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When Little Girl Mistakes Bride for Cinderella, the Internet Rallies to Send Her to Disney World

By
McKinley Corbley
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So many youngsters dream of one day getting to meet a Disney princess – so imagine this bride’s delight when a little girl thought she was a Disney princess.

Olivia Spark had just tied the knot with her husband Caleb in Akron Falls, New York when they went to a nearby park to take wedding photos.

As Olivia was posing in her gorgeous white gown, she was suddenly approached by a little girl excitedly yelling: “Cinderella! Cinderella!”

The exuberant child was 5-year-old Layla Lester. Layla’s mother says that even though Layla’s autism makes it difficult for her to connect with strangers, she was overjoyed to meet a real-life princess in the park.

WATCH: Employee Lets Autistic Teen Stock the Shelves; Video Goes Viral and Strangers Give Him $120K

“I was flattered,” Olivia told WAFF. “I was, like, in tears that she thought I was a princess, and it just made my day absolutely more amazing than what it already was.”

In a Facebook post that was published by Olivia’s mother-in-law, she says that the newlyweds spent some time chatting with the youngster before the bride told Layla that she had a ball to get to.

Before the new acquaintances bid adieu to each other, Olivia’s wedding photographer, Nicole Wickins, snapped some photos of the sweet exchange.

WATCH: Autistic Teen Stuns Crowd as He Breaks His Silence and Gives Awe-Inspiring Commencement Speech

Upon sharing them to social media, the heartwarming story was shared dozens of times by local media outlets. People were so touched by the adorable pictures, members of the community created a GoFundMe page to send Layla to Disney World so she can meet more of her favorite princesses. In just 10 days, it has already raised almost $12,000.

“We have talked to Layla family and we cannot wait to see Layla face as I planned to give them this great donation,” says the page’s description.

Since the initial meeting between “Cinderella” and Layla, the two have reconnected over a picnic in the park so Olivia could give presents to her new friend and take pictures with a giant pumpkin carriage similar to the one in the Cinderella movie.

CHECK OUT: After Spending Years Trying to Cut Autistic Boy’s Hair, Compassionate Barber Has Breakthrough

Layla’s mother says that she has been joyfully overwhelmed by the amount of kindness shown to their family since their encounter with Olivia.

“She is the epitome of what a real-life princess would be,” Ms. Lester told the news outlet. “She’s kind and she’s sweet and she went out of her way to be nice to Layla.”

Be Sure And Share This Sweet Story Of Fairytale Magic With Your Friends On Social Media – Photos by Nicole Wickins Photography

Every US Public Library, High School, and YMCA is Getting Opioid Overdose Reversal Kits for Free

By
McKinley Corbley
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Narcan, a naloxone-based anti-overdose nasal spray, is one factor in the reduction - released by Adapt Pharma.

In a bid to fight the dangers of opioid addiction, this pharmaceutical company is giving away thousands of free overdose reversal kits to libraries, YMCA centers, and educational institutions across the country.

Emergent BioSolutions recently bought out the company that is responsible for making Narcan, the only FDA-approved naloxone nasal spray that can reverse opioid overdoses. Earlier this week, they announced that they would be attempting to protect American youth by giving away free Narcan kits to all 16,568 public libraries and 2,700 YMCAs.

The company has already been working through their Narcan in Schools program to distribute their kits to every US high school, as well as colleges and universities that grant two and four-year degrees.

“These two programs reflect our commitment to educating the public about the potential risks of opioids and the critical role of naloxone during an opioid overdose emergency and reinforce our mission – to protect and enhance life,” said Emergent Senior Vice President Doug White in a statement.

RELATED: Town’s Compassionate Approach Cuts Rates of Overdose by More Than Half – State to Adopt It

In addition to giving away the lifesaving drug kits, the company will provide educational materials and training on opioid awareness to school nurses, librarians, and other community leaders.

“Public libraries are at the heart of every U.S. community and collaborate each day with partners to address critical local needs,” said Michelle Jeske, Denver Public Library City Librarian and member of the Public Library Association Board.

“During the current opioid crisis, libraries are working with other public agencies to identify and share vital information and resources, host community forums, and provide staff trainings to respond to overdoses,” she added. “This is one step of a long journey toward lasting community-based solutions.”

Cure Your Friends Of Negativity By Sharing The Exciting News To Social Media

After Stem Cell Transplant, Man With MS Able to Walk and Dance for First Time in 10 Years

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Good News Network
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Sometimes it’s the little things in life that mean the most to us – and for Roy Palmer, it’s dancing and going for walks on the beach.

