I sincerely hope everyone enjoyed their Fourth celebration.

The first weekend of July and time to get to work…

Locally–Mississippi is trying to get rid of state income tax and their plan is to tax the crap out of gasoline…this hits our poor, which is a substantial part of the population hard.

Personal–A second week of no poking or prodding or scans or doctors drumming on….but that will change starting Monday I return to the hospital for more of the work on my cancer….I am so NOT looking forward to it.

Enough about me and my petty grievances….let’s move on to the interesting part of this post….news that needs to be reported….

I live in the Deep South and something is always messing with my sinuses….now there is something being researched that could help….

Nasal congestion, or a blocked nose, is a very common ailment. It’s typically caused by inflammation and swelling of the nasal passages. It can be triggered by a bunch of different things, from infections (like the common cold or flu) to allergies and pollution. Some people can have structural problems in the nose or nasal polyps as well.

But not all nasal congestion is alike. Sinus and other deep-mucosal infections often form dense, glue-like pus and biofilms that neither sprays nor systemic antibiotics can easily penetrate. Researchers from the Chinese University in Hong Kong, and universities in Guangxi, Shenzhen, Jiangsu, Yangzhou and Macau, want to address that.

https://www.zmescience.com/future/swarms-of-tiny-robots-could-go-up-your-nose-melt-the-mucus-and-clean-your-sinuses/

How about your diet?

When I was undergoing radiation I was told to eat a lot of protein for it would help my body recover from the treatments…..

From supporting muscle repair to supplying you with steady energy, protein plays a key role in helping your body function at its best. This powerhouse macronutrient is a true multitasker for your health at any age. In fact, every cell and tissue in your body needs protein to do its job.

“Protein is essential for muscle growth, bone health, tissue development, immunity, enzyme function and so much more,” says Lauren Twigge, M.C.N., R.D.N., L.D., owner of Lauren Twigge Nutrition. “Adequate protein intake is also vital for maintaining your metabolism and supporting a healthy weight.”

Another bonus? Protein digests more slowly than carbohydrates, which helps you feel fuller, longer. In other words, you’ll feel genuinely fueled throughout the day and won’t be constantly fighting off cravings, explains Twigge.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a65204154/high-protein-foods-for-gut-health/

It appears that wraps are replacing the ever popular sandwich…again….but is it good for you?

It looks like wraps are back, writes Ellen Cushing at the Atlantic. McDonald’s and Popeyes made menu announcements to that effect this month, and they’re all over TikTok as well. All signs, then, point to a resurgence in “one of the biggest eating fads of the 1990s,” writes Cushing. And this is not a cause for celebration in her view. “Wraps are awful,” she declares.

• “At best, they ruin perfectly serviceable fillings by bundling them up in a gummy, cold tortilla. At worst, they do this with less-than-serviceable fillings. They’re like a salad, but less refreshing, or like a sandwich, but less filling—a worst-of-all-worlds Frankenstein’s monster, an indistinguishable food slurry wrapped in edible cardboard, like the world’s rudest present.”

But the essay isn’t just a culinary critique. Cushing sees a more troubling issue at root: the return of “extreme thinness” in culture. Some of the terms have changed since the ’90s—low-carb is high-protein, starvation is fasting, dieting is wellness—but Cushing sees signs of a “thinness-obsessed” nation all around her, from wraps to the rise of drugs such as Ozempic.

(Read the full essay.)

Extension of one’s life seems to be all consuming these days….

For centuries, humans have searched for ways to extend life. Alchemists never found the philosopher’s stone, but scientists have consistently shown that a longer life can be attained by eating less – at least in certain lab animals. But can we find a way to live longer while still enjoying our food?

Compounds that mimic the biological effects of dieting could be the answer, and the two most popular diet-mimicking drugs are rapamycin and metformin. In a new study, my colleagues and I found that rapamycin prolongs life almost as consistently as eating less, whereas metformin does not.

Eating less, or dietary restriction, has been the gold standard for achieving a longer life ever since a study nearly a century ago in which laboratory rats that ate less surprised scientists by outliving their well-fed lab mates.

But for many people, sticking to a permanent diet is hard and far from enjoyable. Also, if taken to extremes, it can even be bad for health. That is why we wanted to know whether drugs that are dieting mimics could bring the same benefit of eating less without the unwanted side-effects.

https://www.zmescience.com/medicine/nutrition-medicine/this-anti-aging-drug-extends-life-as-effectively-as-restricting-calories/

Is it headed to Earth?

Scientists have spotted an object they suspect might be from another star system – and it seems to be heading towards Earth.

The European Space Agency (ESA) announced today that its scientists may have detected the third-ever extragalactic object to venture into the Milky Way. Currently, the harmless object, dubbed A11pl3Z, is several hundred million miles away from Earth, making its way around Jupiter.

Officials can’t definitively say what the object is that is headed towards Earth – it could be a rocky asteroid or an icy comet, both of which are common in our galaxy. They also don’t know its size or shape.

The ESA plans to conduct further observations to determine exactly where A11pl3Z originated, and NASA is also keeping a close eye on the situation, reports the Mirror.

Finally….lab grown stuff….

Scientists are just a few years from creating viable human sex cells in the lab, according to an internationally renowned pioneer of the field, who says the advance could open up biology-defying possibilities for reproduction.

Speaking to the Guardian, Prof Katsuhiko Hayashi, a developmental geneticist at the University of Osaka, said rapid progress is being made towards being able to transform adult skin or blood cells into eggs and sperm, a feat of genetic conjury known as in-vitro gametogenesis (IVG).

His own lab is about seven years away from the milestone, he predicts. Other frontrunners include a team at the University of Kyoto and a California-based startup, Conception Biosciences, whose Silicon Valley backers include the OpenAI founder, Sam Altman and whose CEO told the Guardian that growing eggs in the lab “might be the best tool we have to reverse population decline” and could pave the way for human gene editing.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/jul/05/lab-grown-sperm-and-eggs-scientists-reproduction

How do you feel about this?

I hope everyone continues to enjoy their holiday weekend……and as always….Be Well and Be Safe……..

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”