Archive for October, 2019

(CN) Why do birds of a feather stick together, even when it would be better for both if they set one another free? Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday analyzes the costs of cooperation in long-term mating birds to explain the evolutionary origin of post-coital couples.

From the peacocks feathers to the red-crowned cranes dance, male birds often create elegant displays to attract a female mate. In the case of monogamous birds, some males only display after theyve mated an act often anthropomorphized as a display of affection, but in biology simply called a display. Even then, rather than fly off to be woo other lady birds while the weathers warm, male birds commonly remain with their mate and continue their displays.

I caught a female goldfinch, placed her in a bird bag and carried it back to the banding station. All the way back to the station, her mate followed, calling, said University of Chicago biologist Trevor Price, a senior author of the study, in a statement.

He waited impatiently in a nearby tree as I banded the female, and when I released her the pair flew off together in close company, twittering, Price continued. This kind of thing happens in many other species, too, so forming a strong pair bond and emotional attachments between a male and female is evidently not only a feature of humans.

But this devotion can come at a cost.

Picture a male, singing love songs rather than foraging for his offspring. While this costs him and his nest precious food for energy, he is also losing out on other mating opportunities.

Females can produce more eggs or larger eggs, and often work harder at raising them when her mate remains and continues his song. But this extra mothering affects her chances of survival: If a female is raising too many babies or skipping too many meals to feed them, she might not live to mate another season.

If a males display leads his mate to overinvest in her nest so much it reduces her survival rate, selection eventually favors females who ignore the males display. When females stop responding, the display no longer gives males an advantage and, like a bad fashion trend, the trait can disappear.

To understand the benefits of displaying and long-term relationships, biologists at University of Chicago and the University of North Carolina developed a model with haploid genetics to show when and how the couple and their chicks benefit.

Taking into account death and divorce, the model looks at genetic success over several generations and mating pairs. The model assumes males and females pair at random but stick to strict social and genetic monogamy thereafter.

We find that a stable equilibrium can indeed be attained where all males display and all females respond to the display, the researchers wrote. Pair bond is strengthened, and displays between the sexes accumulate over evolutionary time, even in the absence of sexual selection.

The males display is most beneficial if it pushes a female to optimum capacity, rather than beyond her ability.

Say the environment is changing, maybe humans are building a road next to a park where birds nest. The change stresses the female, causing her to produce below optimum, or maybe she spends less time foraging and more time on guard. In this case, her mates display pushes her back on track to provide better care to her offspring within but not beyond her capacity increasing survival chances for both her and her young in the new environment.

Over time, females may come to rely on cues from the males display in order produce an optimum number of offspring, and in his absence, she would under-produce or under-care for her clutch.

This balance of benefits is necessary for both the male display and the female response to remain in the gene pool.

The models enable us to see the wide ranges of conditions that can cause displays to become stuck in the population, evolutionarily, and that can lead to this result, noted Dr. Maria Servedio of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in a statement. Servedio specializes in the evolution of premating isolation and sexual selection.

The study, Evolution of Sexual Cooperation From Sexual Conflict, was supported by the National Science Foundation and the Norwegian Research Council.

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Investing in Love & Affection Pays Off - Just Ask Birds - Courthouse News Service

The weather was hot and muggy as the 2019 Texas Archery Only season for white-tailed deer got underway in late September, but the weekend turned out super cool for Chris Barrilleaux of Splendora.

Hunting on a private lease along the Trinity River in San Jacinto County, the 58-year-old grocery store owner arrowed a whitetail buck sporting a really peculiar set of antlers.

The buck is a main frame 8 pointer with thick main beams. The left antler is particularly odd with several knots, curls and a split G2 that pokes outward and forms a distinctive T at the end. What really makes the deer interesting is its antlers are still fully wrapped in velvet.

Velvet is the word often used to describe the thin layer of hairy skin that covers the antlers throughout the growing process, which begins in early spring. The soft skin is lined with tiny blood vessels to fuel fast growth of the cartilage until it calcifies into hardened antlers, usually by the end of August.

Thats when testosterone begins to flow and the blood supply to the velvet ceases, causing it to dry and peel away from the bone. Bucks help things along by rubbing on trees and bushes to polish their new antlers ahead of the fall breeding season. Those bucks that survive through the winter will cast their antlers the following spring and the growing process starts all over again. Or at least thats the way things normally work in the wild.

Barrilleauxs deer was an oddball. It had retained the velvet on its antlers long after other bucks had shed theirs. Closer examination of the 5 1/2-year-old whitetail explained why.

The hunter said the deer had only one testicle. The abnormality may have come about as the result of birth defect, or the deer may have injured itself at a younger age, possibly by getting hung in a fence. Either way, the deer lacked the surge in male hormones needed to shed its velvet and spark the desire to do other things the normal guys do when the testosterone high sets in each fall.

Wildlife experts refer to the condition as cryptoridism. Cryptorchids are frequently called stags.

Stags dont make rubs, ground scrapes, chase does, spar with other bucks to establish themselves in a pecking order and they dont engage in breeding activity. Nor do they drop their antlers in the spring or shed their velvet ever. Their male hormones are just too out of whack.

The antlers on a stag just continue to grow, said Alan Cain, white-tailed deer program leader with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Most of the growth occurs during the peak antler growing time from around April through August. They may grow a little outside that time frame, but its minimal.

Barrilleauxs stag wont score very high on the Boone and Crockett scale, but it is a once-in-a-lifetime trophy just the same. Most hunters will go a lifetime and never see such a deer. Capitalizing on the opportunity to take one with archery gear represents a special feather in a deer hunters cap.

Barrilleaux claims he had collected game camera pictures of the stag earlier in the month, so it didnt come as a surprise when the animal showed up in front of his bow stand on opening day. What does come as somewhat of a shock is that he chose to let the freak buck hed nicknamed Ol Velvet walk the first time he saw it.

I passed on him opening day, he said. After that I kept asking myself what the heck were you thinking you may never see something like that again. Luckily, he showed up again the next morning.

Cryptorchidism represents just one of the strange anomalies known to occur in North Americas favorite big game animal. Mother Nature sometimes throws some genetic curveballs into the mix that can cause weird things to happen with whitetails and other wildlife.

Melanism is one such condition. Researchers say it occurs when an animal produces excessive amounts of hair, skin and retina pigment called melanin. The result is a coat that is noticeably darker than normal. Some deer appear almost charcoal in color, while others may look chocolate brown or dark grey.

The condition has been known to occur in a wide variety of animals, including squirrels, birds and members of the feline family. The recessive trait has even been documented in penguins.

Cain says genetic mutations also can result in albinism (all white) or a piebald coat, which consists of spotty patches of white and brown. Of the three conditions, melanism is believed to be the rarest of all.

While melanistic whitetails deer have been documented in several states, Texas is considered to be "melanism central" by many whitetail researchers. Melanistic deer may show up just about anywhere in the state, but it seems to be the most prevalent in parts of Central Texas. Cain says Hays, Travis, Comal, Williamson, Blanco, Guadalupe, Burnet and Bastrop counties are known hotspots for deer with abnormally dark coats.

We see them in certain pockets, Cain said.

Melanistic deer also have been documented in eastern Texas, but not very often. The only one Im aware of belongs to Bobby Tuttle of Beckville.

Tuttle shot the Panola County buck early during the 2012 season, when it appeared in a pasture behind his house shortly after daybreak on Nov. 7. The buck had a 10-point typical rack and wore a beautiful dark brown coat.

The hunter he said started collecting game camera pictures of the buck three years earlier, but had never seen it in person until that fateful Wednesday morning. Interestingly, Tuttle said it wasn't his first encounter with a dark-colored whitetail on his property. Four years earlier, he saw a melanistic doe in same field where he killed the buck he called Blackie.

"She jumped over into a feed pen with another doe," he said. "She didn't have speck of white on her, either. Even the underside of her tail was black. She was black as an angus cow."

Genetics can be a confusing thing. In extreme cases, DNA may get so twisted that a deer somehow winds up with both male and female sex organs. These are called hermaphrodites. Its also possible for a doe to grow antlers.

There are all kinds of oddball things that can happen out there, Cain said. In 10 years in this position, with millions of deer killed across the state, Ive probably heard of no more than five antlered does or hermaphrodites. Genetic anomalies like that are pretty rare.

But they do happen from time to time.

One of the most impressive antlered does ever reported in Texas was taken in 2003 McMullen County by Alan Woodward. The 17 pointer was still in full velvet and sported an 8 1/2 inch drop tine, according to reports in North American Whitetail Magazine. Former TPWD wildlife biologist Macy Ledbetter said the deer had a complete set of female organs. It was aged at 6 1/2 years old.

Another freak show surfaced in Fall 2007 in McCulloch County, where Cliff Smallwood of White Oak was hunting on a 550-acre lease near Brady. Smallwood shot a tall-tined 7 pointer that would have been a 9 pointer if not for two broken tines. Smallwood, who was accompanied by TPWD game warden Jeff Cox, made an interesting discovery when he approached the dead deer.

"It's neck was swollen and had cuts on it," Smallwood said. "It also had dried blood and hair on the tips of its antlers. It was pretty obvious the deer had been fighting with another buck and inflicted some injury, probably within the last 24-48 hours."

Closer examination of the buck led to an even more bizarre discovery. The tarsal glands located on the inside of the deer's hind legs were snow white, not urine-stained, as is the case with many rutting bucks.

"We thought that was kind of weird," Smallwood said. "Then I lifted a rear leg and saw it had no male genitals. Instead, it had female genitalia and teats. It was a doe with antlers -- the strangest thing I have ever seen."

Major League Fishing announces plans to acquire Fishing League Worldwide

Major League Fishing rocked the fishing industry last fall when it announced the formation of the Bass Pro Tour an invitation-only bass tournament circuit that subsequently lured some of sports biggest names away from competitive fishings most prominent leagues the Bassmaster Elite Series and FLW Tour on the promises of bigger and better things, including more lucrative paydays.

On Oct. 10, the organization announced another bold move indicating it has reached an agreement supported by a Letter of Intent to purchase Fishing League Worldwide, better known as FLW. Based in Benton, Ky., FLW is a grassroots fishing organization that has been hosting bass tournaments catering to anglers on all levels from weekenders to tour level pros for nearly a quarter century.

The company is regarded as the largest of its kind in the world, hosting nearly 300 tournaments across five circuits each year. Among them are the FLW Tour, Costa FLW Series, T-H Marine Bass Fishing League, YETI College Fishing and Bass Pro Shops High School Fishing.

The announcement of the merger came on the heels of months of rumors hinting that changes were coming. A joint press release from the two organizations indicated the deal will be finalized by the end of the month.

Were thrilled about welcoming FLW to the MLF team, said Jim Wilburn, President and CEO of Major League Fishing. FLW shares our commitment to creating tournaments and opportunities centered on the success of the angler. Through this acquisition, we are better positioned to support anglers and sponsors at all levels.

According to FLW President of Operations Kathy Fennel, the merger marks the "beginning of a new era in the sport."

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Freaks of Nature: Mother Nature, genetics sometimes play strange tricks on white-tailed deer - Athens Daily Review

A black cloth was placed over thesharkseyes,a tube pumped water through the gillsandsix scientists descended to the platform, allowing themselves15 fast-paced minutes to take blood, parasite, muscle, fecaland semen samples.

Veterinarian Mike Hyatt of the New York Aquariumcut the shining whitebellyto install an acoustic tag,as University of Windsor research associate Dan Madigan drilled thesatellitepositioning tag referred to as a SPOT tag to the dorsal fin. Its this tag which will allows thousands of peoplewhove downloaded an app to follow the sharks movements online.

But behind the excitement, an unresolvedscientific debate has bubbled away over how sharks, notoriously sensitive to handling, are impacted.

During a briefing, Hyatt saidblood tests taken at the beginning and end of such intense captures show the animals stress levels dont rise.Whats quite astonishing is working with them out of the water their stress levels stay the same and sometimes actually improve, heexplained.

However,while marine biologists interviewed by The Canadian Press concur withHyatts view ofthe sharks short-term reaction,they wonder what will happen to internal organs and reproductive systems in the months and years to come. Some shark researchers refuse to use the method.

At the federal Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Halifax, Heather Bowlby, the research lead at the federal Canadian Atlantic Shark Research Laboratory, has shifted away fromsystems that involves hooking sharks or bringing them aboard ships.

This season, her teamused a lureto attract a four-metre female and then a harpoon torapidly attach a pop-up archival tagnear its dorsal fin.

Therecording devicewill later detach and float to the surface and provide light, temperature and depth data that will helpBowlby study its habitat and habits.

Theres been a general shift in the shark research community to move away from bringing sharks on board a boat, she said in an interview. All of their muscle is concentrated in their back and it does press down. They dont have a rib cage.Theyre not designed to be out of the water, and thats why we have moved to tagging inside the water.

Gregory Skomal, wholeads a Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries study group off Cape Cod, says he uses a spotter plane and harpoon methods like Bowlbys to minimize invasive handling.

Hesaid he has questions aboutthe impact of Ocearchs method. It could be creating long-term problems for the future reproductive success of the animal . Its an area that people arevery worried about.

Chris Lowe, a veteran shark researcher with the University of California at Long Beach,says he observed the impact on a younger shark after hebolted a SPOT tagto it, and the fin bent over and deformed over time.

At that point I elected not to use them any more due to damage to the fin . I dont think weve developed a good enough tag design thats designed to come off or to minimize damage, he said.

Still, Lowe says this may not hold true of more mature sharks, and there are tradeoffs for scientists who dontuse the Ocearch methods.

He saysthe pop-up tags he harpoons onto sharks are less accurate in tracking the sharks precise journeys and he cant collect thevolume of data on blood, genetics and parasites.

Meanwhile, Ocearchs method cancombine the positioning provided by the SPOT tags withthe archival depth and temperature information from the pop-off tags.Its a practicethe grouphasused for females the last two years, providing a potentially rich source of data.

Chris Fischer, the expedition leader and founder of Ocearch, firmly disagrees with criticsand sayshes gatheringa whole suite of valuableinformationwidely available for scientists to examine and whichwill lead to improved fisheries management.

These will be the most comprehensively studied individual white sharks in history here in Canada, he said during an interview after the expedition ended its work, which ranfrom Sept. 13 to Oct. 4 off Cape Breton and Lunenburg.

The precision of his taggingmethodscould help researchers locate the holy grail of the nursery where mature females reproduce and give birth, he said aboard his research ship.

Meanwhile, Robert Hueter, the chief scientist with Ocearch, says photos of great whites tagged in the eastern Pacific that were observed years later after the SPOT tagscame off show no significant effect on the shark or its dorsal fin.

The shark biologist at Floridas Mote Marine Laboratorysayscriticisms about unknown, long-term impactsarespeculation without data,and he notes that during the operation, their team does ultrasound imaging of internal organs and has found no evidence of damage.

Finally, we put the resulting movements of our sharks on the Ocearch Tracker for all the world to see; clearly our sharks are moving as we know white sharks to do, south in winter and north in summer, with key stops along the way, he wrote in an email.

Still, Aaron MacNeil, the Canada Research Council chair in fisheries conservation at Dalhousie University,has become a critic ofthe scientific methodologies.

Herecently raised theissue ofthe vesselfishing for sharksnear waters where Nova Scotians surf and dive, saying hes concerned it could draw the animals closer to people.

