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Monday, June 26, 2017
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Coconut Oil Has no Healthy Fats as They Say

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Recent health trends lifted coconut oil to the level of a miracle ingredient. It can rejuvenate your skin and act as a cooking oil with no risks of getting fat at the same time. However, experts in the field don’t share the same view. The American Heart Association released a report to clarify once and for all the facts about healthy fats.

Peanut or Corn Can Offer a Better Health Alternative

To form the right view about present context, a recent New York Times survey discovered that 72% of U.S. citizens are under the belief that coconut oil is healthy. The same paper found that 37% of nutritionists share the same view. On the other hand, AHA has a completely different perception.

The American non-profit organization claimed that this type of oil is full of saturated fats. In fact, people would be better off if they replace this ingredient with peanut or corn. This way, they can slash the chances of getting cardiovascular disease by approximately 30%. This amount would be the equivalent of a cholesterol-lowering statin drug.

Coconut Oil Is Nothing More Than a Source of Saturated Fats According to AHA

Over recent years, people were led to believe that this cooking oil has almost supernatural benefits. Some of its presumable advantages include dementia prevention, anti-aging properties, and heart protection. However, it turns out that all these claims are just a construct of marketing efforts. In fact, 80% of this nutrient consists of saturated fats just like in butter. On the other hand, butter contains only 40% of such fats that contribute to the elevation of bad cholesterol in a person.

While the digital media was never able to reach a consent about the nature of this type of oil, the American Heart Association supported the same view ever since the 1960s. Through its recent statement, the association is just repeating the same overrated reviews of this aliment as it did so far. It encourages people with high cholesterol to consume only 5% of their daily intake from saturated fats. For people without this health difficulty, they are safe to increase the rate to 10%.

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United Allegedly Approved 23 Trips with Unsafe Plane

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United Airlines Inc. was ranked as the third largest airline carrier in the world as far as the revenue is concerned. The company operates nine important airline hubs in key locations such as Houston, Chicago, Denver, Guam, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo, Newark, and Washington DC. However, over the past few years, the company sparked minor yet also major customer service issues. As of recently, the Federal Aviation Administration intercepted an unsafe plane flying in the name of United Airlines.

United Didn’t Inspect the Unsafe Plane before Allowing It to Transport Passengers

On Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration took measures against United Airlines. The allegations regard a report according to which the carrier chose to operate an unsafe plane to the detriment of its customers and staff’s safety.

The unsafe plane in question is a Boeing Dreamliner that suffered some alternations before receiving the green light from the flight. On June 9, 2014, United Engineers replaced the fuel pump pressure gauge with another gear. However, the operation was not followed by a safety test.

Therefore, the plane was put at the disposal of United passengers under dubious security conditions. It was only 19 days after the alteration that the United Airlines performed an inspection of the applied changes.

The Federal Aviation Administration was appalled to learn that the airline carrier approved a total of 23 international and domestic passenger flights without checking the stability of the aircraft. On top of that, the plane might have performed two additional trips after FAA submitted a notification to the company.

FAA Wants a $435,000 Punitive Fee Issued to United

As a consequence, FAA is determined to issue a punitive fee against United Airlines that amounts to $435,000. This measure intends to serve as a reminder that the company carries a lot of responsibilities on its shoulders. The company needs to tend to all its tasks with the highest level of safety. Failing to abide by all regulations and rules can lead to dangerous conditions for both customers and employees.

United Airlines responded to these allegations promptly. The company contacted FAA to schedule a meeting. United intends to discuss the case with the agency. Moreover, a spokesperson declared that responsible parties took care of the issue as soon as they learned about it. They are also willing to work with FAA closely to address the delicate situation.

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Fresh Data Pin Household Debt to Record Values

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The quarterly reports concerning the national economy are bringing some negative aspects for the American life. The household debt jumped to record values. Almost all categories show a weak hold of financial management as far as citizens are concerned. Each of them contributed to a national debt that exceeded even the 2008 peak.

