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Tuesday, June 15, 2021
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New Study Reveals that NSAIDs Can Increase the Risk of Venous Thromboembolism

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In a recent article we’ve discussed about some new findings related to pain; it appears that meditation can relieve the pain cause by migraines. Today, we’re taking a look at the results of a new study conducted by the researchers from Bassett Medical Center, New York, who discovered that NSAIDs can increase the risk of venous thromboembolism.

NSAIDs is short for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the kind that most people use for strains, back pain, headache and menstruation cramps. Up until now, NSAIDs were considered relatively safe; we knew that NSAIDs can cause stomach issues, such as bleeding, ulcers and an upset stomach, high blood pressure, heart issues, rashes and kidney problems, but this recent study showed that that ibuprofen, naproxen, celecoxib and aspirin can harm us more than what was previously thought.

NSAIDs Can Increase the Risk of Venous Thromboembolism

It appears that NSAID users have a 1.80 fold increased risk of venous thromboembolism compared with the participants in the study who did nu non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

The lead author of the study that showed that NSAIDs can increase the risk of venous thromboembolism, Patompont Ungprasert, had this to say about the results:

Our results show a statistically significant increased VTE risk among NSAIDs users. Why NSAIDs may increase the risk of VTE is unclear. It is possibly related to COX-2 inhibition leading to thromboxane-prostacyclin imbalance. Physicians should be aware of this association and NSAIDs should be prescribed with caution, especially in patients already at a higher risk of VTE.

But NSAIDs aren’t just dangerous. Recent studies have shown that they can halve the risk of developing breast cancer for overweight women and aspirin was found to reduce ovarian cancer by 20% in a study published this year.

Do you use NSAIDs? What are your thoughts on the fact that NSAIDs can increase the risk of venous thromboembolism? Are you going to take extra caution when using these types of drugs? Drop us a line in the comment section below and tell us all about it.

India Reached Mars, becomes the First Asian Nation to Enter Mars’ Orbit

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On Monday we reported on how the NASA Maven Explorer has reached Mars’ orbit and now another spacecraft has entered the orbit of the Red Planet and the nation who sent it is India. India reached Mars and became the first Asian Nation to do so. Let’s take a look at how it managed to achieve this amazing feat.

Many would call India lucky for reaching Mars, because the fact that India reached Mars with only $72 million is something quite incredible. Think about this: it cost less than making the movie Gravity with George Clooney and Sandra Bullock about space. Also, more than half of all the missions ever headed to Mars have failed and India was just at its first try. So yes, the fact that India reached Mars is something quite amazing.

The Mars Orbit Mission, or MOM how it’s fondly called by the Indians, entered Mars’ orbit after having been launched from Bangalore in November of last year. The spacecraft in called Mangalyaan, which means Mars-craft in Hindi.

India Reached Mars

Sandip Bhattacharya, the assistant director of B.M. Birla Planetarium, had this to say about the event:

We kept it low cost, high technology. That is the Indian way of working. Our goal was to reach Mars and send few pictures and scientific data. Now in the coming years, this will give us leverage to plan for newer Mars missions in a more aggressive manner with heavier payload with larger exploration goals.

Of course there had to be criticism of the mission. Some voices are saying that the project, which cost $72 million, is a luxury for a country where one third of its population still has no access to something as basic as electricity.

What are your thoughts on the fact that India reached Mars? Share them in the comment section below.

Welcome to Mars, NASA Maven Explorer!

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A while back we discussed about how some astronomers discovered a new supermassive black hole and today it’s time for some more exciting news from outer space. The NASA Maven Explorer, a craft whose purpose is to collect information about Mars’ atmosphere, has finally arrived at its destination, a year after it was launched.

In November of 2013, NASA Maven Explorer was launched from Cape Canaveral. The craft is the size of a school bus and it weighs around the same pounds as an SUV does. It took the NASA Maven Explorer one year to complete the 442 million-mile journey from Earth to Mars and fortunately, it slipped into the Red Planet’s orbit without any incidents.

The mission cost a whopping $671 million and it is dedicated to studying Mars’ upper atmosphere. It is the first mission of this kind and the first successful one after three failed attempts. The craft isn’t meant to land on the surface on the planet and the lowest it is going to go is 78 miles.

NASA Maven Explorer

Mars’ orbit is starting to get crowded, as there are already two more American crafts circling the planet and one European craft. Mangalyaan, India’s first interplanetary probe will arrive in Mars’ orbit in two days.

