Yellowjackets is back, and if you’ve been waiting over a year for its return, it’s time to rejoice. But, if you are one of the people distraught over the death of Ella Purnell’s Jackie Taylor at the end of Season 1, the start of Season 2 may feel a bit hollow since it’s safe to assume she won’t be returning. Or is it?

In Season 1, Jackie wasn’t the most pleasant person to be around following a plane crash that stranded a bunch of frightened teenage girls. She didn’t want to leave the campsite to go to a lake to have their first taste of fresh water in days. She didn’t contribute much to the girls’ chores to ensure their survival. And she had sex with teenage Travis (Kevin Alves) even though she knew he and Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) had feelings for each other. But she wasn’t all bad.

She heroically pushed teenage Vanessa (Liv Hewson) out of the way when Laura Lee’s (Jane Widdop) attempt at operating an airplane they find goes haywire, and it barrels towards the girls. She suggests the girls have an innocent seance to lift the morale. And she helped save Travis from having his throat sliced by Shauna while she and most of the group were in a drugged trance. Still, that didn’t save her from her broken friendship and, honestly, her ego, which led to her sleeping outside the cabin after a fight with Shauna. Winter came, hypothermia hit her, and that was the last of Jackie.

Well, that may not be totally true for Season 2.

Is Jackie in Yellowjackets Season 2?

For all of the Jackie loyalists out there, you’re in luck because the show is not done with your queen. Yellowjackets has always operated at the nexus of the supernatural and psychological dysfunction, including Lottie smashing her head against a window during a seance. Not too long into the Season 2 premiere, we find that Purnell has reprised her role as the fan-favorite character when we see her and her former BFF joking around in the wooden shack her former soccer teammates are using to store the bear meat they’ve been rationing off for meals. She hasn’t returned as a ghost haunting the cabin and enacting otherworldly vengeance upon the girls who exiled her from the cabin, leading to her untimely death. Instead, she’s back in Season 2 as a figment of Shauna’s imagination.

Let’s rephrase that: Jackie reappears in Season 2 as a hallucinatory manifestation of Shauna’s guilt over her death. Jackie still has the same snark, ebullience, and humor that endeared her to you all, as she jokingly plays the MASH game every ’90s kid played to determine their future. Unfortunately, as heartwarming as this reunion was, the Season 2 premiere plunges us back into darkness when we see Shauna has actually been having girl talk with Jackie’s corpse. Instead of giving Jackie the burial fit for her, she instead dressed her up in her Yellowjackets varsity jacket, propped her up in the shack, and have been entertaining delusions to protect her heart (and sanity) from the cold hard truth.

Jackie being a product of Shauna’s subconscious means she embodies all of the qualities of Jackie that Shauna remembers, and they’re not all to her liking. The same Jackie who berated Shauna for sleeping with her boyfriend Jeff behind her back and being a cliche jealous sidekick in the Season 1 finale is also back. This time, Shauna imagines Jackie pushing for more details on how she and Jeff’s sneaky affair started before Shauna can’t take any more of her inquisition and pushes her. Unfortunately, the only Jackie she has to push is a decomposing shell of herself whose right ear breaks off when the corpse hits the ground.

Co-creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson said in a recent interview they had the idea of Shauna talking to Jackie’s frozen corpse as early as during the making of the pilot episode. What happened next is what diehard Yellowjackets fans have been waiting for since the show began. Near the end of the episode, Shauna retrieves the dislodged right ear she kept in her pocket, stares at it, and then sinks her teeth into it. Yes, Jackie is back in Season 2, and it looks like she’s Shauna’s imaginary friend and dessert.

A GOOD electric mower is quiet, efficient, and doesn’t require much maintenance, yet rivals the cut quality and performance of a gas-powered model. (And one can make maintaining your lawn less of an arduous task.) The Ego Power+ 56-Volt Cordless Lawn Mower is all those things, and you can get it for 23 percent off on Amazon, taking the price down to $387 from $500.

This Ego offers 56 volts of power, a deck width of 21 inches, and six different height adjustments—between 1.5 and 4 inches—giving you precise control over your grass’s length. And the 5.0-amp-hour battery in this kit offers a (claimed) 45 minutes of continuous run time on a single charge, making it suitable for mid to large yards, especially if you’ve already bought into Ego’s system and have a spare charged and ready to plug in when the first battery dies. You also get a rapid charger that can top up the battery in 50 minutes, so you can return to mowing your lawn after a break if you’ve only got the one.

The mower also lets you bag the clippings, discharge them out of a side chute, or mulch them to help maintain your yard’s soil temperature and moisture during summer. Other features include a convenient push-button start and LED headlights to tackle yard work in the early morning. The handle also folds for easy storage during the colder months.

The Ego Power+ electric mower will not only help you tame your lawn, but it will do so without the exhaust and noise of a gas-powered alternative. So your neighbors may thank you. Take advantage of this deal to keep your lawn beautiful and get back to what matters: taking it easy in your above-ground pool.

