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Tech and medical experts say artificial-intelligence technology holds the key to preventing potential virus pandemics and outbreaks like novel coronavirus.

Researchers at the Toronto-based AI platform BlueDot identified COVID-19 on Dec. 31 just hours after local officials in Wuhan, China, reported the city's first diagnoses, but it took the Chinese government weeks to make an official announcement.

"Coronavirus is a huge wake-up call for us in a positive way because ofhow important AI technology is and how medicine should embrace AI technology so it can recognize viruses like [COVID-19]," Sergey Young,founder ofa $100 millioninvestment fund dedicated to making longevity affordable and accessible called the Longevity Vision Fund, told FOX Business.

A worker wearing protective gear sprays disinfectant as a precaution against the coronavirus in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

"It's also a negative wake-up call because we are still human beings with a lack of trust in AI, and human beings have a weakness in terms of how we respond to AI," Young added.

Investors, tech experts and health care experts alike are starting to become more comfortable with the integration of AI in the medical field, including its use in identifying diseases that have the potential to become widespread. AI "is a huge search machine that searches the world's data," Young said.

AS CORONAVIRUS SPREADS, MORGAN STANLEY RELOCATING WALL STREET TRADERS

Imagine the world's biggest library. AI uses algorithms that could scan through all the books in that library in a fraction of the time that humans would be able to. For example, BlueDot's AI technology was able to identify coronavirus in just a day when its technology picked up signs of anunusual pneumonia coming from a market in Wuhan on Dec. 30, CNBC Make It reported on Wednesday.

BlueDot founder and CEOKamran Khan, who worked as an epidemiologist and physiciantreating patients in Toronto during the 2003 SARS outbreak, said the purpose of AI and companies that use it like BlueDot is to "spread knowledge faster than the diseases spread themselves."

It would have been impossible for humans to come to the same conclusions about COVID-19 in December without AI, which partners with big tech and big pharma tosearch millions and billions of databases for keywords on social media, financial transactions, hospital data, people reporting unusual trends,travel activity and a number of other data to make connections between two unlikely factors, Young said.

COVID-19 has since spread to 85 countries outside of China with95,333 confirmedcases within and outside the origin country. The virus has killed3,015 in Chinaand 267 elsewhere as of March 5, according to data from the World Health Organization.

CORONAVIRUS TEST KITS DELAYED, DR. ANTHONY FAUCI CONFIRMS

Despite knowing about the virus weeks before it began to rapidly spread, officials refrained from spreading informationYoung says the issue has to do with human trust in technology and AI, and AI's ability to connect dots that humans likely would not.

"Where AI is similar to human intelligence is that it tries to look for all relevant data and analyze it," Young said. "Where AI is unlike human intelligence is its enormous capacity to search, analyze and link data, and often come up with very unusual correlations.AI will not be scared to present unusual data correlations at the risk of sounding stupid" like humans would.

This undated photo provided by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows CDCs laboratory test kit for the new coronavirus. (CDC via AP)

"The overall issue is two problems. One: We live in a world of oversupply of information. There is so much noise that we need AI to handle it. It is impossible for WHO and other world organizations to see abnormal activity coming from one specific direction," Young explained.

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"Two: I think we missed the point in the development of global health crisis. We didn't realize that like technology, viruses do not have borders. If people think it's just a China problem, that will create more problems," Young said. "The level of globalization today, not just in technology but human-to-human interactions," continues to develop.

Young and Kahn both said federal organizations like WHO that help fight infectious disease are too reliant on old systems and traditional medical research practices.

"What I learned during SARS is, lets not get caught flatfooted, lets anticipate rather than react," Kahn told CNBC. "If we rely on government agencies to report information about infectious disease activity, we may not always get that in the most timely way or as quickly as we would like."

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AI identified coronavirus before it spread. Here's how it can contain future contagious viruses - Fox Business

Jan. 23, 2020

Dear Friends of the National Academies,

As we welcome a new year and a new decade, we can make one prediction with certainty profound change lies ahead. We enter the 2020s as long-standing geopolitical alliances are shifting; big data, artificial intelligence, and the very nature of information are transforming the way we live and work; and the effects of climate change are impacting many millions around the world.

Yet, along with great change comes great opportunity: the chance to help shape the future through science and evidence. For many decades, the independent, expert advice of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has helped guide policies that have led to tremendous growth and prosperity in the U.S. and globally. Although many complex challenges are before us, we are confident that research and innovation in science, engineering, and medicine will lead the way to valuable progress for all of society.

Although many complex challenges are before us, we are confident that research and innovation in science, engineering, and medicine will lead the way to valuable progress for all of society.

This year, the National Academies are initiating or completing timely studies on advancing research for climate intervention strategies to help cool the planet, accelerating a carbon-free economy, and strengthening the nations electric power infrastructure. We will be examining U.S. economic competitiveness in the global economy and have charted a course for the future of biotechnology. We will identify strategies to implement high-quality primary care and reverse a recent and alarming increase in premature death for Americans. We will advise on how cities and states can make mobility more seamless by better integrating existing transportation infrastructure with the increase in modes of personal travel such as ride-sharing. And through our Gulf Research Program, we are bringing together representatives from government agencies, industry, and communities this spring to participate in a first-ever simulated Offshore Situation Room to explore how to prevent and improve the ways we respond to and recover from an offshore oil disaster.

With the U.S. population over age 65 projected to double by 2060, we are focusing on how to adjust to this new demographic reality by examining employment and the aging workforce, recommending a decadal research agenda to fight Alzheimers disease and other dementias common in later life, and pinpointing opportunities for the health care system to address growing social isolation and loneliness in older adults. Indeed, with the worldwide population of the oldest old (people ages 80 and older) expected to more than triple by 2050, the National Academy of Medicine recently launched a global initiative on healthy longevity with the aim of sparking innovative, multidisciplinary approaches to help transform aging and ensure lifelong health, function, and productivity.

Injecting Evidence into Public Policy and Discourse

Of course, 2020 is an election year in the U.S., which can add uncertainty on the policy front. Here in Washington, D.C., the National Academies have navigated the fractious political environment by maintaining strong relationships with members of Congress in both parties and with the executive branch agencies, including the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Decision-makers rely on our expert, objective advice for many challenging policy issues with science and technology at their core as demonstrated by FY 2020 federal appropriations and defense authorization legislation, which will put into motion several new National Academies activities, ranging from developing ways to measure transportation resiliency in the event of natural disasters, to protecting American research and academic investments while ensuring academic openness, to examining the medical and economic impacts of pathogens that are increasingly resistant to antimicrobials.

The Academies also have the responsibility to convey to the public the importance and value of research and evidence in their everyday lives. Last November, the NAS hosted the first-ever TED@NAS, an exciting day of original science-centered TED Talks. The event brought together many diverse perspectives to celebrate science, inspire ideas and insights, and catalyze progress. And in these polarizing times, when science itself can become politicized, misinformation spreads quickly, and expertise is not trusted in some sectors, we are communicating in new ways directly to the public about the evidence on vaccine safety, climate change and extreme weather, and other issues prominent in public discourse. In February, for instance, we will host MisinfoCon@NASEM, which will bring together researchers, media content providers, and technology developers across platforms to discuss ways to build science and health literacy in the public and combat misleading or false information.

See Related Resources Below

Building New and Stronger International Collaboration

Amid shifting geopolitical alliances, the National Academies are working hard to continue to forge and strengthen our global partnerships. Increasingly, science, engineering, and medicine are international enterprises, and the challenges faced by one nation are shared by many. One such area is the emerging field of human genome editing. Since 2015, the NAS and NAM have convened two high-profile international summits to cultivate scientific, regulatory, and ethical principles to guide the development and use of new genome editing technologies. This year, an international commission led by the NAM, NAS, and the Royal Society of the U.K. and with the participation of science academies around the world will release a report that identifies clear scientific and technical requirements that should be met for any potential clinical application of heritable genome editing to go forward, should society deem it acceptable.

The NAE is continuing to collaborate with the engineering academies of the U.K. and China on a series of Global Grand Challenges summits designed to ignite international cooperation on the 14 Grand Challenges for Engineering. New programmatic direction of the NAE will focus on issues that require broad international engagement. These include instilling a culture of ethical and environmental responsibility in engineering, and improving educational and professional capabilities for complex systems engineering. The Global Grand Challenge in Healthy Longevity that NAM launched this year will consist of a roadmap report by an international commission that will contain recommendations on health, the socio-economic determinants of health, and science and policy; and a global competition that will engage 49 countries and territories to catalyze innovation in science and technology.

And in late April, the NAS will hold the first-ever global Nobel Prize Summit. Hosted by the Nobel Foundation in partnership with the NAS, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and Stockholm Resilience Centre/Beijer Institute, the summit, Our Planet, Our Future, will gather together Nobel laureates and other world-renowned experts to advance new insights into global sustainable development and explore actions to ensure humanitys future on a prosperous, stable, and resilient planet. The summit will build upon the successful celebrations of Nobel Prize and Kavli Prize laureates that the NAS has hosted in the previous past two years.

See Related Resources Below

Modernizing the Academies

As the nation and the world change, the National Academies must also evolve to stay relevant in a dynamic, rapidly shifting policy environment. To that end, we are making progress on our effort to transform our processes and products, and this year, we are undertaking extensive strategic planning to ensure that we continue to deliver the authoritative advice for which we are known in ways that are more actionable, timely, and responsive to the needs of policymakers and the public.

The NAS, NAE, and NAM are also modernizing. For instance, the Academies have each established a first-ever code of conduct for our members. We also have made concerted efforts to increase the diversity of our elected membership across many categories, including race and ethnicity, gender, age, and geographic distribution. And we are beginning to see results last year, the three Academies elected record numbers of women. Meanwhile, the number of new members born outside the United States continues to reflect the importance of immigrants to our nations success.

2020 will also mark some important anniversaries. The NAM (formerly the IOM) will celebrate 50 years of service to the nation under the theme Celebrating a legacy of impact. Forging a healthier future. Publications and scientific symposia are planned throughout the year to bring greater visibility not only to the NAM but also to the broader health portfolio and interdisciplinary expertise of the National Academies. And in February, the National Academies are hosting a symposium marking the 75th anniversary of the publication of Science: The Endless Frontier, the landmark report by Vannevar Bush that provided the foundation on which much of our modern research enterprise is built. The symposium will examine how science is changing and how the modern research architecture could be restructured and reimagined to ensure another era of remarkable achievements.

