Prenatal stress can cause long-term behavioral deficits in mice

Prenatal stress, especially maternal immune activation has long been strongly associated with behavioral changes in the offspring. Maternal immune activation is not just about a mild infection it typically involves a severe and persistent infection. It is a leading risk marker for schizophrenia and autism. This study goes one step further and finds that by simply blocking one molecule, CCL2, they could prevent the behavioral changes in the offspring. I'm a little suspicious of that and obviously that can't be extrapolated to human beings. Blocking CCL 2 might seem like a good idea for pregnant women experiencing stress but biological molecules typically have many different effects and we don't know what the consequences of blocking that molecule will have for the overall health of the women and the developing fetus. 

The findings suggest that the maternal microbiome or immune system could be good targets for developing preventive treatments for women who experience stress during pregnancy.

The problem though is that maternal immune activation is not enough, there is a genetic component to the emergence of these conditions. The genetic component involves some immune related genes but also involves genes relating to brain development. 

Nonetheless as a preventive strategy pregnant women should avoid potentially dangerous infections and generally manage their stress. This is one reason why I have concerns about pregnant women working in some roles where the risk of infection and high levels of psychological stress exist. I think our society has over stepped the mark on this matter and as research accumulates I hope more pregnant women, socioeconomic circumstances notwithstanding, are able to adopt the traditional approach of being nurtured through their pregnancy rather than being expected to perform as everyone else.

 

Is the USA a failing state?

Is America a ‘failing state’? How a superpower has been brought to the brink

At present it isn't a healthy state but it is hyperbolic to suggest it is a failing state. Nations go through periods of turmoil but democratic nations typically survive and adjust to the new realities. The problem for the USA is that it has a president promoting division, has handled the coronavirus pandemic in a poor fashion, and has threatened to send in the military to contain the street violence. 

The USA has a growing problem with economic inequality. The recent tax cuts only exacerbate that trend because those tax cuts support the top of the economic food chain. While unemployment is at record lows that doesn't appear to be addressing the economic inequality situation, possibly because most of those jobs are minimum wage jobs. There is some reason for optimism because wages have increased but that might be a function of various states raising the minimum wage. 

I don't think the USA is becoming a failing state but it would certainly help if the leadership adopting a more creative approach to reducing the street violence rather than just threatening to call in the military. The protestors have gone too far and at both the federal and state levels the authorities seem incapable to quell the unrest. 

Sweden's Coronavirus Strategy Failure

Public support for Sweden's controversial coronavirus strategy is plummeting

Sweden coronavirus strategy struck many as being unusual and dangerous. Initially conservatives praised Sweden for not falling prey to alarmism and sacrificing their economy to the boogeyman. Conservatives are quiet now because Sweden has paid a heavy price. It is worth noting that the Swedish government may have had no choice because the Swedish constitution doesn't allow the government to impose such onerous restrictions on personal behaviour as was adopted in many other advanced nations. 

Have You Heard Your Inner Voice Today?

New Study Shows There's A Reason Why We "Hear" Our Inner Voice

On Happiness

This health article from the Australian ABC website offers some good advice on how to generate happiness in our lives.

Get to work... on your happiness

Everybody Must Get Stoned?

This is a startling result and I have to wonder why it isn't being more widely publicised:

In the present study, we observed smaller brain weights and volumes in male macaque monkeys after 1.5–2.3 years of exposure to marijuana at plasma drug levels comparable to those in treated humans. Exposure to marijuana was associated with a similar reduction in mean fresh brain weight, as well as mean fresh weight and volume of the left cerebrum, compared to matched, placebo-exposed animals. For both drugs, the magnitude of these effects was in the range of 8–11%. The reduction seemed to be global (ie including all brain regions), but was most robust in the frontal and parietal lobes. In addition, both gray and white matter volumes appeared to be reduced to a similar degree.

Vaccines and Viruses- Not Good!

This article in Slovenian but the video clip on the page is in English. You will be shocked!

http://wearechange.si/znanstvenik-mercka-priznal-prisotnost-sv40-aids-a-in-virusov-raka-v-cepivih/

Chronic Cannabis Exposure Induces Cerebellar Inflammation?

The cerebellum, also known as the "little brain" is at the base of brain. Originally thought to be involved in the "fine tuning" of motor function we now know it plays an important role in wide variety of behaviors. This news item from Live Science highlights a potential risk from chronic cannabis exposure but after reading the full journal article I realise there are some important reservations about the claims made in the Live Science article.

Potassium or Die

VERY VERY IMPORTANT!

Reducing salt and increasing potassium will have major global health benefits

Cutting down on salt and, at the same time, increasing levels of potassium in our diet will have major health and cost benefits across the world, according to studies published in BMJ today.

----------------

Reducing salt intake is not enough, potassium intake amongst hunter gatherers is many times the potassium intake of modern diets and hunter gatherers typically have what we would regard as potentially dangerously low blood pressure.

Nutrition Myths

I was sent this link which provides some very interesting insights into the silliness of much standard nutrition advice. Unfortunately these myths still persist and in a couple of these I can see that I had once entertained the same ideas.