The First Quarter Experienced a Household Debt Acceleration

The concerning household debt started to increase ever since the year of 2013. A New York federal authority stated during an April presentation that 22.5% of loans were made on behalf of Americans aged 60. By comparison, this percentage was at 16% back in the last financial crisis of 2008. Nonetheless, this could represent a positive aspect. Senior citizens usually possess higher wealth than youngsters. Therefore, the default rate should be smaller.

Over the first quarter of 2017, the total amount of household debt reached $12.73 trillion. This figure is $149 billion higher than the financial situation at the end of 2016. These numbers appeared in a report that the Federal Reserve Bank of New York issued on Wednesday.

Auto loan delinquencies are among top sources of national economic drainages. Banks have already proceeded to discontinue partnerships with risky borrowers for car purchases. Late credit card payments are another concerning issue. Credit card balances stumbled on a 1.9% decrease last quarter. This marks the first time since 2008 when loan balances recorded values bigger than $12.68 trillion.

Authorities Don’t Have the Necessary Reasons to Declare Financial Crisis

Most debt categories suffered gaps that are larger than expected. For instance, auto loans dived from 6.4% to 9.2% while student loans reached 10.6% of total household debt even though a while ago they were at 4.8%.

Nonetheless, authorities don’t find these numbers as concerning as they sound. This is because the report didn’t go through an adjustment process to inflation and population size. Therefore, despite a tremendous household debt, the national economy is still away from trouble. This is because the indebtedness used to represent 85% of the economy in 2008. By comparison, the debt is now only a 67% part of the national economy.

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Snap SEC Filing Reveals Low Earnings

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Based on this month’s Snapchat SEC filing, the earnings were not at all as expected for the first financial quarter.

Last week, Snap Inc. disclosed disappointing earnings through a compulsory SEC filing. The numbers were low enough to impair the company’s ambitions to become the next sensation when it comes to social media networks. On the other hand, the report did not manage to dissuade the CEO so much.

Snap Inc. SEC Filing Revealed $2.2 Billion Loss

Earlier this month, the SEC filing Snap had to perform revealed massive bleeding points in its business. The company recorded a $2.2 billion loss for the first financial quarter. Moreover, the total revenue appeared weaker than expected while the user database experienced a slow growth. These are not good signs, especially for a digital platform that relies on the number of users to secure its market influence.

The SEC filing revealed an increased number of daily active users of 166 million. This marked a 36% evolution in comparison to last year. On the other hand, this performance has barely increased in power through 5% more users than at the end of 2016.

Analyst Jan Dawson at Jackdaw Research interpreted these numbers as a clear direction for Snap. According to him, the platform might never reach the same magnitude of that of Facebook for instance. Instead, this company might remain influential over a niche market and certain population segments.

Evan Spiegel Will Continue to Improve His Brand through Creativity

At the same time, rivals are suffocating Snapchat with implementations of cloned features. Facebook and Instagram are copycatting Snapchat core attractions for their own platforms. As such, competition continues to spend dollars on what seems to be an attempt to leave Snapchat with no more original points of interest.

“You have to get comfortable with the fact that people are going to copy you if you make great stuff.”

On the other hand, Evan Spiegel, Snap CEO, is not giving in to such pressure. On the contrary, he didn’t avoid highlighting the fact that competitors are gaining dominance by hiding behind copied innovations. However, Snap will never rely on second-hand ideas, but it will continue to improve the industry through creativity.

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Couple Arrested After Baby Was Found Covered in Over 100 Rat Bites

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A teen couple was arrested in Magnolia, Arkansas after allowing their newborn daughter to be bitten by rats over 100 times before seeking medical attention. The 15-day-old is currently hospitalized, doctors hoping for a full recovery.

