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First Study to Show Dogs Cry ‘Happy Tears’ When Reunited With Their Owners

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Dogs cry “happy tears” when their owners come home, according to a study inspired by a scientist whose own pup welled up with joy whenever they reunited.

It’s well known that dogs have tear ducts designed to flush dirt from their eyes, but the process had never been linked with emotion—until now.

Professor Takefumi Kikusui decided to investigate after his poodle had puppies and he noticed the dog’s face changed when it nursed the babies. It had tears in its eyes.

That gave him the idea that oxytocin might be causing the watery flood—and dogs, like humans, may produce tears when they are flooded with emotion.

Oxytocin is known as the maternal or “love hormone” and he knew from earlier observations that oxytocin is released in both dogs and their owners during interactions. So, he decided to run an experiment to see if it brought dogs to tears.

Prof. Kikusui, of Azabu University in Japan, used a standard test to measure dogs’ baseline tear volume before reuniting with their owners. They found the volume indeed went up by 10% when the animals got back together with their favorite human. It did not increase when it was a person they didn’t know well.

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When they added oxytocin to the dogs’ eyes, their tear volume also went up. That finding supports the idea that the release of oxytocin plays a role in tear production when dogs and their people get back together.

“We had never heard of the discovery that animals shed tears in joyful situations, such as reuniting with their owners, and we were all excited that this would be a world first!” said Kikusui, whose study was published this week in the journal Current Biology.

RELATED: Why Do Dogs Tilt Their Heads? Scientists Look at What’s Going On in Their Minds

The Japanese team hasn’t yet tested whether dogs produce tears in response to negative emotions. They also are wondering if dogs make tears when they reunite with other dogs.

For now, they say it seems to have clear implications for the dog-human bond. They have posited that perhaps there was an evolutionary driving force behind the process, because teary-eyed dogs may forge a stronger connection between people and their dogs—a relationship that goes back tens of thousands of years.

RELATED: Vast Majority of Dog Owners Believe They Can Read Their Pooch’s Mind

“It is possible that the dogs that show teary eyes during interaction with the owner would be cared for by the owner more,” says Kikusui.

Forest Group is Saving Scottish Habitat ‘One Sausage at a Time’

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Andy Corbley
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Deep in the heart of the Scottish highlands, deer hunters are fueling conservation from the sale of hunted venison.

Cairngorms National Park is 1,748 square miles of pristine and unique habitat, through which tens of thousands of red deer roam without natural predators.

Every year thousands of are culled by deer stalkers to protect over-feeding on the vegetation in the delicate natural ecosystem. Now, one of the organizations responsible for managing the park is taking those culled animals and turning them into commercial venison to help fund their work.

Saving the Cairngorms “one sausage at a time,” has become a bit of a rallying cry for Cairngorms Connect, who are responsible for protecting and restoring around 239 square miles of the park’s finest features.

“As a 200-year project, Cairngorms Connect needs local people to be at the heat of the habitat restoration vision,” Jack Ward, deer stalker with Cairngorms Connect, said.

“At a time when people are becoming more conscious of their consumer habits, venison provides an exciting opportunity to involve new audiences in our habitat restoration vision.”

SIMILAR: After Being Extinct in the Wild, Mexican Wolf Roams the U.S. Desert Once Again Thanks to a Former Wolf Hunter

As part of its work, Cairngorms Connect is looking to grow new patches of native Caledonian woodland to replace the 99% of this unique habitat that has been historically lost.

The regenerating Rothiemurchus Forest in Cairngorms – Cairngorms Connect.

Rampant grazing by the red deer threatens the project, and with no natural predators, the population, as so many are across America, have to be controlled.

The partnership is now selling official Cairngorms Connect Venison, using meat produced during its deer management.

Cairngorms Connect partners, the organization writes, have seen the positive impact of deer management—there are more young trees visible on the forest edge, and the slow march of native woodland is now visible on the slopes of the Cairngorms.

Necessary deer management also produces venison which they believe should represent an accessible and environmentally-sustainable source of high quality and sustainable protein.

Press and Journal reports that the venison sausages are a big hit among birdwatchers from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, (RSPB) which, like Cairngorms Connect, manages a part of the park.

SEE ALSO: Fungi Species New to Science Discovered in Scottish Highlands

“The venison has been really popular with visitors to the RSPB Loch Garten Nature Centre,” said Fergus Cumberland, visitor operations manager for RSPB Scotland, “And what better way to restore a habitat than one sausage at a time?”

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Archaeologists Found a Perfectly Preserved 1,500 Year-old Arrow Inside a Glacier

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Andy Corbley
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SWNS
– SWNS

Archeologists found a perfectly preserved 1,500 year old arrow inside a Norwegian glacier.

It was a team of seven people from a glacier archeology program who discovered the arrow, dated to between 300 and 600 CE, in the Jotunheimen Mountains on August 17.

It was found during a survey of the reindeer hunting site, and was “really well preserved,” even when compared to other arrows from the ice.

