How salt on the sidewalk affects our pets
Officials in Edina, along with many communities across the country, are taking part in Winter Salt Week to highlight the issues salt creates for our furry friends and waterways.
"It can cause skin irritation or tummy issues (if ingested). In extreme cases, you should bring your dog into the vet," said Jessica Wilson, Edina's water resources manager. "You want to make sure you're storing packages properly. Or if it's really slushy snow, and they're eating it or if there are puddles of meltwater and they're drinking that, then that could be harmful."
Experts say alternatives like sand or kitty litter for traction are safer options, as well as using good old elbow grease to clear the snow with shovels. But if you have to use salt, a little goes a long way. Using too much can also lead to environmental impacts.
"[A small jar] is enough salt to pollute 900 gallons of water permanently. It's creating a saltwater condition in a freshwater landscape, so the aquatic organisms — it impacts their ability to reproduce if the water gets too salty," Wilson said.
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Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Yahoo
Forget the gym — this 10-minute mobility routine boosts your flexibility and improves your posture without equipment
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Everyone can benefit from doing more mobility work, and it doesn't have to take a lot of time to achieve the results you want. This 10-minute mobility routine from fitness trainer Fraser Wilson doesn't require any equipment, so it's easy to fit into your routine, and if you do it two or three times a week, it will quickly help to improve your posture and flexibility. If you want to roll out one of the best yoga mats to make floor exercises more comfortable, then go ahead, but otherwise, you don't need anything for this stretching session aside from a bit of space. Watch Fraser Wilson's 10-minute mobility routine There are 14 stretches in the routine and Wilson performs the whole thing in the video, so you can follow along to make sure you're getting into the right position and holding each pose for the correct length of time. The routine stretches the whole body and while that makes it a very time-efficient session to add to your weekly schedule, if you do have areas of the body that need more attention, then it might be worth also doing some more specific stretches for them — if it's your hips in particular that are tight, try these five moves to help unlock them. This mobility routine will benefit everyone, and is especially good for those doing regular workouts at the gym and taxing their muscles. Doing it after a training session will speed up your recovery from the workout and hopefully reduce the risk of experiencing any delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It's also a great way to relax the body after a tough workout, with the slow stretches helping to ease you off after your training, while also benefiting the muscles. For improving your mobility, it'll take some time for that benefit to appear — years of tightness don't disappear overnight after just one session. However, if you stick to doing this routine (or ones like it) several times a week, you will begin to notice improvements in your mobility. Consistency really is key. Stay consistent, and the benefits will shine through during your training, where you'll have more range and flexibility during strength workouts, and in general life, where you'll have more functional fitness thanks to increased mobility. If you're experienced with yoga, you'll be familiar with some of the moves in Wilson's video, and if you'd prefer to do a full yoga routine, try this 15-minute mobility session from a personal trainer to bulletproof your body. More from Tom's Guide Study says this is the real reason you're not seeing workout results — and it's not 10,000 steps I followed the Japanese walking method for 30 days — here's what happened to my back pain and energy levels watchOS 26 hands-on: 5 cool new features to try on your Apple Watch right now
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- Yahoo
ScaleReady Announces a G-Rex® Grant has been awarded to Sidra Medicine
ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ScaleReady, in collaboration with Wilson Wolf Manufacturing, Bio-Techne Corporation and CellReady, today announced that Sidra Medicine, a women and children's hospital in Qatar, has been awarded a $100,000 G-Rex® Grant. Sidra Medicine's G-Rex® Grant will enable expeditious development, validation, and implementation of a G-Rex® centric CAR-T cell production platform. The G-Rex Grant will allow Sidra Medicine to perform the processes and preclinical development for a CD19 CAR-T cell therapy product that will initially be used in pediatric oncology settings. Sidra Medicine will also receive early access to the G-CART™ process currently in development at Cell Ready, the world's first and only G-Rex centric contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO). The Grant will also support the implementation of fully closed system, semi-automated G-Rex production compliant with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs). Lastly, the Grant will support the technology transfer to Sidra Medicine's newly established GMP facility for qualification and implementation. "Sidra Medicine is a pioneering healthcare institution that has innovation weaved into the very core of its precision medicine program. Our GMP facility has been