Sunday Sermonette: Moar Anachronism
Psalms 79 and 80 are attributed to Asaph. As you will recall, Asaph was purportedly one of David ' s chief musicians, but the setting of these psalms is evidently the fall of Judah to Babylon, so that makes no sense. These must have been written during the exile, after Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem and kidnapped the elites. It ' s also possible, though less likely, that the setting is the sack of Jerusalem by the Egyptian Pharaoh Shishak in the 10th Century BCE, in the reign of Rehoboam, but Asaph, if he ever existed, would certainly have been long dead by then. In general, most of the psalms seem to be responses to even...
Source: Stayin' Alive - March 17, 2024 Category: American Health Source Type: blogs

History Lesson
Psalm 78 is, I believe, the third longest psalm. It ' s also one of three so-called " long history " psalms. It basically recounts events from Exodus and Numbers, in chronologically confused order, and then skips ahead to touch on the establishment of the reign of David. The listing of the plagues of Egypt does not exactly correspond to the canonical version of Exodus we have today -- there are no caterpillars or frost in Exodus. This may just be a fanciful addition, or it may be that it draws on a lost version of the story. Once again, keep in mind that there were no printing presses and any document would have existed in...
Source: Stayin' Alive - March 13, 2024 Category: American Health Source Type: blogs

Research Organism Superheroes: Axolotls
The friendly-looking axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) doesn’t seem to have much in common with its namesake, Xolotl—the Aztec god of lightning, death, and fire. In fact, axolotls can regrow lost limbs and other body parts like organs and parts of their central nervous systems—which goes against the concept of death! The axolotl can regenerate almost any body part, including brain, heart, jaws, limbs, lungs, ovaries, spinal cord, skin, and tail. This ability makes it an excellent research organism to study in the search for regenerative medicine. Credit: Marko Pende, MDI Biological Laboratory; MDI Biological Labor...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - March 6, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: STEM Education Tools and Techniques Coloring Pages Cool Creatures Regeneration Research Organisms Source Type: blogs

Wednesday Bible Study: Divine Right
Psalm 72 is one of those elevating the king to a kind of demigod status and extolling his power and glory. As I have said many times, the basic structure of Judean society, as was the norm throughout the region, was an alliance between a priestly caste and warrior kings, so that ' s what this is all about. But yes, it ' s weird that it ' s called a Psalm of Solomon, and concludes with " The prayers of David, son of Jesse, are ended. " It ' s doubly weird because many subsequent psalms are in fact ascribed to David. The likely explanation is that the Book of Psalms we have today is a compilation of several books, usually th...
Source: Stayin' Alive - February 28, 2024 Category: American Health Source Type: blogs

Transform Your Mood In 4 Days With This Surprising Fruit Hack (M)
In just four days, this fuzzy fruit demonstrated notable improvements in vitality and mood. (Source: PsyBlog | Psychology Blog)
Source: PsyBlog | Psychology Blog - February 26, 2024 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Jeremy Dean Tags: Mental Health subscribers-only Source Type: blogs

Generative AI in Your Desk Drawer: Back Office Applications in Health Care
This article delineates the advantage of generative AI over earlier forms of AI and machine learning. We’ll look at several areas in health care where generative AI is in use, and discuss ways to make it widely available to small clinical organizations with few resources. We’ll also see how different organizations are training their models for maximum accuracy and value. The Generative AI Advantage The impacts of generative AI throughout society will be hard to assess for some time because it is so new and has become the darling of computer science so fast. Stepro describes the pace of change as “extrem...
Source: EMR and HIPAA - February 26, 2024 Category: Information Technology Authors: Andy Oram Tags: Administration AI/Machine Learning C-Suite Leadership Health IT Company Healthcare IT Administrative Burden Amazon Web Services Arcadia Artificial Intelligence AWS Back Office Bikham Caen Contee ChatGPT David Kereiakes Gauri Source Type: blogs

Whole Roasted Squash With Tomato-Ginger Chickpeas & Za ’atar
I read myself the riot act about 6 months ago, when my cholesterol level reached a new high. My doctor seemed nonplussed, perhaps because my cardiac calcium score was a perfect zero. But I was not happy. Yes, I had lost weight and was exercising, but to be honest, my heart belonged to cheese. And eggs. And ice cream. Something had to change. Breakfast was easy. The whole eggs (which I had been eating almost daily) were replaced by Starbucks Sous Vide Egg whites or oatmeal served with a side of chicken sausage. Lunches were yogurt or soup or vegan bean burritos or salad or tuna or peanut butter. I started snacking on nu...
Source: The Blog That Ate Manhattan - February 21, 2024 Category: Primary Care Authors: Margaret Polaneczky, MD Tags: Vegetables Butternut Squash Chickpeas vegetarian za'atar Source Type: blogs

