Science & Environment

[spaminator]

Irregular sleep may increase risk of heart attack, stroke: Study
Author of the article:Eddie Chau
Published Nov 29, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 1 minute read

If you do shift work, you may want to track how much sleep you get.


According to a new study published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, sleeping and waking up at different times could increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

For seven days, scientists tracked the activity of 72,269 people aged 40 to 79 who had never been affected by a major cardiovascular event. The researchers calculated each participant’s Sleep Regularity Index (SRI) score. Higher scores equated to more regular sleepers.

Scientists then looked at incidents of cardiovascular death, heart failure, heart attack and stroke over an eight-year period. They found irregular sleepers were 26% more likely to suffer one of these events than those who had regular sleep patterns.

The study suggested that 26% of irregular sleepers could also be influenced by a number of factors including age, physical activity, smoking and drinking. Because it’s an observational study, scientists say they can’t know for sure if irregular sleep patterns are the cause of increased risk.



Those with higher SRI score were more likely to get the recommended average of seven to nine hours of sleep per night for those aged 18 to 64, and seven to eight hours for those aged 65 and over, and 61% of regular sleepers doing so compared to 48% of irregular sleepers.

Researchers say even if those irregular sleepers got the recommended amount of slumber, they still had a higher risk of suffering a cardiovascular event.

Sleep regularity and major adverse cardiovascular events: a device-based prospective study in 72 269 UK adults | Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health

Irregular sleep may increase risk of heart attack, stroke: Study

If you do shift work, you may want to track how much sleep you get.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Man awarded $412M for botched penile injections
Author of the articleenette Wilford
Published Nov 29, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read

A New Mexico man was awarded a huge payout in a medical malpractice case after a series of botched penile injections.


The man, now in his 70s and who has not been named, received $412 million US in punitive and compensatory damages, which his lawyers say is the biggest payout awarded by a U.S. jurors.

The trial, which was held in an Albuquerque, N.M. courtroom earlier this month, centred on allegations filed by the man’s attorneys in 2020, accusing NuMale Medical Center and company officials of misdiagnosing the patient and treating him with unnecessary and “invasive erectile dysfunction shots” that caused permanent damage, the Associated Press reported.

The man’s lawyers said the incident stems back to 2017 when, at age 66, he visited the clinic looking for help for fatigue and weight loss. A lawsuit was filed in 2020.

“It’s a national record-setting case and it’s righteous because I don’t think there’s any place for licensed professionals to be defrauding patients for money,” attorney Lori Bencoe said, according to the AP.


“That is a very egregious breach of their fiduciary duty,” Bencoe continued. “That’s breach of trust and anytime someone is wearing a white coat, they shouldn’t be allowed to do that.”



Aside from New Mexico, NuMale Medical Center also has clinics in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

Nick Rowley, a second trial lawyer on the plaintiff’s team, said the out-of-state medical corporation set up a “fraudulent scheme to make millions off of conning old men.”

He detailed on social media that clinic workers told patients they would have irreversible damage if they didn’t agree to injections three times a week.



NuMale Medical Center, which hails itself as America’s No. 1 men’s wellness clinic, told KRQE that they “disagree with the verdict and intend to pursue all available legal remedies, including appeal.”

NuMale’s President Brad Palubicki told the AP in a statement on Wednesday that the company is focused on providing responsible care and adhering to strict safety standards at all clinics.

“While we respect the judicial process, due to ongoing legal proceedings, we cannot comment on specific details of the case at this time.”


Jurors found that fraudulent and negligent conduct by the defendants resulted in damages to the plaintiff, according to court records.

They also found that the unconscionable conduct by the defendants violated the Unfair Practices Act.

Nicholas Rowley on Instagram: "We won a Verdict today in a Medical Malpractice & fraud case in New Mexico - last best and final offer by the greedy insurance company was $1.5 million. With prejudgment interest the Judgment should be over $550 million

923 likes, 50 comments - jurytriallawyer on November 25, 2024: "We won a Verdict today in a Medical Malpractice & fraud case in New Mexico - last best and final offer by the greedy insurance company was $1.5 million. With prejudgment interest the Judgment should be over $550 million. We...

instagram.com

http://krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/lawyers-new-mexico-man-receives-largest-medical-malpractice-payout-for-botched-penile-injections

New Mexico man awarded $412 million medical malpractice payout for botched injections

Jurors in New Mexico have awarded a man more than $412 million in a medical malpractice case that involved a men's health clinic that operates in several states.

apnews.com

PENILE PAYOUT: Man awarded $412M for botched penile injections

A New Mexico man was awarded a huge payout in a medical malpractice case after a series of botched penile injections.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Canada's Environment Minister a shining example of incompetence
Steven Guilbeault's tenure has been an abject failure and downright dangerous for Canada

Author of the article:Catherine Swift
Published Nov 30, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read

It’s almost like shooting fish in a barrel to criticize the federal Liberal government these days.


They are committing so many “own goals” one almost feels sorry for them. And a shining example of the government’s incompetence can be found in the actions of Minister of the Environment Steven Guilbeault.

Trudeau putting Guilbeault in the post of Minister of the Environment appeared to be a giant middle finger to Alberta. One can only wonder what a different path the federal Liberals would pursue if the oil and gas industry was based in Quebec.