specifically set up to develop better treatment protocols for pediatric diseases including cancers, genetic and rare diseases. The G-Rex® Grant will play a key role in accelerating the readiness of our protocols, particularly for Sidra Medicine's pediatric oncology program. Our preliminary findings have already shown us that the G-Rex® method is outstanding in its simplicity and the unique T cell phenotype resulting from the cell culture. This methodology will allow us to implement an affordable, highly efficient G-Rex based cell manufacturing platform with the most suitable T cell phenotype, ultimately having a positive impact on pediatric patient care and cure," said Sara Deola, M.D., Ph.D., Research Investigator at Sidra Medicine. "We're eager to support the emerging Cell & Gene Therapy (CGT) industry in Qatar and the Middle East. By entering the field of CAR-T without any preconceived manufacturing notions and quickly gathering and reviewing G-Rex manufacturing data, Sidra Medicine quickly recognized the full array of advantages that our G-Rex centric manufacturing process offers relative to alternatives. Sidra Medicine's quick grasp of the technical and economic advantages of G-Rex relative to alternatives gives us confidence that this grant will set the stage for low cost and fully scalable CAR-T manufacturing in Qatar and the Middle East." said John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Wolf and co-inventor of G-Rex. ScaleReady's G-Rex Grant Program has now surpassed $40M of no-cost product commitments to grant recipients with the goal of advancing the state of cell and gene-modified cell therapy (CGT) development and manufacturing. Individual Grant Awards are worth up to $300,000. G-Rex Grant Recipients also gain access to exclusive support from ScaleReady's growing consortium of G-Rex Grant Partners who bring best-in-class tools and technologies as well as unparalleled knowledge and expertise in the areas of cGMP manufacturing, quality and regulatory affairs, CGT business operations, and more. Importantly, ScaleReady has just introduced yet another FREE program to accelerate the universal presence of highly efficient and scalable CGT manufacturing. Under this program ScaleReady has partnered with Hanson Wade to launch an event series called LEAN Cell & Gene™. All CGT entities are invited to attend and will learn how to systematically identify and eliminate waste, stabilize business operations, increase drug product quality and supply, and develop a LEAN approach to cell and gene therapy development and manufacturing. For more information about the G-Rex® Grant Program, please contact info@ For more information about LEAN Cell & Gene™, please use this link to register for the free event series. About ScaleReadyScaleReady provides the field of cell and gene-modified cell therapy (CGT) with a G-Rex centric manufacturing platform that enables the world's most practical, flexible, scalable, and affordable CGT drug product development and manufacturing. The G-Rex manufacturing platform is currently used by a rapidly growing list of over 800 organizations and is producing drug products for approximately 50% of CGT clinical trials as well as 5 commercially approved CGT drugs. CGT entities relying on the breadth and scope of ScaleReady's expertise can expect to save years of time and millions of dollars on the path to CGT commercialization. For more information about the ScaleReady G-Rex® Grant Program, please contact info@ About Wilson Wolf ManufacturingWilson Wolf ( is dedicated to simplifying cell and gene-modified cell (CGT) therapy research, process development, and manufacturing. This is being accomplished through its scalable G-Rex technology, which is used throughout the world in CGT applications ranging from basic research to commercial drug production. Wilson Wolf's mission is to create hope for cancer patients, one G-Rex® device at a time. About Bio-Techne CorporationBio-Techne Corporation (NASDAQ: TECH) is a global life sciences company providing innovative tools and bioactive reagents for the research and clinical diagnostic communities. Bio-Techne, in partnership with Wilson Wolf, is creating products such as media and cytokines that are specifically tailored to G-Rex® Bioreactors, including right-sized reagent quantities in containers that are tailored to high throughput closed-system manufacturing. For more information on Bio-Techne and its brands, please visit or follow the Company on social media at: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube. Contact: David Clair, Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate About CellReady LLCCellReady is the world's first and only G-Rex centric contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in G-Rex based cell and gene-modified cell therapy development and manufacturing. The company offers a wide range of services to support the development and commercialization of these therapies. CellReady's mission is to create hope for cancer patients, one G-Rex® process at a time. About Sidra Medicine Innovating Care. Transforming Lives From the heart of Qatar, Sidra Medicine, is a private, not-for-profit academic healthcare and research institution for women, children, and young people. Established by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development, Sidra Medicine is committed to delivering exceptional patient and family-focused care, conducting innovative biomedical and clinical research, and providing a personalized journey of care and cure and precision medicine specifically for rare and genetic diseases. To access our specialised healthcare or international patient services, including pediatric care, women's health, and rare disease treatment or to book a consultation at one of our private clinics, please call +974 40033333 or visit our website at For more information, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Bio-Techne Corporation
