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Hugs have proven emotional and health benefits.

At a time in history when we could all use a good hug, researchers have just advanced the science of the ideal snuggle. Hugging is known to have myriad emotional and health benefits, but will any old hug do? The highest performing hugs have three components.

Hugs are a universal human behavior. Even in cultures where hugging is not common among adults, we all hug our children. It feels like common sense to hug our kids, but that wasnt always true.

As recently as the 1970s and 80s, parents in the U.S. were still being instructed by doctors to avoid holding babies too much. Letting babies cry by themselves for up to an hour during the afternoon fussy period was thought by many to help them develop self-regulation skills.

Fortunately, no-one thinks that anymore. Science has proven repeatedly that mothers and babies benefit from skin to skin hugging for months after birth. And its not just babies who feel better when they have a hug, we all do.

How do we give the perfect hug? Try a H.U.G.: Hold on tight, Until you relax, and Grow your bond.

A hug is more than a simple snuggle, because hugging involves a squeeze. When we squeeze each other, we provide deep pressure. Deep pressure is detected by receptors and sends a signal of safety to the autonomic nervous system. This turns down the anxiety we feel from activation of the sympathetic nerve, otherwise known as the fight or flight response.

The study of deep pressure as a calming mechanism was first inspired by Temple Grandins hug machine. Grandin, who had high functioning autism, observed that cattle calmed down in squeeze shoots on the ranch where she worked. She decided to try it herself, and built a hug machine in 1965 when she was 18 years old. This sparked a great deal of research on the use of deep pressure for those with autism, anxiety or ADHD. But it didnt take long to recognize that even neurotypical adults felt more relaxed after a session in the hug machine.

Thats because deep pressure also turns up the calm and connected response from the vague nerve. Its something we can measure, by looking at levels of the stress hormone cortisol. In one study children had lower salivary cortisol levels (the stress hormone) after receiving deep pressure therapy.

Does how hard we squeeze matter? According to an exciting new paper from Toho University in Japan, it definitely does. These scientists actually quantified the level of squeeze by subjecting babies to different hugs levels and measuring the calming effect.

Babies prefer hugs with a medium amount of squeeze.

Holding the babies loosely did calm them, but only a little. However, when hugged with a medium squeeze, the babies calmed way down. As soon as the hug got too tight, that calming effect started to go away. The study concluded that the best hugs provide medium pressure.

Hugs are not only about deep pressure. When two humans embrace they release a hormone called oxytocin. Often referred to as the bonding hormone, it makes us feel wonderful. When oxytocin is released, it stimulates the exact opposite of stress, calming us down and turning up our social processes.

The benefits of hugging and oxytocin are so powerful, that its been shown to help prevent postpartum depression in mothers,lower salivary cortisol levels in infants and lead to less crying, increase positive communication during conflict for adult couples, and help adults feel less anxious before public speaking.

So how long does a hug have to last to release oxytocin? According to the internet, the answer is 20 seconds. When I attempted to trace that claim to a scientific study, I was unable to find one. But I did stumble upon one study that I can only imagine led its researchers to a lot of giggles and high-fives.

This was the study where researchers recruited 404 healthy adults and monitored them for how often they were hugged. Then they quarantined the participants and intentionally infected them with a cold virus. Those who received more frequent hugs had less severe illnesses.(Please understand that this does not mean we can rely on hugging to protect us from COVID-19.)

In the end, the exact timing of a hug may not matter so much as whether we feel the effects of oxytoxin. A hug should continue until each person feels the relaxation effect.

By releasing oxytocin, hugging deepens our bond with other people. But do we really want to bond with everyone? Some people dont like hugging at all, and even those who are huggers are selective about who they embrace.

The researchers from Japan were curious about whether babies care who gives them their hugs. They measured how calming the hugs were by watching the babies heart rates. In the first few months of life, babies calmed equally well with hugs from their parents or from strangers. But once they were between the ages of 4 and 12 months, babies heart rates decreased more when they were hugged by their own parents.

Therefore, in your search for the ideal embrace, try a H.U.G.: hold on tight (but not too tight), until you feel relaxed and grow the bond with someone you trust.

Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus

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Here's How Science Says You Can Give The Perfect Hug (Once Social Distancing Is Over) - Forbes

Human Behavior

COD Student Awarded Honors Council of the Illinois Sleep Study – Patch.com

June 11, 2020 medical

A Life Consumed by Sleep, Savannah Santos Seeks to Uncover Treatment Options

College of DuPage Psychology student Savannah Santos was recently awarded a $600 Margaret Messer Student Research Grant from the Honors Council of the Illinois Region to support her work researching idiopathic hypersomnia, a disorder Santos has been battling since childhood.

After several misdiagnoses and doctors failing to find the right treatment to minimize her symptoms, Santos spent her teenage years on a quest for answers.

"It's been a struggle most of my life," Santos said. "For as long as I can remember, I spend most of my days exhausted even after sleeping 11 to 12 hours a night. It's debilitating. When I was younger, it got in the way of school and activities because I couldn't focus. Doctors were stumped and, at nine years old, I was put on antidepressants and Adderall after being wrongly diagnosed with ADHD and depression."

While researching her symptoms, questioning her doctors' previous diagnoses, Santos found her way to a sleep specialist at the University of Chicago. She was finally diagnosed with the chronic neurological disorder marked by excessive sleepiness, trouble waking and difficulty doing mental and physical tasks during the day.

Santos has always been interested in the biology behind her disorder and, when she came to COD, she pursued psychology classes to learn more about the intricacies of the brain. With the help of COD Associate Professor of Psychology Sarah Butler, Santos started an Honors program independent study to research the physiology of the disorder.

