Lifeboat Foundation

In order to cover the different areas and to manage the large volume of research that has been conducted on the serotonin system, we conducted an ‘umbrella’ review. Umbrella reviews survey existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses relevant to a research question and represent one of the highest levels of evidence synthesis available [23]. Although they are traditionally restricted to systematic reviews and meta-analyses, we aimed to identify the best evidence available. Therefore, we also included some large studies that combined data from individual studies but did not employ conventional systematic review methods, and one large genetic study. The latter used nationwide databases to capture more individuals than entire meta-analyses, so is likely to provide even more reliable evidence than syntheses of individual studies.

We first conducted a scoping review to identify areas of research consistently held to provide support for the serotonin hypothesis of depression. Six areas were identified, addressing the following questions: Serotonin and the serotonin metabolite 5-HIAA–whether there are lower levels of serotonin and 5-HIAA in body fluids in depression; Receptors — whether serotonin receptor levels are altered in people with depression; The serotonin transporter (SERT) — whether there are higher levels of the serotonin transporter in people with depression (which would lower synaptic levels of serotonin); Depletion studies — whether tryptophan depletion (which lowers available serotonin) can induce depression; SERT gene – whether there are higher levels of the serotonin transporter gene in people with depression; Whether there is an interaction between the SERT gene and stress in depression.

We searched for systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and large database studies in these six areas in PubMed, EMBASE and PsycINFO using the Healthcare Databases Advanced Search tool provided by Health Education England and NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence). Searches were conducted until December 2020.

However, the research which was published in PLoS Medicine found that noise levels in the house had no effect on the results of working memory and attention tests.

Road traffic noise is a common issue in cities, but its effects on children’s health are still not fully known. According to recent research done at 38 schools in Barcelona, road noise has a negative impact on how well working memory and attention are developed in young children. The results of this investigation, which was conducted under the direction of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a facility supported by the “la Caixa” Foundation, were released in the journal PLoS Medicine.

2,680 kids between the ages of 7 and 10 participated in the study, which was part of the BREATHE initiative and directed by researchers Maria Foraster and Jordi Sunyer. The researchers focused on attention and working memory, two skills that grow quickly throughout preadolescence and are crucial for learning and academic success, in order to gauge the potential effects of traffic noise on cognitive development.

We have reached a turning point in society. According to renowned theoretical physicist Michio Kaku, the next 100 years of science will determine whether we perish or thrive. Will we remain a Type 0 civilization, or will we advance and make our way into the stars?

Experts assert that, as a civilization grows larger and becomes more advanced, its energy demands will increase rapidly due to its population growth and the energy requirements of its various machines. With this in mind, the Kardashev scale was developed as a way of measuring a civilization’s technological advancement based upon how much usable energy it has at its disposal (this was originally just tied to energy available for communications, but has since been expanded).

“Augmented books, or a-books, can be the future of many book genres, from travel and tourism to education. This technology exists to assist the reader in a deeper understanding of the written topic and get more through digital means without ruining the experience of reading a paper book.”

Power efficiency and pre-printed conductive paper are some of the new features which allow Surrey’s augmented books to now be manufactured on a semi-industrial scale. With no wiring visible to the reader, Surrey’s augmented reality books allow users to trigger digital content with a simple gesture (such as a swipe of a finger or turn of a page), which will then be displayed on a nearby device.

India is a developing country where Robotics is still lagging because of the lack of availability of Robotics components, 3D printed parts and suitable quality motors. The science of Robotics requires a high-end technology to be implemented by researchers or Robotics scientists.

Despite all these, if a teacher (not a Robotics Scientist) can do something in the field and able to develop a prototype that is comparable with the Robots developed by big facilitated and resourceful companies with the help of their best engineers on a huge budget, then the person deserves the appreciation.

A computer science teacher in Kendriya Vidyalaya, IIT Bombay, Dinesh Kunwar Patel has developed the world’s first social and educational humanoid Robot ‘Shalu’ that can speak 47 languages, including 9 Indian and 38 foreign languages. The homemade Robot ‘Shalu’ is made of waste materials, including cardboard, wood, and aluminium.

