Mind boggling!!!
Friday, June 30, 2023
India Openly Opposes China’s Maritime Claims in the South China Sea with Palki Sharma
7/4/2023: Here is an alternate link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9H4FUKKgEk (I did not watch this video, but assume it is very similar)
Very recommendable! India, a rising superpower!
Supreme Court Ends the Last Vestige of ‘Systemic Racism’ in America
Headline of the day! It was a huge scandal for many years that universities (including elite ones) admitted students by skin color!
Two wrongs don't make a right except in academia!
Bravo to the Supreme Justices!
Remember: Justice, the guardian of liberty! (written on the rear side of the U.S. Supreme Court building)
New type of computer memory could greatly reduce energy use and improve performance
Good news!
"... This method of changing the electrical resistance in computer memory devices, and allowing information processing and memory to exist in the same place, could lead to the development of computer memory devices with far greater density, higher performance and lower energy consumption. ...
One potential solution to the problem of inefficient computer memory is a new type of technology known as resistive switching memory. Conventional memory devices are capable of two states: one or zero. A functioning resistive switching memory device however, would be capable of a continuous range of states – computer memory devices based on this principle would be capable of far greater density and speed. ..."
One potential solution to the problem of inefficient computer memory is a new type of technology known as resistive switching memory. Conventional memory devices are capable of two states: one or zero. A functioning resistive switching memory device however, would be capable of a continuous range of states – computer memory devices based on this principle would be capable of far greater density and speed. ..."
From the abstract (written exclusively for subject matter experts):
"A design concept of phase-separated amorphous nanocomposite thin films is presented that realizes interfacial resistive switching (RS) in hafnium oxide–based devices. The films are formed by incorporating an average of 7% Ba into hafnium oxide during pulsed laser deposition at temperatures ≤400°C. The added Ba prevents the films from crystallizing and leads to ∼20-nm-thin films consisting of an amorphous HfOx host matrix interspersed with ∼2-nm-wide, ∼5-to-10-nm-pitch Ba-rich amorphous nanocolumns penetrating approximately two-thirds through the films. This restricts the RS to an interfacial Schottky-like energy barrier whose magnitude is tuned by ionic migration under an applied electric field. Resulting devices achieve stable cycle-to-cycle, device-to-device, and sample-to-sample reproducibility with a measured switching endurance of ≥104 cycles for a memory window ≥10 at switching voltages of ±2 V. Each device can be set to multiple intermediate resistance states, which enables synaptic spike-timing–dependent plasticity. The presented concept unlocks additional design variables for RS devices."
Spouses sharing friends may live longer after widowhood
Unfortunately, it appears the length of marriage and intensity of relationship was not really covered.
"The “widowhood effect” – the tendency for married people to die in close succession – is accelerated when spouses don’t know each other’s friends well, new Cornell sociology research finds.
Analyzing the first longitudinal data detailing older adults’ social networks along with demographic and health measures, the researchers found that over a 10-year study period, the probability of death was five times greater among widows whose friends weren't close to their partner. ...
The data confirmed a “significant” widowhood effect. Controlling for age, gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, relationship quality and health, the risk of death in the next five years among study participants whose spouses died was nearly twice that of participants who remained married.
Prior research has identified physiological and social factors thought to contribute to the phenomenon. Some cases could involve heart failure resulting from stress hormones flooding the body, known as “broken heart syndrome” or “takotsubo syndrome.” Longer-term effects of grieving and social isolation could also play a role. In addition, couples sharing similar backgrounds and lifestyles may inevitably share similar health trajectories. ..."
From the abstract:
"Research on “the widowhood effect” shows that mortality rates are greater among people who have recently lost a spouse. There are several medical and psychological explanations for this (e.g., “broken heart syndrome”) and sociological explanations that focus on spouses’ shared social-environmental exposures. We expand on sociological perspectives by arguing that couples’ social connections to others play a role in this phenomenon. Using panel data on 1,169 older adults from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, we find that mortality is associated with how well embedded one’s spouse is in one’s own social network. The widowhood effect is greater among those whose spouses were not well connected to one’s other network members. We speculate that the loss of a less highly embedded spouse signals the loss of unique, valuable, nonredundant social resources from one’s network. We discuss theoretical interpretations, alternative explanations, limitations, and directions for future research."
“I Love You to Death”: Social Networks and the Widowhood Effect on Mortality (no public access)
Ice cream: the inside scoop
Recommendable! It' ice cream season again!
"Voltaire once famously said: 'Ice cream is exquisite. What a pity it isn't illegal.' ..."
Gaetano Dura (1805–1878), Sorbettaro ambulante (Mobile sorbet-maker). Hand-coloured lithograph, around 1850.
Scientists discover common ancestor to all complex life forms
Amazing stuff! The tree of life!
".. the researchers analyzed the genomes of hundreds of archaea microbes. By winding back the molecular clock, the researchers found that all eukaryotes ... can trace their lineage to a common Asgard archaean ancestor. ...
