The latest and greatest about the Olympic Games! There are no limits to doping! Anything goes! Or what do female athletes inject into their breasts?
Why don't we have some Olympic Games for best doping?
Friday, February 06, 2026
Olympic ski jumpers may be injecting their penises with acid to jump farther
Exposure to burn injuries played key role in shaping human evolution, study suggests
Amazing stuff! How did the harnessing of fire by humans affect human evolution?
"A new study ... suggests that this increased exposure to burn injuries may have driven notable genetic adaptations which differentiated humans from other primates and mammals. This may also explain both beneficial and maladaptive responses to severe burn injury. ...
Using comparative genomic data across primates, the researchers found examples of genes associated with burn injury responses which show signs of accelerated evolution in humans. These genes are involved in wound closure, inflammation and immune system response—likely helping to rapidly close wounds and fight infection; a major complication after burn injury, particularly before the widespread use of antibiotics.
These findings support the theory that exposure to burn injuries may have been a notable force on the evolution of humans. ..."
From the abstract:
"The mastery of fire transformed human evolution through advantages spanning diet, behavior, physiology, and ecology. While these benefits are well established, here we highlight a previously overlooked cost — and selective pressure — unique to humans: high-temperature burn injury.
Unlike other species, humans and their hominin ancestors have faced increased lifetime risk of burns, which we argue has driven genetic adaptation. Drawing on comparative genomic evidence across primates, we suggest that genes associated with burn injury response — relating to wound healing and inflammation — show signs of accelerated evolution in humans.
We propose that recurrent exposure to burns acted as a selective force in our lineage, helping to explain both beneficial adaptations and paradoxical maladaptive responses to severe injury.
By framing burns as an evolutionary pressure, the Burn Selection Hypothesis invites a re-evaluation of how fire shaped human biology and offers new perspectives for understanding both the evolutionary past and modern burn care."
Exposure to burn injuries played key role in shaping human evolution, study suggests (original news release) "Humans’ exposure to high temperature burn injuries may have played an important role in our evolutionary development, shaping how our bodies heal, fight infection, and sometimes fail under extreme injury, according to new research."
Burn Selection: How Fire Injury Shaped Human Evolution (open access)
Cancer protein molecule shields against Alzheimer’s
Amazing stuff!
"Scientists have found a protein made by cancer cells that protects the brain from Alzheimer’s disease in mice — potentially solving a decades-old puzzle about why cancer and Alzheimer’s disease are rarely found in the same person.
When mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease were given a transplant of lung, prostate or colon cancer, they did not develop the plaques characteristic of the brain condition. ... After more than six years of searching, they identified a cancer protein called cystatin C that could infiltrate the brain and flag brain plaques for destruction by the immune system. The breakdown of plaque improved cognitive performance in mice and, if replicated in humans, could form the basis of a new therapy."
From the highlights and abstract:
"Highlights
• Fight Alzheimer’s disease with peripheral cancers via Cyst-C secretion
• Tumor-derived Cyst-C attenuates amyloid pathology of Alzheimer’s disease
• Human Cyst-C binds amyloid oligomers and activates TREM2
• Tumor-derived Cyst-C degrades pre-existing amyloid plaques via TREM2
Summary
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cancer are among the most devastating diseases worldwide. Epidemiological data indicate that the incidence of AD significantly decreases in patients with a history of cancer. However, whether and how peripheral cancer may affect AD progression is yet to be studied.
Here, we find that peripheral cancer inhibits amyloid pathology and rescues cognition via secretion of cystatin-c (Cyst-C), which binds amyloid oligomers and activates triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) in microglia, enabling microglia to degrade the pre-existing amyloid plaques in AD mice. These effects of Cyst-C are abolished by a cell-type-specific deletion (Cx3cr1TREM2−/−) or mutation of TREM2 (TREM2R47H) or Cyst-C (Cyst-CL68Q) in microglia.
Together, these findings provide significant conceptual advances into cancer neuroscience and establish therapeutic avenues that are distinct from the present amyloid-lowering strategies, aiming at degrading the existing amyloid plaques for precision-targeted AD therapy."
Cancer might protect against Alzheimer’s — this protein helps explain why (open access) "A molecule produced by cancer cells can shield the brain from Alzheimer’s disease in mice."
Peripheral cancer attenuates amyloid pathology in Alzheimer’s disease via cystatin-c activation of TREM2 (open access)
Graphical abstract
Multiple sclerosis may have two distinct biological pathways
Good news!
"... For decades, multiple sclerosis (MS) has been defined primarily by its symptoms, rather than its underlying biology. Now, a new study aims to challenge that approach, presenting evidence that MS may actually follow two distinct biological pathways. ...
