Our brains are very complex organs, with huge variety between individuals in terms of the overall volume of the brain, how it is folded and how thick these folds are. Little is known about how our genetic make-up shapes the development of the brain.

To answer this question, a team led by researchers at the Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, accessed MRI scans from over 32,000 adults from the UK Biobank cohort and over 4,000 children from the US-based ABCD study. From these scans, the researchers measured multiple properties of the outermost layer of the brain called the cortex. These included measures of the area and volume of the cortex as well as how the cortex is folded.

They then linked these properties, measured both across the entire cortex as well as in 180 individual regions of the cortex, to genetic information across the genome. The team identified over 4,000 genetic variants linked to brain structure.

These findings have allowed researchers to confirm and, in some cases, identify, how different properties of the brain are genetically linked to each other.

Dr Varun Warrier from the Autism Research Centre, who co-led the study, said: “One question that has interested us for a while is if the same genes that are linked to how big the cortex is – measured as both volume and area – are also linked to how the cortex is folded. By measuring these different properties of the brain and linking them to genetics, we found that different sets of genes contribute to folding and size of the cortex.”

The team also checked whether the same genes that are linked to variation in brain size in the general population overlap with genes linked to clinical conditions where head sizes are much larger or smaller than the general population, known as cephalic conditions.

Dr Richard Bethlehem, also from the Autism Research Centre and a co-lead of the study, said: “Many of the genes linked with differences in the brain sizes in the general population overlapped with genes implicated in cephalic conditions. However, we still do not know how exactly these genes lead to changes in brain size.”

Dr Warrier added: “This work shows that how our brain develops is partly genetic. Our findings can be used to understand how changes in the shape and size of the brain can lead to neurological and psychiatric conditions, potentially leading to better treatment and support for those who need it.”

This study was supported by the Wellcome Trust. It was conducted in association with the NIHR CLAHRC for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, and the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre.

Source: University of Cambridge

Levels of grey matter in two parts of the brain may be linked to a desire to start smoking during adolescence and the strengthening of nicotine addiction, a new study has shown.

A team of scientists, led by the universities of Cambridge and Warwick in the UK and Fudan University in China, analysed brain imaging and behavioural data of over 800 young people at the ages of 14, 19 and 23.

They found that, on average, teenagers who started smoking by 14 years of age had markedly less grey matter in a section of the left frontal lobe linked to decision-making and rule-breaking.

Grey matter is the brain tissue that processes information, and contains all of the organ’s neurons. While brain development continues into adulthood, grey matter growth peaks before adolescence.

Low grey matter volume in the left side of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex may be an “inheritable biomarker” for nicotine addiction, say researchers – with implications for prevention and treatment.

In addition, the scientists found that the opposite, right part of the same brain region also had less grey matter in smokers.

Importantly, loss of grey matter in the right prefrontal cortex appears to speed up only after someone has started smoking. This region is linked to the seeking of sensations.

The team argue that less grey matter in the left forebrain could lower cognitive function and lead to “disinhibition”: impulsive, rule-breaking behaviour arising from a limited ability to consider consequences. This may increase the chances of smoking at a young age.

Once a nicotine habit takes hold, grey matter in the right frontal lobe shrinks, which may weaken control over smoking by affecting “hedonic motivation”: the way pleasure is sought and managed. Excessive loss of grey matter in the right brain was also linked to binge drinking and marijuana use.

Taken together, the findings point to a damaged “neurobehavioural mechanism” that can lead to nicotine use starting early and becoming locked into long-term addiction, say researchers. The study used data from the IMAGEN project and is published in the journal Nature Communications.

“Smoking is perhaps the most common addictive behaviour in the world, and a leading cause of adult mortality,” said Prof Trevor Robbins, co-senior author from Cambridge’s Department of Psychology.

“The initiation of a smoking habit is most likely to occur during adolescence. Any way of detecting an increased chance of this, so we can target interventions, could help save millions of lives.”

Annual deaths from cigarettes are expected to reach eight million worldwide by the end of the decade. Currently, one in five adult deaths each year are attributed to smoking in the US alone.

