List of All Articles with Tag 'ci'

It is transfer deadline day in Europe but the USMNT gossip is that the players linked with moves could be set to stay at their clubs.

Alcohol addiction ruins millions of lives every year, but scientists may have found a cure for this terrible affliction. A new treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD) has been trialled in monkeys with impressive results and, if these translate to human trials, the impact could be monumental. A team of neuroscientists and physiologists from across the US tested a new type of gene therapy to see if they could directly target the underlying brain circuitry associated with sustained heavy drinking. As they noted, in the journal Nature Medicine, people suffering from AUD commonly return to alcohol use even if they attempt to quit. This is largely to do with what’s known as mesolimbic dopamine (DA) signalling – meaning how the central nervous system circuit communicates the feelgood neurotransmitter dopamine. A protein called glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is key to keeping these neurons in this reward circuitry functioning. However, experts have found that levels of GDNF are reduced in people with AUD during periods of alcohol abstinence, most notably in a region of the brain called the ventral tegmental area (VTA), as IFLScience notes. Therefore, the researchers decided to test whether using gene therapy to deliver more GDNF to the VTA could help reinforce this crucial dopaminergic signalling and prevent patients from suffering an alcoholic relapse. The team of scientists explained how alcohol consumption in non-addicts prompts the release of dopamine, creating a pleasurable buzz feeling, but chronic alcohol use causes the brain to adapt and stop releasing so much dopamine. “So when people are addicted to alcohol, they don’t really feel more pleasure in drinking,” Dr Kathleen Grant, a senior co-author of the study, said in a statement. “It seems that they’re drinking more because they feel a need to maintain an intoxicated state.” For their research, Dr Grant and her colleagues used eight rhesus macaque monkeys, who were exposed to increasing concentrations of alcohol over four 30-day “induction” periods. The monkeys then had free access to alcohol and water for 21 hours a day for six months, during which they developed heavy drinking behaviours. This was then followed by a 12-week abstinence phase, with the GDNF treatment performed four weeks in for half of the subjects. The gene therapy was delivered using a a viral vector containing a copy of the human GDNF gene injected directly into the primate’s VTA, according to IFLScience. And the results were truly jaw-dropping. “Drinking went down to almost zero,” Dr Grant said. “For months on end, these animals would choose to drink water and just avoid drinking alcohol altogether. They decreased their drinking to the point that it was so low we didn’t record a blood-alcohol level.” The most exciting aspect of their findings is the suggestion that gene therapy could offer a permanent solution for people with the most severe cases of AUD. This will be a welcome glimmer of hope to many, given that some 29.5 million people were diagnosed with AUD in the US alone in 2021, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Of these 29.5 million sufferers, almost a million (894,000) were aged between 12 and 17. It’ll likely be some time before we know for sure whether the gene therapy can be rolled out in humans, but it’s an important first step in tackling this devastating disorder. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Predicted scores for every Premier League fixture from Gameweek 4, including Manchester City's meeting with Fulham, Liverpool's contest against Aston Villa and the headline game between Arsenal and Manchester United

A US District Judge has blocked an Arkansas social media age verification law that was set to go in effect Friday, according to a Thursday court filing.

LONDON Increasing numbers of governments around the world are scrutinising Worldcoin, a crypto project co-founded by OpenAI CEO

Have you been feeling slightly off recently? Have things not been working in your favour? Well you're not alone – and astrologers believe there's a mystic reason behind it. There's been a recent spike in TikTok uploads exploring retrograde, but what actually is it? In short, retrograde simply means when a planet is moving in the opposite direction. The age-old astrological theory has been researched for thousands of years – but now, thanks to social media and a drive towards self-care and mindfulness, interest in astrology has heightened. Most people will be familiar with the phrase 'Mercury retrograde', but the motion can also happen to all of the planets. Currently, there are seven planets in retrograde. Janelle Palibrk told AU News that she believes one planet can leave people feeling "sensitive" or "intense". However, she claims that "with 7 planets in retrograde, it’s going to be almost impossible to avoid some kind of response, which is why as a collective we are all feeling a little stressed and uncomfortable." According to Yoga Journal, the dates are: Pluto retrograde: May 1 – October 11, 2023 Neptune retrograde: June 30 – December 6, 2023 Saturn retrograde: June 17 – November 4, 2023 Venus retrograde: July 22 – September 3, 2023 Chiron retrograde: July 23 – December 26, 2023 Mercury retrograde: August 23, 2023 – September 15, 2023 Uranus retrograde: August 28, 2023 – January 27, 2024 Jupiter retrograde: September 4 – December 31, 2023 @_thelunarchild @amydemure Personal readings are available ✨ #zodiac #zodiacsigns #horoscope #astrology @innerworldsastrology #greenscreen Why you’re feeling stuck #astrology #zodiac #horoscope Meanwhile, David J. Helfand, Professor of Astronomy and Columbia University Chair, slammed the astrological theory as "arrant nonsense." Helfand previously told Indy100 that the retrograde motion of Mercury is a "simple consequence of the fact that we observe the sky from a moving platform we call Earth as it orbits the Sun. The other planets also orbit the Sun, all in the same direction." "The apparent motion of any planet as observed from Earth is a combination of the orbit of the planet and the orbit of Earth," he added. "Simple geometry shows that roughly three times a year (for Mercury – less often for other planets on longer orbits), these combined motions give the Earth-bound observer the illusion that the other planet has reversed its direction of motion compared to the background stars." He stated that the orbit of Mercury is governed by laws of gravity and is completely unchanged, which has "been well-understood for over 400 years – it's hardly a new idea." Helfand continued: "But apparently, some people prefer 2000-year-old views of the world in which the planets govern their lives – no need to take any personal responsibility then, is there? "In fact, the gravitational force of Mercury on an Earth-bound you is less than the force of your dog on you when you pat him or her on the head." He said: "Indeed, patting your dog on its head is likely to have a positive influence on your mood. Maybe people should try that instead of contemplating arrant nonsense about the planets." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A secret plan backed by tech billionaires to create a new city northeast of San Francisco is running

The group has moved from fighting left-wing activists to protesting outside drag shows.

Man City have confirmed the signing of midfielder Matheus Nunes from Wolves.

Europe is expected to produce less renewable power than usual in September due to unfavorable weather conditions, potentially

By Noele Illien, Elisa Martinuzzi and John O'Donnell BERN (Reuters) -Switzerland was urged to prepare properly for the failure of

More than 60 officials are held in separate jails, as car bombs target the country's prisons authority.