Blanco, TX

Community Voices represent independent, third-party users who have joined our contributor program but not yet verified their accounts. Community Voices are expected, like all users, to adhere to our Community Standards.

community_voice

Brigid Pfeifer

There were a number of celebrities who passed away within the past week, including two notable actresses: Shelley Duvall and Shannen Doherty. Shelley Duvall passed away on Thursday July 11th at her home in Blanco, Texas. The cause of death was complications from diabetes and news of her death was confirmed by her partner Dan Gilroy.

Two Beloved Hollywood Actresses Have Passed Away This Week

ScienceAlert


We have a problem with sucralose. Found in many zero-calorie foods and drinks, the artificial sweetener doesn't get broken down by the body, and as a new study shows that means it's potentially damaging the microorganisms at the very bottom of aquatic food webs.



					
			

"We can't break down sucralose, and a lot of microorganisms can't break it down, either, because it's a really tough molecule that doesn't degrade easily," says marine bioscientist Tracey Schafer, from the University of Florida.
"So there are a lot of questions about how it is affecting the environment and whether it's something that could impact our microbial...

Artificial Sweetener May Be Wreaking Havoc on Microorganisms

Dogs can smell human stress, and a new study reveals the scent may trigger a similar emotional effect in dogs, prompting them to make 'pessimistic' decisions. This is the first scientific evidence of human stress odors influencing emotion and learning in dogs, the UK team of researchers say, and may shed valuable new light on the ancient bond between our species.

Dogs Can Smell Our Stress, And It Affects Them Deeply

New York City, NY

Writers represent independent, third-party users who have joined our contributor program and self-verified their accounts. Writers are expected, like all users, to adhere to our Community Standards.

writer

Cheryl E Preston

Yesterday was the third time this year that an ad stating Chelsea Clinton lives in a beautiful Virginia home popped up on my laptop. My computer did not warn me this was a dangerous site, so this time, I clicked on the link.

Chelsea Clinton is rumored to be living in Virginia but probably still in NYC

Lancaster County, PA

NewsByJoshua

Fans of Frisco's Chicken were left reeling as the beloved Peruvian-style eatery announced the closure of all its locations in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The chain, known for its delicious food and strong community values, posted a heartfelt note on its doors, informing customers of the devastating news.

Favorite Chicken Chain Suddenly Closes All Stores, Heartfelt Message Found on Doors

Sleep: we crave it, chase it, mourn its loss, and embrace it. Exercising regularly can help; even short bouts a few times a week have been shown to improve sleep quality. But exercising intensely too close to bedtime has generally been advised against, since it ramps our bodies up at a time when we should be winding down. Research shows people take longer to fall asleep, and sleep rather poorly, after exercising within an hour of bed.

This Simple Evening Routine Could Be The Key to Better Sleep

Chicago, IL

Foodie in Chicago

Shortly before 3 AM, people in the Chicago area may have felt their houses shake as a 3.4-magnitude earthquake occurred about 60 miles west of the city. (CHICAGO) The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported a 3.4-magnitude earthquake around Somonauk, IL. Somonauk is in DeKalb and LaSalle Counties, 64 miles west of Chicago.

Did You Feel the Earthquake?


You've probably heard that adults should aim for 10,000 daily steps. This one-size-fits-all approach provides a clear message, though it doesn't consider how varied human lifestyles and bodies are.



					
			

Earlier this year, an international team of researchers found that even the most sedentary among us could ward off the harmful effects of sitting by incorporating more steps into our day.
Sedentary lifestyles are increasingly common, and we know they're linked to higher odds of dying from cardiovascular disease (CVD), greater risk of  cancer and  diabetes, and a shorter lifespan. And those risks are lower for people with higher step counts...

Scientists Reveal The Optimal Number of Daily Steps to Offset Sitting Down

Total Apex Sports & Entertainment

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are two of the biggest celebrities in modern times. While much of the happenings between the two involved their marriage and divorce, there are bigger things for them to focus on. Most notably their children.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s Son Diagnosed With Rare Skin Condition


Research on the gut microbiome has triggered a 'revolution' in nutritional science, and in the last few years, dietary fiber has become the "new protein" – added to foods in abundance to feed our gut and boost our health.



					
			

A recent study on mice, however, suggests not all fiber supplements are equally beneficial.
A form that is readily found in oats and barley, called beta-glucan, can control blood sugar and assist in weight loss among mice fed a high-fat diet.
Researchers at the University of Arizona (UA) and the University of Vienna say it is the only type of fiber supplement they tested...

One Type of Fiber Could Have Weight Loss Benefits Similar to Ozempic

Our eyes help us take in the world around us, and they can reveal much about our inner worlds, from what we might be imagining to early signs of hearing loss. Mysteriously, our eyes can also change with our breath. In a new study, researchers in Sweden and the Netherlands found pupil sizes fluctuate with every inhale and exhale.

