Daily Archives: July 2, 2021

Packers fans will be able to watch Aaron Rodgers on the golf course in a pair of televised events – Green Bay Press Gazette

Posted: July 2, 2021 at 8:17 pm

Whether Aaron Rodgers shows up at Green Bay Packers training camp later this month remains a big question mark, but count on him next week at the American Century Championship in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

Rodgers has beena regular at the celebrity golf tournament that will welcome back fans July 6-11after spectators werent allowed last year due to COVID-19 protocols. Pairings have not yet been announced for the first round on July 9, but the list of golfers includes plenty of Rodgers' buddies.

Miles Teller is one of them. Rodgers and fiancee Shailene Woodley vacationed in Hawaii in May with the actor and his wife, Keleigh Sperry Teller, who posted Instagram photos of the foursome hiking and swimming.

Brian Baumgartner, theactor who played Kevin Malone on the American version of The Office, first met Rodgers at the American Century Championship in 2008. He told People Nowin 2020 that was his first year at the event, and he was sitting next to a guy at a blackjack table who told him he was a big fan.

It turned out he was Aaron Rodgers. I had no idea who he was. No clue. This is the summer before he became a starter," Baumgartner said. "I was like, Oh, youre the Cal guy who's never going to play because of Brett Favre, right? And we became very, very good friends since that time.

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Retired Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk, who is part of Rodgers' entourageatthe Kentucky Derby every year,Packers fan Justin Timberlake, comedian Larry the Cable Guy and former Packers player Charles Woodson are some of the other 80-plus celebrities with connections to Rodgers.

Practice rounds are July 7 and 8. NBC and NBCSN will televise the tournament live beginning at 4 p.m. CDTJuly 9 and 1:30 p.m. CDT July 10 and 11.

Prior to Tahoe, Rodgers andBryson DeChambeau will take on Tom Brady and Phil Mickelson for the much-hyped "The Match"July 6at The Reserve at Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, Montana.

Rodgers and Brady have had some fun taunting each otheron social medialeading up to themade-for-TV event that will benefit Feeding America.

"The Match" will air on TNT, with Charles Barkley, Larry Fitzgerald and Cheyenne Woods as part of the broadcast team. Live coverage begins at 4 p.m. CDT.

ContactKendra Meinertat 920-431-8347 or kmeinert@greenbay.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KendraMeinert.

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Packers fans will be able to watch Aaron Rodgers on the golf course in a pair of televised events - Green Bay Press Gazette

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4 Industries that Experience More Success in the Digital Environment – Floridanewstimes.com

Posted: at 8:17 pm

Technological advancements and innovations in the 21st century have forced various industries around the world to adapt their services to digital or get left behind. No matter the popularity of a business in todays environment, those that do not have a virtual aspect to their brand can be at constant risk of losing their customers to competitors who do.

Fortunately for some sectors, these adaptions have proven to actually promote greater success and growth in their businesses than before. In this article we take a look at a few industries who have been able to expand their reach and influence thanks to digital technology.

The Media and Entertainment Industry

Its 2021 and by now the majority of households pay for at least one video streaming subscription, if not several. However, this revolution in the media and entertainment industry was not always so, as before streaming reached widespread adoption, it was popular to rent movies from physical stores like Blockbuster and kiosks like Redbox.

This has all shifted with Netflix, one of, if not the most frequently used streaming service, with their figures showing a consistent rise in revenue year-after-year. When the company started out, they were sending DVDs through the mail to customers who were ordering them online. But the eventualtransition to a full digital service has completely changed the game, with other companies like Hulu, HBO, and Amazon Prime following suit.

Video streaming services like Amazon Prime, Netflix and Hulu have experienced massive growth in the past decade

The Casino Industry

With various improvements in the field of technology, the casino industry has also flourished in the digital world. Nowadays, gamers are no longer limited to brick-and-mortarestablishments whenlooking to enjoy their favorite slot machine titles or table games like blackjack and roulette. With access to the internet and a secure, regulated platform, the vibrant casino experience is brought directly to the user.

In fact, the industry is poised to expand with a compound annual growth rate of 11.5% from now until 2027. Whats more is that developers have made sure these gaming sites are user-friendly and filled with casino games of different types so that players have access to all the same activities they would in a physical space. Other tech innovations from Virtual Reality to Big Data, Facial Recognition Systems and more, add to the overall immersive casino experience online.

