Success of privatization! (Source)
Friday, April 26, 2024
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Immanuel Kant's radical philosophy
Recommendable! Unfortunately, very basic! You have to give some credit to this attempt to present the philosophy of Immanuel Kant! Sapere aude! (Dare to know!)
German President Tries "Doner Kebab Diplomacy" in Turkiye: Creative or Cringe with Palki Sharma
I guess, most Germans know that their current president (a figure head) is not the sharpest knife! But to to put one's widely known dim wittedness on such an international display is quite a feat! Let's see what will be his next embarrassment!
Pakistani Businessmen Ask PM Sharif to Restart Trade with India with Palki Sharma
Recommendable! Hopefully, the prime minister is listening!
AI Index: State of AI in 13 Charts from the AI Index report 2024
Recommendable!
Pottery reshapes understanding of Australia's First Nations people
Prehistoric life on the Great Barrier Reef!
"... The archaeologists say this significant finding challenges notions that Aboriginal Australian communities were unaware of pottery manufacture before European settlement: “…instead suggesting a rich history of long-distance cultural exchanges and technological innovation long before British arrival.” ..."
From the abstract:
"Aboriginal manufacture and use of pottery was unknown in Australia prior to European settlement, despite well-known ceramic-making traditions in southern Papua New Guinea, eastern Indonesia, and the western Pacific. The absence of ancient pottery manufacture in mainland Australia has long puzzled researchers given other documented deep time Aboriginal exchange networks across the continent and the close proximity of pottery-bearing Lapita and post-Lapita maritime communities in the western Pacific with ocean-going watercraft and sophisticated navigation abilities. We report the oldest securely dated ceramics found in Australia from archaeological excavations on Jiigurru (Lizard Island Group) on the Great Barrier Reef, northeast Australia. Comprehensive radiocarbon dating and Bayesian modelling constrains ceramic deposition to between 2950–2545 cal BP and 1970–1815 cal BP. This timing overlaps with late Lapita and post-Lapita ceramic traditions of southern Papua New Guinea. Geological characterisation of the sherds strongly suggests local manufacture as the vessels belong to three temper and clay groups locally sourced to northeast Australia, and most likely to Jiigurru. The oldest occupation layers date to 6510–5790 cal BP, making Jiigurru the earliest offshore island occupied on the northern Great Barrier Reef. The results demonstrate that northeast Australian First Nations communities had sophisticated canoe voyaging technology and open-sea navigational skills and were intimately engaged in ancient maritime networks, connecting them with peoples, knowledges, and technologies across the Coral Sea region."
Fig. 1. Top: Map of known Lapita cultural area showing the location of Jiigurru (Lizard Island Group) ... Dashed extension of the Lapita cultural area into Torres Strait and northeast Australia indicates possible Lapita distribution or influence ... Bottom: Median onset ages for pre-nineteenth century ceramic sites in the Coral Sea region. Median calibrated ages have been rounded to nearest 50 years. Only sites with published radiocarbon chronologies are included ...
Fig. 2. Visualisation of sea-level rise on Jiigurru (Lizard Island Group) since the Last Glacial Maximum. By at least −30 m (10,000 years ago), Jiigurru would have been surrounded by water.
Fig. 11. Ceramic sherd selection.
The lavish salaries of school district supervisors in Texas
They say everything is bigger in Texas!
"... There are eight supers who make over $400,000 – or more than the President of the United States. It might make some sense when you see that the highest paid super (Cypress-Fairbanks, $536,775) oversees more than 118,000 students. But it starts to make less sense when you see Lake Travis ISD (#6, $418,284) has just over 11,000 kids, or Barbers Hill ISD (#2, $477,213) with less than 8,000 enrolled in the whole district.
According to Yahoo Finance, the top 5% of all earners in Texas make $250,000 or more per year. That puts 172 superintendents into the elite category of the state’s most wealthy people."
Achieving a malaria-free Rwanda by 2030 is possible
Good news! Bravo! Drones to the rescue!
"Latest data from Rwanda Biomedical Centre, as reported by The New Times in its April 24 edition, indicates that malaria cases in the country dropped by a staggering 88% in 2023.
Rwanda targets to completely eradicate malaria by 2030, and the trend over the last seven years gives hope that it is possible. About five million cases were recorded in 2016, but just over 600,000 were registered last year. ..."
