Daily Archives: February 2, 2023

Cystic Fibrosis Carrier: What You Should Know – Healthline

Posted: February 2, 2023 at 11:45 pm

What is a cystic fibrosis carrier?

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease that affects the glands that make mucus and sweat. Children may be born with cystic fibrosis if each parent carries one faulty gene for the disease. Someone with one normal CF gene and one faulty CF gene is known as a cystic fibrosis carrier. You can be a carrier and not have the disease yourself.

Many women find out they are carriers when they become, or are trying to become, pregnant. If their partner is also a carrier, their child may be born with the disease.

If you and your partner are both carriers, you will likely want to understand how likely it is that your child will be born with cystic fibrosis. When two CF carriers have a baby, there is a 25 percent chance that their baby will be born with the disease and a 50 percent chance that their baby will be a carrier of a CF gene mutation, but not have the disease themselves. One in four children will neither be carriers nor have the disease, therefore breaking the chain of heredity.

Many carrier couples decide to undergo a genetic screening test on their embryos, called preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). This test is done prior to pregnancy on embryos acquired through in vitro fertilization (IVF). In PGD, one or two cells are extracted from each embryo and analyzed to determine if the baby will:

The removal of cells does not adversely affect the embryos. Once you know this information about your embryos, you can decide which to have implanted in your uterus in the hopes that a pregnancy will occur.

Women who are carriers of CF do not experience infertility issues because of it. Some men who are carriers have a specific type of infertility. This infertility is caused by a missing duct, called the vas deferens, which transports sperm from the testicles into the penis. Men with this diagnosis have the option of having their sperm recovered surgically. The sperm can then be used to implant their partner through a treatment called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

In ICSI, a single sperm is injected into an egg. If fertilization occurs, the embryo is implanted into the womans uterus, through in vitro fertilization. Since not all men who are carriers of CF have infertility issues, it is important that both partners get tested for the defective gene.

Even if both of you are carriers, you can have healthy children.

Many CF carriers are asymptomatic, meaning they have no symptoms. Approximately one in 31 Americans is a symptomless carrier of a defective CF gene. Other carriers experience symptoms, which are usually mild. Symptoms include:

Cystic fibrosis carriers are found in every ethnic group. Following are estimates of the CF gene mutation carriers in the United States by ethnicity:

Regardless of your ethnicity or if you have a family history of cystic fibrosis, you should get tested.

Theres no cure for cystic fibrosis, but lifestyle choices, treatments, and medications can help people with CF live full lives, despite the challenges they face.

Cystic fibrosis primarily affects the respiratory system and digestive tract. Symptoms can range in severity and change over time. This makes the need for proactive treatment and monitoring from medical specialists especially important. Its crucial to keep immunizations up-to-date and to maintain a smoke-free environment.

Treatment typically focuses on:

Doctors often prescribe medications to achieve these treatment goals, including:

Other common treatments include bronchodilators, which help keep airways open, and physical therapy for the chest. Feeding tubes are sometimes used overnight to help assure adequate calorie consumption.

People with severe symptoms often benefit from surgical procedures, such as nasal polyp removal, bowel blockage surgery, or lung transplant.

Treatments for CF continue to improve and with them so does the quality and length of life for those who have it.

If youre hoping to be a parent and find out youre a carrier, its important to remember that you have options and control over the situation.

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends offering carrier screening for all women and men who wish to become parents. Carrier screening is a simple procedure. You will need to provide either a blood or saliva sample, which is acquired via a mouth swab. The sample will be sent off to a lab for analysis and provide information about your genetic material (DNA) and will determine if you carry a mutation of the CF gene.

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Cystic Fibrosis: Prenatal Screening and Diagnosis | ACOG

Posted: at 11:45 pm

Amniocentesis: A procedure in which amniotic fluid and cells are taken from the uterus for testing. The procedure uses a needle to withdraw fluid and cells from the sac that holds the fetus.

Amniotic Fluid: Fluid in the sac that holds the fetus.

Carrier: A person who shows no signs of a disorder but could pass the gene to their children.

Carrier Screening: A test done on a person without signs or symptoms to find out whether he or she carries a gene for a genetic disorder.

Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS): A procedure in which a small sample of cells is taken from the placenta and tested.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF): An inherited disorder that causes problems with breathing and digestion.

Diagnostic Test: A test that looks for a disease or cause of a disease.

Embryo: The stage of development that starts at fertilization (joining of an egg and sperm) and lasts up to 8 weeks.