We are excited about these opportunities and many more in this new year. None of it would be possible without the invaluable contributions and support of our members, volunteers, staff, study sponsors, and philanthropic partners. Thank you for your commitment to our mission. We hope you will join us in kicking off a new decade of progress and prosperity made possible through science, engineering, and medicine.

Marcia McNutt President, National Academy of Sciences John L. Anderson President, National Academy of Engineering Victor J. Dzau President, National Academy of Medicine

Related Resources:

Climate Intervention Strategies That Reflect Sunlight to Cool Earth The Future of Electric Power in the United States Science and Innovation Leadership for the 21st Century: Challenges and Strategic Implications for the United States Safeguarding the Bioeconomy Implementing High-Quality Primary Care Rising Midlife Mortality Rates and Socioeconomic Disparities The Role of Public Transportation and Mobility Management in an Era of New and Expanding Shared Mobility Options Gulf Research Program Offshore Situation Room Decadal Survey of Behavioral and Social Science Research on Alzheimers Disease and Alzheimers Disease-Related DementiasThe Health and Medical Dimensions of Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults NAM Healthy Longevity Global Grand Challenge TED@NAS MisinfoCon@NASEM International Commission on the Clinical Use of Human Germline Genome Editing NAE Grand Challenges for Engineering Nobel Prize Summit: Our Planet, Our Future IOM/NAM 50th Anniversary

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A Message from the Presidents of the NAS, NAE, and NAM: A Look Ahead in 2020 - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Don't expect the rash of new apartment building to stop anytime soon unless the music stops.

For the past few years, Buffalo developers have been putting up new apartment projects through the city like there's no tomorrow.

They're eager to feed both the pent-up demand from the past for new options, as well as the growing demand among young professionals and empty nesters to live in an urban setting with high-end amenities. And that's showed no signs of slowing down.

"It's befuddling me, I'll tell you," said Rocco Termini, owner of Signature Development Buffalo. "It's a mystery to me."

As in other cities, the wave started in the downtown core with long-neglected former warehouse and office buildings, as developers capitalized on historic and brownfield tax credits to convert older buildings to lively new uses, with "industrial chic" loft apartments and other unique features.

It then spread to the area around the burgeoning Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, where demand for more housing, restaurants and retail options has surged as the campus gained 5,000 more workers after the opening of Oishei Children's Hospital, Conventus and the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

And then it extended up the spine of Main Street, and west of the Medical Campus, into the Delaware District and even west of Richmond Avenue an area that was previously not thought of as desirable for investment and redevelopment.

Now, as the prices of real estate in those areas has soared because of the activity, developers are looking further afield, to North Buffalo's Hertel Avenue and Chandler Street, to Niagara Street on the West Side, to Seneca Street in South Buffalo, and to Jefferson Avenue, Fillmore Avenue, Broadway and the Northland Corridor on the East Side.

"There's a lot of apartments being built, and new ones every day, and everyone's competing with everybody," said William Paladino, CEO of Ellicott Development Co. "It's spreading to the East Side, which is great to see."

Almost every redevelopment project has been mixed-use, so that developers aren't putting all their eggs in one basket. Mixed-use also draws more people to those buildings from the outside, and makes them more attractive for people to live there. And in almost every case, residential apartments are a core component.

But two questions always come up: Is this sustainable? And where are the people coming from?

Developers say the answer is mixed, depending on the price point.

Rents for the new apartments are generally much higher than the traditional rates in Buffalo, with prices ranging from $1,000 to as much as $2,500. Those at the lower end of the spectrum up to about $1,400 or $1,500 are still strong, with very few vacancies and little turnover, said Termini, whose apartments are priced within that range or less. At that level, he said, that means it's sustainable.

"I don't know what everybody's vacancy rate is, but I know what mine is 1.5%, which is unbelievable," Termini said. "And you see more going up."

But that's not necessarily the case at higher levels, where developers bet that the market could now handle high-priced rents, especially among out-of-town people coming to Buffalo from much larger and more expensive cities like New York, where they are accustomed to paying a lot and getting far less. That's the market for doctors, lawyers, business executives or company owners.

And that's where developers like Paladino are getting worried. He says that "for the time being, it's pretty sustainable." But he cautions that the Buffalo market may be reaching or potentially exceeding in some cases its maximum cap right now on pricing.

"I'm not seeing pricing falling. I'm seeing it stabilize," Paladino said. "(But) I'm not seeing people raising rents, so that makes me think we're getting closer. If we start seeing prices drop, we're in trouble."

Both Termini and Paladino said the growth is still driven by a mixture of young professionals, newcomers, suburbanites moving into the city and empty-nesters downsizing from houses. In particular, the Medical Campus and M&T Bank's technology expansion are key factors.

However, a lot of the people coming in from out of town are either medical residents or workers on contracts, who are here for a fixed amount of time but aren't necessarily permanent. That's why they stay put once they're here.

"Most of the people that work in the Medical Campus, they've got a three- or four-year span. They don't want to move, because all they do is work. The last thing they want to do is upset their life and have to move. They're here to stay when they come here.

But it also means a continual churn. The problem, Paladino said, is that Buffalo's job market still isn't strong enough to draw more people here permanently, to ensure the apartments will be filled.

"We built the infrastructure, built up a lot of downtown, and we want things to continue to go well," Paladino said. "But for it to continue, we need to attract new companies and new talent to the area, for us to have some longevity. We need more job growth to sustain everything that's currently on line and planning to be built."

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New apartment growth in Buffalo shows no signs of stopping - Buffalo News

The Graf Center for Integrative Medicine at Englewood Health and the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades of Tenafly are offering a new session of the Wellness and Longevity Heart Health Program, aimed at people who either have heart disease or have risk factors for it. The structured five-week program, led by medical and fitness experts, aims to lead participants into a well-rounded, healthy life style. Physician clearance is required.

The first class will meet on Thursday, January 9, at 6 p.m., at the Graf Center for Integrative Medicine at Englewood Health. The first private group workout at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades will be on Monday, January 13, at 6 p.m. Classes will be led by certified trainers at the JCCs fitness center on Mondays and Thursdays at 6 p.m. The class will be tailored to the participants individual needs.

The program demands a time commitment of 60 minutes twice a week for five weeks, for 10 sessions in total. Participants will have access to the JCC gym at no additional charge. Fitness staff will be available to help with personal workouts at the JCC.

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A final wrap-up session will be held on Thursday, February 6, from 6 to 7 p.m., at the Graf Center for Integrative Medicine at Englewood Health. Baselines will be taken if requested.

The cost for the entire program is $100. For more information or to register, call (201) 608-2377 or go to EnglewoodHealth.org/HHP.

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Englewood Health, Kaplen JCC, team up for wellness program - The Jewish Standard

There has been confusion for several years over link between carbohydrate restriction and mortality. Some studies said that low-carb diet leads to premature death risks; while the others stated the opposite. Did you too get confused with these controversies? If yes, then here's something that might help you to breathe a sigh of relief. A new study has stated that there is no link between overall carb or fat restriction and longevity. It is rather associated with what you eat. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine journal, said that low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets may be associated with mortality, depending on the "quality and food sources of macronutrients".

This study included a total of 37,233 adults from the United States. During the years of follow-up, a total of 4866 deaths occurred. The researchers found that mortality rates remained similar between people who followed low-fat, low-carb diet and who did not. This concluded that there is no such association between low-carb, low-fat diet and mortality. It was rather found in the study that unhealthy low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets lead to high mortality; whereas healthy low-carb and low-fat diet decreases the mortality rate.

Through this study, it can be understood that we must keep a check on what we eat, even if we are going on a low-carb diet.

Now, keeping all your worries and confusion aside, add goodness to your low-carb or low-fat diet and lead a healthy life.

(This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.)

Read more:
Theres No Link Between Low Carb, Low Fat Diet And Mortality, Reveals Study - NDTV Food

During a decade often short of positive news, one field of human endeavour has made genuine if often overlooked progress: the world war on disease.

While researchers often wince at that bellicose metaphor, they have achieved success on several fronts with the prospect of more to come.

Some of the best news comes from the war on cancer.

First declared almost half a century ago by US President Richard Nixon, victory has long seemed a distant prospect.

But over the past decade, the global death rate from cancer has begun to level off.

Part of the reason is better treatment and the emergence of medicine such as monoclonal antibodies, which home in on target cells like missiles.

Once punitively expensive, these are now becoming much cheaper and available to far more patients.

There is particular excitement about the use of such monoclonals in so-called immunotherapy, where the bodys own defences are stimulated to attack cancer cells.

In 2014, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Keytruda, a monoclonal that prevents cancer cells hiding from the immune system.

It is now being used to treat lung, skin and stomach cancers, among others in some cases, even after they have spread around the body.

The promise of cancer immunology was reflected last year by the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Medicine to two leading researchers in the field.

The biggest driver of the declining cancer rate has only just revealed itself and has little to do with wonder drugs.

This month, the World Health Organisation reported a fall in the global use of tobacco. As the prime cause of lung cancer, which along with breast cancer is the most common form of the disease, declining tobacco use is a major public health milestone.

The fall is being helped along by the rising popularity of vaping, whereby e-cigarettes deliver the nicotine hit without the carcinogenic smoke. At the start of the decade, there were only about 5 million vapers globally. That figure has now increased almost tenfold.

But recent reports of respiratory problems and even deaths among vapers in the US have sparked a global debate over the balance of health benefits which looks set to continue well into the 2020s.

If the current decline in tobacco use continues, it will also help the fight against cardiovascular disease, still the biggest global cause of premature death. As with cancer, better treatment has helped push the CVD mortality rate down over the past decade in many countries at least for now.

But there is growing concern that obesity rates could reverse the trend. The UAE has been a world leader in showing how public health measures can counter this threat. Since 2010, a combination of tougher regulation, higher taxes and health campaigns has produced impressive declines in adult smoking, obesity and high cholesterol.

Even so, CVD rates remain unacceptably high which is likely to lead to wider use of a new weapon against it: the polypill.

Made from a mix of cheap medicine already used against the disease, the polypill was mooted more than 20 years ago and will likely be used more widely during the 2020s.

The biggest study of its effectiveness, published in September, revealed dramatic reductions in the risk of CVD, heart attacks and strokes over and above whats already possible through lifestyle advice.

There has also been welcome progress in the war against infectious diseases once the principal cause of death globally.

We may at last be approaching the end of the 40-year Aids epidemic, which killed more than 35 million people and continues to blight the lives of even more. While a cure remains elusive, by the mid-2010s doctors had access to medicines that hold the virus in check for decades.

Another crucial advance came in 2012, when the FDA approved Truvada, a combination of drugs that helps block infection by the Aids virus essential for ending the epidemic.