Rwanda was the first African country to integrate drone technology in fighting malaria in 2019. Drones are used to target mosquitoes at their breeding sites.
Research chemists devise easier new method for making a common type of building block for drugs
Good news!
"Ring-shaped chemical structures called saturated heterocycles are found in most FDA-approved drugs but are often difficult to create. ... Research chemists have just developed a surprisingly easy method for making many of these sought-after compounds from inexpensive starting chemicals.
The new method ... enables chemists to make saturated heterocycles from relatively simple, chain-like amine compounds. ...
The researchers demonstrated the power of their new method by using it to perform an efficient synthesis of stemoamide, a complex plant-derived compound found in traditional medicines. ..."
From the abstract:
"Recent developments of bifunctional ligands have rapidly advanced palladium-catalysed C(sp3)–H activation reactions directed by native carboxylic acids. However, using this approach in inter- or intramolecular C(sp3)–H amination reactions is often hampered by N-coordination overriding the directing effect of the native carboxyl group. Here we report the design and development of chlorinated pyridine–pyridone ligands, which can overcome N-coordination and enable exclusive carboxylic-acid-directed lactamization and cycloamination of N-protected ω-amino acids. The compartmentalization of directed C(sp3)–H activation and C(sp3)–N bond formation in this reaction is distinct from existing C(sp3)–H amination approaches, in which both processes are directed by nitrogen. The protocols described in this report transform linear ω-amino acids into valuable cyclic β-amino acids possessing γ- and δ-lactam, pyrrolidine and tetrahydroquinoline scaffolds pertinent to drug discovery. The utility of this process was demonstrated by the formal synthesis of stemoamide."
Why Does the United States Operate Blind in Yemen? by Michael Rubin
Recommendable!
"... Because Sana’a is unsafe, the United States has since 2014 stationed its Yemen country team in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This is backwards for three reasons.
First, given the history between the two neighbors even before the Houthi take-over, the U.S. decision to base its Yemen embassy in Riyadh has all the sensitivity of stationing a temporary U.S. Embassy to Ukraine in Moscow. ...
Second, putting the U.S. mission to Yemen in Saudi Arabia effectively excludes Yemenis. Saudi Arabia requires Yemenis to acquire visas to enter Saudi Arabia but it has closed its embassy in Sana’a making visa acquisition impossible. ...
"
Hotel Chain Development Pipelines in Africa 2024
Big gain tourism all over Africa! Over 100 hundred new hotels since 2020!
Circadian rhythms of the liver can influence drugs’ effectiveness
Amazing stuff! Take your pills on time or your liver will not forgive it! 😊
The influence of the circadian rhythms on all kinds of bodily function has been known for decades. Here is more about it!
"Using tiny, engineered livers derived from human patients, ... researchers found that more than 300 liver genes are under circadian control. These circadian variations affect how much of a drug is available and how effectively the body can break it down. ...
The study also revealed that the liver is more susceptible to infections such as malaria at certain points in the circadian cycle, when fewer inflammatory proteins are being produced. ...
It is estimated that about 50 percent of human genes follow a circadian cycle ...
It is estimated that about 50 percent of human genes follow a circadian cycle ...
Most of these genes clustered in two groups — about 70 percent of the genes peaked together, while the remaining 30 percent were at their lowest point when the others peaked. These included genes involved in a variety of functions, including drug metabolism, glucose and lipid metabolism, and several immune processes. ..."
From the abstract:
"Critical aspects of physiology and cell function exhibit self-sustained ~24-hour variations termed circadian rhythms. In the liver, circadian rhythms play fundamental roles in maintaining organ homeostasis. Here, we established and characterized an in vitro liver experimental system in which primary human hepatocytes display self-sustained oscillations. By generating gene expression profiles of these hepatocytes over time, we demonstrated that their transcriptional state is dynamic across 24 hours and identified a set of cycling genes with functions related to inflammation, drug metabolism, and energy homeostasis. We designed and tested a treatment protocol to minimize atorvastatin- and acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity. Last, we documented circadian-dependent induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines when triggered by LPS, IFN-β, or Plasmodium infection in human hepatocytes. Collectively, our findings emphasize that the phase of the circadian cycle has a robust impact on the efficacy and toxicity of drugs, and we provide a test bed to study the timing and magnitude of inflammatory responses over the course of infection in human liver."
