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Human Behavior

Study shows how a tiny and strange marine animal produces unlimited eggs and sperm over its lifetime – National Institutes of Health

News Release

Thursday, February 13, 2020

NIH-supported research of Hydractinia could provide clues to human reproductive conditions.

A little-known ocean-dwelling creature most commonly found growing on dead hermit crab shells may sound like an unlikely study subject for researchers, but this animal has a rare ability it can make eggs and sperm for the duration of its lifetime. This animal, called Hydractinia, does so because it produces germ cells, which are precursors to eggs and sperm, nonstop throughout its life. Studying this unique ability could provide insight into the development of human reproductive system and the formation of reproductive-based conditions and diseases in humans.

By sequencing and studying the genomes of simpler organisms that are easier to manipulate in the lab, we have been able to tease out important insights regarding the biology underlying germ cell fate determination knowledge that may ultimately help us better understand the processes underlying reproductive disorders in humans, Dr. Andy Baxevanis, director of the National Human Genome Research Institutes (NHGRI) Computational Genomics Unit and co-author of the paper. NHGRI is part of the National Institutes of Health.

In a study published in the journal Science, collaborators at NHGRI, the National University of Ireland, Galway, and the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience at the University of Florida, Augustine, reported that activation of the gene Tfap2 in adult stem cells in Hydractinia can turn those cells into germ cells in a cycle that can repeat endlessly.

In comparison, humans and most other mammals generate a specific number of germ cells only once in their lifetime. Therefore, for such species, eggs and sperm from the predetermined number of germ cells may be formed over a long period of time, but their amount is restricted. An international team of researchers have been studying Hydractinias genome to understand how it comes by this special reproductive ability.

Hydractinia lives in colonies and is closely related to jellyfish and corals. Although Hydractinia is dissimilar to humans physiologically, its genome contains a surprisingly large number of genes that are like human disease genes, making it a useful animal model for studying questions related to human biology and health.

Hydractinia colonies possess feeding polyps and sexual polyps as a part of their anatomy. The specialized sexual polyps produce eggs and sperm, making them functionally similar to gonads in species like humans.

During human embryonic development, a small pool of germ cells that will eventually become gametes is set aside, and all sperm or eggs that humans produce during their lives are the descendants of those original few germ cells. Loss of these germ cells for any reason results in sterility, as humans do not have the ability to replenish their original pool of germ cells.

In a separate study, Dr. Baxevanis at NHGRI and Dr. Christine Schnitzler at the Whitney Lab have completed the first-ever sequencing of the Hydractinia genome. In this study, researchers used this information to scrutinize the organisms genome for clues as to why there are such marked differences in reproductive capacity between one of our most distant animal relatives and ourselves.

Having this kind of high-quality, whole-genome sequence data in hand allowed us to quickly narrow down the search for the specific gene or genes that tell Hydractinias stem cells to become germ cells, said Dr. Baxevanis.

The researchers compared the behavior of genes in the feeding and sexual structures of Hydractinia. They found that the Tfap2 gene was much more active in the sexual polyps than in the feeding polyps in both males and females. This was a clue that the gene might be important in generating germ cells.

The scientists next confirmed that Tfap2 was indeed the switch that controls the process of perpetual germ cell production. The researchers used the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technique to remove Tfap2 from Hydractinia and measured the resulting effects on germ cell production. They found that removing Tfap2 from Hydractinia stops germ cells from forming, bolstering the theory that Tfap2 controls the process.

The researchers also wanted to know if Tfap2 was influencing specific cells to turn into germ cells. Their analysis revealed that Tfap2 only causes adult stem cells in Hydractinia to turn into germ cells.

Interestingly, the Tfap2 gene also regulates germ cell production in humans, in addition to its involvement in myriad other processes. However, in humans, the germ cells are separated from non-germ cells early in development. Still, despite the vast evolutionary distance between Hydractinia and humans, both share a key gene that changes stem cells into germ cells.

This press release describes a basic research finding. Basic research increases our understanding of human behavior and biology, which is foundational to advancing new and better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat disease. Science is an unpredictable and incremental process each research advance builds on past discoveries, often in unexpected ways. Most clinical advances would not be possible without the knowledge of fundamental basic research.

The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) is one of the 27 institutes and centers at the NIH, an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The NHGRI Division of Intramural Research develops and implements technology to understand, diagnose and treat genomic and genetic diseases. Additional information about NHGRI can be found at: https://www.genome.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

NIHTurning Discovery Into Health

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Study shows how a tiny and strange marine animal produces unlimited eggs and sperm over its lifetime - National Institutes of Health

Human Behavior

Aldermen close another loophole in Chicagos ethics ordinance – Chicago Sun-Times

How many times can Chicagos ethics ordinance be strengthened in hopes of combating corruption that seems to continue unabated no matter how many times the law is changed?

