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As Britney Spears made an anguished speech in court about the control exerted over her life for years, fans, observers and fellow pop stars responded with shock to the details that trickled out from the hearing in Los Angeles, sending messages of support and solidarity.

In the hearing, Ms. Spears said she believed that the conservatorship a legal arrangement that controls her personal life and finances was abusive and that she had not been able to live a full life.

Midway through Wednesdays hearing, after Ms. Spears had finished her prepared testimony, the singer Mariah Carey urged her to stay strong.

Devoted fans on social media who have long suspected that Ms. Spears was not happy with the arrangement commended Ms. Spears for speaking up and reacted with disgust to parts of her account.

Ms. Spears also received supportive words on social media from the singers Brandy, Tinashe and Liz Phair, who wrote that declaring a woman mad to gain control of her assets was the oldest trick in the playbook of the patriarchy.

The singer Halsey wrote on Twitter that she admired Ms. Spearss courage in speaking up and hoped that she would be freed from the abusive system.

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Mariah Carey Urges Britney Spears to 'Stay Strong' on Twitter - The New York Times

News Release

Thursday, June 24, 2021

NIH scientists discover that bacteria may drive activity of many hallmark aging genes in flies.

To better understand the role of bacteria in health and disease, National Institutes of Health researchers fed fruit flies antibiotics and monitored the lifetime activity of hundreds of genes that scientists have traditionally thought control aging. To their surprise, the antibiotics not only extended the lives of the flies but also dramatically changed the activity of many of these genes. Their results suggested that only about 30% of the genes traditionally associated with aging set an animals internal clock while the rest reflect the bodys response to bacteria.

For decades scientists have been developing a hit list of common aging genes. These genes are thought to control the aging process throughout the animal kingdom, from worms to mice to humans, said Edward Giniger, Ph.D., senior investigator, at the NIHs National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the senior author of the study published in iScience. We were shocked to find that only about 30% of these genes may be directly involved in the aging process. We hope that these results will help medical researchers better understand the forces that underlie several age-related disorders.

The results happened by accident. Dr. Ginigers team studies the genetics of aging in a type of fruit fly called Drosophila. Previously, the team showed how a hyperactive immune system may play a critical role in the neural damage that underlies several aging brain disorders. However, that study did not examine the role that bacteria may have in this process.

To test this idea, they raised newborn male flies on antibiotics to prevent bacteria growth. At first, they thought that the antibiotics would have little or no effect. But, when they looked at the results, they saw something interesting. The antibiotics lengthened the flys lives by about six days, from 57 days for control flies to 63 for the treated ones.

This is a big jump in age for flies. In humans, it would be the equivalent of gaining about 20 years of life, said Arvind Kumar Shukla, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow on Dr. Ginigers team and the lead author of the study. We were totally caught off guard and it made us wonder why these flies took so long to die.

Dr. Shukla and his colleagues looked for clues in the genes of the flies. Specially, they used advanced genetic techniques to monitor gene activity in the heads of 10, 30, and 45-day old flies. In a previous study, the team discovered links between the age of a fly and the activity of several genes. In this study, they found that raising the flies on antibiotics broke many of these links.

Overall, the gene activity of the flies fed antibiotics changed very little with age. Regardless of their actual age, the treated flies genetically looked like 30-day old control flies. This appeared to be due to a flat line in the activity of about 70% of the genes the researchers surveyed, many of which are thought to control aging.

At first, we had a hard time believing the results. Many of these genes are classical hallmarks of aging and yet our results suggested that their activity is more a function of the presence of bacteria rather than the aging process, said Dr. Shukla.

Notably, this included genes that control stress and immunity. The researchers tested the impact that the antibiotics had on these genes by starving some flies or infecting others with harmful bacteria and found no clear trend. At some ages, the antibiotics helped flies survive starvation or infection longer than normal whereas at other ages the drugs either had no effect or reduced the chances of survival.

Further experiments supported the results. For instance, the researchers saw similar results on gene activity when they prevented the growth of bacteria by raising the flies in a completely sterile environment without the antibiotics. They also saw a similar trend when they reanalyzed the data from another study that had raised flies on antibiotics. Again, the antibiotics severed many of the links between aging and hallmark gene activity.