Most recently, Guilbeault was on the world stage representing Canada at COP29 in Azerbaijan, where taxpayers fund a large delegation of politicians, bureaucrats and other hangers-on to strut and preen on the international stage. And Guilbeault didn’t miss the chance to make announcements to spend even more of our money on half-baked green policies.



But Guilbeault’s prior faux-pas are legion. His ban on plastics and attempt to classify plastic as “toxic” were policies rebuked by the Federal Court in late 2023. The court found his approach to be unscientific and unconstitutional as it intruded on provincial jurisdiction.

Guilbeault also dreams of imposing a “plastics registry,” requiring businesses to track the life cycle of a plastics product from creation to end use. As many plastics are virtually infinitely recyclable, this would be an unimaginable undertaking and an expensive red tape nightmare for businesses already burdened with absurd levels of useless red tape.

As it turns out, such a plastics registry would also contravene the USMCA trade agreement that Guilbeault’s government renegotiated with the U.S. and Mexico just a few short years ago.



More recently, we’ve seen how Guilbeault and his cabinet post predecessor Catherine McKenna ignored multiple warnings from their own staff for years about the tinderbox that was developing in the Jasper area. During the recent horrendous wildfires, federal officials reportedly prevented local firefighting personnel from helping fight the fires on federally-regulated Jasper territory.

Given the devastation in the Jasper wildfires, it is shocking there have been no consequences for either Guilbeault or senior bureaucrats in the department. Then again, it was only Alberta, after all.


Other major Guilbeault objectives have also met with failure as they were foolish to begin with, poorly executed, or both.

The Electric Vehicle (EV) mandate, was intended to force all new autos sold to be EVs by 2035. But EVs are ruining their own reputation by catching on fire, being costly to run, making auto accidents worse and by being nowhere near as “green” as advertised.

Automakers – some of whom received billions of our tax dollars – are backing off their production of EVs and EV components as consumers reject them.

Other pending Guilbeault failures are the emissions cap for the oil and gas industry and the revamp of the Impact Assessment Act, otherwise known as the no more pipelines bill. The Fraser Institute estimates an emissions cap will substantially reduce Canada’s GDP, eliminate as many as 150,000 well-paying jobs and cut at least $150 billion from government revenues.


Can you imagine the government telling the auto industry they can only produce so many cars, or retailers that they must stop their sales after a certain point? Of course not. This is the kind of thing that governments do in Communist countries, not Canada.

As for the Impact Assessment Act, which would pile all kinds of new delays and red tape onto major resource projects, the Supreme Court deemed the legislation to be unconstitutional in October 2023. Rebuked once again by the courts, Guilbeault said he would amend the Act in response, which has not happened as yet.

In his chaotic and disastrous tenure as Environment Minister, Guilbeault has not only been an abject failure, but downright dangerous for Canada. The silver lining is that a federal election is not far away, and a new government will be able to reverse much of this mess and put in place sensible, balanced environmental policies that will benefit Canada and Canadians while actually producing measurably positive domestic and global climate results.

It can’t happen soon enough.

– Catherine Swift is President of the Coalition of Concerned Manufacturers and Businesses of Canada. Learn more at

CCMBC

We are a grassroots coalition of manufacturers & businesses whose goal is to preserve the manufacturing and business sectors in Canada.

ccmbc.ca

SWIFT: Canada's Environment Minister a shining example of incompetence

It's almost like shooting fish in a barrel to criticize the federal Liberal government these days.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Chewing ice may damage your teeth and indicate underlying health issues
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Lindsey Bever, The Washington Post
Published Dec 04, 2024 • 2 minute read

Chewing ice may damage your teeth and indicate underlying health issues.
The question:


Is it true that chewing ice is bad for your teeth?

The science:

Biting fingernails, gnawing on pen caps and pencil erasers or chewing ice may be your way to deal with boredom or relieve stress, but oral health experts warn that it can lead to cracked, chipped or broken teeth.

Also note that if you cannot control your craving to chew ice and do it all the time, it may indicate certain underlying health issues, experts said.

Chewing ice can cause cracks in the enamel, called craze lines, that can spread, eventually fracturing the tooth. It can also chip or break teeth that are particularly vulnerable, experts said.

“Even though enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, it still can get damaged by repeatedly chewing something that is hard, and ice definitely falls into that category,” said Holly Shaw, an assistant professor at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine.


Chewing ice is in a class of habits known as oral parafunctional activities, which include tooth grinding, thumb sucking, lip biting and other repetitive actions of the mouth. They are extremely common with up to 90 percent of the population exhibiting such behaviors, often because of stress, anxiety and other emotional factors.

But they can cause permanent damage to teeth and gums, stressing the ligaments connecting the tooth to the bone around it, which can cause bleeding, recession and bone loss, said Alec Eidelman, a lecturer on oral health policy and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

“These oral parafunctional habits by themselves for healthy teeth may not always be damaging and harmful. But when teeth are compromised or at risk for any number of different reasons, then it becomes a little bit more dangerous,” he said.


People at increased risk may include those who have a misaligned bite, meaning their upper and lower teeth do not fit together properly when they bite down. Chewing ice or other hard things may stress their teeth or hurt their gums. Older restorations such as fillings or crowns, demineralization or a genetic predisposition to tooth breakage may also increase the risk of damage.