Chicago aldermen seem determined to find out.

The City Councils Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight tried again Thursday, this time by closing a legal loophole that has allowed city employees with contract management oversight to moonlight for private contractors.

The ordinance was once again championed by Ethics Committee Chairman Michele Smith (43rd), a former federal prosecutor.

Smith was inspired by a Chicago Sun-Times story detailing how a now- retired, $125,000-a-year deputy aviation commissioner served as a paid representative for SafeSpeed LLC, a red light camera company doing business in the suburbs.

The Sun-Times reported that Bill Helm received a cut of the fines every time a motorist got a red-light camera ticket in suburban Matteson.

In a guilty plea last month, former State Sen. Martin Sandoval, D-Chicago, admitted accepting more than $250,000 in bribes, including at least $70,000 from SafeSpeed to act as its protector in the Illinois Senate.

The SafeSpeed scandal prompted aldermen to take another look at the citys ethics ordinance and close a legal loophole that has nothing to do with Helm, said Steve Berlin, executive director of the Chicago Board of Ethics.

It would prohibit city employees with contract management authority from deriving any income, compensation or thing of value from city contractors and sub-contractors or from anyone seeking to become city contractors or sub-contractors.

The definition of income, compensation or thing of value would not include dividends from shares of common stock.

If Im exercising contract management authority under current law, theres nothing that prohibits me from working on a totally unrelated contract with one of the subs because, generally speaking, Im not dealing with the sub in my city job. Im simply dealing with the prime, Berlin said.

The temptation is that I would favor the prime to keep my job with the sub that it would affect my judgments as to how I exercise my contract management authority.

Smith added, We looked at the city ordinance and realized there was a gap there. Were taking the opportunity to fill the gap and make clearer expectations.

The last round of ethics reform was tailor made to end the days of you-scratch-my-back, Ill scratch your back at least when it comes to City Hall lobbying.

That ordinance prohibited Chicago aldermen from lobbying state and local government and prevented their counterparts at those other levels from doing the same at City Hall.

Smith and Aviation Committee Chairman Matt OShea (19th) joined forces on that earlier ordinance in an attempt to stay one step ahead of the burgeoning lobbying scandal swirling around utility giant Commonwealth Edison and video gaming interests pushing to legalize sweepstakes machines.

The changes advanced Thursday mark the third round of ethics reform since Mayor Lori Lightfoot took office and the fourth, if you count the executive order she signed just hours after taking office stripping aldermen of their unbridled control over licensing and permitting in their wards.

None of it seems to be doing any good. A burgeoning corruption scandal that includes lawmakers, lobbyists, contractors and ComEd has spread from Chicago and the south suburbs to Springfield.

I cant predict human behavior, but I can say this: We have a very reform-minded City Council and Im very proud to serve with them, Smith said.

We certainly can create the expectations of what the citizens want from their legislators and city officials.

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Aldermen close another loophole in Chicagos ethics ordinance - Chicago Sun-Times

Human Behavior

South Tampa’s Old School Bar and Grill is fun house with exceptional corn dogs and sliders – Creative Loafing Tampa

Old School Bar and Grill's poke bowl has a mound of fresh tuna cubes upon sticky rice surrounded by thin slices of cucumber and radish topped with crispy wontons.Jenna Rimensnyder

3 out of 5 stars

2202 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa

Appetizers: $7-$11; entrees: $9-$14; no dessert; beer/wine/cocktails: $2-$12.

Sometimes, as I venture around the Bay area, the CL editors send me to a tasting where I feel like a cultural anthropologist. I trained in the theatre as an actor and director, where our stock-in-trade is observing human behavior and understanding and assigning motivation. I pay keen attention at each venue and look for details to report to you, our dear readers, so that you might make an informed decision about whether the location of the week is an appealing place for you to drop your hard-earned dollars.

But, CLs readership is an eclectic mix of all ages and orientations. From DINKs to grandparents, broke college students to obsessive foodies, craft beer purists to indiscriminate hedonists. A recent notable trend, from which to attempt to draw conclusions about the desires of Bay area patrons is the number of TVs in a given establishment.

Theres a continuum from no TVs (more formal/fine wine/craft cocktails) to TVs everywhere (casual/mass market beer/well spirits). One dining environment encourages intimacy and conversation, the other an energetic communal buzz fueled by maximum alcohol and the big game (or many competing games) that may even test the limits of sensual overload. One hopes not to wake up after an ill-advised hookup with a regrettable tattoo, piercing, or missing a kidney (Google it).