Shop Ego Power+ 56V Cordless Lawn Mower

Pedro Pascal is riding high on the phenomenal success of The Last of Us—which also happened to be exactly how he first found out he had been cast in the hugely popular post-apocalyptic drama series.

In a recent interview on The Graham Norton Show, Pascal recalled how he got so excited while trying to convince the showrunners in that he should get the part of Joel that he decided to take a little something to help himself sleep… only to then get the call telling him he’d won the role.

“It was late, and I took an Ambien,” he said. “At that point I was kind of hyped up… I was excited about the prospect. They called me to tell me I had gotten the job, but I had already taken the tablet. I really didn’t think, I thought I would at least have to wait until the next day.”

He went on to joke that he was so spaced out during the conversation that he even forgot the good news. “And then a couple of minutes on the call went by apparently, and I was like ‘What’s up? Did I get the job?'” He laughed. “I forgot that completely, woke up in the morning, and was all like ‘Oh my god, did I get the job, I’m going to have to wait all day.’

Pascal can be currently seen in Season 3 of The Mandalorian, in which he plays the titular bounty hunter alongside one of the cutest puppets to ever grace the small screen.

This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Endless worry, irritability and insomnia are all symptoms of a possible anxiety disorder.

Luckily, there are numerous anxiety medications that can help ease the condition.

Joy Alonzo, a specialist in the pharmacotherapy of mental disorders at Texas A&M’s College of Pharmacy, said recently, “If you understand the different types of medication, then you can become a better advocate for your anxiety treatment. Anxiety is one of the most under-treated mental illnesses, and we need to talk more about it.”

So, what medications can bring relief from crippling anxiety?

According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA), the most common classes of drugs for the treatment of anxiety include:

• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
• Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
• Benzodiazepines
• Tricyclic antidepressants

Here is a rundown on medications for anxiety.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

SSRIs work by preventing the body from reabsorbing serotonin, which leaves more available for use. The ADAA describes serotonin as a neurotransmitter that plays a role in feelings of well-being and happiness.

SSRIs are considered the first-line treatment for all types of anxiety disorders. A higher dose may be required when treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Common side effects:

• Insomnia
  
• Sleepiness
• Sexual dysfunction
• Weight gain
• Dry mouth

Common SSRIs:

• Citalopram (Celexa)
  
• Escitalopram (Lexapro)
• Fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem)
• Paroxetine (Paxil, Paxil CR, Pexeva, Brisdelle)
• Sertraline (Zoloft)

What else you should know about SSRIs:

• SSRIs may make it easier to engage in psychotherapy and other wellness activities
  
• They may help improve other symptoms of anxiety, including headaches and sleep disturbances
• Initial side effects typically disappear after four to eight weeks
• SSRIs are safe for long-term use
• Check with your provider before stopping their use or changing your dose

Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)

This class of medication is also a first-line treatment for anxiety disorders, except for OCD. It works by inhibiting the brain cells’ reabsorption of both serotonin and norepinephrine. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that helps with a sense of well-being. According to Anxiety.org, norepinephrine is considered important for its role in the body’s stress response.

Common side effects:

Anxiety.org states that SNRIs may have more side effects because they affect serotonin and norepinephrine. These side effects may include:

• Dry mouth
  
• Nausea
• Nervousness
• Insomnia
• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Sexual dysfunction
• Loss of appetite
• Agitation

Common SNRIs:

• Venlafaxine (Effexor)
• Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq)
• Duloxetine (Cymbalta)

What else you should know about SNRIs

Anxiety.org reports that these medications promote neuroplasticity in the brain. This may make your brain more flexible. There is evidence that these medications work best in combination with psychotherapy.

But there is one important caveat.

“SSRIs and SNRIs are not an instant fix for symptoms associated with an anxiety disorder, nor do they even provide immediate relief,” Alonzo said. “They work by interacting with the neurotransmitters and receptors in your brain, which can help regulate mood, sleep and energy levels. It is important for patients to understand that these medications may take four to six weeks for full effect.”

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines are considered a second-line therapy for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. According to the ADAA, they work by strengthening the GABA neurotransmitter. This neurotransmitter plays a primary role in feeling calm, muscle relaxation, reduction in brain activity and sleep.

Most common side effects:

• Drowsiness
  
• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Depression
• Impaired coordination
• Vision problems

Common benzodiazepines:

• Alprazolam (Xanax)
  
• Lorazepam (Ativan)
• Diazepam (Valium)

What else you should know about benzodiazepines for the treatment of anxiety:

• They act quickly, but do not stay in the system for long
  
• They are not safe for continuous use, and can be addictive
• May be initiated with a first-line treatment, and then tapered off
• Do not operate heavy equipment while taking
• Do not mix with alcohol
• Not recommended for people with suicidal or addictive tendencies

Tricyclic antidepressants

According to the Mayo Clinic, tricyclic antidepressants are among the earliest antidepressants. They are often recommended when newer drugs have not been effective. They are not typically used for social anxiety disorder or OCD. They also work by blocking the reabsorption of serotonin and norepinephrine, but their mechanism of action is different and they typically cause more side effects than newer treatments.

