Archive for the ‘Male Genetics’ Category

For close to a hundred years, it has been one of natures greatest whodunnits involving egg forgeries and plenty of deception.

It is all part of an evolving arms race taking place out on the grasslands of Africa between a nondescript brood parasite and the host species it preys on.

The parasite is a small sparrow-sized bird called a cuckoo finch whose reproductive cycle involves sneaking into the nests of other birds and laying its eggs.

For the cuckoo finch to be successful, the egg needs to be almost identical to its host. If the forgery is spotted in time, the host species will spear the egg with its beak, remove it from its nest and drop it in the grass.

It is the cuckoo finchs success that is the mystery.

Zweli Mkhizes race against time and the Special Investigating Unit

Generations of female cuckoo finches have evolved the ability to broadly mimic the egg appearance of several different host species, each of which lays a distinct range of egg types. How cuckoo finches and other brood parasitic bird species are able to evolve such specialised adaptations to different host species, despite interbreeding between males and females raised by different hosts, has been a long-standing mystery.

This has puzzled scientists because the usual mix of genetics inherited by both parents should cause the colours of these eggs to vary from mother to daughter, depending on who the father was.

Now genetic research by an international team of scientists led by Prof Claire Spottiswoode from the University of Cape Towns Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology and the University of Cambridges Department of Zoology believe they have cracked the mystery and what they have found is mixed news to those avian egg forgers.

Cuckoo finches are rather enigmatic birds, and many birdwatchers have never seen one, says Spottiswoode, who has been studying the birds in southern Zambia, together with colleagues from the local community.

The cuckoo finch is found across sub-Saharan Africa, favouring grasslands particularly close to water sources. And even though the bird is widespread, ornithologists arent even sure how many host species the cuckoo finch has.

There could be as many as 10 host species, but the female cuckoo finch will only target one of these in her lifetime.

For the female cuckoo finch to sneak her egg into a nest requires excellent timing and a keen eye. She first needs to spot the nest of the parents that are going to rear her chick.

They have a small window of opportunity; they need to get their own egg in during the laying period of the host, explains Spottiswoode.

She and her colleagues found that the secret to the cuckoo finchs ability to produce eggs that fool their hosts has to do with the W chromosome that is passed from mother to daughter. The W chromosome is similar to the male-specific Y chromosome in humans, in that it is carried by one sex only. Except in birds, it is carried only in females rather than in males.

So, that means theres a chunk of DNA that is passed down from mother to daughter, largely unaffected by gene flow from the father. So crucially, this could allow different lineages of females to evolve specialised adaptations that can be carried on, or is regulated by that chromosome that can be passed on to their daughters regardless of who the daughters father was, explains Spottiswoode.

Our data from the cuckoo finch in Zambia exactly matches that long-standing idea, because we see that females laying different egg types belong to distinct maternal lineages that diverged from each other hundreds of thousands to millions of years ago. Yet they all remain part of the same species, because maternal inheritance means that these specialised females can mate randomly with any cuckoo finch male, regardless of what host species he was raised by, and still pass on their specialised adaptations to their daughters.

Their findings were published in a recent issue of the academic journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The discovery validates an idea geneticist Reginald Punnett first suggested in 1933. He had hypothesised that European common cuckoos inherited their egg mimicry abilities from their mothers.

Their research involved collecting DNA samples from 196 cuckoo finches from 141 nests at their field site in southern Zambia.

The cuckoo finches were located in the nests belonging to four different grass warbler species. Here, the researchers saw ongoing one-upmanship between host and parasite.

To counteract the cuckoo finches, the grass warblers have become skilled quality controllers. They are quick to reject eggs that differ from their own and they have a secret weapon each female has a unique signature she leaves on her eggs. Its a kind of biological watermark that helps her detect intruder eggs.

Cuckoo finches, in turn, have evolved mimicry of some but not all of these host egg signatures.

An example of this has been shown in previous studies in one of the cuckoo finchs hosts, the tawny-flanked prinia, that produces a diversity of egg colours. Cuckoo finches lay eggs mimicking red, blue and white prinia eggs, but not the rich olive green eggs laid by some prinia females.

The new work suggests a likely hypothesis for why cuckoo finches are sometimes unable to mimic all the signature types that hosts can produce: maternal inheritance slows down evolution by forgoing the diversity produced by genetic mixing between males and males.

This likely explains why cuckoo finches cant forge certain egg types produced by their hosts, which the study shows inherit their egg appearance from both parents.

So while maternal inheritance gives parasites an important advantage in allowing them to evolve distinct mimicry of multiple distinct hosts, this could also have a downside in slowing down their ability to evolve to keep up in evolutionary arms races with their hosts.

This arms race between host and brood parasite isnt just about finding ways of passing and spotting egg forgeries. Hosts have evolved other methods to stop brood parasites from laying their eggs in their nests. Some species of weavers, for instance, have lengthened the entrances to their nests, making it harder for cuckoos to enter.

I have seen on three occasions where weavers have trapped cuckoos trying to get into their nest. With those entrance tunnels they sometimes get stuck.

And when this happens, the whole community of weavers will rush in and effectively weave the cuckoo into the nest. They seal her in, says ornithologist Geoff Lockwood, who wasnt involved in the cuckoo finch study.

Brood parasites are fighting back too, by using new methods of deception.

What we think might be happening with some of the honey guides, is that the male hangs around causing trouble, showing himself and driving the host species frantic. They then go and chase it away, and while the chase is on, the female sneaks in, drops an egg and takes one of the hosts eggs away, explains Lockwood.

But this is a war the brood parasite cant win outright.

If they are too successful, then the host population is depleted to the point where its almost impossible to find a nest then the cuckoo or brood parasite will also go into massive decline, says Lockwood. DM/OBP

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EGGCELLENT FORGERY: Scientists crack the mystery of how the cuckoo finch gets other birds to raise its brood - Daily Maverick

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Inheritance through the cytoplasm | Heredity - Nature.com

It could be in their genes, posits Tangye. Genetic influences are either making people vulnerable to really severe disease but may also contribute to resistance there are populations of people who probably should have been infected and sick but werent.

Exactly which genes have a protective effect is part of an international research project called the COVID Human Genetic Effort, that Christodoulou is involved with.

We are collecting information and DNA from individuals who have been hyperexposed to COVID but who dont seem to contract COVID for example, living in a household where multiple family members were infected, but one member of the household wasnt to see if genetic factors can be identified that might offer protection against COVID infection, says Christodoulou, who is also the chair of Genomic Medicine at the University of Melbourne.

While researchers keep searching for the genetic clues, a new study published at the end of April, found booster shots can increase the range of immune cells, called memory B cells, making them more effective at neutralising COVID.

With any infection or vaccination, our body responds and then forgets the virus, explains Tangye, but becomes better at responding with repeated exposure. The first and second doses are like the training, getting your immune system into good shape and ready to take off and the third really gives you the protection you are primed and ready to go.

So if someone who has recently been vaccinated is exposed to COVID, they may be protected. If they have been boosted, this may provide even more protection, at least for a time.

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The degree of exposure how long we were in contact with someone and whether we were inside or out will also make a difference, as will our behaviour.

People have become much more cognisant of social distancing and washing their hands and wearing masks. There are those non-pharmaceutical interventions people have embraced, Tangye says.

As for how healthy you are generally, that unfortunately wont make us resistant to catching COVID.

We regularly hear of otherwise young, fit and healthy individuals contracting very severe COVID, says Christodoulou. For those otherwise healthy people we know that there are some factors that are associated with this, e.g., having so-called auto-antibodies to type 1 interferons (type 1 interferons are the first line of defence against COVID) or having mutations in genes that are involved in production and function of type 1 interferons.

Being healthy is good. But healthy people are still getting sick. Its not a panacea.

Interestingly, Tangye adds that there are people who naturally have this type 1 interferon pathway turned up a little bit: That can be pathogenic they can get these inflammatory diseases that dont have a defined triggerthese non-infectious, spontaneous flares for no good reason but people with those conditions may well have some resistance to COVID just because they have that innate immune response primed.

These people account for only a fraction of never COVIDs. For the rest, it seems to come down to a combination of immunity, genetics, environment and luck.

Being healthy all round puts you in better shape against infectious diseases and lifestyle disease, says Tangye. Being healthy is good. But healthy people are still getting sick. Its not a panacea.

Most of us may not be able to do much to avoid the virus, but we can still look to never COVIDs for some answers.

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If we can identify genetic reasons why people dont get COVID, it may help inform ways by which SARS COV2 enters or attacks our cells remember viruses are hopeless on their own. They need all the machinery of our cells to be disease-causing, explains Tangye.

So if we can disrupt the human cell processes without too many adverse events we could be better at stopping viral infection.

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Havent had COVID yet? Its got to do with more than your T cells - Sydney Morning Herald

Throughout evolution, humans have looked for traits that would grant them a better chance at survival and reproduction. Larger women signified health, the ability to bear children, money, and food therefore, a better chance at survival and continuing on your lineage.

The traits that evolution deemed desirable still linger for us subconsciously, but act alongside many other factors, such as the mass influence of cultural standards of beauty.

In various cultures, whatever is in vogue, people have tried to manipulate their bodies to look that way, Cristen Harris, associate teaching professor of epidemiology, said. Whether it be the tiny waist, so the Victorian era, or even back in the 40s and 50s. In this country, in the middle of [the] Marilyn Monroe days, there were ads for dietary supplements for weight gainers for women to be voluptuous.

As time has gone on and moved past the cultural phase of idealizing bodies like Marilyn Monroes, we have seen an increase in idealizing a body type that, for most women, is unattainable.

The general public and media tell us that we should (ideally) have all of the following: big boobs and a big butt (but not too big that it looks fake; it has to look natural), flat stomach, toned (but not muscular cause thats too masculine), petite and short frame, no hair (except for on your head), and skinny but not too skinny (dont wanna look sickly).

It should be noted that although Im focusing on young women's struggles, cultural standards of beauty affect people of all ages, races, and genders.

We do see evidence that 3-to-5-year-olds express concern about not getting too fat, Harris said. Then we see that persist throughout adolescence, throughout college years or young adulthood, [and] we're seeing eating disorders and body image concerns continue through to older age, people in their 70s and older that are still concerned about dieting, to lose weight to fit into that mold.

Young women, especially college-age women, are under a microscope to fit within this mold, with the popular notion that we are in our prime or peak as far as looks go.

According to a 2021 study by The Emily Program, any college student, whether male, female, or nonbinary, has an increased risk of developing some kind of eating disorder. However, women and gender minorities are almost four times more likely to show symptoms of an eating disorder than cisgender men.

On top of this, college women are going through the phase of their lives where they are under the most pressure to appeal to the male gaze.

Hookup culture at any college is without shame and very obvious. There are many opportunities on a weekly basis for people to hook up, and if you are not actively doing this, it can be hard not to question if there is something you need to change about yourself.

There is a concept in the Greek system called gads (grab-a-date), where you can only get invited to a party if a boy asks you. As much as we all want to not be seen as pick me girls, its almost impossible not to question yourself when youre not picked.

Some might say, as a solution to these insecurities, If you arent happy with the way you look or your body, just fix it by working out and dieting.

This fix it mentality simplifies an extremely complicated issue. It is incredibly harmful and not realistic whatsoever. For some people, health-wise, nothing needs to be fixed.

I think part of the issue is that people seem to draw a straight line between body size and health, Harris said. There are numerous factors that determine whether a person is healthy or not, and how do we really even define that? Is it the absence of disease? What about a person who has had cancer and they're in remission?

The health benefits, both physically and mentally, of moving your body should not be ignored. However, given the health repercussions of neglecting your body, our understanding of health has become incredibly skewed.

Research shows that about a third of people who are in a normal body size according to BMI are metabolically unhealthy, and about a third of people who are in overweight or obese body size according to BMI are metabolically healthy, Harris said.

All bodies metabolize differently. While one inactive woman could eat, let's say, five full meals per day and stay at 115 pounds, another woman could be working out constantly, consistently gaining weight, and only eating one or two meals a day because of factors such as stress, genetics, or medications.

Many people are not aware of the negative effects of dieting, and how the very act of relentlessly trying to fit into the desired mold of beauty and health actually makes you more unhealthy.

Studies show that the consequences of eating disorders and disordered eating are incredibly consequential to a woman's long-term health reproductive, physical, and mental.

The other thing about body positivity is it kind of puts the onus on the person to do their own inner work, to try to cultivate some kind of love for their body, Harris said. Really, the onus is on culture and society to get with the program, let everybody be who they are.

Speaking from personal experience as a sorority member at UW, I have found this to be the hardest environment to be in with regard to keeping a positive body image.

While I have experienced the body image issues that every other human has, I have the privilege of never having seriously struggled with an eating disorder. Still, I have found it incredibly hard not to neglect my body.

I can feel the panic that goes through some of my closest girlfriends when they walk into our kitchen and are faced with the daunting task of choosing and eating a meal.

We still need to do a much better job as college women. It is long overdue that we give ourselves, and each other, a break when it comes to our bodies that do so much for us.

Reach writer Mary Murphy at opinion@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @marymurphy301

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OPINION: Give your body a break | Opinion | dailyuw.com - Dailyuw

Health and wellbeing: PCOS? Its time to spell out the facts Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. All SectionsHealth and wellbeing: PCOS? Its time to spell out the facts

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Health and wellbeing: PCOS? It's time to spell out the facts - The Sunday Post

Marijuana has never been more popular throughout the United States. According to several studies and research centers, an overwhelming number of Americans support legalization. With more and more states decriminalizing marijuana use, hemp production and the growth of the cannabis seeds industry are also on the rise.

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If you want high-quality weed seeds that grow quickly, look no further than Rocket Seeds. It is one of the top cannabis seed banks worldwide, offering feminized seeds, regular seeds, CBD seeds, and more.

They perform quality checks to ensure successful germination for weed seeds. However, no germination guarantee covers growing methods other than their recommended one.

Rocket Seeds offers international deliveries and will even ship to the USA. They accept various payment methods, including all major credit cards, cash, money transfers, Bitcoin, PayPal, and more.

Beaver Seed is a great spot to buy marijuana seeds online. It is a Canadian-based seed bank that carries feminized, auto-flowering, regular, and high CBD seeds all for a reasonable price. The seeds and strains have high germination rates, growing into flourishing marijuana plants that eventually produce flowers.

This company has a high level of production standards. The weed seeds are always inspected and carefully selected before being shipped.

Furthermore, Beaver Seeds regularly offers discounts and promotions, even on new marijuana strains.

Since 2007, Herbies Head Shop has been known as one of the best seed banks for cannabis enthusiasts. They offer a unique collection of seeds such as photoperiod seeds, high THC or CBD seeds, and fast flowering options.

Even with over 3,000 seeds for sale, all products are brand-only cannabis seeds that guarantee a harvest of the most potent marijuana. Plus, Herbies team of online consultants will gladly help you pick a seed bank or a specific strain if you need assistance.

Herbies also offers stealth shipping for maximum confidentiality. With this option, the marijuana seeds are removed from the original packaging, placed into Ziploc bags, and disguised as random items.

My Fast Buds is an excellent cannabis seed bank that has won several awards internationally. They specialize in auto-flowering cannabis plants, the ideal option for beginner growers.

All strain genetics are tailored for fast growth and have an impressive 98% germination guarantee. If a seed doesnt germinate, Fast Buds will send you free cannabis seeds as a replacement.

Fast Buds carries a total of 45 auto-flowering strains, including their best-sellers Gelato, Strawberry Pie, and Zkittlez.

Sonoma Seeds is a West Coast-based, premium cannabis seed supplier that distributes strains worldwide.

This online seed bank features a large seed selection from over 500 strains, including Indica seeds, hybrid seeds, Sativa seeds, CBD seeds, and more. They handpick everything and only offer high-quality marijuana seeds with an 80% germination rate.

Sonoma Seeds ships to customers worldwide and even offers free shipping for orders over $300. The site will accept various payment methods, including money transfers, e-transfers, cash, bitcoin, and major credit cards.

Seedsman started to sell cannabis seeds back in 2003. This company is a leader in the industry and remains at the forefront of cannabis innovation. For example, Seedsman was one of the first seed banks to commercialize auto-flowering and CBD genetics.

Its effortless to buy cannabis seeds online via the Seedsman website. They offer several categories of marijuana seeds such as feminized, auto-flowering, regular, high THC, high CBD, along with indoor and outdoor seeds.

All cannabis seed genetics are sourced from expert breeders worldwide, ensuring highly potent THC seeds and high-quality CBD cannabis seeds.

Seedsman also provides international shipping options, discreet packaging, updated order tracking, and various payment options. Additionally, the website has an informative blog where you can catch up on cannabis news, insights, and more.

If you are looking to buy seeds at a reasonable price then Sensible Seeds is your one-stop-shop. The site has a ridiculous amount of seeds for you to check out and purchase.

If you are looking for feminized, auto-flowering, medical-grade, or a high-CBD strain, there are seeds here with your name on them. Explore the hundreds of choices to find the ones that work best for you and at a price that wont break the bank!

As with other flowering plants, cannabis creates seeds that contain the genetic information needed for growth and reproduction.

Once the seed successfully germinates (or once the root has broken through the seed), it is ready to grow into a mature plant.

Cannabis seeds are around the size of a peppercorn, and most have light brown specks throughout the body.

Some cannabis on the market today does not contain seeds. In the middle of the 20th Century, growers realized that culling male plants once they displayed sex traits would only result in the crop containing unfertilized female plants.

It yielded cannabis plants with higher amounts of THC, plus they dont require the removal of seeds before smoking. These widespread advancements in cultivation practices have enabled seedless cannabis to be mass-produced and distributed throughout the globe.

You can find Cannabis seeds in several forms regular, feminized, and auto-flowering seeds. Most marijuana home growers prefer to grow feminized seeds.

Feminized seeds have been bred only to produce female plants. This matters for cultivation purposes. Female plants exclusively produce smokable flowers.

Regular seeds do not have this option. They produce male and female seeds, meaning there is no way to predict whether the mature plant will be female.

In addition to feminized marijuana seeds and regular seeds, some growers also use auto-flowering seeds. These seeds have been carefully engineered to begin and finish the flowering process without needing to be induced by changes in light throughout the day.

Auto-flowering seeds tend to be easier to grow since they dont require as much light as regular or feminized seeds, ideal for short or indoor growing seasons.

The legality of marijuana will depend on your location. Marijuana seeds are considered a cannabis-based product, meaning if you live in a place where marijuana is legal, then the seeds are also legal and vice versa.