The Newspaper Industry

Its no surprise that the newspaper industry has experienced much more growth since going digital. After all, how many people do you know still receive physical newspapers through subscriptions rather than reading the daily news online? When looking at the worlds top news companies like the New York Times, for example, it becomes blatantly clear how crucial digital adoption is for growth. And as companies get better at publishing content online, an increase in revenue is inevitable.

Last year, the New York Times reported their biggest jump in digital subscribers with 393,000 new customers, bringing their grand total toover six million. Although the Times is just one example, countless other newspapers have experienced the benefits of prioritizing online news as opposed to print.

Nowadays, the act of reading a physical newspaper has largely been replaced with scrolling through news articles on a mobile phone or tablet

The Financial Industry

The financial industry has also been led by tech innovations in recent years. One of the biggest ways technology has helped people bank is through the use of money transfer applications. These services make it possible for customers to access their money and make simple transfers with ease. Some of the best peer-to-peer payment apps include PayPal, Venmo, TransferWise, and Zelle. Within seconds, these applications facilitate big and small money transfers, even internationally, while keeping your information and data secure. As time goes on, there will undoubtedly be more tech trends in banking that make peoples lives easier and financial tasks more efficient.

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4 Industries that Experience More Success in the Digital Environment - Floridanewstimes.com

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Live Dealer Casinos: The Most Reliable & Thrilling Providers Available Today – Techstory

Posted: at 8:17 pm

Live dealer casinos are a top choice for an increasing number of punters worldwide. Their popularity stems from these casinos representing the (as of now) only combination of tradition and technology. A live casino provides similar benefits as a traditional brick-and-mortar casino experience from the comfort and safety of your home. So if you need a relaxed way to enjoy casino games without bothering to visit a casino, live operators are the answer.

Whether its social distancing requirements, a lack of availability, or a general dislike towards land-based casinos, your options are not limited. Nowadays, all it takes is a smartphone, laptop, or PC, and you can enjoy casino gaming in real-time with human dealers. However, even with the increased practicality and availability, virtual casinos eliminate a fundamental aspect of casino entertainment: the human touch. Since there are countless live options today, weve compiled a list below to help make your decision easier. Lets begin.

There are crucial considerations when selecting the best live casino, but instead of putting you through that process, weve done the legwork instead. Consequently, weve come up with five of the best, most reputable, and safest live casinos you can play at today. These operators include:

This casino features numerous attractive features and reputable licensing, making it a solid choice from the get-go. Youre looking at a sizable welcome package, decent reload bonuses, a Malta Gaming Authority license, and several excellent Live games. When it comes to the best live gaming on the market, this provider is one of the casinos that offer this type of gameplay 24/7.

The first thing youll notice about this operator will be the overall gaming experience and jaw-dropping graphics. Theme-wise, the N1 team went with a nod to Monacos old-world glamour and prestige, making for an intriguing stay.

When looking at different live dealer casinos, N1 is an excellent choice due to reliability, thrill, and a player-centric approach. The game selection isnt too shabby, either, with dedicated tables for each game. Examples include live roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and numerous variations. Enjoying these live games does not require downloading a dedicated app. Instead, you can use your favorite browser to access live games.

Furthermore, you also have two ways of laying bets. The first involves using the voice chat to instruct the dealer, and the second is to use a console available on your smartphone or PC. Additionally, another advantage this live casino offers players is monitoring the dealers movements and addressing any disputes instantly. You can even play different tables simultaneously.

This operator is no longer available in the United Kingdom but has remained a favorite among UK punters. Regardless, this casino is also available in numerous other countries and welcomes punters from different regions. Youll find a complete selection of gaming titles here, with in-house developed roulette and blackjack tables.

When it comes to the top live dealer casinos you can enjoy, we recommend Royal Panda for numerous reasons. Examples include four different live casino suppliers, including Pragmatic Play, Ezugi, Authentic Gaming, and Evolution Gaming. Additionally, youre also looking at multiple language dealers, progressive jackpots, VIP roulette, dedicated tables, and more.