That’s because he spent ten years in a wheelchair due to his multiple sclerosis.

Then in 2017, he heard about an experimental stem cell therapy called HSCT (hematopoietic stem cell transplantation) on a BBC television program. Though the treatment has had miraculous results amongst other disabled patients, it is still a risky procedure that doesn’t always work for some people.

Regardless, the 49-year-old dad from Gloucester, England visited his doctor and begged for the treatment.

WATCH: Every Night for the Last 10 Years, Community Has Made Sure That Woman in Wheelchair Gets to Bed

After undergoing the procedure, Palmer knew that it had started to work when he suddenly felt a cramp in his leg; it was the first time that he had felt anything in his disabled limbs in 10 years, and the sensation caused him to burst into happy tears.

Now that he has regained control of his legs once more, Palmer loves to dance with his wife and inspire others who may have lost hope in their physical abilities.

“I’ve been given a second chance at life and I started volunteering at my local police station,” Palmer told BBC. “We went on holiday not so long ago to Turkey and I walked on the beach. Little things like that, people do not realize what it means to me.”

(WATCH the emotional BBC video below)

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“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” – Helen Keller

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day:  “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” – Helen Keller

Photo: by Chris Lewis, CC license

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?

Cannabis Oil ‘Significantly’ Improves the Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease in Small, First-of-its-Kind Study

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Good News Network
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In the first study of its kind, cannabis oil has been shown to significantly improve the symptoms of Crohn’s disease and the quality of life of sufferers.

In a randomized, placebo-controlled study, researchers from Israel have shown that cannabis can produce clinical remission in up to 65% of individuals after 8 weeks of treatment, even though – contrary to previous medical thinking – the treatment was shown to have no effect on gut inflammation.

Lead researcher Dr. Timna Naftali explained: “Cannabis has been used for centuries to treat a wide range of medical conditions, and studies have shown that many people with Crohn’s disease use cannabis regularly to relieve their symptoms. It has always been thought that this improvement was related to a reduction in inflammation in the gut and the aim of this study was to investigate this.”

The Israeli team from Tel Aviv University recruited 46 people with moderately severe Crohn’s disease, and randomized them to receive 8 weeks of treatment with either cannabis oil containing 15% cannabidiol and 4% tetrahydrocannabinol or placebo. Symptom severity and quality of life were measured before, during, and after treatment using validated research instruments. Inflammation in the gut was assessed endoscopically and by measuring inflammatory markers in blood and stool samples.

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After 8 weeks of treatment, the group receiving the cannabis oil had a significant reduction in their Crohn’s disease symptoms compared with the placebo group, and 65%met strict criteria for clinical remission (versus 35% of the placebo recipients). The cannabis group also had significant improvements in their quality of life compared with the placebo group.

“We have previously demonstrated that cannabis can produce measurable improvements in Crohn’s disease symptoms but, to our surprise, we saw no statistically significant improvements in endoscopic scores or in the inflammatory markers we measured in the cannabis oil group compared with the placebo group,” said Dr Naftali. “We know that cannabinoids can have profound anti-inflammatory effects but this study indicates that the improvement in symptoms may not be related to these anti-inflammatory properties.”

The study has not yet been published in a scientific journal, although it was presented by Naftali at United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Week 2018 in Vienna.

CHECK OUT: After Century of Removing Appendixes, Docs Find Antibiotics Can Be Enough Two-Thirds of the Time

UEG is the largest and most prestigious gastroenterology meeting in Europe and has developed into a global congress. It attracts over 14,000 participants each year, from more than 120 countries, and numbers are steadily rising.

Looking ahead, the research group plans to explore further the potential anti-inflammatory properties of cannabis in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. “There are very good grounds to believe that the endocannabinoid system is a potential therapeutic target in Crohn’s disease and other gastrointestinal diseases,” said Dr Naftali. “For now, however, we can only consider medicinal cannabis as an alternative or additional intervention that provides temporary symptom relief for some people with Crohn’s disease.”

(Source: United European Gastroenterology)

Cure Your Friends Of Negativity By Sharing The Good News To Social Media – Representative photo by jpalinsad360, CC

Dyson to Join Electric Vehicle Revolution With First Car Launch in 2021

By
McKinley Corbley
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Dyson, the renowned British tech company responsible for revolutionizing vacuum cleaners, has just announced that it will soon begin manufacturing electric cars.

