Neat News - Neat things do happen

The Right Livelihood Awards 2022 were awarded. The prizes go to Eunice Brookman-Amissah, Ghana ("for ... paving the way for liberalised abortion laws"), Mother Nature Cambodia ("for ... activism to preserve Cambodia's natural environment"), SOS Mediterranee ("for its life-saving humanitarian search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea"), and Phyllis Omido, Kenya ("for her ... struggle to secure land and environmental rights for local communities").

related: #Right_Livelihood_Award

About a third of the adult population in the USA have a metabolic syndrome with potentially severe consequences (such as type 2 diabetes) that is related to the abundance of a particular gut bacterium. Now researchers have shown in experiments with mice that a compound derived from hops can reduce this abundance.

related: #hops #bacterium #gut

A new meta study finds that how happy people feel changes with age. On average it decreases between the ages of 9 and 16 then increases slowly until the age of 70 to decrease then again.

related: #happiness #age

One approach to removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is to bring it in a cycle of transforming it to methane which then can be used again as an energy source. In order to make this transformation easier a new catalyst based on copper has been developed.

related: #catalyst #copper #carbon

The females of aedes aegypti mosquitoes transmit diseases such as dengue and yellow fewer, however, protect themselves against the diseases. Now this mechanism has been understood, giving hope that if the protection could be disabled, infected mosquitoes would quickly die and then could not transmit the diseases any more, thereby reducing the spread of the diseases.

related: #mosquito #strategy #dengue

On the banks of a river in Zambia archaeologists found the remains of a wooden structure that is almost half a million years old. The discovery could change our assumption that early humans at that time led nomadic lives.

related: #wood #structure #Stone_Age

Previous attempts of treating Type 1 diabetes by implanting pancreatic cells had only limited success since after a while they run out of oxygen and stopped producing insulin. This has now been overcome in a new approach by cells that produce also oxygen.

related: #insulin #implant #diabetes

For the first time a genetic biomarker has been found with which predictions can be made whether people will get a life-threatening food allergy reaction, for instance, against peanuts.

related: #predication #food #allergy

A new study finds that standard yogurt prevents most garlic components in the mouth from escaping into the air so that people smell less of garlic after eating a yogurt.

related: #garlic #yogurt

If done right, remote work can reduce the carbon footprint by more than half. The benefit is due to less commuting and no need for an office space in the company. A hybrid model, where people go in only on some days can also have significant benefits if the desk is shared so that the building is used optimally.

related: #remote_work #carbon_footprint

By measures involving community health workers who foster, for instance, for vaccinations, child mortality could be brought down in India by 30 percent between 2015 and today.

related: #child_mortality #India

A 20 year long study found that forests in which a diverse set of seedlings is used for restoration recover best.

related: #reforestation #diversity

Methane can serve as an energy source, but is also an potent greenhouse gas. For this reason it is important to avoid leaks. For the first time a methane leak in the UK has been detected from space so that it could be stopped.

related: #methane #leak #space

In the brains of Alzheimer's patients some abnormal proteins (amyloid and tau) build up. Now researchers found that the MEG3 molecule (in tau) leads to the death of brain cells, and that the death can be prevented by blocking the MEG3 cells. The early findings may lead in the long run to a new treatment of the disease.

related: #Alzheimer #cell_death

In a recent count the UK Butterfly Conservation charity recorded more than 1.5 million butterflies, the highest level since 2019. It is assumed that they benefited from the wet and warm weather.

related: #butterfly_recovery #UK

In the west of the USA a huge amount of lithium has been found that was put there some 16 million years ago in a big volcano eruption. 10 to 20 kg of the material are needed per electric car. It is estimated that the amount found could suffice for billions of electric cars.

related: #lithium #electric_car

A new study finds that a healthy lifestyle (only moderate alcohol, healthy diet, physical activity, and social contacts) reduces the likelihood of depression.

related: #lifestyle #depression

An explorer who developed health problems at a depth of more than 1000 metres in the Turkish Morca Cave has been brought successfully back to the surface in a rescue mission involving about 150 helpers.

related: #cave #rescue

In experiments with mice it was found that chitin as found in insects and mushrooms has a positive effect on the immune system and metabolism. If confirmed it could also help against obesity.

related: #chitin #immune_system #metabolism

In new research it has been studied who would typically fall for conspiracy theories. It has been found that these are those who mainly rely on their gut feelings and think that truth is relative.

related: #conspiracy #gut_feeling

Alzheimer's disease is associated with patients having plaque destroying parts of their brains. New research indicates that the hormone irisin reduces the corresponding deposits. Irisin is produced by the body when doing physical exercise. The new findings may result in a therapy against Alzheimer's disease.

related: #Alzheimer #exercise #irisin

Up to ten percent of women in childbearing age have a hormone disorder with too high testosterone levels. Now it has been found that affected women may want to discuss the keto diet with their doctors, since the high fat and low carbohydrate diet seems to have promising effects on the fertility by lowering the testosterone level.

related: #fertility #keto

In order to give vegan products more the flavour and aroma of meat often synthetic substances are added. New study shows that onions, chives, and leeks can be a natural replacement when fermented with common fungi.

related: #vegan #taste #meat_free

New research found that children with a lot of daily exercise have lower cortisol levels and deal better with stress.

related: #activity #stress #cortisol

In analysing faeces and reconfirming results in experiments with obese mice, new research found that a type of gut bacteria has a protective effect against obesity and type-2 diabetes.

related: #bacteria #obesity #diabetes

A new study with more than 80000 people from Japan found that some unbalanced diets are associated with an overall and a cancer-related increased mortality risk. This is, for instance, the case for men with an energy intake of less than 40 percent from carbohydrates, or women with more than 65 percent carbohydrate energy intake.

related: #diet #mortality

In a new study, it was found how red blood cells can help protect the heart in case of a myocardial infarction. The effect can be enhanced by some nitrate rich green leafy foods such as rocket. This suggests a corresponding diet for patients at risk.

related: #red_blood_cells #heart #protection #rocket

In a proof of principle, a novel approach using the CRISPR methodology to immunotherapy has been developed and proved efficient in pre-clinical trials. It has the advantage that is applicable to a wide range of blood cancer types. If confirmed in clinical experiments, the approach could be a new therapy again leukaemia.

related: #leukaemia #CRISPR

By extensively using mutations, researchers tested a full range of variants of antibiotics to find the ones that are most effective in attacking some bacteria. This way new antibiotics may be developed to treat infections that are resistant to existing antibiotics.

related: #antibiotics #resistance