Royal Panda also operates under a Malta Gaming Authority license, which says plenty about its reputation and security. Overall, check out this casino if youre looking for trustworthiness and a longstanding stellar pedigree.

Contrary to its catchy name, Rizk Casino is an excellent choice if youre looking to maximize your winning chances. Live dealer casinos are available at every corner, but few feature the same dependability as this operator.

Provider-wise, you can expect the tried-and-tested Evolution Gaming platform to bid you welcome. All of the live games at this casino come from this reputable developer, and the dedicated games come to your home directly from the casinos Georgia studio. Additionally, we recommend checking out the Wheel of Rizk, known for frequent promotions and prizes to new and regular players.

Punters looking for the best live dealer casinos should not miss Mr Green Live Casino and its superb offering. Three providers have lent their platforms and gaming titles to Mr Greens library to create an impressive portfolio. One of the most pleasurable benefits of choosing this provider for your gaming sessions is the entertaining dealers. You can always count on their professionalism, in addition to the gaming selection.

Speaking of which, you can expect to see Pragmatic Plays live games here, Authentic Gamings land-based tables, and Evolution Gamings branded and dedicated tables. Theres even a dedicated Casino Royale, not to mention an attractive welcome package. Overall, this gaming provider is an excellent choice for both aspiring and experienced live gaming enthusiasts.

There is not a more satisfying way to finish our list of the best live dealer casinos than with the legendary LeoVegas. This provider features a global reputation and three different gambling licenses (Italy, Malta, and the UK). Consequently, this operator has access to numerous markets and provides live gambling services to a significant part of the globe.

Additionally, youll find five different developers creations in this casino. These providers include Playtech (not the UK one), Ezugi, Pragmatic Play, Authentic Gaming, and Evolution Gaming. There are numerous reasons to consider exploring LeoVegas besides the previously listed. Examples include dedicated tables, multiple language dealers, VIP high stakes tables, progressive jackpot games, land-based roulette titles, and more.

Besides offering an impressive gaming library, LeoVegas also features Chambre Separee, its own dedicated studio. Youre also looking at a stellar mobile and desktop virtual experience and Italian, Danish, and English dealers. Overall, when it comes to live dealer casinos youll love, this operator has everything you could want, making it a no-brainer. Good luck!

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Hotel Guest Wins $1.5 Million At The Venetian On A $5 Bet – Daily Caller

Posted: at 8:17 pm

One person recently won a shocking amount of money at The Venetian in Las Vegas.

According to a tweet from the hotels official account, an unnamed person won $1.5 million on a $5 bet on a slot machine. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The TrueKingIn TheNorthWhen It Comes To College Football)

Yes, you read that sentence above correctly. A person put $5 into a slot machine and walked away with $1.5 million.

Vegas is truly an incredible place, and I love stories about people taking home huge stacks of cash after wagering small amounts.

Its obviously insanely rare, and thats partially what makes it so damn exciting.

This also isnt the first time something like this has recently happened at The Venetian. Back in April, a man took home nearly $3 million on a Wheel of Fortune game.

Apparently, its the place to go if youre looking to cash in on slots!

Having said all of that, I have never played slots and I dont think I ever will. I just find them boring and a shade depressing.

Get me at a table and let me play blackjack. Id rather do that any day of the week in Vegas.

Props to this individual for taking home a huge chunk of cash! Dont spend it all in one place!

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Hotel Guest Wins $1.5 Million At The Venetian On A $5 Bet - Daily Caller

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The Out-of-Touch Adults’ Guide To Kid Culture: Why Are Kids Putting Garlic In Their Nose? – Lifehacker

Posted: at 8:17 pm

As the world enjoys our newfound freedom to leave our houses and the drama of the presidential election fades into memory, were all freed up to make up conspiracy theories about video games, pretend to drive invisible cars, and shove garlic up our noses.

Despite the best efforts of her many internet supporters and an impassioned plea from the singer herself, reclusive pop star Britney Spears is not freeat least not yet.

This week, district court Judge Brenda Penny declined to change Spears conservatorship in response to a request filed a few months ago by her attorney. The court maintains Britney is substantially unable to manage his or her financial resources or to resist fraud or undue influence.