The company is set to begin construction on an automotive factory based out of Singapore in December. With completion of the facility projected in 2020, Dyson representatives say that they expect to launch their first car in 2021.

It will be the company’s first automotive manufacturing facility in the world. It is also part of Dyson’s $3.2 billion global investment in “new technology,” according to Forbes.

“Singapore has a comparatively high cost base, but also great technology expertise and focus,” says Dyson CEO Jim Rowan in a statement. “It is therefore the right place to make high quality technology loaded machines, and the right place to make our electric vehicle.

LOOK: Depressed by Cable News Playing in Public Everywhere, He Designed Glasses That Black Out Screens

“It is a fast-moving, exciting, and pivotal project for Dyson; thank you for all you are doing to help us realize our ambitions,” he added.

The facility will employ thousands more workers in addition to the 1,100 Dyson employees currently stationed in Singapore. According to BBC, the company already employs thousands of workers across China, Malaysia, the UK, and the Philippines.

Speed This Story Over To Your Friends By Sharing It To Social Media – Representative photo by Kazuhiro Keino, CC

Man Wears Monster Costume for Three Days Straight in Order to Save Sick Children

By
McKinley Corbley
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One might not think that a monster costume could save the lives of children, but this guy is dedicated to using his frightening appearance to help sick kids.

Ravi Katapadi has spent the last five years dressing up as mythological creatures and movie monsters so that he can raise money for children whose families cannot afford life-saving surgeries.

He first got the idea to use elaborate costumes for fundraising back in 2014 when he saw a news segment about a newborn baby who had lost the use of her right hand due to a doctor’s negligence. Heartbroken by the story, Katapadi wondered how he could help.

Since he makes money working as a day laborer, he didn’t have enough cash to pay for the surgery himself – so he conferred with 15 of his friends and asked them to help him make a costume for the upcoming Krishna Janmashtami festival.

RELATED: Let’s Pay Tribute to the Humble Shoe Shiner Who Used All $200,000 of His Tips to Help Uninsured Children

The 2-day Hindu festival celebrates the birth of Krishna with festivities and parades. As a means of taking advantage of the festivities in his home of Udupi, Katapadi and his friends agreed to create a detailed costume of Faun, a character from the Pan’s Labyrinth movie.

The costume took one month to make and 12 hours for Katapadi to put on. Once he had successfully donned the full costume, he wore it for 36 hours straight in order to raise the most money, even though the outfit prevented him from eating or drinking for the duration of the festival.

In a matter of days, he had raised the $113,000 he needed to pay for the child’s surgery.

Now, every year since his initial inspiration, Katapadi and his team have worked tirelessly to use their creations as a way of paying for poor children’s surgeries. Their efforts have resulted in the successful treatment of 11 children.

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This year in particular, they are attempting to raise an additional $27,000 in order to pay for four different medical treatments. The young benefactors range from a 13-year-old boy who needs kidney transplants and a 4-year-old girl fighting blood cancer.

Katapadi has already managed to raise a large portion of the costs with his most recent costumed appearance, but he hopes that his team’s crowdfunding page will be able to help make up the difference.

(WATCH the video below)

Share The Incredible Story Of Dedication With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Milaap

13-Year-old Named America’s Top Young Scientist for Drastically Improving Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

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Good News Network
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A 13-year-old boy has just been named America’s Next Top Young Scientist in recognition of his ingenious method for making pancreatic cancer treatment more effective.

Rishab Jain was awarded the prize for creating an algorithm that used artificial intelligence to accurately locate and target the pancreas in real-time during a cancer patient’s MRI radiotherapy.

Pancreatic cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. An inherent challenge of radiation treatment for pancreatic cancer resides in tracking where the pancreas itself is located on any given day. Firstly, it is often obscured by the stomach or other nearby organs, which makes it difficult to locate. Furthermore, breathing and other anatomical changes may cause the pancreas to move around in the abdominal area. As a result, radiotherapy treatment can inadvertently target and impact healthy cells.

“Last summer, I went to visit my brother in Boston and came to know about some pancreatic cancer research and how difficult a problem it was to solve,” Rishab told Good News Network. “I learned about how deadly the disease was and how it had such a low survival rate. At the same time, I was also learning about artificial intelligence and wondered if I could apply my knowledge to solve this real-world problem – I also had a family friend pass away from this disease.”

