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☆ Scientists named a fungicide after Keanu Reeves because it's extremely effective at killing — just like his characters
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scientists discovered a compound in pseudomonas bacteria that can effectively kill certain fungi. The fungus killer was named after actor Keanu Reeves by German researchers. Researchers at the Leibniz Institute in Germany found certain bacteria naturally contained compounds effective at killing fungi that affect plants and humans. The scientists named them keanumycins A, B, and C — after actor Keanu Reeves. The keanumycins were most effective at killing Botrytis cinerea — a fungus that produces gray mold rot.

☆ Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian gave a fiery speech on AI during an internal town hall
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I'm digging deep to feel the inner Elon that Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff apparently experiences. In an exclusive interview with my colleagues Ashley Stewart and Ellen Thomas, Benioff said executives are all currently asking themselves: "Do they need to unleash their own Elon within them?" Leaked audio reveals Google Cloud CEO giving a fiery speech on AI. During an internal town hall, Thomas Kurian slammed people for saying Google is late to the AI competition. Media companies are eyeing a big payout from Big Tech for using their content this way.

☆ Hotel chief apologizes for only changing the water in a spa bath twice a year instead of once a week, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Japanese guesthouse owner has apologized for rarely changing the water in a spa bath, per CNN. The water in the bath should have been changed weekly, according to local regulations. The traditional Japanese bath, known as an onsen, was found to contain potentially deadly bacteria during a health inspection, CNN affiliate TV Asahi reported. Legionella bacteria was found in the Japanese bath at 3,700 times the permitted level, the news outlet reported. According to the report, the bath water, which comes from volcanically heated hot springs, should have been changed weekly to abide by local regulations.

☆ The Wild World Inside Your Gut
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Alice Callahan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +20 min

The Wild World Inside Your GutWe tackled everything from heartburn, stress, spicy foods and colon cleanses to antibiotics and more. So grab a kombucha, get comfortable and read on for everything you’ve wanted to know about the wild world inside your gut. 3 What are some simple things I can do to improve my gut health? That “really is going to have the strongest impact on our health, including gut health,” she said. (Though for general gut health, Dr. Rao said, most people living in the United States could benefit from eating fewer refined carbohydrates and more fiber.)

☆ Tracy Anderson's ex-trainers said their bodies were 'breaking apart' while working for the fitness icon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Katie Warren | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Tracy Anderson charges members $900 a month to workout at her studios in LA and New York. Her former trainers said teaching in the 95-degree studios for at least four hours a day could be grueling. Members in the US pay $900 a month to learn the "Tracy Anderson Method," a dance-based workout in a room heated to 95 degrees with 75% humidity. That all sounds cool, and it also sounds like you're going to get paid pretty well," one former New York trainer said. Another former trainer said her body "was just breaking apart," adding that she quit because of the physical demands of the job.

☆ Inside Tracy Anderson's cutthroat fitness empire: Legal threats, paranoia, and trainers who say their bodies were 'breaking apart'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Katie Warren | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

One day around 2015, a dozen or so gift boxes showed up at the Brentwood, California, studio of the celebrity fitness trainer Tracy Anderson. "It was an exclusive boutique fitness studio," the former New York trainer said. Darren Gerrish/WireImageThe method demanded that TA trainers, most of whom were also professional dancers, perform the strenuous workouts full out, every time. Let's help you do it correctly so you don't get injured,'" the former New York trainer said. "This is at a time where everyone is already overworked," one of the former New York trainers said.

☆ Similac maker Abbott could face criminal penalties of up to $500,000 per offense in DOJ probe of factory conditions amid the baby formula shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Similac maker Abbott is under federal criminal investigation for its role in the baby formula shortage. The possible charges carry penalties of up to $500,000 for corporations and up to a year of prison time for individuals. "It's a layup for a misdemeanor charge against Abbott," a food-safety attorney told Crain's Chicago. "It's a layup for a misdemeanor charge against Abbott and/or particular executives who were in charge of that plant," food-safety attorney Bill Merler told Crain's Chicago Business. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control said it could not conclusively link the multiple strains of bacteria found at the Abbott plant with those that led to the deaths of two infants in Ohio.

