All posts tagged: target

Antioxidant in mushrooms may target uterus cells to ease period pain

Antioxidant in mushrooms may target uterus cells to ease period pain

Hot water bottles can ease period pain, but some people need stronger relief Carol Yepes/Getty Images An antioxidant that is abundant in some mushrooms has shown promise for easing period pain. A daily dose of a supplement containing L-ergothioneine, which is also in fermented foods, seems to limit the extent of this pain by targeting cells within the uterus, rather than just blocking discomfort that has already taken hold. “Instead of treating the symptom acutely when the pain is already severe, EGT [L-ergothioneine] acts as a nutritional foundational support, potentially reducing the reliance on strong medications and giving women a safer way to reclaim their well-being,” says Guohua Xiao at Gene III Biotechnology Co. in Nanjing, China. Period pain, or dysmenorrhea, is considered one of the most common gynaecological-related issues, but reports of its prevalence vary hugely, from 16 per cent to 91 per cent. It is thought to be caused by the uterus producing higher levels of inflammatory chemicals called prostaglandins, which result in it contracting strongly to shed its lining. This can make …

Forget 10,000 steps: A rheumatologist reveals the true walking target if you’re over 60

Forget 10,000 steps: A rheumatologist reveals the true walking target if you’re over 60

Simple, accessible and suitable for all ages, walking as a form of exercise is almost always a great option, whether for heart health or weight loss.  While the 10,000-step goal is the iconic target that has been a health mainstay for years, experts confirm the ‘magic number’ for joint health if you’re past the age of 60 is actually a lower amount: 8,000 steps.   Science of course has shown that people who walk regularly generally achieve better physical and mental health outcomes compared to those who lead a sedentary life, and a daily stroll has also proven to be a powerful ally for people battling rheumatic conditions.  As Dr Raquel Almodóvar, a specialist in rheumatology, explains: “A small change like walking can significantly improve the health of those living with rheumatic diseases. Not only does it help improve pain, fatigue and stiffness, it also aids in relieving joint burden, strengthening muscles and boosting your mood.” Managing conditions through walking: Lupus to arthritis Systemic autoimmune rheumatic conditions (known as SARDs) – which cover everything from …

Flight Path Data Shows How Mosquitoes Target Humans

Flight Path Data Shows How Mosquitoes Target Humans

Infectious diseases borne by mosquitoes—such as malaria, dengue fever, and Zika fever—claim more than 770,000 lives worldwide each year. Understanding how mosquitoes find humans has long been a challenge in controlling the spread of these diseases. However, little has been known about how mosquitoes integrate multiple cues, including visual information and carbon dioxide, to approach their targets. In this context, a research team led by the Georgia Institute of Technology and Massachusetts Institute of Technology has succeeded in automatically deriving a dynamic model governing mosquito flight by applying Bayesian inference statistical methods to a vast amount of data recording mosquito movements. Bayesian inference is a statistical technique that probabilistically determines the most plausible model parameters from observed data. Using this method, the researchers were able to construct a mathematical model that could reproduce experimental results with high accuracy while compressing mosquito behavior to fewer than 30 parameters. “The big question was, how do mosquitoes find a human target?” explains Cheng-Yi Fei, a postdoctoral researcher at MIT. “There were previous experimental studies on what kind of …

France to target Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ with tougher penalties for ships sailing under false flag

France to target Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ with tougher penalties for ships sailing under false flag

France is to double penalties for ships that fail to fly a flag or refuse to comply, a draft law showed Wednesday, in what an informed source said was a bid to strengthen measures against Russia’s “shadow fleet”. The move comes as France has, since September, boarded three ships suspected of being part of the fleet transporting Russian oil in violation of Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine. Vessels in the “shadow fleet” frequently change the flags they fly, a practice known as flag-hopping, and sometimes sail under invalid flags in an attempt to escape detection and tracking. France will now punish those who fail to fly the correct flag or refuse to comply with orders to stop the ship with up to two years in prison and a fine of €300,000 ($351,000), according to a draft update to France’s military planning law seen by AFP on Wednesday. That would double the current penalties in place, with sanctions applying to any person – such as the owner, operator, or legally responsible individual – who exercises “power of …

Mobile Home Legislation in Arizona Target Utility Costs, Abandonment Rules and Manager Training

Mobile Home Legislation in Arizona Target Utility Costs, Abandonment Rules and Manager Training

For years, manufactured home park owners across Arizona would restrict what types of air conditioners or cooling devices people used on their mobile homes because they were noisy or ugly. That was until 2024, when a coalition of groups changed state law to make the practice illegal. Now a new legislative session is in full swing, and with it the hopes for new tools to improve the experiences of mobile home residents in Arizona. This year, she and other stakeholders around the state spent months in discussion to decide what bills felt most urgent to introduce. “We went to many, many meetings with all kinds of people,” Noble said. They held eight listening sessions with residents, utility companies and groups like anti-poverty organizer Wildfire AZ to help draft bills that would not only change state law but also add more enforcement. The Arizona Association of Manufactured Home Owners drafted one bill requiring more education for park managers, and worked with Wildfire to draft two utility bills that would prevent park owners from charging residents more …

Target Warns That If Its AI Shopping Agent Makes an Expensive Mistake, You’ll Have to Pay for It

Target Warns That If Its AI Shopping Agent Makes an Expensive Mistake, You’ll Have to Pay for It

Sign up to see the future, today Can’t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech Big box chains have proudly embraced artificial intelligence — but don’t expect them to help when their AI assistants charge your card for hallucinated garbage. That trend, in which retail giants force their AI initiatives on consumers while distancing themselves from its failures, is growing. While that attitude certainly isn’t unique to big box stores, it’s increasingly becoming their default setting, revealing the ridiculous double standard baked into the AI boom. Target is the latest to jump on the bandwagon. According to Business Insider, the Minnesota-based retail corporation recently updated its terms and conditions to make it clear that customers — not the company — would be responsible for the failures and hallucinations of its upcoming AI shopping assistant. That virtual buddy, which runs on Google’s Gemini, is supposed to help online shoppers finish Target runs on their users’ behalf. Under the new terms, if a customer uses the Gemini agent to do their shopping for them, any …