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☆ Experimental gene therapy restores some vision in patients with inherited blindness
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

“Now, post-surgery and post recovery, I am able to see in dimmer lighting with my left eye,” Cook said. A treatment that used CRISPR was found to be safe and efficacious in improving vision among a small sample of patients with inherited blindness in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial that Cook participated in. Months following the treatment, Cook was sitting with friends on a balcony that had Christmas lights wrapped around the railing. Courtesy Olivia CookBefore the treatment, Cook said that she sometimes could conceal the vision challenges she has had. Mass Eye and EarKalberer described the CRISPR treatment as “groundbreaking,” but warned it’s not a cure.

Persons: Olivia Cook, Cook, ”, ” Cook, “, I’ve, “ I’d, you’d, CRISPR, Eric Pierce, Brigham, “ We’re, ” Pierce, Jason Comander, ‘, Michael Kalberer, Kalberer, it’s, “ It’s, It’s, Pierce, Editas, We’re, Art Caplan, ” Caplan, —, Vlad Diaconita, ” Diaconita, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Aliaa Abdelhakim Organizations: CNN, Missouri State University, New England, of Medicine, Mass, Harvard Medical School, Editas Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, University of Miami, Oregon Health & Science University, US Food and Drug Administration, CEP290, pharma, NYU Grossman School, Medicine’s Department of Population Health, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, CNN Health Locations: Springfield, United States, CEP290

☆ When grief and AI collide: These people are communicating with the dead
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

People have wanted to reconnect with deceased loved ones for centuries, whether they’ve visited mediums and spiritualists or leaned on services that preserve their memory. In September 2023, it introduced ChatGPT voice, where users can ask the chatbot prompts without typing. HereAfter AI, founded in 2019, allows users to create avatars of deceased loved ones. “Remembering is very important; it reflects the human condition and importance of deceased loved ones.”But she noted the relationship we have with our closest loved ones is built on authenticity. Creating an AI version of that person could for many “feel like a violation of that.”Bill Abney said he feels uneasy about communicating with his late fiancée through AI platforms.

Persons: Ana Schultz, Kyle, ”, Schultz, “, Schutz, they’ve, ” Ana Schultz, ElevenLabs, Joe Biden, Biden, ChatGPT, OpenAI, Danielle Jacobson, she’s, Phil, Cole, ” Jacobson, “ Cole, Replika, Rohit Prasad, Val Kilmer, It’s, Mary, Frances O’Connor, ‘, ’ ”, Bill Abney, Kari, ” Abney, “ I’m, Jodi Spiegel, Sims Organizations: CNN, Davidson College, Tech, Alexa, MARS, Amazon, University of Arizona Locations: Rock Falls , Illinois, Alabama, Johannesburg, South Africa, “, San Francisco, Newfoundland, Canada

☆ First Patient Begins Newly Approved Sickle Cell Gene Therapy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Gina Kolata | Kenny Holston | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

On Wednesday, Kendric Cromer, a 12-year-old boy from a suburb of Washington, became the first person in the world with sickle cell disease to begin a commercially approved gene therapy that may cure the condition. For the estimated 20,000 people with sickle cell in the United States who qualify for the treatment, the start of Kendric’s monthslong medical journey may offer hope. But it also signals the difficulties patients face as they seek a pair of new sickle cell treatments. For a lucky few, like Kendric, the treatment could make possible lives they have longed for. “Sickle cell always steals my dreams and interrupts all the things I want to do,” he said.

Persons: Kendric, ” Locations: Kendric Cromer, Washington, United States

☆ Study Suggests Genetic Cause (Not Just Risk) for Some Alzheimer’s Cases
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Pam Belluck | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Scientists are proposing a new way of understanding the genetics of Alzheimer’s that would mean that up to a fifth of patients would be considered to have a genetically caused form of the disease. Currently, the vast majority of Alzheimer’s cases do not have a clearly identified cause. The new designation, proposed in a study published Monday, could broaden the scope of efforts to develop treatments, including gene therapy, and affect the design of clinical trials. It could also mean that hundreds of thousands of people in the United States alone could, if they chose, receive a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s before developing any symptoms of cognitive decline, although there currently are no treatments for people at that stage. The new classification would make this type of Alzheimer’s one of the most common genetic disorders in the world, medical experts said.

