Health – Happiness – Page 105

Turkey earthquake fault lines mapped from space

BBC News

Turkey earthquake fault lines mapped from space

Jonathan Amos – BBC Science Correspondent – February 10, 2023

It seems almost insensitive to start to have a deep dive into the science behind Monday’s earthquake events in Turkey.

More than 22,000 people are already confirmed dead and an unknown number still lie trapped, with the window for their rescue closing rapidly.

And yet the science will go on. The insights gleaned from this event will save lives in the future.

Take a look at the map on this page. It is the most precise yet produced of how the ground lurched in response to the enormous energies that were unleashed.

The data behind it was acquired in the early hours of Friday by the European Union’s Sentinel-1A satellite as it traversed north to south over Turkey at an altitude of 700km (435 miles).

The Sentinel carries a radar instrument that is able to sense the ground in all weathers, day and night.

It is routinely scanning this earthquake-prone region of the world, tracing the often very subtle changes in elevation at the Earth’s surface.

Except, of course, the changes on Monday were not subtle at all; they were dramatic. The ground bent, buckled and in places ripped apart.

Researchers use the technique of interferometry to compare “before” and “after” views. But you do not really need to be an expert to see the consequences for Turkey in the latest Sentinel map.

The red colours here describe movement towards the satellite since it last flew over the country; the blue colours record the movement away from the spacecraft.

It is abundantly clear how the ground has been deformed along and near the East Anatolian Fault line.

For both the Magnitude 7.8 quake that struck first on Monday at 01:17 GMT and the Magnitude 7.5 event at 10:24, the motion is “left-lateral”. That is to say: whichever side of the fault you are on, the other side has moved to the left. And by several metres in places.

The shocking thing is that the lines of rupture have gone right through settlements; in lots of places they will have gone right through buildings.

Sentinel-1 — Artist’s impression: The Sentinel routinely maps earthquake-prone Turkey

The Sentinel map will help scientists understand exactly what happened on Monday, and this knowledge will feed into their models for how earthquakes work in the region, and then ultimately into the risk assessments that the Turkish authorities will use as they plan the recovery.

There is sure to be a lot of discussion about how the two major tremors were related and what that could mean for further instability.

The map was processed by the UK Centre for Observation and Modelling of Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Tectonics (Comet). Its director, Prof Tim Wright, said the Sentinel observations vividly brought home the scale of the forces involved.

“News outlets always show earthquakes as ‘the epicentre’, as if it is a single point source (like a bomb). Actually, all earthquakes are caused by slip on extended faults, and the bigger the quake the bigger the fault that ruptured,” he told BBC News.

“We can map those ruptures with satellites because the ground around them is displaced, in this case by up to 5m or 6m. The rupture of the first event was 300km or so long and the second big event ruptured another 140km or so of a different fault. To put those distances in context, London to Paris is roughly 345km.

“Damage will be highest near the fault but of course spreads over a wide region either side of the fault, too. It’s absolutely horrific.”

Collapsed house — The insights will assist Turkish authorities as they plan the recovery

In the era before satellites, geologists would map earthquake faults by walking the lines of rupture. It was a laborious process that naturally also missed a lot of detail. Radar interferometry from space was developed in the 1990s, and in recent years it has become a particularly compelling tool.

In part that is down to the quality of the sensors now in orbit, but it is also the result of more powerful computers and smarter algorithms.

It is possible today to get a data product on to the computers of experts, ready for analysis, within hours of a satellite making an overhead pass. Comet, unfortunately, had to wait several days for Sentinel-1A to be in the right part of the sky to get an optimal view of Turkey. But this will improve as more and more radar satellites are launched.

“By the end of the decade, we should be able to do this kind of analysis within a day of most damaging earthquakes, and then we would be more useful for the relief effort. As things stand, we are of course outside the 72-hour window for search and rescue,” Prof Wright said.

The Republican Distraction Farm Is Failing Because They’re Employing Less Talented Grievance-Farmers

Esquire

The Republican Distraction Farm Is Failing Because They’re Employing Less Talented Grievance-Farmers

Jack Holmes – February 10, 2023

little rock, arkansas february 07 arkansas gov sarah huckabee sanders delivers the republican response to the state of the union address by president joe biden on february 7, 2023 in little rock, arkansas biden tonight vowed to not allow the us to default on its debt by calling on congress to raise the debt ceiling and chastising republicans seeking to leverage the standoff to force spending cuts photo by al drago poolgetty images — Republican Grievance-Farmers Lose Green ThumbsPool – Getty Images

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Sarah Huckabee Sanders, now the governor of Arkansas, gave a rebuttal to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address this week that suggested Republicans have learned precious few lessons from their dramatic underperformance in the midterms. Biden’s speech was a full-throated appeal to everyday Americans on populist economic grounds—one that actually echoed some of Donald Trump’s rhetoric in the 2016 campaign. Sanders brought the now-standard routine about The Woke Mob “that can’t even tell you what a woman is,” and that is ushering in a world where “children are taught to hate one another on account of their race.” She referred to “C.R.T.” as if everyone listening would know that stands for Critical Race Theory (and that it is inherently evil). Sanders did outline a plan to raise starting salaries for Arkansas teachers, which is welcome in an era in which the American right increasingly seeks to paint educators as rogue agents of Woke determined to brainwash your kids.