In my view, the federal Fisheries Department still needs to establish a safe distance for shark-fishing to occur relative to recreational users and exclude shark-fishing within this zone, he said.

Fischercontends that it is not that simple to alter shark behaviour.

A federal Fisheries Department spokeswoman said great white sharks are normally found in waters around Nova Scotia this time of year and in close proximity to coastal areas, and therefore, it is considered that these research activities are unlikely to significantly increase risks.

Meanwhile, as the season wrapped up, Fischer said he intends tocontinue his relationship with the federal Fisheries Department, which has granted him permits under the Species At Risk Act anda foreignvessel license.

He says under the conditions of its permit, Ocearch will provide the federalauthorities with its tracking information, along with blood, semen, diet, genetic and other valuable information.

The question for DFO is Where do you need us to go next for you?'said Fischer, noting he would like to return to Cape Breton next year to validate this years findings.

Alain Vezina, the Maritimes region director of science at the federal Fisheries Department, declined a request for an interview. In written responses, thedepartment said Ocearchis required to provide it with an outline ofits activities and the tagging data they collect, and that the organization is to submit a report by the end of this year.

The methods are intended to minimize any potential impacts to these sharks. Monitoring will be undertaken to ensure compliance with the permit conditions, the email from the communications department said..

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2019.

Michael Tutton, The Canadian Press

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Great white tagging program off N.S. stirs debate over treatment of sharks - CFJC Today Kamloops

The Miss America 2020 pageant is getting a new home and date this year, but women from all 50 states, as well as Washington D.C., are still getting ready to compete for the national title and take the crown.

This years competition is getting two new homes this year, with both a return to NBC after several years airing on ABC, as well as a move from Atlantic City, New Jersey. The competition will now air live from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. EDT. This is a change from a previous air date in September when the show aired on ABC.

The Miss America Organization is proud to partner with Mohegan Sun as we return to our longtime NBC home, Regina Hopper, President & CEO of The Miss America Organization said in a press release. We are looking forward to a fresh take on this historic competition that will showcase theincrediblewomen vying for the job of Miss America 2020.

Sowho are the women who are participating in this years competition and looking to take the title from Miss America 2019, Nia Franklin? Check the list below for moreinformation andfun facts about the women competing in this years pageant.

51 New ladies will compete for the title of Miss America 2010 at this years pageant. Pictured is Miss America 2019 winner Nia Franklin as she receives her crown from Miss America 2018, Cara Mund at Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Sept. 9, 2018. Photo: Donald Kravitz/Getty Images

Miss Alabama-TiarraPennington

Miss Alaska-MaileJohnston

Miss Arizona-Jacqueline Thomas

Miss Arkansas-DarynneDahlem

Miss California-Eileen Kim

Miss Colorado-Monica Thompson

Miss Connecticut-Jillian Duffy

Miss Delaware-Hillary May

Miss District of Columbia-KatelynneCox

Miss Florida- MichaelaMcLean

Miss Georgia-Victoria Hill

Miss Hawaii-Nicole Holbrook

Miss Idaho-Grace Zimmerman

Miss Illinois-Ariel Beverly

Miss Indiana-TiarraTaylor

Miss Iowa-Emily Tinsman

Miss Kansas-Annika Wooton

Miss Kentucky-Alex Francke

Miss Louisiana-Meagan Crews

Miss Maine-Carolyn Brady

Miss Maryland-CaitlynStupl

Miss Massachusetts-Lyndsey Littlefield

Miss Michigan-Mallory Rivard

Miss Minnesota-KathrynKueppers

Miss Mississippi-Mary Margaret Hyer

Miss Missouri-Simone Esters

Miss Montana-Mo Shea

Miss Nebraska-Allie Swanson

Miss Nevada-NasyaManchini

Miss New Hampshire-Sarah Tubbs

Miss New Jersey-Jade Glab

Miss New Mexico- Misa Tran

Miss New York-LaurenMolella

Miss North Carolina-Alexandra Badgett

Miss North Dakota-Haley Wolfe

Miss Ohio- CarolineGrace Williams

Miss Oklahoma-Addison Price

Miss Oregon-Shivali Kadam

Miss Pennsylvania-Tiffany Seitz

Miss Rhode Island-Molly Andrade

Miss South Carolina-Morgan Nichols

Miss South Dakota-Amber Hulse

Miss Tennessee-Brianna Mason

Miss Texas- Chandler Foreman

Miss Utah-DexonnaTalbot

Miss Vermont-Jillian Fisher

Miss Virginia-Camille Schrier

Miss Washington-Abbie Kondel

Miss West Virginia-TorianeGraal

Miss Wisconsin-Alyssa Bohm

Miss Wyoming-Jordan Hardman

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Miss America 2020: Meet The 51 Ladies Competing For The Crown - International Business Times

The author aged 10, playing Hamlet in a school play.

One hundred and sixty days ago, one Friday afternoon in May, I went to my doctor.

Im transgender, I told him, and I want to be referred to a gender clinic.

His response was perfect: apologising for not knowing much about trans healthcare, he pulled up the referral form on his computer and asked if I would stay so that we could fill it in together.

When prompted by the form, I explained that I identify as non-binary, and he said hed come across the term before but didnt know much about what it meant. He ran through the form twice, checking every response with me, and then sent it off to the gender clinic in London.

The whole process took less than 10 minutes. I walked out of the GP surgery ecstatic; immediately called my sister to tell her, happy and shaky and relieved, what Id done.

And then the wait began.

As a reporter at PinkNews, I write about trans healthcare pretty often.

Sometimes its about the length of time trans people have to wait for an appointment at a gender clinic in different parts of the UK. In Devon, it currently takes three years between going to your GP for the first time, like I did, and going for your first appointment with a gender specialist.

Sometimes I write about how few gender clinics there are. There are just eight, in the whole of England and Wales, for who knows how many trans people half a million? A million? We dont know, because no one counts us.

Ive written about trans peoples joy at getting their gender legally recognised; about the gender recognition act in the UK that the government has promised to reform, again and again, but keeps delaying; about non-binary gender markers on driving licenses; and people crowdfunding for their top surgery or buying hormone treatment on the internet because the wait for the gender clinic is just too long to bear.

Mostly, the separation between myself as a journalist covering these issues and myself as someone directly affected by them is a boundary that, while fluid and permeable, I manage to maintain to some degree.

But its when trans children are pulled into the mainstream medias transphobic narrative that I think about the number of days it has been since I went to my doctor and asked to be referred to a gender clinic.

Im 29, and I can tell you without a single drop of doubt that I would be happier today had I been able to explore my gender identity, with the support of qualified professionals, as a teenager when the rest of society, cisgender society, explores theirs.

That opportunity is lost for me now, but it is not too late for trans kids. But instead of supporting them instead of campaigning for more gender clinics (there is only one gender clinic for under 18s in the entire country) and better support for them the UK media uses faux concern for trans kids to tell trans people like me, whove been where they are, that we are the powerful trans lobby seeking to do them harm. It paints the few organisations that exist to support these children and their parents as child mutilators, and says offering them counselling and peer support is child abuse.

Most of the time, when I write about these stories stories that come out predominantly in two or three UK papers, written by a handful of journalists, none of whom are trans I can remain, if not dispassionate, then at least calm. Writing from a trans-inclusive, LGBT+ perspective on trans issues the gift given to me by PinkNews is useful, I tell myself. Every time a transphobic journalist writes a column attacking trans people in a major newspaper, I can write a piece discrediting it, if I choose.

Sometimes, though, when the onslaught of outright transphobia in the UK not directed at me, necessarily, but directed at whichever trans person or organisation is the villain in the right-wing press that week feels particularly intense, I catch myself thinking about how many days its been since I was referred to the gender clinic.

I catch myself with my toes too close to the edge of the Tube platform with a train approaching, and I think about the awful statistics about how many trans people try to kill themselves, and I take a step back.

And I keep taking antidepressants, and going to therapy, and I keep waiting.

If I wasnt a journalist, I might not know that it will be at least another 19 months until I go to the gender clinic for the first time, but I do. And every time I see a gender-critical feminist talk about the powerful trans lobby, I think about this. If were so powerful, how come it takes years, literally, to get to a doctor? How come the press can openly call us predators and child molesters and freaks? How come trans children cant always get the help that they need in time?

Were there a powerful trans lobby, the first thing I would want it to do would be to put Piers Morgan on a planet very far away. And then, Id like for trans children to be unreservedly loved and affirmed. And Id like everyone waiting for an appointment at a gender clinic to get one, so that no trans person reaches the point where life becomes unbearable. Weve waited long enough.

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This World Mental Health Day, spare a thought for the trans children whose lives have become unbearable - PinkNews

Resisting over-consumption of our favorite high-calorie treats is about more than mere willpower for the severely obese.

LOS ANGELES (PRWEB) October 10, 2019

An October 1 article on Medical Xpress reports on the evermore evident fact that failed weight-loss attempts are not the result of weak willpower. Severely obese individuals who are attempting to lose weight may be extremely motivated and determined, and quite disciplined in most areas of their lives, but they are fighting against their own bodys innate biological processes. In some cases, these individuals may be able to rapidly lose significant amounts of weight, but thats when the real challenge starts. As the body recognizes that it is deviating from its normal state, complex chemical processes start to encourage overeating in a number of ways largely involving the production of hormones. The feelings of appetite these hormones stimulate are essentially indistinguishable from hunger and are extremely difficult to ignore even for the most determined individual. Worse, they only increase as more weight is lost. Southern California weight loss clinic West Medical says weight loss surgery is the one proven method of short-circuiting this metabolic catch-22.

West Medical notes that there are a number of ways to take advantage of this kind of medicine. For severely obese individuals, the clinic continues, sleeve gastrectomy surgery may be the most effective method of fighting hunger hormone production. The weight loss clinic notes that, during the surgery, the patients stomach is reconfigured into a pouch-like chamber that is reduced to about one-tenth of its original size. West Medical explains that, as the remaining portion of the stomach is removed, production centers for most hunger hormones are either removed or significantly hampered. The clinic says that by hindering this biological process, patients are much less likely to splurge their way back to obesity after they have lost significant weight although, of course, having a much smaller stomach also makes overeating far more unpleasant.

The weight loss specialists acknowledge that serious lifestyle changes must occur after any weight loss procedure for it to be a long-term success but the surgery makes them easier. Of course, as the benefits of weight loss accrue, life can become a lot more enjoyable. Moreover, the weight loss clinic notes that a wealth of studies have provided an exceptional amount of evidence stating that patients are far less likely to suffer premature death and the serious health problems that cause it. While medical science has reduced the mortality rate on many of these illnesses significantly, most of them can also greatly reduce an individuals overall quality of life. West Medical concludes that the benefits of weight loss operations such as sleeve gastrectomy surgery are more than worth the effort.

Patients who qualify for a sleeve gastrectomy typically have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more or 35 or more with related health problems such as type 2 diabetes. Other patients may take advantage of a growing number of alternative procedures. For more information about West Medical and all of its weight loss services visit their website at https://westmedical.com/ or call (855) 690-0565.

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Weight Loss Surgery Gives Willpower the Help it Needs to Defeat Obesity, says West Medical - PR Web

According to a new study, an additional 1.7 million Canadians will be living with obesity by 2023.

Our growing girth is already at historic levels, and were among the heaviest countries in the world. Over the past decade, rates of overweight and obesity have increased in Canada, France, Mexico, Switzerland and the U.S., according to a 2017 report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. More than one in four adults is obese in Canada. Within three years, there will be a total of 8.5 million people in a weight class considered a serious threat to health.

All of this leaves virtually no chance of meeting World Health Organization targets for a zero increase in obesity from 2010 to 2025, a global goal set to address the health impacts of weight gain (such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain cancers) as well as the cost to health-care systems, estimated at $5 to $7 billion in Canada alone.

The burden surprised me, says Laura Rosella, co-author of the modelling study and an associate professor in epidemiology at the University of Torontos Dalla Lana School of Public Health. I thought, optimistically, that we have actually been making progress in terms of awareness and efforts to reduce obesity.

Its going to get worse before it gets better.

Why?

Its not, as comedian Bill Maher recently put it,because people are eating like aholes.

Try to lose weight and the brain fights back, aggressively. Higher levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin are released, sending a single-minded message to the nerves in the hypothalamus: Get food. At the same time, the brain blocks satiety, or Im full, signals from the gut and slows downthe rate at which calories are burned.

This famine effect can last a year or longer as people struggle to keep the lost weight off.

It is an incredible and efficient response to weight loss, obesity specialist Dr. David Macklin says with awe.

But Mahers fat-shaming quip taps into acommon misperception: that obesity comes down to some kind of moral failing, a lack of discipline and self-control, and that the solution is as simple as finding the right diet and working out a ton, Macklin says.

In fact, it goes much deeper.

We now have great clarity that obesity is a chronic and complex, progressive, primarily genetically conferred, centred-in-the-brain, environmentally influenced, real medical condition, sums up Macklin, the medical director of a weight management program for high-risk pregnancies at Torontos Mount Sinai Hospital.

The DNA of obesity

The tendency is to blame obesity primarily on poor food choices sugary drinks, salty, greasy processed foods, staggering portion sizes.

But a growing body of research suggests that the appeal of these foods, as well as the drive to overeat, is rooted in our DNA.

Genome-wide studies have identified hundreds of genes associated with body mass index, waist-to-hip ratios and other traits of obesity, most of them expressed meaning whether theyre turned on or off in the brain.

Many of these genes evolved over millions of years to collect and store excess calories as fat whenever food was available, and to keep early humans from starving whenever food was scarce. Except as weve shifted from hunter-gatherers to farmers, then farmers to factory workers, food is no longer so scarce.

In this part of the world, for most people, we dont have famine anymore, we have only a feast, says Dr. Sue Pedersen, of the C-ENDO Diabetes and Endocrinology Clinic in Calgary.

Instead of a survival mechanism, gaining excess weight is now a liability. And as scientists are discovering, some of us are more genetically vulnerable to packing on the pounds than others, says Macklin.

Part of this is how the brain responds to the hunger hormone ghrelin. In people with a genetic predisposition to obesity, the gut also tends to release fewer quantities of the hormones tied to fullness.

Either way, If you take people who are the same weight and they have the same metabolic rate and you put everyone on (a) diet, people will lose weight unequally, based on their genetics, says Macklin.

Furthermore, some people who consume excess calories gain fat. Other people, their body responds by burning more, by increasing their metabolic rate and taking anything extra and putting it into muscle.

Even more frustrating for those less prone to burning fat, the further people get from their highest weight, Macklin says, the harder the body fights against losing it.

How strongly we respond to cues in the environment that generate the fundamental drive to eat the psychological state known as wanting and our ability to control that wanting, Macklin says, is heritable as well.

The gut microbiome

The environment inside our digestive tract may also play a critical role in weight gain.

Each of us plays host to trillions of different bacteria, which colonize our intestines immediately after birth and continue to evolve as we age based on what we eat and where we live. These bacteria impact our digestion, the production of certain vitamins and our immune system.

Theres now evidence that people living with obesity have different gut flora than those who are not. According to some scientists, it may be that mircobiota not just our genes are reducing the expression of gut satiety hormones.

Although researchers are still exploring exactly how gut bacteria interact with our intestines and the brain, the link appears clear:When mice free of intestinal bugs are fed stool from either obese mice or humans, they put on more weight and body fat than those fed bacteria from the guts of lean mice or humans.