If you want to buy cannabis seeds in a state where its illegal, you will face some degree of risk. There is a gray area where you can purchase marijuana seeds from seed banks as a souvenir, but this strategy is still dicey.

If you live in a weed-legal state (one where home growing is allowed), you should have no issue buying cannabis seeds online from a seed bank.

You have a couple of options, whether buying cannabis seeds online or in person. Cannabis seeds are sold in retail locations and through online seed banks. If you live in a country or state where cannabis use and growing marijuana is legal, you should buy the seeds at local dispensaries.

Furthermore, there are various online seed banks on the market. Choosing cannabis seed banks keenly is vital to ensure your investment does not go wasted. Many seed banks do not provide a germination guarantee, which is a critical step and should be a top priority when buying marijuana seeds online. If the germination process fails, so will everything else.

It largely depends on the vendor and the quality of the product. The price for your cannabis seeds will vary based on a few factors, including:

A package of marijuana seeds (which typically contains around 10 seeds) may run you anywhere from $40 for lower quality seeds and up to $400 or $500 for high-quality cannabis seeds.

You can expect high-quality cannabis seeds from this list of the best online seed banks. These well-established brands will not waste your money on cannabis seeds that did not even germinate. Ultimately, the decision will come down to your specific preference. You can consider variables such as seed types, shipping times and costs, and whether the vendor offers multiple payment methods. Overall, you cant go wrong with these reputable seed banks.

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10 Best Seed Banks 2022: Top Cannabis Seed Banks That Ship to USA - Washington City Paper

April 12, 2022

Given the state of the planet, is it OK to have a child? With so much grim climate news, can we allow ourselves to feel optimistic? If we talk with people from around the world, can we gain new insights on how climate change is affecting their lives?

These are some of the questions raised and answered by the winning writers of the first biennial Climate Narratives Prize, to be awarded at Arizona State University on April 22, Earth Day, at an event titled Hope, Alarm and Climate Change. Photo by iStock Download Full Image

The winners and two special mentions were selected from a collection of nominated works, exemplifying the best published narratives of the last five years that explore the reality and impact of our current climate crisis and the state of our planet and society.

The three top winners will receive cash prizes of $5,000, $2,000 and $1,000, respectively.

The prize created and sponsored by ASUs Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict, and the Narrative Storytelling Initiativeoriginated as part of a project to rethink how climate change stories are told and explore their potential to drive social and cultural change. The project drew on the expertise of journalists, climate scientists and scholars of the humanities to better conceptualize and communicate through story the world-shattering stakes of inaction on climate change.

The winning narratives were chosen from nominations submitted by such renowned writers, thinkers and activists as Bill McKibben, Katharine Hayhoe, Wendell Berry, Vann R. Newkirk II, Frank Sesno, Kyle P. Whyte and Lacy M. Johnson.

The nominations were then reviewed and voted on by graduate students in a multidisciplinary course at ASU called Climate Narratives, Apocalypse and Social Change, developed with the support of a Luce Foundation/ACLS-funded grant and taught by ASU professors Steven Beschloss and Sarah Viren.

Weve launched this Climate Narratives Prize to shine a light on climate-related writing that can have an impact on the publics thinking and choices, said Beschloss, who is also the founding director of ASUs Narrative Storytelling Initiative and narratives lead for the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory. It is clear it will take creative thinking and multiple modes of storytelling to expand the publics awareness and commitment to change.

To prepare for selecting honorees, we read widely and thought deeply about what it means to write toward social change, and students used that knowledge to evaluate each nomination, added Viren, an assistant professor of creative nonfiction. This process taught all of us to think more creatively about what it means to influence the way people think about an issue.

The public announcement and celebration of the winners will take place April 22 from 11:45 a.m.1:15 p.m. Arizona time in ASUs newest research building, ISTB7, dedicated to planetary and societal health.

Featured speakers include all three winners and several nominators in a conversation moderated by Beschloss and Viren. The event will include reflections on the issues surrounding climate change, the kinds of narratives that can drive impact, and the spectrum of storytelling from alarm and despair to optimism and hope.

Learn more about the Climate Narratives Prize and the project.

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Why some people become addicted and others don't - ASU News Now

Everyone considers sperm to be made exclusively by males. But did you know that females also make sperm? Well, it turns out that females also contribute to what makes a sperm a sperm. Nearly 20 percent of couples in the United States fail to conceive naturally after one year of trying, according to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. In species with internal fertilization, such as humans, the ability for a female to become pregnant and carry a pregnancy to term is dependent upon effective interactions between sperm and the female reproductive tract (FRT). When those interactions are defective, the result can be a failed pregnancy. Therefore, understanding the factors that contribute to sperm viability between copulation and fertilization is crucial.

Pictured are spermatozoa of Drosophila melanogaster within a females specialized sperm-storage organ, where they await the opportunity to fertilize ova. (Image courtesy: Scott Pitnick)

A research team from the College of Arts and SciencesDepartment of Biologyand Cornell University, led by Steve Dorus, associate professor of biology at Syracuse University, have been studying the life history of fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) sperm to better understand molecular continuity between male and female reproductive tracts. In other words, how the male and female reproductive tracts provide support to keep the sperm viable before fertilization. Their results, recently published in the journalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA(PNAS), shed light on important events that may play a role in infertility that up until now have been poorly understood.

The team, which includes members from the Universitys Center for Reproductive Evolution, explored the compositional changes in fruit fly sperm, beginning shortly after they leave the testis, following insemination and finally after protracted storage within the FRT. Fruit flies are powerful model organisms for investigations such as this one because they are easy to culture in the laboratory, have a short generation time and their genetics are richly understood. In their study, the group uncovered that the proteome, or protein makeup, of the sperm undergoes substantial changes after being transferred to the FRT.

For species with internal fertilization, a sperms developmental journeyon the way to its final destination of fertilizing an egg and beginning a new lifetranscends both male and female reproductive tracts. After leaving the testis, sperm travel through the males seminal vesicles and descend through the ejaculatory duct, where they mix with seminal fluid proteins. The team found that many of these seminal proteins are progressively lost after sperm migrate beyond the site of insemination within the FRT. Conversely, female-derived proteins that may help the sperm with functions such as energy metabolism, begin to associate with the sperm immediately after mating, signifying a changing of the guard of proteins. After several days of storage within the FRT, the research team was surprised to discover that nearly 20 percent the sperms proteins had been replaced by female-derived proteins. The female contributions support sperm viability during the prolonged period between copulation and fertilization. This hand-off in the maintenance of sperm viability from males to females means that sperm are materially the product of both sexes, and this may be a crucial aspect of reproduction in all internally-fertilizing species, including humans.

By studying the intimate ways in which sperm interact with the FRT during the final stages of functional maturation, the teams research advances understanding of animal fertility and the contributions of each sex to reproductive success.

Their research, which appears in the March 15 issue of PNAS, was chosen as that editions cover art, signifying the high impact of their work. The photo was captured by co-author and biology Professor Scott Pitnick, and provides a close-up view of sperm within an organ specialized for sperm storage in a female reproductive tract of Drosophila melanogaster.

In addition to Dorus and Pitnick, other co-authors from Syracuse University included former postdoctoral researcher Erin McCullough and doctoral graduate Emma Whittington. Co-authors from Cornell University were Professor Mariana Wolfner and postdoctoral researcher Akanksha Singh. The teams research was funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and a gift from Mike and Jane Weeden to Syracuse University.

Read the teams full paper, The life history of Drosophila sperm involves molecular continuity between male and female reproductive tracts.>PNAS is the official journal of theNational Academy of Sciences(NAS), and is an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans the biological, physical and social sciences.

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A&S Biologists Observe Molecular 'Hand-off' That Plays Key Role in Reproduction - Syracuse University News

Ancient skeletons, funerary practices, and DNA reveal layers of inequality in past societies.

November 26, 1922, marks what is arguably the most famous discovery in the history of archaeology. On that day, the British Egyptologist Howard Carter made a small hole through which he could insert a candle in the sealed doorway of Tutankhamuns burial chamber and thus lit the interior. As his eyes slowly adapted to the darkness, he was able to make out a chamber that had not been disturbed for over 3,000 years.

Tutankhamun was just an obscure pharaoh during his lifetime, and there is evidence that he was hastily buried; the second of the three nested coffins seems to have originally belonged to someone else. And yet the inner coffin, in which his mummy was discovered, is made of solid gold, weighing almost 250 pounds. One can barely imagine how impressive the burials of such powerful leaders as Khufu, Thutmose III, or Rameses II must have been; alas, they were all looted in antiquity.

But contrary to popular belief and cinematic glorification, most archaeologists would say that the search for spectacular treasures isnt their main research objective; they want to understand the daily life of past civilizations. Still, both extremes the fabulous wealth of kings and the hardscrabble existence of common people contribute to an understanding of what can be argued is one of the main goals of archaeology: to document and study the evolution of inequality in ancient societies. This also involves the question of how to recognize and quantify it.

One of the most obvious approaches would be through the assessment of differential goods deposited in graves. But richly furnished graves may not simply be evidence of social differentiation; rather, they may be an attempt to demonstrate the importance and distinction of a family in relationship to other kindreds a social importance that may not exist in reality. Moreover, social stratification can be based on wealth but can also be based on personal prestige and power. Therefore, it isnt always possible to assess social differences by comparing graves with goods to those without them.

Aztec society, even with its horrific human sacrifices, was at the time of the Spanish conquest more egalitarian than Mexico 200 years later.

Some archaeologists have attempted to apply economic principles to examine social differences at specific sites and, crucially, compare the data from different places. A study led by Samuel Bowles from the Santa Fe Institute and published in Nature in 2017 tried to address this question by applying the Gini coefficient a single number most commonly used to measure income inequality across a large number of sites from the archaeological record, both in the Old World and the Americas. The list of sites included paradigmatic cities such as atalhyk in Turkey, Pompeii in Italy, and Teotihuacan in Mexico; the authors measured the dimensions of houses as estimated indicators of wealth.

Among modern hunter-gatherers, the team found, the Gini coefficient is low around 17 (on a scale of 0 to 100). This is not surprising as few objects can be carried in nomadic societies, and consequently, personal qualities such as the ability to hunt count for more. This does not mean that some people didnt have a higher social status; material culture was probably so poor or so different from our perceptions of status that it is difficult to grasp social differences among past hunter-gatherers.

In the ancient farming societies under study the Gini coefficients are estimated to have been between 35 and 46; interestingly, the real measurements were lower than those obtained from records. For instance, among the ruins of Babylonia, researchers estimated a coefficient of 40, yet an estimate based on information from the Babylonian chronicles resulted in a higher coefficient of 46. The ancient accounts likely overemphasized the size of the largest houses in admiration. This is not unlike what happens when we return from a trip: We sometimes tend to exaggerate the things that weve seen.

Nevertheless, the most remarkable differences come from the comparison of the societies of the Old World and those of the Americas, with the latter being much more equal in the Gini coefficient, despite being highly hierarchical in some cases such as the mighty Aztec Empire. Researchers conclude that the root of these differences could be ecological since there were more and larger animals to be domesticated in Eurasia such as cows, horses, pigs, sheep, and goats than in the Americas, with only dogs and turkeys, and this trait alone created a differential system of accumulated wealth.

At the Aztec capital, Tenochtitln, for instance, houses had highly standardized dimensions and were all quite similar. Aztec society, even with its horrific human sacrifices, was at the time of the Spanish conquest more egalitarian than Mexico 200 years later, when the European elite had created the encomienda system, under which the indigenous population worked in semislavery. Within a few generations, the concentration of wealth had almost doubled in the colonial New World, with a consequent increase in inequality.

When did these differences between the Old and New Worlds emerge? Early farming societies had the possibility of generating and storing food surpluses, creating potential scenarios for differences in population size along with a certain degree of inter- and intrasettlement inequality. A recent application of the Gini coefficient to 90 sites from the Near East and Europe showed a remarkable increase of inequality thousands of years after the advent of agriculture a finding that would indicate it was not farming per se that created unequal societies. According to the authors, at some point some farmers were able to maintain specialized plow oxen that could cultivate 10 times more land than other farmers, thereby transforming the economy toward a higher value of land in detriment of human labor.

This emerging inequality at the end of the Neolithic could explain a remarkable example of wealth dating from that period: the Varna burial. This burial was found in a Copper Age cemetery in modern Bulgaria and is dated to 45604450 BCE; it contained more gold than the rest of the world possessed at that time. It contained an adult male likely a chieftain or king of some sort who was buried holding a gold war mace; curiously he also had a gold penis sheath of unknown meaning. Still, such findings are exceptional, and there is a general consensus that Neolithic societies were more egalitarian than later ones.

Inequality clearly increased with the arrival of metals, which partly allowed, from 3000 to 2000 BCE onward, the appearance and development of a social organization based on the emergence of elites. Once the initial power structure was established, it attempted to perpetuate itself dynastically by increasing social control and building up familial alliances with other chiefs. Control mechanisms often involved violence. The possibility of using horses and to lesser extent, camels as instruments of war determined the success of conquests that would alter the pattern of settlements across Eurasia at the end of the Neolithic. This would at least partially explain how 30 empires or large states that emerged between 3000 and 600 BCE were all found in the Old World, where these animals roamed.

Consequently, tombs with signs of wealth became more abundant in the archaeological record, such as the famous Amesbury Archer, found three miles southeast of Stonehenge in 2002 (near todays Salisbury) and dated to 2300 BCE. This grave includes more artifacts than any other Bronze Age British burial; besides numerous arrowheads, three copper knives, four boars tusks, two stone wrist guards that protected users from their bowstrings, and five pots that conformed to the Bell Beaker tradition, there were two gold hair ornaments the earliest pieces made of this metal ever found in the British Isles. The arrival of the Bell Beaker complex to the British Isles is associated with an almost complete replacement of the prior local population and subsequent emergence of social elites. The Amesbury Archer must be considered in the context of the spread of metalwork and supraregional exchange networks in a process that archaeologists sometimes call Bronzization.

The rise in inequality during this period, both in the Middle East and parts of western Europe, seems to be partly influenced by an increase in population density. This correlation is likely related to a growing complexity in modes of subsistence, trading networks, and political organization associated with population growth.

Although the highest Gini coefficients for past societies determined by the Santa Fe Institute were similar to those found in some present-day European countries (for instance, with values of around 60 in Pompeii and Kahun, an Egyptian settlement from the 12th dynasty), they remained below the values for the most unequal modern societies such as China and the United States (with Gini coefficients of 73 and 85, respectively), which obviously have larger populations.

From a historical perspective this would suggest that an increase in population size brings higher inequality an issue explored by the economist Thomas Piketty in recent times, but that likely has parallels in Bronze Age populations.

Still, the Gini coefficient cannot always be applied since some settlements have grown with time over the destruction of previous ones, piled one atop another like the layers of a cake. Many ancient sites could not possibly be studied in detail; for instance, at Hisarlik the old Troy at least 10 cities arose atop their predecessors in just 2,000 years, making them quite difficult to disentangle. In addition to this limitation, whether the Gini coefficient can be transferred between different cultural, geographic, and ecological environments to make direct comparisons has also been a subject of debate since such factors can influence their inhabitants differently. For example, a settlement established in a jagged terrain would favor smaller, more vertical houses than one extending over a vast plain.

The economic interpretation of past settlements has received some criticism from among the archaeological community; some argue that the quality and solidity of the building materials can be as important as the size of the houses. In our modern cities, were all aware that location for instance, close to the city center is usually more important than size. Finally, the ostentatious wealth opulent furniture, wall paintings, mosaics, and so on that can still be found in some excavated houses such as at Pompeii should be taken into consideration too, though such features arent usually well preserved.

One way around these limitations might be to compare the Gini coefficients with the so-called health inequality of each population, since buried human remains are sometimes better preserved than buildings. There are several skeletal indicators (dental cavities, arthrosis, traumas, vitamin deficiencies, etc.) that can reflect the health status of the population in each period. The frequencies of these pathological markers are in general higher during periods of higher inequality.

For example, the 20062013 excavation of nonelite cemeteries such as North Tombs Cemeteries at Amarna demonstrated deaths at an early age mainly of children, teenagers, and young adults widespread dietary deficiencies, and indications of hard labor, suggesting the poor state of health and substandard working conditions for most of this urban community. For instance, 16 percent of all children under 15 displayed spine injuries of the sort associated with carrying heavy loads; none of them had any grave goods, and sometimes were buried together with several others, with scant regard for the disposition of the bodies a grim image that contrasts with the glamorous depictions of the pharaohs family in the Amarna style.

The information retrieved from their DNA can be used, for the first time, to correlate ancestry with social power in each period.

An additional indicator would be evidence of a high infant mortality rate, although the preservation of childrens skeletal remains is invariably more difficult than that of adult bones due to differential conservation processes, and this could represent an insurmountable bias in the results. Changes in health status can be used to ascertain cultural and ancestral transitions too. In this sense, probably the most striking change observed is between hunter-gatherers and the first farmers in Europe. The latter not only show signs of poorer health such as cavities, almost unknown by the former but also higher infant mortality rates and even lower stature than previous hunter-gatherers.

Correlated with this information, recent developments in the stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen ratios in bone collagen can provide information on nutritional status and mobility patterns associated with specific individuals. For instance, the analysis of a high-status burial in Helmsdorf, Germany, related to the ntice culture, showed that this person had a higher protein intake than other contemporaneous peers, suggesting as well that diet can be as much an indicator of social status as it is in todays societies.

Key to understanding the social panorama of the past is that ancient cemeteries can provide not only potential indicators of inequality in the form of grave goods and even differential health status but also genetic material preserved within human remains. The information retrieved from their DNA can be used, for the first time, to correlate ancestry with social power in each period. Furthermore, a crucial aspect of the accumulation of power is the possibility of bequeathing wealth to biological relatives something that can be tested as well via the interface between genetics and archaeology, which enables us to reveal family links.

Like funerary goods, a privileged resting place could serve as a status marker too. Around 6,500 years ago, the phenomenon of building large funerary stone structures known as megalithic tombs emerged, mainly across Europes Atlantic seaboard, and culminated in the great passage tomb complexes such as Newgrange in Boyne Valley (Ireland), which has a mound almost 300 feet in diameter and 50 feet high. The origins and meaning of these monuments, which required a heavy investment in labor, have been debated for more than a century, as has the social organization of the farming communities that built them. The genetic analysis of two-dozen individuals found in various megalithic tombs from Scandinavia to Orkney Island and Ireland yielded some interesting social clues.

