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Thursday, July 30, 2015

Drinking coffee can help prevent dementia, just don't overdo it

Drinking coffee can help prevent dementia, just don't overdo it: "However, caffeine influences Aβ levels through a complex interplay involving adenosine receptors, and over or under activation of the adenosine system may result in impaired memory functioning, the authors explained.
“These findings from the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging suggested that cognitively normal older individuals who never or rarely consumed coffee and those who increased their coffee consumption habits had a higher risk of developing MCI.”
“Therefore, moderate and regular coffee consumption may have neuroprotective effects also against MCI confirming previous studies on the long-term protective effects of coffee, tea, or caffeine consumption and plasma levels of caffeine against cognitive decline and dementia,” concluded investigators Vincenzo Solfrizzi, MD, PhD, and Francesco Panza, MD, PhD."



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Tuesday, July 28, 2015

How Finns Make Sports Part Of Everyday Life : Shots - Health News : NPR

How Finns Make Sports Part Of Everyday Life : Shots - Health News : NPR: "In Helsinki, sports facilities pop up all over the place, sometimes in some pretty odd nooks and crannies. One bomb shelter hosts an archery club, another an underground swimming pool and an ice hockey rink.

Though they hardly need it, there's a national plan in Finland to get people to sit less. It reminds them, in fact, that, "Under the Constitution ... physical activity is a basic cultural right."

"It's been kind of a social right to provide citizens with sporting possibilities," says Hanna Vehmas, a sports scientist at the University of Jyväskylä. She says it's a Nordic thing to consider sports a social right. That thinking started in the 1970s, when governments started subsidizing sports gyms in even the smallest towns.

Now, she says, "there's an estimate of some close to 30,000 sports facilities in this country, which is said to be more per capita than in any other country in the world."

Those facilities are one reason why Finland and its Nordic neighbors always make the top-five list of most physically active European countries, according to surveys by the European Commission. These days, municipalities spend about $700 million a year subsidizing sports facilities and clubs. A portion of lottery funds also goes toward funding sports facilities and research."



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Monday, July 27, 2015

118 Cancer Specialists Decry Rising Cancer Drug Prices

118 Cancer Specialists Decry Rising Cancer Drug Prices: "In an article directed against big pharmaceutical companies which are basically dictating market prices, the cancer specialists are urging them to lower prices for some drugs which have gone up by a whopping $8,500 per year since 2000.

The doctors are protesting prohibitive prices due to the fact that they disrupt treatment and overall care of cancer patients who cannot afford them, leading many to seek costly loans which add to their financial burdens and stress factors. According to data presented in the article, the average $52,000 per year household income in the U.S. wouldn’t be enough to cover even half the costs of particularly pricy treatments, which have drugs costing $120,000 per year in addition to other treatment-related expenses."



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Saturday, July 25, 2015

Scientists Discover Why Lake Tahoe Is So Blue - I4U News

Scientists Discover Why Lake Tahoe Is So Blue - I4U News: "A postdoctoral researcher from University of California, Davis, Shohei Watanabe came up with those findings when a Blueness Index had been created by using NASA-JPL research buoy and Lake Tahoe’s color had been quantified for the first time. The results were exactly opposite to what was commonly perceived. Surprisingly no connection was found between clarity and blueness. 

The research showed the blueness of the water does not remain consistent throughout the year. There were times when the lake was clearer, it was less blue and when lake was less clear, it was deep blue. The process is due to the combination of sediments, nutrients and algal production which changes with the season.

Clarity is linked with sediment while blueness is controlled by algal concentration. The less nutrient means less production of algal. Thus, more blue color of water.

“This does not mean that clarity should be dismissed,” said Watanabe. “Rather, it shows that algae concentrations and nutrient input should be managed more closely to truly keep Tahoe blue and clear.”"



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Thursday, July 23, 2015

Sea level study: James Hansen issues dire climate warning.

Sea level study: James Hansen issues dire climate warning.: "In what may prove to be a turning point for political action on climate change, a breathtaking new study casts extreme doubt about the near-term stability of global sea levels.