The drama is sure to heat up in the days to come, especially since the firm in charge of Spears conservatorship has asked to resign, telling the court, The Conservatee claimed irreparable harm to her interests in her testimony and, more specifically, the Conservatees objection to the continuation of the voluntary Conservatorship and her desire to terminate the ConservatorshipPetitioner has heard the Conservatee and respects her wishes.

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Moms, do you wonder what your offspring really thinks about you, like beyond the Number One Mom mug you got for Mothers Day? A recent online trend may help you understand. With music from Eminems My Mom in the background, TikTokers have started telling the world about their mothers, whether theyre putting razors in their hair buns before a fight, crashing furry conventions, or exhibiting symptoms of Munchausens by proxy. The trend encompasses sad and disturbing moms, young moms, rich moms, and every kind of mom in between.

Im not going to make a TikTok video or anything, but back in the 80s, my moms hobby was cheating casinos; she used a rosary to keep count at Atlantic City blackjack tables.

Everyone is saying 18-year-old pop star Olivia Rodrigo is a thief. First, twitterers pointed out the similarities between the cover art for Rodrigos new album Sour Prom and Holes seminal Live Through This. Then, music fans noticed the likeness of Rodrigos new song Brutal and Elvis Costello and the Attractions late 70s new wave banger Pump it Up.

Theyre not wrong, either. Brutal lifts the iconic hook from Pump it Up note for note and features Costello-style self-loathing lyrics like Im not cool, and Im not smart. I cant even parallel park, too.

All pop music is theft, though, and Brutal is a great song. Elvis himself thinks so, too. He even gave a Go ahead and steal from me, kid message, tweeting This is fine by meits how rock and roll works. You take the broken pieces of another thrill and make a brand new toy. Thats what I did. Dude stole his whole style from Buddy Holly anyway.

If you can hear my exasperated sigh from wherever you are, its because people on TikTok are putting garlic up their noses.

They say that shoving a clove in your nostril will relieve the congestion that comes from summer colds, and are happily posting videos of snot pouring out of their skulls. Its very gross. Other TikTokers, like @kindminds_smarthearts, are not sold. She tried it and reports I still cant breathe and now it smells like garlic.

Surprisingly, doctors say you shouldnt put garlic up your nose. It might produce more mucous, but thats from the garlic irritating the mucus membrane, not the result of it cleaning out your nasal passages or whatever.

Both my mom when I was five and Dr. Anthony Del Signore, director of rhinology and endoscopic skull bases surgery at Mount Sinai Union Square in New York, agree We typically do not recommend putting anything into the nostril for the obvious fact that it could get dislodged or lodged up into the nasal cavity, Del Signore told Today.

The internet gaming world is abuzz with rumors that Hideo Kojima, the enigmatic creator of Metal Gear Solid, is working on a Silent Hill game.

The clues include an announced Silent Hill game that Kojima really was working on with Guillermo del Toro back in 2014, as well a teaser for a horror game called Abandonded from obscure developer Blue Box Games. The theory is that Blue Box is fake company and Abandoned is actually a Kojima-helmed Silent Hill game. When gamers started speculating, Blue Box fed the flames, posting Guess the name: Abandoned = (First letter S, Last letter L). Reveal closing in... #PS5 #Exclusive. And then deleting the tweet.

Like most internet conspiracy theories, this one probably isnt trueBlue Box has walked back the tweet and denied being a Kojima-front-company, and the rest of the evidence is shaky at bestbut still, its one of those stories that should be true, and maybe if we all wish hard enough maybe we can make it true. For more info, check out this reddit mega-thread and Kotakus deep-dive.

TikTok user @lightskinyogi can drive an invisible car and the weirdly hairless online swami has posted video after video of the trick, gaining millions of views and leaving minds blown in his wake.

Suspecting trickery as opposed to supernatural yogic power, commenters have challenged the dude with requests like, do it with a back view and put a light above you so I can see the if there are any shadows and do it with a someone standing behind you.

So far this mysterious fellow has risen to every challenge, so I can only conclude that he, and other TikTok users of the hashtag #Pzoom, actually possess supernatural abilities beyond the ken of science, and theyre using their power over physics, matter, and energy make viral internet videos.