The NASA Maven Explorer is searching for clues about Mars and its peculiar atmosphere. It may very well be the first craft to find evidence of life on Mars, after the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (Maven) finishes collecting data.

Deputy Director for science at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, Colleen Hartman, said: I don’t have any fingernails any more, but we’ve made it. It’s incredible.

The official announcement revealed the news we were all hoping for:

Based on observed navigation data, congratulations, Maven is now in Mars orbit.

What are your thoughts on this news? Do you think Maven will find something interesting in Mars’ orbit? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Merck’s Keytruda Cancer Drug Approved by the FDA

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This week we reported that CVS Caremark has stopped selling tobacco products in an effort to turning over a new leaf and becoming the health company it has always set out to be. In more cancer news, FDA has just announced that it has approved Merck’s Keytruda cancer drug, for unresected melanoma.

Merck’s Keytruda Cancer Drug

Merck’s Keytruda cancer drug, the newly FDA-approved drug, is the first anti-PD-1 therapy approved in the U.S. It is meant for treating advanced melanoma. Keytruda works by inhibiting the programmed death receptor-1, blocking a big pathway by which the cancer cells dodge the body’s immune system.

Merck released a statement today to express gratitude to participants in the study.

Merck’s Keytruda Cancer Drug

KEYTRUDA embodies Merck’s unwavering commitment to pursue breakthrough science to help people who are facing the most challenging diseases. We are grateful to the people with advanced melanoma who participated in our trials, and the scientific and medical community for the shared effort that has led to the accelerated approval of KEYTRUDA.

For melanoma early detection is crucial. Do you know about the ABCDE system for monitoring moles? Learn about it and make sure you regularly check your moles for any developments.

Asymmetry: Is your mole asymmetric? Is one half different from the other?

Borders: Are the borders of the mole irregular?

Color: Did your mole chance color in time? Does the color change from one area to another?

Diameter: Is your mole larger than 6 mm in diameter?

Evolution: Does your mole keep changing its appearance?

If the answer is yes to any of the above questions, have a doctor checked it out, it could help save your life. Remember about the ABCDE!

What are your thoughts on this news? Care to share them in the comment section below?

Coffee Genome was Sequenced, What Secrets does It Hide?

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A while back we reported on the smallest recorded genome and now it’s time we took a look at some more awesome news about genetics. A study published yesterday revealed that the coffee genome was sequenced which only means that we can learn how coffee gets to be so addictive and yummy.

Coffee Genome was Sequenced

Coffee Genome Sequenced

A team of international scientists has managed to sequence coffee’s genome and the results of the study were published in the journal Science, today September 4. Now that the coffee genome was sequenced, we may begin to understand coffee’s secrets.

Robusta coffee makes up for 30% of the supply of coffee in the world and its genome was sequenced by Victor Albert (the Department of Biological Sciences at the University at Buffalo in NY) and his colleagues.

The results of the sequencing have revealed that the genes in the coffee plant that produce caffeine are different from those that produce it in other plants, such as cacao and tea. It appears that coffee and chocolate have a common ancestor, but that they’ve been separated a very long time ago.

The lead author of the study wrote in the journal:

Comparative analyses of caffeine NMTs demonstrate that these genes expanded through sequential tandem duplications independently of genes from cacao and tea, suggesting that caffeine in eudicots is of polyphyletic origin.

So what exactly makes coffee taste so good? Albert explains:

Our study highlighted genes that make alkaloid compounds, which are known bitter flavors,” Albert said. “We found another group of enriched enzymes that make flavonoid compounds, which are another taste element. We also highlighted the genes involved in fatty acid pathways, so we’ve identified many different genetic aspects of aroma and flavor.

Share your thoughts with us on this story in the comment section below.

Gulf of Maine Waters are Heating up Because of Global Warming

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Global warming was the reason behind NASA launching OCO-2 around Earth and global warming, unfortunately, isn’t receiving the attention it deserves. It was revealed that the Gulf of Maine waters are heating up because of global warming and something needs to be done about it, immediately.

Scientists have revealed that the Gulf of Maine waters area heating up faster than the waters of the world’s oceans, which could lead to the disappearance of almost all of the aquatic life in the gulf.

It’s already beginning to happen, as cod, herring and shrimp are leaving the Golf of Maine waters for colder waters, up in the north.

The Gulf of Maine Waters are Getting Hot

Gulf of Maine Waters are Heating up

Until the year 2004, the temperatures in the Gulf were increasing by 0.05 degrees a year, but after 2004 the pace accelerated greatly, about 10 times faster and the main and large reason behind it is global warming.