RELATED: Boy Thought to Be Nonverbal Can Speak After Dentist Discovers He is Simply ‘Tongue-Tied’

Rishab then developed and tested his algorithm using images of the human digestive system, and found it could correctly detect the pancreas with a 98.9% success rate. The innovation aims to improve accuracy, reduce invasiveness and increase efficiency during treatment, resulting in better quality of life and chance for survival among patients.

The teen, who attends seventh grade at Stoller Middle School in Portland, Oregon, competed alongside nine other finalists during a live competition at the 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. In addition to receiving the Top Young Scientist prize, he was also awarded a $25,000 prize.

“My eyes almost filled with tears after hearing my name announced—I was blown away to receive the title,” Rishab gushed. “For the past year, I’ve been working on this project and have been putting in a tremendous amount of hard work. It’s amazing to see my project coming along, and all the challenges and fun I had along the way.”

(WATCH the video below) – Photo by Discovery Education / Andy King

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“Each day is a new opportunity. Yesterday is over and done. Today is the first day of my future.” – Louise Hay

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Good News Network
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Daniela Elena on Pixabay

Quote of the Day:  “Each day is a new opportunity. Yesterday is over and done. Today is the first day of my future.” – Louise L. Hay

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?

Delta’s Angel at the Gate

By
Adriana Cadavid
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We hear so much in the media about when airlines and flight crews do something wrong – but this is a tale of when one of these airlines did something right.

Back in August, my friend Christine and I were preparing to leave Atlanta, Georgia for a 10-day vacation in Lisbon Portugal.

We discovered as we were going though TSA pre-check, however, that Christine had accidentally brought her expired passport. We immediately called a friend to go retrieve the correct one and bring it to the airport, but there was little hope that they would make it there in time, during Atlanta rush hour traffic.

I waited as long as possible before going through security and to the gate. I decided to ask the gate agent what time the flight officially closed. She told me and then asked me why. I explained the predicament we were in and asked about later flights for my friend. She was sympathetic and looked for other departures, but there was nothing available after the expected passport arrival time that would allow her to make the connection at JFK to Lisbon.

RELATED: When Strangers on a Plane Hear Teacher Talk About Her Students, Everyone Opens Their Wallets

To my delight, I had been upgraded to Delta Comfort and settled into my seat as I texted to find out the status of the passport. A little while later an employee approached me about switching seats and said to gather my things. It turns out there was a couple who had paid for their upgrade and there was a TV monitor missing from the wife’s seat. I was hoping to just sleep for the overnight flight, so was happy to take the missing-monitor seat.

I was starting to think our whole trip seemed doomed, until, few minutes later, the employee came back and said “Aren’t you the one who spoke to me about your friend waiting for her passport?” I said, yes, and realized it was the same gate agent who I had spoken to before. She said, “Call her and find out where she is, we are being delayed due to the missing monitor. I will do all I can to get her on the plane.”

Christine called me back when she had her valid passport in hand and I went to the front of the plane to get the gate agent. What seemed like an eternity later, Christine was on the plane!

WATCH: Baggage Handlers at Airport Where Freddie Mercury Once Worked Honor Him With Special Birthday Performance

The gate agent mentioned there were some seats in the back where we could sit together and followed us back, since people had already begun to move around, and waited until we were seated. We were so grateful for her caring so much to help. Then, to top things off, she came back a few minutes later and told us she was able to get Christine’s bag on the plane too!

Once we got over our shock of how lucky we were I grabbed Christine and went to take a photo with Delta angel Janira Ricketts, the person who made it all possible for us.

We were truly blessed that day to have her as our gate agent.

Fly This Story Over To Your Friends By Sharing To Social Media – Photo by Adriana Cadavid

Guy Hitchhikes for the First Time Only to Get a Ride From Chris Hemsworth in a Helicopter

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Good News Network
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An American hitchhiker was given the ride of a lifetime after he took a chance and stuck out his thumb in Australian traffic earlier this week.

Scott Hildebrand, a musician who had just landed in Brisbane from Mexico, had been standing on the side of the road for 15 minutes looking for a ride to Byron when a black van pulled over. The van’s jolly passengers said they would be more than happy to give Hildebrand a ride.

“Chip in for the gas, all right? It’s four grand,” joked one of the passengers.

Little did Hildebrand know was that that passenger happened to be a major movie star who was preparing to bring him along on a helicopter ride.

RELATED: Woman is Shocked When Guy She Just Rescued in the Check-Out Line Turns Out to Be Keith Urban

“All of a sudden we pull up to the helipad. They’re like, ‘Ever flown in a helicopter Scotty?’ and I couldn’t believe it, and that’s when I was like, ‘Who are you guys?’” Hildebrand told an Australian radio show.