All of which is to say, Old School is the latter. Its a 20-plus TV fun house with live music, cornhole, Jenga, and a Golden Tee Live console for those poor souls who risk delirium tremens from golf withdrawal. The furniture is all metalshiny, swirled, and impervious to any over indulgence.

Theres no cocktail or wine list. Its standard bar fare with quaffable wine, and Yuengling, Blue Moon, and the like on tap. My Bombay Sapphire gin and tonic is just fine and hits the spot.

The menu offers a diverse bar food mix including wings, cheese fries, salads and bowls. Our quartet of deviled eggs is made with sweet citrus-truffle vinaigrette and topped with a sriracha dot for a touch of heat. Theyre served (as is most of the menu) on red and white checked paper, and divided into quadrants by criss-crossed million dollar candied baconwhich is indeed the most delicious sweet and chewy bacon Ive ever had.

The six hand-dipped mini-wagyu beef corn dogs are the size of fat skewered golf balls. Theyre sensational, if youre a corn dog fan. I didnt even care to use the house ketchup or chipotle mustard. The juicy dogs have layered beefy flavor highlighted by corn batter thats not at all grainy.

Early on a Taco Tuesday, the zoo is devoid of late night animals and is a good time to take advantage of $2 Coors and Miller Lite drafts with mix-and-match $2 tacos and sliders.

The grouper taco is fine, but not the equal of our three different sliders served on sweet, ultrasoft Hawaiian rolls. Three Little Pigs loads shreds of juicy slow roasted pork with a bit of chipotle mustard and fried shallots on that squishy bread that just melds with the yummy meat.

A slider version of the burger adds sloppy sauce on a mini house-blended patty with American cheese and crisp homemade pickles. A family recipe puts ketchup-glazed Poppys meatloaf with crispy onions on another Hawaiian sweet roll. Its hard to pick a favorite.

The poke bowl has a mound of fresh tuna cubes upon sticky rice surrounded by thin slices of cucumber and radish topped with crispy wontons. Theres Brussels wakame salad, but the spicy ponzu and black garlic aoli listed on the menu dont really register in our bowl, which seems a bit dull once we get past the fish.

The flatbread is also less interesting, mainly because of the spongy crust, but the balsamic shallots add some interest to the Margheritas marinated cherry tomatoes with ample mozzarella blanketing herb oil and torn basil.

Sadly, for a sweet-toothed food critic, there is no dessert. But thats clearly not the goal. One Yelper sums up Old Schools allure in a pithy, Hemingway-esque conclusion that tells you all you really need to know: Cold beer. Casual as hell. Pretty people.

CL Food Critic Jon Palmer Claridge is the Bay areas longest running food critic and dines anonymously when reviewing. See his list of Tampa Bays 50 best restaurants of 2019, check out the explanation of his rating system and read his new book, 'Drink.More.Wine!'

Want to know everything going on with Tampa Bay's food and drink scene? Sign up for our Bites newsletter.

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South Tampa's Old School Bar and Grill is fun house with exceptional corn dogs and sliders - Creative Loafing Tampa

Human Behavior

Brown researchers to start clinical trial funded by Alzheimer’s Association – The Brown Daily Herald

University researchers are conducting a phase one clinical trial that will look at the potential therapeutic effect that a class of HIV drugs can have on the progression of Alzheimers Disease.

The 2.5 year clinical trial was funded through a $750,000 grant from the Alzheimers Association Part the Cloud Translational Research Funding program, which the researchers learned they would receive at the end of 2019. This initiative is a relatively new program funded by the largest private financial supporter of Alzheimers research in the world, said Stephen Salloway, director of neurology and the memory and aging program at Butler Hospital, Martin M. Zucker professor of psychiatry and human behavior and professor of neurology and co-principal investigator of the trial. This is a very prestigious award, and we are very excited to have this opportunity.

The researchers primary goal for this trial is to test an HIV drug called emtricitabine, sold as Emtriva, in older people with Alzheimers disease to ensure that the drug is safe and that patients tolerate it well, Salloway said. Their secondary goal is to look at the effect that emtricitabine has on inflammation, memory and daily function. This is a very favorable circumstance for research since we have the drug on the shelf, and we can repurpose (it) for another disease, Salloway said.

The study was inspired by earlier experiments conducted by John Sedivy, Hermon C. Bumpus professor of biology and professor of medical science and co-principal investigator of the current clinical trial. The prior studies found that an HIV drug, Lamivudine, could decrease inflammation in various mice tissues. Lamivudine blocks the activity of the HIV-linked reverse transcriptase enzyme, a molecular substance that allows HIV to replicate and incorporate into peoples DNA. The findings showed that retrotransposable elements, which are portions of DNA that can reinsert into other parts of a persons genome, were likely implicated in this inflammation.

