WISDOM AS TOLD TO RYAN WADDOUPS June 12, 2020

Achille Salvagnis apartment in Romes Quartiere Copped. All photography by Paolo Petrignani

In designing a home, I always start by getting to know the owners, and then analyzing their personality and needs. I think of myself as a therapist, delving deep into their lives, habits, and quirks, as their individual tastes and interests must always inform the outcome. Then, I paint a portrait of the client through the interiorsa deeply personal experience that calls for great introspection on their end. Only through understanding a client on this level do I feel comfortable making assertive decisions.

In the age of Instagram, many are designing for the now. They overlook the fact that homes require longevity, timelessness, practicality, and function. If you play the game of looking at trends, you often end up with spaces that date very quickly. I aim for a timeless aesthetic that draws inspiration from a multitude of sources, bringing diverse objects into harmony with each other through a balance of color, texture, materials, and craftsmanship. Its not necessary to have a feature piece that commands the spotlight, but rather a focal point from which to build out. I place as much importance on small objects as I do the main pieces. Details require even more emphasis, particularly when dealing with larger spaces, so they dont risk getting lost.

A side table and lamp of Salvagnis own design in the parlor.

(FROM LEFT) A wall sculpture by Piero Golia sits above an antique console that Salvagni sourced at a Paris flea market. In the dining room, a one-of-a-kind painting by Jason Martin sits behind a chandelier of Salvagnis own design.

I strive to create spaces for people to dream and lose themselves withinpersonal sanctuaries that we create together. Its their home, so they should be able to relax, unwind, love, laugh, sleep, eat, live, interact, and engage. I dont want them to think that everything must be kept so pristine and untouchable. For me, thats very sad. I want to see evidence of people livingthe sound of voices, the patter of steps, the human touch that brings it to life. Home is a reflection of yourself: a portrait of your personality and lifestyle. Its where you return again and again, an environment in which you feel safe and in control, a comfortable space after a weary day, and somewhere you can proudly invite friends and family. It should feel familiar and be filled with things you love and celebrate.

Ive been fortunate to spend much of my life in Rome, which has the most beautiful natural light at sunset, when the city is bathed in a soft orange glow. Natural light is very important; ahome should not be without it. It opens up a room, brings the outside in, and is essential for humans to thrive. It inspires us and injects us with purpose. Light can be a surreal and magical experience, lifting the spirits and energizing our thoughts. For this reason, homes should maximize all possibilities to bring in natural light. Large windows, conservatories, roof lights, and light wells can help increase the amount of light, and thus harmony, in the home.

In the living room, a painting by Russian artists Ilya and Emilia Kabakov above a pair of Nino Zoncada armchairs from the 1950s.

Looking at floor plans will never compare to being on-site. Assessing the environment, light, textures, materials, habitat, and color must be done in personthey engage your senses. Only once you understand its present state can you consider its potential, weighing physically impossible scenarios and imagining how they can be realized. To get the most out of property, you must push beyond reality before dialing back to whats achievable (though not so much that it feels like a compromise between dreaming and reality). Somewhere on that threshold of where the possible and impossible collide lies the perfect solution. If you dare to dream, fear will yield to confidence, and youll find a way to make your dreams tangible, whether through new materials, technology, or a different approach. When you face a design challenge with an open mind, almost anything is possible.

A home can be an art piece, but it shouldnt feel conceited. A synthesis of history and future often makes a space immune to feeling outdated. Im a strong believer that juxtaposition can work extremely well, as long as the objects are unified by an outstanding sense of material quality. For example, a historical artifact can look majestic on a contemporary sideboard or console so long as the craftsmanship of both pieces are unrivaled. Taking an ancient home with rich heritage and injecting it with contemporary objects, furniture, and lighting can have a magnificent and transformative effect, though this tends to work better than the other way around. Contemporary architecture is not usually kind to antique furniture.

Black and white marble defines the master bathroom.

Framed prints of performance art by the artist Zhang Huan preside over the master bedroom

Home isnt just about the spaces physical components, but the people who inhabit it. In that respect, a home will never be complete because the peoples needs, behaviors, and jobs will continue to change. As my family expands our art collection, as the children grow up, and as our needs change, everything impacts how we use our home. Having said that, I do need to prioritize my clients. My home takes a back seat, but I use it to experiment with ideas. Although it may never truly be complete, it can at the very least feel right.

My art collection is full of my favorites, including such mid-century masters as Carlo Mollino and Gio Ponti, whose approaches to design transcended formal boundaries. I admire Lucio Fontana for his continued explorations of the same subject matter, reinvigorating perceptions, and his relentless pursuit of harmony and continued quest for balance. I like Jannis Kounelliss work for its attitude towards Arte Povera and his use of found objects, Giuseppe Uncini for his raw, architectural approach, and Ettore Spalletti for his dream-like paintings that offer an immediate and restorative calm.

The living room pairs pop art with centuries-old furniture and Salvagnis own designs

Arte Povera was an important movement because it made the concept of creating art accessible to a wider public and focused artmaking towards concepts and ideas, rather than decoration. Arte Povera was a truthful, exciting, dynamic and engaging period, which broke down many barriers and radically changed perceptions of what art could be. Artists in my collection of Chinese photography, including Li Wei, Zuan Huang, the Gao Brothers and Huang Yan, have all pioneered new approaches to making art. Many have a performative aspect to their work, which furthers the narrative and makes clear the importance of process to the artist.

Im very lucky to have my gallery in London, where I also freely experiment with ideas. In the past five years, weve turned the gallery into a Japanese tea room, a gentlemans study, a spacecraft, a Pompeiian villa, and a cocktail lounge, so its a place to try out ambitious concepts and to mix art and design until the right balance is struck. And through designing yacht interiors, Ive become accustomed to marrying elegance with practical and functional requirements that must be considered at sea. I bring this same sensibility onto land, which lets me be uncompromising in my synthesis of function and design.

More:
Achille Salvagnis Poetic Fusion of Past and Present - Surface Magazine

Pandemic trends show that despite some restrictions many countries are experiencing, were still finding many ways to move. According to Garmin trends data, yes. Most of the worlds daily step count has decreased significantly. However, this is not the whole picture, since many people have developed new routines with different types of exercises to stay active. So just because were experiencing a pandemic, it doesnt mean were sitting on our behind all day.

There has been a massive shift in the way people are moving across the globe. An earlier report by Garmin saw remarkable changes in the types of sports and exercises people were choosing to do. Moreover, Garmin states that simply looking at the step count wont tell a complete story. We know that this number is down in every country, but it doesnt necessarily mean people are exercising less. Think about it. There could be a lady who lives in a tiny flat in Italy, who hasnt been able to walk much at all. But we dont know what shes doing in her flat to keep active. For all we know, she could be cycling indoors for 20km a day. Thats why Garmin has taken this into consideration in their new pandemic trend report. In fact, it could even mean that many people are moving more.

We need to get an accurate picture of how people are moving around the world. Fortunately, Garmins wearable devices can tell us how people are moving, and not just if theyre moving. We do know that the total worldwide steps decreased by 12% in April 2020. However, steps from just workout activities increased by 24%. This means that more people are exercising but in different ways. This makes up for the suppression of normal daily movement during the pandemic.

Its crazy to think that years from today, were going to look back at this pandemic and remember April as the month COVID-19 hit us. Coronavirus extended its debilitating reach to nearly every country, culture, and community on Earth. Theres no denying the fact that the pandemic has impacted our daily lives phenomenally. Besides that, we thought it would be interesting to report back on the effects its having on human activity.

According to the Garmin report, we see a clear reflection of the pandemics crippling global power. Especially when you compare April 2020 to April last year. Aggregated data from millions of Garmin users shows a worldwide decrease of 12% in average daily steps.

Note that Garmin applied a fixed data scale to every country in the world. For this reason, results are magnified for countries with lower population counts and stricter stay-at-home orders. For example, the U.S. compared to Uzbekistan. While Uzbekistan is nowhere near the U.S. in the number of coronavirus cases. It has a bigger percentage decrease because there are fewer people and stricter lockdown rules.

Although the data shows were not walking as much as before, we are moving quite a bit. People are keeping fit during this pandemic, by completing home workouts and other forms of activity to compensate. We cant deny the fact that its certainly become a lot more interesting when it comes to exercise. People are demonstrating a lot of creativity.

We can see that theres a clear reduction in general movement, but when we take a deeper look at the data. Things get a bit more enticing. Garmin reports that a portion of these total worldwide steps come from uploaded activities like running, cycling and hiking. With 20 built-in activity apps on Garmin devices, they were able to accurately detect this data.

This means that if we look at just the steps coming from these logged activities. We can find the opposite trend.On average, steps from logged activities were up 24% worldwide. To sum up, people have started to engage in unique exercise activities to make-up for lost steps in their everyday routines. Not bad for being locked in your home due to a pandemic.

Whether its true, pandemic or not, come hell-high-water, people are getting their exercise in.

The question remains, what is everybody doing to stay fit during the pandemic?

Based on the data, its clear that Garmin users are turning to activities that are most viable depending on their geographic location. Some of these activities are highlighted in our previous post on pandemic trends inthe U.S. and Europe. However, this new data gives us a complete global picture.

The picture below shows activities that saw the largest increase in each country. This is when we compare April 2020 to April 2019.

From what we can see, it seems that most countries have taken to indoor cycling. Apparently, Australians and Canadians both seem to agree that walking is the best activity during life in quarantine. But China, Mexico, South Africa and a handful of other countries have all turned to fitness equipment workouts. But what kind of fitness equipment workouts? Garmin says that indoor cardio accounts for 50% of these workouts. Last year duringDuring the same time period, over 50% of the activities in this category were strength training. Thats very interesting, the pandemic has definitely forced people to make adjustments to their usual routine.

Remember when everybody was raving about strength training? Well, now we have to adapt and look into doing some more cardio too. Moreover, this shift indicates that weve made a shift from gym-structured workouts to home-based find-a-way workouts. Although its evident that a vast majority of people cycle indoors, Garmin took it a step further. They decided to consult a couple of Garmin pro athletes to collect some qualitative context. Interestingly, they said that certain areas like France are not able to cycle outside. says U.S. triathlete Taylor

As a result of the pandemic, many who never did indoor cycling are now doing it five times per week.

The triathlete also said that many athletes are spending more time on platforms like Zwift. He said that their training group meets once every 2 weeks to do a session together. Its a great way to keep yourself motivated to keep moving when having regular virtual sessions. Moreover, its a wonderful way to remain in contact even if it is only once a week. This is particularly important if youre used to meeting regularly with your training group of workout buddies at the gym.

Whilst the pandemic has pushed humanity toward some activities, it has decisively turned it away from others. In a previous article that focused on European trends, it noted that swimming had all but disappeared. As we compare April 2020 to April 2019, this looks to be a global trend too. The data shows significant decreases in swimming activity from the Americas to the Far East.