“In our study, reduced grey matter in the left prefrontal cortex is associated with increased rule-breaking behaviour as well as early smoking experiences. It could be that this rule-breaking leads to the violation of anti-smoking norms,” said Robbins.

Co-author Prof Barbara Sahakian from Cambridge’s Department of Psychiatry said: “The ventromedial prefrontal cortex is a key region for dopamine, the brain’s pleasure chemical. As well as a role in rewarding experiences, dopamine has long been believed to affect self-control.

“Less grey matter across this brain region may limit cognitive function, leading to lower self-control and a propensity for risky behaviour, such as smoking.”

The study used data gathered by the IMAGEN project from sites in four European countries: UK, Germany, France and Ireland. The researchers compared brain imaging data for those who had smoked by age 14 with those who had not, and repeated this for the same participants at ages 19 and 23.

Those with smoking experience by 14 years of age had significantly less grey matter in the left prefrontal cortex, on average. Additionally, those who started smoking by age 19 also had less grey matter in their left prefrontal cortex at 14, indicating a potential causal influence.

The scientists also looked at the right ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Grey matter loss occurs in everyone as they age. However, those who smoked from age 14 as well as those smoking from age 19 both ended up with excessive grey matter loss in the right frontal lobe.

For the right prefrontal cortex, 19-year-old smokers who did not start during adolescence had similar grey matter levels at age 14 to those who never smoked at all. This suggests a rapid reduction in the right ventromedial prefrontal cortex only begins with the onset of smoking.

Data at age 23 showed that grey matter volume in the right prefrontal cortex shrank at a faster pace in those who continued to smoke, suggesting an influence of smoking itself on prefrontal function.

Researchers also analysed data from two questionnaires completed by participants to investigate the personality traits of novelty seeking and sensation seeking.

“Both questionnaires examine the pursuit of thrilling experiences, but they measure distinct behaviours,” said Robbins. “The sensation seeking scale focuses on pleasurable experiences, while the novelty seeking questionnaire includes items on impulsiveness and rule-breaking.”

Less grey matter in the left prefrontal cortex was associated with novelty seeking, particularly disorderly and rule-breaking behaviour, while reduced grey matter volume in the right prefrontal cortex was linked to sensation seeking only.

Lead author Prof Tianye Jia from Fudan University added: “Less grey matter in the left frontal lobes is linked to behaviours that increase the likelihood of smoking in adolescence.

“Smokers then experience excessive loss of grey matter in the right frontal lobes, which is linked to behaviours that reinforce substance use. This may provide a causal account of how smoking is initiated in young people, and how it turns into dependence.”

Source: University of Cambridge

The project, ‘Exploring digital health promises and practices through a sustainability lens’, will examine the environmental impacts of using Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled health, and explore how ethical principles can be integrated to improve the sustainability of these digital health systems.

AI systems are increasingly playing a greater role within healthcare delivery and research – to support decision-making, automate processes and analyse large datasets. However, the environmental impacts of the databases, infrastructures, and software supporting AI are little understood.

We’re really excited to embark on this project. More and more people in the digital health sector are wanting to better understand how to consider issues of sustainability within their work, but they don’t understand how to go about it.

Dr Gabrielle Samuel, Lecturer in Environmental Justice and Health

The 12-month project, led by Dr Samuel from the Department of Global Health & Social Medicine, will investigate the environmental impacts of digital health in the UK and internationally. The team will consider ethical frameworks that can be designed and implemented to better encompass environmental sustainability within digital-health systems and their decision-making processes.

The digital sector produces a significant carbon footprint, predicted to contribute between 2.1% and 3.9% of all emissions, a figure similar to the aviation industry. The sector also generates large amounts of electronic waste (e-waste) containing hazardous materials such as lead, mercury and nickel which pose health risks to people involved in their recycling and disposal.

The project received funding from the King’s Climate and Sustainability seed fund – a £2.5 million investment by King’s to stimulate new research related to climate and sustainability.

We’re hoping that this seed funding will help build a network of interested individuals – both within King’s and outside of academia, national and international – to share ideas, frameworks and best practices; build collaborations; and explore important avenues for further research.