Finally, the team found an explanation for why antibiotics extended the lives of flies in the remaining 30% of the genes they analyzed. In short, the rate at which the activity of these genes changed with age was slower than normal in flies that were fed antibiotics.

Interestingly, many of these genes are known to control sleep-wake cycles, the detection of odorants, and the maintenance of exoskeletons, or the crunchy shells that encase flies. Experiments on sleep-wake cycles supported the link between these genes and aging. The activity of awake flies decreased with age and this trend was enhanced by treating the flies with antibiotics.

We found that there are some genes that are in fact setting the bodys internal clock, said Dr. Giniger. In the future, we plan to locate which genes are truly linked to the aging process. If we want to combat aging, then we need to know precisely which genes are setting the clock.

This study was supported by the NIH Intramural Research Program at the NINDS.

This press release describes a basic research finding. Basic research increases our understanding of human behavior and biology, which is foundational to advancing new and better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. Science is an unpredictable and incremental process each research advance builds on past discoveries, often in unexpected ways. Most clinical advances would not be possible without the knowledge of fundamental basic research. To learn more about basic research, visit https://www.nih.gov/news-events/basic-research-digital-media-kit.

NINDSis the nations leading funder of research on the brain and nervous system.The mission of NINDS is to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

NIHTurning Discovery Into Health

Shukla, A.K. et al., Common features of aging fail to occur in Drosophila raised without a bacterial microbiome, iScience, June 24, 2021, DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102703

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Study suggests scientists may need to rethink which genes control aging - National Institutes of Health

Nirsevimab shows positive topline results in RSV Phase 2/3 MEDLEY trial

PARIS June 28, 2021 - In positive topline results from the Phase 2/3 MEDLEY trial, nirsevimab showed a similar safety and tolerability profile compared to palivizumab when administered to preterm infants or those with chronic lung disease (CLD) or congenital heart disease (CHD) entering their first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season.3 Safety and tolerability were assessed by the occurrence of all treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and treatment emergent serious adverse events (TESAEs).

RSV, a seasonal virus that typically circulates in autumn through spring in temperate regions, is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) and the leading cause of hospitalizations in all infants.1,2,4

These data for nirsevimab are important as they show a safety and tolerability profile comparable to the only available preventative option against lower respiratory tract infections caused by RSV for preterm infants and those with health conditions, said Dr. Joseph Domachowske, Professor of Pediatrics and Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the State University of New York, Upstate Medical Center and MEDLEY trial primary investigator. Given the typical RSV season lasts nearly five months, there is a potential advantage to providing a preventative option that could help protect all infants with one dose for the entire season.

MEDLEY is the third pivotal trial to report positive data for nirsevimab. In April, Sanofi reported that nirsevimab met its primary endpoint of achieving a statistically significant reduction of LRTI caused by RSV in healthy preterm and term infants in the Phase 3 MELODY trial. Coupled with recently published Phase 2b trial results, MELODY and MEDLEY results are part of a robust body of evidence demonstrating the potential of nirsevimab to provide RSV protection to all infants. Results from the MELODY and MEDLEY trials will be presented at forthcoming scientific congresses and, along with the Phase 2b results, will form the basis of global regulatory submissions planned for 2022.

RSV is the major remaining pediatric infectious disease with no preventative option available to all infants, said Jean-Franois Toussaint, Global Head of Research and Development, Sanofi Pasteur. We believe nirsevimab has the potential to become an important and innovative routine immunization for all infants those born prematurely or at term, healthy or with health conditions.

RSV is the leading cause of hospitalizations in infants, said Mene Pangalos, Executive Vice President, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca. These results, combined with the recent positive efficacy outcome of our MELODY Phase 3 trial and our Phase 2b data, contribute to the body of evidence demonstrating nirsevimabs potential to protect all infants against RSV with one dose. We look forward to sharing the results with regulators.

Nirsevimab, being developed in partnership with AstraZeneca, is the first investigational extended half-life monoclonal antibody (mAb) aimingto protect all infants entering their first RSV season, when they are at highest risk for severe RSV disease.5-7With nirsevimab, the goal is to provide rapid and direct protection to the infant through a single immunization.

