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What's up, sunshine? Happy Friday,
Friday. Yay. I'm Koi Wire. Welcome to
another Summer Friday edition of CNN 10,
where I simply tell you the what,
letting you decide what to think. Hope
you've had an awesome week. Let's get
you caught up on some of the biggest
news stories this week. We begin in
France where scientists around the world
just convened for the UN Oceans
Conference. One of the biggest
objectives, discovering new ways to
tackle the problem of microlastic
pollution in the planet's oceans and
rivers. What's a microlastic? Well,
they're found in food packaging,
clothing, furniture, electronics,
construction materials, even chewing
gum. One study last year found the world
produced 400 million metric tons of
plastic waste each year. And every day,
2,000 truckloads of plastic are dumped
into the ocean. And while this garbage
has devastated some populations of
marine life, the microlastics are also
making their way into the human food
chain and water supply. Our Derek Vanam
explores some of the possible solutions
to this seemingly insurmountable
problem.
The shore of this river is far from
sandy. Instead, it's full of trash. The
piles of garbage have become a norm for
the residents along the Rio dos buggress
river in Brazil. Mass quantities of
pollution have created an ecosystem
dominated by plastic instead of plants,
altering the lives of those who depend
on the river.
This fisherman has experienced the
difficulties firsthand.
He says he used to make a living off of
fishing because it was possible. But now
there are very few fish. Recent research
has found that this river contains one
of the highest concentrations of
microlastics in the world.
But the problem of plastics is
worldwide.
Plastic does not decompose like organic
waste.
Over time, natural weathering breaks
down plastic into smaller and smaller
pieces, eventually creating microlastic
particles. Humans unknowingly ingest
these particles every day. Research on
the health effects of microplastics is
still in its early stages. But one study
has identified a link between plastic
particles in the body and an increased
risk of heart attack, stroke, and even
early death.
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Around the world, scientists are
developing possible solutions to the
plastic problem. Researchers in Japan
have developed a dissolvable plastic.
When we place the plastic sample in an
aquous solution with the same salt
concentration as seawater, it dissolves
quickly in about 2 to 3 hours depending
on its thickness and size.
Is different how is the colony size.
Meanwhile, researchers in Australia have
turned to fungus for help.
Typically, plastics are very well known
to be degrading over many, many years
and even decades. This research has been
showing that in fact, fungi are able to
degrade plastics much faster.
The fungi produce enzymes which
naturally break down plastic. But Abas
warns that this is not a complete
solution. There are other more
significant steps that we as a society
must take and this includes upstream
design of new products and a redesign
and remanufacturing reuse. As part of
this effort, legislators around the
world are pushing to enact restrictions
on the production of plastic. While
nonprofits such as the Ocean Cleanup are
taking action by conducting large
extractions of plastic found in water,
the group aims to clean up 90% of
floating ocean plastic pollution by
2040.
Now to a fascinating recovery and
landmark case in the world of medicine,
specifically for transplant surgeries. A
young man from Switzerland is sharing
more about the double hand transplant
that changed his life. Part of Luca
Croanot's arms and legs were amputated
when he was just 12 years old. After a
case of strep throat wasn't properly
treated. It turned into a
life-threatening infection. Last fall,
he moved to the US to be closer to the
worldrenowned transplant team at the
University of Pennsylvania. As you can
imagine, it's incredibly complicated to
find a hand donor. There has to be a
match not only for blood type, but also
skin color, age, and size. After a
10-hour surgery, Luca is slowly
regaining mobility with his new hands.
Here's part of his remarkable journey.
I went from having no hands to suddenly
having healthy hands during the night.
So, this was a miracle in itself, just
seeing them.
Hi, my name is Luca Kanat and I'm 29
years old. I am from Switzerland and a
patient of pen medicine.
Last year I have received the gifts of
two hands.
17 years ago I lost both hands and legs
due to a severe sepsis.
For me as a patient I knew that the
solution existed for my problem. The
question was how to reach that solution.
There are just slightly more than let's
say 100 patients around the world that
have had this procedure.
I was fully confident that after 17
years I knew what was right for me. We
waited for such a long time for the call
to arrive. So I was in a way fully
ready. Maybe 1 hour after the call
already in the patient room. We balance
the muscles and the tendons. We co-apt
or create a connection of the arteries
and the veins. It's very important when
we put the nerves together, the nerve
from the recipient has to regenerate or
grow into the muscles of the donor. And
if they don't grow, then the hands don't
work.
