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The Hindu
2 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Decoding the findings of a study linking night shifts with asthma problems in women
A recent study has found a correlation between working night shifts and asthma, especially in women. The study, 'Increased risk of asthma in female night shift workers' published in ERJ Open Research, based its findings on cross-sectional data from over 2,80,000 U.K. Biobank participants. The study builds on previous research that had found a higher risk of moderate or severe asthma in night shift employees. Researchers found that 5.3 per cent of the workers had asthma, with 1.9 per cent suffering from moderate or severe asthma (taking an asthma-preventer inhaler and at least one other asthma treatment, such as an oral steroid). The study's findings Led by Robert Maidstone of the University of Manchester, U.K., the study found that women who worked night shifts were more prone to moderate to severe asthma. Women who only worked night shifts were found to be around 50 per cent more likely to suffer from moderate or severe asthma compared to women who only worked in the daytime. Although it has been established that more adult women than men are prone to asthma the reason for this has been elusive. The researchers believe that testosterone, the male sex hormone, has a protective effect that prevents asthma triggers in men, and suggested that post-menopausal women could opt for hormone replacement therapy as it appears to have a protective effect. What is asthma? Asthma is a major noncommunicable disease (NCD), affecting both children and adults, and is the most common chronic disease among children. Inflammation and narrowing of the small airways in the lungs cause asthma symptoms, which can be any combination of cough, wheeze, shortness of breath and chest tightness. Inhaled medication can control asthma symptoms and allow people with asthma to lead a normal, active life. Avoiding asthma triggers can also help to reduce asthma symptoms. Asthma is often under-diagnosed and under-treated, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Source: WHO R. Sridharan, a Chennai-based specialist in treating allergies, concurs with the findings of the study. He explains that our body is regulated by the circadian rhythm (the internal clock managing the sleep-wake process). When a person's circadian rhythm changes as in the case of those working night shifts, they end up suffering from a number of health issues which could include acid reflux, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD), obesity, obstructive sleep apnoea, besides hormonal changes. This can have a number of effects including increasing the chances of getting asthma, Dr. Sridharan said. While asthma can be triggered by allergies and pollution, obesity too, is linked with an increased risk of developing for asthma according to the United States National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. 'Obesity is common due to loss of normal sleep patterns,' said Dr. Sridharan, adding: 'What I am seeing is night duty people have more asthma and less controlled asthma and are prone for many asthma triggers,' he adds. Allergies, he says, are linked to low levels of immunity, again caused by disruptions to sleep and inadequate sleep, which could then trigger asthma. Dr. Sridharan however points out that as a specialist, of 30 patients in a day, he sees 25 with asthma, and both men and women and equally prone to the condition. Pulmonologist M. Koushik Muthu Raja said he had treated a few persons who work night shifts and presented with severe asthma. 'We have not understood the correlation in India because we don't have that many cases presented to our clinic so far,' he says. Asthma cannot be directly linked to night shifts, he explains, as there may be other reasons -- pollen allergies, colds and humidity -- with some individuals having more episodes in summer, while some others have increased episodes in winter. Besides, the standard guidelines for asthma have not listed night shifts as a risk factor as yet, he points out. 'We need to wait for larger studies from India in order to establish such a link. We need in-depth, robust randomised studies to find a direct correlation. A similar, large-scale study in India would help to understand the correlation between asthma and night shifts,' he says. According to the WHO, asthma cannot be cured but there are several treatments available. The most common treatment is to use an inhaler, which delivers medication directly to the lungs. Inhalers can help control the disease and enable people with asthma to enjoy a normal, active life, it says.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
'Thriving and densely-built': Archaeologists unearth 'tower' houses and ceremonial building in ancient Egyptian city of Imet
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Archaeologists have discovered the remains of multistory houses and a ceremonial building linked to the cobra-headed goddess Wadjet in the ancient Egyptian city of Imet. Dense architectural remains indicate that Imet was a bustling urban center during Egypt's Late Period (circa 664 to 332 B.C.), or the last period of Egyptian rule before Alexander the Great and his general Ptolemy I Soter took over, according to a statement describing recent excavations in what is now Tell Nabasha (also spelled Tell Nebesha) — an archaeological site in the eastern Nile Delta. "Imet is emerging as a key site for rethinking the archaeology of Late Period Egypt," Nicky Nielsen, a senior lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Manchester in the U.K. who directed the excavations, said in the statement. The newly discovered multistory houses, or tower houses, were likely designed to accommodate a growing population in what was a prominent city in ancient