Danger Dust

A multidisciplinary research team based across China and Brazil has used a dog-like robot and AI to create a new way to find fire ant nests.

Fire ant nests are difficult for untrained personnel to identify and confirm in the field, and searching large areas can be time-consuming and exhausting under the hot sun. A robot could automatically locate the nests without requiring specially trained individuals and operate at various times of the day regardless of temperature conditions.

RIFA is one of the most destructive pests worldwide. Accidentally introduced to the United States in the 1930s, they have since spread as an invasive organism across numerous areas including China, Japan and Europe, causing extensive environmental damage and economic losses.

Conventional approaches to controlling RIFA populations involve the use of pesticides, at the risk of harming local ecosystems. To implement effective and targeted RIFA control strategies which minimize the harm to native species, extensive monitoring of populations is essential.

Our bodies and organs are shielded from the external environment by tissue barriers like the skin. These barriers must be tightly sealed to prevent unwanted substances from entering. This sealing is achieved through structures called tight junctions. However, how these tight junctions form has long been a mystery.

Tight junction proteins bind to the surface of the cell membrane at the interface where the cells touch each other. When the number of proteins bound there reaches a certain threshold, the proteins condense into a liquid that gradually grows into a sort of drop on the cell surface.

Eventually, these drops elongate and touch each other to form a uniform belt around the cells. In this way, tight junctions seal the spaces between the cells to make our skin and organs airtight.

Perhaps everybody has seen it in winter. Tiny drops of water appear on a cold window. It's exactly that but on a molecular scale

By diverting their attention towards eating their dying neighbors, HFSCs keep inflammation-generating immune cells away

The findings have applications beyond the hair follicle, because it is only one of several areas of the body where there are few professional phagocytes around. In regions of the brain, breasts, and lungs, for example, epithelial and mesenchymal tissue cells, including stem cells, moonlight as ersatz phagocytes.

Stem cells tightly regulate dead cell clearance to maintain tissue fitness

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07855-6

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease of prematurity. Exposure to noxious stimuli such as hyperoxia, volutrauma, and infection in infancy can have long-reaching impacts on lung health and predispose towards the development of conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adulthood. BPD and COPD are both marked by lung tissue degradation, neutrophil influx, and decreased lung function. Both diseases also express a change in microbial signature characterized by firmicute depletion.

An interesting finding was the favorable performance of the LBP compared to fluticasone furoate, a widely studied FDA-approved inhaled corticosteroid found in COPD combination therapies.

The LBP reduced MMP-9 and other pro-inflammatory cytokines as well as, and in some cases better than, the steroid in the PPE + LPS COPD mouse model. Prolonged use of steroids for COPD exacerbations is associated with side effects, including increased risk of pneumonia, skin thinning, sepsis, and death.

Neutrophilic inflammation is steroid-resistant, a major therapeutic gap in the COPD therapeutic landscape.

In the future, our LBP may reduce or replace the need for inhaled steroids by virtue of their strong anti-inflammatory action combined with a more tolerable safety profile and additional potential structural benefits. Safety and biodistribution, as studied in the PPE emphysema model, indicated that inhalation of the LBP did not initiate adverse reactions in diseased mice. The Lactobacilli did not translocate to distal tissues or accumulate in the lungs, supporting the hypothesis that the bacteria have a localized yet transient presence in the airways. Furthermore, the LBP is susceptible to the antibiotics Cefuroxime, Azithromycin, Amoxicillin-clavulanate, Piperacillin-tazobactam, and Ceftriaxone, all of which are currently used to treat COPD exacerbations and may be used as rescue medication in a clinical setting.

Preclinical animal data is suggestive, and the safety of the potential drug in humans will be tested in a forthcoming clinical trial.

Construction is underway for the maximum-security Brazilian facility, which will face cost and regulatory hurdles.

Last month, Brazil celebrated breaking ground on what it hopes will become the first maximum-security biosciences laboratory in Latin America.  Many researchers are excited at the prospect of a facility where they can safely study the most dangerous pathogens in the region. However, some wonder about the cost of maintaining such a lab and are concerned about the pushback they are sure to receive from members of the public over housing deadly organisms there.

