natural phenomena

Air pollution in urban environments has long been strongly associated with poor health: it provokes cancer, immunodeficiency, osteoporosis, heart problems and dementia. At the same time, understanding the mechanisms of development of diseases due to poor air quality caused difficulties for specialists.

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The presence of a link between the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease and air pollution is already known to the scientific community, but in a new research paper, presented V Environmental International, scientists have focused directly on the mechanisms of development of neurodegenerative diseases. They found that many cases of late-stage disease are influenced by environmental or lifestyle factors. In particular, the researchers were interested in one of the elements present in the air.

Scientists have indicated that the brains of many people who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease had increased levels of magnetite, a naturally occurring iron oxide. Previously, there was a theory that magnetite particles could appear naturally in the brain, as a byproduct of the brain’s process of processing iron. However, in 2016, it was hypothesized that this substance appears in the body due to industrial air pollution.

In the new paper, the researchers tested this hypothesis in mice, finding that prolonged exposure to magnetite-polluted air caused anxiety, stress, neuronal loss, as well as inflammation and oxidative stress. All of them are pathological signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

2024-03-11 13:31:41

#GISMETEO #Industrial #emissions #substance #leads #brain #damage #development #Alzheimers #disease #Nature

‌Age-related slouching, also known as kyphosis, occurs when muscle fibers age and become wasted. This causes the muscles around the spine to weaken, making us less able to stand upright and resist gravity.

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Kyphosis can be prevented by maintaining an active lifestyle and regular exercise. It is important to strive for this throughout your life, as it is much easier to avoid kyphosis by staying active as you age.

Vitamin D deficiency and impaired calcium absorption by the kidneys can also worsen this process, sometimes leading to the development of osteoporosis, a condition in which bones become weak and porous. Vertebrae can collapse under their own weight due to bone loss, leading to compression fractures.

Most of these fractures do not cause pain, so we often do not notice them. However, as they accumulate and the compressive effect on the vertebrae increases, difficulties may arise in maintaining an upright posture. This effect is often enhanced by degeneration of the intervertebral discs; they begin to dry out and become less elastic.

The spine is made up of 23 discs, and even losing a few millimeters of them can result in decreased height.

2024-01-31 19:23:29

#GISMETEO #people #shorter #age #Science #space

More than 17,000 southern elephant seal pups, about 95% of the total number of seals born last year, died on Argentina’s Valdez Peninsula from a highly contagious strain of the virus. H5N1, or bird flu. According to publications V Live Sciencean outbreak of avian influenza has been confirmed by the Argentine Government Animal Health Service (SENASA), and against this background, suspicions arose among environmentalists and scientists that the virus had mutated and was able to transmit from mammal to mammal.

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According to the researchers, a catastrophic jump in mortality among elephant seal pups occurred in November last year. It is noted that their young are born between September and November and remain with their mother for the next three weeks.

Scientists obtained data from three zones on the Valdez Peninsula, which includes about 500 kilometers of coastline. Experts found that 96% of the cubs of this species in the studied areas died. According to scientists, about 18 thousand new individuals were born in 2022, which suggests that almost the entire young population was lost.

Researchers do not yet know how the disease affects adults, but their research work, presented in Marine Mammal Science, states that on one of the densely populated beaches, 46 deaths were recorded among adult elephant seals, although even one such death is rare in a year. Scientists explain the incident by the transmission of the virus from mammal to mammal, which could have happened when the disease was transmitted from sea lions to elephant seals.

2024-01-24 09:16:00

#GISMETEO #entire #population #southern #elephant #seal #pups #died #due #bird #flu #Animals

Aromatic chicken broth is often recommended for colds. However, is it really that useful?

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In the 21st century, it may seem that this is just a placebo that makes the process of fighting infection a little more comfortable. However, this is only partly true.

In 1998, doctors proved that chicken broth helps improve the function of cilia – special structures in the human nose that prevent foreign bodies from entering the respiratory tract. And the vegetables contained in the broth enrich it with nutrients that strengthen the immune system.

This remedy will clearly not harm a person who is already sick. In addition, it is a wonderful source of calories that the body can easily absorb even when unwell. The broth also contains glucosamine, one of the main building blocks of the digestive system, released from bones during heat treatment. The cooled broth forms a jelly-like substance, which is precisely a combination of gelatin and glucosamine, which additionally protects the mucous membrane of the digestive tract.

The broth also contains carnosine and chondroitin. The first eliminates nasal and throat congestion, and the second, together with glucosamine, is an extract of joint and ligament tissue.

Thus, chicken broth is, of course, not a medicine that cures an infection, but it serves as a good help for an ailing body and simply improves mood.

2023-12-31 10:00:37

#GISMETEO #chicken #broth #effective #colds #Science #space

Fresh publication V JAMA Neurology says, scientists from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, with the assistance of British colleagues, analyzed data from more than 350 thousand participants in the UK biobank, during which they identified 15 factors that are directly related to an increased risk of dementia under the age of 65, which is considered young.

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It is noted that as part of the work, data from over 350 thousand people was studied, the majority of which, namely just over 55%, were women. The average age of people was about 55 years. There were 485 deaths identified during the study period, and of the 39 risk factors initially selected, 30 were significantly associated with the development of early-onset dementia.

The key factors that can lead to the development of a dangerous disease are low levels of education and socio-economic status. In addition, the scientists determined that moderate or heavy alcohol consumption was less associated with the risk of developing a dangerous disease compared to complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages or alcoholism. Participants who interacted with loved ones less than once a month had a greater risk of developing the disease, and it was also affected by a lack of vitamin D.

The scientists’ findings indicate that early-onset dementia has modifiable risk factors that can be influenced by developing special preventive programs.

2023-12-30 09:11:27

#GISMETEO #Scientists #identified #factors #early #dementia #Science #Space