Cutting-edge biomaterial could help repair damaged joint cartilage

By
Monica Pop
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Cartilage is a strong, flexible connective tissue that protects the joints and bones and acts as a shock absorber throughout the body.

The cartilage in the knee has no direct blood supply which makes it hard, if not impossible to heal, with most tears requiring surgery.

However, in what they describe a revolutionary discovery, scientists developed a new biomaterial that successfully regenerated high-quality cartilage in the knee joints of sheep.

The innovative injectable substance could potentially help repair joint damage caused by degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis, as well as sports injuries such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears.

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“Cartilage is a critical component in our joints,” says Samuel I. Stupp of Northwestern University, whose team of scientists is behind this new innovation. “When it becomes damaged or breaks down over time, it can have a great impact on people’s overall health and mobility. The problem is that, in adult humans, cartilage does not have an inherent ability to heal. Our new therapy can induce repair in a tissue that does not naturally regenerate. We think our treatment could help address a serious, unmet clinical need.”

The biomaterial is made of two components: a bioactive peptide that binds to a protein vital for cartilage growth, and modified hyaluronic acid.

“Many people are familiar with hyaluronic acid because it’s a popular ingredient in skincare products,” Stupp said. “It’s also naturally found in many tissues throughout the human body, including the joints and brain. We chose it because it resembles the natural polymers found in cartilage.”

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Stupp’s team developed a scaffold using these two components that mimics natural cartilage, signaling the body’s own cells to regenerate the damaged tissue.

They tested it on sheep because their hind legs are similar to human knee in terms of structure and the weight they bear. “A study on a sheep model is more predictive of how the treatment will work in humans,” Stupp said. “In other smaller animals, cartilage regeneration occurs much more readily.”

A treated cartilage wound, with the healed section stained red/Samuel I. Stupp/Northwestern University

The biomaterial injected into the sheep’s stifle joint formed a rubber-like matrix. As it dissolved, new cartilage grew in, surpassing the control tissue in quality during testing.

Scientists believe this method to be more successful and less invasive compared to the present options, which include creating microscopic fractures on the bone to encourage new cartilage growth and complete knee replacement.

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Trump discloses cognitive test results amid speculations about his health

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Monica Pop
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As part of his second term in office, President Donald Trump has undergone his first physical examination which also involved a cognitive assessment.

The results, including those of the cognitive test, which have been released to the public by the White House, show that Trump is in “excellent” health.

The five-hour medical exam took place at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, with Dr. Sean Barbabella performing it. According to the president himself, it involved “every test you can imagine.”

“President Trump exhibits excellent cognitive and physical health and is fully fit to execute the duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State,” Barbabella wrote in his report regarding the test results. “He remains in excellent health, exhibiting robust cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and general physical function.

“His active lifestyle continues to contribute significantly to his well-being.”

The memo highlighted the president’s “frequent victories in golf events.”

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However, what caught many people’s attention was Trump’s weight, which was listed as 224 pounds.

Reportedly, he scored 30 out of 30 on the cognitive test, getting every single question right.

“I did well,” he remarked. “Overall, I felt I was in very good shape. A good heart, a good soul, a very good soul.”

During Joe Biden’s presidency, Trump often mocked him because of his age, calling him “Sleepy Joe” during several occasions. However, while Biden was 78 years old when he moved into the White House and his presidency ended when he was 82, Trump would in fact be 156 days older at the end of his four years than Biden was at the end of his term.

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Trump said he took the cognitive assessment test because he wanted to be different than his predecessor.

“I don’t know what to tell you other than I got every answer right,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One.

The medical report was the first public information on Trump’s health since the July assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Barbabella added that, “Examination of the head, ears, nose and throat revealed no significant abnormalities with the exception of scaring on the right ear from a gunshot wound.”

The doctor’s memo reported Trump taking Aspirin, Mometasone cream for a skin issue, and Rosuvastatin and Ezetimibe for cholesterol control.

Recently, Trump appeared with bruises on his hands, which sparked rumors about his health. The bruises were visible during his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in February. Addressing the rumors, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the bruises were a result of Trump “constantly working and shaking hands.”