The type of ice can be a factor, too. Large, hard chunks are more likely to cause damage, whereas smaller, softer ice that is more of a slushy or slurry consistency would provide the same crunch with a lot less force. “So you get that soothing, focusing effect of chewing something crunchy without it being as traumatic,” Shaw said.

What else you should know:


Craving and eating ice or things with no nutritional value, such as dirt or paper, is associated with certain health issues including iron deficiency, so people who crave ice consistently should speak with their health-care provider, Shaw said.

If, however, people have no underlying condition but simply need that oral stimulation, experts suggest alternatives such as:

– Drinking liquids through a straw

– Chewing sugar-free gum

– Chomping on raw carrots or celery to get that crunch

The bottom line:

Chewing ice is not advisable, particularly for those with a history of dental issues, but softer ice in a slushy or slurry form is less likely to cause harm, experts said.

Chewing ice may damage your teeth and indicate underlying health issues

Is it true that chewing ice is bad for your teeth?

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Ontario's congestion costs $56B annually, could grow 60% by 2045: Study
Study is first comprehensive study of Ontario's congestion crisis in over 15 years

Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Published Dec 09, 2024 • Last updated 20 hours ago • 3 minute read

Traffic congestion in Ontario costs $56 billion every year, according to the first comprehensive study of the issue in 15 years.

OTTAWA — Traffic congestion in Ontario costs $56 billion every year, according to the first comprehensive study of the problem in the province in over 15 years.


Released Monday, the report — commissioned by the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO) and the Ontario Road Builders’ Association (ORBA) — described traffic gridlock in the province as a “crisis.”

“We knew we were going to get big numbers, but the numbers that we did get were quite staggering,” RCCAO Executive Director Nadia Todorova told The Toronto Sun.

“The total impact of congestion right now in 2024 for Ontario is $56.4 billion, and that includes both economic impacts and also the social impacts of congestion.”

Just under 80% of that impact — $44.7 billion — is directly felt in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

Congestion directly costs Ontario’s economy $12.8 billion annually, the report states — putting 112,000 jobs at risk due to reduced productivity and stifled job growth.


Transportation now ranks as the second-largest expense for average Ontario households, 23% higher than the cost of food.

According to the study, congestion in the GTHA has grown 37% since 2001, compared to just 17% in other regions.

Truck volumes have likewise grown by 32% across Ontario, largely concentrated along key transportation routes but also on roads not normally known for truck traffic, including Hwy. 12 and the northern portions of Hwy. 404.

Over the past decade, the study concluded, the GTHA’s real GDP could have been nearly $28 billion higher if the problem were addressed — a nearly 5% increase in regional economic growth.


“Congestion has resulted in a $5 billion reduction in private capital investment, including losses of $570 million in manufacturing, $180 million in construction, and $100 million in professional services,” the study said.


As well, 88,000 more jobs could have been possible had congestion mitigation efforts been launched just 10 years ago.

“It has such a wide reaching impact, both economic and socially, that it really makes the case that we need to see sustained, long term and consistent investment in transit and transportation infrastructure, to ensure that those goods and people are moving and ensure we’re prepared for the future,” Todorova said.

“With population projections over the next 20 years, if we’re not built for the future, we’re really going to suffer incredible and severe consequences.”

She said addressing congestion isn’t about investing in one mode of transportation over another, but expanding and connecting highway and transit networks.


Both the RCCAO and ORBA are calling on all levels of government to increase investment in core infrastructure, collaborating with industries to encourage innovate solutions for congestion, and quicken the pace on tendering and building large projects like the Ontario Line, Hwy. 413, and twinning Hwy. 69 south of Sudbury.

But more than just throwing money at the problem, governments need the political will to move such projects forward — particularly with large transit builds like the long-delayed Eglinton Crosstown in Toronto.

“The projects that this provincial government have gotten shovels in the ground on aren’t going to be completed in this election cycle, and the choice that this government has made is that these are projects that need to be built, needed to be built yesterday,” said Steven Crombie, of the Ontario Roadbuilders Association.

“But political will really has put shovels in the ground on Bradford (bypass,) and we hope on Hwy. 413 very quickly.”

bpassifiume@postmedia.com

X: @bryanpassifiume

http://rccao.com/news/files/Impact-of-Congestion-in-the-GTHA-and-Ontario-December2024.pdf

Ontario's congestion costs $56B annually, could grow 60% by 2045: Study

Traffic congestion in Ontario costs $56 billion every year, according to the first comprehensive study of the issue in 15 years.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Two men standing trial on charges they chopped down Britain’s scenic Sycamore Gap tree
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Brian Melley
Published Dec 09, 2024 • 3 minute read

Sycamore Gap
A general view of the stars above Sycamore Gap prior to the Perseid Meteor Shower above Hadrian's Wall near Bardon Mill, England, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015. Photo by Scott Heppell /THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON — It was neither Britain’s biggest tree nor its oldest. But the majestic sycamore that stood for 150 years along a stretch of Hadrian’s Wall in northern England was one of the most beloved.


Perched symmetrically in a dip between two hills, the Sycamore Gap tree had been the site of first kisses, wedding proposals and even a place where the ashes of loved ones were scattered.

When local residents and admirers woke to the news last fall that it had been cut down in the dark of night, they wanted to know why and who could have committed such a senseless act.

