Latest news with #UniversityofMaryland
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Startup develops revolutionary new 'superwood' that can resist fire and water: 'Nature's most highly evolved structure'
Wood isn't yielding to concrete and steel when it comes to being the construction material of the future. That's because a Maryland-based company's lumber breakthrough could soon put it in contention as the leader. InventWood's product isn't your grandfather's two-by-four. Superwood has 10 times the strength-to-weight of steel and is six times lighter. What's more, it's fire-, rot-, and pest-resistant, with a production process that's 90% cleaner than steel — all while mimicking the look and feel of regular lumber, per the company website. "Superwood demonstrates what's possible when we combine nature's most highly evolved structure with revolutionary science," InventWood CEO Alex Lau said in an Interesting Engineering report. It all starts with a molecular-level transformation. Superwood is made by removing specific "components" at the timber's cellular level. The experts use food-safe chemicals for the "molecular reinvention." The wood is compressed, increasing density by a factor of four, and creating hydrogen bonds between the cellulose fibers. It's part of how the material becomes stronger and resistant to rot. Finishing treatments can provide customized design stylings, InventWood added. Environmentalist and entrepreneur Paul Hawken said the product could shape the future of worldwide construction. It's "an extraordinary breakthrough that exalts the genius of the natural world," he said, per IE. What is stopping you from upgrading to a heat pump system? The cost of installation I live in a cold area I don't know enough about it I already have one Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The company secured $15 million in a funding round, and it intends to begin shipping products from Frederick by September. Its total fundraising has hit $50 million in private and government sources. The innovation got its start from research completed by University of Maryland Professor Liangbing Hu, as IE noted. The university has made headlines before for genetic modifications to wood that makes it stronger for construction use. Elsewhere, experts at Michigan Technological University are working with layers of wood and resin to form stronger materials. Some architects are even predicting that wooden skyscrapers will soon become more common as safe and sustainable alternatives to dirty concrete and steel towers. For its part, the building and construction sector accounts for 37% of global heat-trapping air pollution, according to the United Nations. Those toxins are linked by NASA to increased risks of severe weather, which are even impacting insurance premiums and coverage. Consumers and builders can encourage cleaner innovations by supporting entrepreneurs who are developing better materials. Investing in their enterprises is a way to build a portfolio that aligns with your personal values. Meanwhile, an easy way to curb pollution coming from your home is to switch to LED lightbulbs. If you replace your home's old lightbulbs with the newer illuminators, you can save hundreds of dollars a year on your power bill while producing five times less pollution. For InventWood's part, company officials said the team is working on strategic partnerships for product deployment in North America. By supporting local economies, the company intends to provide a sustainable alternative to imported steel and aluminum, as IE reported. "We're prioritizing domestic sourcing and production to maintain the exacting standards Superwood requires," Lau said. "We're focused on ensuring every step of our process, from forest to final product, delivers uncompromising quality while supporting American manufacturing." 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. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Telegraph
14 hours ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Why this scientist believes bread is making us sad
Could the bread in your sandwich, the pasta in your salad or the oats in your breakfast be making you depressed? That is the theory that scientists are avidly exploring with studies showing a link between gluten and an array of mental health conditions, from ADHD to schizophrenia. Deanna L Kelly is a professor of psychiatry for Mental Illness Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who has spent the past 17 years leading clinical trials in schizophrenia and severe mental illness, as well as being active in psychopharmacology research. 'I would have been sceptical if you'd told me I'd end up studying this connection,' says Kelly. 'My line of thinking was therapy and medications; I didn't know food and diet could actually be good medicine.' Her scientific journey began by analysing data from soldiers during the Second World War. It showed that during wheat shortages hospitalisations went down. Kelly and her colleagues then looked at the work in the 1970s of Curtis Dohan, a psychiatrist, who was publishing cases of people with schizophrenia recovering on a wheat-free diet. Dohan also visited remote islands in Papua New Guinea, where wheat was not part of the diet and found schizophrenia to be virtually absent, compared to its occurrence in wheat eating populations elsewhere. Kelly then had the opportunity to run a large clinical trial looking at the antibodies produced by the body in a reaction to gluten. What she found was very high rates of antibodies to gluten in the bodies of people with schizophrenia. Her findings have now led her to believe there is a strong connection between brain function and people who have gluten sensitivity. And she is not alone. Evidence shows that consuming foods containing gluten may be linked to a host of psychiatric symptoms, via an immune response, in up to one in 17 people. Get Your Brain Off Grain, the book she has co-authored, draws together the most up to date research on the subject. 