Dear Reader,

Welcome to Between Calls, your weekly dose of hand-picked stories from the worlds of digital marketing, wellness and science. Blending commerce, consciousness and curiosity, Between Calls brings you insights to make you think and think again.

In this edition, we explore optimizing the “above the fold” section on sites to boost conversions and enhance user experience. Next, we highlight a pilot study that shows how dynamic lighting can improve sleep quality among older adults, reinforcing the link between sleep and overall health. Finally, we celebrate the groundbreaking success of the first personalized CRISPR gene therapy treatment for a patient, paving the way for more personalized medical interventions. So, we have above the fold optimization, better sleep with customized lighting and precision medicine this week. Happy Reading!

Kabir says : A UX designer, a geriatrician, and a geneticist walk into a bar. The UX designer says, “If I can’t catch a user’s attention in 3 seconds, I’ve lost them.” The geriatrician nods, “Same here, if my patients don’t catch sunlight in the morning or evening, they’re awake all night.” The geneticist swirls her drink and shrugs, “How about we just edit the parts of you that don’t pay attention or need sleep in the first place?”

DIGITAL MARKETING

Above The Fold

First impressions matter more than ever both in the real and the digital world. This is where the importance of optimizing the "above-the-fold" section of your website comes in. This section is prime real estate, this is where visitors form their initial opinions and decide whether to stay or leave your website. For businesses, this means that clear messaging, concise value propositions, and strategic call-to-action buttons must be placed in this critical section. In 2025, where attention spans are short, making sure visitors immediately see what they came for is crucial.

Above-the-fold optimization is about guiding user journeys. Using AI and behavioral data, marketers can now create dynamic above-the-fold experiences tailored to individual preferences, improving engagement and boosting conversion rates. From testing layouts to headline variations, every detail in this space counts. With platforms like Google’s AI tools and heatmaps, businesses can understand visitor behavior and refine their strategies accordingly. The takeaway? Invest in optimizing this space and read this playbook to get started. 

WELLNESS

The Architecture of Sleep

In a senior care facility in Amman, Jordan, eight elderly residents became unwitting pioneers in architectural medicine. Researchers replaced their standard fluorescent lights with a dynamic lighting system that mimics the sun's journey, cool and bright in the morning to warm and dim by evening. The results were astonishing: sleep quality improved by 43%, total sleep time increased by 3 hours and 8 minutes, and sleep efficiency jumped by 16%.

This study confirms that human biology is intricately tied to natural light and the sun's journey. Our brains still use light as its primary timekeeper, triggering cortisol in the morning and melatonin at night. But modern architecture, with its static 24/7 illumination, sends our internal clocks spinning. What's revolutionary is the simplicity. No drugs or behavioral interventions. As aging populations spend 90% of their time indoors, this could change how architecture for care centers are thought of where the built environment supports the biology and ultimately health of its occupants. This reiterates what we already know but keep forgetting 'Nature knows best.' 

SCIENCE

Precision Medicine

Baby KJ was born with carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 deficiency, a rare genetic disorder. This is a metabolic disorder affecting one in 100,000 births. Without a crucial enzyme, ammonia accumulated in his blood. The standard treatment, a liver transplant, wouldn't be possible for years, if he even survived that long. But doctors at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia did something unprecedented, they created a CRISPR therapy just for him.

In six months, the team designed, manufactured, and delivered a bespoke gene-editing treatment targeting KJ's specific genetic mutation. This wasn't adapting an existing therapy, this was precision medicine taken to its logical extreme i.e. population of one. As Dr. Kiran Musunuru, who led the effort, puts it: "The promise of gene therapy we've heard about for decades is coming to fruition." What's most remarkable is the speed. While typical drug development takes 10-15 years and billions of dollars, KJ's therapy went from diagnosis to treatment in half a year. We're witnessing the industrialization of the bespoke, where personalized medicine stops being a luxury and becomes a manufacturing challenge. A new age has begun. 

PROMPTITUDE

Ignite Ideas, One Prompt at a Time: Use this with any LLM and learn more about CRISPR gene editing advancements.

You are a world-renowned geneticist and science communicator, your task is to create an engaging, comprehensive beginner's guide to CRISPR gene editing technology. Begin by defining CRISPR using relatable analogies like comparing it to a word processor that can edit the text of life itself. Explain how CRISPR differs from traditional genetic modification by highlighting its precision, speed, and accessibility. Break down the three-step process: the guide RNA that locates target genes like a GPS system, the Cas9 protein that cuts DNA like molecular scissors, and the cell's natural repair mechanisms that insert new genetic material. Detail current real-world applications across medicine, agriculture, and scientific research. Address both the transformative potential and ethical considerations, including current limitations and safety protocols. Use clear analogies throughout eg : DNA as a library, genes as books, CRISPR as the precise librarian and incorporate visual thinking with step-by-step explanations. Maintain an engaging, accessible tone that balances scientific accuracy with storytelling elements, ensuring readers gain both theoretical understanding and practical knowledge of how this revolutionary technology is reshaping medicine, agriculture, and biological research while addressing common misconceptions and future possibilities.

FROM THE BOOKSHELF

To do this week: Did you know that our understanding of genetics came from studying pea plants? Intriguing, to say the least!

Watch Here

Stay Informed, Stay Ahead!

About the author: abhinavchetan.com

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