The chemical context

Some antidepressants and newer generation anti-psychotics, drugs Canadians are being prescribed in record numbers,may be behind ourrapid and dramatic weight gaintoo.

Antipsychotics can trigger hedonic hyperphagia eating to excess for pleasure, not hunger. Two years ago, Montreal researchers reported that, after 24 months of treatment, the mean weight of children prescribed antipsychotics for ADHD and other behavioural problems increased by 12.8 kg.

One study published last year in the British Medical Journal found people taking any of the 12 most commonly used antidepressants had an increased risk of weight gain that persisted over at least five years of follow-up. Its not clear why. Depression, in and of itself, can cause weight gain. And people might eat more as their mood improves. Some believe the drugs may affect metabolism or trigger cravings for carbohydrates. But there are options, Pedersen says. Some anti-depressants are weight neutral or even induce weight loss.

The chemicals in our food particularly artificial sweeteners may also react with taste receptors or gut bacteria in ways that stimulate more food intake, Pedersen adds.

Recent studies suggest theres something about the sheer textural and sensory properties of ultra-processed foods that make us eat more of them, and more quickly. (Again, it could be that foods with hyper-palatable amounts of sugar, fat and salt are irresistible to the ancient brain.)

Obesityultimately still comes down to physics, Pedersen says. If calories in are higher than calories out, weight will go up.But managing the factors that contribute to that equation is much more complicated than simply sticking to a diet. And a lack of education means that fat-shaming and weight discrimination are as prevalent in medicine as everywhere else.

Why are obesity rates getting worse? says Macklin. When youre talking about a real disease, and youre only offering up advice like, Eat less, move more, its like saying, Listen, I see you have asthma, and its severe asthma, but just breathe deeper. Just pull yourself up by your bootstraps and I dont want to see you back here wheezing.

Not only is obesity real, but treatments exist. That should be the messaging to someone with obesity.

Read the National Posts ongoing focus on Canadas obesity epidemic at nationalpost.com/obesity.

Subscribe to our podcast, 10/3, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

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The biology of obesity: How our ancient brain conspires to make us overeat - National Post

Photo: Anh Nguyen

To mark World Mental Health Day, HONG KONG BUZZ takes a look at depression. It is a serious matter when you see that one in three Hong Kong youngsters suffers from stress, anxiety or depression (Hong Kong Playground Association) and the suicide rate for people aged 15 to 24 is 9.5 per 100,000 (Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention). Depression can strike at any age.

On medical matters go to a reputable source. Here is the USAs Mayo Clinic on depression:

SYMPTOMS:

The illness is also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, the Mayo Clinic says. Most people with depression will feel better with medicine or psychotherapy or both.

CAUSES

People with depression appear to have physical changes in their brains. Neuro-transmitters are naturally occurring chemicals in the brain that effect mood. Changes in the bodys hormone balance can trigger depression, such as pregnancy or after giving birth. Other causes: thyroid problems, menopause and others. People are more likely to develop depression if their relatives have suffered from it.

RISK FACTORS

Still with the Mayo Clinic they include:

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

The clinic says you can prevent depression by controlling your life and avoiding anything that will cause you stress. Reach out to family or friends and get treatment. The safest medicine with the least side effects is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor such as Celexa or Prozac. These must be prescribed by a medical professional. Other medicines include serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, atypical anti-depressants, tricyclic anti-depressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors.

HOME REMEDIES

Study the illness by reading reputable books and websites, so you will understand what is happening to you. Pay attention to warning signs such as the onset of symptoms (above). Avoid alcohol and drugs. Eat healthily and be physically active, walking, running or swimming. You may use supplements but be careful because they can interfere with medicines and dont overdose. Mayo Clinic mentions two, St Johns Wort and Omega 3 fatty acids.

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A terrible illness: Who do you know who looks melancholic, feels worthless and hopeless, and often thinks of death? - Hong Kong Buzz

Greta Thunberg, Sir Paul McCartney, Woody Harrelson, Lewis Hamilton, Pamela Anderson, RZA, Miley Cyrus, John Salley, and Cory Booker. These high-profile names have at least one thing in common: theyre thriving on the benefits of a vegan lifestlye.

Veganism is everywhere nowadays, and the people ditching animal products in favor of a vegan diet are doing so for a handful of reasons.

Those who follow a vegan diet, also called a plant-based diet, do not eat animal products. This includes meat, dairy, eggs, honey, and gelatin. But veganism expands further than diet. Per the Vegan Society, the definition is as follows: Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.

For instance, vegans dont wear clothing made with animal materials (like leather and wool), buy cosmetics that were tested on animals, or support entertainment that relies on the exploitation of animals, like bullfighting or SeaWorld.

Sixteen-year-old climate activist Thunberg follows a plant-based diet and even persuaded her parents to do the same. She said in an interview that those who support animal agriculture are stealing her generations future. You cannot stand up for human rights while you are living that lifestyle, she added.

Beatles frontman McCartney famously said, If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian. Now the 77-year-old rockstar is vegan and still a vocal advocate for the lifestyle. In a short film called One Day a Week, which encourages people to eat less meat, McCartney said, [If] we all join together in this effort, we can help improve the environment, reduce the negative impacts of climate change, and even improve peoples health.

Vegan New Jersey Senator Booker who is running for president in 2021 recently announced his animal welfare plan. It would see the end of animal testing for cosmetics, snares, people keeping big cats as pets, and the sale of shark fins. Booker said, Our treatment of animals is a test of our character and a measure of the compassion of our society.

Veganism has reached the sporting world, too. Formula One champion Hamilton says his plant-based diet has helped him feel the best Ive ever felt in my life.Wesley Woodyard, linebacker for the Tennessee Titans, experienced increased energy levels after going vegan because he began putting good fuel into his body. Quarterback for the Carolina Panthers Cam Newton credits his vegan diet for his quickened recovery. Im loving how Im feeling,he said.

Other high-profile vegan names include: A$AP Rocky, will.i.am, Alan Cumming, Ne-Yo, Ruby Rose, Ted Deutch, James Cameron, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jenna Marbles, Kyrie Irving, Nathalie Emmanuel, Natalie Portman, Craig Robinson, Eric Adams, Sia, Mayim Bialik, Tia Blanco, and Kevin Smith.

An ever-growing bank of research is highlighting the health risks linked to meat, dairy, and eggs, and the benefits associated with a plant-based diet. Many experts agree that going vegan could help you live a longer life.

In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) named red meat a Group 2 carcinogen, meaning it probably causes cancer in humans. WHO put processed meat (like bacon and pepperoni) in the Group 1 category, meaning it is carcinogenic to humans. Tobacco smoking and asbestos are also in the Group 1 category.

Even small amounts of meat could increase the risk of cancer. An Oxford Universitystudyfrom earlier this year found that eating just three rashers of bacon a day could increase cancer risk by 20 percent.

Professor Jane Plant, a geochemist who has survived cancer six times, maintains that dairy is also a carcinogen. She believes her plant-based diet helped put her breast cancer into remission twice.

Meat typically contains high amounts of saturated and trans fats, which can increase blood cholesterol. Cholesterol can cause fatty deposits in the blood vessels which increases the risk of stroke, peripheral artery disease, and heart disease. Plant-based foods, by nature, contain no dietary cholesterol. A diet high in fat and cholesterol can raise blood pressure, too, which also makes cardiovascular diseases more likely.

A2018 studyby the Cleveland Clinic found that eating red meat could increase the risk of heart disease 1,000 percent more than a plant-based diet.

More and more research is finding that a plant-based diet could reduce the risk of developing diabetes or even reverse the disease altogether.

A recentstudy, which included than 2,000 adults, found that individuals who increased the number of fruits, vegetables, and nuts in their diet over the course of 20 years lowered their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 60 percent more than those who didnt.

Brooklyn Borough President Adams says he reversed his diabetes diagnosis by adopting a plant-based diet. This concept is backed up by research. The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) recommends an online program that helps diabetes sufferers adopt a plant-based diet to reverse their condition. The National Institute for Diabetes and Endocrinology in Slovakia is trialing a whole-food, plant-based program to help reverse the condition.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) highlights a study on its website that looks at the eating habits and moods of 3,486 people over a five-year period. The study found that participants who ate whole, plant foods reported fewer symptoms of depression.

A different study found that vegetarians typically experience more positive moods than meat-eaters. Nutritionist Geeta Sidhu-Robb spoke toCosmopolitan about the study, which was published in Nutrition Journal. The elimination of long chain fatty acids, predominantly arachidonic acid which is present in meat and is associated with symptoms of depression, means you are less at risk of suffering from it,she said.Vegan diets also have more complex carbohydrates present which increase the feel good hormone serotonin in the brain.

Products that are made with plant-based ingredients but also processes that dont involve animals are considered vegan. Beeswax, honey, lanolin, collagen, and keratin are some common non-vegan ingredients to look out for.

Most people are against experiments on animals. A survey by Naturewatch Foundation found that 99.5 percent of Brits support a ban on cosmetic animal testing. While most are against the practice due to the stance that it is cruel to animals, animal testing is also unreliable.

Many experts agree that tests on animals cannot accurately predict human response to a product. More than 95 percent of pharmaceutical drugs test as safe and effective on animals but then fail in human trials, according to PETA.

Yet the practice is still common in the beauty industry. Since veganism does not allow for the exploitation of animals, buying vegan beauty products guarantees that youre not supporting animal testing.

Up to 60 percent of the products we apply to our bodies are absorbed by the skin and end up in the bloodstream. Many cosmetics brands use phthalates and parabens in their recipes. These ingredients can interfere with development and reproduction, and cause neurological issues. The nervous and immune systems can also be affected.

While not all vegan beauty brands use natural ingredients, a growing number of them do. Companies like Zuii Organic use real flowers, essential oils, and plant extracts to make their vegan cosmetic products.

As well as sidestepping the health risks linked to chemical ingredients, natural ingredients can provide health benefits. Oats have anti-inflammatory properties and can treat skin irritations like eczema. Witch hazel hydrates the skin, and green tea contains high levels of antioxidants, which can help repair sun damage.

A plant-based diet could boost your beauty regime by helping your skin stay healthy. An increasing number of studies are linking dairy to skin problems like acne. Dairy products contain growth hormones and are also treated with artificial hormones, which can interfere with the human bodys hormone system. Some experts also believe that dairy can disrupt insulin levels, making acne more likely.

Many celebrities credit veganism for their youthful looks. American singer-songwriter Ma says that her vegan lifestyle is to thank for her fountain of youth. Fifty-eight-year-old actor Woody Harrelson said his plant-based diet is crucial for his youthful appearance, and 77-year-old rock n roll legend Paul McCartney not only looks younger than he is but completes his solo world tours which see him playing more than 30 songs per show over the span of two and a half hours on a vegan diet.

Following a vegan lifestyle means not buying items featuring leather, suede, wool, or silk. But dont be fooled, the vegan fashion industry is bursting at the seams with innovation and style.

Wearing vegan fashion means you wont be supporting the leather industry. Besides the animal welfare issues linked to the livestock trade, raising animals for leather (and food) leaves a large mark on the planet. Raising livestock accounts for 14.5 percent of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said in September 2018 that the greenhouse gas footprint of animal agriculture rivals that of every car, truck, bus, ship, airplane, and rocket ship combined.

Leather is treated with 250 different substances including cyanide, arsenic, chromium, and formaldehyde. These substances pollute waterways and raise the risk of disease for workers and local communities.

Vegan leather is just as durable and stylish as its animal-based counterpart. It can be made from

Its easy to believe that wool can be collected without harming the animal. However, exposs reveal that animal cruelty is rampant in the woold sector. Shearers are paid by the volume of wool collected, not by the hour. This often encourages the aggressive handling of sheep. The animals are beaten and when injured, their wounds are sewn up without pain relief. To prevent flystrike, workers will mule sheep cut off pieces of the sheeps hindquarter skin. This often has the opposite of the desired effect since flies are attracted to the open wound.

Vegan alternatives to wool include hemp, linen, and organic cotton. Bamboo, seaweed, and wood are also used to make cruelty-free clothing.

Many vegan fashion brands prioritize sustainability in their designs. Footwear brand No Saints uses food waste to make its vegan leather sneakers. The companys pineapple leather, called Piatex, is made from pineapple leaf fibers, which are a by-product of pineapple harvests and would otherwise go to waste. Using these fibers offers extra income to farming communities and saves the waste from being incinerated, which creates toxic emissions. No Saints also uses apple peels thrown out by the juicing industry to make apple leather shoes.

German footwear brand thies and Brazilian brand Insecta make vegan fashion items out of plastic waste. Adidas teamed up with Parley for the Oceans to produce a vegan shoe with plastic pulled from the ocean. Each shoe contains 12 plastic bottles worth of waste, with some of this coming from discarded fishing nets.

Animal agriculture is one of the major generators of greenhouse gas emissions, which worsens climate change. UNEP hasnamed meatthe worlds most urgent problem, saying that, Our use of animals as a food-production technology has brought us to the verge of catastrophe.

Producing half a pound of beef generates the same amount of emissions as driving a car 9.8 miles. Producing half a pound of potatoes is only equal to driving a car 0.17 miles.

A 2016 report found that if the world went vegan, the planets food-related emissions would drop by 70 percent by 2050.

Animal-based diets are extremely water-intensive. According to UNEP, a bacon cheeseburger requires more than 3,000 liters of water to produce. In contrast, a vegan meat burger requires 75 to 95 percent less water.

Major meat publication Global Meat News admitted to animal agricultures impact on the planet last year. It stated that 92 percent of the planets water footprint is linked to agriculture, with livestock making up one-third of the figure. On a per gram of protein basis, beefs water footprint is six times that of pulses,Global Meat News wrote.

According to Water Calculator, someone following a vegan diet has half the total water footprint as a meat-eater.

Raising animals for food requires vast amounts of land and deforestation. The beef industry was blamed for the current Amazon fires since farmers intentionally burn down sections of the rainforest to make room for herds.

Oxford University researchers completed the most comprehensive analysis of farmings impact on the planet earlier this year. They looked at data from approximately 40,000 farms in 119 countries and found that beef production requires 36 times more land than plant-based protein like peas.

The researchers stated that if everyone were to go vegan, global farmland use would drop by 75 percent, freeing up landmass the size of Australia, China, the EU, and the U.S. combined.

A 2018 report published in the journalCurrent Biologydiscovered that 87 percent of the worlds oceans are dying.

Many people are doing their part to save the seas ditching plastic straws, bringing their own shopping bag to the supermarket, and choosing plastic-free produce. However, your diet could have more to do with the ocean; half of the plastic found in the ocean comes from fishing nets.

Overfishing is also impacting the oceans fish stocks. Some experts agree that the worlds oceans could be empty of fish by 2048. Even land-raised meat can harm the oceans. The pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers used on feed crops enter and pollute waterways. Factory farm runoff and livestock grazing is also a major contributor to river and lake pollution. According to Cowspiracy, animal agriculture creates 70 to 90 percent of freshwater pollution in western countries.

Often forgotten about but ever-important is honey. Following a vegan lifestyle means going without this ingredient, and this could have an impact on bee populations. Bees are widely considered to be the most important species on the planet. Approximately 250,000 species of flowering plants rely on bees for pollination. Without bees, fruit and vegetable stocks would deplete.