times, particularly in the fourth century B.C., Nielsen said. "These tower houses are mainly found in the Nile Delta between the Late Period and the Roman era, and are rare elsewhere in Egypt," he said. "Their presence here shows that Imet was a thriving and densely-built city with a complex urban infrastructure." Nielsen and his team first spotted the tower-house remains on high-resolution satellite images, which revealed clusters of ancient mudbrick in Imet. The researchers traveled to the ancient city to excavate these structures, as well as the ruins of a paved area for grain processing and animal enclosures, which together point to an active local economy, according to the statement. Related: 'Major' ancient Egyptian town discovered — and it has a jug stamped with the name of Nefertiti's daughter Together with Egyptian archaeologists, the researchers also unearthed a large building with a limestone plaster floor and huge pillars dating to the Ptolemaic period (332 to 30 B.C.), when Ptolemy I Soter's dynasty ruled Egypt. The building sits on the ancient processional road to the temple of Wadjet — the patron goddess and protector of Lower Egypt, traditionally depicted as a winged cobra or as a woman with the head of a cobra — suggesting the building itself also held spiritual significance. Evidence suggests the processional road fell out of use in the mid-Ptolemaic period, indicating a shift in religious culture, according to the statement. RELATED STORIES —Ancient Egyptian city of Alexandria — the birthplace of Cleopatra — is crumbling into the sea at an unprecedented rate —Archaeologists unearth tree-lined walkway that led to ancient Egyptian fortress in Sinai Desert —2,100-year-old temple from ancient Egypt discovered hidden in cliff face In the ruins of buildings, the researchers found various stunning artifacts, including a green faience ushabti — or glazed ceramic funerary figurine — from the 26th dynasty (Late Period), a stone slab with engravings of the god Harpocrates and protective symbols and a musical instrument featuring the goddess of music and joy, Hathor. The discovery of complex infrastructure and ancient religious artifacts from Imet "opens new doors to our understanding of daily life, spirituality and urban planning in the Delta," Nielsen said.
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Science
- Newsweek
Stamp-Sized Drive Will Hold More TikTok Videos Than You Can Watch in a Year
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The creation of a new magnetic molecule could pave the way to build new, stamp-sized hard drives capable of holding the equivalent of 500,000 TikTok videos. This 100-fold improvement in data storage is the tantalizing promise of a study by chemists from the Australian National University (ANU) and the University of Manchester, England. The magnetic storage technology used in current hard disk drives record information by magnetizing tiny regions, each made up of many atoms, all working in concert to preserve "bits" (binary digits) of data—either a "0" or a "1." In contrast, single-molecule magnets can store information all on their own, without the help of their neighbors. "If perfected, these molecules could pack large amounts of information into tiny spaces," said paper author and chemist Professor Nicholas Chilton of ANU in a statement. "This new molecule could lead to new technologies that could store about three terabytes of data per square centimeter. "That's equivalent to around 40,000 CD copies of [Pink Floyd's] The Dark Side of the Moon album squeezed into a hard drive the size of a postage stamp—or around half a million TikTok videos." According to the researchers, the magnetic molecules' storage ability stems from their unique structure, which features an atom of the rare earth element dysprosium sandwiched between two nitrogen atoms, all in a line. This configuration, the researchers say, has long been predicted to enhance magnetic performance, but this is the first time that such has been made a reality, as dysprosium normally forms angular bonds with nitrogen. To get around this, the chemists added a "molecular pin" to the dysprosium that helps hold the molecule in the right structure. A model of the new single-magnet molecule, which features an atom of the rare earth element dysprosium sandwiched between two nitrogen molecules. A model of the new single-magnet molecule, which features an atom of the rare earth element dysprosium sandwiched between two nitrogen molecules. Jamie Kidston / ANU There is a small catch to the whole new data storage concept, however—the magnetic molecule needs to be chilled to -279 degrees Fahrenheit (-173 degrees Celsius) to retain its memory, which is about as cold as an evening on the dark side of the moon. "We won't be seeing this type of data storage in our mobile phones for a while," cautions paper author and University of Manchester chemist Professor David Mills in a statement. However, this is still a significant improvement on the previous record for a single-molecule magnet, which worked only up to -315 degrees Fahrenheit (-193 degrees Celsius). "While still a long way from working in a standard freezer, or at room temperature, data storage at 100 Kelvin, or about -173 degrees Celsius, could be feasible in huge data centers, such as those used by Google," Mills added. He said: "Although the new magnet still needs cooling far below room temperature, it is now well above the temperature of liquid nitrogen—a readily available coolant—which is 77 Kelvin, or around -196 degrees Celsius." Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about data storage tech? Let us know via science@ Reference Emerson-King, J., Gransbury, G. K., Atkinson, B. E., Blackmore, W. J. A., Whitehead, G. F. S., Chilton, N. F., & Mills, D. P. (2025). Soft magnetic hysteresis in a dysprosium amide—alkene complex up to 100 kelvin. Nature.