The study—written by James Hansen, NASA’s former lead climate scientist, and 16 co-authors, many of whom are considered among the top in their fields—concludes that glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica will melt 10 times faster than previous consensus estimates, resulting in sea level rise of at least 10 feet in as little as 50 years. The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, brings new importance to a feedback loop in the ocean near Antarctica that results in cooler freshwater from melting glaciers forcing warmer, saltier water underneath the ice sheets, speeding up the melting rate. Hansen, who is known for being alarmist and also right, acknowledges that his study implies change far beyond previous consensus estimates. In a conference call with reporters, he said he hoped the new findings would be “substantially more persuasive than anything previously published.” I certainly find them to be."



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Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Dire warning of sea level rise from world's most famous climate scientist - Element magazine - NZ Herald News

Dire warning of sea level rise from world's most famous climate scientist - Element magazine - NZ Herald News: "A new study, led by James Hansen, NASA's former lead climate scientist, and 16-co-authors, paints a very grim picture of the stability of the world's sea levels in the near future.

Many of those involved in writing the report are regarded as being at the top of their respective fields. The conclusion they reached was that glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica are going to melt 10 times faster than predicted earlier. This would result in sea level rise of at least 10 feet in as few as 50 years.

The study has not been peer reviewed yet, but is generating a lot of thought about the future of the world's oceans, as well as the fate of human and animal populations that depend on their current state.

It emphasised the feedback loop in the Southern Ocean. As the glaciers melt, cooler fresh water forces warmer salt water under the ice sheets, which results in them melting faster. It's a vicious circle, and Hansen says he hopes the findings will help persuade governments and large organisations to enact change, more than previous studies have."



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Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Study shows Alzheimer’s worsens faster with women than men | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Study shows Alzheimer’s worsens faster with women than men | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "Women who display the early signs of mental decline that can precede Alzheimer’s disease deteriorate faster than men with the same condition, a new study has found.

Another study suggests that women’s daily activities and cognitive abilities decline faster than men’s after undergoing surgery with general anesthesia. A third study has found that an abnormal protein that plays a key role in triggering Alzheimer’s accumulates at higher rates in women’s brains than in men’s.

The new research, presented this week at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Washington, lends additional support to the view that women run a higher risk than men of developing Alzheimer’s disease and may be more vulnerable to its damaging effects once the illness gets going."



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Saturday, July 18, 2015

Unbridled capitalism is the 'dung of the devil', says Pope Francis | World news | The Guardian

Unbridled capitalism is the 'dung of the devil', says Pope Francis | World news | The Guardian: "Quoting a fourth century bishop, he called the unfettered pursuit of money “the dung of the devil”, and said poor countries should not be reduced to being providers of raw material and cheap labour for developed countries.

Repeating some of the themes of his landmark encyclical Laudato Si on the environment last month, Francis said time was running out to save the planet from perhaps irreversible harm to the ecosystem."



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Friday, July 17, 2015

Earth’s ecosystem taking strain - report - IOL SciTech

Earth’s ecosystem taking strain - report - IOL SciTech: "The report provides the first comprehensive evidence showing how the changes to the structure and function of the Earth’s natural systems represent a growing threat to human health.

The commission comprises 15 leading academics and policymakers from institutions in eight countries, including the head of the Vitality Institute, Dr Derek Yach.

The report is titled “Safeguarding human health in the Anthropocene epoch”.

The commission notes: “We have been mortgaging the health of future generations to realise economic and developmental gains in the present. By unsustainably exploiting nature’s resources, human civilisation has flourished but now risks substantial health effects from the degradation of nature’s life support systems in the future.

“Climate change, ocean acidification, land degradation, water scarcity, overexploitation of fisheries and biodiversity loss pose serious challenges to the global health gains of the past several decades.”

Projections estimate that the world’s population could increase from the current 7.2 billion to up to 13.2 billion by 2100. “The growth in urban populations emphasises the importance of policies to improve health and the urban environment.”"



