Study reveals key gene protecting plants from harmful metals in soil

Amazing stuff! Could be very useful!

"The negative impact of human activity on Earth doesn’t just affect our planet’s atmosphere—it goes much deeper, into its soils. For instance, excessive application of manure or sewage sludge can increase heavy metal concentrations in agricultural land where vital crops are grown. One of these heavy metals is zinc, a micronutrient necessary for plant and animal health. In excess, however, zinc can be extremely damaging to sensitive plant species. ...
The findings ... reveal that plants tolerate high levels of zinc by trapping it in their root cell walls, a process facilitated by a gene called trichome birefringence or TBR. Scientists and farmers can now use this information to develop and grow crops that are more resilient to soil contamination. ...
A cell wall’s capacity to store zinc is largely dependent on a process called pectin methylesterification—a process that alters the structure of the spongy pectin molecules inside cell walls so that they can absorb more zinc. To better understand this, the researchers performed a genome-wide association study to identify plant genes associated with increased pectin methylesterification. ...
“We found that TBR allele variants influence changes in pectin methylesterification and help determine a plant’s ability to tolerate higher zinc levels,” ..."

From the abstract:

"Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient but can be cytotoxic when present in excess. Plants have evolved mechanisms to tolerate Zn toxicity. To identify genetic loci responsible for natural variation of plant tolerance to Zn toxicity, we conduct genome-wide association studies for root growth responses to high Zn and identify 21 significant associated loci. Among these loci, we identify Trichome Birefringence (TBR) allelic variation determining root growth variation in high Zn conditions. Natural alleles of TBR determine TBR transcript and protein levels which affect pectin methylesterification in root cell walls. Together with previously published data showing that pectin methylesterification increase goes along with decreased Zn binding to cell walls in TBR mutants, our findings lead to a model in which TBR allelic variation enables Zn tolerance through modulating root cell wall pectin methylesterification. The role of TBR in Zn tolerance is conserved across dicot and monocot plant species."

Study reveals key gene protecting plants from harmful metals in soil - Salk Institute for Biological Studies "... scientists find a gene to enhance plants’ zinc tolerance, an important step for producing crops resilient to heavy metals"

Natural variation of TBR confers plant zinc toxicity tolerance through root cell wall pectin methylesterification (open access)

Lotus japonicus sprouts, wildtype (left) and TBR homolog (right), in normal zinc levels (top) and high zinc levels (bottom).

Fig. 2: Natural allelic variation of TBR is associated with root growth responses to high Zn levels.

Image of the day

The fastest woman (height only 5'1'', age 24) in the world Sha'Carri Richardson. I wonder whether the long finger nails are an advantage! If you don't want to be scratched you better stay out of her lane. 😊 

 

Shanghai Museum honors Egyptian cat goddess with ‘Meow Night’ events

Recommendable! Would be a reason for me to stay away from this museum while this exhibition is ongoing.

Prager University: What Is Critical Immigration Theory?

Recommendable!

Ukraine is surviving - here's what it needs to defeat Russia

Recommendable and mostly agreeable! The host left it ambiguous as to what the goal of this war is. Very simple: Restoring the territorial integrity of the entire Ukraine (including the Crimean peninsula).

The world's first octopus-inspired superior sunscreen (and possibly anti aging) is on its way

Good news!

"A unique material inspired by a pigment in the skin of octopus, squid and cuttlefish has been harnessed to boost the skin-protecting active ingredients in sunscreen, as well as providing a shield against skin damage. And while it comes with all the benefits to humans, including antioxidant properties, it's harmless to the environment, which could revolutionize not just sun protection but skincare in general. ...
In the latest study, the scientists shows how a synthesized version of xanthommatin can significantly boost sunscreen protection levels when blended with zinc oxide, without having any negative impact on marine life such as corals or to humans. ..."

From the abstract:

"Objective

... We describe the use of a natural product, Xanthochrome® (INCI: Ammonium Xanthommatin), in a series of studies designed to not only assess its safety with marine systems but also its formulation compatibility and function in water-in-oil mineral sunscreens. Xanthochrome is the synthetic form of the naturally occurring chromophore xanthommatin (XA) present in cephalopod skin, which doubles as a photostable antioxidant; however, it has never been explored in combination with mineral UV filters in finished formulations.

Methods

Given the recent controversies associated with the environmental toxicological effects of some chemicals used in sunscreens, the safety of XA with coral cuttings was first validated at concentrations 5× above those used in our formulations. Next, a particle-based delivery of XA was designed and incorporated into a zinc oxide (ZnO)-based water-in-oil sunscreen, where the SPF, critical wavelength, and visible light (VL) blocking potential were measured.

Results

We observed no adverse effects of XA at 100 mg/L when tested with coral cuttings, ... When formulated with ZnO-based sunscreens, the inclusion of XA increased the total UV absorbance profile by 28% and the total blocking potential of VL by 45%. The formulations also elicited no dermal irritation or sensitization in a human insult repeat patch test (N = 100 subjects).

Conclusions

XA is differentiated as a photostable, water-soluble compound that is a VL booster proven safe for skin and coral cuttings. To the best of our knowledge, there are no other boosters that can be classified as such, despite a growing body of literature highlighting the need in the industry."

The world's first octopus-inspired superior sunscreen is on its way

Octopus and squid pigments enhance sunscreen without harming the environment, Northeastern researchers and company founders say (original news release)

Using cephalopod-inspired chemistry to extend long-wavelength ultraviolet and visible light protection of mineral sunscreens (no public access)

Professor Leila Deravi and grad Camille Martin, co-founders of Seaspire, isolated anti-aging and sun protective qualities of octopus and squid.

New tools reveal neuropeptides, not fast neurotransmitters, encode danger in the brain

Amazing stuff!

"... This process of translating pain into a threat memory occurs so quickly that scientists thought it must be mediated by fast-acting neurotransmitters. But when ...  researchers investigated the role of larger, slower-acting molecules called neuropeptides, they discovered these were the primary messengers in this fear circuit. ...

