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People are surprised to learn that Mari Murdock, 36, is a professional game master, a role in which she organizes and narrates tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons. Dungeons & Dragons is an open-ended tabletop game in which the narrative is shaped by the players' choices, whether that's through combat, puzzles or negotiation. But as Murdock played tabletop games through the 2010s, she grew more confident in the skills it takes to run a good game. The timing was fortuitous, as tabletop gaming became more popular during the pandemic. For Murdock, gaming allows you to immerse yourself in "a pretend situation where you are imagining that you are someone else.

Persons: Mari Murdock, Graham Merwin, Murdock, — it's, Scott, Murdock's, Mari, she'd, Dax Levine, —, Levine, Max, we've, it's Organizations: CNBC, Westminster University, Brigham Young University, Hawaii, BYU, Dragons, Guinness World Records, &, PayPal, Hulu, Spotify, Amazon Prime, Max Insurance, Relief Society Locations: Utah, Salt Lake City, Michigan, Hawaii, Japan, Scott, Provo , Utah

☆ Should the SAT still matter after all these years? Why some colleges are bringing it back
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

The longest-enduring standardized college admissions test in the nation, the SAT has faced decades of controversy over bias and criticism for reducing aspiring college students to a test score. Discrepancies with standardized testing appear to be symptomatic of the inequality endemic to the education system. In 2005, the College Board added an 800-point writing section to the exam alongside its math and verbal reasoning sections. In this Jan. 17, 2016 file photo, a sign is seen at the entrance to a hall for a college test preparation class in Bethesda, Md. Alex Brandon/APThe College Board told CNN it has also done away with its esoteric vocabulary in the past decade.

Persons: ”, Carl Brigham, Brigham, classism —, Daaiyah Bilal, Harry Feder, Barnes, Noble, Mario Tama, haven’t, Daniel Koretz, Koretz, Scott Eisen, Brown, ” Dartmouth, Ethan Hutt, Horace Mann, Warren K, Leffler, Alex Brandon, It’s, Rachel Rubin, Jack Schneider, ” Schneider, David Coleman, “, ” Coleman, it’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, National Center for Fair, Princeton, College Board, CNN, National Education Association, ACT, Ivy League, Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, Harvard’s, Dartmouth College, Yale, Dartmouth, Harvard, University of Florida, University of Texas, ” UT Austin, College Board's, University of North, Chapel Hill’s School of Education, Massachusetts, of, Phillips Exeter Academy, of Congress, Census, Board, UMass Amherst’s Center for Education, Holton Arms, The College Board, Khan Academy, The Locations: New York, New York City, United States, Guatemala, Hanover , New Hampshire, Georgetown, Austin, Dartmouth, University of North Carolina, Hutt, “, Boston, Harvard, Bethesda, Md, Iowa, Northeast

☆ Exercise reduces stressful brain activity, which can lead to less heart disease risk, study shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In addition to the physical benefits of exercise, it’s also associated with a reduction in stress signals in the brain, which leads to a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the study. For people without any history of depression, the benefit of exercise on cardiovascular disease reduction plateaued after about 300 minutes of moderate physical activity a week. How it worksExercise reduced stress signals and increased prefrontal cortical signals, Tawakol said. In part, exercise appeared to reduce heart disease risks by reducing the stress signals, Tawakol said. But figure out a way to get a physical activity in that you truly enjoy,” he said.

Persons: it’s, Brigham Biobank, ”, Ahmed Tawakol, “, Andrew Freeman, Freeman, Tawakol, ” Tawakol, wasn't, Oleg Breslavtsev, Karmel Choi, ” Freeman Organizations: CNN’s, CNN, Mass, American College of Cardiology, Mass General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Jewish Health, Getty, Massachusetts General Hospital Locations: Boston, Denver, Massachusetts

☆ There is no loneliness epidemic
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-07 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

With the report, a steady trickle of headlines about the epidemic turned into a firehose: "Loneliness is at epidemic levels and it's killing Americans" (USA Today); "This Epidemic of Isolation Is as Harmful as Smoking" (Bloomberg); "America's Loneliness Epidemic Comes for the Restaurant" (The Atlantic). There's one problem: The loneliness epidemic doesn't exist. Even the authors caution in their meta-analysis that "the frequently used term 'loneliness epidemic' seems exaggerated." Calling it a "loneliness epidemic," then, may be a bit like calling COVID a "sneezing pandemic." "There are many, many surveys that are just making up questions about loneliness and are not using the UCLA Loneliness Scale or some other validated loneliness scale," she says.