“The arrows melting out of the ice are a very important new source material to archeology,” said Lars Pilø, who co-directs the glacier archeology program at the Department of Cultural Heritage.

“Due to their preservation, we can learn we at lot more about the past, such as how advances their bow-and-arrow technology really was. The age of the arrow can be assessed by the shape of the arrowhead and the arrow shaft, which both point to AD 300-600.”

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Glaciers and other perennial ice sheets are gold mines for artifacts, as the items are preserved and often appear like they were made recently.

The Glacier Archeology program at the Department operates under Innlandet County Council, who established back in 2006 that rising temperatures are leading to increased melting of mountain ice in Innlandet.

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2006 was the year of the first ‘big melt’ in 2006, an unusually warm summer in the area.

“The degree of preservation is linked to time of exposure, the micro-environment where it was found, and the pressure of snow and ice has impacted where the arrow lay.”

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“Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.” – Albert Schweitzer

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Quote of the Day: “Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.” – Albert Schweitzer

Photo by: Karolina Kołodziejczak

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?

6 High School Football Players Combine Their Strength to Rescue Injured Woman Trapped in a Wrecked Car

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Andy Corbley
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(From left to right) Rome High School students Cesar Parker, Treyvon Adams, Antwion Carey, Messiah Daniels, Tyson Brown and Alto Moore made the rescue.
(From left to right) Rome High School students Cesar Parker, Treyvon Adams, Antwion Carey, Messiah Daniels, Tyson Brown and Alto Moore – by Luis Goya

A Georgian woman is thanking her stars that it was nothing less than a group of buff high schooler football players who just happened to be passing by her when she needed help.

Together they leant their strength to pry open the jammed door of the woman’s wrecked car, which allowed the rescuers to access the badly injured driver.

The Rome City Football Team was out in force that morning, with teammates Treyvon Adams, 16, Antwion Carey, 16, Cesar Parker, 16, Messiah Daniels, Tyson Brown, 17, and Alto Moore, 16, all heading to school together in Adam’s car, or with their mom in the case of Caesar.

As soon as they saw the wrecked car they leapt into action.

“We just ran as fast we (could) to the lady and check on her to see if she was alright,” Adams told CNN. “We were seeing she was in pain, she was screaming and asking us to help her.”

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

The car was totaled, and badly bent out of shape. Without thinking, the teens managed to pry the passenger door open, but realized only afterwards that it was the other door that had to be removed for her to be reached.

“We used all our muscles,” Adams said. “We’re pretty big people, we’re strong. We play football, so we lift weights a lot, but (the door) was just extremely bent and broke.” It all happened in about a minute.

But when it was over, the teens had freed the woman from the vehicle and carried on their way back to class after checking on the driver of the other car in the collision.

Adams admitted that the team had been getting a lot of love and recognition for their act, which teachers said they deserved, and the school has helped drive.

In a post on Twitter, the school’s football team wrote, “PROUD of our MEN!” in reference to the story.

At the end of the day, like all great rescuers, the teens admitted that while the recognition was nice, it was something anyone would do.

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Breakthrough Might Finally Destroy the Harmful ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Our Water

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PFAS, a group of manufactured chemicals commonly used since the 1940s, are called ‘forever chemicals’ for a reason. Bacteria can’t eat them; fire can’t incinerate them; and water can’t dilute them. And, if these toxic chemicals are buried, they leach into surrounding soil.

Now, Northwestern University chemists have done the seemingly impossible. Using low temperatures and inexpensive, common substances, the research team developed a process that causes two major classes of PFAS compounds to fall apart—leaving behind only benign end products.

The simple technique potentially could be a powerful solution for finally disposing of these harmful chemicals, which are linked to dangerous health effects and may be common in your water supply.

“PFAS has become a major societal problem,” said Northwestern’s William Dichtel, who led the study. “We wanted to use chemistry to address this problem and create a solution that the world can use. It’s exciting because of how simple — yet unrecognized — our solution is.”

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) have been in use for 70 years as nonstick and waterproofing agents. They are commonly found in nonstick cookware, waterproof cosmetics, firefighting foams, water-repellent fabrics, and products that resist grease and oil.

Over the years, however, PFAS have seeped into the drinking water supplies. Although the health effects are not yet fully understood, PFAS exposure is associated with many adverse health effects—and the US Environmental Protection Agency recently declared several PFAS as unsafe even at trace levels.

Unbreakable bonds

Although community efforts to filter PFAS from water have been successful, there are few solutions for how to dispose of PFAS once it is removed. The few options that have emerged generally involved its destruction at high temperatures and pressures or other methods that require large energy inputs.

RELATED: Texas Scientists Have Created a Protein That Breaks Down Plastic Bottles

The secret to PFAS’s indestructibility lies in its chemical bonds. PFAS contains many carbon-fluorine bonds, which are the strongest bonds in organic chemistry. As the most electronegative element in the periodic table, fluorine wants electrons — and badly. Carbon, on the other hand, is more willing to give up its electrons.

