Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
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Category: biotech/medical – Page 80

The battle for artificial intelligence supremacy hinges on microchips. But the semiconductor sector that produces them has a dirty secret: It’s a major source of chemicals linked to cancer and other health problems.

Global chip sales surged more than 19% to roughly $628 billion last year, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association, which forecasts double-digit growth again in 2025. That’s adding urgency to reducing the impacts of so-called “forever chemicals” — which are also used to make firefighting foam, nonstick pans, raincoats and other everyday items — as are regulators in the U.S. and Europe who are beginning to enforce pollution limits for municipal water supplies. In response to this growing demand, a wave of startups are offering potential solutions that won’t cut the chemicals out of the supply chain but can destroy them.

Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have been detected in every corner of the planet from rainwater in the Himalayas to whales off the Faroe Islands and in the blood of almost every human tested. Known as forever chemicals because the properties that make them so useful also make them persistent in the environment, scientists have increasingly linked PFAS to health issues including obesity, infertility and cancer.

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The first steps in diagnosis typically involve a physical exam and questions about your medical history.

To help rule out other possible conditions, your healthcare provider may ask about your alcohol use, medications, lifestyle habits, and symptoms. MASH doesn’t always cause symptoms in its early stages, but common signs can include fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, unintended weight loss, bloating, and thirst.

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While the number of smokers in the world as a proportion of the population is dropping, lung cancer continues to cause almost 2 million deaths per year – and new research reports on a concerning rise in cases among people who’ve never lit up a cigarette.

The international team behind the research found that rates of lung cancer in this group of people could be tied to increasing levels of pollution and the subsequent damage to health, with east Asia, particularly China, the worst affected.

“As lung cancer is the leading cancer worldwide, a comprehensive understanding of the changing epidemiological patterns and their potential causes is essential,” write the researchers in their published paper.

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Around 15 percent of the world’s population suffers from tinnitus, a condition which causes someone to hear a sound (such as ringing or buzzing) without any external source. It’s often associated with hearing loss.

Not only can the condition be annoying for sufferers, it can also have a serious effect on mental health, often causing stress or depression. This is especially the case for patients suffering from tinnitus over months or years.

There’s currently no cure for tinnitus. So finding a way to better manage or treat it could help many millions of people worldwide.

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Our ability to cooperate with others may be influenced by how our attention is captured and directed, as much as by how altruistic we are feeling.

According to a new study by researchers at the University of Birmingham jointly with the University of Zurich, choices made for individual reward or cooperatively for a joint reward can be influenced by presenting information to participants in configurations that naturally draw their . The results are published in Communications Psychology.

Cooperation—defined as the ability of individuals to incur a personal cost for the benefit of a group—is a fundamental aspect of human behavior. Understanding how we can foster cooperation is essential for tackling many global challenges, from to the spread of infectious diseases—and understanding what motivates people to cooperate is key to this process.

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Simply looking at nature – or even just digital pictures of it – can relieve pain, according to new research which scanned the brains of people receiving electrical shocks.

Nature’s many health benefits have been documented by decades of research.

More than 40 years ago, a pioneering study showed that hospitalized patients needed fewer painkillers and recovered quicker when they looked out of a window onto green space rather than a brick wall.

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In recent years, research has suggested a connection between oral bacteria and Alzheimer’s disease, raising concerns for those with poor dental health.

With nearly 700 species of bacteria inhabiting the human mouth, experts say maintaining good oral hygiene could benefit both heart and brain health.

There is growing evidence suggesting good oral health could help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. One study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that people who flossed regularly had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s than those who did not.

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A groundbreaking study suggests a simple eye test could pick up on signs if someone is at risk of having a stroke. The research suggests that by analyzing the blood vessels in the retina, it’s possible to forecast an individual’s likelihood of having a stroke.

The retinal vascular network reflects characteristics similar to those found in the brain’s vasculature. Scientists can learn a lot about a person’s overall health by examining factors like the density, curliness, and branching angles of the veins and arteries in the eye.

In an extensive study involving over 45,000 participants from the UK Biobank, researchers analyzed eye images and followed the subjects for an average of 13 years, during which 749 suffered a stroke, reports Daily Express UK.

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