As it turns out, the man was Chris Hemsworth: the actor who has starred as Thor in the Marvel movie series. The film star had just finished up filming the Men in Black II remake when he had returned home to Australia and seen Hildebrand on the side of the road.

MORE: When Woman Can’t Afford Her Grocery Bill, She is Stunned When Her Favorite Rapper Picks Up the Tab

True to his word, Hemsworth ushered Hildebrand into the helicopter for a speedy airlift to Byron – and the view was apparently magnificent.

“It was beautiful. We saw whales and dolphins. It was magical,” Hildebrand said.

(WATCH the video below) – Photo by Avmin Air Charter

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Simple Solution Provides the Homeless With Housing and Jobs in One Fell Swoop

By
John Large
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Tackling homelessness may seem like an uphill battle, but this man has come up with a stunningly simple solution for giving jobs and homes to needy people with one idea.

Chris Fenlay is the mastermind behind a revolutionary nonprofit called Shelters to Shutters. The program has a simple premise: many real-estate companies offer discounted (and sometimes free) rent to property managers and staffers who live on their properties and housing complexes.

So as a means of providing income and housing to the homeless, Shelters to Shutters is partnering with private companies and nonprofits by connecting them with people who are living in poverty. By conducting hiring fairs in multiple cities, the nonprofit simultaneously connects the homeless with housing managers and persuades ever more real estate companies to participate in their program.

Despite there being a stigma behind rough sleepers in America, homeless people are potential employees who are actually incredibly reliable. The industry’s usual turnover rate is 50%, but the employees hired through Shelters to Shutters has a retention rate of 87%.

WATCH: Police Officer Shaves Homeless Man’s Beard in Gas Station Parking Lot So He Can Land a Job

“You combine hiring managers with these candidates and it really breaks down so many stigmas and barriers,” Finlay said in an interview with Fast Company. “All of a sudden, the things that we’ve been telling them, they’re like, ‘oh, now I get it.’”

The deal is not-one sided, either—in addition to the companies receiving very loyal workers, the fresh employees receive a 77% discount on their rent; 89% of them have received raises or promotions; and 93% have not reentered homeless aid services.

Anthony Puryear is one of these success stories. He was an Army veteran who—after leaving the military—worked in the hospitality industry for years. Unfortunately, when the cost of living became too high, he found himself without a place to live. Local veteran help group Operation Stand Down then connected Puryear with Shelters to Shutters. He was hired as an assistant service technician and given secured housing. Since then, he’s been promoted to a service tech position where he is in charge of fixing up old apartment units.

MORE: Café That Hires and Feeds the Homeless Has Just Built a Village for Their Rough Sleeping Employees

“I can’t overstate how grateful I am for this opportunity and how determined I am to make the most of it,” he said.

He is just one of over 100 success stories – although Shelters to Shutters is not stopping there. They currently work in 15 cities across the country and they have plans to expand in the near future. One of their new initiatives, which is set to launch in San Franscisco, will debut by hiring 20 new people off of the streets.

Puryear said, “I want as many people as possible to get a chance to benefit from Shelters to Shutters’ services in the way that I have.”

And by the looks of it, he will get to see this happen.

Be Sure And Share This Inspiring News With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Shelter to Shutters

“Enthusiasm is the yeast… the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas.” – Henry Ford

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day:  “Enthusiasm is the yeast… the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas.” – Henry Ford

Photo: by Steve Hall, CC license

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?

Breakthrough Tech Can Test for All 307 Bacterial Infections Known to Man – Amazing Advance From Only 19

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Good News Network
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In a world first, scientists have just developed a groundbreaking new platform that can test for every single kind of human pathogenic bacteria known to man.

According to the recently-published study, researchers developed the platform so that it can simultaneously screen for the bacteria strains, as well as markers for virulence and antibiotic resistance.

The exciting new tool, which is being called the “BacCapSeq” platform, was developed by researchers from the Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) in the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

“Once approved for clinical use, BacCapSeq will give physicians a powerful tool to quickly and precisely screen for all known pathogenic bacteria, including those that cause sepsis, the third leading cause of death in the United States,” says first author Orchid M. Allicock. “This platform is 1,000 times more sensitive than traditional unbiased testing, at a level comparable to tests that screen one bacterium at a time.”