However, this doesnt mean that swimmers are just sitting all day. The data shows that in Australia 54% of the users who swam in April 2019 are instead running outdoors in April 2020. Then in China, 43% of the users swamin April of last year they were either running or cycling outside this year. In the U.S., pro triathletes are keeping up their fitness by working hard at home. Since most public pools are closed, theyre doing more gym-based strength workouts. If youre a swimmer, then you can even try to replicate some movements and muscle patterns of swimming.

When it comes to multisport training, hiking and golf theres been a massive decrease in multiple countries. But like swimmers, these guys are looking for alternatives. For example, in South Africa, 20% of the users who were golfing in April 2019 turned to indoor fitness workouts in April 2020. And then another 11% began indoor cycling.

The consensus seems to be that people are using this time to their advantage. Particularly if youre an athlete, wed imagine youre using this pandemic to prepare your body for when sports return. Its important to try to maintain your usual activity levels even if it means trying something new.

In conclusion, its obvious that we are finding a way to move no matter what. From the mainstream to a professional athlete, people are adapting routines but clearly not stopping them. If youre a runner but used to enjoy running with your teammates, then try listening to some podcasts or audiobooks while you run. Theres always a way to work around this pandemic.

Hold tight guys, team sports will return eventually. But for now, finding other ways to move on your own is your best bet. Fitness is just one of millions of routine adjustments being made around the world.

Snacking all day, making constant trips to the fridge? Yeah, we totally get where youre coming from.

The Impact of the Global Pandemic on Human Activity: Part III. Garmin. https://www.garmin.com/en-US/blog/fitness/the-impact-of-the-global-pandemic-on-human-activity-part-iii/

The Global Pandemic and Active Lifestyles: Part II. Garmin. https://www.garmin.com/en-US/blog/general/the-global-pandemic-and-active-lifestyles-part-ii/

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pandemic-restrictions-arent-stopping-us-heres-what you need to know - Longevity LIVE

The differences among target date funds (TDFs) can be hard for some plan sponsors and participants to immediately see, but it is moments like the one were in now that can reveal important distinctions between them.

The market volatility caused by the COVID-19 pandemic vividly demonstrates that while risk exposure is important at every point in a TDFs glide path, its particularly impactful for people nearing retirement.

This is not a new point of view, but its newly relevant. Prior to the market declines weve seen since February, investors had enjoyed one of the longest-running bull cycles in U.S. history. That led to impressive equity returns, and with it a heightened focus on asset accumulation.

Subsequently, we believe too much embedded risk crept into many multi-asset class portfolios and remained hidden until now.

Of course, not everyone agrees. There are those who continue to make the case for keeping equity allocations at higher levels near and into retirement. And its worth looking at their arguments. Here are two:

From our perspective, the two most critical factors for TDF portfolios during periods of volatility are time horizon and cash flow. As a result, they impact younger people on the front end of the glide path differently than older people nearing their retirement date.

Generally, TDF investors just starting their career with long time horizons and limited savings can benefit from significant volatility exposure, as this can help them accumulate wealth over time and benefit from the ups and downs of the market through dollar-cost averaging.

As investors accumulate wealth and approach and enter retirement, however, higher levels of equity exposure in volatile markets can work against them. It can cause them significant stress when balances fluctuate, given the larger dollar impact and shorter recovery times before investors need to tap into assets.

Consider how a hypothetical 20% portfolio loss might affect two TDF investors, one at age 25 and one at age 60.

The pandemic has exposed more than just the importance of risk exposures within a TDF for people nearing retirement. It has also revealed how important human emotion is as a factor in glide path design.

Too often, glide paths are developed quantitatively in the lab and can ignore or underappreciate the fact that these are products that will ultimately be used by real people with real needs and emotions.

Theres an important takeaway for advisors and plan sponsors here. When evaluating funds, keep participants in mind, and remember theyre human just like you. Ask your provider if their funds factor in participants emotions and behavioral biases into the investment process.

The range of threats to retirement savings include things such as market risk, longevity risk, sequence risk, inflation risk, tail risk, and interest rate risk. But human decision-making concerning those risks differs depending on the persons stage of life. Those behavioral patterns can and should be factored into a TDFs design to help drive toward successful outcomes for retirement savers.

We encourage advisors and their plan sponsor clients to consider the COVID-19 pandemic as a prompt to re-examine the TDFs theyre offering in their retirement plans.

To help evaluate portfolios, advisors and plan sponsors should:

Questioning TDF equity exposures for near-retirees may not have been the most popular message even a few months ago. But just like so many other parts of our lives, were in a whole new world now.

Omar Aguilar is Chief Investment Officer for Passive Equity and Multi-Asset Strategies andJake Gilliam is Head of Multi-Asset Portfolio Solutions with Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.

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What the Pandemic is Revealing About Target Date Funds - The 401(k) Specialist

With June comes hot sunny days, beautiful rolling green fields, and lightning bugs. It is also Alzheimers and Brain Health Awareness Month. June is a wonderful month to create long-lasting memories with friends and family. Many of us go on vacation or enjoy a weekend cookout or two. How precious are the memories we build; they are more valuable than any worldly possessions that we can gain.

Unfortunately, our memories are just like anything else as they can vanish. I watched this happen to my grandmother, and it was a painful experience. My grandmother loved to cookand she could make the best fried chicken, roast, and potatoes. However, we started to notice a difference in her ability to cook around the last decade of her life. She was forgetful. The beginning signs of something going wrong were very subtle. As time went on, the symptoms became more obvious.

At the end of my grandmothers life, she suffered from end-stage dementia. She could not remember people, things, or past events. When I would visit her in the nursing home, she would gaze out as if no other person were in the room with her. It was painful for all the family to see her like that. In the end, the disease progressed to the point that she would not eat or drink. In November of 2017, my grandmother lost her battle to this disease.

According to the Alzheimers Association, beginning symptoms of Alzheimers may include forgetfulness, an inability to complete daily tasks, misplacing or losing things, and a withdrawal from social activities These signs can be very subtle at firstand will gradually become more evident over time.

There is still so much about Alzheimers that is unknown. The brain is a complex part of our body. The way it functions is miraculous and mysterious. Sadly, so are diseases that impact it. Although science has allowed us to understand more about the human brain, there is still more that needs to be understood before we can defeat horrible diseases.

Overall, the best way to promote brain-health longevity is to exercise and stay active. The CDC also recommends learning new things and staying connected to loved ones. Furthermore, regular check-ups with a medical provider can help ensure brain-health, too.

One of the most valuable things we have as human beings is the ability to remember. My grandmother, like millions of other men and women, lost her ability to remember because of a horrible disease such as dementia. My prayer is that one day diseases such as these will be defeated.

For more information about this topic, please visit http://www.www.alz.org.

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June is Alzheimer's and Brain Health Awareness Month - messenger-inquirer

Kyle Caires takes a selfie with prized wagyu cattle. Photos courtesy of Kyle Caires

Animal scientist Kyle Caires and a research team have found a way to nearly double pregnancy rates in wagyu, a Japanese breed of cattle that typically has low rates of reproduction but is prized for its meat.

By using technologies, such as artificial insemination, and pairing them with nutrition, management techniques and healthy and controlled environments, ranchers can improve their cattles reproductivity for less costs.

And meat lovers and chefs can have more access to high-quality beef.

Outcomes are much better when you work with Mother Nature, instead of against her, and the same is true when raising livestock, said Caires, the Maui extension agent for the University of Hawaii-Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. Therefore, choosing genetics with production levels calving ease, growth rate, milk production to fit a ranchs forage resources, rainfall level and availability of labor, is a great approach for all ranchers in Hawaii.

Caires, who works in the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, recently published his research on how to improve the reproductive rates of the Japanese Black. He also spent the last six weeks setting up programs for ranchers and beef producers across Maui County.

Kyle Caires, Maui extension agent for the University of Hawaii-Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, analyzes cattle embryo samples.

CTAHR programs include educational programs and outreach assistance to ranchers that want to consider estrus synchronization, artificial insemination, semen testing and pregnancy checking. He said that embryo transfers will be offered in the near future.

Excellent pregnancy rates are achieved with integrated approaches that combine genetic improvement strategies with good management practices on a case-by-case basis, not a one-size-fits-all approach, he said.

These safe procedures are no different than what would happen naturally in cattle reproduction, he said. For example, for ranchers breeding first-calf heifers, artificial insemination could help improve productivity because semen from bulls are proven to produce low-weight births, which makes the birthing process easier for first-time mothers, which in turn is better for the cows longevity and health.

Likewise, the semen used in artificial insemination protocols also must pass biosecurity measures to eliminate disease transmission, an added bonus, he said.

In collaboration with researchers from Washington state and Brazil, the article titled, The outcome and economic viability of production using IVF and SOV techniques in the Wagyu breed of cattle, was published May 1 in Veterinary Sciences.

The methods showed a 70 percent decrease in cost compared to typical genetic improvement strategies, Caires said.

Seven ranches on Maui, as well as several on Molokai, Oahu, Kauai and Hawaii island, are utilizing wagyu genetics already. However, due to their lower productivity, Caires said that most ranches maintain wagyu cross-breeds, not pure-breds.

Successful conception rates are between 75 and 80 percent following a single round of artificial insemination, he said, which is much greater than the national average of 60 percent for cows.

Other tips to improve beef reproduction include good nutrition, lowering stress, routine vaccinations, pasture and grazing management, as well as scoping out cows with genetic potential.

All the little things add up to a strong foundation that pays big dividends to set ranchers up for success when using technologies, like artificial insemination, where they can also utilize elite genetics from across the country at a fraction of the cost, he said. In order for AI to be consistently successful at the ranch, reproductive management protocols are used to help ranchers better time the delivery of semen in to match the ovulation event in the cows.

Moving forward, Caires plans to continue his applied research in order to improve genetics, reproductive efficiency and overall productivity for local farmers.

The main goal of our research is to help Hawaiis ranchers remain competitive in a dynamic, ever-changing global beef industry, he said.

To review the results of the study, visit mdpi.com/2306-7381/7/2/58/htm. For information about CTAHR programs on Maui, visit ctahr.hawaii.edu/Maui/pages/Programs.aspx.

* Dakota Grossman can be reached at dgrossman@mauinews.com.

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Where's the wagyu? | News, Sports, Jobs - Maui News

Prof Rajendra Pratap Gupta, public policy expert & Author, and Dr Rahul K Garg, a physician turned management consultant examine new frontiers to preserve the value of human life

World over and across healthcare systems, both private and public sectors are focussing on prevention. Public sector (Government) wishes to invest more in prevention programmes, and the private sector aims to build a profitable business around prevention. But both have failed to achieve their goal and yet, continue to struggle for success. Two areas which will be helpful to steer the debate further and give a definite direction, would be; one, what is the benefit for investing in prevention and can it be quantified for Return on Investment (RoI)?; Secondly, is the current model of invasive diagnostic tests and doctor centric preventive model, the right way to go or do we need to change our approach. This article looks at preventive care from these perspectives and makes recommendations whether preventive care makes sense and if yes, what is the net present value of prevention and what is the way forward for prevention to succeed.