Locations: United States

☆ Olive oil may lower risk of dementia-related death
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists. Olive oil can be a healthy, tasty addition to foods such as sandwiches and salads. Replacing 5 grams — around 1.2 teaspoons — of margarine or mayonnaise consumed daily with olive oil was associated with an 8% to 14% lower risk of death from dementia. “It is also possible that olive oil has an indirect effect on brain health by benefiting cardiovascular health,” she added. Besides cooking with olive oil, you can also use it to make salad dressings or vinaigrettes, mayonnaise, pesto or bread dip.

Persons: Anne, Julie Tessier, Harvard University’s T.H, “, Duane Mellor, ” Mellor, Tessier, ”, David Curtis, Mellor, Curtis, Olive, it’s Organizations: CNN, Harvard, JAMA, American Society, Harvard University’s, of Public Health, Nurses, Health, Aston Medical School, Aston University, University College London Locations: Chan, North America, United Kingdom

☆ How Bad Are Ultraprocessed Foods, Really?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Alice Callahan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the mid-1990s, Carlos Monteiro, a nutritional epidemiologist in Brazil, noticed something alarming: Obesity rates among children in his country were rising rapidly. To understand why, he and his colleagues at the University of São Paulo scrutinized data on the food buying patterns of Brazilian households to see if they had changed in recent years. The researchers found that people were purchasing less sugar, salt, cooking oils and staples like rice and beans, and more processed foods like sodas, sausages, instant noodles, packaged breads and cookies. To describe that second category of food, the team came up with a new term: ultraprocessed foods, or UPFs, which they would later link to weight gain in children and adults in Brazil. Since then, scientists have found associations between UPFs and a range of health conditions, including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, gastrointestinal diseases and depression, as well as earlier death.

Persons: Carlos Monteiro, University of São Paulo Organizations: University of São Locations: Brazil, UPFs

Dr. Deborah Heaney was enjoying a vacation in the Caribbean when she was struck with a sudden, debilitating illness. It took her days, a flight home and some luck before she was finally diagnosed with dengue fever. As temperatures rise globally, mosquito-borne tropical illnesses are spreading, and our medical systems are failing to keep up. In this audio essay, Dr. Heaney argues that the medical community must do a better job of incorporating education on diseases like dengue into their practice. (A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication in the audio player above.)

Persons: Deborah Heaney, Heaney Locations: Caribbean

☆ Genes known to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s may actually be an inherited form of the disorder, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Among people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, researchers recognize familial forms of the disease and sporadic cases. This shifting appreciation of inherited risk, researchers say, is due to a better understanding of the role of a fourth gene that carries the blueprints to make a lipid-carrying protein called apolipoprotein E, known as APOE. One known as APOE2 is thought to be protective against the development of Alzheimer’s disease. They also compared people with two copies of APOE4 to people with other inherited forms of the disease — early-onset autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease (ADAD) and Down syndrome-associated Alzheimer’s disease (DSAD). Gene testing isn’t currently recommendedIt is also likely to change how people who carry the APOE4 gene are diagnosed and treated.

Persons: APOE4, ”, Dr, Juan Fortea, Sant, Fortea, Charles Bernick, Bernick, Alzheimer’s wasn’t, isn’t, they’re, ” Fortea, Sanjay Gupta, Reisa Sperling, “, ” Sperling, ” Dr, Sterling Johnson, Johnson Organizations: CNN, Nature, National Alzheimer’s Coordinating, Neurology, Hospital de, Cleveland Clinic Lou, Brain Health, CNN Health, Alzheimer’s Research, Brigham, Women’s, Alzheimer’s, University of Wisconsin Locations: Alzheimer’s, Spain, United States, Santa, Barcelona, Wisconsin

☆ Peter Oosterhuis, British Golfer Turned Broadcaster, Dies at 75
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Richard Sandomir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Peter Oosterhuis, a British golfer who won 20 tournaments around the world, played in the Ryder Cup six times and later distinguished himself as a commentator for CBS and Golf Channel, died on Thursday in Charlotte, N.C. His wife, Ruth Ann (DuClos) Oosterhuis, said that his death, at a memory care facility, was caused by complications of Alzheimer’s disease. That year, Oosterhuis (pronounced OH-ster-house) spoke to Golf Digest about his life and career. One detailed memory he still had: “In the 1973 Ryder Cup, I played Lee Trevino in one of my singles matches. Lee told his teammates, ‘If I don’t beat Oosterhuis, I’ll come in here and kiss your butts.’ Lee didn’t beat me.”