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The Out-of-Touch Adults' Guide To Kid Culture: Why Are Kids Putting Garlic In Their Nose? - Lifehacker

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A Protest Medic Alleges a Portland Police Officer Punched Him While Wearing Tactical Gloves – Willamette Week

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Tyler Cox didnt notice the gloves until after the officer punched him.

Cox, a nurse in the intensive care unit at Oregon Health & Science University, was volunteering as a medic during a protest last August in the Pearl District, where he says a Portland police officer named Thomas Clark tackled him, forcibly removed his helmet and punched him in the face.

As WW reported last week, the Multnomah County District Attorneys Office is reviewing the case against Clark for possible criminal prosecution, according to Coxs attorney Joe Piucci. (The DAs office has declined to comment.)

The incident was caught on video, gaining widespread attention on social media and in the local news late in the summer. But Cox recalls a detail from after the skirmish that stood out to him: Clarks gloves.

Cox says Clark escorted him to a police van, where he informed Cox that he would be booked for assaulting an officer. (The DAs office has since filed a no complaint in the case against Cox, meaning he wont be charged.) Cox says he was floored the officer had accused him of being the assailant in the confrontation.

I just looked at him and was like, Excuse me? Cox now tells WW. When I was standing there, that was when I really got to take a look at the officer and the gloves he was wearing.

Cox and his attorney allege that the officer was wearing punching gloves, also known as tactical gloves, in which the knuckles are reinforced with metal or hard plastic to deliver a more powerful blow.

A bureau spokesman knew of no policy regarding whether officers were allowed to wear tactical gloves, also known as sap gloves and blackjack gloves. I am not aware of any directive related to or permission related to such gloves, says spokesman Lt. Greg Pashley. Our directives are available to review online.

Its also worth noting that Clark, the officer accused of punching Cox, has studied mixed martial arts, jiujitsu and taekwondo, and was previously deployed with the Army in Iraq, according to grand jury transcripts from 2015. Bureau spokesman Pashley says Clark has been with the bureau for over 11 years and that his current assignment is listed as Personnel leave of service.

Cox says he suffered a concussion from the incident and, in the long term, has experienced worsening depression, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, short-term memory loss and forgetfulness.

Cox and Piucci say they met with District Attorney Mike Schmidt on June 24 to discuss possible criminal prosecution of Clark. If the DAs office declines to file charges, Piucci says he is ready to file a civil lawsuit.

This was a particularly egregious criminal assault. Its imperative that police officers face accountability, Piucci says. For better or worse, that responsibility rests on the DAs office as the only effective mechanism for holding officers criminal conduct accountable.

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Newly Discovered Genetic Mutations May Increase Risk for Lou Gehrig’s Disease – University of Utah Health Sciences

Posted: at 8:14 pm

Jul 01, 2021 5:30 PM

Author: Doug Dollemore

During his 17-year career with the New York Yankees, Lou Gehrig was famed for his prowess as a hitter and for his durability on the baseball field, which earned him his nickname "The Iron Horse. Then, mysteriously, in 1938, his iron body began to figuratively rust. He couldnt run, hit, or field his position as well as he once did. When doctors finally diagnosed his condition, the news was devastating.

Gehrig had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a rare progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. People who have ALS gradually lose their ability to control muscle movement. Eventually, the condition, now often referred to as Lou Gehrigs disease, leads to total paralysis and death. Then, as now, there is no cure.

In the 80 years since Gehrigs death at age 37, scientists have sought to unravel what causes the disease and develop better treatments for it.

In the latest advance, University of Utah Health researchers have detected a set of genetic mutations that appear to increase a persons risk of developing ALS. They say the discovery of mutations in TP73, a gene that has never been associated with ALS before, could help scientists develop new therapies to slow or even stop the progression of the disease.

Its really a novel discovery that suggests a very different pathway for the onset of at least some cases of ALS that hasnt been explored before, says Lynn Jorde, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Human Genetics at U of U Health and the senior author of the study. From a scientific standpoint, its going to provide us with a more complete picture of what is going wrong in ALS and expand our understanding of what can be done to mitigate its devastating consequences.

The study appears in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

"From a scientific standpoint, its going to provide us with a more complete picture of what is going wrong in ALS and expand our understanding of what can be done to mitigate its devastating consequences."

