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☆ 16,000 plastic chemicals exist, many of them hazardous and unregulated, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

And with new plastic chemicals entering the market all the time, it’s been difficult for regulators and policy makers to determine the scope of the problem. Now, for the first time, researchers have pulled together scientific and regulatory data to develop a database of all known chemicals used in plastic production. It’s a staggering number: 16,000 plastic chemicals, with at least 4,200 of those considered to be “highly hazardous” to human health and the environment, according to the authors. Although grouping would capture about 1,000 of the most toxic chemicals in plastics, Wagner said, that still leaves about 2,600 chemicals that still need to be regulated. Missing hazard dataIn addition to the massive number of toxic chemicals, the report found that detailed hazard information is missing for more than 10,000 of the 16,000 chemicals.

Persons: it’s, It’s, “, ”, Martin Wagner, Wagner, Philip Landrigan, Landrigan, Matt Seaholm, ” Kimberly Wise White, ” Wagner, ” Landrigan, Tasha Stoiber, Stoiber, Jane Houlihan Organizations: CNN, Norwegian University of Science, Technology, Program, Global Public Health, Global, Planetary Health, Boston College, – Monaco, Plastics, Human, Plastics Industry Association, American Chemistry Council, International, United Nations Environment, Global Plastics, Environmental, Healthy Locations: Trondheim, United States

☆ Nanoplastics linked to heart attack, stroke and early death, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“Should exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics be considered a cardiovascular risk factor? Nanoplastics have been found in human blood, lung and liver tissues, urine and feces, mother’s milk, and the placenta. The examination found “visible, jagged-edged foreign particles” scattered in the plaque and external debris from the surgery, the study said. Presence of microplastics and nanoplastics, and subsequent inflammation, may act to increase one’s susceptibility to these chronic diseases,” Stapleton said in an email. However, calling the study results “a direct link to cardiovascular disease is a stretch for the findings,” she added.

Persons: ”, Raffaele Marfella, Marfella, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Philip Landrigan, ” Landrigan, nanoplastics, Landrigan, Mary Conlon, —, that’s, Andrew Freeman, Phoebe Stapleton, Rutgers University’s Ernest Mario, “, ” Stapleton, Leonardo Trasande, don’t, Trasande Organizations: CNN, New England, of Medicine, University of Campania, Boston College, Program, Global Public Health, Global, Planetary Health, International, Water Association, Surgeons, Jewish Health, Rutgers, Rutgers University’s Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Getty, American Academy of Pediatrics, NYU Langone Health, Natural Resources Defense Council, Invest Locations: Naples, Italy, Denver, Piscataway , New Jersey

☆ ‘Fourteen Days’ is a ‘collaborative novel’ from 36 literary giants. But who wrote what?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Zara Khan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

From left: the authors Diana Gabaldon, R. L. Stine, Celeste Ng, John Grisham and Margaret Atwood, all of whom contributed to "Fourteen Days." Though some readers will draw connections between the latter work and “Fourteen Days,” Preston notes there are many differences. Perhaps most notably, “Fourteen Days” follows those left behind amid a pandemic — people without “the financial wherewithal to escape,” he told CNN. In "Fourteen Days," residents of New York apartment building begin gathering on the rooftop during Covid-19 lockdowns. Read: “The Interestings” (2014)The tenth novel from author Meg Wolitzer — who also contributed to “Fourteen Days” — follows a group of close-knit friends that meet at an arts summer camp in the 1970s from adolescence through to middle age.