☆ Many Personal Care Products Contain Harmful Chemicals. Here’s What to Do About It.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Knvul Sheikh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Some companies have started moving away from formaldehyde use, but other preservatives that prevent the growth of bacteria in water-based personal care products — like shampoos and liquid baby soaps — can still release formaldehyde gas over time. What the research says: According to the International Fragrance Association, there are more than 3,600 chemicals used in fragrance mixtures around the world. These include chemicals that environmental exposure researchers and toxicologists agree should be avoided, such as benzophenone, BHA, naphthalene and phthalates. What the research says: According to the W.H.O., there is “no safe level of exposure” to benzene in the air we breathe. Studies have also shown that benzene exposure causes several types of leukemias.

Persons: toxicologists, Isobutane Organizations: International Fragrance Association Locations: California

☆ Elon Musk's Neuralink is under investigation for possible unsafe transport of contaminated hardware
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Elon Musk's brain-computer interface company Neuralink is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation for allegedly packaging and transporting contaminated hardware in an unsafe manner, a DOT spokesperson confirmed to CNBC. PCRM claimed the materials were not properly contained or transported, possibly because Neuralink employees had not received proper safety training. The staffer wrote that if Neuralink employees had not completed the necessary training, UC Davis personnel were "always happy" to package and ship materials. PCRM obtained these records from UC Davis through a public information request. Representatives from UC Davis did not respond to requests for comment.

☆ Fungal infections are becoming more common. Why isn't there a vaccine?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Ritesh Shukla | Getty ImagesFungal infections are becoming more common in the United States, but unlike illnesses caused by bacteria or viruses, there's no vaccine to protect against a fungal threat. Fungi cause a wide range of illnesses in people, from irritating athlete's foot to life-threatening bloodstream infections. In the U.S., fungal infections are responsible for more than 75,000 hospitalizations and nearly 9 million outpatient visits each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite the growing threat, there are currently no licensed vaccines — in the U.S. or abroad — to prevent fungal infections. Fatal fungal infectionsNorris said that the ultimate goal would be to develop a single vaccine that protects against all fungal infections.

☆ Fabuloso recalls about 5 million bottles because of bacterial contamination
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Nearly 5 million bottles of Fabuloso multi-purpose cleaner have been voluntary recalled because there’s a “risk of bacterial growth,” the company said. Around 3.9 million bottles were never released for sale, the company said. The first eight digits of the lot code of the recalled products are 2348US78 through 2365US78 and 3001US78 through 3023US78, the CPSC said. If a customer has one of the products listed below, the company can get a refund through a special website or by calling the company at 1-855-703-0166. Fabuloso is telling affected customers to “immediately stop using the recalled product” and to dispose of it in its container.

☆ Fabuloso Parent Recalls Nearly 5 Million Bottles of Cleaning Product Over Infection Risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Colin Kellaher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Colgate-Palmolive Co. is recalling nearly 5 million bottles of Fabuloso multipurpose cleaning products due to the risk of exposure to bacteria, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the company said Wednesday. The agency said the recalled products may contain Pseudomonas species bacteria, which pose a risk of serious infection for people with weakened immune systems, external medical devices or underlying lung conditions. The same bacteria was linked to another recent recall of 8 million laundry and cleaning products from The Laundress.

☆ Fighting Superbugs Calls for Change in Farming and Medicine, U.N. Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Dominique Mosbergen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The United Nations warns that disease-causing bacteria are evolving their drug resistance in ways that threaten people and animal health. Curbing the spread of drug-resistant pathogens will require big changes to how people grow food and treat diseases, the United Nations said. The U.N. said Tuesday that disease-causing bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms—commonly known as superbugs—are developing resistance to drugs in ways that threaten agricultural production and animal health, as well as people. Deaths from drug-resistant infections could rise from one million to 10 million annually by 2050 if antimicrobial resistance continues unchecked, the report said.