The new study ... revealed that the danger circuit relies on neuropeptides as its primary messengers, not fast neurotransmitters, and more than one neuropeptide is involved in the process. Their findings could lead to the development of more effective painkillers or new treatments for fear-related conditions like anxiety and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). ...

Neuropeptides are generally accepted as neuromodulators that help and modulate the action of main neurotransmitters. However, early pioneers like Roger Guillemin proposed that neuropeptides can act as main transmitters themselves. This concept has not been rigorously tested due to the lack of tools for visualizing and manipulating their release in behaving animals. The Salk team set out to explore neuropeptides with the goal of developing new tools to better understand their role in brain circuits. ...

To specifically target neuropeptides, ... team took advantage of one of their unique characteristics—while typical neurotransmitters are packaged in small spheres called synaptic vesicles, neuropeptides are packaged in large dense core vesicles. By engineering biochemical tools to target these large vesicles, they created neuropeptide sensor and silencer tools. The sensor tags large dense core vesicles with proteins that glow when they are released from the nerve ending, allowing the researchers to watch neuropeptide release in live time. The silencer specifically degrades neuropeptides within large dense core vesicles, revealing what happens in the brain when neuropeptides are absent. ..."

From the highlights and abstract:

"Highlights

• CybSEP2 is a genetically encoded LDCV sensor for presynaptic neuropeptide release

• NEPLDCV is a genetically encoded silencer for peptidergic transmission

• Neuropeptides, not glutamate, are primary transmitters in the CGRPPBel→CeA US circuit

• Multiple neuropeptides, not CGRP alone, are required for CGRPPBel→CeA pain transmission

Summary

Neurons produce and release neuropeptides to communicate with one another. Despite their importance in brain function, circuit-based mechanisms of peptidergic transmission are poorly understood, primarily due to the lack of tools for monitoring and manipulating neuropeptide release in vivo. Here, we report the development of two genetically encoded tools for investigating peptidergic transmission in behaving mice: a genetically encoded large dense core vesicle (LDCV) sensor that detects presynaptic neuropeptide release and a genetically encoded silencer that specifically degrades neuropeptides inside LDCVs. Using these tools, we show that neuropeptides, not glutamate, encode the unconditioned stimulus in the parabrachial-to-amygdalar threat pathway during Pavlovian threat learning. We also show that neuropeptides play important roles in encoding positive valence and suppressing conditioned threat response in the amygdala-to-parabrachial endogenous opioidergic circuit. These results show that our sensor and silencer for presynaptic peptidergic transmission are reliable tools to investigate neuropeptidergic systems in awake, behaving animals."

New tools reveal neuropeptides, not fast neurotransmitters, encode danger in the brain - Salk Institute for Biological Studies "... scientists create methods to study messenger proteins in the brain called neuropeptides, finding they control the brain’s fear response in mice—a finding that may help develop more effective painkillers and treatments for fear-related conditions like PTSD and anxiety"

Presynaptic sensor and silencer of peptidergic transmission reveal neuropeptides as primary transmitters in pontine fear circuit (no public access)

Graphical abstract

Two images of nerve endings in the amygdala (where fear signals are received and interpreted). On the left, there are no labels and two distinct vesicles in the nerve endings can be seen. On the right, neuropeptide sensors are labeled in dark color, and they can be seen inside large dense core vesicles.

Decadence, lifelong career politicians, and extreme polarization accelerate the demise or irrelevance of Western democracies

Food for thought! History waits for no one to get it on! History is littered with once mighty empires! If you don't learn the lessons of history history will rhyme if not repeat!

While authoritarian regimes like Russia, China, Iran, North Korea etc. strengthen their alliances, the West is mired in disagreement and delusional and lofty moral aspirations! 

At least the largest, nonviolent democracy in the world India is taking on more international responsibilities and is more and more assuming the role of a superpower, which is very welcome!

The Global Warming hoax and Climate Change religion that has infected and messed up particularly the Western elites like the worst pandemic/addiction in decades needs to give way to much more realism and common sense again.

The extreme fringes of the left and right in Western countries seem to dominate politics in Western countries again. Especially the extreme left has advanced their takeover of academia, journalism, political discourse etc. Too many moderate Western politicians act cowardly and subservient. This is dangerous and reminds of the pre World War II era. More consensus and compromise on realistic solutions are needed!

The huge and static caste of lifelong career politicians in Western democracies and how they protect their turf and privileges has become a serious bane. More electoral competition and faster replacement of incompetent or unfit politicians is urgently needed. Term limits for elected representatives may help.

Then there is the rise of gerontocracy in Western countries is another huge problem. Just look at the U.S., where this issue has become very prominent and visible: Who is more senile and demented: Chuck Schumer (age 73), Nancy Pelosi (age 84), Mitch McConnell (age 82)  or the 46th President (age 81)? All of them display severe signs of cognitive decline!

Ukraine: Die verschwiegene Kriegsursache. Wirklich!

Die Apologeten und Propagandisten von Putin der Schreckliche am Werk!

War nicht der zitierte Donbass Krieg auch von Putin der Schreckliche initiiert?

Was verschweigt der Autor dieses Propaganda Artikels? 

1. Die Ukraine hat 1994 ihre zahlreichen Atomwaffen aufgegeben (ein Drittel des sowjetischen Arsenals) und auf eigene Atomwaffen verzichtet nach dem Fall der Sowjet Union gegen die russische Zusicherung und Beachtung der territorialen Integrität der Ukraine
2. Putin der Schreckliche annektiert die Krim in 2014

Es war völlig legitim, dass das Ukrainisch Parlament ein solches Sprachenverbotsgesetz in 2019 beschloss.

"Es gibt mehrere Schlüsselfaktoren für den Ukrainekrieg. Einige davon werden aber von den Mainstreammedien verschwiegen, was der Kriegspropaganda dient. Dazu gehört das ukrainische Sprachenverbotsgesetz von 2019. Mit dem Verbot der russischen Sprache im öffentlichen Leben verhinderte die nationalistische Kiewer Regierung eine friedliche Lösung des seit 2014 laufenden Donbass-Krieges. Die weitere Eskalation bis zum heutigen Ukrainekrieg war damit vorprogrammiert. Die EU und die NATO unterstützten das."