"I have appreciated the opportunity to mentor her," Butler said. "This interdisciplinary project combines her interests in biology, human behavior and neuroscience, and connects these fields with an area that is very personally relevant to her. Savannah is a wonderful student and very passionate about her education."

Santos recently presented her research project "Idiopathic Hypersomnia and Narcolepsy Type 2: Subjective Experiences of Stimulant Use" at COD's Library Student Research Symposium and placed first, winning $1,000 to support her project. Through the award money from COD and the grant money from the Honors Council of the Illinois Region, she plans to delve into the experiences of individuals with diagnoses of Narcolepsy Type 2 and Idiopathic Hypersomnia with a focus on medication effectiveness.

At this time, there is no Federal Drug Administration-approved treatment for the disorder; however, it is common practice to use stimulant medications. According to the Hypersomnia Foundation, some people, like Santos, do not achieve adequate control of symptoms and doctors continue to test medications approved for other disorders, as well as novel treatments.

"I hope with the gathered data I can find similarities and find out if others have had success with out-of-the-box treatments," she said. "Doctors have been treating me with various medications but none of them have ever been effective for me. If I've learned anything with all of this, it's that treatment protocol needs to be individualized. Doctors don't know much about my disorder and try to lump it in with more well-known sleep disorders, like narcolepsy. They are two completely different disorders and medication needs to target different parts of the brain."

After earning a transfer scholarship through COD, Santos will attend North Central College this fall to pursue neuroscience and biology.

"North Central has a sleep lab that they just built so I'm hoping that I can continue my research and also look at other sleep disorders to see if they are interconnected," she said. "I'd love to work with neuroscience faculty there to look at possible biological underpinnings."

Santos credits COD for allowing her to pursue her passion.

"Coming to COD was the best decision because when you get to North Central, they want you to start neuroscience classes right away, so taking my general education classes at COD was the smartest path for me," she said. "Through COD's scholarship, I'm able to further my education and I could not be more grateful."

After earning her bachelor's degree, Santos plans to pursue her graduate degree at the University of Chicago Medical Sciences Training Program to become a scientific researcher or doctor at the hospital that finally gave her the correct diagnosis.

"University of Chicago is a special place for me because it's where I was finally given answers," she said. "I'm so grateful COD has prepared me for future endeavors, and I hope to enact real change for fellow sufferers."

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COD Student Awarded Honors Council of the Illinois Sleep Study - Patch.com

Human Behavior

Yes, America needs to brace itself for a second wave of coronavirus – MarketWatch

June 11, 2020 medical

Americans should brace themselves for another round of coronavirus in the fall, health professionals and economists say. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development released its twice-a-year economic outlook on Wednesday, and presented two scenarios one where the coronavirus continues to recede, and another where a second wave of rapid contagion erupts later in 2020. It said a second wave of SARS-CoV-2 is as likely as not. OECD Chief Economist Laurence Boone said both forecasts are equally probable.

We can only look at what other seasonal coronaviruses and seasonal influenzas do. Based on that, most of us feel comfortable there will be a second wave.

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for three decades and one of the leading experts on the pandemic in the U.S., said on Tuesday, In a period of four months, it has devastated the whole world. And it isnt over yet. He added, Where is it going to end? Were still at the beginning of it. Yet last week, he said, We dont inevitably have to have a second wave. Fauci has previously said that a vaccine could take 12 to 18 months and that would be a game changer. Some observers say even that timeline is wildly optimistic.

Many epidemiologists, however, advise more caution when talking about the reduced prospect of a second wave. Gregory Poland, who studies the immunogenetics of vaccine response in adults and children at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and who is an expert with the Infectious Diseases Society of America, told MarketWatch, Nobody has a crystal ball. Wed all like to know definitively. We can only look at what other seasonal coronaviruses and seasonal influenzas do. Based on that, most of us feel comfortable that there will be a second wave.

While COVID-19s progress has slowed in major cities such as New York, where most cases in the U.S. are centered, confirmed coronavirus cases have risen by double-digit percentages in 16 U.S. states that have gradually loosened restrictions since Memorial Day, an analysis by the Washington Post shows. Cases rose by 10% in Alaska, California, Delaware, Georgia, South Carolina; 11% in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Virginia; 12% in Arizona, North Carolina, Tennessee; 13% in Arkansas; 14% in Alabama and Minnesota; and 15% in North Dakota over that period.

During the great influenza pandemic of 1918, the second wave was worse than the first, partly due to a more virulent strain of the virus. Another complication: Flu and SARS-CoV-2 have almost identical symptoms: fever, coughing, night sweats, aching, tiredness, and nausea and diarrhea in severe cases. Like all viruses, neither are treatable with antibiotics. They can both be spread through respiratory droplets via coughing and sneezing, yet hail from different virus families. There is still no universal flu vaccine, even though scientists have been researching the flu since the 1940s.

Poland likens our desire to get back to normal life to the fable of the tortoise and the hare, and advocates clear, consistent messaging. The race doesnt always belong to the swiftest. The public and political pressure is for a vaccine as soon as possible. Public pressure is not data. Moderna hasnt produced data from their Phase 1 vaccine trial. Were going to have to be very careful here. We have individual countries, individual mayors, governors, senators, the House and the president all inferring their own recommendations. What the public hears is just static.

In a period of four months, it has devastated the whole world. And it isnt over yet ... Where is it going to end? Were still at the beginning of it.