About 85% of ALS cases are sporadic, meaning that no one in a patients family has a history of the disease. However, researchers suspect that up to 61% of sporadic ALS cases are influenced by genetic factors. But detecting those factors has been challenging.

In the past, it has been difficult to determine ALS-causing genes because only recently has sequencing technology advanced enough to feasibly sequence many patients, says Kristi L. Russell, a graduate research assistant at U of U Health and lead author of the study. Additionally, many mutations in a single patient could be considered deleterious, so one must test the candidate mutations in animal models or cell culture, an incredibly time-consuming process.

For this study, Jorde, Russell, and colleagues analyzed blood samples provided by 87 people with sporadic ALS who were being treated at U of U Health. Using a technique called exome sequencing, which zeroes in on the protein-coding regions within genes, they found five people who had rare, deleterious mutations in the TP73 gene, which plays a key role in apoptosis or programmed cell death. Then, the researchers studied data from 2,900 other sporadic ALS patients from the Utah Heritage 1K Project and the ALSdb cohort. Within these groups, they identified 24 different, rare protein-coding variants in TP73.

When the researchers did a similar analysis among 324 people who did not have ALS, the patient mutations in TP73 were not present.

In subsequent laboratory studies, knocking out or disabling TP73 in zebrafish impaired the development of nerve cells in a way that mimicked what appears to occur in ALS. Like in ALS, the zebrafish had fewer motor neurons and shorter axons, nerve fibers that transmit electrical impulses from neurons to muscle cells. This shortening could impede the axons ability to transmit impulses. Shorter axons transmit these impulses far less efficiently.

During their experiments, the researchers also found evidence that mutant TP73, which normally inhibits apoptosis in motor neurons, doesnt work properly. As a result, they suspect that apoptosis is more likely to occur.

It seems that mutant TP73 disrupts apoptosis, which leads to more neuronal death, Russell says. Many biological pathways have been implicated in ALS progression, but our study highlights the underappreciated role of apoptosis in ALS pathology. Apoptosis could potentially become a new focus or target for treatment drug screens.

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Genes Can Drive When We Choose To Have Sex, and Become Parents – Technology Networks

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An Oxford-led team, working with Cambridge and international scholars, has discovered hundreds of genetic markers driving two of life's most momentous milestones - the age at which people first have sex and become parents.

In a paper published today inNature Human Behaviour, the team linked 371 specific areas of our DNA, called genetic variants (known locations on chromosomes), 11 of which were sex-specific, to the timing of first sex and birth. These variants interact with environmental factors, such as socioeconomic status and when you were born, and are predictors of longevity and later life disease.

The researchers conducted a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS), a search across the entire human genome, to see if there is a relationship between reproductive behaviour and a particular genetic variant. In the largest genomic study ever conducted to date, they combined multiple data sources to examine age at first sex (N=387,338) and birth (N=542,901) in men and women. They then calculated a genetic score, with all genetic loci combined explaining around 5-6% of the variability in the average age at sexual debut or having a first child.

Professor Melinda Mills, Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science at the University of Oxford and Nuffield College, and the study's first author says, 'Our study has discovered hundreds additional genetic markers that shape this most fundamental part of our lives and have the potential for deeper understanding of infertility, later life disease and longevity.'

The genetic signals were driven by social factors and the environment but also by reproductive biology, with findings related to follicle-stimulating hormone, implantation, infertility, and spermatid differentiation.

Professor Mills adds 'We already knew that childhood socioeconomic circumstances or level of education were important predictors of the timing of reproduction. But we were intrigued to find literally not only hundreds of new genetic variants, but also uncover a relationship with substance abuse, personality traits such as openness and self-control, ADHD and even predictive of some diseases and longevity .'

Professor Mills says, 'We demonstrated that it is a combination of genetics, social predictors and the environment that drives early or late reproductive onset. It was incredible to see that the genetics underlying early sex and fertility were related to behavioural dis-inhibition, like ADHD, but also addiction and early smoking. Or those genetically prone to postpone sex or first birth had better later life health outcomes and longevity, related to a higher socioeconomic status in during childhood.'

Genetic factors driving reproductive behaviour are strongly related to later life diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

'It is exciting that the genetics underlying these reproductive behaviours may help us understand later life disease.'

