Combination of Two Drugs helps Patients suffering from Common Cystic Fibrosis

Researchers announced on Sunday that two recent trials of combination of two drugs, lumacaftor and ivacaftor, has shown promising results towards improving health of patients suffering from most common form of cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder that mostly affects the lungs.

According to the researchers, results of the clinical trials have shown that people suffering from the genetic disorder who were treated with the two drugs saw improvement in their ability to breathe. In addition, the patients noticed that they had fewer lung infections than the patients who took a placebo, as per the results of the trials that have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

CDC releases Map highlighting ‘Most Distinctive’ Causes of Death in US states

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a map, which has unveiled about the most distinctive causes of death for every state in the United States.

Study’s co-author Francis Boscoe from the New York State Cancer Registry said that the map would definitely start discussions and highlight about things that were unknown before.

The researchers said the report is full of mixed responses. Some causes of death are predictable like black lung disease in coal-producing states and influenza in some northern cold-weather states. But there were some reasons of death that were surprising. To cite an example, death by legal intervention was the most distinctive cause of death in New Mexico, Nevada and Oregon.

Medical Marijuana’s shortage amid Legalization

In November, Washington voters gave green signal to an initiative making it legal to possess and grow marijuana. But the next month, Congress banned the city from coming up with a system through which pot could be lawfully bought, sold and taxed.

This leaves people with just three ways in the District to legally obtain marijuana. Firstly, someone can give marijuana, but donors have to find their own original source. Secondly, residents can grow three plants to maturity at one time. Thirdly, with doctor’s approval, people can get medical-marijuana cards.

Rep. Andy Harris has criticized the city leaders and affirmed that they should have banned possession at the time when he and other lawmakers were making an effort to prevent Washington from coming up with a controlled marketplace.

Sea Turtle Nesting Season begins

The Department of Natural Resources has reported that the first sea turtle nests of the season have been found on South Carolina beaches. This month so far has seen 17 nests, most of them in Beaufort County.

The first recorded nest was laid on Botany Island on May 1. Thousands of nests are expected along the state's shoreline this summer, said wildlife officials.

Turtle nests are like buried treasure, said Janie Lackman, leader of the Fripp Island Turtle Team. His team has found three nests on the island since Tuesday.

Climate Change: A Long Unresolved Issue

Climate change issue has been a hot topic of discussion among climate scientists, policy experts, and politicians for quite some time as we recently passed 400 parts per million of CO2 in the atmosphere. If nothing is done to curb carbon emissions in the atmosphere, the level will rise to 1,000 ppm, meaning a rise of between 3.2 and 5.4 degrees Celsius in global average temperature.

A 2012 World Bank Report had clearly stated that the current trend of carbon emission will bring extreme heat-waves and cause significant decline in global food stocks, loss of ecosystems and biodiversity. Sea level rise is another threat posed by global warming; people residing in coastal areas might need to migrate to safer places as their grounds may go under water.

Flies can experience Fear and Other emotions: Study

A study has revealed that alike humans, flies also feel fear. The study findings have suggested that the insects could even experience other emotions. There are possibilities that other small creatures like ants and spiders may have emotions, the study stated.

In a press release, William Gibson, a Caltech postdoctoral fellow and lead author of the study, said, “No one will argue with you if you claim that flies have four fundamental drives just as humans do: feeding, fighting, fleeing, and mating. Taking the question step further — whether flies that flee a stimulus are afraid of that stimulus — is more difficult”.

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