Approximately 10% to 20% at the very most of the U.S. population will be immune to the new coronavirus next time around, Poland said. That means 70% to 80% of us are immunologically naive. People think because we hit Memorial Day and we have nice weather that its over. It aint over. When coroanvirus hit earlier this year, 99% of the seasonal influenza was over. This wont happen next time, and they have similar symptoms. We still dont have testing solved. Health-care providers are exhausted. They still dont have enough personal protective equipment.

Similar to Poland, Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organizations Health Emergencies Program and former epidemiologist specializing in infectious disease and public health, in May warned of complacency surrounding relaxation of social distancing measures. Countries should continue to put in place the public-health and social measures, the surveillance measures, the testing measures and a comprehensive strategy to ensure that we continue on a downwards trajectory, and we dont have an immediate second peak, he said.

Flattening the curve of new cases through social distancing, testing and contact tracing will help to avoid overwhelming the health-care system during any possible second wave, health professionals say. The U.S. has about 2.8 hospital beds per 1,000 people, according to industry website STAT News, which reports on public health and science issues. With a population of 330 million, this is about 1 million hospital beds. At any given time, about 68% of them are occupied. That leaves about 300,000 beds available nationwide, the publication said.

Letter from New York:When I hear an ambulance, I wonder if theres a coronavirus patient inside. Are there more 911 calls, or do I notice every distant siren?

Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recently told the Financial Times that he cant guarantee that there wont be more stay-at-home requirements in the winter or the fall. We are committed to using the time that we have now to get this nation as over-prepared as possible. Weve seen evidence that the concerns it would move to the southern hemisphere like flu [are coming true], Redfield told the U.K. paper, adding, When the southern hemisphere is over I suspect it will re-ground itself in the north.

Can you travel from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere this summer? Of course you can. That will spark a second wave.

How are we going to prepare for a possible second wave? Human behavior is controlling the pandemics parameters, Poland added. In a lot of the southern hemisphere, there is not the same public-health infrastructure, medical infrastructure and not the same access to PPE. There are also a host of other cultural factors that are different. Can you travel from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere this summer? Of course you can. That will spark a second wave. That, he adds, doesnt account for further transmission during the recent riots across the U.S.

Mutation is another unknown. This is an RNA virus and inherently a virus that will mutate and undergo recombination. When people are co-infected with two or more strains, the virus has the opportunity to trade genetic material. Patients in neighboring hospital beds might have subtly different coronaviruses. Now you provide the petri dish for them to combine. We hear things like operation warp speed. Never before have I seen politics, public opinion/public pressure and economics weigh so heavily on the science to subvert and pervert it.

If were not expecting a second wave or a mutation of this virus, then we have learned nothing, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. That is why it is such an important period for government. Poland paints a grim worst-case scenario for this: Imagine this scenario: Its October. The influenza epidemic occurs, COVID-19 comes back. Were fussing with China. Theres been a glitch with Moderna trials. Theres another police killing, and now the riots are inflamed because nothing appears to be fixed, and were in the middle of a political campaign. This does not have good optics to me.

If I were king for a day, brother, this would be run differently, Poland said. I would take a Consumer Reports/Good Housekeeping approach. Id get the best experts assembled, something like the National Academies of Science, and this would be the kitchen cabinet who would recommend what kind of studies we need to do now to get the best kind of data to inform best practices. I would not waste any of my time sniping politically at anybody else. I would be a wartime king. I would fund all of the nudges to encourage good behavior, and have radical transparent honesty with the public.

After worrying exponential growth in the early days of the pandemic, other countries moved quickly to flatten the curve of new cases.

The Dow Jones Industrial Index DJIA, -1.03% and the S&P 500 SPX, -0.53% were higher Friday, as investors weighed the impact of the political unrest over the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, as well as possible progress in COVID-19 vaccine research, and fears of further deterioration of trade and political relations with China. The markets are digesting the escalating social unrest, and COVID-19, and the effects that may have on corporate earnings.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and the number of deaths continues to rise. As of Wednesday evening, there are 1,999,552 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S., and 112,895 deaths, and 30,542 deaths in New York, the largest of any state in the country. Worldwide, there were 7,357,011 confirmed cases and 416,084 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

For his part, Fauci credited an improvement in testing and contact tracing as a way to help avoid a second wave of coronavirus. Its the way we and the efficiency and effectiveness in which we put the manpower, the systems, the tests, to identify isolate and contact trace that will determine how successful we are in preventing that wave, Fauci told CNBCs Halftime Report. The U.S. health-care system will also have an opportunity to stock up on ventilators and PPE and, in an ideal world, people will understand the benefits of social distancing.

That same strategy of testing and tracing people who have tested positive so they can be quarantined appears to have worked in other countries, most notably Iceland. After worrying exponential growth in the early days of the pandemic, Icelands government has flattened the curve of new cases. Only six new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, were detected in May. There have been only three new cases so far this month, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,807 and the total number of deaths from COVID-19 to 10.

In a few short months, scientists around the world have learned a lot about SARS-CoV-2, including the viruss genetic structure; how it infects human cells; what kind of disease manifestation it causes; and how it impacts the liver, kidney and brain, and how secondary symptoms affect children. That progress has been reflected in the Dow Jones Industrial Index DJIA, -1.03% and S&P 500 SPX, -0.53%, which recovered the ground lost earlier in the pandemic. Equity indexes have ricocheted in recent months as markets remained hopeful of progress on research into a vaccine.

Poland cautions against read into public debate or the markets as an indicator of what the virus will do next. The coronavirus only knows one thing, he says, and that is to infect another host.

