Doctors perform kidney transplant on awake patient — on purpose

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Hunter Boyce | (TNS) The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

When John Nicolas went under the knife for his kidney transplant last month, the Chicago native was fully awake and aware. The 28-year-old participated in a major first for the Illinois hospital.

“Inside the operating room, it was an incredible experience being able to show a patient what their new kidney looked like before placing it inside the body,” Dr. Satish Nadig, director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Transplant Center, said in a news release.

Rather than using general anesthesia, the transplant surgeon and his team used a specialized spinal shot that allowed Nicolas to painlessly and safely remain cognizant for his procedure. It’s a new operation designed to aid patients who face serious health risks when placed under general anesthesia.

A success, Nicolas was discharged less than 24 hours after the operation.

“It was a pretty cool experience to know what was happening in real time and be aware of the magnitude of what they were doing,” Nicholas said in a news release. “At one point during surgery, I recall asking, ‘should I be expecting the spinal anesthesia to kick in?’ They had already been doing a lot of work and I had been completely oblivious to that fact. Truly, no sensation whatsoever. I had been given some sedation for my own comfort, but I was still aware of what they were doing. Especially when they called out my name and told me about certain milestones they had reached.”

Now, Northwestern Medicine is establishing a new program, AWAKE, which stands for accelerated surgery without general anesthesia in kidney transplantation, for patients just like Nicholas. Through the program, the hospital hopes to offer this new procedure to anyone with significant anesthesia phobias, health risks or unique circumstances that make it impractical.

“It really opens up a whole new door and is another tool in our toolbelt for the field of transplantation,” Nadig said.

——–

Marriage without financial planning walks on shaky legs

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Have you talked about money recently with your spouse? Perhaps you should.

In the U.S., 43% of first marriages, 67% of second marriages, and 73% of third marriages end in divorce, a 2022, a Forbes study revealed.

Couples divorce for many reasons. Excluding lack of commitment and infidelity, the top three reasons are excessive arguing, marrying too young and financial problems. Financial issues are attributed to divorce in 38% of all failed marriages.

A simple, (but not always easy) solution for increasing the odds of staying successfully married is to address your personal finances prior to formally committing to each other.

There are many topics that you should address to establish a healthy financial foundation in marriage. These discussions about money are not meant to be judgmental, but to help you understand your partner’s financial circumstances and beliefs, while establishing how you will work together in your marriage to accomplish your objectives.

Questions to discuss before saying “I do”:

— How does spending and saving money make you feel?

— What money messages did you learn as you were growing up?

— What is your credit score?

— What are your liabilities?

— What are your assets?

— How much do you save monthly?

— What is your annual income?

— Do you follow a monthly budget?

— Should we maintain individual accounts, or open joint accounts?

— Who will pay the monthly bills?

— What are your short-and long-term goals?

— What are your thoughts on having children?

— How often do you give your adult children or family members money?

Before marriage, determine if your individual net worth warrants a prenuptial agreement. A prenup is a legal document or contract prepared by an attorney that permits a couple to keep their finances separate. The contract outlines how assets and debts will be distributed should the marriage end. Even though discussing and implementing a prenup is not blissful, it is wise, especially if one partner has significantly more assets than their future spouse.

Talk about your finances

Establish a regular time to sit down and discuss your finances together. At the beginning, a monthly meeting is appropriate. Talk about what is working for you as a couple and what is not. The money conversation may not come naturally but is essential in the long term to successfully manage your finances together.

In time, once your patterns and routines are established, and you are communicating regularly about money, you may be able to meet less often. At minimum meet annually to discuss how your net worth has changed, as well as identifying and funding sources for future goals.

According to Fidelity Investments 2021 Couples and Money Study, communication between couples positively impacts their finances. Seventy-nine percent of couples who regularly communicate about finances expect to live a comfortable life in retirement, versus only 35 percent of those who do not discuss finances. Additionally, 73 percent of couples rated their household’s financial health as excellent or particularly good, versus 42 percent of the couple who do not communicate feel the same way.

Establish a budget

A budget is a personal plan to manage your money. It provides the opportunity to identify and monitor your spending. Simple as it may be, it is the foundation for sound money management. Discuss and implement a plan to work together to create your new monthly budget as a couple.

Identify all income and monthly expenditures, then discuss where the funds are coming from to pay each expense. At the end of the month, review your budget, it will provide a transparent snapshot of your monthly cashflow. When you understand your monthly cashflow, determine what you can change or eliminate to increase your savings to fund future goals and reduce outstanding debt.