The latter is the kind of stuff that cost them seats in the midterms. It hits squarely with people who are up-to-date on their Fox News folklore, fluent in the language of culture-war apocalypto. But for most people, it’s probably pretty weird. They mostly like their kids’ teachers, who are usually trying to do the best job they can in sometimes challenging circumstances. For years, the Democratic Party was the one considered out of touch, if only because of the alienating way that some liberals talked about the issues. But that’s now the Republican Party’s stock-in-trade. The right’s rising star—at least in the view of media-politico types—is the governor of Florida, Ronald DeSantis, who has replaced his pandemic anti-interventionist crusade (which at least dealt with a major issue of public concern) with campaigns against Woke Corporations and in favor of the government’s prerogative to police what teachers teach in schools. It’s gotten fewer national headlines that he, too, has sought to raise salaries, but that nugget is competing with news that teachers have been told to remove or cover up books out of fear they could face criminal charges for their content.

Maybe DeSantis is reluctant to talk about other parts of his record because, as the political press finally turns to it, we’re fully realizing how committed he once was to changing Social Security and Medicare. (We’ve also seen how touchy Republicans get when you talk about this since Biden brought it up at the State of the Union. Even a talk-radio host interviewing Ron Johnson was explicitly trying to brand this stuff as “reforms” not “cuts.”) The president pointed out that some Republicans—including chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and Lizard-American Rick Scott—have called for sunsetting all federal legislation after five years. This would by definition include Medicare and Social Security.

daytona beach shores, florida, united states 20230118 florida gov ron desantis speaks at a press conference to announce the award of $100 million for beach recovery following hurricanes ian and nicole in daytona beach shores in florida the funding will support beach projects within 16 coastal counties, with hard hit volusia county receiving the largest grant, over $37 million photo by paul hennessysopa imageslightrocket via getty images — Time will tell if Ronald DeSantis is the kind of right-winger who can still thread the needle.SOPA Images – Getty Images

Maybe they would be renewed as-is, but that’s quite a bet to make, particularly when you examine the record of the hospital chain Scott once ran. DeSantis, though, used to be even more forthright. He supported privatizing aspects of both programs in his 2012 congressional campaign, CNN found, and once in Congress he supported Paul Ryan’s agenda on “entitlements.” (They are earned benefits.) All this is based on the combined notions that these programs are fiscally unsustainable and raising taxes is a kind of supreme evil. None of this is new: George W. Bush tried to privatize Social Security. Ronald Reagan launched his political career with this stuff. Maybe DeSantis is an example of how how you can get away with this kind of policy record, considering he’s extremely popular in the old folks’ Mecca of Florida. Or maybe we in the press have just done a godawful job.

Republicans lose votes when people get a good look at their proposals on these issues, so maybe it’s no wonder they’re now permanently engaged in culture-war food fights. Except that also seems to have lost its luster outside The Base. Trump at least had a canny ear for the more transcendent gripes, particularly in 2016. His would-be successors are less talented grievance farmers, and some absolute loony toons have joined their ranks in Congress. It’s not a change so much as it’s become more obvious than it was that Republicans have no plans to address problems in normal people’s lives. They’re getting so high on their own supply that they can no longer even explain some of these bedrocks of their politics. The Louisville Courier-Journal‘s Joe Sonka asked Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers for his definition of “woke” on Friday and he replied, “Woke? That is the definition to me that is a describing of a mentality or a culture that certain individuals have about how things are progressing through society.” Hey man, maybe carve out some time to think about this or just admit that it’s become a hollow vehicle for reactionary rage.

Two cardiovascular medicines were well-tolerated for small vessel stroke

New Media Wire

Two cardiovascular medicines were well-tolerated for small vessel stroke

February 9, 2023

Research Highlights:

No standard medical therapy exists for a stroke occurring in a small vessel in the deep areas of the brain called a lacunar stroke.
A preliminary study of two common cardiovascular medications, cilostazol and isosorbide mononitrate, suggests these two medications were safe and well-tolerated by adults who have experienced small vessel stroke, when taken alone or together.
A larger, more extensive study is planned to examine the effectiveness of the medications in treating the complications of small vessel stroke.

(NewMediaWire) – February 09, 2023 – DALLAS A study of two widely used cardiovascular medications cilostazol and isosorbide mononitrate in more than 350 patients confirmed the two medications were well-tolerated and safe for people who have experienced a stroke in a small blood vessel deep in the brain. The results suggest the medications may help improve patient outcomes, according to preliminary late-breaking science presented today at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2023. The meeting, held in person in Dallas and virtually Feb. 8-10, 2023, is a world premier meeting for researchers and clinicians dedicated to the science of stroke and brain health.

Small vessel disease of the brain accounts for about 20% -25% of all ischemic strokes, according to previous research. A lacunar stroke, or small vessel stroke, occurs when the inner lining of the tiny blood vessels inside the brain are damaged, leading to a stroke or dementia.

“Currently, there is no proven treatment to prevent poor outcomes after lacunar stroke, so the ultimate goal with this research is to evaluate if medications with potential modes of action on the inner lining of blood vessels might help improve small vessel function and prevent or slow long-term brain damage after lacunar stroke,” said lead study investigator Joanna M. Wardlaw, M.D., FAHA, professor of applied neuroimaging, honorary consultant neuroradiologist, head of neuroimaging sciences and the director of Edinburgh Imaging at Edinburgh University in Edinburgh, Scotland. She is also the foundation chair of the U.K. Dementia Research Institute.