It takes more than 550 bees to gather 1 pound of honey from roughly 2 million flowers, according to the Apex Bee Company. Bees will fly 55,000 miles to make a gallon of honey. The average bee will make only 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in its life, and bees rely on this as their primary food source.

Thankfully for honey-lovers, there are plenty of vegan alternatives out there. Bee Free Honee makes ethical honey out of organic apples.Dvash Organics is the producer of what it claims is the worlds first sweet potato honey. You can also use maple syrup or agave nectar.

Not sure where (or when) to start? How about Monday? Ditching meat for one day a week can help make the transition seem a little less intimidating. It allows you to try new foods and reduce your impact on the planet. The more Mondays you have meatless, the easier it may be to add more days each week.

Its 2019, so the media we consume has a large impact on the choices we make. Documentaries are some of the most popular mechanisms for motivating people to go vegan. It took just 15 minutes of Dominion to convince a caf owner in Idaho to turn her business vegan. Called the scariest movie ever made, the 2018 film features hidden camera footage and uncovers the dark side of animal agriculture.

Kip Andersens What the Health looks at the link between diet and disease, and his 2014 documentary Cowspiracy unravels the environmental issues tied to animal agriculture.

Theres a vegan-focused documentary to suit everyone. You can check out a list of them here.

Not a film buff? A thought-provoking book could be your ticket. How Not To Die by Michael Greger considers food medicine. The New York Times bestseller studies how diet can cause or prevent disease.

The China Study by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II also highlights the health benefits of healthy, plant-based eating. Jonathon Safran Foers Eating Animals looks at what it means to eat animals in a modern, industrialized world.

The Sexual Politics of Meat by Carol J. Adams explores the role of feminism within the meaty, dairy, and egg industries. Gristle: From Factory Farms to Food Safety (Thinking Twice About the Meat We Eat) by Moby and Miyun Park opens a conversation about how our food choices impact the world around us, including animals, workers, public health, and the planet.

Theres no need to go hungry on a plant-based diet. For every food you loved as a non-vegan, you can make or buy an animal-free version. Get your hands on some plant-powered cookbooks, like So Vegan in 5 by Roxy Pope and Ben Pook. This book has more than 100 cheap and simple recipes, including jerk tofu burgers.

But I Could Never Go Vegan! by Kristy Turner smashes the stereotype that vegan food is bland and boring. Cathy Fishers Straight Up Food is bursting with plant-based and gluten-free recipes, made with whole, unprocessed ingredients.

You could also invest in a meal planner. LIVEKINDLYs vegan meal planner offers nutrition tips, chef-inspired recipes, guidance from expert food coaches, smart grocery lists, and grocery delivery in select areas, so all youll have to focus on is enjoying great-tasting food.

Surrounding yourself with supportive, likeminded people is a great way to keep motivated during your vegan journey. Jump online and join some local vegan Facebook groups, which are perfect for recipes, tips on vegan living, and sharing memes.

Subscribing to a plant-based publication is a great way to stay in the loop and hear about the latest vegan news. It could also offer you daily reminders on why going vegan is important to you and how your choices can have a ripple effect, helping the planet and those inhabit it.

Summary

Article Name

15 Vegan Lifestyle Benefits That Will Make You Never Look Back

Description

What is a vegan lifestlye? We take an in-depth look at celebrities who follow the diet, the benefits of going plant-based, and some tips to get you started.

Author

Jemima Webber

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LIVEKINDLY

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Originally posted here:
15 Vegan Lifestyle Benefits That Will Make You Never Look Back - LIVEKINDLY

ALTAMONT The door to Keegan Prue and Olivia Cohen-Prues nursery, on the second floor of their Altamont home next to their master bedroom, is open.

It was closed for a while last year, after their first effort at in vitro fertilization ended in miscarriage right around Thanksgiving, about eight weeks into Cohen-Prues pregnancy.

A lot of people just close that door, and have it be like a symbol of the sadness, said Cohen-Prues husband, Keegan Prue, 32, who works for the State University of New York Charter Schools Institute.

After our first miscarriage, we had closed the door. It had become that sad door, he said.

Right before they tried IVF a second time, earlier this year, the couple made a conscious decision to change the energy, to open the door and move forward.

Your parents came and painted the walls, Olivia Cohen-Prue, 34, a paralegal, reminds her husband. We began to get furniture and to finish the room, little by little. The babys room is now about 75 percent complete, she said.

The door was also closed for about a day, Cohen-Prue said, after she miscarried for the second time, this time at 12 weeks, in the beginning of May.

The couple is now preparing for their third round of IVF.

The nursery walls are painted a pale blue and decorated with framed illustrations from a childrens book, a map of the United States, and a vintage railway travel poster featuring a bold illustration of a train. In the center of the room is an oval Scandinavian convertible crib they found secondhand that they explained is meant to grow with the child, going from crib to toddler bed and beyond.

The nursery is almost ready now for the child they are sure will come someday, one way or another.

If this third IVF cycle doesnt work, they have decided to stop trying for their own biological child and focus on adopting. They have already spoken to private agencies, where they would apply to adopt a baby; they are sure they would also be happy to become parents that way.

Either way, said Prue, even if the third cycle should work, they might still like to bring a second or third child into their family through adoption.

Having a crib and a carseat are requirements for adoptive parents hoping to get the call about an available baby, Cohen-Prue said.

What we recommend to people, Prue said, is to research what the choices are and figure out whats right for them. Some people say, If I cant have my own child, I dont want to do it, and then thats the right choice for them.

Along with the open door, the couple explained, they also decided to be open about telling people about their struggles. They had learned that about one in eight couples deal with infertility. Maybe hearing about the difficulties they had had would make someone else feel less alone, they decided. He wrote a letter to the Enterprise editor, published this week.

Its such a common experience, but people dont talk about it enough, said Prue.

He and Cohen-Prue also want people to know about a change that will come when the New York State budget enacted this year goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2020. From that time, Large Group insurance plans serving companies with 100 or more employees will be required to cover up to three cycles of IVF.

In addition, insurers in all commercial markets will be required to cover medically necessary fertility preservation medical treatments for people facing infertility caused by a medical intervention such as radiation, medication, or surgery. Presumably, this could cover banking sperm or freezing eggs.

Not everyone will be helped by this new requirement, said Prue. People who will not be helped include those at smaller companies and those at companies with more than 1,000 employees, as well as gay male couples. Gay male couples wont be helped because surrogacy remains illegal in New York State. Prue called the change in the law not perfect, but a step forward.

He and his wife both have good health insurance, Prue said, adding, I give both our workplaces a lot of credit for being so supportive and saying, Whatever you need, in terms of time off for doctors appointments and things.

The couple have friends whose insurance does not cover fertility treatments, who have paid $30,000 or $40,000 out of pocket for multiple IVF cycles, Prue said, and there are many people without insurance for whom IVF would not be an option, because of the cost.

The new law gives people one more option for trying to fulfill this most basic function, he said, and he and his wife want to raise awareness so more people know there is hope out there.

He has heard people undergoing fertility treatment compare it to The Hunger Games, Prue said with a knowing laugh, because there are so many steps at which the weakest eggs and embryos can be winnowed away.

The couple started seeing a fertility doctor after about a year of trying on their own. I was 31 when we got married. I wasnt old, but I knew time wasnt on our side, said Cohen-Prue.

After doing testing, the doctor told them that Cohen-Prues egg reserve was low. The doctor explained, she recalled, that if a woman has a lower egg reserve, the eggs are also not good quality.

When I first found out, she said, Your eggs arent what they should be for your age, its like a knife in your gut.

When she says that, her husband quietly reaches out a hand to touch hers.

Unlike men, who continue to produce sperm throughout their lives, a woman is born with all the egg-containing follicles in her ovaries that she will ever have. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, at birth a female has about a million follicles. By the time she reaches puberty, that number will have dropped to about 300,000. Of the follicles remaining at puberty, only about 300 will be ovulated during the reproductive years, with most deteriorating and being reabsorbed by the body and effectively lost. As the number of eggs diminishes, so does the average quality.

A womans best reproductive years are in her 20s. Fertility gradually declines in the 30s, particularly after age 35, according to the society. As a woman gets older, more and more of her eggs have either too few or too many chromosomes.

That means that, if fertilization occurs, the embryo also will have too many or too few chromosomes. Most people are familiar with Down syndrome, a condition that results when the embryo has an extra chromosome 21. Most embryos with too many or too few chromosomes do not result in pregnancy at all or result in miscarriage. This helps explain the lower chance of pregnancy and higher chance of miscarriage in older women.

A complete IVF cycle starts with hyperstimulation of the womans ovaries, so that she will produce a large number of eggs; this stage can be skipped, as the couple did in their second cycle, if there are frozen embryos left over from an earlier cycle.

The womans uterus is prepared for weeks by giving her estrogen to create a lining that is as thick as possible, to increase the chances that an embryo will implant there and grow. In addition, in the days leading up to the transfer, she takes shots of the hormone progesterone, meant to protect and maintain pregnancy.

Throughout this process, Cohen-Prue said, youre kind of an emotional basket case, full of anticipation, drugs known for their ability to produce rapid mood swings, and, leading up to the egg retrieval, eggs.

You actually have a bunch of eggs, you look pregnant, and feel awful, she said.

Egg retrieval following hyperstimulation might yield anywhere from about 2 to 40 eggs, Prue explained. This is followed by a process of combining the mature eggs with sperm and waiting to see if they fertilize and begin to develop.

The healthiest-looking embryo is then selected for transfer with a catheter through the womans cervix, into her uterus, in hopes that it will implant there. It is possible, the couple said, to do genetic testing of the embryos to discover which might have chromosomal abnormalities likely to produce miscarriage, but they did not do that testing before their earlier tries.

Cohen-Prue spent the days before and after last Thanksgiving in painful and unproductive contractions after being prescribed misoprostol. She was to take the drug to induce a miscarriage, since there was no heartbeat; her pregnancy was over at eight weeks. Because of the holiday, the clinic was unable to schedule a dilation-and-curettage surgery to scrape the uterus until about a week later, she said.

She wasnt burned by it, she said, adding, I was like, Lets get back on it. The silver lining was, the doctors were like, Well, we know you can get pregnant.

The couple started again with estrogen in January and did another transfer at the end of February, using an embryo they had frozen from the first round. At the nine-week ultrasound they saw a little embryo moving around, Prue recalled. We saw the arms, Cohen-Prue said, raising her hands near her face and waving her fingers.

At that point, their close friends and family knew. We were more cautiously optimistic than the first time, Prue said.

If all went well at the 12-week ultrasound, they planned to announce it more generally.

Twelve weeks is such a marker, said Prue.

Almost right away, Prue said, the ultrasound technician had been saying, I dont see a heartbeat; I dont see blood flow.

The baby had died the week before, Cohen-Prue said.

That was the worst day, she continued. You go from going to the doctor in the morning, to your world falling apart. She got an appointment for a dilation-and-curettage that same night, and, while waiting for it, told her husband, We have to talk to an adoption agency. I cant go through this again.

Fetal testing after Olivia Cohen-Prues second miscarriage showed Down syndrome. Her fertility doctor said that the presence of a chromosomal abnormality was a relief, since it would provide a potential reason for the miscarriage, and chromosomal testing of an embryo could be done next time, prior to transfer, to lessen the chance of a miscarriage.

We had a concrete reason this happened, Prue said.

They have had their embryos tested now, and have two chromosomally normal ones. One is from their recent egg retrieval, done in August, and the other the last remaining embryo from their earlier efforts.

The couple did look into private adoption and met with some really helpful adoptive parents from Adoptive Families of the Capital Region, Prue said, but decided after a three-month break to try IVF once more.

Weve heard of people whove done 10 rounds of IVF, 14 rounds, he said.

His wife added, You have to know your own limits, I think.

At about the end of October, they will transfer the more recent embryo, Prue said, because freezing embryos twice is thought to decrease the chance of implantation a tiny bit.

What are they doing, meanwhile, to keep calm?

Were no longer having conversations around, What if we dont have children? What if we dont become parents? said Prue. They take walks in the evening around Altamont, see close friends and go on little trips, and cook and bake their favorite foods.

Theyll find out by mid-November if they are at the beginning of a pregnancy.

If it doesnt work this time, they plan to start doing the paperwork for adoption by the end of the year.

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Keeping the door open to welcome a baby - The Altamont Enterprise

PEORIA People often think of breast cancer as a disease that exclusively targets women. While it is true that a great majority of breast cancer cases are women, Doctor Jessica Guingrich, a medical radiologist for OSF HealthCare and the Susan G. Komen Breast Center, says the disease doesnt discriminate against men.

Men and women both have breasts, so men and women can both get breast cancer. Its just significantly less common in a man because of the way their breasts develop, compared to the way a womans breast develops, said Dr. Guingrich.

Breast cancer in men is rare; about 1% of all breast cancers are diagnosed in males. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2019 about 2,670 invasive breast cancers will be diagnosed in men, and 500 men will die from the disease.

65 year old Allen Smith of Canton is part of that 1%. Smith, a prostate cancer survivor, was going through testing when a CT scan found an area of density in his chest wall. Doctors recommended a mammogram, which was a strange request to Smith.

I thought, everybodys going to look at me. Theres a guy coming in here, you know hes going to have a mammogram or whatever, and I felt a little odd, he said. I wasnt embarrassed by it, but I just felt a little odd because, you know this is kind of just like a new thing. I mean, you just dont hear of this.

Soon after his scan at the Susan G. Komen Breast Center in Peoria, Smith was diagnosed with stage zero breast cancer.

You could have knocked me on the floor with a feather, said Smith. I had no idea. I had no lump, I had no problem whatsoever there that I knew of.

Because of the rarity of breast cancer in men, many dont know the signs of a potential problem. Dr. Guingrich says a lump in the breast area, usually behind the nipple, is the main symptom for men to look for.

Its important to get that lump checked out because in a man, that lump, if it is a cancer, just has a greater chance of getting into the chest wall and into the muscle, into the nipple, into the lymph nodes much quicker than in a female because there just isnt much tissue buffer around a mass thats developing, she warned.

Men can also experience skin dimpling or puckering around the breast area, nipple retraction, redness or scaling of the nipple or breast skin, or even discharge from the nipple.

Dr. Guingrich also says, as in women, family history of breast cancer needs to be considered for men. Both Smiths mother and grandmother had breast cancer.

If a man has a really strong family history, or if a man maybe has a family member who is a BRCA gene carrier, its really important to be aware of that risk, said Dr. Guingrich. You need to talk to your doctor about what can be done. A man should consider having genetic testing perhaps if they have a very strong family history of breast cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, the best strategies for reducing the number of deaths caused by the disease is early detection and prompt treatment.

Smith says, there is no reason to delay if you think you have a problem.

If you think theres something wrong with you, follow up. Dont think youre going to bother the doctors, dont think youre going to be a pain, follow up. Get it checked, Smith urged.

Dr. Guingrich agrees.

I think the important thing is that if a man notices a change to just be reassured that the physicians at breast facilities are there to help and to solve problems and give reassurance that things are okay, and if something needs to be biopsied, then we biopsy it and try to make it as comfortable of an environment as possible, she said.

OSF Saint Anthonys HealthCare recently opened the OSF HealthCare Moeller Cancer Center at 2200 Central Ave., Alton.

Link:
Our Health: Breast Cancer in men: What you need to know - Alton Telegraph

The local Association of Psychology is working to address some of the myths and misconceptions about ADHD during this, ADHD Awareness Month.

