But this common metaphor is misleading, according to a recent meta-analytic review. Researchers at Ohio State University analyzed 154 studies on anger, finding little evidence that venting helps. In some cases, it could increase anger.

"I think it's really important to bust the myth that if you're angry you should blow off steam – get it off your chest," said senior author and communication scientist Brad Bushman when the results were published in April.

"Venting anger might sound like a good idea, but there's not a shred of scientific evidence to support catharsis theory."

That doesn't mean anger should be ignored. Reflection can help us understand why we get mad and address underlying problems. It can also aid emotional validation, an important first step towards healthily processing emotions.

Venting, however, often goes beyond reflection into rumination. The study suggests that many people also try to exorcize anger with physical exertion, which can offer health benefits but may not lighten the mood in the moment.

The studies reviewed included a total of 10,189 participants, representing a variety of ages, genders, cultures, and ethnicities. The findings show the key to curbing anger is reducing physiological arousal, the authors say, from anger itself or from the otherwise beneficial physical activity it might inspire.

"To reduce anger, it is better to engage in activities that decrease arousal levels," Bushman said. "Despite what popular wisdom may suggest, even going for a run is not an effective strategy because it increases arousal levels and ends up being counterproductive."

The research was inspired partly by the popularity of 'rage rooms', where people pay to smash objects in hopes of releasing anger, said first author Sophie Kjærvik, a communication scientist at Virginia Commonwealth University.

"I wanted to debunk the whole theory of expressing anger as a way of coping with it," explained Kjærvik. "We wanted to show that reducing arousal, and actually the physiological aspect of it, is really important."

The team designed the review based on the Schachter-Singer two-factor theory, which describes anger (and all other emotions) as a two-part phenomenon, each comprising a physiological and a cognitive component.

Calming activities are more effective than venting, research shows. (Dennis Yang/Flickr/CC BY 2.0)

Previous research has often focused on the cognitive angle, according to Kjærvik and Bushman, like examining how cognitive behavioral therapy can help people adjust the mental meanings underpinning their anger.

Research shows that can work, they say, but the review also sheds important light on an alternate pathway for defusing fury. What's more, standard cognitive behavioral therapies are not effective for all brain types.

Their study examined both arousal-increasing and arousal-reducing activities, from boxing, cycling, and jogging to deep breathing, meditating, and yoga.

Calming activities reduced anger in the lab and the field, they found, and across other variables like methods of instruction or participant demographics. Effective arousal-reducing activities included slow-flow yoga, mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation, diaphragmatic breathing, and taking a timeout.

"It was really interesting to see that progressive muscle relaxation and just relaxation in general might be as effective as approaches such as mindfulness and meditation," Kjærvik said.

"And yoga, which can be more arousing than meditation and mindfulness, is still a way of calming and focusing on your breath that has the similar effect in reducing anger."

Rather than trying to vent anger, the researchers recommend undermining it by turning down the heat. Calming tactics already proven to ease stress may also rob anger of physiological fuel.

"Obviously in today's society, we're all dealing with a lot of stress, and we need ways of coping with that, too," Kjærvik said. "Showing that the same strategies that work for stress actually also work for anger is beneficial."

The review found that most arousal-boosting activities didn't reduce anger, and some increased it, with jogging most likely to do that.

Ball sports and other physical activities involving play seemed to reduce physiological arousal, suggesting exertion might be more useful for reducing anger if it's fun.

"Certain physical activities that increase arousal may be good for your heart, but they're definitely not the best way to reduce anger," said Bushman. "It's really a battle because angry people want to vent, but our research shows that any good feeling we get from venting actually reinforces aggression."

More research is needed to clarify these findings, but for now, the researchers say calming techniques – even just taking a timeout or counting to 10 – offer the best options for taming a temper.

"You don't need to necessarily book an appointment with a cognitive behavioral therapist to deal with anger. You can download an app for free on your phone, or you can find a YouTube video if you need guidance," Kjærvik said.

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Google's agreements with Apple and other smartphone makers have a "significant effect" maintaining Google's search monopoly, keeping other search engines from competing and reinforcing Google's dominant position. Google has a search market share of around 95 percent on smartphones, in part due to the money that it pays.

In 2022, Google paid Apple $20 billion, an amount that incentivizes Apple to stick with the status quo. Apple does not provide opportunities to other search engines, nor does it develop its own search product due to the money that it receives from Google, according to the DoJ.

After considering testimony from Apple, Google, Microsoft, and other companies, the court decided that Google has a search monopoly. "Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly. It has violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act," reads the ruling.

The court will need to decide on the next actions to take to address Google's anticompetitive practices, and injunctions could be forthcoming.

Google and Apple could in the future be barred from entering into search agreements, which will result in a revenue loss for both companies. Apple will not get billions for promoting Google Search, and Google will lose out on being the default option across billions of Apple devices.

Google is likely to appeal the decision.

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Several consumers filed a class-action lawsuit against CrowdStrike today, claiming the company should pay damages for the July 19 outage that resulted in thousands of airline cancellations.

The trio filed the lawsuit in a Texas district court, saying the outage canceled or delayed their flights, forcing them to pay extra fees and deal with physical stress.

“Faced with increasingly long delays and mounting flight cancellations, many travelers had no option but to spend hundreds of dollars or more on additional meals, lodging, or other travel arrangements as they desperately sought a way to their destination,” the lawsuit says. “This action seeks to remedy these consequences of CrowdStrike’s negligence.”

One plaintiff, Julio del Rio of California, has his flight from Hawaii to Los Angeles canceled, and he ended up paying $1,200 for a new ticket to bring him to San Francisco after being stranded for 11 hours at Hawaii’s Kona International Airport.

“Plaintiff del Rio had no other options but to sleep on benches or the floor during the 11-hour delay. As a result, Plaintiff del Rio developed pain in his neck and back which lasted for several days,” the lawsuit says.

In addition, del Rio hasn’t received a refund for his original ticket. Upon landing in San Francisco, he tried to buy a ticket to Los Angeles.

But thanks to the outage, his only option was to buy a ticket traveling from the San Jose airport to Burbank, California. This saddled him with another $80 Uber ride-share fare to take him from San Francisco to San Jose.

“As a result of the nearly 17 extra hours of travel, Plaintiff del Rio was forced to use his accrued paid time off to miss an additional day of work,” the lawsuit adds.

Another plaintiff, Jack Murphy of Ohio, also experienced a flight cancellation due to the outage. He was able to fly back to Cleveland on July 20, arriving at 2:30 a.m. local time.  

“Due to the late hour, Plaintiff Murphy could not hire an Uber to drive him from the Cleveland airport to his home. As a result, Plaintiff Murphy’s wife was forced to drive to the airport to pick up Plaintiff Murphy, a trip of approximately 45 minutes each way,” the lawsuit says.

Murphy didn’t arrive home until 3:30 a.m., “which severely interrupted Plaintiff Murphy’s normal sleep schedule,” the complaint adds. “The disruption to Plaintiff Murphy’s sleep schedule caused him to suffer a migraine during the day of July 20, 2024. Plaintiff Murphy experienced dizziness, pains in his head, sensitivity to light, and nausea due to the migraine.”

The lawsuit is demanding compensation from CrowdStrike, claiming the cybersecurity vendor was negligent, created a public nuisance, and committed unlawful business acts under California's Unfair Competition Law. The lawsuit is seeking class-action status for “persons who were traveling by plane and who had flights delayed or canceled as a result of the CrowdStrike Outage" — but only in California, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, where the three plaintiffs reside.

Still, the lawsuit estimates "millions" of on individuals may have been affected since thousands of flights were canceled on July 19 and the following days.

This was especially true for Delta Air Lines, which is also preparing to sue CrowdStrike. However, CrowdStrike claims that it reached out to Delta to offer "onsite assistance," but Delta ignored it and then declined the offer. Last month, US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the agency was concerned that Delta was not adequately compensating passengers after cancelling flights.

CrowdStrike didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But the company said last week it had already restored over 99% of affected Windows computers

A group of company shareholders is also suing CrowdStrike for the outage tanking the cybersecurity vendor’s stock price.

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The decision is a significant win for the Justice Department, which had sued the search engine giant over its control of about 90% of the online search market, and 95% on smartphones. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta noted that Google had paid $26.3 billion in 2021 alone to ensure that its search engine is the default on smartphones and browsers, and to keep its dominant market share.

"The court reaches the following conclusion: Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly," Mehta wrote.

Mehta's ruling against Alphabet's major revenue driver paves the way for a second trial to determine potential fixes, such as requiring the company to stop paying smartphone makers billions of dollars annually to set Google as the default search engine on new phones.

"The default is extremely valuable real estate... Even if a new entrant were positioned from a quality standpoint to bid for the default when an agreement expires, such a firm could compete only if it were prepared to pay partners upwards of billions of dollars in revenue share and make them whole for any revenue shortfalls resulting from the change," Mehta wrote.

He noted “Google, of course, recognizes that losing defaults would dramatically impact its bottom line. For instance, Google has projected that losing the Safari default would result in a significant drop in queries and billions of dollars in lost revenues.” The ruling is the first major decision in a series of cases taking on alleged monopolies in Big Tech.

In the past four years, federal antitrust regulators have also sued Meta Platforms, Amazon.com, and Apple Inc, claiming the companies have illegally maintained monopolies. Another case against Google over its advertising technology is scheduled to go to trial in September.

When it was filed in 2020, the Google search case was the first time in a generation that the U.S. government accused a major corporation of an illegal monopoly. Microsoft settled with the Justice Department in 2004 over claims that it forced its Internet Explorer web browser on Windows users.

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Also:  Google Search Is an Illegal Monopoly, US Judge Rules

• Twelve percent of Americans have been diagnosed with chronic insomnia, according to a new survey.

• Many people may experience issues sleeping for a period of days or weeks, but chronic insomnia lasts for much longer.

• For people who've been diagnosed with chronic insomnia, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is considered the gold standard of treatment.

Being unable to fall and stay asleep is a frustrating situation for anyone—but a new survey suggests 12% of Americans are struggling with chronic insomnia, or long-term, persistent sleep issues.

According to a new survey conducted by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), 12% of Americans say they have been diagnosed with chronic insomnia. The survey of 2,006 adults was conducted online between May 16 and May 24, and was published on June 14.1

The results of the survey showed that men were slightly more likely to have been diagnosed with chronic insomnia as compared to women. Diagnoses were also most prevalent in people ages 25 to 44.2

Chronic insomnia is a serious sleep issue—not only can this disorder lead to sleep deprivation, but it can also cause fatigue, low energy, and impact a person’s physical and emotional health. In fact, chronic insomnia has been linked to depression, anxiety, Alzheimer’s disease, and type 2 diabetes, among other health issues.

With chronic insomnia being a significant (and relatively common) health threat, how can you tell if you have this disorder, or you’re simply dealing with garden-variety sleeping troubles?

Here’s what experts had to say about how to identify chronic insomnia, why some people develop the disorder, and what it takes to get properly diagnosed and treated.

What Is Chronic Insomnia?

In general, insomnia is a condition in which a person has difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, or regularly wakes up earlier than they want to, even though they are allowing enough time in bed for sleep, said AASM spokesperson Indira Gurubhagavatula, MD, MPH, director of the sleep medicine fellowship and professor of sleep medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.