Common tricyclic antidepressants:

• Imipramine (Tofranil)
  
• Nortriptyline (Pamelor)
• Desipramine (Norpramin)
• Clomipramine (Anafranil)

Common side effects:

• Drowsiness
  
• Blurred vision
• Constipation
• Dry mouth
• Drop in blood pressure when going from sitting to standing
• Urine retention
• Weight loss/weight gain
• Excessive sweating
• Tremor
• Sexual dysfunction

What else you should know about tricyclic antidepressants:

• You should not stop taking these medications abruptly
  
• You may need to have blood work done to determine the correct dose
• Disorientation can occur in older people at higher doses
• May cause a rapid or irregular heart rate
• Can increase seizure activity if prone to seizures

When to seek treatment for anxiety

The National Institute of Mental Health lists these as common symptoms of anxiety:

• Feeling restless, wound up or on edge
• Being easily fatigued
• Having difficulty concentrating
• Being irritable
• Having headaches, muscle aches, stomach aches or unexplained pains
• Difficulty controlling feelings of worry
• Having sleep problems, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep

The ADAA recommends seeking medication for anxiety when you are having physical symptoms, are unable to do what you want because of how you feel or are unable to make life choices because of fear. It is never too early to start treatment.

Anxiety treatment can be more effective when used with therapy. It is essential to keep all your appointments with your provider. Do not stop your medication or change the dose without discussing it with your provider. If the side effects affect your daily activities, inform your provider immediately.

If, at any time, you feel as though you may be suicidal, reach out to your provider or go to the nearest emergency room. You can also call or text the national suicide prevention hotline at 988.

Copyright © 2023 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

A new study examining the gene expression of gut microbes suggests that the heart-healthy benefits of walnuts may be linked to beneficial changes in the mix of microbes found in our gut. The findings could help identify other foods or supplements with similar nutritional benefits.

Researchers led by Kristina S. Petersen from Texas Tech University in Lubbock found that introducing walnuts into a person’s diet may alter the gut’s mix of microbes—known as the microbiome—in a way that increases the body’s production of the amino acid L-homoarginine. Homoarginine deficiency has been linked to higher risk for cardiovascular disease.

“Research has shown that walnuts may have heart-healthy benefits like lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure,” said Mansi Chandra, an undergraduate researcher at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. “This motivated us to look at how walnuts benefited the gut microbiome and whether those effects led to the potential beneficial effects. Our findings represent a new mechanism through which walnuts may lower cardiovascular disease risk.”

The researchers used an approach known as metatranscriptomics to study the gene expression of gut microbes. This recently developed technology can be used to quantify gene expression levels and monitor how these levels shift in response to various conditions such as dietary changes.

“To our knowledge, this is the first study to use metatranscriptomics analysis for studying the impact of walnut consumption on the gut microbiota gene expression,” Chandra said. “These exploratory analyses contribute to our understanding of walnut-related modulation of gut microbiome, which could be very impactful in learning how gut health impacts our heart health in general.”

The metatranscriptomics analysis used samples acquired from a previously performed controlled-feeding study in which 35 participants with high cardiovascular risk were put on a two-week standard Western diet and then randomly assigned to one of three study diets. The study participants followed each diet for six weeks with a break between each.

The diets included one that incorporated whole walnuts, one that included the same amount of omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, and polyunsaturated fatty acids as the walnut diet but without walnuts, and one that partially substituted another fatty acid known as oleic acid for the same amount of ALA found in walnuts but without consumption of any walnuts. The diets were designed to provide information about how walnuts affected cardiovascular health due to their bioactive compounds and ALA content and whether walnut ALA is the best substitute for dietary saturated fat compared to oleic acid.

For the new work, researchers used metatranscriptomics to analyze gene expression and the bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract from fecal samples collected shortly before the participants finished the run-in diet and each of the three study diets.

The analysis revealed higher levels of Gordonibacter bacteria in the gut of participants on the walnut diet. This bacterium converts the plant polyphenols ellagitannins and ellagic acid into metabolites that allow them to be absorbed by the body. Participants consuming the walnut diet also showed higher levels of expression for several genes that are involved in important metabolic and biosynthetic pathways, including ones that increase the body’s production of the amino acid L-homoarginine.

Although more work is needed to confirm these observations, the research could eventually help inform dietary interventions based on walnuts. “Since a lot of people are allergic to nuts, these findings also suggest that other food supplements that boost the endogenous production of homoarginine may also be helpful,” Chandra said.

Next, the researchers would like to apply metabolomic and proteomic analyses to identify the final products of the genes that showed higher levels of expression. This would allow them to better understand the biological mechanisms at work.

Chandra will present the new findings at Discover BMB, the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, March 25–28 in Seattle.