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How Helldivers 2 Going into Cruise Control Can Benefit Its Longevity – GameRant

Posted: April 19, 2024 at 2:45 am

Highlights

Released in March 2015, the first Helldivers was a top-down co-op shooter that earned some impressive critical scores, landing it at an 83 on Metacritic. With a satirical Sci-Fi plot in a similar vein to Starship Troopers, some chaotically satisfying co-op gameplay, and an endless amount of replayability, the first Helldivers was well-deserving of its success. Nevertheless, its recently released sequel, Helldivers 2, blows it out of the water.

Taking its predecessor's general gameplay structure and narrative backbone, Helldivers 2 gives the series a modernized third-person shooter overhaul, along with the introduction of a live-service model. Still one of the most controversial elements of modern gaming, the live-service model has often resulted in the release of half-baked cash-grabs that receive minimal support after launch, but at the same time it's also produced some of the most successful, long-running games of all time. Thankfully, Helldivers 2 looks like it's on track to be part of the latter camp.

It's all too often that a live-service game will fail to meet expectations. Whether it's an unfinished story, a lack of compelling progression systems, a lack of post-launch support, or a mix of them all, many live-service games are doomed to fail from the get-go, and with the amount of effort that's required to keep them going for the long haul, many end up being shut down mere months after their initial release. But every so often, a live-service game comes out and proves that the model can not only work, but actually benefits the type of story and gameplay that the developer is going for. Helldivers 2 is the perfect example of that.

From the get-go, Helldivers 2 offered an impressive amount of content. Helldivers 2 came packaged with two major enemy factions, each coming with their own set of unique unit types and requiring different strategies to take down. Helldivers 2 also offers a robust set of progression systems, from unlockable weapons to Strategems to Ship Modules, the vast majority of which have a substantial purpose during gameplay, and feel genuinely satisfying to unlock.

But having enough content on day one is just the start for a live-service game. Thanks to games like Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone, players now expect any live-service game to receive frequent updates and content drops, and Helldivers 2 seems to be knocking it out of the park in this regard. In the last few months since launch, Helldivers 2 has added new Strategems, weapons, Warbonds, and enemy types on a fairly regular basis, all of which have been successful in convincing players to stick around. On top of this, Helldivers 2's general premise of an ever-evolving galactic war that sees players fight to control planets is a masterful integration of the live-service model, encouraging players to keep returning day after day to help conquer the galaxy.

Helldivers 2 seems to be thriving on its current live-service model, with a recent Bloomberg report suggesting that the game has sold at least 8 million copies so far. As things stand, the Helldivers 2 player-base seems more than satisfied with the amount of content currently in the game, and the pace at which new content is being added, meaning that there might not be a need for any kind of major expansion anytime soon.

With the Automatons fighting desperately to take back their home planet, rumors have started circulating that a new enemy faction, the Illuminate, could be introduced very soon, but it might be better if Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead holds off on that. Rather than release a new faction or any kind of major expansion imminently, while players are still satisfied with the current pace of content, Helldivers 2 should save that big content drop for when it's really needed, when the initial hype surrounding the game eventually starts to die down.

Helldivers 2 is a third-person cooperative shooter developed by Arrowhead Games Studios for the PC and PlayStation 5 where players take control of a Helldiver set to protect the citizens of Super Earth by traveling to hostile alien worlds and destroying threats. Players undergo missions, defeat enemies, and use special items called Stratagems to help turn the tide of battle in this punishing release.

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How Helldivers 2 Going into Cruise Control Can Benefit Its Longevity - GameRant

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith

Alcohol, relationships, and longevity: Couples with similar drinking habits tend to live longer – PsyPost

Posted: April 19, 2024 at 2:45 am

Recent research has found an intriguing connection between the drinking habits of couples and longevity. The study, published in The Gerontologist, suggests that couples with similar alcohol consumption habits tend to live longer compared to couples with discordant drinking behaviors, where one drinks and the other does not.

However, its important to note that this finding is not an endorsement for increased alcohol consumption, but rather highlights the complex interactions between marital behaviors and health outcomes.

Past studies have extensively explored how the drinking behaviors of couples affect their marital satisfaction, often showing that similar drinking habits can lead to better relationship outcomes, such as reduced conflict and lower divorce rates. However, the implications of these drinking patterns on physical health have remained less understood.

Motivated by a theory known as the drinking partnership, which suggests that couples with aligned drinking habits experience better marital outcomes, Kira Birditt and her team at the University of Michigan aimed to investigate whether these patterns also correlate with increased longevity.

The study utilized data from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults aged 50 and older. The researchers specifically focused on married or cohabiting couples within the HRS dataset. The sample included 4,656 couples, totaling 9,312 individuals, who had participated in at least three waves of the survey from 1996 to 2016.

