Smoking will be banned in Yuba College.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – It seems like smoking will no longer be an issue in the Yuba Community College District (YCCD) as starting from the 1st of August, new laws will prohibit the use of tobacco products in this area.
Even if Woodland Community College banned smoking a few years ago, Lake County and Yuba College haven’t done that until now. Last year, the YCCD Board of Trustees approved the new regulations after years of planning, surveys, and discussions which had started from 2012.
The coordination committee and the district consultation went through all the administrative procedures and recommended these changes on April 26 which will become active in the following months.
The Human Services Department and the Sutter County Health Department monitored and helped the officials to write these regulations that will prohibit smoking in the Yuba College campus.
These rules will be applied to all visitors, volunteers, vendors, students, and employees. Also, all other smoking devices will be banned including smokeless nicotine/tobacco products, electronic cigarettes, hookah, pipes, beedies, cloves, cigars, and cigarettes.
The procedure includes chewing, dipping, and using smokeless or mouth nicotine/tobacco as well. In addition to this, the California Senate is currently analyzing a new bill that will ban smoking and the use of tobacco products on all community college campuses from California starting from the 1st of January, 2018.
According to the Surgeon General of the United States, the risk of exposure to secondhand nicotine/tobacco smoke needs to be reduced as much as possible because right now the situation is quite critical.
It is also worth mentioning that secondhand nicotine/tobacco smoke was established as a public health threat and a group ‘A’ carcinogen by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). There is no other class of carcinogen higher than ‘A,’ meaning that active measures must be taken as soon as possible.
Secondhand smoke was classified as a toxic air contaminant by the California Air Resources Board, so smoking is not just a health threat for smokers and non-smokers, but also a source of air pollution throughout the United States and the whole world.
Health officials have determined that smoking is strongly associated with a high risk of developing many health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer as well. This initiative must continue in order to raise awareness and educate the public regarding the real danger of nicotine addiction.
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Flesh eating bacteria are not a joke.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – There is a growing concern regarding the flesh eating bacteria after some cases of infected people have been recently reported.
According to Dr. Tim Martindale, the bacteria known as Vibrio vulnificus might be found in standstill, warm, or shallow water. It can also be found in the mud or bottom sand of lakes or seawater.
People usually get infected through open wounds or cuts. Crabs and shrimps might carry this infection as well, meaning that eating this seafood without properly cooking it might lead to severe consequences.
That is why doctors recommend people to avoid boiling or steaming seafood. Instead, they should properly cook them at high temperatures to make sure that all bacteria will die.
People who get infected with Vibrio develop a swollen skin, tenderness, and redness as well. Experts strongly recommend people to have a shower and to use antibacterial soap that will remove all the bacteria that they might have contacted from the water.
But to make sure that they will not get infected, scientists advise everyone to avoid swimming in possibly contaminated waters.
The flesh eating bacteria is no joke, as it causes a massive open wound in the infected area and it is difficult to treat if the infection is not detected early.
Regarding this matter, early detection is crucial, and it will certainly make the difference. Such bacteria can be tackled with strong antibiotics and other treatment given by your doctor. Left untreated, Vibrio will cause severe damage in the infected area.
In the worst case scenario, doctors had to amputate the infected parts of the body to prevent the bacteria from spreading further.
Martindale stated that people with eczema, super dry skin, cracks, sores and breaks in their skin must avoid swimming in waters that might be infected with Vibrio.
This virus thrives in shallow and warm waters so people should always be informed whether the waters in which they decide to swim is labeled as safe by experts.
The infection caused by Vibrio is called cellulitis and can be best treated by a powerful prescribed antibiotic known as docyclin.
According to Dr. Martindale, hundreds of people are infected by Vibrio vulnificus every year. Officials and authorities from many counties have decided to take active measures of precaution by testing their water sources to establish whether they are contaminated with the flesh eating bacteria or not.
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Amazon rainforest is threatened.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Experts have come to the conclusion that Amazon rainforest species will be critically endangered if people don’t start controlling fragmentation, wildfires, and logging.
A team of researchers from the Lancaster University conducted a study called ‘Anthropogenic disturbance in tropical forests can double biodiversity loss from deforestation.’
Based on this study, they investigated the consequences of forest fragmentation, wildfires, and logging on 156 dung beetle species, 460 bird species, and 1,538 tree species situated in Pará, a state from the Brazilian Amazon, known for its vast area six times larger than the United Kingdom.
Scientists from 18 international research institutions participated in reviewing the effects of human ignorance, pollution, habitat loss, and deforestation.
According to lead author, Professor Jos Barlow of Lancaster University, current rainforest conservation initiatives do not account for deforestation and forest disturbance, meaning that it is incomplete and highly ineffective in dealing with the most critical problems concerning the balance of the Amazon ecosystem.
