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Wildfire smoke linked to dementia in California
Researchers have found a link between long-term exposure to wildfires and incidences of dementia among communities in southern California. The physical effects of exposure are already well known, with the pollutant PM2.5 leading to irregular heartbeat, decreased lung function and premature death. However, the neurological effects are only just coming to light, with one-microgram-per-metre of exposure being linked to an 18% increase in dementia diagnoses. This correlation increases among the state’s Black and Hispanic communities, with those under 75 also more susceptible. As fires become more common, calls for increased protection and prevention methods are growing.
World-first robotic double lung transplant success
Medics at New York’s Langone Health have completed the world’s first fully robotic double lung transplant. Self-described “adrenaline junkie” Cheryl Mehrkar (57) received the new lungs following a diagnosis of pulmonary disease at age 43. This new surgery removes the need to make a large incision across the chest, instead making several small ones. The team practiced for seven months, performing a number of single transplants, and lead surgeon Dr. Stephanie Chang has hopes that this will be “the first step” to minimally invasive robot-led procedures, as reported by People magazine.
Winner of “unprecedented” book prize delays money over fossil fuel ties
Australian author Richard Flanagan is the first to win both the Booker and Bailie Gifford award, but has not accepted the latter’s prize money due to concerns over links to the fossil fuel industry. In a recorded speech, Flanagan said that his “soul would be troubled” if he accepted the money unless investment firm Bailie Gifford could publicly share a plan to divest from oil and gas. Similar steps have been taken across the publishing industry, as a number of major literature and art events have ended fossil fuel-linked partnerships, including the Hay Festival. Insisting that this act wasn’t a criticism, Flanagan has asked that this divestment happen as a mark of “good faith”, as reported by Sky News.
Human Cell Atlas reaches 100mn cells on quest to map the human body
The Human Cell Atlas, launched in 2016, has mapped more than 100 million cells from over 10,000 people across the world.
The project has the ambitious goal of publishing a first complete draft guide to the 37 trillion cells that make up the human body by 2026. Similar to the Human Genome Project, which mapped 92% of human genes from 1984 to 2003, scientists hope that this level of biological understanding will accelerate treatment for diseases. Among achievements so far, the gut has been completely mapped, and the team now have an understanding of how the skeleton forms in utero.
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