Die verschwiegene Kriegsursache | Manova-Magazin "Die Kiewer Regierung hatte die Verwendung der russischen Sprache im öffentlichen Raum verboten und so die Eskalation weiter angeheizt."

Aussenminister Baerbock nennt Gefangenenaustausch ein "hochsensibles Dilemma". Wirklich!

Deutschland hätte diesen Geiselaustausch klar verweigern sollen! 

Die Bananenrepublik D ist eingeknickt und hat eine Chance verpasst diesen höchst zweifelhaften Austausch zu verhindern und diesen als solches  bloß zu stellen!

Wieder mal hat der Kanzler Scholz eklatant versagt! Was für ein Waschlappen!

Putin der Schreckliche nimmt Geiseln um seine verurteilten kriminellen Freunde und Attentäter frei zu bekommen! Und der Westen spielt mit! Höchst verwerflich!

Baerbock nennt Gefangenenaustausch ein "hochsensibles Dilemma" | tagesschau.de

Gefangenenaustausch mit dem Westen: Russland betreibt Geiseldiplomatie. Im Kalten Krieg war es Spion gegen Spion

Volltreffer! 

Putin der Schreckliche ist nicht nur ein Größenwahnsinniger und Kriegsverbrecher, er ist auch ein Geiselnehmer!

Gefangenenaustausch mit dem Westen: Russland betreibt Geiseldiplomatie "«Spion gegen Spion» hat ausgedient – Russlands Abkehr von sowjetischen Gefangenenaustauschen. Der spektakuläre Gefangenenaustausch zwischen Russland und dem Westen erinnert an den Kalten Krieg. Die Praktiken haben sich aber geändert. Moskau betreibt heute «Geiseldiplomatie»."

Calories Out: The Unintended Consequences of the UK government mandated Food Reformulation to prevent obesity

Food for thought! People will eat more and pay more! Great! The road to hell is paved with good intentions!

This reminds also of the folly of e.g. low fat milk!

"The UK government is urging the food industry to reformulate its manufactured products to reduce sugar, fat, and calories by 20% to address childhood obesity.

New modelling shows that if the whole population reduces its calorie intake, as the policy intends, at least two children will become underweight for every case of childhood obesity that is prevented.

But if households continue to consume the same number of calories – as is more likely – their grocery bills will increase by 10% or almost £400 per year.

The government’s original modelling failed to consider the impact on underweight children or the potential rise in expenditure on food.

The government’s efforts to cut calories in food could lead to an increase in the number of underweight children, according to new modelling from the free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs.

Since 2016, the government has been encouraging food manufacturers to reduce the amount of sugar, fat and calories in their food to tackle childhood obesity. The programme targets of a 20% reduction in calories in manufactured products by 2025. There have been calls to make this target mandatory. ..."

"Summary

Since 2015, the UK government has worked with the food industry to reformulate a wide range of food products to reduce sugar, fat and calorie content. The industry has been given the target of lowering the number of calories in certain products by 20% by 2025. The reformulation scheme was overseen by Public Health England (PHE) until 2021, and is now overseen by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. The scheme is voluntary, but some organisations have called for it to be mandatory. ..."

Calories Out: The Unintended Consequences of Food Reformulation — Institute of Economic Affairs

On The Sketch Artist | PBS

I bet this job of a forensic sketch artist too will soon be taken over by AI!😊 A dying art!

"Eve Garance is a remarkable sketch artist with a gift for reading people. More

Eve Garance is a remarkable sketch artist with a gift for reading people. As a member of the Investigation Unit of the Montreal Police Department, she uses her talents to create composite sketches and catch criminals.  ..."

The Sketch Artist | PBS

Chinese solar farms are crowding out agriculture

To what extent is this happening in China and other countries?

"As Beijing expands renewable energy, some companies, local officials and farmers are trying to cash in by repurposing areas once dedicated to growing food, defying Beijing’s rules against developing arable land. Food security is paramount for Chinese leaders. One solution involves installing solar panels in ways that allow the land to be used for farming or grazing, too."

The Wall Street Journal What's news

Trump opens up about his faith following assassination attempt: 'It gives you some hope'

Recommendable!

India's own Ballistic Missile Defence System to counter Chinese missiles

India, a rising superpower!

Defense Department revokes 9/11 plea deals following backlash. Insane!

There is only one comment for this: The administration of the senile, demented and corrupt 46th President is a mad house! It is run by a lot of clowns and fools!

As I had already speculated in my blog that this 9/11 plea deal and the 26 prisoners/hostages swap were lousy and foul deals!

The rest of the world is having a good laugh again, the allies are shocked and the enemies of open and free societies are rejoicing once more!

Defense Department revokes 9/11 plea deals following backlash | Just The News "The specifics of the plea deal were never released, but the New York Times previously reported that it removed the possibility of the death penalty. At least two Congressional inquiries into the plea deal have been launched."

Russian stock market hacker freed in prisoner swap found guilty in Boston last year

What else to expect from the senile, demented and corrupt 46th President!

Probably, Putin the Terrible knows too much about the corrupt Biden clan!

Why did so many Western countries went along with this lousy and foul deal!!!!

"A millionaire Russian businessman sentenced in Boston to nine years in jail for a massive stock market hacking scheme was freed in this week’s prisoner swap, and his local lawyer says he may not have to pay restitution.

Vladislav Klyushin, 42, of Moscow, who has ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the country’s military and spy networks, “was in the swap,” and the “clemency by President Biden” is unclear about any damages he still owes America, Boston attorney Maksim Nemtsev told the Herald. ..."

Russian stock market hacker freed in prisoner swap found guilty in Boston last year

Over Three-Fifths of Americans Believe Kamala Harris Covered Up Biden’s Health Issues, Polls Find

There is absolutely no doubt that Mistress Kamala must have been aware and that she has been an active accomplice in the concealment and cover up of the senile, demented and corrupt and lifelong pathological and serial liar, the 46th President!

She acted irresponsible and reckless for over three years as Vice President and former state Attorney General!