Efficient countermeasures must be taken immediately in order to reduce the damage that is being done every day to these forests through logging and wildfires caused by human activity.
If human excess does not stop, Amazon rainforest will no longer be home to such a large variety of birds, insects, animals, and plants. Since 1988, the statistics showed that human disturbance led to a loss of 139,000 km2 due to deforestation, an area as large as Florida.
According to Dr. Gareth Lennox, lead project analyst from Lancaster University, Amazon rainforest is probably our world’s greatest treasure, as it represents a haven for countless of animal and plant species.
Scientists underline that all governments should contribute to finding the best solution to save this precious environment until it’s too late. According to Dr. Alexander Lees, Cornell University lead ornithologist, rare plants, animals, insects, and birds are the most endangered because almost all of them are endemic species.
More than 10 percent of Earth’s bird species live in the state of Pará, and most of them cannot be found anywhere in the world. If Amazon rainforest is further harmed, then a huge part of these species will become extinct.
People need to change their perspective and join the common cause of protecting the world ecosystem, especially tropical forests which provide the world with many resources. Unfortunately, humans abused of these resources and brought the Amazon rainforest in a critical condition.
Image Source:Inhabitat
People should be aware of Vibrio infection.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Many people throughout the United States are afraid of a type of flesh-eating bacteria known as Vibrio vulnificus. This type of bacteria thrives in warm, salty waters that have the same salinity as the human body and it is usually present in mouths of rivers, marshes, and bays.
Vibrio infects crabs, oysters, and shrimps because they often feed on what they find in the bottom sand and mud.
People most often get infected with Vibrio after cutting themselves during netting, boating, or fishing. Scientists established that even if swimming in infested waters is highly dangerous, the leading cause of Vibrio infection comes from wade fishing cuts, shellfish spine punctures, and fishhook injuries.
The statistics from the University of Texas Medical Branch showed that between five to ten cases of flesh-eating bacteria infection are reported every year. People might also get infected with other types of marine bacteria, such as Edwardsiella, Shewanella, and Erysipelothrix.
But the most marine viral infections are connected with hepatitis viruses from shellfish and fishing injuries. Experts underline that having a shower is our best bet after leaving waters that might be infested with dangerous bacteria.
Antibacterial soaps are very useful thanks to some chemical ingredients. Making an appointment to your doctor is never a bad idea especially if you want to make sure that you are 100 percent healthy. Cooking is another reason for concern because people usually eat raw oysters that might be already infected with Vibrio.
Plus, shrimp and crabs are usually boiled or steamed in order to maintain their flavor. But these methods are not safe enough against possible infections. Bacteria die at high temperatures, so seafood must be adequately cooked to be considered healthy enough.
Otherwise, they can lead to severe consequences especially in people who suffer from lymphoma, leukemia, arthritis, and liver disease. The flesh-eating bacteria infect the human body through cuts and puncture wounds mostly because people go fishing without having the right equipment.
But it is not enough to be properly equipped as fishing is sometimes a dangerous activity involving knives and sharp hooks which might lead to injuries. In the worst case scenarios, experts urge fishermen to seek medical attention immediately in order to avoid the spread of the flesh-eating bacteria into the body.
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(Mirror Daily, United States) – A cyber criminal going by the name of “thedarkoverlord” is trying to monetize more than 650,000 patient records he reportedly had stolen from three healthcare organizations on the dark web. He is currently also trying to extort money from the said organizations to keep his mouth shut.
The leaked patient records include names, physical addresses, Social Security numbers, and more. The data could be used by other fraudsters for other wrongdoings.
Thedarkoverlord explained that he managed to get into the organization’s computer systems by exploiting a weakness in their Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). He commented on the bug and said that one needs to be very precise to exploit it.
He even posted screenshots proving he was indeed inside the systems. The leaked data contain full names, insurance information, home and e-mail addresses, Social Security numbers of 655,000 patients. The data can be later used by other thieves to take out loans or open lines of credit.
The hacker said that the hacked healthcare organizations are form Missouri (48,000 leaked patient records), Central U.S. (210,000 patient records), and Georgia (397,000 records). He declined to reveal the names of the institutions because he is currently trying to extort ransom from them.
The hacker evaluated Georgia’s Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance records to $100,000. He said on hackers’ forum that one client was especially interested in those records alone.
For the rest of the Georgia databse he demands nearly 608 bitcoins or about $398,390. He also provided details on the hack at the organization: reportedly he got access to usernames and passwords saved in plaintext from a misconfigured internal network.
For the database from the Central U.S. organization he wants 303 bitcoins, while for the Missouri database he plans to get 152 bitcoins or nearly $10,000. He also pledged to sell only unique copies of the databases to his clients.