☆ Hundreds of Sandwiches, Salads, Yogurts Recalled Over Listeria Concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Gareth Vipers | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Food and Drug Administration warned that more than 400 food products could be contaminated with listeria. Hundreds of products, including prepackaged sandwiches, wraps and salads, have been recalled over possible listeria contamination, according to the Food and Drug Administration. More than 400 products were included in the recall by Fresh Ideation Food Group after federal officials warned they could be contaminated with the harmful bacteria, which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections.

☆ Doctor accused of spreading deadly meningitis arrested in Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Lizbeth Diaz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Police in northern Durango state early on Tuesday morning arrested the doctor, an anesthesiologist, who prosecutors accuse of distributing infected medicines they believe led to the mysterious outbreak. The doctor is changed with illegal re-use of drugs at the private hospitals where he worked. The cases have raised concern in both Mexico and from international bodies after the outbreak's first casualty was confirmed last November. Garza added that the detained doctor was the only physician who conducted procedures at the four hospitals where patients were infected. The meningitis outbreak has been confined to private hospitals in the state capital, also known as Durango, according to Mexico's health ministry.

☆ Hispanic dialysis patients face 40% higher risk of staph infection than whites, CDC says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Hispanic dialysis patients face a 40% higher risk of developing a staph bloodstream infection compared with whites, underscoring economic and racial disparities in the U.S. health-care system, according to new data released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People of color, however, face an even higher risk of kidney failure, representing more than half of dialysis patients. Black and Hispanic people on dialysis were also more likely to contract staph infections than white patients, the CDC said. The data analyzing dialysis patients from 2017 to 2020 didn't clearly calculate the increased risk for Black patients. Hispanic patients, however, faced a 40% higher risk of staph infection than whites, according to the CDC.

☆ U.S. FDA says India-made eye drop linked to some infections, blindness and one death
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The agency said on Thursday that Artificial Tears eye drop manufactured by India's Global Pharma Healthcare Pvt Ltd has a potential bacterial contamination and the company has violated current good manufacturing practices. Global Pharma Healthcare did not immediately respond to a Reuters request seeking comment on the FDA statement. EzriCare said in a statement on Wednesday that it had stopped further distribution and sale of the eye drop, and it was not aware of any testing that "definitively links" the bacterial outbreak to the product. It said that as of Jan. 31, the CDC had identified 55 patients in 12 states with infections linked to the use of Artificial Tears distributed by EzriCare, it said. "Associated adverse events include hospitalization, one death with bloodstream infection, and permanent vision loss from eye infections," the FDA said.

One company is injecting liquid clay into California desert to trap moisture and help fruit to grow, while another in Malaysia boosts soil with droppings from fly larvae. Biochar, liquid clay and fly larvae droppings are all in limited commercial production. Some, like liquid clay and biochar add nutrients while also improving the ground's ability to retain water, and require fewer applications than fertilizer. Norway-based Desert Control has spent 18 years and $25 million developing liquid clay to boost soil. In Malaysia, Nutrition Technologies produces "soil conditioner" from frass - the waste and skin of Black Soldier Fly larvae.

☆ The best acne treatment for teens, according to dermatologists
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Vivian Manning-Schaffel | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

| How to treat teen acne | What makes teen acne worse? To help you find the right products for you, we spoke to dermatologists about teen acne treatments and ingredients to look for. The best treatments for teen acne to shop, according to expertsBelow, we gathered expert-recommended face washes and spot treatments that can help improve teen acne. It’s fragrance-free, non-comedogenic and should remove any excess oil, dirt or makeup from the skin, according to the brand. Making sure to minimize or avoid ways that could make acne worse is the key to reducing breakouts, according to our experts.