Majority of Americans Think Harris Concealed Biden’s Health Issues

Columbia University: Study Finds Switching From Gas to Electric Stoves Cuts Indoor Air Pollution. Really!

What an absurd joke by an elite university! Another case of junk science, propaganda and demagoguery! Another call for Big Government to run your life!

In most cases it is as simple as opening a window to reduce indoor pollution!

Some people prefer cooking with gas, which is very understandable! The impact on climate is so minimal as to be laughable!!!

"Switching from a gas stove to an electric induction stove can reduce indoor nitrogen dioxide air pollution, a known health hazard, by more than 50 percent according to new research led by scientists at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Columbia Climate School.
The study was carried out as part of a pilot project titled “Out of Gas, In with Justice” led by ... nonprofit WE ACT for Environmental Justice. ..."

Study Finds Switching From Gas to Electric Stoves Cuts Indoor Air Pollution – State of the Planet

Image of the day

 

Germany joins US-led UN Command in South Korea policing armistice border

Good news! Bravo! There are very few things the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (together with the German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius) gets right. This one and the strong and lasting military support of the Ukraine! Otherwise Germany remains largely a banana republic!

 

Germany joins US-led UN Command in South Korea policing armistice border | Reuters

US recognizes opposition's Edmundo González as winner of Venezuela election instead of Maduro. Really!

This seems to be too premature and an interference into the internal affairs of a sovereign country! 

Is this just another expedient November election move like massive and repeated student loan forgiveness to curry favor with some voters or to buy some votes?

Maybe more proof that Blinken is just an unaccomplished fool!

US recognizes opposition's Edmundo González as winner of Venezuela election instead of Maduro | Just The News

Mistress Kamala has enough votes in virtual roll call to clinch nomination. Really!

What a shame! The Dimocratic Party is unwilling or unable to learn anything from their enormous disaster/scandal with the senile, demented and corrupt/compromised and lifelong pathological and serial liar, the 46th President! It is so disgusting!

It was time for cleanup not continuation!!!! Correction of course was more than overdue!

Apparently nobody in the Dimocratic Party had the courage to step up to clean house! This is really bad! The same utter fools continue to run the party!

The U.S. is loosing as the once worldwide admired and respected leader of the free world if one of the two major parties in an essentially two party system has become a total failure. The enemies of open and free societies are rejoicing!

More negative repercussions are afoot! How close are we to World War III?

The Europeans have recognized the great peril! Finland and Norway gave up their decades long strict neutrality to join NATO. Europeans are rearming to counter any threat by Putin the Terrible (plus ally China)! Of course, there is a silver lining in this and Trump may like it that finally the Europeans are increasing their defense spending etc. instead of relying and free riding too much on the American security umbrella.

Ein Zitat zu lebenslangen Berufspolitikern

Empfehlenswert! Zur Erinnerung! 

Amtszeitbegrenzung wäre eine längst überfällige Reform (die aber von den  meisten gewählten Politiker vehement verhindert wird). Demokratie wird legitimiert durch ihre Bürger und deren aktive Partizipation und nicht durch lebenslange Berufspolitiker. Mehr politischer Wettbewerb ist dringend notwendig!

Die Bananenrepublik D mit ihren über 700 Bundestagsabgeordneten ist ein schauriges Beispiel! Der deutsche Bundestag ist seit vielen Jahren völlig aufgebläht!

"... Politiker: Menschen mit individuellen Schwächen. Und es sind nicht die besten Menschen, die es an die Spitzer der Politik schaffen. Der Ökonom und Nobelpreisträger Friedrich August von Hayek beschrieb das schon in seinem Klassiker „Der Weg zur Knechtschaft“ [zuerst veröffentlicht 1944]. Die Anreize des politischen Betriebs bringen nicht die Schlauesten oder Moralischsten an die politische Macht, sondern diejenigen mit dem größten Willen zur Macht. ..."

Subventionen für DAX-Giganten - Liberale Geopollitik - Tocqueville - Research Fellow

Potential Vice President pick Governor Josh Shapiro has a reputation for getting things done in Pennsylvania across the aisle

Would be a very clever move by the Dimocratic Party to pair up the extreme leftist Mistress Kamala with a, what appears to be, a centrist governor of a swing state!

If he is such a great politician or governor why is he not running for president himself and challenges Mistress Kamala to be the candidate?

If he has any spine and respect, he turns down to become a vice president candidate with Mistress Kamala! To use his reportedly favorite phrase: Don't let more shit happen in the White House!

"... An important part of his rise is his “get shit done” mentality, the phrase he readily uses to describe his approach to politics.

Who is Josh Shapiro? And what might his experience with building consensus in the swing state of Pennsylvania mean in the current veepstakes? ..."

Gov. Josh Shapiro has a reputation for getting things done in Pennsylvania – but not necessarily things all Democrats like

First officially approved Generation IV nuclear reactor in the US breaks ground

Good news! About time or long overdue!

Most fears about the use of nuclear power for civilian purposes are exaggerated or not much more than alarmism and hysteria (possibly heavily instigated by the enemies of open and free societies)! Past accidents are dubious and easily defeatable claims!

"Kairos Power has broken ground at Oak Ridge on the first officially approved Generation IV reactor ever in the US and the first non-light-water reactor in 50 years. It is being constructed alongside a non-nuclear demonstration unit that will help inform the design of the new reactor facility. ..."

First officially approved Gen IV nuclear reactor in the US breaks ground

Chart of the day

This happened yesterday! There is a lot of uncertainty going around in the world not least because of the senile, demented and corrupt 46th U.S. President!

Turkey declares day of mourning for Haniyeh, lowers flag to half-mast at Tel Aviv embassy. Really!

Turkey under Osman sultan Erdogan (age 70, in power since 2003) becomes stranger and stranger by the day!

It is high time if not overdue to suspend the NATO membership of Turkey until Erdogan is gone! This is intolerable!

Turkey was apparently also involved in the lousy and foul 26 "prisoner" swap with Putin the Terrible!

How close are we to World War III?