Twenty-four brain samples collected in early 2024 measured on average about 0.5% plastic by weight

A growing body of scientific evidence shows that microplastics are accumulating in critical human organs, including the brain, leading researchers to call for more urgent actions to rein in plastic pollution.

Studies have detected tiny shards and specks of plastics in human lungs, placentas, reproductive organs, livers, kidneys, knee and elbow joints, blood vessels and bone marrow.

In 1878, Alphonse and Theodore Carmagnolle in Marseille, France, developed an armored suit with twenty small portholes and articulated limbs, which they were granted a patent for. It weighed 838 pounds.

This was the first human-shaped atmospheric diving suit (ADS) – meaning that the pressure inside the suit was one atmosphere – the same as at the surface – and therefore the diver wouldn’t have to worry about the dangers of decompression.

Sadly, the suit never worked properly and the joints were never completely waterproof. The original suit is now on display at the French National Navy Museum in Paris.

The same year, Henry Fleuss of London became the very first scuba diver with his invention of the first self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) using compressed oxygen.

He was granted a patent in 1878, and it eliminated the need for a diver to rely on surface-supplied air.

A rubber mask was connected to a rubber airbag, copper oxygen tank, and a scrubber for removing CO2 so that exhaled air could be re-breathed.

This device was originally developed to save trapped miners, but immediately was recognized for its potential underwater.

While it did limit the divers working depth due to the danger of oxygen toxicity, this was a revolutionary design.

The British Navy was the first to train and recruit divers for their purposes, and the US Navy followed suit in a training program in 1882.

Abstract

Silicosis due to artificial stone (AS) has emerged over the last decade as an increasing global issue. We report the first eight UK cases.

All were men; median age was 34 years (range 27–56) and median stone dust exposure was 12.5 years (range 4–40) but in 4 cases was 4–8 years.

One is deceased; two were referred for lung transplant assessment.

All cases were dry cutting and polishing AS worktops with inadequate safety measures.

Clinical features of silicosis can closely mimic sarcoidosis.

UK cases are likely to increase, with urgent action needed to identify cases and enforce regulations.

2016, the UK Health and Safety Executive published guidance on health surveillance for RCS exposed workers which includes a chest X-ray after 15 years of exposure. Even if these cases had been in a surveillance programme, based on the latency, this approach will fail to detect at least some cases. Furthermore, use of chest X-rays in surveillance for AS silicosis is not sensitive.

Dietary vitamin B12 deficiency is one of the most common micronutrient deficiencies worldwide, with over a billion individuals suffering from low levels of the vitamin. While ruminant-derived meat and dairy products play a crucial role in providing the recommended B12 dietary allowance (2.4 µg/day), increasing the production and consumption of meat and milk entails substantial environmental ramifications. Spirulina blue-green algae (Arthrospira platensis) has been widely proposed as healthier and more sustainable substitutes for meat, milk, and dairy products (also known as meat and milk analogues). 

The feasibility of consuming 100 g of PCS daily, compared to the same quantity of beef, involves several technical considerations, particularly in terms of palatability, nutrition, and practicality. From a palatability perspective, consuming 100 g of PCS daily may be challenging due to its taste and texture, which may not be easily adaptable to a wide variety of dishes as beef. Moreover, a high intake could also pose risks of excessive micronutrient accumulation, such as iodine, which Spirulina can contain in large amounts. While PCS could be utilized to fortify other foods, achieving the RDA for certain nutrients solely through fortification may require careful formulation to avoid under-nutrition, thus complicating its use on a large scale. Therefore, while PCS offers substantial nutritional benefits, relying on it as a primary source to meet specific nutritional requirements like vitamin B12 through high daily intake or fortification may present challenges.

While comparing the nutritional and environmental benefits of PCS with beef, we recognize that direct vitamin B12 supplementation and fortification—through tablets or liquids—may be equally effective. These supplements often contain bioactive forms of the vitamin, such as methylcobalamin and cyanocobalamin, which ensure effective absorption and physiological utility. Although not the focus of this study, this approach could help achieve adequate vitamin B12 intake, particularly in diets that limit or exclude animal products. Understanding this is crucial for making informed dietary decisions, especially for those at risk of B12 deficiency.