Dr. Janine Hubbard says despite extensive clinical and medical studies, many people still question whether Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a real medical condition.

She says ADHD conservatively affects about 5 per cent of the overall population and has a very strong genetic component.

Dr. Hubbard says ADHD is a chronic disorder affecting both males and females relatively equally that persists throughout a persons lifetime.

She says symptoms change over time, and the environments also change but you dont grow out of ADHD it just looks different.

She says that child who couldnt sit still in class might grow up to be someone who can sit when socially appropriate, but theyre fidgeting, clicking their pen or shaking their foot.

While many think of ADHD as manifesting in hyperactivity, brain scans show that the brain is actually less active. Dr. Hubbard says the disorder is best managed with medication if symptoms interfere with regular activities like school or work.

She says many people pour a cup of coffee if they want to help focus, stimulants prescribed for patients are similar in that they help to wake up the brain.

Dr. Hubbard says while a diagnosis of ADHD can mean that school or certain work environments might be more challenging for some, people with ADHD do succeed, especially when they choose a profession that keeps them engaged and stimulated.

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Association of Psychology Addressing Myths and Misconceptions about ADHD - VOCM

Growing up in a family of entomologists, bankruptcy lawyer Mark Sterling was always interested in moths. He could never quite kick the habit despite being busy rescuing troubled businesses. Now, at 61, the retired Briton is back to chasing moths-and his pursuit has brought him to India.

Sterling is an (unpaid) scientific associate at the Natural History Museum, London. His current project is to look at certain material in the museum since British entomologist Edward Meyricks time which has so far remained uncurated and undescribed on the basis of morphological analysis and DNA sequencing.

Meyrick was an entomologist with a passion for butterflies and small moths. He is believed to have described more species than anyone and his collection of around 100,000 specimens is housed at the London museum.

The work that I am doing at the moment involves a group of which 25 species were described between 1894 and 1934, Sterling said. Almost all of them were described by Meyrick, in almost all cases in India and Sri Lanka except for a pest species described by another scientist from Japan.

Speaking to Mongabayon the sidelines of the recently-concluded Asian Lepidoptera Conservation Symposium at the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, Sterling said this group is known as the Metathrinca group small white moths within the family Xyloryctidae.

Butterflies and moths make up the order of insects called Lepidoptera. Xyloryctidae is a family of moths contained within the superfamily Gelechioidea, described by Edward Meyrick in 1890.

Theres been very little work done on that group [Metathrinca] since, Sterling told Mongabay. The work so far shows that this is actually a very large group that occurs from New Guinea to Japan, including most of southern Asia, India, and China.

One aim of his Kolkata visit, said Sterling, is to find some modern material (specimens) from India.

There is no recorded specimen from India of any Metathrinca group moth since 1934, he said. I am hoping to find fresh specimens because the historic Indian specimens are too old to produce viable DNA sequences at a realistic cost, if at all. I am hoping to find live specimens from India which will allow me to sequence modern materials.

Sterling observed it is impossible to know exactly what type of habitats the old Indian materials were collected from. All we know from their data is that they were collected from Meghalaya/the Khasi Hills/Shillong but from this, we can assume that they are classical northeast Indian hill and forest species, he said.

However, the British NHM also has species from southern Asia, in the 1970s and 1980s, which are a mixture of hill and forest species including a number of mangrove forest species, so Sterling said he is hoping to find some modern Indian specimens at the forest site in Dalma and the mangrove forest site in the Sunderbans.

Whether I find any is largely a matter of luck as I have no real insights into the exact sorts of habitats in which these species occur, said Sterling, describing what he calls a hit and miss approach. So I will be putting out light traps at night, as the males, in particular, are attracted to light. I am hoping I may find a few females. I will be putting out my lights hoping for the best but, if I dont find at least some specimens on this trip, I will be disappointed, given the diversity of the group and the richness of the Indian species. If I find the material I will need to collaborate with scientists in India in order to sequence and/or describe them and will undoubtedly need to find an excuse to come back to Kolkata in order to find further materials.

Sterling said he is keen on examining the genetic difference between the described Indian species and the species he is describing from the rest of Asia.

If I can find fresh Indian specimens which are morphologically identical to already described Indian species I will be able to obtain sequences from the fresh specimens and form a view as to the genetic divergence of the Indian species from the species from other parts of Asia, he said.

Sterling acknowledged that discovering and describing moth species may not be a huge benefit to mankind, but knowledge of biodiversity is critically important.

Its not something which will make the difference between economic riches for large corporations and it is not something which will improve agriculture so I cant claim it will be a huge benefit to mankind, argued Sterling. But knowledge of biodiversity is critically important. Biodiversity in itself should be regarded as an important resource in its own right and we will be contributing to the knowledge of biodiversity.

He also stressed on balancing conservation with real needs.

We need to conserve biodiversity but that cant be the only aim of the government; you have to balance conservation with very real needs of feeding a massive population, elaborated Sterling. You need to know how to conserve, what is most important to conserve, and how to do it and in order to do that as a starting point, you need to understand what the biodiversity is, and to understand the biodiversity you need to know what species are in a place.

Sterling grew up in England, Germany, and Belgium in a family of lepidopterists and has always been interested in moths and smaller moths because butterfly diversity in England is very low. There are only 64 species of resident butterflies in England, he said. Moths are more of a challenge and interesting and smaller moths were not very well known when I was younger so they were an obvious area of interest.

Unlike other family members, Sterling became a lawyer but always kept an interest in moths. When I became a partner in my firm I was sent to Hong Kong to set up an Asian bankruptcy business so I started working on smaller moths of Asia in my spare time, he recounted. I never managed to kick the habit. Now that I am retired I can go back to the family passion.

The older brother of well-known entomologist Phil Sterling, lead author of the acclaimed micro-moth guide The Field Guide to the Micro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, Mark Sterling finds smaller moths challenging.

Smaller moths are challenging because there are very few people working on them, compared to larger moths and even more so if compared to butterflies, Mark Sterling noted. For example, if I go out on the field somewhere in Hong Kong, Malaysia or North East India I will expect that 50% to 80% of the smaller moths I see will be undescribed species.

Sterling says there could be at least 20,000 to 30,000 species of Lepidoptera waiting to be discovered only in India.

In India, there are about 10,000 species of Lepidoptera described, he said. Published estimates range between a further 10,000 to 20,000 which are undiscovered. On the basis of old historical records in NHM on which I am working, I would have thought the 10,000 to 20,000 number is a significant underestimate so there could be at least 20,000 to 30,000 species [of Lepidoptera] only in India.

But with a dearth of taxonomists, how do you get people to take an interest in conservation?

Sterling believes an appreciation of the natural environment and biodiversity should be an important part of everyday life. In some countries, this is beginning to happen. For example, in England, membership of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds exceeds the aggregate membership of the three main British political parties. Appreciation of moths and butterflies should be an important and exciting recreational activity open to everyone, he emphasised.

Seeing a rare beautiful butterfly or moth ought to be as exciting as watching [Indian cricketing legend] Sachin Tendulkar score a century, observed Sterling. The starting point is introducing people, children who want to do recreational activities in the evening, when they are not working, to the spectacular diversity of moths and butterflies.

If they are regarded as something to be treasured then research into them is going to be much easier to find funding so the starting point is educational and proselytization of natural resource as something which is there to be appreciated and enjoyed as a relaxation from what we do in our working lives, Sterling signed-off.

This article first appeared on Mongabay.

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A Briton chasing moths comes to India: Its as exciting as watching Tendulkar score a century - Scroll.in

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. And surgery is the most common form of treatment.

In the Silver Cross Breast Center, patients can see a highly skilled surgeon for diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and other abnormalities.

Surgeons on staff at the Silver Cross Breast Center have specialized training and expertise to quickly diagnose disease, explain the range of treatment options available, and help you decide on a plan tailored to your needs and goals.

This may include breast-conserving surgery, mastectomy and breast reconstruction.

These highly skilled surgeons evaluate and manage patients with breast pain, benign lumps and cysts and abnormal mammograms, in addition to breast cancer.

They look at the stage of cancer, its characteristics, and what is the best individual treatment for the patient.

Oftentimes cases are reviewed by multiple specialists at Silver Cross Hospitals weekly multi-disciplinary breast conference to expedite diagnosis and treatment.

Convenient, comprehensive care

If it is determined that surgery is the best option, procedures are performed in Silver Cross state-of-the-art operating suites followed by a short stay in a spacious, private patient room; although some patients may go home the same day.

If chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or radiation therapy is recommended, the UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center at Silver Cross is just steps away from the Breast Center.

It offers the latest clinical trials, genetic testing and counseling and advanced techniques including prone breast radiation therapy.

After surgery, sometimes patients experience lymphedema. Therapists with the world-renowned Shirley Ryan Ability Lab (formerly Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago) are available at Silver Cross to help patients find relief.

And through Siona Boutique, patients have access to a variety of specialized products to help improve their quality of life.

Certified breast care nurse

Neda Zelehovitishas a duel certification as anOncology Certified Nurse and Certified Breast Care nurse. She serves as a liaison between the patient, doctors, and family in the Silver Cross Breast Center.

With over 22 years of oncologyexperience, she provides each patient with personal and compassionate assistance in navigating through the health care system, ensuring that patients make informed decisions.

As a certified breast care nurse, Zelehovitis is responsible for assisting women who come to the Center for Womens Health with their care including:

Providing pre and post procedural nursing care for patients having biopsies

Explaining what will happen during the procedure and why the physician may have ordered the test

Obtaining physician orders for follow up testing, if recommended by the radiologist

Serving as a liaison between the patients primary physician and the radiologist to obtain information about the patients course of care and to help guide the patient in making decisions about the next steps in her care process

Providing nursing assistance to the technologists during procedures

Serving as a resource to the patient who may require additional assistance, including co-facilitation of the monthly Breast Cancer Support Group

Zelehovitis provides patients with education about breast health screenings, treatments, and recovery; coordinates follow-up care and consistently maintains this support through the continuum of cancer care all the way to healing.

The patient's well-being and health are a priority to Zelehovitis, and she is committed to providing patients with peace of mind as they seek medical care.

Get started at the Silver Cross Breast Center

Whether diagnosed at Silver Cross or elsewhere, call (815) 300-6350.

A certified breast health nurse will schedule the initial appointment and assist in coordinating the next steps in care.

This includes any additional diagnostic testing including breast ultrasound, breast MRI, or stereotactic breast biopsy to determine whether a lump is benign or cancerous.

For more information, visit http://www.silvercross.org

Continued here:
Breast cancer care close to home - The Herald-News

Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement, the most sacred day on the Jewish calendar, sees hundreds of people admitted into the emergency room and many others who "suffer" through fasting.

Whether fasting is healthy for them or not, many believers cling to the custom even despite medical recommendations, until their condition worsens.

Consult you attending physician before fasting (Photo: Shutterstock)

So, we take a look at who shouldn't fast under any circumstance, how to take medication correctly, which medical services will be avialable in Israel during the holiday, what women going through fertility treatments should do and whether you should take birth control pills as usual.

Prolonged fasting like on Yom Kippur might put patients with chronic diseases could cause a slew of medical problems, such as high blood pressure, heart failure, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, renal and liver failure and malignant diseases.

Patients suffering from these conditions are not recommended to fast on Yom Kippur at all and since fasting could cause a wide range of life threatening conditions such as sharp drops in blood pressure, fluctuations in the body's salt-water levels, acute drops in blood-sugar levels, cardiac arrhythmias and even strokes.

Patients taking fixed medication due to chronic diseases, especially when it comes to different medication, are not recommended to stop the permanent treatment without consulting a physician first.

In any case, if it is decided to pause the treatment for the 25-hour fast, consult your physician to set your medication times and mealtimes before and after the fast accordingly.

The treatment shouldn't be stopped under no circumstance if given for life threatening conditions.

In milder conditions such as strep throat and urinary tract infection, consult a doctor and ask them for their approval to take the medicine at the last meal before Yom Kippur and then again at the end of Yom Kippur.

Women taking birth control pills face no problem at all as they can take the pill at the last meal before fasting and then again at the end of the fast the next day.

Psychiatric patients not advised not to stop their treatment due to real life-threatening concerns.

If you still wish to halt a psychiatric treatment, consult your attending physician first.

For patients with Inflammatory bowel diseases, it is advisable to keep yourself hydrated and avoid fully fasting for the entirety of Yom Kippur.

Additionally, it is important to note that some medicines require food or drink, therefore, it is advisable not to decide this on your own, but to consult your doctor about each specific pill - whether you can swallow it with or without liquids.

In the past, people with diabetes were strictly prohibited from fasting, but since there are two types of diabetes and treatments are quite diverse, each patient should consult their attending physician to pick the right treatment and determine if fasting is permitted and under which circumstances.

Fasting could indeed cause headaches, mainly due to dehydration causing blood vessels to expand, very similarly to a migraine.

Apart from taking medicines such as Paracetamol, Ibuprofen and Dipyrone, you can consult your doctor about using Arcoxia.

Arcoxia, used to treat arthritis, was also found to be helpful in preventing headaches during fasting.

It should be noted that some medication must be taken on a full stomach in order to reduce damage to the stomach lining.

Additionally, some medications have alternatives in the form of rectal candles, which solve the eating issue.

Women in high-risk pregnancies are prohibited from fasting. Healthy women can usually fast during pregnancy, if they do not suffer from anemia, weakness, dehydration and only after consulting a gynecologist.

Women in high-risk pregnancies are prohibited from fasting (Photo: Shutterstock)

In any case a pregnant woman feels dizzy or nauseous, she should drink a quarter-cup of a sweetened drink every few minutes until the weakness goes away.

In general, pregnant women are advised not to go to the synagogue but to stay at home in an air-conditioned room.

Fastng is not advised for women breastfeeding full time without any baby formulas.

Breastfeeding women should alternately drink water throughout Yom Kippur to prevent a decrease in breast milk production.

If the woman combines breastfeeding with formulas, there is no prohibition on fasting, however, it is advisable to stay in an air-conditioned place and avoid unnecessary efforts.

In any case, pregnant women must consult the attending physician about fasting.

Women going through fertility treatments, requiring a series of hormone injections and must receive them at predetermined dates and times, will be able to call emergency services - if necessary - in order to set up an appointment at the nearest first-aid station.

When arriving at the station for an injection, bring the medication to be injected as well as your attending physician's referral with the date and time of injection, dosage, location and manner of injection (intramuscular or subcutaneous).

Paramedics will inject the medication only to patients who have already received at least one injection of the same drug before.

Fasting might dehydrate the body this condition increases the risk of damaging various body systems and can lead to the formation of kidney stones.

Dehydration is a medical emergency that is expressed by weakness, sleepiness, headaches, blurred vision, failure to urinate for more than10 hours, nausea, loss of consciousness and convulsions.

Infants and small children, who don't fast anyway, are at a higher risk, alongside pregnant women and seniors.

To avoid dehydration, those fasting must stay in shady and air-conditioned places as much as possible.

Call emergency services in any condition suspected as dehydration.

In case of emergency, call emergency services. In any other case, you can turn to the main urgent care centers, which keep operating on a limited scale that day.

Chronic patients need to make sure that they have enough medication for the day of fasting.

It is advisable to make sure that there are also basic non-prescription drugs available, such as antipyretics and analgesics.