Persons: —, Margaret Atwood, ’, John Grisham, Celeste Ng, Diana Gabaldon, Stine, Atwood, Douglas Preston, Yessie, Preston, Emma Donoghue, “, ”, ” Giovanni Boccaccio’s, ” Preston, Donoghue, Tess Gerritsen, Gerritsen, Harper Collins, Ah Poh, ” Donoghue, Pier Pasolini, Steven Soderbergh’s, Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, Martin Short, Steve Martin, Selena Gomez, Craig Blankenhorn, Meg Wolitzer — Organizations: CNN, British, Guardian, Agence France, Presse, Hulu Watch Locations: New York, —, Chaucer’s “, Covid, York City

☆ Antibiotic-resistant germs are killing us. Microscopic viruses may be the answer
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Last year doctors offered to treat Horton’s infection with one of nature’s oldest predators — tiny tripod-looking viruses called phages designed to find, attack and gobble up bacteria. SCIEPRO/Science Photo Library/Getty ImagesThe microscopic creatures have saved the lives of patients dying from superbug infections and are being used in clinical trials as a potential solution to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. Would the bacteria from her ear help scientists find phages that would treat the eye infections as well? By the following January, the CDC said at least 50 patients in 11 states had developed superbug infections after using preservative‐free artificial tears. It was a qualified success: The antibiotic-resistant bacteria in five patients were eradicated, while several more patients showed improvements.

Persons: Cynthia Horton’s earaches, “, ”, Dwayne Roach, Eager, Horton, Maroya Walters, ” Walters, Tom Patterson, Steffanie, Paul Turner, “ Iraqibacter, Patterson, Strathdee, Tom, ” Strathdee, Tom Patterson's, Rather, Anthony Maresso, ” Maresso, “ It’s, ” Roach, phages, Elizabeth Villa, Jumbo phages, Robert “ Chip ”, ” Schooley, Juliette Robert, Haytham, REA, CDC’s Walters Organizations: CNN, San Diego State University ., US Centers for Disease Control, Center, Therapeutics, UC San Diego School of Medicine, UC, Diego’s, CDC, Yale University, Yale School of Medicine, UC San, UC San Diego, ”, San Diego, Baylor College of Medicine, Eliava Institute Locations: United States, North America, Pennsylvania, IPATH, Iraq, New Haven , Connecticut, UC San Diego, Turner’s Yale, San, San Diego State, Texas, Houston, Russia, Georgia, Tbilisi , Georgia

☆ Opinion: What made the Carters’ marriage magic
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Opinion Kate Andersen Brower | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Rosalynn Carter was a paragon of strength and resilience in a marriage that was in all ways a true partnership. Her death was announced by the Carter Center on Sunday, which said she had passed away with loved ones at her bedside. It was different however, when she visited her neighbor’s house and saw a photo of Jimmy Carter on the bedroom wall. Former President Jimmy Carter kisses former first lady Rosalynn Carter after they received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton in 1999. In Jimmy Carter’s post-presidency, the Carters have championed democracy and political stability, traveling to hot spots including Cuba, Sudan and North Korea.

Persons: Kate Andersen Brower, “, ”, Obama, Biden, Jill Biden, Jimmy, Rosalynn Carter, —, Jimmy —, Kate Andersen Brower katebrower.com, Carter, Rosalynn, “ Rosalynn, ” Carter, Jimmy Carter, Ruth — Carter’s, ” Carter’s, Walter Mondale, Gerald Rafshoon, Bill Clinton, Tami Chappell, Reuters “, Hamilton Jordan, we’d, ” Rafshoon, Jordan, Ronald Reagan, Erin Schaff, Jill Stuckey, that’s, ” Rosalynn, Jimmy ”, Jimmy Carter’s, They’ve, ” Stuckey Organizations: ”, Bloomberg News, CNN, CNN —, paragon, Carter, Atlanta, Carter Center, Methodist, Democratic, Peanut Brigade, White, Reuters, Republican, New York Times, The New York Times, Maranatha Baptist Church, Los Angeles Times, Ethiopian, Eritrean Locations: Plains , Georgia, Georgia, Tijuana , Mexico, Plains , Ga, Atlanta, Cuba, Sudan, North Korea, Africa, Asia

☆ Millions have used the 988 mental health crisis line, but most say they wouldn’t turn to it again
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Psychological distress was assessed based on self-reported responses to a standardized set of questions about feelings and experiences. The 988 lifeline launched in July 2022, transitioning from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to a broader focus and a simpler dial code. As the US faces a significant mental health crisis, experts emphasize how critical a tool like the 988 lifeline is. Monica Johnson, director of the 988 & Behavioral Health Crisis Coordinating office, has called it “the most transformative initiative in behavioral health care” that she’s seen in her decades-long career. But getting it right on the lifeline – and after – will require better training of mental health professionals, the study authors said.