The medications in the study are commonly prescribed for other cardiac conditions. Isosorbide mononitrate is used to treat chest pain by relaxing blood vessels and decreasing blood pressure. Cilostazol improves the flow of blood by relaxing the blood vessels and reducing blood clotting. It is often prescribed for people with peripheral artery disease a narrowing of the peripheral arteries that carry blood away from the heart to other parts of the body.

This study, called LACunar Intervention Trial 2 (LACI-2), is the second largest ever trial in lacunar stroke. It examined whether such a trial was feasible among people with lacunar strokes and if the medications would be well-tolerated for one year after lacunar stroke. Researchers also analyzed safety and other outcomes, including recurrent stroke, cognitive impairment, dependency, mood and quality of life. This detailed information is needed for the next stage of research a phase 3 trial, which would include more study participants. Results of the analysis on cognitive status at one year will be presented separately in the same Main Event session on Feb. 9.

From Feb. 2018 to May 2022, researchers enrolled 363 adults who had experienced lacunar stroke from 26 stroke centers throughout the United Kingdom. The participants were average age 64 years, and 31% were women. All study participants continued to take their usual prescribed medications as per stroke guidelines, including those that reduce blood clotting, lower blood pressure and/or lower cholesterol all of which may lower the risk of a second or recurrent stroke.

Participants were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups: 40-60 mg/day of oral isosorbide mononitrate alone; 200 mg/day of oral cilostazol alone; both medications; or neither medication for one year. The participants completed phone surveys at 6 and 12 months to assess health status, including recurrent stroke and heart problems, cognitive tests, symptoms, quality-of-life surveys, and had brain imaging at 12 months.

The study met its initial goals to determine if a larger trial was feasible and if the medications were safe and tolerable. After one year, 358 of the adults were still participating in the study, with 95% of participants taking at least half of medication doses prescribed for the trial. Safety criteria were also met: four participants died; there were four episodes of bleeding outside of the brain; no excessive falls or dizziness. Some participants experienced mild symptoms (such as headaches), which were expected.

Researchers also saw some potential benefits from the medication groups, including data that indicated the group who took the combined isosorbide mononitrate and cilostazol had a reduction in the amount of assistance they needed with everyday living tasks, a reduction in cognitive impairment and positive impacts on mood and quality of life. Isosorbide mononitrate alone reduced recurrent stroke, cognitive impairment and improved quality of life; cilostazol alone reduced the need for daily assistance.

“There appeared to be some potential benefits that will need to be confirmed in a larger phase 3 trial,” Wardlaw said. “We saw good hints of efficacy, particularly for isosorbide mononitrate on reducing recurrent stroke and cognitive impairment, and we also found that both medications together seemed to work synergistically, rather than counteracting any benefit. This is very encouraging since no study has previously found any medications that positively affect cognitive impairment in small vessel disease strokes. So, we cautiously hope that these medications may have wider implications for other types of small vessel disease.”

The study has some limitations, including that it was relatively small at 363 patients and not designed to measure efficacy, thus the results showing effectiveness should be interpreted cautiously. The trial was open label, meaning participants and clinicians were aware of which medication/s and doses they were taking; however, the follow-up staff for the study were unaware of which treatment the patients were assigned. Additionally, the investigators did not collect data on race or ethnicity, and many ethnic groups were suspected to be underrepresented.

Study co-lead author is Philip M. Bath, D.Sc., FAHA, UK Stroke Association Professor of Medicine at the University of Nottingham. The list of authors’ disclosures is available in the abstract.

The study was funded primarily by the British Heart Foundation, with support from the UK Alzheimer’s Society, the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, the Stroke Association, the Fondation Leducq, NHS Research Scotland and the U.K. National Institutes of Health Research Clinical Research Networks. The work was conducted by the University of Edinburgh and the University of Nottingham.

Statements and conclusions of studies that are presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association’s policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. Abstracts presented at the Association’s scientific meetings are not peer-reviewed, rather, they are curated by independent review panels and are considered based on the potential to add to the diversity of scientific issues and views discussed at the meeting. The findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

The Association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific Association programs and events. The Association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and biotech companies, device manufacturers and health insurance providers and the Association’s overall financial information are available here.

Daunting medical issues for earthquake survivors are just beginning

The Washington Post

Daunting medical issues for earthquake survivors are just beginning

David Ovalle – February 9, 2023

Members of the Lebanese Red Cross carry the corpse of a victim retrieved from the rubble of a collapsed building in the Syrian town of Jableh northwest of Damascus on Thursday. (Louai Beshara /AFP/Getty Images)

As international medical teams stream into the earthquake-ravaged areas of Turkey and Syria, the injuries they are encountering are horrific but no surprise: broken bones, arms and legs crushed by collapsed buildings, infected gashes.

But that’s only the beginning for doctors and paramedics working feverishly to save lives in a disaster that has already claimed more than 20,000 people, experts say.

In coming weeks, as search efforts turn to the grim task of recovering bodies, countless survivors will need medications for high blood pressure, diabetes and asthma left behind in the rubble. Many who are pregnant will give birth in makeshift shelters and refugee camps. Cancer patients will go without treatment.