Dr Gabrielle Samuel, Lecturer in Environmental Justice and Health

The researchers plan to build an international interdisciplinary centre for the study of the sustainability of AI-enabled health, to advance research in this new field of study. The centre will aim to communicate insights to stakeholders including researchers, policymakers, healthcare providers and institutions.

Dr Samuel will be leading the project with Dr Federica Lucivero (University of Oxford). Partners of the project include NHS Digital, and colleagues in Canada, India, Australia, and Kenya.

Source: King’s College London

In this article, we will explore the possibilities of making a better CBD experience. We cover the importance of enjoying CBD products and provide recommendations on overcoming the intense hemp flavor.

What Are CBD Tinctures?

CBD oil or tincture is sold in dropper bottles designed for sublingual administration. While some CBD tinctures are offered in various flavors, most are simply hemp extract and a carrier oil.

If you are hesitant to try CBD or already know you don’t like the taste of hemp, CBD tincture is probably not the ideal product for you. This is because the oil is meant to be dissolved under the tongue, requiring you to leave the extract in your mouth while it absorbs.

As a result, CBD oil turns many people off because of the taste and administration process. Fortunately, there are ways to mask the flavor for a more enjoyable experience.

What Does CBD Oil Taste Like?

CBD oil has a unique flavor that is best described as earthy. Depending on the carrier oil, some CBD extract can taste like hay or nutty.

How to Make CBD Oil Taste Better?

If you are looking for answers on how to make tinctures taste better, you’ve come to the right place. There are various ways to enjoy CBD, even if you don’t like hemp’s strong, natural flavor.

How To Remove Bad Taste from CBD Oil?

There’s no way to remove the hemp taste from CBD oil, but you can mask it with other overpowering flavors. While many people purchase flavored CBD oil tinctures or gummies, there are ways to make unflavored CBD more enjoyable on the way down.

How to Flavor CBD Oil?

You have multiple options if you’ve purchased CBD oil and want to add flavor. Below we provide some of the additives you can use to make your CBD taste better:

• Essential oils
• Terpenes
• Natural flavoring
• Extracts (vanilla, peppermint, almond, etc.)
• Honey

Another method is to take your CBD oil with gum or another sugary candy to mask the flavor.

Can You Mix CBD Oil with Juice?

Mixing your CBD oil with vegetable or fruit juice will also dramatically improve the flavor profile of your product. However, if you add CBD oil to a drink, you aren’t taking it sublingually. As a result, you need to account for the CBD lost in the process because swallowing CBD is less efficient. So, increase the dosage to ensure you get the same benefits.

What is RSO Oil?

RSO oil, or Rick Simpson Oil, is one of the first cannabis extracts. The oil is meant to be applied sublingually or orally but can also be topical. RSO uses solvents to separate cannabinoids from raw cannabis matter.

How to Make RSO Taste Better?

Like CBD oil, RSO has a strong, earthy taste that can be off-putting. If you want to make the flavor more enjoyable, we recommend taking the extract with chocolate. Cannabinoids will bind with the natural fats and mask the pungent taste.

Is Flavored CBD Oil Worth It?

Many people buy flavored CBD tinctures rather than using additives to alter the taste. If you want to go this route, many options are available online. However, we highly recommend checking the ingredients to ensure you aren’t consuming harmful additives.

Therefore, knowing what to look for when buying amanita gummies is more important than ever. Since the niche is currently unregulated, some companies are getting away with selling low-quality fare and putting profits over consumer health.

Finding a safe and effective product can be challenging, but we have done the hard work for you and created this list of the best amanita gummies on the market. But first, let’s look at why amanita gummies are becoming so sought-after and what to look for when buying.

What Are Amanita Muscaria Gummies?

Amanita gummies are gummy candies made from amanita mushrooms, typically Amanita muscaria. These mushrooms are renowned as beautiful and dangerous, but in recent years, more people have become aware of their potential benefits.