“Lots of people have what’s called acute insomnia, or ‘adjustment’ insomnia, usually in response to a stressful situation,” Gurubhagavatula told Health.

Stress, anxiety, or worrying can actually play a role in disrupting a person’s circadian rhythm, which explains its connection to insomnia, added Nathan Baumann, PhD, clinical psychologist and sleep disorder expert at South Psychology in Colorado.

“One important component of sleep is our circadian rhythm, which is the cycle of energy and rest that our body experiences daily,” Baumann told Health. “When it is interrupted, it can lead to long-term disruptions.”

Acute insomnia “may last for a few days or even weeks,” said Gurubhagavatula. “The symptoms usually resolve after the person deals with the stress, or the source of the stress goes away.”

Sometimes, though, the insomnia does not go away. Insomnia can become “chronic” if it lasts for three months or longer, and occurs at least three times a week, Gurubhagavatula said.3 You also could have chronic insomnia if these bouts of sleeplessness last for less than three months, but keep coming back continually over a period of months or years.

“[A person could even have chronic insomnia if they] take medications chronically to fall asleep and feel they just cannot sleep without the aid of sleeping pills,” she added.

This type of insomnia usually affects multiple areas of a person’s daily life. Beyond just difficulty falling or staying asleep, Gurubhagavatula said, those with chronic insomnia might experience the following:

•     Being dissatisfied with their sleep quality

•     Feeling like they’re not sleeping enough

•     Experiencing anxiety about sleep

•     Having daytime tiredness, fatigue, low energy, or sleepiness

•     Getting headaches

•     Being irritable

•     Feeling achy and nauseated

•     Falling asleep at the wheel or getting into a crash

Getting Diagnosed With Chronic Insomnia

To be diagnosed with chronic insomnia, your sleep challenges must rise to the level of causing significant distress or impairment in your social relationships, work, education, or other important areas of functioning, said Baumann.

In addition to happening multiple nights a week over a period of several months, “these disruptions [also] must not be better explained by another sleep disorder or a substance use episode,” he explained.

To determine if you have diagnosable chronic insomnia, take stock of and monitor your sleep issues, said Shmaya Krinsky, PsyD, a licensed psychologist and founder of Anxiety and Behavioral Health Psychotherapy in New York.

Krinsky said people should watch for the following symptoms:

•     Taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at least three nights a week

•     Having frequent awakenings or prolonged periods of wakefulness during the night

•     Experiencing stress, mood disturbances, difficulty concentrating, or challenges remembering things

“If these symptoms are persistent, it is advisable to consult a healthcare professional, typically a primary care physician or a sleep specialist,” Krinsky told Health. “They can rule out other medical or psychological conditions that may be causing the symptoms.”

A doctor might do this by looking through your medical history, doing a physical exam, asking you to keep a sleep diary, or doing polysomnography, he explained.

 What You Can Do About Chronic Insomnia

Though chronic insomnia can seriously impact a person's health and well-being, there are treatment options available.

According to the AASM, the most effective treatment for chronic insomnia is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).

“Many people come to a sleep doctor hoping for a quick fix with a pill,” said Gurubhagavatula. “However, the first-line therapy for insomnia is not a pill. It is [CBT-I].”

This therapy approach, which typically lasts six to eight sessions, includes behavioral changes and cognitive strategies. While the treatment will be different for everyone, it may include going to bed at the same time every night, getting out of bed when you can’t sleep, and managing fears about not being able to sleep.

According to Gurubhagavatula, research has shown that CBT-I works as well as medications and lasts longer.

“People who go through CBT-I are more satisfied with their sleep one year later than if they had taken medications,” she explained.

CBT-I also doesn’t have unwanted side effects that can sometimes accompany medications, such as dizziness, risk of falling, incompatibility with other drugs or alcohol, and more, Gurubhagavatula said.

That said, people with chronic insomnia will often self-medicate with over-the-counter medications such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine) or melatonin. But these drugs only cause increased drowsiness and are typically not good long-term solutions, Baumann said.

Instead, people can complement therapy with better sleep hygiene practices, Gurubhagavatula advised. For instance, try cutting back on caffeine, getting exposure to light in the mornings and evening, exercising regularly, avoiding smoking and drinking, and setting a regular bedtime and wake time, she said.

“Keep your bedroom environment cool, dark, quiet, and comfortable,” she explained. “And try to avoid bright light during the hour before bedtime. If you have chronic pain, acid reflux, or other health conditions that you know keep you from sleeping, address these issues with your healthcare professional.”

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In 1972, Janet Rowley sat at her dining room table and cut tiny chromosomes from photographs she had taken in her laboratory. One by one, she snipped out the small figures her children teasingly called paper dolls. She then carefully laid them out in 23 matching pairs—and warned her kids not to sneeze.

 

The physician-scientist had just mastered a new chromosome-staining technique in a year-long sabbatical at Oxford. But it was in the dining room of her Chicago home where she made the discovery that would dramatically alter the course of cancer research.

 

Looking over the chromosomes of a patient with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), she realized that segments of chromosomes 8 and 21 had broken off and swapped places—a genetic trade called a translocation. She looked at the chromosomes of other AML patients and saw the same switch: the 8;21 translocation.

 

Later that same year, she saw another translocation, this time in patients with a different type of blood cancer, called chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Patients with CML were known to carry a puzzling abnormality in chromosome 22 that made it appear shorter than normal. The abnormality was called the Philadelphia chromosome after its discovery by two researchers in Philadelphia in 1959. But it wasn't until Rowley pored over her meticulously set dining table that it became clear why chromosome 22 was shorter—a chunk of it had broken off and traded places with a small section of chromosome 9, a 9;22 translocation.

 

Rowley had the first evidence that genetic abnormalities were the cause of cancer. She published her findings in 1973, with the CML translocation published in a single-author study in Nature. In the years that followed, she strongly advocated for the idea that the abnormalities were significant for cancer. But she was initially met with skepticism. At the time, many researchers considered chromosomal abnormalities to be a result of cancer, not the other way around. Rowley's findings were rejected from the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. "I got sort of amused tolerance at the beginning," she said before her death in 2013.

The birth of targeted treatments

But the evidence mounted quickly. In 1977, Rowley and two of her colleagues at the University of Chicago identified another chromosomal translocation—15;17—that causes a rare blood cancer called acute promyelocytic leukemia. By 1990, over 70 translocations had been identified in cancers.

 

The significance mounted quickly as well. Following Rowley's discovery of the 9;22 translocation in CML, researchers figured out that the genetic swap creates a fusion of two genes. Part of the ABL gene normally found on chromosome 9 becomes attached to the BCR gene on chromosome 22, creating the cancer-driving BCR::ABL fusion gene on chromosome 22. This genetic merger codes for a signaling protein—a tyrosine kinase—that is permanently stuck in "active" mode. As such, it perpetually triggers signaling pathways that lead white blood cells to grow uncontrollably.

 

By the mid-1990s, researchers had developed a drug that blocks the BCR-ABL protein, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) called imatinib. For patients in the chronic phase of CML—about 90 percent of CML patients—imatinib raised the 10-year survival rate from less than 50 percent to a little over 80 percent. Imatinib (sold as Gleevec or Glivec) earned approval from the Food and Drug Administration in 2001, marking the first approval for a cancer therapy targeting a known genetic alteration.

 

With imatinib's success, targeted cancer therapies—aka precision medicine—took off. By the early 2000s, there was widespread interest among researchers to precisely identify the genetic underpinnings of cancer. At the same time, the revolutionary development of next-generation genetic sequencing acted like jet fuel for the soaring field. The technology eased the identification of mutations and genetic abnormalities driving cancers. Sequencing is now considered standard care in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of many cancers.

 

The development of gene-targeting cancer therapies skyrocketed. Classes of TKIs, like imatinib, expanded particularly fast. There are now over 50 FDA-approved TKIs targeting a wide variety of cancers. For instance, the TKIs lapatinib, neratinib, tucatinib, and pyrotinib target human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), which runs amok in some breast and gastric cancers. The TKI ruxolitinib targets Janus kinase 2, which is often mutated in the rare blood cancer myelofibrosis and the slow-growing blood cancer polycythemia vera. CML patients, meanwhile, now have five TKI therapies to choose from.

In recent years, researchers have used a combination of BRAF and MEK inhibitors, which avoids the paradoxical increased activity, decreases activity in the pathway, and staves off resistance. In a clinical trial published in 2015, a combination of the BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib and the MEK inhibitor trametinib improved survival in patients with metastatic melanoma (a skin cancer) as compared to therapy with one BRAF inhibitor.

Genetic baskets

BRAF V600 is commonly found in melanoma, but in recent years, the dual therapy has drawn attention for successfully treating various cancers. In June 2022, the FDA granted accelerated approval for the use of dabrafenib-trametinib combination therapy against nearly any metastatic or inoperable solid tumors driven by BRAF V600 mutation. The approval opened the combination therapy to patients with cancers of the colon, rectum, lung, thyroid, ovary, and brain, among others. In March 2023, the FDA expanded access further for children with BRAF V600-driven low-grade glioma, a type of brain tumor.

 

The expansions fall into what's sometimes called a "tissue-agnostic" approach to treatment. That is, the treatment choices are directed by the genetics, not the location of the cancer.

 

The FDA's expanded approvals of the dabrafenib-trametinib combination therapy were based, in part, on data from studies run by the National Cancer Institute that are putting the tissue-agnostic approach to the test. Along with others, the institute is running "basket trials," in which cancer patients with various types of cancers are enrolled and assigned to studies and treatments based on the genetic and molecular features of their tumors. The trials are complicated to set up, but they can help identify the full potential of existing treatment options that might otherwise be overlooked.

 

For instance, the BRAF combination therapy was tested in the basket trial NCI-MATCH. "An important finding of our study was that several rare types of cancer responded to the [BRAF] drug combination, including ovarian cancers, which are difficult to treat," NCI-MATCH investigator Lyndsay Harris said in response to the 2022 FDA approval expansion. "Some of the patients had very long responses, lasting for years."

 

NCI-MATCH wrapped up in 2023 after collecting results from 39 basket substudies, which pointed to benefits of the tissue-agnostic approach. NCI has now moved on to next-generation trials, including ComboMATCH, which combine the basket concept with the successes of combination therapies.

 

"These next-generation trials build on the lessons from the past, incorporating the knowledge we've gained and building in the flexibility needed to rapidly implement new ideas and take advantage of the latest improvements in technologies," James H. Doroshow, NCI's director of the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, said in an announcement.

Killer combinations

As the trials get underway, positive data on combination therapies continue to roll in. For instance, in June, NCI researchers published the results of a trial that combined five drugs to treat relapsed cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a notoriously heterogeneous and aggressive cancer. Genetic and functional studies had identified multiple druggable targets in cases of DLBCL that evade standard treatments, but using one targeted treatment at a time has shown little success. So researchers came up with the five-drug regimen that slams multiple cancer-driving pathways at once. The cocktail includes venetoclax, ibrutinib, prednisone, obinutuzumab, and lenalidomide, together nicknamed ViPOR.