In some places, notably the British Isles, more males than females were buried in these preeminent spots, pointing to a sex bias. In accordance with this observation, the descent of most individuals with kinship links could be traced through the paternal line. In one case it was possible to find two related males buried in two different megaliths just over a mile apart (Primrose Grange and Carrowmore in Ireland), indicating a geographic expansion of these dominant families. Genetic analyses of skeletal remains discovered within the most intricately constructed chamber of the Newgrange passage tomb revealed that they belonged to the incestuous son of a brother and sister (or a parent and child), and therefore a quarter of his genome had no genetic variation.

The fact that even children who died in infancy were buried with grave goods suggests as well that their status was inherited rather than acquired during their lifetime.

This kind of first-degree offspring is extraordinary, only having been cited in royal families of the past headed by god-kings such as the Egyptian pharaohs seeking to maintain a pure dynastic bloodline. (It is known, for instance, that Akhenaten married his eldest daughter, Meritaten, and much later, Ptolemy II married his sister, Arsinoe II hence his nickname, Philadelphus or sibling loving.) It has been suggested that this Neolithic elite may have claimed to possess divine powers to ensure the continuity of agricultural cycles by keeping the suns movements going.

The findings support the notion that these Neolithic communities were socially stratified and that the massive stone structures were used to bury transgenerational patrilineal members of these clans. Perhaps equally interesting is the fact that in one case relatives were separated by up to 12 generations, pointing to an unusual stability through time of both the funerary tradition and the stratified society where they lived.

One of the most illustrative examples of how the analysis of Bronze Age individuals that lived through continental-scale cultural changes can shed light on the process is a study led by researchers at the Max Planck Institute in Jena and published in 2019. Paleogenetic researchers analyzed more than 100 skeletons from 45 farmstead-related graveyards in the Lech River valley in southern Germany to explore the social mechanisms underlying the local spread of steppe ancestry across Europe. Additionally, isotope data were generated for these individuals to gather information on their lifetime mobility patterns, which could be correlated with differential composition in genetic ancestry.

Isotopic analyses revealed that females tended to be nonlocal (only 50 percent of them had values consistent with the local isotopic range) as compared to males and children from the same cemeteries (where 82 to 84 percent were deemed local). Isotopic data on early and late forming teeth in the same individuals the first and third permanent molars that emerge at six and 18 years, respectively suggested that females moved from their birthplaces during adolescence or later. One of them was found to come from a place at least 200 miles away. Most of the males carried the R1b Y chromosome lineage, while the mitochondrial DNA lineage composition was much more diverse. The results indicate that these Bronze Age settlements followed patrilocal residential rules that is, males stayed in the groups where they were born, while females moved away from them. The fact that most males descendants shared their ancestry with a single female also suggests that the social structure, besides being based on patrilineal links, was likely monogamous.

The researchers were able to reconstruct six pedigrees in different graveyards, three of which spanned at least four generations. They detected 10 parent-offspring relationships, six of them between mother and child. Interestingly, the latter were always male; there were no adult daughters present. Again, this suggests that females were interchanged between households as a way to establish alliances; it is likely that their status was secured once they had children in the new household. It was also possible to correlate grave goods (daggers, axes, chisels, and arrowheads for males, and body ornaments such as neck or leg rings for females) with kinship.

This indicates that wealth and social status were inherited and ran with families. The fact that even children who died in infancy were buried with grave goods suggests as well that their status was inherited rather than acquired during their lifetime. A further observation was that members of each clan were buried near each other in the cemeteries, thus clearly delimiting preeminent areas within them. It is likely that the inheritance system of these households was based on male primogeniture a custom by which the oldest son inherits all the familys properties at the fathers death. With time, forged alliances granted families access to larger, regional clans and eventually kingdoms.

An examination of the dynamics between kinship and social inequality can be applied to even more recent periods. The complex interactions underlying extended families and population levels can be better understood in geographically isolated places such as islands. Iceland remains the most studied island from a genetic point of view, mainly due to the efforts of a private company called deCODE Genetics that was founded in 1996 by neurologist Kri Stefnsson.

Iceland, a remote island in the north Atlantic, was first colonized around 874 CE, according to the Landnmabk, or settlement book, when the Norse chieftain Inlfr Arnarson arrived in the region of present-day Reykjavik. Over the next 150 years, groups of Viking migrants from Norway along with Celtic women and servants or slaves arrived on the island, establishing themselves on rather isolated farms. By 930 CE, all arable land was already occupied and all the forests were gone. The migratory influx slowed down afterward and almost ceased after the year 1000 CE. This resulted in a population that was small and isolated yet at the same time big enough to have all the common European diseases and genetic diversity and it suffered several demographic bottlenecks associated with volcanic eruptions, famines, and epidemics of the plague.

Until 1850, the Icelandic population never exceeded 50,000. The combination of two factors an isolated population and a well-known genealogical database makes Iceland an ideal laboratory for detecting genetic variants associated with common diseases that affect not only modern Icelanders but also the rest of Europe, where such information does not exist or the population is too big to make such an approach practical. Over the years, researchers from deCODE Genetics have generated a whole body of data on the genomics of modern Icelanders and also on how the original population was established. By working with uniparental markers from living Icelanders it could be observed that 62 percent of the mitochondrial DNA was Celtic in origin (meaning that the majority of these maternal markers derived from either the British Isles or Ireland), while 75 percent of the Y chromosomes were of Scandinavian origin. This suggested a settlement primarily established by Viking males and Celtic females.

In 2017, and thanks to paleogenomic techniques, it was possible to retrieve 27 ancient Icelandic genomes, most of them from the heathen period (prior to the year 1000 CE, when Icelanders decided to become Christians by the curious procedure of voting). At the nuclear genome level, these pioneers had a Norwegian-type ancestry (55.4 percent) that was greater than the Celtic one, and more prevalent among men (a recent genetic study of more than 400 Viking individuals has confirmed the spread of Norwegian ancestry mainly across the North Atlantic islands).

Modern Icelanders are not, however, a simple mixture of the two components; their ancestry demonstrates a differentiation from the two source populations at least partially due to genetic drift promoted by geographic isolation during the last thousand years. Interestingly, the Norwegian-type ancestry component in Iceland is nowadays 70.4 percent, suggesting an increase that was likely socially mediated. An example of this stems from seven individuals excavated in 1964 from a boat grave (a type of burial in which a ship is used as a container of the dead) at Vatnsdalur in the remote western fjords. The grave goods included a knife, 30 beads, a silver Thors hammer, a Cufic coin (dated circa 870930 CE), and various items of jewelry. Three of the four skeletons sequenced showed mostly Scandinavian ancestry. One of these individuals is among the few sequenced early settlers to be genetically similar to modern Icelanders, indicating that he contributed disproportionately to their ancestry.

One way or another, mortuary archaeology will always be an important subfield of this discipline, and one that will need to rely on the hard sciences such as genetics and forensics.

It seems that the Celtic servants brought to Iceland clearly had fewer opportunities to reproduce. Using isotopic analysis, it was also possible to detect that at least three people two Scandinavians and one Celt were first-generation migrants, having spent their childhood outside Iceland. One individual had mixed ancestry, indicating that his parents were from different places. The fact that the Celtic ancestry is still detectable decades after the first settlement also suggests that some kind of social discrimination between the two ancestral groups persisted for a while. After a few centuries, however, the admixing of the two communities was complete, to the point that Iceland has essentially become an extended family with a remarkably uniform population.

We have seen several case studies of past inequality correlating funerary archaeology with genetics that might no longer apply today, where legal regulations (and also the exponential increase of cremations) represent a certain degree of standardization in funeral practices. Nevertheless, an opposite trend could shape the future of the archaeology of death: the trend toward personalized coffins, unconventional funerary memorials, and special grave goods. One way or another, mortuary archaeology will always be an important subfield of this discipline, and one that will need to rely on the hard sciences such as genetics and forensics.

Perhaps one encouraging conclusion is that despite what we have seen on the archaeology of past inequality, societies have been able to evolve and change their social stratifications. One example is Iceland itself; the country has become one of the most egalitarian societies in the world. In 2018, Iceland passed a law that all companies employing more than 25 people will have four years to ensure gender-equal payment because, according to the head of the Equality Unit at Icelands Welfare Ministry, equality wont come about by itself, from the bottom up alone.

Carles Lalueza-Fox is Research Professor and Director of the Paleogenomics Lab at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra) in Barcelona. He participated in the Neanderthal Genome Project and led the first retrieval of the genome of an 8,000-year-old European hunter-gatherer. He is the author of Inequality: A Genetic History, from which this article is adapted.

More here:
The Archaeology of Inequality - The MIT Press Reader

To the Editor:

Re Pills Are New Target in 50-Year Abortion Battle (front page, April 6):

The game plan of the anti-abortion movement is falling into place. First, impose strict restrictions on the surgical procedure (think Texas and Oklahoma). Next, let the Supreme Court jettison Roe v. Wade. And now, we read that abortion pills are the new battle line, as numerous states have adopted or are considering restrictions and penalties for pill takers and pill providers.

I am convinced that, after the surgery and the pills are gone, the next target will be birth control.

Abortion opponents, determined to impose their religious views upon the country at large, will not rest until all American women can experience the joys of living in the 13th century.

William DunhamBryn Mawr, Pa.

To the Editor:

Its time for a modern-day Underground Railroad to obtain self-medicated abortions. Its time to widely advertise the availability of these pills, and explain their safety, effectiveness and cost (much cheaper than a medical abortion). You report that in 2020, 54 percent of abortions were with these pills.

Tell women how to obtain these pills from Europe, Canada and Mexico. Attempts to ban pills via the mail will be futile. We need an underground movement to counter state efforts to stop abortions.

Steve GoldPhiladelphia

To the Editor:

Re Near-Total Ban on Abortion in Oklahoma (news article, April 6):

The near-total ban on abortion was approved by a male-dominated legislature. Oklahoma has among the lowest percentages of female legislators in the country.

These men dont seem to get that it takes two people to make a baby. While this law is meant to control the behavior of women, I know of no law that exerts any control over the behavior of the men who are fathering these children.

Martha MeyerChicago

To the Editor:

In the spring of 2005, while we were living in Tulsa, Okla., my wife became pregnant. However, our joy turned to concern and then sorrow as the fetal heartbeat slowed and eventually stopped. My wife had miscarried.

After consulting with our obstetrician, my wife decided to have a dilation and curettage procedure. We both hoped that by surgically extracting the fetal tissue rather than waiting for it to pass on its own, she would heal faster physically and psychologically.

A few weeks later, I received a letter from our insurance company, informing me that the procedure was not covered because it did not pay for abortions. My wife did not have an abortion, and she did not willingly terminate her pregnancy. After many letters and phone calls, I sorted out the situation with our insurance carrier.

However, under the bill passed by Oklahoma lawmakers, that simple insurance coding error or misunderstanding could have led to the arrest of my wifes physician. I suspect that many innocent people, providing appropriate health care to the women of Oklahoma, will face legal consequences as a result of this legislation.

James MonkCleveland

To the Editor:

Re Save Baseball by Nationalizing It, by Matthew Walther (Opinion guest essay, Sunday Review, April 10):

I grew up playing Little League Baseball and, later, N.C.A.A. softball. If my children dont play baseball, it wont be because the game is slow or uncool. Itll be because youth sports have become exorbitantly expensive, and as a result socioeconomically monolithic, shutting out a generation of enthusiasm and talent.

After equipment, uniforms, travel fees and hotels, youth baseball can cost families thousands of dollars per child, and thats if they live near a baseball field unlikely in a dense city or have jobs that allow them to drive their children to practice. Why go through the rigmarole when kids can play football in the park?

It makes sense, then, that Major League Baseballs fan base is overwhelmingly older and whiter even as America becomes younger and more diverse.

Baseball doesnt have a relevance problem. It has an equity problem. To survive as the American pastime, baseball needs youth leagues that are financially, geographically and socially accessible to American kids, and professional rosters that better represent the country.

And speaking as a girl who used to strike out the boys involving more women and girls wouldnt hurt.

Maddie UlanowCambridge, Mass.

To the Editor:

Baseballs future was sealed when, to maximize short-term revenues, it started broadcasting the World Series at night, too late for many young fans to watch. When you cant watch the World Series, it becomes hard to become a die-hard fan.

Rather than nationalize, why not return the World Series to daytime? It has a better chance of saving the game.

Chris BarnumWilmington, Del.

To the Editor:

Re Straight People Need Better Rules for Sex, by Christine Emba (Opinion guest essay, Sunday Review, April 10):

One concerning aspect of sexual encounters raised by Ms. Emba is the use of choking, say, or other porn-inspired violence.

As a psychotherapist and a couples counselor, I am seeing more and more young heterosexual couples where the use of choking and other acts that are violent or degrading to women has caused a significant rift in the relationship.

One suggestion I have for young men is to ask a question three times to get a true answer. Perhaps by asking three times we create that pause suggested by Epictetus. It might sound like: Is this OK? Is it really OK with you? Are you sure you want to do this?

As a society we need to teach men how actual sex with an actual woman might differ from the hard-core porn theyve been exposed to, and we need to educate men about what it means to bring respect, true consent and pleasure into the bedroom in a way that a woman might want.

Jennifer WoffordBrookline, Mass.

To the Editor:

The whole species needs better mores for social intercourse. Maybe we should mainstream manners. Courtesy dignifies our own and others value.

Deborah GriesbachWatertown, Conn.

To the Editor:

Re America Is Running Out of Money to Fight Covid, by Vivek H. Murthy and David A. Kessler (Opinion guest essay, nytimes.com, March 29):

The U.S. surgeon general and the chief science officer for the U.S. Covid-19 Response Team write that the federal government is running out of money to provide Americans with Covid-19 vaccines, booster shots and other supplies to address present and future risks from variants of the coronavirus. They write, It would be a grave mistake to assume Covid-19 no longer requires our action and investment.

As professors of health policy, we strongly agree that the risks are still substantial and likely to increase with a future variant. But our research, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, shows that the U.S. is paying Pfizer, Moderna and other major companies more than 15 times the companies total net costs per dose, after subtracting the billions taxpayers already paid them for developing and manufacturing them. More than 95 percent of the $23 to $25 a dose the government now pays is pure profit for executives and shareholders.

If the government paid net costs plus a 20 percent profit, it would have plenty of money to fund its Covid-19 program and would be able to greatly increase global equity access.

Donald W. LightJoel R. LexchinDr. Light is a professor at the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Lexchin is an emergency physician and professor emeritus at York University.

Link:
Opinion | Fighting the Latest Efforts to Outlaw Abortion - The New York Times

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Originally posted here:
Antiplatelet response to clopidogrel is associated with a haplotype in CYP2C19 gene in Pakistani patients | Scientific Reports - Nature.com

The Utah State Veterinarians office has identified several cases of trichomoniasis (Trich) positive bulls from a beef cattle herd.

This herd had grazed the summer of 2021 at a grazing association in southern Idaho with several other herds, including at least six herds from Utah. There are ten potentially exposed cattle herds that are awaiting test results; five herds belonging to the aforementioned grazing association and five herds that neighbor the affected properties.

Related: Livestock auction investments allowed under A-PLUS bill

It is concerning to have this large of an outbreak of Trich in Utah cattle herds, said Dr. Dean Taylor, Utah State Veterinarian. Our office is working closely with local veterinarians to conduct testing and are taking measures to stop the spread of this disease.

Trich is a venereal disease of cattle caused by a protozoa (microscopic parasite). It is spread between cattle during breeding. Cows generally abort the fetus from this breeding and then clear the infection, but bulls remain infected for life.

Related: U.S. beef imports from Brazil surge to record high in early 2022

According to information from Texas A&M University, although losses are observed in the cow,T. foetus lives on the surface of the penis and prepuce of the bull and in the reproductive tract of the cow. Trich prefers a reduced oxygen environment, and it multiplies in the small folds of tissue (crypts) on the bulls penis. Because older bulls have more numerous and deeper crypts and are more easily infected, using young bulls is part of a disease management strategy. There are no obvious signs of Trich in the male, and pregnancy loss is the only sign of the disease in the female.

Cows exposed to Trich cannot be considered safe in calf until they are at least 120 days pregnant; open cows cannot be considered free of infection until they have had at least 90 days of sexual rest and are examined and cleared by a veterinarian. Only then should they be placed back into the breeding herd. All newly acquired cows that are less than 120 days pregnant should be isolated from the breeding herd. They may be placed in the breeding herd once they are four months pregnant.

Because approximately 2 percent of infected cows will have a swollen uterus that contains pus (pyometra) and remain infective, all open cows should be examined by a veterinarian. Cows with pyometra should be sent to slaughter. There is no treatment for infected bulls; send them to slaughter.

Trich should be suspected in herds with poor conception rates and extended calving seasons. Infected herds can produce conception rates that range from slightly subnormal to 50 percent or lower, depending on the length of time the disease is in the herd and the number of animals that are infected. Conception rates in herds with controlled breeding seasons of 90 days or less will be even poorer. Shorter breeding seasons expose the problem more dramatically and can actually reduce the long-term production and economic losses caused by herd infection.

Because Trich develops gradually and is not readily apparent, it is better to prevent exposing the herd to the disease rather than trying to control or eradicate it. Trich enters a herd or ranch only via infected bulls, cows or heifers. Again, transmission is from infected bulls to cows or from infected cows to bulls. To eliminate Trich from a herd, allow infected cows to clear the infection and eliminate infected bulls altogether.

There is no treatment for Trich and this disease can be economically devastating to cattle herds because of:

Culling of positive bulls and purchase of replacement bulls

Increased abortion rate leading to a reduced calf crop

Prolonged calving season and lower calf weights at sale

Culling of open cows

Loss of genetics

Utah requires yearly testing of all bulls for Trich, with the exception of dairy cattle who are kept in confinement and bison bulls. Animals from one positive herd moved into the grazing association in 2021 without proper paperwork. It is also suspected that bulls from this herd were leased to other ranches for breeding purposes.

Source: Utah State Veterinarian's Office and Texas A&M University.which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all itssubsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.

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Trich confirmed in Utah beef herd - Beef Magazine

Robert Russell| Special to the Times

Recently on CBS Mornings, host Tony Dokoupil, presented a story about dogs. An experiment aimed to see if dogs could distinguish between their owners native tongue and a foreign language. The experiment used brain scan technology, and sure enough, different parts of their brains activated based on whether they were familiar with the spoken language or not.

Dogs are mans best friend, or so they say. According to James Gorman, of the New York Times Magazine of October 4, 2021, all dogs are descended from the first dogs, just as all humans can trace their ancestry to the first Homo sapiens." Thus, none of us, or our dogs, have a more ancient ancestry than any other. Breeding led some dogs to be big and black, some small and white, some are strong, and some run fast.

