All posts tagged: strain

Eye Care Tips for Voracious Readers: Read Without Strain

Eye Care Tips for Voracious Readers: Read Without Strain

Published by skeptic

In a recent survey of American reading habits, the Washington Post found that the top 1% of the most avid readers go through upwards of 50 books in a year. Of course, this poll did not consider the differences between hard reading, casual perusal, scanning, and curious reading for pure entertainment. Regardless of one’s reading motivations, following eye care tips for readers is crucial since consuming lots of written content can be very tasking on the eyes. Such a visually intensive hobby requires good habits and care to continue enjoying it thoroughly. Thankfully, you can follow simple eye care tips to maintain your eye health and read as much as you want. 1. Wear the right glasses According to the American Optometric Association, the development of myopia (or nearsightedness, one of the most common eye conditions) can be determined by how an individual uses their eyes. Specifically, those who spend lots of time reading are part of a select group more likely to develop this issue. The goal is to slow or stop progression entirely …

Pope Francis’ comments on the war in Gaza put a strain on Vatican-Jewish relations

Pope Francis’ comments on the war in Gaza put a strain on Vatican-Jewish relations

Published by skeptic

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — While many at the Vatican let out a sigh of relief following reports that Hamas and Israel agreed to a ceasefire on Friday (Jan. 17), the interruption of hostilities in Gaza might not be enough to repair Catholic-Jewish relations, damaged by Pope Francis’ criticism of Israel. “There is a crisis in Catholic-Jewish relations because of a series of papal comments,” said Rabbi Noam Marans, director of the interreligious affairs department at the American Jewish Committee (AJC), in an interview with RNS. While Francis’ gestures and remarks may have hindered the carefully restored relationship between Catholics and Jews, some Jewish representatives said that it’s not enough to undo decades of joint efforts to promote dialogue and understanding between the two great monotheistic faiths. Conflict between the state of Israel and Pope Francis started soon after the attack by Hamas terrorists on Israeli citizens on Oct. 7, 2023. About a month after the event, Francis told faithful gathered at St. Peter’s Square that in Gaza “we have gone beyond wars. This is not …

Cognitive strain intensifies reward sensitivity, study reveals

Cognitive strain intensifies reward sensitivity, study reveals

Published by José

Periods of stress and mental fatigue are often when people feel least equipped to resist temptation. But why? A new study published in PNAS Nexus has discovered that after intense mental effort, not only is self-control depleted, but rewards also feel more satisfying. The study, which examined both rats and humans, provides a clearer picture of why self-regulation often fails under stress and strain. The researchers sought to explore the link between mental fatigue and self-regulation failures, particularly during periods of stress or cognitive strain. Previous studies had shown that mental exhaustion weakens self-control, but these focused primarily on a reduced ability to resist temptation. Less was known about whether fatigue also intensifies the appeal of rewards themselves. By examining this underexplored mechanism, the researchers aimed to better understand the processes that lead to unhealthy behaviors, such as addiction and overeating, and provide new insights into managing self-regulation. “I have spent many years doing research on self-control. It’s one of the most important human traits and a major key to success in life, personally, socially, …

Mpox: First case of Clade 1b strain detected in London | UK News

Mpox: First case of Clade 1b strain detected in London | UK News

Published by skeptic

A case of a new strain of mpox has been detected in the UK for the first time, it has been announced. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said a single case of the mpox virus variant Clade 1b was detected in London. There was no evidence of community transmission from the patient, who is being treated at the Royal Free Hospital in London. The person involved had been on holiday in Africa and travelled back to the UK on an overnight flight on 21 October. The case was confirmed to the UKHSA on Tuesday. Image: File pic: Reuters More than 24 hours later, they developed flu-like symptoms and on 24 October, started to develop a rash which got worse in the following days. When they attended A&E in London on 27 October, they were swabbed, tested and then isolated while waiting for their results. Fewer than 10 direct contacts are being traced after the discovery, and Professor Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at UKHSA, said the “risk to the UK population remains low”. Image: …

The Next Best Thing Put ‘Strain’ on Madonna Friendship

The Next Best Thing Put ‘Strain’ on Madonna Friendship

Published by skeptic

Rupert Everett is looking back at how his friendship with Madonna was strained due to The Next Best Thing movie flop. The My Best Friend’s Wedding actor recently appeared on the How to Fail With Elizabeth Day podcast, where he reflected on the 2000 John Schlesinger-directed romantic comedy, which starred Everett, Madonna and Benjamin Bratt. “It was not a failure as such really at the box office because of video sales in those days — Madonna sold a lot of videos — but the film itself didn’t work, even though for a long time, it was the only film that dealt with this issue that was actually then happening and being born,” he explained. The Next Best Thing follows Abbie (Madonna) who has a one-night stand with her gay friend Robert (Everett) and they agree to raise the resulting baby together. But things get complicated when Abbie starts dating Ben (Bratt). According to Everett, “everything went wrong” on set while filming, which he said, “completely finished things for me in Hollywood.” However, he still praises …