Asgard archaea, also known as Asgard superphylum, is a group of ancient microorganisms that first appeared two billion years ago. Asgard archaea were discovered relatively recently ...
Scientists have encountered these enigmatic organisms in deep-sea sediment and hot springs across the globe, but only a limited number of strains have been successfully cultivated in laboratory settings. Asgard microbes are extremely finicky. They can't be centrifuged, stirred, exposed to oxygen, separated from other microbes, or rushed into growing any faster than a glacial pace. ..."
Asgard archaea, also known as Asgard superphylum, is a group of ancient microorganisms that first appeared two billion years ago. Asgard archaea were discovered relatively recently ...
Scientists have encountered these enigmatic organisms in deep-sea sediment and hot springs across the globe, but only a limited number of strains have been successfully cultivated in laboratory settings. Asgard microbes are extremely finicky. They can't be centrifuged, stirred, exposed to oxygen, separated from other microbes, or rushed into growing any faster than a glacial pace. ..."
From the abstract:
"In the ongoing debates about eukaryogenesis—the series of evolutionary events leading to the emergence of the eukaryotic cell from prokaryotic ancestors—members of the Asgard archaea play a key part as the closest archaeal relatives of eukaryotes. However, the nature and phylogenetic identity of the last common ancestor of Asgard archaea and eukaryotes remain unresolved. Here we analyse distinct phylogenetic marker datasets of an expanded genomic sampling of Asgard archaea and evaluate competing evolutionary scenarios using state-of-the-art phylogenomic approaches. We find that eukaryotes are placed, with high confidence, as a well-nested clade within Asgard archaea and as a sister lineage to Hodarchaeales, a newly proposed order within Heimdallarchaeia. Using sophisticated gene tree and species tree reconciliation approaches, we show that analogous to the evolution of eukaryotic genomes, genome evolution in Asgard archaea involved significantly more gene duplication and fewer gene loss events compared with other archaea. Finally, we infer that the last common ancestor of Asgard archaea was probably a thermophilic chemolithotroph and that the lineage from which eukaryotes evolved adapted to mesophilic conditions and acquired the genetic potential to support a heterotrophic lifestyle. Our work provides key insights into the prokaryote-to-eukaryote transition and a platform for better understanding the emergence of cellular complexity in eukaryotic cells."
Fig. 1: Phylogenomic analysis of 15 concatenated ribosomal proteins expands Asgard archaea diversity.
Chemical imbalance in the forebrain underpins compulsive behaviour and OCD
Good news! Chemical imbalances in the brain, a vague term, have been implicated for many years in various mental disorders etc. Are we finally coming closer to identify such imbalances?
"Scientists ... have used powerful new brain imaging techniques to reveal a neurochemical imbalance within regions of the frontal lobes in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
The study shows that the balance between glutamate and GABA – two major neurotransmitter chemicals – is “disrupted” in OCD patients in two frontal regions of the brain.
Researchers also found that people who do not have OCD but are prone to habitual and compulsive behaviour have increased glutamate levels in one of these brain regions. ...
Additionally, the severity of OCD symptoms, along with the inclination towards habitual and compulsive behaviour, was related to higher glutamate levels in the supplementary motor region. This was found to be the case in OCD patients as well as in healthy participants with milder compulsive tendencies.
The anterior cingulate cortex and the supplementary motor area are both centrally involved in deciding the balance between our conscious goals and more automatic habits. The research suggests that “compulsions arise from a dysregulated brain system for controlling habits” say scientists. ..."
Additionally, the severity of OCD symptoms, along with the inclination towards habitual and compulsive behaviour, was related to higher glutamate levels in the supplementary motor region. This was found to be the case in OCD patients as well as in healthy participants with milder compulsive tendencies.
The anterior cingulate cortex and the supplementary motor area are both centrally involved in deciding the balance between our conscious goals and more automatic habits. The research suggests that “compulsions arise from a dysregulated brain system for controlling habits” say scientists. ..."
From the abstract:
"There has been little analysis of neurochemical correlates of compulsive behaviour to illuminate its underlying neural mechanisms. We use 7-Tesla proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) to assess the balance of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission by measuring glutamate and GABA levels in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and supplementary motor area (SMA) of healthy volunteers and participants with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Within the SMA, trait and clinical measures of compulsive behaviour are related to glutamate levels, whereas a behavioural index of habitual control correlates with the glutamate:GABA ratio. Participants with OCD also show the latter relationship in the ACC while exhibiting elevated glutamate and lower GABA levels in that region. This study highlights SMA mechanisms of habitual control relevant to compulsive behaviour, common to the healthy sub-clinical and OCD populations. The results also demonstrate additional involvement of anterior cingulate in the balance between goal-directed and habitual responding in OCD."
Fig. 1: Relationship between Glutamate and GABA in the anterior cingulate cortex, the supplementary motor area and the occipital cortex of the healthy and OCD brain.
Glorious glass – worth more than gold?
Recommendable! Probably a great exhibition!