Cool Images: Radiant in Red
Happy Valentine’s Day! In place of red roses, we hope you’ll accept a bouquet of beautiful scientific images featuring rich, red hues. Be sure to click all the way through to see the festive protein flowing through your blood! For more scientific photos, illustrations, and videos in all the colors of the rainbow, visit our image and video gallery. .featured { opacity: 1 !important; transform: scale(1) !important; z-index: 1 !important; } .featured a:hover::after { content: "Click to view on NIGMS image gallery"; /*Image hover tool tip*/ background-color: #fff;...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - February 14, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Cells Molecular Structures Cellular Imaging Cool Images Proteins Source Type: blogs

Fight Aging! Newsletter, February 12th 2024
In conclusion, frailty is a dynamic process, and improved frailty and remaining robust are significantly associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular death in older people. « Back to Top Greater Individual Wealth Correlates with Longer Life Expectancy https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2024/02/greater-individual-wealth-correlates-with-longer-life-expectancy/ Individual wealth correlates with life expectancy, with an effect size that is in the same ballpark as those related to lifestyle choices involving exercise, diet, and consequences thereof. It remains unclear...
Source: Fight Aging! - February 11, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs

The Death of Death, in English
The authors of the Death of Death are regulars on the conference circuit for aging research, the longevity industry, and patient advocacy for the treatment of aging as a medical condition. The book was originally in Spanish, and has finally been translated into English. It is a popular science overview of progress towards technologies that will first slow aging, then enable the control of aging, and eventually, at some point, produce large gains in healthy human life span, postponing death by aging essentially indefinitely. The book and its authors also unapologetically and straightforwardly stand in opposition to the horr...
Source: Fight Aging! - February 8, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Activism, Advocacy and Education Source Type: blogs

Decoding digestive discomfort: the science behind FODMAPs
FODMAPs are Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. Digestive discomfort – excessive flatulence, “bloating”, loose stool, or constipation – is a prevalent issue for many, and it often finds its roots in a group of fermentable carbohydrates collectively known as FODMAPs. Understanding the science behind FODMAPs could help in establishing a more comfortable and gratifying relationship with food. In the realm of our digestive system, envision a system akin to an intricate ecosystem, teeming with activity. Various nutrients act as its constituents, powering this intern...
Source: David Bradley Sciencebase - Songs, Snaps, Science - February 5, 2024 Category: Science Authors: David Bradley Tags: Food Health and Medicine Source Type: blogs

Putting West Virginia Students on the Path to Scientific Careers
Credit: NIGMS. Two NIGMS-funded programs are teaming up to shape the future of science and technology in West Virginia (WV). One engages high school students in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEM+M); introduces them to research; and provides direct access to college through tuition waivers. In the other program, undergraduate students are paired with a researcher at their institution for a paid internship—an important step toward a career in science. The Health Sciences & Technology Academy “We liken our students to rosebuds. As they grow, you see them blossom into self-confident lea...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - January 31, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist STEM Education SEPA Training Source Type: blogs

Fight Aging! Newsletter, January 29th 2024
Fight Aging! publishes news and commentary relevant to the goal of ending all age-related disease, to be achieved by bringing the mechanisms of aging under the control of modern medicine. This weekly newsletter is sent to thousands of interested subscribers. To subscribe or unsubscribe from the newsletter, please visit: https://www.fightaging.org/newsletter/ Longevity Industry Consulting Services Reason, the founder of Fight Aging! and Repair Biotechnologies, offers strategic consulting services to investors, entrepreneurs, and others interested in the longevity industry and its complexities. To find out m...
Source: Fight Aging! - January 28, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs

A Tour of Geroscience, Largely Focused on Unambitious Goals in the Treatment of Aging
Geroscience is a philosophy of development, suggesting that aging can be slowed and we should work towards means to do so. In practice, geroscience is, more or less, the the name given to that part of the research and development community that aims to produce means to alter metabolism to modestly slow aging. It is best represented by the development of supplements and repurposing of very well studied drugs, near all of which produce smaller benefits to long-term heath than regular moderate exercise, and none of which can match the benefits provided by the practice of calorie restriction. It is entirely unambitious. This l...
Source: Fight Aging! - January 26, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs

Zombie Viruses of the Permafrost
By KIM BELLARD We’ve had some cold weather here lately, as has much of the nation. Not necessarily record-breaking, but uncomfortable for millions of people. It’s the kind of weather that causes climate change skeptics to sneer “where’s the global warming now?” This despite 2023 being the warmest year on record — “by far” — and the fact that the ten warmest years since 1850 have all been in the last decade, according to NOAA. One of the parts of the globe warming the fastest is the Arctic, which is warming four times as fast as the rest of the planet. That sounds like good news if you run a ...
Source: The Health Care Blog - January 24, 2024 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: matthew holt Tags: Health Policy Climate Change Kim Bellard Viruses Source Type: blogs