Autonomous circadian rhythms in the human hepatocyte regulate hepatic drug metabolism and inflammatory responses (open access)
Fig. 1. Primary human hepatocytes display a circadian rhythm in culture.
The Xi files: how China spies
The insatiable need for data by any means by the Communist Party of China! The former Soviet Union may look pale in comparison!
"Most states spy. In principle there’s nothing to stop them. But China’s demand for intelligence on the rest of the world goes far beyond anything western intelligence agencies would typically gather. It encompasses masses of commercial data and intellectual property and has been described by Keith Alexander, a former head of America’s National Security Agency, as ‘the greatest transfer of wealth in history’. As well as collecting data from government websites, parliamentarians, universities, thinktanks and human rights organisations, China also targets diaspora groups and individuals.
Chinese cyber intrusions have targeted British MPs and stolen population-level data from the UK Electoral Commission database. In the US, meanwhile, Congress has just cracked down on the Chinese-owned TikTok, which has admitted that some of its employees had been spying on American journalists.
China’s intelligence agencies used to be circumspect about recruiting foreigners and using honey-traps
Three Germans were arrested on Monday for trying to transfer military information and procuring a special laser that was sent to Beijing without authorisation. On the same day, two British nationals, including a Tory parliamentary aide, were charged with breaking the Official Secrets Act by allegedly passing ‘prejudicial information’ to China. ..."
Bundesverteidigungsminister Pistorius will Wehrpflicht in neuer Form auch für Frauen
Bravo! Im Namen der Gleichberechtigung wäre das auch höchste Zeit!
Für 3000 Dollar hat eine Schweizerin ihre Stimme an Microsoft verkauft. Jetzt kann man sie dank KI alles sagen lassen
Na sowas! Warum ware es nicht eine Lichtensteinerin? 😊
Nigel Farage: Demanding TRUTH About Crime In Britain.
Recommendable! Food for thought! Should crime statistics show the nationality etc. of criminals and suspects?
Richard Nixon On Egyptian Leader Anwar Sadat
Recommendable! Yes, Sadat was courageous and he paid with his life for it. Interesting, Sadat noticed that Nixon was not elected by a Jewish American majority so Nixon would not be so beholden to Israel and more open to Arab and Egyptian concerns.
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Prager University: The Genius of Thomas Jefferson
Recommendable! Why do we never learn what kind of a slave owner Jefferson was? Was he cruel or was he caring etc.?
US Regulator Bans Non-compete Agreements with Palki Sharma
Recommendable! Non-compete agreements are a controversial subject. Palki contrasts a little bit non-compete versus non-disclosure agreements.
South Korean Military Could Soon Ban iPhones with Palki Sharma
Taking a bite out of the Apple! China too!
Why India is Getting Its Own System For Shoe Sizes with Palki Sharma
Good news! About time!
Soon India will be among them!
How aspirin stops the growth and spread of colorectal cancer
The story of the very old miracle drug aspirin continues! It keeps on giving!
Or is it just because it used by so many that more intensive research is aiming at aspirin?
"... There's been a growing body of research showing that regular, long-term low-dose aspirin use was associated with better outcomes of colorectal cancer (CRC). ..."
From the abstract:
"Abstract
Background
Long-term daily use of aspirin reduces incidence and mortality due to colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to analyze the effect of aspirin on the tumor microenvironment, systemic immunity, and on the healthy mucosa surrounding cancer.
Methods
Patients with a diagnosis of CRC operated on from 2015 to 2019 were retrospectively analyzed (METACCRE cohort). Expression of mRNA of immune surveillance-related genes (PD-L1, CD80, CD86, HLA I, and HLA II) in CRC primary cells treated with aspirin were extracted from Gene Expression Omnibus–deposited public database (GSE76583). The experiment was replicated in cell lines. The mucosal immune microenvironment of a subgroup of patients participating in the IMMUNOREACT1 (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04915326) project was analyzed with immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry.
Results
In the METACCRE Cohort, 12% of 238 patients analyzed were aspirin users. Nodal metastasis was significantly less frequent (p = .008) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte infiltration was higher (p = .02) among aspirin users. In the CRC primary cells and selected cell lines, CD80 mRNA expression was increased following aspirin treatment (p = .001). In the healthy mucosa surrounding rectal cancer, the ratio of CD8/CD3 and epithelial cells expressing CD80 was higher in aspirin users (p = .027 and p = .034, respectively).
Conclusions
These data suggested that regular aspirin use may have an active role in enhancing immunosurveillance against CRC."
