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How a rare dementia unleashes creativity

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:44 GMT

Anne Adams was an accomplished scientist. Then, as dementia claimed her brilliant mind, she became an accomplished and resolute artist — painting increasingly beautiful and elaborate works.During the early stages of her illness, she created complex visual interpretations of classical music, such as George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Maurice Ravel’s Boléro. Then she shifted to painting even more abstract concepts, such as numbers.A recent UC San Francisco-led study of brain scans of Adams and other patients with the deadly “frontotemporal” variety of dementia has revealed the underlying mechanism behind this mysterious shift in creative expression.As the brain region responsible for language is dying, it activates the visual processing area that drives creativity, according to Dr. Bruce Miller, the senior author of the recent study, a collaboration of 27 scientists published in the journal JAMA Neurology.Dr Bruce Miller exams Heidi Bonnett (wife of patient) at t...

Editorial: New CSU chancellor must protect students from sexual harassment

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:44 GMT

A confluence of events in the past nine days highlights the urgent need for the California State University system to correct its dysfunctional process for reviewing claims of sexual harassment.Last week, trustees for the nation’s largest four-year university system announced the hiring of a new chancellor to replace Joseph Castro, who resigned last year amid allegations that he failed to properly handle sexual misconduct complaints against a former Cal State Fresno administrator.This week, the federal criminal trial of Scott Shaw, the former San Jose State University sports trainer accused of sexually assaulting more than two dozen female athletes, began. It comes more than a decade after original allegations by 17 swimmers were dismissed by the school following a deeply flawed investigation.Also this week, parallel investigations triggered by the Castro and Shaw cases — one conducted by the California State Auditor’s Office, the other by an outside law firm hired by CSU R...

49ers camp preview: How high will Bosa, Hargrave elevate defensive line?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:44 GMT

SANTA CLARA — The 49ers may have surprised some by upgrading their defensive line this past offseason when they already had reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year in Nick Bosa.Last season’s sack stats provide an explanation:— Bosa, 18 ½ sacks— All other defensive linemen, 13 ½ sacksGetting more production from Bosa’s linemates is a must if the 49ers are to again rely on their defense, all due respect to an ever-productive offense that remains clouded by quarterback questions.The best-case scenario in 2023 is that Bosa is flanked, on the interior, either by superstar signee Javon Hargrave or veteran captain Arik Armstead. At the other end spot, Drake Jackson (or Clelin Ferrell) will be exploiting one-on-one opportunities for a career-best year.And then … the 49ers rotate another wave of hungry defensive linemen, to keep everyone fresh.“It just seems like we have a lot more depth,” Bosa said in June, “and if we’re able to rotate guys in and out, then we will be ab...

San Jose industrial center is bought by huge real estate player

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:44 GMT

SAN JOSE — A $100 billion real estate titan has bought an industrial building in San Jose in a deal that shows some segments of commercial real estate remain in favor despite ongoing softness for the office market.Prologis, a major real estate player with a market value that tops $100 billion, has bought a building at 6212 Hellyer Avenue, according to documents filed on July 20 with the Santa Clara County Recorder’s Office.The company paid $37.7 million for the building, the county records show.The building, which totals 111,000 square feet, is known as Silicon Valley Industrial Center. The building occupies a 5.5-acre site.Varian Medical Systems, a producer of medical devices and software, is listed as the building’s tenant, according to Google Maps.In the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak, countless office buildings emptied out after government agencies imposed wide-ranging business shutdowns to help curb the spread of the deadly bug.Even after the economic a...

Opinion: How to stop the fentanyl crisis in California schools

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:44 GMT

Earlier this year, The Mercury News made an alarming discovery after polling 33 Bay Area school districts: More than a third hadn’t trained teachers and staff to recognize the signs of students overdosing on fentanyl. Additionally, more than a quarter of the surveyed districts hadn’t made naloxone readily available in schools, despite the fact that the opioid antagonist can rapidly stop the types of fentanyl overdoses that are killing 18 Californians each day.Why? Does another child need to die on campus before we change our policies?California can no longer justify withholding knowledge and tools that can save young lives. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin, has exploded across California. The drug is now responsible for one in every five deaths among young people, surpassing the combined total of all other drugs. In my legislative district of Santa Clara County, the number of young lives lost to fentanyl spiked an astonishing 365% in recent years...