On Monday, prosecutors are expected to start providing those answers.

Two men are scheduled to go on trial in Newcastle Crown Court on charges related to toppling the tree and damaging the ancient wall built by Emperor Hadrian in A.D. 122 to protect the northwest frontier of the Roman Empire.

Little has been said about the case, including a possible motive, to protect the integrity of the trial and rights of the accused.


Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, have pleaded not guilty to two counts each of criminal damage. Prosecutors said the value of the tree exceeded 620,000 pounds ($790,000) and damage to the wall was assessed at 1,100 pounds ($1,400).

“This is a case that will be instantly recognizable to you, indeed anyone hearing the charges read out,” prosecutor Rebecca Brown said at a court appearance for the two men in May.

“The prosecution say the tree was deliberately felled on Sept. 28 last year and the resultant fall damaged Hadrian’s Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site,” Brown said. “The prosecution say these defendants are responsible as part of a joint enterprise.”

Word of the tree’s demise spread swiftly and the impact reverberated through the wild and scenic Northumberland region.


“I still can’t come to terms with the fact that the tree’s not there,” said Catherine Cape, who lives nearby. “I am still really angry about it. I can’t understand why you would want to destroy something so beautiful.”

The tree became famous after being featured in Kevin Costner’s 1991 film “Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves,” and was a big draw for tourism.

Before the tree was cut down, about 80% of the inquiries at Northumberland National Park ‘s main visitors center were from people planning to walk to the tree, the park’s chief executive, Tony Gates, said after the tree was cut down.

The sycamore’s broad canopy framed between two hills had long been a popular draw for landscape photographers and a scenic stop for walkers on the path along the wall.


Cape walked to the tree on her first and second dates with her future husband. They later watched their daughter take her first steps there. And after her mother and sister both died in 2020, she met her brother-in-law and nephews there when they couldn’t gather indoors during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The tree was a huge draw for the guests that stayed at a small cabin Cape owns. Bookings dropped off after the tree was downed but they have largely rebounded.

She used to drive past the tree two or three days a week but now takes the highway instead because she doesn’t like to see the empty space on the hillside where it stood.

The sycamore was removed with a crane and taken to a National Trust property for storage. A section of the trunk went on display at the park visitor center this fall and seeds from the tree that were used to grow saplings are being donated for planting around the U.K.

In time, the tree itself may grow back. More than two dozens shoots were discovered sprouting from the stump.

“The tree does still live on, but just not in the form that it was,” Cape said. “We’ll never see it in our lifetime grow into a tree, or what it was before.”

Two men standing trial on charges they chopped down Britain’s scenic Sycamore Gap tree

Two men are scheduled to go on trial in Newcastle Crown Court on charges related to toppling the tree

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Mass evacuation of Philippine villages underway after a brief but major volcanic eruption
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Dec 09, 2024 • Last updated 5 hours ago • 2 minute read

In this handout photo provided by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, an explosive eruption occurred at the summit vent of Kanlaon volcano, as seen from Mansalanao, Negros Occidental province, Philippines on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024.
In this handout photo provided by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, an explosive eruption occurred at the summit vent of Kanlaon volcano, as seen from Mansalanao, Negros Occidental province, Philippines on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. Photo by Philippine Institute Of Volcanology /THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — About 87,000 people were being evacuated in a central Philippine region Tuesday a day after a volcano briefly erupted with a towering ash plume and superhot streams of gas and debris hurtling down its western slopes.


The latest eruption of Mount Kanlaon on central Negros island did not cause any immediate casualties, but the alert level was raised one level, indicating further and more explosive eruptions may occur.

Volcanic ash fell on a wide area, including Antique province, more than 200 kilometres (124 miles) across seawaters west of the volcano, obscuring visibility and posing health risks, Philippine chief volcanologist Teresito Bacolcol and other officials said by telephone.

At least six domestic flights and a flight bound for Singapore were cancelled and two local flights were diverted in the region Monday and Tuesday due to Kanlaon’s eruption, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.


The mass evacuations were being carried out urgently in towns and villages nearest the western and southern slopes of Kanlaon which were blanketed by its ash, including in La Castellana town in Negros Occidental where nearly 47,000 people have to be evacuated out of a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) danger zone, the Office of Civil Defense said.

More than 6,000 have moved to evacuation centers aside from those who have temporarily transferred to the homes of relatives in La Castellana by Tuesday morning, the town’s mayor, Rhumyla Mangilimutan, told The Associated Press by telephone.

Disaster-response contingents were rapidly establishing evacuation centers and seeking supplies of face masks, food and hygiene packs ahead of the Christmas season, traditionally a peak time for holiday travel and family celebrations in the largely Roman Catholic nation.


Authorities also shut schools and imposed a nighttime curfew in the most vulnerable areas.

The Philippines’ Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the nearly four-minute eruption of Kanlaon volcano on Monday afternoon had caused a pyroclastic density current — a superhot stream of gas, ash, debris and rocks that can incinerate anything in its path.

“It’s a one-time but major eruption,” Bacolcol told the AP, adding that volcanologists were assessing if Monday’s eruption spewed old volcanic debris and rocks clogged in and near the summit crater or was caused by rising magma from underneath.

Few volcanic earthquakes were detected ahead of Monday’s explosion, Bacolcol said.

