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Metal Detectorist Unearths Pristine Gold Pendant Linked to Henry VIII—With Initials of Katherine of Aragon

By
Andy Corbley
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The pomegranate bush represents Katherine of Aragon while the Tudor rose represents Henry VIII. Credit: The Trustees of the British Museum
The pomegranate bush represents Katherine of Aragon while the Tudor rose represents Henry VIII. Credit: The Trustees of the British Museum

“People say it’s like winning the lottery; it’s not. People actually win the lottery. When was the last time a crown jewel was unearthed?”

Those were the words of Birmingham cafe owner Charlie Clark who after just 6-months of metal detecting as a hobby, found the treasure of a lifetime.

Elbows-deep in a field in Warwickshire after a day of turning up junk, Clark found a 300-gram necklace of 24-carat gold that is believed to have either belonged to or commissioned as a present for, King Henry VIII and his first wife Katherine of Aragon.

Despite seeming too good to be true, the curator of Renaissance Europe at the British Museum, Rachel King, confirms that the find is genuine, but what it was doing buried in a field in Warwickshire, and what its connection was to the King and his wife, are questions that as of now have no answer.

“In the British Museum, we’ve got the largest collection of objects from the early Tudor periods in precious metal; none of them are anything like this,” said King, explaining that the archives and collections were scoured for any scrap of evidence that might place the pendant and chain in the King’s possession.

MORE FROM ARCHAEOLOGY: ‘Astonishing’ 1,300-Year-old Gold and Gemstone Necklace is the Richest Ever Uncovered in Britain

The pendant bears the initials H and K on one side. Further evidence of its royal designation comes from the design on the front—a Tudor rose formed by precious stones, and a pomegranite bush, the latter the symbol of Katherine’s house. Lastly, a “Franglais pun” on the underside reads TOV IOURS, a blend between the translations of Toujours and All Yours, IOURS being the Old English spelling.

One hypothesis of its origin was that it was made by a wealthy courtier to be a present for them, but that it was perhaps never delivered or stolen. Another theory was that it could have been made for one of the tournaments which Henry VIII was so fond of putting on.

MORE LIKE THIS: English Teenager Discovers Hoard of 3,300 Year-Old Axes and Becomes Metal Detecting Celebrity

The pendant was deemed treasure under the UK’s Treasure Act which allows the government to buy archaeological and historical finds for fair market value based on metal and antiquity trades. 96% of all treasure finds between 2,020 and 2,022 were found by metel detectives.

The sum has not been released, but Mr. Clark said it will be split with the landowner of the field in which he found the pendant, and spent to give his son a first-class education.

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“You can be a con or a man. You can’t be both.” – FBI Agent Peter Burke

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “You can be a con or a man. You can’t be both.” – FBI Agent Peter Burke (from the TV Series, White Collar, about a conman)

Image: Joshua Earle

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Stroke Recovery Improved for 70% of Patients Taking Celery Seed Drug

By
Andy Corbley
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National Cancer Institute
National Cancer Institute

A large trial investigating the effectiveness of a celery-seed-derived neuroprotectant drug for use in ischemic stroke cases has shown significant promise.

Patients given the medicine called butylphthalide had a 70% better chance of improved neurological and general living outcomes 90 days post-stroke, a finding generated from a little over 1,000 cases.

Butylphthalide is already approved for use in treating strokes in China. Currently though, the FDA has not approved it for any use.

How butylphthalide works isn’t clear, with animal studies suggesting various possible mechanisms. It may help protect brain tissue from damage when the supply of oxygenated blood is cut off and it works alongside existing clot-busting drugs or procedures to remove blood clots in ischemic stroke conditions.

The trial consisted of 1,216 patients who were admitted for stroke in China where the drug is approved for use, and given it alongside a tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and/or a mechanical clot removal procedure—two primary means of dealing with ischemic, or clot strokes.

Every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke, with 87% of these being ischemic ones. The burden of these events is large, and they are a leading cause of disability in the elderly.

“This is the first trial to show the benefit of using a medication that protects the brain from damage caused by a lack of oxygen to brain tissue. The medication was given to patients with acute ischemic stroke who were also receiving treatment to restore blood flow to the brain,” said Baixue Jia, M.D., co-author of the study.

The patients were then analyzed for stroke symptoms 90 days after the event, and those who had received the celery-seed-derived butylphthalide fared better 70% of the time compared to placebo.

“The next step should be investigating the exact mechanisms of butylphthalide in humans,” Jia said. Other authors noted that the relation between the medication and eating celery seed or celery should not be considered as existent, since it is merely derived from the vegetable.

There are other options for clearing blood clots, so the study is limited to the fact that the patients only received two of the available methods.

The results will soon be presented to the International Stroke Conference this week in Dallas, Texas.

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California Man Builds Solar-Powered Trike with Stuff in His Garage—And it’s Catching On

By
Andy Corbley
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Mr Butler's child on the trike - retrieved from KCRA, YouTube.
Mr. Butler’s child on the trike – retrieved from KCRA, YouTube.

No gas is no problem for one Stockton CA inventor who created a solar-powered tricycle that’s really catching on.