Trying to compensate for lack of arms
with a plastic robotic hand is just
impossible.
A couple of months ago when I was
washing my hands, it was the first time
that I felt that the water was cold.
This was really aha moment where I said,
"Oh my god, I feel the temperature of
the water."
These are profound, monumental
achievements in this field. His
sensation will continue to improve over
years.
He is evolving rapidly to being
independent for eating, dressing, the
things that we all take for granted.
What I already have gained, this is
absolutely worth it because quality of
life is something that is so important
in our everyday life.
Pop quiz hot shot. How old was the
ancient Egyptian pharaoh king Tut at the
time of his death? 65, 19, 32, or 95.
If you said 19, ding ding, you are
correct. Scientists who studied Toutin
Common's mummy believe the young pharaoh
likely suffered from malaria, a broken
leg, and bone disease. While his reign
was short, King Tut's tomb was the only
royal burial found perfectly intact in
modern times. After the tombs of Egypt
were discovered, scientists studied
those preservation techniques. And some
of the very same science has contributed
to advancements in chemistry,
anthropology, and archaeology centuries
later. But in a recent study out of
Slovenia, scientists are using a new
tool when analyzing embalmed Egyptian
tombs and artifacts, their noses. Our
Isabelle Rosales has more.
This air
is ancient and it's giving scientists a
glimpse into the mysteries of the past
or rather a sniff.
Our nose is a fantastic tool to learn
more about the past. So we decided to
explore this idea of a nose as a
diagnostic tool in the case of mammified
bodies.
Researchers from University College
London and University of Ljubljana will
tell you a mummy scent isn't as haunting
as it looks. The spicy, woody, and even
sweet smells give us insight into what
materials and bombers used thousands of
years ago.
This is a gas chromatograph mass
spectrometer. Basically, it enables us
to separate each of the chemicals
present in that air and identify them
chemically, but also it allows us to
experience the smells as humans and
describe the qualities.
The study of nine mummies from the
Egyptian Museum in Cairo conducted with
Egyptian conservators revealed scents of
plant oils and wood, gum resins like
frankincense and myrrh, and even
cinnamon. The research also helped
determine which of these materials were
part of the original inbombing process
and which were added later to help
preserve the bodies. This approach takes
10 L of air through a sampling tube,
which not only helps keep the mummy safe
and intact, but reveals how scent can be
just as informative as sight or sound
and could even be incorporated into
museum experiences. One of the
innovative contributions of this study
is to the emerging field of old factory
heritage and this studies how using our
nose we can learn more about history and
heritage.
A study proving that thousands of years
into the future our noses of all things
will be a window into the past.
[Applause]
Today's story getting a 10 out of 10.
Beach trips and the dog days of summer.
sometimes bring rough waters in the
ocean, but some four-legged heroes are
making waves and saving lives,
especially this pup, known for its fancy
haircuts and dog show skills, recently
joining a team of lifeguards in Spain.
Now, beach rescue squads usually include
Labradors and Newfoundlands, but No the
Poodle felt he was up for the task at
Las Linda's Beach near Malaga. His
handler says he was scared of crowds and
loud noises at first. So, he had to be
trained step by step, not just to stay
calm, but also how to swim horizontally,
using his tail like a rudder. When it's
time to utilize the furry lifesavers,
the handler actually enters the water
first to reach the swimmer in distress
and then calls the dogs in to help tow
people back to shore. Now, poodles are
known for super intelligence and ability
to learn, and they were historically
used for water rescue and retrieval
during hunting trips in Northern Europe.
Their fur actually protects them from
the cold water. But they do need their
handler to lather the sunscreen on their
nose. A German breed of dog, the name
poodle, comes from the German verb
poodle, which means to splash. So,
ultimately, maybe Nilo was positively
destined for the life of a lifeguard.
All right, superstars. Our first shout
out today goes to the Bridges boys and
Bridges girls at Lakeside Behavioral
Health at the Brunswick Day School in
Memphis, Tennessee. Thank you for making
us a part of your day. And Miss Alt and
all of my Trailside Raptors up in
Vineyard, Utah. This Raptor swag, it's
elite. I'll be rocking this all summer
long. And horns up to Miss H and Coach
Ben Kramer. Hot Springs High School in
Hot Springs, South Dakota as a former
NFL player. This speaks to my soul. I
can feel all the hard work and
dedication y'all put in. Congrats on
your football championship. Rise up.
Have a fantastic weekend, everyone. Make
someone smile. You are more powerful
than you know. I'm Koi Wire and we are
CNN 10.