To do that, the team paired two complementary sources of information. One came from blood measurements of serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL), a protein released when nerve cells are damaged and widely used as a marker of disease activity. The other came from MRI scans that captured how structural degeneration spread through the brain over time.
Rather than examining each dataset in isolation, the researchers analyzed them together using a machine-learning system developed at UCL called SuStaIn (Subtype and Stage Inference). The model is designed to detect subtle disease patterns and map how they evolve, allowing the team to test whether MS follows a single biological trajectory or something more complex. ...
Instead of detecting a smooth disease spectrum, two distinct structural patterns emerged. The team found that patients clustered into separate groups that reflected different underlying pathways of neurodegeneration.
One subtype was marked by early damage concentrated in the brain’s cortex, while the other was dominated by degeneration in white matter regions. Although both patterns ultimately produced the symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis, the location of tissue damage and the path it followed through the brain differed substantially between the two groups. ..."
From the abstract:
"Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a highly heterogeneous disease in its clinical manifestation and progression. Predicting individual disease courses is key for aligning treatments with underlying pathobiology.
We developed an unsupervised machine learning model integrating MRI-derived measures with serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) levels to identify biologically informed MS subtypes and stages. ...
In comparison to MRI-only models, incorporating sNfL with MRI improved correlations of data-derived stages with the Expanded Disability Status Scale in the training (Spearman’s ρ = 0.420 versus MRI-only ρ = 0.231, P = 0.001) and external test sets (ρ = 0.163 for MRI–sNfL, versus ρ = 0.067 for MRI-only).
The early-sNfL subtype showed elevated sNfL, corpus callosum injury and early lesion accrual, reflecting more active inflammation and neurodegeneration, whereas the late-sNfL group showed early volume loss in the cortical and deep grey matter volumes, with later sNfL elevation.
Cross-sectional subtyping predicted longitudinal radiological activity: the early-sNfL group showed a 144% increased risk of new lesion formation (hazard ratio = 2.44, 95% confidence interval 1.38–4.30, P < 0.005) compared with the late-sNfL group. Baseline subtyping, over time, predicted treatment effect on new lesion formation on the external test set (faster lesion accrual in early-sNfL compared with late-sNfL, P = 0.01), in addition to treatment effects on brain atrophy (early sNfL average percentage brain volume change: −0.41, late-sNfL = −0.31, P = 0.04).
Integration of sNfL provides an improved framework in comparison to MRI-only subtyping of MS to stage disease progression and inform prognosis. Our model predicted treatment responsiveness in early, more active disease states. This approach offers a powerful alternative to conventional clinical phenotypes and supports future efforts to refine prognostication and guide personalized therapy in MS."
Combined magnetic resonance imaging and serum analysis reveals distinct multiple sclerosis types (open access)
Fig. 1 Overview of the study
AI reveals how brain activity unfolds over time
Amazing stuff! Sounds promising!
"In brief
- Stanford researchers developed Brain-dynamic Convolutional-Network-based Embedding (BCNE) to analyze complex brain activity over time and space.
- This deep learning approach enables insights into memory, decision-making, and neurological conditions, offering potential applications in clinical settings.
- Further refinement is needed for real-time monitoring and integration with other imaging techniques.
...
applied deep learning to decipher such complex brain activity – in two and, in some cases, three dimensions and over long time scales to provide neuroscientific insights ...
In fact, in one experiment, the researchers recorded the brain activity of people watching movies to note how their brains transition from scene to scene and to evaluate changes in perception, emotion, and comprehension as the narrative unfolds.
In other experiments with lab monkeys and rats, BCNE captured detailed information about how physical movements are signaled from the brain to the muscles and provided other detailed information about the animals’ brain activity. ..."
From the abstract:
"Dynamic brain data are becoming increasingly accessible, providing a gateway to understanding the inner workings of the brain in living participants. However, the size and complexity of the data pose a challenge in extracting meaningful information across various data sources. Here we introduce a generalizable unsupervised deep manifold learning for exploration of neurocognitive and behavioral patterns. Unlike existing methods that extract patterns directly from the input data, the proposed brain-dynamic convolutional-network-based embedding (BCNE) captures brain-state trajectories by analyzing temporospatial correlations within the data and applying manifold learning.
The results demonstrate that BCNE effectively delineates scene transitions, underscores the involvement of different brain regions in memory and narrative processing, distinguishes dynamic learning processes and identifies differences between active and passive behaviors. BCNE provides an effective tool for exploring general neuroscience inquiries or individual-specific patterns."
Revealing neurocognitive and behavioral patterns through unsupervised manifold learning of dynamic brain data (no public access)
Revealing Neurocognitive and Behavioral Patterns by Unsupervised Manifold Learning from Dynamic Brain Data (preprint, open access)
Terahertz microscope reveals the motion of superconducting electrons
Amazing stuff!