Milton Butler’s invention uses two batteries and a small electric motor gathered up in a normal plastic storage bin to power three bicycle wheels and is allowing his family to save money on $5.00 per-gallon gasoline.

He says he built the contraption based on something he saw in his dreams, and out of things he had lying around in his garage.

“I’m an inventor and that’s all I know how to do. I invented something that people can use everywhere,” said Milton Butler of his idea. “It came to me in my sleep and I saw how the sun is always out, so I went and got my boys and we built something that we can use from the sun.”

Butler told KCRA that a friend of his asked about the trike on behalf of a man from the other side of the world in The Philippines, who complained about $11.00 gas and 14 hours of sunlight per day.

SIMILAR: Students Build Solar-Powered Pop-Up Van For Touring in a Brilliant Mobile Home That Has Zero Emissions

In December Butler was hoping to drive the “Duckie” as it’s called, downtown to city hall and hopefully show off his newly-patented device.

The name comes from his late wife who did “everything perfect,” in Milton’s eyes. Currently, Mr. Butler is in the funding and development phase looking for investors who are committed to creating a better world.

WATCH Milton’s kids drive about in their tricycle… 

WATCH This Inspiring Invention From A Brilliant Mind… 

New England Patriots Owner Wants to Sign Newly Retired Tom Brady to a Contract

By
Andy Corbley
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Brady's 2007 Jersey NFL Hall of Fame - CC 2.0. Erik Drost
Brady’s 2007 Jersey NFL Hall of Fame – CC 2.0. Erik Drost

23 years ago, Thomas Patrick Edward Brady Jr. was signed as a 6th-round draft pick. As of his current official retirement announcement on the 1st of February, 2023, he holds nearly every NFL quarterback record.

However, it might, even now, not be the end of the road for the 45-year-old. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has said he would offer the greatest quarterback of all time a 1-day contract so that he could retire as a Patriot.

“Not only do I want it, our fans are clamoring for it and to us, he always has been and always will be a Patriot,” Kraft continued at a press conference.

“We’ll do everything we can in our power to bring him back, sign off as a Patriot and find ways to honor him for many years to come. He did so much to bring life and good cheer to our community and he’s a beloved figure and he’s earned the respect and love that people feel for him like no other athlete in our town and we’ve had some great ones.”

After two decades of unprecedented dominance as the star of the Patriots, Brady did one of the hardest things to do in sport—transfer to another team and continue winning exactly as before. When Brady won Super Bowl LV with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it was only the 7th time in history that the Wildcard team won it, and also the first time Tampa Bay had.

RELATED: Why Senegal Winning Africa’s Biggest Sports Trophy is the Ultimate Feel-Good Story

He became the second player in history to win the Super Bowl with two different teams, but the first to win Super Bowl MVP with two different teams.

Brady retires with more NFL championship wins than any other player and holds countless records for passing, wins, touchdowns, and individual accolades.

Perhaps a good method of summarizing his performance was recently written in a CBS report, which was that if one divides Brady’s career into three decades, each one would mark a Hall of Fame-worthy career.

MORE FROM SPORTS:  From Messi to Morocco: 5 Good News Stories From a Memorable World Cup

“Words cannot adequately express the gratitude my family, the New England Patriots and our fans have for everything he has done,” Kraft continued in a statement.

“It’s been a blessing for me to watch him grow, first as a young professional on the field, but most importantly, as a person off it. He is one of the most loving, caring and passionate players I have ever known and I will always consider him a part of our family.”

SHARE Around This Fitting End To The GOAT’s Career… 

Kayaker Singing in Hopes of Attracting Beluga Whales Never Imagined They Were Actually Listening

By
Andy Corbley
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CC Steve Snodgrass
CC Steve Snodgrass

A kayaker got more than he bargained for when he set off hoping to encounter some beluga whales.

His innovative approach of conducting marine biology by singing at the top of his lungs actually managed to draw in a pod of these smaller whales who began to interact with his kayak.

After a period of elation and disbelief, he threw on a scuba mask and began to dive and swim near the animals, singing as he went.

In the most incredible inter-species duet one is likely to hear, the belugas actually began to sing back to him with their chirps and trills.

We’ll leave it to the scientists to make determinations of what exactly these intelligent marine mammals were doing, but beluga whales do communicate via high-frequency sounds that could resemble singing in the auditory environment of the ocean.

YouTube commenters noted nice it was for the belugas to join in, but that rightly detailed that unfortunately, the little whales shouldn’t take the strange singing man home—humans belong in the wild.

WATCH the encounter below… 

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“Wisdom is sweeter than honey, brings more joy than wine, illumines more than the sun, is more precious than jewels.” – Queen of Sheba

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Wisdom is sweeter than honey, brings more joy than wine, illumines more than the sun, is more precious than jewels.” – the Queen of Sheba, from Kebra Nagast, a (translated) 14th-century epic text from Ethiopia

Image: Josh Hild

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Visiting Green Spaces 3-4 Times Weekly May Lower Your Need for Meds, According to New Study

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Good News Network
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Hanging out in a local park, lake, or garden really could be an antidote to ill health for people who live in cities, according to a recent study from Finland.

