Good Morning! 🌞

It’s finally Friday! Before you head into the weekend, did you know there’s a lake saltier than the ocean? Lake Assal in Djibouti beats even the Dead Sea in salt levels!

Health Sciences

Cancer Mutation Decoded

A new study from the University of Chicago, published in Nature, reveals an important role of RNA in how DNA is stored and organized in cells through a gene called TET2. This finding explains why TET2 mutations are linked to various cancers and diseases. Led by Prof. Chuan He, the research team found that TET2 affects RNA rather than DNA, specifically influencing RNA packaging via methylation. This process attracts the MBD6 protein, essential for organizing chromatin (DNA packaging).

In cancers, TET2 mutations lead to chromatin dysregulation, promoting uncontrolled cell growth, especially in blood and brain cells. Targeting this pathway could provide new cancer therapies, and the team is developing drugs focused on this mechanism. Beyond cancer, TET2 mutations in older adults are associated with inflammatory conditions like heart disease and diabetes, offering potential treatment avenues to remove mutant cells before they cause harm. This study also expands our understanding of chromatin regulation, suggesting RNA modifications play a broad role in gene expression.

Lifestyle

Long-Lasting Effects of Lifestyle

Sleep, exercise, heart rate, and mood can impact our brains for up to two weeks, according to a study by Finnish researchers. They tracked one person’s brain and behavior for five months using brain scans, wearables, and smartphones.

“We wanted to look beyond one-time events,” says lead researcher Ana Triana. “Our mental states are constantly shaped by our environment and experiences, but we know little about how brain connectivity responds over different timescales.” The study found that our brains don’t react to daily life in isolated bursts. Instead, brain activity gradually shifts in response to factors like sleep, physical activity, mood, and heart rate over days. This means a workout or poor sleep from last week could still be influencing attention, memory, and cognition today. Physical activity was shown to improve brain connectivity, potentially benefiting memory and cognitive flexibility, while mood and heart rate changes left lasting effects for up to 15 days. The study also suggests tracking brain changes in real-time could help identify neurological disorders early, especially in mental health where subtle signs are often missed.

“Linking brain activity with physiological and environmental data could change personalized healthcare, enabling early intervention and better outcomes,” concludes Triana.

World News

Evidence Suggests Persians Escaped to Madagascar

In the sandstone hills of Madagascar’s Isalo National Park, the archaeological site of Teniky has captivated researchers for decades. Originally thought to be temporary shelters for shipwrecked Portuguese sailors, these rock-cut niches are now believed to be potential burial sites for Zoroastrian settlers seeking religious freedom. A Swiss research team led by Guido Schreurs from the University of Bern challenges the shipwreck theory, presenting evidence that the niches closely resemble those used in Classical Persia for Zoroastrian burials.

Founded by the Iranian prophet Zarathustra, Zoroastrianism emphasizes the duality of creation and destruction, with fire as a sacred symbol. Carbon dating indicates that habitation at Teniky began over ten centuries ago, predating established Portuguese trade routes to India. The site spans approximately 300,000 square feet and features terraces, rock-cut niches, and sandstone walls, far exceeding what one would expect from temporary shelters. Pottery shards found at Teniky suggest contact with Southeast Asia and China, despite its distance from the ocean. The absence of agricultural evidence or human remains raises intriguing questions, prompting Schreurs’ paper titled “Enigmatic Architecture at an Archaeological Site in Southern Madagascar.” He posits that Zoroastrians may have inhabited Teniky after fleeing Iran's conversion to Islam. By the 10th century, the Arab world recognized Madagascar as the semi-mythical island of Wakwak. Zoroastrians traditionally placed their deceased in open-air niches rather than burying them, which they considered a defilement of the earth.

Schreurs notes similarities in stone-cutting techniques between Teniky and Persian necropolises, but the lack of bones remains puzzling; he speculates they may have been removed for religious reasons. He also questions the motives behind the site's abandonment, as some sandstone walls appear to suggest a defensive structure. To address these unresolved questions, Schreurs and his team plan another research trip to Teniky in 2025.

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Mind Stretchers

⁉️ 

A thousand colored folds stretch toward the sky,

Atop a tender strand, Rising from the land, 'Til killed by maiden's hand.

Perhaps, as a token of love.

Perhaps, to say goodbye. What is it?

Yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:

Hurry up! Chris Hostetler got this correct first, way to go! 🌞 

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