Amanita muscaria has complex chemistry and requires careful preparation to make it safe to consume. The raw mushrooms contain a compound called ibotenic acid, which is toxic in high doses and can cause unpleasant side effects. However, exposing this chemical to heat and acidic conditions converts it into its much safer cousin, muscimol.

Muscimol has a similar molecular structure to the neurotransmitter GABA. Therefore, it can bind with GABA receptors in the human brain to bring about feelings of calm and relaxation. Many say that using Amanita muscaria in this way increases their sense of mindfulness and spirituality. Others use it to manage the symptoms of anxiety and aid restful sleep.

When consumed in large amounts, Amanita muscaria can cause hallucinations, which may be frightening for some. Amanita gummies do not generally contain enough muscimol to cause a full-blown trip but offer users a safe way to experience this mushroom’s gentler side.

Well-manufactured gummies should contain undetectable levels of ibotenic acid and rely on muscimol for their effects. They take the hassle out of preparation, making Amanita muscaria more accessible than ever. However, it is essential to choose wisely, as we will explain below.

Choosing the Best Amanita Gummies

When searching for the best amanita gummies, it is critical to understand the chemistry of these often misunderstood mushrooms. You will want to find a product rich in muscimol that contains little to no ibotenic acid.

The best way to judge the quality of a product is whether the manufacturer provides third-party lab reports showing their gummies’ chemical makeup. This is the only way to tell whether a brand is legit and has its customers’ best interests at heart.

Other considerations include potency, other ingredients, customer reviews, and brand transparency. Amanita gummies do not generally contain enough muscimol to cause a psychedelic trip, so any brand suggesting they do is misleading potential buyers. In an industry rife with misinformation, honesty is crucial when determining the best amanita gummies.

We found it difficult to track down brands that satisfied all of our criteria, but we finally narrowed our search down to six companies we feel are worth considering. Read on to learn which we consider the best amanita gummies and why.

1.  VidaCap Amanita Muscaria Mushroom Gummies

VidaCap is a brand known for its adaptogenic mushroom supplements, but it has recently branched out into the world of amanita gummies. These gummies are of the same high quality as the brand’s loyal fans have come to expect. They are vegan and gluten-free and available in delicious Berry-Mango flavor.

The gummies contain 500mg of amanita extract with minimal additives, and lab reports are freely available on the product page to prove it. The website also has a wealth of information about Amanita muscaria, including a free ebook for new customers. We also love that it does not make unsubstantiated claims about its gummies’ effects.

For these reasons, when it comes to the best Amanita muscaria gummies, VidaCap is our overall winner.

2.  Premium Jane Amanita Muscaria Mushroom Gummies

Premium Jane has a long-standing reputation as one of the top sellers of CBD and other hemp-derived cannabinoids. It has recently added amanita gummies to its range, and it looks as though they are of the same premium quality as the brand’s other products. The gummies are vegan, gluten-free, and contain minimal additives. There is also free shipping on all orders within the United States.

There are eight gummies per pack, and each one contains 500mg of amanita extract. The product page states that the gummies have been third-party lab tested, and the results are easily accessible on the product page.

If the brand’s hemp products are anything to go by, these are likely to be some of the best Amanita muscaria gummies around. They also offer an option with added delta-9, a unique and imaginative product that we’ve yet to see elsewhere. That’s why we have given them the second slot on our list.

3.  Galaxy Treats Blueberry Moon Shrooms

Galaxy Treats is another brand with a stellar reputation in the industry. It is best known for its range of novel cannabinoids but has recently added amanita gummies to its range. The gummies have positive reviews, but the brand loses some points for marketing them as psychedelic.

It redeems itself by explaining that the effects are not the same as psilocybin-containing mushrooms but only does so much further down the page. The gummies also contain gelatin, which is bad news for vegetarians and vegans.

The gummies boast a generous 750mg dosage, and lab reports confirm that each gummy contains 6.84mg of muscimol per serving. However, some of the lab reports are incomplete and do not show the muscimol content.

Nonetheless, this product is hugely popular with customers and is also available in Cherry Berry flavor. Furthermore, Galaxy Treats also sells lower-potency amanita gummies (350mg) in Watermelon or Mango flavors. The choice of potencies and flavors is why we’ve given the brand our number 3 slot.