Persons: Peter Oosterhuis, Ruth Ann, Oosterhuis, “, ”, Lee Trevino, Lee, I’ll, ’ Lee didn’t Organizations: Ryder, CBS, Golf, Digest Locations: British, Charlotte, N.C

☆ The global synthetic drugs crisis has hit West Africa, where people are digging up human bones to make a drug called 'kush'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Cemeteries are bolstering their security measures because gravediggers are stealing human bones to make powerful synthetic drugs, local journalists told Business Insider. AdvertisementA vendor sells daily necessities at a market in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Feb. 21, 2024. Formaldehyde also has euphoric properties, says the National Library of Medicine, which explains why kush users could be raiding Freetown's cemeteries. JOHN WESSELS | Getty ImagesJalloh noted that the use of synthetic drugs was not unique to Sierra Leone. ReutersIn 2015, BI's Erin Brodwin covered the rise of these synthetic drugs, marketed as "spice," "K2," "black mamba," or "crazy clown."

Persons: —, Sierra, Julius Maada, Michael Cole, Sally Hayden, JOHN WESSELS, Cole, Mabinty Magdalene Kamar, Abdul Jalloh, HUGH KINSELLA CUNNINGHAM, Thomas Dixon, Jalloh, Salifu Kamara, kush, BI's Erin Brodwin, Brodwin, tranq Organizations: Service, Business, Xinhua News Agency, Getty, Anglia Ruskin University, The Irish Times, National Library of Medicine, Politico, Sierra, Sierra Leone Psychiatric Teaching Hospital, Police, Getty Images Local, Salone Times, BBC, Freetown Police Force, National Drug Agency, NPR, Guardian, Disease Control, Prevention, Reuters, Financial Times Locations: Freetown, African, Sierra Leone, West Africa, Mabinty, Waterloo , Sierra Leone, kush, New York City, New York, Kensington, North Philadelphia

☆ There’s actually no such thing as vegetables. But here’s why you should eat them anyway
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Carrots, beets and other vegetables that grow in the ground are actually the true roots of plants. While vegetables are really just the roots, stems and leaves of plants, experts don’t recommend eating just any roots, stems and leaves. “We know (vegetables) are healthy. It is important to eat a variety of vegetables since each one will have varying beneficial nutrients, she added. “If you introduce children to vegetables at a younger age … they’re more likely to eat vegetables throughout their lifespan and therefore decrease the risk of chronic disease.”

Persons: Steve Reiners, Tatiana Maksimova, Reiners, United States —, ” Reiners, “, ”, Sherri Stastny, Stastny, ” Stastny, … Organizations: CNN, Cornell University’s College of Agriculture, Life Sciences, Food Information, North Dakota State University Locations: United States

☆ From 25 years in prison to just four months: Inside the final verdict on a crypto billionaire CEO archrivalry
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +18 min

Combination showing Former FTX CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried (L) and Zhao Changpeng (R), founder and chief executive officer of Binance. A month earlier, on the opposite coast in downtown Manhattan, FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried received a 25-year prison sentence for his crimes. At the beginning of his trial, SBF sported a fresh haircut and wore suits, but by its end, his curls were wild again. Cryptocurrency exchange Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao speaks at a Binance fifth anniversary event in Paris, France, July 8, 2022. watch nowMoney makes all the differenceUnlike SBF, CZ didn't have his wealth wiped out by bankruptcy of the crypto company he founded.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Zhao Changpeng, Mike Segar, Benjamin Girette, Changpeng Zhao, FTX's Sam Bankman, Fried, Zhao, Binance's Zhao, FTX's, Toyotas, Braden Perry, Perry, Manfred, SBF, Michael Lewis, Lewis, Sam didn't, Amr Alfiky, Sam, Caroline Ellison, —, Zhao's, Yi He, Binance, David Ryder, Yang, Rachel Zhao, Yesha Yadav, Yadav, Mark Bini, Lewis Kaplan, Bankman, Kaplan, perjured, Neama Rahmani, Rahmani, Tre Lovell, Zhao hasn't, Lovell, weren't, FTX Organizations: Reuters, Bloomberg, Getty, Department of Justice, CFTC, Stanford University's, Bankman, CZ, Staff, Reuters Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Vanderbilt University, Wall Street, CNBC, FTX, Emergency Economic, Justice Department, DOJ Locations: Seattle, Manhattan, California, Hong Kong, Bahamas, Palo Alto, U.S, New York City, Alameda, Seattle , Washington, Paris, France, Angeles, Binance, Dubai, Delaware