Researchers found lower use of drugs for depression, anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure, and asthma among urban residents who often visit green spaces—regardless of their income or level of education.

The Finnish team said that the frequency of visits to urban green spaces, rather than simply viewing them from your house, was key.

Previous studies have suggested that exposure to natural environments is good for health and well-being, but the evidence is inconsistent.

The Finnish team looked at the number of green and blue spaces (bodies of water) within a community, then compared those to both the frequency of visits, and the views of such spaces from home, to see if they were separately associated with the use of certain prescription medications.

They chose prescription meds as a proxy for ill health and those for anxiety and insomnia, depression, high blood pressure, and asthma, in particular, because they are used to treat common and potentially serious health issues.

They drew on the responses of 16,000 randomly selected residents of Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa—the three cities making up the largest urban area in Finland.

RELATED: Living Near Water as a Child is Linked to Better Mental Health and Well-being in Adulthood: Study

The survey gathered information on how city dwellers over the age of 25 experience residential green and blue spaces within a one-kilometer radius of home.

Participants were also asked to report their use of prescribed meds—drugs collectively known as mental health drugs used for insomnia and depression, as well as high blood pressure and asthma drugs—for periods ranging from within the past week, within the past year, or never.

They were also asked how often they spent time, or exercised outdoors, in green spaces, during May and September, with options ranging from never to five or more times a week.

Participants reported whether they could see green or blue spaces from any of their windows at home, and if so, how often they took in those views, with options ranging from seldom to often.

LOOK: See Paris’s Long Overdue Upgrade to Iconic Champs-Élysées Boulevard With An ‘Extraordinary Garden’  

Potentially influential factors—including outdoor air pollution and noise, and household income and educational attainment—were also considered.

The findings, published last month in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, showed that neither the number of green/blue spaces nearby, nor views of them through your window, were associated with the use of the studied meds.

But the frequency of visiting the green spaces was.

Compared with less than one weekly visit, visiting three or four times weekly was associated with 33 percent lower odds of using mental health meds, 36 percent lower odds of using blood pressure meds, and 26 percent lower odds of using asthma meds.

Central Park in New York by Ajay Suresh, CC license

POPULAR: Increasing Tree Cover on City Streets May Be Like Community ‘Superfood’ –Improving Health by 33%

The equivalent figures for visiting at least five times a week were 22 percent, 41 percent and 24 percent lower, respectively.

One study conducted recently in Spain also showed that living near a leafy green area did cut the risk of a stroke by 16 percent.

“The effects of visiting green spaces were stronger among those reporting the lowest annual household income,” said senior researcher Dr. Anu Turunen. “But overall, the associations found did not depend on household income and educational attainment.”

“These observed associations were weakened when weight was factored in, particularly for asthma meds, as obesity is a known risk factor for asthma,” added Turunen, of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.

Finnish cities are relatively green, making it easy for those willing to use green spaces to access them with minimal effort.

INSPIRING: Inspiring College Principal Converts 8 Acres of Treeless Land into Mini Forest and Orchard on India Campus

“Mounting scientific evidence supporting the health benefits of nature exposure is likely to increase the supply of quality green spaces in urban environments and promote their active use.

“This might be one way to improve health and welfare in cities.”

SHARE the EASY Health Tip With Friends on Social Media…

Researchers Can Now Make Clean Hydrogen Fuel By Pulling it Directly From Seawater—No Filtering Required

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Good News Network
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By Daniel Sallai, CC license
By Daniel Sallai, CC license

Researchers in Australia, an island nation, have successfully split seawater to produce green hydrogen without pre-treatment.

An international chemical engineering team, led by the University of Adelaide’s Professor Shizhang Qiao and Associate Professor Yao Zheng, were motivated by the fact that the only thing emitted by hydrogen fuel is water.

“We have split natural seawater into oxygen and hydrogen with nearly 100 percent efficiency, to produce green hydrogen by electrolysis, using a non-precious and cheap catalyst in a commercial electrolyzer,” said Professor Qiao.

“We used seawater as a feedstock without the need for any pre-treatment processes like reverse osmosis desolation, purification, or alkalization,” said Associate Professor Zheng.

The team reports that the performance of their seawater with catalysts of cobalt oxide and chromium oxide is close to the performance of expensive platinum/iridium catalysts running in a feedstock of highly purified deionized water.

“Increased demand for hydrogen to partially or totally replace energy generated by fossil fuels will significantly increase scarcity of increasingly-limited freshwater resources,” explained Zheng.

Seawater is an almost infinite resource and is considered a natural feedstock electrolyte, which would be very practical for regions with long coastlines and abundant sunlight.

RELATED: New Solar-Powered Invention Creates Hydrogen Fuel from the Air

Seawater electrolysis is still in early development compared with pure water electrolysis because of electrode side reactions, and corrosion arising from the complexities of using seawater.

“It is always necessary to treat impure water to a level of water purity for conventional electrolyzers including desalination and deionization, which increases the operation and maintenance cost of the processes,” said Associate Professor Zheng, co-author of the study published in the journal Nature Energy.