Also, videos from Mar-a-Lago shared on the social media recently sparked speculations about Trump’s leg which appeared wobbly.

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Shocking truth about what airport X-ray scanners actually reveal

By
Monica Pop
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Who doesn’t want to travel? Visiting different places and experiencing different cultures firsthand enriches the soul. However, waiting long hours at the airport can be tiring. With all those people rushing to get their flights, the long queues, and the pressure of flying, the entire experience of traveling can get overwhelming.

Another “issue,” until recently, were the body scanners. If you wonder why, this is the answer.

The full-body X-ray scanners that were once used at nearly every airport revealed “too much.”

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The backscatter technology was introduced in 2009 after a failed underwear bombing when Transportation Security Administration (TSA) started using scanners capable of producing full-body X-ray images called ‘Rapiscan’ scanners.

The problem with these scanners was that passengers refused to go through them because they displayed a complete ‘nude’ X-ray of them. On top of that, they cost a lot of money, around $180,000 each. Around 174 scanners were placed at at least 30 airports across America.

The backlash over these airport X-ray scanners was obvious. So, TSA had to make the decision to remove them from the airports in 2013.

Although the ‘Rapiscan’ scanners are no longer in use in the US, people are still horrified when they think of them.

“I honestly thought X-ray meant you can only see the bones,” someone commented.

“Is this why I always get put aside?” another joked.

“Definitely tucking my junk next time through just to see if I get a reaction,” a third added.

“Imagine the TRAUMA the American TSA staff have to endure,” a fourth said.

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TSA also provided an explanation as to why they terminated the contract with Rapiscan, writing, “Due to its inability to deploy non-imaging Automated Target Recognition (ATR) software by the Congressionally mandated June 2013 deadline, TSA has terminated part of its contract with Rapiscan.

“By June 2013 travellers will only see machines which have ATR that allow for faster throughput.”

TSA researcher and communication PhD, Shawna Malvini Redden, author of 101 Pat-Downs, explained that the scanners used nowadays “Now when passengers are scanned, the machines “are supposed to generate generic images of a body instead of the passenger’s unique image.”

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He adds, “With millimeter wave machines that have the privacy software installed, TSOs are only seeing this outline with a green ‘clear’ or a red ‘stop and check’ signal.”

“If someone has something in their pockets, for instance, the machine will put an alarm note in the paper doll’s groin region so the officer knows generally where to search.”

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Gwyneth Paltrow sends unexpected message to Kate Middleton

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Monica Pop
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Actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Duchess Meghan Markle have been close friends. Recently, however, there have been rumors about an alleged feud between the two.

Well, both Paltrow and Markle were quick to respond to these speculations by posting a surprise joint video on the Goop-founder‘s Instagram.

Asked, “Are you comprehending the Meghan Markle beef that social media says you two have?” Paltrow said she didn’t and then pointed out the camera towards Markle, who was seated next to her having a pie.

Being friends with Markle, however, didn’t stop Gwyneth Paltrow from expressing her pleasure of seeing Kate Middleton making a public appearance after the news of her cancer diagnosis and the treatments she had received.

Namely, after months of staying out of the spotlight, the Princess of Wales attended the Trooping the Colour celebrations, posing with her family on the balcony of the Buckingham Palace.

She and Prince William posted a series of images and thanked everyone for “making it a day to remember.”

As expected, the post gained a lot of attention and plenty of comments. Paltrow was among those who sent her well wishes, writing, “So happy to see you looking so happy and well.”

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She added a heart emoji, and over 5,000 users liked her comment.

Shortly before Kate’s public appearance following her cancer diagnosis in May 2024, Paltrow and her TV producer husband Brad Fulchuk enjoyed a meal at a Michelin-star restaurant with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Actress Cameron Diaz and her husband, Benji Madden, the lead guitarist in the band Good Charlotte, also joined them

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Gwyneth Paltrow was also among the first celebrities to send well-wished to Kate Middleton after she revealed her health condition in a video message. At the time, the actress, who described the princess as a “pillar of grace and strength,” commented, “Sending love.”

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Operator of NYC helicopter crash had prior mechanical failures

By
Monica Pop
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The investigation regarding the tragic NYC helicopter crash that claimed the lives of six people after breaking apart mid-air and plunging into the Hudson River is still ongoing.