"... Where glassmaking first emerged is still highly debated. Rough and unworked fragments of glass appear in both Mesopotamia and Egypt around 2000 BC, but it wasn't until about 400 years later that glass vessels, amulets and jewellery began to be crafted in proper workshops. Exactly how the ancient glassmakers first discovered that kiln-firing a combination of plant ash (containing soda) and sand (containing lime and silica) creates glass is unknown, but early fragments such as this one lend credence to the suggestion that glass may have been first produced as a waste by-product of metallurgy and Egyptian faience (a non-clay ceramic material often with a brightly coloured glaze) production. ..."
A turquoise goblet-shaped cup with a zig-zag pattern on the bowl.
Blue-green glazed faience cup, Egypt, about 1550–1069 BC.
Researchers validate new AI-generated Covid antivirals
Good news! Defeating viral pathogens one trick at a time and fast!
"... And because their generative model was also a foundation model, pre-trained on massive amounts of raw data, it was versatile enough to create new inhibitors for multiple protein targets without extra training or any knowledge of their 3D structure.
In the end, the team hit on four potential Covid-19 antivirals in a fraction of the time it would have taken had they used conventional methods. ..."
From the abstract:
"Inhibitor discovery for emerging drug-target proteins is challenging, especially when target structure or active molecules are unknown. Here, we experimentally validate the broad utility of a deep generative framework trained at-scale on protein sequences, small molecules, and their mutual interactions—unbiased toward any specific target. We performed a protein sequence-conditioned sampling on the generative foundation model to design small-molecule inhibitors for two dissimilar targets: the spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) and the main protease from SARS-CoV-2. Despite using only the target sequence information during the model inference, micromolar-level inhibition was observed in vitro for two candidates out of four synthesized for each target. The most potent spike RBD inhibitor exhibited activity against several variants in live virus neutralization assays. These results establish that a single, broadly deployable generative foundation model for accelerated inhibitor discovery is effective and efficient, even in the absence of target structure or binder information."
Fig. 1. Overview of our inhibitor discovery workflow driven by CogMol, a sequence-guided deep generative foundation model.
Unicycling and Juggling Cambridge PhD student James Cozens sets World Record
Some students are gifted beyond the academic! Maybe he should try blind fold next time?
Biden Starts Using A CPAP Machine to treat his sleep apnea, which was not previously mentioned in his health reports
The senile, demented and corrupt 46th President needs to be in a nursing home or in prison!
Israel’s Netanyahu on Judicial Overhaul, Russia-Ukraine and More
Still a very smart guy, but he has visibly aged. His sharpness and vitality are reduced. What a pity!
This young Wall Street Journal interviewer was at times quite annoying.
Thursday, June 29, 2023
BREAKING: Comer reveals Biden scheme now 'borders on treason'
This is so much bigger and worse than the Watergate scandal ever was!
Webb Space Telescope makes first detection of crucial carbon molecule in a planet-forming disc
Amazing stuff! We are not alone!
"... The CH3+ signal was detected in the star-protoplanetary disc system known as d203-506, which is located about 1350 light years away, in the Orion Nebula. Whilst the star in d203-506 is a small red dwarf star, with a mass only about a tenth of the Sun’s, the system is bombarded by strong ultraviolet radiation from nearby hot, young, massive stars. Scientists believe that most planet-forming protoplanetary disks go through a period of such intense ultraviolet radiation, since stars tend to form in groups that often include massive, ultraviolet-producing stars. Fascinatingly, evidence from meteorites suggest that the protoplanetary disc that went on to form our Solar System was also subject to a vast amount of ultraviolet radiation ..."
Webb studies the Orion Nebula
Reinigungsfirma erregt mit Po-Anzeige: „Wir putzen jede Ritze“
Deutscher Humor? Reinlich und Freizügig? Nicht prüde, sondern sauber bitte! 😊
Weird gimballed-cabin eVTOL "flying car" receives limited FAA approval
Good news! California dreaming! What an oddball! A flying golf cart! 😊
From the story of Alef Aeronautics: "Alef - as in the first letter of a Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew, Arabic, Persian, Syrian and other alphabets – signifies the leading position Alef will eventually occupy in the hearts, minds, and garages of the public."
"Alef's Model A is a US$300,000 electric car that's ... kinda street legal, but also capable of a very unique form of flight. The company has announced limited FAA certification. ...
In road mode, there's no way this thing would pass automotive-grade crash tests and the like – nor does Alef want to go through that process. So they've designed it to meet US "low speed vehicle" regulations, which will allow it to potter about on certain streets at speeds up to about 25 mph (40 km/h). Effectively, it'll fall into the same category as a golf cart. ..."
In road mode, there's no way this thing would pass automotive-grade crash tests and the like – nor does Alef want to go through that process. So they've designed it to meet US "low speed vehicle" regulations, which will allow it to potter about on certain streets at speeds up to about 25 mph (40 km/h). Effectively, it'll fall into the same category as a golf cart. ..."
Picture of the day
Updated 6/30/2023: There are again rumors of a double of Putin the Terrible!