Civilizations have recognized the power of cities to heat themselves up and cool themselves for centuries. City architects in ancient Rome called for narrowing streets to lessen late afternoon temperatures. Narrow streets were found to cool the air by limiting the area exposed to direct sunlight.

The whitewashed architecture of the Greek Isles demonstrates another long-practiced strategy. Light-colored walls and roofs can help cool cities by reflecting incoming sunlight.

How cities heat themselves up

Cities elevate their temperature in four key ways:

• Developers cut down trees to make space for buildings and cars. When tree canopies disappear, that lessens shading and the release of cooling water vapor from leaves via transpiration.

• Urban construction then amplifies the heat. Asphalt, concrete and dark roofing materials all absorb heat from the Sun and heat up the environment around them.

• Absorbed solar energy is compounded by copious amounts of waste heat emitted from industrial processes, vehicle tailpipes and building air conditioning systems.

• In zones of the city occupied by tall buildings, radiant energy released from streets and parking lots is trapped in the concrete canyons, further elevating temperatures.

Simple steps for cooling cities down

Understanding the extent to which cities can heat themselves up offers powerful tools for cooling them down as human-driven global warming raises the baseline temperature.

Occupational exposure to inhaled crystalline silica dust (cSiO2) is linked to systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody vasculitis. 

Taken together, diverse disease-relevant autoreactive B cells, including cells specific for DNA, MPO, and basement membrane, are recruited to lung ectopic lymphoid aggregates in response to cSiO2 instillation. B cells that escape tolerance can contribute to local autoantibody production. Our demonstration of significantly enhanced autoantibody induction by TLR ligands further suggests that a coordinated environmental co-exposure can magnify autoimmune vulnerability.

Background: A number of occupational exposures are associated with various types of renal dysfunction. Several studies for many years have drawn attention to renal dysfunction and nephrotoxicity among workers exposed to silica.

Conclusion: Albuminuria and reduced estimated GFR in patients with silica dust exposure is not uncommon and reflect early underlying renal dysfunctions. Our study suggests a simple and cost-effective screening strategy for early detection of renal dysfunction among silicosis patients that may be considered as a tool to prevent further renal damage in such patients.

Mammals, from the mighty blue whale to the tiny shrew, inhabit nearly every corner of our planet. Their remarkable adaptability to different environments has long fascinated scientists, with each species developing unique traits to survive and thrive.

Despite such vast biological diversity, it was believed until recently that the structure and function of the heart across mammals was the same. But research from my colleagues and I reveals that the human heart is an outlier, distinctly different from those of our closest relatives, the great apes, including chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans and gorillas.

So, why are humans the odd ones out?

Humans diverged from chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes), our last common ancestor, between five and six million years ago. In contrast, people evolved to stand upright to engage in greater amounts of activity, such as persistence hunting. And we have developed considerably larger brains.

These changes to humans’ bodies were associated with a much greater metabolic demand, requiring more blood to be pumped to our muscles and brain. Our research suggests that the human heart has adapted to support our upright stance, movement and larger brain

OP .. @[email protected]

Snap survey of 550 UK nursing professionals:

Concerning: 40% reported that they have had #Covid19 themselves this summer. Of those, 21% said they had attended work while infected with the virus.

Interesting: 58% said they would welcome more Covid-19 prevention measures in their workplaces.

"Some said they wore masks for all face-to-face patient contact, others said PPE was only used when dealing with confirmed Covid-19 cases or if they had the virus themselves."

Despite the shift away from opioid use as a standard of care in pain management, current clinical guidelines are outdated, and data on alternative pain treatments for conditions such as ARDs are limited.

Therefore, researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study to investigate pain management treatment patterns among patients newly diagnosed with ARDs. The outcomes of interest included annual trends in the use of opioids, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, skeletal muscle relaxants, NSAIDs, topical pain medications, and physical or occupational therapy from 2007 to 2021.

.......