National Geographic
31-07-2025
- National Geographic
These 6 strategies are scientifically proven to boost your memory
If you find yourself forgetting things, here are a few science-backed ways to remember things better. Illustration by Spencer Sutton/Jessica Wilson/Science Photo Library Forget your keys again? Studying for a test? The best method for improving your memory depends on what you're trying to remember. Forgetting is normal, but it can make life difficult. You might forget someone's name seconds after you meet them, blank on where you've put your keys, or miss an important birthday. Memories are fallible for a reason. Without a mechanism for forgetting, you would be unable to filter out unnecessary information when you're trying to remember something. 'You don't want to fill your brain with clutter,' says Charan Ranganath, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Davis. To improve your memory, however, most doctors will recommend a few basic life changes. For one, it's particularly important to get enough sleep, because the brain takes this time to review what you've learned and store it in long-term memory, says Michael Hasselmo, a neuroscientist at Boston University. Things like exercise and healthy eating also help, he says. (Your memory, rewired: Read Nat Geo's exploration into the frontier of memory science.) But if you struggle to remember your grocery list, the good news is that there are several science-backed strategies that can boost your ability to memorize and retain information, experts say. The strategy that's best for you depends on who you are, what you're trying to remember, and why. We spoke to memory experts about the six top strategies for improving your memory—and how to get started. Strategy 1: Make meaningful connections Best for: Remembering any new information—even random, unconnected facts When you're learning something new, the brain links those details to information it has already stored away, Ranganath says. So, the easiest way to remember anything is to make it meaningful, he says. In fact, decades of cognitive science research show that meaningful information is easier to remember than random, unconnected facts. Meaning, in this context, signifies that the information either connects to what you already know, makes sense within context, or has some personal connection to you. For example, studies show that people find it easier to remember new vocabulary if they translate concepts into their own words. Or if you're trying to learn someone's name, linking them in your mind to someone else you know with that name might help. (Are you better than AI at guessing what makes a photo memorable?) But to remember things that don't inherently have meaning—like a list of numbers or dates—creating an artificial meaning can help. This is the idea behind mnemonics—acronyms, rhymes, alliterations, or songs that create associations between new information and existing knowledge or visual imagery, says Daniel Willingham, a psychologist at the University of Virginia. 'Let's say you meet someone named Neil who has a big nose or other defining feature,' Ranganath says. 'You might think to yourself 'Oh Nosy Neil' and it could make that person's name easier to remember. Vivid imagery or interesting narratives can also help make information more meaningful. Trying to memorize the order of all the planets in the solar system? My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles is one narrative that might help. (Or, if you refuse to accept that Pluto is no longer a planet, perhaps your mother actually served nine pizzas.) Strategy 2: Space out your study sessions—and let yourself struggle Best for: Studying for a test, learning a new language, remembering facts in detail If you're cramming for a test, a studies suggest that spacing out those sessions where you're reviewing foreign language vocabulary or memorizing flashcards can help your brain store memories better and more efficiently. This technique, called spaced repetition, involves revisiting information at increasing intervals. Spaced repetition works because when you initially learn something, you store it in short-term memory, Ranganath says. The process of consolidating this information into long-term memory, however, takes time and happens 'offline' during periods of rest, he adds. (The unexpected ways Ozempic-like drugs might fight dementia.) Another advantage of spaced repetition is that it can help you retrieve that memory when you need it later. Because humans are better at recalling things in their original context, we often struggle to remember things when we're no longer in that context—like the coffee shop where you studied for your test with the smell of roasted beans wafting through the air, Ranganath says. 'By spacing out your learning, these memories become unmoored from a particular place and time and more likely to be accessible anytime you need it,' Ranganath says. Another way to successfully commit something to memory is to test yourself and let yourself struggle to remember, Ranganath says. For example, rather than rereading your textbook to study for a test, try to quiz yourself first. This process of trying to remember, called retrieval practice, can help solidify the information in your brain, studies show. Struggling to remember something before you find the answer can give your brain a chance to repair the memory and form the neural connections to make the new information stick, Ranganath says. That's why, if you struggle with names, it might be beneficial to guess someone's name even before you learn it, Ranganath says. 