If necessary, there are emergency pharmacies available, which can be found on your municipality's website or hotline.

Continue reading here:
Who should and who shouldn't fast on Yom Kippur? - Ynetnews

TULSA, Okla. The door frame that Cathy Carter leans against is all that separates her from the fate suffered by her great aunt in the 1930's.

Carter has been diagnosed with anxiety and agoraphobia, and she believes her ancestor suffered similarly or worse. For her great aunt, that meant being hauled away to a California insane asylum, as they were called at the time a trip that did nothing to ease her condition or help her life.

Carter, still leaning in her doorway, pauses in telling the family story. For her, the outcome has been different.

More than 600 miles southeast of Colorado Springs, in the boom-or-bust oil town of Tulsa, exists an effort to tackle mental illness not just with therapists or pharmaceuticals, but with four walls and a roof.

Spearheaded by the Tulsa-centered Mental Health Association of Oklahoma and backed by tens of millions of dollars from wealthy, oil-made philanthropists, the initiative provides hundreds of housing units to people battling mental health and substance abuse problems often both. Hundreds more units have been set aside by the nonprofit for affordable housing as a preventative measure to keep people from descending into homelessness and in need of even more acute mental health care.

For Carter, that means an apartment. Her apartment. No psychiatric hospital visits needed.

Here, were accepted, she says.

The Tulsa program is earning a growing reputation for addressing mental health's many tendrils even among some nonprofit leaders in Colorado Springs. And it centers on a hard truth for any community seeking to finally tackle mental illness: Making meaningful headway is impossible without addressing the societal factors that play into a persons well-being.

So often, housing ranks at the top of that list.

Its the deal maker or the deal breaker, said Mike Brose, the nonprofits CEO, over dinner at a downtown diner. Its all the difference in the world. If you dont have a place to live, you cant get anywhere.

And its not like Broses nonprofit is starting from a place of privilege.

The Sooner state has one of the worst mental health care systems in the nation, ranking 41st in Mental Health Americas most recent report.

Chief among those concerns for social service providers is the fact that Oklahoma has yet to expand Medicaid benefits to impoverished and low-income adults without children. It was a key benefit of the Affordable Care Act that the states Republican leaders eschewed in a show of defiance against President Barack Obamas signature health law.

Tulsa and Oklahoma City also routinely rank disproportionately high in evictions, meaning more people are at risk of homelessness, and in turn, at higher risk for new or exacerbated mental illnesses brought on by living on the streets.

In the face of those obstacles, mental health advocates in Tulsa got creative.

Unable to woo more clinicians to the area or single-handedly shift the states prevailing political winds, they focused on the fundamentals the social determinants of health. Issues like crime, employment and access to healthy foods can play an outsized role in a persons overall well-being, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

And housing ranks among the most important of those factors.

Its a fact that Carter, 67, knows all too well.

She leans away from her doorway, shuffling unsteadily back to her wheelchair, and invites visitors in for a tour. The linoleum flooring looks like paneled wood, the kitchen is quaint, there are two bedrooms in the back. Two cats one white behemoth named Snowball and a nimble tabby named Jack lay on cushions in her living room. Her old service dog rests nearby.

At the moment, her walls are white and empty shes only lived in this apartment for a week, because her last unit flooded in a storm. But shes been a tenant of the Mental Health Association of Oklahoma for six years.

She still struggles with agoraphobia a condition that can cause her to feel overwhelmed when shes overstimulated, such as when she leaves her house. And she still grapples with anxiety a particular problem, given that she also suffers from a rare neurological disorder that becomes exacerbated when her stress spins out of control.

But backward as it may sound, having a place to live has helped keep her from becoming isolated from the rest of the world.

There are other people around who maybe have the same disorder," says Carter, her voice soft and calm. If I have panic or problemswith agoraphobia, I know Im not the only one.

Theyre not going to freak out if I'm freaking out, with panic or the agoraphobia. Thats not going to bother them."

The Mobile Medical team of physician assistant Whitney Phillips, center, and licensed practical nurse Jacki Sauter examine a homeless woman on the streets of Tulsa

. The medical team is one of the many services the Mental Health Association of Oklahoma provides to the homeless population in Tulsa. The

team also decreases trips to the emergency room by the homeless, lowering overall medical costs.

The nonprofit owns and manages about two dozen apartment complexes all across Tulsa, a sprawling city bisected by the Arkansas River. Those buildings contain 1,435 units about three times the number possessed by Colorado Springs largest nonprofit provider of affordable housing. That's despite Tulsas population being slightly smaller.

There are streets lined by Art Deco architecture. Downtown is brimming with reinvestment, including a Woody Guthrie museum, new restaurants and a minor league baseball stadium. A downtown arena hosts national concert tours, and a nearby theater recently captured dates from a touring production of "Hamilton." A Bob Dylan museum is on the drawing board.

Just a short walk from all of it is the Altamont Apartments a 1930s-era brick building purchased by the nonprofit to use as affordable housing, complete with a quiet gazebo in back and an interior that recently underwent millions of dollars in renovations.

And there is the newly constructed Yale Apartments, tucked beside Interstate 244 east of downtown, home todozens of formerly homeless people.

Each of the units comes with a caseworker who to seeks to connect tenants to whatever health care is needed and available, as well as job and food assistance.

The reason is simple, says Greg Shinn, the nonprofits chief housing officer.

The bottom line is that when people are on the street, or in a homeless shelter, they could not stabilize and go into recovery mode to be successful," he said. "Theyre in survival mode."

Shinn himself became a believer in the early 2000s. After spending years running a homeless shelter in downtown New York City, he heard aboutthe Tulsa nonprofit's plan to provide housing.

Immediately, he thought: Well, thats the solution.

Lets give them choice of where to live, if you can do that, Shinn said. And then that empowers them to choose where they wantto live to get out of their homeless situation. And then to offer them flexible services they feel they need to recover. And then thatll give them a head start on recovery in the housing where they could be successful.

Most importantly, he says, once people are housed, they don't often return to the streets.

Through the end of August, 82 percent of the people with mental illnesses who have received apartments from the nonprofit remain there. It's a retention rate that has remained relatively steady for years, and one the nonprofit proudly boasts as proof of its success.

A resident waits outside Yale Apartments

on Aug. 27 in Tulsa

. Yale is one of the 28 apartment buildings owned and managed by the Mental Health Association of Oklahoma. It provides 1,435 units of affordable housing, three times the number of Colorado Springs largest provider, despite Tulsas population being slightly smaller.

Housing as key to recovery

The concept stems from the Housing First ethos. And it is rooted in a growing pile of research on the social determinants of health.

For decades, researchers have grown increasingly confident that a persons health both physical and behavioral is swayed by far more than doctors or therapists. Myriad triggers can push a persons well-being for better or worse including crime, racial discrimination and poverty, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The connection is simple, says Vickie M. Mays, a professor of psychology and health policy and management at the University of California, Los Angeles. Those issues all cause toxic stress otherwise known as the hormone cortisol to build up inside a person, deteriorating their health and causing a cascade of mental health problems.

Often, housing ranks at or near the top of those social determinants, Mays said. Without it, how can anyone kick an addiction? And how can anyone maintain their hygiene well enough to find or keep a job?

"So if you want to know how to enhance people's well being, to motivate them, you need to think about housing as a very significant social determinant, Mays said. "And to think about building our houses in ways in which while theyre affordable at the same time, they really allow some communities to be able to thrive.

In Colorado, the situation is no different.

A recent report by the Colorado Health Institute warned of a connection between the states rising housing costs and the negative health outcomes that may result.

Housing costs across the state increased by 77% over the last decade as newcomers have flocked to the state, causing the Front Range two swell with new houses and prices in scenic mountain towns to skyrocket. Meanwhile, wages have inched up a mere 4.5% in that same time, the report found.

More than a quarter of the states households are now cost burdened, meaning more than a third of their income goes to housing costs. Its a problem thats even worse for minorities.

"One of the big connections between housing instability and mental health is around chronic stress, said Sarah Barnes, manager of special policy initiatives for the Colorado Childrens Campaign, which is helping lead a group that's using the report to help spur policy solutions.

Shinn, the Tulsa nonprofits housing leader, says he sees the benefits of housing day in, and day out.

More affordable housing means fewer people living paycheck to paycheck and strapped for cash, reducing the generational cycles of poverty that often cause traumas that lead to poor mental health, he said.

And fewer evictions mean children can change schools less, meaning a better education and eventually better jobs, lower incarceration rates and fewer tax dollars spent on emergency room visits and lockups.

This leads to sustainable neighborhoods and higher quality of life for everybody else, Shinn said. The housing needs being met in the community has a direct impact on the overall mental health of the community. You can connect the dots all day long. Some of them are direct, some of them are indirect. But every community in the country needs more affordable housing.

Resident Glen Bailey, 64, dust mops the first-floor hallway Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019, at Yale Apartments in Tulsa, Okla. Bailey, who lived off and on the streets for several years, has lived in housing owned by the Mental Health Association of Oklahoma for 10 years.

Alyssa Orcutt knows that reality all too well.

Black tattoos crisscross Orcutts arms and back etchings of a past she chooses not to forget.

Theres the four-leafed clover with the words But for the grace of God a throwback to the moment she got sober in 2014, on St. Patricks Day.

And theres a picture of lady justice, her scales resting even to represent the vast criminal record she accumulated while homeless and on the streets of Tulsa that she's since overcome.

It takes a lot of courage to live the life I lived, Orcutt said.

Her life is a case study in the mental toll that homelessness can take and the power of housing to heal those invisible scars.

She descended into homelessness when her abusive husband went to prison leaving her with nothing, because the house and car were in his name. A man groped her the first time she visited a homeless shelter, so she never went back. Instead, for two and a half years, she camped at a local park.

I just gave up all hope and I turned to street drugs to help cope with the pain of what you go through on the streets, Orcutt said. Because its very violent; theres a lot of violence that happens when you're living outside.

You cant focus on mental health when youre just trying to survive the day, Orcutt added. I just wanted to make it to midnight to live another day. When I wanted to live."

She racked up a slew of charges, ranging from what she calls survival crimes for stealing food and clothes to violent felonies. But a prison diversion program helped her finally get sober, she said.

Then came years of therapy to unpack the tangled web of mental illness that became exacerbated on the streets.

"I lived 24 years without anxiety and depression and PTSD," she said. "And after two and a half years on the streets, now I have these diagnoses.

She's an example ofthe Mental Health Association's culture of inclusivity. She's now a case manager for the nonprofit's Denver House a day center for some of the most mentally ill people living on the streets of Tulsa.About 60 percent of her fellow employees at the association also have diagnosed mental illnesses. More than one-third of the employees have a history of addiction. And a quarter experienced homelessness.

A key step in Orcutt's journey: An apartment provided to her and her two children.

Some people in Colorado Springs have taken notice.

Three years ago, several local nonprofit leaders visited Tulsa and toured the nonprofits program.

They saw first-hand the Tulsa nonprofit's strategy: Purchase and refurbish declining or dilapidated apartment complexes and motels across the city. Then, rent them at affordable rates often to people suffering from mental illness.

The reason for relying on existing buildings was simple: Keep costs relatively low while maintaining the citys affordable housing stock, said Brose, the nonprofits CEO.

Under the nonprofits auspices, the buildings wont get razed to make way for a new development, or flipped by developers seeking to gentrify an area and raise rents.

At some point, youve got to not only create more affordable housing, but preserve affordable housing, Brose said. A lot of our properties we only have one new construction theyre all existing apartment complexes that we purchased and own.

Theyre not fancy, he said. "But we certainly want them to be safe and affordable and to be decent.

And, Brose adds, theyre often available to people who wouldnt be accepted anywhere else people with histories of evictions, drug use and homelessness.

We refer to ourselves as benevolent landlords, Brose said. Sometimes people fail in our housing. But as a benevolent landlord, we'll give them repeated chances to come back.

A year later, Brose himself visited Colorado Springs and spoke at a conference hosted by the Pikes Peak Continuum of Care, which is focused on addressing homelessness.

The Tulsa nonprofit made an impression.

They understand that homelessness and health are so intricately related, said Shawna Kemppainen, who went on the trip as executive director of The Place, a youth homeless shelter in downtown Colorado Springs formerly known as Urban Peak. Its really interesting that its the largest mental health association there in the state that's actually doing homeless housing, and is very productive with it.

Chris Garvin, deputy executive director for the El Paso County Department of Human Services, agreed.

It was pretty impressive in that they were able to garner community support, Garvin said. And the fact they would buy maybe a defunct apartment building, or an apartment building that was pretty riddled with crime or drugs. And they were able to go in there and I dont want to say gentrify it but they brought it up a notch. And it kind of improved the neighborhood.

Brose's visit to Colorado Springs helped lead Tulsas fire department to adopt a Colorado Springs program called CARES. Its a partnership of the Colorado Springs Fire Department, AspenPointe and other agencies.

Its goal is to create a team to act as a special service to people who are known as super utilizers people who call 9-1-1 at a disproportionate rate, using it more as a medical service than an emergency line and tying up resources while jacking up health-care costs in the region.

Now, some wonder whether Colorado Springs could learn a lesson or two from Tulsa.

For his part, Greg Shinn, the Tulsa nonprofit's chief housing officer,called the organization's model inherently transferrable." And he urged for local leaders also to consider tax increases, arguing such investments could pay off in spades.

Any locality can do it its a nonpartisan issue, Shinn said. Nobody wants to waste money locking up people who are homeless that could be in housing. Nobody wants to waste money with law enforcement emergency runs or emergency hospitalizations that could be avoided if these people were in housing with the services that they need.

Lets stop throwing away money.

A belief in 'doing what's right'

Several Colorado Springs nonprofit leaders who saw the Tulsa program first-hand a few years ago said one factor stands above the rest in limiting Colorado Springs from taking a similar approach: Funding.

The presence of multiple well-heeled philanthropists in Tulsa and those donors penchant for giving substantial sums of money to the social service sector is what separates that city from others.

Most of the Mental Health Association of Oklahoma's units were purchased over the last 10 years, after the nonprofit raised $65.5 million.

Three-quarters of those donations came from private donors. And nearly half $30 million came from a single philanthropic organization: The Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation.

Henry Zarrow was the son of a Jewish immigrant who fled to the U.S. escaping the Russian pogroms, according to accounts in the Tulsa World. He started his first company at the age of 22 and became a powerful player in the oil and gas industry then gave away much of his wealth at the behest of his wife, Anne Zarrow.

Homelessness and mental health have been top priorities for them, as well as for Henrys brother, Jack Zarrow.

Only Jack Zarrow's widow, Maxine, remains alive. But the Zarrows' philanthropy lives on in the foundations established in their names.Both families are really social justice-minded, said Nancy Curry, program officer for the Zarrow Family Foundations. And really kind of believe in doing whats right.

Excerpt from:
Fighting mental illness with affordable housing: What can Colorado Springs learn from this Tulsa nonprofit? - Colorado Springs Gazette

GE Healthcare and Theragnostics have struck up a global commercial partnership around the development and sale of the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT imaging agent, GalliProst.

The scan indicates whether the disease is within the prostate gland, spread to the local lymph nodes or spread with more distant metastasis. Theragnostics will head development of the radiopharmaceutical, while GE will oversee all pre-approval commercial preparations, as well as all subsequent commercial and distribution tasks following the tracers approval.