NOAA have reported that half of 36 fish stocks have been moving northward in the past 40 years. Puffins have started to starve and die because herring is no longer found in abundance in the Gulf of Maine waters. Scallops are also dying because of the increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which affects the water of the Gulf.

These climate changes aren’t just threatening the waters and the life in them, they are threatening an industry which is valued at more than $1 billion every year. Three U.S. states are going to be affected if the fish in the Gulf of Maine disappears.

What are your thoughts on the fact that the Gulf of Maine waters area heating up? Do you care about global warming? Did you think it wouldn’t affect you? Share your thoughts on this matter in the comment section below.

 

Google’s Project Wing is a Drone that Delivers Aid to Remote Areas

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A few days ago we reported on the latest Google news, that it acquired Zync Visual Effects Company and today we’ve got something even better: news about Google’s Project Wing: a drone that delivers aid to remote areas.

Project Wing is developed by the same team that came up with the idea for and created the Google self-driving car. The device behind the project is a drone, an unmanned flying device, whose purpose is to deliver aid to inaccessible areas.

Google admitted that it has built and tested a flying drone and that it hopes they will help people by delivering aid in areas that are hard to access, following natural disasters, for example. Google X is the company’s tech research arm that created Google’s Project Wing and it is also behind the driverless car, Google Glass and other moonshot projects.

Google’s Project Wing

The drone was tested in Queensland, Australia, at the beginning of August. It was used to deliver various goods, among which chocolate, dog treats, water and radios, to people. The device already has 30 successful flights under its belt.

Google revealed how it chose the items for the drone to deliver:

Based on several conversations with local people – ranging from emergency services teams to fire crews to farmers – about how aerial delivery might help them in their jobs. The first delivery flight took off carrying Cherry Ripe chocolate bars to its planned destination: a farm about 1km away. Within minutes, the vehicle arrived, hovered overhead and gently lowered the package to the ground. When [the farmer] retrieved the package, he was delighted to find one of his favorite snacks, something he’d usually purchase in town nearly 10km away.

The device has four rotor blades with which it manages to hover 60 meters above the ground, while flying. The drone is 0.8 meters long; it has a wingspan of 1.5 meters and a small compartment used to deliver goods on the bottom.

While the main purpose of the drone is to provide disaster relief, says Google, the possibilities for a small drone are really quite endless. It also added that it plans to focus on four key areas of the device over the next year: reducing the noise of the drone, installing an end-to-end delivery system, precise navigation and safety systems.

Google also added:

Over time there will be many different vehicle types and shapes: what you want to deliver and where and why will determine what vehicle you want to use.

What are your thoughts on Google’s Project Wing? Does this seem like a good idea? Drop us a line in the comment section below.

Death Valley Sailing Stones Mystery Finally Solved

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A while back we talked about the Siberian mystery holes and now it’s time we took a look at another mystery that seems to have finally been solved: the Death Valley sailing stones! The barren lake bed in Death Valley National Park in California has massive stones that seem to miraculously move across the landscape.

The first scientific study of the Death Valley sailing stones was published in 1948 and it concluded that the massive rocks moved due to dust devils. Another popular and more recent theory on why the stones are travelling said that it was the hurricane-force winds that are behind the stones’ movement. The truth is somewhere closer to the more recent explanation and it appears that water and winds are what make these Death Valley sailing stones sail.

Death Valley Sailing Stones Mystery

 

The place where the rocks are located is called Racetrack Playa, because of the racetracks that the stones leave behind them when they are moving. Here’s how the stones move: firstly, the Racetrack Playa needs to fill with water, but it needs to be very shallow, as to leave the stones exposed.  Then, during the nighttime, the temperature in the Death Valley reach freezing point, which causes the water to freeze, forming large-size panes, which are thin enough to simply glide across the empty lake bed, but thick enough to cause the stones to move.

When the sun comes up and thaws the ice, the sheets of ice break apart in pieces, which the winds then move around. When one piece of ice piece hits a stone, it makes it glide across the soft mud, which causes the popular trails.

The results that explain the process were published yesterday in the science journal PLOS ONE.

James Norris, a research engineer, talked to the Los Angeles Times:

I’m amazed by the irony of it all. In a place where rainfall averages two inches a year, rocks are being shoved around by mechanisms typically seen in arctic climes. The movement is incredibly slow. These rocks clock in at about 15 feet per minute.