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Yes, America needs to brace itself for a second wave of coronavirus - MarketWatch

Human Behavior

Dan’s Daily Links: NHL Hits the Ice, UPMC Says Virus Weakening – Pittsburgh Hockey Now

June 11, 2020 medical

Make sure to sing Happy Birthday twice when washing your hands. The NHL sent a 21-page memo to all NHL players participating in the NHL Return to Play Phase 2, including the Pittsburgh Penguins. The note includes very specific measures. In addition to temperature checks within two hours of entering the building and social distancing in the locker room, the players are supposed to sing Happy Birthday twice while washing their hands.

Oh, please let someone sneak cell phone video of Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin doing this. Also, the rules confine the players to their group of six throughout Phase 2. So, whoever takes the together today will be grouped until Phase 3.

You can watch the full TSN report on the 21-page memo (TSN)

Dr. Donald Yealy, chair of Emergency Medicine at UPMC, held a press conference on Thursday.

The virus may be changing. Some patterns suggest the potency is diminished, Yealy said.

Pioneer graduates 40 in ceremony at Northfield Drive-In – The Recorder

June 11, 2020 medical

NORTHFIELD The 40 members of Pioneer Valley Regional Schools Class of 2020 were the stars of the show at the Northfield Drive-In Monday night, during a unique yet fairly traditional graduation ceremony where speakers encouraged graduates to stay true to their values, and use their knowledge to create change in the world.

Escorted by the Northfield Police Department, a student caravan began at Pioneer and traveled along Route 63, where the Northfield Fire Department flew a large American flag from its ladder truck. Scattered all the way to the New Hampshire state line, proud neighbors and family members held signs of congratulations as they cheered for the graduates who passed by on their way to the drive-in.

You guys have reached this incredible threshold in your life, Pioneer social studies teacher and alumnus Matthew Killeen told the graduates. Before this, you were high school students, and in a few minutes youre going to be whatever you want.

While graduation is a celebration, Killeen said it is OK to mourn the lack of traditional closure that comes with a senior spring. He said students have had to grow up quickly as they live through changes in the school district, a public health crisis and active protests against racial inequality and police brutality.

Our times demand much from you, but you are ready, Killeen said.

Pioneer Principal Kevin Burke encouraged students to be a part of the hope in the world. He referenced the song What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong, saying it sends a message that even though there may be hatred and violence throughout, our world is still beautiful. He said Armstrongs words, It aint the world thats so bad, but what were doing to it, ring true today as we face a world-wide pandemic and fight against racial inequality and police brutality.

Each diploma given out on Monday, Burke said, is a symbol of the priceless knowledge and values the students gained at Pioneer.

Stay true to those values, and stay true to yourself, he said. Use your knowledge to create change and enhance the wonders of our world.

Valedictorian, National Honor Society member and Student Council representative Ella Potee said the Class of 2020 is a part of history. The class represents the generation born into turmoil after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Then, in the face of crises, students marched against gun violence, led climate strikes and stood in solidarity against social injustice.

We started high school during a time of major political shift and division, she said. Now we graduate in the middle of a global pandemic.

Potee said she never thought the year would end with her gazing out onto a field of headlights instead of speaking to smiling faces. Despite the impact it had on their senior year, Potee said she and her fellow graduates would not be defined as the Class of COVID-19.

We are the class of rowdy sports games, loud pep-rallies, sweaty marching band parades and karaoke in AP calculus, Potee said. We are a class of musicians, of athletes, dancers, gym rats, activists, video gamers, scholars, artists and friends.

Senior Jordin Hubbard created a video that was shared on the big screen at the Northfield Drive-In. Seniors cheered for, and laughed at, the school photos, baby photos, and videos that highlighted their time together at Pioneer. The evening concluded with a fireworks display set to the senior class song, Rise Up by Andra Day.

The graduation ceremony was livestreamed and filmed by Bernardston Northfield Community Television, and can be viewed at bnctv.netor on the BNCTV Facebook page.

Graduates

Rachael Mae Abbey, Delaney Rosalie Archer, Celina Rose Balzer, Brian David Bodenstein, Colyn Michael Brechenser, Ashley Lillian Brennan, Abigail Marie Briggs, Cierra Morgan Buzzell, Dylan Alexander Carmody, Aaron Michael Davis, Jasmin Destini Delgado, Athena Rose Fowler-Shaw, Jennifer Anne Fuller, McKayla Amber Glazier, Zara Ann Hervieux, Noah Richard Horton, Jordin Nicole Hubbard, Sierra Lynn Jobst, Gavin William Mielke Johnson, Anneka Rae Johnson, Richard William Kane, Valerie Anna Kasper, Noah Patrick Keith, Aliyah Lynn Kimball, Shelby Grace Kosterman, Morgan Sarah Hartford Lounder, Alyssa Catherine Martin, Samantha Grace Martinez, Stephanie Madison Mercorelli, Sarah Lynne Podlesney, Ella Hopkins Potee, Logan Maitland Pratt, Jacob David Quinn, Stephanie Francis Scoville, Warren Charles Shedd, Jasmine Nicole Terounzo, Julian James Trenholm, Sydney Anne Unaitis, Lily Alyse Walker and Katie Robbin Wheeler.

Rachael Abbey: John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS Mastery, Silver P Award for National Honor Society, Outstanding Achievement for Teaching Assistant in Anatomy & Physiology, Owen Clarke Foundation Scholarship, Foundation for Educational Excellence & The Greenfield Cooperative Bank Scholarship, Foundation for Educational Excellence Richard Martin Theatre Award, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.

Delaney Archer: Excellence in Chorus, Cathy Hawkins-Harrison Music Service Award in Chorus.

Celina Balzer: Excellence in Advanced Placement Calculus, Owen Clarke Foundation Scholarship, Kevin J. Courtney Scholarship, Ethel F. Jackson Memorial Scholarship, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.