 

The first drug, venetoclax, blocks a protein called BCL2, which in DLBCL would otherwise prevent cancer cells from undergoing self-directed cell death (apoptosis). Ibrutinib is a TKI that blocks Bruton’s tyrosine kinase, which is key to cancer cells' proliferation, and lenalidome leads to the targeted degradation of specific regulators, resulting in inhibited cell growth. Prednisone, meanwhile, is a corticosteroid known to spur cell death in cancers. The last drug, obinutuzumab, triggers innate immune responses that attack the cancerous B cells in DLBCL.

 

In the Phase 1b-2 trial, about half of patients responded to ViPOR, with 33 percent showing no detectable tumor DNA circulating in their bodies at the end of the therapy.

 

"Many of these patients who stopped responding to standard treatments would have otherwise died within a year, and now we have a good proportion who are still alive past two years, and some past four years," NCI researcher Christopher Melani, who co-led the study, said in a statement. "It’s gratifying to see these long-term remissions and potential cures in patients."

Next up

With expectations heightened for genetically matched combinations of existing drugs, researchers are still working on therapies with new chemical tricks that could be added to targeted cocktails in the future. For instance, there is excitement over new menin inhibitors to treat cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with mutations in KMT2A, a histone methyltransferase that modifies the activity of DNA. Mutated forms of KMT2A found in AML bind to the scaffold protein menin, and the pair activate genes that lock the cell into a self-renewal cycle, leading to cancer. New menin inhibitors block the protein complex, preventing the aberrant gene activation. There are at least seven menin inhibitors in development, including one under review by the FDA.

 

Similarly, researchers are eagerly watching the development of drugs that target the metabolic enzymes isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) or 2 (IDH2), which are mutated in AML and gliomas. The mutated forms of IDH1 and IDH2 produce the metabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate, which accumulates in the cell and leads to DNA hypermethylation, changes in gene activation, and cell proliferation. A Phase 3 study published last year found that the IDH1/2 inhibitor vorasidenib can cross the blood-brain barrier and significantly slow the progression of malignant brain tumors.

 

Vorasidenib, the first new glioma drug to be developed in over 20 years, is now under review by the FDA. It is one of many other targeted therapies and new technical maneuvers in the pipeline to hone precision cancer treatments and get us closer to the ultimate goal of curative therapies. But it's also worth looking back on how far we've come. In March, Ingo Mellinghoff, lead investigator on the vorasidenib trial, acknowledged the steps it took to get to that breakthrough glioma treatment: preclinical studies, the genetic sequencing advances, and maybe even some tiny paper cutouts of chromosomes. The clinical success of vorasidenib "would not have been possible without all the research legwork and basic science," he said.

 

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There is growing evidence that lifestyle changes, including diet, exercise, and other healthy habits, can play a significant role in managing type 2 diabetes without medication.

One of the most effective ways to manage type 2 diabetes naturally is through diet. A balanced diet that focuses on whole foods can help keep blood sugar levels stable. Research has shown that diets rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats can improve blood sugar control.

For example, a study published in the journal Diabetes Carefound that a diet high in fiber, particularly from fruits and vegetables, can help reduce blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity. Fiber slows down the digestion of carbohydrates, preventing spikes in blood sugar.

Reducing the intake of refined carbohydrates and sugars is also crucial. Foods like white bread, pastries, sugary drinks, and candy can cause rapid increases in blood sugar levels.

Instead, choosing complex carbohydrates, such as those found in whole grains, legumes, and starchy vegetables, can provide a more gradual release of glucose into the bloodstream, helping to keep blood sugar levels stable.

Exercise is another key component in managing type 2 diabetes naturally. Regular physical activity helps improve insulin sensitivity, allowing the body to use glucose more effectively.

The American Diabetes Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, such as brisk walking or cycling, combined with resistance training, like lifting weights, twice a week.

A study in the journal Diabetologia found that participants who engaged in regular physical activity had better blood sugar control and reduced risk of complications compared to those who were inactive.

Weight management is closely linked to diabetes control. Losing even a small amount of weight can significantly improve blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of complications.

A study published in The Lancet showed that individuals with type 2 diabetes who lost 5-10% of their body weight experienced significant improvements in blood sugar control and, in some cases, even went into remission. Combining a healthy diet with regular exercise is the most effective way to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Stress management is another important factor in controlling type 2 diabetes. Stress can cause blood sugar levels to rise, as the body releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline in response to stress.

Techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing exercises, and yoga can help reduce stress and improve overall well-being.

A study in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine found that participants who practiced mindfulness-based stress reduction had lower blood sugar levels and improved emotional well-being.

Sleep quality also plays a role in diabetes management. Poor sleep can affect the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar and increase insulin resistance.

Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. Establishing a regular sleep routine, creating a comfortable sleep environment, and avoiding caffeine and electronics before bedtime can help improve sleep quality.

Hydration is another simple yet effective way to manage blood sugar levels. Drinking enough water helps the kidneys flush out excess glucose through urine. A study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that individuals who drank more water had lower blood sugar levels and a reduced risk of developing hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).

Incorporating these lifestyle changes requires commitment and consistency, but the benefits can be substantial. Many people with type 2 diabetes have successfully managed their condition through natural means, reducing or even eliminating the need for medication.

It’s important to work closely with a healthcare provider to monitor progress and make any necessary adjustments to the management plan.

In conclusion, managing type 2 diabetes without medication is possible through a combination of a healthy diet, regular exercise, weight management, stress reduction, good sleep habits, and staying hydrated.

These lifestyle changes can significantly improve blood sugar control and overall health. While medication may still be necessary for some individuals, adopting these natural strategies can lead to better management of type 2 diabetes and a higher quality of life.

If you care about diabetes, please read studies about 5 vitamins that may prevent complication in diabetes, and how to manage high blood pressure and diabetes with healthy foods.

For more health information, please see recent studies about vitamin D and type2 diabetes, and to people with type 2 diabetes, some fruits are better than others.

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Published in the British Journal of Pharmacology by Dr. Mike Curtis and his team, this study offers hope for a solution to a critical health issue affecting thousands annually in the UK alone.

Heart attacks often lead to a dangerous condition called ventricular fibrillation (VF), where irregular heart rhythms prevent the heart from pumping blood effectively, swiftly leading to death.

Traditionally, drugs like lidocaine have been used to manage VF due to their ability to stabilize the heart’s electrical activity. However, lidocaine’s severe side effects on other parts of the heart and nervous system have restricted its use to controlled hospital settings, administered via IV.

The breakthrough with OCT2013 lies in its innovative mechanism. The drug, structurally similar to lidocaine, remains inactive until it encounters the low-oxygen environment of ischemic heart tissue—the exact location where heart attacks compromise blood flow.

Once there, OCT2013 converts into active lidocaine, targeting the affected area without impacting other regions of the body, thereby avoiding the typical side effects associated with lidocaine.

In experiments using a heart attack model in rats, OCT2013 successfully prevented sudden cardiac death by mimicking the beneficial effects of lidocaine on the ischemic parts of the heart, without the unwanted broader impacts. Chemical analyses confirmed that OCT2013 converted into lidocaine specifically in the ischemic heart regions.

This discovery not only opens the door to potentially life-saving treatment options for patients experiencing heart attacks outside of hospital settings but also represents the creation of a new class of drugs focused on condition-specific activation.

The targeted nature of OCT2013 means it could one day be administered immediately following heart attack symptoms, drastically reducing the risk of death from VF before emergency medical services arrive.

The implications of this study are profound, highlighting a significant advancement in cardiac care and emergency treatment of heart attacks.

The researchers are optimistic that OCT2013 could soon lead to the development of a drug that can be prescribed in non-hospital settings, significantly reducing the number of preventable deaths associated with heart attacks each year.

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It's called climate anxiety, a fear of what the future may hold in a warming world.

It hit Olivia Collins not long ago, The wave of worry surprised her since she's immersed in the subject from working at Miami's CLEO institute, which is dedicated to climate education and advocacy. The unsettling feeling suddenly washed over her after she read "The Light Pirate," a novel set in near-future Florida about a child born out of a devastating hurricane who has to navigate a world undergoing frightening change.

"I've been with CLEO for seven years and never felt climate anxiety, but it hit me like a ton of bricks back in the spring," Collins said. "After I read that book, I was seeking my own personal climate therapist through the climate psychology network. It felt too real. It hit this nerve so deep down, and I can't undo it."

Some may scoff, perhaps the same skeptics of science showing the environment is already changing, but academic researchers and practicing psychologists have identified climate anxiety as an increasingly common stressor.

Experts at Yale University define it this way: distress about climate change and its impacts on the landscape and human existence. It can manifest as intrusive thoughts or troubled feelings about the future of the world. Also called "eco-anxiety," it can take the form of "eco-guilt," a feeling of not doing enough personally, or even "eco-rage," an elevated anger that everybody else isn't doing enough to deal with looming threats.

Worries about what rising temperatures and seas will do to the world are increasingly common, researchers have found, particularly among younger people. In a 2021 study in The Lancet surveying 10,000 youths in several countries, including America, the majority of respondents said they were worried about climate change, while more than 50% reported feeling sad, anxious or guilty. More than 45% said their feelings about climate change were strong enough to negatively affect their daily lives.

Other measures suggest a rise in people struggling to cope with climate concerns. In South Florida—ground zero for the threat of sea rise and smack in the middle of hurricane alley—the website Zencare shows 11 therapists now listing "climate anxiety" treatment as part of their practices.

On a global scale, worldwide Google searches for "climate anxiety" or "eco-anxiety" increased by 4,590% from 2018 to 2023, according to a report by Time.

Putting a number to clinically serious anxiety cases is difficult. But in a study published in the Yale Climate Change Communication program In 2022, researchers asked a group of Americans aged 18 and older how often they feel nervous, depressed or bothered by global warming over a period of two weeks.

Using a widely accepted psychological measure, their findings suggested that 3% of the adult population could be experiencing potentially serious levels of anxiety due to climate change.

The researchers also found out that Hispanic/Latino adults are more likely to experience high levels of climate anxiety, while younger members of Gen Z, Millennial and Gen X generations are experiencing higher rates compared to Baby Boomers and older people. That hardly seems surprising since scientists predict younger generations will likely see more profound changes if current trends continue.

'An emerging field'

The issue isn't new but has only recently began entering mainstream conversation. More than a decade ago, a community of mental health practitioners first formed what it called the Climate Psychology Alliance focused on the complicated emotions surrounding the climate crisis. They also built a directory of therapists prepared to work with clients on the issue.

Brittany Rivers, one of two climate-aware therapists in the state listed on the alliance directory, now offers services like mental health therapy, nature-based therapy and hosts Climate Cafes online, which are support groups for those struggling with climate distress.

Rivers, who is based in Gainesville, said they haven't had a lot of people reach out specifically just for climate anxiety but it's usually mixed in with other concerns—perhaps because it remains what Rivers called "an emerging field." Clients, who Rivers said tend to be more "politically informed," are sometimes surprised to know, "Oh, I can ask for help for that. Like I can actually go to therapy and get support."

A lot of Rivers' motivation to work with the climate-anxious comes from the therapist's own struggles with the issue and grief related to environmental loss.

"I would have loved to have been able to go to a provider that knew about this and cared about it and wanted to support me, or to have a community space," Rivers said. "I definitely had those feelings of isolation with what I was experiencing."