Pinpointing the Achilles’ heel

But, while studying the compounds, Dichtel’s team found a weakness. PFAS contains a long tail of unyielding carbon-fluorine bonds. But at one end of the molecule, there is a charged group that often contains charged oxygen atoms, according to Brittany Trang, who worked in Dichtel’s laboratory conducting the project for her doctoral thesis, and is the paper’s co-first author.

They targeted this group by heating the PFAS in dimethyl sulfoxide and sodium hydroxide, a common household chemical used to make products like soap or painkillers.

The process decapitated the head group, breaking the bond and leaving behind the rest, showing that the researchers had indeed found an “Achilles’ heel.”

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In previous attempts to destroy PFAS, other researchers have used high temperatures — up to 400 degrees Celsius. Dichtel is excited that the new technique relies on milder conditions and a simple, inexpensive ingredient, making the solution potentially more practical for widespread use.

After discovering the PFAS degradation conditions, Dichtel and Trang also discovered that the fluorinated pollutants fall apart in a more complex process than generally assumed—not one carbon at a time, but actually two or three carbons at a time. By understanding these pathways, researchers can confirm that only benign products remain.

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“This proved to be a very complex set of calculations that challenged the most modern quantum mechanical methods and fastest computers available to us,” said collaborator Ken Houk, a research professor in organic chemistry at UCLA.

The US has identified more than 12,000 different PFAS compounds. Although this might seem daunting, Dichtel remains hopeful (and his team is supported by the National Science Foundation).

“Our work addressed one of the largest classes of PFAS, including many we are most concerned about,” said Dichtel. “There are other classes that don’t have the same Achilles’ heel, but each one will have its own weakness. If we can identify it, then we know how to activate it to destroy it.”

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Alzheimer’s Memory Loss Reversed in Mice After Scientists Discover Method to Form New Brain Cells

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Brain memory neurons activated during memory formation - UIC image

Alzheimer’s has been reversed in mice after scientists at the University of Illinois-Chicago boosted the formation of new brain cells, a breakthrough that could lead to new treatments.

Their gene therapy fueled new neurons in the hippocampus—a region in the brain vital for learning and remembering where you put your car keys.

Experiments have shown this growth process is impaired—particularly in the hippocampus—in patients and mice with mutations linked to Alzheimer’s.

The team found that the increasing production of neurons transformed the lab rodent’s defects, as the new neurons were incorporated into memory circuits, restoring normal function.

Brain cells send electric signals. We keep producing them throughout our lives, with help from our neural stem cells. But numbers tail off as we age—and fall dramatically in Alzheimer’s.

“This is the first time that there is evidence that neurogenesis plays an active role in Alzheimer’s disease pathology,” said lead author Professor Orly Lazarov. “Our discovery really opens up a huge opportunity for new therapies to develop in the field that are based on the enhancement of neurogenesis.”

In the study, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, stem cell survival was enhanced by deleting a gene called Bax, which is related to cell death, in the neurons of the mice.

This led to the maturation of more neurons. Follow-up testing showed that the altered mice performed better in spatial recognition and contextual memory tasks, which included finding their way around a maze.

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Brain memory neurons activated during memory formation – UIC image

Scans of healthy mice showed the circuits involved in storing memories include many newly-formed neurons alongside older ones.

Fluorescent labels were added to the neurons, which lit them up as they were activated during memory acquisition and retrieval. Typical Alzheimer’s mice show a lack of new neurons.

Further analyses revealed there was also a rise in the number of tiny protrusions called dendritic spines. They connect neurons and are critical for memory formation.

Integration of newly formed brain cells was restored when neurogenesis was increased. When the researchers specifically inactivated the new neurons, mice with dementia lost any improvement in memory, which confirmed the results.

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Their study is the first to show impairments in hippocampal neurogenesis play a role in the memory deficits associated with Alzheimer’s by decreasing the availability of immature neurons for memory formation. Before the neurogenesis-based therapy can be tested in humans, the team’s findings in mice must be confirmed by other trials.

Lazarov said this work could lead to a whole new spectrum of medications that could restore memory in patients—and it offers hope to the Alzheimer’s community because current drugs target just the symptoms, not the cause.

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Vulture Soars Around a Paraglider Then Lands on His Lap – WATCH

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Credit: Ricardo Guimarães Cunha, licensed by SWNS
Credit: Ricardo Guimarães Cunha, licensed by SWNS

This is the thrilling moment a vulture flies alongside a paraglider and then lands on his lap, as he soared 100-ft in the air.

Ricardo Guimarães Cunha was paragliding in the mountainous region of Pacatuba, Ceará, Brazil, when he captured the experience on his GoPro camera.

The 30-year-old had planned to take some videos of the beautiful scenes when the bird began flying alongside him.

Ricardo never expected the vulture to land on him, let alone multiple times during his flight.