Other viral adversaries have yielded to more traditional weaponry. This year came the approval of the first vaccine against Ebola, the terrifying virus that killed thousands in central Africa in recent years.

Meanwhile, vaccination looks set to eradicate one disease completely: polio. Once a global threat to health, the virus now only has a presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Last year, there were merely 33 cases down from 350,000 in the late 1980s.

But while this virus may be about to follow smallpox eradicated in 1980 into oblivion, other infectious agents are making a comeback. Cavalier use of antibiotics has led to many bacteria evolving resistance to standard treatments.

The UAE has been among the toughest in cracking down on careless use of antibiotics, thus buying researchers time to find new ones. If they fail, we face returning to times when minor injuries often proved fatal.

Technology will play a crucial role in meeting this challenge. Over the next decade, AI will be used in the quest for new antibiotics, and much else besides them. One of the biggest disappointments of the last decade has

been the failure to find treatments for Alzheimers disease, which is becoming ever more common as longevity increases. Many researchers suspect a radical rethink is now needed. AI may find it lurking in the vast amounts of patient data now available.

We can also expect AI to make inroads into routine tasks such as screening, freeing up physicians to focus on the complex cases.

Nevertheless, perhaps the most exciting role for AI and big data lies in so-called personalised medicine.

Even today, most drugs do not work with most people, with genetic quirks making them either ineffective or even harmful. Tailoring medicine to each patient is one of the main goals of 21st-century medical science.

Well also doubtless see headlines about advances in gene editing, 3D organ printing, injectable nanorobots and the like. Yet these arent what saves lives on a global scale.

For the coming decade and beyond, forget the wizardry the biggest gains will come from making more of what we already have.

Robert Matthews is visiting professor of science at Aston University, Birmingham, UK

Updated: December 24, 2019 09:06 PM

Original post:
A decade of health advances: the victories and defeats in the war on disease - The National

Chinese character representing longevity

Shu (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: shu) is the Chinese word/character for "longevity".

Three of the most important goals in life in Chinese traditional thought are the propitious blessings of happiness (f ), professional success or prosperity (l ), and longevity (shu ). These are visually represented by the three "star gods" of the same names (F, L, Shu), commonly depicted as three male figurines[1] (each wearing a distinctive garment and holding an object that enables them to be differentiated), or the Chinese ideographs/characters themselves, or various homophones or objects with relevant attributes. Shu is instantly recognizable. "He holds in his hand a large peach, and attached to his long staff are a gourd and a scroll. The stag and the bat both indicate fu happiness. The peach, gourd, and scroll are symbols of longevity."[2] His most striking characteristic is, however, his large and high forehead, which earned him the title "Longevity Star Old-pate".[2]

The Chinese character shu () is usually found on textiles, furniture, ceramics and jewelry, generally in its more complex ideograph (), but also in its simplified (post-1950) form (). The ideograph may appear alone or be surrounded by flowers, bats, or other good luck symbols, but will always hold a central position.

Longevity is commonly recognized as one of the Five Blessings (wf - longevity, wealth, health, love of virtue, a peaceful death) of Chinese belief[3] that are often depicted in the homophonous rendition of five flying bats because the word for "bat" in Chinese (f ) sounds like the word for "good fortune" or "happiness" or in this case, "blessings".[4] In this arrangement, the shu ideograph sometimes takes the dominant central position, replacing the fifth bat.

Other symbols in Chinese iconography that represent longevity include pine trees, cranes, spotted deer, special collectors' stones (shush ), peaches, and tortoises.[5] These are often depicted in small groupings to emphasize the central, symbolic meaning of the picture (for example, cranes standing amongst pine trees).

Perhaps the most common Chinese auspicious saying concerning longevity is that found on scrolls in nearly every Chinese calligraphy shop in the world: shu shn f hi (), which can be translated as "May your life be as steadfast as the mountains and your good fortune as limitless as the seas".

Since 2017, the version 10 of the Unicode Standard features a rounded version of the symbol () in the "Enclosed Ideographic Supplement" block, at code point U+1F262 (ROUNDED SYMBOL FOR SHOU).[6]

As a sign for a resonant cultural concept, the character became a part of many Chinese names (e.g. Palace of Tranquil Longevity in Beijing). The Japanese equivalent is Kotobuki (see Nakajima Kotobuki, Tsukasa Kotobuki). See also Jurjin (Shou Laoren) and Fukurokuju.

Chinese pilgrim bottle of "famille rose" porcelain with the character Shou

Song Dynasty lacquer art hulu with Shou and a bat on it

Plate 35 from the book Examples of Chinese Ornament by Owen Jones in 1867. The Shou pattern can be seen.

Plate 39 from the same book. The Shou pattern can be seen.

Plate 52 from the same book. The Shou pattern can be seen.

Plate 58 from the same book. The Shou pattern can be seen.

Plate 73 from the same book. The Shou pattern can be seen.

Plate 86 from the same book. The Shou pattern can be seen.

Shou character written by Hai Rui at Qiandao Lake. The character can be viewed either right-side up or upside down to read "Shou".

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Shou (character) - Wikipedia

Despite its relatively recent arrival into the world of MMA, Hard Knocks 365 is no more.

The Florida-based gym founded by Henri Hooft and Greg Jones in 2017 quickly established itself as one of MMAs premier super teams. In particular, 2019 has been particularly successful with Kamaru Usman becoming UFC welterweight king, Aung La N Sang continuing his reign atop of ONEs middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, and prospects including Adam Borics and Logan Storley showing impressive development.

However, it was recently announced that, following a takeover by health giant Sanford Health, Hard Knocks 365 is no more. Not only is the team in the process of constructing another gym in Deerfield Beach, Florida, it has also rebranded as Sanford MMA.

The Body Locks John Hyon Ko recently spoke to two men who will undoubtedly benefit from these changes, ONE champions Aung La N Sang and Martin Nguyen, and its safe to say, theyre very excited.

Theres no more Hard Knocks, Nguyen said. Our team got sponsored by Sanford Health which is a huge health company. Were now sponsored by them and well get top of the range medical assistance; weve got doctors following us around. Everything is on hand; weve got a brand-new gym set up in Florida. I cant wait to see it. The name is now Sanford MMA, theres no more Hard Knocks 365.

Aung La N Sang echoed that sentiment. Its gonna change the game for sure man, our facility is awesome, N Sang said. I went there today and its amazing. Three times the size of what it was. There were about two dozen rooms at the back for medical attention and recovery. I cant get hurt now!

Nguyen also revealed that, as far as he is aware, the new facility will become the primary destination for the teams premier athletes. Footage has already shown that the new gym might be the state-of-the-art gym in MMA and for fighters like Kamaru Usman, Michael Chandler, and Vicente Lique, this can only benefit performance. The old facility will become home to a development team with a goal of creating the next generation of Sanford MMA fighters, something Nguyen is incredibly excited about.

From what I understand, through Henri explaining it, the Hard Knocks gym is still going to be there, Nguyen said. Itll just be called Sanford MMA. Thats going to be our training center for our development team which theyre going to build.

The other gym will be for the higher-tier guys. In terms of creating that next generation, theyll still be training with the top guys on some days, but itll also give them that little itch to try and step up to that next level and step up their training. I think that the development team is going to be awesome.

With an impressive platform already built by Henry Hooft and Greg Jones, this rebrand and sponsorship can only offer further benefits to the fight team. Sanford Health has been involved in sport for some time, providing performance and recovery services for NFL players including Carson Wentz, Kyle Rudolph, and Adam Thielen, a program called Sanford POWER.

While Hard Knocks 365 already boasted outstanding MMA and strength and conditioning services, access to state-of-the-art health facilities and expert medical professionals will certainly be an added bonus. In particular, Dr. Bradley Reeves has worked with countless Sanford MMA fighters already, and Nguyen considers him a significant asset to the team.

He follows us around every bout now to make sure were all medically cleared and that everything is under control, Nguyen said.Post-bout, we always get checked by him and since starting to work with him, I feel unbelievable.

Its the little things that count the most and were blessed to have him on our team. Everything is on hand. Whatever he needs, whatever we need when it comes to recovery and post-flight checks. Its crazy.

Aung La N Sang also commented on the relief of having Dr. Reeves by his side. He fixed Robbie Lawlers knee, the torn MCL, he was able to put it back together, N Sang said. Luke Rockhold had his shin injury and Dr. Reeves was able to fix that too.

For me, its a relief; especially as I get older, we do have more injuries, and this is rejuvenating. I have this great team of guys behind me. I know I can go out there and do my best and perform better than before.

Founded in 1894, Sanford Health is a health-care provider based in the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Nebraska. Its work primarily concerns five areas: cancer, childrens heart, orthopedics, sports medicine, and womens health, and this sponsorship marks a deepening involvement in MMA for the company.

Over the last few years, Sanford Health doctors have conducted significant and research into concussion, and have worked with fighters to do so; this deal offers a chance for the organization to improve the current protocol. Sanford Health is also interested in refining procedures involving the time fighters take to recover following fights, likely an area that needs significant improvement. Dr. Reeves described the deal as the culmination of several years of putting an effort into MMA and getting ourselves in a position to enhance the sport and to also work with world-class athletes.

In a sport where injury, concussion, and brain damage are constantly issues of concern, having a huge health care organization involved in the improvement of procedure can surely only benefit fighters. Where issues may arise is if Sanford Health begins using team fighters in studies on concussion and fighter safety, with some expressing concern about health care organizations sponsoring research subjects.

In an interview with the West Central Tribune, Dr. Carl Elliot expressed concern about the deal, saying Youre not just investing in a sport where youre taking care of your own players. Youre helping them beat their opponents senseless, which seems a little contrary to the mission of medicine. For now, however, no plans exist for such research to take place.

Throughout 2019, Henri Hooft and Greg Jones team has already established itself as one of the premier destinations for MMA talent. However, one of the characteristics that set the elite gyms apart from the average ones is longevity and this partnership with Sanford Health seems to offer a path to achieving that, not just through the provision of excellent facilities, but also through the creation of the development team.

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Hard Knocks 365 rebrands to Sanford MMA with sponsorship from Sanford Health - The Body Lock

Singularity HubEasy to read, and easy to understand, 100+ walks you through the incredible achievements in regenerative medicine we've already seen, projects them forward, and discusses the changes in environment, economy, family, and religion that will follow.... Arrison states her case strongly enough to convince almost anyone, and in a style that will be as accessible to your techno-phobic Uncle Walter as it is to your computer loving self.Garry KasparovAt a time when companies think only of quarterly results and politicians do not look beyond the next election, Sonia Arrison provides a fascinating look at the very long view. If mankind focuses its energy, there is no limit to our livesor our lifespans.Aubrey de Grey, Ph.D.; chief science officer, SENS FoundationArrison has crafted an eminently readable and informative survey of the state of play in the crusade against humanity's oldest and greatest foe. By educating readers about both the science and the social context of the quest to postpone age-related ill-health, she has surely hastened the development of such therapies, and thereby saved many thousands of lives.