He recently told a tech news outlet that the amount of ransom he is seeking is “modest” compared to the impact on patients and organizations after he decides to make patient data public.
He even sent a public note to affected organizations advising them to take an advantage of the opportunity to cover the hack up for a “small fee.” He also threatened them that he had “a lot more” in store.
Image Source: Pixabay
Learn how to handle bees.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Beekeeping has become quite popular over the last few years. But this bee hobby is unique as it requires a lot of skill and dedication.
Still, it is good news that there is a growing interest in this activity because bees are facing a large variety of threats. Bees pollinate around 90 percent of the world’s crops which represent 70 percent of the entire planet’s source of food.
In other words, if all bees die, we will all starve. These insects have to deal with dangerous climate changes, pesticides, human ignorance, pollution, and other pests such as mites. Worse, around 44 percent of the bee colonies die every year, meaning that bees might not have such a bright future.
These top pollinators need our attention the most. To become a successful beekeeper, you need to have a basic knowledge about them and to follow a simple set of rules that will help you maintain not only the bees’ number but also improve the quality of your beehives.
First of all, if you want to start with the right foot, you have to be passionate about bees. Experts advise beginner beekeepers to purchase an excellent beehive as it will be the home of these insects. There are many sizes and shapes of beehives, so everyone can afford buying one.
You also need to protect yourself by purchasing a beekeeping suit that will prevent bees from getting any close to your skin. This suit is also safe for bees because they will not die trying to protect the hive from you. The full equipment includes a set of gloves, clothing, hat, and a veil.
Another important piece of advice for beekeepers is to place their beehive in a wide area, not too close to other people’s houses or your garden. In addition to this, the beehives should always have access to the sun. Bees can be acquired from more experienced beekeepers, local beekeeping association, or from online stores.
You need to make sure that your bees have enough plants and flowers in the surrounding area. Beginner beekeepers need to make a bee check a few times a week until they learn to do it perfectly. Still, this process might be stressful for bees so you might want to be quite delicate when you handle them.
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Physical exercises boost your memory.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Based on the latest research, physical exercises are closely connected with your memory. The first step was when scientists discovered that doing fitness four hours after studying helped people memorize the information easier.
Then, further investigation revealed that there is a protein that makes our brains better. According to Henriette van Praag, study author and brain science investigator at the National Institute on Aging, our brain does more than just responding to physical exercises.
Furthermore, during that time, muscles release a protein that leads to new connections and cells in the memory part of the brain.
It means that the more fitness we do, the better our memory becomes. In addition to this, this relation between physical exercises and memory has caught the attention of more and more scientists. After accounting for all substances produced by muscle cells during fitness, Henriette’s team discovered that cathepsin B is the protein that boosts memory.
However, cathepsin B has a bad reputation because it was previously related to cell death and other types of health conditions because tumor cells usually produce it. Worse, it was found in brain plaques related to Alzheimer’s disease.
Even so, the study showed that this protein contributes in the growth of new connections and cells in the memory-related-part of the brain, also known as the hippocampus. Experts first did an experiment on mice to see how they reacted after a long time on the exercise wheel.
Therefore, they learned that the little rodents performed better in a memory test, during which they had to find a hidden platform under the surface of a pool. Plus, they discovered that the protein released by the muscles led to a cell growth.
Then, the team did the experiment again on larger animals, and they discovered the same thing, that cathepsin B caused a boost in the memory of the animals. In addition to this, they decided to make a research on 43 people as well to see if the ‘rule’ also applies to us.
It is worth mentioning that the people participating in the study were university students who had not been doing any physical workout. According to Dr. Emrah Duzel, team member and neurologist from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, the students were divided into two groups. One of them went under a four-month intensive workout to determine if the protein will have the same effect on them.
Based on the results, these students developed a better memory. After seeing a geometric pattern, they were able to reproduce it after a few minutes.
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Each browser has different effects on the battery of the device that is used on.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – When Internet Explorer came with Windows, everybody was avoiding the browser due to its tendency to lag. The internet is filled with memes featuring IE showing month-old news, suggesting that it is the slowest browser there is. Then, Internet Explorer got a makeover. Among other features, Gate’s company is advertising that Microsoft Edge is battery friendly, allowing computers to run for longer intervals.
Every power user knows that Chrome, the browser developed and managed by Google can hog the battery of a device. However, a great number of individuals continue to use the battery depleting web surfing app because they feel like the compromise is worth it seeing as Chrome is the most efficient browser on the market.
Back when Edge was still Internet Explorer, Microsoft was striving to make it more appealing to the fans. That is why the company reinvented it when they launched Microsoft Windows 10 last year.
It appears that, besides the fact that it is considerably faster than IE, Microsoft Edge is battery friendly. This theory was proved in a Microsoft test that featured Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Chrome, and of course, Edge.