Brian Bodenstein: John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS Mastery, Silver P Award for National Honor Society, Abigail Stratton Award.

Ashley Brennan: John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS Mastery, Silver P Award for National Honor Society.

Abigail Briggs: Excellence in High School Band.

Cierra Buzzell: Excellence in Introduction to Medicine, Ethel F. Jackson Memorial Scholarship, Evelyn G. Lawley Award.

Dylan Carmody: John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS Mastery, Outstanding Achievement in Physics, Excellence in Statistics.

Aaron Davis: Excellence in Vocational Training.

Jasmin Delgado: Owen Clarke Foundation Scholarship.

Athena Fowler-Shaw: Outstanding Achievement in Advanced Placement Literature, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS Mastery, Senior TAB Leader Award in Training Active Bystanders, Most Improved in Advanced Placement Calculus, Silver P Award for National Honor Society, Outstanding Achievement in Human Behavior, Kathryn Bassett Memorial Award, Leonard Bruno Memorial Scholarship, Gov. Phil Hoff Vermont Honor Scholarship, Grover/Barnes Award, PVRS National Honor Society Scholarship.

Jennifer Fuller: Silver P Award for National Honor Society, Excellence in Anatomy & Physiology, Fortnightly Scholarship, Grover/Barnes Award, Northfield Fire Department Floyd M. Dunnell Jr. Memorial Scholarship, Northfield Kiwanis Club Walter F. Asseng Memorial Scholarship, Abigail Stratton Award, Abigail Stratton Scholarship, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship, Women of the Moose Scholarship.

Zara Hervieux: Bernardston Kiwanis Club Scholarship, George A. Warner Award.

Noah Horton: Excellence in Intercultural Foods.

Jordin Hubbard: John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS Mastery, Outstanding Achievement in Advanced Placement Calculus, Silver P Award for National Honor Society, Excellence in Human Behavior, Bernardston Kiwanis Club Scholarship, Bernardston Veterans Organization Scholarship, Leonard Eastman Award, French Club Scholarship, Ned Green Scholarship, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.

Sierra Jobst: Senior TAB Leader Award in Training Active Bystanders, Most Improved in Introduction to Medicine, Silver P Award for National Honor Society, Owen Clarke Foundation Scholarship, Gerald & Edward McGowan Memorial Award.

Anneka Johnson: Excellence in Nutrition & Foods, Silver P Award for National Honor Society, Ethel F. Jackson Memorial Scholarship, Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation Scholarship.

Gavin Johnson: Excellence in Advanced Art, Foundation for Educational Excellence Robert S. Coy Art Award, Pioneer Valley Regional School Instrumental Music Award.

Richard Kane: Owen Clarke Foundation Scholarship, Ethel F. Jackson Memorial Scholarship, Principals Award.

Valerie Kasper: John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS Mastery, Senior TAB Leader Award in Training Active Bystanders, Silver P Award for National Honor Society, Ethel F. Jackson Memorial Scholarship, Pioneer Valley Regional School Scholarship, A.K. Warner Fund Scholarship, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.

Shelby Kosterman: Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.

Morgan Lounder: Alice, Eric & Oscar Anderson Scholarship, Anita L. Pike Memorial Scholarship.

Alyssa Martin: Salutatorian, Outstanding Achievement in English 12, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS Mastery, Outstanding Achievement in Physics, Excellence in Nutrition & Foods, Silver P Award for National Honor Society, Fortnightly Scholarship, Northfield Kiwanis Club Jonathan (Jake) Mayberry Scholarship, Tyler Family Memorial Award, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.

Stephanie Mercorelli: John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS Mastery, Outstanding Achievement in Emergency Care, Silver P Award for National Honor Society, Cathy Hawkins-Harrison Music Service Award in Band.

Sarah Podlesney: John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS Mastery, Silver P Award for National Honor Society, Dean Beaudoin Memorial Scholarship, Alfred Orlens Citizenship Award, Pioneer Valley Regional School Scholarship, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.

Ella Potee: Valedictorian, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS Mastery, Senior TAB Leader Award in Training Active Bystanders, Silver P Award for National Honor Society, Most Improved in High School Band, Better Business Bureau Barbara J. Sinnott Student of Integrity Scholarship, Kathy Bonnett Memorial Award, Northfield Kiwanis Club F. Sumner Turner Scholarship, Principals Award, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship, Lucy Wilder Memorial Humanitarian Award.

Logan Pratt: John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS Mastery.

Jacob Quinn: Northfield Fire Department Floyd M. Dunnell Jr. Memorial Scholarship, Pioneer Valley Regional School Scholarship, Fred R. Whitcomb Scholarship.

Stephanie Scoville: Silver P Award for National Honor Society, Fortnightly Scholarship, Northfield Kiwanis Club, Thaddeus M. Ostrowski Memorial Award, Jason Peters Memorial Scholarship, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.

Warren Shedd: Owen Clarke Foundation Award, PVRS Student Council Scholarship.

Jasmine Terounzo: John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS Mastery, Senior TAB Leader Award in Training Active Bystanders, Outstanding Achievement in Spanish, Silver P Award for National Honor Society, Excellence in Human Behavior, Stephen F. Balk Award, Fortnightly Scholarship, Thomas J. Hurley Nurses Scholarship, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship, Women of the Moose Scholarship.

Julian Trenholm: Bernardston Kiwanis Club Scholarship, Theodore Cronyn Award, George A. Warner Fund Scholarship, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.

Sydney Unaitis: John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS Mastery, Makenzie Goode Memorial Athletic Scholarship, Sarah Kemble Scholarship Award, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.