"We believe GE is one of a few companies that provide a global reach into every market in the world. They also have the ability to access both generator-produced Ga-68 as well as cyclotron produced Ga-68," Greg Mullen, CEO of Theragnostics, told HCB News. "Ga-68 is the radioisotope in GalliProst that allows it to be visualized on the PET scanner."

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Derived from Gallium-68, the new tracer provides clinicians with "heatmap-style" images that show the precise location and intensity of PSMA, which is expressed on the surface of prostate cancer cells. A phase II clinical study that met its primary and secondary endpoints showed that clinicians who used GalliProst ended up modifying treatment plans for one third of newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients and over 50 percent with biochemically recurrent disease. This change in patient management rose to 75 percent in a post-radical radiotherapy environment.

"The scan provides the physician with an indication as to whether the disease is within the prostate gland, spread to the local lymph nodes or has spread with more distant metastasis," said Mullen. "Conventional imaging (CT or bone scan) has difficulty in detecting small volume disease outside of the prostate. Therefore, GalliProst can help determine whether curative therapy (surgery or targeted radiotherapy) or systemic treatment (hormone/chemotherapy) is the most appropriate treatment."

The agreement follows another orchestrated last month in which AstraZeneca granted Theragnostics a license to operate globally in the diagnostic field of certain selected radionuclide-labelled PARPi (Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase inhibitors), with an option to an exclusive license for freedom to operate globally in the therapeutic field of certain selected radionuclide-labelled PARPi.

Both GE Healthcare and Theragnostics will be on hand to discuss their findings from October 12-16 at the European Association of Nuclear Medicine 2019 Congress (EANM) in Barcelona.

Link:
GE Healthcare and Theragnostics partner on PSMA PET/CT tracer - DOTmed HealthCare Business News

Theres broad consensus that genetically modifying humans isnt a good idea, at least not anytime in the near future. But it seems Russia has less qualms about the idea, which could leave it to determine the future of the technology.

After Chinese geneticist He Jiankui announced he had used CRISPR to genetically edit two human embryos there was widespread outrage from both the scientific community and authorities at home and abroad. But it took less than a year for Russian scientist Denis Rebrikov to announce his desire to carry out similar experiments that edit germline DNA, which refers to changes that will be passed on to future generations.

Condemnation from the international community was again swift, but it appears Rebrikov may be finding a more receptive audience at home. Bloomberg reports that a secret meeting of top Russian geneticists and health officials was convened over the summer to discuss the proposals.

And the meeting had a significant guest: Maria Vorontsova, an endocrinologist and daughter of the man likely to make the final call on Russias position on gene-editing President Vladimir Putin.

Bloomberg reports there was a back and forth between opponents and proponents of the idea, but Vorontsova said scientific progress cant be stopped and suggested such research should be controlled by state-run institutions to ensure oversight.

While thats a long way from an official endorsement, the Russian governments response to Rebrikovs plans has certainly been tepid compared to those in the US, where politicians recently renewed a ban on germline editing, and in China, where Hes work quickly led to a tightening of regulations around human gene editing.

Rebrikovs proposal potentially has more merit than Hes. Rebrikov initially planned to target the same gene as He, which is believed to determine susceptibility to HIV. Switching this gene off was criticized for being an unnecessarily complicated and dangerous way of ensuring the disease wasnt passed from parent to child.

Now he plans to use CRISPR to switch off a rare gene that leads to deafness. He is working with couples who are both deaf due to the condition, but dont want to pass it on to their children. Theres still very little understanding of what the potential side effects of this kind of intervention could be, which has led many to call for a moratorium on the technology.

Both the World Health Organization and an international commission set up by the US national academies and the UKs Royal Society are trying to develop guidelines for human gene editing technology, but scientists leading these efforts admit theres little they can do to prevent this kind of research at present.

And while Rebrikovs proposals may sound fairly benign, the way he talks about the technology should give serious cause for concern. In the Bloomberg article he openly discusses starting small and the prospect of parents genetically enhancing their children, while seeming to invoke the Soviet Unions pursuit of nuclear weapons as a justification for developing a technology that can be used for both good and evil.

So far, most of the discussion around germline editing has been focused on safety. But writing in Scientific American Mildred Solomon, president of bioethics institute The Hastings Center, says we need to start tackling questions that go beyond safety before its too late.

That will inevitably include discussions around the ethics of genetic enhancement, but its becoming increasingly clear that there also needs to be consideration of the geopolitical ramifications of the technology.

Putin has already voiced his concerns about genetically-engineered soldiers, and in todays hostile international climate its easy to see the worlds great powers worrying about being left behind by their adversaries. Rebrikov alluded to this train of thought in his comments to Bloomberg, saying hes sure embryo gene-editing is happening in clandestine dark sites.

Despite Chinas forceful public response to Hes research, theres evidence the government was actually funding it, and bioethicist James Giordano told National Defense that its highly unlikely the scientist was a rogue actor in a country where government, academia, and industry are so deeply entwined.

Were still a long way from the kind of capabilities required for doomsday scenarios like super-soldiers or genetically-targeted biological weapons, but recent developments suggest theres a real danger of a genetic arms race developing. Exactly what can be done to stop it remains far from clear, but there needs to be a major push to ensure the fundamental basis of our humanity doesnt end up being governed by realpolitik.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

Go here to read the rest:
Russia Could Take the Lead on Human Gene Editing - Singularity Hub

Human Nature is a documentary created by Emmy award-winning producer Adam Bolt with the help of NC State professors that explains what CRISPR is and the impact it could have on society.

CRISPR is a gene-editing tool that allows humans to modify the genetic code of organisms. With this technology, it is possible to cure diseases, create new foods or redefine human life. How can such a thing be possible? Can we as humans be trusted with this technology? These are the questions the documentary answers.

Rodolphe Barrangou, assistant professor of food science at NC State and Todd R. Klaenhammer Distinguished Scholar in probiotics research* and an active participant in the creation of the documentary, spoke about the project over email.

In my opinion, the documentary captures the high potential of genome editing for the benefits of humankind, and also brings up critical questions about the ethical issues that must be assessed, and the importance to capture the many voices of all involved and impacted, Barrangou said.

Barrangou was one of the first people from NC State to be part of the filming process and is considered the driving force behind getting NC State in the documentary. He worked with the film crew to help select the people to feature and the early design of the story.

We spent 11 days on campus and in RTP to feature work underway at NC State in CALS and CVM and also at Syngenta, Barrangou said in the email.

Another example of a voice that can be found in the documentary is that of Jorge Piedrahita, a professor and the director of the Comparative Medicine Institute at NC State. His lab created genetically modified pigs for biomedical research, specifically to carry organs for human use. Piedrahita spoke about the fun experience of working with a professional film crew and how important he believed the CRISPR technology is.

You need to be aware of it because the more you understand it, the more you understand the benefits, the more you understand the risks," Piedrahita said. "You start to understand that the benefits vastly outweigh the risks.

One of the topics Piedrahita discussed was the democratization of the technology and the regulations that would follow it. This would ensure that it wouldnt just be billion-dollar biotech companies with state-of-the-art labs working with CRISPR. The technology would be available to governments and labs worldwide.

CRISPR lies within an ethical gray area, and a large part of the documentary looks objectively at the good and the bad the technology can do. In the documentary trailer, there is a video of Vladimir Putin describing how the technology could be used to create soldiers that would fight without fear or pain. Then, within the same minute, it shows a parent saying, Anything that will stop my child from suffering, Im for.

Piedrahita spoke about the growing importance of CRISPR and its possible impact.

I think it will be crazy for someone not to understand CRISPR, because it will be such a big part of our lives, every single facet of our lives, in the next ten years, Piedrahita said.

From the food people eat, to the way disease is treated, to even the future generations of people, CRISPR will impact everything, which is what makes Human Nature so impactful. The film premiered at the 2019 SXSW Film Festival, and its general release will be on Nov. 7.

* Editor's Note, Oct. 8, 2019: [and Todd R. Klaenhammer Distinguished Scholar in probiotics research] was rephrased for clarity.

See the article here:
'Human Nature': A Film on the Technology Defining the Future - N.C. State University Technician Online

Whencoauthors Ann Lin and Christopher Giuliano, then at Stony Brook University in NewYork, saw their lab results, they were worried. We were both undergrads at thetime, said Lin. It was our first CRISPR experiment, and we were like, is thisour fault, or is this real?

Using CRISPR, Lin and Giuliano had knocked out the gene for MELK, a kinase reported to be essential in multiple cancer types, and of particular interest in triple-negative breast cancer. Surprisingly, they found that breast cancer cells grew happily even without MELK. Even more strangely, the cells lacking MELK remained vulnerable to OTS167, a MELK inhbitor.1Their advisor, Jason Sheltzer, PhDwho is a fellow at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratorywasnt inclined to blame the odd results on undergraduate incompetence. They began pursuing the hypothesis that the drug must exert its killing activity through other proteins or through some other mechanism.

Fourclinical trials are currently underway testing OTS167 in human cancers yet thedrugs mechanism of action may be misunderstood. Its a real problem: targetedtherapies for cancer overwhelmingly fail clinical trials, according to a recentanalysis,2 with only some 3% to 4% of candidates earning approvalfrom the US Food and Drug administration (FDA).

Thisstatistic startled the researchers and prompted them to broaden theirinvestigation. They tested 10 cancer drugs that targeted 6 different proteins,looking to confirm the published mechanisms of action. The target proteins wereHDAC6, MAPK14/p38, PAK4, PBK, PIM1, and CASP3/caspase-3.

Mostof the evidence implicating these proteins as essential for cancer growth camefrom RNA-interference (RNAi) screens, in which short RNA molecules designed tosilence the gene successfully impaired cancer cell growth. In each case, asmall-molecule inhibitor targeting the protein exists, with demonstratedcancer-killing ability. They intentionally selected drug-target pairs that hadno published resistance-granting mutations, which would unequivocally validatethe mechanism of action.

Whenthey knocked out the genes with CRISPR, Lin and Giuliano found that in everycase, inactivating the gene did not diminish the cancer cells survival. Upontesting 4 of the original RNAi constructs that had been used to identify theproteins as essential, the constructs still hampered the cells growth evenwhen the targeted gene of interest had been knocked out.

Go here to read the rest:
Some Targeted Therapies May Miss the Mark - Cancer Therapy Advisor

The Women's Breast Health and Imaging Center at Aiken Regional Medical Centers upgraded their equipment this year with the addition of new 3D mammography units. The technology plays a crucial role in the early detection of breast cancer.

Unlike 2D mammograms, which take four photos, the new 3D mammogram technology is capable of taking 300 photos within four seconds and penetrating dense tissue, according to Dr. Jill Enter, a general surgeon with Aiken Surgical Associates.

"It makes a compact disc selection of 300 images of the breast, so it allows the radiologist to scroll through that dense breast tissue better and it decreases the amount of false positives that we have," Enter said. "It also allows for earlier detection of breast cancer."

The Women's Breast Health and Imaging Center obtained its first 3D mammography unit in March 2019. Three other units were obtained in July.

Enter, who previously worked at Aiken Regional and returned recently after working for the Doctor's Hospital of August for five years, said she frequently does breast cancer surgeries, as most of her female patients seem to prefer a female doctor in the area of breast health.

She said that, even with the constant improvements in medical technology, patient education and awareness of the disease is key in the battle against breast cancer.

"It's always changing," Enter said. "Even in the last 10 years since I've been in private practice, it has dramatically turned on its head."

Enter said women need to do self-exams more frequently, as breast cancer normally presents as a small lump in the breast. She said women at risk for the disease also need to pay more attention to their family history especially on their father's side.

"Fifty percent of your genetics comes from your dad's side, too," Enter said. "Breast cancer is not just a female-oriented thing."

She also said regular mammograms are extremely important, and patients with a family history of breast cancer should begin screenings several years before the age of 40, when most patients are scheduled for their first mammogram.

"Don't not have a screening because you don't have insurance," Enter said. "Don't ignore it."

For those without insurance, some grants can be provided for those who qualify to help offset the cost of breast cancer screenings. Best Chance Network, which is based in Columbia, is one such organization.

For more info about the Women's Breast Health and Imaging Center, visit aikenregional.com.

Kristina Rackley is a general assignment reporter with the Aiken Standard.

See original here:
New 3D mammogram technology crucial in early detection of breast cancer - Aiken Standard

It was a disastrous blow to ranchers both in loss of livestock, genetics and cattle they had been raising for generations, as well as a huge financial loss.

I was in the Black Hills speaking at an agricultural event with South Dakota ranching women attendees. My plan was to drive to my next speaking event in western North Dakota. But instead, I was stranded at a lodge, without electricity, with 30 or so female ranchers and women in agriculture (and a few husbands) plus a national tour group waiting to see Mount Rushmore.

Every early fall I think of the storm, a couple of days of no electricity, no heat other than the fireplace in the main lobby of the lodge and lodge staff preparing food for guests on the one gas stove in the lodge, using ingredients and meat from what was supposed to be prepared into a feast for a weekend outdoor wedding. Instead, it fed those of us stranded.

There were no generators or snow blowers and all roads and our vehicles were covered in 38 inches of snow. We had two shovels and worked together when the snow stopped. We flagged down a road crew to help.

The messy memories arent what I recall annually though.

Its the people who made the difference in Storm Atlas. The ranchers who sat around, unable to leave, but trying to get ahold of their families at home to check on their livestock.

The losses would be deep for these families I knew. You could expect them to be bitter at the circumstances they had no control over, and instead, they chose to be better.

As we sat in front of the fire at the lodge, the group of ranch and farm women planned outreach and fundraising to help those in agriculture who would need a hand up in the months to recover from Storm Atlas.

They didnt grab headlines but raised awareness and aid that positively impacted others in need. Ranching women chose to better together.

At the same time, I remember a tour group attendee demanding she get a ride to the airport and saying she was leaving South Dakota. The staff tried to explain there were no flights and absolutely no way to get her out of the closed highways of the Black Hills. The woman couldnt change her circumstances and bitterly expressed her frustration.

Here we are, in another set of devastating circumstances for many in agriculture in our region. Its not from one storm event but most likely the wettest early fall on record.

Water fills our farm fields and the anticipation for harvest fades for some as worry or anxiety sets in. Its been a limited growing season with numerous setbacks.

We cannot control the weather. We can care for one another. We can choose to support one another through communication and awareness, and create a path that gives others an outlet to show support. You do not have to be in a specific industry or be an expert in anything to support and encourage those struggling in a season of difficulty.

Communicate about the setbacks your region is faced with, not just grumbling over coffee with your family or the neighbors, but with your elected officials, online and offline.

Reach out to the media (thats us) with a unique experience or story your farm or community has never experienced before this season.

Check-in on your farming friends and neighbors. Help plan or volunteer at a community event. Youre not alone in difficult times. Choose to be better from a time that could make us bitter. There will be more storms, blizzards, droughts and then too much rain in our lives. We cannot control the rain, the sunshine or frost date.

We can be better through outreach to one another and communication to make sure agricultures story is shared with those nearby and far from our fields.