Freezing temperatures mean survivors in thrown-together shelters face hypothermia or frostbite. Close quarters in shelters could also lead to the spread of the coronavirus and other respiratory viruses.

And there’s another looming risk: waterborne diseases such as cholera, which had already appeared in the affected war-torn region of northwest Syria because of poor water quality and sanitation.

“It’s a horrible situation. You can’t do everything you want to do and you have to adapt to a whole different way of treating people. It’s a mentally and morally taxing situation,” Thomas Kirsch, a professor of emergency medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, said of the coming challenges for medical workers.

Paul Spiegel, director of the Center for Humanitarian Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said the time period after the search-and-rescue efforts will be crucial, if less dramatic.

“You likely will save a lot more people by ensuring you have surveillance and thinking about continuing care and supplies,” he said.

Those efforts are already being spearheaded by the Turkish government, the World Health Organization and other aid groups that regularly send emergency teams into earthquake zones.

The challenges to providing medical care are especially daunting in Turkey and Syria, which was rocked by a 7.8-magnitude quake early Monday morning, and a second one hours later that was recorded at 7.5.

The disaster toppled hospitals and other medical facilities that would have been crucial for treating those injured in building collapses, not to mention other ailments. Buckled and impassible roads won’t make it any easier for medical organizations, said Kirsch, who has worked extensively in disaster zones, including in Haiti after it was devastated by a 2010 earthquake.

“The logistics and coordination of the health-care response is really a problem,” he said.

Syria is of particular concern because of the destruction of its health care infrastructure after years of civil war, Iman Shankiti, the WHO’s representative in the country, told reporters Wednesday.

“Definitely, the health needs are tremendous. It’s important to note that the health system has suffered for the last 12 years, and continues to suffer and continues to be strained by the ongoing emergencies, and the last one is this earthquake,” Shankiti said.

The WHO said it was sending three flights with medical supplies to both countries, including trauma kits, from a logistics hub in Dubai. It also has released $3 million in funding.

The Israeli Defense Forces has said it is setting up a field hospital in Turkey.

Nongovernmental groups will also be key. Doctors Without Borders, which was already in northwest Syria, said it is continuing to support seven hospitals, health-care centers and a burn unit in the area.

Americares, a Connecticut-based health-focused relief group, has already sent a shipment of hygiene kits, IV fluids and some chronic-disease medicines. A four-person team is already on the ground in southern Turkey.

“In the coming days, there’s going to be a tremendous need for those chronic-need medicines,” said Julie Varughese, the organization’s chief medical officer.

Project Hope, a global health and humanitarian aid organization, is also in Gaziantep, Turkey, a city hit hard by the earthquakes. Like many medical relief organizations, it is assessing what help each area will need with short- and long-term health care, as search-and-rescue operations continue to look for survivors.

The organization’s humanitarian health adviser, Pranav Shetty, fears that in coming days, doctors will see many of the same medical conditions that unfolded in Haiti after its devastating earthquake in 2010.

Doctors will need to work quickly to remove dead tissue from wounds, lest it lead to dangerous infections, he said.

Another pressing concern is what’s known as “crush syndrome,” which happens when survivors are pulled from the rubble, releasing pressure on muscles and releasing toxins from damaged tissue. That can wreak havoc on survivors’ kidneys, requiring dialysis – no easy task to provide when hospitals are destroyed.

“That’s a pretty robust intervention that requires a lot of resources,” Shetty said.

Still, the everyday maladies may end up being a wider problem as the months pass.

Kirsch, of George Washington University, said foreign medical assistance will be needed to help with everyday conditions such as diabetes, heart attacks and strokes.

“Turkey has a pretty strong health-care system, so its recovery will be better than a lot of less economically robust countries,” he said.

And both countries will need to pour resources into mental health treatment, not just for survivors but for medical personnel who have been overwhelmed ministering to those in need.

“At times you make decisions about life and death you wouldn’t have to make in other situations,” Kirsch said of medical personnel in earthquake zones. “That’s the struggle early on.”

New Jersey student ends her life after months of bullying, video of school hallway beating circulates online

Fox News

New Jersey student ends her life after months of bullying, video of school hallway beating circulates online

Sarah Rumpf – February 9, 2023

This story may contains details that are disturbing. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.

A 14-year-old girl from New Jersey ended her life after a disturbing video of girls viciously beating her up in the high school’s hallway circulated online. Now, her distraught father is promising to remember her legacy by bringing awareness of a broken school system he says overlooked extensive school bullying.

Adriana Kuch, a student at Central Regional High School, was found dead on Feb. 3 at her home two days after the shocking video surfaced.

The disturbing video shows Adriana and her boyfriend walking down the hallway of the local public high school when a student walks up and starts walloping her in the face with a water bottle. Adriana falls to the ground, where she is repeatedly kicked and punched by a group of students. Cheering is heard from the student who took the shocking video.

About 30 seconds into the attack, two school workers interrupted the ambush.

FLORIDA STUDENTS ARRESTED FOR TIKTOK VIDEOS SIMULATING MASS SHOOTING

Following the attack on Feb.1, Adriana sustained severe bruising on her legs and face. Michael Kush, Adriana’s father, was shocked after hearing about the bullying incident. He told Fox News Digital that he took his 14-year-old teen to the local police station to file a report about the incident. The Berkeley Township Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The father also said his daughter showed him videos of people taunting her and threatening her on TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat following the attack. Adriana reportedly faced months of bullying from fellow classmates at the local high school.