Katie Wheeler: Fortnightly Scholarship, John A. Hogan Memorial Scholarship, Northfield Kiwanis Club, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.

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Pioneer graduates 40 in ceremony at Northfield Drive-In - The Recorder

Human Behavior

Battle for Influence Over the Spread of COVID-19: Heat and Humidity vs. Sunshine – SciTechDaily

June 11, 2020 medical

An international team of researchers led by McMaster University has found that while higher heat and humidity can slow the spread of COVID-19, longer hours of sunlight are associated with a higher incidence of the disease, in a sign that sunny days can tempt more people out even if this means a higher risk of infection.

The findings, published online the journal Geographical Analysis, inform the widespread scientific debate over how seasonal changes, specifically warmer weather, might shape the spread of COVID-19.

While research has shown that pathogens such as influenza and SARS thrive in lower temperatures and humidity, little is known about SARS-CoV2, the agent that causes COVID-19.

There is a lot of pressure to reopen the economy, and many people want to know if it will be safer to do so in the summer months, says Antonio Pez, a professor and researcher in McMasters School of Geography & Earth Sciences who is lead author of the study.

Restrictions in movement, which have begun to ease around the world, hinge in part on how SARS-CoV2 will be affected by a change in season, he says.

Pez and colleagues from Spains Universidad Politecnica de Cartegena and Brazils Universidade Federal de Pernambuco investigated climate factors in the spread of COVID-19 in several provinces in Spain, one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic, with more than 270,000 cases.

They combined and analyzed data on reported cases of the disease and meteorological information over a period of 30 days that began immediately before a state-of-emergency was declared.

At higher levels of heat and humidity, researchers found that for every percentage increase, there was a 3 percent decline in the incidence of COVID-19, possibly because warmer temperatures curtail the viability of the virus.

The opposite was true for hours of sunshine: more sun meant greater spread. The researchers speculate the increase may be related to human behavior since compliance with lockdown measures breaks down in sunnier days.

They were also surprised to find rates of transmission dropped among more dense populations and in areas with more older adults, suggesting those populations regard themselves as being at greater risk, and so are more likely to adhere to lockdown guidance.

While older adults are more vulnerable to the disease, researchers believe they are less likely overall to contribute to the spread of the disease because they are more apt to be isolated from others because of health or mobility issues.

Pez stresses that models such as the one he helped develop show that contagion of COVID-19 declines as a lockdown progresses, possibly to the vanishing point an argument for maintaining discipline despite the approach of pleasant weather.

We will likely see a decrease in the incidence of COVID-19 as the weather warms up, which is an argument for relaxing social distancing to take advantage of the lower incidence associated with higher temperatures he says. But a more conservative approach would be to use the months of summer to continue to follow strict orders to remain in place and to crush this pandemic.

Reference: A SpatioTemporal Analysis of the Environmental Correlates of COVID19 Incidence in Spain by Antonio Paez, Fernando A. Lopez, Tatiane Menezes, Renata Cavalcanti and Maira Galdino da Rocha Pitta, 8 June 2020, Geographical Analysis.DOI: 10.1111/gean.12241

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Battle for Influence Over the Spread of COVID-19: Heat and Humidity vs. Sunshine - SciTechDaily

Biochemistry

The music of the Nagyvary and Stradivari violins – San Diego Jewish World

June 11, 2020 medical

SAN DIEGO Joseph Nagyvary, the brilliant Hungarian-born Professor of Biochemistry from Texas A & M, had just finished delivering a lecture at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. His topic was his research into the chemical properties of Stradivari violins. This prompted one of his colleagues to suggest that he contact my sister, concert violinist, Zina Schiff, who was living in Shreveport at the time. Nagyvary immediately phoned Zina, they arranged to meet, and that encounter spawned performances, recordings, and a seminal TV appearance.

Soon after they met, Zina traveled to College Station to perform a recital on a Nagyvary violin.The Biochemistry professor was a pioneer in the investigation of the chemical make-up, the preservatives, and the varnish of the woods used for the famous Cremona-made violins.The violin Zina played was the result of his discoveries. Supported by a grant from the state of Texas, Nagyvary invited Zina to accompany him at his lectures to demonstrate the fine qualities of his violins. One of her recitals was for the National Conference of the American Chemical Society.

Zina played the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the La Jolla Symphony, Thomas Nee, conducting, on a Nagyvary violin. That performance was filmed and became part of a PBS NOVA program, What Is Music. For her two debut CDs with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Bach/Vivaldi and The Lark Ascending, Zina played on a Nagyvary violin. In honor of Nagyvarys work and the 125th Anniversary ofTexas A & M University, Zina was invited to present a recital at the Bush Presidential Library in College Station, where she alternated, playing on a 1697 Stradivarius and a 1991 Nagyvarius. Texas A & M also released a 2001 recording, The Stradivarius Puzzle, in which some of the selections are on the Stradivarius and others are on a Nagyvarius.

The Stradivarius Puzzlewas actually recorded in San Diego with Mary Barranger, pianist of the San Diego Symphony and the San Diego Chamber Orchestra, as Zinas fine collaborator. It includes the Adagio and Fugue from Sonata #1 for unaccompanied violin by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Suite Italienne by Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971), arranged forviolin and piano by Samuel Dushkin (1891-1976), and Suite Reb Mendele by Simon Sargon (1938-).

Zina became acquainted with Simon Sargons music when he sent her Suite Reb Mendele for perusal. He was the Professor of Composition at Southern Methodist University and Music Director at Temple Emanu-El in Dallas,Texas. Zina performed Sargons Suite Reb Mendele with David Amos and the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra. She has also playedthe violin-piano version of the work in recitals, as heard on thisrecording.