Now, they call it parahawking…

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“Any man’s finest hour is when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle—victorious.” – Vince Lombardi

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Quote of the Day: “Any man’s finest hour is when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle—victorious.” – Vince Lombardi

Photo by: Quino Al

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?

Scientists Finally Provide Relief For Depression By Locating Exact Target for Deep Brain Stimulation 

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Fotolia licensed image
Fotolia licensed image

Although it was a small study on 10 patients, researchers at the University of Texas Health–Houston were able to achieve something long out of reach, locating the G-spot where brain stimulators can make a real difference for depression patients.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) resulted in metabolic brain changes over the 12 months following implanting of the device, making it a strong potential therapy for treatment-resistant depression, according to the new study.

“This is something that people have been trying to do for a long time, but we have not always been very successful with using DBS for psychiatric illnesses,” said first author Christopher Conner, MD, PhD, a former neurosurgery resident at UT-Houston and current fellow with the University of Toronto.

“But this PET study shows that we’re altering how the brain is functioning long term and we are starting to change the way brain starts to organize itself and starts to process information and data.”

For years, DBS has been used to treat patients suffering from movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, tremor, and dystonia—but also has been studied as a possible treatment for patients with treatment-resistant depression.

In DBS, electrodes are implanted into certain brain areas, where they generate electrical impulses to affect brain activity.

However, finding what part of the brain needs to be targeted to treat depression long term has been challenging.

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The new method targets the superolateral branch of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB), which is linked to reward and motivation.

“We targeted a bundle of fibers that leave this small area in the brainstem to travel to other areas throughout the brain,” Conner said. “The PET scans indicated that this small target area has very diffuse downstream effects. It’s not one single effect because there’s not one single area of the brain linked to depression. The whole brain needs to be changed and through this one small target, that’s what we were able to do.”

Researchers performed an initial PET scan before the DBS procedure on the 10 patients in the study for a baseline image. They performed additional PET scans at six and 12 months to assess changes after treatment. Scans of 8 of the 10 patients showed a response.

“A responder to the treatment means that your depression potentially decreases at least 50%; you’re feeling much better,” said co-author João de Quevedo, MD, PhD, professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGovern Medical School. “So, for patients with severe chronic treatment-resistant depression, decreasing our symptoms by half is a lot.”

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“It’s the difference between being disabled to being able to do something. Correlating with the PET image changes, our patients reported that their depression lessened after the treatment.”

De Quevedo, who is director of the Treatment-Resistant Depression Program, published the paper this week—with co-authors Dr. Jair Soares, MD and Albert J. Fenoy, MD—in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

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Virtual Trip to Museum ‘Can Help People Stay Mentally–And Physically–Healthy’

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By Chris Montgomery
By Chris Montgomery

Online virtual trips to a museum may benefit older people in surprising ways, suggests a new study.

Researchers identified an association between regular online museum visits and a reduction of frailty and cognitive decline.

The culturally enriching activity made seniors feel less isolated, which earlier studies have shown is linked to a range of health complications.

They also ended up with a better quality of life following the trips.

For the study, researchers in Canada teamed up with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and recruited 106 people over the age of 65 who lived in the city.

Half of them took part in weekly virtual museum visits for 45 minutes over a three month period. They also joined a 15 minute question and answer session with a museum guide at the end.

The other half of participants did not take part in any cultural activities at all.

The group that did the visits showed “significant” improvements in their social isolation, wellbeing, quality of life and frailty assessment scores when compared to the control group, the authors said.

RELATED: Want Students to Do Better in Class? Take Them on Culturally Enriching Field Trips

The biggest improvements were found in participants’ frailty scores, which refer to a “vulnerable condition exposing individuals to incident adverse health events and disabilities that negatively impact their quality of life and increase health and social costs”, according to the authors.

The art-based activity looked like an effective intervention, said corresponding author Professor Olivier Beauchet from the University of Montreal, who published the study in the journal Frontiers in Medicine.

“On a global scale, this participatory art-based activity could become a model that could be offered in museums and arts institutions worldwide to promote active and healthy aging.

“Health and social systems need to address the challenge of limiting frailty and its related adverse consequences in the aging population.”

An earlier study from the same museum in 2018, called “Thursdays at the Museum”, found art-based activities can improve older people’s wellbeing, quality of life, and health.

In fact, the success of that pilot study led to a three-year multinational study to further test the effectiveness of such art-based interventions. Now, the Research Centre of the Geriatric University Institute of Montreal, in collaboration with MMFA and the University of Montreal, is developing a new program marrying art and health called the Arts & Longevity Lab to develop, validate, and promote art-based interventions for older adults.

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While schools, community centers and workplaces are suitable locations that reach a great number of people, there are other organizations that could be great partners in improving public health among the aging.

“Museums are aware of the need…and are consequently expanding the types of activities they offer,” said Prof. Beauchet.