Despite reaching out to school faculty, Michael shared that, “no action was taken by anyone,” following the incident. Just two days later, family members found Adriana deceased in her New Jersey home.

Michael shared with Fox News Digital that he is taking legal action against the school.

“I’m livid,” Michael shared with Fox News Digital. “I blame the girls and the school and the cops. I want everyone to know what happened to her, I want justice, as much attention, so they can’t ignore it.”

Michael shared that he believes his daughter would be alive if the school and police had taken immediate action.

“If the school contacted the police, filed a report, and conducted an investigation, these videos could have been discovered immediately.” Michael shared.

On Feb. 5, Central Regional High School sent out a note to the student body sharing the “tragic passing” of a district student. The school also provided information on available counseling and crisis professionals, stating “please know that you are never alone in the world and there is always support during bad times to help change things for the better.”

Central Regional High School did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital.

However, Michael shared that Adriana is not the first student at Central Regional High School who has faced extensive physical abuse and cyberbullying on school grounds. On his public Facebook page, Michael shared videos from other parents whose children have faced bullying without school administration stepping in.

“The more I continue to see, the more I want to fight for all kids against schools like this.” Michael said. “Complete incompetence from top to bottom.”

As of Thursday evening, three students who were involved in the video incident were charged with third-degree felony assault and a fourth with disorderly conduct. All four students involved in the attack have been expelled from the local high school.

Adriana’s wake will be held Friday.

To avert ‘poppy apocalypse,’ California city closes canyon to visitors

The Washington Post

To avert ‘poppy apocalypse,’ California city closes canyon to visitors

Hannah Sampson – February 9, 2023

Visitors pose for a picture among wildflowers in bloom in March 2019 in Lake Elsinore, Calif. (Gregory Bull/AP)

Wildflower lovers won’t be able to get their fix this year in one Southern California city after officials announced that they were closing trails, roads and parking at a canyon that attracted thousands of visitors during an earlier poppy bloom.

The superbloom of 2019 blanketed Lake Elsinore’s Walker Canyon with a layer of vibrant orange poppies. They proved irresistible to phone-wielding, Instagram-posting visitors, who clogged roadways and trails, trampled the growth and occasionally needed rescuing due to heat and exertion and at least one rattlesnake bite.

“The flowers were beautiful,” Lake Elsinore Mayor Natasha Johnson said during a news conference this week with patches of California poppies in the background. “The scene was a nightmare.”

Facing another seasonal bloom – though likely not a supersized one – city, county and law enforcement officials decided not to risk a repeat. Johnson announced that the trails on Walker Canyon, as well as parking around it and an access road, are all closed. Shuttles will not run to the canyon, as they did for part of the 2019 season. Trails were closed in the spring of 2020 due to the pandemic, and drought kept blooms away for the last couple of years.

“While typically the city of Lake Elsinore welcomes visitors to enjoy our vibrant community and boost our economy, the overwhelming number and unfortunate behavior of our visitors to Walker Canyon in 2019 came at a cost that was way too steep for our residents and our wildlife,” Johnson said.

Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco warned that the penalty for visiting anyway could be steep, though he said courts would determine any fine.

“We don’t want anybody coming here thinking that they’ll pay the fine and be good with it,” he said. “It’s a misdemeanor infraction subject to arrest.”

Walker Canyon, which closed in 2019 due to the crowds, has become the latest popular destination to close because of overtourism. A daffodil-dotted ranch east of Sacramento that had been open to the public for decades announced it was closing indefinitely in 2019 after being overwhelmed by a “crush of visitors.” Comparing the influx of tourists to a “zombie apocalypse,” Ontario farmers shut down access to their sunflower fields after a little more than a week, the New York Times reported in 2018.

The story has been similar around the globe, with a canyon in Iceland, an island in the Philippines and a bay in Thailand closing, at least temporarily, due to an influx of tourists.

In Lake Elsinore, reaction on the Facebook page that carried the news conference ranged from laudatory to disappointed to politically charged.

“So instead of responsibility, City officials decide to take away our rights,” one person wrote. “Taking their orders from the progressives.”

Another was more succinct: “Poppy police,” they wrote.

Some residents said they had been excited to explore the canyon, though others – still scarred from 2019 – were glad to escape a few weekends of gridlock. Many chastised officials for missing out on the chance to make some money from the phenomenon.

“You’re going to lose million in tax and tourist revenue,” one commenter wrote. “Should have leaned in and had a poppy festival with shuttles etc. Missed opportunity.”

But Bianco, the county sheriff, said there was no way to safely accommodate the crowds that have shown up in the past.

“Your warning is right now; we will have a zero-tolerance policy for people that are here trespassing and parking on sides of the roadways,” he said. “If you are going to come here and you are going to park your car, you are subject to citation and possibly the towing of your vehicle.”

For poppy fans who need updates on the bloom, the city has live video footage of Walker Canyon linked from its website.

“We understand that this is not the news that everybody may want to have heard, but our community’s safety as well as preservation is our main focus,” Johnson said. “Thank you for your support and especially your poppy patience. This weekend I encourage you to focus on the Super Bowl and not the superbloom that we’re not having.”