Persons: Vivek Murthy, Murthy, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Sen, Chris Murphy, Ruth, University of Michigan —, Eric Klinenberg, Julianne Holt, it's, Dave Sbarra, Holt, David Riesman, Lunstad, I've, —, Sbarra, Klinenberg, Adam Mastroianni, " Mastroianni, Mastroianni, Biden, isn't, Jill Lepore, voicemails, There's, Jerome Adams Organizations: Bloomberg, Business, York, Gallup, University of Michigan, New York University, Brigham Young University, University of Arizona, Bell, University of California Los, Commerce, UCLA, Republican, Democratic Locations: Connecticut, Brooklyn, University of California Los Angeles, America, Washington, DC, COVID

☆ FDA approves new drug that may help stop and even reverse a rare, fatal condition that doctors call a ‘ticking time bomb’
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

These proteins cause the walls of a person’s blood vessels to keep growing and thicken over time. As the blood vessels narrow, the heart is forced to work harder to pump blood to the lungs. Treatment with a combination of drugs that dilate, or relax, blood vessels can improve this outlook, but they are not a cure. Both groups were also taking the standard medications for the condition, which help relax blood vessels to improve blood flow. But Galiatsatos said that as promising as the drug looks, there are still many unknowns, including whether the drug will benefit all PAH patients equally.

Persons: Katrina Barry, Barry, “, ”, Winrevair, Merck Winrevair, Vallerie McLaughlin, Panagis, Galiatsatos, isn’t, ” Barry, I’m, fanny, She’s, sotatercept, PAH, Sotatercept, “ There’s, Kristin Highland, Highland, ” Merck, Merck, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Aaron Waxman, Barry’s, he’s, they’ve, Johnson –, Waxman, “ I’ve, “ It’s, who’ve Organizations: CNN, American Lung Association, US Food and Drug Administration, Merck, FDA, University of Michigan, PAH, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, New England, of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Institute, Clinical, CNN Health, Brigham, Women’s Hospital, Johnson Locations: PAH, American, Greece, Boston

☆ Amgen wants in on the booming weight loss drug market — and it's taking a different approach
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Mario Tama | Getty ImagesAmgen is taking a new approach as it tries to stand out in a crowded field of drugmakers racing to develop the next blockbuster weight loss drug. It's too early to say how competitive Amgen will be in the budding weight loss drug space, which Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have so far dominated. Goldman Sachs also projects that between 10 million and 70 million Americans will be taking weight loss drugs by 2028. The sustained weight loss in Amgen's study appears to contrast with results seen in clinical trials on Zepbound and Wegovy. An injection pen of Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug, is displayed in New York City, U.S., December 11, 2023.

Persons: Mario Tama, Eli Lilly, Goldman Sachs, Zepbound, Eli Lilly's, Amgen's MartiTide, Caroline Apovian, Apovian, Joe Buglewicz, MariTide, Holly Lofton, Eli Lilly’s, Brendan McDermid, Reuters Amgen's, William Blair, Matt Phipps, Phipps Organizations: Getty, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Viking Therapeutics, Therapeutics, Zealand Pharma, Boehringer, Center, Weight Management, Wellness, Brigham, Women's, Washington Post, NYU Langone Health, Reuters, William Blair & Company, CNBC Locations: Thousand Oaks , California, Oaks , California, Novo, New York City, U.S

☆ It’s not you, it’s them: Engaged couples are cutting back on lavish weddings
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The obsession with lavish weddings grew to a fever pitch in the years following the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. That’s bad news for wedding vendors who provide services like videography, photo booths and catering. Meanwhile, those vendors are facing a more worrisome existential threat: a looming drop in the overall number of weddings. But she said that so far in 2024, weddings are “cooling a bit.”A recent wedding where Gabrielle Stone served as the planner. In another life, some of those would-be couples who never met in 2020 could have gotten engaged this year.