Cost factor

We cannot assign any value on the cost of prevention unless we define the cost of maintaining a handicapped human body or assess the contribution of a healthy human being. What is it that we are trying to prevent from being lost? This is a tricky question, but there are various methods or ways in which we can calculate the cost of human life or cost of a healthy human being versus a lost monetary value when someone falls sick or is handicapped to perform routine duties.

Cost (Value) of human life

In 1976, Dr Harold J Morowitz, a biophysicist of Yale University, calculated that a human body is worth anywhere between 97 cents to $6 trillion depending on the methodology of costing (Morowitz 1976). The human body is 70 per cent water, the most precious substance responsible for life on earth. The rest 30 per cent of it is carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, and some 100 other elements in minute quantities. The by-weight biochemical value of these substances in elemental form is around $ 150. That sounds very frugal valuation of a human body. An average American or European college graduate earns up to $3 million in their lifetime (Social Security 2015). Would this mean that human life is worth a few million dollars in direct earning potential or worth the taxes or the GDP contributions to the country? How to value the cost of continuity to human civilisation? Do we consider this in the notional cost as well? Additionally, a human contributes economically to society and nation in various intangible forms like spreading happiness and providing a support system to fellow humans.

Cost metrics in relation to various parameters

Multiple meta-analyses of 25 year-studies calculated the Value of Statistical Life (VSL) between $4-10 million (Ryan C Bosworth 2017). This is the number used by insurance firms, judiciary, and employers to calculate the monetary pay-out in case of an untimely loss of life. For example, employers pay $2,000 annual insurance premium for each of its 5,000 employees to cover them for $10 million covers. Insurance provider assesses the risk at less than 1 life being lost in a year. But all these numbers rotate around the economic benefit a human can provide. In clinical lingo, all the organs of a human body like bone marrow, kidneys, corneas, heart, lung liver, etc. are worth up to $45 million in a black market for organs (Trace Dominguez 2014). This indicates that we all possess an asset, our body. You can put the maximum insurance cover one can get in India / USA / EU and that could be a fair market value based on income.

Dr Harold J Morowitz demonstrated that if he were to incubate a human from elemental substances, it would cost him $6 trillion in terms of efforts and material resources to do so. Harold was a consultant with NASA and advised them on the thermodynamics and economics of sustaining human life on Mars. The takeaway from his research is that the human body is as valuable as you consider it to be. In consideration, one must acknowledge that the value is directly proportional to total expected life in years and the quality of each year of life. The better quality would mean the ability to live life at free-will and without any morbidity. A deduction to his research can be that preventing disease conditions adds monetary value to the most precious asset we all have, Human body. At this point, we are aligned with the thought that disease prevention is, financially and clinically, an intelligent practice.

Who owns the asset of a human body and who benefits from the deeds of this body? The answer to this question is also the answer to another question: Who should invest money in preventing disease to a human body?

The asset is in principle owned by the individual human being living inside the body. The individual utilises the capabilities of this asset to perform tasks, make a living, and experience life. In addition to this individual, his/her family is benefitted from the activities like cooking food, physical safety provided, companionship, and in some cases, money provided through the skilled use of the asset in the discussion. If the individual is working for an organisation, the employer is benefitted from the activities of perfectly health human body. Our social ecosystem, including society, governments, cultures, and environment are directly or indirectly benefitted from the deeds of an individual over his/her lifetime. All these parties, including the individual, family, employer, government, and society hold direct interest in the physical, mental, social, and spiritual wellbeing of the asset, human body. To be fair and square, every beneficiary should be responsible for the health and well-being of the asset. It is in the interest of every stakeholder to keep every human being as healthy as possible and invest efforts to extend the longevity of life.

It might be difficult to distribute the $6 trillion equity amongst various stakeholders. But what is possible is to identify the role each stakeholder plays in the prevention of depreciation of the asset. In the case of a human body, getting a chronic disease impacting lifestyle and productivity is essentially the depreciation of the asset. Spending time in a hospital for a surgery or for any acute reason is downtime that erodes the productivity of the asset. The comparison of a sacred human body, which is considered a temple in many cultures, to an accounting jargon appears very blunt and cold. However, being more rational about the asset might put the point across the table effectively. The point is, if the human body is not taken care of, it depreciates to a level where chronic diseases dent the experience of living.

Depreciation with time or appreciation with experience? Cost of humans may vary with their age, more age means more valuable unlike durables or white goods! A human being is an appreciable asset, as an adult human with learnt skills is increasingly valuable to society. The value commensurate with the amplitude of the experience and inherent wisdom.

How much should be spent on prevention of diseases on a daily basis and over a lifetime? We must keep in mind that eventually, the human body will perish someday. The aim of prevention is to keep the body disease-free until it dies off just the old age. The answer to how much begins with who should spend time, money, and efforts to keep the body fit. The individual who lives within it has the highest level of control and authority on the asset. An individual holds the majority shares of this asset. While other parties are minor shareholders (stakeholders) to a varying degree. Each stakeholder is an influencer and beneficiary in keeping the asset healthy. Family educates the individual about good habits of hygiene and benefits of exercise. Family provides the basis of balanced diets and spiritual well-being. The society and the government provide the broader infrastructure entailing health education, community wellness programmes, and prevention of epidemics. The employers are interested in keeping up productivity through mental wellbeing, provide some sort of insurance to get treated appropriately and return to work. To keep employees healthy, employers provide gym and yoga memberships, extended health covers, positive working environment, and counselling support. Insurance companies are evolving their role in keeping their clients healthy. Insurance companies have begun rewarding the individuals and employers for good behaviour leading to a healthy outcome. All of the above-mentioned efforts are constructed on the individuals instinct of leading a healthy and healthy life.

Cost of living vs cost of untimely death? DALYS & Absenteeism

The final quest is how much is enough to invest in the asset of interest? Economists have concluded that if somebody lives a year in disability, there are cost implications on the individual and stakeholders. Not only the individual loses the earning potential, but there is also an extra expenditure incurred on medical treatment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) one Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY) is one lost year of a healthy life. If a prevention strategy can postpone a stroke by 10 years, 10 DALYs are saved. In addition to the money value of DALYs saved, 10 years provide the time to develop the better medical management of stroke. Based on the method of calculation and socio-economic conditions, 1 DALY for an individual could be worth $5,000 or $1 million or any other number. According to WHOs Global Burden of Disease study, respiratory infections cause a loss of 95 million DALYs per year, depression takes 65 million DALYs, cardiac disease is 63 million DALYs, and HIV is 59 million DALYs (WHO 2004). Adding and multiplying these numbers with the economic value of 1 DALY suggest that we are losing more money to preventable causes of disability than the collective GDP of the whole world.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that preventing diseases through vaccination returns $10 to the society for every dollar spent (Cynthia G. Whitney 2014). A meta-analysis of 22 studies demonstrates that employers gain $3.27 in employee productivity for every dollar spent on workplace wellness programs (Katherine Baicker 2010). IBM is saving $130 million (with an RoI of 200 per cent) in insurance premiums and other costs through its flagship health and wellness programs (Carroll 2008). According to the American Diabetes Association, it takes $700 investment per year on lifestyle to prevent diabetes by 10 Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) (Jeffrey A. Tice 2016). This saves $12,878 per QALY in terms of medical treatment and complications prevented (Samantha Roberts 2017). An increase in physical activity by 2.5 hours per week reduces the lifetime risk of diabetes by 58 per cent(Sheri R. Colberg 2010). Every individual can save $100 per year in medical costs by keeping a check on weight and blood pressure. Milken Institute suggests that society can save $1 trillion annually through a modest focus on prevention (Bedroussian 2007). All these studies and data conclude that there is an economic benefit in preventing diseases.

Every stakeholder has an interest in keeping health intact for every human body on this planet. The highest interest is in investing efforts on the present-day children to imbibe in them the healthy living practices. This would provide the highest return on investments in the coming decades for the whole society. Irrespective of who spends how much on whose health, the positive spillover effect would benefit the stakeholder collectively. The consensus is to define the disease prevention role for every stakeholder. An individual must keep oneself motivated to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Family, society and government provides a proper ecosystem to help individuals and corporations in working towards the common goal of prevention. Municipality planners should emphasise on the access to fitness facilities for all the residents. Insurance companies and employers should reward positive behaviour. Doing so, there is a lot of money to be saved and generated.

Cost-benefit (Economic value) analysis of keeping people health: Absenteeism, economic contribution and productivity

Sickcare is negative dollars, prevention is positive dollars with RoI demonstrated. In any healthcare systems, 5 per cent of the sickest patients consume over half of the healthcare resources (Zimmerman 2017). If people stay healthy and reduce the burden on health systems, the quality of care would go up as well. The lack of right prevention activities is costing the world 2-3 times of the global annual GDP. According to Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, American annual healthcare spend is $3 trillion to manage chronic and mental conditions (CDC 2019). Productivity loss from these conditions costs another $2 trillion annually to the American economy. A joint report by the World Economic Forum and Harvard University estimates the economic burden of preventable non-communicable diseases will be over $47 trillion (globally) in the next two decades (Bloom 2011). If you connect all these dots, the fair amount of prevention based on Return on Investment can be arrived close to at least 20 per cent with an upside potential of 200 per cent. This should become the thumb-rule for spending on prevention. Start investing in programmes promoting right eating habits, smoking cessation, getting enough sleep, regular physical activity, annual healthcare screening after 40 years of age, vaccination, and prevention of infectious diseases like AIDS and Tuberculosis. Such practices would generate a positive feedback loop between the economy, individual health, and health systems. Since governments, employers, and insurance companies are more informed institutions as compared to individuals and families, it is the onus of the former to spread the wellness literacy amongst the masses. Though the individual is the ultimate go-getter for better health, the positive right-directed influence of the institutional beneficiaries is the key ingredient. A perfect combination of health and wellness policy framing, workplace incentives, societal enlightenment, and willpower to live and die healthy will be all that it takes.

New frontiers to preserve the value of human life

While the truth has always been shining about the secret of a healthy life, few have the resilience to practice it. Eat healthy, sleep early, sleep enough, exercise adequately, breathe healthy air, and keeping mental wellbeing are some of the examples. Mortal humans need a push in the right direction to follow the habits that maximise the outcome of life. Stakeholders like governments, employers, and communities are always looking for affordable solutions that would promote a healthy lifestyle. Technology is one tool that is affordable and is evolving to exponentially increase its relevance in wellness space. There are mobile apps that guide people to drink water on time, sleep on time, help to wake early, improving compliance with an exercise routine, and help in preparing a balanced diet plan. Some of this intervention might seem over-engineered, but that is the part of the fine-tuning process. Wearable gadgets like smartwatches, vitals monitors, activity sensors, etc. are all catalysts aiding individuals to maximise the value of their life. There will always be a financial and common-sense case to invest in technology that helps humans to live healthier, longer, and do more in a lifetime. Right health education, powered by the tools to live well, and supported by the adequate infrastructure to exercise is the key for any nation to unlock their demographic dividend.