Erdogan calls for Haniyeh mourning day, Tel Aviv embassy lowers flag - Israel News - The Jerusalem Post "In response to the lowered flag, Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz made an order to summon Turkey's deputy ambassador to Israel for a "stern reprimand" and slammed the representatives."

Trump's Deregulation Agenda: Promises, Progress, and Plans

Recommendable!

One of President Trump's major achievements: "Once in office, he hired regulation skeptics. He told government agencies: Get rid of two regulations for every new one you add!"

Trump's Deregulation Agenda: Promises, Progress, and Plans

Bangladesh protest movement launches appeal to foreign remittance freeze

This could be a powerful threat if millions of Bangladeshis living abroad comply!

Reportedly, more than 200 protesters were killed by police.

"Weeks of deadly protests in Bangladesh have prompted critics to lean on foreign remittances -- the country's second-biggest source of foreign currency -- as their newest weapon against what they blast as state-sanctioned violence.

 

Organizers are calling on nearly 10 million Bangladeshis living abroad to freeze the flow of about $2 billion sent home monthly,"

Bangladesh protest movement launches foreign remittance freeze - Nikkei Asia "Campaign calls on nearly 10 million expats to pressure government over violence"

Chevron announces it’s ditching California and moving headquarters to Houston

Good news! Bravo! When President Trump is going to be the next President it will be drill baby drill again!

"Chevron Corporation announced Friday it’s relocating its headquarters from San Ramon, California, to Houston, Texas. 

The company expects all corporate functions to migrate to Houston over the next five years. Senior leaders, including Chevron Chairman and CEO Mike Wirth and Vice-Chairman Mark Nelson, will move to Houston before the end of 2024, but the company said the decision won’t impact other employees currently based in San Ramon.  ..."

Chevron announces it’s ditching California and moving headquarters to Houston | Just The News "Approximately 7,000 Chevron employees are located in the Houston area and approximately 2,000 employees in San Ramon, according to the company’s announcement."

Layered superconductor coaxed to show unusual properties with potential for quantum computing

Amazing stuff! The holy grail of superconductors at room temperature and low pressure.

"... Conventional superconductors usually fail under magnetic fields of a certain strength. The new material continued to retain superconducting properties under a much higher magnetic field than the theoretical limit of a conventional superconductor. The team also measured how large an electrical current the new material can accommodate before it breaks superconductivity, applying electricity from one direction and then again from the opposite direction. The researchers found that one direction allowed notably higher current than the other. This is often referred to as the superconducting diode effect. In contrast, conventional superconductors would lose their zero-resistance property at equal current from either direction. ...

The UCLA-led team created a lattice with alternating layers. One layer made of tantalum disulfide, a conventional superconductor, was as thin as three atoms. The next was made of a “left-handed” or “right-handed” molecular layer of a different compound. The investigators tested tiny nanoscale devices made from their lattice to evaluate whether the material showed the properties of a chiral superconductor. ..."

From the abstract:

"Chiral superconductors, a unique class of unconventional superconductors in which the complex superconducting order parameter winds clockwise or anticlockwise in the momentum space, represent a topologically non-trivial system with intrinsic time-reversal symmetry breaking (TRSB) and direct implications for topological quantum computing. Intrinsic chiral superconductors are extremely rare, with only a few arguable examples, including UTe2, UPt3 and Sr2RuO4. It has been suggested that chiral superconductivity may exist in non-centrosymmetric superconductors, although such non-centrosymmetry is uncommon in typical solid-state superconductors. Alternatively, chiral molecules with neither mirror nor inversion symmetry have been widely investigated. We suggest that an incorporation of chiral molecules into conventional superconductor lattices could introduce non-centrosymmetry and help realize chiral superconductivity. Here we explore unconventional superconductivity in chiral molecule intercalated TaS2 hybrid superlattices. Our studies reveal an exceptionally large in-plane upper critical field Bc2,|| well beyond the Pauli paramagnetic limit, a robust π-phase shift in Little–Parks measurements and a field-free superconducting diode effect (SDE). These experimental signatures of unconventional superconductivity suggest that the intriguing interplay between crystalline atomic layers and the self-assembled chiral molecular layers may lead to exotic topological materials. Our study highlights that the hybrid superlattices could lay a versatile path to artificial quantum materials by combining a vast library of layered crystals of rich physical properties with the nearly infinite variations of molecules of designable structural motifs and functional groups."

Layered superconductor coaxed to show unusual properties with potential for quantum computing | UCLA

Unconventional superconductivity in chiral molecule–TaS2 hybrid superlattices (no public access)

Illustration of lattice with alternating layers in purple and yellow, and pink and gray

Could remote work and more flexible work arrangements facilitate a new baby boom?

And boost child labor? Child labor has at least two different meanings. Both might apply. Just kidding!

Shrinking populations give birth to all kinds of ideas to address lower fertility rates! 😊

Feminists may call that a woman as birth machine approach!

"A Yale-led study, supported by a new university grant program, is exploring whether policies that increase opportunities for remote work could be an effective remedy for declining birth rates."

"By 2050, more than 75% of countries in the world will not produce enough babies to replace their populations, according to a study published this spring in The Lancet. By 2100, 97% of countries will have an insufficient fertility rate to replace their population, while low-income countries will continue to experience relatively high fertility rates. ...
Policies aimed at increasing immigration from low-income countries have proven politically unpopular. Providing financial incentives for childbirth has been expensive and not feasible. ...
Zang, an assistant professor of sociology, biostatistics, and global affairs. “But perhaps we can encourage more women to give birth through more flexible work arrangements so they can more easily integrate their careers and family.” ..."

Boosting Fertility with Remote Work: ISPS and MacMillan Center Introduce Grants for Studies on Global and Domestic Issues | Institution for Social and Policy Studies

The Incredible Engineering of Venice

Very recommendable! What lies beneath!

The Babylonian Map of the World with Irving Finkel | Curator’s Corner

Very recommendable! Excellent! Irving Finkel is outstanding!

Inside the $20 Billion 3D Printing Industry

Recommendable! Maybe my next hobby! 😊

How The Police Changed Music

Recommendable! Very regrettable, this video does not play any of their music! Quite an omission!