☆ Your body needs three forms of movement every week
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Melanie Radzicki Mcmanus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

First is the movement your body is owed or requires every day, such as walking, stretching and bending. Second is athletic movement, which you can do a few times a week to improve your fitness or to train for a sport. Third is social movement that you do for fun or to connect with others, such as dancing or playing volleyball. Dancing is an excellent form of social movement that connects you to others while improving your overall health and fitness. Breaking down all these different movements into exercise snacks is one way to sneak in the movement your body needs, Boyd said.

Persons: it’s, Melissa Boyd, Boyd, “, ” Boyd, ”, Carl Cirino, Cirino, ” Cirino, It’s, ” Melanie Radzicki McManus Organizations: CNN’s, CNN, European, Preventive Cardiology, Tempo, HSS, Stamford Health Locations: San Francisco, Connecticut

☆ Trump’s bombardment of dishonesty: Fact-checking 32 of his false claims to Time
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +43 min

We’re paying for close to 100% of NATO.”Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. They don’t pay their bills.”Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. (It rose to about $314 billion in 2020, Trump’s last full year in office.) Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. Facts First: Trump’s claim that “nobody died other than Ashli” is false.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, “, William Barr, Bill Barr, Barr, Bill, I’m, ”, it’s, Biden, Joe Biden, Tamar Hermann, Hermann, Bill Clinton, “ Trump, ” Trump, …, National Guard Trump, I’ve, George Floyd, Tim Walz, Walz, Paul —, –, Erwan, George Washington, “ don’t, they’re, Stoltenberg, Trump’s, Lagadec, Marc Lipsitch, Barack Obama, European Union won’t, Cortellessa, “ Moody’s, Moody’s, Mark Zandi, Zandi, ’ ” Zandi, Joe Biden’s, rioter Ashli Babbitt, Brian Sicknick, Sicknick, Trump’s ‘, patriotically, ‘, patriotically ’, ” Nancy Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi, “ Nancy Pelosi, Pelosi, Christopher Miller, Miller, Eric Cortellessa, Alvin Bragg’s, Bragg, Matthew Colangelo, Colangelo, Alvin Bragg, ” Cortellessa, Hillary Clinton, —, Roe, Wade, Kimberly Mutcherson, “ Donald Trump’s, Maya Manian, Mary Ziegler, Davis, Ziegler, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Roe should’ve, ’, Crime Biden, don’t, “ Biden, he’s, James Biden, Jeff Asher, Asher, It’s, ” “, ” Asher Organizations: Washington CNN, Time, Trump, NATO, Capitol, Trump’s, Trade Center, didn’t, World Trade Center, Department, ISIS, CNN, Democratic, White House, White, South Korea Trump, Pentagon’s Defense Manpower Data, Biden Administration, Congressional Research Service, Israel, Israeli Democracy Institute, National Guard, Minnesota Democratic Gov, Minnesota National Guard, Guard, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, Transatlantic, for Disease Control, World Bank, Washington Post, Harvard, Harvard’s, National, Trump -, of Health, Human Services, Strategic, Biden, U.S . International Trade Commission, European, Benz, Volkswagen, BMW, European Union, US, European Automobile Manufacturers ’ Association, Bloomberg Economics, US Capitol Police, Capitol Police, “, Republican, Democratic Rep, National Guardsmen, District of Columbia National Guard, Army, Capitol Police Board, Senate, Justice Department, Pulitzer Foundation, Pulitzer, New York Times, Electoral, Democrat, ” Rutgers Law, American University, university’s Health, University of California, ”, Customs, Border Protection, Crime, Manchurian, Republicans, FBI Locations: “, New York City, Saudi, Florida, al Qaeda, New York, Texas, Mexico, South Korea, Trump , South Korea, South, Korea, Israel, Washington, Trump , Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Trump, Minnesota, St, United States, Germany, Brussels, Belgium, Harvard University, China, EU, DC, Trump’s, ”, York, Manhattan, York’s, Russia, That’s