'There's really been this disconnect between gastroenterology and psychiatry. We don't know everything. But it's another step closer connecting the dots about these illnesses.' What is gluten sensitivity Gluten is a group of proteins found in wheat, barley and rye. These are key grains found in breads, pastas, pastries and many other of our favourite foods. Some people are sensitive to gluten. This means their immune system 'fights' against gluten as a foreign invader in the body. Coeliac disease is the most well-known type of gluten-related autoimmune disease. It causes damage to the digestive tract leading to a range of gastro-intestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea, bloating and stomach pain, as well as fatigue, weight loss and skin rashes. Coeliac disease runs in families and is diagnosed via a blood test or intestinal biopsy. It is related to another type of gluten sensitivity, often called non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), which is about 10 times more prevalent than coeliac disease. However tests for coeliac disease are often negative in those with NCGS. 'It's challenging for someone to be diagnosed with non coeliac gluten sensitivity,' says Kelly. Gluten and inflammation Gluten was only introduced into our diets about 6,000 years ago. 'The idea of breaking it down is really challenging for our bodies and it never breaks down completely,' says Kelly. When a person with gluten sensitivity eats something with gluten in it – even 'healthy' brown pasta or bread – their body produces antibodies to fight against the gluten. While two types of protein join to make gluten, gliadin and glutenin, it is the former that induces an immune response. This can cause inflammation and contribute to damage in the gut, which leads to the development of 'leaky gut'. The weakened gut wall allows the antibodies to gliadin to leak from the intestine into the general bloodstream. 'When it gets across the stomach lining, the body sees it as a foreign substance for some people,' says Kelly. Inflammation and the brain Consequently inflammation may occur in other parts of the body, including a person's brain. When the antibodies' fight gets to the brain, symptoms that develop may include not only foggy thinking, and lack of energy, but also poor emotional control, anxiety, mood changes, hallucinations and/ or seizures, that are often resistant to treatment with medications. 'There's a specific peptide sequence called 33-mer [found in wheat] that is highly associated with an immune response,' says Deanna. 'If you look at the structure of that, it's very similar to one of the structures of the GRINA receptor, a receptor in the brain. So our bodies potentially can't tell the difference.' It is one of Kelly's theories that in some people their immune system might be attacking some of the tissue in the brain because it looks like gluten. 'We have a paper showing that these antibodies to the receptors to the brain are higher in people who have the antigliadin antibodies.' What causes depression and anxiety The area of the brain called the amygdala functions to help calm fear and anxiety. People with anxiety disorders have been shown to have an exaggerated amygdala response when exposed to events that evoke anxiety. Serotonin, a chemical messenger in the nervous system and part of the brain's communication system, is believed to be a key neurotransmitter involved in anxiety disorders. Interestingly, the gut provides approximately 95 per cent of the body's total serotonin and production is influenced by the particular balance of gut microbes in the individual person. Of course, not everyone with psychiatric and neurological issues is gluten sensitive. However, what is interesting, says Kelly, is that: 'All these disorders that we write about, the literature now is leaning towards them all having inflammation as a cause. 'The immune system is likely not working right in some people. And that leads to inflammatory markers and inflammation. My suggestion is that to some people, gluten is one of the culprits in this immune inflammatory reaction.' The most common symptoms Kelly sees among her psychiatric patients are brain fog, anxiety or depressive symptoms. 'They sometimes have headaches and migraines. Joint pain is common too.' Coeliac disease and NCGS diagnoses are more common in individuals with ADHD symptoms than in the general population. The link between coeliac disease and depression is well-established. One large study of over 2,000 people with coeliac disease showed a 39 per cent lifetime prevalence of depressive symptoms. 'One theory is that depression stems from the difficulty of living with a chronic illness,' says Kelly. 'But there are studies showing a more direct physiological link between coeliac disease and depression.' There is even clearer clinical data that those with schizophrenia can be helped by following a gluten-free diet. One patient of Kelly's suffering from schizophrenia always saw her illness worsen after having gluten. 