4.  Elyxr Mushroom Gummies Amanita Muscaria Party Pack

Elyxr is another company known for its cannabinoid products that has entered the amanita gummies niche. Its branding is definitely on the “trippy” side, although the brand does not explicitly claim that its gummies are psychedelic.

The gummies are said to contain 500mg of mushroom extract each, but confusingly, the lab reports only show 1.725mg of muscimol per serving. We can’t help but wonder whether this is a mistake because the product’s reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Either way, it is a red flag and something the company needs to address.

That said, the brand’s customers seem satisfied with the amanita gummies, securing Elyxr our number 4 spot.

5.  Empe Spiritual Mushroom Gummies

Empe USA is yet another cannabinoid company jumping on the amanita gummies bandwagon. The brand also sells adaptogenic mushroom gummies and kratom gummies, setting them apart from their competitors.

The Spiritual Mushroom Gummies contain 500mg of mushroom powder each, although, unfortunately, no lab reports are available to confirm this. The site does have lab reports for some of its other products, though, so we hope they will add them soon.

These gummies are more expensive than the others on the market and are unique in that they contain Amanita pantherina and yellow fly agaric alongside Amanita muscaria. We like the no-nonsense website and feel that these factors make Empe USA worthy of inclusion on our best amanita gummies list.

6.  Trusted Mushrooms Amanita Mushroom Gummies

Our final contender is Trusted Mushrooms, who specialize in adaptogenic mushroom gummies and have added amanita to their range. The brand claims to offer the best value on the market and sells its gummies in packs of 5, 10, or 40, making them a very cost-effective choice. They also use exclusive “Mushroom Ultra Sonic Cavitation” technology to make their extracts more bioavailable.

The website contains plenty of information about the manufacturing process, a definite plus point. However, there are no lab reports to confirm the 500mg of mushroom extract per gummy. Even so, the website has plenty of five-star reviews, winning Trusted Mushrooms our number 6 slot.

Best Amanita Muscaria Gummies: Round Up

Overall, we were disappointed with the standard of amanita gummies currently available, with many brands not providing lab reports or suggesting their products are psychedelic. We hope that more companies will step up their game as the industry develops.

That said, one brand stood out from the crowd, and that was VidaCap. Not only is the website professional and informative, but more importantly, lab reports are readily available and prove that the gummies contain as much muscimol as they should. These features make VidaCap the top choice in our best amanita gummies round-up.

Led by Professor Rita Tewari (University of Nottingham) and Dr David Guttery (University of Leicester), the research will focus on the molecular players involved in the development and transmission of the malaria parasite – one of the biggest killers in the world.

This is a unique type of cell division in sexual cells in malaria parasites, which happens during a process called meiosis. Meiosis is a fundamental process for all sexual organisms that enables them to generate sex cells (i.e. sperm and egg cells) that then go on to fertilise and reshuffle their genes, ultimately generating off-spring.

This research could potentially uncover new targets for therapies to control the spread of malaria in animals and humans.

Dr David Guttery, University of Leicester

Dr David Guttery said: “We know that the malaria parasite shuffles genes during sexual reproduction (termed gene recombination), but what we don’t know is how it works. The funding we have received will open the door for us to discover this, and to potentially uncover new targets for therapies to control the spread of this devastating disease.”

Professor Rita Tewari said: “To understand the basic machinery of cell division in malaria parasites, especially during the sexual stages of transmission, is crucial to stopping the parasite in its tracks. Controlling the transmission of this devastating disease is as important as the disease itself. We have seen this in the case of COVID.”

The research has been funded from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and will include collaborators at the University of Leicester (Dr James Higgins), University of Nottingham (Dr Stephen Gray and Professor Levi Yant), the Francis Crick Institute (Dr Tony Holder), University of Oxford (Professors David Ferguson and Sue Vaughan) and University of Warwick (Dr Andrew Bottrill).