Pay off debt

Make a list of all your debts on a spreadsheet or mobile app. Identify the lender, terms, balance owed, interest rates, expiration dates of promotional rates, and minimum payments. Excluding your mortgage, sort the debt descending from the highest interest rate to the lowest. Together determine your timeline and strategy for paying off the debt and plug the future payments into your budget.

Plan for big-ticket items

Are you planning to buy a home, purchase a car, or take a vacation in the future? Do you know how much this will cost, and have you thought about how you will pay for it? If the money is not readily available in your bank account, sketch out your timeline, break the expense down to a monthly cost, and again plug the expense into your budget.

In addition to communicating regularly regarding your finances after you’re married. You will need to:

— Review and combine your health, property and casualty insurance policies.

— Update beneficiary designations on life insurance, retirement accounts, and annuities.

— Determine if you have a need for life insurance.

— Review and discuss your tax returns together with your CPA.

— Meet with an attorney to implement the appropriate estate planning.

Married or partnered individuals are more likely than single people to have a positive outlook on their future. They’re also more likely to prioritize saving for retirement, vacations, and their children’s education, according to a February 2019 report on Aging and Retirement from the Society of Actuaries.

There are many factors that contribute to this phenomenon, but when couples communicate and work towards their goals together, they have a greater chance of achieving financial success within their marriage, creating a prosperous future.

Teri Parker CFP® is a vice president for the Riverside office of CAPTRUST Financial Advisors and has practiced in the field of financial planning and investment management since 2000. Contact her at Teri.parker@captrust.com.

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Alzheimer’s research: Scientists create AI model to ‘catch Alzheimer’s disease early’

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Boston researchers say they’ve created a promising AI model that predicts the likelihood of someone developing Alzheimer’s early.

The Boston University researchers on Tuesday announced that they designed the new artificial intelligence computer program — which identifies those with mild cognitive impairment who are likely to develop Alzheimer’s within six years.

The AI model predicts whether a patient will develop Alzheimer’s just by analyzing the person’s speech.

“Our motivation for this study was to catch Alzheimer’s disease early — opening the door for interventions, which is particularly important now that there are new drug treatments available,” said Ioannis Paschalidis, director of the Hariri Institute for Computing at Boston University.

“If you think about many other chronic diseases including diabetes, hypertension, even cancer, there are early diagnostic procedures and even predictive models that can do prognosis,” he added. “This has not been the case for Alzheimer’s disease, and that’s why we think our study makes an important step in that direction.”

Mild cognitive impairment is a high-risk factor for Alzheimer’s. The condition can be caused by many health factors, but about 3% to 15% of individuals with the condition will progress to Alzheimer’s each year.

While past studies tried to predict the conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s using expensive methods, the BU scientists created the AI-driven inexpensive method with speech-to-text modeling and basic demographic data.

According to the researchers, this AI predictive method achieved an accuracy of 78.5% in a study with 166 Framingham Heart Study participants.

“Speech is a ubiquitous modality, and it reveals quite a bit about a person’s cognitive status, from sentence completion to the way they structure their thoughts and dialogue,” Paschalidis said.

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The researchers used several AI models to process voice recordings of patients captured during neuropsychological exams from the Framingham Heart Study.

The study results suggest that older women with lower education levels and those carrying one or two copies of the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) E4 allele are more likely to progress to Alzheimer’s disease.

This is consistent with earlier research suggesting that people who inherit one copy of ApoE E4 genotype have a high risk of developing the disease, while those who inherit two copies have an even higher risk.

Women who progressed to Alzheimer’s averaged 1.4 years older than men, suggesting that women may be more prone to progression due to their longer life span.

The National Institutes of Health reports that about 6.7 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s today, and that this number could grow to 13.8 million by 2060 barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent, slow, or cure the disease.

Paschalidis said, “With continued development and refinement, our predictive model may contribute to early intervention and selection in clinical trials for novel AD treatments, ultimately improving patient outcomes.”

Prep now to find Amazon Prime Day deals in July

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By Amanda Barroso | NerdWallet

Amazon just announced this year’s Prime Day sale will be held July 16-17. Prices are likely to rival those on Black Friday and in some cases beat them. Last year, NerdWallet tracked prices on 10 popular items. Four of them hit their lowest price during Prime Day. We expect similar deals this year, too, offering a good chance for shoppers who want to get ahead for the holidays or simply want a good deal now.

Here’s how to prepare to get the most out of Amazon Prime Day 2024.

What is Prime Day?

Prime Day is Amazon’s July two-day sale exclusively for Prime members. The online sale is likely to bring in lots of shoppers looking to save. Amazon says Prime members saved more than $2.5 billion on purchases made during the 2023 event.