'She was doing well in the community but when she had gluten she would be hospitalised. 'When she got into the hospital they would give her gluten because they wouldn't believe the family that that mattered. Each time the family would have to fight about it at every hospital.' Other proteins are also linked to inflammation of the brain. 'Casein from milk is another protein that is highly immunogenic.' The role of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) Outside of the gluten realm there's a movement towards understanding the impact of ultra-processed foods on our health. 'There's evidence to show that depression and anxiety and most mental health conditions are higher in people who eat high levels of UPFs, especially in the western diet.' And wheat is part of that. Wheat is now the most widely cultivated crop in the world, and it supplies 20 per cent of all food calories and protein consumed by the global population. 'The data is showing us that there are more people sensitive to gluten than before, we think that's due to a higher gluten content in UPFs.' One of the reasons why gluten may now cause a more severe immune response is that there has been a six-fold increase in the gliadin content of wheat over time. This may be down to the use of high-nitrogen fertilisers and how wheat is processed. The antibodies show the way One young woman who came to Kelly suffering from anxiety and brain fog had previously been tested for gluten sensitivity by her gastroenterologist. 'She was told she didn't have coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity. So I brought her in to take part in my study, and sure enough her antibody response was the biggest I'd ever seen. 'I actually found antibodies to suggest coeliac disease, which are called TTG. I gave her the paperwork and said, 'please go back to your doctor'. When she went back, they did a biopsy and they found she had coeliac disease. It had been missed.' She is one of almost a thousand people in the general population that Kelly has tested for gluten antibodies. 'When people have these antibodies, once I say, 'You're positive for this, it might be worth trying a gluten free diet ', most people report their joint pain went away, or their brain fog, or their anxiety and depression improved.' She has published 24 peer reviewed studies around these antibodies and the relationship of gluten to neurological and psychiatric illnesses. 'Thirty per cent of my patients with schizophrenia have antibodies to gliadin. That means their body is having an immune response to wheat.' Should you change your diet? Her work has changed her diet. Kelly now eats a low carb, almost gluten free. 'I'm not a fad diet person,' she says. 'If you'd told me I would be studying this I would have laughed. But science took me there.' From looking at animal studies, the data would suggest that gluten could be bad for everyone. 'We haven't gone so far as to say that,' says Kelly, cautiously. 'But when you start to dig into it, and you've seen what a brain looks like of an animal of gluten, it really makes me think twice about how much should be in my diet.' Still, not everybody should be on a gluten-free diet. About 10 per cent of the population have NCGS. And Kelly sees lots of people who have no immune response at all. 'Their bodies handle it fine. But then there are lots of people who have the antibodies and coeliac in their families and that's where removal could really help people.' While it's not going to be a cure all for everybody, typically Kelly sees changes in her patients in as little as three weeks. Brain imaging data has also shown how the blood flow in their brain improves on a gluten-free diet. 'We do recommend talking to your dietitian or doctor beforehand. That's because many foods that contain gluten are fortified with minerals and vitamins that our body needs, but struggles to get from our diet. Things like folic acid. You need folate for your brain.' She also notes that for those who have a psychiatric disorder, such as depression or schizophrenia, eating a gluten-free diet can be a challenge. 'Once you are sick, it's easier to just continue to eat gluten because it's cheap and you don't have to spend time cooking. When you're not feeling well you don't want to spend time cooking fresh vegetables. It becomes a cycle.' Food as medicine Over 2,000 years ago Hippocrates said, 'let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food'. 'All this time later we are now starting to pay attention to the impact of the food we put in our body,' says Kelly. The parents of one young man with a seizure disorder noticed that every time he had a big spaghetti meal his seizures were worse. 'And no one thought that that was related,' says Kelly, who was consulted by a neurologist on the case. 'While he didn't test positive for coeliac disease, he did have antibodies to gliadin. And so we suggested a gluten free diet and he has been seizure free since.' However, it is challenging for people to understand that a gluten-free diet helps their brain. She is used to resistance to new ideas, that is the lot of the scientist. However she says: 'We now have the technology. We can look at brain imaging and antibodies and show that it actually connects. We know for a fact that the brain is impacted by what we put into our gut and now we have to unravel all the mysteries there.'
Medscape
a day ago
- Health
- Medscape
Why Is Medical Cannabis Missing From Med School Curriculum?