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Thursday, July 16, 2015

Pope Calls on World Youth to Rise Up Against Global Capitalism | Common Dreams | Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community

Pope Calls on World Youth to Rise Up Against Global Capitalism | Common Dreams | Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community: "The latest call for a youth uprising against global capitalism came not from grassroots groups, but from the leader of the Catholic Church, who on Sunday gave a rousing speech during which he told a crowd of young people in Paraguay that it is their time to "make a mess."

The address marked the end of Pope Francis' week-long pilgrimage to Latin America, during which he also assailed the prevailing economic system as the "dung of the devil," saying that the systemic "greed for money" is a "subtle dictatorship" that "condemns and enslaves men and women."

During Sunday's rally, which was held on the banks of the Paraguay River outside the capital Asunción, the Argentinian pontiff went off-script as he addressed tens of thousands of local youth.

"They wrote a speech for me to give you. But speeches are boring," Pope Francis said. "Make a mess, but then also help to tidy it up. A mess which gives us a free heart, a mess which gives us solidarity, a mess which gives us hope.""



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Warming of oceans due to climate change is unstoppable, say US scientists | Environment | The Guardian

Warming of oceans due to climate change is unstoppable, say US scientists | Environment | The Guardian: "The warming of the oceans due to climate change is now unstoppable after record temperatures last year, bringing additional sea-level rise, and raising the risks of severe storms, US government climate scientists said on Thursday.

The annual State of the Climate in 2014 report, based on research from 413 scientists from 58 countries, found record warming on the surface and upper levels of the oceans, especially in the North Pacific, in line with earlier findings of 2014 as the hottest year on record.

Global sea-level also reached a record high, with the expansion of those warming waters, keeping pace with the 3.2 ± 0.4 mm per year trend in sea level growth over the past two decades, the report said.

Scientists said the consequences of those warmer ocean temperatures would be felt for centuries to come – even if there were immediate efforts to cut the carbon emissions fuelling changes in the oceans."



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15 species that should be brought back to rewild Britain | Environment | The Guardian

15 species that should be brought back to rewild Britain | Environment | The Guardian: "A new national organisation called Rewilding Britain launches on Wednesday with the aim of reversing centuries of ecological damage by returning species and habitats to the British countryside that have been absent for decades and sometimes much longer. In the process it hopes to recharge the natural world with wonder and help people to reconnect with it. Here are some of the species that have been lost to our countryside but may yet return:"



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Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Government shelves foxhunting vote after SNP opposition | UK news | The Guardian

Government shelves foxhunting vote after SNP opposition | UK news | The Guardian: "The government has withdrawn its attempt to relax the UK’s foxhunting ban after the Scottish National party said it would vote against the change.

Burnham urges Harman to drop her call for Labour to abstain on welfare bill - Politics live
Rolling coverage of all the day’s political developments as they happen, including the shelving of the vote on hunting
Read more
Downing Street is expected to revisit the issue in autumn after the proposed introduction of English votes for English laws (Evel) in parliament. This would make clear whether a majority of non-Scottish MPs were in favour of weakening the foxhunting ban.

The vote was meant to be held on Wednesday but the SNP’s decision to break with tradition by voting on an English-only matter meant No 10 was no longer confident it would win.

Labour and dozens of Tory MPs were also opposed to the change, which would have allowed hunters to flush out foxes using a pack of dogs for the purpose of pest control. This is currently allowed in Scotland, but there is a limit of two dogs in England and Wales."



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Sunday, July 12, 2015

Get ahead in Silicon Valley: take nootropic brain drugs | Technology | The Guardian

Get ahead in Silicon Valley: take nootropic brain drugs | Technology | The Guardian: "Each nootropic is distinct and there can be a lot of variation in effect from person to person, says Lawler. Users semi-annonymously compare stacks and get advice from forums on sites such as Reddit. Noehr, who buys his powder in bulk and makes his own capsules, has been tweaking chemicals and quantities for about five years accumulating more than two dozens of jars of substances along the way. He says he meticulously researches anything he tries, buys only from trusted suppliers and even blind-tests the effects (he gets his fiancée to hand him either a real or inactive capsule)."