A secret Russian satellite has broken apart in orbit, creating a cloud of debris that could last a century

Business Insider

A secret Russian satellite has broken apart in orbit, creating a cloud of debris that could last a century

Morgan McFall-Johnsen – February 8, 2023

illustration shows satellite shedding bits of metal debris high above earth — An illustration of a satellite breaking up above Earth.ESA/ID&Sense/ONiRiXEL, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

A secretive Russian satellite broke apart in Earth’s orbit, the US Space Force said on Monday.
Kosmos 2499 launched secretly and made “suspicious” maneuvers to complete a mysterious mission.
The satellite’s possible explosion-induced debris field could last a century, according to NASA.

A mysterious Russian satellite with a shady mission has broken apart in Earth’s orbit, creating a hazardous cloud of debris zipping around the planet and menacing other satellites, US Space Force announced.

The 18th Space Defense Squadron said on Twitter Monday that it had confirmed a satellite called Kosmos 2499 had broken apart into 85 pieces.

Previous collisions and satellite break-ups have created far larger and more hazardous debris fields than this.

But the pieces of Kosmos 2499 are orbiting at an altitude of about 745 miles — so high that they’ll probably be there for a century or longer before Earth’s atmosphere drags them down and burns them up, according to NASA.

Kosmos 2499 is one of three satellites that Russia launched secretly from 2013 to 2015. Its beginning is even more mysterious than its end.

NASA and the US Department of Defense did not immediately respond to Insider’s requests for comment.

The satellite was launched secretly and made ‘suspicious’ maneuvers in orbit

rocket spews orange flame lifts off in the arctic — A Russian “Rokot” rocket lifts off from a launch pad near the town of Plesetsk in Arctic Russia.Reuters

On Christmas Day 2013, Russia launched a small Rokot rocket into the skies above Plesetsk, carrying three military communications satellites into orbit.

It seemed like a standard launch, until space trackers noticed that the Rokot had released a fourth object into orbit, according to Anatoly Zak, an English-language reporter who covers Russia’s space program and runs Russianspaceweb.com.

A few months later, Russia admitted to the United Nations that it had launched a fourth satellite, which came to be known as Kosmos 2491. Its purpose was unclear.

Russia launched another secret satellite in May 2014, and it soon began maneuvering itself in orbit, dropping and raising its altitude until it brought itself “suspiciously close” to the rocket stage that had delivered it to orbit, according to Zak. The US military designated the object Kosmos 2499.

For nearly half a year, this mystery satellite trailed its rocket stage and maneuvered up close to it repeatedly. Then it transmitted telemetry data back to Earth in Morse code, according to Zak.

The bizarre behavior led to speculation that Russia was testing technology to follow or wreck other satellites, according to Space.com.

The head of Roscosmos at the time, Oleg Ostapenko, assured the world in a December 2014 press conference that Kosmos 2491 and Kosmos 2499 were not “killer satellites,” Zak reported. Ostapenko said the satellites had peaceful, educational purposes and that “they completed their mission.” Zak said the Roscosmos chief never specified what that mission was.

A similar Rokot launch sent a third unregistered satellite into orbit the next year.

The first secret satellite, Kosmos 2491, broke apart in 2019. Kosmos 2499 just met the same fate.

The satellite may have exploded, rather than crashing

The cause of the satellite’s disintegration is not yet clear.

Brian Weeden, a space-debris expert at the Secure World Foundation, told ArsTechnica that he doesn’t think a collision caused it, since two of the secretive satellites have gone out like this.

“This suggests to me that perhaps these events are the result of a design error in the fuel tanks or other systems that are rupturing after several years in space rather than something like a collision with a piece of debris,” Weeden told ArsTechnica.

That aligns with a preliminary analysis by LeoLabs, a company that tracks objects in Earth’s orbit. The company tweeted that its early data “points toward a low intensity explosion,” likely from the satellite’s propulsion system.

LeoLabs said its models had “moderate confidence” in this finding.

“As more of the fragments get cataloged and included in the analysis we will be able to provide a more definitive cause of the event,” the company wrote, adding that “understanding why these types of events occur is key to preventing them in the future.”

Dating while dying: Finding love when I have 9 years left to live

Today

Dating while dying: Finding love when I have 9 years left to live

Chiara Riga – February 8, 2023

A little over a year ago I shared my story about being diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer and being told I have about 10 years to live — 15 if I’m lucky. So much has happened since then — from landing a dream job at a new company to deciding to remove my ovaries as part of my cancer treatment, my life post-terminal cancer diagnosis has surprised me in so many ways.

Perhaps the best and most surprising change, though, is that I now have a boyfriend.

We learned that we loved the same things, including being outdoors and traveling. (Courtesy Chiara Riga)

When my terminal cancer diagnosis happened, I felt like I was watching all of my dreams shatter like a mirror falling to the ground before my eyes. I wouldn’t survive the cancer, so why would I continue spending all my time trying to climb the corporate ladder? I wouldn’t survive the cancer, so why would I buy a home only to leave my family with the responsibility of a mortgage that would likely outlive me? But the shattered dream that saddened me the most was the dream I had of finding my person — after all, what man looking for a serious relationship would sign up to be with a woman who would likely not live to age 40? What man would knowingly sign up to be a widower long before retirement age? I can’t say I would blame anyone for not wanting to sign up for this kind of life. Before this cancer experience, I can’t say that I would have jumped at the opportunity to be with a man whose remaining years on this earth could be counted on one hand. I resigned myself to a life of singledom, with my dog, Scout, as my only life partner. I watched my friends get engaged and married, buy homes and welcome children, and I cheered them on while each celebrated milestone grew the ache in my chest that longed to live those milestones, too.