"... Now, MIT physicists have used terahertz light to reveal inherent, quantum vibrations in a superconducting material, which have not been observable until now. ...
In a paper appearing today in the journal Nature, the scientists report that they have developed a new terahertz microscope that compresses terahertz light down to microscopic dimensions. This pinpoint of terahertz light can resolve quantum details in materials that were previously inaccessible. ..."
From the abstract:
"The superconducting gap defines the fundamental energy scale for the emergence of dissipationless transport and collective phenomena in a superconductor.
In layered high-temperature cuprate superconductors, in which the Cooper pairs are confined to weakly coupled two-dimensional (2D) copper–oxygen (CuO2) planes, terahertz (THz) spectroscopy at subgap millielectronvolt (meV) energies has provided crucial insights into the collective superfluid response perpendicular to the superconducting layers. However, within the CuO2 planes, the collective superfluid response manifests as plasmonic charge oscillations at energies far exceeding the superconducting gap, obscured by strong dissipation.
Here we present spectroscopic evidence of a below-gap, 2D superfluid plasmon in few-layer Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x and spatially resolve its deeply subdiffractive THz electrodynamics. By placing the superconductor in the near field of a spintronic THz emitter, we reveal this distinct resonance—absent in bulk samples and observed only in the superconducting phase—and determine its plasmonic nature by mapping the geometric anisotropy and dispersion. Crucially, these measurements offer a direct view of the momentum-dependent and frequency-dependent superconducting transition in two dimensions."
Imaging a terahertz superfluid plasmon in a two-dimensional superconductor (no public access)
Imaging a terahertz superfluid plasmon in a two-dimensional superconductor (appears to be a preprint, open access)
Kikkoman bets on organic growth in 'most critical' Indian market
Japanese soy sauce for the Indian cuisine?
US Supreme Court Justice Jackson faces questions about impartiality after appearing at anti-ICE themed Grammys. Really!
This is almost a laughable insinuation! An example of junk journalism!
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson (official photo)
Thursday, February 05, 2026
FDP-Chef Dürr erwägt Bewaffnung von Bahnmitarbeitern
Kein Wunder das die FDP aus dem Bundestag geflogen ist! An Stelle von sofortiger Deportation oder Inhaftnahme von gewalttätigen Ausländern!
Canadian Robot Trucks company Waabi Wades Into Robotaxi business
Good news! The company's leader is the well known ML & AI researcher Raquel Urtasun!
All 2.2 million camels in Saudi Arabia Need passports with Palki Sharma
Is this part of the modernisation of Saudi Arabia under the crown prince?
Taiwan’s TSMC tells Takaichi it plans to mass produce cutting-edge chips in Kumamoto
Good news! Just watch how much Takaichi smiled!
Deutsche Gesellschaft ist offen für die klimaneutrale Transformation. Wirklich!
Eine Gesellschaft im Klimawahn! Am deutschen Wesen wird die Welt nicht genesen!
Propaganda and Demagogie verbreitet durch den Der Informationsdienst
des Instituts der deutschen Wirtschaft!
Die Grafik unten sagt klar 57% der Befragten eher dagegen oder neutral/ohne Meinung sind!
Die Befragung ist uralt von 2024! Und nur 2159 Befragte!
Scientists break ‘decades of gridlock’ in climate modeling
Finally, there is hope for better and more accurate weather forecasting!
Maybe soon, the latest climate models will confirm that the Global Warming/Climate Change was a hoax!
"In brief
- Gravity waves are a source of uncertainty in climate models because they are too small and short-lived to appear in models designed to cover the whole planet.
- A new Stanford-led study shows how machine learning algorithms that predict the effects of gravity waves can be incorporated into global climate models.
- The approach shows a path toward better modeling of other small-scale systems, like clouds, and could improve understanding of future weather patterns.
...
Climate models don’t fully capture gravity waves because they are often based on a grid of 100-by-100-kilometer square columns. In each column, physics equations describe the movement of air and water. Many gravity waves are too small to register at this resolution, like a ripple in a puddle that a low-resolution photo doesn’t capture. Other gravity waves ripple out over distances long enough to cross 10 or more squares in the grid. But, due to computational constraints, climate models do not capture horizontal gravity wave movement. ..."
From the abstract:
"Gravity waves (GWs) make crucial contributions to the middle atmospheric circulation. Yet, their climate model representation remains inaccurate, leading to key circulation biases.
