For those looking for more excuses not to go back to the office, researchers have discovered the workplace hotspots for bacteria and other ‘contaminants’.
A team from the cleaning brand supplier Chicopee swabbed office ‘touch points’ for bacteria, yeast and mould, known collectively as colony-forming units.
Computer mice were the most prolific colony-formers, with eleven times as many units per unit than toilet seats.
The kitchen, outside of the desk was the worst, with the kettle and refrigerator contaminating the environment.
Although fear of being bitten by Covid might make you reach for your hand-sanitizer of choice, it is possible that the bottles of soap contain high amounts of mould spores.
However, the company didn’t reveal what offices it targeted.
A team from the cleaning brand supplier Chicopee swabbed office ‘touch points’ for bacteria, yeast and mould, known collectively as colony-forming units. With 11 times as many colony-forming units per computer mouse than in toilet seats (file photograph), the computer mouse was most harmful.
You can eat sugar without worrying about weight gain
A gene could be passed to someone who never gains weight no matter what sugar is consumed.
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen discovered DNA variation can alter how sugar is absorbed.
It is excreted in some cases and goes to the intestine.
This mutation appears to only be restricted to two to three percent of Greenlanders. They are more likely to have developed the gene through a low-sugar diet, high-meat, and fish diet.
Professor Anders Albrechtsen said: ‘Adult Greenlanders with the variation have lower BMI, weight, fat percentage and cholesterol levels.’
It is hoped the scientists’ findings will lead to a drug that balances sugar absorption, preventing obesity and heart disease.
A new drug is available for patients with breast cancer
A new drug will be available to women with genetic breast cancer. It can reduce the disease’s progression and increase survival rates.
UK regulator the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has approved Novartis’s Piqray (alpelisib) for patients whose breast cancer has the PIK3CA gene mutation.
This drug is combined with the drug called fulvestrant and offers hope for people who have failed to stop their cancer growth using standard hormone therapy.
The treatment is available for those who have locally advanced disease. This means that cancer cells are still growing in their breasts or lymph nodes, as well as metastatic cancer where the tumour cells spread to other parts of the body.
Alpelisib, unlike hormone therapy, binds to specific receptors on PIK2CA tumor cells and blocks chemical signals that would allow them grow.
There is no research to suggest that so-called “hangover cures” actually work.
Many swear by a fry-up – or perhaps hair of the dog – after a night of heavy drinking.
However, there is no evidence that any hangover ‘cure’ works. Scientists from King’s College London analysed 21 studies that looked into the effectiveness of various hangover remedies, such as clove extract, red ginseng and Korean pear juice.
While some showed promise, the scientists concluded evidence of their effectiveness was low, with no two studies analysing the same ‘cure’.
Lead author Dr Emmert Roberts said: ‘For now, the surest way of preventing hangover symptoms is to abstain from alcohol or drink in moderation.’
According to the Portman Group, one third of drinkers choose to have no alcohol or to limit their intake.