Placental function linked to brain injuries associated with autism

Tom Patriot

Allopregnanolone (ALLO), a hormone made by the placenta late in pregnancy, is such a potent neurosteroid that disrupting its steady supply to the developing fetus can leave it vulnerable to brain injuries associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to Children’s research presented during the Pediatric Academic Societies 2019 Annual Meeting. In order to more effectively treat vulnerable babies, the Children’s research team first had to tease out what goes wrong in the careful choreography that is pregnancy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in…

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Exploding Vehicle in Shanghai Hurts Tesla Stock

Tom Patriot

Netflix and other technology stocks helped the Entrepreneur Index™ post a small gain of 0.22 percent today. The major stock indexes were also flat, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite indexes posting small gains while the Dow had a small loss. The four FAANG stocks that are part of the Entrepreneur Index™ were all up smartly on the day, with Netflix, up 4.81 percent, posting the biggest gain on the index. Investors appear to have gotten over the slightly cautious guidance the company issued for the second quarter in its earnings release last week. The…

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Metformin may help patients maintain weight loss long-term

Tom Patriot

In the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) clinical trial and its long-term follow-up study, among the persons who lost at least 5 percent of their body weight during the first year, long-term maintenance of weight loss was more likely if they had been assigned to treatment with metformin than with placebo or lifestyle intervention. Being older and losing a greater amount of weight in the first year were the most consistent predictors of lasting weight loss. Findings from a cohort study are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Weight loss plays…

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