The testers took four fully charged identical surface books, opened the same tasks on all four using different browsers and let them run until their battery was depleted.
The first one to die was the laptop that was using Google Chrome. It only lasted four hours, nineteen minutes and fifty seconds. The second one to abandon the race was the one running the tests with Mozilla Firefox. This computer lasted for five hours, nine minutes, and thirty seconds.
The third in line was the Opera one with six hours, eighteen minutes and thirty-three seconds. The fourth was the Edge laptop that lasted a whopping seven hours, twenty-two minutes and seven seconds.
The conclusion of the experiment was that Microsoft Edge is battery friendly. The PC that used the browser in the experiment ran 70 percent longer than Chrome (the browser that depleted the battery in only 4 hours), 43 percent longer than Firefox, and 17 percent longer than Opera.
Soon, Microsoft will release a celebratory edition of its revolutionary Windows 10 software. This update will bring additional improvements to the browser like greater GPU offloading, limiting the auto-play feature for Flash contents, and more.
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Men are stressed.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Men have always been the image of power and courage and less likely to show their emotions and feelings. However, stress took its toll on men.
Based on the latest research, around 65 percent of the suicides in India come from men. Worse, 44 percent of them are caused by illness, family or marital issues. Unfortunately, men are profoundly affected by stress, and it was established that they react to it differently than women.
Compared to women, men have a more aggressive response to stress. Its source comes from financial problems, relationship issues, work anxiety and several other reasons. During the National Men’s Health Week from 13th to 19th June, officials raised awareness regarding this unseen plague that troubles the mind of most men.
Thanks to this opportunity, men will be better informed regarding mental health, stress and how to cope with it. First of all, anxiety, depression and stress are the leading causes of mental health issues in men. The symptoms of anxiety and depression consist of various forms of explosive behavior, irritability, and aggression.
Furthermore, stress can take its toll on your body as it might lower your immunity, cause pains or aches. Worse, stress can even decrease the testosterone levels and an extended period of distress can affect social intelligence.
The biggest source of stress in men usually comes from work. Men mostly work in corporations, so based on the latest study around 42.5 percent of India’s corporate employees suffer from depression. In addition to this, psychiatrists in Delhi and Bangalore established that around 35 percent of their patients showed signs of depression.
Financial problems are also a major source of anxiety for men. It is also worth mentioning that men, just as women, need attention. They also feel the need to be taken care of and understood. According to the experts, early detection of mental and physical issues related to stress are essential to support a man’s health condition.
Scientists encourage men to be more vocal and to stop avoiding sensitive topics. Instead, they should be open to communication, especially with their colleagues, friends, family, and wives. Talking with each other will strengthen the relationship. Even if you cry sometimes, that is not so bad.
Men are allowed to cry as well. All in all, men should understand that stress is not something to be dealt with alone. Staying connected with the ones around you and putting your faith in God will help you deal with everyday problems.
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Mental illness is not the main source of violence.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – For many decades, mental health issues have been associated with violence. Around 40 percent of news stories about people suffering from a mental illness are connected with violence.
Unfortunately, these stories only lead to confusion among Americans. According to a team of researchers from John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the real statistics show that less than five percent of violence occurring in the United States comes from mental illness.
Scientists analyzed every news article over a 20-year period and came up to the conclusion that this solid reporting of violence connected to mental issues alters the reader’s perception. As a consequence, people start believing that most of the people suffering from mental illness are most likely to resort to an dangerous behavior in a difficult situation.
Worse, the public opinion has hardly changed over the last few years, because many pieces of news make a strong association between dangerous behavior and mental issues. Unfortunately, this stigma has increased based on the historical data.
Between 1994 and 2005, only one percent of newspaper stories linking mental illness with violence were on the front page, whereas from 2005 to 2015, an 18 percent increase was registered.
According to Emma E. McGinty, Ph.D., MS, lead author of the study and assistant professor in the departments of Health Policy and Management and Mental Health at the Bloomberg School, most violence does not originate from mental illness.
Unfortunately, mass media chooses only the news that seems spicy enough to catch the attention of the public and most of it connecting mental issues and violence.
On the contrary, many of the people suffering from this illness have a healthy lifestyle and enjoy their lives. If mass media started to be honest, there would a significantly lower number of stories relating to people with mental illness resorting to violence.
Around 20 percent of Americans suffer from a mental illness, whereas 50 percent of them receive a diagnosis over a lifetime. Furthermore, McGinty added that it is true that anyone who intentionally kills people does not have a good mental health.
However, it does not mean that they have a particular illness. Many other causes may contribution to such a display of violence, including emotional issues, anger, drugs, alcohol, childhood abuse or poverty.
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