Rocket attacks in Israel linked to increase miscarriage rates
Since 2001, the southern town of Sderot, Israel has been bombarded by thousands of missiles shot from the Gaza Strip.
A study conducted by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev revealed these attacks are increasing the risk of miscarriages, or spontaneous abortions, by 59 percent in pregnant women. The study compared 1,341 pregnancies in Sderot to 2,143 pregnant women in the town of Kiryat Gat, which is out of range of missile strikes from Gaza.
Before a missile strikes the town, loud alarms sound only seconds before impact to warn the residents of the danger, which causes high stress levels among the residents. The study found residents with the lowest and highest exposure to the alarms had the highest risk for spontaneous abortion, compared to those exposed at intermediate levels.
The culprit behind this is believed to be the dysregulation of the stress-hormone cortisol. As rocket attacks intensify, cortisol levels increase to high levels or reduce to lower levels, a common predecessor to post-traumatic stress disorders. These fluctuations were found to highly increase the risk of miscarriage.
These results are a clear example of the terrible effect the violence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has on the citizens, with even the unborn at its mercy.
White House will open federally funded research to the public
The White House announced last Friday that it would provide open access to nearly all federally funded research project results. The issue was brought up through an online petition last year on the White House website, which was signed by more than 65,000 people. The concern was that research funded by taxpayer dollars was submitted to scholarly journals, which require readers to pay a fee in order to access the results. The directive given by White House science adviser John Holdren states that any federal agencies that spend more than $100 million on research must “develop a plan to support increased public access to the results of research funded by the federal government,” which include essays published in scientific journals. These agencies will be allotted a yearlong embargo period before they offer public access.
The $21 billion academic publication sector believes open access will financially ruin them and the services they provide to the scientific community. Holdren disagrees and believes the decision will give higher access to information and stimulate scientific progress in the U.S.
“These policies will accelerate scientific breakthroughs and innovation, promote entrepreneurship, and enhance economic growth and job creation,” Holdren said.
