Latest news with #UniversityofGroningen
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Night owls in 9-to-5 jobs may experience more brain fog over time: Here's what science suggests to protect your mind
Are you someone who thrives after sunset, bingeing shows or getting work done when the world sleeps? Well, science might have a wake-up call for you. A recent comprehensive 10-year study involving nearly 24,000 adults has revealed a concerning link between being a night owl and cognitive decline, but with an unexpected twist. Researchers at the University of Groningen tracked participants over a decade and found that night owls faced notably greater cognitive decline compared to early risers. The surprising detail? This pattern didn't appear in individuals with lower levels of education, no matter their sleep habits. (Also read: Cardiologist shares his daily routine for better heart health: '8 hours of sleep, aerobic exercise and balanced eating' ) Among college-educated adults, every hour shift toward a night owl schedule led to a 0.80-point drop in cognitive scores over 10 years, a noticeable dip in mental sharpness for extremely late sleepers. Your chronotype, or natural sleep-wake preference, is guided by your circadian rhythm, the body's internal clock. While around 20 percent of adults lean toward late nights in midlife, only 7 percent are true early birds. The link to education seems to boil down to job flexibility. Highly educated professionals often have rigid 9-to-5 schedules, leaving little room for natural sleep preferences. In contrast, people with less formal education often work varied hours that may align better with their body clocks. When your job forces early wake-ups against your natural rhythm, it creates 'social jet lag', a kind of ongoing biological mismatch. Night owls with strict schedules may feel this more acutely. 'Children are morning people, but that shifts in puberty,' explains lead author Ana Wenzler. 'Most revert to being morning types by 40, but not everyone. Evening people deviate from that norm.' Published in The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease, the study pointed to two main drivers of cognitive decline in night owls: poor sleep and smoking. Among highly educated participants, these explained about a third of the link to brain fog. Night owls often had worse sleep quality, likely due to staying up late but waking early for work, leading to chronic sleep deprivation, which affects the brain's ability to clear harmful proteins tied to Alzheimer's. Surprisingly, smoking accounted for about 19 percent of the decline. Night owls were more likely to smoke, possibly to counter the effects of their disrupted sleep schedules. Alcohol use and physical activity didn't play a significant role despite differences in habits. Approximately one in five American adults naturally prefer late sleep schedules, which means millions, particularly professionals with early-morning routines, could be affected. The study assessed cognitive decline through tests focused on executive function and problem-solving, both essential for adapting to new situations and managing everyday tasks. While the researchers stop short of directly linking this decline to dementia, any measurable drop in cognitive function over a decade is concerning. That said, these findings may open the door to preventive strategies. Flexible work hours could be especially beneficial for highly educated night owls. Allowing later start times for those whose biological clocks favour evening hours may help protect long-term brain health. Additionally, programs aimed at improving sleep quality and supporting smoking cessation could play a key role. Since these two factors accounted for 25 percent of the cognitive decline observed, addressing them may significantly reduce risk. Previous research has consistently emphasised the critical role of sleep in maintaining optimal brain function. This study reinforces the idea that our natural sleep preferences may carry real cognitive consequences, particularly when they clash with daily schedules. For those navigating structured early-morning environments despite an evening chronotype, the goal should not be to override biology but to work with it or minimise the long-term strain of resisting it.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists issue warning after discovering concerning trend taking place in Arctic: 'The next step is to apply these insights'
An alarming new study warns that disturbing climate markers in the Arctic might become part of the region's permanently altered climate state within 25 years. Unusual weather recorded in the Arctic may soon become the new normal for the sensitive region, which has been experiencing accelerated warming. The Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than Earth's average, a phenomenon known as "Arctic Amplification." A recent study cautions that changes observed in the Arctic could reach a critical tipping point by the middle of this century. "In the rapidly warming and wetting Arctic, the time of emergence (ToE) of a new climate state occurs when trends of climate indicators are large enough to surpass the strong natural climate fluctuations in the Arctic," the study published in Nature Briefing: Anthropocene states. "Most regions of the Arctic are close to a new climate state (for temperature and sea ice), with wide-ranging and possibly irreversible consequences for vulnerable Arctic ecosystems and human activities." "We were excited to see that we were able to estimate ToE in a consistent and robust way. The next step is to apply these insights in society, policy, and ecology," said Richard Bintanja, professor of climate and environmental change at the University of Groningen and co-author of the study, per The study's scientists analyzed changes in sea ice thickness, freeze and thaw patterns, and changes in temperatures in the Arctic. Thicker ice can be a natural buffer protecting shorelines from erosion by storms that, in many cases, are now supercharged by our warming world. As the Arctic warms, the ice thins, leaving coastal areas that Indigenous groups depend on for catching fish vulnerable. Accelerated Arctic warming is affecting human health in multiple ways, as wildfires and melting permafrost put regional communities at increased risk. "Geographic