Professor Mills concludes, 'Starting your sexual journey early is rooted in childhood inequality but also has links with health problems, such as cervical cancer and depression. We found particularly strong links between early sexual debut, ADHD and substance abuse, such as early age at smoking. We hope our findings lead to better understanding of teenage mental and sexual health, infertility, later life disease and treatments to help.'

Reference: Mills MC, Tropf FC, Brazel DM, et al. Identification of 371 genetic variants for age at first sex and birth linked to externalising behaviour. Nature Human Behaviour. Published online July 1, 2021. doi: 10.1038/s41562-021-01135-3.

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

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Patterns of Genetic Mutations Linked with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Humans – Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

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Researchers headed by a team at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons have linked distinct patterns of genetic mutations with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in humans. Reporting in Nature Neuroscience on their analysis of exome sequencing data from more than 1,000 individuals with OCD, the scientists say their findings support a contribution of rare damaging coding variation to OCD risk. They suggest the work confirms the validity of targeting specific genes as a potential treatment approach for OCD, and also points to new avenues of study for the commonly debilitating condition.

Senior study author David Goldstein, PhD, director of the Institute for Genomic Medicine at Columbia, and colleagues reported on their study in a paper titled, Exome sequencing in obsessive-compulsive disorder reveals a burden of rare damaging coding variants. The multi-institution collaboration also included scientists from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the David Geffen School of Medicine in Los Angeles, Harvard Medical School, and SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn.

OCD is a neuropsychiatric condition characterized by persistent, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive, intentional behaviors (compulsions), the authors explained. The condition, which affects 12% of the population, commonly runs in families, and genes are known to play a large role in determining who develops the disease. Evidence from family-based studies supports a genetic contribution to the disorder, the team wrote. But while strongly acting mutations have been hypothesized to exist in OCD, statistically reliable evidence has been difficult to obtain.

Goldstein stated, Many neurological diseases are influenced by strongly acting mutations which can cause disease by themselves. These mutations are individually very rare but important to find because they can provide a starting point for the development of therapeutics that target precise underlying causes of disease.

Most previous studies on the genetics of OCD have used a candidate gene approach, in which researchers focus on plausible genes that might be involved in pathogenesis and look for genetic signatures of risk. Although that approach has had some successes, it can lead to challenges in statistical interpretation and can miss unexpected genes. As a result, both funding agencies and the pharmaceutical industry increasingly focus on genome-wide analyses that can securely implicate genes in disease risk.

But as the researchers noted, Genome-wide association studies of common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have not found variants that were associated with OCD at the genome-wide level of statistical significance, likely owing to insufficient sample size. Goldstein further suggested, The solution to the problem is to study all the genes in the genome at the same time and ask whether any of them have significant evidence of influencing risk. That had not been done yet at scale in OCD.

In collaboration with Gerald Nestadt, MBBCh, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins University with access to a cohort of OCD patients, Goldsteins team combined high-throughput sequencing and computational biology techniques to identify relevant genes anywhere in the genome. The investigators looked at genes that encode protein using whole exome sequencing in 1,313 OCD patients, and compared them to similarly large control groups.

The analysis identified a strong correlation between OCD and rare mutations, particularly in a gene called SLITRK5 that had been previously linked to OCD in candidate-gene studies. SLITRK5 is a member of the SLITRK gene family, which influences excitatory and inhibitory synapse formation, the authors wrote. Interestingly, they continued, Slitrk5-knockout mice have been described as having increased OCD-like behaviors, including elevated anxiety and excessive grooming In human samples, a burden of SLITRK5 coding variants that influence synapse formation in vitro has previously been described in OCD cases relative to controls. The study also identified a specific pattern of variation in other genes. Across the exome, there was an excess of loss of function (LoF) variation specifically within genes that are LoF-intolerant. As Goldstein further stated, When you look at genes that do not tolerate variation in the human population, those are the genes most likely to cause disease, and with OCD, we see an overall increased burden of damaging mutations in those genes compared to controls. Thats telling us that there are more OCD genes to be found and where to find them.

The authors concluded, This study is, to our knowledge, the most comprehensive cataloguing of contributions to OCD risk from rare damaging coding SNVs [single nucleotide variants] and indels thus far. Its findings suggest that, like the genetic architecture of other neuropsychiatric disorders, OCD involves contributions to overall risk from these variants.