“DEATH DEFANGED Cryonics, Cryothanasia and the Future of Sentience” with David Pearce, Author, Philosopher and well-known TransHumanistThis service will be on ZOOM and YouTube Live Stream only, not in person.
Zoom at 6:00 PM Eastern Time.
Live Stream at 7:00 PM Eastern Time.
Stay after the close of the YouTube streaming for the Zoom After Party until??:00 pm. Enjoy fellowship in the extended discussions with Neal and Immortalists & Friends from Around the World, sharing bold ideas on health, longevity, and technology!(Note: Mr. Pearce was scheduled last month to give a presentation but due to circumstances beyond our control we did not have that presentation. We look forward this month to have David Pearce join us!)David Pearce is the author of 4 major works:“The Hedonistic Imperative”, “The Biointelligence Explosion: How Recursively Self-Improving Organic Robots will Modify their Own Source Code and Bootstrap Our Way to Full-Spectrum Superintelligence”, “Singularity Hypotheses: A Scientific and Philosophical Assessment”, & “Can Biotechnology Abolish Suffering?”
The Hedonistic Imperative (1995) advocates the use of biotechnology to abolish suffering throughout the living world. In 1998, he co-founded the World Transhumanist Association (H+) with Nick Bostrom. Transhumanists believe in the use of technology to overcome our biological limitations.
Currently, Pearce is a fellow of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, and sits on the futurist advisory board of the Lifeboat Foundation. He is also the director of bioethics of Invincible Wellbeing and is on the advisory boards of the Center on Long-Term Risk, the Organization for the Prevention of Intense Suffering and since 2021 the Qualia Research Institute. Please share this event with someone that you care about. Would you like to make a Donation to Perpetual Life? Your donations help us grow & improve our services. To donate, go to our website http://Perpetual.Life and use the PayPal button at the top right of the page. Thank you for your generous donations, we appreciate it immensely!“Our task is to make nature, the blind force of nature, into an instrument of universal resuscitation and to become a union of immortal beings.“
- Nikolai F. FedorovWe hold faith in the technologies & discoveries of humanity to END AGING and Defeat involuntary Death within our lifetime. Working to Save Lives with Age Reversal Education. ========== Perpetual Life Creed ==========We believe that all of life is sacred and that we have been given this one life to make unlimited. We believe in our Creator’s divine plan for all of humanity to have infinite lifespans in perfect health and eternal joy, rendering death to be optional. By following our Gospel we achieve eternal life creating a heaven here on earth. We follow Nikolai Fyodorov, who taught that the transcendence of the creator will only be solved when humanity in our unified efforts become an instrument of universal resuscitation, when the divine word becomes our divine action. And we follow Arthur C. Clarke, who said “The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible.“And so, we enter each day energized in Spirit and empowered by the words of our prophets to live in joy, serving our creator and all of mankind, Forever and Ever.==========Wishing you Perfect Health and Great Longevity!Perpetual Life, a science-faith based church is open to people of all faiths & belief systems. We are non-denominational & non-judgmental and a central gathering place of Immortalists & Transhumans. What unites us is our common faith, belief and desire in Unlimited Life Spans. We are located in Pompano Beach FL at 950 South Cypress Road.

A fter schools shifted to an online teaching mode, 17-year-old Nisha Pathak was worried about her increase in screen time. To avoid spending too much time looking at computers and to keep herself active, the Class 12 student of Neeraja Modi school, Jaipur, Rajasthan, took up farming.

“I wanted to keep myself engaged in activities that did not require looking at a screen. Apart from that, I wanted to grow the veggies and distribute them to underprivileged families living near my home,” says Nisha, adding that she learnt how to prepare seeds and plant them from a gardener in her community premises.

Initially, she grew vegetables like potatoes, onions and tomatoes. The harvest was distributed among underprivileged families who were living in neighbouring areas and were unable to procure fresh vegetables regularly.

The Virus Zoo is my latest educational blog post! I’ve written up ~1 page ‘cheat sheets’ on the molecular biology of specific viruses. I cover genome, structure, and life cycle. So far, my zoo includes adeno-associated virus (AAV), adenovirus, and herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). However, I plan to add more viruses as time goes on! Some others I would like to incorporate later are coronavirus, HIV, anellovirus, lentivirus, ebolavirus, and MS2 bacteriophage. Feel free to suggest other interesting viruses in the comments! All images were created by me. #virology #molecularbiology #biotechnology #genetherapy #virus #biochemistry #genetics

Genome and Structure:

AAV genomes are about 4.7 kb in length and are composed of ssDNA. Inverted terminal repeats (ITRs) form hairpin structures at ends of the genome. These ITR structures are important for AAV genomic packaging and replication. Rep genes (encoded via overlapping reading frames) include Rep78, Rep68, Rep52, Rep40.¹ These proteins facilitate replication of the viral genome. As a Dependoparvovirus, additional helper functions from adenovirus (or certain other viruses) are needed for AAVs to replicate.

Continue reading “The Virus Zoo: A Quick Primer on Molecular Virology” »