The primary measure of interest was the couples drinking status, specifically whether each partner had consumed any alcoholic beverages within the last three months. This timeframe provided a recent snapshot of drinking behaviors without delving into the quantity or frequency of alcohol consumption, broadly categorizing participants into drinkers and non-drinkers. The researchers then classified the couples based on their concordance in drinking behaviors: both drinking, both abstaining, or discordant if one drank and the other did not.

To assess the impact of these drinking patterns on longevity, the study analyzed survival rates of the individuals within these couples up until 2016. The analysis controlled for a variety of potential confounders that could influence the outcomes, such as age, gender, socioeconomic status, and underlying health conditions.

The researchers found that couples with concordant drinking behaviorswhere both partners either drank or abstained from alcoholexhibited a higher survival rate compared to couples where drinking patterns were discordant. Interestingly, this effect was most pronounced in couples where both partners drank as opposed to those where both abstained, suggesting that the social and possibly relational aspects of drinking together might play a role in this observed benefit.

Couples in which one partner drank and the other did not showed the least favorable survival outcomes. This pattern suggests that beyond the physiological impacts of alcohol itself, the compatibility of lifestyles and the harmony within the relationship regarding drinking might significantly influence health outcomes. These results align with previous research indicating that marital discord or lack of alignment in behaviors and values can have negative health implications.

The purpose of this study was to look at alcohol use in couples in the Health and Retirement Study and the implications for mortality, Birditt said. And we found, interestingly, that couples in which both indicated drinking alcohol in the last three months lived longer than the other couples that either both indicated not drinking or had discordant drinking patterns in which one drank and the other did not.

The researchers cautioned against interpreting these findings simplistically as endorsing alcohol consumption for longer life. Instead, they highlighted that the results might reflect broader dynamics of relationship quality and compatibility. For instance, couples who drink together may engage in more shared activities or have higher relationship satisfaction, which in turn could positively affect their health.

Future research is needed to explore these relationships further, particularly focusing on the quality of interactions and shared activities during drinking sessions, as well as the impact of drinking habits on daily marital quality and physical health.

Birditt plans to extend this research by examining the daily lives of concordant drinking couples through more detailed tracking methods, such as ecological momentary assessment, to better understand the nuances of how shared drinking relates to relationship satisfaction and health outcomes.

We dont know why both partners drinking is associated with better survival. I think using the other techniques that we use in our studies in terms of the daily experiences and ecological momentary assessment questionnaires could really get at that to understand, for example, focusing on concordant drinking couples, she said. What are their daily lives like? Are they drinking together? What are they doing when they are drinking?

There is also little information about the daily interpersonal processes that account for these links. Future research should assess the implications of couple drinking patterns for daily marital quality, and daily physical health outcomes.

The study, Alcohol Use and Mortality Among Older Couples in the United States: Evidence of Individual and Partner Effects, was authored by Kira S. Birditt, Angela Turkelson, Courtney A. Polenick, James A. Cranford, Jennifer A Smith, Erin B. Ware, and Frederic C. Blow.

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Alcohol, relationships, and longevity: Couples with similar drinking habits tend to live longer - PsyPost

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith

Choosing Regular Food to Extend Longevity – CounterPunch.org – CounterPunch

Posted: April 19, 2024 at 2:45 am

Image by Brooke Cagle.

It is not often that a best-selling author and correspondent on consumer, food, medical, and health issues comes up with an idea for all Eaters that nobody has thought of before. Jean Carper, with sixty years of experience, has done just that with her brand-new book provocatively titled 100 Life or Death Foods: A Scientific Guide to Which Foods Prolong Life or Kill You Prematurely.

Based on scientific studies about the life-expectancy effect of different foods positive and negative (many cited in the books Appendix and available at the National Institutes of Health Library of Medicine). Carper writes: The evidence is stunningly clear that people who eat optimal diets can slow their aging process and add years to their lives.

Carper reports that researchers have found common legumes (beans, peas, soybeans), whole grains, and nuts, extend longevity, while refined grains (white bread), sugar-sweetened beverages, heavy salt use, and red and processed meats can shorten ones life.

Carpers book is instantly usable because she efficiently runs through specific foods. For example, studies give high life-extension marks to apples, bananas, beets, berries, cabbage, carrots, hot chili peppers, coffee, eggplant, fermented food (pickles and sauerkraut), garlic grapes and raisins, green leafy veggies, herbs and spices, kale, oats, olives and olive oil, brown rice, tea, tomatoes, vinegar, yogurt and whole grain cereals.

On the life-shortening side, she names alcoholic beverages, candy, diet sodas, cured meats (bacon, hot dogs), fried foods, ice cream, fruit juices (stripped of fiber and called high-calorie sugar water) ultra-processed foods, including those labeled with high amounts of sucrose, glucose, fructose, corn syrup, and refined sugary cereals that corporate hucksters advertise to youngsters.