Something Strange Happens to Your Eyes When You Breathe

West Virginia State

Norfolk, VA

Four Virginians were confirmed to be onboard when the Titanic sank on April 14, 1912. Phillip Acts and Selini Decker, who lived a few blocks apart in Norfolk, died when the ship sank. Richmond native Robert Decker and Eloise Smith, who later moved to Richmond from West Virginia, survived.

There's a reason no remains from the Virginia Titanic victims will ever be found

It's the iris in the great eyeball of  Jupiter, revolving to gaze balefully out upon the cosmos: the Great Red Spot, the single largest, longest-lived storm in the entire Solar System.



					
			

Humanity has been observing it for centuries, a colossal anticyclone currently a little bit larger than Earth, with winds that howl around in an anticlockwise direction at up to 680 kilometers (425 miles) per hour.
As mighty as it rages, however, the Great Red Spot has significantly diminished since the first definite records of its existence in 1831. The storm was once much larger; over time, it has dwindled, and...

The Mystery of Jupiter's Shrinking Great Red Spot Might Be Solved


Studies that suggest alcohol can be good for you in moderation – and even extend your life – may be based on flawed research methods, according to a team of scientists bent on setting this ubiquitous misconception straight.



					
			

This paper is the most recent installment in what is becoming something of a saga between the University of Victoria-led team and the International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research (ISFAR).
Psychologist Tim Stockwell and epidemiologist Jinhui Zhao, both from the University of Victoria in Canada, led the most recent study to verify whether the claim – and the research supporting it – holds up...

Moderate Drinking Is Not Good For You After All, Study Finds


Placebos offer the tempting possibility of pain relief without drugs or surgery, largely relying instead on expectations that pain will go away.
As intangible and elusive as that sounds, the placebo effect is a very real thing, which scientists have now traced to specific neural circuits in the brain in a recent experiment based on mice.



					
			

What's more, in the process the team of researchers led by Chong Chen, an anesthesiologist at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill, also discovered that a part of the brainstem not previously known to be involved in pain processing actually is.
Scientists have been hunting...

Scientists Discover Brain Circuit That Could Explain How Placebos Ease Pain

San Francisco, CA


Mammal mothers give up a lot to care for their young. To nourish their newborns with milk, their bodies pull calcium from their very own bones. 
Scientists have long wondered why mothers' skeletons don't crumple under the pressure, and US researchers led by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) think they have solved the mystery.
The team has discovered a whole new hormone in female mice that promotes the growth of astonishingly strong and dense bones.
Neuroscientists have named it the maternal brain hormone (MBH), though it works to build strong and healthy bones in mice of all ages and sexes.
"One...

Scientists Discover a New Hormone That Makes Super-Strong Bones

Wisconsin State

Fond Du Lac, WI

Mercury Marine is laying off around 1,700 hourly employees in Fond du Lac, according to a spokesperson. The company is hitting the brakes with “short-term layoffs,” which will see workers lose eight weeks of work, split into two-week chunks. This move has certainly caught many by surprise.

A Wisconsin company is laying off thousands of workers

Microscopic worms that live their lives in the highly radioactive environment of the  Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) appear to do so completely free of radiation damage.
Nematodes collected from the area have shown no sign of damage to their genomes, contrary to what might be expected for organisms living in such a dangerous place. The finding, published earlier this year, doesn't suggest the CEZ is safe, the researchers say, but rather the worms are resilient and able to adroitly adapt to conditions that might be inhospitable to other species.



					
			

This, says a team of biologists led by Sophia Tintori of New...

Worms in Chernobyl Zone Appear Mysteriously Unscathed by Radiation

Virginia State

History Facts lists eight names US parents no longer give their newborns, which you may no longer hear in Virginia. The girls' names are Doris, Gertrude, Mildred, and Judith. I know or have known women with all four names, but they are either baby boomers or boomer parents' ages and someone's grandma or great aunt. Consider the ages of females in Virginia you know with these names.

Eight names parents in Virginia may no longer be giving to their newborns

Jessica Serfitay flips the script on her previous statement. Virginia soap fans, Soap Opera News reports that Jessica Serfitay (ex Sloan Petersen) on Days of Our Lives posted on social media that her billionaire fiancé had abused her. The actress now says they argued as families do, and she never should have posted anything.

Days of Our Lives alum Jessica Serfitay retracts her statement that her fiance abused her

NewsBreak

Plastic Was Found Inside More Than 50% of Plaques From Clogged Arteries


Plastics are now everywhere, with tiny fragments found in several major organs of the human body, including the placenta.
Given how easily the microscopic particles infiltrate our...

Plastic Was Found Inside More Than 50% of Plaques From Clogged Arteries

Comments / 0