vaping shift may

Vaping shift may lower future cancer rates

ByJustpaste.in

In the United States, the growing shift from traditional cigarettes to e-cigarettes and other nicotine products could potentially lead to a decline in cancer rates in the future. A new study published in JNCI Cancer Spectrum analyzed data from US federal health surveys collected between 2015 and 2023.

According to the study, traditional cigarette smoking declined significantly across almost all age groups during this period with the decline being particularly noticeable among people aged 18 to 34. In contrast, the number of people using only alternative nicotine products particularly e-cigarettes, increased.

The study’s lead researcher, Professor Kenneth Michael Cummings of the Medical University of South Carolina said the trend suggests that many smokers are completely switching to vaping rather than using both products simultaneously.

The study found that the proportion of people who used both cigarettes and e-cigarettes remained around 2% to 3% throughout the study period. Scientists also developed a Population Harm Reduction Index to compare traditional cigarette smoking with the use of non-combustible nicotine products.

According to the researchers, an increase in the index indicates that more people are using alternatives to traditional cigarettes that may expose them to lower levels of potentially cancer-causing chemicals.

The study found that people aged 55 and above were much less likely than younger people to quit smoking and switch to alternative products even though older adults could gain significant immediate health benefits from quitting smoking.

According to the study, vaping has now become more common than cigarette smoking among young people aged 18 to 24.

Professor Cummings said the greatest concern is that older people who have smoked for many years are not switching to lower-risk, non-combustible nicotine products as quickly. This is the group that could potentially gain the greatest immediate health benefits from quitting smoking.

According to the report, the study was funded by the US National Cancer Institute and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) while the vaping industry provided no financial support.

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    Lady Catherine Dyer’s metaphysical elegy

    ByJustpaste.in

    “My dearest dust“, in three monosyllables, Dyer fuses affectionate devotion with biblical mortality. Few opening lines in English poetry carry the sudden jolt of Lady Catherine Dyer’s seventeenth-century elegy to her late husband, Sir William Dyer. The phrase creates a brilliant phonic equation. Two words linked by alliterative d sounds and ending in the crisp st consonant cluster. This sequence immediately brings closer the earthly tenderness and the cold realities of the grave. Written after Sir William’s premature death in 1621 at the age of 37, the 14-line poem presents a wife addressing her departed spouse. This poem is not from a distance of detached, formal mourning, but from the shared boundary of their marital bedchamber. It is an extraordinary work of grief. A sequence of part lullaby, part nocturnal dialogue, and part radical act of faith. Dyer crafts her elegy primarily in rhymed heroic couplets, a poetic form where paired lines lie side-by-side like lovers in rest. Yet, the emotional core of the poem resides within its deliberate deviations from standard iambic pentameter. When Catherine laments her husband’s sudden departure, the meter breaks under the weight of her longing: Thy weary limbs with early rest, She exempts the line 6 of its expected fifth metrical foot, reducing it to iambic tetrameter. Dyer mirrors the truncated nature of Sir William’s life. His death was early and so the line itself ends prematurely. Similarly, when describing her daily routines of widowhood in line 10, preparing her nightly dress and calling to prayer. There, the missing foot echoes the quiet vacancy of her solitary routine. Something essential is absent, and the meter forces the reader to feel that empty space. Even the poem’s gentle play with rhythm in lines 3 and 4 captures this hesitation. Asking whether they might have, Sate up, or gone to bedd together? The unaccented final syllable creates a lingering, breathless pause. It presents a moment where the speaker hesitates before facing the silence of her answer. The Audacity of Desire What makes Dyer’s poem so captivating is its unapologetic amalgamation of grief and intimacy. As the poem draws toward its conclusion, the speaker describes her eyelids growing heavy while her beloved’s body grows cold. She commands: Draw, draw ye closed curtaynes: and make room: My dear, my dearest dust; I come, I come. To a contemporary reader, the closing insistence: “I come, I come” is a poignant declaration of joining her husband in ultimate death. However, the phrasing carries a remarkably provocative double layer. In Renaissance and 17th-century vernacular, “to die” was a well-known euphemism for sexual climax. The verb “to come” already held slang connotations surrounding physical intimacy. For Lady Catherine, her very surname, Dyer, homophonically echoes dier. These final words create a daring convergence of spiritual reunion and erotic memory. To lay down in the grave beside her husband is both an act of holy surrender and a transcendent return to marital passion. It is a moment of fearless emotional honesty carved directly into a sacred space. The Monument at Colmworth This extraordinary text was not merely kept in a private manuscript. In 1641, two decades after her husband’s death, Lady Catherine erected an elaborate monument in the Church of St. Denys in Colmworth, Bedfordshire. Above stone effigies of the couple propped on their elbows as if engaged in eternal late-night conversation, the full poem was proudly embossed. Lady Catherine outlived Sir William by 33 years, never remarrying. For over three decades, she lived with the memory of the husband who died young after fathering seven children. Catherine would have gazed upon her own stone likeness, reading her own words of twenty years prior while waiting for the remaining thirteen years of her earthly separation to expire.  The Dissolution of Words and the Promise of Reunion In the centuries since its installation, time and moisture have slowly eroded the Colmworth monument. Today, many of the terminal words in the carved verses have worn away, softening the crispness of the original rhymes. Yet, there is a poetic justice in this physical decay. Rather than diminishing the work, the fading text represents a literal blurring of boundaries. It expresses a “de-coupleting” of stone that mirrors the breakdown of mortal limits. As the physical letters dissolve into the ambient damp of the church, Catherine and William’s separation quietly closes, fulfilling the poem’s final command to make room for eternal rest.  