WATCH: 81-Year-old Wows Nursing Home With Incredible Impromptu Performance of Righteous Brothers Classic

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Hero Cat Saves Owner Who was Having a Heart Attack by Pounding its Paws on Her Chest

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Sam Felstead with Billy / SWNS
Sam Felstead with Billy / SWNS

A hero cat saved his owner’s life by pounding his paws on her chest to wake her up after she suffered a heart attack.

Sam Felstead was asleep when she was woken by her seven-year-old cat Billy at 4.30am.

She realized she was unable to move her body and had a shooting pain down her right side so called out to her mom Karen for help.

Karen then rushed the 42-year-old to hospital where doctors told her she had suffered a heart attack in her sleep—and she believes Billy’s swift actions saved her life.

“I was a bit shocked, I went to bed and I felt fine. I’d even been out with the dogs—and I didn’t feel ill or have any pains whatsoever.

“Suddenly I woke up and Billy was on my chest and was meowing loudly in my ear hole.

“He was really meowing and he wouldn’t leave me. He doesn’t do that normally. He’s never woken me up before.

RELATED: Tiny Yorkshire Terrier Detects Breast Cancer in Woman, Jumping Up and Down on Her Chest in Alarm

“He’s not a lap cat… and he’s certainly not a cat that wants to be on your knee all the time. He likes to be alone.

Her mother, who is Billy’s favorite human, was quite surprised, too.

“I’m just glad he woke me up. Who knows…it could’ve been worse for me.”

Doctors found one of her arteries was blocked and used a balloon to open it back up again.

Sam spent three days in hospital before being discharged and was reunited with her beloved Billy, a British short-hair.

“I’m grateful for him as my alarm was set for another two hours so who knows if I would have woken up.

“The doctors said it was a good job I got to hospital in time.

“I do think he saved my life and so does everybody else around me.”

WATCH: Sneaky Cat Swings on Handle to Open Door For All His Friends

One cat behavior expert said Billy may have picked up on physiological changes in Sam.

“I do believe he probably did save her life, because that’s what enabled her to get medical help.”

LOOK: Incredible Maine Coon Cat is So Big People Mistake Him For a Dog

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Watch Elephant Give Back a Child’s Shoe That Fell Into Zoo Enclosure – SO SWEET

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A video was captured showing the moment a helpful elephant picks up a toddler’s shoe to return it. 🐘❤️

The 25-year-old pachyderm used its trunk to grab the sandal from the dirt and reach up to the child after the little shoe fell into the zoo enclosure in Weihai, China.

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“Art is the act of triggering deep memories of what it means to be fully human.” – David Whyte

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Quote of the Day: “Art is the act of triggering deep memories of what it means to be fully human.” – David Whyte

Photo by: Zalfa Imani

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People Who Play Music While Studying More Likely to Have Higher GPA, Says New Poll

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By Dollar Gill
By Dollar Gill

If picking a playlist was your first step when studying, you’re more likely to have earned a higher GPA, according to a new poll.

Of those that do listen to music while studying, 80% agree that it is therapeutic and 75% said it helped them absorb information.

The survey of 2,000 Americans looked at the tie between music and study habits and found those who played music were likelier to have a GPA above 3.2 (84% vs. 78%).

Results showed that half of respondents recall regularly listening to music while studying (49%), and 60% said they were able to study better with sound on in the background.

Of course, younger students are more likely to multi-task while jamming. Fifty-eight percent of 18-25-year-olds noted they listened to music while studying, compared to only 41% of 58-76-year-old respondents.

And this trend continues beyond the classroom and into the workplace. Currently, two in three Americans listen to music while working. Most of those respondents feel more productive at work when listening to music (89%), and said that it makes them look forward to working more (84%).

Similarly, 81% of those who listen to music while studying said it helps make their learning experience more enjoyable.

RELATED: Majority of Teachers and Parents Want More of This to Increase Student Engagement in Classrooms

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of CSU Global, the survey found that classical music (31%), R&B (28%) and country (28%) are among the top genres people would recommend for a productive study session. But Rock and Oldies are not far behind, at 26%

Some students only listen to music, but others cited nature sounds (30%) and podcasts (24%) as favorite background sounds while studying.

Those who listened to music while studying were also more likely to use mnemonic devices, such as notecards or other tools to help them memorize information (52% vs. 36%).

This may be why music listeners felt they had an easier time taking tests (64% vs. 45%) and felt more prepared for class regularly (80% vs. 66%).

While the average person spent five and a half hours studying every week, those who enjoyed music were more likely to spend upwards of seven hours a week.

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“Listening to music while studying can be an extremely helpful tool for some students in improving their focus,” said Dr. Christina Agvent, program director of teaching and learning at CSU Global. “I encourage all to explore different genres or other sounds to discover what may be the best fit for them in aiding their educational experience.”