The last czar and megalomaniac war criminal Putin the Terrible is kissing his subjects or young women! The kiss of death!
It was reported that such close encounters with citizens are unusual for Putin the Terrible! Did the recent coup attempt get under his skin?
France gets its first Orthodox woman rabbi. She is 26 years old
Can you define orthodox? 😊 May she become a wonderful rabbi!
"After graduating from an American rabbinical program this month, a French woman has likely become her country’s first Orthodox female rabbi.
Myriam Ackermann-Sommer, 26, has since last year been running Ayeka, one of Paris’ only Modern Orthodox congregations, with her husband Emile Ackermann. He also earned a rabbinical degree this month from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, a liberal Orthodox seminary in New York City. ... There are only believed to be five other women rabbis in France, all under the liberal umbrella ...
Ackermann-Sommer was raised in a non-religious household. She discovered Judaism as a teenager through the teachings of her uncle, Alexis Blum, who was rabbi of the community in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a suburb near Paris. She only started actively studying Jewish texts after meeting her husband in 2017. ..."
Ackermann-Sommer was raised in a non-religious household. She discovered Judaism as a teenager through the teachings of her uncle, Alexis Blum, who was rabbi of the community in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a suburb near Paris. She only started actively studying Jewish texts after meeting her husband in 2017. ..."
Emile Ackermann and Myriam Ackermann-Sommer are leading what is thought to be one of the only Modern Orthodox congregations in France.
British Study: Heavy Electric Vehicles Cause TWICE as Many Potholes as Petrol Models
Besides spontaneous combustion, electric vehicles have more disadvantages to offer!
Caveat: I was not able to find the study by the University of Leeds. It is very regrettable that news sources like Breitbart do not bother to link the study in their article! It seems this story had a lot of traction and was republished in multiple outlets given the results by a Google Search.
"A UK study led by the University of Leeds found the average electric car puts 2.24 times more stress on roads than a similar petrol vehicle – and 1.95 more than a diesel. Larger electric vehicles can cause up to 2.32 times more damage to roads. ...
The increased weight of EVs can be primarily attributed to their heavy batteries, which can weigh up to 500 kilograms. ...
The stress on roads causes greater movement of asphalt which can lead to small cracks and eventually expand into potholes ...
As Breitbart News reported, the safety risks posed by heavy electric vehicles in any collision with lighter vehicles has pushed the head of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board to issue a general warning to all road users."
The increased weight of EVs can be primarily attributed to their heavy batteries, which can weigh up to 500 kilograms. ...
The stress on roads causes greater movement of asphalt which can lead to small cracks and eventually expand into potholes ...
As Breitbart News reported, the safety risks posed by heavy electric vehicles in any collision with lighter vehicles has pushed the head of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board to issue a general warning to all road users."
Mossad abducted terror leader inside Iran to thwart Cyprus attack
If confirmed, this is quite a feat! Tip of the hat to Mossad!
"... “In a unique daring mission within Iranian territory, the Mossad was able to seize the mastermind of the terror cell, who then admitted [to the terror plot] in detail during his interrogation, which led to exposing and the taking apart of the Cyprus terror cell,” said a Mossad statement. ...
Israel-Cyprus cooperation against Iranian terror
Jerusalem and Nicosia have worked together to foil Iranian plots to attack Israelis in the past. In 2021, they arrested a Russian-Azerbaijani hitman hired by the IRGC to kill Israeli businessmen in Cyprus. ..."Researchers uncover new CRISPR-like system in animals that can edit the human genome
Good news! Amazing stuff!
"A team of researchers ... has uncovered the first programmable RNA-guided system in eukaryotes — organisms that include fungi, plants, and animals.
In a study in Nature, the team describes how the system is based on a protein called Fanzor. They showed that Fanzor proteins use RNA as a guide to target DNA precisely, and that Fanzors can be reprogrammed to edit the genome of human cells. The compact Fanzor systems have the potential to be more easily delivered to cells and tissues as therapeutics than CRISPR/Cas systems, and further refinements to improve their targeting efficiency could make them a valuable new technology for human genome editing. ...
led the biochemical characterization of the Fanzor proteins, showing that they are DNA-cutting endonuclease enzymes that use nearby non-coding RNAs known as ωRNAs to target particular sites in the genome. It is the first time this mechanism has been found in eukaryotes, such as animals. ..."
From the abstract:
"RNA-guided systems, which employ complementarity between a guide RNA and target nucleic acid sequences for recognition of genetic elements, play a central role in biological processes in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. ... Although a few eukaryotic RNA-guided systems have been studied so far, such as RNA interference and ribosomal RNA modification, it remains unclear whether eukaryotes have RNA-guided endonucleases. Recently, a new class of prokaryotic RNA-guided system (termed OMEGA) was reported. The OMEGA effector TnpB is the putative ancestor of Cas12 and has RNA-guided endonuclease activity. TnpB may also be the ancestor of the eukaryotic transposon-encoded Fanzor (Fz) proteins, raising the possibility that eukaryotes are also equipped with CRISPR-Cas/OMEGA-like programmable RNA-guided endonucleases. Here we report the biochemical characterization of Fz, showing that it is an RNA-guided DNA endonuclease. We also show that Fz can be reprogrammed for human genome engineering applications. Finally, we resolved the structure of Spizellomyces punctatus Fz (SpuFz) at 2.7Å using cryogenic-electron microscopy, revealing the conservation of the core regions among Fz, TnpB and Cas12, despite diverse cognate RNA structures. Our results show that Fz is a eukaryotic OMEGA system, demonstrating that RNA-guided endonucleases are present in all three domains of life."