Nirsevimab is designed to be administered from birth to infants born during the RSV season or at the seasons start for infants entering their first RSV season. Incontrast to other options for RSV under development, such as maternal immunization, the aim of nirsevimab is to offer protection when needed to all infants entering their first season.

About the Phase 2/3 MEDLEY clinical trial

MEDLEY is a Phase 2/3, randomized, double-blind, palivizumab-controlled trial with the primary objective to evaluate the safety and tolerability of nirsevimab compared to palivizumab when administered to preterm infants entering their first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season and children with CLD and CHD entering their first and second RSV season.3 Safety is assessed by monitoring the occurrence of TEAEs and TESAEs through 360 days post-dose. Between July 2019 and May 2021 approximately 925 infants entering their first RSV season were dosed with either nirsevimab or palivizumab.

The evaluation of nirsevimab was carried out earlier than anticipated, based on sufficient enrollment, allowing for the assessment of nirsevimabs safety and tolerability versus palivizumab in infants followed through their first RSV season. The trial is ongoing to collect additional safety data in toddlers with CLD or CHD dosed prior to the second season. Results from the MEDLEY trial will be presented at a forthcoming scientific congress.

About RSV

RSV is a common, contagious virus that infects the respiratory tract, causing millions of hospitalizations globally in infants, and is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children younger than one year.1,5,8-12 Hospitalization rates due to RSV infection are consistently highest in the first year of life with infants under one year representing 75% of RSV hospitalizations in children under 5 years.8,13,14 Most hospitalizations for RSV occur in otherwise healthy infants born at term.8,15 Moreover, medically-attended LRTIs are associated with increased costs to the healthcare system.16

About nirsevimab

Nirsevimab is an investigational extended half-life RSV mAb being developed as a passive immunization for the prevention of LRTI caused by RSV. It is designed to protect all infants experiencing their first RSV season and infants with congenital heart disease or chronic lung disease entering their first and second RSV season.3,17

Nirsevimab is developed with the goal of providing RSV protection via an antibody given directly to an infantto help prevent LRTI caused by RSV, unlike active immunization, where a persons immune system is activated to prevent or fight infection through a vaccine.18 Passive immunization could offer rapid protection.18

In March 2017, AstraZeneca and Sanofi announced anagreementto develop and commercialize nirsevimab. Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca leads all development activity through initial approvals and retains manufacturing activities and Sanofi will lead commercialization activities.Nirsevimab is currently under clinical investigation and its safety and efficacy have not been reviewed by any regulatory authority.

Editors note: In January 2021, nirsevimab received the Promising Innovative Medicine (PIM) Designation from the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)and was also granted the Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) by the China Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) under the National Medical Products Administration.In February 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration grantedBreakthrough Therapy Designationfor nirsevimab for the prevention of LRTI caused by RSV, and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) granted access to itsPRIority MEdicines (PRIME) schemefor the same indication.In Japan, nirsevimab was also selected by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) as a medicine for prioritized development under the Project for Drug Selection to Promote New Drug Development in Pediatrics.

About Sanofi

Sanofi is dedicated to supporting people through their health challenges. We are a global biopharmaceutical company focused on human health. We prevent illness with vaccines, provide innovative treatments to fight pain and ease suffering. We stand by the few who suffer from rare diseases and the millions with long-term chronic conditions.

With more than 100,000 people in 100 countries, Sanofi is transforming scientific innovation into healthcare solutions around the globe.

Investor Relations Contacts ParisEva Schaefer-JansenArnaud DelepineNathalie Pham

Investor Relations Contacts North AmericaFelix LauscherFara BerkowitzSuzanne Greco