This study will complement Professor Tewari’s research on cell division in male sex cells as part of a £2.5 million European Research Council grant. To address some of the questions on meiosis, collaborators at the University of Nottingham, University of Leicester, Francis Crick Institute and University of Groningen offer their insights into Plasmodium meiosis, published in Trends in Parasitology.

The researchers highlight the process of meiosis and how it is so different in malaria parasites and discuss state-of-the-art technologies that could be used to solve the mystery of how meiosis and gene shuffling in the malaria parasite works, which could significantly and positively impact both human and animal health in the future.

Source: University of Nottingham

In particular we’re seeing a rise of CBD-related products and brands emerging right now, so let’s explore this idea further and discover what it is exactly, and whether it stands to be a worthwhile venture or not.

Introducing the CBD Market: Booming Business & Burgeoning Opportunities

Cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, has become an increasingly prevalent ingredient in the wellness sector. As a non-psychoactive compound found in marijuana and hemp plants, it offers several health benefits without creating a ‘high’ sensation. Over recent years, this natural supplement has marked its territory not just in human health but also in pet care, particularly for dogs.

The rise of the CBD industry can be largely attributed to changing social attitudes towards cannabis use along with evolving legal standards. This boom isn’t confined within national borders. In fact, it’s global!

These combined effects have caused an explosion of product diversification that extends far beyond tinctures and topicals intended for humans.

Once you consider these sweeping changes across markets worldwide, opportunity bells should start ringing for investors like yourself. Whether your interest lies solely in financial gains or if it’s backed by personal convictions about cannabis benefits, it’s essential to comprehend this booming business landscape before diving into investment decisions concerning dog-related CBD enterprises.

Understanding the Rise of CBD Treats for Dogs

Now, let’s focus on one niche that has raised eyebrows and stoked interest across various demographics, which is that of flavorful CBD treats dog breeds of all shapes and sizes. More pet owners are realizing the potential benefits these products can provide for their canine companions, which continuously fuels demand.

CBD oil-infused chews make it easier than ever to provide anxious or ailing pooches with this beneficial supplement. They’re an excellent alternative for dogs who may resist traditional medicine or suffer from chronic conditions where ongoing medication is required.

Today’s market offers an array of options, from calming soft chews and straightforward CBD oil supplements to biscuits aimed at relieving joint pain, all highlighting customer receptivity towards incorporating CBD into regular pet care routines. This escalating consumer acceptance coupled with high product versatility makes this segment ripe ground for potential investment growth.

Exploring Investment Potential in The Pet-CBD Industry

As the CBD-pet products market continues to gain traction, it opens up an attractive avenue for new and seasoned investors alike. But how can we measure the potential of such investments? By keeping a pulse on the following key industry metrics:

• Market Size: Research firms predict impressive growth for the pet-CBD sector worldwide. According to Grand View Research, this market will have a CAGR of almost 32% until 2030, making it a potent investment sphere.
• Consumer Perception: Public sentiment towards cannabis has warmed significantly over recent years, paving the way for product acceptance across various consumer demographics.
• Product Diversity: Today’s CBD businesses cater to broad and also niche customer demands, with creative offerings aimed at different wellness concerns, which is a sign of healthy competition and innovation that may signal ongoing growth.

Whether you opt for shares in established companies or bet on promising start-ups, consider these factors while calculating possible returns on your investment. Remember that every promising market comes with its set of risks. As homogeneous as they might seem initially, no two are entirely identical when scrutinized thoroughly.

How to Mitigate Risks While Investing In CBD Businesses

Due diligence is an integral part of any investment strategy, including that in the pet-CBD industry. Even if you are just getting started on your investment journey, you cannot skip over this step. While promising prospects tempt many, proper risk mitigation techniques ensure your investment doesn’t end up being a hard lesson learned. Here are some tips:

• Comprehensive Research: Gain as much knowledge about the market and company you plan on investing in. Look into their financial health, leadership, business model, and product line.
• Regulatory Awareness: Stay informed about current laws and regulations surrounding cannabis-based products for pets. This landscape often changes with new research findings or political agendas, and we’ll discuss this in more detail later.
• Market Trends: Keep an eye out for consumer trends within this sector, like demands for organic options or specific therapeutic uses, and how companies address these evolving needs.

