The United States is paralyzed...and it's not going to get any better

The United States is paralyzed...and it's not going to get any better The “Lake Effect” phenomenon is currently sweeping across the northeastern United States. The "Lake Effect" has resulted in an exceptional snowstorm, paralyzing part of the country, including Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York - all regions bordering the Great Lakes. As reported by 20 Minutes, the “Lake Effect” occurs when cold winds cross the relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes. Air masses are created that capture the moisture in the lakes, which then condenses into snow when they hit the cold lands downstream. The amount of snowfall, mostly concentrated in narrow but intense bands, then increases sharply. Exceptional snowfalls Because temperatures on the Great Lakes are currently higher than the seasonal average, the meteorological phenomenon gains in energy and power, leading to substantial snowfalls. In some regions, snowfalls have reached 90 centimetres, and could even reach 2 metres by the end of the week. The consequences? Freeways are at a standstill, forcing drivers to spend the night in their cars or seek refuge in service stations. Heavy goods vehicles are also banned from certain main roads. What about the future? In the future, climate change could have a major impact on both the frequency and intensity of snowstorms associated with the lake effect. Shorter winters and longer periods of ice could help intensify the phenomenon. In the long term, if temperatures continue to rise, the snow could turn to rain, threatening the regions concerned with major flooding. Until the end of the week, and according to weather forecasts, snowfalls and strong winds are expected to continue to hit this part of the United States.

The Science of Sleep: A Brief Guide on How to Sleep Better Every Night

If you want to learn how to sleep better, then you're in the right place. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know if you want to get better sleep. I'll explain the science of sleep and how it works, discuss why many people suffer from sleep deprivation without knowing it, and offer practical tips for getting better sleep and having more energy.

Plain and simple, the purpose of this guide is to explain the science of how to sleep better. You can click the links below to jump to a particular section or simply scroll down to read everything. At the end of this page, you’ll find a complete list of all the articles I have written on sleep.

I. The Science of Sleep

Sleep is one of the strangest things we do each day. The average adult will spend 36 percent of his or her life asleep. For one-third of our time on earth, we transition from the vibrant, thoughtful, active organisms we are during the day and power down into a quiet state of hibernation.

But what is sleep, exactly? Why is it so important and so restorative for our bodies and minds? How does it impact our lives when we are awake?

The Purpose of Sleep

Sleep serves multiple purposes that are essential to your brain and body. Let's break down some of the most important ones.

The first purpose of sleep is restoration. Every day, your brain accumulates metabolic waste as it goes about its normal neural activities. While this is completely normal, too much accumulation of these waste products has been linked to neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.

Alright, so how do we get rid of metabolic waste? Recent research has suggested that sleep plays a crucial role in cleaning out the brain each night. While these toxins can be flushed out during waking hours, researchers have found that clearance during sleep is as much as two-fold faster than during waking hours.

The way this process occurs is fairly remarkable:

During sleep, brain cells actually shrink by 60 percent, allowing the brain's waste-removal system—called the glymphatic system—to essentially “take out the trash” more easily. The result? Your brain is restored during sleep, and you wake up refreshed and with a clear mind.

The second purpose of sleep is memory consolidation. Sleep is crucial for memory consolidation, which is the process that maintains and strengthens your long-term memories. Insufficient or fragmented sleep can hamper your ability to form both concrete memories (facts and figures) and emotional memories.

Finally, sleep is paramount for metabolic health. Studies have shown that when you sleep 5.5 hours per night instead of 8.5 hours per night, a lower proportion of the energy you burn comes from fat, while more comes from carbohydrate and protein. This can predispose you to fat gain and muscle loss. Additionally, insufficient sleep or abnormal sleep cycles can lead to insulin insensitivity and metabolic syndrome, increasing your risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Genetic discovery holds implications for better immunity, longer life

Caenorhabditis elegans

Wrinkles on the skin of a microscopic worm might provide the key to a longer, healthier life for humans.

Working with Caenorhabditis elegans, a transparent nematode found in soil, researchers at Washington State University's Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine were the first to find that the nervous system controls the tiny worm's cuticle, a skin-like exterior barrier, in response to bacterial infections. Their study was published today in Science Advances.

Often used in biologic research as a model organism, the C. elegans nematode has a relatively simple structure while still sharing several genetic similarities with more complex mammals including humans, so this discovery holds implications for human health as well.

"Our study challenges the traditional view that a physical barrier such as a worm's cuticle or a human's skin does not respond to infections but is part of the body's innate defense against a pathogen," said Assistant Professor Jingru Sun, the corresponding author on the paper. "We show that during infection the nematode can change its cuticle structure and that defense response is controlled by the nervous system."

Sun and her colleagues used technologies such as gene silencing and CRISPR gene editing to show that a G-protein-coupled receptor tied to a gene called npr-8 regulates collagens, proteins that are the key structural components of the nematode's cuticle. Nematodes whose NPR-8 receptor was removed survived longer when exposed to the pathogens that cause pneumonia, salmonella and staph infections. The cuticle of the nematodes without the receptor also remained smooth compared to their wild peers whose cuticle wrinkled in response to the same pathogens.

"For nematodes, it's important to maintain a healthy cuticle that acts as the first line of defense against external insults," said Durai Sellegounder, lead author on the paper and a postdoctoral researcher in Sun's Lab. "Many pathogens produce wicked proteins that try to destroy this barrier and establish infection. Our results show that the nervous system can detect these attacks and respond by remodeling or strengthening this protective structure."

Collagens are the most abundant proteins found in mammals, and declining collagen levels are associated with aging. For humans, collagen loss can create more problems than just unsightly wrinkles. While nematodes have only one "extracellular matrix," the cuticle, humans have an extracellular matrix on every organ and if that matrix is too stiff or too loose it can be harmful.

The WSU study results indicate that collagens play an important role in defense of pathogen infection, and the researchers speculate that the neural regulation of collagens might play a role in overall longevity as well. Their next goal is to understand the underlying defense response mechanisms.

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Materials provided by Washington State University. Original written by Sara Zaske. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.