They Were Afraid to Lose their Daughter

On Sunday, Erica Shyrock and Charles Elliott woke up in the middle of the night to their newborn daughter crying. When they turned the lights on, they discovered the child was not crying due to hunger or a dripping diaper, but rather because rats descended upon her, eating her alive.

The couple then decided it was time to seek medical attention, so they changed the baby’s clothes and took her to the hospital. There, doctors discovered that the 15-day-old’s face, arms, and fingers were covered in rat bites. Even more horrifying, it seems one of the rodent attackers took a big bite out of the infant’s forehead, exposing her skull.


Doctors immediately called the police who arrested Shyrock (18) and Elliot (19). Upon investigating their home, police officers found blood-soaked infant clothes, a puddle of blood, and rat prints all over the house. Furthermore, it seems the floor of the place was covered in rat droppings, suggesting the rodent infestation was well above tolerable levels.

According to the paternal grandmother, the father observed signs of rat bites earlier in the day, but refused to seek medical attention as the couple feared they would lose custody of their child if authorities found out about their rodent situation. Furthermore, during interrogation, both parents admitted to knowing about the rats and to ignoring the situation.

Now, the two are awaiting trial at the Columbia County Justice and Detention Facility. They were not offered bail and will more likely never see their child again. The baby underwent plastic surgery and is out of immediate danger.

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7,000 Former Insane Asylum Patients May be Buried beneath Mississippi University

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The University also decided to create a memorial to commemorate the insane asylum patients.

Although it might sound like a horror movie plot, there are around 7,000 bodies buried beneath the Mississippi University campus. The place where the Mississippi Medical Center Campus now stands first belonged to a mental institution named the Insane Asylum. Seeing as medicine in the 19th century wasn’t as evolved as it is today, the institution had its very own cemetery.

Over 35,000 Patients Were Treated in the Insane Asylum

Between 1855 and 1935 more than 35,000 people were admitted to this institution. Some of the patients died while receiving treatment here. Seeing as it was the only mental hospital in the state, the dead were buried in the asylum’s cemetery. After 80 years of activity, the Insane Asylum was relocated, the space now belonging to the Mississippi University.

In 2013, construction workers uncovered 66 coffins while digging on campus. The discovery was just the tip of the iceberg. After a year, they found more than 1,000 coffins. Now, current estimations show the university is home to the remains of around 7,000 insane asylum patients.

Seeing as campus officials can’t simply leave the bodies there, they decided to exhume and rebury them. The problem is that the costs of this process can reach a staggering $28.5 million. In consequence, they have come up with a cost-efficient backup plan.

The Insane Asylum Patients Will Receive a Memorial

The University of Mississippi decided to create a memorial to commemorate the deceased mental patients. Even more, a specialized and one-of-a-kind lab will be built, researchers receiving all equipment necessary to analyze the clothing, coffins, and bodies of the 19th-century insane asylum residents. By doing this, they will learn more about pre-modern mental health care.

With the help of the newly-founded Asylum Hill Research Consortium – a group that reunites renowned archaeologists, historians, and anthropologists – the University of Mississippi will be able to uncover the deep dark secrets of the 66 patients that were unearthed 4 years ago.

The rest of the bodies will remain untouched, the institution preferring to build its adjacent bodies in other locations, leaving the dead rest. As a bonus, tourists will be able to visit the location to pay their respects to the deceased.

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Low-dose Aspirin Linked To Lower Risk of Breast Cancer

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Women who take low-dose aspirin regularly are at a 20% lower risk of breast cancer.

Taking a low-dose aspirin on a regular basis might come with plenty of benefits. A new study published on 1st May in the Journal Breast Cancer Research indicates that women who take such dosages are at a lower risk of developing breast cancer. The research involved more than 57,000 women, who helped highlight the advantages of the wonder-drug.