Persons: ”, Shane McMurray, What’s, McMurray, Gabrielle Stone, ” Stone, Stone, Kay, Jared, Gina Drosos, “, Z, ” McMurray, Toni Burrowes, Burrowes, didn't, Toni Burrowes “, Alyssa Young, We've, Alyssa Young “, it’s, ” Young, It’s Organizations: CNN, Signet Jewelers, Kay Jewelers, Signet, Alpha, University of Virginia, Brigham Young University, Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: Boston, Zales, Central Florida, San Antonio, Texas

☆ March Madness: Top seeds for men and women’s 2024 NCAA basketball tournament announced for Selection Sunday
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Jacob Lev | Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The other top seeds for the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament are the Purdue Boilermakers, North Carolina Tar Heels and Houston Cougars. 2 seeds are Iowa State Cyclones, Marquette Golden Eagles, Tennessee Volunteers and Arizona Wildcats. Thirty-two teams automatically qualified in both the men’s and women’s tournament by virtue of winning their respective conference tournaments. Now that Selection Sunday is all but over, there are only two days for fans to fill out their brackets before the men’s tournament begins on March 19 and the women’s tournament begins the day after. Angel ReeseAngel Reese is another of the tournament’s biggest stars, following her crucial role in propelling LSU to its first ever women’s college basketball title last year.

Persons: Caitlin Clark, Martin, Zach Edey, Kirk Irwin, Barack Obama, George H.W, Bush, Jimmy Fallon, Yale Brigham, James Madison, Howard, Wagner, Saint, Tennessee Martin, Rice, Marshall Syracuse, Caitlin Clark Caitlin Clark, “ Clark, onomics ”, Steph Curry’s, Angel Reese Angel Reese, Matthew Holst, Reed Sheppard, Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard Organizations: CNN, Connecticut, South Carolina, NCAA, Purdue Boilermakers, North, Heels, Houston Cougars, Iowa Hawkeyes, Southern California Trojans, Texas Longhorns, Iowa State Cyclones, Marquette Golden Eagles, Tennessee Volunteers, Arizona Wildcats, Wildcats, Long, Long Beach State, Big West, bluebloods, Duke, SEC, Gamecocks, women’s, Heart, Presbyterian, Iowa, Hawkeyes, Louisiana State, Ohio State, Stetson, Northwestern, San Diego State, Alabama, Auburn, Yale, Yale Brigham Young, Duquesne, Washington State, South Dakota State, South Dakota State South Houston, Texas, . Vermont Texas Tech, NC, Boise State, Kentucky Midwest Purdue, Montana State, Utah State, Texas Christian, Gonzaga, Samford South Carolina, . Oregon, Creighton, Mississippi State, . Michigan, Charleston Clemson, Baylor, Colgate, Dayton, Albany South, Oregon State, Marquette, Notre Dame, Kent State, Albany Iowa, Princeton, Drake ; Kansas State, Portland Louisville, . Middle, ., UCLA, California Baptist, Portland Southern, Michigan, Vanderbilt -, Virginia Tech, Jackson State, Richmond ; Ohio, Maine, Portland Texas, Drexel, Florida, South, Cal Irvine Tennessee, ; North Carolina State, Chattanooga ; Iowa, Maryland, Stanford, NBA, WNBA, LSU, Big, Purdue Locations: South, North Carolina, Long Beach, bluebloods Kentucky, Kansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Connecticut, Stetson ; Florida, San, Birmingham, Duquesne ; Illinois, Morehead State, Drake, South Dakota State South, Longwood ; Nebraska, Wisconsin, NC State ; Kentucky, Oakland, Florida, Colorado, Marquette, Grambling State, McNeese ; Kansas, ., Akron ; Texas, Virginia, Colorado State ; Tennessee, Peter’s West North Carolina, Mississippi, Saint Mary’s ( California, Canyon, Alabama, New Mexico, . Nevada ; Arizona, Albany South Carolina, . Michigan State ; Indiana, Fairfield ; Oklahoma, Florida Gulf Coast . Nebraska, Eastern Washington ; Mississippi, West Virginia, Drake ;, . Middle Tennessee State, . Nevada, Las Vegas, California, California Baptist Region, Portland Southern California, Christi ; Kansas, Vanderbilt - Columbia, Arizona ; Connecticut, Richmond ;, Drexel ; Alabama, Florida State ; Utah, South Dakota, ; North, Chattanooga ;, Norfolk, South Carolina

