Malaria is still a giant problem for African nations and the Gates Foundation is looking to help the people living on the continent. The Gates Foundation is donating $258 million to various places to combat malaria over the next five years.
Category: Health
Rome Encourages Happy Pets
Rome is taking the welfare of pets into serious consideration and has actually banned small fish bowls! The popular round fish bowls have been banned under a new by-law which also stops fish or other animals from being given away as fairground prizes. The bowls apparently do not supply adequate oxygen for fish and can cause them to go blind.
Dog walking is also becoming mandatory for pet owners and dog owners are required to regularly walk their dogs and stop clipping their tails for esthetic reasons.
“It’s good to do whatever we can for our animals who, in exchange for a little love, fill our existence with their attention,†said Monica Cirinna, the councilor behind the by-law.
It’s nice to know that pets out there are getting the rights to live a good quality of life!
New Drug Halves Breast Cancer Replapse
U.S. researchers have published a study in The New England Journal of Medicine that claims the drug trastuzmuzab can stop almost half of all breast cancers from reappearing. The drug is currently used to treat advanced cancers.
The treatment only works with women whom have high levels of the protein HER2, the protein makes the cancer more active. 1 in 5 women with breast cancer have the protein so this new treatment can benefit a lot of women with breast cancer.
Anti McDonalds Day!
Yesturday was the 20th annual National Anti-McDonalds Day. Every year on October 16th people all over the World come together in peaceful protest against this corporate junk food giant to raise awareness about subjects such as McDonalds damaging the environment, exploiting workers, cruelty towards animals and for targeting youth in their ad campaigns. The date of protest was started by the London branch of Greenpeace in 1985 and was chosen because October 16th is also the United Nations World Food Day.
You can visit the official anti McDonalds site here for more information on the company and can also download a version of their “whats wrong with McDonalds” leaflet to learn more about why there is controversy behind the Mc Giant.
Weed Helps You Think
Marijuana doesn’t only get you high, it may also help to re-grow brain cells. A Canadian researcher has proposed this.
“In mammals, new nerve cells are constantly being produced in a part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is associated with learning, memory, anxiety and depression. Other recreational drugs, such as alcohol, nicotine and cocaine, have been shown to suppress this new growth. Xia Zhang of the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada, and colleagues decided to see what effects a synthetic cannabinoid called HU210 had on rats’ brains”
An increase in HU210 results in more nerve cell growth. Maybe this shows that smart societies are the ones that allow recreational enjoyment of marijuana.