Watsonville police seek more victims in child luring case

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:44 GMT

WATSONVILLE — Detectives are opening up an underage-sex case to the public in an effort to determine the existence of additional victims.Martin Cruz Diaz (Watsonville Police Department — Contributed) Watsonville police arrested Martin Cruz Diaz on June 6 on several felony charges while he was out on bail during a 2022 child sex crimes case.In his new case, Cruz Diaz, a forklift operator who is a 26-year-old Watsonville resident, allegedly posed as an 18-year-old on social media to enter into a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl.“Our ongoing investigation has led us to believe there may be additional victims,” a Watsonville Police Department representative posted to the agency’s social media.Cruz Diaz pleaded not guilty during his July 10 arraignment to felony charges of committing a lewd act with a child 10 or older, unlawful sexual intercourse, arranging to meet a minor with lewd purposes and communicating with a minor for a lewd act, according to court records. Relat...

Teen killed, toddler injured in shooting at Southern California park

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:44 GMT

A 16-year-old boy was killed and a toddler was injured in a shooting at a Granada Hills park late on Wednesday, July 19.Los Angeles Police Department officers were called to the park at Petit Avenue and Chatsworth Street at 11:20 p.m. after witnesses reported a shooting. When the officers got there, they found the 16-year-old dead and the 2-year-old wounded.Officers took the toddler to a nearby hospital, where they were recovering Thursday. The teenager died at the scene, according to LAPD.It’s still not clear who shot at the 16-year-old and the baby, and why. LAPD has not said whether investigators have identified suspects in the shooting.ABC7 reported the shooting occurred with the mother of the toddler nearby.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | California man convicted of killing elderly neighbor during rape attempt Crime and Public Safety | East Bay man killed in spray of gunfire that left 60 shell casings is identified Crime and Public Safe...

NFL owners approve the $6 billion sale of Washington Commanders

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:44 GMT

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — NFL owners unanimously approved the sale of the Washington Commanders on Thursday from Dan Snyder to a group led by Josh Harris and including Magic Johnson for a record $6.05 billion.All 32 team owners voted for the sale, which is the highest price paid for a North American professional sports team. After the finance committee approved the agreement with the new ownership group, Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, a special league meeting was called to consider and vote on it before the 2023 season begins.Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones beamed as he walked off an escalator and headed toward the meeting room, granting a brief interview with reporters about the impending sale of his team’s division rival.“It’s a hallmark day,” Jones said. “I’m excited about the prospects of going into Washington and giving them some capital punishment.”Snyder had owned his favorite boyhood team since 1999, when he bought it for $800 million. Success was fleeting, both on and...

Tony Bennett, legendary American singer, dies at 96

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:44 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Tony Bennett, the eminent and timeless stylist whose devotion to classic American songs and knack for creating new standards such as "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" graced a decadeslong career that brought him admirers from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga, died Friday. He was 96, just two weeks short of his birthday.Publicist Sylvia Weiner confirmed Bennett's death to The Associated Press, saying he died in his hometown of New York. There was no specific cause, but Bennett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016.The last of the great saloon singers of the mid-20th century, Bennett often said his lifelong ambition was to create "a hit catalog rather than hit records." He released more than 70 albums, bringing him 19 competitive Grammys — all but two after he reached his 60s — and enjoyed deep and lasting affection from fans and fellow artists.Singer Tony Bennett arrives for his 90th birthday celebration at the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Plaza on Wednesday, ...

Russia targets Ukraine’s farm storage sites after days of hitting Black Sea port facilities

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:44 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian cruise missiles destroyed farm storage buildings in the Odesa region early Friday, Ukrainian officials said, as the Kremlin’s forces expanded their targets following three days of bombardment of the region’s Black Sea port infrastructure.Other Russian missiles damaged what officials described only as an “important infrastructure facility” southwest of the port city of Odesa, in what appeared to be part of an ongoing effort to cripple Ukraine’s food exports.Attacks in recent days have put Odesa in Russia’s crosshairs after Moscow abandoned a wartime deal that allowed Ukraine to send grain through the key Black Sea port.In the attack on the storage site, two of the low-flying cruise missiles hit initially and started a blaze, and then another struck during firefighting efforts, regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said. The barrage injured two people, damaged equipment and destroyed 100 metric tons of peas and 20 metric tons of barley, Kiper said.Russia targeted Ukrai...