This study introduces a set of three neural networks (NNs) that learn to predict GW fluxes (GWFs) from multiple years of high-resolution ERA5 reanalysis. The three NNs: a ANN, a ANN-CNN, and an Attention UNet embed different levels of horizontal nonlocality in their architecture and are capable of representing nonlocal GW effects that are missing from current operational GW parameterizations. The NNs are evaluated offline on both time-averaged statistics and time-evolving flux variability.
All NNs, especially the Attention UNet, accurately recreate the global GWF distribution in both the troposphere and the stratosphere. Moreover, the Attention UNet most skillfully predicts the transient evolution of GWFs over prominent orographic and nonorographic hotspots, with the
model being a close second. Since even ERA5 does not resolve a substantial portion of GWFs, this deficiency is compensated by subsequently applying transfer learning on the ERA5-trained ML models for GWFs from a 1.4 km global climate model. It is found that the re-trained models both (a) preserve their learning from ERA5, and (b) learn to appropriately scale the predicted fluxes to account for ERA5's limited resolution.
Our results highlight the importance of embedding nonlocal information for a more accurate GWF prediction and establish strategies to complement abundant reanalysis data with limited high-resolution data to develop machine learning-driven parameterizations for missing mesoscale processes in climate models."
Offline Performance of a Nonlocal Deep Learning Parameterization for Climate Model Representation of Atmospheric Gravity Waves (open access)
Fig. 1 (left) Temperature perturbations (in K) associated with gravity waves (GWs) over the Drake Passage and the Southern Ocean on 18 July 2015 06 UTC, as resolved in ERA5,
(middle) the momentum flux (units mPa) associated with the excited GWs, and (right) the momentum flux predicted using an Attention UNet convolutional neural network trained on 3 years of ERA5 data.
The Women Who Built Wall Street between 1870-1970
According to this article, there were very few women! It started with a spiritualist!
"... Victoria Woodhull worked as a spiritualist in the 1860s. When Vanderbilt hired her to communicate with his deceased wife, she saw an opportunity.
“She would rub shoulders with a lot of very rich men, a lot of investors, and they would be talking about their stock tips all the time,” ... “So Woodhull starts to tell Cornelius Vanderbilt, hey, you know, your wife is giving me some really hot stock tips from beyond the grave.”
Vanderbilt used the tips. He gave Woodhull and her sister about $700,000 (roughly $15 million today). In 1870, they opened Woodhull Claflin and Company, the first female-operated financial firm on Wall Street. ..."
Victoria Woodhull
How do snakes go for many months without eating?
Amazing stuff!
"... The trick may be losing the genes that produce ghrelin, a key hormone that regulates appetite, digestion, and fat storage.
The team scanned the genomes of 112 species, seeking changes in the DNA that makes ghrelin, dubbed the “hunger hormone ” because it was once thought to be the key to obesity in humans.
In snakes, chameleons, and toadhead agamas, ghrelin genes were either missing or so warped by mutations they could no longer encode the hormone, the scientists found. When the researchers looked at MBOAT4, an enzyme that makes ghrelin function, they found that it too was lost in snakes, chameleons, and the agamas.
Losing ghrelin and MBOAT4 may have been part of how these ambush predators adapted to a boom-and-bust feeding schedule. Normally, ghrelin can help the body turn fat into energy when food is scarce. Without ghrelin and MBOAT4, the reptiles may be able to hold onto their energy reserves for longer, letting them persist in low power mode for months to a year between meals. ..."
Gut molecule that blocks ‘hunger hormone' may spur new treatments for diabetes, anorexia (no public access)
Loss of ‘hunger hormone’ has made snakes masters of fasting (no public access)
Brain cells birth zombielike transport vesicles
Amazing stuff! What little we still know about our brain!
"When key “housekeeper” brain cells grow in lab dishes, they spawn unusual microscopic vesicles that can move on their own and carry energy-generating organelles ... The biologists have dubbed their discovery zombosomes because the blobs can move like cells for a period despite lacking a nucleus, which acts as a cell's control center. The group also showed the membrane-bound messengers ferry proteins related to Parkinson’s disease, suggesting they may contribute to it and other brain disorders. ..."
From the highlights and abstract:
"Highlights
• Zombosomes are shed nuclear bodies of astrocytes that remain motile
• Pathological aggregates can hijack zombosomes, promoting cell-to-cell propagation
• Zombosomes with α-synuclein deposits induce pathology in 2D and 3D hiPSC models
• Zombosome-like bodies with α-synuclein content are present in the human brain
Summary
Astrocytes not only play a central role in orchestrating the brain’s microenvironment but also are tightly connected to neurodegenerative processes. Hence, unraveling astrocytes’ intercellular pathways can give important insight into disease-spreading mechanisms. Here, we describe a distinct form of actively migrating cellular vehicles, which we have named zombosomes. Zombosomes shed from astrocytes but retain their adhesive and motile properties, even though they lack nuclei.