“Our work provides a solution to directly utilize seawater without pre-treatment systems and alkali addition, which shows similar performance as that of existing metal-based mature pure water electrolyzer.”

CHECK OUT: Researchers Make ‘Giant Leap’ to Produce Affordable Renewable Hydrogen

The team will work on scaling up the system by using a larger electrolyzer so that it can be used in commercial processes such as hydrogen generation for fuel cells and ammonia synthesis.

MAKE a SPLASH on Social Media By Sharing the Vision of a Clean Economy…

The Hilarious Moment a Dog Refuses to Look at Mom While Being Scolded for Destroying a Pillow-WATCH

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Good News Network
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This is the funny moment a guilty dog cowered into the corner of the bed and refused to look at his owner after destroying an expensive pillow.

Footage uploaded to social media shows owner Marcella Maioli gently scolding her one-year-old dog after she discovered the bits of the pillow strewn about the room.

Frisbee, a border collie and koolie cross, is seen hilariously hiding behind the bed as his mom tells him off.

But she can’t help but giggle over his reaction.

The 27-year-old from Sunshine Coast, in Queensland, Australia, said the pillow cost more than a hundred dollars.

“He has damaged a lot more before, too.”

Enjoy the video…

 

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Best Childhood Memories Include School Trips, So Hyundai is Funding Excursions for 25,000 Students–Apply Today

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Good News Network
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Courtesy of Great British School Trip website -Hyundai Motor UK

Almost half of adults in the UK admit their fondest childhood memories include school trips. Nearly one-third even reported that their school trip had such an impact that it shaped their future career path.

But rising costs are making it harder to make school trips happen, which is why Hyundai launched its “Great British School Trip” program last week—to provide 25,000 school children, aged seven to 14, with free excursions.

With the aim of reaching 25,000 young people this academic year, The Great British School trip features free tickets to Disney’s Frozen the Musical and access to historical sites with 95 English Heritage venues.

“When you’re a child, it’s great to get out and bring your learning to life,” said Ashley Andrew, managing director at Hyundai Motor UK. “Getting out of the classroom not only creates memories but fundamentally brings a sense of excitement to a particular school subject.

“Also, school trips are often the first opportunity for a child to gain a sense of independence – so it’s no surprise that many people remember the small things like reserving the back of the bus, and spending time with friends in a new environment.”

Bookings are now open for the initiative, so schools should apply soon, but Hyundai wants to offer grants to as many schools as possible, spending £1 million on the program. They even offer curriculum resources to enhance learning.

Schools will need to bring a minimum of 30 students on the trip and grants will be prioritized in terms of need before being allocated on a first come first served basis.

RELATED: Boy Struggling at School is Now a Math Genius After His Mom Taught Him to Use An ABACUS–May Help Today’s Kids

“We may not be able to offer funding to cover the total costs of your trip, but tell us how much funding you need and we will try to cover as much as possible.”

Simply fill out the application form and wait for a reply to let you know whether your claim was successful. Afterward, schools will need to provide proof of the trip, like a venue booking receipt or a quote from a coach provider.

Trips will cover important subjects such as art, history, and STEM, and all are accompanied by a set of carefully curated curriculum-linked resources, so you know every trip is educationally robust. Choose from four inspirational themes; Imagination and Curiosity, Journeys and Adventures, Breakthroughs and Discoveries, and People and the Planet.

In the survey of UK adults carried out by OnePoll, 66 percent consider school trips to be an essential part of a child’s development.

Two in five also believed the responsibility lies with the school itself to arrange outings for students, but 39 percent feared their youngsters wouldn’t be offered the opportunity to go on any trips during this school year.

Thanks to Hyundai, many will now get the chance.

FAVORITE DESTINATIONS ADULTS REMEMBER FROM SCHOOL TRIPS:

Natural History Museum
Imperial War Museum
Royal Shakespeare Theatre
Houses of Parliament and Big Ben
Cadbury World
SS Great Britain ship tour
Mountains and glaciers of Snowdonia National Park
Cardiff Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Palace of Holyrood in Scotland
Tate Modern museum
Dover Castle
Warwick Castle
Stonehenge
Cheddar Gorge
Hadrian’s Wall
The National Videogame Museum
Birmingham Botanical Gardens
The Gates of 10 Downing Street

SHARE The Great OPPORTUNITY With UK Teachers on Social Media…

“Patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone.” – Edith Cavell

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone.” – Edith Cavell

Image: Stephen Leonardi

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Revolutionary Structure for Cancer-Killing Vaccines Could Make Treatments 3x More Effective

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Good News Network
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CDC

Cancer-killing vaccines could be made drastically more potent, according to scientists at Northwestern University, who say their new technology would arm vaccines with a “powerful weapon with which to kill cancer”.

By changing its architecture, their vaccine was able to double the number of T-cells (a type of white blood cell) available to attack tumors.

They believe their development could make any vaccine far more powerful and more effective at beating cancer.

The team at the University’s International Institute for Nanotechnology focused on seven different types of cancer with the same vaccine structure used for all, but switched-out with a different cancer protein that “clips” on—“not unlike adding a new charm to a bracelet”.