The scientists even heard the ice crack and they saw the rocks how they began to sail. James Norris continued:

There was a side of me that was wistful because the mystery was no more.

What are your thoughts on the Death Valley sailing stones? Are you content with the explanation and discovery? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Stress Can Reduce Sperm and Semen Quality New Study Reveals

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Stress Can Reduce Sperm and SemenNew protein that gives hope to infertility patients was found and the results were revealed last month. Now we get some more insight into how fertility is connected to stress through the results of a new study that links stress to male fertility. Apparently, stress can reduce sperm and semen quality in men.

While you might say that there is no news here, there haven’t been any conclusive studies, until now, that showed that stress can reduce sperm and semen quality. Stress has always been associated with a number of health problems, which include obesity, depression and heart disease.  Now we know that stress affects the sperm and semen quality.

Stress Can Reduce Sperm and Semen Quality

Did you know that when it comes to infertile couples, in 40% of the cases, the male partner is the sole cause of infertility? Sperm abnormalities, such as misshaped and immobile sperm, low sperm production or ejaculatory problems aren’t the only things that cause infertility. Lifestyle is also a big factor that can influence fertility. For example, it has been known for decades that smoking can affect sperm motility and now stress is the next culprit for sperm and semen deterioration.

The study was led by scientists from the Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in New York, NY and the Rutgers School of Public Health in Piscataway, NJ. The researchers conducted their study from 2005 and 2008 on 193 men with ages between 38 and 49. The levels of stress in their life were measured and the semen concentration and sperm shape and movement were also analyzed.

The researchers found that the men who experienced more stressful lives and life events had a lower percentage of sperm motility and sperm altogether. Men who didn’t experience stressful life events had healthier sperm and semen. Also, it was discovered that the men whose jobs stressed them had lower levels of testosterone in their semen.

But how does stress affect the sperm and semen quality? Well, the researchers couldn’t exactly tell how that happens, but they do propose a couple of theories. It is known that stress activates the release of some steroid hormones that affect the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbs. This can reduce testosterone levels and thus, sperm production.

Also, stress could cause oxidative stress, a type of physiological stress that is caused by free radicals. This type of stress has been linked to semen and sperm damage.

New Study Makes Teeth Regenerate Themselves with the Aid of Stem Cells and Lasers

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Teeth Regenerate ThemselvesTo be honest, I’ve been waiting my whole life to write those three words: teeth regenerate themselves. It’s such an amazing thing that hasn’t been thought possible, until today when a group of scientists have managed to make teeth repair themselves with the aid of stem cells and lasers.

Teeth are important not only because they help us chew food and support our face muscles, but gum health and heart disease have been linked in a recent study, which gives us a glimpse into how important teeth and gum health really are to our general health and well-being.

Teeth Regenerate Themselves in New Study

For the first time ever, a new study has revealed that teeth can regenerate themselves with the aid of stem cells and low-power lasers. The dentin in the teeth regenerated, brand new tissue was created. This lays the foundation for a plethora of new clinical applications for regenerating teeth and bones and healing wounds.

David J. Mooney, a family professor of Bioengineering at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and his colleagues published the study in Science Translational Medicine.

The low-powered laser light is causing the human dental stem cells to create dentin, which is the hard tissue that makes up most of the teeth. It now only creates the bulk material, but also the fine molecular mechanisms that dentin has.

Right now, when stem cells are used, they are taken out of the body, manipulated and then put back inside the patient’s body. With laser, all this is avoided.

Holes were drilled into the molars of lab rats and then the holes were treated with adult stem cells and a low dosage of laser light. The holes were temporarily sealed and the animals were kept healthy. Twelve weeks later, Dr. Arany, an assistant clinical investigator at the National Institutes of Health, saw that the treatment worked and dentin was starting to form. Following the breakthrough, the team continued their experiments which lead to the discovery of a cell protein called TGF-β1 which plays a key role in triggering the stem cells to create dentin. TGF-β1 is an inactive protein that is activated when the light of the laser is applied.

This discovery confirms something which has been randomly reported over and over since the ‘60s: that laser can help rejuvenate skin, stimulate hair grown and even work wonders from time to time. This process is known as photobiomodulation. The same type of laser used to cause teeth to regenerate themselves, can be used to remove unwanted skin, hair and tissue. It all depends on how the laser is used.

What are your thoughts on this matter? Will teeth regenerate themselves in the future? Is this the future of dentistry? Drop us a line and tell us what you think.

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