Persons: ”, Michael A, Lindsey, Monica Johnson, she’s, Jonathan Purtle, “, Purtle, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, ” Lindsay, –, ” Purtle Organizations: CNN, “, New York University Silver School of Social, Prevention, US Department of Health, Human, Mental Health Services Administration, Behavioral, New York University School of Global Public Health, CNN Health

"These results demonstrate that our updated COVID-19 vaccine generates a strong human immune response against the highly mutated BA.2.86 variant. "Moderna will continue to rapidly assess global public health threats and is committed to leveraging our mRNA platform against COVID-19." The company’s announcement comes as the Biden administration prepares to authorize the updated shots from Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax as soon as next week. While the shots target XBB.1.5, which was responsible for about 3% of new infections in recent weeks, researchers are optimistic that it will hold up against other circulating variants. “With governments accelerating the timing of COVID-19 vaccination campaigns due to the potential risk of BA.2.86, Moderna has shared this data with regulators and is ready to supply its updated COVID-19 vaccine pending regulatory approval,” the company wrote in a press release.

Persons: “ pirola, Stephen Hoge, Ashish Jha, ” Pirola, Biden Organizations: Moderna, Wednesday, EG, COVID, White, Centers for Disease Control, Pfizer, Novavax Locations: U.S, Moderna

☆ Just one drink a day can raise blood pressure, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —As little as one alcoholic drink a day increased systolic blood pressure — the top number in a blood pressure reading — even in men and women with no existing hypertension, a new study found. The negative impact of alcohol on systolic blood pressure continued to rise over the years, the study found, even in men and women who drank little each day. Blood pressure and cardiovascular healthBlood pressure is measured in units of millimeters of mercury (abbreviated as mmHg), and written as two numbers, one above the other. No amount of alcohol is good for blood pressure, study says. “However, this review found relatively low levels of alcohol impacted blood pressure,” said Freeman, who was not involved with the research.

Persons: ”, Marco Vinceti, Paul Whelton, Vinceti, Andrew Freeman, Freeman, you’re, ” Whelton, we’re, “, ” Vinceti, ” Tulane’s Whelton, Whelton, ” Freeman Organizations: CNN, University of Modena, Reggio Emilia, Tulane University’s School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine, Hypertension, American Heart Association, AHA, Boston University’s School of Public Health, Jewish Health, World Health Organization, WHO, “ Locations: Italy, New Orleans, Denver, Japan, South Korea, United States

☆ Should you prewash your rice?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Evangeline Mantzioris | University Of South Australia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The three types were glutinous rice, medium grain rice and jasmine rice. In this study, glutinous rice was the stickiest, while medium grain rice and jasmine rice were less sticky, and also harder as tested in the laboratory. Washing rice will have no effect on the bacterial content of the cooked rice, as high cooking temperatures will kill all bacteria present. What is more concerning is how long you store cooked rice or washed rice at room temperature. If wet rice or cooked rice is kept at room temperature, this can activate the bacterial spores and they begin to grow.

Persons: Rice, It’s, Evangeline Mantzioris Organizations: CNN, dolmades, World Health Organization, Nutrition, Food Sciences, University of South Locations: Asia, Africa, Greece, risottos, Italy, paella, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, University of South Australia

☆ Shifting to life post-Covid: How remote work transformed this city in the Midwest
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Michigan Avenue in Lansing, Michigan. said Cathleen Edgerly, executive director of Downtown Lansing, Inc., a nonprofit working on the culture and sustainability of the downtown. Lansing had the largest share of job listings in March with at least one day of remote work of any city, according to WFH Map. And an analysis by Bloomberg found remote work has cost Manhattan more than $12 billion annually. Lansing, Michigan, USA at the Michigan State Capitol during the evening.