A new focus for advocates

Outside of the health care field, climate advocacy organizations are also beginning to include mental health resources as a part of outreach efforts.

The Climate Mental Health Network, a national organization, is one of them. Elissa Teles Muñoz of Miami is one of its K-12 programming leads.

She researches how teachers can acknowledge the emotions that come with discussing the implications of climate change in the classroom. She said young people in South Florida see the effects in real time, in the form of coastal flooding and hurricanes, which can provoke not only questions but an array of responses.

"In order to have responsible climate education, you need to be addressing emotions that arise within students in an appropriate way," Muñoz said.

Muñoz, 24, said she began having strong emotions triggered by climate change herself around 2018, when the IPCC Special Report about global warming came out. The report warned about rapidly increasing consequences of global warming and how humans are contributing to the speed of changes. She recalled feeling anxious and depressed, unsure of how to handle her emotions.

Focusing on solutions or at least ways to delay or reduce impacts can help ease the anxiety, she said.

Citizens Climate Lobby, an international environmental group based in California, also offers educational materials for those wanting to start climate conversations in their community. The resources include a climate anxiety counseling booth inspired by the iconic Peanuts comic strip—specifically, a running gag involving a character named Lucy offering psychiatric counseling out of a converted lemonade stand.

The group also offers step-by-step conversation guides on how to communicate and engage with anyone looking for help with their climate anxiety. The guides give examples of conversation starters and topics to avoid. It also offers support and resilience teams to help people working on climate change awareness campaigns.

"Climate change advocacy can be deeply rewarding… yet it can also be stressful and exhausting," according to its website.

"[The resources show that] they're not alone and not alone in their suffering and grieving," said Solemi Hernandez, a Naples resident and CCL's southeast regional director.

Social media an outlet

In the digital age, people dealing with the emotions surrounding climate change also have turned to a familiar outlet: social media.

On the Reddit anxiety thread, which has nearly 700,000 members, there are several discussions focused on climate change and environmental distress. Some threads talk about feeling scared or hopeless about climate change and what the future may look like.

California-based environmentalist and content creator Isaias Hernandez has been talking about this issue for years on social media. The 28-year-old is behind the @queerbrownvegan Instagram account, which touts over 100,000 followers. Hernandez has shared blog posts highlighting the emotions surrounding climate change for years.

One of his posts from 2020 explains the climate emotion scale, which covers a range of feelings that arise from the climate crisis. The emotions range from "solastalgia," an existential environmental-induced distress, to "eco-guilt," the feeling that you should be contributing more to help protect the Earth. Three years later during wildfire that swept Canada, he said there was a huge jump in traffic on eco-anxiety posts on his websites.

Hernandez believes climate emotions can be nuanced and that socioeconomic and political factors play a role in the way people might react. For example, he said he grew up in poverty with a father working as a landscape gardener.. With basic concerns like making a living, he said he didn't have time to worry about helping the environment—unlike the affluent families who his father worked for.

"In my younger years in college I first learned about the term eco-anxiety and I laughed," he said in an interview with The Miami Herald. "I thought at the time it was a very privileged thing, and I realized it was not so much. It's a very shared common response to people."

Researchers have validated his take, finding climate concerns can vary widely depending on socioeconomic status. Yale research scientist Anthony Leiserowitz said in an article explaining climate anxiety that those who can afford to have things like air conditioners in their cars and homes will worry less about how something like higher temperatures might impact their daily lives.

The Environmental Protection Agency found that communities of low-income and with higher populations of people of color, have neighborhoods with higher temperatures compared to nearby neighborhoods with higher incomes and less diversity. It also found that low-income households tend to live in less energy-efficient homes that are more expensive to cool, making it harder to deal with the heat.

Hernandez said his audience online are typically high school or college students and it's obvious to him that the younger generation facing the brunt of climate change also have heightened emotions about it.

"They have told me that they've grown up with climate anxiety since they were a kid," Hernandez said.

Bigger than one person

In South Florida, younger people looking to be in a space to share their emotions might turn to the CLEO institute's GenCLEO group, which aims to educate younger generations on the changing climate.

Luke Norris, a University of Miami ecosystem science and policy student, a 21-year-old GenCLEO member, grew up in California with a front-row seat to droughts and wildfires. In 2020, his sibling lost their home in a town called Boulder Creek to one of those fires. The experience pushed Norris towards climate advocacy.

With fellow CLEO staffers, Norris is working on the initial stages of what they hope could be a first-of-its-kind climate anxiety research center focusing on education and helping those with symptoms of climate anxiety.

One key to dealing with anxiety, he believes, is underlining that climate change is a challenge for humankind, not any one person. We're all in it together.

"When I've gone to therapy and talked about climate anxiety it's very individual-centered and doesn't help with the root of the problem," he said. "You don't want to feel that you're alone."

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As often happens during the month of July, the Atlantic tropics entered a lull after Hurricane Beryl struck Texas and short-lived Tropical Storm Chris moved into Mexico. But now, with African dust diminishing from the atmosphere and August well under way, the oceans have awoken.

 

Tropical Storm Debby formed this weekend, and according to forecasters with the National Hurricane Center, the system is likely to reach Category 1 hurricane status before making landfall along the coastal bend of western Florida on Monday.

 

As hurricanes go, this is not the most threatening storm the Sunshine State has seen in recent years. Yes, no one likes a hurricane, or the storm surge it brings. But Debby is likely to strike a relatively unpopulated area of Florida, venting much of its fury on preserves and wildlife areas. This won't be pleasant by any means, but as hurricanes go this one should be fairly manageable from a wind and surge standpoint.

Major flood storm expected

But there is a far larger threat from Debby that will unfold well into next week over the southeastern United States—a major flood storm. Historic flooding is likely in areas of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

 

Debby is motoring along to the north-northwest at a fairly good clip as of Sunday morning, at 13 mph. This is a fairly common path for hurricanes as they skirt around the edge of high-pressure systems. Then, when they gain a sufficient amount of latitude—as Debby is now doing—they turn poleward and eventually move toward the northeast.

 

And this is just what Debby is likely to do through about Monday. However, after this time it appears that high pressure building over the central Atlantic Ocean will strengthen enough to block an escape path for Debby to the northeast. Should this occur, it will bottle up the storm in the vicinity of the Georgia and Carolina coasts for two or three days.

 

There remains a lot of uncertainty about just where Debby will go after striking Florida. Most likely it crosses Georgia on Tuesday and, then its center may reemerge into the Atlantic Ocean. Regardless, its center will likely be near, or just offshore. From there it will be able to tap into very warm seas, in the vicinity of 83 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

In such a pattern, with a nearly stationary storm, rainfall bands can be continually replenished by moisture drawn in from the ocean. This produces intense tropical rainfall and "training" in which a band of rainfall more or less comes to rest over a given area, fed by offshore moisture.

 

Because we are still a few days from this pattern setting up, and due to the uncertainty in Debby's path, we cannot say precisely where the heaviest rains will occur. However the Weather Prediction Center, the arm of the National Weather Service tasked with predicting rainfall amounts, is forecasting some pretty staggering totals for the period of now through Friday.

 

From Savannah, Georgia, north through Hilton Head Island and Charleston, South Carolina, the Weather Prediction Center is calling for accumulations of 20 to 25 inches, with higher totals possible in some areas. Moreover, it is possible that these high rainfall totals extend dozens of miles inland.

The African wave train gets rolling

Parts of Florida and North Carolina may also see extremely high rainfall totals over the next several days, due to the uncertainty in Debby's motion.

 

And that is not all. As we get deeper into August, tropical waves are starting to fire off of the west coast of Africa. One of these is now approaching the Windward Islands, and should move into the Caribbean Sea next week. There, it has a chance of developing into a tropical storm, or more. This is likely the beginning of a period of frenetic activity characteristic of August, September, and the first half of October in the Atlantic tropics.

 

All of this is in line with expectations from forecasters for an exceptionally busy Atlantic hurricane season. This is due both to an anomalously warm Atlantic Ocean—seas fueled by climate change are at all-time highs in the modern era—and the imminent development of La Niña in the Pacific Ocean, which creates conditions favorable for the development of hurricanes in the Atlantic basin, which includes the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.

 

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Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every single day for many years.

2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of July): 3,313 news posts

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Hope you enjoyed this news post.

Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every single day for many years.

2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of July): 3,313 news posts

The technology involves assembling heat-absorbing bricks in an insulated container, where they can store heat generated by solar or wind power for later use at the temperatures required for industrial processes. The heat can then be released when needed by passing air through channels in the stacks of "firebricks," thus allowing cement, steel, glass, and paper factories to run on renewable energy even when wind and sunshine are unavailable.

These systems, which several companies have recently begun to commercialize for industrial heat storage, are a form of thermal energy storage. The bricks are made from the same materials as the insulating bricks that lined primitive kilns and iron-making furnaces thousands of years ago. To optimize for heat storage instead of insulation, the materials are combined in different amounts.

Batteries can store electricity from renewable sources and provide electricity to generate heat on demand. "The difference between firebrick storage and battery storage is that the firebricks store heat rather than electricity and are one-tenth the cost of batteries," said lead study author Mark Z. Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and School of Engineering. "The materials are much simpler too. They are basically just the components of dirt."

High heat storage

Many industries require high-temperature heat for manufacturing. Temperatures in factories need to reach at least 1,300 degrees Celsius (nearly 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit) to produce cement, and 1,000 C (about 1,800 F) or hotter for glass, iron, and steelmaking. Today, about 17% of all carbon dioxide emissions worldwide stem from burning fossil fuels to produce heat for industrial processes, according to Jacobson and co-author Daniel Sambor's calculations. Generating industrial heat from renewable sources could all but eliminate these emissions.

"By storing energy in the form closest to its end use, you reduce inefficiencies in energy conversion," said Sambor, a postdoctoral scholar in civil and environmental engineering. "It's often said in our field that 'if you want hot showers, store hot water, and if you want cold drinks, store ice'; so this study can be summarized as 'if you need heat for industry, store it in firebricks.'"

Substantial savings

The researchers set out to examine the impact of using firebricks to store most industrial process heat in 149 countries in a hypothetical future where each country has transitioned to wind, geothermal, hydropower, and solar for all energy purposes. The 149 countries are responsible for 99.75% of global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels. "Ours is the first study to examine a large-scale transition of renewable energy with firebricks as part of the solution," Jacobson said. "We found that firebricks enable a faster and lower-cost transition to renewables, and that helps everyone in terms of health, climate, jobs, and energy security."

The team used computer models to compare costs, land needs, health impacts, and emissions involved in two scenarios for a hypothetical future where 149 countries in 2050 are using renewables for all energy purposes. In one scenario, firebricks provide 90% of industrial process heat. In the other, there's zero adoption of firebricks or other forms of thermal energy storage for industrial processes.

In the no-firebrick scenario, the researchers assumed heat for industrial processes would come instead from electric furnaces, heaters, boilers, and heat pumps, with batteries used to store electricity for those technologies.

The researchers found the scenario with firebricks could cut capital costs by $1.27 trillion across the 149 countries compared with the scenario with no firebrick storage, while reducing demand for energy from the grid and the need for energy storage capacity from batteries.