☆ Corn hits 3-month high; soy, wheat climb on global crop weather woes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Wheat futures hit a one-week high on renewed concerns over dry weather in Russia, the world's biggest wheat supplier. In Argentina, corn stunt disease spread by leaf-cutter insects and adverse weather prompted the Buenos Aires grains exchange to slash its estimate for Argentina's 2023/24 corn harvest by 3 millions metric tons to 46.5 tons. In wheat, Russia's IKAR agricultural consultancy cut its forecast for the country's crop to 91 million metric tons from 93 million tons and its wheat exports to 50.5 million metric tons from 52 million tons. Wheat futures jumped as weather forecasts showed the region getting virtually no rain in the coming two weeks. Managed money funds held a net short position in CBOT wheat futures at the beginning of 2024 because of a strong dollar and slow U.S. demand, Zuzolo said.

Persons: Jim Niewold, Susan Stroud, Mike Zuzolo, Nature, Zuzolo Organizations: Chicago Board of Trade, Global, Analytics Locations: Loda , Illinois, Brazil, Russia, Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul, Argentina, Buenos Aires, South America

☆ Americans would rather live a shorter life in good health than a longer life with health issues, new poll finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

It seems like everyone wants to live longer these days. But a recent survey found that Americans are no longer just looking for ways to live longer: they want to be healthier while doing so. In a poll of 2,200 American adults, Medtronic and Morning Consult asked participants if they would prefer to live a shorter, healthier life or a longer life with health issues. The results show that 62% agree or partly agree with feeling concerned that they won't be as healthy or will be in pain if they live a longer life. The actions that people say they're taking to increase their lifespan are eating healthy, exercising and taking preventative health measures.

Persons: Thomas Perls, Perls Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, Boston University Chobanian, Avedisian School of Medicine, CNBC Locations: U.S, England

☆ This rare muscle disease play can rally more than 50%, BofA says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Avidity Biosciences stock has more room to run thanks to the company's pipeline of multiple treatments for rare muscle disorders, according to Bank of America. Avidity has a therapeutic platform — antibody oligonucleotide conjugates — that was well-received at the time it went public in 2020, Meacham said. But shares were hurt by a clinical hold on Avidity's leading program for treating an uncommon muscle disorder, DM1. The program, tested in the Marina trial, recently saw long-term data that has "helped lift that key overhang on the stock," Meacham said. Those catalysts are tied to two other drugs in the muscle disorder space that are expected to report data this year, according to Meacham.

Persons: Geoff Meacham, Meacham Organizations: Biosciences, Bank of America Locations: San Diego, Thursday's

☆ Sexually Transmitted Infections Have Surged, and Age Is No Barrier
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Catherine Pearson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Amy is currently seeing a man she described as a “friend with benefits,” but it’s nothing she takes too seriously. What she does take seriously is talking to him — and every partner — about safe sex practices amid rising rates of sexually transmitted infections in seniors. “I’m very aware of it,” said Amy, who asked to use only her middle name to protect her privacy. “I require proof of negative testing before I become intimate with anyone.” She also insists on using a condom. Research suggests many older people are unaware of these risks, and that’s keeping them from adequate screening and practicing safer sex.

Persons: Amy, —, “, ” Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, Research

☆ Virtual reality could revolutionize mental-health treatments, including ketamine therapy, for conditions like depression and anxiety
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Christine Macintyre | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The tech is helping mental-health providers treat conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. In the face of this staggering prevalence, virtual reality offers transformative solutions in mental-health treatment and care. He uses FireflyVR's platform, The Sanctuary, a clinically designed VR experience that uses cognitive-behavioral therapy to reduce patients' anxiety before they undergo ketamine therapy. VR cue exposure, Siegfried said, helps reduce binge-eating habits by exposing people to triggering stimuli in a controlled environment. Both cue exposure and embodiment aim to address the complex psychological dynamics of eating disorders.