☆ Living drugs that reprogram patients’ immune cells show early promise against hard-to-treat brain tumors
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Only 3% to 5% of people who are diagnosed with this type of brain tumor will be alive three years later. Now, an experimental therapy that reprograms a person’s own immune cells to attack these tumors is showing some exciting promise. Doctors first harvested immune fighters called T-cells from his blood and then genetically modified them in a lab so they’d recognize and bind to specific proteins on the surface of the brain tumor cells. After a single 10-milliliter infusion of about 10 million CAR-T cells, Fraser’s tumor began to shrink. Three-quarters of the participants had had their brain tumors come back at least twice.

Persons: ”, Otis Brawley, –, they’ll, ” Brawley, Tom Fraser, Brigham, Debbie Fraser, Fraser, He’s, Marcela Maus, ” Fraser, Maus, “, ” Maus, Christine Brown, ’ Brown, ” Brown, hasn’t, Brown, Dr, Donald O’Rourke, “ They’re, O’Rourke, ” O’Rourke, Sanjay Gupta, you’re, they’re, it’s Organizations: CNN, Johns Hopkins University, American Cancer Society, City of Hope Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts General, Mass, New England, of Medicine, Doctors, Mass General Cancer Center, Tv3, Cell Therapeutics Research, of, Nature, Penn, Excellence, University of Pennsylvania Perlman School of Medicine, CNN Health Locations: City, Duarte , California, Massachusetts, Rochester , New York, Boston, of Hope, Hope

☆ Paris 2024: How friendship and faith helped guide these two US marathon runners to the Olympic Games
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The pair finished first and second at the Florida event to stamp their tickets to Paris 2024. Racing is important and making an Olympic team is obviously a once in a lifetime thing, but there is more to this life than running.”Young poses with his family after achieving his dream of making the Olympic team. Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports via ReutersWith Paris 2024 fast approaching, both men are building up their preparations ahead of this year’s Olympics. The setback is not expected to impact his participation at Paris 2024 though. Neither is afraid to admit that a podium place in Paris is the goal, but both are acutely aware of how unpredictable an Olympic marathon can be.

Persons: Conner Mantz, Clayton Young, Mantz, Young, I’m, ” Young, ’ ” Mantz, James Gilbert, We’ve, we’ve, “ We’re, we’re, ”, I’ve, Mike Ehrmann, “ It’s, of Jesus Christ, God, Kirby Lee, I’d, ” Mantz, “ Organizations: CNN, Olympic, CNN Sport, Mantz, Getty, Brigham Young University, BYU, of Jesus, USA, Sports, Reuters, Paris Locations: Utah, Florida, Paris, Ghana, North Carolina, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Central Park

☆ A mom gave birth to 3 leap day babies. It's only the second case recorded in the world.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Jane Ridley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Xavier, Remington, and Jade Estes were born on February 29, 2004, 2008, and 2012, respectively. AdvertisementWhen Xavier, Remington, and Jade Estes sliced their joint birthday cake earlier this month, the numbers on the top said 20, 16, and 12. AdvertisementThe makeup of the Estes family is known only to copy that of an older family in Norway. Heidi, Olav, and Leif-Martin Henrikson — born in 1960, 1964, and 1968, respectively — hold the Guinness world record for most siblings delivered on consecutive leap day years. "Everyone associates leap day with frogs."

Persons: Xavier, Remington, Jade Estes, —, Estes, Heidi, Olav, Leif, Martin Henrikson —, Louise Estes, Jade, Remington Estes, David, Xander, I'd, Seeley, We'd, Este, wasn't, it's, We've Organizations: Service, Guinness, Brigham Young University, Marvel, Business Locations: Norway, Payson , Utah

☆ The woman behind the next big thing in cancer treatment
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Christine Olsson/AFP/Getty ImagesWu’s research focused on small mutations in cancer tumor cells. However, in many cases, cancer vaccines have failed to live up to their promise — largely because the right target hasn’t been found. “This is a fantastic discovery.”By sequencing DNA from healthy and cancer cells, Wu and her team identified a cancer patient’s unique tumor neoantigens. More work is needed before they are a viable treatment options for many cancer patients. To show that these type of cancer vaccines work, much larger randomized control trials are needed.