They share protein markers with their parental astrocytes, including highly packed vimentin, and are loaded with intact organelles.
Importantly, zombosomes act as disease couriers, transferring α-synuclein aggregates from one cell to another, and have the capacity to infiltrate and induce pathology in cerebral organoids.
Human brain sections show scattered vimentin-rich zombosomes with no attachments to nearby astrocytes, which contain deposits of aggregated α-synuclein.
Taken together, our findings represent an interaction pathway between distant cells through “live” vehicles that when misused, may cause propagation of Parkinson’s disease pathology."
Graphical abstract
Figure 1. Zombosomes, a distinct form of actively migrating intercellular shuttle, originating from astrocytes
TU München baut ersten europaweiten KI-Chip mit moderner 7-Nanometer-Technologie
Na was für eine positive Überraschung!
"... Der KI-Chip basiert auf dem Open-Source-Standard Risc-V. So entstehen für die TUM keine Lizenzkosten. Außerdem ist ein solcher offener Standard deutlich transparenter und man kann nachvollziehen, wie der Kern eines solches Chips aufgebaut ist. ..."
TUM baut eigenen KI-Chip in 7-nm-Technologie (original Mitteilung) "An der Technischen Universität München (TUM) ist der EU-weit erste KI-Chip mit moderner 7-Nanometer-Technologie entstanden. Prof. Hussam Amrouch entwickelte den neuromorphen Chip auf Grundlage des Standards des weltweit führenden Chip-Produzenten TSMC. Künftig will der Professor für KI-Prozessor-Design zusammen mit seiner Forschungsgruppe jährlich mindestens drei neue Designs entwerfen, die ab 2028 von der European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC) in Dresden gefertigt werden sollen."
Das Foto ist vom 19.5.2025 (Quelle)
Google DeepMind researcher David Silver leaves to launch his own AI startup
David Silver is a very well known ML & AI researcher! This could be interesting!
"... Ineffable Intelligence was formed in November 2025, and Silver was appointed a director of the company on Jan. 16, according to documents filed with U.K. business registry Companies House.
In addition, Silver’s personal web page now lists his contact as Ineffable Intelligence and provides an Ineffable Intelligence email address ..."
David Silver
Grok undressed the mother of one of Elon Musk’s kids into a bikini — and now she’s suing
The many ways to make money!
P.S. I was not able to find this picture of her.
"Ashley St. Clair, the mother of one of X owner Elon Musk’s children, is suing his company for enabling its AI to virtually strip her down into a bikini without her consent. ..."
A tiny Rembrandt drawing sold for $17.9 million
Amazing stuff!
"The amount that a tiny Rembrandt drawing sold for at Sotheby’s. “Young Lion Resting” smashed the Dutch master’s $3.7 million record for a work on paper and now ranks as one of the priciest drawings ever sold at auction. It’s the latest sign that the art market is roaring back following a yearslong slump."
A Tiny Rembrandt Drawing Sells for $17.9 Million "The Dutch master’s sketch of a lion—the last still in private hands—now ranks as one of the priciest drawings ever sold at auction"
Wednesday, February 04, 2026
How A Russian Nesting Doll Satellite Approached A US Target In Orbit
What is Putin the Terrible up to?
Melania Trump brutally shuts down CNN reporter over question about Ghislaine Maxwell
Good news! Bravo! Not since Jacqueline Kennedy!
Moderna, Merck report cancer treatment discovery for several different cancers with Maria Bartiromo
Good news! Cancer is history (soon)! No safety risks, no side effects!
Trump Sends US Troops to Nigeria to Counter Islamic State Terrorists
How far will President Trump go?
Last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between US and Russia to expire on 2/5/2026 called START or what about a new nuclear arms race!
Please no hysteria and alarmism as long as both parties continue to uphold the limits!
As this video points out, a new treaty may have to include China, India, and Pakistan!
Erdogan Meets MBS as Saudi Arabia, Turkey Seek a Reset in Ties with Palki Sharma
Recommendable! This could be a momentous change!
Lithium-free battery breaks voltage barrier for ultra-cheap energy storage
Good news! Is this perhaps a breakthrough!
"... Unlike conventional lithium-ion batteries, sodium–sulfur batteries store energy using metallic sodium as the anode and elemental sulfur (S₈) as the cathode – two elements that are both abundant and inexpensive. ..."
From the abstract:
"Room-temperature sodium–sulfur (Na–S) batteries offer a sustainable energy storage solution to conventional lithium (Li)-based systems, owing to the high element abundances and theoretical electrochemical performance. However, their practical applications have been severely hindered by the low discharge voltages and the need for largely excessive Na metal anode.