The alert level around Kanlaon was placed on Monday to the third-highest of a five-step warning system, indicating “magmatic eruption” may have begun and may progress to further explosive eruptions.

The 2,435-meter (7,988-foot) volcano, one of the country’s 24 most-active volcanoes, last erupted in June sending hundreds of villagers to emergency shelters.

In 1996, three hikers were killed near the peak and several others were later rescued when Kanlaon erupted without warning, officials said.

Located in the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, the Philippines is also lashed by about 20 typhoons and storms a year and is among the countries most prone to natural disasters.

Mass evacuation of Philippine villages underway after a brief but major volcanic eruption

There were no immediate reports of casualties in the latest explosion of Mount Kanlaon.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Evolving dogs living near Chernobyl developing immunity to radiation
Author of the articleenette Wilford
Published Dec 10, 2024 • 2 minute read

Dogs living near the nuclear disaster site in Chernobyl in Ukraine are evolving and have mutated to develop a new superpower: An apparent immunity to radiation, heavy metals and pollution.


Researchers from Ukraine, Poland and the United States analyzed DNA samples from more than 302 dogs living in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) — 116 strays in the CEZ and 186 from elsewhere — and found two different populations were genetically distinct from other dogs in the surrounding area.

“The combination of observed behaviors in the Chernobyl dogs and their complex family structures suggests that the Chernobyl dog populations violate the assumption of random mating that is inherent to many population genetic models,” the study, published in Science Advances in March 2023, noted.

“Genetic differentiation from other purebred and free-breeding dogs suggests that the Chernobyl populations have a unique genomic signature.”


The findings suggest they have adapted to withstand long-term exposure to the environment, which is still radioactive, and would explain why they have continued to thrive in the toxic wasteland.

The scientists determined that the Chernobyl dogs form packs and live near each other — unlike their wolf ancestors — and have learned to modify their movements based on human activity.

They have also established their own living areas, separate from where they forage.

According to the study, the affected dogs may be descendants of pets left behind following the mass evacuation of Chernobyl residents in the ‘80s.


The Chernobyl nuclear disaster on April 26, 1986, remains one of the most catastrophic nuclear disasters in history.


The explosion and fire unleashed radioactive particles into the atmosphere that were about 400 times greater than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

The tragedy forced the evacuation of more than 100,000 people and created a 30-kilometre exclusion zone around the plant, which remains abandoned.

Norman J. Kleiman, an environmental health scientist at Columbia University who led the team, hopes their research and future studies of the CEZ’s strays will help scientists understand the genetic effects of prolonged exposures to both radiation and non-radiation toxic exposures.

He said in a statement to Columbia magazine: “Examining the genetic and health impacts of these chronic exposures in the dogs will strengthen our broader understanding of how these types of environmental hazards can impact humans and how best to mitigate health risks.”

The Super Canines of Chernobyl, and Other Science News

The latest research from Columbia.

magazine.columbia.edu

Population dynamics and genome-wide selection scan for dogs in Chernobyl - Canine Medicine and Genetics

Background Natural and anthropogenic disasters can have long-lasting impacts on the genetics and structure of impacted populations. The 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster led to extensive contamination of the local environment and the wildlife therein. Several ecological, environmental...

cgejournal.biomedcentral.com

Evolving dogs living near Chernobyl developing immunity to radiation

Dogs living near the nuclear disaster site in Chernobyl are evolving, and have mutated to develop an immunity to radiation.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Ancient genes pinpoint when humans and Neanderthals mixed and mingled
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Adithi Ramakrishnan
Published Dec 12, 2024 • 2 minute read

NEW YORK — Neanderthals and humans likely mixed and mingled during a narrow time frame 45,000 years ago, scientists reported Thursday.


Researchers analyzed ancient genes to pinpoint the time period, which is slightly more recent than previous estimates for the mating.

Modern humans emerged in Africa hundreds of thousands of years ago and eventually spread to Europe, Asia and beyond. Somewhere along the way, they met and mated with Neanderthals, leaving a lasting fingerprint on our genetic code.

Scientists don’t know exactly when or how the two groups entangled. But ancient bone fragments and genes are helping scientists figure that out.

“Genetic data from these samples really helps us paint a picture in more and more detail,” said study co-author Priya Moorjani at the University of California Berkeley.

The research published Thursday in the journals Science and Nature.


To pin down the timeline, researchers peeked at some of the oldest human genes from the skull of a woman, called Zlaty kub or Golden horse for a hill in the Czech Republic where it was found. They also examined bone fragments from an early human population in Ranis, Germany, about 230 kilometres away. They found snippets of Neanderthal DNA that placed the mating at around 45,000 years ago.

This image provided by National Museum, Prague shows the skull of an ancient human called Zlaty kun, originally discovered in the Koněprusy caves of the Czech Republic.
This image provided by National Museum, Prague shows the skull of an ancient human called Zlaty kun, originally discovered in the Koneprusy caves of the Czech Republic. Photo by Marek Jantac /National Museum, Prague via AP
In a separate study, researchers tracked signs of Neanderthal in our genetic code over 50,000 years. They found Neanderthal genes related to immunity and metabolism that may have helped early humans survive and thrive outside of Africa.

We still carry Neanderthals’ legacy in our DNA. Modern-day genetic quirks linked to skin color, hair color and even nose shape can be traced back to our extinct former neighbors. And our genetic code also contains echoes from another group of extinct human cousins called Denisovans.