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George Church, Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical SchoolThis much-needed book beautifully integrates the history and science (even genomics) of extending our healthy years. Arrison presents the latest of diverse data types in a very clear and engaging manner. I can hardly wait for a potential sequel200 Plus, anyone?Matt Ridley, author of The Rational OptimistSonia Arrison's brilliant account of how and why we will all soon get the chance to live much longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives is thoroughly researched, persuasively argued, elegantly written and rationally uplifting. This is an important and lively book.Peter H. Diamandis, MD, Chairman/CEO, X PRIZE Foundation and Chairman/Co-Founder, Singularity UniversityExponentially growing technologies such as biotech, artificial intelligence, and nanosciences are rapidly deciphering the source code for human beings. I have every expectation that this biological information will yield effective longevity strategies and therapies within the next few decades. Such fountains of youth will impact all aspects of our lives and our society.Arrison's book is a must read for anyone thinking about the future.

Washington Independent Review of BooksThe final chapter makes 100 Plus must reading for anyone who wants to have a voice.Singularity WeblogThe book is very well researched and deals with the most profound implications of life-extension and super-longevity.... Despite its complex topic, advanced scientific matter and hefty goals, it manages to weave the narrative in a very accessible, easy to understand and deeply engaging way. At the same time, providing a number of illuminating, counter-intuitive conclusions that only a deep, unprejudiced and honest researcher can reach.Huffington Post100 Plus lays out the lifespan conundrum in engaging detail.... The book is chock full of stories featuring new medical and technological innovation.

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Posted: May 1, 2019 at 8:50 am

Alzheimers disease affects one in three seniors, according to the Alzheimers Association. But that doesnt account for all those impacted by the disease. Cronkite News

Shehad researched Alzheimers disease and its effects on the brain for years, but it wasnt until her own mothers memory began to slip that Dr. Eva Feldman, a University of Michigan neurologist,truly grasped how devastating the disease is.

Margherita Feldmanwas 88 when she movedin June 2017 to the memory care unit of an assisted living home in Saline. And although her memory loss wasnt as acute as some of the other residents, itswhen the cruelty ofthe disease nowthe sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and the scope of the Americas Alzheimers crisis became clear to her daughter.

I learned more about dementia and Alzheimers disease spending lots of hours in that memory care unit than I did as a long-standing, practicing neurologist, said Dr. Feldman, who is the director of the University of Michigans Program for Neurology Research & Discovery.The people in the memory care unit, some were very violent. Some were very passive. Some were very young with really severe memory loss with early-onset Alzheimers. You could see the whole myriad of presentations and you could understand what an enormously difficult disease that it is for the patient, but also for the families.

Dr. Eva Feldman and her mom, Margherita Feldman, pose together for a photograph in December 2017. Three months later, Margherita Feldman, who had Alzheimers disease, died.(Photo: Feldman family photo)

In her work,but also while visiting with her mom, Dr. Feldman considered theenormityof theAlzheimers problem: About5.8 million Americansnow have the disease, according to thethe Alzheimers Association. That number will climb to at least 13.8 million by 2050,a 138%rise, and as many as 1 in 3 people who live to be 85 in the United States will die with Alzheimers disease.

We are really in an epidemic, Dr. Feldman said, driven largely bybaby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964), who are growing older and coming to an agewhen the disease most commonly strikes.

Alzheimers disease is a form of dementia. Little is known about specifically what combination of factors causesAlzheimers disease, though scientists saygenetics, lifestyle and environmental exposures most likelyplay into it.

Dr. Rebecca Edelmayer, director of scientific engagement for the Alzheimers Association, explained that three specificbrain changes define the disease:

The most commonly recognized early symptom is a memory problem, said Jennifer Lepard, the president and CEO of the Alzheimers Association Greater MichiganChapter, but the disease doesnt always initially present that way.

Before memory loss, it can even bewhat we would call aneffect on your executive functioning, so itsyour ability to process information, make good decisions on complicated factors, planning, she said.One of the best examples of that is sometimes people begin to have trouble with finances.People who have always paid the bills, run the household budget, all of a sudden cant.

One of the reasons its not always easy to see the memory issues up front isits not always the earliest and most prevalent sign, but also because people that have what are called high cognitive reserves people who have a lot of education, who maybe had done very demanding jobs in the past and really utilized their brain a lot are sometimes very good at hiding symptoms and overcompensating.A lot oftimes, they know theyre having some memory issues and some problems, but they are pretty good at making sure that you dontsee it.

New study: Michigans manufacturing legacy may be affecting our health, environment

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As the disease progresses, there can be confusion about time and place, difficulty speaking and writing, poor judgment, changes in mood and personality, aggression and agitationand being unable to recognizeloved ones, according to the Alzheimers Association. Eventually, people lose the ability to speak, walk, sit and even to swallow.

Anyone with a brain, when they get older, is at risk of developing Alzheimers, Lepard said.There are a number of people that think, well, it wasntin my family, so Im sure I dont have it. And that is not the case.

Although the majority of people who get Alzheimers disease are 65 and older, Dr. Feldman said its also important tounderstand thatAlzheimers is not a normal part of aging, and it does also sometimes occur inyounger people. About200,000 Americans under the age of 65 have early-onset Alzheimers disease, she said.

Dr. Eva Feldman, a University of Michigan neurologist, professor and director of Michigan Medicines Program for Neurology Research & Discovery.(Photo: Scott C. Soderberg, University of Michigan Photography)

Other risk factors include your family history (especially if a first-degree relative has had Alzheimers disease), type 2 diabetes and obesity, high blood pressure, previous brain trauma, and your APOE-e4 status thisis the first risk gene identified and remains the gene with strongest impact on risk, Dr. Feldman said.

Women, too, are at greater risk. As are people of African American and Latino descent.

The average person with Alzheimers disease will live four to eightyears after diagnosis, said Lepard, and about 40% of that time, the personwill be in the most severe form of the disease, which requires around-the-clock care.

So, if you take a person who lives eight years after diagnosis, for three of those years, that person will be in the most severe aspects of the disease and will need 24-hour care and have lost most of their ability to keep up with the activities required in daily living, Lepard said.

The intensity of care that people need when the disease has progressed that far is often beyond whattheir loved ones can handle, she said. Plus, families quickly see how expensive long-termcare can be. The average cost to Medicare for a single person with dementia in 2018 was $27,244, according to theAlzheimers Association.

Caring for people with Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementiawill cost$290 billion this year alone.But by 2050, that cost is expected to rise to $1.1 trillion annually. Its the most expensive diseasein America with care costing more than cancer and heart disease, the Alzheimers Association reports.

We really see this bankrupting Medicare at some point, Lepard said. When we talk to members of Congress about the situation and why we need to invest in more research, its becausepeople cannot afford long-term care.

Many people, until they are in the situation of needing long-term care, really dont understand how its funded. They think well, if I have Medicare, Im sure its going to cover it all. Thats not really how long-term care is paid for.

The cost goes far beyond dollars and cents, Dr. Feldman said.

Thats a drain like you cant imagine, shesaid.Theres an economic drain, a drain on those individuals ability to work and be productive in society, a medical drain in terms of the cost to take care of the patient. But then, in my mind having lived it and its not quantifiablenecessarily in terms of dollars is the emotional toll that it takes not only on the patient but on the family.

Dr. Eva Feldman is photographed with her parents, George and Margherita Feldman.(Photo: Feldman family photo)

I saw whole families fall apart in that memory care unit. I saw other families come closer together. I think most families take care of their loved one absolutely as long as they can because you see the essential spirit and essence of the person, but theyre missing that one piece, the memory.

It is the loss, really, of the person that you know right in front of your eyes, and to see what that did to wives and husbands was eye-opening to me. It is cruel, and it is very, very difficult as the primary family member to lose the person you know.

Although the number of Americans with the disease isrising,Alzheimers true toll still maybeunderestimated. The Centers for Disease Control and Preventionreports that oftenwhen people with Alzheimers disease die, the cause of death listed on their death certificates may be pneumonia, heart attack or stroke; it sometimes isntnoted that the patient also had Alzheimers disease.

It was very common its getting better now that someone would be in the late stages of Alzheimers disease and their body is not functioning, Lepard said.They would develop pneumonia and die. Did they die because they developed pneumoniaor did they die because they had Alzheimers? Our argument is that they are dying because they had Alzheimers disease.

Jennifer Lepard, president and CEO of the Alzheimers Association Greater Michigan Chapter.(Photo: Alzheimers Association of Greater Michigan)

More and more, it is being put on death certificates if not as the main cause, it might be listed as pneumonia as a result of Alzheimers disease. We are pushing for that, she said, because it creates a more accurate picture of just how huge its reach truly is.

Without an accurate idea of the scope of the problem, health officials and public policy makers are less likely to give it the attention and research dollars needed to find new and better treatments, she said.

The National Institutes of Health allocated $2.3 billion for Alzheimers disease research this year, which is up significantly from the $500 million that was awarded six years ago.

That sounds like a tremendous amount of money, but it is still much less than NIH spends on AIDS, heart disease or cancer, Lepard said. Of course, we do not want less to be spent on those diseases, but we do believe that so much progress has been made on those diseases because they have been investing the research money to do it. Thats our biggest ask.

Although some treatments can helppeople with mild or moderate Alzheimers disease in the short-term, no treatments have yet been discovered that are effective long-term in stoppingbrain degeneration or reversing memory loss. There is no cure for the disease.

Just like every disorder, the more we can understand, the more awareness, and the more governmental input we can have and research dollars, Dr. Feldman said. There are so many unanswered questions and we really do need to continually do active research in this area and try to develop therapeutics.

Among them, Dr. Feldman said, is whether the disease could be treated earlier before symptoms develop with lifestyle changes,immunotherapy or a vaccine.

The scientists in Dr. Feldmans lab areworking to develop a breakthrough treatment using enhanced lines of human neural stem cells to reduce the buildup of amyloid plaquesto improve memory and learning deficits.

We recently received a grant from the National Institute on Aging to determine exactly how these stem cells impact (Alzheimers disease) and improve memory, she said.

She is fascinated, too, by thepower of music to stir remembrancesin people who have Alzheimers disease.