Fanzor is a eukaryotic programmable RNA-guided endonuclease (no public access)
Cryo-EM map of a Fanzor protein in complex with ωRNA and its target DNA.
E-Scooter in Italien: Helm und Nummernschild wird Pflicht u.v.m.
Die spinnen, die Römer, aber ganz gewaltig! Unglaublich!
Do octopuses dream? Brain recordings provide the first clues
Amazing stuff! Will I be dreaming of octopuses tonight? 😊
Why Elon Musk and Other Tech Leaders Take Psychedelics
Amended 6/29/2023: "Routine drug use in Silicon Valley has moved from an after-hours activity squarely into corporate culture.
Tech executives and employees see magic mushrooms, ketamine, LSD and other psychedelics as gateways to business breakthroughs. Taking these drugs, most of which are illegal, comes with risks of dependence and abuse. Despite Silicon Valley’s tolerance toward drug use, this phenomenon has some companies and their boards worrying about liability issues, according to consultants and others close to the businesses."
Executives of high tech are high on psychoactive substances! What drives the stock price to new highs, a magic mushroom or LSD? 😊
Wednesday, June 28, 2023
Snubbed by Biden, Israel’s Netanyahu Plans China Visit with Palki Sharma
Another slap in the face of the senile, demented and corrupt 46th President!
Russian Ships Enter Taiwan's Territory and fire missiles near Japan: New Escalation in East Asia? with Palki Sharma
Very concerning! Unfortunately, Palki Sharma has not reported how often this has occurred in the past.
Fraudulent local government Land Sales Threatens China’s Push to Woo Investors with Palki Sharma
Very recommendable and very concerning!
Quantum Galaxies: The Case for Axionic Dark Matter
Very recommendable! Leaves you, as usual, head spinning! 😊
Recycling plastic with enzymes
Good news! There are several ways plastic waste can be recycled!
Plastophobia is a very serious condition! If you suffer from plastophobia, please seek medical care immediately!
"French biotechnology start-up Carbios has developed an enzymatic process for recycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET) back into its constituent monomers ... So the vast majority of PET waste today is not easily recyclable.’ [until now] ...
The team started from an enzyme described by a Japanese research group in 2012, evolved to break down the waxy cutin later on plants’ leaves. This could break down a small amount of PET, but required large amounts of enzyme and took several weeks. Through a process of directed evolution, the team produced better enzymes that work faster, and could withstand higher temperatures. ‘We fully redesigned the active site,’ ...
PET can be crystalline or amorphous ... but the enzymatic degradation is much more effective on amorphous forms, so Carbios has also developed an extrusion pre-treatment process to ensure the material going into the enzymatic reactor is amorphous. ...
That means a recycling plant could very easily be coupled directly to existing PET production plants. ...
how Carbios began scaling up its laboratory process in 2018. ‘In 2021, we constructed a demonstration plant in central France, built to be scalable.’ The company is now setting up a joint venture with chemicals producer Indorama Ventures to build a commercial-scale biorecycling plant adjacent to Indorama’s existing PET plant ..."
That means a recycling plant could very easily be coupled directly to existing PET production plants. ...
how Carbios began scaling up its laboratory process in 2018. ‘In 2021, we constructed a demonstration plant in central France, built to be scalable.’ The company is now setting up a joint venture with chemicals producer Indorama Ventures to build a commercial-scale biorecycling plant adjacent to Indorama’s existing PET plant ..."
The company’s demonstration plant is built to grow and provide data on scaling, in preparation for a first commercial plant, scheduled for 2025
Surprise! Weaker bonds can make polymers stronger
Good news! Amazing stuff!
"... Working with a type of polymer known as polyacrylate elastomers, the researchers found that they could increase the materials’ resistance to tearing up to tenfold, simply by using a weaker type of crosslinker to join some of the polymer building blocks.
These rubber-like polymers are commonly used in car parts, and they are also often used as the “ink” for 3D-printed objects. The researchers are now exploring the possible expansion of this approach to other types of materials, such as rubber tires.
“If you could make a rubber tire 10 times more resistant to tearing, that could have a dramatic impact on the lifetime of the tire and on the amount of microplastic waste that breaks off,” ..."