Videos of the moment the plane crashed show the rotor indeed detaching from the helicopter.

“Hudson River Helicopter Crash video shows that the rotor blades were fully detached from the fuselage but still spinning. This likely was NOT engine failure,” a witness said.

Experts argue that the reason is a faulty “Jesus nut,” the single bolt that holds the entire rotor system together in helicopters. 

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The victims were identified as Agustín Escobar, Siemens’ chief executive for rail infrastructure, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, their three children, and pilot Seankese Johnson.

The helicopter that was supposed to take the family from Spain sightseeing over the city was operated by New York Helicopter, a company offering sightseeing tours for several hundred dollars per flight.

Sources close to the investigation claim the helicopter was leased from a Louisiana-based company, called Meridian Helicopters.

New York Helicopter Tours LLC

The New York Helicopter owner, Michael Roth, said, “We’re all devastated. Every employee in our company is devastated. My wife has not stopped crying.

“The death of the child, of any human being, is a monumental disaster.”

He added: “He [the pilot] called in that he was landing and that he needed fuel, and it should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn’t arrive,” he said.”

In the past, the company has faced mechanical failures and crashes. In 2013, a sightseeing helicopter run by the company and carrying a Swedish family of four lost power during the flight and was forced to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River near Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

At the time, the pilot realized the engine had failed and managed to make a forced landing. Luckily, no one was injured.

Two years later, another aircraft operated by the same company crashed in northern New Jersey. The helicopter lost control just 20 feet above the ground.

The crash was linked to a hidden faulty part concealed by previous owners. The same company, Meridian Helicopters, leased both the earlier Bell 206 and the one in Thursday’s fatal crash.

According to AP, New York Helicopter has been through a bankruptcy over the last eight years and faces ongoing lawsuits over alleged debts.

In December, one of their helicopter was repossessed due to unpaid lease payments.

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Man who saw ‘proof’ that ‘death is not the end’ explains the seven levels of afterlife

By
Monica Pop
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The concept of afterlife refers to a “continued existence in some form after physiological death.” A number of religions embrace this concept, believing in two possible versions, that of reincarnation (the rebirth in new bodies or forms) and eternal life life (occurring in either heaven or hell).

Chris Carter is an author who has explored the idea of life after death by making an in-depth analysis of the experience of British poet, classicist, philologist, and a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, Frederic William Henry Myers.

Myers, who died in 1901, aged 57, gave detailed descriptions of his afterlife experience, which served as the foundation of Carter’s book, The Case for the Afterlife.

“Myers described a stupendous journey of the immortal soul through the various planes or spheres of existence, beginning with Earth,” Carter wrote.

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The British pot explained the seven plane journeys, with Earth representing level one.

The second level represents a “temporary resting place on the borders of two worlds.”

“The time spent in Hades is said to vary with the needs of the individual, with children often requiring hardly any rest at all,” he wrote.

According to Carter, Myers wrote, “I died in Italy, a land I loved, and I was very weary at the time of my passing. For me Hades was a place of rest, a place of half-lights and drowsy peace.”

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The third level is that of terrene imagination, ad while on this plane, you you live pretty much as how you lived on Earth.

“Not everyone enjoys an idyllic existence on the third plane: the lower levels are described as dark, gloomy, desolate, in which there are no children, but only those who, as adults on Earth, had chosen to lead selfish, evil lives.

“How long they remain in this nether region depends on how long they choose to remain in a selfish, morally undeveloped state.”

According to Myers descriptions, the fourth level is where he eventually ended up. It is the first “true heaven world” with colors like we have never seen.

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The plane of flame is the fifth level of the afterlife, as analyzed by Carter based on Myers descriptions.

Level Six, or the Plane of Light, is when the person has completely disappeared and only exists “as white light, as the pure thought of their Creator.”

Since he hadn’t reached this level of afterlife, Myers claimed he had heard of it from other who had experienced it.

At this stage, the person joins “the immortals.”

The last level, or level seven, isn’t when we see Hell or Heaven, because according to Carter those are concepts only taught by religion.

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Further, he wrote that the mind creates the fire of hell, not some place where others torture you, and that you don’t meet God in heaven.