And then I met David. We met at a mutual friend’s wedding and hit it off right away — we both love the outdoors, national parks, travel and Taylor Swift sing-alongs in the car, and our personalities couldn’t be more similar. He knew I was sick — our mutual friend had told him — and I tried not to get too attached, because there was no way he would be interested in a romantic connection with me given my incredibly short lifespan. When he asked me to spend a day together a few weeks after the wedding, I said yes, thinking it would be platonic. Our hangout was a few days before my birthday, and when he picked me up he brought me gluten-free brownies he had made from scratch. After that, we spent at least one day every weekend together and against my better judgment, I started falling for him. I thought I was destined for heartbreak, but the happiness he brought to my life felt worth a thousand heartbreaks, so I continued to spend time with him.

One night we were talking on the phone and ended up expressing that we had feelings for each other. I was shocked that he felt the same as I did. But would he want to be with a terminal person? Later that night, while we were texting, I expressed my fears about cancer, my prognosis and how I feared that it would affect our relationship. I expected him to take a step back, to find someone with a longer life expectancy. Instead, he wrote words that I’ll never forget, words that brought me to tears: “Just because you live long doesn’t mean you’re happy or your life is meaningful.” He added, “If we can’t cure you, you will leave us a little earlier than the rest of us, but I will be so happy to know we had something real.”

Before he sent me that message, I don’t think I knew what it was like to be so loved for every part of me. Some of my exes loved me for what I looked like, or my body or the promise of the life we could live together. David loves me for who I am today, for every part of me, both good and bad. He makes me a better person and shows me a love I thought I’d never get to experience in this lifetime.

My current plan is to enjoy this for as long as possible. (Courtesy Chiara Riga)

Our relationship isn’t without its struggles, of course, and cancer is a big one for us — the first time we kissed I ended up with an infection that landed me in the ER with a neutropenic fever. And, with David coming from a traditional Chinese family, telling his parents about my diagnosis has been a struggle for both of us.

I also know that loving myself first is a big part of this. I thought I loved myself pre-cancer, but loving yourself is not just learning who you are, what you like and dislike, and accepting your flaws. It’s also taking care of yourself — your mental and emotional health along with your physical health. Physical health is one that many young people tend to ignore — we’ve always been told that youth equates to health. But if I’ve learned anything since my diagnosis in 2020, it’s that youth and health are not synonymous. If I hadn’t advocated for myself when I found a lump in my breast — even after a doctor nearly laughed me out of the room given my age — I might not be here today. I’ve since learned that women under age 45 make up 9% of all breast cancer diagnoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

I do not know what the future holds for us, but right now, I'm just happy to have found love. (Courtesy Chiara Riga) — I do not know what the future holds for us, but right now, I’m just happy to have found love. (Courtesy Chiara Riga)

My story is not unique. I have met countless other young women whose doctors told them that they had nothing to worry about due to their age, despite the fact that breast cancer in young women is more likely to be found at a later stage and be more aggressive and difficult to treat, according to the CDC. It is because of my own advocacy, and my love for myself, that I am still here today and am able to be in a place to love David and be loved in return.

I don’t know what the future holds for David and me — maybe (hopefully) I’ll get to live my dream of a wedding and we’ll sail off into the sunset, or maybe we won’t be each other’s forever. But whatever happens, I’m grateful for the most selfless man I’ve ever met showing me a love I could only dream of during a time when I thought all love was off the table for me. Like he said, we have something real, and I’m the luckiest girl in the world to get to experience it for however much time I have left.

What a brain expert does daily to ward off dementia

The Telegraph

What a brain expert does daily to ward off dementia

Hattie Garlick – February 7, 2023

Sahakian says she has reduced her coffee since a study published in the journal Cerebral Cortex last year showed it was associated with reduced grey matter in the cerebral cortex - David Rose — Sahakian says she has reduced her coffee since a study published in the journal Cerebral Cortex last year showed it was associated with reduced grey matter in the cerebral cortex – David Rose

Barbara Sahakian, an expert in grey matter from the University of Cambridge, describes the lifestyle habits she employs to keep brain deterioration at bay.

Breakfast

I like getting up early when it is quiet and listening to the birdsong while I drink my coffee.

I used to drink more coffee, but have cut down my intake since our study, published in the journal Cerebral Cortex last year, showed that coffee was associated with reduced grey matter in the cerebral cortex.

Our findings also highlighted the importance of a “cereal” breakfast for reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. So I have muesli cereal, with no added sugar, for breakfast every day.

Learning

Sarakian regularly visits museums and is looking forward to an exhibition at the V&A this spring - Sam Mellish — Sarakian regularly visits museums and is looking forward to an exhibition at the V&A this spring – Sam Mellish

Recently, I co-wrote an article for The Lancet called “Use It or Lose It”. In essence, in order to keep your brain functioning at its best, you need to drive its neural networks through cognitive activities, including learning new things. We hear a lot about how learning a language or musical instrument can build cognitive reserve but actually learning anything new will have benefits. Different areas of the brain will be activated during different kinds of learning, be it music, a foreign language or motor skills such as cycling.

