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Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, and YouTube Join Efforts to Counter Fight Online Terrorism

A meeting on counterterrorism

Four tech giants, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, and YouTube join efforts to counter fight online terrorism. This comes as both a response to the increasing alarmingly terrorism widespread via online channels and as a measure facing criticism from NGOs and companies regarding ads that were put before extremist content on YouTube or disclosure of reviewers’ identity on Facebook.

Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, and YouTube Join Efforts to Counter Fight Online Terrorism

With the widespread of terrorism and violent extremism regarded as a transnational, global concern, the four tech giants join efforts to fight against terrorism by developing shared policies, while also removing some practices in order to establish a baseline in order to fight against terrorist or extremist content on their consumer services. Their main goal is to share their technological and operational elements among them in order to have a much greater impact in wake of the online counterterrorism fight.

Furthermore, the forum in which these tech giants join efforts to fight against terrorism comes after the initiatives of the EU Internet Forum and the Shared Industry Hash Database, as well as taking into account discussions with the U.K. and other governments in addition to the G7 and European Council meeting that recently took place.

The means of their joint efforts to fight against terrorism are based on several types of solutions. Firstly, technological solutions. These solutions work under the Shared Industry Hash Database and involve the implementation of content detection and classification techniques through the use of machine learning.

Research is another means of counter fight online terrorism by commissioning research for counter-speech training and guideline development. The share of knowledge is another means. This is a means of cooperative work with the U.N. Security Council Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (U.N. CTED) and with smaller companies in which the four tech giants will help the smaller companies to develop the technology and processes needed to counter fight terrorist and extremist content online.

One final means to counter fight online terrorism online is through counterspeech methods by working with NGOs such as Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Global Network Initiative by learning the know-how of rhetoric and discourse in order to assess whenever there is a situation of identifying and countering hate speech, discriminatory or radicalization speech online, on either of the 4 tech giants’ social or search channels (Bing, Twitter, YouTube or Facebook).

As their initiative will grow and gain traction, they will release more information about the processes.

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NASA Announces Alien Life Findings, Rumors Suggest

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Rumors state NASA announces alien life garner attention

This year, in April, NASA scientists had published an announcement that they found hydrogen on Saturn’s moon, Enceladus through the Cassini space probe. And this month the Ames Research Center of NASA revealed the catalog of current potential planets in the Milky Way galaxy, which sums a number of 4,034. This implies that NASA announces alien life findings.

NASA to Announce Alien Life?

According to NASA scientists, there have been over 2,300 planets found during the Kepler missions. And there have been 30 Earth-sized planets found in the “Goldilocks Zone” of their respective star. This is believed to be possibly conducive to life.

The latest decades and newest findings conduct to an exponential inventory of potential planets that can support alien life.

One representative from the House Committee of Science Space and Technology Chairman, Lamar Smith, said:

“Only in the last few decades have we been able to detect the existence of other worlds. The pursuit of evidence of life beyond our planet fascinates the American people”.

And, in addition, on an unofficial YouTube channel, an Anonymous video opens pondering whether NASA announces alien life findings. The Anonymous video opens by reading the text of an article that responds to a Congressional hearing. It also states that NASA announces alien life findings as being imminent.

The Anonymous group claims that there have been many other planets that “probably hosted intelligent life” before Earth did. They imply that the fact that there have been many budget investments in the exploration of the Universe is a sound reason to deduce that NASA announces alien life.

However, what Kepler has found is not alien life on other planets, but the basic requirements for life that were met. Thus, this does not mean that NASA announces alien life. Yet, many people long for the announcement of NASA that it has found and made contact with a far more advanced civilization out of this galaxy.

Image Source: Pixabay

Google Removes Private Medical Records from Search Results

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In the latest update to its algorithm, Google removes private medical records to offer individuals more privacy over their personal information

In its most recent change of privacy policy, Google removes private medical records from search results in order to offer individuals more privacy in an overtly transparent world. This comes as an update that includes bank accounts, credit card numbers, images of signatures, national or government-issued identification numbers.