Dogs were prized early on for their sense of smell, and with proper husbandry, they developed the genetics and physiology to make them sniffing machines.

Dogs have genes that improve olfactory ability, and more olfactory nerve cells than humans do. In addition, for centuries now, the Gentry have taken advantage of this intense sense of smell and sharp vision, to hunt prey and search for specialty items like truffles.

Today law enforcement uses dogs to locate drugs, like marijuana. Dogs have absolutely no interest in drugs, but they do enjoy games with a handler. Their training has led them to associate a toy, with the scent of various drugs. Trainers play a vigorous game of tug-of-war with dogs and a favorite towel. To begin the training, they play with a carefully washed unscented towel.

Later play involves a target substance hidden inside the towel. After playing, the dog starts to recognize that as that of his favorite toy. The trainer hides the towel, with the drugs, in typical places, and with the odor identified, he points, to get at the toy. The reward is a game of tug-of-war. Commercially the wine industry is working with dogs to identify spoiled corks and wines with various chemical compounds. They can even detect flaws in the oak barrels and corks, which lead to faults like TCA, VA, and Brett. In another use, a wine festival recently used dogs to sense attendees infected with COVID-19.

Dogs can detect many human diseases. This learning and evolving are not just improving animal skills; they can save lives.

Through human evolution, male eyes are sensitive visually to small details and moving objects, while women are more aware of color changes, according to a vision study, in The Journal of Biology and Sex Differences, referenced in this column a few years ago, noting that women see things differently. Women seem to have a superior tasting and visual skills, on average, to those of men. Since the genes of retinal cone cells are responsible for color perception, they are located on the X-chromosome, and women have two X-chromosomes-this all makes sense.

Secondly, the literature finds that in most cases females had better sensitivity, and discriminated and categorized odors better than males, as this writer can personally attest. Ancient humans lived as hunter-gatherers. Men predominately were the hunters while women were gatherers. Being a successful hunter does not require being good at smelling and tasting, but being, a successful gatherer of plant-based foods does. If you gather fruits and seeds, you need to be good at discriminating poisonous or spoiled foods, from nonpoisonous or fresh ones. Thus, men that did not hunt well, and women that did not taste and smell well, evolutionarily eliminated from the herd.

According to Mia Rozenbaum, at Understanding Animal Research, Dogs have about 220 million scent receptors humans only have 5 million. Dogs have smell receptors 10,000 times more accurate than humans, she notes their nose is powerful enough to detect substances at concentrations of one part per trillion - a single drop of liquid in 20 Olympic-size swimming pools. Dogs can detect cancer by smell, and sniff out a variety of types including skin cancer, breast cancer and bladder cancer using samples from known cancer patients, and people without cancer.

In a 2006 study, five dogs were trained to detect cancer based on breath samples. Once trained, the dogs were able to detect breast cancer with 88 percent accuracy, and lung cancer with 99 percent accuracy. They could do this regardless of the stage of the disease. More recently, a study has even shown that dogs can use their highly evolved sense of smell to pick out blood samples from people with cancer, with almost 97 percent accuracy.

Besides cancer and malaria, dogs can also detect Parkinson's disease, with a myriad of other studies now underway. Perhaps dogs may soon be the winemakers best friend, or so this writer says.

Stay healthy, and Cheers!

You can contact Robert Russell at rob@rlr-appraisals.com.

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Robert Russell: We have gone to the dogs - Shreveport Times

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bionano Genomics, Inc. (BNGO), pioneer of optical genome mapping (OGM) solutions on the Saphyr system and provider of NxClinical, the leading software solutions for visualization, interpretation and reporting of genomic data, hosted today the first of four days of 2022 Symposium, the Companys premiere event showcasing OGM research applications across key clinical areas of constitutional genetic disease, hematologic malignancies, solid tumors and OGM combined with next-generation sequencing (NGS).

Six presentations from leading researchers across North America and Europe kicked off Symposium. Todays event featured six informative speakers from leading researchers across North America and Europe. These presentations covered a wide range of constitutional genetic diseases in pre- and postnatal genetics and offered insight into potential applications in infertility and reproductive medicine. The presenters supported OGM as an effective alternative to traditional workflows such as karyotype, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), chromosomal microarray (CMA) and Southern blot. Research presentations have demonstrated greater sensitivity, better resolution and faster results from OGM workflows compared to traditional methods.

Performance of OGM evaluated in pre- and postnatal samples. Both Dr. Iqbal from University of Rochester Medical Center and Dr. Shirley Heggarty compared the performance of OGM in the evaluation of pre- and postnatal samples with known chromosomal aberrations. These studies found a high concordance of OGM results compared to traditional methods. In addition, OGM was able to identify both unbalanced structural chromosome abnormalities and balanced structural variants (SVs), like translocations and inversions, that chromosomal microarray (CMA) could not.

Capabilities of OGM to measure repeat expansions were evaluated. Dr. Alexander Hoischen specifically explored the capabilities of OGM to map repeat expansions, which can be particularly challenging types of SVs, in subjects with Canvas syndrome and myotonic dystrophy types 1 and 2. The OGM workflow was able to immediately call very large insertions with greater precision than the standard cytogenetic techniques and with 100% concordance. OGM was shown to allow researchers the ability to see more of the genome, while being less time-consuming and labor-intensive than other molecular methodologies like Southern blotting, as Dr. Nikhil Sahajpal discovered. Results from his validation study were 100% concordant with traditional methods and demonstrated a streamlined laboratory workflow for different sample types.

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The role of OGM as a discovery tool in reproductive disorders including infertility. In addition to pre- and postnatal applications, two speakers, Dr. Laila El-Khattabi and Chaim Jalas, shared how the OGM workflow plays a significant role in their research in infertility and reproductive disorders. In her study, Dr. El-Khattabi used OGM to characterize apparently balanced SVs related to male infertility and identify new genes involved in reproductive disorders. Chaim Jalas shared how OGM used in preimplantation genetic diagnosis can identify structural rearrangements, including balanced translocations and inversions, in embryos prior to transfer, which they indicated could improve pregnancy and delivery rates in an IVF setting.

Among 37 posters appearing in the virtual exhibition hall the top poster per application area selected to compete for best poster of Symposium. In addition to the oral presentations, 37 posters were received and selected for presentation in the virtual exhibition hall. These posters, in the virtual exhibition hall, were voted on by attendees of Symposium and a winner was named in each of four key application areas based on total number of votes. Below are the four poster winners:

Constitutional cytogenomics: Dr. Catherine A. Brownstein, Boston Childrens Hospital

Hematologic malignancies: Dr. Jonathan L. Lhmann, Hannover Medical School

Solid tumors: Dr. Miriam Bornhorst, Childrens National Hospital

OGM + NGS: Dr. Nikhil Sahajpal, Augusta University

Sincere congratulations to our poster winners and thanks to all poster authors for sharing emerging research on OGM from their laboratories, remarked Alka Chaubey, PhD, FACMG, chief medical officer of Bionano. This event is made possible with the enthusiastic participation of the OGM community.

We are thrilled at this strong kick-off to the 2022 Symposium and we are excited about the data shared today by experts from around the world that continues to demonstrate the utility of OGM workflows in variant detection for constitutional genetic diseases, commented Erik Holmlin, PhD, president and chief executive officer of Bionano. Congratulations to the poster winners. We are impressed by all the discoveries our customers are making with OGM towards the goal of elevating human health.

Dont miss Symposium, register now! Symposium registration is open to all and there is no charge for attending this event. Register today at https://www.labroots.com/ms/virtual-event/bngo2022

About Bionano Genomics

Bionano Genomics is a provider of genome analysis solutions that can enable researchers and clinicians to reveal answers to challenging questions in biology and medicine. The Companys mission is to transform the way the world sees the genome through OGM solutions, diagnostic services and software. The Company offers OGM solutions for applications across basic, translational and clinical research. Through its Lineagen business, the Company also provides diagnostic testing for patients with clinical presentations consistent with autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. Through its BioDiscovery business, the Company also offers an industry-leading, platform-agnostic software solution, which integrates next-generation sequencing and microarray data designed to provide analysis, visualization, interpretation and reporting of copy number variants, single-nucleotide variants and absence of heterozygosity across the genome in one consolidated view. For more information, visit http://www.bionanogenomics.com, http://www.lineagen.com or http://www.biodiscovery.com.

Forward-Looking Statements of Bionano Genomics

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as may, will, expect, plan, anticipate, estimate, intend and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions or circumstances) convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes and are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, projections, outlook, analyses or current expectations concerning, among other things, the ability for additional data to support the strength of OGM workflows as compared to traditional workflows, the ability and utility of OGM to analyze genomes and reveal answers in genetic disease and cancer research in less time-consuming and less-labor intensive manners than traditional workflows, and the potential for OGM to become part of the standard of care. Each of these forward-looking statements involves risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such a difference include the risks and uncertainties associated with: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and the global economy; general market conditions; changes in the competitive landscape, including the introduction of competitive technologies or improvements in existing technologies; failure of future study results to support those demonstrated during the presentations referenced in this press release; changes in our strategic and commercial plans; our ability to obtain sufficient financing to fund our strategic plans and commercialization efforts; the ability of medical and research institutions to obtain funding to support adoption or continued use of OGM or our technologies; and the risks and uncertainties associated with our business and financial condition in general, including the risks and uncertainties described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 and in other filings subsequently made by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made and are based on managements assumptions and estimates as of such date. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of the receipt of new information, the occurrence of future events or otherwise.

CONTACTSCompany Contact:Erik Holmlin, CEOBionano Genomics, Inc.+1 (858) 888-7610eholmlin@bionanogenomics.com

Investor Relations:Amy ConradJuniper Point+1 (858) 366-3243amy@juniper-point.com

Media Relations:Michael SullivanSeismic+1 (503) 799-7520michael@teamseismic.com

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UPDATE - Bionano Genomics Hosts Day 1 of 2022 Symposium with Six Presentations Highlighting the Superior Performance of OGM in Variant Detection for...

Introduction

Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is defined by a prolonged QT interval accompanied by morphological abnormalities in the T and/or U waves on the electrocardiograph (ECG).1 The primary clinical symptom of LQTS is syncope produced by ventricular arrhythmias.24 The clinical diagnosis of LQTS is based on a combination of the patients medical and family history, as well as the 12-lead ECG.5 According to the guidelines, LQTS diagnosis can be made in case the QTc is more than 460ms, and the patient presents some antecedents, most notably a family history of SCD and unexplained syncope.6

LQTS can be classified into two types based on its etiology: congenital LQTS (cLQTS) and acquired LQTS (aLQTS). While the former is a relatively rare genetic cardiovascular disease with a low incidence rate (1/2000-1/3000),7 the latter is frequently subsequent to electrolyte disorders, cardiomyopathy, cerebrovascular accidents, and autonomic dysfunction.

The pathogenesis of cLQTS is related to the mutation of genes encoding for ion channels, such as KCNH2,3,8 KCNQ1,2,9 TRPM4,1012 and so on, and causing ion channel dysfunction with reduced repolarization ion flow and/or increased delocalization ion flow, which in turn leads to prolonged repolarization. Among ion channel genes, mutations in KCNQ1 and KCNH2, which encode voltage-gated K+ channels involved in cardiac action potential (AP) repolarization are most common,10 followed by mutations in SCN5A which encode voltage-gated Na (1.78%), while mutations in other genes including TRPM4 are rare (below 1% of LQTS).11 Dr. Hof and colleagues were the first to hypothesize that TRPM4 mutations cause long QT syndrome, and they detected four TRPM4 variants, including c.1321 G >A, c.1495 C >T, c.1496 G >C, and c.2531 G >A, with no changes in the key LQTS genes.11

Herein, we reported a Chinese proband with cLQTS with a new mutation (NM_017636: exon4: c.434delC, p. Ala145ValfsTer133) in the TRPM4 with the hope that this report may be helpful in future genetic studies and prospective, genetically informed research.

A 75-year-old male was implanted with a permanent pacemaker 18 years ago due to a local diagnosis of bradycardia characterized by recurrent syncope since the age of 20, yet postoperative syncope continued to occur. Syncope occurred again a day before admission, and then he was taken to our hospital. Electrocardiography (ECG) at disease onset indicated sinus bradycardia, anterior wall T wave changes with visible u waves (Figure 1).

Figure 1 The admission ECG showed sinus bradycardia with QTc interval 432ms and U wave.

On admission, the following vital signs were recorded: blood pressure of 135/88mmHg, pulse rate of 59 beats per minute, the body temperature of 36.4C, and breathing rate of 18 beats per minute. Physical examination revealed no evidence of heart failure or pathological nervous system features.

After admission, repeated electrocardiograms suggested prolonged QT intervals, sinus bradycardia, and T wave changes (Figure 2). Ambulatory ECG also showed sinus bradycardia (mean heart rate 59 beats), prolonged QT interval (540ms), and torsade de pointes (Figure 3). Whats more, the electrodes on the patients pacemaker were discovered to be depleted for nearly five years. Laboratory data showed a slightly elevated level of troponin, as well as N-terminal-pro-brain natriuretic peptide, while other laboratory indexes including hepatic and renal function, electrolytes, coagulation, and inflammatory indexes were normal. We also performed a cranial MRI on this patient, and no neurological lesion was found that could cause syncope. Echocardiography indicated no abnormalities in cardiac structure, and the left ventricular ejection fraction was 61%. Moreover, selective coronary angiography was performed, indicating that the patient has no apparent pathological stenosis in the coronary arteries.

Figure 2 (AC) During the hospitalization, the ECG showed the dynamic changes of T wave; the longest QTc interval was 540ms.

Figure 3 Electrocardiogram monitoring shows torsion de pointes tachycardia.

According to the above results and the diagnostic criteria of LQTS, a highly suspected diagnosis of LQTS was finally made (Rating 6.5 out of 5).1,13,14

Then the etiology of LQTS was further explored. For no acquired LQTS associated risk factors such as electrolyte disorders, cardiomyopathy, cerebrovascular accidents, and autonomic dysfunction were found in the patients previous medical history and related examinations after admission, we are suspicious of the patients Genetics of LQTS.

After obtaining the informed consent, we conducted whole-exome sequencing (WES) on the patient and his family to confirm our diagnosis. Gene testing revealed that the patient carried a TRPM4 heterozygous shift mutation (NM_017636: exon4: c.434delC, p. Ala145ValfsTer133). Moreover, WES analysis of his family members revealed that his sister carried the same TRPM4 mutation as the patient (Figure 4), but his two brothers and son did not. Regrettably, the probands parents have all died, and hence their genes have not been obtained.

Figure 4 The results of genetic testing showed the proband and his sister carried a TRPM4 heterozygous shift mutation (NM_017636: exon4: c.434delC, p. Ala145ValfsTer133) (A), while his two brothers and son did not (B).

Because of the high risk of sudden cardiac death, we recommend implanting a cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) for the patient. Due to economic reasons, the patient refused. Due to the patients strong preference for cautious treatment, we administered Shengsong Yangxin Capsule as a placebo.

cLQTS is a rare cardiac disorder inherited in an autosomal trait, with an estimated incidence of 1:20001:3000.7 It is accepted that cLQTS is a rare ion channelopathy, and a host of genes were described to be responsible for LQTS. So far, 15 genes with more than 7000 mutations have been considered to be associated with cLQTS.15 Among the six genes encode for a pore-forming ion channel, while others encode for regulatory subunits or proteins. Mutations in KCNQ1 (3035%) and KCNH2 (2530%) encoding voltage-gated K+ channels involved in cardiac action potential (AP) repolarization are the most common among ion channel genes,10,14 followed by mutations in SCN5A, which encode voltage-gated Na+ (1.78%).11,14 In comparison, mutations in other genes, including TRPM4 are rare (below 1% of LQTS).11,12,14

As far as the pathology of LQTS, it is generally known that QT duration depends on both ventricular AP duration and AP propagation within the ventricle and ion channel dysfunction with reduced repolarization ion flow and/or increased delocalization ion flow leads to prolonged repolarization. According to a sack of animal experiments on TRPM4, TRPM4 affects cardiac electrophysiological activity through nonselective cation permeability, which leads to cLQTS.11 Unfortunately, additional research is required to decipher the biological mechanism underlying TRPM4-induced loss of function of nonselective cation permeability.

Above all, gene test counts for cLQTS. The importance of gene detection for cLQTS lies in exploring its pathogenic mechanism and its treatment, for the drugs targeted specific ion channels can be used with exerting maximal effects.

In our case, a new mutation site on TRPM4 (NM_017636: exon4: c.434delC, p. Ala145ValfsTer133) was discovered through whole-exon detection, which can provide a brand-new direction for gene screening of patients with cLQTS and further complements its diagnostic criteria. As for the detail of gene tests, we used PolyPhen2 to predict whether a new mutation is damaging to the resultant protein function. And then, according to the relevant literature, we did consider that TRPM4 is as same amino acid change as a previously established pathogenic variant regardless of nucleotide change after searching the OMIM database. But the absence of the literature for molecular pathology makes us failure to achieve the information of damaged protein. At last, combined clinical history, ECG, and the results of gene test, it was suspected that TRPM4 mutation (NM_017636: exon4: c.434delC, p. Ala145ValfsTer133) was the pathogenic variant.

In the treatment of cLQTS, beta-blockers effectively prevent cardiovascular disease and ventricular arrhythmia, and ICD implantation is regarded as the ultimate therapy.16 Because of the high risk of sudden cardiac death, we recommend implanting a cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) for the patient. Due to economic reasons, the patient refused, and we administered a placebo.

The incidence of cLQTS is very low, with the incidence of LQTS caused by TRPM4 being even lower, leading to less research on the gene TRPM4. Therefore, we reported a new mutation in TRPM4 (NM_017636: exon4: c.434delC, p. Ala145ValfsTer133) to provide more evidence for gene screening, to improve the detection rate of healthy gene carriers or patients in the early incubation stage, thereby providing further complements to the clinical data of the study about TRPM4. Notwithstanding its limitation such as lack of this patients past clinical data that can help to compare the symptom before and after the permanent pacemaker implantation, detailed information of the pedigree of this patients parents and so on, this report does hopefully serve as useful feedback information for genetic pathogenesis of cLQTS caused by TRPM4 variants.

cLQTS, congenital long QT syndrome; LQTS, long QT syndrome; ECG, electrocardiograph; AP, action potential; ICD, implanting cardioverter defibrillator; WES, whole-exome sequencing; TRPM4, transient receptor potential melastatin 4; aLQTS, acquired LQTS.

All relevant data supporting the conclusions of this article are included within the article.

The need for institutional ethics approval for this case report was waived. Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and accompanying images.