See the rest here:
The Pinke Post: When we could be bitter, choose to be better - The Daily Republic

Two recent papers- The Formation of Human Populations in South and Central Asia ( Vageesh Narasimhan et al) and An Ancient Harappan Genome lacks Ancestry from Steppe Pastoralists or Iranian Farmers (Vasant Shinde et al) - have sparked different interpretations on what they reveal about the genetics of ancient Indians. The papers were authored by a team of geneticists from Harvard Medical School working with Indian scientists. They studied ancient DNA from sites in Europe, Central Asia and South Asia, including a sample from the Indus Valley Civilisation site of Rakhigarhi, before drawing their conclusions. One of which was the contested claim that descendants of pastoralists from Eurasian steppes migrated to the Indian subcontinent in the first half of the second millenium BCE, "almost certainly" bringing Indo-European languages. Their studies also claim the Steppe migrants eventually contributed 0-30% of the genes of groups living in India today. In an email interview, Harvard geneticist Prof David Reich breaks down the findings. Excerpts.

1) What are the big takeaways from the 2 recent studies you co-authored - Vasant Shinde et al 2019, and Narasimhan et al 2019?

1. At least some of the people of the ancient people of the Indus Valley Civilization were a mixture of south/southeast Asian-related hunter gatherers and Iranian-related hunter-gatherers. I say Iranian-related because their ancestors may actually have lived in South Asia rather than the Iranian plateau for many thousands of years before the time of the IVC. We just dont know yet where they lived because of lack of ancient DNA from the relevant times and places.

2. A population like the people we call the Indus Valley Cline - consisting of a Harappan individual from the site of Rakhigarhi, plus 11 individuals who were buried at the sites of Gonur in Turkmenistan and Shahr-i-Sokhta in Iran and as likely migrants from the Indus Valley Civilization is the primary source population of both North and South India.

3. Some time in the first half of the second millennium BCE, descendants of Steppe pastoralists entered South Asia from the north, eventually contributing 0-30% of the genes of groups living today (varying depending on the present-day group), and also almost certainly bringing Indo-European languages. There is no evidence that the actual people who brought these genes to South Asia were pastoralists by occupation - their ancestors were pastoralists.

2) What more can you tell us from your studies about this Steppe migration? Mostly male? Was it a significant number - so as to make such drastic changes in the gene pool of such a large area?

It is entirely plausible, and in my opinion even likely, that the movement of people bringing this ancestry to the Indian subcontinent was not sex-biased, and involved both males and females. However, the process by which people carrying this ancestry mixed with people with ancestry like the individual from Rakhigarhi, was a sex-biased one, whereby most of the Steppe ancestry to mixed population was contributed by males. Note that according to our paper, in the Swat Valley, Steppe ancestry mixes into South Asia in a sex-biased way but in the REVERSE pattern, that is, most of the Steppe ancestry is coming from females.

"In the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age individuals of the Swat Valley, we detect a significantly lower proportion of Steppe admixture on the Y chromosome (only 5% of the 44 Y chromosomes of the R1a-Z93 subtype that occurs at 100% frequency in the Central_Steppe_MLBA males) compared with ~20% on the autosomes (Z = 3.9 for a deficiencyfrom males under the simplifying assumption that all the Y chromosomes are unrelated to each other since admixture and thus are statistically independent), documenting how Steppe ancestry was incorporated into these groups largely through females (Fig. 4). However, sex bias varied in different parts of South Asia, as in present-day South Asians we observe a reverse pattern of excess Central_Steppe_MLBArelated ancestry on the Y chromosome compared with the autosomes (Z = 2.7 for an excess from males).

These differences could be explained by a non-sex-biased migration from Central Asia into South Asia of people carrying Steppe ancestry, followed (at some point later) by preferential incorporation of females from this population into the Swat Valley peoples, and preferential incorporation of males from this population into the ancestors of most present-day South Asians.

3) When did they reach the Indian subcontinent?

We know this rather precisely from our analysis: the first half of the second millennium BCE.

4) Was this the 'collision' that formed present day Indian populations?

This is one of at least four major collisions we now know about:

a. The mixture of Iranian-related ancestry and South/Southeast Asian hunter-gatherer-related ancestry that formed the Indus Valley Cline on average 7400-5700 years ago.

b. The mixture of people on the Indus Valley Cline with people from the southeast carrying relatively more South/Southeast Asian hunter-gatherer-related ancestry after the decline of the mature Indus Valley Civilization around 4000-3000 years ago

c. The mixture of people on the Indus Valley Cline with people from the north carrying Steppe ancestry after the decline of the mature Indus Valley Civilization around 4000-2000 years ago

d. The mixture of these two mixed populations (b and c)

There are surely more collisions yet to be discovered!

5) And what was the route to the Indian subcontinent? From the Yamnaya culture in Eastern Europe to the Central steppes (BMAC) and then to South Asia?

The exact routes are currently unknown. Almost certainly it started in far eastern Europe more than 5000 years ago (with the Yamnaya or their close relatives), then 4500-4000 years ago moved possibly west to east-central Europe (but this westward-before-eastward deviation is not certain), and then moved far to the east across the Urals to the central Steppe (Kazakhstan) and Central Asia (places like Turkmenistan) before moving into South Asia 4000-3500 years ago.

It is likely, based on our analysis, that the population that contributed genetic material to South Asia was (roughly) ~60% Yamnaya, ~30% European farmer-like ancestry, and ~10% Central Steppe hunter-gatherer ancestry.

6) What difference, according to your study, did it make to the Indus Valley Civilisation gene pool ?

This ancestry admixed with people like those we sequenced from the Indus Valley Civilization, eventually contributing 0-30% Steppe-derived ancestry to present-day populations.

7) Was it the contrast in the genetic profiles of later Indian (South Asian) people and that of the 2600 BC Rakhigarhi woman and the 11 other Indus Valley people (discovered at sites related to IVC) that helped you get this picture?

Yes. With these individuals, we for the first time found ancient people who could serve as a statistically fitting genetic source for the largest component of ancestry in South Asian (the Iranian-related ancestry)

8) Does your Rakhigarhi study 'An Ancient Harappan Genome lacks Ancestry from Steppe Pastoralists or Iranian Farmers' in any way contrast the findings of your other ( Narasimhan et al) study 'The Formation of Human Populations in South and Central Asia'.

The two studies are fully consistent. I am confident that there are no contradictions.

9) Digs at the Indus Valley site Rakhigarhi, from where the woman's skeletal remains were discovered show an archaeological continuity. No signs of destruction. Is it possible to have a shift in a population and even possibly a change in civilisation without a disruption in material culture? Have you see that happen elsewhere?

This is entirely possible. We discuss this explicitly in our paper by making an analogy to a major and slightly earlier cultural and genetic transformation in western Europe, where we know more accurately what happened because of a richer ancient DNA record

If the spread of people from the Steppe in this period was a conduit for the spread of South Asian Indo-European languages, then it is striking that there are so few material culture similarities between the Central Steppe and South Asia in the Middle to Late Bronze Age (i.e., after the middle of the second millennium BCE). Indeed, the material culture differences are so substantial that some archaeologists report no evidence of a connection. However, lack of material culture connections does not provide evidence against spread of genes, as has been demonstrated in the case of the Beaker Complex, which originated largely in western Europe but in Central Europe was associated with skeletons that harbored ~50% ancestry related to Yamnaya Steppe pastoralists (18). Thus, in Europe we have an unambiguous example of people with ancestry from the Steppe making profound demographic impacts on the regions into which they spread while adopting important aspects of local material culture. Our findings document a similar phenomenon in South Asia, with the locally acculturated population harboring up to ~20% Western_Steppe_EMBAderived ancestry according to our modeling (via the up to ~30% ancestry contributed by Central_Steppe_MLBA groups)

10) You've said that people who formed the population of the IVC is the single largest genetic contributor to people living in South Asia today? Can you elaborate?

The great majority of present-day South Asians are a mixture of two source populations that formed after the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization: the Ancestral South Indians (ASI) and the Ancestral North Indians (ANI). In our paper (Figure 4D), we show that the ASI and ANI both have high proportions of Indus Valley Cline ancestry (similar to that of the Rakhigarhi individual). Depending on the particular model used, this number could range from 30-60% for the ASI, and very roughly around 70% for the ANI. Since present-day South Asians are largely a mixture of ANI and ASI who in turn both have major proportions of Indus Valley Cline-type ancestry, this is the largest source of ancestry in present-day South Asians.

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Steppe migration to India was between 3500-4000 years ago: David Reich - Economic Times

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Mathew Knowles breast cancer: What are the symptoms, treatment for male breast cancer

Mathew Knowles, the father and former manager of singers Beyonc and Solange Knowles, revealed last week that he has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

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Knowles, a music executive, made the announcement during an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Around 2,670 men are diagnosed with breast cancer each year and 500 of them die from the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Knowles, 67, pointed out in the "GMA" interview that the key to a positive outcome with male breast cancer is, like other cancers, early detection and treatment.

He said he first realized something was wrong in July when he noticed a "dot" of blood on his shirt. He said he could not find out where the blood came from, but after a few days, he decided to check his breast and discovered some discharge from his nipple.

"So, I squeezed my nipple and sure enough, a little discharge came out, bloody discharge," Knowles told The New York Times. "I immediately called my doctor."

Knowles had a test done on the discharge, then a mammogram which revealed he had stage 1A breast cancer. He had a mastectomy just weeks after. During the mastectomy, Knowles also had three lymph nodes removed from under his arm to determine if the cancer had spread from the breast. It had not, Knowles was told.

Women are 10 times more likely to develop breast cancer than are men, but the rareness of the disease in men is a problem in early detection and treatment, according to the American Cancer Society.

"Finding breast cancer early improves the chances that male breast cancer can be treated successfully. However, because breast cancer is so uncommon in men, there is unlikely to be any benefit in screening men in the general population for breast cancer with mammograms or other tests," the ACS said.

Here is a look at the signs and symptoms of male breast cancer, treatment options and who is more likely to get the disease.

How common is male breast cancer?

It is uncommon for men to develop breast cancer. Male breast cancer accounts for less than 1 percent of all cancer diagnoses. On average, 1 man in 833 will develop breast cancer over a lifetime.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of male breast cancer are similar to the symptoms of female breast cancer. They include:

What risk factors increase a man's chance of developing breast cancer?

The risk factors that increase a man's chance of developing breast cancer are:

Who is likely to get breast cancer?

While men can be diagnosed with breast cancer at any age, breast cancer is very rare in men under the age of 35. Most breast cancers in men are found when they are between the ages of 60 and 70. A lump in the breast area at any age needs to be evaluated by a physician.

Black men are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than are white men.

What happens when breast cancer is suspected?

Your doctor will ask you some questions about your medical and family history if you come to him or her with breast cancer symptoms. After that discussion and a breast examination, a combination of medical tests will likely be ordered.

Those tests include:

What is the treatment?

Treatment for breast cancer depends on the stage of the cancer or if the cancer has spread beyond the breast. Among treatment options are:

What is the prognosis?

The outcome of cancer treatment depends on many factors. If the cancer is detected early before it has had a chance to spread, the five-year survival rate is 100%. Almost half of all male breast cancers are diagnosed at this stage, according to cancer.net.

The five-year survival rate for men with stage II disease is 87%, for stage III disease is 75% and for stage IV disease, when the cancer is advanced and has spread to other parts of the body, 25%.

2019 Cox Media Group.

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Mathew Knowles breast cancer: What are the symptoms, treatment for male breast cancer - WSB Atlanta

As part of a series of pragmatic recommendations to tackle the difficult issue of surplus male production animals, four leading veterinary bodies say that high welfare UK veal and goat meat should be promoted to help replace the need for the slaughter of unwanted male calves and goats.

In a joint policy position, launched today (9 October 2019), the British Veterinary Association (BVA), British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA), Goat Veterinary Society (GVS) and the British Veterinary Poultry Association (BVPA) look at the issues associated with surplus male offspring in animals produced for dairy and eggs.

The position calls for solutions based on the overarching principle that quality of life should take precedence over lifespan, with the longer-term aim to move away from the production of unwanted animals all together. In the meantime, further research into solutions to reduce numbers of additional male offspring and to make sure that on-farm methods of killing surplus animals are humane, could be invaluable.

Current estimates suggest that around 95,000 calves, 30 million chicks and 3,000 Billy kids are affected per year. The dairy and egg industries have been advised to adopt a 3Rs (reduce, replace, refine) approach to the rearing and slaughter of animals which are surplus to the requirements of the specific industries. Reduction recommendations include selecting for sex (a technology used quite frequently within the dairy farming community) and increasing the length of time that an animal can produce milk through selective breeding. In the absence of these options, the position recommends raising male offspring for meat. Feeding into BVAs #chooseassured campaign, this recommendation comes with the caveat that calves and billy goat kids should be raised within UK high welfare schemes only.

In the absence of any reduce or replacement options, veterinary experts advise that killing should be undertaken in the most humane way and that all the animals welfare needs must be addressed prior to slaughter.

In line with BVAs sustainable animal agriculture position, this policy recommends that when animals are killed, every effort should be made to make sure that the carcass is used. For example, the carcasses of male chicks killed by controlled atmospheric stunning can be used in animal feed, such as for reptiles and birds of prey.

Commenting on the new position, BVA Junior Vice President, James Russell said:

Unwanted male production animals in the dairy and meat industries are an ethical challenge on a number of levels. Firstly, for the producer who may have animals with little or no commercial value. Secondly, for the consumer who may find the notion of these unused animals a difficulty. Our new joint position is based around the principle of a life worth living and looks at ways that the veterinary profession can work with the farming community to reduce the numbers of animals that this affects and ensure that high welfare is always front and centre.

If slaughter of affected animals is undertaken humanely, it is not a welfare harm per se, but greater measures should be taken to make sure that these decisions are made with minimal carcass wastage and an eye to the economic, emotional and environmental impact at a farm level.

With greater public understanding of ethical and animal welfare issues faced by the industry, the promotion of farm assurance schemes and further research into alternative breeding options such asselective sex technology, we hope to reduce these numbers and improve the welfare of the animals involved.

BCVA President, Professor David Barrett said,

The number of unwanted male dairy calves has fallen substantially in recent years, due in part to more efficient milk production meaning we now need fewer dairy cows to produce the same volume of milk, as well as the use of breeding technologies that mean we can select for female calves. Nevertheless, surplus males are still produced. Provided these calves welfare is protected they should become part of the meat production supply chain either as high-quality UK farm assured veal or beef.

As we strive for improved sustainability and increase efficient use of resource in food production, we need to use every product from dairying, including calves that can be reared for meat. Our entire industry needs to work together to create a robust supply chains for high quality, farm assured British dairy beef and veal and we need to help consumers understand they should embrace these products. They are very different from intensively reared veal of the type produced in systems previously banned in the UK.

GVS President, Nick Perkins said,

Commercial dairy goat producers have made considerable strides in recent years to address the problem of surplus male production which can be particularly acute in the industry as most dairy goats are naturally prolific breeders.

The GVS applauds the progress already made but also commends the sector to pursue the principles of reduce, replace and refine further, through improved breeding techniques with genetic selection, and developing new markets for high health and welfare goat meat (a naturally lean red meat), while always ensuring any necessary humane destruction is done diligently and correctly to prevent avoidable suffering.

BVPA Junior Vice President, Richard Jackson said,

The BVPA is committed to ensuring that animal welfare is at the heart of all that we do. We continue to work with poultry keepers, commercial and research organisations and government to ensure high standards of flock health and welfare are maintained and developed, including on the issue of surplus male production animals.

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Vets put high welfare veal back on the table to help reduce surplus male production animals - PoliticsHome.com