Goldstein expects that the new data on SLITRK5 will encourage pharmaceutical companies and translational researchers to develop drugs that target this gene. OCD is a disabling disorder that is twice as common as schizophrenia, said H. Blair Simpson, MD, PhD, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and director of the Center for OCD & Related Disorders at New York State Psychiatric Institute, who was not involved with the new study. Two available treatments, serotonin reuptake inhibiting drugs and cognitive-behavioral therapy, are highly effective, Simpson noted, but only work on about half of patients. Thus, these genetic findings are very exciting; they indicate that the promise of precision medicine could include OCD, ultimately transforming how we diagnose and treat this disorder.

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Patterns of Genetic Mutations Linked with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Humans - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

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Genetic Mutations Linked With OCD in Humans – Technology Networks

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In the first analysis of its kind, researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and several other institutions have linked distinct patterns of genetic mutations with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in humans.

The work, in Nature Neuroscience, confirms the validity of targeting specific genes to develop new OCD treatments and points toward novel avenues for studying this often debilitating condition.

OCD, which affects 1% to 2% of the population, often runs in families and genes are known to play a large role in determining who develops the disease. However, the identity of many OCD genes remains unknown.

Many neurological diseases are influenced by strongly acting mutations which can cause disease by themselves, saysDavid Goldstein, PhD, director of the Institute for Genomic Medicine at Columbia and a senior author on the new paper. These mutations are individually very rare but important to find because they can provide a starting point for the development of therapeutics that target precise underlying causes of disease.

Although strongly acting mutations have been hypothesized to exist in OCD, statistically reliable evidence has been difficult to obtain.

Most previous studies on the genetics of OCD have used a candidate gene approach, in which researchers focus on plausible genes that might be involved in pathogenesis and look for genetic signatures of risk. Although that approach has had some successes, it can lead to challenges in statistical interpretation and can miss unexpected genes. As a result, both funding agencies and the pharmaceutical industry increasingly focus on genome-wide analyses that can securely implicate genes in disease risk.

The solution to the problem is to study all the genes in the genome at the same time and ask whether any of them have significant evidence of influencing risk. That had not been done yet at scale in OCD, says Goldstein.

In collaboration with Gerald Nestadt, MBBCh, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins University with access to a cohort of OCD patients, Goldsteins team took this genome wide approach, which uses high-throughput sequencing and computational biology techniques to identify relevant genes anywhere in the genome.

The investigators looked at genes that encode protein using whole exome sequencing in more than 1,300 OCD patients and compared them to similarly large control groups. The multi-institution collaboration also included scientists from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the David Geffen School of Medicine in Los Angeles, Harvard Medical School, and SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn.

Goldstein expects that the new data on SLITRK5 will encourage pharmaceutical companies and translational researchers to develop drugs that target this gene.

The study also identified a specific pattern of variation in other genes. When you look at genes that do not tolerate variation in the human population, those are the genes most likely to cause disease, and with OCD, we see an overall increased burden of damaging mutations in those genes compared to controls, Goldstein says. Thats telling us that there are more OCD genes to be found and where to find them.

For patients suffering from OCD and their doctors, new treatments cant come too soon. OCD causes uncontrollable, recurring thought patterns and behaviors that interfere with patients daily lives.

OCD is a disabling disorder that is twice as common as schizophrenia, says H. Blair Simpson, MD, PhD, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and director of the Center for OCD & Related Disorders at New York State Psychiatric Institute, who was not involved with the new study.

Two available treatments, serotonin reuptake inhibiting drugs and cognitive-behavioral therapy, are highly effective, Simpson adds, but only work on about half of patients. Thus, these genetic findings are very exciting; they indicate that the promise of precision medicine could include OCD, ultimately transforming how we diagnose and treat this disorder.

Reference: Halvorsen M, Samuels J, Wang Y, et al. Exome sequencing in obsessivecompulsive disorder reveals a burden of rare damaging coding variants. Nat Neurosci. 2021. doi: 10.1038/s41593-021-00876-8.

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Genetic Mutations Linked With OCD in Humans - Technology Networks

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