The patient has provided informed consent for the publication of the case. A copy of the written consent is available for review by the Editor-in-Chief of this journal.

Dr. Rui Huang and Dr. Yinhua Luo are co-first authors for this study.

All authors made substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; took part in drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; agreed to submit to the current journal; gave final approval of the version to be published; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82160072) and the Science and Technology Support Project of Enshi Science and Technology Bureau (D20210024).

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

1. Vohra J. The long QT syndrome. Heart Lung Circ. 2007;16(Suppl 3):S5S12. doi:10.1016/j.hlc.2007.05.008

2. Beiyin G, Tingliang L, Lei Y, et al. Head-up tilt test induces T-wave alternans in long QT syndrome with KCNQ1 gene mutation: case report CARE-compliant article. Medicine. 2020;99(20):e19818.

3. Henk-Jan B, Lucia B. Orgasm induced torsades de pointes in a patient with a novel mutation with long-QT syndrome type 2: a case report. Eur Heart J Case Rep. 2018;2(2):yty062.

4. Joel G, Kinsley H, Amanda W, et al. Recurrent torsades with refractory QT prolongation in a 54-year-old man. Am J Case Rep. 2018;19:1515.

5. Priori SG, Wilde AA, Horie M, et al. HRS/EHRA/APHRS expert consensus statement on the diagnosis and management of patients with inherited primary arrhythmia syndromes: document endorsed by HRS, EHRA, and APHRS in May 2013 and by ACCF, AHA, PACES, and AEPC in June 2013. Heart Rhythm. 2013;10(12):19321963. doi:10.1016/j.hrthm.2013.05.014

6. Priori SG, Blomstrm-Lundqvist C, Mazzanti A, et al. [2015 ESC guidelines for the management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and the prevention of sudden cardiac death]. Kardiol Pol. 2015;73(10):795900. Croatian. doi:10.5603/KP.2015.0190

7. Zumhagen S, Stallmeyer B, Friedrich C, et al. Inherited long QT syndrome: clinical manifestation, genetic diagnostics, and therapy. Herzschrittmacherther Elektrophysiol. 2012;23(3):211219. doi:10.1007/s00399-012-0232-8

8. Du F, Wang G, Wang D, et al. Targeted next generation sequencing revealed a novel deletion-frameshift mutation of KCNH2 gene in a Chinese Han family with long QT syndrome: a case report and review of Chinese cases. Medicine. 2020;99(16):e19749. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000019749

9. Motoi N, Marehiko U, Ryota E, et al. A novel KCNQ1 nonsense variant in the isoform-specific first exon causes both jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome 1 and long QT syndrome 1: a case report. BMC Med Genet. 2017;18(1):16.

10. Amin AS, Pinto YM, Wilde AA. Long QT syndrome: beyond the causal mutation. J Physiol. 2013;591(17):41254139. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2013.254920

11. Hof T, Liu H, Sall L, et al. TRPM4 non-selective cation channel variants in long QT syndrome. BMC Med Genet. 2017;18(1):31. doi:10.1186/s12881-017-0397-4

12. Guinamard R, Bouvagnet P, Hof T, et al. TRPM4 in cardiac electrical activity. Cardiovasc Res. 2015;108(1):2130. doi:10.1093/cvr/cvv213

13. Hayashi K, Konno T, Fujino N, et al. Impact of updated diagnostic criteria for long QT syndrome on clinical detection of diseased patients: results from a study of patients carrying gene mutations. JACC Clin Electrophysiol. 2016;2(3):279287. doi:10.1016/j.jacep.2016.01.003

14. Neira V, Enriquez A, Simpson C, et al. Update on long QT syndrome. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2019;30(12):30683078. doi:10.1111/jce.14227

15. Tester DJ, Ackerman MJ. Genetics of long QT syndrome. Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J. 2014;10(1):2933. doi:10.14797/mdcj-10-1-29

16. Betge S, Schulze-Bahr E, Fitzek C, et al. [Long QT syndrome causing grand mal epilepsy: case report, pedigree, therapeutic options, and review of the literature]. Nervenarzt. 2006;77(10):12101217. German. doi:10.1007/s00115-006-2118-7

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A Novel Mutation in the TRPM4 Gene | RRCC - Dove Medical Press

As with many medical issues, there can be many reasons why you have thinning hair. From stress, to hair-styling products, to your diet and your genes, its important to know the culprit behind your lacklustre locks.

But the one thing thats for sure it that youre not alone:an estimated 35 million men are suffering from hair loss worldwide.

For men, the main cause of hair loss or thinning is genetics, but not all conditions are caused by this. Other factors have been shown to disrupt growth when severe enough, such as diet, stress, hormonal imbalances and some medical treatments. These factors can affect the hair follicles causing them to go dormant.

Heres the thing: everyone loses 50-100 hair strands a day on average, but if youre experience unusual hair loss, understanding the different types and causes of this loss is important in seeking treatment from a doctor. There are many types of hair loss, with these being the most common:

Known as male-pattern baldness in men, this refers to the general thinning of hair growth. Terminal hair growth (normal hair) is converted to vellus hair (thin, short and unpigmented hairs).

Causes: Genetics, age and hormonal changes.

Sudden and unpredictable patchy hair loss. It can progress to total head hair loss (alopecia totalis) and total body loss (alopecia universalis).

Causes: An autoimmune disease causes the bodys immune system to attack hair follicles.

Large numbers of hair follicles are induced into their resting phase (telogen), resulting in increased hair shedding typically over 200 strands a day. This can be a short or long-term condition that develops two to three months after the triggering cause.

Causes: Systemic diseases, weight loss, drugs, illness, stress, iron deficiency and scalp inflammation.

Hair loss along the front and sides of the scalp caused by a persistent, prolonged or repetitive pulling force being applied to the hair.

Causes: Hair weaves, tight pony-tails and braiding techniques.

There are limits to how much you can do to reduce hair thinning and loss, but some approaches do help. Ensuring that you have a balanced diet with enough Vitamin D, Vitamin C & Iron is a great place to start but beware of going overboard with supplements as some of them such as Vitamin A could hinder growth.

Some poorly formulated shampoos can cause irritation to the scalp, so swapping to a milder alternative could help keep your scalp in good condition and a healthy scalp has been linked to hair growth. There is a compound called Minoxadil which is clinically proven to reduce certain types of hair loss. It does this by reducing the time that hair follicles are in their resting phase, telogen, and increasing the time spent growing, anagen.

Finally, it is also important to look after the hair that you are growing, including during your styling routine!

If you are experience thinning hair, there are certain hair styles that can give the appearance of a fuller head.

Consider hair styles with minimal parting, a fringe, or even try a combover thats swept to the side to disguise a receding hairline. Coloured hair sprays can also be an option to add shading to the scalp area.

During styling, its best to be gentler to your hair and scalp. While drying and styling hair, you should minimise excessive heat, and this is easiest with a controlled airflow and temperature. Be kinder to your scalp by using the Gentle air attachment (like the one on theDyson Supersonic hair dryer) as they use a gentle, cooler airflow while still drying hair fast.

Extreme heat can cause chemical changes to both the proteins and fats within your hair, this causes it to become weaker and more likely to break, which can reduce the amount of hair covering your scalp. Colouring and especially bleaching of hair can also cause weaken your hair, especially if done frequently.

The rest is here:
The Science of Thinning Hair, and The Best Ways to Style it - Men's Health Magazine Australia - Men's Health

A column about being a pregnant trans dad, and all the prejudices, healthcare challenges, personal dilemmas, and joys that come with making a family in 2021.

Merriam-Webster defines parent, primarily, as a person who is a father or mother or a person who has a child. Mother is defined as a female parent and father is a male parent. In my experience, this is exactly how most peopleparents and non-parents alikeuse these words. Thats how its meant to work: As any lexicographer will tell you, mainstream dictionaries are descriptive, not prescriptive. In the words of Simon Winchester, dictionaries tell of the language as it is, not as it should be.

We also have to father and to mother as verbs, which gets a bit more complicated. To father is synonymous with beget and sirethough Merriam-Webster notes, in a circular way, that these words are considered archaic, except in relation to domestic animals. To mother seems simpler on the face of it, maybe less overtly sexist? To mother is defined as to give birth to or to care for or protect like a mother. The first definition is the biologically essentialist one, but at least unlike with beget and sire, there are no caveats or domestic animals to be found.

Its subtle, but already we can see clear signs of a patriarchal system of society embedded in language. Is it less problematic to reduce female parenthood to biology nowadays? Surely, no feminist would argue this (except perhaps the trans-exclusionary kind). To me, and likely to any queer parent, the unqualified foregrounding of a biological role in relation to women seems like a less overt, yet much more insidious example of linguistic sexism.

Thankfully, where dictionaries might oversimplify by describing majorities first and foremost, our laws increasingly do not. With conspicuous exceptions like the UK, democratic states tend towards updating legislation to afford all parent-child relationships equal status and protection under the law, regardless of genetics or gender.

Ive written before about birth certificates, for example. In Canada, Australia, and many US states, gender-neutral birth certificates are available to all families, not just queer ones; in Canada and the US, three or more parents can be recognized on a birth certificate; and in the EU, the European Court of Human Rights recently ruled that all member states must recognize cis-queer parents on their childrens birth certificates.

The unavoidable, pragmatic, progressivehowever you see itconsequence of such laws, and, perhaps the ultimate one, is to deprivilege the traditional nuclear family structure, i.e., a married cis-hetero couple and their biological offspring. Usually, discussions on the topic center on LGBTQ+ familiesand we also tend to be most visible in campaigns to equalize outdated family law. But statistically speaking, cishet parents and their children will always make up the majority of non-traditional, non-nuclear families.

LGBTQ+ family rights, and the discussions they prompt about definitions, were never about special treatmentthey are about equality with other families. We needand need to campaign in a broad coalitionfor new systems, starting from the principle of what children, not their parents, need. This includes complete information about their origins and equal recognition of their parentage. Only by moving past our current legal and social focus on parental rightsor worse, some archaic, ideological notion of real familycan we hope to achieve true equality for all families.

How, for example, does legal motherhood and fatherhood work for the growing numbers of families, LGBTQ+ or not, created with the help of donor gametesthat is, with donated sperm or eggs?

Most of us are still very new to frank, informed conversations about using donor gametes to create family, even if weve actually done it. A few years ago, before conceiving my first child with the help of an open-ID sperm donor, I could be overheard saying, Its just like using donated blood or a kidney, right? Today, having exposed myself to the perspectives of many donor-conceived adults, innumerable donor-assisted families, and the staggering dysfunction of our birth registration system, I understand that all origin information is a persons fundamental birthright. And I believe LGBTQ+ family equality campaigners and campaigners for the rights of donor-conceived people could all benefit from closer alliance, despite being, in some ways, philosophically and linguistically at odds.

In donor-conceived online spaces, Ive noticed an almost fundamentalist approach to language. If its a coping strategyto allay donor-conceived adults completely righteous anger and sense of betrayalit makes sense. I cannot imagine many things more destabilizing than realizing youve been lied to in such a profound way by the people you trust more than anyone else, your parents. The urge to reclaim control and define things strictly according to historically-powerful systems of meaning, e.g., who is ones real or biological father/mother, seems reasonable on the face of it.

Enter the queers. Take my own situation: I am a trans man who became a dad with the help of donated sperm (literally donated, since its illegal to receive payment for gametes in the UK). With this sperm, I became pregnant and gave birth. I have always spoken openly to my kid about being donor-conceived, even before he was born. We have all the books. I will fully support my kid if he wants to contact the donor or his donor siblings in the future, or if he doesnt. Ive already looked into ways of making this possible sooner than him turning 18, which is when hell be able to access the contact details the UK regulator holds. Will I make mistakes? Of course. Am I my childs biological mother? No.

Every parent, as an integral part of becoming one, takes on a responsibility to be proactively honest with their kids about how they were created, from day zero. Also, humans are complicated and flawed, and, given its not their origins but those of their children in question, parents should not be the holders or gatekeepers of this information. A childs genetic origins, how they were conceived and birthed, and who their legal parents are can all be clearly and safely recorded for future reference by them.

But a progressive theory of identity, inclusive definitions of mother, father, parent, and my own queerness force me to stop short of referring to the person who donated the sperm that I used as my kids biological father. Yet this hesitation essentially breaks the rules of donor-conceived community etiquette, as I understand it. In short, it necessarily makes me as a parent selfish and in denial about my choices around family creation. It is seen as taking agency away, yet again, from previously deceived donor-conceived adults.

I hope those who take this position will at least hear me out. Its not the biological that gives me pause so much as the father. In every meaningful, modern sense, I am my childs father. I have this role in his life, it is legally true according to UK gender recognition law, and this is how I understand myself as a transgender man, as trans male. To me, any person who has a parental role and uses the word father for themselves is also a fatherno more, no less. Biology has nothing to do with it.

The yes, but biologically line of argument immediately veers toward the same biological essentialism used to oppress queer people, and trans people in particular, for the whole of human history. If you would not insist that trans men are biological women, and vice versa for trans womenif you recognize these as regressive, exclusionary, and dangerous opinions, as opposed to facts (not feelings!)the same must be true when we talk about family roles and relationships.

I want to clarify that Im not talking about people who meet and develop relationships with their donors. I fully accept that words like mother/father/mum/dad/parent come into play when actual human relationships form. I would never be threatened by the idea of my kid one day having two dads, or a mum and a dad if our donor is a trans woman. Thats exactly the meaning of these words that I see as, well, meaningful.

The conversation around donor siblings is a little different, largely because the idea of sibling carries infinitesimal social power relative to parent. I have seen donor-conceived adults object to the portmanteau dibling (donor sibling) as euphemistic, and yet to me, this is exactly the kind of pragmatic approach that keeps the language of family inclusive, progressive, and, ultimately, as useful as possible. Ones personal relationship to siblings resulting from donor connection is different, broadly speaking, from one's relationship to siblings who grew up as a family. Richer language helps us be clearer and more honest about that. It also de-essentializes and broadens how we understand family more generally.

My hope is that we hold firmly and compassionately to the social and political meanings of mother/father/parent and ditch the biologically essentialist ones completely. As we have begun to do with woman and man, we can let go of our need for strict categories and allow for a complexity that says: Language does not create us, we create it, and this, specifically, is no longer helpful. We no longer need both definitions, biological parent and social parent. Its too easy to subconsciously read that and as a versus, or for the question to follow: Which is more real more important? One automatically sounds like it carries more weight, right?

Is a woman less of a mother for not giving birth, or for using a donor egg? If the answer is no, and I believe wholeheartedly it is, then the best way to make this clear is to dispense with the dichotomous idea of biological mother altogetheralong with to mother meaning to give birth to. Likewise, do we think nonbinary parents are really the biological mother or father if their gametes are involved? If not, then lets not use those terms. If we continue using them for cishet parents, were still implying them for everyone. Or worse, we are drifting yet again towards a hierarchy of realness.

The social and political meanings of these words are the ones that actually matter. So lets use different words when we mean different things, and have zero tolerance for the archaic systems of oppressive power that caused us to settle for just one word, used in rank order, in the first place.

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Why We Need Gender-Inclusive Terms for 'Father' and 'Mother' - VICE

Food freedom its a complex term, with definitions ranging from ditching diet culture and restrictive diets to attaining good health and food security through growing your own foods.

Its marketed as an approach to address eating disorders for some and as a way to promote intentional weight loss for others.

However, in the health and wellness space, its an emerging, revolutionary concept that challenges societal norms of dieting and the thin ideal.

It is championed by passionate health professionals and game-changers, such as Shana Spence (@thenutritiontea). Spence is a registered dietitian who takes a non-diet, weight-inclusive approach to health.

She uses her platform to redefine what health means distinct from the diet industrys often-unattainable standards.

Another powerful and passionate food freedom champion is Dr. Kera Nyemb-Diop (@black.nutritionist), who has created a space that emphasizes body respect, eating without guilt, and reclaiming your cultural food heritage as an integral part of your healthy lifestyle.

In this article, we explore food freedom, explain what intuitive eating and mindful eating are, and discuss what roles if any they may have in the pursuit of intentional weight loss.

The food freedom framework has various definitions and applications, including but not limited to (1, 2):

In other contexts, food freedom refers to ditching dieting culture and restrictive diets by giving yourself permission to enjoy all foods in moderation (unless allergies or medical needs prevent you from eating certain foods).

In that application of food freedom, practitioners see food as more than just fuel. They seek to build a positive and judgment-free relationship with all foods, where guilt is not considered an ingredient in the eating experience.

This view of food freedom encompasses intuitive eating and mindful eating, two philosophies that cultivate self-trust around food choices and reject unnecessary restrictions.

Intuitive eating and mindful eating are often used to support recovery from eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, chronic mental illnesses that negatively affect nutritional status and your relationship with food (3, 4, 5).

Overall, food freedom can help people overcome diet culture or introduce flexibility for intentional weight loss.

Because the varied and overlapping marketing of the term food freedom may lead to some confusion, context matters. This article will focus on food freedom as a non-diet approach to health and nutrition.

The term food freedom has various definitions, including ditching diet culture and cultivating self-trust around food choices. The food freedom approach has been used to support both eating disorder recovery and some intentional weight loss programs.

Food freedom as a therapeutic approach for eating disorder recovery grew out of the need for non-pharmaceutical treatments that emphasize behavioral changes, such as a positive body image and healthy eating attitudes (3, 6).

A 2017 study demonstrated that dieting accompanied by body dissatisfaction and the pursuit of thinness increases the risk of developing bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and purging disorder (7).

Even dieting among inherently lean individuals increases their risk of developing anorexia nervosa (7).

The multibillion-dollar diet industry promotes the thin ideal with unhealthy weight management behaviors, potentially encouraging disordered eating patterns that can contribute to the development of eating disorders (7, 8).

Theres evidence that dieting doesnt help those who are seeking long-term weight loss, either.

Weight regain within 15 years is common among chronic dieters, and approximately 33% of dieters regain more weight than they initially lost (8).

Dieting restrictions contribute to disordered eating. Food freedom, on the other hand, seeks to combat this (5).

Food freedom as a mindfulness-based practice may address disordered eating, including emotional eating and binge eating disorder. It can also help you avoid eating in response to external cues, such as the sight or smell of foods, when youre not physically hungry (6, 9).

In particular, intuitive eating is associated with improved psychological well-being and physical health and fewer dietary restrictions (5, 10).

Food freedom arose from the need for behavior-change approaches emphasizing positive body image and healthy eating attitudes instead of dieting restrictions. It can support folks in recovery from disordered eating or clinical eating disorders.