Google Removes Private Medical Records from Search Results

In the recent light of events, in which medical institutions are targeted by hackers in terms of stealing medical records, Google makes a shift. For example, YouTube has been the target of criticism due to the fact that one could search for and find extremist content on the video search site. And in an attempt to stop this, Google has introduced new rules and has modified its algorithm to comply with the fight against extremist propaganda and hate speech.

If there are leaked medical records, this can be extremely damaging to the victims. It affects them both in financial and emotional terms. There are also future prospects that are affected, and also their personal, private lives. And since the indexing system that Google uses, this means that it will most surely catch anything publicly accessible on the internet.

The reason for which Google has modified its privacy policy and search engine results algorithm is that there have been ransoms requested by hackers who had managed to steal information from an Indian pathology lab who had uploaded over 43,000 patients’ records in December. These lab results included names, and blood tests (HIV tests also). And hackers monetized for their interests. So, under these circumstances, Google removes private medical records in order to comply with its privacy policy with respect to the right to private life.

The fact that Google removes private medical records is in conjunction with other algorithm updates that include removing revenge porn from its search results, as well as not endorsing other practices such as the extremist material next to ads on YouTube.

Image Source: Pixabay

France’s Marine Le Pen Supports Trump

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The National Front Party chief, considered extremist, Marine Le Pen has shown support for the Republican nominee, Donald Trump

The National Front Party chief, considered extremist, Marine Le Pen has shown support for the Republican nominee, Donald Trump. She expressed her opinion that rival Hillary Clinton could bring sufferance and war in the world.

Le Pen is a candidate in the 2017 French election for president. Her party relies on anti-immigration rhetoric, but she’s been cautious in speeches, to make her party seem more mainstream.

Le Pen pointed out that for France, the best outcome would be anybody else except Hillary Clinton. For Le Pen, Hillary Clinton means destabilizing the world through conflictual geostrategic choices.

With opinion polls indicating that Le Pen could give a mainstream candidate a tough race, her vision is growing in popularity. Despite that, the majority of voters still would not vote for her.

Both Le Pen and Trump have an anti-system strategy. In an interview released this Wednesday, Le Pen stated that both Trump and she are not insiders and they rely on themselves only, as opposed to those who listen to financial institutions.

So far, Trump has come under fire for his declarations of banning Muslims from entering America. He also got criticized from inside the Republican party for insulting comments towards women, Muslims, and Mexicans.

Le Pen does not believe in cross-border migration within the EU and she does not want France to accept refugees from Syria. She made a comparison between her and Donald Trump.

On the other hand, Francois Hollande has said that Donald Trump makes him want to retch. Hollande feels this way because Trump has spoken badly about a soldier.

He had the Khizr and Ghazala Khan case in mind, where Trump criticized the parents of US Army Captain Humayun Khan. Khan was killed in Iraq in 2004 and received a Purple Heart and Bronze Star post-mortem.

Hollande’s opinion is that democracy is at risk because many people are tempted by authoritarianism. He expressed concern over the US election, which is, in his view, a global election.

A recent opinion poll credits Clinton to be in the lead, with seven points more than Donald Trump has. That’s 46 versus 39 percent.

What’s your take on this issue? Have you decided who to vote for? Leave a comment below. Thanks!

Image Source – Flickr

The Untold Love Story between Sugar and Cancer

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A recent finding confirms that too much added sugar can lead to cancer.

A group of researchers at the University of Texas’s M.D. Anderson Cancer Center gained a deeper understanding of the untold love story between sugar and cancer and decided to share it with us.

Scientists noted that their mouse study might explain why added sugar promotes tumor growth. Their findings are consistent with a plethora of past studies that had shown a link between high sugar consumption and an elevated risk of developing cancer.

According to Lorenzo Cohen, co-author of the study, the new research suggests that what you eat after a cancer diagnosis is equally important to what you ate before you developed the disease.

Past research had shown that risk of cancer is higher when at least three risk factors are involved: unhealthy eating, lack of physical activity, and smoking. Especially the Western Diet which is rich in processed meats, fats, and added sugar was found to promote cancer.