References:

Bedroussian, Ross DeVol and Armen. 2007. An UnheAlthy AmericA:The Economic Burden of Chronic Disease. Milken Institute, Santa Monica, CA: Milken Institute. https://assets1b.milkeninstitute.org/assets/Publication/ResearchReport/PDF/chronic_disease_report.pdf.

Bloom, D.E., Cafiero, E.T., Jan-Llopis, E., Abrahams-Gessel, S., Bloom, L.R., Fathima, S., Feigl, A.B., Gaziano, T., Mowafi, M., Pandya, A., Prettner, K., Rosenberg, L., Seligman, B., Stein, A.Z., & Weinstein. 2011. The Global Economic Burden of Non-communicable Diseases. Geneva: World Economic Forum. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Harvard_HE_GlobalEconomicBurdenNonCommunicableDiseases_2011.pdf.

Carroll, John. 2008. Whats the ROI on Wellness? Managed Care: Wellness, February 1. https://www.managedcaremag.com/archives/2008/2/what-s-roi-wellness.

CDC. 2019. Health and Economic Costs of Chronic Diseases. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, October. https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/about/costs/index.htm#ref1.

Cynthia G. Whitney, MD, Fangjun Zhou, PhD, James Singleton, PhD, Anne Schuchat, MD. 2014. Benefits from Immunization During the Vaccines for Children Program Era United States, 19942013. CDC: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), April 25. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6316a4.htm.

Jeffrey A. Tice, Rick Chapman, Karen K. Shore, Matt Seidner, Daniel A. Ollendorf, Jed Weissberg, Steven D. Pearson. 2016. Diabetes Prevention Programs: Effectiveness and Value. Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, San Francisco: California Technology Assessment Forum. https://icer-review.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/CTAF_DPP_Draft_Evidence_Report_050916-1.pdf.

Katherine Baicker, David Cutler, and Zirui Song. 2010. Workplace Wellness Programs Can Generate Savings. Health Affairs. doi:https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2009.0626.

Morowitz, Harold J. 1976. The High Cost of Being Human. English. The New York Times Company. New York, February 11. https://www.nytimes.com/1976/02/11/archives/the-high-cost-of-being-human.html.

Ryan C. Bosworth, Alecia Hunter, Ahsan Kibria. 2017. THE VALUE OF A STATISTICAL LIFE: ECONOMICS AND POLITICS. Logan, Utah: Strata. https://strata.org/pdf/2017/vsl-full-report.pdf.

Samantha Roberts, Eleanor Barry, Dawn Craig, Mara Airoldi, Gwyn Bevan, Trisha Greenhalgh. 2017. Preventing type 2 diabetes: a systematic review of studies of the cost-effectiveness of lifestyle programmes and metformin, with and without screening, for pre-diabetes. BMJ Open, November. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-017184.

Sheri R. Colberg, Ronald J. Sigal, Bo Fernhall, Judith G. Regensteiner, Bryan J. Blissmer, Richard R. Rubin, Lisa Chasan-Taber, Ann L. Albright, and Barry Braun,. 2010. Exercise and Type 2 Diabetes: The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Diabetes Association: joint position statement. Diabetes Care, December. doi:10.2337/dc10-9990.

Social Security. 2015. Education and Lifetime Earnings: Research, Statistics & Policy Analysis. Social Security. Baltimore, MD, November. https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/research-summaries/education-earnings.html.

Trace Dominguez, Tara Long, Laci Green. 2014. How Much Are Your Body Parts Worth? Seeker. August 19. https://www.seeker.com/how-much-are-your-body-parts-worth-1792475763.html.

WHO. 2004. Burden of disease: DALYs. World Health Organization. doi:ISBN 978 92 4 156387 1.

Zimmerman, Karen Weintraub and Rachel. 2017. Fixing the 5 Percent. The Atlantic. June 29. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/06/fixing-the-5-percent/532077/.

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The cost(value) of human life and disease prevention - Express Healthcare

In the day and age of Botox and plastic surgery, people are going the extra mile to make themselves look younger, when in reality, all you need is a little beauty sleep. Skip the endless trials of age-defying oils and lotions, and read the following reasons on why rest is one of the best age-defying treatments out there.

During sleeping hours, especially when your body is in deep or REM sleep, your skin repairs itself. If you do not get enough sleep or are suffering from sleep deprivation, dark circles under your eyes will form, as your body has not repaired itself enough. If you are sure to get a full night of sleep, you will quickly notice that your skin has gained a more youthful appearance.

Human growth hormones are produced at high levels when we are young, yet slow down as we age. However, these hormones still get produced in lower quantities and levels during slow-wave sleep.

If you are lacking sleep and, thus, lacking these human growth hormones, you will most likely experience reduced muscle mass, sagging skin, slower metabolism, and more fat in your stomach. If you find yourself struggling to get to sleep, try to find mattresses that have better contour supportto ensure you are sleeping to the best of your ability.

The most abundant protein you can find in your body is collagen, and this protein is the major component of connective tissues, including your skin. It provides structure to your skin, giving you a youthful look. This protein is made while you sleep, so if you start to get behind on sleep, you will begin to notice visible wrinkles. There are collagen supplements you can take, however, nothing beats getting the real deal made in your very own body.

Cortisol is a stress hormone that naturally decreases when you sleep, and stress is known to cause breakouts. If you sleep a healthy amount, you will not have to worry about these stress breakouts. On the other hand, if you have constant high cortisol levels, it can easily and quickly cause acne breakouts.

Sleeping allows your skin to produce protective antioxidants that reduce damage from UV rays. If you miss out on sleep, you are missing out on these essential antioxidants. You can also take in this defense system through fruits, vegetables, and certain skincare products, but again, the easiest way to get them is by getting your beauty sleep.

Lack of sleep leads to facial inflammation and dysfunctions in your skin barrier, which causes a lack of hydration. Sleeping allows your face to stay hydrated, plump, and youthful-looking, instead of dry and flaky, so be sure to sleep that desert away.

Just like your mind, your skin has some serious stressors, too. While it may not be a new job or an important test coming up, its stressors are also significant. These include inflammation, redness, loss of moisture and elasticity, and inability to repair minor damage, such as sunburn. Sleeping gives your body and skin time to recover and fix all of those issues, leaving your skin more youthful-looking.

If you are trying to repair your skin, obviously the easy solution is getting more rest, but there are other ways to help your skin.

For starters, washing your face consistently is the first step. If you wash your face, yet still seem to struggle from looking tired, use products that contain antioxidants, like vitamin C, to help your skin repair overnight.

Consider using anti-aging skincare products as well. If you do start to use skincare products, do not apply them right before hitting the pillow. Allow the lotions, serums, oils, and any other products you might have used to sink into your skin for at least 15 minutes before you lay down to avoid them rubbing off on your sheets and pillow.

If you find your face to be drier than you would like, consider using an air humidifier. Humidifiers circulate water through the air and provide hydration continuously. Using them will help to leave you with a more youthful appearance.

Besides the scientific benefits of sleep, as Jim Butcher once said, Sleep is God. Go worship.

Want to read more about how to sleep better? Click here for more sleep inspiration.

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7 Reasons Why Sleep is One Of the Best Age-Defying Treatments - Longevity LIVE

Researchers believe a vaccine originally developed in San Antonio to combat tularemia, the rare and deadly rabbit fever, could also work against the coronavirus.

The San Antonio Partnership for Precision Therapeutics, a consortium of four bioscience research institutions, is pitching in $200,000 to find out.

Liz Tullis, the partnerships executive director, said the organization is backing a collaborative study led by University of Texas at San Antonio microbiologist Karl Klose after his proposal beat out 16 others in the city.

Established by UT Health San Antonio, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, UTSA and Southwest Research Institute several months ago, the group vets and jump-starts projects with funding so researchers dont have to rely on the months-long federal grant process, Tullis said.

Each institution is providing scientists to work on the potential COVID-19 vaccine.

On ExpressNews.com: Four major San Antonio institutions bankroll new research program

The Vaccine Development Center of San Antonio, which promotes collaboration in infectious disease research, plans to contribute 25 percent of the total project cost.

Joanne Turner, the centers executive director, said there are about 10 potential vaccines under discussion, but probably dozens of others that are still in the early stages of development.

Even with an accelerated process due to urgency, it may take many months to years to develop a safe and effective vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, she said. Its also possible that the first vaccines used will be replaced later, once scientists have a better understanding of what protective immunity is and can then design vaccines with improved protection or longevity.

This second wave of therapeutics is most likely where the tularemia vaccine, originally developed by Klose, will fit in.

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Klose, director of the South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, spent the last two decades researching the bacteria that causes rabbit fever, which, while rare, can be used as a deadly bioweapon.

The tularemia vaccine was being tested on bio-threats, including anthrax, with some success, he said, so hes optimistic about whether it could also work against the coronavirus.

He discovered how to deactivate the organisms ability to cause disease, which led to the identification of a vaccine candidate that was safe and effective in several different animal studies.

Scientists will genetically engineer the prototype vaccine to insert the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, and then test whether the vaccine can produce neutralizing antibodies against the protein.

Its a general concept that works for lots of different diseases. Theoretically, it should work for the coronavirus, Klose said. Those neutralizing antibodies, he added, are why patients are benefiting from plasma taken from COVID-19 survivors.

On ExpressNews.com: First San Antonio COVID-19 patient receives plasma transfusion from recovered donor

A few weeks before shelter-in-place orders went into effect, the tularemia vaccine had been developed to an advanced stage, with scientists working on formulations for eventual human use, funded by an $18 million grant to the Southwest Research Institute from the U.S. Department of Defense.

More than 140 clinical trials of potential COVID-19 related drugs are underway, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is working to expedite development of a vaccine.

Last week, the FDA issued guidance for researchers and created an emergency program for possible therapies called the Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program.

The federal programs website notes that at least 457 drug therapies were in the planning stages as of May 11.

Klose stops short of saying that his vaccine will be the one that rises to the top, but even if it fails, the vaccines results can help scientists learn more about the coronavirus that emerged in December.

Theres a lot we dont know about the virus because its so brand-new, he said. What I can say is its going to take lots of people throwing everything theyve got at this virus to come up with the best solution.

laura.garcia@express-news.net

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UTSA professor's 'rabbit fever' vaccine to be tested against coronavirus - San Antonio Express-News

Crowded market place in Aurangabad.

Every year, July 11 is observed as World Population Day, as the United Nation recognises it to address issues related to the global population. First established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989, it marked the day when the world collectively crossed the five billion population mark on July 11, 1987. It was officially celebrated for the first time on July 11, 1990, in more than 90 countries.

At present, the world holds a population of about 7.8 billion people. However, in the next 30 years, it is expected to increase by a whopping 2 billion, rising to nearly 9.7 billion by 2050.

While the worlds population overall continues to increase, this growth is uneven. For many of the worlds least developed countries, the challenges to sustainable development are compounded by rapid population growth as well as vulnerability to climate change, said Antnio Guterres, Director-General of United Nations.