IR main line:Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 77 45 45investor.relations@sanofi.com

https://www.sanofi.com/en/investors/contact

1. Leader S, Kohlhase K. Respiratory syncytial virus-coded pediatric hospitalizations, 1997 to 1999. The Pediatric infectious disease journal. 2002;21(7):629-32.2. McLaurin KK, Farr AM, Wade SW, Diakun DR, Stewart DL. Respiratory syncytial virus hospitalization outcomes and costs of full-term and preterm infants. Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association. 2016;36(11):990-6.3. Clinicaltrials.gov. A Study to Evaluate the Safety of MEDI8897 for the Prevention of Medically Attended Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Lower Respiratory Track Infection (LRTI) in High-risk Children. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03959488. Accessed June 2021. 4. R K. Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines. Plotkin SA, Orenstein WA, Offitt PA, Edwards KM, eds Plotkins Vaccines 7th ed Philadelphia. 2018;7th ed. Philadelphia:943-9.5. Shi T, et al. Global, regional, and national disease burden estimates of acute lower respiratory infections due to respiratory syncytial virus in young children in 2015: a systematic review and modelling study. Lancet 2017; 390: 94658.6. Sanofi Pasteur. Data on file. Sanofi Pasteur MarketScan Internal Analysis7. Rose E B et al. Respiratory Syncytial Virus Seasonality United States, 20142017. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2018;67:71768. Rha B et al. Respiratory Syncytial VirusAssociated Hospitalizations Among Young Children: 20152016. Pediatrics. 2020;146(1):e20193611.9. Hall CB. The Burgeoning Burden of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Among Children. Infect Disord Drug Targets. 2012;12(2):92-9710. Reeves RM et al. Estimating the burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) on respiratory hospital admissions in children less than five years of age in England, 2007-2012. Influenza Other Respir Viruses. 2017;11(2):122-12911. Piedimonte G, Perez MK. Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection and Bronchiolitis. Pediatr Rev. 2014;35(12):519-53012. Oymar K et al. Acute bronchiolitis in infants, a review. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. 2014;22:2313. Hall CB, et al. The Burden of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Young Children. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(6):58859814. Hall CB, et al. Respiratory syncytial virus-associated hospitalizations among children less than 24 months of age. Pediatrics. 2013;132(2):e341-e34815. Arriola CS, Kim L, Langley G, Anderson EJ, Openo K, Martin AM, et al. Estimated Burden of Community-Onset Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Associated Hospitalizations Among Children Aged <2 Years in the United States, 2014-15. Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. 2020;9(5):587-95.16. Leistner R, et al. Attributable Costs of Ventilator-Associated Lower Respiratory Tract Infection (LRTI) Acquired on Intensive Care Units: a Retrospectively Matched Cohort Study. Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control, vol. 2, no. 1, 4 Apr. 2013, p. 13., doi:10.1186/2047-2994-2-1317. Clinicaltrials.gov. A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of MEDI8897 for the Prevention of Medically Attended RSV LRTI in Healthy Late Preterm and Term Infants (MELODY). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03979313. Accessed June 2021.18. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccines & Immunizations. August 18, 2017. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-

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Nirsevimab shows positive topline results in RSV Phase 2/3 - GlobeNewswire

The weight-loss device stops users from eating solid food by locking their mouths almost shut. Photo / Supplied

A new weight-loss device which uses magnets to stop people opening their mouths enough to eat solids has been labelled "creepy and bizarre" by critics.

But Dunedin researchers who developed the device are defending the invention, saying those panning the weight loss tool have misunderstood its intention.

Otago University and United Kingdom researchers developed the world-first device, which uses magnets to lock the mouth almost shut, to help fight the global obesity epidemic.

DentalSlim Diet Control is an intra-oral device fitted by a dental professional to the upper and lower back teeth.

It used magnetic devices with unique custom-manufactured locking bolts.

The device was being widely ridiculed after being shared on social media, with Twitter users calling it "creepy" and "bizarre".

Lead researcher, University of Otago Health Sciences pro-vice-chancellor Prof Paul Brunton, said it was not intended to be used for general weight loss purposes, but instead for specific cases where there was a clinical need to lose weight quickly.

"Sometimes the first step [of losing weight] is quite difficult ... so it was developed with a view of being an additional treatment that could be used in selected cases where it's appropriate."

Brunton said feedback from colleagues in the field had been positive.

The device allows the wearer to open their mouths only about 2mm, restricting them to a liquid diet, but it allows free speech and does not restrict breathing.

Participants in a Dunedin trial lost an average of 6.36kg in two weeks and were motivated to continue with their weight loss journey.

It would be fitted by a dentist, and could be released by the user in case of an emergency and could be repeatedly fitted and removed.