Stop the Mideast Money Fueling Campus Anti-Semitism
Recommendable!
"... Centers dedicated to the study of the Middle East, many receiving lavish foreign financial support, do more to promote anti-Zionist and pro-Hamas narratives than virtually any other force on campus. Even a small number of biased faculty can have an outsize influence because the dominant intersectional ideologies leave students primed to embrace anti-Semitic attitudes.
In effect, U.S. campuses have been importing anti-Semitic propaganda for almost 50 years. As the New York Times reported in 1978, “Oil wealth from the Middle East is starting to flow onto college and university campuses throughout the country, bringing a bonanza of endowed chairs and new programs.” That initial flood of money—and specific concerns about gifts to Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies—led to the establishment of foreign gift-reporting requirements in 1986. ..."
In effect, U.S. campuses have been importing anti-Semitic propaganda for almost 50 years. As the New York Times reported in 1978, “Oil wealth from the Middle East is starting to flow onto college and university campuses throughout the country, bringing a bonanza of endowed chairs and new programs.” That initial flood of money—and specific concerns about gifts to Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies—led to the establishment of foreign gift-reporting requirements in 1986. ..."
Smartwatch AI predicts atrial fibrillation 30 minutes before it arrives
Good news! I bet there is more to come!
"AI trained on simple heart rate data can predict an episode of the most common heart rhythm disorder, atrial fibrillation, 30 minutes in advance, new research has shown. With plans for it to be incorporated into a smartphone so it can analyze data from a smartwatch, the model would act as an early warning system. ...
Researchers from the Luxembourg Center for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) at the University of Luxembourg have published a study wherein they trained a deep-learning model to accurately predict, 30 minutes ahead of time, when a person will go into AF. ..."
"... “Another interesting aspect is that our model has a high performance using only R-to-R intervals, basically just heart rate data, that can be acquired from easy-to-wear and affordable pulse signal recorders such as smartwatches,” ..."
From the highlights and abstract:
"Highlights
• Predicts AF onset on average 30.8 min in advance on test data
• Achieves 83% accuracy and 85% F1 score on test data
• Uses R-to-R interval signals for monitoring, accessible via smartwatches
• Has the potential to lower interventions and costs by early AF detection
The bigger picture
Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most prevalent heart rhythm disorder, affects millions globally, leading to significant increases in stroke risk, heart failure, and healthcare expenses. These challenges underscore the need for innovative monitoring solutions. Wearable technology, coupled with artificial intelligence, will eventually enable continuous, real-time tracking of heart health and warn users of imminent danger. This paper shows that such a future is not far. Our research introduces a model, WARN, that harnesses R-to-R intervals, the intervals between successive heartbeats, from readily available smartwatches to issue early warnings of AF onset. By leveraging extensive long-term data of individual patients, we expect that WARN can be personalized to significantly improve the prediction horizon, offering a future where many patients might manage AF proactively with as-needed medication rather than routine daily doses, thereby optimizing treatment regimens and improving quality of life.
Summary
Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most prevalent cardiac rhythm disorder, significantly increases hospitalization and health risks. Reverting from AF to sinus rhythm (SR) often requires intensive interventions. This study presents a deep-learning model capable of predicting the transition from SR to AF on average 30.8 min before the onset appears, with an accuracy of 83% and an F1 score of 85% on the test data. This performance was obtained from R-to-R interval signals, which can be accessible from wearable technology. Our model, entitled Warning of Atrial Fibrillation (WARN), consists of a deep convolutional neural network trained and validated on 24-h Holter electrocardiogram data from 280 patients, with 70 additional patients used for testing and further evaluation on 33 patients from two external centers. The low computational cost of WARN makes it ideal for integration into wearable technology, allowing for continuous heart monitoring and early AF detection, which can potentially reduce emergency interventions and improve patient outcomes."
Predicting arrhythmia 30 minutes before it happens (original news release)
Early warning of atrial fibrillation using deep learning (open access)
Graphical abstract
Colorado passes first US brain activity data privacy law
Is it perhaps too premature to pass such laws? It may curtail or delay opportunities, advances etc.