At last count, 48 US states, Washington DC, and 3 territories have legalized cannabis for medical/therapeutic purposes, and 24 for adult recreational use. In 2020, at least 8.3 million Americans acknowledged using medical cannabis; many of the same patients also reported mixed (ie, medicinal/recreational) use. Clinical education has not caught up. There are 19 cannabis education certificate and/or master's level programs offered in colleges, universities, and graduate schools in 14 US states, meaning that only about one third of the 48 states that have legalized medicinal cannabis have some sort of college or graduate-level curriculum to support patients. The dearth of cannabis education has also left a large percentage of the more than 1 million practicing physicians in the US — and concurrently, most future prescribers — without a framework to leverage what has the potential to become one of the most important tools at their disposal. Leah Sera, PharmD, is associate professor and the inaugural program director of the nation's first Master of Science in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics program at the University of Maryland (UMD) School of Pharmacy in Baltimore. Sera explained the impetus behind UMD's program (which launched in August 2019) was the concerns voiced by health professionals; not only were they not learning about cannabis medicine and the endocannabinoid system in academic programs, but more importantly, they lacked the knowledge to help patients coming to them with questions. 'I think that it's important for health professional educational programs to incorporate cannabis medicine into their curricula so that when we graduate new generations of healthcare providers, they're better equipped to really engage with a public who clearly wants more information — both to keep them safe and help improve their lives,' she said. Medical literature has underscored that medical students feel the same. A 2019 survey of medical school students indicated that although participants expressed mixed feelings about medicinal cannabis, the majority said they lacked adequate knowledge about its therapeutic applications, research, and science and instead relied on anecdotal evidence and social media for information. The Endocannabinoid System Arguably, politics have played a large role in slowing broad acceptance of the medicinal benefits of cannabis (eg, fearmongering, the war on drugs), and it is still considered a Schedule 1 drug. These factors are also believed to have contributed to the lack of inclusion in medical school curriculum. 'What it means for cannabis to be a Schedule 1 substance is that the federal government says that cannabis does not have a currently accepted medical use and the highest risk of abuse,' said Sera. 'Although there's been a lot of cannabis research both within and outside the US, it's very difficult to do gold standard randomized, controlled trials with any Schedule 1 drug.' 'Until very recently (and it may be occurring still), a lot of medical and nursing programs taught that cannabis is bad, has no therapeutic benefits, and it's highly addictive,' added Nishi Whiteley, cofounder and chief operating officer of CReDO Science, a science and research organization geared toward education, cannabis product optimization, and clinical consultation. 'There's been an active campaign to malign cannabis, which is an enormous disservice to the patient and to the medical professional who needs to have more tools in their toolbox,' she said. Despite these challenges, decades of scientific research have consistently shown that the endocannabinoid system helps modulate a wide range of physiologic processes (eg, pain, inflammation, mood, metabolism, and neuroprotection) through its interaction with the major systems in the body, including the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems and digestive symptoms. This is a key reason why cannabis researchers and specialists have argued for its inclusion within medical education programs. 'Every place we've looked, in whatever physiological system, the endocannabinoid system has a role as a homeostatic regulator,' said Ethan Russo, MD, a board-certified neurologist, psychopharmacology researcher, and cofounder/CEO of CReDO Science. 'We now understand that there are endogenous cannabinoids that are similar in structure to what we see in cannabis,' said Reggie Gaudino, PhD, a molecular geneticist and director of the Cannabis Research Institute at the University of Illinois Chicago. 'The endocannabinoid system is like the one ring to rule them all,' he said. 'It interacts through all other biochemical pathways and systems in the body to help keep our different processes in balance. Without understanding that system, we create other problems.' Just the Basics These cannabis experts said that at the very least, practicing and future prescribers need a foundational education that might include an overview of the endocannabinoid system, how it applies to disease processes, and its major components. 'The endocannabinoid system is a good starting point; it's how we are used to learning about medications and how biological systems are altered from disease or medication or other treatments,' said Sera. She explained that this provides a foundation for discussions about the pharmacology of cannabinoids — chemicals within the cannabis plant that have biologic activity in humans and other animals — and how they interact with the endocannabinoid system to produce downstream effects on other organs. Sera also said that it is important for future prescribers to learn how to interpret different types of medical literature and cannabis studies despite methodological concerns that have plagued the industry and the lack of studies on specific products available in medical dispensaries. The same is true for counteracting cannabis hysteria in mainstream media every time a new study comes out, said Russo. 'Medical students need to be aware that real issues can arise with cannabis and its potential abuse, which does happen,' he explained. 