Future genetic studies can help scientists detangle exactly what _ and who — we’re made of, said Rick Potts, director of the Smithsonian’s Human Origins program who was not involved with the new research.

“Out of many really compelling areas of scientific investigation, one of them is: well, who are we?” Potts said.

— The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

http://nature.com/articles/d41586-024-04065-y

Ancient genes pinpoint when humans and Neanderthals mixed and mingled

Neanderthals and humans likely mixed and mingled during a narrow time frame 45,000 years ago, scientists reported Thursday.

torontosun.com

 

[petros]

Ancient genes pinpoint when humans and Neanderthals mixed and mingled
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Adithi Ramakrishnan
Published Dec 12, 2024 • 2 minute read

NEW YORK — Neanderthals and humans likely mixed and mingled during a narrow time frame 45,000 years ago, scientists reported Thursday.


Researchers analyzed ancient genes to pinpoint the time period, which is slightly more recent than previous estimates for the mating.

Modern humans emerged in Africa hundreds of thousands of years ago and eventually spread to Europe, Asia and beyond. Somewhere along the way, they met and mated with Neanderthals, leaving a lasting fingerprint on our genetic code.

Scientists don’t know exactly when or how the two groups entangled. But ancient bone fragments and genes are helping scientists figure that out.

“Genetic data from these samples really helps us paint a picture in more and more detail,” said study co-author Priya Moorjani at the University of California Berkeley.

The research published Thursday in the journals Science and Nature.


To pin down the timeline, researchers peeked at some of the oldest human genes from the skull of a woman, called Zlaty kub or Golden horse for a hill in the Czech Republic where it was found. They also examined bone fragments from an early human population in Ranis, Germany, about 230 kilometres away. They found snippets of Neanderthal DNA that placed the mating at around 45,000 years ago.

This image provided by National Museum, Prague shows the skull of an ancient human called Zlaty kun, originally discovered in the Koněprusy caves of the Czech Republic.
This image provided by National Museum, Prague shows the skull of an ancient human called Zlaty kun, originally discovered in the Koneprusy caves of the Czech Republic. Photo by Marek Jantac /National Museum, Prague via AP
In a separate study, researchers tracked signs of Neanderthal in our genetic code over 50,000 years. They found Neanderthal genes related to immunity and metabolism that may have helped early humans survive and thrive outside of Africa.

We still carry Neanderthals’ legacy in our DNA. Modern-day genetic quirks linked to skin color, hair color and even nose shape can be traced back to our extinct former neighbors. And our genetic code also contains echoes from another group of extinct human cousins called Denisovans.

Future genetic studies can help scientists detangle exactly what _ and who — we’re made of, said Rick Potts, director of the Smithsonian’s Human Origins program who was not involved with the new research.

“Out of many really compelling areas of scientific investigation, one of them is: well, who are we?” Potts said.

— The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
View attachment 26143

http://nature.com/articles/d41586-024-04065-y

Ancient genes pinpoint when humans and Neanderthals mixed and mingled

Neanderthals and humans likely mixed and mingled during a narrow time frame 45,000 years ago, scientists reported Thursday.

torontosun.com

The rise of the Nephilim.

Fallen angels, called "sons of God" (ben Elohim) in Genesis 6, were taking women, called "daughters of men," for sexual relationships. The result of these unions were a grotesque being scripture calls Nephilim.

Feb 25, 2014

Who here is part Nephilim?

​

 

[spaminator]

Ozempic link to rare vision loss risk confirmed in study
Author of the article:Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Naomi Kresge
Published Dec 13, 2024 • 3 minute read

Novo Nordisk A/S’s blockbuster shot Ozempic was linked to an increased risk of a rare form of vision loss in a study that backs up Harvard University research published earlier this year.


Diabetes patients who used Ozempic were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with the rare condition, called NAION, than those who took another type of diabetes drug, according to a team of researchers who studied years of patient records from Denmark and Norway. The study wasn’t able to determine whether there was a similar impact among people taking Ozempic’s sister drug, Wegovy, for obesity.

The results appeared Dec. 11 on medRxiv, a website that posts studies before they’ve been reviewed by outside scientists.

NAION occurs when a loss of blood flow damages the optic nerve and is most common in people older than 50. Diabetes itself, heart disease, sleep apnea and other conditions can also raise the risk that it will strike. The overall rate of the condition was very low in the study, with just 1.4 additional cases per 10,000 years of patient observation among patients who took Ozempic compared with those who took the other diabetes drug.


Still, the eye condition is irreversible, untreatable and potentially blinding, and doctors have said that patients should be informed of the possible risk. The corresponding author on the study declined to comment.

Novo shares fell as much as 5.4% in Copenhagen, the most in about a month. The stock has climbed about 8% this year, outpacing a rise of around 4% in a Bloomberg index tracking European pharmaceutical companies.

Weighing Benefits
Assuming the risk remains constant over time, the results indicate that a type 2 diabetes patient taking Ozempic for 20 years would have a 0.3% to 0.5% chance of developing NAION, the research team said.

“It is crucial to weigh the potential risk of NAION against the substantial therapeutic benefits of semaglutide,” the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, according to authors from the University of Southern Denmark, Norwegian Institute of Public Health and University of Copenhagen, as well as other institutions that conducted the research.