TOP GENRES CHOSEN FOR STUDYING:

Classical – 31%
R&B – 28%
Country – 28%
Rock – 26%
Old favorites – 26%
Gospel – 25%
Jazz – 23%
Hip hop – 22%
Pop/Top 100 – 21%
Instrumental soundtracks – 21%

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Gold Could Hold the Key to Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treatment That’s Cheaper and Non-Invasive

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Image credit: FEI WANG, CC license

Gold could hold the key to treating inflammatory bowel disease, according to new research.

The debilitating condition, which includes both Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, has no cure, and can prove fatal in some cases.

The main treatments for the disease are drugs such as aminosalicylic acid preparations and corticosteroids, which can cause anaemia and intestine problems.

But researchers in China found that tiny gold particles can reduce inflammation in the intestine within just 24 hours.

Earlier studies have shown these tiny gold particles, or nanoclusters, effectively eliminate reactive oxygen species, which are the cause of damage to DNA, RNA, and proteins in a cell.

High levels of reactive oxygen species are often found in the intestines of people with inflammatory bowel disease.

The team found that administering the gold orally to mice suffering from colitis totally eliminated reactive oxygen species, boosted antioxidant levels, and helped stop inflammatory cytokines from emerging.

RELATED: Men Free of Prostate Cancer Had Guts Fortified By Microbes Found in Yogurt

Additionally, there were no obvious side effects.

The team found the gold particles are cheaper, more stable, and easier to use than existing treatments.

Image credit: FEI WANG, CC license

Their easy storage is not affected by pH, temperature, or the solution medium, and their physiological stability and resistance to acid meant they could target the inflamed part of the intestine.

“Au25 (gold) nanoclusters offer a promising strategy in the research field of nanomedicine therapy for inflammatory bowel disease,” said study author Fei Wang from The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University in China.

“We believe this study demonstrates their value as a scientific basis and experimental basis for the clinical treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

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“The fact that these nanoclusters can be administered orally means there is no need for invasive procedures.”

The findings were published in the journal Fundamental Research.

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Mom Installs 20 Defibrillators Around Town After She Loses Teen Son to Cardiac Arrest

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Good News Network
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Naomi Issitt at home in Wolvey. See SWNS story SWTPdefib. The grieving mum of a teen who died when pals couldn't access a defibrillator after he went into cardiac arrest is campaigning to get the kit installed across their hometown. Jamie Rees, 18, died on New Year's Eve last year. He was at a party at a friend's house when he went into cardiac arrest. The nearest available ambulance crew was stationed nearly 15 miles away and failed to reach Jamie quick enough due to overstretched local NHS services.
SWNS

A British mother found a meaningful way to channel her grief. She’s getting 20 defibrillators installed across her hometown after her 18-year-old son went into cardiac arrest, and the nearest kit was locked away in a school.

Jamie Rees was at a friend’s house when he collapsed in the early hours of New Year’s Day. West Midlands Ambulance Service said the holiday was exceptionally busy, with three other emergency calls coming in directly before theirs.

Though his friends performed CPR, he did not get enough oxygen before paramedics arrived and he died in hospital on January 5.

His mom, Naomi Rees-Issitt, has since enlisted friends and family to raise enough money to equip Jamie’s hometown of Rugby with 20 defibrillators.

“There are defibs out there (but they) are locked in buildings,” said the 43-year-old.

“You can’t pre-plan your cardiac arrest. Defibrillators that are locked in buildings are pretty pointless.

“The ambulance pulled up to Jamie’s side in 19.5 minutes,” Naomi explained. “If you reach a person in cardiac arrest in seven minutes the chances of getting his heart beating again is 70%.”

The fundraising done by Naomi and the rest of the family has gone so well, that what started with just one defibrillator has now turned into 20 kits due to the overwhelming local support.

Naomi, a mother-of-two and manager for a charity decided to turn the fundraising operation into an official charity called the OurJay Foundation.

WATCH: Owl Visits 98-Year-old Grandma Every Week–And Family Believes it’s a Sign From Her Late Husband

“We started funding for money to set up a defibrillator outside the school. We started Jamie’s JustGiving campaign on January 26, and by the 27th, we’d raised £3,000. Jamie was a really loved by members of his college.”

They decided to keep going—and the amount donated has gone up and up, to its current peak of nearly $14,000.

Jamie Rees at age 16 with his mom

A bingo night on August 5 raised £6,175, They canvassed local businesses to donate to a raffle, and they were able to give away 65 prizes, like holidays and dinners.

“We’ve had people with long hair being chopped off for it, and we have a skydive with my sister and her husband and the British Army Parachute regiment coming up, too.”

“We’re all pretty exhausted, but we’re hopefully giving something back to Rugby,” she says.

They will be installing the 20 defibrillators by January 5, 2023—the one year anniversary of her son’s passing.

POPULAR: Teen Finds Woman’s Purse and is Rewarded With $17,000 After He Delivers it to Her Door

“We can’t thank people enough. The support has been amazing.”

OurJay gets a special grant from London Hearts for all the defibs they purchase—what normally costs about $1,900 with the vandal-proof casing (£1,650), they get them for $1,450 (£1,237).