In addition to specific foods, Carper explains why the Mediterranean Diet is so superior to the corporate Western Diet. She also praises the Dash Diet (similar to the Mediterranean Diet) which she reports as a famous blood pressure downer. She advocates getting your protein more from plants than from animals.

Much of the bad food cited in 100 Life or Death Foods is high on the list of the corporate marketeers who exploit taste and texture meaning sugar, salt, and fats to seduce children at a young age for a lifetime of ingesting junk food and junk drink. Their advertising is relentless, with heavy psychological manipulation. Fast food companies know from their own research the damage they have been doing to the health of their customers. That is why they fill their ads with lies and deceptions and have focused promotions on kiddy TV, over the decades.

The natural foods grown locally for generations have been mostly displaced by pesticide-heavy factory farms that fuel processed corporate diets.

This book is a guide for all eaters to work their way back to unprocessed natural foods, with organic-certified labels. These foods have another advantage they frequently come in at lower prices than steaks, chops, and highly processed foods, including those from fancy bakeries.

Carper recognizes, of course, that many factors influence life expectancy, such as genetics, exercise, lifestyles, smoking, pollution, alcohol abuse, and, of course, endemic poverty. Inadequate healthcare and health insurance also contribute to shortened life expectancies. However, food is something people can have personal control over without asking the permission of higher authorities.

Some people are in a position to grow their own vegetables and fruits and share the harvest with neighbors. Now you have what Carper calls a unique, up to date, one stop guide to more than 100 common foods, beverages and popular diets, revealing whether they prolong health and life or accelerate aging and death.

The guide works for all ages as well. It will show you that nutritious and delicious food prepared with all kinds of simple recipes can be healthy and tasty. (See,100 Life or Death Foods: A Scientific Guide to Which Foods Prolong Life or Kill You Prematurely, December 9, 2023).

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Choosing Regular Food to Extend Longevity - CounterPunch.org - CounterPunch

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith

Anatomy IT Expands Healthcare Specialties Expertise with Acquisition of Managed IT Services Leader – Healthcare IT Today

Posted: April 19, 2024 at 2:45 am

Anatomy IT, the leading platform for healthcare IT and cybersecurity solutions, and a portfolio company of Atlantic Street Capital (ASC) today announced the acquisition of Manta HealthTech, a healthcare-focused managed IT services firm, to expand its footprint in healthcare subverticals, including dental and optometry.

We recognized Manta HealthTechs depth and experience serving various healthcare subspecialties with intelligent digital transformation, cybersecurity, value-based care delivery, and payment models, as well as other evolving areas within healthcare, said Frank Forte, CEO at Anatomy IT. This acquisition will enable us to deliver greater benefits and expertise to these customers by better understanding their specific needs. Were committed to being the most trusted, customer-centric tech partner in any healthcare setting.

Located in theMinneapolis-St. Paulmetropolitan area, Manta HealthTech serves medical, dental, optometry, and veterinary care organizations. Its team includes healthcare IT experts with over three decades of experience, HIPAA consultants, and cybersecurity professionals.

Manta HealthTechs client base will help Anatomy IT strategically expand its reach to the growing market of healthcare and related organizations wisely shifting challenging and time-consuming IT duties to specialized partners, saidPeter Shabecoff, Managing Partner at ASC. Clients of both companies will benefit from this agreement through enhanced services, broader product offerings, and greater speed of scalability.

Clients of both companies also can expect a seamless transition during the integration and can continue to contact their current representatives for IT support needs.

Anatomy IT has the same unwavering dedication to clients and specialized expertise as Manta HealthTech, so we could not imagine a better company to be joining, said Clint Delander, CEO at Manta HealthTech. We ensure that our clients will continue to be delighted with their service quality and technical guidance for many years to come.

About Atlantic Street Capital

ASC is a private equity firm that invests in lower-middle market companies poised for the next level of growth. The firm targets entrepreneurial management partners and fundamentally sound companies between $4 millionand$25 million of EBITDA that will benefit from capital investment and ASCs value-added strategic and operational support. As a result, ASC works closely with management to unlock their business underlying value and help them succeed. For more information atlanticstreetcapital.com.

About Anatomy IT

Anatomy IT helps healthcare providers deliver exceptional patient care through technology and cybersecurity solutions. With 30+ years of experience, we understand healthcare organizations unique risks, opportunities, and challenges. Anatomy IT is one of the largest and fastest-growing healthcare IT companies, partnering with over 1,750 clients serving 38,000 healthcare staff nationwide, including ASCs, physician groups, and hospitals.