The recent study showed that there is a significant link between added sugar and cancer risk. The research team found that fructose, a sugar substitute extracted from various plants, creates a good environment for cancer cells to reproduce and spread, or metastasize.

Cohen explained most cancer patients do not lose the battle against the disease because of their original tumor. They die when the cancer reaches an advanced stage and metastasizes.

Mouse experiments showed that cancer patients who consume a lot of sugar have a higher risk of developing advanced cancer than patients who have a healthier diet. Although mouse studies may have their limitations, Cohen’s team ensured that the body processes of the laboratory animals were similar to those observed in human patients.

Experiments showed that large intakes of added sugar fuel especially breast cancer. During their study, researchers fed mice large quantities of sugar that are very similar to the amount in the daily diet of average Americans. Plus, they used only mice with a high risk of developing breast cancer because of their genes.

Additionally, the team experimented with several types of sugars and starch. The study results showed that starch was not as harmful as sugar in promoting cancer growth. Of the mice on a starch-rich diet only 30 percent developed cancer, while more than half of those on diets rich in fructose and sucrose, also known as table sugar, developed breast tumors.

Scientists explained that both fructose and glucose in table sugar promote bodily inflammatory processes which boost the risk of cancer. But fructose was by far the most dangerous.

A research paper on the findings was published recently in Cancer Research.
Image Source: Pixabay

Obama Sends Out Message of Hope to Persecuted Christians

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The President sent a mindful message to all persecuted Christians in the Middle East.

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama sent out message of hope to persecuted Christians living in countries targeted by ISIS insurgents. He said that he and the First Lady were joining with people around the world in their prayers for ISIS victims.

The message, which can be read in full on the White House’s official site, reads that the couple is now praying for God protection for Christians and other groups persecuted over their religious beliefs and for American men and women that fight to maintain the peace and restore stability in the Middle East, and offer hope and relief from suffering to people living there.

The President underscored that this time of the year Church bells rang in those countries as well, as many people there preserve an ancient Christian tradition. But this year, in some areas churches that escaped destruction would remain silent.

Obama added that the silence is the ‘tragic witness’ to the humanitarian disasters ISIS and other paramilitary forces have brought to those regions and their inhabitants. The President also encouraged Americans to rejoice that they live in a free country, where they can openly celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. This freedom is currently taken away from many Christians in the Middle East.

The President also wrote that he and the First Lady held ‘especially close’ to their hearts people that were violently driven from their homes to far away places because of their religious beliefs.

The message ends with a three lines from a famous Christmas carol:

“The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

The President’s message of hope and solidarity was issued in the aftermath of countless violent crimes committed by ISIS agents against Christians. Obama has been harshly criticized by Republican leaders that he is more mindful on other religions and their problems than on the tragedy of the Christians in the Middle East.

Recently, GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump said that the White House would welcome Muslim refugees at any time, but would prevent Christian asylum seekers from entering the country.

This summer, Mike Huckabee, another GOP presidential hopeful, criticized the President for not staying ‘focused’ enough on persecuted Christians that are being slaughtered day in day out by ISIS combatants in the Middle East.

Last month, Rick Santorum called ISIS insurgents ‘savages’ that behead and crucify Christians across the Middle East, and said that the President needed to get a grip of that reality.
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Newbie 911 Dispatcher Helps Distressed Mom Deliver Baby on Highway

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911 dispatch operator just 2 weeks into his job helped Utah mom deliver baby.

William Kalaher, a newbie 911 dispatcher helped a distressed mom deliver baby on a highway in Utah. Though the man had only two weeks into the job, he successfully assisted the mom while giving birth.

Kalaher recalls that he received a call from Kristin Allred, who was about to the deliver her baby in the family truck last Friday. Luckily, her husband was around too. Kristin told reporters that they were rushing to a hospital that day, but when they got really close to it contractions started. Suddenly she felt the urge to start pushing, she added.

From the moment they made that 911 call and the moment the baby came into the world only 1 minute passed. The mom’s husband was still driving when the birth was ongoing. He was hoping that they could make it time to the Intermountain Medical Center. Nevertheless, he had to pull the car over.