"The main barrier for people for successful weight loss is compliance and this helps them establish new habits, allowing them to comply with a low-calorie diet for a period of time."It really kick-starts the process.

"It is a non-invasive, reversible, economical and attractive alternative to surgical procedures," Prof Brunton said.

The tool could be particularly helpful for those having to lose weight before they can undergo surgery, and for diabetes patients for whom weight loss could initiate remission, he said.

The practice of surgically wiring people's jaws shut became popular in the 1980s, but it came with risks; vomiting brought with it the risk of choking and after nine to 12 months the patients developed gum disease.

In some cases, there were continuing issues with restriction of jaw movement and some developed acute psychiatric conditions.

"Alternative strategies are required which may obviate surgery, or which reduce weight prior to surgery and so make it easier and safer.

"The beauty of it is that once patients are fitted with the device, after two or three weeks they can have the magnets disengaged.

"They could then have a period with a less restricted diet and then go back into treatment."

Patients given the device described it as tolerable, though the design has since been improved.

"This could actually help a lot of people."

The research team consisted of Brunton, Dr Jithendra Ratnayake, Dr Peter Mei and Dr Arthi Veerasamy, all of Otago University, Dr Jonathan Bodansky, of Leeds, and Dr Richard Hall, of RMH Consultancy, Leeds.

The paper was published in the British Dental Journal.

Excerpt from:
DentalSlim Diet Control: Researcher defends weight-loss device after it sparks ridicule on social media - New Zealand Herald

JACKSON, MI - Stephanie Titler was at her job as a veterinary assistant when she received a message on social media from a stranger, asking if she could help with a racoon stuck on the frozen lake behind her house.

She could tell the racoon was breathing but it wasnt moving, Titler, of Jackson, said of the January 2020 incident. She said she contacted animal control and they told her they were too busy. She said, Im just watching this ice melt and eventually the raccoon is going to fall in and drown.

Titler quickly left her job in Ann Arbor and drove to Jackson to the womans house, arriving the same time animal control did.

The animal control officer and Titler could not reach the raccoon with a rabies pole, so Titler took matters into her own hands, slowly crawling onto the ice on her hands and knees, grabbing the non-moving raccoon and pulling it back to land with her.

Its actions like this that have contributed to Titler being one of five contestants in the running for a 2021 American Humane Hero Veterinary Nurse Award. Her grandmother, Sharon Gerry, nominated her for the award because of her dedication to helping animals.

Shes a fantastic person, Gerry said. She is willing to help out someone she doesnt even know, thats how passionate she is about it.

Titler showed an interest in becoming a vet when she was 8 years old and has always had a passion for animals, Gerry said, adding that Titlers dedication to animals grew when she reached high school.

Its just one thing shes always wanted to do, and she does a great job. Shes fantastic with animals, Gerry said.

Titler has worked in veterinary medicine for 13 years and has been a licensed veterinary technician since 2012. Shes currently finishing her bachelors degree in biology at Eastern Michigan University and plans to apply to veterinary school in September.

In addition to her education and veterinary care work, Titler also has volunteered in animal rescue and rehabilitation with the Jackson County Animal Shelter. Over the years, she has fostered two pregnant dogs and many cats.

Currently, Titler works as a veterinarian nurse at BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Ann Arbor. She said when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, all general veterinary practices were closed due to Gov. Gretchen Whitmers stay home order.

The only practices allowed to stay open were emergency services, which is her line of practice. This brought in a lot of animal care services to the emergency clinics that they usually would not conduct, she said.

Ive worked at BluePearl for seven years and Ive never seen anything like that, she said.

Since the clinics have re-opened, Titler said there is still a continued back up in veterinary care. She said she usually would be scheduled for a 10-hour shift at her practice, but has been working 12-hour shifts.

Id rather work myself to the bone rather than have an animal suffer for it, Titler said.

People can vote for Titler to receive the veterinary award until Thursday, July 29, at the American Humane website. The winner will be announced as part of the annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards, which will be taped for televising on the Hallmark Channel in October.

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Id rather work myself to the bone than have an animal suffer. Jackson woman up for national award - MLive.com