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Written by | Kaiyang Yuga Fennel
Editor-in-charge | Yu Qi
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1
Air pollution has led to a 70% reduction in pollinator populations
Image source: pixabay insect pollination supports 8% of the world's agricultural production and plays a major role in food security and the economy. Recently, researchers in the UK published a new study in Environmental Pollution analyzing the effects of increasing air pollution on insect pollination. The researchers used a specialized device to regulate NOx levels in the test environment at only 40 to 50 percent of the safe levels required by U.S. law. At this level of pollution, pollinators have decreased by 60 to 70 percent, the number of flower visits has decreased by up to 90 percent, and the amount of pollination has decreased by 30 percent. The researchers note that common air pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides and ozone, react with floral fragrances, causing insect pollination efficiency to be severely reduced. Article links:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749122000616
2
Which images are easier to remember?
Image credit: pixabay We see all kinds of images in various places every day, what images are easier for people to remember? Previous studies have believed that visual memory has nothing to do with image size, and recently the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published a new study, pointing out that image size affects people's memory of images. The researchers recruited 182 participants aged 18-40 and conducted seven different experiments on visual memory. The results showed that the participants were 1.5 times more effective at remembering large-size images than small-size images, and the memory effect was positively correlated with image size. This phenomenon is not affected by other factors, such as the order in which pictures appear and the resolution of pictures. The researchers believe that this conclusion can be deduced from static images to dynamic images. If you don't remember your online lessons well, you might as well try a bigger screen. Article links:
https://www.pnas.org/content/119/4/e2119614119
3
Installing green LED lights can significantly reduce catch-up fishing
Image source: Pixabay Gillnet fishing is common in small-scale fisheries along the coasts of the world. This method of fishing often injures marine life outside the target, affecting the survival of many protected species and adding additional trouble to fishermen. These accidentally injured marine creatures are called "bycatch". Researchers from the United States and Mexico have tried to reduce the catch of non-target species by attaching green LED lights to fishing nets in the waters off the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. Common bycatch species include shark rays, turtles and some species of squid. The researchers believe that these species may have better vision than target catch species such as groupers and flounders, thus avoiding green light. In this trial, by-catch shark rays were reduced by 95 percent, American red squid by 81 percent, and red tortoises by 41 percent through green LED lights. In particular, the decline in bycatch by shark rays is very important for the local marine ecology. Researchers are currently trying to reduce the cost of the LED lights used to help popularize the technology. Article links:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.12.050
4
Excessive anxiety can lead to multiple cardiometabolic risks
Image source: pixabay Cardiometabolic risk includes diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure. A study published in the journal American Heart Association explored the relationship between anxiety and cardiometabolic risk. Researchers from Boston University in the United States analyzed a 40-year survey of 1561 men and found that middle-aged men with severe anxiety had a higher risk of cardiometabolic risk and suffered from cardiometabolic health problems earlier in old age. Researchers point out that long-term anxiety can cause the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis to be too excited to recover, leading to chronic disease. This study suggests that mental health in middle age needs to be taken into account when studying cardiometabolic disorders in older adults. Article links:
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.121.022006
5
AI is able to predict heart disease through retinal scans "from the eye to the heart"
Image source: Pixabay research shows that looking at changes in tiny blood vessels in the retina can predict a variety of vascular diseases, including heart problems. Recently, scientists at the University of Leeds have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system based on deep learning algorithms. The system can analyze retinal scans of eye clinics and identify people at high risk of heart disease. The study was recently published in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence. Using deep learning technology, the AI system automatically reads and analyzes the retinal and cardiac scan data of more than 5,000 people, determining the link between retinopathy and patients' heart changes. The learned AI system can estimate the size and pumping efficiency of the left ventricle by retinal scans alone (ventricular hypertrophy is known to be associated with an increased risk of heart disease). Combined with basic demographic data about patients' ages, genders, and more, AI systems can predict their risk of heart attack over the next 12 months. The researchers say the AI system is accurate between 70 percent and 80 percent. In addition, retinal scanning is relatively inexpensive, and in the future, such AI systems can be used to improve early screening of heart disease and help high-risk people seek medical attention in time. Article links:
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42256-021-00427-7
The space environment can damage astronauts' red blood cells for a long time
Image source: pixabay Space travel can cause a lot of harm to the human body. A recent study published in the journal Nature Medicine said that astronauts are more likely to lose red blood cells in the space environment than on Earth. Since humans began their first space trip, scientists have noticed that astronauts are prone to anemia with a decline in the number of red blood cells, and that this effect persists for at least a year after returning to Earth. But the cause of this space anemia has long been unknown. In the latest study, the researchers took breathing and blood samples from 14 astronauts who worked on the International Space Station for six months. The sampling range included their pre-flight, during the mission (four in total), and within a year of the spaceflight. The analysis also found that spaceflight leads to hemoglobin degradation products, persistently elevated carbon monoxide levels in respiratory samples and iron levels in serum, suggesting that erythrocytes are destroyed and that a lack of red blood cells can lead to anemia.
The results showed that astronauts lost about 54 percent of their red blood cells in space. Scientists believe that the reason for the destruction of red blood cells is most likely due to the changes that astronauts' bodies undergo in order to adapt to changes in the gravitational environment. The number of red blood cells slowly returns to normal within three to four months of returning to Earth. But samples collected a year later showed that the rate of red blood cell destruction was still about 30 percent higher than it had been before the spaceflight. To reduce the risk of anemia in space, the researchers recommend adjusting astronauts' diets to better support their health needs.
Article link: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-021-01637-7
Plate editor| Lucas