Annual trends in pain management modalities in patients with newly diagnosed autoimmune rheumatic diseases in the USA from 2007 to 2021: an administrative claims-based study

Summary

Background

Autoimmune rheumatic diseases have distinct pathogenic mechanisms and are causes of disability and increased mortality worldwide. In this study, we aimed to examine annual trends in pain management modalities among patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Methods

We identified newly diagnosed patients with ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren's syndrome, systemic sclerosis, or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the Merative Marketscan Research Databases from 2007 to 2021. The database includes deidentified inpatient and outpatient health encounters with employment-sponsored health insurance claims in the USA. We found minimal occurrences of multiple overlapping conditions and included only the initial recorded diagnosis for each patient. We determined the annual incidence of patients treated with opioids, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, skeletal muscle relaxants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), topical analgesics, and physical therapy in the year following diagnosis. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between calendar year and outcomes, adjusted for age, sex, and region.

Findings

We included 141 962 patients: 10 927 with ankylosing spondylitis, 21 438 with psoriatic arthritis, 71 393 with rheumatoid arthritis, 16 718 with Sjögren's syndrome, 18 018 with SLE, and 3468 with systemic sclerosis. 107 475 (75·7%) were women and 34 487 (24·3%) were men. Overall, the incidence of opioid use increased annually until 2014 by 4% (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1·04 [95% CI 1·03–1·04]) and decreased annually by 15% after 2014 (0·85 [0·84–0·86]). The incidence of physical therapy use increased annually by 5% until 2014 (aOR 1·05 [95% CI 1·04–1·06]), with a slight decrease annually by 1% after 2014 (0·99 [0·98–1·00]). The incidence of anticonvulsant use increased annually by 7% until 2014 (aOR 1·07 [95% CI 1·07–1·08]) and did not significantly change after 2014 (1·00 [0·99–1·00]). Before 2014, the incidence of NSAIDs use increased by 2% annually (aOR 1·02 [95% CI 1·02–1·03]); however, after 2014, the incidence decreased annually by 5% (0·95 [0·95–0·96]). These trends did not differ by sex except for NSAID use before 2014 (pinteraction=0·02) and topical analgesic use after 2014 (pinteraction=0·0100).

Interpretation

Since 2014, the use of non-opioid pain management modalities has increased or stabilised, whereas opioid and NSAID use has declined. Future studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of these changes, and the effects they have had on outcomes such as quality of life, disability, and function.

Funding

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(24)00120-6/abstract

In short:

An Australian-first study found perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in the liver of deceased platypuses collected from numerous rivers in eastern NSW.

Researchers said the findings were "shocking" and raised concerns the chemicals were more prevalent in Australia's environment than previously thought.

PFOS is toxic to humans and has been linked to some cancers.

Thanks to a quirk known as unconscious selective attention, your brain has learned to ignore your nose. A prominent feature that’s positioned closely to the eyes, the schnoz could get in the way of our vision – but the nervous system cleverly filters it out.

Wolf’s nose

Sarcoidosis, is an inflammatory disease that can affect any of the body’s tissues – though mainly the lungs and lymph nodes. The condition can generate patches of bluish or purplish rashes, particularly on the body’s extremities where the skin is typically cooler. This includes the ears, the fingers and toes, and of course, the nose. When sarcoidosis affects the nose, it’s known as lupus pernio, although the name is a misnomer because this condition is not the same as the autoimmune disease known as lupus.

Regular lupus is a completely different condition where the body attacks its own tissues. It takes its name from the Latin word for “wolf” and the name dates back to medieval times when the associated skin rash was said to resemble the bite of a wolf.

When lupus, rather than sarcoidosis, affects the skin it generates a butterfly rash – or malar rash, which fans across the cheeks and nasal bridge. This rash can look very similar to rosacea.

In fact, lupus is known as “the great imitator” because it shares similar symptoms to many different diseases.

Exclusive: Environment watchdog advised in 2021 the material ‘should not be used broadly’, before backing away from proposals to tighten regulations

In the EPA’s brief to Kean, the regulator provided more detailed background, saying inspections of waste facilities as part of an investigation in 2019 had found “recovered fines produced by facilities were not fit for purpose and pose a risk to the community and the environment”.

The EPA told Kean that in addition to poor industry compliance with regulations, it found the products were of poor quality and contained significant amounts of microplastics, chemically treated timbers, synthetic mineral fibres and some asbestos.

Energy companies use persistent and personalized pressure to get landowners to give permission for hydraulic fracturing (fracking), and even when landowners decline, companies use legalized compulsion to conduct fracking anyway, according to a new study led by researchers at Binghamton University.