While these retrotransposable elements are normally suppressed and therefore unnoticed by the body, Sedivys research suggests that the aging body reacts to the activation of the retrotransposable elements and triggers a response from the immune system. This leads to sterile inflammation. While most types of inflammation are a response to an infection, sterile inflammation is different because, as far as doctors can tell, those experiencing it are not necessarily infected. More recently, it is now believed that this sterile inflammation may not be the cause, but it exacerbates diseases normally associated with old age, Sedivy said.

Patients with Alzheimers disease, or other neurologic diseases, have been shown to have inflammation in the brain. No one really knows where this neuroinflammation is coming from. Our idea is that it might be coming from these retrotransposable elements, Sedivy added.

After discovering what may be a link between the elements and aging-affiliated diseases, Sedivy approached Salloway, who has conducted numerous Alzheimers studies.

The team for this project also includes University researchers and partners abroad. Rami Kantor, professor of medicine at the division of infectious diseases, HIV physician-scientist and co-director of Providence/Boston Center for AIDS Research Basic Science Core, was approached by Sedivy, who expressed interest in the potential incorporation of HIV medications for non-HIV purposes. My role is to follow the (study participants) clinically to make sure (the medications) are safe.

For this clinical trial, the researchers are focusing on emtricitabine. While very similar to Lamivudine, (emtricitabine) has (fewer) side effects, and it is a bit more efficacious, Kantor said. Yet, the mechanism of action is the same.

Emtricitabine is currently prescribed to millions of people as HIV therapy and is very well tolerated, Sedivy said. Still, the researchers are concerned about unanticipated side effects that these drugs may have when given to the target subjects of the study: older people and specifically older people with Alzheimers disease. But older people with HIV have already been using these kinds of drugs without experiencing adverse reactions exceeding those of younger patients, so there really are no significant red flags, Sedivy said.

Using emtricitabine and lamivudine in individuals without HIV is not an entirely novel concept. Some people who are at high risk of developing HIV have already taken lamivudine and emtricitabine as components of their treatment and have mostly tolerated the drugs, Kantor said.

The researchers are awaiting final approval from the Institutional Review Board. Afterwards, the company that produces Emtriva, Gilead Sciences Inc., will prepare and supply the drug for the research.

Following media coverage of the trial, people have expressed interest in participating in the study. The double-blind study will provide 25 participants with the active emtricitabine drug and 10 others with a placebo, which is an inactive control drug. All 35 participants will have to have early Alzheimers disease to qualify for the trial.

There is the big hope and expectation, which I think everybody shares, that this will possibly be a cure for Alzheimers, Sedivy said. But the phase one clinical trial that the researchers are undertaking is the very first baby step in that direction.

Correction: A previous version of this article referred to Rami Kantor as the co-director of Providence/Boston Center for AIDS Research, when in fact, Kantor is the co-director of the Providence/Boston Center for AIDS Research Basic Science Core. The Herald regrets the error.

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Brown researchers to start clinical trial funded by Alzheimer's Association - The Brown Daily Herald

Human Behavior

Viziblezone taps AI and smartphone data to alert drivers to pedestrians – VentureBeat

The World Health Organization reports that 1.5 million people were killed in road accidents in 2018, of which more than half were pedestrians and cyclists. One of the biggest culprits is the so-called hidden pedestrian problem, in which people obscured by obstacles suddenly appear in front of high-speed vehicles. Sensors like lidar, radar, and cameras promise to improve the detection of people on and near the road, but in some cases, not even cutting-edge advanced driver assistance systems can anticipate a persons next position.

An intriguing solution emerged last year from Viziblezone, a startup within the Jerusalem-based investment platform OurCrowds Labs/02 incubator program. Using a combination of AI and machine learning models, smartphones, and commodity car hardware, its capable of alerting drivers about potential nearby hazards while helping them to avoid accidents.

VentureBeat caught up with Shmulik Barel, one of the companys cofounders, for a live demo of the system at the OurCrowd 2020 Global Investor Summit in Jerusalem.

It starts with data collection. According to Barel, Viziblezones software development kit (SDK) for third-party apps chiefly apps for smart cities and transportation companies collects anonymized information including GPS and sensor data. Drawing from a pool of hundreds of thousands of people, Viziblezone trains and refines its AI algorithms to build behavioral profiles that factor in attributes of those peoples surroundings.

Those models are generalizable to an extent, but they have to be tailored to each city where theyre deployed, like Helsinki, Finland. Thats because pedestrians and drivers, for that matter dont behave the same everywhere. [Were working to minimize] false positives, said Barel.