Clean energy, cleaner air

Solutions for accelerating the transition to clean energy are also connected to human health. Previous research has shown that air pollution from burning fossil fuels causes millions of early deaths each year. "Every bit of combustion fuels we replace with electricity reduces that air pollution," Jacobson said. "And because there is a limited amount of money to transition at a high speed, the lower the cost to the overall system, the faster we can implement it."

Jacobson has spent his career understanding air pollution and climate problems and developing energy plans for countries, states, and cities to solve these problems. But his focus on firebricks is relatively new, inspired by a desire to identify effective solutions that could be adopted quickly.

"Imagine if we propose an expensive and difficult method of transitioning to renewable electricity—we'd have very few takers. But, if this will save money compared with a previous method, it will be implemented more rapidly," he said. "What excites me is that the impact is very large, whereas a lot of technologies that I've looked at, they have marginal impacts. Here I can see a substantial benefit at low cost from multiple angles, from helping to reduce air pollution mortality to making it easier to transition the world to clean renewables."

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The children closed their eyes and traced their thumbs from their foreheads to their hearts as a pre-recorded voice led them through an exercise called the shark fin, part of the classroom's regular meditation routine.

"Listen to the chimes," said the teacher, Kim Franklin. "Remember to breathe."

Schools across the U.S. have been introducing yoga, meditation and mindfulness exercises to help students manage stress and emotions. As the depths of student struggles with mental health became clear in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year endorsed schools' use of the practices.

Research has found school-based mindfulness programs can help, especially in low-income communities where students face high levels of stress or trauma.

The mindfulness program reached Smith Elementary through a contract with the school system, Clayton County Public Schools, where two-thirds of the students are Black.

GreenLight Fund Atlanta, a network that matches communities with local nonprofits, helps Georgia school systems pay for the mindfulness program provided by Inner Explorer, an audio platform.

Joli Cooper, GreenLight Fund Atlanta's executive director, said it was important to the group to support an organization that is accessible and relevant for communities of color in the Greater Atlanta area.

Children nationwide struggled with the effects of isolation and remote learning as they returned from the pandemic school closures. The CDC in 2023 reported more than a third of students were affected by feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness. The agency recommended schools use mindfulness practices to help students manage emotions.

GreenLight Fund Atlanta executive director Joli Cooper sits in her office in Atlanta on May 22, 2024. GreenLight Fund Atlanta, a network that matches communities with local nonprofits, helps Georgia school systems pay for a mindfulness program for its' students.

Credit: AP Photo/Sharon Johnson

"We know that our teenagers and adolescents have really strained in their mental health," CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen told The Associated Press. "There are real skills that we can give our teens to make sure that they are coping with some big emotions."

Approaches to mindfulness represent a form of social-emotional learning, which has become a political flashpoint with many conservatives who say schools use it to promote progressive ideas about race, gender and sexuality.

But advocates say the programming brings much-needed attention to students' well-being.

"When you look at the numbers, unfortunately, in Georgia, the number of children of color with suicidal thoughts and success is quite high," Cooper said. "When you look at the number of psychologists available for these children, there are not enough psychologists of color."

Black youth have the fastest-growing suicide rate among racial groups, according to CDC statistics. Between 2007 and 2020, the suicide rate among Black children and teens ages 10 to 17 increased by 144%.

"It's a stigma with being able to say you're not OK and needing help, and having the ability to ask for help," said Tolana Griggs, Smith Elementary's assistant principal. "With our diverse school community and wanting to be more aware of our students, how different cultures feel and how different cultures react to things, it's important to be all-inclusive with everything we do."

Nationwide, children in schools that serve mostly students of color have less access to psychologists and counselors than those in schools serving mostly white students.

The Inner Explorer program guides students and teachers through five-to-10-minute sessions of breathing, meditating and reflecting several times a day. The program also is used at Atlanta Public Schools and over 100 other districts across the country.

Teachers and administrators say they have noticed a difference in their students since they've incorporated mindfulness into their routine. For Aniyah Woods, 9, the program has helped her "calm down" and "not stress anymore."

Aniyah Woods meditates during a mindfulness session in her classroom at Roberta T. Smith Elementary School, May 14, 2024, in Rex, Georgia. School districts across the U.S. have been introducing yoga, meditation and mindfulness exercises to help students manage stress and emotions.

Credit: AP Photo/Sharon Johnson

"I love myself how I am, but Inner Explorer just helps me feel more like myself," Aniyah said.

Malachi Smith, 9, has used his exercises at home, with his father helping to guide him through meditation.

"You can relax yourself with the shark fin, and when I calm myself down, I realize I am an excellent scholar," Malachi said.

After Franklin's class finished their meditation, they shared how they were feeling.

"Relaxed," one student said.

Aniyah raised her hand.

"It made me feel peaceful," she said.

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Sunday, 4 August

• Who: SpaceX
• What: Falcon 9
• When: 07:00 - 11:00 UTC
• Where: California, US
• Why: SpaceX will use a Falcon 9 to launch 21 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. This batch of satellites will include several newer direct-to-cell satellites, too. These satellites will be referred to as Starlink Group 11-1. If you use apps like ISS Detector, this is the identifier to look out for. Following the launch, it is highly probable that the first stage of the Falcon 9 will perform a landing so that it can be reused. The Starlink constellation beams the internet down to customers on Earth.

Monday, 5 August

• Who: CNSA
• What: Long March 6A
• When: Unknown
• Where: Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China
• Why: The Long March 6A rocket will be launched with a batch of 18 satellites that will make up part of the G60 Qianfan Xingzuo internet constellation. This constellation is operated by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST).

Wednesday, 7 August

• Who: SpaceX
• What: Falcon 9
• When: 12:59 - 16:59 UTC
• Where: Florida, US
• Why: This mission will see SpaceX use a Falcon 9 to launch yet another batch of Starlink satellites. This batch is known as Starlink Group 8-3, and the first stage of the rocket is also expected to make a landing. This group of satellites will include 13 direct-to-cell satellites.

Recap

• The first launch we got last week was a Falcon 9 launch from SpaceX. The Starlink satellites in this launch are Starlink Group 10-4. The first stage of the rocket performed a landing on a sea droneship.

• Next up was another Falcon 9 launching more Starlink sats, this time, Group 9-4. Similarly, the first stage of the rocket landed on a droneship.

• The third mission of the week was conducted by United Launch Alliance (ULA), which launched the Atlas V rocket carrying a national security-related payload of the US Space Force.

• The fourth mission moves away from America and takes us to China's Xichang Satellite Launch Center. CNSA launched a Long March 3B rocket carrying the WHG-02 high-orbit internet services satellite.

• The last but one mission saw SpaceX launch another Falcon 9 carrying more Starlink satellites.

• Finally, Rocket Lab launched an Electron rocket carrying Synspective's fifth StriX Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite from Mahia, New Zealand. The mission was named "Owl For One, One for Owl."

That's all for this week; check back next time!

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BEIJING – Swathes of eastern China baked under a scorching heatwave on Aug 3, with temperatures in some areas reaching record highs.

China is enduring a summer of extreme weather, with unseasonable heat searing parts of the north and east while torrential rains have triggered floods and landslides in central and southern regions.

The country is the world’s largest emitter of the greenhouse gases that scientists say drive global warming and make extreme weather more frequent and intense.

The mercury rose to 41.9 deg C in the eastern city of Hangzhou at around 2.30pm on Aug 3, according to a report on the weather office’s online news portal.

The figure “broke the record for the (city’s) highest air temperature in the history of observation”, the report said. The previous record was 41.8 deg C in August 2022.

Hangzhou, the capital of wealthy Zhejiang province, is home to 12.5 million people and known as a major technology hub.

Social media users remarked on the stifling heat, with one commenting: “I feel like I’m about to melt.”

“Who still thinks Hangzhou’s a desirable place to live?“ quipped another on the popular Weibo platform.

All of the 10 hottest cities in China early on the afternoon of Aug 3 were located in Zhejiang, with the city of Zhuji logging a daily high of 42.3 deg C, the weather service said.

It added that high temperatures were forecast to persist in the region over the next week, with Hangzhou expected to “continually refresh” its heat record.

Weather warnings for extreme heat remained in place in many eastern cities on Aug 3, with the authorities urging members of the public to reduce outdoor activity and guard against heatstroke.

In Shanghai, the megacity of around 25 million people, the mercury edged above 40 deg C in the early afternoon, nearing its record of 40.9 deg C.

In Shanghai, the mercury edged above 40 deg C in the early afternoon on Aug 1, nearing its record of 40.9 deg C. PHOTO: REUTERS

China has pledged to bring its emissions of planet-heating carbon dioxide to a peak by 2030 and to net zero by 2060, but has resisted calls to make bolder cuts.

It long depended on highly polluting coal power to fuel its massive economy but has emerged as a renewable energy leader in recent years.

Beijing’s top economic planner said on Aug 2 it would change the way it sets climate targets after its carbon emissions peak, adopting emissions reductions by volume instead of making them relative to economic growth. AFP

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But safety experts warn that patients could suffer as a result of the collective action, as GPs plan to limit appointments and direct patients to other providers in the coming weeks and months.

“This is definitely going to be felt across the country, and is a further setback for thousands of patients across England,” William Pett, head of policy, public affairs, and research at Healthwatch England, told Euronews Health.

The collective action isn’t a strike, and it isn’t mandatory. GPs represented by the British Medical Association (BMA) can choose from a suite of 10 recommended actions that it says bring GPs’ workloads back in line with their contracts.

The most notable is an option to cap the number of patients seen at 25 per day. For the busiest GPs, who may see upward of 40 patients per day, that would be a 37.5 per cent drop.

As a result, patients could face longer wait times for GP appointments, leading to delayed diagnostics or treatments, Mirka Cikkelova, general secretary of the European Patient Safety Foundation, told Euronews Health.

Limitations would also have ripple effects on other healthcare services, such as pharmacies, emergency medical services, and the 111 symptom hotline, according to Pett.

As one of the 10 recommended actions, GPs could choose to bypass NHS processes and instead refer patients directly to specialists.

“We are going to be putting increased pressure on already very stretched services,” Pett said.

“There is a concern about how overloaded other services may become as a result of this collective action.”

•     English family doctors vote to stage collective action, including limiting patient appointments

Potential of ‘worse outcomes for patients’

During the collective action, which is indefinite, GP practices are still required to be open from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. between Monday and Friday. But Pett said patients may think that service limitations are the result of a strike, and avoid seeking any care at all.

Peter Howitt, managing director of the Centre for Health Policy and Climate Cares Centre at the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London, likened the potential disruptions to the COVID-19 era when providers were overwhelmed and patients put off seeking non-urgent care.

“When people worried about the health service capacity, they just didn't go – and that led to things like cancers being caught and diagnosed much later, with much worse outcomes for patients,” Howitt told Euronews Health.

On the other hand, limiting patient visits could also give family doctors more time with each patient, leading to better patient outcomes, as well as less stress for GPs, Cikkelova said.

Yet “at the same time, a solution has to be found for the other patients who are left aside by this decision,” Cikkelova said.

A resolution could be at least a couple of months away, Howitt said.

Months of disruptions due to strikes

The BMA has blamed the UK’s former conservative governments – which were in power for 14 years before being ousted in July – for the country’s “broken” National Health Service (NHS). The union said it has had “positive conversations” with Wes Streeting, the new health secretary for the Labour-led government.