The three excepts from The Stradivarius Puzzle are: Fugue from the Sonata #1 by Bach (track 2); Supplication (track 10) and Freilach (track 12)from Suite Reb Mendele by Sargon.

In the liner notes, Joseph Nagyvary wrote: Our violin, made in 1991, has a similar combination of focus and brilliance as a typical Stradivarius. One should not forget that the tonal beauty of both violins is also due to the exquisite artistry of Zina Schiff.

*Eileen Wingard, a retired violinist with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. She may be contacted via eileen.wingard@sdjewishworld.com

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The music of the Nagyvary and Stradivari violins - San Diego Jewish World

Cell Biology

Coming of age in 2020 the summer without exams or school proms – Metro Newspaper UK

June 9, 2020 medical

Isabelle Catherine Winder, lecturer in zoology; Gwyndaf Roberts, lecturer in cell biology; Vivien Shaw, lecturer in anatomy all of Bangor University

THE transition from childhood to adulthood is marked by humans in a wide variety of ways across the world. Many of these coming of age celebrations are held at puberty. For instance, the filing of front teeth in Bali is said to ease the sad ripu or six evils of lust, greed, wrath, pride, jealousy and intoxication. In contrast, the Jewish bar mitzvah marks the point at which children are deemed to be responsible for their own actions.

Demonstrations of physical prowess are often tied to male ceremonies. The start of periods may play the same role for girls, with rituals such as the Apache sunrise ceremony marking the passage into womanhood.

Despite the differences in the style of all these events, they often have three elements in common: they are public, and involve special clothes and particular foods. This places these rituals squarely into the cultural realm, which may explain the wide variation. Culture is especially variable, as it is passed on socially and often serves to mark inclusion into a particular group.

Some of our close relatives also have culture. Chimpanzee groups, for instance, have specific grooming postures, make different signals to one another, and use tools in specific ways. Yet they do not have clear rites of passage. These seem to be a particularly human phenomenon. They serve to strengthen bonds between society members, and create cohesion in the broader social group.

In the multicultural society of England and Wales, one significant rite of passage familiar to almost all of us is the nationwide ritual of the summer exam. For year 11 and year 13 pupils in particular, the completion of GCSEs and A-levels marks a point of shared experience, effort and decision making.

For many years now, this momentous achievement has been widely celebrated with a school prom. This American import frequently demands the formation of the prom committee, and an almost military level of planning. The venue, theme, entertainment and decoration are all organised and debated to the finest detail.

There is also often significant financial and emotional investment ahead of an event at which social competition is intense, and full of almost ritualistic preparation (hair, make-up, maybe a spray tan).

For the class of 2020, these important landmarks of exams and proms have been lost to coronavirus. Instead, results will be estimated, and social gathering will be extremely limited.

Young people also face unprecedented uncertainty about what happens next. Should they stick to their original plans, or put them on hold?

Whatever they decide, it is important to remember that one of the main functions of these kinds of rituals is to welcome the child into the adult world. They allow them for the first time to engage not just with their peers, but also with adults as equals.

So while it might seem depressing that exams and proms have been cancelled this year, recognising these celebrations as specifically cultural and symbolic can help. By encouraging young people to think about how they might like to mark their graduation, we can make a good start.

If they cant do it by moving to a new city to start university, is there some other way to mark it? One suggestion could be a significant personal challenge such as a long hike or cycle ride. In the absence of a prom, is there a different kind of celebration perhaps a Zoom party that could be held and shared through social media?

Different friendship groups have their own ways of interacting, and may thrive on creating something innovative and new for themselves. Parents can help by recognising the significance of this life stage.

In a sense, the class of 2020 have a unique opportunity to take a truly independent approach to marking this transition, and deciding on its level of importance. Everything is open for discussion and there is much less pressure to do things as they have always been done.

The situation allows them to reinvent coming of age in a way that is personally meaningful. Young people can take control over their own transition and decide how, in the post-coronavirus years, they take their lives forward.

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Coming of age in 2020 the summer without exams or school proms - Metro Newspaper UK

Cell Biology

Magenta Therapeutics to Participate in Upcoming Healthcare Investor Conferences – Business Wire

June 9, 2020 medical

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Magenta Therapeutics (Nasdaq: MGTA), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel medicines to bring the curative power of immune reset to more patients, today announced that the company will participate in a fireside chat and hold investor meetings at the 41st annual Goldman Sachs Healthcare Conference on June 11th, 2020. The Company will also hold investor meetings and participate in a panel discussion on novel approaches for gene therapy on Monday, June 15th at the Raymond James Human Health Innovation Conference.

A live webcast of the fireside chat at the Goldman Sachs conference can be accessed on the Magenta Therapeutics website at https://investor.magentatx.com/events-and-presentations. The webcast replay will be available for 90 days following the event.

About Magenta Therapeutics

Magenta Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing medicines to bring the curative power of immune system reset through stem cell transplant to more patients with autoimmune diseases, genetic diseases and blood cancers. Magenta is combining leadership in stem cell biology and biotherapeutics development with clinical and regulatory expertise, a unique business model and broad networks in the stem cell transplant world to revolutionize immune reset for more patients.

Magenta is based in Cambridge, Mass. For more information, please visit http://www.magentatx.com.

Follow Magenta on Twitter: @magentatx.