Scientists correlate low-dose aspirin with a lower risk of breast cancer

The women were part of California Teachers Study. Scientists carefully analyzed the data and observed that those who took a low-dose aspirin regularly had a 20 percent lower risk of breast cancer. Of all the participants, only 23 percent took aspirin on a regular basis.

It takes four instances of aspirin use per week to decrease the risk of HR-positive/HER2 negative breast cancer, which represents one of the most common types of the disease. The research could have a great impact on the current breast cancer rate. However, scientists need to prove that the study is foolproof.

The results were not the same in the case of other anti-inflammatory pills, such as ibuprofen, as they did not lower breast cancer risk. Moreover, high doses of aspirin were not effective, either. Previous studies also came up with mixed results regarding the impact of high-dose aspirin on breast cancer.

Aspirin is beneficial for other conditions, too

Low-dose aspirin is also known for reducing heart disease risk, colorectal cancer rates, as well as lowering mortality among all cancers. Guidelines usually recommend taking the drug in small doses, but patients should be careful. Aspirin is not suitable for everybody. For instance, people suffering from ulcers are not advised to take aspirin, as it might worsen their condition.

Nevertheless, researchers did not find a cause for the correlation. Leslie Brenstein, the author of the study, mentioned lower levels of inflammation as a possible cause. Thus, we advise you to take this with a grain of salt. Scientists need more research until they can confirm the safety and effectiveness of low-dose aspirin against breast cancer.

“Simple things like obesity or inflammatory conditions are a risk factor for breast cancer, so this may be one reason it could help,” Bernstein said.

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Weak GDP Data Did Not Stop Stocks from Climbing 1%

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Market indexes performed this month despite weak GDP data.

On Friday, investors started to review their economic data while U.S. equities closed on lower values than usual. However, the month of April had a spectacular closure, with weak GDP data at the same time with a stock leverage of 1%.

The Dow, S&P, and Nasdaq Indexes Enjoyed Great Momentum

Goldman Sachs and Intel were the major players in a drastic fall in the Dow Jones index of around 40 points. The S&P 500 performed poorly as well with a 0.2% slip which telecommunications and financials triggered. As for Nasdaq, the index reached a refreshing record high only to climb down to lower positions by the end of the trading session.

However, all these three indexes showed a 1% advance in their monthly reports. Nasdaq had the most fruitful activity with record gains for the sixth month in a row. The Dow and the S&P fell closely behind with their fifth positive month over the past six months. On the other hand, gross domestic product increased only by 0.7%. Analysts expected at least a 1.2% positive momentum. Fewer business decisions in the investment domain, as well as fewer consumers spending, contributed to weak GDP data.

All three indexes were boosted to their full capacity over the course of this past week. The season of corporate earnings showed big numbers on behalf of some of the most powerful organizations in the world. As a consequence, on Monday and Tuesday, the stocks were described by major rebounds.

Weak GDP Data Undermined the Trump Administration

However, the feeble growth data are in stark contradiction with the promises made to the business sector by Trump administration. Donald Trump raised great support for his cause during presidential elections due to his intentions to boost growth significantly across America. The market is now in doubt whether the promised lower taxes would become a reality eventually. The portfolio manager at Hodges Capital Management, Gary Bradshaw, has already noticed the post-election rally going flat again.

“I think you’re going to have to see some (legislation) within the next couple of months, otherwise the market will become disenchanted.”

Even though the business sector propelled the market to new levels thanks to its strong earnings, it was the geopolitical tensions that kept indexes down. Investors considered a more careful attitude towards their strategies as international issues surmounted rapidly.

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Psychedelic Drugs Might Make The Brain More Conscious

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The participants of the study had an increased brain activity after they received psychedelic drugs.

A new study shows that psychedelic drugs have a different effect than previously believed. Researchers discovered that these drugs can actually increase the state of consciousness of the brain. Those who use drugs like LSD and ketamine claim that these substances cause their brain to be more conscious. Now, researchers are starting to agree with them.