Since a well is only economically viable if you can drain a large spatial area from a single well, drilling companies have to pool multiple mineral claims into a single working contract before drilling. But landowners often hold out from such deals for various reasons—they might be wary of the potential health risks, holding out for more money, or they simply might be unreachable.

This is where compulsory unitization comes in. It's a law that many oil- and gas-producing states have in which if some percentage of the land on top of an oil/gas reservoir is owned by people who have already given permission for drilling, then the owners of the remaining land can be compelled to join the drilling. For example, if there are 1,000 acres of land on top of a gas deposit, and the owners of 650 acres have given permission, the owners of the remaining 350 acres of land can be compelled to join.

More people than we thought who are in comas or similar states can hear what is happening around them, a study shows.

At least one-quarter of people who have severe brain injuries and cannot respond physically to commands are actually conscious, according to the first international study of its kind.

Although these people could not, say, give a thumbs-up when prompted, they nevertheless repeatedly showed brain activity when asked to imagine themselves moving or exercising.

Based on our past 30 years of research, we no longer think of Alzheimer's as primarily a disease of the brain. Rather, we believe that Alzheimer's is principally a disorder of the immune system within the brain.

The immune system, found in every organ in the body, is a collection of cells and molecules that work in harmony to help repair injuries and protect from foreign invaders.

When a person trips and falls, the immune system helps to mend the damaged tissues. When someone experiences a viral or bacterial infection, the immune system helps in the fight against these microbial invaders.

The exact same processes are present in the brain. When there is head trauma, the brain's immune system kicks into gear to help repair. When bacteria are present in the brain, the immune system is there to fight back.

Alzheimer's as autoimmune disease

We believe that beta-amyloid is not an abnormally produced protein, but rather is a normally occurring molecule that is part of the brain's immune system. It is supposed to be there.

When brain trauma occurs or when bacteria are present in the brain, beta-amyloid is a key contributor to the brain's comprehensive immune response. And this is where the problem begins.

If you come across brightly colored, cloth-bound books from the Victorian era, you might want to handle them gently, or even steer clear altogether. Some of their attractive hues come from dyes that could pose a health risk to readers, collectors or librarians.

The latest research on these poisonous books used three techniques—including one that hasn't previously been applied to books—to assess dangerous dyes in a university collection and found some volumes may be unsafe to handle.

A team of researchers from the United States and the United Kingdom assessed health outcomes in a cohort of nearly 10 million patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

They reported, “Cannabis use was associated with lower risks of cardiogenic shock, acute ischemic stroke, cardiac arrest, PCI [percutaneous coronary intervention] use, and in-hospital mortality.”

The conclusion is consistent with those of other studies finding that heart disease victims with a history of cannabis consumption possess greater in-hospital survival rates compared to controls. Other studies have similarly reported increased in-hospital survival rates among cannabis consumers suffering from cancer, COPD, gastroparesis, pancreatitis, HIV, burn-related injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and various other types of severe trauma.

The Food and Drug Administration has just approved a medical device that wouldn’t look out of place in the latest Star Trek installment. On Thursday, the FDA cleared Cresilon Inc’s Traumagel as an emergency treatment to control moderate to severe bleeding. The gel is expected to reach shelves later this year.

The product uses a proprietary algae-derived hydrogel technology developed by the Brooklyn-based company. This is the second gel-based treatment successfully pushed through by Cresilon, following the FDA’s clearance of its Hemostatic Gel in June 2023. While that gel was cleared to patch up small nicks and cuts, Traumagel is intended to mend bleeding from much more serious injuries like gunshot wounds, stabbings, and car crashes.

The chemicals—associated with health problems including several types of cancer, such as breast, kidney and testicular cancer—are used in gear to repel water and other substances when fighting a fire.

The multilayered coats and pants worn by firefighters have become the latest battleground over PFAS, which are found in everything from food packaging to clothing. In 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency for the first time proposed limits on the chemicals in drinking water.

The International Association of Fire Fighters or IAFF has said that cancer has replaced heart disease as the biggest cause of line-of-duty deaths. Firefighters have been shown to be at higher risk than the general population of getting several types of cancer.