Using these behavioral profiles, participating smartphones broadcast their locations to passing vehicles equipped with Viziblezones software for third-party chipsets, which receive and process these signals in real time. An AI-driven system then determines accident risk based on pedestrian information, the driver profile, and the road environment. When the system detects a high risk of an accident, it alerts the driver and the vehicles engines control unit, providing enough lead time (around 3 seconds) to avoid a collision.

Simultaneously, the system can pop up a notification on the pedestrians phone to alert them when a drivers passing by, if the pedestrian grants it permission to do so. [W]e have amazing capabilities to understand exactly what is going on, Barel said.

Barel asserted that the system can detect pedestrians up to 150 meters (about 500 feet) away in any weather, any visibility, daytime, and nighttime. He noted that theres a bit of a battery drain on the smartphone side its at about 5% in a 24-hour period, on average but that Viziblezone is working to bring that down by half.

During a demo drive on the streets of Jerusalem, along the perimeter of the International Convention Center, Barel showed the Viziblezone system in action with actors posing as pedestrians. When the actors strolled down a sidewalk close to the road, the in-car interface which integrates with infotainment systems including Android Auto suppressed all alerts. (The AI models can distinguish between a person whos about to cross a road versus walking nearby.) On the other hand, when one actor suddenly pivoted in the direction of the road and took a step toward it, the system audibly alarmed.

Barel tells me Uber is among the companies with which Viziblezone is in discussions; he says the ride-hailing company has expressed interest in building Viziblezones system into its apps, in order to prevent accidents at pick-up time. But the near-term focus is scaling up the number of devices funneling data to the algorithms to further improve their accuracy. It also plans to expand its partnerships with smart cities, to pilot tie-ins with infrastructure like traffic lights.

Viziblezone is tackling the most complicated issue in the automotive domain: the unpredictability of human behavior near roads, said Moshe Raines, CEO of OurCrowd Labs/02. There are many technologies out there such as smart cameras, lidar, radar, and others, solving for many causes of road accidents, but until now there has been no adequate solution to the problem of hidden pedestrians obscured by obstacles, and who appear suddenly in front of a traveling vehicle. By turning the pedestrians mobile phones into accident prevention devices, Viziblezone offers a comprehensive solution for pedestrian safety.

Viziblezone, which was founded in 2019, has raised $1.2 million in seed funding and has six employees.

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Viziblezone taps AI and smartphone data to alert drivers to pedestrians - VentureBeat

Human Behavior

Chasing Poker Greatness: #35 Darren Elias: The ONLY 4-Time WPT Champ, $11.3 Million Online & Live Tourney Winnings, and Poker End Boss – Pokerfuse

Full Episode Description Yoooo, welcome my friend to another episode of the Chasing Poker Greatness podcast! Im your host, founder of EnhanceYourEdge.com Brad Wilson and todays guest is the only 4-time WPT champion on the planet, the one and only Darren Elias.Darren has over $7.5 million in career live cashes to go along with a pretty, pretty, pretty good $3.8 million in lifetime online career winnings all despite being a low-volume player. His career highlights include:- The aforementioned FOUR WPT titles, including: the WPT Bobby Baldwin Classic, 2017 WPT Fallsview, season 16 WPT Tournament of Champions, and (Darrens personal favorite win) the 2014 WPT Borgata Open.- Winning the 2012 World Championship of Online Poker high roller event for a cool $574k.- And a 2009 FTOPs gold medal for $126k.Our conversation covers a ton of ground from how Darren got his start playing cards in a way thats very near and dear to my own heart playing Yahoo! Hearts, to his first tournament bink and subsequent bankroll explosion to over $500k.There are too many greatness bombs to count headed your way, including:- How human beings are driven by personal interests and incentives that skew their opinions.- Darrens thoughts on the re-entry vs. freezeout debate. - Why AI is an existential, imminent threat to the present and future of online poker.- Why Darren spends most of his time studying human behavior and analyzing patterns to improve his poker game.- And much, much more!So, without any further ado, I bring to you the great Darren Elias.

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Chasing Poker Greatness: #35 Darren Elias: The ONLY 4-Time WPT Champ, $11.3 Million Online & Live Tourney Winnings, and Poker End Boss - Pokerfuse

Human Behavior

How to break up with your phone, explained by a phone addiction researcher – The Next Web

TNW Answers is a live Q&A platform where we invite interesting people in tech who are much smarter than us to answer questions from TNW readers and editors for an hour.

On average, people spend four hours on their phone every day, were addicted to our phones, but its not all our fault. Apps are designed to manipulate our brain chemistry to make us stay on their platform for as long as possible because thats what benefits their bottom line. Everything you see in an app is a result of a human decision and is carefully designed to keep you hooked for hours on end.