Ethnic-Based Screening: Screening recommended for people who belong to an ethnic group or race that has a high rate of carriers of a specific genetic disorder.

Expanded Carrier Screening: A blood test to screen for a large number of genetic disorders.

Fetus: The stage of human development beyond 8 completed weeks after fertilization.

Gene: A segment of DNA that contains instructions for the development of a persons physical traits and control of the processes in the body. The gene is the basic unit of heredity and can be passed from parent to child.

Genetic Counselor: A health care professional with special training in genetics who can provide expert advice about genetic disorders and prenatal testing.

Genetic Disorder: A disorder caused by a change in genes or chromosomes.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): A procedure in which an egg is removed from a womans ovary, fertilized in a laboratory with the mans sperm, and then transferred to the womans uterus to achieve a pregnancy.

Mutation: A change in a gene that can be passed from parent to child.

Obstetric Care Provider: A health care professional who cares for a woman during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. These professionals include obstetrician gynecologists (ob-gyns), certified nursemidwives (CNMs), maternalfetal medicine specialists (MFMs), and family practice doctors with experience in maternal care.

ObstetricianGynecologist (Ob-Gyn): A doctor with special training and education in womens health.

Placenta: An organ that provides nutrients to and takes waste away from the fetus.

Preimplantation Genetic Testing: A type of genetic testing that can be done during in vitro fertilization. Tests are done on the fertilized egg before it is transferred to the uterus.

Sperm: A cell made in the male testicles that can fertilize a female egg.

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Cystic Fibrosis: Prenatal Screening and Diagnosis | ACOG

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CF Moto to launch a retro mini bike, will compete with Honda Grom in the international markets, all we know so far – DNP INDIA

Posted: at 11:45 pm

CF Moto to launch a retro mini bike, will compete with Honda Grom in the international markets, all we know so far  DNP INDIA

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Democratic Party (United States) – Simple English Wikipedia, the free …

Posted: at 11:42 pm

The United States Democratic Party is one of the two biggest political parties in the United States of America. The other is the Republican Party, which is the Democratic Party's main opponent. The U.S. also has several smaller political parties known as third parties. Members of this party are known as Democrats.

Every four years the party holds a National Convention where they agree on their candidate for president. The Democratic National Committee coordinates most of the activities of the Democratic Party in all 50 United States. Since Andrew Jackson's inauguration in 1829, there have been 16 Democratic presidents (17 if including John Tyler, who, though originally elected to the Vice Presidency as a Whig, was expelled from his party shortly after taking office, became an independent, and allied with Democrats), the most recent (and current) being former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-DE) who took office as President of the United States in 2021.

The Democratic Party represents a broad spectrum of liberal and left-wing ideologies,includingbut not limited toclassical liberalism, social democracy, progressivism, and social (modern) liberalism.

Democrats, also sometimes called 'the left', 'liberals' or 'progressives' make up one of the two main political parties in the United States. A mostly Democratic state is sometimes called a 'blue state'. This comes from the partys main color, which is blue, referring to a state supporting blue candidates.

Democrats believe in a strong government with social assistance programs to help members of society. They prefer diplomatic solutions to conflicts, and take generally multilateralist views on trade, believing that trade must be free, but fair to protect American workers, consumers, local communities, and the environment. Some Democrats are economic centrists.[9][10]

Socially, most Democrats believe in sociocultural liberalism, taking pro-immigration, pro-marriage equality, and pro-choice views.[11][12][13][14]

Currently, the Democratic Party is identified by progressivism, liberalism, and left-wing policies.

Not all Democrats believe in the same thing, but generally these are the things many Democrats support:

Most support for Democrats comes from states in the Northeast, Upper Midwest, and the Pacific Coast, as well as from the state of Hawaii.

The Sun is Purple, symbol of the Democratic Party is the Donkey.[15] Since the election of 2000, the color blue has become a symbol for Democrats.[16]

Historically, Thomas Jefferson, whom the party claims as its founder, has been often seen as symbols of the Democratic Party, particularly emphasized in the annual celebrations of Jefferson Day Dinners held since the days of Andrew Jackson. As such, the Democratic Party is also often referred to as the Party of Jefferson.[17]

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Artificial intelligence: The way students complete assignments could change with new software that can do their work for them – New Times SLO

Posted: at 11:40 pm

Artificial intelligence: The way students complete assignments could change with new software that can do their work for them  New Times SLO

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About Cryonics – The Cryonics Institute

Posted: at 11:37 pm

A Brief Overview of the History of Cryonics

Robert Ettinger(The Father of Cryonics) introduced the concept of cryonics in 1962 with the publication of his seminal book,The Prospect of Immortality.The visionary new concept attracted worldwide attention when Doubleday published the first of several successful commercial editions, including several foreign language editions. Ettinger delved deeper into the subject of cryonics and life extension with his next book,Man Into Superman,further advancing the cryonics movement.