Persons: Catherine Wu, Boston’s Dana, “, ”, Wu, Lendahl, Dr Patrick Ott, Sam Ogden, Honjo, James Allison, Tasuku Honjo, James P Allison, Christine Olsson, ” Hans, Gustaf Ljunggren, Matt Stone, “ I’m, ” Wu, ” Lendahl, you’ve, It’s, ” Barbara Brigham, BioNTech, ” CNN’s Brenda Goodman Organizations: CNN, Farber Cancer Institute, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Karolinska, Getty, US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, MediaNews, Boston Herald, Merck, Moderna, ”, Covid Locations: Sweden, BioNTech, Rome

☆ Herculaneum scrolls: Philosopher’s words emerge from ancient artifacts
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

And now, researchers investigating artifacts from the neighboring city of Herculaneum are using new technology to peek beneath Vesuvius’ blanket of ash and mud to uncover more of history’s best kept secrets. The wonderOne of the Herculaneum scrolls undergoes analysis using lasers. EduceLab/University of KentuckyArtificial intelligence has revealed the first nearly complete passages to be decoded from the charred, brittle Herculaneum scrolls. Mimas could change the way scientists understand ocean worlds across our solar system, which may harbor life beyond Earth. They find wonder in planets beyond our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world.

Persons: Julius Caesar’s, papyrologists, Philodemus, ”, Roger Macfarlane, Drake, Nima Sarikhani, Joshua Newton, Frédéric, IMCCE Mimas, —, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, University of Kentucky, Brigham Young University, Wildlife, Perth Zoo, Curtin University’s School, Molecular, Life Sciences, “, PACE, CNN Space, Science Locations: Herculaneum, South America, Antarctica, British, Western, London

☆ First complete passages from ancient Herculaneum scroll decoded
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —After using artificial intelligence to uncover the first word to be read from an unopened Herculaneum scroll, a team of researchers has revealed several nearly complete passages from the ancient text, giving insight into philosophy from almost 2,000 years ago. The Herculaneum scrolls are hundreds of papyri that survived the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. By using computer technology and advanced artificial intelligence, researchers can now analyze the Herculaneum scrolls without unrolling and risking damage to the extremely fragile documents. The first word to be decoded, the Greek word for purple, was detected in October 2023 and can be found within the newly interpreted passages. The charred documents, now referred to as the Herculaneum scrolls, were recovered from a building believed to be the house of Julius Caesar’s father-in-law, according to the University of Kentucky.

Persons: ”, Brent Seales, Luke Farritor, Youssef Nader —, Julian Schilliger, Farritor, Nader, Schilliger, papyrologists, Seales, Julius Caesar’s, Philodemus, “ Philodemus, Roger Macfarlane, Macfarlane, that’s, ” Macfarlane Organizations: CNN, classicists, University of Kentucky, University of Nebraska, Freie University Berlin, ETH Zürich, Institut de France, Brigham Young University Locations: Vesuvius, England, France, Italy, Naples

☆ Exclusive: Astarte Medical is shutting down. Here's why the infant tech startup decided to close its doors.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Tracy Warren cofounded Astarte Medical in 2016 to improve care for premature babies. Astarte, which sells software to standardize nutrition for babies in intensive care units, had raised $14 million in venture funding to date and landed contracts with four hospitals. Last year, the startup wasn't able to land as many new contracts as it hoped, with hospitals struggling to manage their slim margins. But Astarte ultimately decided not to make the promise to build AI into its tech for clinical decision-making. The startup is hoping to find a buyer by the end of the first quarter of the year.

