Little-known sleep disorder with links to dementia

+ gender roles in ancient hunter-gatherer societies US Edition - Today's top story: A little-understood sleep disorder affects millions and has clear links to dementia – 4 questions answered [View in browser]( US Edition | 31 May 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Physically acting out dreams, sometimes violently, is unsettling enough, but this activity can also be an early sign of neurological problems, including Parkinson’s disease. In one of our most-read science stories this week, University of Virginia neurologist Anelyssa D'Abreu provides an [overview of REM sleep behavior disorder](, a little-understood condition that affects millions of people, with symptoms most often first appearing in people in their 40s and 50s. Although there are no approved therapies, she notes that medications such as melatonin and clonazepam may improve the symptoms. Tomorrow is the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season, and this year’s forecast is complicated by the expected formation of El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean. Iowa State University atmospheric scientist Christina Patricola unpacks the [various factors at play in this story](, with numerous graphics to demonstrate the effects of sea temperatures and shifting global wind patterns during an El Niño. The good news is that the forecast calls for a near-average hurricane season in the Atlantic and Caribbean, but she notes that “hinges on El Niño panning out.” In another major environmental story over the past week, the Supreme Court greatly [curtailed the definition of waters protected]( by the Clean Water Act, a decision “that could expose many wetlands across the U.S. to filling and development,” University of California, Davis, legal scholar Albert C. Lin writes. And in another popular story over the past week, University of Michigan anthropologist Raven Garvey considers an often-overlooked food source to argue that [both men and women – not only men – hunted in prehistoric times](. Also in this week’s science news: - [Studying naturally produced opioids for better painkillers]( - [Rising risk of flash droughts in food-growing regions]( - [“Molecular machines” to combat fungal infections]( If there’s a subject you’d like our team of science editors to investigate, please reply to this email. [[Sign up here for our Understanding AI series – four emails delivered over the course of a week.](] Martin LaMonica Director of Editorial Projects and Newsletters Past age 50, men are much more likely to have REM sleep behavior disorder than women. Jose Luis Pelaez/Stone via Getty Images [A little-understood sleep disorder affects millions and has clear links to dementia – 4 questions answered]( Anelyssa D'Abreu, University of Virginia REM sleep behavior disorder is characterized by acting out dreams, which may include shouting, kicking and punching during sleep. Hurricane Florence, seen from the International Space Station in 2018. Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. NASA [Atlantic hurricane season 2023: El Niño and extreme Atlantic Ocean heat are about to clash]( Christina Patricola, Iowa State University Current forecasts suggest a warm tropical Pacific will be interfering with what could otherwise be a ferocious Atlantic hurricane season. What if prehistoric men and women joined forces in hunting parties? gorodenkoff/iStock via Getty Images Plus [‘Man, the hunter’? Archaeologists’ assumptions about gender roles in past humans ignore an icky but potentially crucial part of original ‘paleo diet’]( Raven Garvey, University of Michigan If hunter-gatherers went beyond nose-to-tail eating to include the undigested plant matter in a prey animal’s stomach, assumptions about gendered division of labor start to fall apart. [How can Congress regulate AI? Erect guardrails, ensure accountability and address monopolistic power]( Anjana Susarla, Michigan State University Figuring out how to regulate AI is a difficult challenge, and that’s even before tackling the problem of the small number of big companies that control the technology. [Cytomegalovirus lies dormant in most US adults and is the leading infectious cause of birth defects, but few have heard of it]( Laura Gibson, UMass Chan Medical School Although testing for CMV during pregnancy isn’t routine and there isn’t universal screening for infants, there are steps pregnant people can take to protect themselves and their newborns. [To have better disagreements, change your words – here are 4 ways to make your counterpart feel heard and keep the conversation going]( Julia Minson, Harvard Kennedy School Researchers have identified ways to have more productive conversations – even when you’re talking to someone who holds an opposite view. [2023 hurricane forecast: Get ready for a busy Pacific storm season, quieter Atlantic than recent years thanks to El Niño]( Kelsey Ellis, University of Tennessee; Nicholas Grondin, University of Tennessee El Niño years put Hawaii and the Mexican Riviera on alert for destructive tropical storms and hurricanes. [The Supreme Court just shriveled federal protection for wetlands, leaving many of these valuable ecosystems at risk]( Albert C. Lin, University of California, Davis In Sackett v. EPA, a suit filed by two homeowners who filled in wetlands on their property, the Supreme Court has drastically narrowed the definition of which wetlands qualify for federal protection. [Including race in clinical algorithms can both reduce and increase health inequities – it depends on what doctors use them for]( Anirban Basu, University of Washington Biased algorithms in health care can lead to inaccurate diagnoses and delayed treatment. Deciding which variables to include to achieve fair health outcomes depends on how you approach fairness. - [Farmers face a soaring risk of flash droughts in every major food-growing region in coming decades, new research shows]( Jeff Basara, University of Oklahoma; Jordan Christian, University of Oklahoma If greenhouse gas emissions continue at a high rate, breadbaskets of Europe and North America will see a 50% chance of a flash drought each year by the end of this century. - [Your body naturally produces opioids without causing addiction or overdose – studying how this process works could help reduce the side effects of opioid drugs]( John Michael Streicher, University of Arizona Unlike opioid drugs like morphine and fentanyl that travel throughout the body, the opioids your body produces are released in small quantities to specific locations. - [Colorado River states bought time with a 3-year water conservation deal – now they need to think bigger]( Robert Glennon, University of Arizona Southwest states have bought time with an agreement between California, Arizona and Nevada to cut Colorado River water use by about 14%. Now comes the hard part. - [Drilling down on treatment-resistant fungi with molecular machines]( Ana L. Santos, Rice University; Jacob Beckham, Rice University; James Tour, Rice University Fungal infections can be among the hardest to treat, and since the pandemic began they’ve become only more common. To prevent future antifungal resistance, scientists have developed tiny molecular drills. - Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly emails: [Politics Weekly]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Global Economy & Business]( - - About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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