☆ Do antidepressants prescribed for chronic pain work?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Around one-third of people globally live with chronic pain — pain experienced for more than three months — and millions of people are prescribed antidepressants to relieve the condition. However, a new review of prior research published Tuesday has found that most antidepressants used to relieve chronic pain are being prescribed without sufficient reliable evidence of their effectiveness. The studies mainly investigated three types of chronic pain: fibromyalgia, nerve pain and musculoskeletal pain. The most commonly prescribed antidepressant for chronic pain globally was amitriptyline, the study said. Anyone taking antidepressants for chronic pain relief should speak to their doctor before stopping their medication due to concerns over the new report, the authors stressed.

☆ WHO declares end to Covid-19 global public health emergency
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), speaks during a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland, December 20, 2021. The spread of Covid-19 is no longer a global public health emergency, the World Health Organization declared Friday. "This trend has allowed most countries to return to life as we knew it before Covid-19," Tedros said. "It's therefore with great hope that I declared Covid-19 over as a global health emergency." The WHO's decision comes as the U.S. is set to end its national public health emergency on May 11.

☆ Regular internet use may be linked to lower dementia risk in older adults, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggested that older people who regularly used the internet were less likely to develop dementia. Scientists still don’t know what causes dementia, so the new research can’t pinpoint the exact connection between internet usage and brain health. A 2020 study found an association between cognitively stimulating jobs and a lower risk of dementia, for example. Research also suggests that most older adults most frequently use the internet for basic tasks like email, news or online banking. And learning new skills may be protective against dementia, studies suggest.

☆ How to exercise when you have a chronic condition or a disability
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Melanie Radzicki Mcmanus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Add in a disability, chronic condition or injury, and it can be even more challenging to incorporate exercise into a weekly routine. Regular exercise can also help manage the symptoms associated with some disabilities. Exercises to consider if you have limited mobilityWhich types of exercise are appropriate and helpful will depend upon your specific health situation. Examples of seated workouts include using a hand cycle and performing chair exercises with or without weights. Isometric exercises help maintain muscle strength while preventing further muscle deterioration.

☆ Explainer: After COVID and drug shortages, EU revamps drug laws
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Commission aims to publish a draft - the biggest overhaul of existing medical laws in two decades - on April 26. A Commission spokesperson said: "The Commission will put forward a balanced and patient-centred proposal, whilst fully supporting an innovative and competitive industry." If the EU health regulator approves a new use for the medicine, they get another year, bringing the total to 11. Fourteen member states have written to the Commission, criticising the idea as costly and harmful for consumers as it could disrupt the generic drugs market. Once the Commission publishes the draft, the European Parliament, Commission and member states will thrash out final details.

☆ CDC is talking to airlines about wastewater testing in planes. New reports support that strategy.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Aria-Bendix-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Aria Bendix | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The U.S. has been monitoring for the coronavirus in wastewater since the CDC launched its National Wastewater Surveillance System in September 2020. But that testing mainly involves wastewater from households or buildings, not samples from airports or planes. Previous Covid-19 wastewater surveillance has shown to be a valuable tool, and airplane wastewater surveillance could potentially be an option," CDC press officer Scott Pauley told NBC News. Politico first reported that the agency is considering airplane wastewater testing. As of October, more than 1,250 sites were conducting wastewater testing across the U.S.

☆ Columbia University will be led by a woman for the first time in its 268-year history
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Since 1754, Columbia University has had a male president — but that's about to change. The University announced Wednesday that Nemat (Minouche) Shafik, a leading economist and author, will become its 20th president and first woman leader. In an announcement from Columbia's Board of Trustees, Shafik was praised for her character and dedication to sparking change. By age 36, Shafik had become the youngest-ever vice president of the World Bank in the 1990s. "I feel like, if I had looked all over the world for the best person to next lead Columbia, I would have chosen Minouche Shafik," Bollinger said in a statement.