From the abstract:
"The mechanical properties of covalent polymer networks often arise from the permanent end-linking or cross-linking of polymer strands, and molecular linkers that break more easily would likely produce materials that require less energy to tear. We report that cyclobutane-based mechanophore cross-linkers that break through force-triggered cycloreversion lead to networks that are up to nine times as tough as conventional analogs. The response is attributed to a combination of long, strong primary polymer strands and cross-linker scission forces that are approximately fivefold smaller than control cross-linkers at the same timescales. The enhanced toughness comes without the hysteresis associated with noncovalent cross-linking, and it is observed in two different acrylate elastomers, in fatigue as well as constant displacement rate tension, and in a gel as well as elastomers."
Beyond Ozempic: brand-new obesity drugs will be cheaper and more effective
Amended 7/6/2023: However, in many cases the best, most efficient, and cheapest treatment is more self discipline, better and less food, and more physical exercise!
Good news!
"Two new drugs for treating obesity are on course to become available in the next few years — and they offer advantages beyond those of the highly effective blockbuster drugs already on the market. The first, called orforglipron, is easier to use and to produce, and it will probably be cheaper than existing treatments. The second, retatrutide, has an unprecedented level of efficacy, and could raise the bar for pharmacological obesity treatment. ...
Orforglipron and retatrutide both mimic hormones produced by the lining of the gut in response to certain nutrients. These hormones help to slow the passage of food through the digestive tract and lower appetite by acting on receptors in the brain — both effects that reduce people’s desire to eat and help them to lose weight. ...
retatrutide could provide an unprecedented level of weight loss. At the highest dose used in the trial, participants lost an average of 24.2% of their body weight over 11 months of treatment. Currently approved drugs tend to yield around 15–20% weight loss over a similar time period. ..."
Orforglipron and retatrutide both mimic hormones produced by the lining of the gut in response to certain nutrients. These hormones help to slow the passage of food through the digestive tract and lower appetite by acting on receptors in the brain — both effects that reduce people’s desire to eat and help them to lose weight. ...
retatrutide could provide an unprecedented level of weight loss. At the highest dose used in the trial, participants lost an average of 24.2% of their body weight over 11 months of treatment. Currently approved drugs tend to yield around 15–20% weight loss over a similar time period. ..."
Your next Halloween costume? 😊 Maybe not! The lipid-storage cells called adipocytes (orange; artificially coloured) enlarge during the development of obesity
Earliest evidence yet of butchery and possibly cannibalism among ancient humans?
How primitive, barbarian, and uncivilized were the first humans? However, this evidence is based on only one fossilized bone.
"... The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History paleoanthropologist Briana Pobiner and team have described nine cut marks on a 1.45-million-year-old shin bone that hails from a Homo sapiens relative, found in northern Kenya in 1970. The exact species of hominin has been debated since its discovery. Observing 3D models made of the fossil, the researchers noted that the cut marks are not consistent with bites from another animal, but instead indicate the use of a stone tool, most likely employed to remove the flesh attached to the tibia bone. ...
“The information we have tells us that hominins were likely eating other hominins at least 1.45 million years ago,” ..."
“The information we have tells us that hominins were likely eating other hominins at least 1.45 million years ago,” ..."
"Researchers from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History have identified the oldest decisive evidence of humans’ close evolutionary relatives butchering and likely eating one another. ..."
From the abstract:
"Identification of butchery marks on hominin fossils from the early Pleistocene is rare. Our taphonomic investigation of published hominin fossils from the Turkana region of Kenya revealed likely cut marks on KNM-ER 741, a ~ 1.45 Ma proximal hominin left tibia shaft found in the Okote Member of the Koobi Fora Formation. An impression of the marks was created with dental molding material and scanned with a Nanovea white-light confocal profilometer, and the resulting 3-D models were measured and compared with an actualistic database of 898 individual tooth, butchery, and trample marks created through controlled experiments. This comparison confirms the presence of multiple ancient cut marks that are consistent with those produced experimentally. These are to our knowledge the first (and to date only) cut marks identified on an early Pleistocene postcranial hominin fossil."
Did our human ancestors eat each other? Carved-up bone offers clues A fossilized hominin leg shows gashes that were probably made by stone tools.
Humans’ Evolutionary Relatives Butchered One Another 1.45 Million Years Ago (primary news source) Cut Marks on a Fossil Leg Bone Belonging to a Relative of Modern Humans Were Made by Stone Tools and Could Be Evidence of Cannibalism
Early Pleistocene cut marked hominin fossil from Koobi Fora, Kenya (open access)
Stone-tool cut marks (numbers 1–4 and 7–11) and two identified as tooth marks (numbers 5 and 6) based on comparison with 898 known bone surface modifications
A 3D model of marks 7 and 8, identified as cut marks from a stone tool
Dolphins also use baby talk to bond with young
Amazing stuff! That is cute!
"... Also known as motherese, child-directed communication (CDC) features a higher pitch and wider pitch range, believed to boost bonding and language learning in children.
Researchers found that wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates) near Sarasota Bay, Florida, changed their signature whistles – their individual "voice" – to a higher frequency with a greater range, essentially demonstrating CDC, when they were in the presence of their calves. ...