  • Amazing uses of rice water you should know

    ByJustpaste.in

    Rice water is often thrown away after cooking, but it can be useful in many ways.  It can improve the taste of food help plants grow support healthy hair and skin and even be used for cleaning. Instead of pouring it down the drain try these simple ideas. Add It to Rice Dishes Use leftover rice water when cooking rice based meals. It can add extra flavor and provide a small nutritional boost. Use It in Soups and Broths Mix rice water into homemade soups or broths. It helps make them slightly thicker while improving both taste and texture. Cook Vegetables Steam or boil vegetables in rice water instead of plain water. The vegetables may absorb some of the nutrients and develop a richer flavor. Baking Rice water can be added to recipes such as bread pancakes, or other baked goods. It helps keep them soft and moist. Hair Rinse Rice water contains vitamins, minerals and amino acids. After washing your hair with shampoo and conditioner use rice water as a final rinse. It may help make hair feel smoother and look shinier. Natural Facial Toner Rice water has been used in Asian skincare for generations. Apply it with a cotton pad to help refresh the skin reduce the appearance of irritation and leave your face feeling clean and fresh. Feed Your Plants Dilute rice water with plain water before using it on indoor or outdoor plants. It contains nutrients that may support healthy plant growth. Natural Cleaner Diluted rice water can be used to clean kitchen counters and wash some household items.  Its mild starch and natural compounds may help remove light grease and dirt. Help Protect Plants Spraying diluted rice water around plants may help discourage some garden pests.  While it is not a guaranteed pest control method it can be a simple natural option to try. Instead of wasting leftover rice water give it a second life around your home. It is an easy low cost way to reduce waste and make use of something that is often thrown away.

  • New image reveal Sun’s surface in amazing detail

    ByJustpaste.in

    Looking directly at the Sun is impossible and capturing a clear image of it is even more difficult. However, new images of the star at the center of our solar system have been released showing its surface in extraordinary detail. The images were captured by the Inouye Solar Telescope located in the US state of Hawaii. It is considered the world’s most powerful solar telescope and is capable of observing the Sun in unprecedented detail. The telescope has captured images of the Sun before but these new photographs provide the most detailed views yet of the surface of our solar system’s star. A unique wing-like pattern can be seen across the Sun’s surface in the images. According to scientists, this pattern is associated with the Sun’s magnetic field which is moving in a wave-like manner due to hot gases. Closer look at Sun’s surface The images reveal processes occurring on the Sun’s surface that may help explain a decades-old mystery: why the Sun’s outer atmosphere known as the corona is millions of times hotter than its visible surface. Experts say these are the highest-resolution images of the Sun’s surface ever captured. In earlier observations, the telescope detected sand-like structures on the Sun’s surface making it appear as though grains of sand were being viewed under a microscope. Each of these structures was roughly the size of France in terms of area but the new images reveal much greater detail. The new photographs show a distinctive pattern on the Sun’s surface associated with rapidly moving plasma. Scientists have identified this pattern as Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities (KHIs). Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities have been observed on Earth during the formation of patterns in lakes, oceans and clouds. They have also been detected on Jupiter and Saturn but their presence on the Sun had not previously been confirmed. Why Sun’s magnetic activity matters? Solar activity particularly changes in the Sun’s magnetic fields can affect power grids, satellites, GPS positioning and global communications on Earth. These magnetic fields are generated by the Sun’s extremely hot plasma but scientists have not yet fully understood how they work. Experts know that these magnetic fields can trigger sudden releases of enormous amounts of heat but exactly why this happens remains unclear. The new images, however, provide clues that could help explain why the Sun’s visible surface has a temperature of around 6,000°C while its outer atmosphere can reach temperatures of millions of degrees Celsius.