While it may not be entirely our fault, Catherine Price, the author of How to Break up with Your Phone, recently hosted a TNW Answerssession and provided some actionable advice on how to create a healthierrelationship with your phone.

[Read: Google wants to reduce your screen time with an envelope?]

Price suggests signing up for the free 7-day phone breakup challenge on Screen Life Balance. This is the introduction to a longer program outlined in How to Break up with Your Phone, which gives you daily assignments designed to jump start a new relationship including switching your phone to black and white.

For the time being, one thing you can do right now is identify a few things that you WANT to be spending time on but supposedly never have time for, such as reading, exercising, meditating, etc. Then, identify a few ways in which your phone habits are standing in the way. Your goal isnt to spend less time on your phone; its to spend more time on your LIFE. This shift in thinking can be a powerful motivator for change.

Most unhealthy phone habits are fueled by FOMO and mindless scrolling on addictive sites like Instagram and Facebook you may even notice a pattern in your own habits where you put down your phone and pick it up again, for no reason, minutes later.

To break this habit, Price suggests incorporating a speed bump, a small obstacle that snaps you out of autopilot and makes you realize that youve just reached for your phone. You could simply put a rubber band or hair tie around your phone to start. Then, when you reach for your phone on autopilot youll have a quick moment of wondering why theres a band around your phone thats the moment when you can ask yourself what you picked up your phone to and what else you could do instead.

Ever since the first picture was uploaded to Instagram, scientists have been researching the consequences of living our lives through a smartphone. In recent years, its been argued that excessive screen time among young people can have numerous negative effects such as depression and anxiety.

But among all the research comes inconsistent results, or even contradictory findings. In an op-ed published in the Nature journal last week, it was argued that screen time is too vague of a metric to truly understand human behavior.

I think that screen time can be a good starting place, but I dont love it because it lumps all time in together, and makes it seem as if any use of your phone is bad. But thats not true our phones are amazing tools.

Also, it doesnt take into account how your phone time fits into your overall screen time. For example, if I were to spend 20 minutes on my phone one day, it might seem great on Screen Time but what if I spent 13 hours on my laptop that day? Is that a healthy day? And the opposite would also be true: if I spent 5 hours on my phone, that might seem bad, but it could mean that I didnt spend any time at all in front of my computer.

As far as time trackers go, Price recommends Moment, an app that allows you to exclude particular apps so you can focus on monitoring the apps that you are actually concerned about and not worry about the rest. For example, youre probably not concerned about the amount of time you spend using Lyft or Google Maps.

Its worth noting that breaking up with your phone doesnt mean completing removing it from your life, its about learning new habits to create a healthier relationship, and providing you more time to spend less time scrolling and more time IRL.

You can read Prices entire TNW Answers session here.

Read next: This AI can perfectly dub videos in Indic languages -- and correct lip syncing

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How to break up with your phone, explained by a phone addiction researcher - The Next Web

Human Behavior

Feed.fm Fitness And Wellness Customers Innovate With Music – PR Web

Music has the ability to affect both behavioral change, like pushing harder during a workout, and physiological change, like rewiring neural connections. - Lauren Pufpaf, COO Feed.fm

SAN FRANCISCO (PRWEB) February 14, 2020

Feed.fm today announced a new set of leading fitness and wellness brands are leveraging the platform to help customers and clients heal faster and exercise better. Feed.fm provides the know how for a wide variety of businesses to overcome difficult licensing, curation and technological challenges to integrate popular music into their brand experiences.

Musics power to heal and motivate has been known for millennia, but were only recently seeing a broader understanding of the wide range of benefits, said Lauren Pufpaf, COO of Feed.fm. Music has the ability to affect both behavioral change, like pushing harder during a workout, and physiological change, like rewiring neural connections. Were excited to make music work for our latest fitness and wellness partners as they seek to improve their customers mental and physical wellbeing.

New partners on the platform include:

Commercial-Grade Fitness Equipment Paired with Expert CoachingMyxFitness- Positioned as the Un-Peloton, Myx Fitness is designed to meet users wherever they are on their personal wellness journeys. Myx Fitness offers hundreds of classes ranging from cycling, HIIT, cardio dance and barre to yoga, mindful movement, meditation and everything in between. With commercial-grade equipment and a 21.5 HD touchscreen, the company aims for a truly immersive home training experience.

High Quality Video WorkoutsFitOn - Employing unique, innovative technology, FitOn boosts motivation and accountability through a one-of-a-kind social experience that allows users to interact and compete with friends inside and outside of class. FitOn has a roster of top trainers and recently added celebrity partners Jonathan Van Ness and Gabrielle Union.