Prime Day deals

Amazon has kept fairly quiet about what’s going to be included in the sale. This level of secrecy can be frustrating for shoppers trying to plan ahead. So, why does Amazon do it? “They’re trying to create a buzz around these two days,” says Mark Bergen, a professor of marketing at the University of Minnesota.

Here’s what we do know: Amazon is highlighting deals across more than 35 categories, including Amazon devices, fitness, beauty, entertainment and even groceries. The company also announced there will be shopping filters available and deals for back-to-school savings.

How to prepare for Prime Day

Amazon has a huge share of the digital marketplace and consistently targets consumers to get their hard-earned cash, but it doesn’t have all the power. To put yourself in the best position for Prime Day, consider these tips:

Check in with your budget

Let your budget determine how you shop — or if you shop at all. If you have room in your budget or have been saving for something big, then you’re ready to spend. But if you’re already pinched and participating in the sale is going to put you in debt, consider not shopping. There will be other sales this year.

If you’ll be shopping, be strategic about how you plan to pay for your purchases. Do you have gift cards you can use? Is there a credit card in your wallet that could give you extra points or rewards? Holders of Amazon-branded credit cards can take advantage of cash-back rewards on purchases made during the sale.

Take inventory

The weeks before a big sale are the perfect time to assess what you have and what you need, according to Elana Feinsmith, a certified financial planner and financial therapist in Sunnyvale, California. You’re less likely to buy duplicates or needlessly spend if you take inventory before shopping.

Use your phone’s notes app to jot down a list of gift ideas for important people in your life or things you’re considering for yourself. Check your calendar for upcoming birthdays and holidays and use this as a chance to buy gifts early. This way, you’ll save yourself a last-minute trip to a store where you might pay full price.

Prioritize big-ticket items

Take note of more expensive items on your list, like electronics and appliances. Even a 10% or 15% discount can be significant, so bigger-ticket purchases can be worth prioritizing over cheaper items with less impactful savings.

If you’re considering a bigger purchase but are still unsure, Feinsmith suggests calculating the cost per use: The more frequently you use an item, the better the value. Let’s say you have your eye on a pair of $200 headphones that you plan to wear every day at work. With roughly 250 working days a year, the cost per use would be roughly 80 cents in the first year — and would keep dropping with further use.

Use fluctuating prices to your advantage

Constantly changing prices can be exasperating for shoppers looking for the best deals online, only to check back later to find the item on sale for less. The ability of companies to change prices more often and more quickly is at the heart of dynamic pricing, according to Bergen.

This model is at the core of Prime Day, which typically features new deals every 30 minutes and “lightning deals” that disappear if you don’t pounce quickly. The experience can feel hectic.

Fight back against fluctuations by checking competitors’ prices before purchasing. In previous years, other major retailers have jumped at the chance to compete with Prime Day by temporarily lowering prices to match or beat deals.

Create guardrails to avoid impulse spending

“Shopping can be a wonderful distraction from whatever our inner needs are,” Feinsmith says. And it can feel like you’re missing out if you’re not shopping with everyone else. But consider your situation before making a purchase. Feinsmith suggests asking yourself value-based questions like, “How does this fit into my world?” alongside more practical questions like “Where am I going to store it?”

If you’re susceptible to emotional spending, consider putting up some boundaries. Temporarily muting influencers on social media or deleting the Amazon app from your phone can keep temptation away. Try jotting down items you want to buy and revisiting them later to see if the urge is still as strong. Setting aside fun money in your budget can give you the confidence to spend.

And if you have a partner, take time to chat about the purchases you plan to make. Work toward building a sense of financial intimacy, a term Feinsmith uses to describe the way people in a relationship can create shared guidelines that help them make financial decisions without judgment or secrecy.

Use Amazon tools to stay organized

Amazon has integrated tools that might make setting reminders and shopping for specific people in your life feel more manageable:

Make lists: Create public or private lists to easily add items and move them directly to your cart if they hit a price you’re comfortable with during the sale.
Create deal alerts: Use recent searches to create deal alerts and get push notifications when items go on sale.
Use Alexa if you have it: Add products you might want to buy to your cart or Wish List, and ask your Alexa-enabled device to tell you if there’s a sale.

Here’s the bottom line: Prepared shoppers are Amazon’s enemy because if you’ve done your price research, have your shopping list ready and know your budget, you’re a lot less susceptible to mindless spending.

Amanda Barroso writes for NerdWallet. Email: abarroso@nerdwallet.com.