New Delhi: A study led by the National Institute of Health and published in JAMA Network on 25 September has revealed that many people are experiencing lasting smell loss years after COVID-19, even without realising it. Researchers tested 3,535 adults using the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT), a 40-odour scratch-and-sniff assessment.
They found that 80 percent of participants who reported changes in smell after COVID-19 also scored very low on the test, with nearly a quarter of them severely impaired or having no sense of smell at all. Another interesting finding is that 66 percent of those who reported no issues with their sense of smell after COVID also showed low scores, suggesting that many people underestimate their olfactory loss.
This isn’t just about the loss of the sense of smell—it can also affect nutrition, safety, and mental health, and is linked to neurological diseases. Researchers of the study urged routine smell testing in post-COVID care, while new therapies for this are currently being explored by scientists across the world.
Hot springs in Japan hold key to early life’s secrets
The natural hot springs or onsen in Japan aren’t just famous tourist attractions, but are also doorways into the evolution of early life on Earth. A new study by Japanese scientists, published in Microbes and Environments journal, tried to recreate the environment on Earth 2.5 billion years ago to understand the history of ancient life forms through hot springs. At that time, before the Great Oxygenation Event, the Earth wasn’t covered in oxygen and yet life forms thrived in it.
Most of these Japanese hot springs have been formed from volcanic eruptions or near volcanic regions, and are very rich in iron and other minerals.
This iron-rich, oxygen-deprived environment is similar to the oceans of early Earth, and scientists at the Earth Life Institute at the Institute of Science in Tokyo thought it would be a good idea to study the life forms in these waters.
They found two main kinds of microbes—one was cyanobacteria, which uses sunlight to produce oxygen as a byproduct, and another was an iron-oxidising bacterium. This used the oxygen produced by the cyanobacteria to convert iron into energy. So these early ecosystems were collaborative networks where organisms worked together and survived with limited resources. The study also shows that Japanese hot springs are living analogues of our planet’s biological history.
Camel art, an ancient signboard to a water source
A unique historical study, published in Nature Communications on 30 September, from the Gulf region analysed rock art panels in the Nefud desert of northern Saudi Arabia. The study found that pictures of camels, gazelles and other naturalistic figures weren’t just random art pieces, but told the unique story of the geography of that region.
Twelve thousand years ago, the deserts of Saudi Arabia were occupied by nomadic groups that moved from place to place in search of food and, more importantly, water. The rock art panels the archaeologists found, as part of the Green Arabia project, were located in areas close to the water sources of that time.
This meant that early humans were not drawing these images for just entertainment; instead, they were leaving behind vital clues of where water was located in this desert and where they themselves had settled. While other carvings found in West Asia were hidden, these engravings were etched onto huge cliff faces, signalling active presence, movement routes, and the cultural identity of these people.
This smart patch can help people with substance-use disorders
A device called the Lief Smart Patch, a compact wearable patch that provides heart rate variability biofeedback (HVRB), can help people going through substance-use disorders. According to a paper published on 1 October in Jama Psychiatry, conducted in the US-based Mass General Brigham healthcare system, one of the biggest obstacles to people recovering from substance-use disorders is being able to resist cravings during situations of stress and random urges.
This refers to people suffering from any kind of substance use, including alcohol, smoking or drugs. What this new device does is that it detects a change in heart rate or heart rate variability, which is a key indicator of stress. Anytime it detects unusual activity, it regulates the person by prompting them to start breathing exercises or other activities to calm down.
The trial enrolled 115 adults in their first year of recovery. Half used the device alongside their existing recovery plans, while the other half followed standard care without it. Over eight weeks, those with the device reported fewer cravings and also reduced negative emotions.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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