Persons: Tracy Warren, Warren, Astarte, Tammi Jantzen, Katherine Gregory, Gregory, Warren didn't, Nenov, Jantzen, —, we've, we're, Medical's Organizations: Business, Brigham, Women's, Viking Global, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Children's, Gillette Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital, Arkansas Children's Hospital Locations: Virginia, Minnesota, Arkansas

☆ You may be eating predigested food. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Aleksandr Zubkov/Moment RF/Getty ImagesBypassing the digestive systemMuch like the regurgitated food mother birds feed their babies in the nest, ultraprocessed food is quick and easy to digest, according to experts. “So the question is, which degree of processing remains compatible with human food system sustainability and global health? Some food processing may be goodHumans have processed food for centuries — the first evidence of fermentation was some 13,000 years ago. Alexander Donin/iStockphoto/Getty ImagesThe ingredients used in many ultraprocessed foods, however, have been subjected to much more than a bit of heat. “The other way I put it is that individuals who are trying to control their weight in today’s food environment are fighting an entire food system on their own.

Persons: starchy, “, ”, Chris van Tulleken, van Tulleken, Aleksandr Zubkov, that’s, didn’t, David Katz, ” Katz, we’ve, ’ you’ve, it’s, Kevin Hall, Hall, ” Hall, Giulia Menichetti, Menichetti, Anthony Fardet, Fardet, ” Fardet, Alexander Donin, Marion Nestle, Paulette Goddard, ” Nestle Organizations: CNN, Industry, University College London, BBC, Getty, True Health Initiative, National Institute of Diabetes, Diseases, Harvard Medical School, Brigham, Women’s Hospital, Network Science Institute, Northeastern University, French National Institute for Agricultural Research, New York University Locations: Europe, United States, Bethesda , Maryland, Boston, Paris

☆ Daily Multivitamin Might Help Aging Brains
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter(HealthDay)THURSDAY, Jan. 18, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- A daily multivitamin could help people keep their brains healthy as they age, a new trial finds. Results suggest taking multivitamins could help prevent memory loss and slow cognitive aging among older adults, researchers report in the Jan. 18 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The effect was measurable: A daily multivitamin slowed brain aging by the equivalent of two years compared to placebo. “Cognitive decline is among the top health concerns for most older adults, and a daily supplement of multivitamins has the potential as an appealing and accessible approach to slow cognitive aging,” he said. It looked at whether a special cocoa extract supplement, a daily multivitamin (in this case Centrum Silver) or both might help boost health.

Persons: Dennis Thompson, Dr, Richard Caselli, “, Chirag, ”, ” Yvas, Olivia Okereke, Preventive Medicine Howard Sesso, Zaldy Tan, ” Tan, Caselli, Sesso, Brigham Organizations: American, Clinical Nutrition, Mayo Clinic, NBC News, Chirag Vyas, Massachusetts General Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry, Cocoa, Massachusetts General Hospital, MGH, Brigham, Women’s Hospital, Columbia University, Wake Forest University, National Institutes of Health, Mars Inc, Pfizer, COSMOS, Women’s, Preventive Medicine, Council for Responsible Nutrition, Cleveland Clinic, NBC Locations: Arizona, Massachusetts, multivitamins, Jona, Los Angeles

☆ Cancer Deaths Are Falling, but There May Be an Asterisk
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Gina Kolata | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The cancer society highlighted three chief factors in reduced cancer deaths: declines in smoking, early detection and greatly improved treatments. Breast cancer mortality is one area where treatment had a significant impact. That includes metastatic cancer, which counted for nearly 30 percent of the reduction in the breast cancer death rate. Breast cancer treatment has improved so much that it has become a bigger factor than screening in saving lives, said Ruth Etzioni, a biostatistician at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. “The biggest untold story in breast cancer is how much treatment has improved,” said Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, a cancer epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Persons: “, ”, Donald Berry, Sylvia K, Plevritis, Ruth Etzioni, Mette Kalager, H, Gilbert Welch Organizations: University of Texas, Anderson Cancer Center, Stanford University, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, University of Oslo, Oslo University Hospital, Brigham, Women’s

☆ YouTube taps hospitals to create videos to help people witnessing an overdose or heart attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

YouTube is taking steps to fight against medical misinformation, especially when it comes to finding immediate tips on how to handle an emergency. YouTube users in the U.S. can find videos on 12 topics, including CPR, seizures, choking, bleeding and psychosis. The videos will not contain ads, which means Google -owned YouTube won't make money from them, Graham said. Content moderation has long been a challenge for YouTube, which removes videos if they're found to be in violation of the company's guidelines. Even as the pandemic has subsided, medical misinformation continues to proliferate.