The idea of greatly extending lifespans through the science of cryonics captured peoples imaginations and organizations quickly sprang up in support of the concept. Ettinger himself formedThe Immortalist Society(originally the Cryonics Society of Michigan, and later the Cryonics Association) in 1967 to further promote and explore the concept of cryonics.

Less than a decade later, in 1976, Ettinger and other members of The Immortalist Society took the next logical step and formed a new organization to put the concept of cryonics into actual practice. Their goal was to offer The Prospect of Immortality to the public through reliable and affordable cryonics services.The Cryonics Institutewas formed in 1976 featuring the worlds first fully-operational cryonics facility, located in Clinton Township, Michigan.

Since then, The Cryonics Institute has been dedicated to advancing the concept and practice of cryonics, attracting members world-wide. Membership has grown to over 1,000 members in dozens of countries, including 117 patients cryopreserved at the Michigan facility.

Read More for the complete history of The Cryonics Institute.

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Is Cryptocurrency a Good Investment in 2023? – entrepreneur.com

Posted: at 11:32 pm

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

How much will bitcoin or any altcoin cost in 2023? Great question. Even professional traders cannot foresee the price of crypto due to multiple impact factors. But as an investor, I want to reflect on something else. Are those who have already buried the crypt right, or is last year's market crash not the end?

Related: Now that Crypto Has Crashed, What's Next for The Metaverse?

In February 2021, the capitalization of bitcoin exceeded $1 trillion for the first time. The first cryptocurrency grew by 900% in a year and traded for $54,000 per coin.

Despite the record price, there was no release from investors. For example, the Square payment service, owned by Jack Dorsey, then bought over three thousand bitcoins.

Amid the rising bitcoin price, in March 2021, the founder of the Kraken cryptocurrency exchange, Jesse Powell, made a sensational forecast: by the end of 2022, one bitcoin can buy a Lamborghini, and in 2023, a Bugatti.

The forecast failed: today, you can only buy a Kia Rio or a Mitsubishi Mirage for a bitcoin. And this is after the boom of ETFs, NFTs, DeFi and stablecoins. So what went wrong?

Related: Everything You Need to Know About NFTs and Cryptocurrency

In 2022, the growth rates of blockchain technology remained high. For example, we witnessed the Ethereum protocol modernization: now, instead of the Proof-of-work algorithm, the blockchain uses Proof-of-stake. After the change, the network will consume 99.95% less energy.

However, this event was overshadowed by others the bankruptcies of the Terra project, Voyager Digital and Celsius Network crypto banks, Three Arrows Capital hedge fund, BlockFi and FTX exchanges.

Also, inflation in the US reached 7% in 2022, just as in the early 1980s. To curb inflation, the Federal Reserve raised rates seven times a year. The base rate is between 4.25% and 4.5%, the highest mark in 15 years.

The Fed's policy affected the value of risky assets, namely stocks and crypto. The dollar strengthens as interest rates rise, but risky assets fall. Due to this and the bankruptcy of key crypto projects, the cryptocurrency market collapsed. The media again started talking about the onset of crypto winter a decrease in the cost of all coins and a long bearish trend.

But I disagree that due to the fall (over the past year, according to the Coinmarketcap charts, market capitalization has more than halved - from $2 trillion to $800 billion), this segment can be put to rest.

Regarding crypto, price fluctuations are the last thing you should focus on. I look at less obvious factors to understand the market prospects.

The activity of venture capitalists decreased significantly in late 2022. This information can make beginners panic, but let's read the news more carefully.

How did the timing of entry into projects change the enthusiasm of investors? Seed and early-stage crypto startups received larger checks in 2022. Investors are buying up young startups, meaning the game is not over, and funds will be poured into the sector.

Besides, the cryptocurrency market is only developing. You can fail in school but enter college on the first try. So the failure of 2022 is not a sentence, but only growing pains.

Related: Decentralized Venture Capital Will Transform Startup Investing Forever

Web3 is a new blockchain-based decentralized and tokenized incarnation of the internet. It is both financial applications and NFTs. But the most dynamic segment of Web3 is blockchain games.