Although these three terms are often used interchangeably, you may wonder whether they are essentially the same. There are minor distinctions among their presiding principles.

For instance, mindful eating is rooted in the Buddhist practice of mindfulness and living with awareness and intention (11, 12).

Its a meditative practice that is built on the mind-body connection and fosters a state of nonjudgmental awareness that engages your senses sight, smell, taste, and feel during a meal (11, 12).

Mindful eating is the art of being present while you eat.

Similarly, intuitive eating nurtures a mind-body connection, but its distinctively rooted in a weight-inclusive approach to health and serves as the core of the Health at Every Size paradigm (10).

Intuitive eating is guided by 10 principles, including respecting your body, rejecting diet culture, making peace with food, and honoring health through gentle nutrition.

Food freedom, however, isnt so well defined. It may represent true forms of intuitive eating or mindful eating, or it may attempt to bridge gaps between intentional weight loss, caloric restriction, and increased flexibility with food.

Despite these differences, there is a common thread among the three terms: They all seek to reduce unnecessary dietary restrictions and improve your relationship with food.

They aim to remove prospects of guilt, shame, and negative emotions associated with consuming forbidden or bad foods.

The terms food freedom, intuitive eating, and mindful eating may be used interchangeably, but there are differences among these practices. However, they all seek to reduce dieting restrictions and increase flexibility.

Food freedom, when used as a non-diet approach to health, seeks to liberate you from the thin ideal and diet culture, unsafe weight loss or weight management behaviors, and yo-yo dieting.

Whether you choose to adopt a meditative approach with mindful eating or work through the 10 principles of intuitive eating, freedom from restriction and judgment is possible.

Here are some tips:

Food freedom as a non-diet approach to nutrition includes tuning in to your internal cues of fullness and hunger, removing morality from foods, and focusing on health-promoting behaviors rather than the scale.

Intentional weight loss is the active attempt to change your body weight, with the goal of lowering the number on the scale.

Although studies show that intuitive eating is associated with weight loss and a lower body mass index (BMI), at its core, intuitive eating is not a weight loss method (10).

A true intuitive eating program would not advertise weight loss as an outcome, since some people may lose weight while others may gain or maintain weight.

Intuitive eating allows your body to find its happy weight, or biologically determined set point weight.

Likewise, the fundamental principles of mindful eating are not focused on weight loss though some weight loss programs have co-opted its messages of mindfulness (11).

Other programs work to bridge the gap by focusing on health-promoting habits while instituting small calorie deficits that promote slow-paced weight loss without completely avoiding pleasurable foods that might not be nutrient-dense or low in calories.

The principles of intuitive eating and mindful eating dont focus on intentional weight loss, although weight loss, gain, or maintenance may occur when you adopt them. Instead, they focus on allowing your body to reach its happy, natural weight.

Food freedom is a highly marketed term with various definitions, ranging from overcoming diet culture and restrictive diets to engaging in food sovereignty. Therefore, context matters.

As a non-diet approach to nutrition, food freedom includes tuning in to your internal cues of fullness and hunger, decoupling foods and morality, and focusing on health-promoting behaviors not just the scale.

At their core, intuitive eating and mindful eating principles dont focus on or promote intentional weight loss. Rather, they help you discover and engage in health-promoting habits that may lead to weight loss, gain, or maintenance.

These frameworks help people foster positive relationships with foods and their bodies that are built on self-trust and self-compassion rather than on the thin ideal.

See the rest here:
What Is Food Freedom? Getting Started, Weight Loss, and Tips - Healthline

For genes on autosomes, we all have two copiesone from each parent. The two copies may be the same, or they may be different. Different versions of the same gene are called alleles (uh-LEELZ). Genes code for proteins, and proteins make traits.* Importantly, its the two alleles working together that affect what we seealso called a phenotype.

Female pigeons (ZW) have just one Z chromosome, and therefore just one allele for each of the genes located there. One gene on the Z chromosome affects feather color; three different alleles make feathers blue, ash-red, or brown. In a female bird (ZW), her single color allele determines her feather color. But in males (ZZ), two alleles work together to determine feather color according to their dominance. That is, 'ash-red' is dominant to 'blue', which is dominant to 'brown'.

Having two copies of a gene can be important when one copy is broken or defective. A functional second copy can often work well enough on its own, acting as a sort of back-up to prevent problems. With sex-linked genes, male mammals (and female birds) have no back-up copy. In people, a number of genetic disorders are sex-linked, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy and hemophilia. These and other sex-inked disorders are much more common in boys than in girls.

Red/green colorblindness is also caused by a defective gene on the X-chromosome. You need at least one working copy of the gene to be able to see red and green. Since boys have just one X-chromosome, which they receive from their mother, inheriting one defective copy of the gene will render them colorblind. Girls have two X-chromosomes; to be colorblind they must inherit two defective copies, one from each parent. Consequently, red-green colorblindness is much more frequent in boys (1 in 12) than in girls (1 in 250).

*Some genes code for functional RNAs, which also influence our traits.

The differences in sex chromosomes between males and females leads to specific inheritance patterns for sex-linked genes. (Above) Female pigeons inherit their color allele from their father. Males inherit one allele from each parent. In humans (below), the pattern is reversed.

Here is the original post:
Sex Linkage - University of Utah

What Is It?

Hair loss can range from mild hair thinning to total baldness. Hair can fall out for many different reasons. Medically, hair loss falls into several categories, including:

We normally lose approximately 50 to 100 scalp hairs each day. If more than this is falling out, you may find unusually large amounts of hair in brushes, on clothing, and in the drains of sinks and tubs. You may also notice that your hair is generally thinner, that your part is wider, that your hairline has changed or that one or more bald patches have appeared.

As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

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Hair Loss - Harvard Health

As males are unable to produce milk or lay eggs, the ability to breed cows and hens that produce all-female litters is likely to be high on most poultry and dairy farmers wish lists.

Now, scientists at the Francis Crick Institute and the University of Kent have come a step closer to realising this goal after successfully using CRISPR gene editing techniques to produce all-female or all-male litters of mice.

The technique could also be used to improve animal welfare in areas of scientific research in which only male or only female animals are required for studies, the researchers say.

To make the breakthrough the researchers took advantage of the fact that CRISPR consists of two parts the Cas9 enzyme, which cuts the DNA and enables scientists to alter specific regions of genes, and the guide RNA, which carries the Cas9 enzyme to the desired region on the genome.

They targeted the TOP1 gene, which is essential to DNA replication, and placed one part of CRISPR on the fathers X or Y chromosome, meaning that it will only be inherited by female or male embryos, and the other part on the mothers chromosomes, which will be inherited by all embryos.

This meant that when a sperm carrying the Cas9 enzyme on the fathers X or Y chromosome fertilised an egg carrying the guide RNA, the gene editing process was triggered in the resulting embryo and it was not able to develop beyond a very early stage.

Read more about genetic engineering:

This method works as we split the genome editing process in half, between a male and female, and it is only when the two halves meet in an embryo through breeding, that it is activated. Embryos with both halves cannot develop beyond very early cell stages, said Charlotte Douglas, first author and former PhD student and postdoctoral scientist at the Crick.

Weve also shown this process works successfully in different combinations introducing either the Cas9 or the guide RNA elements on to the mothers or fathers chromosomes.

Using this method, the researchers were able to control the sex of a litter with 100 per cent accuracy and found no harmful effects in the surviving animals.

Moreover, as the TOP1 gene is well conserved across mammals, these results may also be applicable to other animals such as livestock.

The implications of this work are potentially far-reaching when it comes to improving animal welfare, but should be considered at ethical and regulatory levels, said Dr Peter Ellis, author and senior lecturer in molecular genetics and reproduction at the University of Kent.

In particular, before any potential use in agriculture, there would need to be extensive public conversation and debate, as well as changes to legislation. On the scientific side, there is also much work to be done over a number of years. Further research is needed, first to develop the particular gene editing toolkits for different species, and then to check they are safe and effective.

More here:
Gene editing used to create all-male or all-female litters of mice - BBC Science Focus Magazine

A new systematic review of the validated monogenic causes of male infertility strengthens the evidence base for emerging gene-disease relationships; the review hopes to encourage more routine genetic testing in clinics and identify gaps in our knowledge of male infertility genetics.

In less than two years, the number of genes revealed in the literature as causative of male infertility phenotypes has increased from 78 (in 2019) to 104, an increase of 33%. All are supported by evidence of a direct gene-disease relationship and, say the authors of a new report, will provide the impetus for an update of existing guidelines, will inform novel evidence-based genetic testing strategies used in clinics, and will identify gaps in our knowledge of male infertility genetics.(1)

This latest report is an update on the first standardised clinical validity assessment of monogenic causes of male infertility published in 2019, and like that one this latest literature evaluation has been conducted with the International Male Infertility Genomics Consortium (IMIGC). The increase in the number of high-probability male infertility genes is not just a reflection of extended gene discovery but a function too of the recent rapid uptake of next generation sequencing in male infertility (with whole-exome sequencing described as the default sequencing approach) and research on clinical cohorts. The validation of these emerging genes will, say the authors, help give direction to which individual genes may be screened for and how they are relevant to certain types of infertility.

All 104 genes and their links to male infertility phenotypes are listed in a table, with organ effects noted in hypothalamic function, pituitary and adrenal gland dysfunction, vas deferens, reproductive organ development, Leydig cell, Sertoli-cell only syndrome, meiotic arrest, spermatogenesis and fertilisation.

As illustrated in a Campus meeting on the genetics of male infertility held online a few weeks ago, a wide range of phenotypes now appears to be largely genetic in origin.(2) Already, the genetic components of Klinefelter syndrome, Y-chromosome microdeletions and some monogenic causes of azoospermia are well recognised, but there remains a majority of male infertility cases (60-70%) without any clear diagnosis. Only 4% are actually diagnosed with a defined genetic cause. This updated systematic evaluation of all available evidence for published monogenic causes of isolated or syndrome male infertility will hopefully extend the limits for genetic testing and the diagnostic power for identifying the causes of male infertility; however, while NGS is now a cornerstone test in male infertility research, it is not, say the authors, extensively employed in clinical diagnosis.

The report notes that the diagnostic rate of genetic tests for all types of isolated male infertility currently lies between 4 and 9%. These are rates considerably behind those seen in other heterogeneous disorders with a large genetic contribution such as cardiomyopathies or developmental delay, where whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing are routinely applied. However, with reduced costs of NGS and better accessibility, the authors hope that the increased number of validated genes implicated in male infertility will lead to greater diagnostic implementation.

And this in turn will help in evaluating future health risks in which male infertility may be linked to other comorbidities in later life; for example, a number of multiple DNA repair genes linked to infertility are known to be involved in some cancers. There are also implications from genetic testing in male infertility for sons of men with Y-chromosome variants conceived by ART, who presumably will inherit the same infertility phenotype as their affected fathers - and thus may in turn require ART if wanting their own biological child.

1. Houston BJ, Riera-Escamilla A, Wyrwoll MJ, et al. A systematic review of the validated monogenic causes of human male infertility: 2020 update and a discussion of emerging genedisease relationships, Hum Reprod Update 2021; doi:10.1093/humupd/dmab0302. See https://www.focusonreproduction.eu/article/ESHRE-News-male

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The number of genotype-phenotype associations validated in male infertility continues to grow - ESHRE