Persons: Brigham, Garth Graham, Graham, they're Organizations: YouTube, CNBC, Mass, Cross, American Heart Association, Sleep Locations: U.S, Mexican

☆ Alan Garber is Harvard's interim president after Claudine Gay's resignation. Here's what we know about him.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-03 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewFollowing Harvard President Claudine Gay's resignation Tuesday, the prestigious university announced its current provost will take on the role of interim president as the search begins for a new leader. Alan M. Garber, an economist and physician, has served as Harvard's provost and professor of economics, public policy, and healthcare policy for over 12 years. AdvertisementSince joining Harvard's faculty in 2011, Garber has been involved in Jewish clubs and events on campus, including Harvard Chabad and Hillel. Garber's interim stint as Harvard President comes after weeks of controversy surrounding the school's now-former president, Claudine Gay. "It is with a heavy heart but a deep love for Harvard that I write to share that I will be stepping down as president," Gay wrote in her resignation letter.

Persons: —, Claudine Gay's, Alan M, Garber, Alan Garber, Anne Yahanda, Brigham, Harvard Chabad, Hillel, I've, we've, Claudine Gay, Gay, Elizabeth Magill, Sally Kornbluth, Magill, Elise Stefanik, Bill Ackman Organizations: Service, Gay, Business, Harvard, Stanford, Boston's Harvard, Women's, Harvard Gazette, Hamas, Harvard Crimson, University, Harvard Corporation, Harvard Medical School, Harvard's, of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, of Public Health, Stanford University, Department of Veterans Affairs, Health, System, Center for Health, Center for Primary Care, Research, of Pennsylvania, MIT, New York, Corporation Locations: Illinois, Chan

☆ Feeling read by your Spotify city? You just have the musical taste of a depressed liberal college student.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Sebastian Cahill | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Spotify Wrapped day is one of the most exciting holidays of the year. AdvertisementAh, Spotify Wrapped. Advertisement"Everyone complaining about getting Provo in their spotify wrapped needs to just accept the fact that they have terrible taste in music," said one commentator. "going to college in Davis and waking up seeing everyone bashing it because they got it on their spotify wrapped is so funny," said another X user. Other people theorized that the frequency of college towns being picked was due to the generally lower age range of Spotify users.

Persons: —, San Luis Obispo Organizations: Spotify, Service, Brigham Young University, University of Vermont, University of California, —, Provo, spotify Locations: Berkeley, Mexico City, screenshotting, provo, Burlington , Vermont, burlington, Madison , Wisconsin, Provo , Utah, Burlington ; Berkeley , California, Cambridge , Massachusetts, — Madison , Wisconsin, San Luis, Davis , California, Davis

☆ Researchers return to Alzheimer's vaccines, buoyed by recent drug success
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The renewed interest in Alzheimer's vaccines follows a promising first attempt more than 20 years ago that was abandoned after 6% of study volunteers developed life-threatening brain inflammation known as meningoencephalitis. Dr. Reisa Sperling, an Alzheimer's researcher at Mass General Brigham in Boston, said she believes vaccines will play an important role as researchers look to prevent Alzheimer's. She is considering vaccines for her next study in asymptomatic people with Alzheimer's proteins in their blood, but not enough to register on brain scans. Alzheimer's vaccines are still in the early stages and will require large, years-long trials to show they work. Generating a strong immune response is critical for such vaccines, which would typically be given to older individuals with weaker immune systems, he said.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Eli Lilly's, Reisa Sperling, Brigham, “, ” Sperling, Walter Koroshetz, Mei Mei Hu, Vaxxinity, Hu, Michael Rafii, Rafii, Andrea Pfiefer, Johnson, Prothena, Gene Kinney, Julie Steenhuysen, Caroline Humer, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Alzheimer Research, Brigham, Women's, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Mass, National Institutes of Health, UB, University of Southern, Johnson, Bristol Myers Squibb, Thomson Locations: Boston , Massachusetts, U.S, Boston, Taiwan, University of Southern California

☆ Opinion | The Big #MeToo Moment for Doctors Is Finally Here
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Helen Ouyang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Now the edifice may finally be cracking: The #MeToo movement is picking up pace in the medical profession. Dr. Hadden was an obstetrician-gynecologist who was first arrested when a patient called the police and reported that he had licked her genitals during an exam. Though I was working at the medical center while the accusations unfurled, I wasn’t aware of them until more recently. Even after Dr. Hadden was found guilty, Columbia did not notify all of his patients about his behavior. On Nov. 23, the one-year look-back window closes for past patients to sue Dr. Hadden and the medical center.