Community and Wellness99 walks - While 90% of moms want to lose weight and improve fitness, the company also found that 73% of moms feel lonely and isolated. Their simple but powerful mission is create community, improve wellness and inspire happiness through the simple act of walking together.

Innovating Health CareMayo Clinic The number one hospital in America is dedicated to inspiring hope and providing the best care to every patient. With the addition of Feed.fm powered in-room music, the team continues to innovate on behalf of the patient.

A.I. Improvements to Re-envision Home WorkoutsNeuralx World-class technologists, scientists, physiologists and fitness experts are creating a revolutionary, remote workout experience. More to come soon.

Regardless of the health, wellness or fitness experience, Feed.fm is able to help any brand avoid legal gray areas thanks to the companys expertise and commitment to music licensing simplification. Feed.fms team of curators use a proprietary blend of algorithms combined with human expertise to curate music that best matches a brands experience. They understand the nuances of how music impacts human behavior, and have amassed millions of points of proprietary metadata to take a scientific approach to create the best possible soundtrack for users.

About Feed.fmFeed.fm is a technology platform that makes it easy for brands to legally and seamlessly harness the power of music to engage and retain their customers. Feed.fms team handles the licensing and technical integration of curated music stations to help brands increase key growth and customer retention metrics. Based in San Francisco, Feed.fm was co-founded by Jeff Yasuda (CEO), Lauren Pufpaf (COO) and Eric Lambrecht (CTO), and is backed by investors that include Crunchfund, Core Ventures Group, KEC Ventures, and Fyrfly. For more information, visit https://feed.fm/.

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Feed.fm Fitness And Wellness Customers Innovate With Music - PR Web

Human Behavior

Genetic Secrets of How a Strange Marine Animal Produces Unlimited Eggs and Sperm Over Its Lifetime – SciTechDaily

Piwi1-positive spermatogonia are shown in yellow; cell nuclei are in turquoise. Germ cell induction and all stages of gametogenesis can be visualized in these clonal animals. Credit: Timothy DuBuc, Ph.D. Swarthmore College

National Human Genome Research Institute-supported research of Hydractinia could provide clues to human reproductive conditions.

A little-known ocean-dwelling creature most commonly found growing on dead hermit crab shells may sound like an unlikely study subject for researchers, but this animal has a rare ability it can make eggs and sperm for the duration of its lifetime. This animal, called Hydractinia, does so because it produces germ cells, which are precursors to eggs and sperm, nonstop throughout its life. Studying this unique ability could provide insight into the development of human reproductive system and the formation of reproductive-based conditions and diseases in humans.

By sequencing and studying the genomes of simpler organisms that are easier to manipulate in the lab, we have been able to tease out important insights regarding the biology underlying germ cell fate determination knowledge that may ultimately help us better understand the processes underlying reproductive disorders in humans, Dr. Andy Baxevanis, director of the National Human Genome Research Institutes (NHGRI) Computational Genomics Unit and co-author of the paper. NHGRI is part of the National Institutes of Health.

Piwi1-positive oocytes are shown in yellow; cell nuclei are in turquoise. Germ cell induction and all stages of gametogenesis can be visualized in these clonal animals. Credit: Timothy DuBuc, Ph.D. Swarthmore College

In a study published in the journal Science, collaborators at NHGRI, the National University of Ireland, Galway, and the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience at the University of Florida, Augustine, reported that activation of the gene Tfap2 in adult stem cells in Hydractinia can turn those cells into germ cells in a cycle that can repeat endlessly.

In comparison, humans and most other mammals generate a specific number of germ cells only once in their lifetime. Therefore, for such species, eggs and sperm from the predetermined number of germ cells may be formed over a long period of time, but their amount is restricted. An international team of researchers have been studying Hydractinias genome to understand how it comes by this special reproductive ability.

Hydractinia lives in colonies and is closely related to jellyfish and corals. Although Hydractinia is dissimilar to humans physiologically, its genome contains a surprisingly large number of genes that are like human disease genes, making it a useful animal model for studying questions related to human biology and health.

Hydractinia colonies possess feeding polyps and sexual polyps as a part of their anatomy. The specialized sexual polyps produce eggs and sperm, making them functionally similar to gonads in species like humans.

Timing of germ cell formation in Hydractinia versus most animals. Credit: Timothy DuBuc, Ph.D. Swarthmore College

During human embryonic development, a small pool of germ cells that will eventually become gametes is set aside, and all sperm or eggs that humans produce during their lives are the descendants of those original few germ cells. Loss of these germ cells for any reason results in sterility, as humans do not have the ability to replenish their original pool of germ cells.

