Danger Dust

Metal exposure from environmental pollution is associated with increased buildup of calcium in the coronary arteries at a level that is comparable to traditional risk factors like smoking and diabetes, according to a study by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

The findings support the fact that metals in the body are associated with the progression of plaque buildup in the arteries and potentially provide a new strategy for managing and preventing atherosclerosis.

Binary Fission: The Key to Immortality?

Bacteria differ from us in many ways, including in their modes of growth and reproduction. Unlike humans and other animals, single-celled organisms, such as bacteria and some fungi, can undergo a process called binary fission to reproduce, meaning that they duplicate their DNA and then split in 2.

Replication via binary fission can be very fast—the fastest-growing bacterium we know of can divide in less than 10 minutes!

Indeed, it was long thought that bacteria and other organisms that reproduce via binary fission do not age at all. This was because binary fission was thought to be a symmetrical division, producing a parent and offspring identical in age, thus leading to a what scientists called ‘functional immortality’ for the population. On the other hand, asymmetric division, whereby the parent is older than the offspring, was thought to be required for an organism to be able to age at all.

Evidence against the accepted immortality paradigm first came in 2005, when scientists showed that Escherichia coli actually exhibits differences between ‘old’ and ‘new’ in parent and offspring cells, respectively. By following dividing cells with a microscope, the researchers could show that the older cells’ growth rate and offspring production decline over time, and that they die more frequently than their younger offspring cells. Thus, despite looking the same, the cells undergo divisions that leave them functionally asymmetric, causing cells to age over time.

Time waits for no one, not even bacteria—and that’s a good thing. Far from immortal beings beyond the reaches of aging, bacteria are an interesting system in which to study the molecular mechanisms that contribute to age-related decline.

More than 3,600 chemicals used in food packaging or preparation have been detected in human bodies, some of which are hazardous to health, while little is known about others, a study said Tuesday.

Around 100 of these chemicals are considered to be of "high concern" to human health.

The European Union is in the final stages of banning the use of PFAS in food packaging. The EU has also proposed a similar ban for bisphenol A from the end of this year.

Silicosis develops after inhalation of dust containing respirable crystalline silica (RCS) and is recognized as an occupational disease. Workers also develop accelerated and acute silicosis after shorter exposure to respirable silica dust at high concentrations.

Aims

The objective of this study is to investigate and identify the occupational groups at the highest risk of silicosis due to short-term RCS exposure.

Key learning points

What is already known about this subject:

• A few studies , which are limited to small series and case reports of acute and accelerated silicosis, have reported findings on health effects associated with short-term respirable crystalline silica (RCS) exposure.

• Little is known about the occupational factors that are associated with of acute or accelerated silicosis development.

• It is needed to identify the occupational activity groups at the highest risk of silicosis due to short-term RCS exposure.

What impact this may have on practice or policy:

• Findings contribute to better understanding of health effects associated with short-term RCS exposure.

• Results are valuable guidance in identifying risk groups of silicosis development after short-term exposure to respirable crystalline silica in terms of occupational activity and should urge occupational health care providers along with employers to improve protective and preventive measures in silica related industries.

• Outcomes should increase vigilance of occupational medicine professionals in early detecting of silicosis symptoms in the course of employment in RCS exposure.

Findings from the Office for National Statistics found that 168,000 people had long COVID as of March 2024.

Long Covid can be a debilitating condition that causes fatigue, brain fog and breathing problems.

Prevalence was highest among those aged 50 to 69, those living in the most deprived areas, and those whose daily activity is limited by pre-existing health conditions.

The study found that long Covid cases were disproportionately common among people who were age 50-69, whose daily activity was limited by pre-existing health conditions, and who were living in the most deprived areas.

Of those who were in hospital when their symptoms began, the most common symptoms reported were weakness or tiredness (78%), 57% had difficulty concentrating, and 54% were struggling with muscle aches.

The study also found that of those in Scotland with self-reported long Covid, around two-thirds had the virus at least one year previously, and one-third at least two years previously.

Dr Williams initially developed long Covid, but for the past two years has also met the criteria for ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

Often developing after an acute viral or bacterial infection from which people are unable to fully recover, ME has many overlapping features with long Covid.

It is estimated at least 250,000 people in the UK have ME, which affects multiple systems within the body and which can lead to symptoms like fatigue and a flu-like malaise, though the ME Association believe that figure is likely to be "significantly" higher.

Inspired by the architecture of human bone's tough outer layer, engineers at Princeton have developed a cement-based material that is 5.6 times more damage-resistant than standard counterparts. The bio-inspired design allows the material to resist cracking and avoid sudden failure, unlike conventional, brittle cement-based counterparts.