My mother was born and raised in Italy, and toward the end, she wasnt really speaking a great deal, Dr. Feldman said.Shed speak to me and have conversations, but she was definitely declining.

Margherita Feldman holds her children, Eva and George, on her lap for this passport photo.(Photo: Feldman family photo)

One evening, Dr. Feldman recalledtakingher mother to a sing-along at the assisted living center. A musiciansang many old-fashioned, well-known songs like A Bicycle Built for Two.

Since my mom didnt grow up here as much in her early life, she didnt know some of the songs the other residents knew, she said. But then, the guystarted singing a song in Italian. My moms eyes lit up, and she sang the entire song with him. And I looked at her, and she gave me a big smile, and then she kind of went back into herself, and the memory faded once again.

I saw that many times with music among the other residents. So, you know, its very interesting how music activates the mind. There are still parts of the brain that are working, and a lot of them still have their essential personalities. They just lost their memories.There are so many unanswered questions.

Margherita Feldman was 18 when this photograph of her sitting on a bench in Italy after World War II.(Photo: Feldman family photo)

Dr. Feldman, whose mother died in March 2018, said its hard to pinpoint what is most important moving forward.

As a doctor, I will tell you that early diagnosis, lifestyle intervention (diet/exercise), ensuring optimal care, safety and quality of life for the patient is the most important thing, she said.As my mothers daughter, I will tell you that remembering that the person affected may have lost their memory, but not their spirit, or some would say, their soul.

Contact Kristen Jordan Shamus: 313-222-5997 or kshamus@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kristenshamus.

The Alzheimers Associationis running the largest clinical trial of its kind in the U.S.to better to understand the best lifestyle interventions for people at risk for developing Alzheimers disease, said Dr. Rebecca Edelmayer, director of scientific engagement for the Alzheimers Association.

Called the U.S. Pointer Study, the association is recruiting 2,000 people ages 60-79 from diverse backgrounds to examine howbetter management of cardiovascular health factors,nutrition, exercise and social and cognitive stimulation can have has an effect on Alzheimers disease.

At this point, there have not been large enough trials to really understand in detail what the best recommendation in terms of modifiable risk factors should be for individuals living at risk of cognitive decline as we age, she said.

To learn more about whether you or someone you know might be a candidate for the U.S. Pointer Study or other Alzheimers disease clinical trials, go to:https://trialmatch.alz.org

Read or Share this story: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/04/30/alzheimers-disease-rates-rising-baby-boomers/3539418002/

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May 2019 Longevity Medicine

The coronovirus outbreak has reminded us of the importance of public health responses in managing the spread of disease.

But what actually is public health? And why are we so often hearing from public health experts about the coronavirus and other health threats?

In broad terms, whereas medicine primarily focuses on treating disease in individuals, public health focuses on preventing disease and improving health in communities.

Public health activities are far-reaching and varied. They include health promotion campaigns, infectious disease surveillance and control (as in the response to coronavirus), ensuring access to clean air, water and safe food, screening for disease, community health interventions and policy and planning activities.

Here are three examples which show the important role public health plays.

Read more: It's now a matter of when, not if, for Australia. This is how we're preparing for a jump in coronavirus cases

The development of vaccines to protect against infectious diseases is one of the most significant achievements in both medicine and public health. Vaccines have prevented literally millions of deaths the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates at least ten million globally between 2010 and 2015 and spared countless others from getting sick.

We now rarely see diseases such as polio, measles and mumps in the developed world thanks to the effectiveness of vaccines. The fact we can protect individuals and communities against some of the deadliest diseases by a simple and safe injection is one of the miracles of modern medicine.

The delivery of vaccines to communities throughout the world and the reduction in disease as a result of this is a testament to public health and its power.

Perhaps the greatest example of the effect vaccines have had on the health of populations globally is the eradication of smallpox. A viral disease characterised by fever and a pustular rash, smallpox was one of the most devastating infectious diseases weve ever seen. It killed around 300 million people in the 20th century alone.

To eradicate smallpox, public health physicians sought to identify new cases swiftly. Then people the cases had come into contact with were vaccinated as quickly as possible to prevent the disease spreading further, a public health measure called ring vaccination. This campaign began in earnest in 1967, with the WHO declaring smallpox eradicated in 1980, in whats regarded as one of the greatest public health achievements of modern times.

Read more: Health Check: which vaccinations should I get as an adult?

Although theres still a lot of work to do, smoking rates have declined over recent decades, with great benefits to our health.

When science established a clear link between smoking and poor health outcomes, the role of public health was to get this message out to the public and implement measures to minimise smoking rates.

Weve managed to reduce deaths due to tobacco through interventions such as health promotion campaigns providing information to the public about the dangers of smoking, restrictions on cigarette advertising, plain packaging, restrictions on smoking in public places, increased taxes on cigarettes, as well as increased access to cessation programs.

Tobacco control is one of the major achievements of public health. This is especially true as weve often had to fight against the industry, or big tobacco, to get these initiatives off the ground.

Read more: Can we trust Big Tobacco to promote public health?

Tobacco control is also a great example of how coordinated actions from a number of different government sectors can be targeted to address a major public health challenge.

Australia has been recognised as a world leader in this area.

Motor vehicles have been a great advancement in modern society, but have also been a major cause of injury and death.

Road deaths in industrialised countries have declined significantly in the last few decades. This reduction has occurred despite the increased number of drivers and distances travelled on the roads in this period.

Weve been able to achieve these safety improvements and therefore reductions in deaths with the help of a wide variety of interventions.

For example, increased regulation in motor vehicle design standards, improved roads, seatbelt regulation, speed limits, drink driving deterrents and the education of drivers.

Despite the gains made, road traffic accidents remain a leading cause of death worldwide, and are a particular problem for developing countries. So theres still much work to be done in this area.

Read more: A new approach to cut death toll of young people in road accidents

Public health has played a major role in the increased health and longevity we take for granted in the modern world. But its perhaps an area we dont give much thought to.

One of the reasons public health gains may be under-appreciated is that they are marked by the absence of disease, which can often go unrecognised. For example, while its clear when a life has been saved by a medical intervention, its much less obvious when disease has been prevented.

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Smallpox, seatbelts and smoking: 3 ways public health has saved lives from history to the modern day - The Conversation AU

Palm Springs Life Extension Institute is the only clinic in the country that owns a U.S. Patent for growth hormone and other bio-identical hormone replacements. It is the only clinic that offers a $25,000 Cash Reward for anyone who has a difference between their chronological age (birth date) and their biological age as measured by a DNA-TELOMERE test. Many of its patients, including the founder, Dr. Edmund Chein, M.D. have accomplished this miraculous feat.As the only clinic in the U.S. that specializes in Longevity Medicine, the cliniccures menopause, andropause, atherosclerosis, elevated cholesterol, and hypertension without drugs or pharmaceuticals. It cures these diseases with bio-identical hormones and nutrition. It treats the cause of the disease and cures it rather than controlling the disease with pharmaceuticals.WHAT IS BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY?

It is the use of bio-identical hormones and nutrition to cure and eliminate age related diseases such as hypertension, cholesterol elevation, osteoporosis, menopause, andropause, erectile dysfunction, atherosclerosis, dementia and Alzheimers disease.

Hormones are emails, faxes and letters between organs in the body. Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, including the use of Growth Hormone, is safe because the doctors simply replace the levels to the levels you had them when you were in your 20s. We do NOT push the levels beyond the physiological maximum of a 20 year old (like what the therletes do- which is why Testosterone became a controlled substance and estrogen is not). If one did not get any side effects when they were 20 years old, why would they get any side effects when they hormone levels return to a 20 year old level? In doing so, your aging process is slowed down, your biological age is reversed, andyour life expectancy is prolonged as a natural consequence. Age related diseases arecured. Menopause and Andropause are eliminated

The need for bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is established by blood or saliva tests. When the levels of the hormones are not OPTIMAL, one needs replacement, regardless of the age. The reference range is again that of a 20 year old, NOT that of a 60 year old. (The reason is we do not want the age related diseases associated with the 60 year olds. Otherwise, it would be normal to have hypertension, elevated cholesterol, diabetes, and atherosclerosis). Any who has optimal hormone levels thus do not need replacement.

There are many products and therapies in the world that claim to do the above. But no product, its owner, or its inventor had put their biological age as measured by any means- including telomere ( the most scientific one) on the web to show that the owner, manufacturer, or the inventor had succeeded in achieving biological age reversal, a necessary PREREQUISITE for extending health span or life span. Palm Springs Life Extension Institute is the only clinic that not only achieved this, but offers a $25,000 cash reward for anyone who can beat our achievement.

Check out Dr. Cheins peer reviewed 2,000 human subject study publication that he did with Dr. Cass Terry of Medical College of Wisconsin. Check out his status as the first physician in the USA to use Growth Hormone for replacement in adults, his other medical inventions, his books, and the videos on YouTube. Get In Touch with us to get the complete guidance regarding our products and services.

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Hormone Replacement Therapy | Hormonal Imbalance Treatment

San Diego Community News Group

By nature, human beings are social creatures. Yet, as we age, personal dynamics and lifestyles change, which can result in loneliness and isolation. With older adults increasingly moving into senior living or retirement communities, researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine sought to identify the common characteristics of residents who feel lonely in these environments.

Loneliness rivals smoking and obesity in its impact on shortening longevity, said senior author Dilip V. Jeste, MD, senior associate dean for the Center of Healthy Aging and Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine. It is a growing public health concern, and its important that we identify the underlying causes of loneliness from the seniors own perspectives so we can help resolve it and improve the overall health, well-being, and longevity of our aging population.

Jeste noted that there are few published qualitative studies about loneliness among older adults in the independent living sector of senior housing communities, where shared common areas, planned social outings and communal activities are intended to promote socialization and reduce isolation. So why are many older adults living in this type of housing still experiencing strong feelings of loneliness? asked Jeste.

The new study, published online in the January 10, 2020 issue ofAging and Mental Health, found that peoples experience of living with loneliness is shaped by a number of personal and environmental factors.

Researchers conducted one-and-a-half-hour individual interviews of 30 adults ages 67 to 92, part of an overall study evaluating the physical, mental and cognitive functions of 100 older adults living in the independent living sector of a senior housing community in San Diego.

In this communal setting, 85 percent of the residents reported moderate to severe levels of loneliness. Loneliness is subjective, said Jeste. Different people feel lonely for different reasons despite having opportunities and resources for socialization. This is not a one size fits all topic.