☆ Fact Check-Cleveland Clinic study did not conclude eggs are causing thousands of blood clots
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A 2017 study by Cleveland Clinic researchers did not find a direct link between egg consumption and blood clotting, the study authors told Reuters. Users online are sharing a headline that misrepresents these findings to say scientists are now warning that eggs are causing blood clots in thousands of people and the clots are really a COVID-19 vaccine side effect. Reuters reported on the 2017 study at the time of its publication (here). “The research did not show a direct link between egg consumption and ‘suddenly forming blood clots,’” they said. Researchers of the referenced 2017 study did not warn that egg consumption would cause thousands of people to form blood clots.

☆ Why desalination won't save states dependent on Colorado River water
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The Colorado River wraps around Horseshoe Bend in the in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Page, Arizona. "Ocean water desalination has tremendous allure," said Robert Glennon, a professor emeritus of law and water policy scholar at the University of Arizona. Pipes containing drinking water are shown at the Poseidon Water desalination plant in Carlsbad, California, U.S., June 22, 2021. The cost of water is highSince desalination is a drought-resistant process, some have argued that states with such facilities could make themselves less dependent on water from the Colorado River. That's significantly more than the amount the San Diego County Water Authority pays for water sourced from the Colorado River and the Sacramento San Joaquin River Delta.

☆ You can now have your body composted after death in New York. Here's how it works and why it's greener.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

New York recently became the sixth state to legalize body composting after death. Also known as natural organic reduction, the process turns your body into soil that your loved ones can use to grow plants in. We asked Recompose, a Washington-based natural organic service, how it works and why the process is more eco-friendly than a traditional burial. Mat Hayward/Getty Images for RecomposeLoved ones can place flowers or other organic materials with the body before it is transferred to the composting area. And the body itself is burned, so the carbon from the body is also released to the atmosphere," he said.

Big Olaf Creamery has been ordered to pay $4 million to the estate of Mary Billman, a 79-year-old Illinois woman whose death has been linked to a listeria outbreak traced to the Florida-based ice cream maker. Included in Judge William Jung’s ruling are $1 million Big Olaf will have to pay in punitive damages. Big Olaf Creamery in Siesta Key, Fla. Google Maps"Her pain and suffering and resulting death, and ultimate loss to her family and friends, cannot be understated," the suit said. A subsequent investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration prompted a Dec. 9 warning letter finding Big Olaf in "serious violation" of U.S. health codes. A representative for Big Olaf could not be reached for comment.

☆ Fact Check-Inhaling hydrogen peroxide and iodine unsafe, and not a proven treatment for respiratory symptoms
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Topical antiseptics such as hydrogen peroxide, iodine, or a combination of the two are not safe to inhale and not proven to treat respiratory infections, contrary to social media claims that breathing in these liquids is a good idea. Still, social media users are sharing a video that claims using a nebulizer to make a vapor from a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and iodine can treat respiratory infections like sore throat. Both hydrogen peroxide and iodine solutions are used on the skin, usually to prevent infection of minor cuts and scrapes (here). Evidence from studies of accidental inhalation shows that hydrogen peroxide can damage tissue and iodine can be toxic. There is no evidence that combining hydrogen peroxide and iodine in a nebulizer will treat respiratory symptoms, and the practice is potentially damaging and toxic, experts told Reuters.

☆ Typing 'The Last of Us' into Google gives you an eerie Easter egg surprise — take a look
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Google has an Easter egg surprise for fans who search for HBO's apocalyptic show, "The Last of Us." The show's fungus is based on the parasitic Cordyceps fungus that takes over the body of its host. Typing "The Last of Us" into Google's search bar on desktop or mobile brings up a mushroom button at the bottom of the page. The fungus in the show is based off the parasitic Cordyceps fungus, which mainly infects insects like ants and moths. Searching for "Cordyceps" on Google also gives you a mushroom button.

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