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Currently, the most common method used to test for sepsis can take as long as three days, and even longer to provide information on antibiotic resistance. While physicians wait for a result, they usually prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics, a practice that contributes to the growth of antibiotic resistance. BacCapSeq provides results in 70 hours, but the researchers believe that the platform will become faster with advances in computing power.

Each year, antibiotic-resistant infections claim 100,000 lives in the United States, and 700,000 globally, with the highest burden in the developing world, according to World Economic Forum estimates. The direct annual impact of antibiotic resistance in the U.S. is $20 to 35 billion with an additional $35 billion in lost productivity, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Without an effective response to limit further growth in antimicrobial resistance, the challenge will continue to increase. The World Bank issued a report in 2017 projecting an impact on the GDP between $1.1 trillion and $3.4 trillion.

BacCapSeq contains 4.2 million genetic probes used to detect the signature DNA of all 307 pathogenic bacteria, as well as biomarkers for antibiotic resistance and virulence. Each probe binds to a corresponding sequence; when a particular bacterium and biomarker is present in a sample, a magnetic process “pulls out” its unique sequences, which can then be used to identify the bacterium and its characteristics. To date, even the most advanced multiplexed polymerase chain reaction systems are only able to screen for up to 19 pathogenic bacteria, and none can assess virulence and antimicrobial resistance.

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In the study, the researchers assess the performance of BacCapSeq in several ways: using nucleic acid from blood spiked with DNA from several different bacteria, blood spiked with bacterial cells, blood culture samples, and blood samples from patients with unexplained sepsis. In each case, the platform performance exceeded traditional methods, sometimes detecting infections that were missed by the alternative method. In one case, the test implicated the bacterium Gardnerella vaginalis, which is only rarely associated with significant disease, as the cause of unexplained sepsis in an individual with HIV/AIDS.

BacCapSeq is a complement to VirCapSeq, a similar test developed at CII that screens for all known human viral infections. Recent published studies have reported on that test’s performance in Tanzania and Uganda. A test for differential diagnosis of fungal infections is in development.

“Microbiological intelligence must be an integral component of precision medicine,” says W. Ian Lipkin, director of CII. “Accurate, early differential diagnosis of infectious diseases and knowledge of drug sensitivity profiles will reduce mortality, morbidity, and health care costs.”

(Source: Columbia Mailman School of Public Health) – Photo of bacteria, public domain

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Stephen King Lets These Kids Make Film Adaption of His Story by Selling the Rights for Just $1

By
McKinley Corbley
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Despite his literary career being worth millions of dollars, Stephen King did not hesitate to sell the rights to one of his stories for the meager sum of $1 so that a group of film students could make a movie adaption.

The story rights were bought by film students from the Blaenau Gwent Film Academy in Tredegar, Wales. School officials initially contacted King’s team about making a film adaption of “Stationary Bike”, one of the short stories that was published in his “Just After Sunset” collection.

The short story is about a man who buys a stationary bike as a means of fending off his high cholesterol – but as he exercises, he begins to have strange visions about his body.

King’s team wrote back to the academy and said that they could buy the rights to the story as part of the author’s Dollar Babies program which sells his unadapted stories to students and youngsters for heavily discounted prices.

RELATED: ‘Black Panther’ Star Reveals That Denzel Washington Paid For His Theatre Studies at Oxford

King has spent the last 40 years using the program as a way of boosting the careers of young filmmakers.

“Around 1977 or so, when I started having some popular success, I saw a way to give back a little of the joy the movies had given me,” King explained, according to BBC.

Before he became a famous Hollywood filmmaker, Shawshank Redemption director Frank Darabont once participated in the program by creating an adapted version of “The Woman in the Room” in 1986.

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Now, 16-year-old Alfie Evans and 14-year-old Cerys Cliff will be writing the script for “Stationary Bike.” Once the script is finished, it will be produced by 30 other film students from the academy. After that, they will hopefully be taking the finished product to film festivals.

King’s only other contractual condition for the adaption is that he receive a copy of the movie once it’s finished.

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“They insist that we send him a copy. That was part of the contract — Stephen always loves to see the work and please send him a DVD when it’s all complete,” academy tutor Kevin Phillips told Mashable.

“The main thing is that it’ll be used to boost the confidence of our young, up-and-coming film-makers to actually say that they’ve worked on a Stephen King film,” he added.

Be Sure And Share This Sweet Story With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Blaenau Gwent Film Academy

Totally Green Machine That Uses Biowaste to Generate Clouds for Clean Water Wins $1.75 Million XPrize

By
McKinley Corbley
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An ingenious piece of technology has just won a top prize for its ability to provide clean drinking water to millions of people around the world simply by mimicking the way clouds are formed.