The team was inspired by human cortical bone, the dense outer shell of human femurs that provides strength and resists fracture. Cortical bone consists of elliptical tubular components known as osteons, embedded weakly in an organic matrix. This unique architecture deflects cracks around osteons. This prevents abrupt failure and increases overall resistance to crack propagation, Gupta said.

The team's bio-inspired design incorporates cylindrical and elliptical tubes within the cement paste that interact with propagating cracks.

Full Paper:-

Tough Cortical Bone-Inspired Tubular Architected Cement-Based Material with Disorder

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adma.202313904

A patient with a degenerative disease was able to command Amazon's Alexa digital assistant with his mind, the company behind the technological innovation announced Monday, letting him stream shows and control devices with only his thoughts.

The patient, who is living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), was able to make video calls, play music, stream shows, control smart home devices such as lights, shop online, and read books by using his mind to direct Alexa, according to the New York-based company.

ALS is a degenerative nerve disease that leads to muscle weakness and paralysis.

For the first time, scientists have detected microscopic microplastics lodged in the human brain. Researchers in Germany and Brazil say that 8 out of 15 autopsied adults had microplastics detected within their brain's smell centers, the olfactory bulb.

The particles were likely breathed in over a lifetime, since tiny floating microplastics are ubiquitous in the air.

The particles were likely breathed in over a lifetime, since tiny floating microplastics are ubiquitous in the air.

Although microplastics have already been found in human lungs, intestines, liver, blood, testicles and even semen, it had long been thought that the body's protective blood-brain barrier might keep the particles out of the brain.

However, the new study suggests that there's "a potential pathway for the translocation of microplastics to the brain" via the olfactory bulb.

Full paper :-

Microplastics in the Olfactory Bulb of the Human Brain

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2823787

Some communities endure environmental hazards from abandoned mines and job loss from the energy transition away from coal. Recent US legislation provides a historic appropriation for abandoned mine hazards like the acidic water that often drains from them.

In addition to making the energy transition more just, our findings indicate that investments to treat abandoned mine drainage in Pennsylvania over thirty years have generally been cost-effective and have likely created more benefits than costs.

A recent study of Clean Water Act grants to municipal wastewater treatment plants highlights a lack of ex-post estimates of the cost of making a river-kilometer fishable.

Cold Comfort

Another scorching summer has us blasting the AC and grabbing a chilled drink. Air conditioning and refrigeration may beat the heat, but they also present a dilemma. The more we use them, the more greenhouse gases we emit, the hotter the planet becomes, and the more we require artificial cooling. Can we escape this feedback loop? We look at the origins of these chilling technologies, tour the extensive chain of cold that keeps food from perishing, and consider how a desert city like Phoenix could not exist without AC.

Introducing SandAI: A tool for scanning sand

Stanford researchers have developed an artificial intelligence-based tool – dubbed SandAI – that can reveal the history of quartz sand grains going back hundreds of millions of years. With SandAI, researchers can tell with high accuracy if wind, rivers, waves, or glacial movements shaped and deposited motes of sand.

Telltale signatures

Historically, microtextural analysis has been done by hand and eye, using magnifying glasses and microscopes to attempt to draw inferences about sand grains’ histories. Modern science has validated the approach, showing that transport mechanisms do indeed impart telltale signatures – for example, grains that traveled farther often appear more rounded because they’ve had their sharp corners dulled; waves and wind also leave distinctive abrasion patterns.

Training the tool

To build SandAI, the researchers employed a neural network that “learns” in a manner akin to the human brain, where correct answers strengthen connections between artificial neurons, or nodes, in the program, enabling the computer to learn from its mistakes.

The researchers have made SandAI available online for anyone to use. They plan to continue developing it based on user feedback and look forward to seeing the tool applied in a range of contexts.

In what could be a preview of an even greater disease burden for those workers in the artificial stone benchtop industry, Monash researchers have conducted a large study finding that those workers exposed to silica dust show a higher incidence of blood markers that are the hallmark of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

The researchers looked for symptoms or diagnoses of autoimmune disease as well as markers in the blood that could indicate early stages of autoimmune disease.

Amongst the 1238 workers 0.9% were confirmed with autoimmune disease, however almost one quarter (24.6%) had detectable anti-nuclear antibodies – 24.6% compared to less than 6% in similarly aged male controls.

This data suggests that – as well as screening for silicosis in these workers, they should also be screened for autoimmune disease, as these individuals need specialised management and may be entitled to compensation.

Autoimmune diseases, autoantibody status and silicosis in a cohort of 1238 workers from the artificial stone benchtop industry

Objectives Autoimmune disorders are multifactorial but occupational exposures have long been implicated, including respirable crystalline silica (RCS). A modern epidemic of silicosis is emerging internationally, associated with dry processing of engineered stone with high (>90%) RCS content. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of clinical autoimmune disease and common autoantibodies in exposed workers.