#EndBadGovernance Protests Begin in Nigeria with Palki Sharma

Recommendable! The protests seem to be well organized and spread over several large cities. One of the reasons for the protests is the government ended the substantial fuel subsidies, which then fueled high inflation of food etc..

Venezuela on the brink of collapse as protesters reject contested election result

Will the people of Venezuela finally get rid of their rotten rulers. Will they have the stamina to protest! For too long Venezuela was governed by thugs like Hugo Chavez!

How a historic 26 prisoners swap was orchestrated despite strained US-Russia relations

I bet this is a lousy and foul deal with the megalomaniac and war criminal Putin the Terrible! This awful deal sets a terrible example again for Putin the Terrible to take hostages whenever he needs!

The senile, demented and corrupt 46th President gave in to gross Russian extortion!

There was absolutely no urgency for this foul deal other than the November elections in the U.S.!

Then there is also the almost simultaneous, dubious plea deal with 9/11 terrorists detained in Guantanamo! Insane!

Why did the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz go along with this to release of a Russian killer/assassin! Were the other released Russians also criminals? Apparently! The German held hostage by Belarus was already granted reprieve of death penalty.

Caveat: I am not familiar with the details of this deal.

Futures and Options: India's SEBI Makes Moves to Curb F&O retail stock Trading with Palki Sharma

Very recommendable! Indians like gambling on the stock market! So called finfluencers are also being warned!

Why does Elon Musk want to fight Venezuela's President Maduro? with Palki Sharma

Very recommendable! What a story! Reality is stranger than fiction! Elon Musk and Maduro challenge each other! 😊

This is a good one! Bravo Elon Musk! 

Colored Black Holes Explained with Mack O'Dowd

Very recommendable! Mind boggling! Primordial black holes, extremal black holes ... What happened in under one second after the Big Bang!

Media Mourns Moderate, Pragmatic Hamas Leader Haniyeh Who Wanted to Kill All the Jews and loved death

Headline of the day!

"... “We always shout: ‘Death for the sake of Allah is our loftiest aspiration,’” Haniyeh had claimed. 

The Hamas billionaire who lived in luxury in Qatar ...

After the Hamas atrocities of Oct 7, Haniyeh had declared that we need the “blood of the women, children, and elderly” to awaken the “revolutionary spirit”. But his his dreams of killing all the Jews and seizing Israel ended when he left the protection of U.S. terrorist “allies” like Qatar and Turkey, and visited Iran.  ..."

Media Mourns 'Moderate,' 'Pragmatic' Hamas Leader Who Wanted to Kill All the Jews | Frontpage Mag ""We love death like our enemies love life.”"

Electric vehicles fail in extreme hot weather

Is this not hilarious! On a daily basis, we are told this is the hottest day/month on record!

However, we are forced to buy expensive and heavily subsidized EVs to save the world in the name of the Global Warming hoax and the Climate change religion, but these vehicles are unreliable and underperforming when it is hot!

The history of humans is littered with many grand fads and follies and scandals! 😊 God please help to end this one soon!

P.S. Oh, by the way, to rely on wind power is probably the worst joke in a hundred years or more!

Why is Canada not part of AUKUS?

This is indeed a curious omission! Why is Canada not part of AUKUS?

Is this perhaps because of the mediocre current Prime Minister Trudeau? It is very likely the case!

"Canada’s absence from the AUKUS trilateral security pact between fellow Five Eyes allies Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States has not gone unnoticed. But despite recent admonishments that Canada’s global security contributions are “shameful,” or claims that it has been “America’s least helpful ally,” little appears to be being done to bring Ottawa into the fold. ...

In the lead-up to the recent Washington NATO summit, the Trudeau government’s current commitment to raising defense expenditures to 1.76 percent of GDP by 2030 drew sharp criticism for falling well short of most fellow NATO members — and its alignment to the transatlantic alliance’s 20 percent spending requirement for future capabilities is even weaker. Ottawa is now facing international pressure to spend more, particularly over its shaky path to cross the NATO target of 2 percent GDP on defense spending — a number it exceeded through the early 1970s. ..."

Don't miss the boat — Canada and AUKUS should be partners - Breaking Defense "In this op-ed, Mohammed Soliman and Elliot Silverberg make the case for why Canada should be brought into AUKUS Pillar II."

Industrie: Mehr als die Hälfte der großen Betriebe denkt an Abwanderung dank der Energiewende und Klimawahn

Typisch Bananenrepublik D! Der Klimawahn ist schlecht für und ruiniert die Wirtschaft!

Wann werden die deutschen ewigen Berufspolitiker sich wieder der Vernunft besinnen oder das Land braucht bessere Politiker!

Ludwig Erhard rotiert wild im Grab! Seine Zigarre ist ihm schon lange im Hals stecken geblieben ob des Unsinns! Am deutschen Wesen wird die Welt nicht genesen!

"... Die Zahl der Unternehmer, die ihre Produktion hierzulande einschränken oder das Land gleich ganz verlassen wollen, ist laut DIHK seit 2022 gestiegen: von 16 über 31 auf jetzt 37 Prozent. In den Betrieben mit mehr als 500 Mitarbeitern ist es noch schlimmer: 51 Prozent der Verantwortlichen denken über die Abwanderung nach. Vor zwei Jahren waren es noch 37 Prozent. ..."

Industrie: Mehr als die Hälfte der großen Betriebe denkt an Abwanderung Die Wirtschaft schrumpft und die Arbeitslosigkeit steigt. Für deutsche Journalisten kommt das „überraschend“. Die Deutsche Industrie- und Handelskammer liefert die Gründe. Spoiler-Alarm: Es ist die Energiepolitik.

Paris Olympics: Italy's Angela Carini abandons boxing fight with Algeria's Imane Khelif, who failed gender test, after 46 seconds

Good news! Bravo! As a women I would boycott to compete with a biological male in sports!

I already blogged here about this shameful scandal to allow what appears to be  biological male boxers to beat up women athletes at the Olympic Games Paris 2024!