'Then if I take a moment to think about your name and correct myself once you give me the answer, now my brain will be less likely to come up with all these random associations that are not correct.' Strategy 3: Read out loud Best for: Short-term memorization like a grocery list Studies show that reading out loud or even singing words can help you remember information better than just reading it silently, a phenomenon known as the production effect. This might be because speaking out loud activates more senses than silent reading. When you say things out loud, it fires up neurons in the motor and auditory areas in your brain. The more neural connections a memory has to different regions of the brain, the more distinctive and easier it is to recall, Hasselmo says. However, Hasselmo cautions that the production effect may not be as powerful for creating long-term memories as other methods, like mnemonics or active recall. In addition, a study published in January 2024 showed that while reading text aloud does help your memory, it doesn't help comprehension. So, this technique might be better for remembering your grocery list rather than studying for a test, experts say. Strategy 4: Engage your senses Best for: When you want to remember a moment from your own life In addition to reading out loud, engaging your other senses during learning can help you form vivid memories of an experience. Take, for example, misplacing your keys. To find them, your memory must compete with all the other times you've put down your keys, Ranganath says. To combat this, the next time you put down your keys you might 'focus on the unique aspects of this particular moment, like the sights, the sounds, the smells,' Ranganath says. These sensory experiences will create a distinct memory—and help you find your keys later. The key to strengthening memories is to increase the number of associations that they have in the brain, says Hasselmo. Focusing on sensory information can activate more parts of the brain, creating memories that are more distributed. 'A rich visual image with a particular memory increases the number of neurons that are getting activated and number of synapses that are getting modified,' he says, making the memory stronger. It's not as tricky as you might think to train your senses. Discover all the expert tips in our companion story on how to make stronger memories by putting your senses to work. Strategy 5: Navigate the memory palace Best for: Memorizing a long list or material for a speech The memory palace—also known as the method of loci—is an ancient mnemonic technique that studies show can improve retention and recall. This technique is a favorite of memory athletes, some of whom use it to remember tens of thousands of digits of pi. 'If the goal is to memorize a list or material for a speech, the method of loci is probably the easiest way to do it,' Hasselmo says. Start by picturing a familiar space like your home. As you walk through that space, create an association between the information you want to remember and a specific location within that space. The more unusual or bizarre the association the better, Hasselmo says—same for adding sensory information like smells or textures. (Use this ancient technique to remember (almost) anything.) To remember a grocery list consisting of a banana, asparagus, and ice, for example, you might imagine entering your house and smashing a banana into the doorway, then plopping a bunch of asparagus on the stairs, and finally dumping a pile of ice into your bed. Then, to remember the three items, you picture yourself retracing your route to retrieve them. The reason the memory palace works is because it creates relationships between information you want to remember and well-ingrained, existing imagery, Hasselmo explains. Scientists hypothesize that the same brain areas involved in memory, namely the hippocampus, also help you figure out your location in the world—which is why navigating a familiar place is a powerful method of remembering things, he says. However, the effectiveness of the method of loci isn't settled science. Some scientists don't believe it's any more efficient than other mnemonic methods. 'It's just another way to put meaning on something and to really organize information that you need,' Ranganath says. 'It's just giving you a framework,' Willingham agrees. Strategy 6: Make memories intentionally Best for: Moments you know you'll want to vividly remember Ranganath recognizes that for many people, the things they want to remember aren't facts and details, but important times in their lives. To make the most of your memory during a significant event, Ranganath says that you might want to consciously think about what you want to get out of the experience beforehand. That way, you'll be better able to be present and focus on what you're experiencing and the emotions that you're feeling. 'Often you go to a party and you just expect to get memories from that for free. And that's not how things really work,' Ranganath says. 'So that's probably the advice I would give, is think about what you really want to take away from an experience.'