isolation, lack of health infrastructure, and poverty can make healthcare disparities worse between rural and urban Alaskans," according to a report from the Environmental Protection Agency. "Climate change makes these factors worse and can directly affect health through events like floods. Indigenous communities are particularly vulnerable to climate impacts and can face institutional barriers to getting funding and resources to adapt." Curbing the emissions of heat-trapping gases by transitioning to renewable energy sources will help cool off the planet. A team of scientists from Germany and Korea recently made some promising discoveries that could pave the way for "artificial photosynthesis," a new type of clean energy. Adding solar panels to your home is a cost-effective way to reduce your environmental footprint. Paired with battery storage, they can also boost your home's resilience to extreme weather. EnergySage provides a free tool to connect you with trusted local installers and help cut costs. Starting conversations with friends and family about urgent climate issues — such as eye-opening trends in the Arctic — can help raise awareness and inspire action. Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely Only in some areas Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Researchers make game-changing breakthrough that could solve billion-dollar problem for agriculture industry: 'Maximum impact'
Researchers have found a way to improve crop yields by addressing photorespiration. This metabolic process, which occurs alongside photosynthesis, can reduce crop productivity by up to 36%. Researchers from the University of Groningen and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf are developing novel disruptive technologies that could help overcome the issue as part of the GAIN4CROPS project. According to INSociety, inefficiencies in photorespiration cost the agriculture industry billions of dollars in productivity losses each year. "Our work shows that overcoming photorespiration through engineered pathways can provide a dual benefit: increasing carbon fixation while reducing energy losses," said professor Matthias Heinemann from the University of Groningen. "This has significant implications for the development of crops that are not only more productive but also better adapted to the changing climate and growing global food demands," Heinemann continued. In the study published in the journal Science Advances, researchers used several mathematical models to look at 12 pathways to improve photorespiration. They categorized the pathways based on their ability to fix carbon, which converts inorganic carbon dioxide into organic compounds such as sugar. Their findings revealed that carbon-fixing alternative pathways were most promising, boosting carbon export — the loss of carbon in an agricultural system — by around 20%. Another pathway called TaCo showed potential to improve yields. Environmental factors, including light intensity and carbon dioxide availability, impacted the effectiveness of these pathways. The findings will help researchers genetically engineer crops with reduced photorespiration losses. They plan to further optimize the pathways and apply them to crops with the highest potential for enhanced yields. These advancements will play a critical role in bolstering food security and adaptations to the changing climate. "With the ability to more rationally engineer alternative photorespiratory pathways into suitable crops and identify their optimal growing conditions, our work will hopefully contribute to realizing the maximum impact of alternative photorespiratory pathways for improving crop yields," said professor Andreas Weber, coordinator of the GAIN4CROPS project. Since agriculture is a significant contributor to global pollution, accounting for around 21% to 30% of heat-trapping gas emissions, having a more efficient system that can improve yields will reduce the impact on the environment. This will also benefit humans by improving air quality and providing more food for a growing population. What's the biggest factor stopping you from investing in solar panels? The cost The technology I'm a renter I'm already invested Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Egypt Independent
25-03-2025
- Science
- Egypt Independent
Hidden secrets of Tutankhamun's tomb revealed
A recent study has revealed new secrets within the tomb of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun, first discovered in 1922 in Egypt's Valley of the Kings and considered one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, the Daily Mail reported on Monday. An Egyptologist working at Yale University, Nicholas Brown, released a study stating that some overlooked artifacts within the tomb were far more important than first thought. Brown reinterpreted the pottery trays and wooden sticks placed near the pharaoh's coffin as not just mere traditional funerary tools, but an essential part of the funeral rituals of Osiris, god of the underworld. The researcher suggested that the clay trays were used for liquid offerings, such as pouring Nile water – believed to help restore life to the deceased's body. A forgotten ritual And the wooden sticks placed near Tutankhamun's head may have played a role in ritually 'awakening' the pharaoh, based on the myth in which Osiris is commanded to awaken by sticks held behind his head. Brown says that objects are arranged specifically to mimic the ritual of Osiris' awakening, suggesting that Tutankhamun may have been the first to initiate this ritual for his death. Funeral rituals during Tutankhamun's reign were influenced by the policies of his predecessor, Akhenaten, who changed the state's religious doctrine to focus on the worship of the sun God Aten, ignoring traditional rituals associated with Osiris. Brown explains that these changes therefore impacted resurrection rituals, but after Akhenaten's death, Tutankhamun and his officials restored the old religious beliefs and reintegrated Osiris into royal funerary rituals. Alternative theory Brown's interpretation has sparked debate among Egyptologists. According to the Daily Mail, an Egyptologist at the University of Groningen, Jacobus van Dijk, believes that the clay trays were not part of the Osiris ritual. Instead, he referred to another ritual which involves four people holding torches at all corners of the sarcophagus in order to guide the dead through the underworld. The clay trays, filled with 'white cow's milk', are then used to extinguish the torches.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Great tits thrive in old-growth forests