The main objective of the day is to raise awareness about the importance of family planning, adoption, gender equality, poverty, maternal health, and human rights. The theme for 2020 is safeguarding the health and rights of women and girls around the world.

The World Population Day specifically calls for global attention on the designated rules set during the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development. The conference, which was attended by about 179 countries about 25 years ago, recognised the importance of reproductive health and gender equality in achieving sustainable development.

Despite progress in lowering maternal mortality and unintended pregnancies, many challenges remain. Around the world, we are seeing pushback on womens rights, including on essential health services. Issues related to pregnancy are still the leading cause of death among girls aged 15 to 19. Gender-based violence, which is rooted in inequality, continues to take a horrific toll, stated Guterres.

As per the projection estimates from the UN, every year, nearly 83 million people are added to the rapidly growing worldwide population. With this, the global population is projected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and 11.2 billion by 2100.

These figures are based on the medium projection variant, which assumes the decline of fertility for countries where large families are still prevalent, as well as a slight increase of fertility in several countries with fewer than two children per woman on average, read the UNs website.

The World Population Prospects 2019 has estimated China and India to be the most populated countries in the world. Currently, about 61% of the total global population lives in Asia (4.7 billion), followed by 17% in Africa (1.3 billion), and 10% in Europe (750 million).

A seven-day-old infant was discharged at Aurobindo hospital in Indore. The coronavirus test report of the infant was negative while his mother was infected with coronavirus.

Therefore, China (19%) and India (18%) account for two of the most densely populated countries in the world. The data suggests that by 2027, India is likely to overtake China in terms of population growth alone, as Chinas population growth is projected to decrease by 2.2% (31.4 million) between the years 2019-2050.

As per the UN, Africa is the fastest-growing continent in terms of numbers, and more than half of the global population growth will be taking place in Africa by 2050. On the contrary, Europe is likely to witness its population shrink, and several countries in Europe are expected to see their populations decline by more than 15 per cent by 2050.

As per the UN, three main factors which influence the population growth include fertility rates, increasing longevity, and international migration.

The fertility rate is one of the major factors which determine population growth. As per the World Population Prospects 2019 estimates, the global fertility rate is likely to fall from 2.5 children per woman in 2019 to 2.2 in 2050. The life expectancy at birth, on the other hand, is projected to increase by 72.6 years in 2019 to 77.1 years in 2050.

Overall, the population explosion remains an enormous concern, as it can impact the planet in myriad waysfrom increasing pollution to deforestation. In addition, more people would mean higher requirement of resources, which would severely impact the biodiversity and increase the carbon emissions, further intensifying climate change and global warming.

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World Population Day: Global Population to Rise by 2 Billion by 2050; India to Become Fastest-Growing Nation - The Weather Channel

MAYFIELD, Ohio -- During these times of daunting crisis, people are rethinking things as they look to the future. What will social gatherings look like? What will education look like? What will offices and businesses look like? All of these areas are up for grabs. People and companies are thinking out of the box because they have to in order to resume some semblance of normalcy.

Many people are also reflecting on life lessons: cherishing friends and family with new gratitude; appreciating service workers, delivery drivers, restaurant workers, hospital workers, grocery workers, teachers and first responders.

We have also seen abundant kindness: neighbors cheering neighbors; friends caring for the elderly; restaurants serving health care workers; strangers grocery shopping for newfound friends; random cars honking to celebrate birthdays. The list goes on.

Ellen DeGeneres observed on her show, that, This virus has us all isolated but the strength of human kindness means that we are not alone.

Edward Kraus is mayor of Solon.

Even corporations have extended kindness: bankers assisting businesses; mortgage companies and landlords giving abatements; insurance companies refunding premiums; and companies as diverse as Giant Eagle, FirstEnergy, Donatos and KeyBank advertising messages to comfort and inspire.

Media have been overflowing with good news about local heroes. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have documented inspiring stories about courage, caring and compassion. Many companies Cleveland Whiskey, Gojo, Thogus, Eaton, Lubrizol, Swagelok and others have altered production or collaborated to distribute hand sanitizer, safety shields and face masks.

This show of goodwill has created feelings of humanity and goodness despite otherwise grim numbers. Though there are economic disparities that cause stress for families trying to make ends meet, the overwhelming feeling is that people genuinely care.

When have we had this feeling of compassion before? During 9/11? A family wedding or funeral? Maybe never?

Stuart Muszynski is president and CEO of Values-in-Action Foundation.

Consider this new normal compared to the pre-pandemic world in which negative news abounded; insults overwhelmed Twitter; bullying inhabited schools; racism and anti-Semitism populated communities; and mass shootings happened every week.

While were rethinking: What would Cleveland look like if we sustained kindness, compassion and goodwill as the core values of our community?

What if Cleveland became Kindland? What would that mean?

For one, studies have shown that kindness has a viral effect, infecting at least three people in its wake. Kindness increases endorphins, which produce happiness and optimism; decreases cortisol, which produces stress; and increases longevity.

What company doesnt want kind workers? If Cleveland became Kindland and developed a reputation as a kind, respectful and responsible community, would this become an economic development draw? Would companies relocating gravitate to our region? Would kindness increase productivity and happiness among workers? Employee-engagement studies conducted by the University of California indicate that it would.

Prior to the coronavirus, we at Values-in-Action had already embarked on an initiative to make Cleveland Kindland asking leaders to become Leaders of Kindland, mayors to become Mayors of Kindland and citizens to become Citizens of Kindland committed to spreading kindness within the community. Many in Cleveland felt that this would be good for our image and our populace.

As we proceed to a new normal, we hope that citizens, leaders, nonprofits, government entities, companies and media join us in this endeavor. Lets not lose the good feelings we have engendered and the life lessons we have learned to return to business as usual. As we re-examine our lives and the future vitality of our region, lets commit to making Cleveland Kindland.

Edward Kraus, a board member of Values-in-Action Foundation, is the mayor of Solon. Stuart Muszynski is the president and CEO of Values-in-Action Foundation, a Cleveland-based character-education, kindness and leadership nonprofit serving 2,500 schools in all 50 states. To pledge to become a citizen of Kindland, go to http://www.viafdn.org/kindland

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* Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication.

* Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this editorial to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com.

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After the coronavirus, lets make Cleveland Kindland: Edward Kraus and Stuart Muszynski - cleveland.com

Silvia Gonzalez Scherer

"Black Lives Matter" protests and solidarity commitments worldwide have unleashed a myriad of literary works and art. As the streets fill with calls for justice, artists are expressing their own outcry using their artistic instruments. They must, for if they did not, humanity learns little from historical events.

Last year Adrian Hughes placed second at HMTCs Hanford Monologue Slam with a monologue of black experience. I thought of him when the movement began because the content of his monologue fits the stream of todays protests.

I also thought about my father-in-law who worked with Jessie Jackson in Operation Push during the 1960s. If he were alive today, he would write an essay comparing Operation Push, and the civil rights movement of back then, to todays movement for racial justice.

A societal crisis becomes fodder for artists. Artists will decipher, analyze, compare, contrast, and use their art to voice their point of view. As well, art has longevity. Especially art that describes the human condition. As the crowds fade away, the art will stay.

History books will include the current events factually and analytically. Artists will use their art to elicit emotions. Emotions from the heart and soul is often the core of art.

Kudos to those artistic institutions who have put in their programming Black projects as a response to societal pleas for action. I applaud Portland Center Stages The Community Voices Project as a new initiative to highlight Black artists at their website. They plan on exhibiting more artists routinely.

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HMTC This Week: Protests create literary works and art - Hanford Sentinel

Volunteer tutoring students in classroom

In an earlier post, we explored how the practice we call retirement is transforming under the influence of the Baby Boomers. Now lets look ahead to what we anticipate happens next.

In the first chapter of James Micheners captivating 1959 book Hawaii, he talks about how for millions of years, large tectonic plates were slowly moving and grinding against each other far below the sea that we now call the Pacific Ocean. As these forces converged, masses of land started to rise up from those plates and ultimately surfaced as beautiful Polynesia.

And so it is with the future of retirement. For thousands of years, medical, economic, social, and demographic forces have been shifting and often grinding against each other. From this interplay a new stage of life has been emerging and morphing. Worldwide, nearly a billion people are in or near retirement, and they enjoy many more options and opportunities for how to spend their newfound time affluence.

In 2004, we wrote an article in the Harvard Business Review titled Its Time to Retire Retirement, for which we were proud to receive a McKinsey Award (tied with the legendary Peter Drucker). We now believe the word retirement is reaching the end of its line. Its far too small and narrow for what is now emerging. Its positive connotations freedom, leisure tell only part of the story. Its negative connotations withdrawal, decline are increasingly problematic. The words retirement and retiree will most likely linger for another decade or so, but their meanings will evolve as the lifescape of retirement keeps expanding, disaggregating, and diversifying.

We believe its time to re-identify the Lifestage Formerly Known as Retirement to mean something far bigger and worthy of a new name.

The Third Age: Lifes New Frontier

It is from outside the realm of traditional psychology that we find a pivotal perspective on the new possibilities and lexicon of maturity. A compelling philosophy has emerged from the European tradition of adult education that provides a simple yet visionary orientation. Referred to as the third age, this point of view has three ages of man, each with its own special focus, challenge, and opportunity.

In the first age, from birth to approximately 30 years of age, the primary tasks of life center around biological development, learning, and survival. During the early years of history, the average life expectancy of most men and women wasnt much higher than the end of the first age, and as a result the entire thrust of society itself was oriented toward these most basic drives.

In the second age, from about 30 to 60, the concerns of adult life focus on issues pertaining to the formation of family, parenting, and productive work. The years taken up by the second age are very busy and filled with social activity; the lessons gathered during the first age are applied to the social and professional responsibilities of the second. Until the last century, most people couldnt expect to live much beyond the second age, and society at that time was thus centered on the concerns of this age.

However, with the rise in longevity and the coming of the age wave, a new era of human evolution is unfolding, the third age. There are new purposes to this third age of life. First, with the children grown and many of lifes basic adult tasks either well under way or already accomplished, this less pressured, more reflective period allows the further development of the interior life of the intellect, memory, and imagination, of emotional maturity, and of ones own personal sense of spiritual identity.

The third age has another dimension: theres plenty of time and opportunity to try new things. Not just to be reflective but to explore new facets of life. Not just to relax in front of the TV but to seek out new transformative adventures. Not just to share wisdom but to contribute directly to society in new ways. Not just retire, but maybe have an encore career, another modified go-round of lifes second age. The third age is now full of potential for individuals, families, and society. The scope of this potential is enormous and unprecedented. And from this perspective, modern elders are seen not as social outcasts, but as a living bridge between yesterday, today, and tomorrow a critical evolutionary role that no other age group can perform.

To get a sense for where were heading, Ken looks back to his close friendship with Gray Panther founder Maggie Kuhn. In 1978, Ken was interviewing her for New Age Magazine and she told him: Were the elders of the tribe, and the elders are charged with the tribes survival and well-being. We who are older have enormous freedom to speak out, and equally great responsibility to take the risks that are needed to heal and humanize our sick society. We can and should try new things and take on entirely new roles.

