happily until noon?

According to new research, it could be thanks to Neanderthal genes.

The origins of modern humans can be traced back to Africa 300,000 years ago, but as these ancestors migrated north, they interbred with Neanderthals, and traces of their DNA can still be seen in people today. .

The study’s lead author, John Capra, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, said scientists who compared ancient DNA to modern human genetics found “remarkable trends.”

They found that many of the remaining Neanderthal genes influence our body clocks and “increase our tendency to be morning people.”

Neanderthals lived at higher latitudes and farther from the equator than our African ancestors, experiencing longer days in the summer and shorter days in the winter.

Genes that make people wake up earlier “are likely able to adjust their circadian clocks more quickly to changing seasonal light patterns,” Dr. Capra said, which is why Neanderthals maximized daylight hours for hunting. He was able to utilize it to a limited extent.

Scientists have previously investigated how the circadian rhythms of insects, plants and fish have evolved with latitude. However, it has not been well studied in humans.

Read more from Sky News:
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Geminid meteor shower peaks across UK – how to watch

Researchers wanted to see if there was a genetic reason for the differences in circadian rhythms between Neanderthals and modern humans, and found 16 mutations associated with greater “morningness”, or the tendency to rise early. .

They reasoned that because Neanderthals interbred with the ancestors of modern humans, modern humans may have inherited Neanderthal “circadian mutations.”

To test this, scientists analyzed the genes of hundreds of thousands of people in the UK Biobank and discovered a number of mutations that affect sleep preferences.

“Most surprisingly, we found that these mutants consistently increased morningness,” the researchers said.

This is consistent with what has been found in other animals that adapted to life at high latitudes, such as Neanderthals.

The study was published in Genome Biology and Evolution.

Source: news.sky.com

Study Shows Abdominal Circumference Grows During the Holiday Season

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increase in perimeter

Some people get bigger during the holidays than they were before the holidays. A team from the University of Castilla-La Mancha and the University of Valladolid in Spain surveyed several first-year undergraduate nursing students and found that Preliminary study on the increase in BMI of health science students during Christmas vacation”.

Researchers assessed changes in weight and waist circumference in 67 students over the Christmas break. They asked students to take measurements on December 23, the day before the holidays officially began, and again at two designated locations during the holidays, and finally when the university’s general activities officially resumed on December 23. Measured on the 13th of the month.

(Presumably the students were honest and accurate. However, the study did not include the following: “This was an exploratory pilot study of self-reports. It is known that these reports tend to underestimate weight. ) The self-reported numbers show that: On average, students gained about 0.5 kg during their vacation and gained it back by the time they returned to campus.

The study states, “Overall, for both men and women, students who weighed more tended to gain more weight.” Research suggests that what students ate (not just the amount) may have played a significant role. “Students who were on a high-fat diet showed more significant weight changes.”

What kind of new hill of beans does this amount of pounds above and below equate to? The study found that “weight gain is not surprising, but it does show that young people may gain weight during the holiday period.” ” concludes.

What about the size of the student’s waistline (referred to in research as “abdominal circumference”)? It increased by about 1 centimeter on average and stayed that way. In other words, people tended to gain just a little bit more weight after the holidays.

A little moment on holiday

The little things that happen during the holidays are especially memorable because of their timing.

The same is true of a snake that bites a man’s genitals while defecating. GH Dijkema and his colleagues from Rhine State Hospital in the Netherlands reveal the details in a report called “.Scrotal necrosis after cobra (Naja annulifera) poisoning”.

At its core, this is a simple story. The research team condenses the basic facts into one sentence. “A 47-year-old otherwise healthy man was vacationing in a nature reserve in South Africa when a snake jumped out of the toilet and bit him on the genitals while he was using the toilet.”

Enough detail has been added to fill two and a half pages, punctuated by three photos of injured body parts. The authors also add some kind thoughts: In countries known for snakes, always flush the toilet before sitting down. ”

new holiday traditions

Some families like to get together to read aloud holiday stories, especially the Christmas stories written by Charles Dickens. But for families who are tired of hearing the same old words year after year, there is an alternative. Perhaps most beneficial is to take a business-like approach.

Yukyung Kim has identified a number of stories that you and your family can read aloud to each other as you look forward to the arrival of the new year, because no one will stop you.

Kim compiled this material as the main part of his master’s thesis at the University of Liberal Arts and Convergence Sciences in South Korea, which he titled “.Research on CEO New Year’s greetings: Research using text mining method”. As most holidaymakers know, “CEO” is an acronym for the phrase “Chief Executive Officer.”

Kim’s summaries of these New Year’s stories are more businesslike than those of Dickens’ Christmas stories. Mr. Kim said: “This study analyzed the New Year speeches of his CEOs of major Korean companies… [I] We analyzed 545 New Year’s speeches announced by the top 66 Korean companies by market capitalization from 2012 to 2021. ”

Many Korean CEO New Year’s greetings can be found on the Internet or by sending a request in a complimentary tone to the company headquarters. After a night of listening to families loudly proclaim these CEO stories, no matter what happens in the next few days, it will feel like the start of a vibrant year.