  • How to keep your inverter battery healthy

    ByJustpaste.in

    Inverter batteries have become common in many homes especially in areas where power cuts are frequent.  However many people forget to maintain the battery properly.  Knowing when to check the water level and how much water to add can help keep a battery working well. Check the water level regularly In traditional lead acid batteries the water level slowly decreases with use.  That is why it is important to check it from time to time. If the inverter is used less often checking the battery every two to three months may be enough. With heavier use it may need to be checked more often. A very low water level can affect the battery’s internal parts and may reduce its lifespan. Watch for signs of low water If your inverter is giving less backup than before the battery feels unusually hot, or its performance keeps getting worse check its condition and water level.  However low water is not always the only reason for battery problems. If the issue continues have the battery checked by a professional. Add the right amount of water When adding water, check the level marked on the battery. The water should stay between the minimum and maximum lines. If the level is below the minimum mark add the required amount carefully.  Never fill the battery above the maximum level. Do not overfill the battery Adding extra water does not make a battery last longer.  Overfilling can cause the electrolyte to spill out and may damage nearby parts.  Always keep the water within the recommended level. Use distilled water Avoid using ordinary tap water in batteries that require topping up. Minerals and other substances in tap water can damage the battery over time. Distilled water is generally recommended but always follow the instructions provided by the battery manufacturer. Not every battery needs water Not all inverter batteries are the same.  Some are maintenance free and do not need to be opened or filled with water. Before opening a battery or adding anything to it check its type and read the manufacturer’s instructions. Be careful while Checking the battery Lead acid batteries can contain corrosive liquid so wear protective gloves and protect your eyes when handling them.  Keep cigarettes flames, and sparks away from the battery. If the battery is swollen, leaking or becoming extremely hot, do not try to open or repair it yourself. Contact a qualified technician. •Regular Maintenance •Can extend battery life •Taking simple care of your inverter battery can help maintain its performance. Check the water level when needed use the correct type of water keep the battery clean and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to help keep it in good condition.

  • Ethics of Journalism in Digital Spaces: When the Speed of News Challenges the Truth