Conclusion The proportion of workers with detectable ANAs or ENAs was considerably higher than the 5%–9% expected in the general population. Some of the antibodies detected (eg, Scl-70, CENPB) have high sensitivity and specificity for systemic sclerosis. Long-term follow-up will be needed to estimate incidence. Rheumatologists should explore occupational history in new cases of autoimmune disease. Screening for autoimmune disease is indicated in workers exposed to RCS as these individuals need specialised management and may be entitled to compensation.

https://oem.bmj.com/content/81/8/388

Missing voices

In memory

This report and our campaign are dedicated to all those individuals, communities and organisations bravely taking a stand to defend human rights, their land, and our environment. 

Last year, 196 people were murdered for doing this work. 

We also acknowledge that the names of many defenders who were killed last year may be missing, and we may never know how many more gave their lives to protect our planet. We honour their work too. 

Shell was looking for oil and gas off the coast of South Africa, close to where I live. Not that anyone had bothered to inform us – not our government, not Shell, not anyone else. We heard it in the news.  

Little did it matter that our Constitution clearly states that we must be consulted. Like so many other land and environmental defenders around the world, we found our basic rights violated. Yet I count myself lucky because I am here to tell my story. 

As this new report documents, 196 fellow defenders can’t tell their stories; they were brutally murdered in 2023. 

This report shows that in every region of the world, people who speak out and call attention to the harm caused by extractive industries – like deforestation, pollution and land grabbing – face violence, discrimination and threats. 

We are land and environmental defenders. And when we speak up many of us are attacked for doing so.

In 2011, Shannon McKenney, a singer from Burnaby, B.C., suddenly fell violently ill at a dinner party.

Thinking it was food poisoning, the now 51-year-old went to the emergency room with severe pain and nausea, only to be sent home with a diagnosis of the stomach flu.

But when her appendix ruptured days later, her condition took a life-threatening turn. Though she survived the ordeal, her health never fully returned to normal.

Doctors initially blamed the lingering symptoms on complications from her appendix. What none of them realized was that McKenney had just survived a hidden and dangerous battle with sepsis.

What is sepsis?

Sepsis is a severe condition that occurs when the body’s response to an infection damages its own tissues and organs.

It is also known as septicemia or “blood poisoning,” and is most commonly caused by bacterial infections but can also stem from viruses or fungal infections, according to the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It can develop rapidly, often within hours if left untreated. It may lead to shock, multi-organ failure and death — especially if not recognized early and treated promptly.

Government’s communication called ‘unconscionable’ after one of largest spills of toxic ‘forever chemicals’

A former US navy base in Maine has caused among the largest accidental spills of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” ever recorded in the nation, and public health advocates suspect state officials are attempting to cover up its scale by reporting misleading and incomplete data.

Meanwhile, state and regional officials were slow to alert the public and are resisting calls to immediately test some private drinking water wells in the area despite its notoriously complex hydrology, which could potentially spread the contamination widely.

The spill was caused by a malfunctioning fire suppression system in a hangar at the Brunswick naval air station near Maine’s coast, which released about 51,000 gallons of PFAS-laden firefighting foam into nearby surface water, leading to astronomical levels of PFAS contamination.

Popularity of diet drugs fuels ‘dumpster fire’ of risky knock-offs, questionable supplements, food products, experts warn

Nutritional labeling is often designed to be misleading, Naidoo added. Companies add just enough whole grain to be able to include that marker of dietary health in the label, even of otherwise unhealthy foods.

Sugar is a key ingredient in many foods — even those that aren’t sweet — because it can trigger cravings. Fast food companies add sugar to French fries, she said, because even levels too low to taste can trigger compulsive eating. 

There are 262 different names for sugar in processed foods, including “brown rice syrup,” which benefits from an association with the whole-grain benefits of brown rice but which Naidoo said is basically just sugar.

Highlights

• Made a small-area analysis of greenspace exposure and heat-mortality associations.

• Examined which type and location of greenspace matter most in heat health risk reduction.

• Unlike grassland, forests yielded significant health benefits under heat.

• Greenspace, especially forests, within a 1 km radius of residents matter most.

• More apparent effects were observed for greenspace nearby than area-level exposure.

Our findings suggest that greenspace, particularly nearby forests, may significantly mitigate heat-related mortality risks.

The authors believe that particular interventions in residential greenspace within a walkable distance (around 1000 m) could effectively reduce heat exposure and vulnerability, thereby, decrease the likelihood of mortality from heat. If these findings are replicated, such implications will be of importance to urban planners and designers as they seek to achieve maximal health benefits through informing measures of modifiers to specific pathways and threshold effects for each.

