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☆ Playing with dogs may help you relax and focus, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —If you decompress by playing with dogs or checking their adorable videos on social media, you might be onto something. Playing with your dog may not just be good for your pet — it could also benefit your emotional health, according to a new study. The authors measured participants’ brain waves, using electroencephalogram tests, or EEGs, for three minutes during each activity. Different activities had varying effects on participants’ brain waves. Grooming, playing and gently massaging the dog was linked with strengthened beta-band oscillation, which is associated with heightened attention and concentration.

Persons: ”, Onyoo Yoo, Yoo, ” Yoo, Colleen Dell, Dell, wasn’t, Tiffany Braley, Garrett, Braley, you’re Organizations: CNN, Goodboy, Wellness, University of Saskatchewan, Neurology, University of Michigan Locations: Seoul, Seongnam, South Korea, Canada

☆ An invasive species of feral Canadian 'super pigs' could spread into the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An invasive species of Canadian wild hogs is threatening to spread into the US. AdvertisementResidents of the northern US may soon have to worry more about what was a once-ridiculed concept: warding off feral hogs. Free-roaming super swine may seem trivial — hence the 2019 "feral hogs" Twitter spectacle — but the species poses a serious problem, according to the US Department of Agriculture. AdvertisementLegit question for rural Americans - How do I kill the 30-50 feral hogs that run into my yard within 3-5 mins while my small kids play? AdvertisementNow, feral hogs have been found in 35 states, and have an estimated population of 6 million, the site states.

Persons: —, Willie McNabb 🐗, orth Organizations: AP, Service, US Department of Agriculture Locations: Canadian, Montana , North Dakota, Minnesota, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba

In Canada, the wild pigs roaming Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba pose a new threat. Wild pigs already cause around $2.5 billion in damage to U.S. crops every year, mostly in southern states like Texas. Eradication of wild pigs is no longer possible in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Brook said. “The question is: What will be done about it?”Brook said Montana has been the most serious about keeping wild pigs out. It banned raising and transporting wild pigs within the state.

Persons: Ryan Brook, they've, Brook, They've, “, ” Brook, Gary Nohrenberg, Mike Marlow, ” Marlow Organizations: University of Saskatchewan, Canada -, state’s Department of Natural Resources, U.S . Department of Agriculture, USDA Wildlife Services, Wildlife Services, USDA, Feral Swine Locations: MINNEAPOLIS, Canada, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, North America, Texas, Canada - North Dakota, Vermont , New York , Pennsylvania, New Hampshire , Wisconsin, Washington

☆ The farming industry is struggling with labor shortages and the climate crisis. But agtech like digital cow collars and AI-quality-control tools are solving problems in unexpected ways.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Sabina Wex | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Still, there are concerns about who owns the farm data and how it's being used. Chemeres said that he saw agriculture tech companies bombard farmers with innovations to mitigate this labor shortage. He believes the future of agriculture tech will be "almost surgical," he said, especially as AI comes into the field and becomes more sophisticated. These concerns came to a head in 2020, when Climate FieldView was accused of sharing farmers' data with Tillable, a platform that connects landowners with farmers. Not all tech companies do this.

Persons: Andy Lenkaitis, Lenkaitis Holsteins, Sarah Lenkaitis, Sarah, Lenkaitis, Bill Oemichen, Jeff Chemeres, Chemeres, Croptracker, Oemichen, that's, Bayer, FieldView, it's Organizations: Service, McKinsey, Credit Services, Data, Services, US Department of, The National Young Farmers Coalition, University of Wisconsin Survey Center, University of Saskatchewan, Bayer, US Locations: Wall, Silicon, Charles , Illinois, Minnesota, California, Washington, German

☆ A cross between domestic pigs and wild boars was intentionally bred in Canada. The resulting 'super pigs' escaped captivity and could be invading the US.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

When the market collapsed, the "super pigs" escaped and have spread rapidly across the country. The environmentally destructive pigs may be invading the US, where feral pigs already pose problems in the South. Then the boar market peaked, collapsing in 2001, and many of the super pigs were simply let go. Others escaped, as the super pigs were stronger and more adept at getting under or over fencing. But the super pigs from Canada could easily survive the frigid winters of places like Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, or Minnesota.

☆ Canadian 'super pigs' set to spread disease and damage the environment in the US, expert warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The expert called for a campaign to cut down the size of the feral pig population. These pigs are a cross between wild boars and domestic pigs, and were bred in Canada in the 1980s to diversify agriculture. The size and intelligence of the Canadian pigs has helped them survive the tough Canadian winters, and they can burrow tunnel ls into the snow, evading predators and freezing conditions, according to report. An expert told Fox News that the pigs can carry diseases transferable to humans, such as E. coli and hepatitis, and can devastate the environment. Brook called for a campaign to cut down the size of the Canadian pig population before they cause damage in the US.

☆ Researchers test mRNA technology for universal flu vaccine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Nancy Lapid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It delivers tiny lipid particles containing mRNA instructions for cells to create replicas of so-called hemagglutinin proteins that appear on influenza virus surfaces. A universal vaccine would not mean an end to flu seasons, but would replace the guess work that goes into developing annual shots months ahead of flu season each year. Moderna and Pfizer both have mRNA flu vaccines in late-stage human trials, and GSK (GSK.L) and partner CureVac (5CV.DE) are testing an mRNA flu vaccine in an early-stage safety trial in humans. These vaccines are designed to defend against only four recently-circulating influenza strains but could theoretically be changed up each year. The universal flu vaccine, if successful in human trials, would not necessarily prevent infection.

☆ ‘Once-in-a-lifetime’ Tonga blast could warm the Earth temporarily
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK — When an undersea volcano erupted in Tonga in January, its watery blast was huge and unusual — and scientists are still trying to understand its impacts. “This was a once-in-a-lifetime event,” said lead author Holger Voemel, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado. And since water vapor acts as a heat-trapping greenhouse gas, the eruption will probably raise temperatures instead of lowering them, Toohey said. The water vapor will stick around the upper atmosphere for a few years before making its way into the lower atmosphere, Toohey said. The stratosphere stretches from around 7.5 miles to 31 miles above Earth and is usually very dry, Voemel explained.

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