Why apparently the International Olympic Committee (IOC) so totally failed on this question whether to allow biological males to compete with female athletes is shocking and disturbing!

Paris Olympics: Italy's Angela Carini abandons fight with Algeria's Imane Khelif, who failed gender test, after 46 seconds - Yahoo Sports

Angela Carini is a heroine!

Dark chocolate and similar cocoa products in the US were found to be contaminated with lead and cadmium. Really!

More bad news for chocoholics like me or junk journalism! Not only is the cocoa harvest this year not very good due to weather and other factors!

This issue is apparently not new since I blogged here in October 2023 about Hershey's issues with heavy metals in their chocolate products.

I am afraid, this is a case of junk journalism! The study actually confirms that the heavy metal content is probably harmless.

What the study suggests is to consume chocolate modestly to avoid any potential negative effects from heavy metals.

I am surprised that this study used only "72 consumer cocoa-containing products" purchased between 2014-2022. This is an extraordinary and extremely small sample!

Furthermore, 70 out of the 72 sample chocolates only contained lead below FDA limits.

"Dark chocolate and similar cocoa products were found to be contaminated with lead and cadmium, per a new study published in Frontiers in Nutrition—with the heavy metals found in both organic and conventionally made chocolate products. CNN"

From the abstract:

"Introduction: 

Contamination of cocoa containing products, such as dark chocolate, with heavy metals including lead, cadmium and arsenic has been reported in the US. However, a formal exploration into the significance of this contamination, nor multi-year trends in the degree or scope remain unresolved.

Methods:

From 2014 to 2022, 72 consumer cocoa-containing products were purchased and analyzed for heavy metal contamination with lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As) in 4 distinct cohorts (2014, 2016, 2019, 2022). The thresholds used to assess heavy metal contamination were set to Prop 65 maximum allowable dose levels (MADLs) of 0.5 mcg/day, 4.1 mcg/day, 10 mcg/day for Pb, Cd, and As, respectively.

Results and discussion:

Our analysis reports that 43, 35, and 0% of the products tested exceed Prop 65 MADLs for heavy metal concentrations, respectively, of Pb, Cd, and As, while 97.2% (70 of 72) fall below US FDA IRL limits established for Pb. Median concentrations of each metal tested were lower than even the conservative Prop 65 MADLs, indicating a potentially large effect of product outliers. This indicates that heavy metal contamination—in more than half of products tested—may not pose any appreciable risk for the average person when consumed as a single serving; however, consuming some of the products tested, or more than one serving per day in combination with non-cocoa derived sources heavy metals, may add up to exposure that would exceed the Prop 65 MADLs. Notably, “organic” products were significantly more likely to demonstrate higher levels of both Cd and Pb."

Global Health NOW: An Uptick in Self-Managed Abortions; Dispatches from Sudan’s ‘Humanitarian Desert’; and Inequities in Diabetes-Related Amputations

A multi-year heavy metal analysis of 72 dark chocolate and cocoa products in the USA (open access)

Besuch im Hitzelabor Phoenix, wo es selbst für Kakteen zu heiss ist. Wirklich!

Als seit 2012 in der Phoenix Metro area dauerhaft Wohnender und Lebender, kann ich nur sagen was für ein schwachsinniger Artikel!

Die Phoenix Metro hat eine Bevölkerung von fast 5 Millionen Menschen auf 38.000 Quadrat km. Alleine der Umstand sorgt dafür, dass die Sommer hier sehr heiß sind und das die Abende/Nächte nicht für viel Abkühlung sorgen wie ansonsten in einer Wüste zu erwarten wäre!

Der Journalistin ist der Klimawahn deutlich in den Kopf gestiegen! Was die Journalistin hier reißerisch beschreibt ist seit vielen Jahren normaler Alltag, der schon Üblich war bevor die Globale Erwärmung/Klimawandel zum alltäglichen Religion wurde. Vorsicht: Habe nicht den ganzen Artikel gelesen.

"In der US-Wüstenstadt trotzt man der Hitze nicht, man beugt sich ihr: Sport im Dunkeln, Shopping in der Dämmerung, Sozialleben vor Sonnenaufgang. Eine Reportage aus dem unfreiwilligen Testlabor für das Leben der Zukunft. ...
Phoenix ist der in Beton gegossene Glaube des Menschen, die Natur beherrschen zu können. ..."

Besuch im Hitzelabor Phoenix, wo es selbst für Kakteen zu heiss ist "Zu heiss, selbst für Kakteen: Eine Reise nach Phoenix gibt einen Vorgeschmack darauf, was Hitze mit dem Menschen macht."

An Uptick in Self-Managed Abortions in the US after Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Really!

Most likely this story is exaggerated as usual! It may qualify as junk journalism.

What is also not addressed is the use of abortion pills and how they were obtained.

As usual ideological blindness prevented to highlight one really shocking finding of this study: About 40% of self-managed abortions are done by women under age 20. According to this study that number went down in recent years.

The use of the word "uptick" is already very revealing! It appears this "uptick" might be well within the margin of error or due to the method of selection of survey participants. The participants were politically correct and ideologically  "assigned female sex at birth"! Other participant categories "non-Hispanic Black" and "non-Hispanic White".

So called "self-managed abortions" are no justification for legalizing abortion without any restrictions! Unborn human life has rights too for as long as we do not have a substitute for the uterus.

"A growing number of American women say they have tried to terminate their own pregnancies since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022—turning to self-administered medications or resorting to risky practices like drinking alcohol, ingesting herbs, or hitting themselves, reports the AP. 

A closer look: Researchers surveyed ~7,000 reproductive-age women before and after the Court’s decision and found that the number who reported trying to administer their own abortions rose from 2.4% to 3.3%, per the study published yesterday in JAMA Network Open."

From the key points and abstract:

"Key Points

Question  Did the prevalence of self-managed abortion increase following the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision overturning federal protections on abortion?

Findings  In this cross-sectional survey study, with surveys administered to different cohorts in December 2021 and January 2022 (n = 7016) and June and July 2023 (n = 7148), the proportion of the US female population of reproductive age reporting having ever self-managed an abortion increased from 2.4% to 3.3%. The projected lifetime experience with self-managed abortion, adjusted for underreporting of abortion, was 10.1%.