Vaccines are made up of the antigen and an adjuvant, a substance used to boost the strength. Currently, conventional vaccines blend the two together.

Unhappy with that “mish mosh” approach, the team proceeded with the premise that the structure of vaccine components were as important as the components themselves.

RELATED: Vaccine that Could Cure and Even Prevent Brain Cancer Developed by Scientists

Their used chemistry and nanotechnology to change the locations of the antigen and adjuvant and make the medicine more targeted—and easier for the immune system to find tumor cells.

Editing the vaccine’s architecture allowed scientists to double the number of T cells attacking the cancer, and activate 30 percent more of the same cells.

“It is remarkable, when altering the placement of antigens in two vaccines that are nearly identical from a compositional standpoint, the treatment benefit against tumors is dramatically changed,” said Institute Director Dr. Chad Mirkin.

“If your immune cells are soldiers, a traditional vaccine leaves some unarmed; our vaccine arms them all with a powerful weapon with which to kill cancer.

“Where and how we position the antigens and adjuvant within a single architecture markedly changes how the immune system recognizes and processes it.

“Small changes in antigen placement on a vaccine significantly elevate cell-to-cell communication, cross-talk, and cell synergy.

POPULAR: Delicious Cancer Breakthrough: Pomegranates Found to Significantly Fuel Tumor-Fighting Immune Cells

The same “rational vaccinology” could be applied in treatments for other diseases, as well.

The team invented SNAs, spherical nucleic acids, which allow scientists to pinpoint exactly how many antigens and adjuvants are being delivered to cells. Positioning SNAs in different locations changed the immune system’s ability to remember the invader, and affected whether or not it remembered it long term.

Placing SNAs in the correct area increased the immune response. Accurate placement could speed up the vaccine-triggering immune cell protein, cytokine, which in turn produces more white blood cells.

Shifting vaccine locations and strengths helps the medicine continue to target cancer cells even when they mutate.

CHECK OUT: Delicious Cancer Breakthrough: Pomegranates Found to Significantly Fuel Tumor-Fighting Immune Cells

“You need more than one type of T cell activated, so you can more easily attack a tumor cell,” said Professor Michelle Teplensky of Boston University, a co-author of the study published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.

“The more types of cells the immune system has to go after tumors, the better. Vaccines consisting of multiple antigens targeting multiple immune cell types are necessary to induce enhanced and long-lasting tumor remission.

“It is about redefining how we develop vaccines across the board, including ones for infectious diseases.”

Half a Million Jobs Created in January Pushes U.S. Unemployment Rate to Lowest in 54 Years – 3.4%

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Good News Network
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By K. Mitch Hodge
By K. Mitch Hodge

Figures released this week showed the U.S. unemployment rate reaching its lowest point in 54 years—the fewest jobless Americans as a percentage of population since 1969.

Sustained job growth over the past year pushed down the unemployment rate to 3.4%, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Not only that, the median earnings for all workers were 7.4% higher at the end of 2022 compared to a year earlier, outpacing inflation.

Black workers, young workers, and people on the bottom of the income scale saw the largest pay increases in the last 12 months.

And unemployment is near record lows for Blacks and Hispanics, at 5.4 percent.

“Add that all up, it means we created 12 million jobs since I took office,” said President Biden. “That’s the strongest two years of job growth in history, by a longshot.”

The bureau reported the growth was widespread across industries, with notable gains in restaurants and bars, retail stores, healthcare facilities, professional and business offices, and construction.

RELATED: New Bank in The Spirit of Walden Will Lend and Invest Only in Local New England Agriculture

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Bioengineers Devise a Way of Growing Skin in the Shape of Hands That Can be Pulled on ‘Like a Glove’

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Good News Network
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CREDIT: Alberto Pappalardo and Hasan Erbil Abaci Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons /SWNS
CREDIT: Alberto Pappalardo and Hasan Erbil Abaci, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons /SWNS

If you’ve ever tried gift-wrapping an odd-shaped present like a teddy bear, you can appreciate the challenge that surgeons face when grafting artificial skin onto an injured body part.

Now, bioengineers have devised a way of growing skin in the shape of hands to make it easier for surgeons in the future to graft the personalized skin onto burn victims.

Currently, engineered skin comes in flat pieces which, like wrapping paper, can be difficult and time-consuming to stitch together around an irregularly shaped body part, such as a hand or foot.

Columbia University researchers say engineering skin cells into complex, three-dimensional shapes in experiments using mice is a groundbreaking first step.

“Three-dimensional skin constructs that can be transplanted as ‘biological clothing’ would have many advantages,” said lead developer Hasan Erbil Abaci, PhD, assistant professor of dermatology at the university’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. “They would dramatically minimize the need for suturing, reduce the length of surgeries, and improve aesthetic outcomes.”

The study, published last week in Science Advances, also revealed that the continuous 3D grafts have better mechanical and functional properties than conventional, pieced-together grafts.

“We hypothesized that a 3D fully-enclosed shape would more closely mimic our natural skin and be stronger mechanically, and that’s what we found,” Abaci says. “(It) significantly improves the composition, structure, and strength of the graft.”