Autoimmune diseases are widespread and notoriously difficult to treat. In part, this is because why the immune system attacks its own tissues in patients with these conditions remains poorly understood.

Autoimmune diseases develop when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues instead of fighting off foreign invaders like bacteria or viruses. However, it has long been a mystery why this happens, as the immune system has many checks and balances to make sure that it only reacts to 'non-self' triggers.

"Our findings demonstrate that T cells discriminate self- and neoself-antigens and do not recognize neoself-antigens as self antigens, thus leading to the development of autoimmunity when neoself-antigens are presented on MHC-II."

Neoself-antigens are the primary target for autoreactive T cells in human lupus

https://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(24)00913-9

Environmental campaigners on Friday claimed a "huge victory" after a court ruling overturned a decision to allow planning permission for the UK's first deep coal mine in 30 years.

High Court judge David Holgate said the previous Conservative government's original decision to grant permission for the Whitehaven mine in Cumbria, northwest England, was "legally flawed".

Through secondhand clothes, my friends and I consumed western culture.

Yet, while proximity to western bodies felt like a blessing to my generation, it’s not universally desirable. Certain types of pre-worn clothing, like lingerie, for example, are rarely found in charity shops. Such items are perceived as “dangerous” for reselling as they are associated with contamination and lack of hygiene due to their close contact with intimate areas of the body.

Recycling is not yet happening on an industrial scale.

Only 1% of used clothes are recycled, and Europe’s only recycling mill, designed to convert discarded clothes into new textiles through eco-friendly chemical recycling, closed in February 2024 – declaring bankruptcy just two years after opening.

Reuse – such as resale, rental, repair and remaking – could help prevent waste, reduce the use of new resources, lower carbon emission and increase consumer awareness to tackle fashion waste. But despite the rise of various reuse models, it still remains a niche practice because it relies on people wearing clothes that others have previously worn.

Key Points

• Estuarine geomorphic funneling and dams produce partial and full reflections, respectively, with magnitudes that are frequency dependent

• Three convergence regimes emerge: dominant tides have near peak amplification, overtides attenuate, and long duration surges mildly amplify

• Dams reflect and amplify long waves—increasing flood exposure—the most in weakly convergent estuaries with low friction

Plain Language Summary

Most ports and cities are located along estuaries and deltas where flood hazards are increasing partially due to human modifications of channel geometry and land use.

Dams, salt barrages, and surge barriers are common in estuaries. They modify estuarine geometry, regulate river flow, protect against flooding, and prevent salt intrusion.

Many estuaries are naturally convergent, wide near the sea and narrower landward. Dams are barriers which shorten an estuary. Like ocean swell at a seawall, tides reflect off dams and often increase tidal range. Here we investigate how dams and landward changes in estuarine geometry influence tides and storm surges.

Using measurements from the greater Charleston Harbor, SC, we find that constructing a dam either increases or decreases water levels, depending primarily on estuary convergence and surge event duration, as well as flow resistance and river flow.

The presence of dams results in higher water levels, and thus flood exposure, when convergence is weak and storm surge at the sea has a short duration and high water levels.

Further, channelization that extends inland, resulting from dredging of shipping channels, increases the magnitude and seaward extent of dam effects with increasing flood risk.

Most existing devices are operated via touch screens, keyboards, mouse pads and other hand-based interfaces.

Researchers at the National University of Singapore have developed a smart mouthguard that could allow people to operate their devices using their mouth, instead of their fingers.

"Conventional input devices, such as touchscreens or voice recognition, are often challenging in certain environments or for users with limited hand function. Our goal was to develop a more flexible, user-friendly interface that can be operated using the tongue and teeth, which are capable of precise and fatigue-free movements."

Cancer has been described as "a wound that does not heal," implying that the immune system is unable to wipe out invading tumor cells. A new discovery confirms that a key molecule can reprogram immune cells that normally protect against infection and cancer, turning them into bad guys that promote cancer growth....

Kim led a team of scientists investigating the dynamic interactions that occur between cells in the tumor environment, and the underlying factors that cause the harmful transformation of immune cells from good to bad.

They found that PAF (platelet-activating factor) is the key molecule that controls the destiny of the immune cells. PAF not only recruits cancer-promoting cells, but it also suppresses the immune system's ability to fight back. In addition, they found that multiple cancers rely on the same PAF signals.

Published: 17 May 2022

All these biomarkers were analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and the results provided moderately high sensitivity and specificity for discriminating between ES silicosis patient groups and healthy controls. Our study reveals that some inflammatory biomarkers, easily available from routine blood analysis, are present in ES silicosis patients even several years after cessation of exposure to ES silica dust and they could help to know the progression of the disease.