Investment requires a careful balance of potential reward against possible risks. Early preparation can help make better-informed decisions when navigating these waters.

Legal Landscape and Regulatory Hurdles: What Investors Need to Know

The legal realm of the pet-CBD industry comes with its unique challenges, as mentioned. As an investor, you must be aware of these regulatory wonders to understand potential obstacles or opportunities ahead better. This includes:

• Federal Law: In the United States, while hemp-derived CBD is federally legal, it remains under-regulated for use in pet products by organizations like the FDA.
• State Laws: Individual state laws may differ significantly regarding cannabis product manufacturing, distribution, sales practices, and advertising standards, leading to significant regional business implications.
• International Regulations: The overall global legal stance on cannabis-based animal products varies between countries too, largely affecting foreign market entries or expansions.

Investing in this environment might seem intimidating at first glance. However, understanding these hurdles can help shape investment considerations significantly when entering this burgeoning marketplace.

Final Thoughts

You should now have a good sense of whether companies producing CBD supplements and associated products should be added to your portfolio, and what the outlook for this industry is anticipated to be. So long as you do your due diligence and recognize the risks, this could be an intriguing avenue for investment going forward.

A multidisciplinary team of scientists at the University of Nottingham in collaboration with the University of Leeds have received £2 million Wellcome Trust funding to work on a project to determine how transient exposure to heat stress during early pregnancy affects pregnancy establishment and the long-term health of the child.

Global temperatures are increasing rapidly and with that the frequency and severity of heat waves during the summer. Last summer temperatures peaked at around 40 degrees Celsius in the UK and, currently, peak temperatures of greater than 40 degrees are being recorded in Mediterranean countries. Predictions are that these extremes in temperature will become a regular occurrence in future.

This new study aims to identify how short-term exposure to elevated temperatures (typically between 28 to 33 degrees) during the first two weeks of pregnancy affects embryo development, implantation and adult-offspring health. One of the aims of the study is to identify intervention points to alleviate the effects of extreme heat during early pregnancy.

Elevated temperatures (high 20s to low 30s) for just a few days during early pregnancy can increase the risk of pregnancy failure. Long-term consequences for children born following maternal heat stress during early pregnancy are not known. However, scientists recognise that the first 2-3 weeks of pregnancy are the most sensitive stage of human development.

Kevin Sinclair and Ramiro Alberio, Professors of Developmental Biology from the University of Nottingham’s School of Biosciences will examine changes in DNA due to heat stress.

There is compelling evidence that maternal diet during the first few days of pregnancy can have long-lasting effects on the health of offspring (children) and indeed their offspring (grandchildren). This arises because, under normal circumstances, sweeping changes occur to DNA inherited from the father (sperm) and mother (egg) in order to allow fertilization and embryo implantation to take place. We will now investigate how these important and naturally occurring events are disrupted by short-term periods of maternal heat stress, rather than diet, during early pregnancy.

Professor Kevin Sinclair

These disruptions during early pregnancy can have a long-term effect on the health and wellbeing of offspring.

Studies for the most part will use the pig as a model species. We will establish health consequences in adult offspring by using cutting edge, non-invasive techniques to assess insulin resistance, blood pressure and kidney function.

David Gardner, Professor of Physiology at the University of Nottingham’s Vet School

By studying the DNA of different animal species, some of whom are tolerant to heat stress, and comparing it to data that the team will generate in pigs, the team hope to identify common physiological pathways that confer heat tolerance during pregnancy.

By studying the DNA of heat adapted mammals in comparison to that of other mammals like humans, we can determine what genomic elements are most likely to contribute to pregnancy success at higher temperatures. This powerful approach will identify pathways and processes to target in order to improve outcomes for other species.

Professor Mary O’Connell, School of Life Sciences at the University of Nottingham

Source: University of Nottingham

Early interventions are crucial for minimizing the injury’s effects and giving your child the best chance at a normal life if they suffer a birth injury. New parents must learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of common birth injuries so they can take their child to the doctor for these interventions and proper treatment.