The couple said that contractions started around 1 a.m. so they got in the car hoping that they will have plenty of time at their disposal because the woman’s previous labors lasted about eight hours each. Yet, this one hardly took 90 minutes.

When his wife told him that she felt the need to push, he dialed 911. Kalaher was on duty and picked up that call. The dispatcher said that he and his colleagues often joked about the odds to get a pregnancy call, but on that day it really happened. Fortunately, 911 operators are trained to cope with this type of emergency, as well.

Within one minute the baby girl was already born, but when Allred put her upon her chest she realized that something was wrong. She noticed that the baby wasn’t breathing. Fortunately, Kalaher didn’t panic when he heard the news.

Allred was impressed that the man remained calm even though she was very distressed at that time. The 911 operator asked her to check whether the umbilical cord was preventing her daughter from breathing. The woman told him that when she delivered her, the baby was crying but moments later she turned limp.

Fortunately, the man knew exactly what to do next. He asked the parents to tie a string around the cord about 6 inches from the newborn. About half of minute after they followed instructions and tilted her head back, the baby girl regained breath.

About five minutes later emergency crews arrived at the scene, but in the crucial moments the 911 operator literally saved the baby’s life.
Image Source: Pixabay

Chinese Rover Pushes Moon Exploration Forward with New Space Rock

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China’s first robotic rover on the moon, Yutu, detected a new type of volcanic rock.

Following over four decades of minor interest in our closest cosmic neighbor, a Chinese rover pushes forward moon exploration with new space rock. Chinese researchers recently reported that a sample of lunar rock provided by rover Yutu is different from anything past sample return missions had brought.

Researchers involved in the Chang’e-3 moon mission, China’s first successful attempt to land a unmanned craft on the moon, unveiled that the volcanic rock samples analyzed by the mission’s rover Yutu were never seen before.

Scientists based their findings on spectrometer data provided by Yutu’s instruments over the course of its stay on the lunar soil. Yutu was deployed on the moon in Dec. 2013 after more than 40 years of human absence on the lunar surface (U.S. astronauts’ last visit to the moon was in 1972).

After 30 days of exploring the landing site in the Imbrium basin, the tiny rover lost ability to move, but it continued to be functional. In the meantime, scientific data it has beamed back to Earth was of a much greater quality than what U.S. and Soviet missions had managed to produce in the 1970s.

Zongcheng Ling, lead author of the study which was published in the scientific journal Nature Communications and researcher with the China-based Shandong University, explained that the newly found space rock is a volcanic rock that emerged when the hot ancient lava in the Imbrium basin had cooled. Scientist also found that the rock is relatively young when compared with other rocks found on the moon or in lunar meteorites.

The rock’s chemical composition is different from anything Apollo and Soviets’ Luna programs had revealed. Laboratory tests showed that the piece of volcanic rock known as a basalt is rich in iron, olivine and titanium oxide.

Ling believes that the unique makeup could help scientists gain a deeper understanding of the moon’s subsurface, from which the rock originates, and on the lunar history.

Imbrium basin is a large lava flood plain that you can see with no optical instrument if you watch the moon from the northern hemisphere. The basin is located at 11 o’clock on the extreme outer edge of a huge dark spot which makes up the right ‘eye’ of the mysterious ‘man in the moon.’

Other planetary scientists noted that they weren’t surprised with the new discovery because they were aware that we still hold little knowledge of the moon since recent space exploration missions would rather target more remote objectives such as Mars or asteroids.
Image Source: Phys

Recently Found Silica Deposits on Mars May Hint at Flowing Water

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Silica found in rock samples collected by NASA’s robotic rover Curiosity may hint at ancient water.

NASA’s robotic rover Curiosity recently detected a rock-forming mineral called silica in samples taken from the Martian soil. Scientists believe that the recently found silica deposits on Mars may hint at flowing water.