Meaning  These findings suggest an increased prevalence of self-managed abortion in the US; self-managed abortion should continue to be monitored carefully as barriers to facility-based care broaden.

Abstract

Importance

With decreasing access to facility-based abortion in the US, an increase in self-managed abortion (SMA) using various methods is anticipated. To date, no studies have examined changes in SMA in the shifting policy landscape.

Objective

To estimate changes in SMA prevalence among the general US population from before to after the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision overturning federal abortion protections.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Serial cross-sectional surveys were administered throughout the US from December 10, 2021, to January 11, 2022, and June 14 to July 7, 2023. Participants included online panel members assigned female sex at birth, ages 18 to 49 years (or ages 15-17 years if a household member), who were English- or Spanish-speaking.

Exposure  Year of the survey (2021-2022 vs 2023).

Main Outcome and Measures

Participants were asked whether they had “ever taken or done something on their own, without medical assistance, to try to end a pregnancy” and, if so, details of their experience. Changes in the weighted SMA prevalence between survey years were examined, factors associated with SMA experience were identified, and projected lifetime SMA prevalence was calculated using discrete-time event history models, accounting for abortion underreporting.

Results  Median age of the participants was 32.5 (IQR, 25-41) years in 2021-2022 (n = 7016) and 32.0 (IQR, 24-40) in 2023 (n = 7148). Across both years, approximately 14% were non-Hispanic Black, 21% were Hispanic, and 54% were non-Hispanic White. The weighted adjusted proportion that ever attempted SMA was 2.4% (95% CI, 1.9%-3.0%) in 2021-2022 and 3.4% (95% CI, 2.8%-4.0%) in 2023—an increase of 1.0% (95% CI, 0.2%-1.7%; P = .03). Projected lifetime SMA prevalence accounting for abortion underreporting was 10.7% (95% CI, 8.6%-12.8%). In adjusted analyses, SMA experience was higher among non-Hispanic Black (4.3%; 95% CI, 2.8%-5.8%) vs other racial and ethnic (2.7%; 95% CI, 2.2%-3.1%) groups (P = .04) and sexual and gender minority (5.0%; 95% CI, 3.4%-6.6%) vs heterosexual or cisgender (2.5%; 95% CI, 2.0%-2.9%) participants (P < .001).
Approximately 4 in 10 (45.3% in 2021 and 39.0% in 2023) SMA attempts occurred before age 20 years. The methods used included herbs (29.8% [2021-2022] vs 25.9% [2023]), physical methods (28.6% [2021-2022] vs 29.7% [2023]), or alcohol or other substances (17.9% [2021-2022] vs 18.6% [2023]). Few participants (7.1% [2021-2022] vs 4.7% [2023]) sought emergency care for a complication.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this serial nationally representative survey study, increased SMA was observed following the loss of federal abortion protections. The findings revealed increased SMA use among marginalized groups, most often with ineffective methods. These findings suggest the need to expand access to alternative models of safe and effective abortion care and ensure those seeking health care post-SMA do not face legal risks."

Global Health NOW: An Uptick in Self-Managed Abortions; Dispatches from Sudan’s ‘Humanitarian Desert’; and Inequities in Diabetes-Related Amputations

Self-Managed Abortion Attempts Before vs After Changes in Federal Abortion Protections in the US (open access)

Inequities in Diabetes-Related Amputations in the US. Really!

Another typical example of junk journalism! The real issue of large numbers of amputations due to diabetes is bizarrely distorted by racism and ideology!

And who helped distribute this propaganda and demagoguery, the usual suspects: The Guardian and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health!

The underlying The Guardian article is actually about the extremely high number of amputations performed per year due to diabetes, which is very tragic and a serious issue:

"... About 38 million Americans have diabetes, and each year a staggering 154,000 Americans will suffer amputations, roughly 80% of which will be the result of complications from diabetes. Their life expectancy following this procedure is five years; the probability of a second amputation is up to 35%. By comparison, a total of 1,700 American soldiers had limbs removed since 2002 due to injuries sustained during combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. ..."

Again only skin color is used! This is gross misrepresentation and distortion of the worst kind! What needs to be compared is individuals with similar socio-economic circumstances!

"A “mega disparity”:

Black Americans are 4X more likely to have an amputation than white Americans and are 3X more likely to have peripheral artery disease, a diabetes-related disorder."

Global Health NOW: An Uptick in Self-Managed Abortions; Dispatches from Sudan’s ‘Humanitarian Desert’; and Inequities in Diabetes-Related Amputations

More than 100,000 Americans with diabetes have limbs amputated each year. This is a crisis "Black Americans with diabetes are four times more likely to suffer amputations than white Americans"

Eine Schule für alle Kinder? Der integrative Unterricht ist gescheitert – auch wenn das keiner offen sagen will

Aus der Schweiz! Zum nachdenken! Die Umsetzung mancher guten Ideen ist nicht einfach oder die Umsetzung ist zu extrem.

"Die Wahrheit an Schulen tut weh. Und zu dieser Wahrheit gehört, dass das Ideal des integrativen Unterrichts gescheitert ist. Offen zugeben will das zwar niemand. Auch die Urheber der kürzlich eingereichten Förderklassen-Initiative in Zürich wollen den Grundsatz nicht infrage stellen, nach dem die Volksschule seit Jahren mehr schlecht als recht funktioniert: Intelligente, weniger intelligente, lernschwache, lernbehinderte, verhaltensauffällige Kinder und Jugendliche und solche mit weiteren Sonderbedürfnissen sollen möglichst gemeinsam in gewöhnlichen Klassen unterrichtet werden. ..."

Schule: Das Ideal des integrierten Unterrichts ist gescheitert Intelligente, weniger intelligente, lernbehinderte Kinder und notorische Quälgeister zusammen in einer Klasse: Das schöne Konzept bringt Lehrer und Schülerinnen an ihre Grenzen. So geht es nicht weiter. Eine Volksinitiative will das ändern.