Three main themes emerged from the study:

Age-associated losses and inadequate social skills were considered to be primary risk factors for loneliness. Some residents talked about the loss of spouses, siblings, and friends as the cause of their loneliness. Others mentioned how making new friends in a senior community cannot replace deceased friends they grew up with, said first author Alejandra Paredes, Ph.D., a research fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

The feeling of loneliness was frequently associated with a lack of purpose in life. We heard powerful comments like, Its kind of gray and incarcerating, said Jeste. Others expressed a sense of not being attached, not having very much meaning and not feeling very hopeful or being lost and not having control.

The research team also found that wisdom, including compassion, seemed to be a factor that prevented loneliness. One participant spoke of a technique she had used for years, saying if you're feeling lonely, then go out and do something for somebody else. That's proactive, said Jeste. Other protective factors were acceptance of aging and comfort with being alone. One resident told us, Ive accepted the aging process. Im not afraid of it. I used to climb mountains. I want to keep moving, even if I have to crawl. I have to be realistic about getting older, but I consider and accept life as a transition, Jeste noted. Another resident responded, I may feel alone, but that doesn't mean Im lonely. I'm proud I can live by myself.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, by 2029, more than 20 percent of the United States population will be over the age of 65. It is paramount that we address the well-being of our seniors they are friends, parents, and grandparents of the younger generations, said Jeste. Our study is relevant to better understand loneliness within senior housing and other settings to so we can develop effective interventions.

Co-authors include: Ellen Lee, Lisa Chik, Saumya Gupta, Barton Palmer, Lawrence Palinkas, all at UC San Diego; and Ho-Cheol Kim, IBM Research-Almaden.

Funding for this research came, in part, from the NARSAD Young Investigator grant from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH T32 Geriatric Mental Health Program MH019934 and R01MH094151-01), the Stein Institute for Research on Aging and the IBM Research AI through the AI Horizons Network.

Full study:https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2019.1699022

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UCSD study aims to find underlying causes of loneliness in seniors - By nature human beings are social creatures. Yet as we age personal dynamics and...

Chances are you drink coffee every day without giving it a second thought. But have you ever stopped and wondered,Is this even good for me?.

Theres a lot of conflicting advice out there offering a varying degree of opinions on caffeine and how coffee interacts with the body. And thats because coffee has gone through quite the transformation in recent years.

We now have coffee spiked cosmetics, coffee grounds as a seasoning, and home kits for brewing coffee and cold brew populate Millenial countertops across the country.

But lets not forget the biggest contributor to coffees meteoric rise in popular culture. Every cornerisnowdominated by the familiar green logo emblazoned with a white mermaid. In Chicago alone, there are 796 Starbucks.Thisincludes a 35,000 sq ft. location predicted to roast nearly200,000 pounds of coffee beansannually. The Starbucks Reserve Roastery Chicago was so highly anticipated that Rewards members admittedly skipped work to attend its grand opening.

I love the space. Its very unique, and everyone is friendly, and this location it is in the heart of where everyone wants to be.

In April 2020, Pepsi will release a line of canned coffee-infused cola beverages under the name Pepsi Cafe. Coca-Cola is not far behind with Coke Plus Coffee potentially making its US debut in 2020 to compete.

Its not just large chains bringing coffee into mainstream culture. There are thousands of boutique roasteries, hipster cafes, and one-off shops paving the way for coffee trends in 2020 and beyond. From nitro cold brew to health-conscious blends, coffee drinkers are expecting more than the traditional black sludge.

The truth is, a lot goes on under the surface that we dont even think about. Heres everything you need to know:

Lets digress for a moment and look at what coffees most polarizing stimulant does to your central nervous system. Caffeine acts on a chemical in your brain called adenosine. According to neurologist Ajay Sampat, M.D., Adenosine is like a sleep-inducing molecule that your brain makes while youre awake. The longer youre awake, the more adenosine you have in your system.

He further explains that caffeine is essentially an adenosine antagonist, binding to molecules of adenosine and lessening its sleep-inducing effects

Caffeine is so effective because it peaks right away and then lingers in your system for hours. Typically, the half-life of caffeine is around four to six hours, meaning that four to six hours after consumption, about half of that caffeine is still in your system.

One of the biggest knocks against coffee is the disruption it can have on healthy sleep cycles.

Caffeine can increase your arousal frequency how many times your brain wakes up each night, though you may not remember

However, some studies have begun to debunk this claim.

Professionals from Harvard Medical School and Flordia Atlantic University studied 785 people for a total of 5,164 days and nights, arriving at the conclusion that beverages containing caffeine are less likely to cause sleep disturbances than most of us think.

It often depends on the individual. If you have had a cup of coffee every evening for twenty years, you may not have trouble sleeping.

While drinking coffee has been linked to all sorts of health benefits and issues, there are a few elements clouding our understanding. Again, coffee appears to affect everyone differently. Some people get headaches and restlessness from a simple cup of black coffee. Others are able to take down multiple espresso shots without noticing much of a difference.

Part of this stems from tolerance. There are also tons of different variables that come into play.

In Harvard Health Publishing, Dr. Stephen Juraschek, an internal medicine specialist says, While caffeine can give you a temporary mental and physical boost, its impact depends on how much you consume and the source.

This is what a lot of people forget: theres a big difference between drinking one or two servings of black coffee every day and making multiple trips to Starbucks for a Cinnamon Roll Frappuccino.

Research at Duke University shows that daily consumption of caffeine in coffee, tea, or soft drinks increased participants daily sugar levels by nearly 10 percent, boosting their risk of cardiovascular disease and obesity. Even if you avoid loads of sugars and fats dumped in a latte, just adding cream and sugar to your homebrewed coffee could quickly skyrocket to over 200 calories per serving.

Its no secret that drinking coffee is linked to mood spikes, alertness, and overall mental function. A recent article produced by the Italian Longitudinal Study found that coffee consumption habits may even reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

Many of the nutrients in coffee beans make their way into the finished brewed coffee.

A single cup of coffee contains:

Coffee even shows more antioxidant activity than other highly touted beverages like green tea. Theres also some evidence that coffee may lower the risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes. In fact, a Dutch study analyzing data from more than 37,000 people over a period of 13 years, found that moderate coffee drinkers (who consumed between two to four cups daily) had a 20 percent lower risk of heart disease as compared to heavy or light coffee drinkers, and nondrinkers.

Caffeine is a performance and endurance enhancer; not only does it fight fatigue, but it also strengthens muscle contraction, reduces the exercisers perception of pain, and increases fatty acids in the blood, which supports endurance. While some people believe that coffee is dehydrating, it doesnt have much, if any, interference with exercise if consumed at a reasonable level.

In most cases, coffee appears to promote a number of health benefits- some observational studies even indicate that it can boost our longevity.

Despite some of the common misconceptions about coffee, we still need to be careful when choosing our coffee source. Obviously, drinking it the least amount of additional ingredients is best. We often dont notice or even care to pay attention to the additives a lot of companies include in their beverages, but those ingredients can add up fast.

So how much is safe or even beneficial? Realistically, youd consume coffee the way you consume other products of that nature: only when you need it most, and not in large amounts every day, says Laura Juliano, Ph.D., a psychology professor at American University.

This article first appeared on Medium.

Originally posted here:
Here's what drinking coffee actually does to your body - Ladders

Expert in Aging, Ken Dychtwald, to Deliver Keynote Address. Powerhouse Speakers Represent AARP, NIA, Ziegler LinkAge, Home Instead.

ATLANTA, Feb. 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- What's Next Longevity Business Summit kicks off its 17th year as the premier curator of 300 thought leaders in aging March 26, 2020 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta with networking and discussions about trends, innovations and opportunities for serving age 50+ consumers. The conference will feature power-packed panels on the theme of "Mobility, Memory, Money and Marketing" and how to capitalize on the $7.6 trillion longevity economy.

"This summit is like earning a mini-MBA in the longevity market," said Mary Furlong, a successful entrepreneur and author in aging. Her company, Mary Furlong & Associates,has produced What's Next summits for 17 years to spot trends, match investors with innovators and close deals in the lucrative longevity market. "There's a gold mine in the golden years. In 2020, I believe we will see more women at the epicenter of global purchasing power and innovative solutions for an aging society."

Entrepreneurs will hear from investors Ziegler LinkAge, Nationwide Ventures and Portfolia on how to obtain funding; companies like Home Instead about opportunities in deal-making with distribution partners; top research agencies about customer insights and market research trends; researchers about innovative programs driving dementia care and brain health and so much more.

This year's keynote address, "The Next Wave: How Boomer Retirees Will Redefine Money, Consumerism, Family, Work, Housing, Mobility, Health and Success," will feature one of the visionaries in aging, Ken Dychtwald, author and co-founder of Age Wave.

"I'm looking forward to sharing my latest ideas on which industries, products and services will dominate the emerging longevity marketplace many of which are hiding in plain sight," said Dychtwald. "I'll be covering everything from medical technologies on the horizon that have the potential to dramatically transform health and aging to how aging baby boomers' time affluence will redefine the travel and leisure, housing, education, media and financial services industries."

Maddy Dychtwald, author and Age Wave co-founder, will moderate an inspirational panel of businesswomen discussing female economic influence and fiscal makeovers for 2020 and beyond.

Summit attendees will receive business coaching on: scaling a business; leveraging senior housing and transportation deals; delivering for home as the new health hub; using emerging technology including Virtual Reality, Voice First and Artificial Intelligence to change consumer habits and enhance workforce development; understanding fintech and privacy issues; changes in Medicare Advantage reimbursement models; how to incorporate aging vitality and caregiver wellness into a business model; marketing success using content development and social media; designing with aging in mind and more.

What's Next Longevity Business Summit is co-produced by Lori Bitter, founder of The Business of Aging, and Sherri Snelling, CEO of Caregiving Club,and has been held concurrent with the American Society of Aging's annual Aging in America conference for the last 17 years. Summit lead sponsors include AARP Innovation Labs, GreatCall, Ageless Innovation, CareLinx, VitalTech, Medterra CBD, The Business of Aging, Susan Davis International, Caregiving Club, iN2L, Hamilton CapTel, Home Instead, myFamilyChannel, SilverRide, Outpatient, Naboso Technology, Nationwide, Portfolia, Embodied Labs, Caremerge, Stay Smart Care and Thrive. Visit boomersummit.com for more information.