After a thorough evaluation of this study and its own internal safety assessment, Novo said it believes the risk-benefit profile is unchanged. Very few cases of NAION were seen in Novo’s own trials, the company said, “with no imbalance disfavoring” its drugs.

Hints of a link to NAION first emerged in a smaller study published in July by a team from the Harvard-affiliated hospital Massachusetts Eye and Ear. It’s an example of how very rare potential side effects may emerge only after extremely large numbers of people use a medicine.

The Nordic study found a smaller added risk of NAION than the Harvard trial did. That trial focused on patients who had at some point been referred to a doctor for a neuro-ophthalmological assessment, the Danish-Norwegian team noted, and may have been sicker as a result.


The Nordic study compared users of semaglutide and people who took medicines in an older class of drugs, called SGLT-2s. It followed new users of the drugs in Denmark and Norway from the beginning of 2018 — the year Ozempic was launched in those markets — until June 2024 in Denmark and May 2022 in Norway. The researchers included more than 44,000 Ozempic patients in Denmark and more than 16,000 in Norway, finding 32 cases of NAION in the entire group.

The findings with Wegovy, which became available in Denmark in 2022 and in Norway in early 2023, were inconclusive because not enough patients were included.

— With assistance from Robert Langreth.

Use of semaglutide and risk of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy: A Danish–Norwegian cohort study

Importance Recent findings have raised concerns about an association between semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA), and non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Objective To further investigate the putative association between semaglutide use and...

medrxiv.org

Ozempic link to rare vision loss risk confirmed in study

Ozempic was linked to an increased risk of a rare form of vision loss in a study that backs up research published earlier this year.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Neanderthal genes plays a part in size of teeth among Europeans: Study
Author of the articleostmedia News
Published Dec 15, 2024 • Last updated 6 hours ago • 2 minute read
Join the conversation

Neanderthal genes appears to play a part in the size of teeth among people with European ancestry.
Neanderthal genes appears to play a part in the size of teeth among people with European ancestry.
Neanderthal genes among people with European ancestry play a part in the size of their teeth, according to a new study.


And scientists say inbreeding with the human-like species thousands of years ago continues to influence the genetic differences among human beings.

According to the study by researchers at University College London, about 880 volunteers from Colombia with mixed ancestry — European, Indigenous and African — offered the use of their teeth measurements taken from dental plaster casts.

The researchers compared the measurements with the volunteers’ genetic background and identified 18 genome regions that control the size and shape of different groups of teeth.

And one of these genes can be traced back to Neanderthals, which leads to thinner incisors — the eight front teeth.

The gene was only found among people with European descent, said the study, published in the journal Current Biology.


“The ‘thickness’ of the incisors we are talking about is the overall dimension of the incisor from front to back, not the thickness of the enamel layer,” the study’s lead author Dr. Kaustubh Adhikari said, according to Britain’s Daily Mail.

“The variation in overall thickness that we observe, given that these are all healthy people with no dental malformations, is modest.”


Adhikari noted that having thinner teeth doesn’t mean they are more prone to cracking or sensitivity.

“In other words, the slightly thinner teeth that some of these people have, due to the gene we identified, is not a bad thing,” he said.

“So nothing to worry about — it’s all part of normal human variation.”

Another researcher said the findings are inconclusive about whether evolutionary advantages played a part in the size and shape of teeth.

“Our findings did not shed light on whether the genes that identify tooth shape were selected in evolution due to particular advantages to dental health,” co-lead author Professor Andres Ruiz-Linares said.

“So it’s possible that the genes may have been selected due to the influences they have in other areas, with tooth shape differences resulting as a side effect.”

Neanderthal genes plays a part in size of teeth among Europeans: Study

Neanderthal genes among people with European ancestry plays a part in the size of their teeth, according to a new study.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

New York man finds mastodon jaw while gardening in his yard
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Dec 18, 2024 • 1 minute read

complete, well-preserved mastodon jaw
New York State Museum and State University of New York Orange staff unearth a complete, well-preserved mastodon jaw found protruding from the topsoil in the backyard of a residence near Scotchtown, NY. Photo by New York State Museum /Associated Press
SCOTCHTOWN, N.Y. — Scholars are hailing the discovery of a fossilized mastodon jaw discovered by a man who spotted two giant teeth while gardening at his upstate New York home this year.


The mastodon jaw and some other bone fragments were found in late September in a backyard near Scotchtown, a hamlet about 112 kilometres northwest of New York City, officials from the New York State Museum said.

The owner of the backyard does not want to be identified, said Robert Feranec, the state museum’s director of research and collections and curator of Ice Age animals.

The individual spotted what he first thought were baseballs, Feranec said Wednesday. “He picked them up and realized they were teeth,” he said.

Excavation by staff from the museum and the State University of New York’s Orange County campus yielded a full, well-preserved jaw of an adult mastodon as well as a piece of a toe bone and a rib fragment, museum officials said.


“While the jaw is the star of the show, the additional toe and rib fragments offer valuable context and the potential for additional research,” said Cory Harris, chair of SUNY Orange’s behavioral sciences department. “We are also hoping to further explore the immediate area to see if there are any additional bones that were preserved.”