Fiona is turning 5. It's almost time to think about boys

Updated: 3:55 PM EST Dec 2, 2021

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>> THE CINCINNATYI ZOO HAS BEEN HERE A LONG TIME. AND WE'RE NOW FAMOUS, AS THE CINCINNATI ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDENS. THAT LONG TRADITION, PARTICULARLY IN CINCINNATI WHERE EVERYBODY VALUES THE HISTORY IS VERY IMPORTANT. AS I SAY, CINCINNATI IS A ZOO TOWN. THIS TOWN STUCK WITH US. PEOPLE ARE STILL JOINING THE ZOO WITH, WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT OPEN YET BUT WE KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE OPEN. WE WANT YOU TO MAKE IT. WE ARE A VERY SUPPORTIVE TOWN. >> FROM WLWT, THIS IS LET'S TALK CINCY IS PRESENTED BY WESTERN AND SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP. PUT OUR FINANCIAL STRENGTH BEHIND YOU. COURTIS: ANYTIME SOMETHING IS CONSIDERED THE BEST, IT'S WORTH TALKING ABOUT. HELLO, EVERYONE. I'M COURTIS FULLER AND WELCOME TO LET'S TALK CINCY. THE CINCINNATI ZOO IS KNOWN AROUND THE WORLD AND IT IS NOW RANKED THE BEST ZOO IN AMERICA IN 2021, ACCORDING TO A POLL CONDUCTED BY USA TODAY'S 10 BEST. A PANEL OF TRAVEL EXPERTS PICKED THE INITIAL NOMINEES. THEN READERS SELECTED THE TOP 10 WINNERS BY POPULAR VOTE. THE ZOO'S RICH HISTORY BEGAN NEARLY 150 YEARS AGO IN 1873. ONE PERSON WHO KNOWS THE HISTORY AS WELL AS ANYONE, IS ZOO DIRECTOR THANE MAYNARD. THE ZOO HAS BEEN A BIG PART OF HIS LIFE FOR NEARLY A HALF CENTURY. >> THIS IS AN AMAZING PLACE, SECOND OLDEST ZOO IN THE COUNTRY. TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE ZOO. >> WELL, YOU KNOW, SINCE HE'S BEEN HERE A LONG TIME AND WE'RE NOW FAMOUS AS THE CINCINNATI ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDEN. BUT THAT'S BEEN THE CASE ALL ALONG WITH ANDREW ERIC AND BRECKER AND THOSE GERMAN IMMIGRANTS STARTED THIS. THEY WANTED TO BRING WHAT THEY HAD HAD IN FRANKFURT AND STOOD GUARD TO CINCINNATI, WHICH WAS AN URBAN PARK, BEAUTIFUL PLANTINGS, EXOTIC ANIMALS AND CULTURAL EVENTS, AND OUR ORIGINAL TITLE WAS THE CINCINNATI ZOOLOGICAL' GARDEN. BUT IT'S A GARDEN ON STEROIDS NOW BECAUSE WE REALLY GET AFTER IT, THAT'S FOR SURE. BUT YOU KNOW THAT TRADITION. BACK THEN, YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW IMPORTANT THAT WAS. I MEAN, THERE WASN'T A LOT SHAKING IN THE 1870'S, AND SO HAVING A PLACE LIKE THAT WHERE YOU CAN GET OUT OF OVER THE RHINE OR DOWNTOWN, WHERE THERE REALLY NO PLANS AND COME UP TO A BEAUTIFUL GARDEN IS REALLY SIGNIFICANT. AND WE STILL PLAY THAT ROLE DAY RESPITE FROM THE CITY, A PLACE THAT'S SHADY AND SOFT AND LOTS AND LOTS OF CULTURAL EVENTS. YOU KNOW, WE'RE LIVING THAT SAME MISSION, BUT THAT LONG TRADITION, PARTICULARLY IN CINCINNATI WHERE EVERYBODY VALUES, THEIR, THE HISTORY IS VERY IMPORTANT. AS I SAY, CINCINNATI IS A ZOO TOWN. PEOPLE LOVE THIS. AND I GO, WHETHER I'M IN CLEAVES OR I'M ALL THE WAY UP TERRORIST PARK, OR I'M IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY, EVERYBODY MEET HAS A STORY ABOUT THEIR KIDS WENT ZOO CAMP, BECAME VETERINARIANS, WENT TO THE ZOO FOR 15 YEARS. IT'S FUN, THE ROLE THAT ZOO PLAYS IN FAMILIES LIVES HERE. THAT IS WHY WE ARE HERE. COURTIS: AND IT'S GOOD TO SEE SO MANY FAMILIES BACK OUT, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE YEAR WE'VE HAD. IT'S A REMINDER OF HOW IMPORTANT THIS ZOO IS TO GREATER CINCINNATI. >> IT IS TRUE, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR WHEN THE PANDEMIC FIRST HIT AND THE GOVERNOR CLOSED THE ZOO. IT ENDED UP BEING THREE MONTHS BUT WE HAD NO IDEA, YOU KNOW. SOME OF THE ZOOS IN CALIFORNIA WERE CLOSED FOR OVER A YEAR, THE NATIONAL ZOO IN D.C. WAS CLOSED FOR OVER A YEAR. AND MAN, WE'D BE COMPLETELY BROKE IF THAT HAD BEEN THE CASE BECAUSE IT WAS EXPENSIVE, EVEN WHEN YOU'RE NOT OPENING. THE VETERINARIANS AND KEEPERS WE HAVE TO FEED ALL THE ANIMALS, BUT WE MADE IT THROUGH BETTER THAN ANYBODY WOULD HAVE THOUGHT. THIS TOWN STUCK WITH US. PEOPLE ARE STILL JOINING THE ZOO WITH, WE KNOW YOU ARE NOT OPEN YET BUT WE KNOW YOU'RE GONNA BE OPEN. WE WANT YOU TO MAKE IT. WE ARE IN A VERY SUPPORTIVE TOWN. COURTIS: 44 YEARS FOR YOU. >> I GOT OLD QUICK, COURTIS. I'M TELLING YOU. COURTIS: DON'T WE ALL. BUT TELL ME YOUR JOURNEY. HOW DID YOU START HERE AT THE ZOO AND, AND OBVIOUSLY 44 YEARS LATER. >> WELL 44 YEARS AGO, THERE , WASN'T AS GREAT AN INTEREST IN WORKING IN THE ZOO FIELD AS THERE IS TODAY. I MEAN, TODAY, IF A JOB CAME OPEN, WHETHER IT'S ZOOKEEPER OR ZOO EDUCATOR, WHICH IS HOW I STARTED THERE'D BE 100 QUALIFIED , KIDS APPLYING FOR THAT JOB. BUT THAT'S AFTER A COUPLE GENERATIONS, ZOO CAMPS AND THINGS WHERE PEOPLE REALLY, REALLY GOT INTO THIS FIELD. BACK THEN, FOR ME IT WAS JUST RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME. PROCTOR HAD FUNDED THE WORLD'S FIRST ZOO EDUCATION CENTER, WHICH IS THE WOODEN BUILDING WE NOW CALL TREE TOPS, AND WE USE IT FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF PURPOSES, BUT IT HAD FIVE CLASSROOMS. THERE'S NEVER BEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. AND THEY NEEDED SOME PEOPLE TO HELP LEAD PROGRAMS, SO I WAS FORTUNATE. I'D GOTTEN OUT OF GRAD SCHOOL, AND MY WIFE'S FROM CINCINNATI, AND SHE HAD A JOB WRITING ANY CINCINNATI MAGAZINE. AND LIKE A LOT OF YOUNG GUYS COMING UP, I'D NEVER REALLY BEEN VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT MY CAREER. I THOUGHT I'D GO TO AFRICA OR SOMETHING, BANG AROUND FOR A FEW YEARS, BUT SUDDENLY I FOUND MYSELF MARRIED AND I'M LIKE, I SHOULD PROBABLY GET A JOB. AND SO, IT WAS FORTUNATE. JUST RIGHT PLACE, THE RIGHT TIME, SO I SPENT 25 YEARS, YEAH, WORKING IN THE ZOO EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. AND, YOU KNOW, HELPING THAT PHENOMENON GROW NOT JUST HERE , BUT AT OTHER INSTITUTIONS WHERE SO MANY FAMILIES TODAY. I MEAN, OUR ZOO CAMPS AND ZOO TROOP AND ALL THOSE , PARTICIPATORY PROGRAMS, VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS LIKE ZOO TEEN , THEY FILL UP INSTANTLY. FAMILIES REALLY WANT THEIR KIDS INVOLVED. COURTIS: YOU ARE A CINCINNATI CELEBRITY, A CINCINNATI LEGEND AND I SAY THAT WITH ALL SINCERITY. >> WELL, SOME OF THAT'S ATTRIBUTED TO WE ARE A NON-TOURIST TOWN, BUT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH TO BE A CELEBRITY HERE. IF THE ZOOKEEPER CAN BE, BUT DON'T FORGET MY FRIEND JACK HANNA, BECAUSE HE PUT HIS HOUSEHOLD NAME AND A DARN GOOD GUY. BUT THAT IS A REFLECTION OF A ZOO LIKE OURS, THAT HAS TREMENDOUS SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY INCLUDING ANNUAL PHILANTHROPY AND SPONSORSHIPS FOR OPERATIONS, AND ALL OF OUR CAPITAL IS PRIVATELY RAISED. THIS ZOO IS PLUGGED INTO THE COMMUNITY, SO WE'RE OUT THERE WE'RE PITCHING THE ZOO EVERY DAY YOU KNOW WHETHER IT'S ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO GET OUT HERE FOR EVENTS LIKE YOU KNOW THE PNC FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS, ZOO BABIES OR IS TO GET SPONSORS TO WANT TO BE DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH THE ZOO. AND AS A RESULT, I AND OTHERS WHO REPRESENT THE ZOO ARE OUT THERE WORKING AT PRETTY GOOD. YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME TOWNS WHERE THE FUNDING IS DIFFERENT, AND THE ZOO IS NOT AS ENGAGED IN THE COMMUNITY. NATIONAL ZOO IN WASHINGTON IS PART OF THE SMITHSONIAN, THEY DON'T NEED TO HUSTLE AND OF COURSE THE SAN DIEGO ZOO IF YOU HAVE A ZOO IN SAN DIEGO WHERE THE WEATHER'S PERFECT AND THERE IS NOTHING BUT TOURISTS YOU OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO GET A , CROWD. WE'RE FORTUNATE WE'RE IN CINCINNATI STYLE ZOO, WE SORT OF DO IT PETE ROSE HEADFIRST SLIDE STYLE, LIKE COME ON. IF IT'S WORTH DOING WE OVERDO IT HERE. YEAH. COURTIS: UP NEXT, A BIG VISION. THE $150 MILLION FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN LEADING TO THE LARGEST CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN THE ZOO'S HISTORY. AN INSIDE LOOK, WHEN LET'S TALK CINCY CONTINUES. COURTIS: THE CINCINNATI ZOO HAS EMBARKED ON A JOURNEY LIKE NONE OTHER IN ITS HISTORY. THE PROJECT IS CALLED MORE HOME TO ROAM. IT IS A $150 MILLION CAPITAL CAMPAIGN THAT WAS LAUNCHED IN 2018 TO CREATE WHAT THE ZOO CALLS A PACHYDERM PARADISE. THE BIGGEST CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN THE ZOO'S HISTORY. THANE MAYNARD SAID BIG DONATIONS HAVE MADE THE CROWN JEWEL OF THE PROJECT, ELEPHANT TREK, ALL POSSIBLE. WITH THE GROUNDBREAKING THIS YEAR, BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS, HARRY AND LINDA FATH KICKED OFF THE CAMPAIGN IN 2018 WITH A MAJOR DONATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $50 MILLION. COURTIS: YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW PEOPLE SUPPORT THE ZOO, THE PHILANTHROPY HERE. AND LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN. THIS WAS $150 MILLION, A DREAM. THREE YEARS AGO, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AND THE AMAZING SUPPORT THAT YOU RECEIVED ALREADY. >> WELL, CINCINNATI IS A GENEROUS TOWN. THAT IS THE TRUTH, NOT JUST OTHER CULTURAL GROUPS. I MEAN JUST REMARKABLE REALLY. I THINK WE HIT WAY ABOVE OUR WEIGHT. WHEN YOU HAVE GUESTS FROM OUT OF TOWN, YOU SHOW THEM THE ART MUSEUM MUSIC HALL AND ALL THE , DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON IN THE CITY. I THINK THEY'RE REALLY IMPRESSED THAT OUR TOWN HAS ALL THAT, AND IT IS THANKS TO PRIVATE SUPPORT. A LOT OF TOWNS, SITES LIKE ST. LOUIS FUNDED THROUGH TAXES, BUT HERE, ALL THOSE THINGS I MENTIONED ARE FUNDED THROUGH PRIVATE SUPPORT. THAT'S PRETTY NEAT. OUR CAMPAIGN HAS GONE WELL. WE LAUNCHED IT IN THE SUMMER OF 2018 WITH THE INCREDIBLE LEADERSHIP GIFT FROM HARRY AND LINDA FATH, AND THAT GOT US A THIRD OF THE WAY THERE. THAT WAS UNPRECEDENTED, FRANKLY, IN OUR REGION, AND CERTAINLY UNPRECEDENTED IN THE HISTORY OF THE ZOO. WE HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF SUPPORT. THIS SINCE THAT TIME WE'VE BEEN GOING GANGBUSTERS AND WE'RE 80% OF THE WAY THERE, SO WE HAVE 30 MILLION MORE TO RAISE, AND THAT'S A LOT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE. I COMPARE IT TO RUNNING THE FLYING PIG MARATHON WHICH I'VE DONE MANY YEARS, AND WE'RE AT ABOUT MILE 20. IT'S NO TIME TO STOP. IT'S GOT TO KEEP GOING. SO, IT'S BEEN GREAT, IT REALLY HAS. WE'VE HAD CERTAINLY MORE SUPPORT THAN EVER, AND A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM FOR WHERE WE'RE HEADED, BECAUSE, YES, THAT MONEYS FOR CAPITAL. BUT THAT CAPITAL IS REALLY THE FUTURE OF THE ZOO AND WHAT WE DO, SO IT IS CALLED MORE ROOM -- MORE HOME TO ROAM. BUT ARE OTHER ANIMALS, AS WELL WE'RE GONNA DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF SPACE FOR BLACK RHINOS. WE'VE ALREADY MADE A TERRIFIC EXHIBIT FOR KANGAROOS, A LITTLE PENGUINS FROM AUSTRALIA, AND THAT AFFORDS US AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO A GREAT JOB WITH OUR GENERAL VISITORS AND MEMBERS BUT ALSO TO BE PARTICIPATING IN GLOBAL CONSERVATION PROGRAMS WITH EVERYTHING FROM ALL THOSE PIECES I MENTIONED FROM PENGUINS , IN THE WILD TO ASIAN ELEPHANTS IN INDIA. COURTIS: IT'S GOOD TO HEAR THAT IT IS GOING SO WELL. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE, IF WE REWIND A YEAR AGO, YOU WERE PROBABLY WONDERING HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN IN THE MIDST OF THIS PANDEMIC? BUT AGAIN, SUPPORT KEPT COMING. DESPITE THE PANDEMIC. >> YEAH, I'M SURE ANYBODY THAT RUNS ANY BUSINESS ANYWHERE, TOOK A GREAT PAUSE IN MARCH OF 2020 BECAUSE BUSINESSES, WHETHER IT WAS, YOU KNOW, RESTAURANT, CLOSING DOWN. IN THE CASE OF THE ZOO, REALLY ANYWHERE THAT'S AN ATTRACTION, YOU WONDER WHAT THE FUTURE IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. I THINK IT'S BEEN 100 YEARS SINCE OUR ZOO HAD EVER BEEN CLOSED AND THAT WAS FROM THE 1918 FLU, SO WE KNEW IT WAS SERIOUS, BUT IT TURNED AROUND FASTER THAN WE THOUGHT. AND PEOPLE DIDN'T STICK WITH US. THE FUNNY THING IS JUST AS WE CAME INTO THIS SUMMER, WE HAD MEETINGS AND SAID, GOSH, I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE ARE GONNA WANT TO GET IN BIG CROWDS AGAIN. AS SOON AS THE MASK MANDATE WENT DOWN, WE WERE SLAMMED. SO, WE'RE AN OUTDOOR PARK AND PEOPLE WANT TO BE HERE AND THEY WANT TO GET OUT. AND SO THAT'S BEEN VERY HEARTENING. WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE, YOU KNOW, ZOOS, BY THEIR NATURE AND POPULAR FAMILIES LOVE ANIMALS, BY OUR VERY HUMAN NATURE, WE'RE SORT OF INTERESTED IN ANIMALS AND INTERESTED IN NATURE. AND THAT CERTAINLY REFLECTS THE SUPPORT WE HAVE FOR OUR ZOO, AND IN THE CROWD, WE HAD LIKE, TODAY, IT'S A NICE DAY IN THE SUMMER, AND WE'RE PROBABLY ABOUT 10,000 PEOPLE HERE TODAY. COURTIS: UP NEXT, HOW TWO ANIMALS PUT THE ZOO IN THE INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT IN A WAY NO ONE COULD EVER IMAGINE. A HIPPO NAMED FIONA. A GORRILLA NAMED HARAMBE. TWO DEFINING MOMENTS IN THE ZOO'S HISTORY, WHEN LET'S TALK CINCY CONTINUES. LACEY: WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE. I'M LACEY ROBERTS. JUST SAY THE NAME FIONA, AND YOU IMMEDIATELY THINK OF THE POPULAR AND LOVABLE HIPPO AT THE CINCINNATI ZOO. IN JANUARY 2017, THE FIRST NILE HIPPO WAS BORN AT THE ZOO IN 75 YEARS. FIONA WAS PREMATURE, WEIGHED LESS THAN 30 POUNDS. HER SURVIVAL DEPENDED ON SPECIAL CARE 24 HOURS, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. HER STORY WENT VIRAL, AND AS THEY SAY, THE REST IS HISTORY. BUT AS YOU WILL SEE, THE ZOO MAY HAVE NEEDED FIONA AS MUCH AS SHE NEEDED THE ZOO, BECAUSE OF THE DEATH OF A SILVERBACK GORILLA NAMED HARAMBE. COURTIS CONTINUES HIS CONVERSATION WITH CINCINNATI ZOO DIRECTOR THANE MAYNARD. COURTIS: THE HIGH POINT, PROBABLY IN YOUR CAREER, YOU WOULD NEVER IMAGINE. FIONA. THIS THIS GIFT THAT BASICALLY WAS GIVEN TO YOU. JUST TALK ABOUT FIONA, HOW THIS ANIMAL HAS BECOME REALLY KNOWN AROUND THE WORLD. >> YOU KNOW, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO EXAGGERATE THE IMPACT SHE'S HAD AND THE POPULARITY SHE'S HAD. AND THINK OF THAT BECAUSE, OF COURSE, SHE IS A NILE HIPPOPOTAMUS, AND THAT'S NOT PRIOR ON ANYONE'S TOP 10 LISTS. YOU'VE COME TO ZOO AND THEY WANT TO SEE GIRAFFES AND TIGERS, ELEPHANTS, AND GORILLAS, AND EVEN WHEN YOU GO TO AFRICA AND YOU SEE HIPPOS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE BIG AND THEY'RE LAYING IN THE WATER, BUT BOY, YOU SAY ONE, MAYBE PREMATURE HIPPO. SHE CHANGED THE WORLD. WHEN SHE WAS BORN, I'D NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT, BECAUSE TYPICALLY, HIPPOS, AS HOOFED ANIMALS ARE VERY PRECOCIOUS, THEY'RE LARGE WHEN THEY'RE BORN. THEY WEIGH ABOUT 100 POUNDS, ABOUT THIS BIG. BORN UNDERWATER, CLIMB IN THEIR MOM'S BACK THE DAY THEY'RE BORN, NURSE UNDERWATER. WELL, SHE WAS ONLY 29 POUNDS. SHE LOOKED LIKE A LITTLE DEFLATED RUGBY BALL, AND WAS BORN JUST ON THAT STRAW. SHE WAS A NEW MOM AND CONFUSED BY IT. AND SHE WASN'T CAPABLE AND TAKE CARE OF HER. AND IT WORKED OUT, AND I MEAN IT TOOK HANDS ON DECK. WE HAD A GROUP BECAME TO BE KNOWN AS TEAM FIONA, WHICH WERE THE ANIMAL KEEPERS AND CAREGIVERS, BUT ALSO THE VET TEAM, THE NUTRITION TEAM AND , PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE CITY WHO WEIGHED IN AND WOULD SPEND THE NIGHT WITH HER AND TAKE CARE OF HER. TWO SPECIALIZED NURSES FROM CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL CAME WHEN SHE GOT DEHYDRATED, AS PREEMIES CAN, DIARRHEA AND THEN THEY NEED FLUIDS. WE COULDN'T HIT A VEIN AND THEY CAME OVER THERE. YEAH, THERE'S NEVER BEEN A THING WE HAVEN'T HAD, SO THEY PUT AN IV ENTER AND STEP BY STEP, THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, WHEN SHE WAS A COUPLE MONTHS OLD. WE STARTED TO REALIZE, HEY, SHE'S GROWING, SHE'S GONNA MAKE IT. BUT THERE WERE A LOT OF NERVOUS TIMES THERE IN THE MIDDLE, BUT YEAH, IT'S FUNNY. WHEN SHE WAS A FEW MONTHS OLD, ONE OF OUR FORMER BOARD CHAIRS CALLED ME AND SAID THEY KNEW HOW TO GREET BB AGAIN, SO YOU CAN HAVE ANOTHER FIONA. SAID THERE'S NEVER GOING TO BE ANOTHER FIONA. THE WAY IT HIT REALLY WAS LIKE LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE. THE SAVED FROM THE BRINK PREMATURE STORY WAS PART OF IT. THE PHENOMENON OF FACEBOOK AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA SITES, PEOPLE FOLLOWED HER ON, ON THE WEB. I MEAN THAT YEAR OF 2017, I TRAVELED A LOT. I WENT TO A COUNTRY IN THE OFFICIAL MIDDLE OF NOWHERE IN AFRICA. NEXT TO TOGO, AND I'M SITTING IN A TABLE, THERE'S PEOPLE EATING, AND SOMEONE SEES MY HATS AND CINCINNATI ZOO AND SAYS TO ME, ISN'T THAT WHERE FIONA'S FROM. AND I COULDN'T GET FARTHER AWAY FROM HERE. EARLIER THAT YEAR, I WAS DOWN IN BELIZE IN CENTRAL AMERICA BIRDWATCHING. I GET TO THIS VERY REMOTE SITE WHERE ONLY BIRDWATCHERS GO TO THIS ONE PLACE TO BE ABLE TO WATCH THESE VERY RARE BIRDS. SO, ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE THERE, THEY ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN ANYTHING BIRDS. AND I HEAR THESE TWO LADIES ON THIS BIRD BLIND, AND ONE LADY SAYS TO THE OTHER I'M GLAD THAT , GOT WI FI CUZ I GOTTA FOLLOW BABY FIONA. AND I WENT OVER AND INTRODUCED MYSELF AND SHE'S LIKE, I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE IT, YOU KNOW, CUZ, YEAH, SHE TOOK OVER THE WORLD, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE REACHED THROUGH ALL OF THAT ARE SO VAST THAT IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE MAKING IT UP. I MEAN, IN THE BILLIONS OF PEOPLE SAW THAT, YOU KNOW, ON HER PHONE, ON THEIR COMPUTER, SO YEAH, IT'S SOMETHING. COURTIS: IT'S ALMOST HARD TO SAY THAT THIS HIPPO HAS PERSONALITY. YOU KNOW, AND I SAY THAT AS THIS LAYMAN, BUT SHE HAS A LOT OF PERSONALITY. >> WELL, SHE WAS WHICH NEVER HAPPENED WITH AN ANIMAL LIKE A HIPPO, HAND RAISED. SO, SHE WAS SO SMALL, FOR MANY WEEKS, KEEPERS STAYED WITH HER, TO OBSERVE IT THEY LAID THERE HELD HER AND KEPT HER WARM, AND AS SHE GOT OLDER AND STARTED TO SWIM, SHE WOULD SWIM WITH PEOPLE, AND SHE WOULD REST ON THEIR SHOULDER. AND SO YEAH, SHE VERY MUCH IS HUMAN FOCUSED. NORMALLY, HOOFED ANIMALS LIKE A HIPPO OR A ZEBRA WOULDN'T CARE ABOUT PEOPLE. BUT SHE IS INTERESTED AND WILL GO UP TO YOU AND YOUR PHONE, SWIM UP TO YOU AND SAY, YOU MUST BE HERE TO SEE ME. COURTIS: SHE'S THE REAL THING, AND THE PARAPHERNALIA, I MEAN ALL THIS STUFF, THE MARKETING IS -- SHE'S THE NEW MICKEY MOUSE. >> IT'S BEEN NEAT I MEAN A TON OF COMPANIES HAVE SUPPORTED THE ZOO AND GET TO SHARE THAT, AND THAT'S TERRIFIC. IT HELPS OBVIOUSLY IN HER CARE AND CARE OF OTHER ANIMALS, HELPS IN OUR CONSERVATION PROGRAM SO IT'S IT'S BEEN NEAT ALL ALONG. IT IS ATTRIBUTED TO HELP PEOPLE LOVE HER. THAT FIRST YEAR WE HAD THE FIONA 1K AND IT WAS, IT WAS A WALK MORE THAN A RUN. AND IT WAS WHEN SHE TURNED 1000 POUNDS. I FORGET WHAT HER AGE WAS. HONEST TO GOODNESS, IT WAS DRIVING RAIN. I MEAN, DRIVING RAIN. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HERE WITH THE T-SHIRT ON. I'M COMING FOR THE FIONA THING SO IT'S, IT'S AMAZING. COURTIS: TERRIFYING MOMENTS AT THE ZOO, AND ONLY WLWT HAS VIDEO OF IT. COURTIS: SHE CAME AT A TIME THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE ZOO'S LOWEST POINT. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT GETTING THROUGH THAT. AND I THINK THAT WHOLE JOURNEY FROM HARAMBE TO FIONA IS SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT THE ZOO'S SUCCESS. >> IT DOES. THAT WAS CERTAINLY A LEARNING CURVE FOR ALL OF US BECAUSE THE ZOO WAS PACKED THAT UNFORTUNATE DAY THAT THE BOY GOT IN WITH HARAMBE, AND WE HAD TO SHOOT HIM. AND THAT WAS A DIFFICULT CALL BUT IT WAS A CALL WE WOULD MAKE AGAIN. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS SAFE, BUT IT WAS A TERRIBLE LOSS. AND A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY SO YOU KNOW SOMETIMES TERRIBLE THINGS HAPPEN, BUT IT'S JUST THE TRUTH. I THINK WE GOT THROUGH IT BY BEING STRAIGHT WITH PEOPLE FROM THE FIRST DAY AND SAY THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED. AND NOBODY'S POINTING FINGERS, AND NOBODY'S SECOND GUESSING. WE DID OUR JOB. LACEY: UP NEXT, AS THE ZOO NEARS IT'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT. WHEN LET'S TALK CINCY CONTINUES. COURTIS: CONSIDER THIS. PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, THE CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER REPORTED ONLY KINGS ISLAND AND THE MUSEUM CENTER HAD A HIGHER ATTENDANCE. MORE THAN 1.7 MILLION PEOPLE MADE THE ZOO THEIR DESTINATION OF CHOICE IN 2019. THE ZOO IS POSITIONED TO SOAR IN THE FUTURE. >> 3, 2, 1. COURTIS: YOU BROKE GROUND IN JUNE. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AND THE SECOND PART OF THAT IS JUST GIVE ME YOUR, YOUR VISION OF THE ZOO, GOING FORWARD. >> WELL, YEAH, THIS SUMMER IN JUNE, WE BROKE GROUND ON OUR BIGGEST EXHIBIT EVER ELEPHANT TREK, FIVE-ACRE FACILITY, BIG YARD FOR RELEVANCE. IT WILL ALLOW US TO DOUBLE THE SIZE OF OUR HERD. JUST GETTING STARTED. WE'LL TAKE BEFORE, WE HAVE FOUR NEW ONES THAT ARE FLYING HERE ON AN AIRPLANE NONSTOP ON DHL FROM THE DUBLIN ZOO IN IRELAND. WE HOPE THAT THE BARN -- JUST GOING TO BE VERY, VERY BIG IN THE YARD WILL BE READY IN 2023. AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT. IT WON'T OPEN TO THE PUBLIC UNTIL 2024 BECAUSE THERE'S A NUMBER OF OTHER COMPONENTS. THERE'LL BE AN AREA FOR GIBBONS, WHICH ARE LESSER APES FROM SUMATRA AND BORNEO, THERE'LL BE ASIAN OTTERS, AND A LOT OF OTHER GREAT AMENITIES DOWN THERE. BUT IT'S AN EXCITING TIME AND IT'S A REFLECTION OF, AS I MENTIONED, THAT CAMPAIGN MORE HOME TO ROAM, GIVING ANIMALS MORE SPACE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S A REFLECTION OF THE ZOOS COMMITMENT TO CONSERVATION. MANY OF THE SPECIES THAT WE HAVE HERE AT OUR ZOO ARE THE SAME SPECIES WE HAD WHEN I SHOWED UP. BUT THERE ARE MANY MORE ENDANGERED SPECIES IN THE WORLD THAN. SO, IN THE CASE OF ASIAN ELEPHANTS, THEY ARE UNDER PRESSURE, BUT WE'RE PARTNERING WITH REALLY GOOD PARTNERS IN NORTHEAST INDIA ON ELEPHANT CONSERVATION PROGRAMS, AND WE HELP TELL THAT STORY. WE HELP SUPPORT THEIR GOOD WORK, AND THERE'S STILL HOPE FOR ELEPHANTS, MUCH AS IN OUR COUNTRY, THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF COMEBACKS. YOU KNOW, BALD EAGLES, AMERICAN ALLIGATORS, PEREGRINE FALCONS, GRAY WOLVES, GRAY WHALES, ALL THEIR NUMBERS ARE BACK UP TO WHERE THEY WERE 100 YEARS AGO. AND SO, YOU CAN MAKE CONSERVATION WORK IF YOU REALLY GET AFTER IT. SO, ALL THESE AREAS WHERE THE ZOO IS ENLARGING, WE WERE ALSO INVOLVED, HANDS ON THE GROUND WITH CONSERVATION, WHETHER THAT'S IN AFRICA WITH GORILLAS AND CHEETAHS OR IT'S IN INDIA WITH ELEPHANTS. SO, THE BRICK AND MORTAR IS PART OF IT TO CELEBRATE WHERE THE ZOO IS NOW GROWING, BUT REALLY IT HELPS OUR WHOLE PROGRAM THRIVE. COURTIS: I THINK THE GREAT THING ABOUT THIS ZOO -- AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS EARLIER. IT JUST FILLS YOU WITH HOPE. YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE JUST WALKING THROUGH THEIR SPACE HERE AND THAT'S INTENTIONAL. >> RIGHT. AT OUR ZOO, WE ARE FORTUNATE WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM OF THE ANIMAL EXPERTS AND THE CURATORS WORKING WITH ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS SAY ALRIGHT, HOW CAN WE TAKE WHAT WAS SAY, WE'RE RU GALLEONS THAT WAS A VERY THREADBARE PART OF THE ZOO CALLED WILDLIFE CANYON. ITS HEYDAY WAS BACK IN THE 1990S WHEN WE HAD SUMATRAN RHINOS. THEY WERE THE ONLY ZOO THAT EVER FIGURED OUT HOW TO FEED THEM AND BREED THEM, BUT ONCE THEY LEFT, IT WAS KIND OF THREADBARE, SO WE SCRAPED IT, PUT IN A TERRIFIC EXHIBIT AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE GOING FROM GOOD TO GREAT. BECAUSE MANY PARTS OF THIS ZOO WERE BUILT IN THE 1930S, AND THEY WERE REVOLUTIONARY THEN. YOU KNOW, OUR MONKEY ISLAND OR VALTTERI THE BEAR LINE, THE 90 YEARS LATER THEY'RE WORN OUT, SO A LOT OF OUR NEW EXHIBITS ARE DOING JUST THAT, SAYING LET'S REINVENT THIS AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO HAVE SOMETHING'S REALLY GREAT FOR THESE ANIMALS. COURTIS: THAT DOES IT FOR FOR THE PROGRAM. THANKS FOR JOINING US. WE WILL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK FOR ANOTHER EDITION OF "LET'S TALK CINCY."