About Mary Furlong/Mary Furlong & Associates

Founded in 2003, Mary Furlong & Associates (MFA) is a strategy, business development and marketing company. A serial entrepreneur, Mary founded SeniorNet.org, and ThirdAge Media (acquired by Ancestry.com), prior to MFA. For 17 years, Mary has produced the industry leading What's Next Longevity Business Summit and Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit, adding the Washington Innovation Summit and What's Next Canada in recent years. Author of Turning Silver into Gold, How to Profit in the Boomer Market and The MFA Longevity Market Report, Mary has been recognized by ASA, Fortune, Time and as one of the top 100 Women in Silicon Valley. She is an adviser to the Ziegler LinkAge Fund, CABHI and numerous startup companies in addition to her private client practice.

Story continues

About Lori Bitter/The Business of Aging

Lori K. Bitter provides strategic consulting, research and development for companies seeking to engage with mature consumers at her consultancy, The Business of Aging. Her current research, Hacking Life Shifts, in collaboration with RTI research and Collaborate, was championed by AARP, and funded by Proctor & Gamble, Bank of America, Unilever and others. She is a 2017 Influencer in Aging, named by Next Avenue and author ofThe Grandparent Economy. She was president of J. Walter Thompson's Boomer division, JWT BOOM, the nation's leading mature market advertising and marketing company, and led that firm's annual Boomer marketing event for five years.

About Sherri Snelling/Caregiving Club

Sherri Snelling is a corporate gerontologist and founder/CEO of Caregiving Club, a strategic consulting and content creation firm focused on biopsychosocial aging, Alzheimer's and caregiver wellness. Her innovative wellness programs include the Me Time Monday and 7 Ways to Caregiver Wellness workshops. She is the author of A Cast of Caregivers Celebrity Stories to Help You Prepare to Care, a contributing columnist and national speaker on caregiving and has done work for AARP, Keck Medicine of USC, UnitedHealthcare, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, LifeCare, QVC. She was chairman of the National Alliance for Caregiving and is on an Alzheimer's Association board.

Contact:

Jennifer BantaEvent Manager(925) 405-2217233385@email4pr.com

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SOURCE Mary Furlong & Associates

Originally posted here:
There's a Gold Mine in the Golden Years: What's Next Longevity Business Summit Helps Entrepreneurs Tap $7 Trillion Market - Yahoo Finance

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Searching for the meaning of life? Contentment? Happiness? According to a new study, the journey to enlightenment and satisfaction may last longer than you expect.

A study reported in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatryfound that adults often seem to find a sweet spot in life during a period of time after age 60 when many experience an intersection of mental and physical well-being with a sense of peace in terms of finding meaning in ones life.

Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine examined data from 1042 people, ages 21 to over 100 years old, who took part in a Successful Aging Evaluation (SAGE). They came to the conclusion that the presence of and search for meaning in life are important for health and well-being, though the relationships differ in adults younger and older than age 60.

Many think about the meaning and purpose in life from a philosophical perspective, but meaning in life is associated with better health, wellness and perhaps longevity, said senior author Dilip V. Jeste, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at UCSD. Those with meaning in life are happier and healthier than those without it, he said in a statementissued after the study was published online Dec. 10.

When you find more meaning in life, you become more contented, whereas if you dont have purpose in life and are searching for it unsuccessfully, you will feel much more stressed out, said Jeste.

Researchers pointed to age 60 when the presence of meaning in life peaks and a taxing, lifelong search for meaning in life is at its lowest point.

When you are young, like in your twenties, you are unsure about your career, a life partner and who you are as a person, Jeste commented. You are searching for meaning in life. As you start to get into your thirties, forties and fifties, you have more established relationships, maybe you are married and have a family and youre settled in a career. The search decreases and the meaning in life increases.

The bad news is that the happy zone doesnt last very long.

After age 60, things begin to change, said Jeste. People retire from their job and start to lose their identity. They start to develop health issues and some of their friends and family begin to pass away. They start searching for the meaning in life again because the meaning they once had has changed.

Authors of the study expect their work to provide a foundation for building blocks toward helping patients searching for purpose.

The medical field is beginning to recognize that meaning in life is a clinically relevant and potentially modifiable factor, which can be targeted to enhance the well-being and functioning of patients, said Awais Aftab, a former fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at UCSD. We anticipate that our findings will serve as building blocks for the development of new interventions for patients searching for purpose.

Going forward, there are other aspects to study in this area of research. Jeste mentioned that he expects such things as wisdom, loneliness, and compassion to be looked at in terms of how they impact meaning in life. We also want to examine if some biomarkers of stress and aging are associated with searching and finding the meaning in life, he stated. Its an exciting time in this field as we are seeking to discover evidence-based answers to some of lifes most profound questions.

Victor Rantala is an Army vet who lives in Minnesota, he is a former intelligence analyst and business owner, and is an NRA Life member who is officially retired but has yet to slow his roll.

Link:
New study pinpoints the age when life has the most meaning - BizPac Review

Streaming service: Apple TV+

When you can watch it: Jan. 17, 2020

Following the success of The Morning Show, which earned two Golden Globe nominations and Critics' Choice and Screen Actors Guild Awards, Apple TV+ continues its slate of original programming with Little America. The eight-part anthology series tells the stories of immigrants living in the United States and was already renewed for a second season in December before the show had even started streaming. The episodes are based on a collection of true stories published in Epic Magazine.

While Little America details the lives of immigrants, including a Nigerian college student in Oklahoma and a gay man from Syria living with his husband in Idaho, there is no explicit mention of Donald Trump and the show doesnt address anything overtly political.

We want these stories to stand on their own, executive producer Kumail Nanjiani told the Washington Post. We dont want this to be a medicine show, a message show. It seems like immigrations a big topic now, but obviously immigrations always been a big topic.

According to Nanjiani, this was an intentional decision from everyone involved in creating the series, including Nanjianis wife, Emily V. Gordon, Master of None co-creator Alan Yang, and The Offices Lee Eisenberg. Its 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes shows that Little America is resonating with people by telling real stories about immigrants experiences living in America.

We didnt conceive of this show as a brick through anyones window, Yang also told the Washington Post. The show is an observed portrait of eight people. The narrative of human experience is not as different as you might think.

Streaming service: Hulu

When you can watch it: Feb. 14, 2020

Hulus adaptation of High Fidelity, which was originally supposed to stream on Disney+, is a departure from Nick Hornbys 1995 novel and the 2000 film adaptation that starred John Cusack. The new 10-episode series, which starts streaming on Valentines Day, is flipping the gender of the storys main character Rob Brooks is now played by a woman: the one and only Zoe Kravitz.

Co-creator Veronica West told television reporters last Friday at a Television Critics Association (TCA) panel that she didnt want to retell the story for television without making this change.

We have so much respect for the book and the film and I think they are perfect iterations of that story. But to say that, like, its weird, we watch a lot of romantic comedies with female leads and the problem always seems to be, you cant find the right man, or youre desperate to get married, or youre self-destructive in some ways, West said. And when a man gets to be the lead, the problems are internal. And it was interesting for us to put that in a womans point of view and let her issues with romance really just be about learning how to figure out herself and not finding Mr. Right. You know, theres lots of Mr. Rights in the show, which is part of what makes it so much fun.

Kravitz plays a record store owner in Crown Heights, a gentrifying neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, who thinks back on her past relationships through music while also attempting to get past her one true love.

I lived in New York for a long time and Ive seen a lot of neighborhoods change. In terms of creating Rob in her environment, I drew upon my own experience, Kravitz said.

Da'Vine Joy Randolph also stars in the series as Robs friend Cherise, akin to Jack Blacks character in the 2000 film.

Two black women get to tell this story, Randolph said. There are many different variants within the black culture. I feel like whats so beautiful is that we got to represent the other side of that girl that you havent seen.

Streaming service: Netflix

When you can watch it: Feb. 21, 2020

America Ferrera and Wilmer Valderrama are executive producing the new Netflix series Gentefied about three Mexican American cousins living in Los Angeles who are trying to balance chasing their own dreams while staying true to the traditions of their neighborhood, including their immigrant grandfather and the local taco shop their families own.

Creators Marvin Lemus and Linda Yvette Chvez are adapting Gentefied from its original iteration as a short film, which premiered to rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017.

Ferrera and Valderrama will guest-star in the dramatic comedy series, and Ferrera directed two of the half-hour episodes.

As a producer, its a thrilling opportunity to support incredible talents like Linda Yvette Chvez and Marvin Lemus. As a Latinx millennial its a rare treat to see our lives, families, and neighborhoods depicted with such humor, heart and style, Ferrera told BuzzFeed News in a statement.

Described as a love letter to the Latinx and Boyle Heights communities, Gentefied stars Joaqun Coso, Karrie Martin, JJ Soria, and Carlos Santos. The bilingual series also explores intergenerational and cross-cultural family dynamics, like the younger characters needing to translate memes for their parents, and other themes like class and identity.

In Gentefied, we get to peek through the lens of bold Latinx storytellers as they celebrate the lives of a Latinx community navigating self-identity, class, and culture, Ferrera said. Were so proud of the show, and hope you enjoy!

Streaming service: Amazon

When you can watch it: Feb. 21, 2020

Oscar-winning actor Al Pacnio, who was most recently nominated for his ninth Academy Award for his role in Netflixs The Irishman, stars in yet another streaming project with Amazons Hunters.

The new show, created by David Weil and produced by Jordan Peeles Monkeypaw Productions, is about a group of justice-seeking Nazi hunters in 1977 New York City who have learned that hundreds of high-ranking Nazi officials live among everyday citizens and are planning another uprising. The Hunters, played by Pacino and Logan Lerman, set out to stop the Nazis by any means necessary.

During a TCA panel in Pasadena, California, Weil told reporters he had been inspired to create Hunters because of his familys history as Holocaust suvivors, calling the TV show a love letter to my grandmother.

My grandmother was a Holocaust survivor and she told me about her experiences during the war, Weil said. Hearing this felt like the stuff of comics books and superheroes.

Weil also said the show speaks to the [current] rise of anti-Semitism and xenophobia.

The purpose of the show is an allegorical tale to draw the parallels between the 30s and 40s in Europe, the 70s in New York, and what were seeing today, Weil said. This show is really a question: What do you do? For this group of vigilantes, the question it poses: If you hunt monsters, do you become monsters yourself?

Pacino said what appealed to him when he first read the script of the series, which he referred to as a 10-hour film, is the fact that things are not what they seem.

Theres an originality in this show. Its somewhat eccentric, Pacino said. Youll see it from certain angles where its not a dry thing. Theyll catch you off guard, and you really cant believe it you never know when a joke is going to come.

Streaming service: Netflix

When you can watch it: Feb. 26, 2020

The producers of the popular original series Stranger Things and the director and executive producer of the hit series The End of the F***ing World are bringing a brand-new coming-of-age series to Netflix: I Am Not Okay With This.