The government also announced this week that it would recruit more than 1,000 new GPs this year, in a bid to “rebuild the health service”. But it wasn’t enough to stave off the collective action vote.

The BMA decision also came days after a union committee struck a deal with the government to raise pay for England’s junior doctors by an average of 22 per cent over two years. Junior doctors have taken industrial action 11 times since March 2023 – including several strikes – leading to nearly 1.5 million acute visits being postponed, according to NHS England.

Demonstrators hold banners during a junior doctors rally outside Downing Street in London, Friday, August 11, 2023.

- Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Photo, File

The GP collective action probably won’t have the same impact on patients as the junior doctors’ strikes, Howitt said.

That’s because about 68 per cent of eligible GP voters turned out for the collective action vote (with 98 per cent voting yes), so it’s likely that some practices won’t take the recommended measures. Not all GPs are BMA members, either.

However, the latest move exacerbates the access barriers patients have been grappling with since last year, Pett said.

In a nationally representative survey from June, about a quarter of UK adults said they have struggled to get a GP appointment in the past six months.

“This is just a further impact on patients from what has already been an incredibly disruptive 18 months,” Pett said.

“These are not just numbers of cancelled appointments. These are real people having to deal with the stress and the anxiety of now-further delays to what could be a really urgent diagnosis.”

Pett, Howitt, and others emphasised that if patients have a health issue, they should continue to try to see their doctor, adding that GPs participating in the collective action should clearly communicate what steps they are taking and how patients can find alternatives if necessary.

“The biggest risk here is that people suffer in silence,” Howitt said.

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For instance, untreated oral diseases can lead to pain, infection and potentially even tooth loss. Research also shows gum disease has a bidirectional relationship with several other serious diseases – including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer.

Furthermore, oral diseases have a significant economic burden and are the fourth most expensive group of diseases to treat globally. They also have the indirect cost of productivity losses due to absence from work and school.

Being able to take care of your oral health is extremely important. But with a shortage of NHS dentists and a growing number of people struggling to access dental care – coupled with the UK's ageing population – it could mean millions more will have oral diseases in the next couple of decades if these problems aren't addressed soon.

My colleagues from the University of Greenwich and Cape Western Reserve University and I have forecast what the future of oral health could look like in the UK.

Using advanced modelling techniques, we were able to predict the prevalence of tooth decay and gum diseases in UK adults from 2020 to 2050. We found that over half of the UK's population could be living with some form of dental disease by 2050.

We input data from the UK's 2009 Adult Dental Health Survey (ADHS) into a simulation model. The model used complex equations to create the projections of tooth decay and gum disease.

Participants were divided into groups according to their oral health status. Then, each group was split further into three categories depending on the presence and severity of the person's condition.

Based on these results, we project that overall the number of people living with gum disease is set to increase from 42% of the UK's population to 54% of the population by 2050.

The number of people exhibiting signs of gum disease (such as gum pockets and gum tissue loss) is expected to rise from 25.7 million in 2020 to 28 million by 2050. The number of people with gum tissue loss alone is projected to increase from 18.7 million in 2020 to nearly 21 million by 2050.

For adults who will be aged 16 to 59 in the year 2050, the outlook is somewhat positive. The number of people with tooth decay is expected to decrease slightly from 15.7 million in 2020 to 15.5 million by 2050 – a 1.5% decline.

But for those who will be aged 60 and over in 2050, the outlook is less positive. The number of over-60s with tooth decay is projected to nearly double from 5 million in 2020 to 9.6 million by 2050.

Overall, the burden of tooth decay and gum diseases is anticipated to shift from younger adults (16–59 years) to older adults. This highlights just how important it is that people currently in their 30s and 40s have access to good dental care now – and as they age.

As the model used population-based data from the 2009 ADHS survey, this means that one limitation of our study is that the model assumes the prevalence rates for dental diseases remain constant over time.

It will be important for future studies to look at more recent survey data to get a more accurate projection of the future of oral health in the UK.

Improving oral health

Our study did not investigate why the picture of oral health looks so bleak in the future. But many factors are known to contribute to poor dental health – including poor oral hygiene (such as not brushing twice daily or smoking), infrequent access to dental care and low socioeconomic status.

With reports that the pandemic has only compounded existing issues with accessing dental services in the UK, change needs to happen soon – otherwise the picture of oral health for British adults is bleak.

The new Labour government has a crucial opportunity to be proactive rather than reactive in planning for future oral health needs. This means putting more services in place now to meet the needs of our ageing population.

If these challenges aren't promptly addressed, projected oral health outcomes could deteriorate even further than predicted.

Some of the proactive measures that might be introduced include integrating oral healthcare into general medical care and focusing on preventative measures – such as improving access to quality dental services, enhancing early screening programmes and making sure dental issues are treated promptly.

Investing in oral hygiene education programmes may help to improve oral health literacy early on. Water fluoridation also remains essential in preventing tooth decay.

On an personal level, there are many things you can do to look after your oral health – such as brushing twice daily, flossing, reducing sugar consumption, quitting smoking and moderating alcohol intake.

Try to see your dentist regularly for a check-up if you can – ideally every two years at least, if you don't have any problems. If you do notice any changes in your oral health, make an appointment as soon as possible.

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Elliott Management, a hedge fund with approximately $70 billion in assets, has raised concerns about Nvidia and the AI industry, describing them as being in a 'bubble,' reports Financial Times. The firm doubts the sustainability of current AI investments and believes that many AI applications are not viable or cost-effective.

The hedge fund expressed skepticism about the ongoing purchases of Nvidia's GPUs by large technology companies, stating that these companies may not continue to buy in such large quantities. Elliott Management questioned many AI technologies' practical utility and efficiency, suggesting that they may not deliver the promised returns. Elliot Management is certainly not the only one to express concerns about the AI industry as a partner of Sequoia Capital recently calculated that the AI industry needs to make at least $600 billion per year to pay for the already made investments. The AI industry is not even close to that number.

Elliott's commentary comes amid a rally in AI-related stocks, driven by investor enthusiasm for generative AI, the FT says. Meanwhile, Nvidia has lost nearly $600 billion in market capitalization since early July, and that says something.

Recent trends have shown a general pullback in semiconductor stocks, reflecting concerns about the durability of spending in this sector. For example, Intel shares dropped 30% after announcing significant layoffs, highlighting industry volatility.

The hedge fund warns that a market correction could occur if Nvidia's financial results disappoint, potentially shaking investor confidence in the AI sector. Meanwhile, most AI sector companies are private, which almost wholly means there is no adequate view of their financial viability.

Elliott notes that, so far, AI has not delivered the significant productivity boosts promised, with most applications limited to tasks like summarizing notes, generating reports, and assisting in coding.

Even considering Elliott Management's cautious approach to its investment strategy (the firm has largely avoided what it calls 'bubble stocks'), according to FT, its stake in Nvidia is minimal, and it was worth about $4.5 million as of March.

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The Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre is tasked with protecting the critical undersea telecommunications cables throughout the Indo-Pacific region from deliberate interference from malicious actors, or accidental damage.

This is a crucial undertaking. The internet directly contributes $167 billion or more a year to the Australian economy. These cables enable everything from mundane social media updates to the colossal transactions that drive the global economy.

But what is driving Australia's urgency to better protect these crucial cables now?

The backbone of the internet

Undersea telecommunications cables are laid on the ocean floor at depths down to 8,000 metres. They trace their origins back to the mid-19th century, driven by business interests and the need for imperial control.

The British Empire invested in these cables to connect and control its distant territories. In fact, they were referred to as the "nervous system of the British Empire".

The first transatlantic cable in 1858 demonstrated the potential for rapid communication between continents. This revolutionised business and governance.

Map of the first Transatlantic submarine cable. (Howe's Adventures & Achievements of Americans/Wikimedia Commons)

These cables are typically no wider than a garden hose. They contain optical fibres wrapped in a thick layer of plastic for protection. They can transmit data from one end of the cable to the other at speeds of up to 300 terabits per second.

For context, 20 terabits per second can stream approximately 793,000 ultra-high-definition movies at the same time. With a capacity of 300 terabits per second, the possibilities for handling digital data are virtually limitless.

There are currently around 1.4 million kilometres of submarine cables in service globally. Only 15 known international cables manage 99% of Australia's data traffic.

What will the new centre do?

The new centre will provide technical assistance and training across the Indo-Pacific. It will also support other governments in the region to develop better policy regarding undersea cables.

This continues Australia's longstanding commitment to protecting undersea cables from threats such as accidental damage by fishing activities or attacks by malicious actors, including both state and non-state entities.

International submarine cables connecting Australia. (ACMA)

In 2011, Australia was the first country to join the International Cable Protection Committee (which works to improve the security of undersea cables).

Australia has designated protection zones and stringent regulations for undersea cables. Other countries and industry bodies see this as the gold standard.

Australia has established the new Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre to address vulnerabilities posed by its growing dependency on the internet.

But global techno-political developments have also played a significant part.

New threats

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become the defining feature of the United States-China competition for technological dominance. And we have access to internet based AI tools because of undersea cables.

Breakthroughs in AI also could revolutionise productivity, industry and innovation. AI is already being used in medical research, diagnosis, banking and to streamline workflows. And the defence sector is growing increasingly reliant on AI for data analysis and advanced weaponry.

This further underscores the urgent need for robust data protection – which includes keeping undersea cables safe.

So the new Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre is not merely an economic necessity. It is also crucial to national security. It allows Australia to position itself as a key digital security provider in the region.

Nuance is needed

But the specialised nature of undersea cable technology requires a nuanced approach.

Though staffed by Australian public servants, the new centre's success hinges on close collaboration with private sector experts experienced in manufacturing, laying and monitoring cables.

This partnership is crucial for addressing physical and digital vulnerabilities, while navigating complex industry and geopolitical dynamics.

The dominance of tech giants such as Google and Amazon is another complicating factor. They control more than 20% of new subsea cable installations in the cable industry.

The government's new centre must balance national interest with industry control to avoid power concentration. This is particularly crucial as big tech grows more influential.

The government has said the new centre is an important contribution to Quad– a diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan and the US. But the centre will need to engage with other international partners, too.

For example, Australia can learn from countries such as Singapore, which has ambitious cable management strategies. These include plans to double Singapore's cable network by 2033.

Engaging with countries beyond Quad will also bolster Australia's digital infrastructure resilience.

A new way forward

The newly announced Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre heralds a shift in Australia's approach to digital infrastructure security.

Historically, Australia has taken a confrontational stance towards containing Chinese tech. This is exemplified by its 2016 rejection of Huawei's bid to build the Coral Sea Cable, citing national security concerns.

However, the fact the new centre sits within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade signifies a transition towards a more diplomatic approach.

It reflects Australia's intent to mitigate China's influence over subsea infrastructure, AI and technology standards while balancing national security with diplomatic engagement.

Will it work? Only time will tell. But the shift from confrontation to diplomacy is a welcome development. It will likely help Australia navigate an increasingly complex global technological landscape.

Source

At the same time, few Australians meet recommended dietary or physical activity guidelines. What has one got to do with the other?

Our world-first trial, published this week, shows improving diet and doing more physical activity can be as effective as therapy with a psychologist for treating low-grade depression.