Silica deposits are a common occurrence on Earth since the mineral is usually carried and deposited by flowing water. But scientists didn’t expect to find it on the Red Planet, too. Jens Frydenvang of the New Mexico-based Los Alamos National Laboratory acknowledged that science currently lacks a ‘full understanding’ of such deposits on Mars.

Frydenvang explained that similar deposits on Earth are often tied to ‘water activity.’ NASA also unveiled that the recently spotted silica is of a rare type called tridymite, which can rarely be seen on Earth. So the surprise was even greater when scientists saw it on Mars.

Researchers explained that such type of silica is found in volcanic rocks on our planet. This is why, there is a theory that the tridymite deposits on Mars may be caused by ancient volcanic activity. But another group of scientists have a different theory.

Elizabeth Rampe and her fellow researchers at Houston-based Johnson Space Center are now trying to prove that the mineral could be created in a laboratory without the need of high temperatures volcanoes involve.

Since June, NASA’s Curiosity has been exploring a barren wasteland called Marias Pass on the Red Planet. After some time, the robotic explorer found two types of overlapped rock layers. After the rover had performed some drills, it found that the layers contained a significant silica deposit.

When the discovery was unveiled to the public, Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists said that the deposits were a scientific puzzle. Albert Yen of the JPL explained that the deposits could be the result of a liquid that leached away other components and left the mineral behind or the mineral was added through other type of activity. Yen added that both scenarios involve water.

Curiosity rover has been exploring and sampling the rocks around the 18,000 ft tall Mount Sharp where the Marias Pass is located since last year. Between 2012 and 2014, the self-driving probe has been scrutinizing the plains at the base of the mountain.

A JPL investigator said that the new data beamed back by Curiosity helped the team gain a larger picture of the Martian environment around Mount Sharp from the first initial years of the mission. On Thursday, JPL researchers told attendees at an American Geophysical Union meeting that the recently sampled rocks may contain ‘organics.’
Image Source: Wikimedia

FDA Unveils Plan to Keep Teens Away from Tanning Salons

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Tanning beds boost their users’ risk of skin cancer, FDA says.

In a recent move, the FDA unveils plan to keep teens away from tanning salons amid concerns that indoor tanning may boost risk of skin cancer especially in the youth. The agency made its proposal public Dec. 19.

According to the Food and Drug Administration’s new rules, minors would be barred from using indoor tanning devices, while adults would be required to sign a consent form every half a year, stating that they are fully aware of the health consequences indoor tanning may involve.

FDA officials argued that tanning beds and other similar devices boost risk of skin cancer in its most aggressive form – melanoma. The devices are also responsible for severe burns and eye damage, health officials say.

The proposal is open for public comment for 90 days. After this time interval, the agency will be able to make it final. Stephen Ostroff of the FDA argued that the plan was designed to prevent kids and teens from developing skin cancer or other conditions. Ostroff explained that kids and teens are the age group that has the highest risk to develop cancer from indoor tanning.

The agency also plans to ask from tanning products’ makers to revamp their devices to contain additional safety tools such as panic buttons and clear warning signs. Doctors hailed the federal agency’s proposal. Last year, the FDA tried to tackle the issue by requesting clearer warning labels on tanning beds, but apparently that wasn’t enough to discourage teens from using the devices.

FDA investigators reported that 1.6 million teens and kids in the U.S. are customers of tanning salons. According to a recent report, indoor tanning increases risk of melanoma by 59 percent. Nevertheless, most Americans believe that indoor tanning is safer than traditional sunbathing.

The American Cancer Society is confident that the new rules will reduce skin cancer incidence and literally save lives. The American Academy of Pediatrics agreed that indoor tannin is dangerous and sun lamps and tanning beds should by no means be used by minors.

Experts explained that it was a rare sight to see a teen or young adult with melanoma two decades ago. Yet, today it is fairly common to see people in their late teens or young adulthood develop the lethal disease especially if they had been regular customers of tanning salons.

But the Indoor Tanning Assn. objected that the new regulations would financially burden even more its members. The group also said that a kid or teen should be barred from entering a tanning salon by their parents alone, not by the government.