Originally based on the Charles Forsman graphic novel of the same name, Sophia Lillis stars as high schooler Sydney, whos grappling with complicated family dynamics and her sexuality, all while discovering she has mysterious superpowers. Lillis is known for her past roles in Sharp Objects, the It franchise, and Gretel & Hansel.

I Am Not Okay With This executive producer Jonathan Entwistle told BuzzFeed News in a statement that hes particularly excited about this new Netflix series compared to other shows hes worked on because of its supernatural element.

Yes, there is adventure, heartbreak, high school and everything in between along the way, but what this story has that is different to my other shows is that magic, Entwistle said. Oh, and some EPIC dance moves!

The YA series will consist of seven 30-minute episodes and also stars Wyatt Oleff from the It and Guardians of the Galaxy franchises as Stanley, Sofia Bryant from The Good Wife as Dina, Kathleen Rose Perkins from Episodes and Youre The Worst as Maggie, Aidan Wojtak-Hissong from The Mission and Falling Water as Liam, and Richard Ellis as Brad Lewis.

I want viewers to come away from I Am Not Okay With This absolutely in love with the characters, Entwistle said. And maybe the thought that things that feel impossible to overcome when you are 17 do get easier.

Streaming service: Hulu

When you can watch it: March 6, 2020

Hillary Clinton is the subject of a four-part documentary series coming to Hulu this March, following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 25. The Hillary docuseries follows Clinton along the 2016 presidential campaign, when she lost the Electoral College to Donald Trump but still won the popular vote.

At a TCA panel, Clinton told reporters she sat down for about 35 hours of interviews to make the docuseries and that nothing was off limits.

Its really hard watching yourself for four hours. Thank god it was only four hours, Clinton said.

The project was directed and executive produced by Nanette Burstein, who said the documentarys original focus was Clintons campaign, but because of the outcome of the election, it became about the history of womens rights and how Clinton has been the tip of the spear in various ways.

More than anything, I wanted people to understand that this is a historical figure who is incredibly polarizing and why, Burstein said. When you actually get to know her and really understand the intimate moments of her life you realize how misguided we can be in the way that we understand history and media. That is the beauty of documentary filmmaking: that you get to know the personal and the intimate and the details, and that sort of washes all of this other stuff away.

The docuseries includes unprecedented access to Clinton and footage from the 2016 campaign thats never been seen before, as well as interviews with her husband, her daughter, her friends, and journalists.

Clinton also noted that the series starts streaming three days after Super Tuesday in the middle of the primary elections.

This is an election that will have such a profound impact, she said. I want people to take their vote really seriously. Lord knows what well do if we dont retire the current president and his henchmen.

Streaming service: Hulu

When you can watch it: March 17, 2020

Based on the 2017 novel by Celeste Ng, an eight-episode adaptation of Little Fires Everywhere is coming to Hulu from Hollywood royalty: Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington. The actors are costarring as two mothers in Shaker Heights, Ohio, whose lives and families become intertwined through secrets, and also serving as executive producers.

At a TCA panel discussion, Witherspoon said shes especially happy to be able to adapt this story because she doesnt think it wouldve been possible eight years ago.

I wasnt happy with the choices that were being made for me, and I didnt see a place to exist within the industry that we had. There just wasnt a spectrum of storytelling for women that was reflective of the world that we walked through, Witherspoon said.

Washington said her character in the series adds an important element of race to the story in a way that the book doesnt address.

The book really does delve into class and sociopolitical differences and cultural differences, so I think adding the level of race to that really enriches the storytelling, Washington said. We are stepping away from this binary idea we have of race in this country, of black and white, because were also dealing with Asian American identity and immigrant identity.

In the first trailer for Little Fires Everywhere, an urgent Mia Warren (Washington) tells Elena Richardson (Witherspoon), You didnt make good choices. You had good choices.

Showrunner Liz Tigelaar said the line was written by Attica Locke and explained this was why it was important to have a well-rounded, diverse writers room for the series.

Everybody had these multiple connectivity points for the show. I cant necessarily write Mias character because that wasnt my experience, Tigelaar said. And the parts I couldnt write to, what was so great was I got to bring in seven other people who could write to those parts and then write to parts I didnt even know.

Streaming service: Amazon

When you can watch it: March 27, 2020

After hosting Project Runway together for 16 years and then announcing theyd be leaving the show in 2018, television hosts and fashion icons Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn are following the shows 18-season legacy with a brand-new fashion competition show, Making the Cut. The unscripted Amazon series will air two episodes weekly for five weeks starting on March 27.

Klum and Gunn explained why they left Project Runway and took their talents to Amazon during a TCA panel, saying they wanted to grow and evolve beyond the limits that were set for them by Bravo and Lifetime.

"Our imagination was bigger than what we were allowed to do," Klum said. "Everything kind of fell apart."

Amazons sizable budget provides for even more creative freedom, and viewers will be able to shop for the fashion pieces that are featured on each episode.

"We couldnt break out of it because there was a fear, Gunn said. Not among us were the ones who were thinking creatively and innovatively about what we wanted to do."

When it comes to body positivity and including a range of sizes on the new iteration of their show, Klum said, For us, its not really a thing anymore.

Gunn echoed Klums sentiments, saying plus-size models are an important part of inclusivity on the new show, following the legacy of Project Runway which also included a variety of sizes.

"Its the real world. Its fully integrated into Making the Cut, as its fully integrated into a good deal of the fashion industry because its the way things should be, he said.

While Making the Cut has big shoes to fill, Klum and Gunns expertise and longevity on Project Runway not to mention their built-in viewership and fanbase shows promise.

"Project Runway is the undergraduate program and Making the Cut is the graduate and PhD program," Gunn said.

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Here Are 8 New Streaming Shows You Should Check Out This Winter - BuzzFeed News

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Thane and Cynthia Murphy of Assuaged, Inc.are no strangers to physical and mental challenges. This once-bankrupt couple now lives a medically and financially debt-free life. Thane, a Marine Corps veteran, has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of the traumatic brain injury he suffered during active duty. The tragic events of 9/11 inspired Thane to join the military. Before starting boot camp, he was homeless, living in his truck and showering at 24-Hour Fitness.

Cynthia was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, a rare genetic birth defect that causes abnormalities of the face and skull. Her story is one of insecurity and at times, social torment. To date, she has endured 16 medically-necessary reconstructive plastic surgeries and faces more in the future.

The Murphys are disability activists empowering people to take charge of their own health using their award-winning proprietary mobile app Assuaged. As the couple previously suffered a myriad of diseases, they realized that eating organically nutritious foods to battle illness is challenging due to the scarcity of health resources and money. America spends3.3 trillion dollarson preventable healthcare costs annually, and400 billion dollarsis allocated towards disabilities. This challenge inspired them to seek to bridge the gap between healthcare and self-care to meet the needs of healthy living as a method for longevity.

The Murphys bootstrapped $300k towards Assuaged using Thane's disability settlement fundsand with the help of their celebrity developer Creative27(iHerb & Dr. Dre's Beats app).Their digital solution curatively aims to combat the unbearable global burden of chronic disease. Assuaged was founded on the concept of the blue zones and in the region of Loma Linda, California one of only five geographical areas in the world and the only one in the United States. Research has established that blue zones residents maintain supreme health and live past the age of one hundred.

Thane and Cynthia actively inspire people by sponsoring various charitable causes, running multiple Facebook groups, and giving back. To date, they've gifted four BAHA hearing aid devices valued over$5,000 to cranial facial familiesdenied by medical insurance. Earlier this year, they collected a donation of 2,000 pounds of organic, gluten-free, vegan flour from Arnel's Originalson behalf of Golden Wing Helping Hands to help and feed the homeless. The flour was delivered to Helping Hands Pantry and Idlewild Thrift Shop.

The Murphys support causes that work avidly against inhumane animal cruelty. They recently donated $5,000 to PETA for their efforts in combating the animal abuse prevalent in our food/agriculture supply that they believe causes cancer and disease. In addition to their charitable efforts, they also sponsored America's Got Talent's Evie Clair to perform at Kiss the Monkeys Fashion for Compassion in Rancho Santa Fe, California, where they received the Members of the Yearaward.

Thane and Cynthia are going beyond charity and unifying people through love and compassion via the Assuaged lifestyle solution. Last week they placed their first Assuaged sticker on the outside window of The Source Caf restaurant in Hermosa Beach, California. This sticker denotes handpicked restaurants and stores that are toxin-free and offer organic and vegan options.

Thane recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from Purdue University, specializing in Nutrition. He is now pursuing his Ph.D. in Holistic Medicine. Cynthia works as a craniofacial advocate, fashion model, writer, and graduate student. She is finishing a second Master's degree in Public Health while serving her internship at Patients Rising. Cynthia and her friend Candy Zavala, both born with Treacher Collins, will be walking on the modeling runway together on November 17th at the V-Inspired Fashion Show.

Media Contact:Thane and Cynthia Murphy228230@email4pr.com650-538-6633

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ace-of-trades---disabled-couple-advocates-for-wellness-using-veteran-owned-assuaged-health-technology-300948594.html

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Ace of Trades - Disabled Couple Advocates for Wellness Using Veteran-Owned Assuaged Health Technology - Yahoo Finance

This longitudinal prospective study examined the relationship between child maltreatment as per reports to child protective services (CPS) and adolescent self-reportedmarijuana use, and the association between relationships with mothers and fathers and use ofmarijuana. The association between relationships with parents early in childhood (ages 6-8 years) and during adolescence with adolescentmarijuana usewere also probed. Another aim examined whether relationships with parents moderated the link between child maltreatment and youthmarijuana use. The sample included 702 high risk adolescents from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN), a consortium of 5 studies related to maltreatment. Children were recruited at age 4 or 6 years together with their primary caregiver. Some were recruited due to their risk for child maltreatment, others were already involved with CPS, and children in one site had been placed in foster care.

Logistic regression analysis was performed using youth self-report ofmarijuana useas the criterion variable and child maltreatment and the relationships with parents as predictor variables, controlling for youths perceptions of peer substance use and parental monitoring, parental substance use, race/ethnicity, sex and study site. Approximately half the youth had usedmarijuana. Most of them described quite positive relationships with their mothers and fathers. Participantmarijuana Usewas associated with a poorer quality of relationship with mother during adolescence, and with peer and parental substance use. A better relationship with father, but not mother, during adolescence attenuated the connection between Child Maltreatment and youthMarijuana Use.

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Child Maltreatment, Relationship with Father, Peer Substance Use, and Adolescent Marijuana Use - DocWire News