Global science

Health

Less than one hour of muscle intensive training a week can help reduce the risk of death.

Recently, a study published in British Journal of Sports Medicine found that 30 to 60 minutes of muscle intensive training per week can reduce the risk of death from all causes of death, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer (10% to 20%), but it is not clear whether more than one hour of training per week will further reduce the risk of death.

Muscle strengthening training mainly includes activities that are good for skeletal muscle health, such as weightlifting, push-ups, sit-ups and squats. Previous studies have shown that muscle strengthening activity is associated with a lower risk of death, but the optimal amount of activity is uncertain. In the new study, the researchers analyzed data from 16 previous observational studies, which were first published in 2012, most of which were conducted in the United States and a few in the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan. and there are long-term studies that last up to 25 years. After aggregate data analysis, it was found that muscle strengthening activity helped to reduce the risk of death from all causes of death, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and lung cancer (by 10% to 17%). However, no association was found with the risk of death caused by bowel, kidney, bladder or pancreatic cancer. In addition, muscle strengthening activities combined with aerobic exercise can further reduce the risk of death from all causes of death, cardiovascular disease and cancer (reduced by 40%, 46% and 28%, respectively).

Archaeology

The rocks used in Venus in Vilendorf may have come from Italy.

Venus in Verendorf, Austria is a statue about 11 centimeters high, mainly composed of oolitic limestone, but this kind of rock does not belong to Verendorf and its surrounding area. Recently, a study published in the Science report suggests that the rocks used to carve Venus are likely to come from northern Italy.

Previously, scientists have only explored the external structure of Venus, and in this new study, the researchers used a new method-high-resolution tomography-to examine the internal structure of Venus. They found that the interior of Venus was irregular and that the sediments in the rocks were of different densities and sizes, ranging from smaller shell fragments to denser and larger limonite grains. After comparing Venus with samples from northern Italy, they found that the two data analysis results were almost the same, so the Venus rocks are likely to come from northern Italy. The researchers also identified a 2.5-millimeter shell fragment dating back to the Jurassic period, a study that provides new evidence for early human circulation between the southern and northern Alps.

Paleontology

Tyrannosaurus Rex actually consists of three species.

Tyrannosaurus rex (Tyrannosaurus Rex) is the only recognized species of Tyrannosaurus Rex (Tyrannosaurus). Previous studies have found differences in one or two slender incisors on each side of the femur and the front of the mandible. Differences in the structure of the femur, other bones and teeth may suggest that Tyrannosaurus Rex samples need to be reclassified into three different categories or species, according to a recent study published in the journal Evolutionary Biology.

The researchers looked at the femurs of each sample and found that the number of stout femurs was three times that of slender ones, suggesting that the difference was not due to gender. Tooth structure also varies from sample to sample, with only one incisor more likely to have a slender femur. In the late Cretaceous strata of the Lancian formation in North America, the Tyrannosaurus rex femurs in the lower sediments (a total of 6) are all stout, only one slender femur in the middle layer, 5 slender femurs in the upper layer, and the rest are stout type. The authors conclude that the characteristic differences found in the Tyrannosaurus rex samples, coupled with stratigraphic distribution, indicate that there are three different categories, and then nominate two new species-Tyrannosaurus Rex (T. imperator) and Queen Tyrannosaurus Rex (T. regina), alongside the only recognized Tyrannosaurus rex so far.

Climatic change

IPCC Climate Assessment report warns of the impact of climate change on humans and ecosystems

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change (IPCC) released the second part of its sixth Climate Assessment report, which assesses the impacts of climate change on ecosystems and human communities at the global and regional levels, as well as the capacity and limitations of nature and human societies to adapt to climate change. The first part of the report, which was released in August last year, focuses on the progress of climate science; the third part, to be released in early April, will assess greenhouse gas emissions reduction options.

The newly released report points out that about 3.3 billion to 3.6 billion people live in places that are "extremely vulnerable to climate change", some of which have already been affected by climate change; if temperatures continue to rise, human ability to adapt to climate change will face "rigid restrictions"; climate change affects public health in various ways, such as smog caused by fires, flooding leading to the spread of infectious diseases, and mental health problems caused by extreme events. If the global temperature rises by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius than before industrialization, some environmental changes will be irreversible; sustainable economic development must include the protection of biodiversity and natural ecosystems.

Medical science

Probiotics may enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy.

The imbalance of intestinal flora is related to inflammatory bowel disease and other diseases. In addition, some specific bacteria can produce carcinogenic toxins or make the body resistant to anti-tumor treatment. However, previous studies have also found that specific microbial composition can regulate the efficacy of immunotherapy in cancer patients. A combination of active biotherapy product CBM588 (a probiotic) and immunotherapy can enhance the anti-tumor response of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma, according to the results of a phase I clinical trial published in the journal Nature Medicine.

The phase I clinical trial included 29 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma, with an average age of 66 years and 72% of men. In the trial, patients were randomly divided into two groups, one group was treated with standard immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, and the other group was treated with immunotherapy and oral CBM588. CBM588 includes bacteria such as Bifidobacterium, which can regulate the microbiome in the intestinal tract. The study found that patients who received CBM588 produced an enhanced and sustained immune response to immune checkpoint inhibition compared to the control group. The increase in the number of bifidobacteria in the fecal samples of these patients was associated with persistent immune activation. Studies have shown that CBM588 may be expected to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy, but it needs to be confirmed in larger studies and other tumor types.

The bark extract of Neem tree has been used in India for thousands of years because it can resist parasites, bacteria and viruses and can be used to treat malaria, gastric ulcers and skin diseases. In a new study published in Virology, scientists in the United States and India have jointly found that bark extract from neem may help treat COVID-19 and inhibit the spread of novel coronavirus.

Through animal experiments, researchers found that the bark extract of Melia azedarach has antiviral function. Computer models show that the extract can bind to multiple sites on novel coronavirus's spike protein and prevent the virus from entering the host cell. In addition, they also tested whether the extract could inhibit the sp