In a separate study, Dr. Baxevanis at NHGRI and Dr. Christine Schnitzler at the Whitney Lab have completed the first-ever sequencing of the Hydractinia genome. In this study, researchers used this information to scrutinize the organisms genome for clues as to why there are such marked differences in reproductive capacity between one of our most distant animal relatives and ourselves.

Having this kind of high-quality, whole-genome sequence data in hand allowed us to quickly narrow down the search for the specific gene or genes that tell Hydractinias stem cells to become germ cells, said Dr. Baxevanis.

The researchers compared the behavior of genes in the feeding and sexual structures of Hydractinia. They found that the Tfap2 gene was much more active in the sexual polyps than in the feeding polyps in both males and females. This was a clue that the gene might be important in generating germ cells.

The scientists next confirmed that Tfap2 was indeed the switch that controls the process of perpetual germ cell production. The researchers used the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technique to remove Tfap2 from Hydractinia and measured the resulting effects on germ cell production. They found that removing Tfap2 from Hydractinia stops germ cells from forming, bolstering the theory that Tfap2 controls the process.

The researchers also wanted to know if Tfap2 was influencing specific cells to turn into germ cells. Their analysis revealed that Tfap2 only causes adult stem cells in Hydractinia to turn into germ cells.

Interestingly, the Tfap2 gene also regulates germ cell production in humans, in addition to its involvement in myriad other processes. However, in humans, the germ cells are separated from non-germ cells early in development. Still, despite the vast evolutionary distance between Hydractinia and humans, both share a key gene that changes stem cells into germ cells.

Reference: Transcription factor AP2 controls cnidarian germ cell induction by Timothy Q. DuBuc, Christine E. Schnitzler, Eleni Chrysostomou, Emma T. McMahon, Febrimarsa, James M. Gahan, Tara Buggie, Sebastian G. Gornik, Shirley Hanley, Sofia N. Barreira, Paul Gonzalez, Andreas D. Baxevanis and Uri Frank, 14 February 2020, Science.DOI: 10.1126/science.aay6782

This article describes a basic research finding. Basic research increases our understanding of human behavior and biology, which is foundational to advancing new and better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat disease. Science is an unpredictable and incremental process each research advance builds on past discoveries, often in unexpected ways. Most clinical advances would not be possible without the knowledge of fundamental basic research.

The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) is one of the 27 institutes and centers at the NIH, an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The NHGRI Division of Intramural Research develops and implements technology to understand, diagnose and treat genomic and genetic diseases.

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Genetic Secrets of How a Strange Marine Animal Produces Unlimited Eggs and Sperm Over Its Lifetime - SciTechDaily

Human Behavior

Last Call: What do you feed a very good boy or girl? – The Takeout

Joe, a very good boyPhoto: Aimee Levitt

I have very mixed feelings about the Westminster Kennel Club Show. The other night, I was reading the coverage online and was trying to explain it to my dog Joe, a puppy who is still learning all the ways of the world. (He sometimes still stands and watches in wonder as the el train rolls by.) Its a contest, Joe, I said. Theyre trying to determine the best dog... He was napping with his head on my lap, fighting for space with the laptop, but as soon as I said that, he opened one big brown eye and looked at me in a way I might have said was resentful, except that Joe is still pure of heart and hasnt learned about resentment yet. I know, youre the best dog. And also the best-looking dog. I thought for a moment. Joe closed his eyes and shoved the computer a few inches. Okay, Joe, I said. Theyre trying to figure out which dog fulfills some arbitrary standards of dog beauty and behavior, which is really dumb because all dogs are beautiful and perfect, especially you, and, yes, yes, youre right, lets go back to looking at things that are more important, like Bachelor recaps. (Not that Joe is very interested in any human behavior that doesnt involve either food or himself, but at least The Bachelor doesnt question one of his core life beliefs, e.g., that he is the best dog in the world. And some of these recaps are works of comic genius.)

Still, theres something about Westminster that gets to me every year, and this year I am very pissed that Daniel the golden retriever got beat out by Siba, the standard poodle. (Sibas haircut also disturbs me. Its a real villain haircut.) But I also cant stop thinking about how Siba refused to eat her ceremonial victory dinner at Sardis because it was steak and she will only eat chicken, even if its in McChicken sandwich form. But Siba was hand-fed that chicken from a silver platter! I guess thats a pretty good reward.

Joes more of a bacon dog himself. I think thats what I would feed him if he won something very important like Westminster, or, lets be honest, just for existing for another day, because we all know that we dont deserve dogs and one of the reasons they put up with our idiocy is because we feed them.

What do you feed your dog for being a very good girl or boy?

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Last Call: What do you feed a very good boy or girl? - The Takeout