Egypt Today
4 days ago
- Egypt Today
New Archaeological Discovery in Sharqiya Reveals Lost City of 'Emet'
The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has announced a groundbreaking discovery at Tell El-Fara'in (Tell Nebesha) in Sharqiya Governorate. A British archaeological team from the University of Manchester uncovered the ruins of the ancient city of 'Emet,' dating back to the early or mid-4th century BC. Among the findings, multi-story residential buildings ('tower houses'), known for their thick foundations, storage facilities for grain and animal shelters, structures once part of a ceremonial processional route, a limestone temple floor, and remains of mudbrick columns likely covered in plaster. A bronze sistrum (musical instrument) adorned with Hathor heads, a finely crafted green faience ushabti figurine from the 26th Dynasty, and a rare stela depicting Horus standing on crocodiles, holding serpents, topped by the god Bes were also uncovered. In the temple area, archaeologists also found signs that the processional road connecting Late Period monuments to the Temple of Wadjet was decommissioned by the mid-Ptolemaic era. The temple was rebuilt during the reigns of Ramesses II and Ahmose II, and later repurposed as a quarry during the Achaemenid period. Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy praised the discovery as a major step toward enriching Egypt's cultural heritage and deepening understanding of daily life and religious practices during the Late and early Ptolemaic periods. According to Dr. Nicky Nielsen, the mission's director, the city of Emet once stood as a key population center in Lower Egypt, especially during the New Kingdom and Late Period, and was home to a significant temple dedicated to the goddess Wadjet, whose ruins still dominate the western part of the site. This discovery opens new doors for research into one of the Delta's most important ancient cities.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
‘Class of Now' rewrite career script, select courses that fit
Mumbai: Once upon a time, there was a path laid down like railway tracks: science for the toppers, commerce for the cautious, arts for the wanderers. But the 'Class of Now' is more invested in writing its own script. Ananya Singh, 23, had planned to wear a white coat with forensic psychiatry on her mind. But NEET, with its punishing pressure, made her hesitate. "I was always scared of the 'Where do you see yourself in five years?' question," she said. The answer came not from a textbook, but a phone call — a cousin studying International Relations at Ambedkar University in Delhi opened a door she didn't know existed. Ananya enrolled in International Relations, graduated, and went on to do her Master's at the University of Manchester — turning down an offer from the more prestigious University of Edinburgh. "Manchester just felt more student-friendly," she said. A quiet reminder that for this generation, fit matters more than fame. Sometimes, the city matters more than the course. Additya Shrivastava, 19, fell for Boston after a summer stint at Berklee College of Music. "I wanted real-world experience, not just lectures," he said. Now in his second year at Northeastern University, he's studying Environmental Sustainability and Economics, a degree shaped as much by urban energy as academic interest. It's not just anecdotal. Education counsellor Karan Gupta sees it daily — students with sharper filters and deeper questions. "They're not just chasing rankings," he explained. "They weigh return on investment, global exposure, safety, campus diversity, and post-graduation outcomes. Even political stability matters now." For some, the pivot comes from introspection. Hita Rai thought journalism would fit as she liked to write, after all. But halfway in, it felt limiting. "It wasn't creative enough. And honestly, it isn't lucrative," she said. So, she switched tracks. At O P Jindal Global University, she's now studying Corporate Communication and Public Affairs. "It combines PR, advertising, storytelling; it just feels like me." This fluidity must be encouraged, said Sunita George, principal of Bombay Scottish School. "Some children are sure of what they want. Others are lost. That's natural." Her advice: allow students to explore. "Experiential learning is everything," she added, pointing to her own daughter, who discovered a love for marketing through school activities. On college selection, George has a simple rule: "Course first, college later. There's no such thing as a bad college, it's about where you fit." Sarah Nathani, 19, knew she wanted more than just formulas and labs. A physics enthusiast with a liberal arts heart, she found her perfect match at Harvey Mudd College, California, known for blending STEM with humanities. "I wanted depth in science and breadth in thought," she said. That the college was in proximity to tech hubs was a happy coincidence. Today's students are crafting paths that reflect who they are becoming, not just what they want to do. In their choices, there's agency. In their detours, discovery.