She went on to list what she thought were the most important of those roles: Testing new lifestyles, including living in more cooperative modes. Building new coalitions across ethnicities and economic conditions, because age is a universal. Serving as watchdogs of public bodies and guardians of the public interest. Monitoring corporate power and responsibility on behalf of workers and society. In short, using the power of wisdom and experience and attention to assess society, heal what ails it, and plan for its future. Maggies challenge and agenda were and remain ambitious but they seem to be even more relevant and needed today than when she outlined them decades ago.

A Great Age?

Will the Boomers use their experience and assets to help shape a future based on mindfulness and generosity of spirit? Or will they act only to promote their own interests #OKBoomer-style?If we are to live longer, on average, than humans have ever lived before, and if the global center of gravity is to shift from youth to age, should this be regarded as good news or bad? The answer is, It depends. It depends on whether or not we can:

Uproot the ageism that clouds our hopes for the future and replace it with a new, more positive image of aging

Replace the limiting confines of the linear life plan with a flexible, cyclic plan with periods of education, work, and leisure throughout life much more appropriate to the shifting needs of a longer life

Create a new spectrum of family relationships that are matched to the companionship, friendship, and caregiving needs of adults

Discover ways to grow old well, in the absence of debilitating illness, and especially the diseases of the aging brain such as Alzheimers

Create products, services, housing, and programs that will treat older men and women with respect and provide comfort, convenience, pleasure, peak experiences, and purpose

Foster a new era of cooperation and interdependence among people of all ages while creating a social system that is fair and equitable for everyone

A few years ago, when we interviewed renowned psychologist and author of Emotional Intelligence Daniel Goleman, PhD, he reflected, The legacy to the boomer generation wont be the me first image of their early years, but rather the potential huge surge in volunteerism that might characterize their later years. Its not how you begin the act, its how you leave the stage that people remember.

Its time to write the next act about reframing aging and enabling people to thrive in the Third Age.

This is the fourth in a 10-part series on The Future of Retirement that we are posting over the course of several months. If you are interested in better understanding whats ahead, we invite you to check out our new book What Retirees Want: A Holistic View of Lifes Third Age.

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Retiring Retirement: The Rise Of Lifes Third Age - Forbes

Moss bounds happily through the bush showing the usual exuberance of a young labrador. Despite this looking like play, he is on a serious mission to help fight the extinction of some of our mostcritically endangered species.

Moss is a detection dog in training. Unlike other detection dogs, who might sniff out drugs or explosives, he'll be finding some of Victoria's smallest, best camouflaged and most elusive animals.

These dogs use their exceptional olfactory senses to locate everything from koalashigh in the trees, desert tortoisesburrowed deep under soiland evenwhales often more effectively than any human team could aspire to.

What makes Moss unique, however, is he'll not only find endangered species in the wild, but will also be part of a larger team helping endangered species breed in captivity. These dogs will be the first in the world to do this, starting with a ground-breaking trial with Tasmanian devils.

Moss will eventually help find the tiny, cryptic Baw Baw Frog in the wild.

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Wildlife detection dogs are a veryrare type of dog they are highly motivated, engaged and energetic, but also incredibly reliable and safe around thesmallest of creatures.

And Moss is the first dog to join Zoos Victoria'sDetection Dog squad, a permanent group of highly trained dogs that will live at Healesville Sanctuary.

Moss was adopted at 14 months old, after he somewhat "failed" at being a family pet. He is a hurricane of energy with an intelligent and playful mind. He's thriving with a job to keep him occupied and new challenges for his busy brain.

One sign he was perfect for this program was his indifference to the free range chickens at his foster home. For obvious reasons, a dog who likes chasing chickens wouldn't be a good candidate for protecting some of Australia's rarest feathered treasures.

Moss will also help monitor incredibly well camouflaged plains-wanderers, which are nearly impossible to spot in the day.

Currently Moss is learning crucial foundational skills, and getting plenty of exposure to different environments. Equally important, he is developing a deep bond and trust with his handlers.

The detection dog-handler bond is crucial not only for his happiness, but also for working success and longevity. Research from 2018 found a strong bond between a handler and their dog dramaticallyimproved the dog's detection results and reduced signs of stress.

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Healesville Sanctuarybreeds endangered Tasmanian Devils every yearas part of aninsurance programto support conservation and research. This program is crucial to helpprotect the devilfollowing an estimated 80% decline in the wild due to a horrific transmissible cancer,Devil Facial Tumour Disease.

But managing a predator that's shy, nocturnal and prefers to be left alone can be tricky.

Wildlife, including Tasmanian devils, need a hands-off approach where possible, so they canmaintain natural behavioursand thrive in their environment.

Tasmanian devils prefer to be left alone.Healesville Sanctuary,Author provided

In the wild, devils leave scats (faeces) at communal latrine sites and usescent for communication. Male devils can tell a female is ready to mate by smelling her scat. And we think dogs could be trained to detect this, too.

We aim to train dogs to detect an odour profile in the collected scat of female devils coming into their receptive (oestrus) periods, so we can introduce females and suitable males to breed at the optimal time. The odour profile will be further verified via laboratory analyses of hormones in the scats.

The project will also explore whether dogs can detect pregnancy and lactation in the devils.

Currently, the best way to determine if a female has young is to look in her pouch, but our preference is to remain at a distance during this important time while females settle into being new mums.

Moss with his trainer, Latoya. Moss is a ball of energy and thrives in the challenging environment of conservation detection.Healesville Sanctuary,Author provided

If the dogs are able to smell a scat sample (while never coming into contact with the devil) and identify that a female is lactating with small joeys in her pouch, we can support her for example, by increasing her food while keeping a comfortable distance.

The results from this devil breeding research could offer innovative new options for endangered species breeding programs around the world.

Wildlife detection in the field means we can more accurately monitor some of our most critically endangered species, and quickly assess the impact of catastrophic events such asbushfires.

Detection dogs are the perfect intermediary between people and wildlife they can sniff out what we can't and communicate with us as a team.

And over the next few years, the Detection Dog Squad will expand to five full-time canines. They will all be selected based on their personalities rather than specific breeds, so will likely come in all shapes and sizes.

Dogs may yet go from being man's best friend to the devil's best friend and beyond, all starting with a happy labrador named Moss.

La Toya Jamieson and Marissa Parrott both work for Zoos Victoria. This article is co-authored by Naomi Hodgens and Dr Kim Miller, also from Zoos Victoria. It first appeared on The Conversation.

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Detection dogs can help endangered native wildlife find a mate - ABC News

Flying around the world may have become an unappealing prospect or a distant dream for most people during the coronavirus crisis.

If you are a Manx shearwater, however, there is no limit to your long-distance travel, and one of these small seabirds from the Hebridean isle of Rm was last year clocked journeying more than 7,564 miles from its Scottish breeding colony to the seaside resort of Las Grutas in Argentina.

An arctic skua from Scotland flew to Brazil a straight line of 6,845 miles while a swallow covered at least 6,400 to reach South Africa. A sanderling and a sandwich tern also made journeys of a similar length from Britain to South Africa.

The records were collected thanks to uniquely numbered rings fitted by volunteers to more than 1 million birds in Britain during 2019, enabling individuals to be identified for the rest of their lives.

The records, collected by the British Trust for Ornithology, provide insights into the remarkable migrations of birds but also the human and climatic pressures they face and their longevity.

Several species set new age records in 2019, including a fulmar humanely caught on Scotlands Sanda Island found to have a ring that was placed around its leg 41 years, 11 months and 17 days earlier. A siskin captured and ring-checked near the village of Tarbet in Argyll and Bute was found to have been ringed at the same site in 2010, making it the oldest known individual of its species.

A 50-year-old Manx shearwater caught by a ringer on Bardsey Island in Wales in 2008 holds the record as the longest-living wild bird in Britain after being ringed on the same small island in 1957.

Without fitting birds with uniquely numbered rings and monitoring their nests we wouldnt be able to follow their lives and our knowledge of them would be much poorer, said Rob Robinson of the BTO.

The data gathered by our fantastic volunteers help us to determine whether species are in trouble and, if they are, at what point of the lifecycle the problems are occurring.

Of 1,047,521 ringed birds, the most-ringed species was the blue tit, not known for its epic migrations. Second was the blackcap, traditionally a summer migrant which is now increasingly seen during winter because of global heating and the lure of garden bird feeders.

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British birds' long-distance feats and longevity are revealed - The Guardian

As if 2020 couldnt get anymore bonkers. In a year thats already given usa global pandemic, the routinekilling of Black and Indigenous people by police and an overwhelming amount of Twitter content featuring realistic objects that are actually cake, we now have a conspiracy theory involving online furniture companies and child trafficking to contend with. On July 10, home furnishin retailer Wayfair started trending on Twitter and it was for a pretty nefarious reason. According to Mashable, on July 9, users onReddits r/conspiracy subreddit started positing that the siteor potentially third-party sellers on the sitewere secretly part of a child trafficking ring. And this didnt come out of nowhere. The theory started when a user posted a screenshot of abnormally high-priced cabinets from the Wayfairs site, noting that the names were unusual and unlike other furniture pieces on the site. According to those on the subreddit, a quick search of the names, which included monikers such as Neriah and Samiyah, found that they were the same names as several missing children.

Is it possible Wayfair involved in Human trafficking with their WFX Utility collection? Or are these just extremely overpriced cabinets? (Note the names of the cabinets) this makes me sick to my stomach if its true from conspiracy

This led many online to speculate and theorize a truly horrific allegation: that the company is engaged in child trafficking. Soon after starting on Reddit, the theories picked up steam on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Heres everything you need to know about the Wayfair child trafficking allegations.

For those who arent into interior design, or just really love Ikea (and who could blame you?), the name Wayfair may not be super familiar. Founded in 2002, the online home store sells furniture and accessories. And unlike Ikea and other furniture stores like Structube, many of the pieces sold on Wayfair.com are from different companies and not their own in-house brand.

This is far from the first time the company has come under scrutiny for reported bad behaviour. In June 2019, employees of the furniture brand walked off the job in protest of the companys low-key support of the Trump governments anti-migrant policy and detainment camps. ICYMI, Wayfair had a deal in which they provided government contractors with beds for the camps that house detained migrants at the United States border (camps that have been referred to by U.S. representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as mass concentration camps). Despite the fact that at the time, Wayfair employees requested the company terminate this contract, the company did not oblige.

So yeah, not everyone are big fans of the companyand for very valid reasons.

As inhumane and wrong as the detainment camps in the U.S. are, these latest accusations against Wayfair are even more alarming. As mentioned above, theories that Wayfair is involved in human trafficking (specifically the trafficking of children) arose after a user noted utility closets and storage units for sale on the site, priced between $12,000 to $14,500price points they felt were exorbitant. Is it possible Wayfair involved in Human trafficking with their WFX Utility collection? the user wrote alongside a photo of the cabinets in question. Or are these just extremely overpriced cabinets? (Note the names of the cabinets) this makes me sick to my stomach if its true :(.