Officials with the Albany-based state museum said the jaw was the first complete mastodon jaw found in New York in 11 years. They said there have been more than 150 fossils from the extinct elephant relative found statewide to date, about a third of them in Orange County in the same area as the recent find.

Feranec said the newly unearthed jaw provides “a unique opportunity to study the ecology of this magnificent species, which will enhance our understanding of the Ice Age ecosystems from this region.”

The fossils will be carbon-dated and analyzed to determine the mastodon’s age, diet and habitat during its lifetime and will be put on public display sometime in 2025, museum officials said.

New York man finds mastodon jaw while gardening in his yard

Scholars are hailing the discovery of a fossilized mastodon jaw discovered by a man who spotted two giant teeth while gardening

torontosun.com

 

[petros]

New York man finds mastodon jaw while gardening in his yard
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Dec 18, 2024 • 1 minute read

complete, well-preserved mastodon jaw
New York State Museum and State University of New York Orange staff unearth a complete, well-preserved mastodon jaw found protruding from the topsoil in the backyard of a residence near Scotchtown, NY. Photo by New York State Museum /Associated Press
SCOTCHTOWN, N.Y. — Scholars are hailing the discovery of a fossilized mastodon jaw discovered by a man who spotted two giant teeth while gardening at his upstate New York home this year.


The mastodon jaw and some other bone fragments were found in late September in a backyard near Scotchtown, a hamlet about 112 kilometres northwest of New York City, officials from the New York State Museum said.

The owner of the backyard does not want to be identified, said Robert Feranec, the state museum’s director of research and collections and curator of Ice Age animals.

The individual spotted what he first thought were baseballs, Feranec said Wednesday. “He picked them up and realized they were teeth,” he said.

Excavation by staff from the museum and the State University of New York’s Orange County campus yielded a full, well-preserved jaw of an adult mastodon as well as a piece of a toe bone and a rib fragment, museum officials said.


“While the jaw is the star of the show, the additional toe and rib fragments offer valuable context and the potential for additional research,” said Cory Harris, chair of SUNY Orange’s behavioral sciences department. “We are also hoping to further explore the immediate area to see if there are any additional bones that were preserved.”

Officials with the Albany-based state museum said the jaw was the first complete mastodon jaw found in New York in 11 years. They said there have been more than 150 fossils from the extinct elephant relative found statewide to date, about a third of them in Orange County in the same area as the recent find.

Feranec said the newly unearthed jaw provides “a unique opportunity to study the ecology of this magnificent species, which will enhance our understanding of the Ice Age ecosystems from this region.”

The fossils will be carbon-dated and analyzed to determine the mastodon’s age, diet and habitat during its lifetime and will be put on public display sometime in 2025, museum officials said.
View attachment 26302

New York man finds mastodon jaw while gardening in his yard

Scholars are hailing the discovery of a fossilized mastodon jaw discovered by a man who spotted two giant teeth while gardening

torontosun.com

I'm not surprised. That's the Laurentide end moraine.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

I'm not surprised. That's the Laurentide end moraine.

Yo! Who you callin' a moraine, scumbag?

 

[petros]

Yo! Who you callin' a moraine, scumbag?

The end....of the glacier...

BTW, deposition would have most likely been late autumn. From spring until freeze up the glaciers would be melting so not a very dry environment. It would also have random outflow surges. Utter chaos.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

The end....of the glacier...

Yo, I got the end of your glacier right here!

 

[petros]

Yo, I got the end of your glacier right here!

I bet. Shrinkage ain't good.

 

[spaminator]

Dozens get sick with ’norovirus-like’ illness after eating raw B.C. oysters
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Published Dec 19, 2024 • 1 minute read

Health officials in British Columbia say dozens of people have gotten sick after eating raw oysters from restaurants and retail locations.
Health officials in British Columbia say dozens of people have gotten sick after eating raw oysters from restaurants and retail locations.
VANCOUVER — Health officials in British Columbia say at least 64 people have become sick after eating raw oysters from restaurants and retail locations.


A statement from the BC Centre for Disease Control and the provincial health authority says the “norovirus-like” gastrointestinal illnesses have been reported since Nov. 1 in the Vancouver Coastal Health, Fraser Health and Island Health regions.

Federal agencies have closed some areas of the province to commercial shellfish harvesting, including parts of Baynes Sound, west of Denman Island, while the cases are being investigated.

Authorities say some people went to emergency departments with symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, or stomach pain, but there have been no hospital admissions reported.

The statement says norovirus is common during the winter months, and can cause intense symptoms, including dehydration which can be a serious problem for older adults or those who are very young.


Norovirus spreads very easily from person to person but can also be caused by consuming contaminated food or water.

The statement says food contaminated with noroviruses may look, smell and taste normal, and that to kill the virus oysters can be cooked to an internal temperature of 90 C for 90 seconds before eating.

“Oysters can become contaminated with norovirus that may be present in the marine environment where they are grown and harvested,” the statement says.

“The BC Centre for Disease Control and regional health authorities are reminding the public of risks associated with consuming raw or undercooked oysters, especially those who may be at higher risk of severe illness such as children, older adults or people who may be immunocompromised.”

Dozens get sick with ’norovirus-like’ illness after eating raw B.C. oysters

Authorities say some people went to emergency departments with symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, or stomach pain.

torontosun.com

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

I bet. Shrinkage ain't good.

Sorry you got that problem.