Nerve Injury Symptoms

Unfortunately, nerve injuries remain one of the most common types of birth injuries. The most common of these injuries occur when the brachial plexus nerve, which controls the movements of and sensations in the arms, is damaged during birth.

General birth paralysis can also happen and affect different parts of the body and muscle groups.

These types of injuries happen as the baby passes through the birth canal, or if the medical professional handling the delivery pulls the baby too hard. They typically happen in babies in the breech position when labor starts or in those with a higher-than-average birth weight.

The main sign of a nerve injury is the inability to move a body part, reduced movements, and loss of sensation. Babies may also have a weaker grip in one arm or hold one arm against the side of the body.

These types of injuries can cause paralysis, which becomes a life-long issue. Parents can contact a birth paralysis attorney if they suspect medical negligence or malpractice to be the cause of the birth injury.

Cerebral Palsy Symptoms

Cerebral palsy is caused by brain damage due to a lack of oxygen (oxygen deprivation) to the baby’s brain during birth. Most cerebral palsy symptoms are easy to identify immediately after birth.

These include unusual stiffness or floppiness, stiff legs that cross, scissoring leg movements, and the baby’s head flopping to the back or side.

Some symptoms can manifest as the child ages, including awkward movements, difficulty walking, stiffness, and spastic movements in severe cases.

Some children also experience hearing and vision loss, have cognitive impairments and difficulties, writhing, developmental disabilities, and trouble with coordination and balance.

Brain Damage

In addition to cerebral palsy, many other brain injuries can occur during birth. These have specific symptoms, but the symptoms often overlap.

The most noticeable symptoms include a prominent forehead, a small head, and an unusually shaped skull. Some babies might also have malformed spinal columns, stiff neck, and distorted facial features.

Other babies might also have general discomfort or fussiness that is not typical for their age, unusual eye movements, and seizures.

The brain damage symptoms that appear as the child grows are the same as those for cerebral palsy.

Conclusion

It is an unfortunate reality that birth injuries occur during birth. Every parent should know to recognize that something is not right with their baby so they can have a medical professional do a complete checkup. Parents are also entitled to compensation if the birth injury is due to medical negligence and malpractice, and a birth paralysis or injury attorney can help them get the justice they deserve.

Retinal vein occlusion (RVO), an eye disease that affects up to 2% of people over age 40, occurs when a vein in the eye’s retina becomes blocked, leading to swelling in the eye, inflammation, damage to the retina, and vision loss.

Standard therapy involves injecting into the eye a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor (anti-VEGF) that reduces swelling. The therapy can improve vision but patients with significant retinal damage due to impaired blood flow often have poor outcomes.

“Anti-VEGF therapy has helped a lot of people with RVO, but the fear factor—having to get a needle in the eye—causes many people to delay treatment, which can lead to retinal damage,” says Carol M. Troy, MD, PhD, professor of pathology & cell biology and of neurology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. “There’s an opportunity to help more people with this disease that is a leading cause of blindness worldwide.”

The study found that an experimental eye drop treatment was twice as effective as the standard injection therapy at reducing swelling and improving blood flow within the retina of mice with RVO. The eye drops also prevented neurons (photoreceptors) in the retina from deteriorating and preserved visual function over time, whereas the standard injections had no effect on either.

Eye drops target ‘death enzyme’

The eye drops contain an experimental drug that blocks caspase-9, an enzyme that triggers cell death, and was found by Troy’s lab to be overactive in blood vessels injured by RVO.

“We think the eye drops improve the health of blood vessels in the retina, which then decreases the toxic signaling that damages the retina’s neurons and leads to vision loss,” says Maria I. Avrutsky, PhD, the study’s first author who conducted the research as a postdoc in the Troy lab.

Future studies are aimed at preparing to test the eye drops in human clinical trials and identifying additional therapeutic targets.

“Finding the root cause of RVO is the holy grail, but if we can at least provide better symptomatic relief that doesn’t distress patients, it would be a really good start,” Troy says.

Source: Columbia University