Read this next: All the Fashion Brands That Have Been Accused of Racism

Is it possible Wayfair involved in Human trafficking with their WFX Utility collection? Or are these just extremely overpriced cabinets? (Note the names of the cabinets) this makes me sick to my stomach if its true from conspiracy

Asfact-checking websiteSnopesnotes, because of this initial post, users online started to search for *other* home goods on the site that were similarly oddly priced. As the website notes, one user on Twitter shared a set of pillows and a shower curtain listed at $9,999 (which is a Drake-level price for something like pillow cases). When compared to similar itemslisted at only $99.99, for instancethe user decided that the discrepancy in prices must be attributed to the fact that the first listing was actually a listing for purchasing a child. The user tweeted (then deleted): If you search bungalow rose a bunch of shower curtains and pillows show up priced at $9,999. Wayfair is fucking trafficking children what the FUCK. Same with other things. They all have big price jumps to like 10 grand. Wayfair also supplies the furniture at ICE detention centers, where children are going MISSING from.

As Snopes statesin the same article: This claim is largely based on the idea that $10,000 is simply too expensive for a cabinet, and that there has to be some other explanation child trafficking to justify its cost.

More allegations soon cropped up on social media. Per MediaWisea Poynter-runnon-profit project that teaches Americans how to sort fact from fiction onlinemany Twitter users began claiming that searching the Stock Unit Number (SKU) for each Wayfair product on Russian search engine Yandex, which is similar to Google, brought up photos of female children. News organization Newsweek later reported this is untrue.

And, in addition to all of this, an additional theory arose regarding a specific 2016 review of a filing cabinet, priced at $5,000. PerNewsweek,in 2016 a user named Janna from Walnut Creek, CA (an area outside San Francisco), published a review on this particular product. (FWIW, Janne wrote: Checked many other sites and this was a great deal! Fast shipping. Thank you!). In February of this year, a man in Walnut Creek was arrested forhuman trafficking, child pornography and attempted kidnapping. According to The Mercury News, this arrest led to the uncovering of a much larger sex trafficking ring in the area.

What does a February 2020 arrest have to do with a 2016 review by someone who sounds like a lady from your moms book club? Nothing, most likely. But many people online have claimed the two incidents are linked.

Read this next: These Brands Have All Donated to Trumps Campaign

There have also been unsubstantiated and unverified reports that Wayfair CEO Niraj Shah has stepped down amid the allegations,which has only helped to fuel rumours of trafficking more. [In an email to FLARE, a spokesperson for the company said: Thereisno truth to that rumor, our CEO has not stepped down].

Perhaps because this Wayfair conspiracy theory is happening shortly after the arrest of Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator and former GFGhislaine Maxwell, there have been attempts to connect Wayfair to the now-deceased disgraced billionaire. A 2003 photo of Maxwellwho was arrested on July 2 on charges that she helped recruit, groom and abuse minorshas gone viral in light of the allegations against the company, with many people online claiming that the man beside Maxwell is president of operations for Wayfair, Bill Hutcherson. But as Heavystates in a July 12 article, this claim is not true. An April 28, 2004 photo round-up in Tatlertaken at the December 2003 Aspreys New York Flagship launchin which Maxwell is wearing the same outfit and pictured with the same man, identifies him as George Bamford. Bamford is the founder of Bamford Watch Design, a company that launched in 2004 and which specializes in high-end watch customization.

In addition, Wayfair (which launched in 2002 under the name CSN Stores, according to Heavy), has never had a president of operations on its payroll. So, it would appear that the company doesnt have any overt links to Epstein and Maxwell.

According to Newsweek, who spoke with Reddit user PrincessPeach1987 (the user refused to reveal their real name), the theory originated after the poster began to search garage storage with their husband. The poster told Newsweek that while they were initially not suspicious of the pricing, additional posts on Facebook purporting similar scenarios caused them to become suspicious. According to the outlet, the user said they are involved in a local organization that helps victims of human trafficking, which has led them to be suspicious most of the time now. Per the outlet, they characterized their Reddit post as an effort to see if anyone else had more details.

Read this next: How a Borderline Personality Diagnosis Helped Me Understand Years of Heartache

The Wayfair conspiracy theory follows several other theories of international pedophilia rings involving celebrities and high-ranking officials, like Pizzagate.

Since news of the theory began circulating, the company has denied any involvement with child trafficking. In a statement to Newsweek, Wayfair said: There is, of course, no truth to these claims. The products in question are industrial grade cabinets that are accurately priced. Recognizing that the photos and descriptions provided by the supplier did not adequately explain the high price point, we have temporarily removed the products from site to rename them and to provide a more in-depth description and photos that accurately depict the product to clarify the price point.

Unlike the IRL facts and legitimate evidence against Wayfair when it came to outfitting migrant detainment camps, these latest theories appear to be untrue (and in fact, Snopes has labelled the allegations definitively as a hoax). Which is good to know and have clarified. Something else that should be made crystal clear? The fact that conspiracy theories like this are *extremely* dangerous. Not only does it spread massive disinformation (often to people who may not be aware of ways to properly fact-check these allegations) thanks in large part to the viral nature and longevity of content on the internet, but they also do a disservice to the very real and very harmful reality of human sex trafficking in North America.

In Canada, human traffickingespecially of children and teensis incredibly prevalent. 2016 data from Statistics Canada on human trafficking (the most recent stats to date) found that 72% victims of human trafficking were under 25 years old and90% of sex trafficking victims are females. And circulating unsubstantiated hoaxes like these minimize the importance of, not to mention detract attention and resources away from, these real victims and perpetrators. And, these unsubstantiated conspiracy theories can have almost dire consequences. In 2016, a North Carolina man walked into a Washington D.C. pizzeria with a semiautomatic rifle, handgun and a folding knife, under the guise that he was saving captive children from a satanic sex ring run by Hillary Clinton in the basement of the pizzeria, a theory reported by InfoWars host Alex Jones (InfoWars is a far-right American conspiracy theory and fake news website). As reported by Rolling Stonein a November 2017 article on the consequences of hoaxes and fake news, there were no children being held captive and the pizzeria didnt even have a basement.

Read this next: Heres Why TikTok May Get Banned in the US

The idea of a furniture company selling children is absolutely appallingand its entirely understandable that people would hear these allegations and get upset. Its also crucial that people look deeper into allegations and theories on the internet before posting or re-posting said claims.

FLARE has reached out to Wayfair for comment. The article will be updated with their response

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Should You Be Worried About Wayfair and Human Trafficking? - FLARE

As the world learns to live with Covid-19 and restrictions easing up, customers have gradually started commuting for essentials and, more importantly, their livelihoods.

Over the course of the lockdown, many vehicles have been stranded in parking spots. In the absence of conventional vehicle care and regular checks, there will be a surge in breakdowns. This will span across battery charging or replacement, brake lubrication, air-fuel system checks and repair, washing & disinfection, repair of electrical, and electronic parts as well as tyre replacements.

Dealerships will also have to address breakdown of engine fluids, corrosion of metal parts, deterioration of rubber parts, fading of colour panels, breaking in seat cover among others.

According to FICCI Cascade (Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy), 20 per cent of road accidents in India are caused by poor quality counterfeit parts. While automakers are putting their best foot forward to create a network of genuine parts, counterfeit trading continues to pose a challenge to growth and development of the component industry.

The issue of counterfeiting becomes especially critical for the two-wheeler industry. For one thing, India is the biggest two-wheeler market in the world with rural markets forming a significant part of demand. Manufacturers must ensure that they have a wide network pan India to provide the best after-sales service. After all, this boils down to protecting human lives.

Covid-19 has disrupted the transportation ecosystem and with social distancing being the need of the hour, consumer surveys indicate that people will now prefer personal vehicles to public transport. This is where there will be a growing demand for two-wheelers which, in turn, will boost demand for genuine spares.

Clearly, one big advantage that genuine parts offer is longevity. Even while they may be slightly pricer than counterfeit ones, the risk posed by the latter is damage in a short period of time which will also extend to supporting parts.

Consequently, this may require multiple replacements versus the one-time cost of the same genuine part. Additionally, a genuine part comes with warranty, replacement guarantee and longer life.

Safety is another important aspect to be factored in. Genuine parts are specifically designed, manufactured and rigorously tested. They form an integral component of the vehicle to meet high quality, safety and performance standards.

As a case in point, TVS Motor Company initiated a brand protection programme to protect customers against fraudulent practices. The objective was to ensure that vehicles did not develop a fault by being fitted with spurious spares.

With the third-party supplier often not accepting any accountability of damage caused by fake parts, it becomes a pain point for the owner of the vehicle to not only deal with damage but replacement of fake parts with genuine ones.

The brand protection programme, carried out with support from police in various states, identified and seized counterfeits of TVS Motor spares worth 7.5 crore across major cities and towns. The initiative has seen a positive impact in Tier 2/3 markets which, in turn, has contributed to the cause of customer safety. The programme has also ensured distribution and availability of genuine parts through TVS Motors 3,500 plus touch points.

The writer is Senior VP, Parts Business, TVS Motor Company

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Coping with the counterfeit parts menace during Covid - BusinessLine

Representational image

Bats are carriers of deadly viruses that affect humans like Ebola, rabies, and possibly the SARS-CoV-2 strain of virus that causes coronavirus. However, these viruses have not killed bats but humans.

Bats are remarkably able to tolerate viruses, and, additionally, live much longer than similar-sized land mammals. What are the secrets to their longevity and virus resistance?

According to researchers at the University of Rochester in the US, bats' longevity and capacity to tolerate viruses may stem from their ability to control inflammation, which is a hallmark of disease and aging.

In a study published in the journal Cell Metabolism, biology professors Vera Gorbunova and Andrei Seluanov described the mechanisms underlying bats' unique abilities and how these mechanisms may hold clues to developing new treatments for diseases in humans.

"There may be a very strong connection between bats' resistance to infectious diseases and their longevity. We also realised that bats can provide clues to human therapies used to fight diseases," said Gorbunova.

The scientists, along with colleague Brian Kennedy, director of the Centre for Healthy Aging at the National University of Singapore, got to talking about bats.

Unlike humans, bats have developed specific mechanisms that reduce viral replication and also dampen the immune response to a virus.

The result is a beneficial balance: their immune systems control viruses but at the same time, do not mount a strong inflammatory response.

Another factor may be their environment.

Many species of bats live in large, dense colonies, and hang close together on cave ceilings or in trees. Those conditions are ideal for transmitting viruses and other pathogens.

"Bats are constantly exposed to viruses. They are always flying out and bringing back something new to the cave or nest, and they transfer the virus because they live in such close proximity to each other," said Seluanov.

Because bats are constantly exposed to viruses, their immune systems are in a perpetual arms race with pathogens.

"Usually the strongest driver of new traits in evolution is an arms race with pathogens. Dealing with all of these viruses may be shaping bats' immunity and longevity".

However, the study does not suggest for humans to toss their masks and crowd together in restaurants and movie theatres.

Evolution takes place over thousands of years, rather than a few months.