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Earth's history isn't on our side with new sea-level rise study - The Hoops News

Earth's history isn't on our side with new sea-level rise study - The Hoops News: "History isn’t on our side when it comes to climate change or sea-level rise, a new study found. Research conducted by a group of climate scientists from multiple U.S. universities found that the level of sea-level rise seen due to climate change in recent years is mild compared to what we could be experiencing in the coming years. The study indicated that historically speaking, this massive change or shift in the climate, which would leave oceans rising as much as 20 or 30 feet in a matter of just a couple decades – is anything but a dooms day scenario."



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Thursday, July 09, 2015

Climate Change Is Shrinking Where Bumblebees Range, Research Finds - The New York Times

Climate Change Is Shrinking Where Bumblebees Range, Research Finds - The New York Times: "Climate change has narrowed the range where bumblebees are found in North America and Europe in recent decades, according to a study published Thursday.

The paper, published in the journal Science, suggests that warming temperatures have caused bumblebee populations to retreat from the southern limits of their travels by as much as 190 miles since the 1970s.

Logic would suggest that the northern reaches of their home turf would shift to higher latitudes by a corresponding distance. But that has not happened, leading researchers to think that the more northern habitats may be less hospitable to them."



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Wednesday, July 08, 2015

Microsoft's Paul Allen launches major conservation project during 'shark week'

Microsoft's Paul Allen launches major conservation project during 'shark week': "Saving sharks from extinction may not be the first thing that comes to mind during Shark Week, which is famous for frightening tales of shark attacks. But a new project spearheaded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's charity aims to help conserve sharks worldwide, which face threats from human fishing, pollution, climate change and other causes.

While the recent rise in shark attacks along the East Coast certainly don't bolster general sympathy toward the sea creatures, this lack of awareness is also largely due to the fact that there are many things that we simply don't know about these creatures, which live in the vast abyss of the ocean.

SEE ALSO: Could Shark Week make us less afraid of sharks?

On Tuesday, Vulcan Inc. announced the Global FinPrint initiative, a research survey designed to provide key data needed in order to design and implement plans to save sharks from extinction.

Vulcan Inc. is a private investment company run by Microsoft founder Paul Allen, who also started the Great Elephant Census to combat Africa's elephant extinction crisis."



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Tuesday, July 07, 2015

Pope Francis says humans "irresponsible" with environment - CBS News

Pope Francis says humans "irresponsible" with environment - CBS News: "QUITO, Ecuador --Speaking to students and educators at a Catholic University in Ecuador's capital on Tuesday, Pope Francis delivered a strong speech in defense of the environment, warning that caring for the Earth is now no longer a recommendation, but an urgent requirement.

He said humans had damaged the planet by "our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed it. We have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder it at will." He quoted from his recent document on the environment, the encyclical Laudato Sii. In that document, released in June, the Pope urged immediate action to combat climate change."



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Pope Francis Urges Dialogue, Launches Environmental SOS in Ecuador

Pope Francis Urges Dialogue, Launches Environmental SOS in Ecuador: "QUITO:  Pope Francis called for dialogue on Tuesday in front of nearly one million people at an outdoor mass in Ecuador's capital, before launching an appeal for better care of the Amazon.

The pope addressed approximately 900,000 faithful who braved the cold and rain to hear his homily in Bicentennial Park, Quito a city recently rocked by anti-government protests.

The Argentine-born pontiff focused his message on "our revolution," the need to spread the Roman Catholic faith."



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Thursday, July 02, 2015

Unprecedented heatwave: Behind the ‘Indian’ summer in Europe, climate change and an African scorcher | The Indian Express

Unprecedented heatwave: Behind the ‘Indian’ summer in Europe, climate change and an African scorcher | The Indian Express: "What lies behind the extraordinarily high temperatures experienced across Europe this week? Meteorologically, it is the result of the development of an area of high pressure above the Iberian Peninsula, which pushed hot winds north and east up to the southern Baltics, Belarus and western Ukraine, and as far north as southern Scandinavia.
Alongside have come the familiar warnings that the world’s climate has changed fundamentally — bringing with it extreme, and sometimes catastrophic, weather events.
The United Nations has issued an unusual safety advisory, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) have warned of future heatwaves in places where they have never occurred before."



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