Persons: —, Shel Mann, Mann, Dr, Christopher Romig, Stella, It's, Romig, Nicole Siegfried, Siegfried Organizations: Service, Disease Control, VR, Veterans Affairs, Behavioral

☆ Robert Oxnam, China Scholar Beset by Multiple Personalities, Dies at 81
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Richard Sandomir | More About Richard Sandomir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Robert B. Oxnam, an eminent China scholar who learned through psychotherapy that his years of erratic behavior could be explained by the torment of having multiple personalities, died on April 18 at his home in Greenport, N.Y., on the North Fork of Long Island. In the 1ate 1980s, Dr. Oxnam was president of the Asia Society, a television commentator and an accomplished sailor. In his 2005 book, “A Fractured Mind: My Life With Multiple Personality Disorder,” Dr. Oxnam recalled the session when Tommy first spoke to Dr. Smith. All that Dr. Oxnam could remember from the 50-minute session, he wrote, was telling the psychiatrist that he didn’t think the therapy was working for him. But Dr. Smith told him that he had been speaking to Tommy all that time.

Persons: Robert B, Vishakha Desai, Oxnam, Jeffery Smith, Bobby, Tommy, Smith Organizations: Asia Society Locations: China, Greenport, Long

☆ Scientists identify ‘degrees of Kevin Bacon’ gene
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Even humble fruit flies organize themselves into regularly spaced clusters, researchers have found. Within those social networks, certain individuals will often stand out as “gatekeepers,” playing an important role for cohesion and communication within that group. New research published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications has identified a gene responsible for regulating the structure of social networks in fruit flies. The study opened up new opportunities for exploring the molecular evolution of social networks and collective behavior in other animals. FLPA/ShutterstockThe gene behind fruit fly social networksThe researchers investigated a number of gene candidates in fruit flies, a common lab organism used in the study of genetics.

Persons: ”, Kevin Bacon, Bacon, Joel Levine, Rebecca Rooke, ” Levine, Levine, “, ” Allen J, Moore, wasn’t, ” Moore Organizations: CNN, Nature Communications, University of Toronto, University of Georgia’s Locations: Philadelphia, University of Toronto Mississauga

☆ Starting a new career in my 40s was the hardest and most rewarding thing I've ever done
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Heidi Borst | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The more time passed and the less contact I had with other adults, the more irrelevant I felt. In my marriage, I felt more like an employee than a partner or even a friend. Related storiesI'd lost touch with so much of myself that I was afraid there'd be nothing of "me" left soon. AdvertisementFor me, that's writing. I feel guilty that I have to work, and on really tough days, I feel like a total failure.

Persons: I'd, Hilary Berger, that's, we're, —, there'd, Berger, I'm, hustling Organizations: Service, Business

☆ OCD made me question every aspect of my identity — even my sexuality. Here's how I overcame it and found the love of my life.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Elle Warren | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

For almost 10 years, I struggled with a type of OCD known as sexual orientation OCD (SO-OCD). When I moved to a progressive city, I accepted my queerness and now I'm engaged to the woman I love. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAlegra Kastens, LMFT, founder of the Center for OCD, Anxiety, and Eating Disorders, told me: "OCD doesn't exist in a vacuum. She had a queer friend who lived in the building, and that friend flirted with me.

Persons: —, I'd, You've, Alegra, queerness Organizations: Service, Michigan Locations: Denver

☆ Four healthy lifestyle choices could add years to your life, regardless of your genes, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Serafina Kenny | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A study found linked between healthy lifestyle habits and living longer. AdvertisementHealthy lifestyle choices could help us live up to five years longer, regardless of our genetic makeup, a study suggests. At the same time, a healthy lifestyle appeared to offset the effects of genes linked to a shorter lifespan by 62%. Making favorable lifestyle choices despite having genes linked to a shorter lifespan was linked to living 5.22 years longer than those who made unfavorable choices. However, she said that the effects of lifestyle factors in the study were notable because they suggest that while we can't change our genes, healthy habits may lessen their impact.

Persons: —, Liz Williams, wasn't, Williams, It's Organizations: Service, University of Sheffield, Centers for Disease Control

☆ Here's why Americans having fewer kids won't doom the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

America's falling population isn't necessarily bad for the economy, Fisher Investments said. The US birth rate just fell to its lowest level in over 40 years, according to provisional CDC data. AdvertisementAmericans aren't having nearly as many kids as they used to, but that won't be the blow to the US economy that many have feared, according to Fisher Investments. Related storiesBut fewer babies being born isn't necessarily a bad thing for the economy, the firm said. "Yes, falling birth rates could have negative long-run ramifications if a true reduction in human capital and other factors don't offset this.

Persons: —, Goldman Sachs, Fisher, Ken Fisher Organizations: Fisher Investments, Service, Centers for Disease, Bank

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