The crypto winter did not affect the growth of gaming programs based on distributed ledger technology: in 2022, the number of transactions in gaming blockchains increased by 94%.

It is such a strong trend that only full-on electricity cuts across the planet can bring it down. So the entire blockchain sector will become less speculative and more practice-oriented.

After COVID-19, even people far from business learned that the most affected sectors actively recovered after the crisis. This is precisely what should happen with the NFT segment.

Over 2022, it decreased by 97%. But the fall is not a trend unlike the arrival of big players in this market. NFTs were launched as part of a loyalty program by the giant Starbucks. By year's end, the list of majors that launched NFTs was replenished with Reddit, Meta, Nike, Disney and Coca-Cola.

All these companies invested in developing their own projects based on Web3 and will continue to develop them in 2023. My guess, other companies will pick up the trend, so the NFT market revival is only a matter of time.

Related: 5 Ways to Maintain and Expand Your Wealth During the Cryptocurrency Dip

In December 2013, on the Bitcointalk forum, a user, GameKyuubi wrote a post with a typo in the title - "I AM HODLING." He criticized traders who use bitcoin to get rich, contrasting their position with his own to keep the crypto even when market signals indicate a need to get rid of the asset.

The term HODL became a meme, and the change in the number of hodlers became the data for analytical platforms to evaluate the development of the industry.

New statistics from Glassnode demonstrate a sharp increase in the accumulation addresses in the Bitcoin blockchain. These hodler wallets have received at least two transfers in the past seven years. Yet, funds were never withdrawn from these addresses.

The number of such wallets reached almost 800,000 increasing by 18% during the year. The figures show that the number of committed users of the service is growing.

Hodlers don't make money off bitcoin. They believe in its potential as a universal means of payment. And user growth is a significant factor in the global adoption of bitcoin. I am sure that while some faithfully accumulate crypto and those who develop the blockchain and projects based on it, seasonal and annual jumps are just ripples in a pond. The most exciting things happen in the depths.

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U.S. should ban cryptocurrencies, says Berkshire’s Munger

Posted: at 11:32 pm

Charlie Munger at the Berkshire Hathaway press conference, April 30, 2022.

CNBC

Berkshire HathawayVice Chairman Charlie Munger urged the U.S. government to ban cryptocurrencies,as China has done,arguing that a lack of regulation enabled wretched excess and a gambling mentality.

"A cryptocurrency is not a currency, not a commodity, and not a security," the 99-year-old Munger said in an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal Thursday.

"Instead, it's a gambling contract with a nearly 100% edge for the house, entered into in a country where gambling contracts are traditionally regulated only by states that compete in laxity," Munger said. "Obviously the U.S. should now enact a new federal law that prevents this from happening."

Munger and his business partner Warren Buffett are longtime cryptocurrency skeptics, contending they are not tangible or productive assets. Munger's latest comments came as the crypto industry was plagued with problems from failed projects to a liquidity crunch, exacerbated by the fall of FTX, once one of the world's largest exchanges.

The cryptocurrency market lost more than $2 trillion in value last year. The price ofbitcoin, the world's largest cryptocurrency, plunged 65% in 2022 and it has rebounded about 40% to trade around $23,824, according to Coin Metrics.

The renowned investor said in recent years privately owned companies have issued thousands of new cryptocurrencies, and they have become publicly traded without any governmental preapproval of disclosures. Some have been sold to a promoter for almost nothing, after which the public buys in at much higher prices without fully understanding the "pre-dilution in favor of the promoter," Munger said.

He listed two "interesting precedents" that may guide the U.S. into sound action. First, China has strictly prohibited services offering trading, order matching, token issuance and derivatives for virtual currencies. Second, from the early 1700s, the English Parliament banned all public trading in new common stocks and kept this ban in place for about 100 years, Munger said.

"What should the U.S. do after a ban of cryptocurrencies is in place? Well, one more action might make sense: Thank the Chinese communist leader for his splendid example of uncommon sense," Munger said.

(Read the full piece in the Journal here.)

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Cryptocurrency Price Today: Ethereum Climbs Above $1,600 As Top Coins Land In Greens – ABP Live

Posted: at 11:31 pm

Cryptocurrency Price Today: Ethereum Climbs Above $1,600 As Top Coins Land In Greens  ABP Live

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India will try to forge consensus on the roadmap to regulate cryptocurrency at G-20, says DEA secretary – The Financial Express

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India will try to forge consensus on the roadmap to regulate cryptocurrency at G-20, says DEA secretary  The Financial Express

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