LoquatBear t1_jb78jga wrote on March 6, 2023 at 11:26 PM

Reply to Lung cancer patients with moderate to severe depression at diagnosis are 2 to 3 times more likely to have inflammation levels that predict poor survival rates, a new study found. (n=186) by geoff199

could the inflammation be causing the person to feel depressed, or is it vice versa?

LoquatBear t1_j8ccxov wrote on February 13, 2023 at 6:33 AM

Reply to Extracts from two common wildflowers, tall goldenrod and eagle fern blocked SARS_CoV_2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, from entering human cells. The findings could provide a new avenue to develop pharmaceutical treatments for COVID-19. by MistWeaver80

aren't their ancient depictions of what historians think is extinct species of goldenrod for many ancient treatments. Neat!

LoquatBear t1_j3u4p2h wrote on January 11, 2023 at 2:01 AM

Reply to comment by marketrent in Happy rather than sad music soothes newborns — findings suggest that newborns do react to emotions in music, and that responses to music are present at birth by marketrent

Really interesting that there is an innate reaction to "happy" or "sad" music. I wonder if this was done with a larger pool of children would you find variances and over time would the variances begin to accumulate across the years.

Also if babies are found that react differently to music would that reveal if there are predisposed to any number of neurodivergencies in the future.

LoquatBear t1_iv27hz7 wrote on November 4, 2022 at 6:47 PM

Reply to comment by boligenic in Viruses can ‘hitchhike’ on microplastics. More than 98 per cent of the virus scientists used was found on the microplastic, and over half of the viruses could still be detected 10 days later – much longer than if the virus particles were free-floating in the water by Wagamaga

I'm actually surprised a bacterium hasn't evolved the ability to digest plastic en masse yet. I believe they've found some rare bacteria with the ability but it will be interesting if that gene becomes commonplace. Imagine a world where plastics can rot just like everything else.

LoquatBear t1_iupe9xj wrote on November 2, 2022 at 1:22 AM

Reply to comment by cypressdwd in The polarization of politics and public opinion and their effects on racial inequality in COVID mortality: evidence suggests that shrinking gap in US COVID-19 racial death disparities driven by political division and increasing total deaths among Whites rather than decreasing deaths among Blacks by Dizzy_Slip

Basically the rate at which Black Americans died from Covid remained consistent across the pandemic.

Instead the rate at which White Americans died from Covid increased, specifically because White Americans who expressed less to no concern about the pandemic ,ie Republicans, were more likely due from Covid from their lack of preventative action and lack of Republican state action.

They conclude that there still was racial disparity between Black Democrats and White Democrats dying from Covid, but polarization of no-concern to high-concern (and extrapolating vaccination, masking, social distancing) was more likely to affect Covid mortality rates than race.

So essentially the Republicans played themselves, and now we have statistical proof.