I was interested in attacks on humans by squid off the coast of South America and the theory was that we have over fished the area removing their food supply. Humbolt squids can be seen on youtube.
…and more. It looks like this issue has finally rose to the attention of the ruling elites and it is now likely to start becoming the latest in eco-regulatory schemes. To my chagrin, I grudgingly agree with the goal of the effort if it materializes. “In nature, multi-colored microplastics—by definition less than five millimeters (0.2 inches) in diameter—have been found in ice near the North Pole and inside fish navigating the oceans' deepest, darkest recesses. Plastic debris is estimated to kill more than a million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals each year, according to the United Nations Environment Programme, and filter-feeding blue whales consume up to 10 million pieces of microplastic every day.” … “In humans, microscopic bits of plastic have been detected in blood, breast milk and placentas.” https://phys.org/news/2023-05-weather-cloudy-showers-plastic.html
I have always thought, if the elites really cared about the earth and its people, they would have addressed the massive amounts of plastic in the oceans instead of climate change caused by cow burps or car exhaust but they haven't been able to figure our how to make as much money from that.
Yep. The impact on wildlife is especially distressing to me. I’ve read about elephants in India raiding garbage dumps and dying painful deaths from swallowing plastic bags. Some whale carcasses have been found with huge amounts of plastic in their stomachs. It used to be when the oceans were pristine, that pretty much anything found floating in the ocean waters was likely to be food of some type. They just don’t understand the danger of eating that crap.
“EPFL scientists have developed a new research instrument for observing biological tissue samples prepared using a method discovered about forty years ago by Nobel Prize winner Jacques Dubochet, emeritus professor at the University of Lausanne. Their instrument—the only one of its kind in the world—opens up promising new avenues of research.” … “"We're now able to generate images of precisely where in a cell or tissue sample a specific nutrient is stored or used, or where a given drug enters—or does not enter. There's no other way to obtain this information," says Meibom, who heads the Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry at EPFL's School of Architecture, Civil, and Environmental Engineering and who is also a professor at the University of Lausanne (UNIL).” https://phys.org/news/2023-06-scientists-horizons-cryogenic-microscopy.html
Serendipity, and paradox, are my favorite concepts. This is a neat story about the first, stumbling across a solution for a 60 year old math problem while making interesting shapes. Though he did not recognize the true significance, he knew it was of enough interest to share. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-uk-hobbyist-stuns-math-world.html
While we humans have recently experienced pandemics, the animal kingdom has been experiencing a severe one, already driving a number of species to extinction. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-world-worst-animal-disease-frogs.html
Handheld bio printer could eventually help eliminate the need for donor organs. ”Prof. Akbari elaborates, "In situ bioprinting is suitable for repairing large defects caused by trauma, surgery, or cancer, which requires large-scale tissue constructs. In the long term, this technology can eliminate the need for organ donors, while also lowering the risks associated with transplantation, allowing patients to enjoy longer and healthier lives."” https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-06-bioprinting-personalized-tissues-body-breakthrough.html
These appear to be locally acquired cases, i.e. these folks had not traveled abroad. https://nypost.com/2023/06/26/malaria-found-in-us-for-first-time-in-20-years/
Anyone using this supplement? Berberine. “Moreover, 21 patients with atherosclerosis exhibited the average decrease of plaque score by 3.2% after oral BBR (0.5 g, bid) for 4 months (*P < 0.05, n = 21); whereas the plaque score in patients treated with rosuvastatin plus aspirin, or clopidogrel sulfate or ticagrelor (4 months, n = 12) increased by 1.9%. TMA and TMAO in patients decreased by 38 and 29% in faeces (*P < 0.05; *P < 0.05), and 37 and 35% in plasma (***P < 0.001; *P < 0.05), after 4 months on BBR. BBR might treat atherosclerotic plaque at least partially through decreasing TMAO in a mode of action similar to that of vitamins.” https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-022-01027-6
Yet another interesting compound… “Injecting ageing monkeys with a ‘longevity factor’ protein can improve their cognitive function, a study reveals. The findings, published on 3 July in Nature Aging1, could lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. It is the first time that restoring levels of klotho — a naturally occurring protein that declines in our bodies with age — has been shown to improve cognition in a primate. Previous research on mice had shown that injections of klotho can extend the animals’ lives and increases synaptic plasticity2 — the capacity to control communication between neurons, at junctions called synapses.” https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02214-3
First we have invasive earthworms but we’re used to them. Now we have an invasive predator on them which usually is cause for celebration but instead, they’re now calling the previous invasive, a “native” species. https://wtop.com/local/2023/07/u-md-bug-expert-dont-touch-invasive-hammerhead-worms/ https://uvlt.org/2019/04/earthworms-the-invasive-species-you-didnt-know-about/
Learning in bumblebees compromised by glyphosate (Round Up). https://phys.org/news/2023-07-glyphosate-impairs-bumblebees.html
Grossly inaccurate/deceptive labeling in sports supplements. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-07-sports-supplement-false-ingredients-fraudulent.html