All posts by She Seeks Serene

My Journey of Reimagining Life, Love and Education
News, Podcasts, Science

Top New Science Podcasts: Higher Covid-19 Severity In Men, Bacteria Tracking

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science-magazine-podcastsFirst up this week, Staff Writer Meredith Wadman talks with host Sarah Crespi about how male sex hormones may play a role in higher levels of severe coronavirus infections in men. New support for this idea comes from a study showing high levels of male pattern baldness in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Next, Jason Qian, a Ph.D. student in the systems biology department at Harvard Medical School, joins Sarah to talk about an object-tracking system that uses bacterial spores engineered with unique DNA barcodes. The inactivated spores can be sprayed on anything from lettuce, to wood, to sand and later be scraped off and read out using a CRISPR-based detection system. Spraying these DNA-based identifiers on such things as vegetables could help trace foodborne illnesses back to their source. Read a related commentary piece.

Art, Arts & Literature, History, Videos

Art History Videos: Italian Early Renaissance Painter Sandro Botticelli (15th C.)

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An extract from the Christie’s Education online course, The Great Masters of European Art 1350–1850. Florence in the 1400s, a city of wealthy guilds and merchants, in particular the Medici family, who commissioned astonishing works of art to show off their success and cultivation.

Here we are introduced to one of the great artists the Medicis favoured: Sandro Botticelli, and his most famous works: ‘Primavera’ and ‘The Birth of Venus’.

Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi (c. 1445 – May 17, 1510), known as Sandro Botticelli, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. He belonged to the Florentine School under the patronage of Lorenzo de’ Medici, a movement that Giorgio Vasari would characterize less than a hundred years later in his Vita of Botticelli as a “golden age”. Botticelli’s posthumous reputation suffered until the late 19th century; since then, his work has been seen to represent the linear grace of Early Renaissance painting.

Diet, Exercise, Health, Medicine, Obesity, Studies

Study: “Intensive Diet And Exercise” Reverses Type 2 Diabetes In 61% Of Patients

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From The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology (June 2020):

Our findings show that the intensive lifestyle intervention led to significant weight loss at 12 months, and was associated with diabetes remission in over 60% of participants and normoglycaemia in over 30% of participants. The provision of this lifestyle intervention could allow a large proportion of young individuals with early diabetes to achieve improvements in key cardiometabolic outcomes, with potential long-term benefits for health and wellbeing.

The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology

Type 2 diabetes is affecting people at an increasingly younger age, particularly in the Middle East and in north Africa. We aimed to assess whether an intensive lifestyle intervention would lead to significant weight loss and improved glycaemia in young individuals with early diabetes.
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Between July 16, 2017, and Sept 30, 2018, we enrolled and randomly assigned 158 participants (n=79 in each group) to the study. 147 participants (70 in the intervention group and 77 in the control group) were included in the final intention-to-treat analysis population. Between baseline and 12 months, the mean bodyweight of participants in the intervention group reduced by 11·98 kg (95% CI 9·72 to 14·23) compared with 3·98 kg (2·78 to 5·18) in the control group (adjusted mean difference −6·08 kg [95% CI −8·37 to −3·79], p<0·0001). In the intervention group, 21% of participants achieved more than 15% weight loss between baseline and 12 months compared with 1% of participants in the control group (p<0·0001). Diabetes remission occurred in 61% of participants in the intervention group compared with 12% of those in the control group (odds ratio [OR] 12·03 [95% CI 5·17 to 28·03], p<0·0001). 33% of participants in the intervention group had normoglycaemia compared with 4% of participants in the control group (OR 12·07 [3·43 to 42·45], p<0·0001).
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Books, Interviews, Podcasts

Podcast Interviews: 56-Year Old British Writer Julia Hobsbawm – “The Simplicity Principle”

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JMonocle 24 Meet The Writersulia Hobsbawm is a writer, speaker, social entrepreneur and strategist whose work focuses on finding solutions for humans in an ever-changing world. She speaks to Georgina Godwin about her latest book, ‘The Simplicity Principle: Six Steps Towards Clarity in a Complex World’.