Previous studies (including our own) have found "lifestyle" therapies are effective for depression. But they have never been directly compared with psychological therapies—until now.

Amid a nation-wide shortage of mental health professionals, our research points to a potential solution. As we found lifestyle counseling was as effective as psychological therapy, our findings suggest dietitians and exercise physiologists may one day play a role in managing depression.

What did our study measure?

During the prolonged COVID lockdowns, Victorians' distress levels were high and widespread. Face-to-face mental health services were limited.

Our trial targeted people living in Victoria with elevated distress, meaning at least mild depression but not necessarily a diagnosed mental disorder. Typical symptoms included feeling down, hopeless, irritable or tearful.

We partnered with our local mental health service to recruit 182 adults and provided group-based sessions on Zoom. All participants took part in up to six sessions over eight weeks, facilitated by health professionals.

Half were randomly assigned to participate in a program co-facilitated by an accredited practicing dietitian and an exercise physiologist. That group—called the lifestyle program—developed nutrition and movement goals:

•     eating a wide variety of foods

•     choosing high-fiber plant foods

•     including high-quality fats

•     limiting discretionary foods, such as those high in saturated fats and added sugars
•  
•     doing enjoyable physical activity.

The second group took part in psychotherapy sessions convened by two psychologists. The psychotherapy program used cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the gold standard for treating depression in groups and when delivered remotely.

In both groups, participants could continue existing treatments (such as taking antidepressant medication). We gave both groups workbooks and hampers. The lifestyle group received a food hamper, while the psychotherapy group received items such as a coloring book, stress ball and head massager.

Lifestyle therapies just as effective

We found similar results in each program.

At the trial's beginning, we gave each participant a score based on their self-reported mental health. We measured them again at the end of the program.

Over eight weeks, those scores showed symptoms of depression reduced for participants in the lifestyle program (42%) and the psychotherapy program (37%). That difference was not statistically or clinically meaningful so we could conclude both treatments were as good as each other.

There were some differences between groups. People in the lifestyle program improved their diet, while those in the psychotherapy program felt they had increased their social support—meaning how connected they felt to other people—compared to at the start of the treatment.

Participants in both programs increased their physical activity. While this was expected for those in the lifestyle program, it was less expected for those in the psychotherapy program. It may be because they knew they were enrolled in a research study about lifestyle and subconsciously changed their activity patterns, or it could be a positive by-product of doing psychotherapy.

There was also not much difference in cost. The lifestyle program was slightly cheaper to deliver: A$482 per participant, versus $503 for psychotherapy. That's because hourly rates differ between dietitians and exercise physiologists, and psychologists.

What does this mean for mental health workforce shortages?

Demand for mental health services is increasing in Australia, while at the same time the workforce faces worsening nation-wide shortages.

Psychologists, who provide about half of all mental health services, can have long wait times. Our results suggest that, with the appropriate training and guidelines, allied health professionals who specialize in diet and exercise could help address this gap.

Lifestyle therapies can be combined with psychology sessions for multi-disciplinary care. But diet and exercise therapies could prove particularly effective for those on waitlists to see a psychologist, who may be receiving no other professional support while they wait.

Many dietitians and exercise physiologists already have advanced skills and expertise in motivating behavior change. Most accredited practicing dietitians are trained in managing eating disorders or gastrointestinal conditions, which commonly overlap with depression.

There is also a cost argument. It is overall cheaper to train a dietitian ($153,039) than a psychologist ($189,063)—and it takes less time.
Potential barriers

Australians with chronic conditions (such as diabetes) can access subsidized dietitian and exercise physiologist appointments under various Medicare treatment plans. Those with eating disorders can also access subsidized dietitian appointments. But mental health care plans for people with depression do not support subsidized sessions with dietitians or exercise physiologists, despite peak bodies urging them to do so.

Increased training, upskilling and Medicare subsidies would be needed to support dietitians and exercise physiologists to be involved in treating mental health issues.

Our training and clinical guidelines are intended to help clinicians practicing lifestyle-based mental health care within their scope of practice (activities a health care provider can undertake).

Future directions

Our trial took place during COVID lockdowns and examined people with at least mild symptoms of depression who did not necessarily have a mental disorder. We are seeking to replicate these findings and are now running a study open to Australians with mental health conditions such as major depression or bipolar disorder.

Source

Robin Warren, an Australian pathologist who shared a Nobel Prize for rewriting medical views on gut health with research that included his partner drinking a bacteria-laced brew to show how microbes can cause ulcers, died July 23 in Perth, Australia. He was 87.

The death was announced by the University of Western Australia, where Dr. Warren was a professor emeritus. The statement gave no other details.

The discoveries by Dr. Warren and Barry Marshall at Royal Perth Hospital completely upended long-standing medical assumptions that the stomach’s gastric fluids would kill any invasive bacteria. Yet, for more than a decade, the two researchers confronted a medical community slow to accept their theories and acknowledge their findings.

As Marshall once put it, “To gastroenterologists, the concept of a germ causing ulcers was like saying that the Earth is flat.”

For patients, there are now antibiotic treatments for peptic ulcers — once considered a chronic condition — as well as a noninvasive breath test to diagnose ulcers and avoid possible biopsies. In wider medical research, the work by Dr. Warren and Marshall also introduced theories about possible bacterial factors in ailments caused by inflammation, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and as potential triggers for cancers.

Until the studies by Dr. Warren and Marshall, the medical consensus was that ulcers and other gastric troubles were often attributed to stress or lifestyle choices such as eating spicy foods or drinking alcohol.

“With tenacity and a prepared mind [they] challenged prevailing dogmas,” said a statement from the Nobel committee when Dr. Warren and Marshall received the prize for medicine in 2005.

The journey began with a glance in 1979 at a biopsy sample at the Royal Perth Hospital, where Dr. Warren was a chief pathologist. He noticed bacteria on tissue from a patient with ulcers. Dr. Warren had long mulled over an alternative “germ theory” for ulcers, but he had scant evidence to bolster his ideas and almost no supporters.

“Bacteria had been seen before, but these findings had been disregarded as some odd curiosities or just contaminations,” said Swedish microbiologist Staffan Normark at the Nobel Prize announcement in Stockholm.

Marshall, as a young clinical researcher, watched the eyerolls at Dr. Warren during medical conferences. “He would mention these bacteria and the surgeons would be saying ‘ha ha ha, Robin’s talking about his bacteria again,’” recalled Marshall in an interview with the Medical Republic, an Australian health and science site.

The biopsy sample spotted by Dr. Warren gave him a tangible lead. He recruited Marshall, and they began studying tissue from patients with ulcers and other digestive problems. Nearly all the samples showed the presence of the same bacteria. They dubbed it Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori: “helico,” as in helicopter, for its spiral shape, and “pylori” for the pylorus valve at the bottom of the stomach.

They announced their findings in a series of papers, including in the British journal the Lancet, in the early 1980s. The medical community remained skeptical.

“For about 100 years, or 1,000 years, the standard teaching in medicine was that the stomach was sterile and nothing grew there because of corrosive gastric juices,” Dr. Warren said. “So everybody believed there were no bacteria in the stomach. When I said they were there, no one believed it.”

Robin Warren, right, and Barry Marshall during a meeting with Swedish students at the Nobel Forum in Stockholm on Dec. 7, 2005.

(Jonas Ekstromer/Associated Press)

In July 1984, Marshall turned himself into a lab subject. He swilled down a bacterial broth in an attempt to draw conclusive links between H. pylori and ulcers. Test animals such as pigs and rats were immune to the bacteria. Dr. Warren already had an H. pylori infection, and they feared he could have built an immunity.

“So, Barry, I think it has to be you,” Marshall recalled Dr. Warren telling him.

After about three days, Marshall became sick. “I started vomiting. I was waking up in the middle of the night, I couldn’t eat well, I was having night sweats,” he told the Australian, a newspaper based near Sydney, in 2005. “I had the endoscopy after a week and it showed the bacteria had taken hold.”

The test revealed H. pylori around an inflamed part of his stomach. He was better after a course of antibiotics, further advancing their findings toward a cure.

About two-thirds of the world population has been infected with H. pylori, often during childhood, but the bacteria leads to health problems in a relatively small number of people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infections can also bring an increased risk of gastric cancers or a lymphoma known as mucosal associated-lymphoid-type, or MALT, the CDC says.

The precise reason H. pylori becomes aggressive in some people is not fully understood. But when it happens, the bacteria can cause ulcers by damaging the stomach lining and making it more vulnerable to digestive fluids. H. pylori causes more than 90 percent of duodenal stomach ulcers and 80 percent of upper-intestinal ulcers, the Nobel committee said. Other causes are overuse of some drugs that can compromise the stomach lining.

“The idea of stress and things like that was just so entrenched nobody could really believe that it was bacteria,” Dr. Warren once said. “It had to come from some weird place like Perth, Western Australia, because I think nobody else would have even considered it.”

Robin Warren, left, and Barry Marshall walk to a news conference at the University of Western Australia in Perth on Oct. 4, 2005.

(Tony Ashby/AFP/Getty Images)

‘10,000 unusual things’

John Robin Warren was born on June 11, 1937, in Adelaide, Australia. His father was a winemaker. His mother was a nurse.

“I cannot remember my mother ever pressuring me to study medicine, but somehow this always seemed to be my aim,” Dr. Warren wrote in his biographical essay for the Nobel committee.

Months after receiving a university scholarship to study medicine, he had his first grand mal seizure and was diagnosed with epilepsy. He was prescribed drugs that helped control the seizures, but he could not receive a driver’s license and used his bicycle for appointments and classes. His family had discussions — without Robin’s knowledge — about whether to demand that he pass up medical school because of his condition.

“It was only years later that I came to appreciate just how much my mother had gone through to support my independence. … Apparently, mother was worried sick, but she never said a word about it,” he wrote.

After receiving a degree in medicine from the University of Adelaide in 1961, he trained in clinical pathology at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Dr. Warren sought a position in Papua New Guinea, then under Australian control, in hopes of studying more “exotic and usual diseases.”

Instead, he was recruited by the Royal Perth Hospital in 1968 as a staff specialist in pathology, which included an affiliation with the University of Western Australia. He retired from the hospital in 1999 and was named a professor emeritus at the university in 2005.

In 2007, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia, the country’s highest civilian honor.

During the early 1980s, Dr. Warren said, he and Marshall felt almost like outcasts with their bacteria research. “Otherwise,” Dr. Warren said, “it seemed that only our wives stood beside us.”

He married the former Winifred Theresa Williams in 1962, and they had five children. She died in 1997. Complete information on survivors was not immediately available.

In an interview with the Australian Academy of Science, Dr. Warren said that pathologists often encounter oddities in research. The challenge, he noted, is to decide which enigma holds a mystery worth cracking.

“When you look down the microscope at pieces of tissue … it’s not unusual to find something unexpected, because there are so many unusual things,” he said. “And if there are 10,000 unusual things, you find one of them every now and again.”

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As the price of silicon panels has continued to come down, we've reached the point where they're a small and shrinking cost of building a solar farm. That means that it might be worth spending more to get a panel that converts more of the incoming sunlight to electricity, since it allows you to get more out of the price paid to get each panel installed. But silicon panels are already pushing up against physical limits on efficiency. Which means our best chance for a major boost in panel efficiency may be to combine silicon with an additional photovoltaic material.