    ByJustpaste.in

    By Ali Ijaz In today’s digital world, news is no longer something we wait for in the morning newspaper or watch at a fixed time on television. It reaches us while we are having breakfast, scrolling through social media, checking messages, or simply browsing our phones. One click can take a piece of information from a small post to a global story within minutes. But behind this incredible speed lies an important question: Are we becoming faster at sharing information than we are at checking the truth? This is where the ethics of journalism in digital spaces becomes more important than ever. I attended a workshop under the project titled “Digital Trust and Free Expression in the AI Era” at the Department of Media and Development Communication, University of the Punjab, supported by the U.S. Mission to Pakistan in partnership with the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network (PUAN) where we discussed ethical issues in digital journalism in detail. The digital revolution has completely transformed journalism. Traditional journalists once worked mainly for newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. Today, journalists also work through websites, social media platforms, podcasts, YouTube channels, newsletters, and mobile applications. The platforms have changed, but the fundamental responsibility of journalism remains the same: to inform people accurately, fairly, responsibly, and honestly. Digital journalism gives journalists an opportunity to reach millions of people instantly. At the same time, it creates new ethical challenges. A journalist is no longer competing only with another newspaper or television channel. They are competing with thousands of posts, influencers, bloggers, anonymous accounts, and algorithms—all fighting for people’s attention. And in this race for attention, truth can sometimes become the casualty. One of the biggest challenges in digital journalism is the pressure to be first. When breaking news happens, every newsroom wants to publish it immediately. Social media makes this pressure even stronger. A journalist may feel that if they wait five minutes to verify information, another platform will publish the story first. But journalism is not a competition to see who can press “publish” fastest. Being first is valuable. Being correct is essential. An unverified headline can spread thousands of times before the journalist even gets a chance to correct it. By then, the damage may already be done.This is why ethical digital journalism requires journalists to pause, verify sources, check facts, and distinguish between confirmed information and speculation—even when everyone else is rushing to post. Perhaps the most visible ethical problem in digital spaces is misinformation. A dramatic headline, edited video, misleading photograph, or false claim can easily go viral. Sometimes people share such content because they believe it is true. Sometimes they share it simply because it supports what they already believe. For journalists, however, “everyone is sharing it” is never enough evidence. Ethical journalism requires verification.  Digital media has introduced another major ethical challenge: clickbait. Websites and social media platforms often depend on clicks, views, shares, and engagement. This creates pressure to write shocking headlines. There is nothing wrong with making a headline interesting. Journalism should be engaging. The ethical problem begins when a headline exaggerates, hides important context, or deliberately misleads the audience simply to generate clicks. A journalist’s goal should not be to trick people into opening a story. The goal should be to make people want to read the truth. Digital journalism also raises difficult questions about privacy. Because information can be shared instantly, journalists may have access to photographs, private messages, personal social-media posts, and other sensitive information. But the fact that something is available online does not automatically mean that it is ethical to publish it. Imagine a person experiencing a tragedy. Their photograph may already be circulating online. Does that mean a news organization should publish it? Not necessarily. Ethical journalism requires journalists to consider human dignity, consent, public interest, and potential harm. There is an important difference between what the public wants to know and what the public needs to know. Responsible journalism understands that difference. The rise of artificial intelligence has added another layer to digital journalism. AI can help journalists research topics, analyze large amounts of information, translate material, summarize documents, and produce content more efficiently. But it also creates risks. AI-generated images, manipulated videos, synthetic voices, and automatically generated text can make false information appear extremely convincing. This means journalists must become even more careful about verification. At the same time, news organizations should be transparent about how AI is used. If AI plays a significant role in producing or altering journalistic content, audiences deserve appropriate disclosure. Technology can assist journalism, but technology cannot replace journalistic responsibility. Ethical journalism is not only the responsibility of journalists. Audiences also play an important role in the digital information ecosystem. Every time we share a post, forward a message, repost a video, or comment on a breaking story, we participate in the distribution of information. Before sharing something, we should ask ourselves: “Do I know this is true, or do I simply want it to be true?”That small question can make a huge difference. Digital literacy is therefore becoming an essential part of responsible citizenship. We must learn to recognize unreliable sources, misleading headlines, manipulated media, and information taken out of context.Technology will continue to change journalism. Tomorrow’s journalists may use tools that we cannot even imagine today. News may become faster, more personalized, and increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence and algorithms. But one thing should remain unchanged: the value of truth. A journalist’s greatest asset is not many followers, viral posts, or millions of views. It is credibility. People should be able to look at a news organization or journalist and believe that the information has been gathered responsibly, verified carefully, and presented honestly. In a world where everyone can publish something, journalism must prove why it deserves to be trusted. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Mission to Pakistan or USEFP/PUAN.

  • Ukraine moves against Russian Kids’ cartoon

    ByJustpaste.in

    Ukraine has imposed sanctions on the producers and distributors of the popular Russian children’s cartoon “Masha and the Bear.” Ukrainian officials say the show may help spread a positive image of Russia and could pose a risk to the country’s national security. According to Al Jazeera, Ukraine’s Culture Minister Tatiana Berezhna announced the decision on social media.  She said the sanctions could allow legal steps to limit the cartoon’s content and restrict its distribution and earnings on global platforms. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the related decree on Thursday.  The measures include Animaccord the studio behind the cartoon along with other people and organizations connected to the series. A Worldwide Children’s hit “Masha and the Bear” follows the adventures of a playful young girl named Masha and her friend a retired circus bear. The show has become hugely popular around the world. Its YouTube videos have received more than 37 billion views while some individual episodes have been watched more than four billion times.  The cartoon is shown in around 100 countries. Ukraine raises concerns Ukraine and some of its allies, including the UK and Estonia have criticized the show. They argue that it presents Russia in a positive way and could be used as a form of soft power to increase Russian cultural influence. Ukraine’s culture minister said children’s programs should not be used to promote Russian propaganda.  The government wants to reduce the cartoon’s reach inside Ukraine and also limit its income and distribution through international platforms. Still popular in Ukraine Despite the war and restrictions on Russian cultural content, “Masha and the Bear” remains popular among Ukrainian children. According to Ukrainska Pravda, the cartoon’s Ukrainian YouTube channel became the country’s most popular children’s channel in August last year. It now has more than 18 million followers. Russia rejects the claims Russia has rejected Ukraine’s accusations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov defended the cartoon saying it has become popular worldwide and promotes positive human values. Ukraine had also raised concerns in June when Netflix reportedly sought rights to stream new seasons of the show. Following the latest sanctions Ukrainian authorities may take further steps to restrict the cartoon’s content and distribution in the country.

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