After a forest is logged, that land is often re-planted with new saplings. Within a few decades, those trees will have grown pretty big, and the forest will look much like a forest once again, with birds singing among the shade of the boughs. But a new study finds that, despite this apparent rebirth, younger forests may not offer those birds the same quality of habitat as an old-growth forest—with differences between the two forest types stretching all the way down to a cellular level. Researchers in Latvia compared wild forests more than 100 years old with managed pine forests just 40-50 years old. They studied how many insects were living in each forest type by measuring the amount of frass (insect poop and other droppings) that fell from trees. They also took blood samples from 15 day-old great tits—a common European songbird—to measure the birds' stress levels. In addition, the team measured the length of the birds' telomeres, the DNA that sits on the ends of chromosomes and protects those chromosomes from damage. While scientists are still trying to understand exactly what different telomere lengths might mean for health and fitness, some previous studies in birds have found evidence that shortened telomeres were associated with lower survival. [ Related: I ] The researchers on this new paper found that younger forests had less frass, indicating fewer insects, than the older forests. The great tit nestlings in the younger forests tended to have higher stress levels than nestlings in the older growth forests—and nestlings from those younger forests had, on average, shorter telomeres than nestlings from the old-growth forests. These results, collectively, may tell a story. 'Since insect larvae are the preferred food for great tit nestlings, the shortage of food may divert energy resources away from growth, which can show up as physiological stress,' the researchers write. And stress, they note, has previously been associated with telomere shortening. 'It's a very complete paper,' Simon Verhulst, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, who was not involved in the new research, told Popular Science. Telomere shortening is a natural part of cell biology. Telomeres shrink a little bit every time a cell divides, until those telomeres get too short, and the cell dies. And in many species, telomeres generally get shorter with age—but scientists are still trying to understand how, exactly, shortened telomeres might impact an organism's overall health. In humans, for example, while researchers have linked shortened telomeres with a variety of diseases, they've also found evidence of health risks in people with extra-long telomeres. And while some scientists have previously suggested telomere length could be used as a sort of 'biological clock,' others have suggested that this outlook doesn't really capture what happens to our bodies as we age. Previous research has also found some nuances in the relationship between telomeres and longevity in birds. A study on Seychelles warblers, for instance, found that survival was linked to both shorter telomeres and faster telomere shortening rates. But a study on jackdaws (co-authored by Verhulst), on the other hand, found that while more telomere loss was associated with lower survival, shorter telomeres themselves did not seem to be related to survival. It's also possible that some of the negative health and fitness effects linked to shorter telomeres aren't directly caused by those shorter telomeres, but caused by some other factor that also impacts telomere length. The researchers on this new study in Latvia did not find any survival differences between the nestlings from each habitat, although increased mortality could always show up later in life. They also note that other factors could have led to higher stress levels among the nestlings in the younger forests, such as an increased risk of predation on adult birds that somehow impacts the nestlings. In addition, variations in telomere length can be passed from one generation to another, so it's possible the great tit parents living in each forest type had different telomere lengths initially and simply passed those differences onto the chicks. One way to test for that would be a 'cross-foster' experiment—switching eggs from one forest type to another. 'An important extra step would be to do a cross-foster experiment to show that it's really something that happens after hatching,' Verhulst said. [ Related: Great tits are killing birds and eating their brains. Climate change may be to blame. ] Another possible complication in this new study was the researchers' method of measuring insect abundance. Larger trees may simply have more insects to drop frass, which could impact the results if tree sizes weren't standardized between forest types. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the study's conclusions are incorrect. 'I am fully convinced that there is a difference in food availability between these old and young forests—I don't think, actually, their measurements show that,' Verhulst said. (The researchers of the new paper could not be reached for comment.) But this isn't the first study to show that habitat modification can impact telomeres in great tits—a 2016 paper (with cross-fostering) found that tits from urban environments had shorter telomeres than those from rural areas. And overall, the differences between the birds in this new study indicates that something seems to be different among the great tits in young and old forests, despite the fact that the species is found in both forest types. 'This study, through their telomere measurements, are showing that there can be sort of cryptic effects on viability of individuals and thereby, possibly, populations,' Verhulst said. That's notable, as old-growth forests are rare in Europe. According to a 2021 report by the European Commission, primary and old-growth represent just three percent of all forests in the EU. If these venerable trees truly offer better habitat to wildlife like great tits, protecting that three percent could be crucial.