Persons: it’s, Darius Paduch, Zhi Alan Cheng, Derrick Todd, Brigham, Cheng, Todd, Dr, Robert Hadden, Hadden, Newman’s, Aja Newman, Newman, Dr . Hadden, HIPAA, . Hadden Organizations: Presbyterian Queens Hospital, Harvard, Women’s, Columbia, New York Locations: New York, NewYork, Columbia, Sinai

☆ Puka Nacua: From breaking records to LeBron James shoutouts, the ‘special’ rookie wide receiver
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Manav Tanneeru | Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Nacua’s jersey has been placed in football’s shrine to all things great and good because of the historic beginning to his rookie NFL season. An already high-ceiling group, which included Cooper Kupp – the NFL’s receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns leader in 2021 – was searching for additional explosiveness. It couldn’t be any better,” Nacau told reporters after the Rams’ Week 1 victory in Seattle against the Seahawks. Over the next five weeks of the season, Nacua compiled 326 receiving yards off 25 catches and a touchdown. Nacua has 293 more receiving yards than the next rookie in the league, Jordan Addison.

Persons: –, Puka Nacua, Jaylen Waddle, Michael Owens, University of Washington –, Fesi Sitake, “, he’s, ” Sitake, Nacau, Sitake, ” –, Jaren Hall –, Minnesota Vikings – Nacua, Nacua, ” Nacua, Tyler Ingham, Puka, wasn’t, ‘, Cooper Kupp, Kupp, Sean McVay, ” Nacau, Earl Cooper, Odell Beckham Jr, Gary A, Vasquez, McVay, McVay effusively, it’s, ” McVay, Eric Yarber, Cooper, Atwell, Jefferson, Matthew, Stafford, Justin Casterline, Hallie Aiono, LeBron James, Jordan Addison, Harry, “ It’s, ” Organizations: CNN, Super Bowl, NFL, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Los Angeles Rams, Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, SoFi, Brigham Young University, BYU, University of Washington, CNN Sport, Clydesdale, Minnesota Vikings, Cougars, Boise State, Boise State Broncos, ”, Kupp, Seahawks, USA, Sports, Reuters Rams, San Francisco 49ers, “, that’s, Indianapolis Colts, Nacua, Colts, Dallas Mavericks Locations: Canton , Ohio, Utah, Nacua, Clydesdale, Scotland, Eastern Washington, Seattle

☆ Why oil majors Shell and BP are combining solar energy and agricultural production
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Katie Brigham | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Stoffels owns this land, but leases it to Lightsource BP, a major solar energy developer that's 50% owned by British oil major BP. An emerging industry called agrivoltaics combines solar energy production with agricultural activities such as sheep grazing, beekeeping and crop growing. Today, the U.S. has about five gigawatts of agrivoltaic projects, encompassing more than 35,000 acres across over 30 different states. Shell is also involved in the space through its 44% stake in solar developer Silicon Ranch. While most solar developers opt to lease land, Silicon Ranch buys it outright, often purchasing degraded farmland that's no longer in production.

Persons: Amanda Stoffels, munch, Stoffels, Lightsource, Jordan Macknick, Macknick, Lee, Tom Koranek, Becca Jones, Albertus, Katie Brigham Lightsource, Reagan Farr, Farr, Exxon haven't Organizations: Elm, BP, Lightsource, Lead, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, U.S, U.S . Department, Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Office, Shell, Silicon Ranch, Ranch, Power, Chevron, Exxon Locations: Dallas , Texas, United States, Elm, Ellis County , Texas, Lightsource, U.S, Briar, Navarro County , Texas, agrivoltaics

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