RELATED: Revolutionary Machine That Grows New Skin for Burn Patients Unveiled

CREDIT: Alberto Pappalardo and Hasan Erbil Abaci, Columbia University Vagelos College / SWNS

“Another compelling use would be face transplants, where our wearable skin would be integrated with underlying tissues like cartilage, muscle, and bone, offering patients a personalized alternative,” Abaci says.

The process of creating the new skin grafts begins with a 3D laser scan of the target structure, such as a human hand. Next, a hollow, permeable model of the hand is crafted using computer-aided design and 3D printing.

The exterior of the model is then seeded with skin fibroblasts, which generate the skin’s connective tissue, and collagen (a structural protein). Finally, the outside of the mold is coated with a mixture of keratinocytes (cells that comprise most of the outer skin layer, or epidermis) and the inside is perfused with growth media, which support and nourish the developing graft.

Except for the 3D scaffold, the researchers employed the same procedures used to make flat engineered skin and the entire process took the same time, about three weeks.

CHECK OUT: Goal of Plentiful Organ Transplants Moves Closer to Reality as Scientists Grow Tiny Working Livers from Skin Cells

In a first test of the 3D engineered skin, constructs composed of human skin cells were successfully grafted onto the hind limbs of mice.

“It was like putting a pair of shorts on the mice,” Abaci says, “The entire surgery took about 10 minutes.”

Four weeks later, the grafts had completely integrated with the surrounding mouse skin, and the mice reacquired full functions of the limb.

Mouse skin heals differently than human skin, so clinical trials on humans are likely years away.

POPULAR: ‘Game-Changing’ Skin Printer Works Like a Paint Roller, Speeding Up Healing on Even Bigger Wounds

The researchers say their 3D grafts are the first major re-design of engineered skin grafts since they were first introduced in the early 1980s.

“Engineered skin started with only two cell types, but human skin has around 50 types of cells. Most research had focused on mimicking the cellular components of human skin,” Abaci said. “As a bioengineer, it’s always bothered me that the skin’s geometry was overlooked and grafts have been made with open boundaries, or edges. We know from bioengineering other organs that geometry is an important factor that affects function.”

Abaci and his team realized they could make more lifelike grafts when 3D printers became available and could create three-dimensional scaffolds necessary for making the engineered skin.

In the future, Abaci envisions grafts could be custom-made from a patient’s own cells. With only a 4X4 mm skin sample, enough cells can be cultured and multiplied to create enough skin to cover a human hand.

SHARE the Advancement With Medical Professionals on Social Media…

Your Inspired Weekly Horoscope From Rob Brezsny: A ‘Free Will Astrology’

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Good News Network
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Our partner Rob Brezsny provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free preview of the book is available here.)