Scientists don’t know a lot about CDC in other species. Adult male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) adjust their songs when juveniles are nearby, while squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sp.) and rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), alter their vocalization when communicating with younger members of their species. ..."
Researchers found that wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates) near Sarasota Bay, Florida, changed their signature whistles – their individual "voice" – to a higher frequency with a greater range, essentially demonstrating CDC, when they were in the presence of their calves. ...
Scientists don’t know a lot about CDC in other species. Adult male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) adjust their songs when juveniles are nearby, while squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sp.) and rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), alter their vocalization when communicating with younger members of their species. ..."
From the significance and abstract:
"Significance
“Motherese” is a speech pattern that is nearly universal across cultures and languages in human caregivers interacting with children, but evidence among nonhuman species is sparse. Here, we report evidence for motherese in the bottlenose dolphin, a species that shows parallels to humans in their long-term mother–offspring bonds and lifelong vocal learning. Female bottlenose dolphins increase the maximum frequency and frequency range of the same vocalizations (signature whistles) when in the presence or absence of offspring, paralleling similar changes in human motherese. Our data provide an example of convergent evolution of motherese in a nonhuman mammal and support the hypothesis that motherese can facilitate vocal learning and bonding in nonhumans as well as humans.
Abstract
Human caregivers interacting with children typically modify their speech in ways that promote attention, bonding, and language acquisition. Although this “motherese,” or child-directed communication (CDC), occurs in a variety of human cultures, evidence among nonhuman species is very rare. We looked for its occurrence in a nonhuman mammalian species with long-term mother–offspring bonds that is capable of vocal production learning, the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Dolphin signature whistles provide a unique opportunity to test for CDC in nonhuman animals, because we are able to quantify changes in the same vocalizations produced in the presence or absence of calves. We analyzed recordings made during brief catch-and-release events of wild bottlenose dolphins in waters near Sarasota Bay, Florida, United States, and found that females produced signature whistles with significantly higher maximum frequencies and wider frequency ranges when they were recorded with their own dependent calves vs. not with them. These differences align with the higher fundamental frequencies and wider pitch ranges seen in human CDC. Our results provide evidence in a nonhuman mammal for changes in the same vocalizations when produced in the presence vs. absence of offspring, and thus strongly support convergent evolution of motherese, or CDC, in bottlenose dolphins. CDC may function to enhance attention, bonding, and vocal learning in dolphin calves, as it does in human children. Our data add to the growing body of evidence that dolphins provide a powerful animal model for studying the evolution of vocal learning and language."
Bottlenose Dolphins Communicate in “Motherese” with Their Offspring (primary news source)
Transgender individuals are at high suicide risk. Really!
Life in the extreme or as a minority can be tough! That applies to other than LGBTQ high risk groups too!
Nothing is mentioned whether Denmark is a special factor in itself!
The study also compares only transgender and nontransgender individuals. Big mistake! This is almost an apples and oranges comparison! Just the identification of transgender individuals alone used in this study is already doubtful!
Further, it appears this study only followed transgender women, but not transgender males. Very peculiar! Huge omission!
"A Problem ‘Beyond Doubt’
A massive Danish study offers the most robust data yet on suicide among transgender people.
Compared to the rest of the population, transgender individuals had, per CNN:
7.7X the rate of suicide attempts
3.5X the rate of suicide deaths
Almost double the rate of other, nonsuicide deaths ..."
From the key points and abstract:
"Key Points
Question Do transgender individuals have higher rates of suicide attempt and mortality than nontransgender individuals?
Findings In this nationwide cohort study of 6,657,456 Danish-born individuals, transgender individuals identified through hospital and administrative registers had significantly higher rates of suicide attempt (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR], 7.7), suicide mortality (aIRR, 3.5), suicide-unrelated mortality (aIRR, 1.9), and all-cause mortality (aIRR, 2.0) compared with nontransgender individuals.
Meaning This Danish population-based cohort study spanning more than 4 decades found that transgender individuals had higher rates of suicide attempt and mortality compared with nontransgender individuals.
Abstract
Importance Prior studies have suggested that transgender individuals may be a high-risk group with respect to suicide attempt and mortality, but large-scale, population-based investigations are lacking.
Objective To examine in a national setting whether transgender individuals have higher rates of suicide attempt and mortality than nontransgender individuals.
Design, Setting, and Participants Nationwide, register-based, retrospective cohort study on all 6 657 456 Danish-born individuals aged 15 years or older who lived in Denmark between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 2021.
Exposure Transgender identity was determined through national hospital records and administrative records of legal change of gender.
Main Outcomes and Measures Suicide attempts, suicide deaths, nonsuicidal deaths, and deaths by any cause during 1980 through 2021 were identified in national hospitalization and causes of death registers. Adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRRs) with 95% CIs controlling for calendar period, sex assigned at birth, and age were calculated.