The device, which was developed by the Skysource/Skywater Alliance, looks like an ordinary shipping container – but inside of the box, a power system sucks in warm air so that it can mingle with the cold air inside, causing condensation to form. The resulting water droplets are then collected into a water tank that can be dispensed through a tap.

In order to generate the amount of electricity necessary for the system, the technology can be powered by biomass, such as twigs, branches, or dead trees.

This has two benefits – firstly, it helps to clear away and dispose of natural debris which could fuel dangerous wildfires. Secondly, using biomass for fuel creates a nutritious kind of charcoal byproduct called “biochar”. When mixed with soil, it nourishes crops and plants while simultaneously trapping carbon in the ground, rather than allowing it to escape the trees during wildfires, making the entire system a carbon-negative device.

RELATED: 11-Year-Old Becomes ‘America’s Top Young Scientist’ for Her Sensor Detecting Lead in Water

Since some disaster-stricken areas may not have access to biomass, the Skywater device can also be adapted to solar power and wind energy power systems as well.

Skywater was awarded the Water Abundance XPrize, a competition that was first launched at a United Nations conference in 2016 as a means of spurring engineers to harness technology that could provide clean drinking water to millions of people.

The prize had three requirements: any technology entered into the competition had to run on 100% clean energy; it had to extract at least 2,000 liters of water from the atmosphere every day; and that water had to cost less than 2 cents per liter.

LOOK: Depressed by Cable News Playing in Public Everywhere, He Designed Glasses That Black Out Screens

“We do a lot of first principles thinking at XPrize when we start designing these challenges,” XPrize’s chief officer Zenia Tata told Fast Company about their decision to use the water in the atmosphere as their key source for inexpensive drinking water.

“At any given time, [the atmosphere] holds 12 quadrillion gallons–the number 12 with 19 zeros after it – a very, very, big number,” she added. So instead of depending on expensive desalination techniques or costly air-to-water technologies that already exist, the XPrize organizers asked engineers to develop the cheapest method of using the water in the atmosphere to generate enough freshwater for the household needs of all 7 billion people in the world.

Skywater was awarded the $1.75 million prize for their biomass-powered freshwater system. The organization will reportedly be using the prize money to manufacture and distribute the water systems to water-scarce regions of the world in partnership with international relief efforts.

(WATCH the explanation video below) – Photo by Skysource/Skywater Alliance

Precipitating Change from Matt Eppedio on Vimeo.

Pass On The Positive News To Your Friends On Social Media

“If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.” – Michelangelo

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day:  “If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.” – Michelangelo

Photo: by Bhavishya Goel, CC license

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?

US Embassy Apologizes for Accidental Mass-Mailing of Invitation for ‘Cat Pajama-Jam Party’

By
McKinley Corbley
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Everybody makes mistakes—even international ambassadors, judging by the contents of an amusing email that was sent out by the US Embassy in Australia last week.

Social media users have been marveling over an email that was sent out by the embassy containing an image of a cat dressed in a Cookie Monster costume holding a plate of pastries. The subject line of the email simply read: “Meeting,” while the image was coupled with an RSVP tab and a caption saying “cat pajama-jam party.”

RELATED: Watch Curious Cat Suddenly Discover That She Has Ears After Striking a Pose in the Mirror

It has not been disclosed how many email addresses were included as recipients, but one thing is for sure—once the internet heard about the rumored party, social media users immediately demanded that the embassy host the promised feline festival.

Even the cat depicted in the emailed photo—an internet-famous feline named Joey—expressed his desire for a pajama party.

Unfortunately, the email was nothing more than a mishap. The embassy’s public affairs counsellor, Gavin Sundwall, recently issued a good-natured apology for the mistake and said that someone had accidentally sent the email after testing out a new kind of email broadcasting platform.

“Sorry to disappoint those of you who were hoping to attend this ‘cat pajama-jam’ party, but such an event falls well outside our area of expertise,” he wrote in an emailed statement two days after the initial invite.

MORE: Watching This Little Girl Read to a Sleepy Cat is the Video to Soothe Your Soul

“It was a training error made by one of our new staff testing out our email newsletter platform.”

According to Sundwall, the embassy will be using “strong new management controls” as a means of avoiding such mistakes in the future.

Though the email was identified as a mistake, that hasn’t stopped social media users from having a bit of fun with the mixup.