 

Right now, most of the focus is on pairing silicon with a class of materials called perovskites. Perovskite crystals can be layered on top of silicon, creating a panel with two materials that absorb different areas of the spectrum—plus, perovskites can be made from relatively cheap raw materials. Unfortunately, it has been difficult to make perovskites that are both high-efficiency and last for the decades that the silicon portion will.

 

Lots of labs are attempting to change that, though. And two of them reported some progress this week, including a perovskite/silicon system that achieved 34 percent efficiency.

Boosting perovskite stability

Perovskites are an entire class of materials that all form the same crystal structure. So, there is plenty of flexibility when it comes to the raw materials being used. Perovskite-based photovoltaics are typically formed by what's called solution processing, in which all the raw materials are dissolved in a liquid that's then layered on top of the panel-to-be, allowing perovskite crystals to form across its entire surface. Which is great, except that this process tends to form multiple crystals with different orientations on a single surface, decreasing performance.

 

Adding to the problems, perovskites are also not especially stable. They're usually made of a combination of positively and negatively charged ions, and these have to be present in the right ratios to form a perovskite. However, some of these individual ions can diffuse over time, disrupting the crystal structure. Harvesting solar energy, which involves the material absorbing lots of energy, makes matters worse by heating the material, which increases the rate of diffusion.

 

Combined, these factors sap the efficiency of perovskite solar cells and mean that none lasts nearly as long as a sheet of silicon. The new works tackle these issues from two very different directions.

 

The first of the new papers tackles stability by using the flexibility of perovskites to incorporate various ions. The researchers started by using a technique called density functional theory to model how different molecules would behave when placed into a spot normally occupied by a positively charged ion. And the modeling got them excited about a molecule called tetrahydrotriazinium, which has a six-atom ring composed of alternating carbon and nitrogen atoms. The regular placement of nitrogens around the ring allows it to form regular interactions with neighboring atoms in the crystal structure.

 

Tetrahydrotriazinium has a neutral charge when only two of the nitrogens have hydrogens attached to them. But it typically grabs a charged hydrogen (effectively, a proton) out of solution, giving it a net positive charge. This leaves each of its three nitrogens associated with a hydrogen and allows the positive charge to be distributed among them. That makes this interaction incredibly strong, meaning that the hydrogens are extremely unlikely to drift off, which also stabilizes the crystal structure.

 

So, this should make perovskites much, much more stable. The only problem? Tetrahydrotriazinium tends to react with lots of other chemicals, so it's difficult to provide as a raw material for the perovskite-forming solution.

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Hope you enjoyed this news post.

Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every single day for many years.

2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of July): 3,313 news posts

Sure, duh: Vehicle lights serve the important and vital safety function of allowing drivers to see where they’re going, and everyone else to see when they’re coming. But for decades, car designers have clocked headlamps and tail lights as an opportunity for creativity, to build a distinctive brand that says, “Here comes that car.” Think of Lamborghini’s y-shaped headlights, or the almost menacing double barrels of the Dodge Challenger, or the halo rings on BMWs.

But a new era of car light design, ushered in by new technologies, powertrains, and even business models, has transformed the front profile of vehicles. “It’s been an incredible, critical acceleration in the last few years,” says César Muntada, the head of light design at Audi.

The result is lights that are brighter, thinner, and in more complex configurations than ever before. Lights that dance when a car is approached by its owner, lights that blink when it’s being charged. Lights that can be customized to fit personal taste, or even mood. Lights that even, if regulators allow them, won’t blind other drivers. In the future, cars might even use lights to communicate with others on the road.

Today, automakers are doubling down on unique headlight signatures, arguing that a car’s front is its most important bit in not only selling the vehicle to customers, but the idea of the vehicle—what it means.

“We call it a face,” says Tim Kozub, who directs Cadillac’s design team. “It relates back to us as humans. The front of the vehicle is the personality.” Internal Cadillac market research shows that people react first to a vehicle’s front, then its rear, and then its side view, he says. So car designers are spending even more time—and money—on getting the face just right.

Light It Up

In some ways, the story of the beautification of the vehicle headlight is the story of advances in light technology. In the mid-20th century, headlights were small, halogen bulbs inside a large eye. By the early 1990s, some automakers began using xenon or high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps, which were more powerful, efficient, and lasted longer than halogen. At the turn of the century, automakers experimented with using different shapes and textures inside headlights.

Finally: Enter the LED. Starting with a 2007 Lexus, automakers began using the smaller, powerful, and even more long-lasting lights inside headlamps. Headlights no longer needed to be bulbs inside a large casing, says Raphael Zammit, the chair of the Transportation Design program at the College of Creative Studies.

The creativity has flowed from there. “We’ve moved away from the physical aspect of lamps and moved towards a very thin, minimalist perspective,” says Zammit. “You’re looking at lines, gestures of lines. LEDs have taken it to the next level.”

Just in the past few years, automakers including Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Hyundai have introduced digital headlights, which use LEDs and vehicles’ increasingly sophisticated onboard computers to illuminate with even more specificity. Audi’s Matrix-design headlights can, for example, “greet” drivers with model-specific headlight animations, a kind of personalized hello enabled by advances in lighting.

The OLEDs (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) used in Audi’s Matrix setup both create the picture and emit their own light. You can think of each individual pixel of an OLED display as a tiny, color-changing light bulb. This makes it able to turn off entirely to provide perfect black levels, or illuminate in any color or pure white. We'll cover more about the benefits and drawbacks of this capability later in this piece.

Gone Electric

Now electric vehicles have brought even more innovation to the headlight world. From a practical perspective, this is because EV “grilles” are different from their gas-powered counterparts. In a standard vehicle, multiple holes in the front take in air to cool down the engine as it fires. EVs need some air to cool their batteries, but not nearly as much. For that reason, designers can take “a ‘blank-page’ approach as we get into EVs,” says Kozub, the Cadillac designer.

Cadillac’s Lyriq and Celestique, both all-electric options, include “slimline” headlights that echo the classic Cadillac tail fin shape. Kozub says Cadillac had always hoped to make a headlight that looked like this; new LED technologies and the smoother front offered by EV tech has simply made it possible.

The California-based electric vehicle startup Lucid was also forced by the particularities of EVs to innovate in headlamps. In its initial offering, a luxury sedan called the Air, the air-conditioning condenser lives at the front of the vehicle. That required the automaker to design a way to build very short headlights, says Hans-Christoph Eckstein, Lucid’s director of electronics and optical engineering. Building a small headlight to accommodate a bigger cooling unit ends up increasing the vehicle’s performance, he says.

Because headlight tech advancement has dovetailed so neatly with the electric revolution, headlights have also become an easy way for automakers to signal that their new EV offerings are ultramodern and luxe. “The easiest, clearest way to express innovation is through light,” says Muntada, the Audi designer.

For Lucid, lighting is the easiest way to communicate that the car is advanced. “A new type of lighting makes people think: New car, new electrification,” says Jenny Ha, who directs the automaker’s exterior design.

The Lucid Air’s headlights, made up of six slim LED arrays, have become a signature design feature—and a launching point for the car’s branding. Jamie Calderon, a partner and creative director at the creative agency Tolleson who worked with Lucid to launch the vehicle, says every bit of the EV, from its overall shape down to its lighting and even badge typography, is meant to communicate sleekness and simplicity. “It’s all very thin, very elegant, very reductive,” he says.

Hyundai has said its pixelated lamps, found in the all-electric Ioniq 5’s daytime running lights and rear, are arranged in an EV-specific design that will echo in all future Ioniq models.

Distinctive headlight shapes can even be protected by design patents, says Jeremy Kriegel, a partner and chair of the design patents practice group at the intellectual-property-focused law firm Marshall, Gerstein & Borun.

Recently, though, automakers have spent the most time and money defending design patents from aftermarket parts manufacturers, not other designers, he says. In general, it seems, automakers actively avoid each others’ most distinctive headlight designs because they want to build their own distinctive brands.

Electric automaker Rivian wanted to do just that. RJ Scaringe, Rivan’s CEO, told WIRED at a car event this spring that the mission was to make its lighting design feel iconic. For the company’s designers, the starting place was, again, a familiar theme: Simplicity. “When you have complex forms, they tend to be of-the-moment and age poorly,” he says.

Yet the designers also needed to come up with something memorable and distinctive. And something that would look great on vehicles beyond the initial offerings in Rivian’s lineup, a large truck and SUV. Scaringe says he remembers looking at Rivian’s initial sketches in 2016 and thinking, “Boy, this front end really could work on a much smaller car, on a crossover.”

Now the automaker’s distinctive oval lights and thick lightbar are set to appear on the next two vehicles in its lineup, a more affordable SUV and a small hatchback.

A refresh of Rivian’s original truck and SUV, announced earlier this summer, is slated to feature adaptive drive beams that change depending on oncoming traffic, and an updated horizontal lightbar with 10 different sections that can show off color. Right now, the bar illuminates green squares while charging to demonstrate how far the battery has to go, but in the future, Rivian could use the bar to illustrate other features, it claims.

Headlight Future

New vehicles and concepts illuminate the way forward for vehicle lighting. The future might be less about iconic headlight arrangements, and more about this changeability Rivian craves. In the new, second generation Audi Q6 e-tron, lights “come alive” thanks to six digitally-powered OLED panels full of 360 individually controlled segments.

The tech also allows the vehicle to automatically make micro-adjustments for different lighting and traffic conditions, which helps eliminate one of the most common headlight complaints: That they blind oncoming drivers. (Note: Because of regulations, Audi says, this technology is not currently available in North America.) Audi will also allow drivers to choose between eight different sets of headlight profiles—that way, you’ll supposedly know when your car approaches that it is your husband or wife, not your son or daughter, that’s behind the wheel.

It’s an interesting idea. It also presents challenges for automakers. If headlights are branding, what’s the value of a brand "face” that can be changed by customers with a few taps on a phone? Or as Zammit, the design professor puts it: “If our eyes can be anything, who are we?”

Audi says it isn’t worried about the branding adjustments. “If you look at the history of Audis, each Audi was different,” says Muntada, the automaker’s head of light design. Now the brand is ready to press into what it sees as the next frontier of lighting: Using breakthroughs in light and precision to “speak” to other road users.

You can see this already on the new, second generation Q6 e-tron, as well as the A5 hatchback, both released this year: Small triangles automatically illuminate inside the taillights to tell anyone behind the vehicle that there’s an accident or obstruction ahead. (The vehicle “knows” this thanks to road data collected by third parties.)

But Audi’s ambitions are grander than small triangles, says Muntada. “Our target is to create a language of [light] communication that is internationally understood,” he says. Regulators will have to get involved at some point, yes, but, in the future, an Audi’s lights might be able to tell other drivers not only that hazards lie ahead but precisely what kinds of hazards.

Such forms of vehicle-led communication might get even more important in a future without drivers, of course. Waymo’s robotaxis, for example, illuminate their “roof domes” to inform other road users that the vehicles are yielding to pedestrians.

Audi’s light vision will need more regulator involvement, and that will inevitably mean delays. But, unsurprisingly, Michael Kruppa, who heads up headlight development at Audi, remains bullish: “We are reaching a new level of what we can really do.”

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