Here we report a 3.6 V class Na–S battery featuring a high-valence sulfur/sulfur tetrachloride (S/SCl4) cathode chemistry and anode-free configuration. We show that sodium dicyanamide (NaDCA) can simultaneously unlock reversible S/SCl4 conversion and Na plating/stripping in a non-flammable chloroaluminate electrolyte.
This design enables the maximum energy and power densities of 1,198 Wh kg−1 and 23,773 W kg−1, respectively, calculated on the basis of the total electrode mass including both the cathode and the anode. Also, we demonstrate facilitated S/SCl4 conversion by incorporating a bismuth-coordinated covalent organic framework (Bi-COF) catalyst (8 wt% loading) into the S cathode, which realizes an impressive discharge capacity of 1,206 mAh g(sulfur+catalyst)−1, contributing to a maximum energy density of 2,021 Wh kg−1 calculated on the basis of the total electrode mass.
With an estimated cost of US$5.03 per kWh and excellent scalability, our anode-free Na–S battery shows promise in grid energy storage and wearable electronics."
High-voltage anode-free sodium–sulfur batteries (no public access)
Has Trump the Destroyer Eclipsed Putin the Destroyer? | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Really!
Nice example of Trump Derangement Syndrome! Andrew Carnegie is probably spinning in his grave!
Caveat: I did not read the article!
"While Russian President Vladimir Putin likes military solutions, the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by the United States was, on balance, a defeat. Moscow measures everything against itself, and the forcible seizure of a leader seen as an illegitimate dictator by both the United States and Europe was worrisome. ..."
The author Alexander Baunov. Does he suffer from TDS?
Aging slows breakdown of synaptic proteins, raising disease risk
Recommendable!
"In brief
- A new study reveals mechanisms linking synapse loss to cognitive decline and dementia in aging brains, highlighting critical changes during this process.
- Researchers found that aging slows the breakdown of synaptic proteins, leading to accumulation that may contribute to diseases like Alzheimer’s.
- Stanford’s innovative tagging method could enable tracking of neuronal proteins, facilitating the identification of new biomarkers for assessing brain health.
...
Now, researchers ... have discovered clues that may tie synapse loss to another hallmark of brain aging: the declining ability of brain cells to break down and recycle damaged proteins. ...
that synaptic proteins are particularly susceptible to this age-related garbage-disposal problem: In old age, synaptic proteins break down much more slowly, they become more likely to pile up into the tangled clumps of protein characteristic of neurodegenerative disease, and they are more likely to make their way into microglia, immune cells that prune away damaged synapses. ..."
From the abstract:
"Neurodegenerative diseases affect 1 in 12 people globally and remain incurable. Central to their pathogenesis is a loss of neuronal protein maintenance and the accumulation of protein aggregates with ageing.
Here we engineered bioorthogonal tools that enabled us to tag the nascent neuronal proteome and study its turnover with ageing, its propensity to aggregate and its interaction with microglia.
We show that neuronal protein half-life approximately doubles on average between 4-month-old and 24-month-old mice, with the stability of individual proteins differing among brain regions.
Furthermore, we describe the aged neuronal 'aggregome', which encompasses 1,726 proteins, nearly half of which show reduced degradation with age. The aggregome includes well-known proteins linked to diseases and numerous proteins previously not associated with neurodegeneration.
Notably, we demonstrate that neuronal proteins accumulate in aged microglia, with 54% also displaying reduced degradation and/or aggregation with age. Among these proteins, synaptic proteins are highly enriched, which suggests that there is a cascade of events that emerge from impaired synaptic protein turnover and aggregation to the disposal of these proteins, possibly through microglial engulfment of synapses. These findings reveal the substantial loss of neuronal proteome maintenance with ageing, which could be causal for age-related synapse loss and cognitive decline."
Images of mouse brain cells, with neurons in red and protein aggregates in green. Those protein aggregates are far more likely to form in older mice (right) compared with younger mice (left), which may contribute to slower breakdown of damaged proteins.
Griechischer Schwarzfahrer tötet DB Zugbegleiter bei Ticketkontrolle
Schlagzeilen aus der Bananenrepublik D!
"... Der Tatverdächtige ist ein 26-jähriger griechischer Staatsbürger ohne Wohnsitz in Deutschland, bestätigte eine Polizeisprecherin gegenüber Bild. ...
[Das Opfer] war er alleinerziehender Vater von zwei Kindern und lebte in Ludwigshafen. ..."
Ceasefire in name only as Hamas disarmament stalls
Recommendable! What a mess! Apparently, no country (European, Arab etc.) wants to commit troops to disarm Hamas in Gaza.
Anticipating aging-related mental decline using saliva samples and AI
Good news!