Be Sure And Share This Pawesome Tail With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by My_Furry_Babies Twitter

Amazon is Investing to Make Sure Millions of Tons of Recycling Get Diverted From Landfills

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Good News Network
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Amazon has announced that it will be investing $10 million in Closed Loop Fund to support recycling infrastructure in the United States.

Amazon’s investment will increase the availability of curbside recycling for 3 million homes in communities across the country, making it easier for customers to recycle and further develop end markets for recycled commodities. The investment will divert 1 million tons of recyclable material from landfill into the recycling stream and eliminate the equivalent of 2 million metric tons of CO2 by 2028—equivalent to shutting down a coal-fired power plant for six months.

Roughly half of Americans today lack access to convenient, sufficient curbside recycling at their homes. Closed Loop Fund finances the building of advanced recycling infrastructure and services, bringing this invaluable service to the community while saving taxpayers and municipalities money.

“This investment will help build the local capabilities needed to make it easier for our customers and their communities to recycle and to increase the amount of material recycled across the country,” said Dave Clark, Amazon’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Operations. “We are investing in Closed Loop Fund’s work because we think everyone should have access to easy, convenient curbside recycling. The more we are all able to recycle, the more we can reduce our collective energy, carbon, and water footprint.”

RELATED: America’s Largest Grocery Store Chain is Saying Goodbye to Single-Use Plastic Bags

Closed Loop Fund invests in sustainable consumer goods, advanced recycling technologies, and the development of the circular economy. It aims over the next 10 years to eliminate more than 16 million tons of greenhouse gas, divert more than 8 million cumulative tons of waste from landfills, improve recycling for more than 18 million households, and save nearly $60 million for American cities.

CEO of Closed Loop Fund Ron Gonen added, “Amazon’s investment in Closed Loop Fund is another example of how recycling is good business in America. Companies are seeing that they can meet consumer demand and reduce costs while supporting a more sustainable future and growing good jobs across the country. We applaud Amazon’s commitment to cut waste, and we hope their leadership drives other brands and retailers to follow suit.”

CHECK OUT: Starbucks is Largest Retailer Yet to Pledge a Phase-Out of Single-Use Plastic Straws

Solving customers’ needs for recycling can create economic benefits in the cities and towns where they live. Increasing the amount of recycled materials available can also lead to a lower cost of goods sold, and lessen the impacts of transportation, as there is no need to ship waste to landfills. Cities also directly benefit through increased cash flow and jobs, as most recycling is done locally.

Amazon’s investment in Closed Loop Fund furthers Amazon’s longstanding commitment to reducing packaging waste through its Frustration-Free Packaging programs, which are designed to produce less waste than traditional packaging. Amazon works directly with thousands of manufacturers to help them redesign their packaging, eliminate waste throughout the supply chain, and ensure products arrive undamaged on customers’ doorsteps. Amazon introduced Frustration-Free Packaging 10 years ago, and it has eliminated more than 244,000 tons of packaging materials to date, avoiding 500 million shipping boxes.

(Source: Amazon)

Clean Up Negativity By Sharing The Good News With Your Friends – Representative photo by Sgt. Belynda Faulkner

Let’s Pay Tribute to the Humble Shoe Shiner Who Used All $200,000 of His Tips to Help Uninsured Children

By
Good News Network
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Celebrities and news outlets are paying homage to Albert Lexie: the legendary shoe shiner who donated all of his tips to benefit sick, uninsured children.

The humble philanthropist passed away earlier this week at the age of 76.

From when he first started working at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in 1981 to when he retired in 2013, he donated $202,000 worth of shoe shining tips to the Free Care Fund, which ensures that every young patient can receive the medical care they need regardless of their families’ ability to pay.

Lexie would wake up every morning at 5:50AM so he could get to the hospital and start shining shoes at 7:25AM. Despite being credited for donating such an impressive sum of money, Lexie only made about $10,000 per year.

RELATED: Couple Who Gambled On Bitcoin in 2012 Donates All of Their Gains to Cancer Research

“I wanted to see the kids get well, to see they got well and got better and things like that. … I made myself happy,” Lexie once told The Post-Gazette for his retirement.

Over the course of his 28-year career, the compassionate senior received a plethora of awards, recognitions, and media attention for his labor of love.

The hospital’s president, Christopher Gessner, noted that Lexie was “a perfect example of how just small, incremental acts of kindness can have a really significant impact over time.”

(WATCH the tribute hospital’s video below) – Photo by UPMC Children’s Hospital

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