But the FDA argued that, while adults are free to make their own choices since we live in a democracy, minors need protection.
Image Source: Pixabay

High Court Strikes Down Flu Vaccine Requirement in NYC’s Preschools

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On Thursday, Justice Manuel J. Mendez at the state’s high court struck down flu vaccine requirement in NYC’s preschools and day care centers. The requirement, which would have affected 150,000 preschoolers, was passed during mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s times and was slated to take effect this January.

Justice Mendez argued that the city’s health department had no authority to put flu on the list of diseases that require mandatory vaccines in public schools and day care centers. Instead, state lawmakers were the ones to approve this decision.

NYC health commissioner said that she was disappointed with the ruling since it may unnecessarily put so many children at risk. The commissioner argued that the vaccination could literally save lives and prevent the disease from spreading to children and their family members.

The city’s health department announced that it would appeal the ruling, and that it won’t stop from running campaigns to persuade parents to vaccinate their kids. But Aaron Siri, the attorney who sued the city, argued that health officials severely overstepped their attributions.

Siri argued that many parents told him that their doctors said that flu vaccination should not be mandatory because there were more risks than benefits for their children. The lawyer argued that the parents’ right to make such decision should not be removed by a dozen of ‘unelected individuals’ from the city’s health board. Instead, this right can only be removed by elected representatives in New York State’s legislature, Siri added.

The vaccination mandate required kids between ages of 6 months and 59 months to take the vaccine, and imposed fines of up to $2,000 for facilities that didn’t comply with the new public health rule.

The decision was approved by all members in the Board of Health, and there was little public backlash since public attention was more focused on a decision to outlaw large sugary drinks at that time.

But as more and more parents learned about the decision they resisted as their physicians told many of them that the shot was unnecessary, or amid growing concerns that any vaccine may promote autism in small children.

But the high court did not decide whether the vaccine was safe or not. The ruling was about procedural issues since the board exceeded its powers when making flu shot mandatory.

New York children in public schools currently are required to be immunized against a wide range of conditions including Haemophilus influenza type b, whopping cough, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, and poliomyelitis.
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Second Hand Smoke May Boost Infertility Risk by 18 Percent

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A new study suggests that second hand smoke may boost infertility risk by 20 percent and force women into menopause two years earlier. The research also revealed a statistically significant link between infertility and early menopause and smoking.

Women who inhale large amounts of tobacco by either smoking it themselves or by being exposed to passive smoke can reach menopause one to two years earlier than those that were never exposed to tobacco.

Women that actively smoke or used to smoke saw their risk of becoming infertile rise by 14 percent. Passive female smokers saw their infertility risk jump 18 percent as compared with non-smokers.

The study, which was recently published in the journal Tobacco Control, was based on data on nearly 80,000 women with the average age of 64.5 who had been enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study, a federally-funded 15-year-long clinical investigation. All study participants were at menopause by the time they entered the study.

Study participants were also asked about smoking habits, infertility, and the age of menopause onset. All women underwent ‘natural’ menopause, which means that they didn’t undergo surgery to have their ovaries removed and that they were period-free for at least 12 straight months.

Smokers were asked to provide info on the amount of tobacco used on a daily basis, the age when they smoked their first cigarette, and for how long they continued the habit. Non-smokers were asked whether they were exposed to second hand smoke in their childhood and adult years and whether they had to cope with second hand smoke at their workplace.

About 13,000 participants provided fertility data as well during the investigation, and of these women 15 percent said they struggled with infertility for at least a year. Researchers found a clear association between tobacco exposure and upped risk of having troubles to conceive.

The research also revealed that smoking raised the risk of reaching menopause before age 50 by 26 percent. The age was considerably earlier in women that smoked or used to smoke than in non-smokers and passive smokers.

Women who had lived with a smoker for more than a decade as a child, more than two decades as an adult, and more than a decade with co-workers that smoked saw their risk of infertility jump by 18 percent. On average, this group also went through menopause earlier by 13 months.
Image Source: Pixabay

Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, and YouTube Join Efforts to Counter Fight Online Terrorism

NASA to Announce Alien Life?

Google Removes Private Medical Records from Search Results

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