Here is your weekly horoscope…

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of February 4, 2023
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
“I want to raise up the magic world all round me and live strongly and quietly there,” wrote Aquarian author Virginia Woolf in her diary. What do you think she meant by “raise up the magic world all round me”? More importantly, how would you raise up the magic world around you? Meditate fiercely and generously on that tantalizing project. The coming weeks will be an ideal time to attend to such a wondrous possibility. You now have extra power to conjure up healing, protection, inspiration, and mojo for yourself.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Before going to sleep, I asked my subconscious mind to bring a dream that would be helpful for you. Here’s what it gave me: In my dream, I was reading a comic book titled Zoe Stardust Quells Her Demon. On the first page, Zoe was facing a purple monster whose body was beastly but whose face looked a bit like hers. On page two, the monster chased Zoe down the street, but Zoe escaped. In the third scene, the monster was alone, licking its fur. In the fourth scene, Zoe sneaked up behind the monster and shot it with a blow dart that delivered a sedative, knocking it unconscious. In the final panel, Zoe had arranged for the monster to be transported to a lush uninhabited island where it could enjoy its life without bothering her. Now here’s my dream interpretation, Pisces: Don’t directly confront your inner foe or nagging demon. Approach stealthily and render it inert. Then banish it from your sphere, preferably forever.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Theoretically, you could offer to help a person who doesn’t like you. You could pay a compliment to a bigot or sing beautiful love songs to annoyed passersby or recite passages from great literature to an eight-year-old immersed in his video game. But there are better ways to express your talents and dispense your gifts—especially now, when it’s crucial for your long-term mental health that you offer your blessings to recipients who will use them best and appreciate them most.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
In esoteric astrology, Taurus rules the third eye. Poetically speaking, this is a subtle organ of perception, a sixth sense that sees through mere appearances and discerns the secret or hidden nature of things. Some people are surprised to learn about this theory. Doesn’t traditional astrology say that you Bulls are sober and well-grounded? Here’s the bigger view: The penetrating vision of an evolved Taurus is potent because it peels away superficial truths and uncovers deeper truths. Would you like to tap into more of this potential superpower? The coming weeks will be a good time to do so.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
The ingredient you would need to fulfill the next stage of a fun dream is behind door #1. Behind door #2 is a vision of a creative twist you could do but haven’t managed yet. Behind door #3 is a clue that might help you achieve more disciplined freedom than you’ve known before. Do you think I’m exaggerating? I’m not. Here’s the catch: You may be able to open only one door before the magic spell wears off—*unless* you enlist the services of a consultant, ally, or guardian angel to help you bargain with fate to provide even more of the luck that may be available.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
I trust you are mostly ready for the educational adventures and experiments that are possible. The uncertainties that accompany them, whether real or imagined, will bring out the best in you. For optimal results, you should apply your nighttime thinking to daytime activities, and vice versa. Wiggle free of responsibilities unless they teach you noble truths. And finally, summon the intuitive powers that will sustain you and guide you through the brilliant shadow initiations. (PS: Take the wildest rides you dare as long as they are safe.)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Fate has decreed, “Leos must be wanderers for a while.” You are under no obligation to obey this mandate, of course. Theoretically, you could resist it. But if you do indeed rebel, be sure your willpower is very strong. You will get away with outsmarting or revising fate only if your discipline is fierce and your determination is intense. OK? So let’s imagine that you will indeed bend fate’s decree to suit your needs. What would that look like? Here’s one possibility: The “wandering” you undertake can be done in the name of focused exploration rather than aimless meandering.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
I wish I could help you understand and manage a situation that has confused you. I’d love to bolster your strength to deal with substitutes that have been dissipating your commitment to the Real Things. In a perfect world, I could emancipate you from yearnings that are out of sync with your highest good. And maybe I’d be able to teach you to dissolve a habit that has weakened your willpower. And why can’t I be of full service to you in these ways? Because, according to my assessment, you have not completely acknowledged your need for this help. So neither I nor anyone else can provide it. But now that you’ve read this horoscope, I’m hoping you will make yourself more receptive to the necessary support and favors and relief.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
I can’t definitively predict you will receive an influx of cash in the next three weeks. It’s possible, though. And I’m not able to guarantee you’ll be the beneficiary of free lunches and unexpected gifts. But who knows? They could very well appear. Torrents of praise and appreciation may flow, too, though trickles are more likely. And there is a small chance of solicitous gestures coming your way from gorgeous angels and cute maestros. What I can promise you for sure, however, are fresh eruptions of savvy in your brain and sagacity in your heart. Here’s your keynote, as expressed by the Queen of Sheba 700 years ago: “Wisdom is sweeter than honey, brings more joy than wine, illumines more than the sun, is more precious than jewels.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Your assignment, Scorpio, is to cultivate a closer relationship with the cells that comprise your body. They are alive! Speak to them as you would to a beloved child or animal. In your meditations and fantasies, bless them with tender wishes. Let them know how grateful you are for the grand collaboration you have going, and affectionately urge them to do what’s best for all concerned. For you Scorpios, February is Love and Care for Your Inner Creatures Month.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Revamped and refurbished things are coming back for another look. Retreads and redemption-seekers are headed in your direction. I think you should consider giving them an audience. They are likely to be more fun or interesting or useful during their second time around. Dear Sagittarius, I suspect that the imminent future may also invite you to consider the possibility of accepting stand-ins and substitutes and imitators. They may turn out to be better than the so-called real things they replace. In conclusion, be receptive to Plan Bs, second choices, and alternate routes. They could lead you to the exact opportunities you didn’t know you needed.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Author Neil Gaiman declared, “I’ve never known anyone who was what he or she seemed.” While that may be generally accurate, it will be far less true about you Capricorns in the coming weeks. By my astrological reckoning, you will be very close to what you seem to be. The harmony between your deep inner self and your outer persona will be at record-breaking levels. No one will have to wonder if they must be wary of hidden agendas lurking below your surface. Everyone can be confident that what they see in you is what they will get from you. This is an amazing accomplishment! Congrats!

WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com

(Zodiac images by Numerologysign.com, CC license)

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“Hiding the truth from ourselves can be a way to come to what we need in our own necessary time.” – David Whyte 

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Hiding the truth from ourselves can be a way to come to what we need in our own necessary time.” – David Whyte 

Image: Lars Tiede

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

 

New Bank in The Spirit of Walden Will Lend and Invest Only in Local New England Agriculture

By
Andy Corbley
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Released courtesy of Walden Mutual
Released courtesy of Walden Mutual

In New England, entrepreneurs have taken an unorthodox path to support local and sustainable agriculture—they started a bank.

Encapsulating the spirit of Thoreau, Walden Mutual Bank, newly approved by the FDIC, is reviving the mutual savings bank in order to direct a community’s savings towards supporting local food operations that are trying to grow US agriculture in the right direction.

The key difference between Walden and other banks is that normal banks take their clients’ deposits and invest them in projects—some of which might not be aligned with the customer’s morals or principles, such as industrial agriculture, lab-grown meat, or fossil fuel extraction.

Walden depositors can rest easy knowing that their money is used only to provide loans for local agriculture operations—like Monadnock Berries, a pick-you-own fruit orchard in Troy, New Hampshire, started by immigrants from the UK in 1995.

Other than that, Walden Mutual offers regular banking services such as credit, debit, and savings accounts called the “Grow Local” accounts. The interest rate is competitive and every account receives a summer dividend based on deposit amounts to spend at any number of partner farms, orchards, pastures, or dairies.