“It’s such a minor amount of money to save a life.”

Jamie has managed to give back to the community in other ways after his death. He previously told his family he wanted to be an organ donor—and signed the donor registry three times, to make sure they knew his wishes.

“He’s already saved five lives—five of his organs worked as a match, and one of them was a baby girl.

RELATED: 25-Year-Old Runs into Burning Home and Saves 5 Kids–Gets Rewarded With $500K and ‘New Lease on Life’

“We know Jamie is out there. He’s meant to be saving lives.”

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

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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 August 20, 2022
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
“I’ve swung from ancient vines in the caves of Jamaica,” exults Hoodoo priestess Luisah Teish. “I’ve danced with delight around totem poles and pressed foreheads with Maori warriors. I’ve joked with the pale fox in the crossroads, then wrestled with the jaguar and won. I have embraced great trees between my thighs and spoken words of love to thunder while riding lightning bolts.” I offer Teish’s celebratory brag to inspire you as you formulate plans for the coming weeks and months. What exhilarating adventures will you give yourself? What expansive encounters will you learn from? What travels outside of your comfort zone will you dare? The time is right for upsurges and upturns and upgrades.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
In his poem The Pupil, Virgo-born Donald Justice speaks of how he spent “a whole week practicing for that moment on the threshold.” I advise you to do the same, Virgo. The goal is to be as prepared as you can be for the upcoming rite of transition—without, of course, being neurotically over-prepared. It’s fine and natural to honor the tension of anticipation, using it as motivation to do your best. One other thing: As you get ready, please have as much fun as possible. Visualize the sense of accomplishment you’ll feel when you’ve reached the other side of the test.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
“One is always at home in one’s past,” wrote author Vladimir Nabokov. But I encourage you to rebel against that theory, Libra. For now, find a way to NOT feel at home in your past. Question it, be curious about it, re-evaluate it. My hope is that you will then be motivated to change how your history lives in you. Now is an excellent time to reconfigure your life story, to develop a revised relationship with its plot twists and evolution. Revisit and update some of your memories. Re-evaluate the meanings of key events. Enchanting healings will materialize if you do.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Of all the signs in the zodiac, you Scorpios are most likely to regard that old pop tune by The Animals as your theme song. “I’m just a soul whose intentions are good,” croons lead singer Eric Burdon, “Oh, Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood.” But you may have less motivation to express that sentiment in the coming weeks, dear Scorpio. I suspect you will experience record-breaking levels of being seen and appreciated for who you are. For best results, do this: 1. Inform your deep psyche that you have no attachment to being misunderstood. 2. Tell your deep psyche that you would very much like to be well understood.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
“Unless we are creators, we are not fully alive,” wrote Sagittarian author Madeleine L’Engle. She was referring to everyone, not just people in the arts. She believed that to be soulful humans, we must always make new things, generate fresh possibilities, and explore novel approaches. The restless urge to transform what already exists can be expressed in how we do our jobs, our parenting, our intimate relationships, and every other activity. You are now entering a phase, Sagittarius, when this initiatory energy will be especially available, needed, and valuable.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
In her poem Valentine, Capricorn poet Carol Ann Duffy tells a lover she won’t give her a “red rose or a satin heart.” Instead, her token of affection is an onion, a symbol of multi-layered complexity. “Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,” Duffy writes, “possessive and faithful as we are, for as long as we are.” She adds that the onion will “blind you with tears like a lover.” OK. I understand the tough attitude expressed by Duffy. Romance isn’t a relentlessly sweet, sentimental romp through paradise. But I don’t recommend that you imitate her approach to your love life in the coming weeks and months. Appreciate the sometimes shadowy and labyrinthine convolutions, yes, but don’t make them more important than beauty and joy and love. How about invoking the symbol of a pomegranate? It represents fertility and rebirth out of the darkness.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Be extra expressive with the people and animals you care about. Be even more amusing and generous than usual. Dare to be abundantly entertaining and engaging and empathetic. Make it your goal to draw out your allies’ dormant potentials and inspire them to love themselves even more than they already do. I’ll tell you about the endearing terms that author Vladimir Nabokov called his wife. Consider using them with your dear ones: “My sun, my soul, my song, my bird, my pink sky, my sunny rainbow, my little music, my inexpressible delight, my tenderness, my lightness, my dear life, my dear eyes, kittykin, poochums, goosikins, sparrowling, bird of paradise.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Sometimes, you may feel you’re under the influence of a debilitating spell or hindered by a murky curse. Pisceans are prone to such worries. But here’s a secret. More than any other zodiac sign, you have the power to escape from spells. Even if you have never studied the occult or read a witch’s grimoire, you possess a natural facility for the natural magic that disperses curses. From the depths of your psyche, you can summon the spiritual force necessary to cleanse the gunk and free yourself. Now is a perfect time to prove to yourself that what I’ve said here is true.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Aries filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky wrote, “All my life, I’ve been going around waiting for something—as if I were waiting in a railway station. And I’ve always felt as if the living I’ve done so far hasn’t actually been real life but a long wait for it—a long wait for something real.” If I could speak with Tarkovsky right now, I would cheerfully tell him that his wait will soon be over. I’d say that in the coming months, Aries people who have been postponing and postponing, who have been standing by and holding on and biding time, will have an excellent chance to begin inhabiting their full, rich destiny. I invite you to imagine what that will feel like.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Taurus poet Sherko Bekas wrote, “Each joy I wear, its sleeves are either too short or too long, too loose or too tight on me. And each sorrow I wear fits as if it were made for me wherever I am.” With this as our starting point, Taurus, I’m pleased to report some good news. In the next three weeks, you will have zero sorrows to try on and wear like a garment. And there will be at least three joys that fit just right. The sleeves will be the correct length, and the form will be neither too loose nor too tight.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Tips on how to get the most out of the coming weeks: 1. Create a big spacious realization by weaving together several small hunches. 2. Keep a little angel on your right shoulder and a little devil on your left shoulder. Enjoy listening to them argue, and don’t get attached to anything they say. 3. Do the unexpected until it becomes expected. Then abandon it and try a new, unexpected experiment. 4. Meditate expansively on the question, “How many careers can I have in one lifetime?” 5. Enhance your home so it feels even more comfortable.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Be fluid and flexible while still being rooted and sturdy. Be soft and sensitive even as you are also firm and resolute. Be mostly modest and adaptable, but become assertive and outspoken as necessary. Be cautious about inviting and seeking out challenges, but be bold and brash when a golden challenge arrives. Be your naturally generous self most of the time, but avoid giving too much. Got all that, Cancerian? Carrying out the multifaceted assignments I just described might be nearly impossible for most of the other signs of the zodiac, but they are in your wheelhouse. You are a specialist in fertile complexity.