Fiona is turning 5. It's almost time to think about boys

Updated: 3:55 PM EST Dec 2, 2021

They grow up so fast. World-famous Fiona the hippo the Cincinnati Zoos sassy heartthrob is just weeks away from her fifth birthday. Born Jan. 24, 2017, at the Cincinnati Zoo, the Nile hippopotamus has reached a certain level of maturity. When she turns 5, it could be time for Fiona to be a little more curious about boys. According to Wendy Rice, the head keeper at Cincinnati Zoo's Africa Department, Fiona needs to be at least 5 before she thinks about finding a boyfriend. And even 5 could be pushing it. Above video: An inside look at the Cincinnati Zoo, a WLWT special But what ultimately will decide Fiona's potential future romance?"The genetics are basically what's going to matter most," Rice said. "If and when Fiona were to get a breeding recommendation someday, it would be based entirely on who was genetically the best match for her that may or may not be Timothy."Fiona's genes are valuable in the world of Nile hippopotamuses. And eventually, Rice said the goal is to have Fiona breed if she can. But we're still talking a bit down the road. What happens then?RELATED: Fiona celebrating 5th birthday in January and you can be a part of the party"We obviously don't want her going anywhere," Rice said. "We love her. She's our baby and this hometown loves her. We're fairly certain people would riot if we said Fiona was leaving. We're hopeful that if she gets a breeding recommendation, that a male would be brought here for her so she wouldn't have to leave Cincinnati."Fiona the hippo was thrust into the spotlight due to her remarkable survival story.Born six weeks premature at the Cincinnati Zoo on Jan. 24, 2017, Fiona weighed only 29 pounds at birth 25 pounds less than the lowest recorded birth weight for her species. She survived because of her animal care team's tireless efforts to save her and has inspired many to care about her species and wildlife.Now weighing a healthy weight for a hippo her age, Fiona is remarkable for being unremarkable, just a 4-year-old hippo who almost didn't make it.It's her survival story and massive personality that made Fiona a worldwide phenomenon.She changed the world. When she was born, I had never seen anything like it," Cincinnati Zoo director Thane Maynard said. The way it hit was really like lightning in a bottle. The saved-from-the-brink premature story was part of it, and phenomenon of Facebook and other social media sites as people followed her on the web.She took over the world, no doubt about it, Maynard said. The number of people shes reached through all of that are so vast, its almost like youre making it up. I mean, in the billions of people!

They grow up so fast.

World-famous Fiona the hippo the Cincinnati Zoos sassy heartthrob is just weeks away from her fifth birthday.

Born Jan. 24, 2017, at the Cincinnati Zoo, the Nile hippopotamus has reached a certain level of maturity. When she turns 5, it could be time for Fiona to be a little more curious about boys.

According to Wendy Rice, the head keeper at Cincinnati Zoo's Africa Department, Fiona needs to be at least 5 before she thinks about finding a boyfriend. And even 5 could be pushing it.

Above video: An inside look at the Cincinnati Zoo, a WLWT special

But what ultimately will decide Fiona's potential future romance?

"The genetics are basically what's going to matter most," Rice said. "If and when Fiona were to get a breeding recommendation someday, it would be based entirely on who was genetically the best match for her that may or may not be Timothy."

Fiona's genes are valuable in the world of Nile hippopotamuses. And eventually, Rice said the goal is to have Fiona breed if she can. But we're still talking a bit down the road. What happens then?

RELATED: Fiona celebrating 5th birthday in January and you can be a part of the party

"We obviously don't want her going anywhere," Rice said. "We love her. She's our baby and this hometown loves her. We're fairly certain people would riot if we said Fiona was leaving. We're hopeful that if she gets a breeding recommendation, that a male would be brought here for her so she wouldn't have to leave Cincinnati."

Fiona the hippo was thrust into the spotlight due to her remarkable survival story.

Born six weeks premature at the Cincinnati Zoo on Jan. 24, 2017, Fiona weighed only 29 pounds at birth 25 pounds less than the lowest recorded birth weight for her species. She survived because of her animal care team's tireless efforts to save her and has inspired many to care about her species and wildlife.

Now weighing a healthy weight for a hippo her age, Fiona is remarkable for being unremarkable, just a 4-year-old hippo who almost didn't make it.

It's her survival story and massive personality that made Fiona a worldwide phenomenon.

She changed the world. When she was born, I had never seen anything like it," Cincinnati Zoo director Thane Maynard said. The way it hit was really like lightning in a bottle. The saved-from-the-brink premature story was part of it, and phenomenon of Facebook and other social media sites as people followed her on the web.

She took over the world, no doubt about it, Maynard said. The number of people shes reached through all of that are so vast, its almost like youre making it up. I mean, in the billions of people!

Originally posted here:
Fiona is turning 5. It's almost time to think about boys - WLWT Cincinnati

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The Calgary Zoo is planning for the arrival of a baby gorilla sometime in April or May 2022.

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The zoos 20-year-old western lowland gorilla Dossi is expecting her first baby. The father is the troops silverback leader, Jasiri.

We are cautiously optimistic as this is Dossis first baby, said Jamie Dorgan, director of animal care, health and welfare. Gorilla pregnancies are more likely to be unsuccessful the first time. There are lots of challenges ahead of us but the animal care, health and welfare team will be supporting Dossi every moment along the way.

Kim Walker, animal care manager for the Rainforest and South America sections at the Calgary Zoo, said the team working with Dossi will start a night watch in March, where technicians will be monitoring the troop 24/7.

(The night watch is necessary) because she could go into labour a little bit earlier, Walker said.

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Ongoing training is actively happening to ensure the process of Dossis pregnancy runs smoothly.

We are training her to pass the baby to us in case we have to supplement the bottle feed, Walker said. We also have another behaviour where shell put the newborn in a box and we can safely retrieve the baby in case veterinarians need to examine it any closer.

According to Walker, while the team is hoping for a successful birth, there is always the chance something can go wrong.

We are doing everything we can to support her and the troop for a successful birth and pregnancy, she said.

Issues arise within pregnancies due to the process being new for expecting mothers, Walker said. She added there was an unsuccessful birth earlier this year with 12-year-old Yewande.

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There was nothing wrong with the infant, it was just a very long labour for her, she said.

Zoo officials do not plan to intervene in the birth unless the health of the mother or baby is at risk.

The birth will mark a hopefully important milestone, as Walker said the wild gorilla population has declined by 80 per cent a grim statistic considering it comes from only the last 30 years.

There are dwindling numbers out there and we are doing everything we can to help, Walker said. If we have to, we may have to look at possible re-introductions into the wild if they do go extinct.

Through what Walker calls a dating service of sorts, also known as the Species Survival Program, members look at genetics and try to find the best match for a potential mother to ensure success in reproduction.

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Walker said after the loss of Kakinga in May 2016 , it took nearly three years to bring in Jasiri, due to the many factors that go into finding the right suitor.

They really have to look at what male would be best for the troop for the females to be safe, she said. We also have to find out if well have a good diversity of genetics if this male comes in to breed.

Kakinga, who died at age 37 after developing a large tear in his aorta, was successful in siring nine offspring while at the zoo.

He did leave a really good lineage, Walker said.

If Dossi successfully gives birth, it will be the first baby gorilla at the zoo since 2016, when baby Kimani was born.

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Calgary Zoo gorilla 'Dossi' expecting her first baby in the spring - Calgary Herald

Nature is full of big questions that are easy to ask and hard to answer. With some good old-fashioned hard work and help from a humble, gilled vertebrate, though, Michigan State Universitys Sarah Fitzpatrick and Isabela Lima Borges have made headway on one of those mysteries.

MSU Assistant Professor Sarah Fitzpatrick

The Spartans helmed an extensive study of Trinidadian guppies to gather elusive data on relatively short swims. This information can help explain the larger mystery of why some individuals leave the safety of home to pursue life elsewhere.

Traveling can be dangerous and it takes energy. Given all the risks, why do things move around at all? said Fitzpatrick, an assistant professor of integrative biology in the College of Natural Science based at W. K. Kellogg Biological Station, or KBS. Its such a fundamental part of ecology that we know so little about.

Answers to this question relied largely on theories, but thanks to a new study published in the journal Ecology Letters on Nov. 25, the team provided concrete data to back these up.

MSU graduate student researcher Isabela Lima Borges

The data are also valuable from a conservation standpoint, said Borges, the first author of the new study and a graduate student researcher in the Department of Integrative Biology, also at KBS. By revealing more about an animals natural behavior, researchers can better spot when human activity starts to change it.

The team showed that although most guppies stayed put throughout their lives, males that ventured off were more likely to have offspring than their homebody counterparts. Females tended to move less and also saw no advantage to moving more. Still, there was a clear reward for males that swam the coop.

We get the chicken and the egg, said Borges. We see that males move more and that males benefit more from moving.

This wasnt a total surprise. Theory suggests that because staying in ones home is often safer for example, theres a lower risk of being eaten there must be an advantage to traveling. Otherwise, why leave? But the data to confirm the benefits were scant.

What we did was go further and track advantages for guppies that left home, said Fitzpatrick, who is also a core faculty member of MSUs Ecology, Evolution and Biology program and the coordinator of the KBS Molecular Ecology and Genomics Lab. Its cool to see a result that makes sense.

Female guppies, like the fish on the left, saw no reproductive advantage from leaving home. On the other hand, males, like the fish on the right, who moved more had more offspring. Credit: Emily Kane

Though the reproductive exploits of the unassuming guppy may not seem like big news, they can inform how other species answer the should-I-stay-or-should-I-go question.

Although this is a study of one species, there are many broader theories that can be informed by it, said Borges. For example, we expect to see this behavior in other species that dont have male parental care.

These broader implications are made possible by the Trinidadian guppys special place in science. The fish live in streams throughout Trinidad and each stream presents the guppies that call it home with slightly different conditions. Thus, the different streams are almost like different iterations of the same natural experiment, Borges said.

Because of this, scientists have studied the fish for decades and have established the guppy as a model organism. With a wealth of history and knowledge at their disposal, scientists can use what they learn about guppies to inform their understanding of larger motifs in the natural world.

Its similar to how scientists have long relied on fruit flies to test ideas about genetics and evolution in the lab, Fitzpatrick said, with a few notable differences. Guppies have backbones and scientists can study them in the wild with relative ease.

I tell people that guppies are the fruit fly of the vertebrate world, said Fitzpatrick, With them, we can study evolution in action in natural environments.

The team used butterfly nets to extract Trinidadian guppies from their home streams. Credit: Courtesy of the Fitzpatrick Lab

That said, the study was still intensive. This was super hard and this is an easy species to study, Borges said, which helps explain, in part, why such robust data hadnt been available before.

Working with collaborators at Colorado State University and the University of Texas at Austin, the researchers tattooed about 1,300 guppies. The researchers essentially color-coded individual fish with small injectable tags to track the guppies movements.

The team then fished the guppies out of their streams once a month for a year, noting their position, taking photographs and recording other measurements before returning the fish to the water.

The data showed that most fish stayed in the same pools they were born in, but others ventured dozens of meters away (moving more than 10 meters or about 33 feet was considered far for a guppy). The record holder swam around 250 meters a bit over 800 feet.

The male Trinidadian guppy is a colorful fish, even without tattoos. Credit: Emily Kane

Beyond documenting the reproductive benefit of moving, the team also noted other trends in their data. For example, larger males were more likely to move farther than smaller males. And fish that lived longer tended to move more.

Yet, for all the answers this study offers, Fitzpatrick hopes the work helps inspire simple questions, even for folks who dont study ecology or evolution.

I would want people to look outside and wonder when they see an animal, how far from home has that individual moved and why? she said.

Continued here:
Mating, tattoos and leaving home: A tale of growing up guppy - MSUToday