Originally announced March 13th, 2024

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Anatomy IT Expands Healthcare Specialties Expertise with Acquisition of Managed IT Services Leader - Healthcare IT Today

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith

21 best medical dramas and TV series like Grey’s Anatomy to watch – Prestige Online Singapore

Posted: April 19, 2024 at 2:44 am

Blending humour, stirring storylines, and heart-wrenching dialogue, Shonda Rhimes Greys Anatomy has captivated viewers and fans since its first episode debuted in March 2005. The rise and popularity of the medical drama are evident in its longevity, with the recent premiere of its record-breaking 20th season proving to lovers and naysayers alike that it is here to stay. If youre a fan of Greys Anatomy, its ensemble cast of characters, and its riveting storylines, these are 21 of the best medical dramas and TV shows to add to your watchlist.

Greys Anatomy has held a special place in the hearts of viewers since its pilot episode first aired in 2005. Nineteen extraordinary years and 20 seasons in, the show remains firmly etched in viewers hearts and minds, forever imprinted as one of the best medical dramas and TV series to have ever graced our television screens. In spite of its many efficacious distinctions, Greys is far from the first medical drama to capture an audience, and it most certainly will not be the last.

Since the release of City Hospital in 1951, medical dramas have become a longstanding staple in the realm of tv series, best beloved amongst casual viewers and hardcore fans alike. Arresting narratives and compelling plotlines created the perfect maelstrom to stoke public interest, whetting viewers appetites for all matters pertaining to medicine. And thus began the golden age of medical dramas, which unfurled an endless procession of programmes.

From classic favourites like ER to laughter-inducing comedies like Scrubs, each fresh offering brought with it a host of lovable characters and enthralling diagnoses all of which viewers ate up with gusto. So prolific was the golden age of medical dramas that it birthed series and shows that continue to grace our screens decades after the airing of their inaugural episodes.

Contrary to its name, BBCs Casualty is the longest-lived and longest-running medical drama in the world, with a staggering 1,331 episodes spread out over 38 seasons. The show first premiered in 1986; today, an extraordinary 38 years later, it is still in production, and continues to be aired on BBC One. And while Casualtys longevity certainly points to a positive trend in viewership and ratings, its not the only show who can boast of a decades-long run.

When the very first episode of General Hospital debuted in 1963, no one could have anticipated the heights it would go on to scale. Sixty-one spectacular years and seasons later, it is the longest-running medical soap opera in the world, its iconic (and sometimes unbelievable) plotlines garnering the love of a cult following that has continued to support the show even today.

So, what makes medical dramas so very addictive, and why do we keep coming back for more?

While different audiences react and reflect differently upon their medical drama addictions, a good assumption is that said dramas provide a balm for lifes unfortunate afflictions. Like death and taxes, health (or the lack thereof) is certain to come for us all in due time. And in times of sickness, what could be more comforting than watching a hero emerge on-screen in the form of a conventionally attractive doctor? From medical personnel who will stop at no end to ensure their patients survival to the tenacity displayed by said patients, medical dramas are here to remind viewers that they, too, can overcome their miserable maladies.

Beyond the intangible fluff of hope, medical dramas also serve as ground zero for discourse on ethics and bedside manner discourse that medical students and policymakers will certainly find helpful in the course of their careers. By presenting dynamic scripts and scenarios, medical dramas provide diegetic value that encourage analysis and deliberations, allowing aspiring physicians to come up with best practices for treatment and patient care alike. This can also help to develop critical thinking and accelerate decision-making with ample research that extends beyond what is portrayed in the show, of course. And, in the case of younger viewers, exposure to physician life, even on screen, can inspire a future career in medicine.

If youre a fan of Greys Anatomy (and other medical dramas), heres a comprehensive list of the best medical dramas and TV series to add to your watchlist!

(Main and featured images: The Movie DB)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the best medical TV drama?

Some of the highest-rated medical dramas and TV shows include Greys Anatomy, Bodies, Nip/Tuck, New Amsterdam, Code Black, Transplant, House, ER, The Resident, and The Good Doctor.

What is the most realistic medical drama?

Despite being a comedy, Scrubs has been rated by medical professionals as having one of the most accurate portrayals of medical personnel in training.

What is the most watched doctor show?

According to IMDb rankings, Greys Anatomy is the top-watched TV show in its list of medical dramas. It is followed by House and The Resident.

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21 best medical dramas and TV series like Grey's Anatomy to watch - Prestige Online Singapore

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith

Anatomy of a second-grade reading lesson – NJ Spotlight News

Posted: April 19, 2024 at 2:44 am

Request blocked. We can't connect to the server for this app or website at this time. There might be too much traffic or a configuration error. Try again later, or contact the app or website owner. If you provide content to customers through CloudFront, you can find steps to troubleshoot and help prevent this error by reviewing the CloudFront documentation. Generated by cloudfront (CloudFront)Request ID: D1RWJhlqn9bEdIgFrTxtyB8H8OJGy5vKYINu0bPoGjYz22F0ur7woQ==

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Anatomy of a second-grade reading lesson - NJ Spotlight News

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith


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