'But the other side of the coin is therapeutics, which is quite distinct in terms of intent and dosages, ie, there's a distinction between a small dose for therapeutic purposes and a large dose that may produce harm.' Importantly, this fact has often been overlooked in alarmist headlines and stories that have gained the most traction. Bridging the Gap Today, the gap between educational needs and educational reality is large. To address this, Russo and Whiteley said they developed an online, 40-hour advanced medical cannabis certificate program for practicing clinicians. For professionals interested in learning how to address patient questions in an informed manner, they also created a Foundations of Cannabis Therapeutics course. Though future prescribers can certainly benefit from these sorts of online foundational courses, the dearth of cannabis education within medical schools has left a large knowledge and practice deficit. Dustin Sulak, DO, an integrative medicine specialist, cannabis expert, and founder of Intergr8 Health and a medical cannabis education resource in Falmouth, Maine, considers cannabis medicine revolutionary in that it actually alters the way the medicine is practiced. 'Cannabis medicine is a paradigm shift away from single-molecule interventions that have single physiologic targets toward more complex botanical treatments that target many things in the body — most of all, interfacing with the endocannabinoid system,' said Sulak. He used the example of managing pain, sleep, spasticity, and depression all at the same time with the same treatment. 'For any field of medicine to fail to take into consideration the role of the endocannabinoid system in pathophysiology is a shortcoming and a missed opportunity for interventions that improve symptoms and potentially, a cure,' he said. There is a broader paradigm shift that's needed, one that requires a new mindset, especially within the medical education and practice arena. 'I think of myself as a patient advocate, not a cannabis advocate,' said Sera. 'Cannabis is a potentially powerful tool for some patients that can improve their lives; it's not about the plant itself.' Russo is chief medical officer for Indira Pharmaceuticals and receives advisory fees from Carnada. Sulak is equity owner of Whiteley, Gaudino, and Sera reported having no relevant financial relationships.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists raise alarm as 'ghost forests' creep inland on East Coast: 'A process we are still looking at'
Scientists raise alarm as 'ghost forests' creep inland on East Coast: 'A process we are still looking at' Saltwater is marching across Maryland's low-lying woodlands, killing trees and leaving behind what scientists call "ghost forests," reported news station WMDT. What's happening? Somerset County, Maryland, has been experiencing the effects of rising sea levels, which have been pushing marshes inland. Stephanie Stotts, professor of forest ecology at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, has been studying the phenomenon. Specifically, Stotts' focus is on the cause of dying trees in the area. "That is a process we are still looking at," said Stotts, who noted that marsh saltwater moving inland can be hazardous to surrounding vegetation. "There is salt in the water and in the ground, then the trees can no longer use their osmotic gradient to pull the water into the tree." Why are rising sea levels concerning? According to the global average sea level is eight to nine inches higher now than it was in 1880. Sea levels rise as glaciers and sea ice melt and temperatures increase, causing the water to expand. These are both consequences of rising global temperatures. Human activities, such as livestock farming and burning fossil fuels, contribute to these rising temperatures. As the planet warms, extreme weather events become more common. Warmer air carries more moisture, and warmer oceans store extra heat, loading the atmosphere with storm fuel. That surplus energy drives heavier downpours and fiercer hurricanes that can lead to flooding, particularly in coastal communities. This is what Maryland is experiencing. Extra seawater has to go somewhere. Somerset County's low elevation makes it an ideal spot for excess water to drain, pushing out marshlands and affecting the area's trees and vegetation. What's being done about rising sea levels? Coastal scientists and experts are building buffers against damage from rising sea levels. Living shorelines are one way some coastal communities choose to make their homes more resilient against flooding. Others are designing floating homes that may be able to withstand structural damage from floods. There are also steps you can take to slow global warming and its effects on weather systems. First, explore critical climate issues to better understand how everyday activities, such as driving and buying things you don't need, contribute to overheating. Then, make small changes, such as walking or biking more instead of driving or recycling rather than throwing away, to do your part to reduce emissions and help coastal communities thrive. Do you worry about air pollution in your town? All the time Often Only sometimes Never 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. Solve the daily Crossword
E&E News
6 days ago
- Politics
- E&E News
Trump executive order adds loyal ‘horsepower' to agencies
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that creates a new class of federal employees who might help tighten his grip on the government's policymaking apparatus. The executive order sets up Schedule G, a new classification for workers who will not be career civil servants and will be expected to exit their positions when the president who appointed them leaves the White House. Schedule G employees will 'help faithfully implement the President's policy agenda,' a White House fact sheet said, enhancing efficiency and services 'by increasing the horsepower for agency implementation of Administration policy.' Advertisement Don Kettl, professor emeritus and former dean of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, told POLITICO's E&E News, 'The inevitable result of creating Schedule G is creating the ability to vastly increase the number of political appointees throughout the executive branch.'