New Vaccine Could Protect Against Any Strain of a Virus With One Shot

New Vaccine Could Protect Against Any Strain of a Virus With One Shot

Published by skeptic

Image by Getty / Futurism Scientists seem to be close to creating a “one-and-done” vaccine that can protect against any strain of a virus with just one shot. In a press release from the University of California — Riverside, one of the researchers behind the new RNA vaccine, Rong Hai, explained why he and his colleagues are so excited about their experimental — and allegedly universal — shot. “What I want to emphasize about this vaccine strategy is that it is broad,” said Hai, a virologist and coauthor of a new paper on the vaccine candidate in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “It is broadly applicable to any number of viruses, broadly effective against any variant of a virus, and safe for a broad spectrum of people.” “This could,” he continued, “be the universal vaccine that we have been looking for.” In traditional inoculation-based vaccines, there’s either a “dead” version of the virus it protects against or a modified “live” version, which relies on the body’s past immune response to a known pathogen …

New Vaccine Could Protect Against Any Strain of a Virus With One Shot

New Vaccine Could Protect Against Any Strain of a Virus With One Shot

Published by skeptic

Image by Getty / Futurism Scientists seem to be close to creating a “one-and-done” vaccine that can protect against any strain of a virus with just one shot. In a press release from the University of California — Riverside, one of the researchers behind the new RNA vaccine, Rong Hai, explained why he and his colleagues are so excited about their experimental — and allegedly universal — shot. “What I want to emphasize about this vaccine strategy is that it is broad,” said Hai, a virologist and coauthor of a new paper on the vaccine candidate in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “It is broadly applicable to any number of viruses, broadly effective against any variant of a virus, and safe for a broad spectrum of people.” “This could,” he continued, “be the universal vaccine that we have been looking for.” In traditional inoculation-based vaccines, there’s either a “dead” version of the virus it protects against or a modified “live” version, which relies on the body’s past immune response to a known pathogen …

New strain of mpox with ‘pandemic potential’ found in DRC mining town

New strain of mpox with ‘pandemic potential’ found in DRC mining town

Published by skeptic

Named “clade 1b”, the virus appears to be better at spreading between people, predominantly via sexual contact, and has mutations that evade detection by some existing tests. “Without intervention, this localised Kamituga outbreak harbors the potential to spread nationally and internationally,” say the authors who found 108 confirmed cases of the new strain. “Given the recent history of mpox outbreaks in DRC, we advocate for swift action by endemic countries and the international community to avert another global mpox outbreak”.        The outbreak, which is described as having “pandemic potential”, raises unnerving questions: not only has the virus never been reported in the region before, but – unusually – it is spreading in an urban hub and predominantly infecting adults, especially sex workers.  “We’re seeing evolutionary changes within the virus that’s suggestive of increased human transmission… and we’re seeing the changing demographics in this one specific region of Congo,” said Dr Jason Kindrachuk, an associate professor in infectious disease at the University of Manitoba in Canada and co-author of the paper. “This is very important, because …

Sweden’s universities hit with financial strain

Sweden’s universities hit with financial strain

Published by skeptic

Linköping University, Sweden, March 7, 2024. JEPPE GUSTAFSSON/SHUTTERSTOCK/SIPA Savings must be made at Swedish universities, even if a Nobel Prize had recently been awarded to one of their professors, as is the case at Lund University in the south. The unversity’s management is preparing a five-year plan to bring its finances back into the black. There are no plans for layoffs for the moment, but some fixed-term contracts will not be renewed and the number of PhD students will be reduced. Universities all over Sweden are under pressure. In 2023, their collective deficit reached 1 billion kronor (€89 million). The situation has been deteriorating steadily, accelerating over the past two years as operating costs have soared and are no longer offset by funding, while at the same time, the liberal-conservative government, supported by the far right, has forced all central administrations – including universities – to cut spending by 0.5%. At Stockholm University, the Department of Economic History and International Relations has already taken several initiatives to try to bring its budget back into balance. …

The Download: Tracing a mysterious covid strain, and fighting dengue with drones

The Download: Tracing a mysterious covid strain, and fighting dengue with drones

Published by skeptic

3 What it’s like to receive a brain-computer implantJeffrey Keefer, who has Parkinson’s, agreed to having the device temporarily applied to the surface of his brain. (WSJ $)+ Former Neuralink workers think the firm is taking unnecessary risks. (Vox)+ How it feels to have a life-changing brain implant removed. (MIT Technology Review) 4 Tragic news stories drove readers to donate thousands of dollarsThe only problem is, the victims didn’t exist. (NBC News)+ Surveillance company Flock Safety claims to have solved 10% of reported US crime. Did it really? (404 Media) 5 We’re still waiting for AI we’re willing to pay forWe enjoy mucking around with generative AI—but we don’t want to fork out to use it. (Bloomberg $) 6 A British-Italian company claims to have discovered a better way to mine bitcoinBut crypto experts smell a rat. (FT $)+ Ethereum moved to proof of stake. Why can’t Bitcoin? (MIT Technology Review) 7 Brands dependent on TikTok are getting anxiousThere isn’t really another app or platform that would generate the same kind of sales. (NYT $)+ …