While humans may be developing social habits that parallel those of bats, we have not yet evolved bats' sophisticated mechanisms to combat viruses as they emerge and swiftly spread.

"The consequences may be that our bodies experience more inflammation," said Gorbunova.

Studying bats' immune systems will provide new targets for human therapies to fight diseases and aging, said researchers.

For example, bats have mutated or completely eliminated several genes involved in inflammation; scientists can develop drugs to inhibit these genes in humans.

Continue reading here:
Here's How Bats Survive Novel Coronavirus and Other Deadly Viruses - The Weather Channel

Scientists may have cracked the code to improve human longevity

New York, July 13 (IANS) In a big breaking discovery, the researchers may have found the beginnings of a path toward increasing human lifespan.

The study, published in the Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences, shows the drug mifepristone can extend the lives of two very different species used in laboratory studies, suggesting the findings may apply to other species, including human beings.

Mifepristone, also known as RU-486, is used by clinicians to end early pregnancies as well as to treat cancer and Cushing disease.

Studying one of the most common laboratory models used in genetic research -- the fruit fly Drosophila -- the researchers found that the drug mifepristone extends the lives of female flies that have mated.

"Our data show that in Drosophila, mifepristone either directly or indirectly counteracts juvenile hormone signalling, but the exact target of mifepristone remains elusive," said study researchers from the University of Southern California in the US.

According to the researchers, during mating, female fruit flies receive a molecule called sex peptide from the male.

Previous research has shown that sex peptide causes inflammation and reduces the health and lifespan of female flies.

The research team found that feeding mifepristone to the fruit flies that have mated blocks the effects of sex peptide, reducing inflammation and keeping the female flies healthier, leading to longer lifespans than their counterparts who did not receive the drug.

The drug''s effects in Drosophila appear similar to those seen in women who take it.

"In the fly, mifepristone decreases reproduction, alters innate immune response and increases life span," the study researcher John Tower explained.

"In the human, we know that mifepristone decreases reproduction and alters the innate immune response, so might it also increase life span?" he added.

Seeking a better understanding of how mifepristone works to increase lifespan, the research team looked at the genes, molecules and metabolic processes that changed when flies consumed the drug.

They found that a molecule called juvenile hormone plays a central role. Juvenile hormone regulates the development of fruit flies throughout their life, from egg to larvae to adult.

Sex peptide appears to escalate the effects of juvenile hormone, shifting the mated flies'' metabolism from healthier processes to metabolic pathways that require more energy to maintain.

Further, the metabolic shift promotes harmful inflammation, and it appears to make the flies more sensitive to toxic molecules produced by bacteria in their microbiome.

Mifepristone changes all of that.

According to the researchers, when the mated flies ate the drug, their metabolism stuck with the healthier pathways, and they lived longer than their mated sisters who did not get mifepristone.

"Notably, these metabolic pathways are conserved in humans, and are associated with health and longevity," the study authors wrote.

--IANS

bu/na/in

Disclaimer :- This story has not been edited by Outlook staff and is auto-generated from news agency feeds. Source: IANS

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Scientists may have cracked the code to improve human longevity - Outlook India

From songs and poems to novels and movies, romantic love is one of the most enduring subjects for artworks through the ages. But what about the science?

Historical, cultural and even evolutionary evidence suggests love existed during ancient times and across many parts of the world. Romantic love has been found to exist in 147 of 166 cultures looked at in one study.

The complexity of love has much to do with how people experience it differently and how it can change over time.

Read more: Friday essay: finding spaces for love

Psychological research over the past 50 years has investigated the differences between liking someone, loving someone and being in love.

Liking is described as having positive thoughts and feelings towards someone and finding that persons company rewarding. We often also experience warmth and closeness towards the people we like. In some instances we choose to be emotionally intimate with these people.

When we love someone we experience the same positive thoughts and experiences as when we like a person. But we also experience a deep sense of care and commitment towards that person.

Being in love includes all the above but also involves feelings of sexual arousal and attraction. However, research into peoples own views of love suggests that not all love is the same.

Romantic love consists of two types: passionate and companionate love. Most romantic relationships, whether they be heterosexual or same sex, involve both these parts.

Passionate love is what people typically consider being in love. It includes feelings of passion and an intense longing for someone, to the point they might obsessively think about wanting to be in their arms.

The second part is known as companionate love. Its not felt as intensely, but its complex and connects feelings of emotional intimacy and commitment with a deep attachment toward the romantic partner.

Research looking at changes in romantic love over time typically finds that although passionate love starts high, it declines over the course of a relationship.

There are various reasons for this.

As partners learn more about each other and become more confident in the long-term future of the relationship, routines develop. The opportunities to experience novelty and excitement can also decline, as can the frequency of sexual activity. This can cause passionate love to subside.

Although a reduction in passionate love is not experienced by all couples, various studies report approximately 20-40% of couples experience this downturn. Of couples who have been married in excess of ten years, the steepest downturn is most likely to occur over the second decade.

Life events and transitions can also make it challenging to experience passion. People have competing responsibilities which affect their energy and limit the opportunities to foster passion. Parenthood is an example of this.

Read more: Love by design: when science meets sex, lust, attraction and attachment

In contrast, companionate love is typically found to increase over time.

Although research finds most romantic relationships consist of both passionate and companionate love, its the absence or reductions in companionate love, moreso than passionate love, that can negatively affect the longevity of a romantic relationship.

Love is an emotion that keeps people bonded and committed to one another. From an evolutionary psychology perspective, love evolved to keep the parents of children together long enough for them to survive and reach sexual maturity.

Read more: What is this thing called love?

The period of childhood is much longer for humans than other species. As offspring rely on adults for many years to survive and to develop the skills and abilities needed for successful living, love is especially important for humans.

Without love, its difficult to see how the human species could have evolved.

Not only is there an evolutionary foundation to love, love is rooted in biology. Neurophysiological studies into romantic love show that people who are in the throes of passionate love experience increased activation in brain regions associated with reward and pleasure.

Read more: Love lockdown: the pandemic has put pressure on many relationships, but here's how to tell if yours will survive

In fact, the brain regions activated are the same as those activated by cocaine.

These regions release chemicals such as oxytocin, vasopressin and dopamine, which produce feelings of happiness and euphoria that are also linked to sexual arousal and excitement.

Interestingly, these brain regions are not activated when thinking about non-romantic relationships such as friends. These findings tell us that liking someone is not the same as being in love with someone.

Research has found three primary styles of love. First coined by psychologist John Lee, the love styles are eros, ludus and storge. These styles include peoples beliefs and attitudes about love and act as a guide for how to approach romantic relationships.

Eros

This style of love refers to erotic love and is focused on physical attraction and engaging in sex, the quick development of strong and passionate feelings for another and intense intimacy.

Ludus

This style involves being emotionally distant and often involves game-playing. Its not surprising people who endorse this love style are unlikely to commit, feel comfortable ending relationships and often start a new relationship before ending the current one.

Storge

Storge is often regarded as a more mature form of love. Priority is given to having a relationship with a person who has similar interests, affection is openly expressed and there is less emphasis on physical attractiveness. People high on storge love are trusting of others and are not needy or dependent on others.

You may see yourself in more than one of these styles.

Evidence suggests some people possess a mixture of the three main love styles; these mixtures were labelled by Lee as mania, pragma and agape.

Read more: Darling, I love you ... from the bottom of my brain

Manic love includes intense feelings for a partner as well as worry about committing to the relationship. Pragmatic love involves making sensible relationship choices in finding a partner who will make a good companion and friend. Agape is a self-sacrificing love that is driven by a sense of duty and selflessness.

A persons love style has little to do with their genetics. Rather, its associated with the development of personality and a persons past relationship experiences.

Some studies have found people who are high on dark traits, such as narcissism, psychopathy and machiavellianism, endorse more of a ludus or pragma love style.

Read more: There are six styles of love. Which one best describes you?

People who have an insecure attachment style, involving a high need for validation and preoccupation with relationship partners, endorse more mania love, while those who are uncomfortable with intimacy and closeness do not endorse eros love.

No matter the differences in the way love is experienced, one thing remains common for all: we as humans are social animals who have a deep fascination for it.

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What is love? - The Conversation AU

How do you compare a dog's age to that of a person? A popular method says you should multiply the dog's age by 7 to compute how old Fido is in "human years."But new research published Thursday in the Cell Systems journal debunks that method. And that's because the scientists behind a new study say dogs and humans don't age at the same rate.Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have developed a new formula that takes into account that variance. Tracking molecular changes in the DNA of Labrador retrievers, and in particular "the changing patterns of methyl groups" in their genome, according to a release, the study shows how dogs age at a much faster rate than humans early in their lives, then slow down after reaching maturity."This makes sense when you think about it after all, a nine-month-old dog can have puppies, so we already knew that the 1:7 ratio wasn't an accurate measure of age," lead author Trey Ideker is quoted as saying.Based on the study, a one-year-old dog compares to a 30-year-old human, a four-year-old dog to a 52-year-old human. The rate of aging decreases after dogs turn 7.The new formula "is the first that is transferable across species," and scientists plan to test their findings on other dog breeds to study the impact of longevity on their findings, according to a release.Researchers also believe that observing changes in the methylation patterns before and after the use of anti-aging products could help veterinarians make more informed decisions in terms of diagnostics and treatment.A graphic in the study makes the age comparisons intuitive and provides some helpful context for dog owners, including the scientists themselves."I have a six-year-old dog she still runs with me, but I'm now realizing that she's not as 'young' as I thought she was," Ideker is quoted as saying.

How do you compare a dog's age to that of a person? A popular method says you should multiply the dog's age by 7 to compute how old Fido is in "human years."

But new research published Thursday in the Cell Systems journal debunks that method. And that's because the scientists behind a new study say dogs and humans don't age at the same rate.

Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have developed a new formula that takes into account that variance. Tracking molecular changes in the DNA of Labrador retrievers, and in particular "the changing patterns of methyl groups" in their genome, according to a release, the study shows how dogs age at a much faster rate than humans early in their lives, then slow down after reaching maturity.

"This makes sense when you think about it after all, a nine-month-old dog can have puppies, so we already knew that the 1:7 ratio wasn't an accurate measure of age," lead author Trey Ideker is quoted as saying.

Based on the study, a one-year-old dog compares to a 30-year-old human, a four-year-old dog to a 52-year-old human. The rate of aging decreases after dogs turn 7.

The new formula "is the first that is transferable across species," and scientists plan to test their findings on other dog breeds to study the impact of longevity on their findings, according to a release.

Researchers also believe that observing changes in the methylation patterns before and after the use of anti-aging products could help veterinarians make more informed decisions in terms of diagnostics and treatment.

A graphic in the study makes the age comparisons intuitive and provides some helpful context for dog owners, including the scientists themselves.

"I have a six-year-old dog she still runs with me, but I'm now realizing that she's not as 'young' as I thought she was," Ideker is quoted as saying.

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Nope, every dog year isn't equal to 7 human years, researchers now say - WXII The Triad