Fortunately, I keep my mind active through my research work and teaching.

I learn a lot when I travel, too. I like to read about the cities I’m staying in, as well as their history and culture. I’ll visit art, history, textile and fashion museums. When I was in Chengdu, I was taken to see the bronze masks discussed so brilliantly on TV by Simon Schama, and I’m looking forward to seeing the exhibition “Hallyu! The Korean Wave” at the Victoria and Albert Museum this April.

Lunch

I’ll often have tuna fish sandwiches or zero per cent fat yoghurt and fruit. Oily fish provides omega-3 fatty acids which have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. I always have several different kinds of fruit in the house, my favourite being blueberry. Oxidative stress has been identified as a major factor in diseases including Alzheimer’s, and these berries are high in antioxidants that prevent oxidative damage to cells.

Meanwhile, Vitamin C, which is found in most citrus fruits, is thought to have a therapeutic role in a number of diseases, including ischemic stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease.

Exercise

Sahakian swears by the power of a brisk daily walk - Kevin Dodge — Sahakian swears by the power of a brisk daily walk – Kevin Dodge

I get out every day for a brisk, one hour walk. Exercising is vital for your physical health, brain health, cognition and mood. It actually increases neurogenesis in the brain (the creation of new brain cells), including in the hippocampus, which is an important area involved in learning and memory.

When I walk, I usually practise mindfulness and stay in the moment, listening to birds and appreciating the natural world around me. If I have a difficult problem to solve, I often find my mind is clearer and my decision-making improved after a fast, long walk. The key is to do exercise that you enjoy, so you will be sure to stick with it.

Supper

For dinner I often have chicken and dark green vegetables, which are important for brain health, due to the protective effects of vitamin K and other nutrients. I like Indian-style vegetables and South Korean kimchi rice.

Socializing

Our study, published in Neurology last year, showed that socially isolated individuals had a higher risk of developing dementia. Keeping socially connected is good for your brain, cognition, wellbeing and mental health, so it’s really important to keep in touch with family and friends. I meet mine at restaurants, theatres and museums or, on sunny days, just to go on long walks together.

Sleep

Our study, published in Nature Aging in 2022, showed that seven hours of sleep is ideal in middle and old age, for cognition and mental health. The brain recharges itself and stores memories during sleep, as well as removing toxic waste by-products and boosting the immune system. Sleeping four hours or less increases your risk of death, but sleeping more than seven probably means that you have had poor quality or disrupted sleep. So I try to get those seven hours each night.

It is important to be relaxed and not stressed when you get into bed, so I try to not work or watch thrillers immediately before sleep. I like reading, but if my work has already required me to read for much of the day, then I’ll usually relax and watch something light on TV – a comedy or romantic comedy.

To some extent, how much screen time is beneficial or detrimental to your brain will depend on what you are watching. For example, some nature or history programmes can be very educational, but there’s no harm in switching off occasionally.

At bedtime I make sure my bedroom is dark and quiet, and the room temperature is right for me and my bed comfortable. It also helps, sometimes, to think of a relaxing event when falling asleep. I might drift off thinking of how I felt when lying on a beautiful beach in the sun, watching the ocean and listening to the sound of the waves.

‘Superbugs’ caused by climate change are becoming a greater threat to humanity, report finds

The Week

‘Superbugs’ caused by climate change are becoming a greater threat to humanity, report finds

Devika Rao, Staff writer – February 8, 2023

Bacteria on agar petri dish held by gloved hands. Rodolfo Parulan Jr./Getty Images

A new report from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has identified antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the rise of “superbugs” as major threats to humanity.

“The development and spread of AMR means that antimicrobials used to prevent and treat infections in humans, animals and plants might turn ineffective, with modern medicine no longer able to treat even mild infections,” the UNEP explained in a news release.

“[H]igher temperatures and extreme weather patterns, land-use changes that alter its microbial diversity, as well as biological and chemical pollution” — all of which comprise the “triple planetary crisis” — contribute to the “development and spread” of AMR, which is predicted to cause “10 million additional direct deaths by 2050,” the UNEP said in the report.

Climate change, specifically warming temperatures, has been proven to make AMR worse because it causes microbes to grow and spread faster, thereby hastening the spread of resistant genes. The genes themselves are becoming more prevalent because of the widespread use of antimicrobial products like disinfectants and antibiotics, which are finding their way into waterways and soil and interacting with microbes. The germs that survive those interactions then end up multiplying and creating stronger strains.

“Climate change, pollution, changes in our weather patterns, more rainfall, more closely packed, dense cities and urban areas – all of this facilitates the spread of antibiotic resistance,” Dr. Scott Roberts, an infectious diseases specialist at Yale School of Medicine, told CNN.

AMR is also expected to disrupt the global economy, causing annual GDP to drop by at least $3.4 trillion by the end of the decade, per the UN. “The impacts of anti-microbial resistance could destroy our health and food systems,” warned UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen.

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who is also chair of the One Health Global Leaders Group on AMR added: “We must remain focused on turning the tide in this crisis by raising awareness and by placing this matter of global importance on the agenda of the world’s nations.”