"... Researchers at Chongqing Medical University and the Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases recently explored the potential of a new approach to predict the onset of cognitive decline, which combines biological samples with machine learning.
Their paper, published in Translational Psychiatry, highlights the potential of this approach for the large-scale screening of older adults and the identification of people who are more at risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders or neurodegenerative diseases. ..."
From the abstract:
"Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are early indicators of cognitive decline due to neurodegenerative diseases, and their timely detection is of the utmost importance.
We aimed to develop and validate methods for large-scale NPS screening among elderly individuals and explore underlying metabolic mechanisms. This observational, cross-section study involved 138 and 200 participants in the modeling and external validation cohorts, respectively, chosen from community healthcare centers in Chongqing, China.
Data collection involved demographic questionnaires, saliva samples for oral microbiome analysis, and assays for other biomarkers (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, Cath-B and cortisol).
EXtreme gradient boosting(XGBoost), support vector machine(SVM), and logistic regression(LR) were developed with RFE and LASSO. The models were primarily evaluated using AUROC and F1 scores. The best model was interpreted using SHAP values, while the LR model was transformed into a nomogram. Additionally, BioCyc function pathway analysis was used to predict the functional shift of biomarkers.
The genus-augmented XGBoost model achieved the highest performance, with an AUROC of 0.936 and an F1 score of 0.864, outperforming other models. The LR model was converted into a nomogram to facilitate NPS-risk assessment in community settings.
The external validation confirmed the strong predictive power (AUROC = 0.986, F1 score = 0.944). Enrichment and correlation analyses revealed cortisol and microbial interactions with pathways such as the pentose phosphate pathway and enterobacterial common antigen biosynthesis. The XGBoost-augmented model and nomogram offer promising tools for community-based NPS screening, while enrichment analysis provides insights into biological mechanisms."
Fig. 2: The differences of salivary microbiota in elderly with NPS and healthy controls according to the 16S rRNA data.
Fig. 4: Interactions between oral microbiota, inflammatory factors, and metabolic pathways in NPS and healthy controls.
A second, secret Chinese biolab found on US soil?
Serious stuff, if confirmed!
"...
The secret Chinese lab apparently was not one of a kind. SWAT officers with the Las Vegas Metro Police Department raided a home in the city's northeast end on Jan. 31, discovering a suspected illegal biolab apparently linked to the Chinese national who owned the Reedley site. ...
that "the home was owned by the same individual connected to a prior, illegal bio-lab investigation in Reedley, California, that occurred in 2023." ..."
Plastic surgeons society recommends delaying gender-affirming procedures until age 19
When common sense prevails!
"The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) recommends that gender-affirming surgeries be delayed until a patient is at least 19 years old, the group announced in a statement Tuesday. The statement, made by the group’s board of directors, represents a break from major U.S. medical groups that have supported the care, and applies to facial, chest, and genital procedures performed for transgender and nonbinary patients. ..."
"Summary: The clinical management of children and adolescents presenting with gender dysphoria or gender incongruence has undergone rapid change, and ASPS wishes to offer guidance to members providing gender surgery services for this population. This position statement discusses the views of the American
Society of Plastic Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) on breast/chest, genital, and facial gender surgery for individuals under the age of 19"
Tuesday, February 03, 2026
Why The Trump-UAE Crypto Deal Made No Financial Sense—For The Emiratis. Really!
Lousy video! No charts! Lot's of numbers! What was the point? Just a smear attempt by Forbes?
Norway's Crown Princess Mette Marit in Epstein files as rape trial against her son begins
Amazing stuff! Frequent meetings in person between the princess and Eppstein! How attractive was Eppstein? Who else will be implicated?
Why the World (UK, the EU, Oman, New Zealand and now the United States) Is Rushing to Sign Trade Deals With India in just five months with Palki Sharma
Good news! Quite a turnaround for India given its past policies of self reliance and non alignment.
$1.018 trillion Walmart’s market capitalization, as of today’s close
Good news!
"... Walmart is the first traditional retailer to have a 13-figure valuation. It joins a small but growing club that includes Amazon, Nvidia, Meta and Microsoft."
Abbas calls first-ever voted PLO Council elections in November. Really!
The 90 year old, unelected crook/terrorist again failed to announce his long overdue retirement!
Mahmoud Abbas
Bundesverwaltungsgericht Leipzig: Per „Klimaschutz“-Urteil in den Staatsruin
Ich kenne nicht die Details des Falls noch des Urteils, aber anscheinend hat der Klimawahn in der Bananenrepublik D auch eines der höchsten deutschen Gerichte erfasst!
Klimaschutz ist ein besonders hässliches, absurdes deutsches Unwort! Aus Umweltschutz wurde Klimaschutz im Land wo die Heinzelmännchen/-weibchen und Gartenzwerge regieren!