“We’ve been very pleasantly affirmed by peoples’ response to our message and mission,” Walden Mutual CEO Charley Cummings, told Forbes in an interview.

“It’s very clear that there is a large population of people (both young and old, urban and rural) who care deeply about things like sustainability and local food – to the point of considering it part of their own identities.”

MORE LOCAL FOOD: The Nation’s Largest Farmers Market: FarmMatch Allows You to Shop Online at Local Farms in Your Area

The mutual savings bank, sometimes called a mutual savings and loan, accounted for 80% of deposits in New England in 1914. The concept grew in America out of the desire mainly by entrepreneurs and philanthropists to teach the value of saving to the middle and lower classes—of making one’s money work for them.

Economies grow rich through savings, not spending, and the more a nation’s wealth is sequestered and invested into the next generation, the richer the nation as a whole becomes.

MORE FROM FINANCE: Bank With A Conscience: The Aspiration Debit Card Helped Customers Finance 1Mil Trees Planted, and Get Cash Back

Yet after the Federal Reserve Act created America’s central bank, the model of the mutual savings bank begin to decline.

Indeed Walden Mutual is the first new mutual savings bank registered in New England in 100 years.

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Man Sprints Along 4-Lane Snowy Highway to Stop Woman’s Runaway Car

By
Andy Corbley
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When a Massachusetts woman lost consciousness at the wheel of her car on the highway, she can thank her lucky stars she did it in view of Adolfo Molina.

The tall and powerful Dominican sprinted across a 4-lane highway in the snow to try and stop her car as it brushed against the guardrails while continuing to accelerate on the shoulder of the road.

A nearby driver recorded the rescue attempt and put it up on TikTok where the images of Molina trying to slow the car by grabbing the door handles went viral.

“I was surprised [at first] but at the end of the day I wasn’t, because he’s a helpful person,” his wife Maytee Pena remarked to CBS Boston. “Something in his mind just said ‘go help’ so he got out of the car and did what he needed to do, it was like a sign of God. God sent him to do that mission.”

At one point another person came to give Molina a hand, and together they tried to use sticks to stop the still-moving car which was beginning to move back towards the highway. They tried to push it into the guardrails to at least slow it down.

State police later revealed the driver was a 57-year-old woman from New Hampshire who had indeed lost consciousness for unknown reasons.

MORE RESCUE STORIES: 80-Year-old Man Walks Through Blizzard to Rescue 3 Cars of People

The video doesn’t include the eventual end of the pursuit when her car hit a divider and stopped. She was transferred to a nearby hospital, and Molina, who was honored for his heroism at the Dominican consulate in Boston, hopes to be able to meet her someday.

WATCH the video below… 

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Turning Problematic Sea Algae into a Replacement for Plastic in Common Products

By
Andy Corbley
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Prof. Fredrik Gröndahl
Prof. Fredrik Gröndahl

After a Finnish scuba diver saw how harmful out-of-control algae blooms could be to the marine environment below their green clouds, she founded a refining company that harvests the algae and turns it into all kinds of products.

Certain components of algae have similarities to petroleum-based chemicals, and this similarity allows for the replication of existing production techniques for cosmetics, artificial textiles, detergents, packaging materials, fertilizer as well as a variety of different foodstuffs.

Mari Granström enjoyed scuba diving in her native Baltic Sea, until nitrogen and phosphorous nutrients from fertilizers used in the farming industries, washed from the fields into the rivers, and then from the rivers to the sea, began to regularly create “eutrophication” or vast blooms of cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae.

Similar eutrophication events were going on in the Caribbean, Granström learned, which choke the oxygen and light from the waters underneath the floating algae, and damage marine ecosystems in the same way giant volcanic ash clouds have damaged terrestrial ecosystems in the past by blotting out the sun.

Granström, a bio-chemist by trade, started Origin by Ocean (ObO) as a means to combat this problem and offer the world more sustainable products.

MORE CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY: IKEA Buys 11,000 Acres of U.S. Forest to Keep It From Being Developed

“We wanted to do something to help at both ends of the process, upstream and downstream, as it were—cleaning the seas, but also monetizing a change in consumer behavior,” said Granström, who adds that anyone can make a difference in solving this problem simply by changing their consumption choices.

Their special technology vacuums up the algae and separates it from the water.

Harvesting seaweed – Courtesy of Origin by Ocean

ObO plans to be a fully-operational business in 2026, with established supply lines from the Baltic and the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean, and refining headquarters in Finland. The company has attracted both commercial investment and European Union funding.

Finnish chemicals and industrial group Kiilto is working closely with ObO to try and scale up their production methods.

MORE FROM SCANDINAVIA: Breakthrough Zero-Carbon Fertilizer Set to Take Root Across the World as ‘Biochar’

“If this can be successfully scaled up here, then ObO can replicate similar processes around the globe,” Ville Solja, Kiilto’s chief business development officer, told the BBC.

Another partnership has been established in nearby Sweden with Nordic Seafarm, who are working to produce packaged foods, and could use bulk algae from ObO to offer as replacement ingredients to various food companies like Ikea.

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