However, the WHO has said gaps in data might be due to Chinese authorities simply struggling to tally cases. Some estimates predict large numbers of deaths ahead and China has been racing to bolster its health system. Lawrence Gostin, a law professor at Georgetown University who follows the WHO closely, called the missing data "highly suspicious". "It's hard to criticise China when there's other countries that haven't reported COVID cases (at all)," he said. "I wouldn't like to say that China is actively not telling us what's going on.

And much like the COVID pandemic, calling the big event wouldn't necessarily have made your year-ahead financial market forecast much better or your bottom lines any fatter. Forecasts are a lifeblood in markets because no one can take a position without at least some conviction about what might happen next. The Federal Reserve's quarterly economic and policy rate projections for three years hence are a case in point. For context, the 4 point error range on unemployment rate forecasts is a difference of almost 6 million jobs and a 4.6 point range on GDP is more than a trillion dollars of output. The European Central Bank is more explicit about what market price assumptions it uses in staff forecasts.

☆ Fact Check-‘Catastrophic Contagion’ video is fictional and does not support claims about pandemic preparedness exercises
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Baseless claims that pandemic preparedness exercises are proof that disease outbreaks are “planned” by authorities have been a recurring narrative since the coronavirus pandemic broke out. These fictional scenarios go beyond infectious diseases, as such exercises also exist for natural disasters or nuclear events, for example. These rules, that are binding for WHO members, set out countries’ obligations when handling public health events and emergencies that could potentially cross borders (here) (here). Otherwise, we will be unprepared for the next infectious disease event. Experts told Reuters that preparedness exercises like “Catastrophic Contagion” have been a part of pandemic preparedness for at least the last two decades.

☆ Rail workers at biggest unions split on contract, strike potential unclear
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Eli M. Rosenberg | Eli Rosenberg Is An Investigative Tech Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Workers at two of the country's biggest rail unions split over a tentative contract their leaders had hashed out with freight rail companies — leaving open the possibility of a debilitating rail strike in the middle of the holiday season. The 28,000-member SMART-TD union, which represents rail conductors, voted no on the contract, after one of their divisions voted it down. A strike could also impact the country’s commuter rail system, with the potential to halt service entirely on some lines serviced by freight rail workers and cause backlogs and traffic snarls on others. The National Carriers’ Conference Committee, which represents rail companies in the bargaining process warned about the economic threats of a strike. The Association of American Railroads, the trade group which represents the rail companies, estimates losses of $2 billion a day.

☆ The US never banned asbestos. These workers are paying the price.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Kathleen Mcgrory | Neil Bedi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +39 min

But protocols failed to match reality at the Niagara Falls plant, according to more than a dozen workers. In addition to those signature diseases, which are rare even among asbestos workers, the tiny strands can harm the body in other ways. In the 15 years that followed, congressional attempts to ban asbestos would continue to fall short. OSHA declined to make an official available for an on-the-record interview or comment on ProPublica's findings at the Niagara Falls plant. At the OxyChem plant in Wichita, union president Keith Peacock said he was comfortable with the way asbestos was handled.

☆ Fact Check-Vaccine-effectiveness study does not show ‘negative immunity’ or harm to the immune system
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

“The statement that ‘the vaccine destroys any protection a person has from natural immunity’ is unfounded,” Lin told Reuters in an email. The combination of prior infection with vaccination offered slightly better protection than vaccination alone or infection alone, the study also showed. Two of four curves (lines) in panel A, representing vaccine effectiveness among children who received their shots in late 2021, continue a downward path past the bottom of the graph. Similarly, in panel B, lines depicting waning vaccine effectiveness over time in previously-infected and -uninfected children continue past the bottom of the graph. “Our study shows that the vaccine was effective against infection for 4 months, although the effectiveness waned over time,” Lin explained.

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