Blocked...

 

A new study, published December 1, 2020 in the open-access journal eLife , researchers showed rapid restoration of youthful cognitive abilities in aged mice, accompanied by a rejuvenation of brain and immune cells that could help explain improvements in brain function.

"ISRIB's extremely rapid effects show for the first time that a significant component of age-related cognitive losses may be caused by a kind of reversible physiological "blockage" rather than more permanent degradation."

The data suggest that the aged brain has not permanently lost essential cognitive capacities, as was commonly assumed, but rather that these cognitive resources are still there but have been somehow blocked, trapped by a vicious cycle of cellular stress," added Peter Walter , Ph.D., a professor in the UCSF Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. "Our work with ISRIB demonstrates a way to break that cycle and restore cognitive abilities that had become walled off over time."

Resolved...

 

The Covid 19 Vaccines  are immune responses vaccines, so after vaccination, it's normal that you have some arm soreness or some fatigue or some body aches or even some fever," Patricia Stinchfield of Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, told the meeting of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Providers must be ready to explain this to people who line up to get any COVID-19 vaccine.

This summer, computational biologist Luke Hutchison volunteered for a trial of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine. But after the second injection, his arm swelled up to the size of a “goose egg,” Hutchison says. He can't be sure he got the vaccine and not a placebo, but within a few hours, Hutchison, who was healthy and 43, was beset by bone and muscle aches and a 38.9°C fever. “I started shaking. I had cold and hot rashes,” he says.

Hutchison's symptoms resolved after 12 hours.  

The Holy See......

 

The  Vatican and Facebook's Instagram are cooperating to trace the origins of a "like" on a bikini model's post that appeared to come from Pope Francis' official account.

Social media users last week pointed out that the pope's account, "franciscus," appeared to have given the sign of approval to a photo of Brazilian bikini model wearing a racy outfit. The Vatican said Frances himself wasn't responsible.

A Vatican official confirmed that the "like" did not come from the Holy See and that the Vatican is working with Instagram to determine what happened.

Polarization...

 

Dogmatic people are very firm with their convictions, which usually come from some sort of authority. The authority is often religious, but it doesn't have to be.  
Anything dogmatic is by the book. If you're dogmatic, you're 100% sure of your system despite evidence to the contrary.

Dogmatic individuals tend to form less accurate judgements thanks to a generic resistance to seeking out additional information, according to new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). 

We have never been so free to decide if we have enough evidence about something or whether we should seek out further information from a reliable source before believing it.

In turn, if we don’t check on quick and uncertain judgements, this can leave us quite vulnerable to misinformation. Understanding the mechanism behind such decisions and how different people approach them is therefore important when we try to understand the current societal climate.

Focused on dogmatism is because, it’s an important driver of polarization. Secondly, it seems that dogmatic people are less interested in information that might change their mind. 

However, it was unclear if this is because a specific opinion is of high importance to them or if more fundamental processes are at play that transcend specific opinions.

Plant...

 

For optimal heart health,  the goal is to maintain normal blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose levels, and body weight which is why some follows a mostly plant-based diet. 

A diet that’s rich in fresh plant foods can help lower your sodium intake to less than about two grams daily. Plant foods also help optimize your cholesterol levels to reduce your risk of heart disease, she adds.

Another benefit of plants: They’re high in fiber, which has loads of health benefits for your heart and body. Insoluble fiber (found in foods like vegetables and whole grains) helps control appetite and weight; lowers your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer; and prevents constipation. Soluble fiber (found in oats, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, and peas) may help lower total cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation.

On the flip side, fried food (which is high in saturated and trans fats), processed meats, and foods with lots of added sugar (like soda) substantially increase the risk of stroke and heart disease when consumed regularly. 

Happy...

 

 This was the best Thanksgiving ever. and mainly different. I did mute all the irritants and enjoyed it.

Hope you all enjoyed it.

Sense...

 

Promise...

 

Guests...

 

Moot...

 

Supreme Court’s order temporarily blocking New York from setting coronavirus capacity limits at houses of worship is “irrelevant” and “moot,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo claimed Thursday.

In the 5-4 decision, the court sided with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and Orthodox Jewish synagogues, who sued Cuomo over his restrictions on congregating in state-designated coronavirus hot spots, saying his actions trampled on religious freedom.

Cuomo, in a Thanksgiving Day conference call with reporters, insisted the order was moot because the houses of worship in question in the court battle are no longer in designated red and orange zones in Brooklyn in Queens so the restrictions no longer apply to them.

The safety restriction to tame the pandemic imposed attendance caps at houses of worship from 10 to 25 people, respectively. The plaintiffs argued that the restrictions violated their religious freedoms under the First Amendment and unfairly targeted them while businesses deemed essential, including groceries and takeout restaurants, were allowed to operate. Just a thought.