Results The 6,657,456 study participants (50.0% assigned male sex at birth) were followed up during 171 023 873 person-years. Overall, 3759 individuals (0.06%; 52.5% assigned male sex at birth) were identified as transgender at a median age of 22 years (IQR, 18-31 years) and followed up during 21,404 person-years, during which 92 suicide attempts, 12 suicides, and 245 suicide-unrelated deaths occurred. Standardized suicide attempt rates per 100 000 person-years were 498 for transgender vs 71 for nontransgender individuals (aIRR, 7.7; 95% CI, 5.9-10.2). Standardized suicide mortality rates per 100 000 person-years were 75 for transgender vs 21 for nontransgender individuals (aIRR, 3.5; 95% CI, 2.0-6.3). Standardized suicide-unrelated mortality rates per 100 000 person-years were 2380 for transgender vs 1310 for nontransgender individuals (aIRR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.6-2.2), and standardized all-cause mortality rates per 100 000 person-years were 2559 for transgender vs 1331 for nontransgender individuals (aIRR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.7-2.4). Despite declining rates of suicide attempts and mortality during the 42 years covered, aIRRs remained significantly elevated in recent calendar periods up to and including 2021 for suicide attempts (aIRR, 6.6; 95% CI, 4.5-9.5), suicide mortality (aIRR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.3-5.9), suicide-unrelated mortality (aIRR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.5-2.1), and all-cause mortality (aIRR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.4-2.1).
Conclusions and Relevance In this Danish population-based, retrospective cohort study, results suggest that transgender individuals had significantly higher rates of suicide attempt, suicide mortality, suicide-unrelated mortality, and all-cause mortality compared with the nontransgender population."
Transgender Identity and Suicide Attempts and Mortality in Denmark (no public access)
Progress in Congress for real civil forfeiture reform
Good news!
"The unanimous 26-0 vote for H.R. 1525, the Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration (FAIR) Act, is a kind of endorsement of comprehensive civil forfeiture reform. The measure would:
- End the use of internal administrative hearings for forfeiture judgments, or (in other words) cabin the powers of forfeiture to Article III courts;
- Require the government to prove that victims of forfeiture had actual or constructive knowledge of a crime, which is a sharp improvement over the current requirement of proof – namely, that the property probably was connected to a crime;
- Send forfeiture proceeds to the U.S. Treasury, not to the budgets of law enforcement agencies; and
- Eliminate “equitable sharing,” which currently allows state and local law enforcement agencies to hand off seizures and forfeiture proceedings to the federal government in exchange for a portion of the revenue that the federal seizure generates. ..."
The bio-inspired 'transformer' that crawls, rolls and flies
Recommendable! Amazing stuff! The multi-modal mobility morphobot.
Tuesday, June 27, 2023
Greg Kelly: The one thing Trump should've 'made good on'
Greg Kelly makes the case that President Trump was too nice! Trump should have fired Joint Chief of Staff Milley and he should have Hillary Clinton being prosecuted! Greg Kelly presents some interesting footage and statements by Milley!
Can Sri Lanka’s Tea for Oil Barter with Iran Solve Colombo’s Woes? with Palki Sharma
Barter trade never goes out of fashion! 😊
China’s Economic Crisis: Influential Experts Silenced with Palki Sharma
China's economy in trouble? Or is this just an Indian news channel bashing China?
If only half of this report is true or exaggerated it still does not look good!
On Toolformer: Language Models Can Teach Themselves to Use Tools
Very recommendable! This interesting paper came out in February of this year and it has already garnered over 150 citations!
This seems to be a very noteworthy improvement of large language models!
From the abstract:
"Language models (LMs) exhibit remarkable abilities to solve new tasks from just a few examples or textual instructions, especially at scale. They also, paradoxically, struggle with basic functionality, such as arithmetic or factual lookup, where much simpler and smaller models excel. In this paper, we show that LMs can teach themselves to use external tools via simple APIs and achieve the best of both worlds. We introduce Toolformer, a model trained to decide which APIs to call, when to call them, what arguments to pass, and how to best incorporate the results into future token prediction. This is done in a self-supervised way, requiring nothing more than a handful of demonstrations for each API. We incorporate a range of tools, including a calculator, a Q&A system, two different search engines, a translation system, and a calendar. Toolformer achieves substantially improved zero-shot performance across a variety of downstream tasks, often competitive with much larger models, without sacrificing its core language modeling abilities."
Russia Set to Overtake Saudi Arabia in Battle for China’s Oil Market
More about China's Russia! When will Russian Manchuria become Chinese? 😊
When will the Russian people finally oust their last czar and megalomaniac war criminal Putin the Terrible!
"Russia is on the cusp of overtaking Saudi Arabia as the biggest oil supplier to China, in a shift that shows the limits of the kingdom’s influence over global markets that have been turned upside down by the Ukraine war."
Der große Absteiger Deutschland - Die Deutsche Wirtschaft
Ohne Kommentar! Typisch Bananenrepublik D.!
Das solche rankings immer mit Vorsicht zu genießen sind ist auch klar! Z.B. das Israel weniger kompetitiv ist als D. ist wohl ein schlechter Witz!
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