“Myers, in his post-mortem communications, describes God as being far, far above the human, and we… only can come close in what he describes as the seventh plane,” Carter wrote.

He added: “Based on my extensive reading of various communications via mediums, the reason the newly departed do not see God is simply because we are, at first, too primitive and, immediately after leaving the Earth, occupy planes of existence not nearly exalted or advanced enough to closely approach the divine.

The last level provides the opportunity to connect with God.

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Understanding the high-functioning alcoholics

By
Monica Pop
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High-functioning alcoholics refers to people who are dependent of alcohol but are still able to function normally in their daily life. They go to work, perform tasks, and participate in social activities.

These people don’t fit the image of a “typical” alcoholic – who are perceived by the society as often homeless and jobless.

The issue with high-functioning alcoholics is that they function effectively and are often successful.

This leads to those close to them, including family, friends, and co-workers, to miss the signs.

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The American Addiction Centers define alcoholism as “a treatable chronic medical disorder” that “causes long-term changes in the brain.” So, someone who doesn’t show any indications of having issues with alcohol and performs everyday tasks normally despite being a heavy drinker won’t be offered any medical assistance or other form of help.

For these individuals, the denial runs deep because they don’t feel the negative consequences since they don’t experience issues with their jobs or the relations with those around them.

High-functioning alcoholics often consume as much alcohol as those individuals with an alcohol use disorder (previously labeled as alcoholics, a term that is now considered outdated and stigmatizing). However, the high-functioning alcoholics won’t appear intoxicated. The main reason for this is because they have developed a tolerance for alcohol over time.

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According to the America’s National Institutes of Health, as many as 20% of those consuming alcohol excessively are high-functioning. Most of them are high-educated individuals with a steady income.

If confronted about their drinking, they tend to find excuses.

“How can I be addicted when I have a steady job and friends?” or “I am successful, so how can my drinking be out of control?” are examples of it.

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Of course, drinking excessively can lead to severe health issues, including damage to the liver, the kidneys, and the pancreas. At the same time, it increases the risks of a heart attack, stroke, and high-blood pressure.

Further, heavy drinking leads to mental issues such as depression and anxiety.

One of the first signs that point to high-functioning alcoholism is the denial. Further, these people use alcohol as a coping mechanism. They have increased alcohol tolerance, and find a bunch of excuses to justify their drinking.

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The good thing is that there are treatments that can help high-functioning alcoholics with their problem. Some of these treatments include detoxification, inpatient or outpatient treatment, therapy, support groups, and medications.

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John Goodman rushed to hospital

By
Monica Pop
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Hollywood legend John Goodman “received immediate medical attention that led to a brief delay in shooting to allow him time to recover,” a Warner Bros Pictures spokesperson shared.

According to The Daily Mail, Goodman suffered a hip injury while filming his latest film in England alongside Tom Cruise.

“The production resumes shooting next week following John’s full recovery,” the spokesperson added.

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The shooting of the project took place on the Pinewood Studios set in Buckinghamshire, England. It is being directed by Academy Award winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu and is expected to be released in October, 2026.

Goodman’s injury, however, would likely cause delays.

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Deadline reported that the actor either slipped or fell during filming a blocking scene. The injuries are reported to be minor and Goodman is expected to return on set in two days.

The film, Judy, is highly anticipated. In addition to Goodman and Cruise, it features Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, and Sophie Wilde, making it a project packed with talent.

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The plot, as per IMDB, shows Cruise, 62, starring as “the most powerful man in the world” who is on a mission to prove he’s there to save humanity after causing a major disaster.

This is Cruise’s first film with The Warner Bros in a decade. His latest project with the studio was the 2014 film Edge of Tomorrow.

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As of Goodman, despite his age, 72, he’s still acting and doesn’t show signs of slowing down. He’s best known for his roles in the series Roseanne, The Conners and The Righteous Gemstones and movies such as The Big Lebowski, The Flinstones and Monsters Inc.

Privately, John Goodman had struggled with depression, anxiety, and alcohol addiction. However, as of 2007, he’s been sober after checking into rehab with his wife’s support.

He also fought obesity for a number of years but managed to lose over 100 pounds during the last couple of years.

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