HEALTH AND SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS

May 23, 2024 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved. (CNN)
• Despite H5N1 bird flu outbreaks in dairy cattle, raw milk enthusiasts are uncowed(LA Times)
• Daily marijuana use outpaces daily drinking in the US, a new study says (AP)
• Transformation or trouble? Research into MDMA plagued with allegations of misconduct (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• TikTok’s new suitor is former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, as another lawsuit pushes back against ban (CNN)
• Alaskan rivers turning orange due to climate change, study finds (Guardian)
• US opens probe into Alphabet's Waymo over 'unexpected behavior' of self-driving vehicles (Reuters)
• Researchers at UCSD add bacteria to plastic to make it biodegrade  (KPBS)

For excerpts and links to full stories,  click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved. (CNN)

Preventive neurologist Dr Richard Isaacson stared at the numbers on the fax in astonishment. Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months... Nicholls reduced his risk of developing Alzheimer’s via lifestyle changes recommended by Isaacson, including diet, exercise, reducing stress and optimizing sleep, along with a few strategically chosen supplements and medications prescribed by his cardiologist.  

Despite H5N1 bird flu outbreaks in dairy cattle, raw milk enthusiasts are uncowed(LA Times)

 Government scientists are warning consumers to stay away from raw milk, citing research showing “high viral load” of avian influenza in samples collected from infected cows — as well as a disturbing cluster of dead barn cats who’d consumed contaminated raw milk. 

Daily marijuana use outpaces daily drinking in the US, a new study says (AP)

Daily and near-daily marijuana use is now more common than similar levels of drinking in the U.S., according to an analysis of national survey data over four decades.

Transformation or trouble? Research into MDMA plagued with allegations of misconduct (NPR)

In a matter of months, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to decide whether the drug commonly known as ecstasy can be used as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder...But new and troubling questions about this research are now threatening to upset the final stretch in the drug's path to market....allegations surfaced in a draft report released in March by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review ... which found "substantial concerns about the validity of the results" of the MDMA clinical trials. The ICER report was followed in April by a citizen petition to the FDA. In that document, a group of concerned people allege possible misconduct and ethical violations that could compromise the MDMA research

SCIENCE AND TECH

TikTok’s new suitor is former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, as another lawsuit pushes back against ban (CNN)

Another wealthy investor says he’s organizing a bid to purchase TikTok, after President Joe Biden signed a law last month forcing TikTok to find a new owner or be banned in the United States. Frank McCourt, a real estate billionaire and the former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, said Wednesday he is laying the groundwork to acquire TikTok as part of a broad initiative to make a healthier internet. McCourt, who has spent years accusing technology giants of exploiting their users and undermining the internet’s original open vision, did not disclose how much he aims to spend on TikTok ...

Alaskan rivers turning orange due to climate change, study finds (Guardian)

As frozen ground below the surface melts, exposed minerals such as iron are giving streams a rusty color that pose a risk to wildlife..,the Arctic is the fastest warming region in the world...

US opens probe into Alphabet's Waymo over 'unexpected behavior' of self-driving vehicles (Reuters)



U.S. auto safety regulators said on Tuesday they have opened an investigation into the performance of Alphabet's Waymo self-driving vehicles after reports of its robotaxis exhibiting driving behavior that potentially violated traffic safety laws.

Researchers at UCSD add bacteria to plastic to make it biodegrade  (KPBS)

Researchers learn to  add bacterial spores to the production of a common plastic so bacteria can consume it after it is landfilled or composted.