Forward-Looking Statement

This press release may contain forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. The use of words such as may, will, could, should, expects, intends, plans, anticipates, believes, estimates, predicts, projects, seeks, endeavor, potential, continue or the negative of such words or other similar expressions can be used to identify forward-looking statements. The express or implied forward-looking statements included in this press release are only predictions and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, without limitation risks set forth under the caption Risk Factors in Magentas Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 3, 2020, as updated by Magentas most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this press release may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Although Magenta believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee that the future results, levels of activity, performance or events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or occur. Moreover, except as required by law, neither Magenta nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the forward-looking statements included in this press release. Any forward-looking statement included in this press release speaks only as of the date on which it was made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

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Magenta Therapeutics to Participate in Upcoming Healthcare Investor Conferences - Business Wire

Cell Biology

Cells inside Cells: The Bacteria That Live in Cancer Cells – India Education Diary

June 9, 2020 medical

New Delhi: Cancer cells are comfy havens for bacteria. That conclusion arises from a rigorous study of over 1,000 tumor samples of different human cancers. The study, headed by researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science, found bacteria living inside the cells of all the cancer types from brain to bone to breast cancer and even identified unique populations of bacteria residing in each type of cancer. The research suggests that understanding the relationship between a cancer cell and its mini-microbiome may help predict the potential effectiveness of certain treatments or may point, in the future, to ways of manipulating those bacteria to enhance the actions of anticancer treatments. The findings of this study were published in Science.

Dr. RavidStraussman of the Institutes Molecular Cell Biology Department had, several years ago, discovered bacteria lurking within human pancreatic tumor cells; these bacteria were shown to protect cancer cells from chemotherapy drugs by digesting and inactivating these drugs. When other studies also found bacteria in tumor cells, Straussman and his team wondered whether such hosting might be the rule, rather than the exception. To find out, Drs. Deborah Nejman and Ilana Livyatan in Straussmans group and Dr. GaroldFuks of the Physics of Complex Systems Department worked together with a team of oncologists and researchers around the world. The work was also led by Dr. Noam Shental of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department of the Open University of Israel.

Ultimately, the team would produce a detailed study describing, in high resolution, the bacteria living in these cancers brain, bone, breast, lung, ovary, pancreas, colorectal and melanoma. They discovered that every single cancer type, from brain to bone, harbored bacteria and that different cancer types harbor different bacteria species. It was the breast cancers, however, that had the largest number and diversity of bacteria. The team demonstrated that many more bacteria can be found in breast tumors compared to the normal breast tissue surrounding these tumors, and that some bacteria were preferentially found in the tumor tissue rather than in the normal tissue surrounding it.

To arrive at these results, the team had to overcome several challenges. For one, the mass of bacteria in a tumor sample is relatively small, and the researchers had to find ways to focus on these tiny cells-within-cells. They also had to eliminate any possible outside contamination. To this end they used hundreds of negative controls and created a series of computational filters to remove the traces of any bacteria that could have come from outside the tumor samples.

The team was able to grow bacteria directly from human breast tumors, and their results proved that the bacteria found in these tumors are alive. Electron microscopy visualization of these bacteria demonstrated that they prefer to nestle up in a specific location inside the cancer cells close to the cell nucleus.

The team also reported that bacteria can be found not only in cancer cells, but also in immune cells that reside inside tumors. Some of these bacteria could be enhancing the anticancer immune response, while others could be suppressing it a finding that may be especially relevant to understanding the effectiveness of certain immunotherapies, says Straussman. Indeed, when the team compared the bacteria from groups of melanoma samples, they found that different bacteria were enriched in those melanoma tumors that responded to immunotherapy as compared to those that had a poor response.

Straussman thinks that the study can also begin to explain why some bacteria like cancer cells and why each cancer has its own typical microbiome: The differences apparently come down to the choice of amenities offered in each kind of tumor-cell environment. That is, the bacteria may live off certain metabolites that are overproduced by or stored within the specific tumor types. For example, when the team compared the bacteria found in lung tumors from smokers with those from patients who had never smoked, they found variances. These differences stood out more clearly when the researchers compared the genes of these two groups of bacteria: Those from the smokers lung cancer cells had many more genes for metabolizing nicotine, toluene, phenol and other chemicals that are found in cigarette smoke.

In addition to showing that some of the most common cancers shelter unique populations of bacteria within their cells, the researchers believe that the methods they have developed to identify signature microbiomes with each cancer type can now be used to answer some crucial questions about the roles these bacteria play: Are the bacteria freeloaders on the cancer cells surplus metabolites, or do they provide a service to the cell? At what stage do they take up residence? How do they promote or hinder the cancers growth? What are the effects that they have on response to a wide variety of anticancer treatments?

Tumors are complex ecosystems that are known to contain, in addition to cancer cells, immune cells, stromal cells, blood vessels, nerves, and many more components, all part of what we refer to as the tumor microenvironment. Our studies, as well as studies by other labs, clearly demonstrate that bacteria are also an integral part of the tumor microenvironment. We hope that by finding out how exactly they fit into the general tumor ecology, we can figure out novel ways of treating cancer, Straussman says.

Dr. RavidStraussmans research is supported by the Roel C. Buck Career Development Chair; the Moross Integrated Cancer Center; the Maurice and Vivienne Wohl Biology Endowment; the Fabricant-Morse Families Research Fund for Humanity; the Chantal Dadesky-Scheinberg Research Fund; the Rising Tide Foundation; and the European Research Council.

The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, is one of the worlds top-ranking multidisciplinary research institutions. Noted for its wide-ranging exploration of the natural and exact sciences, the Institute is home to scientists, students, technicians and supporting staff. Institute research efforts include the search for new ways of fighting disease and hunger, examining leading questions in mathematics and computer science, probing the physics of matter and the universe, creating novel materials and developing new strategies for protecting the environment.

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Cells inside Cells: The Bacteria That Live in Cancer Cells - India Education Diary