Increased Brain Activity

In order to conduct this study, researchers selected healthy volunteers and gave them LSD, psilocybin, and ketamine. Before they received these psychedelic drugs, the volunteers underwent brain tests that measured their brain activity. The researchers measured the brain activity of the participants after they took the drugs. It was observed that the drugs caused more random activities in the brain.

The participants of the study had an increased brain activity after they received the psychedelic drugs. Along with the increased brain activity, the participants also experienced peculiar sensations. Some of the sensations ranged from floating, experiencing inner peace, or disintegrating.

Researchers mentioned that the most notable effects were in the areas of the brain that pay a role in perception. The areas of the brain that play a role in movement and language were not that affected by the drugs. Scientists mentioned that the random brain activity shows that the participants were in a higher state of consciousness.

“These findings suggest that the sustained occurrence of psychedelic phenomenology constitutes an elevated level of consciousness — as measured by neural signal diversity,” stated the research.

The findings of the study were published in the journal Scientific Reports. This researcher can help health experts understand the effects of psychedelic drugs better than they previously did. It can also help doctors understand how their patients respond to these drugs. Some of these “magic mushrooms” can be used to treat mental disorders.

Previous studies have shown that psychedelic drugs can have a great impact on people who suffer from mental disorders. A research that was conducted in 2016 showed that psilocybin can help people reduce the level of distress caused by social exclusion. Depression can also be treated with a low dosage of psilocybin.

Despite the fact that all the studies have shown potential, researchers were unable to demonstrate that these drugs are both safe and effective. This is why health experts advise people against self-treatments with magic mushrooms. People need to understand that these drugs haven’t been tested enough and everybody can react differently to the drugs.

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A Mysterious Letter Led to the Departure of Arconic CEO

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A mysterious letter to a senior executive at Elliot Management brought demission upon Klaus Kleinfeld.

Alcoa Inc. stands for Aluminum Company of America, and it is the third largest producer in the world of aluminum. The organization supports the activity of various industries such as technology, smelting, mining, refining, recycling, and fabricating. Other businesses under its umbrella are Kawneer which handles building products and Howmet Castings. Since November 1, 2016, Aroca is split into two unities. These are Alcoa Corporation and Arconic Inc. The chief executive of Alcoa became the CEO of the new company. Klaus Kleinfeld put a lot of effort in overseeing the separation. However, he is to leave his company because of a mysterious letter he sent to an important hedge fund.

Elliot Management Described the Mysterious Letter as a Tool of Intimidation

After he succeeded to mold a new and promising company out of an old one, Arconic CEO has to leave its several-month-old organization. This sudden event seems to be the result of the pressure coming from the hedge fund Elliot Management. The activist firm wanted the replacement of Klaus Kleinfeld in the first place with a CEO appointed by them. However, it was a mysterious letter that sealed the departure of Kleinfeld for good.

Out of the blue, Klaus Kleinfeld handed in his resignation as the CEO of Arconic. He also left the board of the company. The organization explained this sudden internal decision as the outcome of a mysterious letter Kleinfeld sent to a senior executive of Elliot Management. The message of the letter was not disclosed yet.

After the announcement of Klaus’ departure, the activist firm made a public statement regarding this event. The company described the letter as a tool of extortion.

“The letter read as a threat to intimidate or extort a senior officer of Elliott Management based on completely false insinuations, a threat that we took seriously and about which we immediately and privately informed the Board.”

David Hess Is Going to Be the Interim CEO

Arconic denied rumors according to which the departure of Klaus Kleinfeld was the result of the pressure and criticism coming from the hedge fund. On the other hand, they delivered no hint towards the reason behind this resignation. However, Elliot Management claimed that it would continue to address the weakness of the Arconic board even further. To its view, the company is pulled back from success by poor leadership.

For the time being, David Hess who is a member of the board is going to act as an interim CEO. At the same time, Patricia Russo will be the interim chair of the board.

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