Muddy white christmas

Calcium carbonate (CaCO) is the reason we have a white Christmas in warm places, as opposed to snow covering the ground in colder climates.3) precipitates in calm water. CaCO3 It falls to the ocean floor and is covered with thick white lime mud.

Sam Purkiss and his team at the University of Miami, Florida, published a study on this titled “.It’s always a white Christmas in the Bahamas: Temperature and hydrodynamics localize winter mud production on the Great Bahama Bank.”.

As a Christmas Eve reading, the writing isn’t as good as Dickens (or Korean CEO), but you can have your relatives enjoy the lyrical parts. For example, “spatial heterogeneity in aragonite saturation is high in winter, and zones of peak bleaching are located in areas of locally increased saturation.”

Set to festive music and a cheerful atmosphere, a dramatic reading of Calcium Carbonate’s White Christmas will change everyone’s thoughts for the better.

Mark Abrahams hosted the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony and co-founded the magazine Annals of Improbable Research. Previously, he was working on unusual uses of computers.his website is impossible.com

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Study uncovers long-term health hazards

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New research reveals significant metabolic and health risks associated with long-term coconut oil supplementation, including hormonal changes, weight gain, and inflammation. Lead researcher Marcio Alberto Torsoni advises against consuming coconut oil blindly and recommends a moderate amount according to dietary guidelines.

Scientists at the State University of Campinas observed changes in eating patterns, weight gain, signs of anxiety, and increased inflammation in the brain, adipose tissue, and liver in mice.

Article published in Functional food journal We report on a research study in which oral administration of extra virgin coconut oil supplements to mice showed significant changes in eating habits, weight gain, anxiety levels, and inflammation in the central nervous system, adipose tissue, and liver.

Researchers also discovered that leptin, an important metabolic hormone, insulin The ability to activate cellular mechanisms involved in satiety and blood sugar control may be impaired, and biochemical mechanisms involved in fat synthesis may be stimulated.

Researcher insights

Marcio Alberto Torsoni, a researcher at the Institute of Metabolic Disorders, said: “The results of this study suggest that although the process occurs slowly and quietly, long-term coconut oil supplementation contributes to the development of obesity and related comorbidities. “This suggests that it may cause significant metabolic changes.” LabDiMe) is conducted at the Faculty of Applied Sciences of the State University of Campinas (FCA-UNICAMP), São Paulo State, Brazil. He holds a PhD in Functional and Molecular Biology and completed postdoctoral studies at the UNICAMP Faculty of Medicine and the University of Michigan, USA.

LabDiMe is part of the Obesity and Comorbidity Research Center (OCRC), one of FAPESP’s Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Centers (RIDCs), and the Center for Metabolic Programming and Perinatal Management (MPPM), which receives funding from the U.S. We are collaborating with National Institutes of Health (NIH (National Institutes of Health).

Animal fat and coconut oil risks

Excessive intake of animal fats is associated with an increased risk of: cardiovascular disease, as well as obesity and diabetes. One of the components of this diet is cholesterol, but this type of fat also contains saturated fatty acids, which can activate inflammatory processes through Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) and cause disease. there is.

Saturated fatty acids are also available from other sources, such as plants. For example, it makes up 90% of the fat in coconut oil. Although short-chain fatty acids make up the majority and are beneficial as they reduce inflammation, the saturated fatty acids found in coconut oil are sufficient to activate inflammatory pathways and damage many different types of cells.

“Consumption of coconut oil, either as part of the regular diet or as a dietary supplement, has increased significantly in the population,” Torsoni says. The problem is that most of the time it is consumed without the guidance of a nutritionist who can adjust the daily intake according to the individual’s needs.

experimental model

To find out whether daily consumption of coconut oil over long periods of time could cause health problems, the research group used an animal model involving healthy mice that were given coconut oil daily for eight weeks. did. This amount of coconut oil is equivalent to about 1 soup spoon (13g) of calories per day, or 5% of the calories from saturated fat in the diet of an adult of appropriate weight for his or her age and height.

Torsoni said coconut oil should be used in small amounts as part of seasonings and sauces, preferably with fresh or minimally processed vegetables. This is also the advice of the Ministry of Health’s Dietary Guidelines for Brazilian Citizens, which also recommends “an appropriate and healthy diet that combines quantity and quality and meets the needs of variety, balance, moderation and enjoyment.” I am.

“Coconut oil is not recommended as a supplement to treat disease or restore health,” Torsoni says.

Reference: “CO 2 supplementation induces lipogenesis in adipose tissue, leptin and insulin resistance in healthy Swiss mice” Alana Carolina Costa Veras, Larissa da Silva Bruzasco, Ana Beatriz Profiro Lopes, Beatriz da Silva Franco, Written by Alessandro Spencer de Souza Holanda, Andrea Maculano Estevez, Marcian Milanski, Adriana Souza Torsoni, Leticia Martins Ignacio-Sousa, Marcio Alberto Torsoni, June 4, 2023. Functional food journal.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jff.2023.105600

This study was funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation.

Source: scitechdaily.com