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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“Hope doesn’t make you a weak person. It’s hopelessness that makes you weak. Hope makes you stronger.” – Cecelia Ahern

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Hope doesn’t make you a weak person. It’s hopelessness that makes you weak. Hope makes you stronger.” – Cecelia Ahern

Photo by: Joshua Woroniecki

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?

Couple Quit Jobs to Travel the World in Van They Renovated and Transformed for 25K – LOOK

By
Andy Corbley
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- SWNS
– SWNS

Quitting jobs and traveling across the country in a camper van is not a dream that’s unique to Americans—as proven by England’s Helen Weedon and Tristan Young.

Together, they dumped their 9 to 5s, bought a 17-seater Ford Transit, and shelled out 25k turning it into a mobile home before hitting the highways of Europe and never looking back.

They started the project in late 2021 just weeks after purchasing the van, taking nine months to renovate whilst working full-time jobs and using their weekends and evenings to complete it.

The couple did everything themselves outside their home in Horsham, West Sussex. They built the walls, a kitchen, seating area, storage, a shower and lavatory, a full-sized fixed bed, gas, water and electrical systems all on their own.

“The build was definitely a lot harder and took so much longer than we’d anticipated,” said Helen, 29. “We did absolutely everything ourselves. The only thing was getting our electrics and gas checked over professionally to ensure it was all safe to use.”

“However, it’s probably one of the most rewarding things we have ever done, especially now that we’re able to travel around in it.”

The big “Why”

The “Stan the Van” project was inspired by Helen and Tristan’s love of travel. They wanted to explore Europe more, and reasoned a van was the best, and coolest way to do it.

As soon as the pair settled into a corporate routine, they both realized they wanted far more out of life than dreading work and only being able to travel on their very limited holiday leave.

READ ALSO: Young Woman Makes a Special Pouch For Her Cat to Take Him Traveling Around Italy – His Favorite Hobby

By June 2022 they had completed the renovation of their van, sold nearly everything they owned and quit their 9-5 jobs.

Helen, who is now a Freelance Virtual Assistant, and Tristian, a Freelance Website Designer, designed their van to be able to go off-grid for up to five days thanks in part to large rooftop solar panels, giving them freedom like never before.

“It was a really liberating thing to do and made us realize how few material things we actually need,” the pair said. “We put a few sentimental things into storage but otherwise everything we own is in the van.”

“Over the past 5 months, we’ve probably seen and experienced more than we could have over two or three years of doing different holidays and trips abroad.”

SIMILAR: Top Cities For Digital Nomads Looking to Work While Traveling the World

As of August 2022, the couple had taken their van, affectionately dubbed ‘Stan the Van’, around the UK and to Germany, Austria, Italy, Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, and Montenegro.

The couple now run a travel blog called ‘Coconuts and Camels‘ and multiple social media accounts where they share the highs and lows of their travels.

They also share travel tips such as accommodation, clothing, food and drink options. Their current plan is to travel Europe for the next three years before one day shipping their van to Canada and the USA and road trip around North America.

WATCH their traveling highlights and get a tour of Stan the Van…

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