Health, Interviews, Medicine, Podcasts

Podcasts Interviews: The Diagnosis And Early Treatment Of Covid-19

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In this audio interview conducted on June 3, 2020, the editors discuss two new studies: one comparing test swabs collected by health care workers with swabs collected by the patients themselves and one assessing hydroxychloroquine treatment in people who had been exposed to Covid-19 but weren’t yet ill.

The continuing spread of SARS-CoV-2 remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. What physicians need to know about transmission, diagnosis, and treatment of Covid-19 is the subject of ongoing updates from infectious disease experts at the Journal.

Eric Rubin is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal. Lindsey Baden is a Deputy Editor of the Journal. Stephen Morrissey, the interviewer, is the Executive Managing Editor of the Journal.

Homes, Leisure, Travel, Videos

Future Of Mobile Living: Amazing “Expanding” Tiny House (Zero Squared)

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The 26 foot long tiny house on wheels has large rooms with a Murphy bed on the main floor, a 3-seater couch, rotating TV and fireplace, a combo washer dryer, loads of storage space, and a massive kitchen with a full-size fridge and more!

About the Aurora:

This model features two of our propriety integrated modular expanding spaces that adds over 120 sqft to a traditional tiny house towing platform of equal length. Available in lengths of 26′, 28′ and 30′ in a 8′ 6″ towing width that expands to 15′ 6″ onsite:

The “Nordic” features Scandinavian design features:

  • ​341 sqft main floor 
  • 33 sqft double bed loft
  • Ground level queen bedroom Rotating RV and Fireplace
  • Solid cedar window trim
  • Gloss finish millwork
  • Integrated 50 sqft deck
  • Full Size Kitchen, living and dining rooms

Website

Design, Technology, Transportation

Future Transportation: “BMW Motorrad Electric Motorcycle” (Iago Valiño)

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From a Yanko Design article (June 3, 2020):

This electric motorcycle is designed for long-distance journeys keeping in mind any tough conditions that can come up on the way. The aesthetic has been inspired by the iconic Ural motorcycles with the designer adding his own modern twist on the post-WWII BMW customs…it swaps the traditional passenger cart for a sidecar which will be equipped with tools and essential gear. The extra storage space also includes straps to hold down the cargo or tools you are carrying and with a flat base, there is room for extra batteries too.

BMW Motorrad x ESMC Off-Road Adventure e-motorcycle - Iago Valiño Designs

We love seeing designers get creative with electric bikes! Each one is unique with its features and our current favorite is this conceptual electric BMW Motorrad blended with El Solitario MC elements that is nothing like we’ve seen before in the e-bike world. It is bringing retro sidecars back with a cool new makeover!

Iago Valiño Design Website

Read more

 

Media, Science, Technology, Videos

Artificial Intelligence: “The Future From An Alternate Perspective”

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The story follows our main character Luis as he tries to clearly explain the complexities and nuances of ‘language’, and the challenges of teaching AI to thoroughly understand it.

A massive project, an incredibly talented team, and a little bit of luck to get to the finish line. So thankful to my fellow artists and friends who helped pull this off.

Client: Microsoft
Agency: Trifilm
Creative Director: Mia Vyzis
Producer: Corey Lovett
Animation Director: Reece Parker
Art Director: Reece Parker
Illustration: Tom Goyon, Millie Woodcock, Reece Parker
Character Animation Lead: Khylin Woodrow
Cel: Khylin Woodrow, TJ Peters, Mathijs Luijten, Adam Henderson, Reece Parker, Salvador Padilla, Nata Metlukh
2D Animation: Matt Jameson, TJ Peters, Mathijs Luijten, Manuel Neto, Reece Parker
3D modeling/Animation: Billy Chitkin, Nocky Dinh
Editing/composite: Bruce Stead, Matt Jameson, Mathijs Luitjen, Manuel Neto, Tj Peters
Sound design: Ambrose Yu

 

Health, Medicine, News, Science, Videos

Coronavirus Vaccines: The Promise And Peril In Fast-Tracking (WSJ Video)

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As the coronavirus continues to spread around the globe, companies and academic labs are racing to develop a vaccine that would help society get back to normal. But there could also be costs to moving too quickly.

WSJ’s Daniela Hernandez explains. Photo illustration: Laura Kammermann