"Das Bundesverwaltungsgericht hat am 29. Januar 2026 gegen den Wirtschaftsstandort Deutschland, wie von der Deutschen Umwelthilfe sehnlich gewünscht, geurteilt. Das Gericht vertritt die Auffassung, dass das sogenannte Klimaschutzprogramm der Bundesregierung von 2023 nicht ausreiche und die Regierung zusätzliche Maßnahmen zum „Klimaschutz“ ergreifen müsse. ..."
X offices raided in Paris, France, both Musk and former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino had been summoned
What is going on? Politically motivated?
"The French offices of Elon Musk's X have been raided by the Paris prosecutor's cyber-crime unit, as part of an investigation into suspected offences including unlawful data extraction and complicity in the possession of child pornography.
The prosecutor's office also said both Musk and former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino had been summoned to appear at hearings in April.
In a separate development, the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) announced a probe into Musk's AI tool, Grok, over its "potential to produce harmful sexualised image and video content." ...
The investigation began in January 2025 when French prosecutors started looking into content recommended by X's algorithm, before being widened in July that year to include Musk's controversial AI chatbot, Grok.
In a post at the time, X said the action was "politically-motivated" and denied allegations it had manipulated its algorithm.
Following today's raid, French prosecutors say they are now investigating whether X has broken the law across multiple areas. ..."
Muslim IDF Officer 'Captain Ella' Named New Arabic Spokesperson
Good news! Bravo! Congratulations to Lt.-Col. Ella Waweya!
"... Waweya, 36, will be promoted to lieutenant colonel upon assuming the position, becoming the highest-ranking Muslim officer currently serving in the IDF. Born in Kalansuwa, a Muslim Arab town in central Israel, Waweya has been part of the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit since 2013, most recently heading its Arabic media desk. ..."
Lt.-Col. Ella Waweya
Waymo raises $16B to scale robotaxi fleet internationally
Good news! Waymos everywhere! If you drive on the streets of the Phoenix metro area (Arizona), you see a Waymo car almost every other minute or so.
"Waymo, the Alphabet-owned autonomous vehicle company, has raised $16 billion as it plans to grow its fleet of driverless taxicabs this year to more than a dozen new cities internationally, including London and Tokyo.
Dragoneer Investment Group, DST Global, and Sequoia Capital led the funding round, which now values Waymo at $126 billion, the company said in a blog post Monday. ...
In 2016, it made its first geographic leap forward and began testing in Phoenix, where it eventually pulled its human safety driver out of the vehicles. Phoenix became Waymo’s first robotaxi market, in which the public could hail driverless Chrysler Pacifica minivans.
Waymo pushed down the accelerator in August 2023 after receiving the final necessary permit to operate a robotaxi service — and charge for rides — in California. It launched a limited service in San Francisco, later expanding to much of the greater Bay Area, Silicon Valley, and more recently to the freeways that connect the dozens of towns in the area. It also expanded to Los Angeles. The company launched in Austin and Atlanta in 2025 through a partnership with Uber. It kicked off the year by expanding to Miami. ..."
"... This milestone is built on a foundation of safety that is now statistically superior to human driving. Across 127 million miles of fully autonomous operation—the equivalent of going to the moon and back over 260 times—we have achieved a 90% reduction in serious injury crashes. ..."
China is leading the fight against hidden car door handles by prohibition beginning 2027
Bad news! What is this all about? Some kind of a trade war?
For how long have these hidden car door handles been around on how many cars?
According to Google search results such car door handles have a long history:
"Key, early, and modern milestones include:
1947: The Cisitalia 202 sports car is credited with the first use of a hidden, flush-mounted door handle.
1950s: The practice of "shaved door handles" (removing external handles for a smooth look) became popular in custom car/hot rod culture, often using solenoids for access.
1970s/80s: Manufacturers like Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Toyota (Celica) began incorporating integrated, flush-style handles."
I am not aware of any past news indicating serious issues with this type of car door handle in case of severe traffic accidents.
"One of the design features that became synonymous with Tesla has been banned in China.
Under new safety rules published Monday by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, cars sold in the country must have mechanical releases on their door handles. The new rules, which go in effect January 1, 2027, will prohibit the hidden, electronically actuated door handles popularized by Tesla — and now found on numerous other electric vehicles in China.
The new rule dictates that each door (excluding the tailgate) should be equipped with a mechanically released external door handle. Vehicles must also have a mechanical release on the interior of the vehicle. ...
Numerous high-profile fatal incidents, in which occupants have become trapped in their vehicles, have raised concerns among safety regulators and advocates globally. China is the first country to issue a ban. ..."
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