"US tech companies that make neurotechnology gadgets — such as the headband that aims to make you a better meditator — will soon face more restrictions in how they collect, store and sell people’s brain-activity data. On 17 April, Colorado passed the country’s first law protecting consumers’ neural privacy. Users will now have the right to prevent companies from selling their brain data or using it for advertising. “We just think that there should be some guardrails in place for people who aren’t intending to have their thoughts read,” says Colorado legislator Cathy Kipp. Privacy advocates praise the bill’s passage, but some private universities are concerned it will prevent them from using such technologies for research and teaching."
RNA-editing drugs enter clinical trials to treat various genetic diseases
Good news!
"Drugs that edit mRNA sequences are beginning to enter clinical trials to treat various genetic diseases. Many of these use a family of enzymes called ADARs, which can repair or disable defective genes by swapping individual bases in their mRNA transcripts. Like its high-profile relative CRISPR, mRNA editing uses engineered nucleotide strings to lure the enzymes to their target genetic sequences. At least ten companies have launched or are about to launch early stage trials to treat the hereditary disorder alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, which is caused by a single mutation that is easily reversible through mRNA editing. In preclinical studies, one company’s editing system fixed up to 75% or more of the defective proteins."
"Oligonucleotide-based drugs already come in many flavours. The newest of these now aims to edit mRNA one base at a time, by harnessing endogenous enzymes called adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADAR). ...
A key difference between DNA- and RNA-editing is the dosing schedule. Whereas CRISPR-based drugs aim to provide a one-time treatment, the ADAR pipeline is mostly comprised of redosable drugs that are given every few weeks or less frequently. Their effects, as a result, are reversible. ..."
RNA-editing drugs advance into clinical trials ADAR-based editors that can change the mRNA code offer new opportunities in both rare genetic diseases and common complex ones.
All-terrain Exoquad gets wheelchair users into four-wheelin' action in nature environments
Good news! But it does not come cheap! How many can afford it? Opportunity for rental business?
"The Exoquad four-wheeler is designed to let wheelchair users independently explore the gnarliest of outdoor environments. And while it packs multiple motors, it has an unpowered sibling that's made for no-holds-barred downhill descents. ...
Should you be interested, pricing starts at €15,999 (about US$17,365) for the 4WD Exoquad, €12,999 ($14,109) for the 2WD Exoquad, and €7,199 ($7,814) for the Exogravity. Potential buyers might also want to check out The Rig, the Zoom and the EV4 Mountain Cart. ..."
China apparently covered up the COVID-19 origins earlier than previously known
The lack of cooperation by the Communist Party of China remains disturbing!
"... The first publicly known search for the virus took place on Dec. 31, 2019, when Chinese Center for Disease Control scientists visited the Wuhan market where many early COVID-19 cases surfaced.
However, WHO officials heard of an earlier inspection of the market on Dec. 25, 2019, according to a recording of a confidential WHO meeting provided to AP by an attendee. Such a probe has never been mentioned publicly by either Chinese authorities or WHO. ..."
COVID-19 was not the first time:
"... It could have played out differently, as shown by the outbreak of SARS, a genetic relative of COVID-19, nearly 20 years ago. China initially hid infections then, but WHO complained swiftly and publicly. Ultimately, Beijing fired officials and made reforms. The U.N. agency soon found SARS likely jumped to humans from civet cats in southern China and international scientists later collaborated with their Chinese counterparts to pin down bats as SARS’ natural reservoir. ..."
Argentina submits an official request to arrest Iran's interior minister for the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires
Good news! What took so long!
"... a decision by Argentina to seek the arrest of Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi. “The request comes less than two weeks after a court in Argentina held Iran responsible for the 1994 attack on a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, in which 85 people were killed,” the BBC noted.
Vahidi had arrived in Pakistan earlier this week, but did not appear to travel on to Sri Lanka. The BBC reported that Argentine asked Pakistan and Sri Lanka to detain Vahidi. ..."
Vahidi had arrived in Pakistan earlier this week, but did not appear to travel on to Sri Lanka. The BBC reported that Argentine asked Pakistan and Sri Lanka to detain Vahidi. ..."
Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi speaks during a press conference after the parliamentary elections in Tehran, Iran, March 4, 2024.
Inside The Home Frank Lloyd Wright Designed For His Son - Gladys Wright house
Very recommendable! This building was saved by Chinese immigrants from demolition! My wife and I are big fans of Frank Lloyd Wright. And this house, which we have not visited yet, is in our neighborhood! It is near Camelback Mountain, Phoenix! Wow!
EU foreign policy chief compares Gaza destruction with German cities in WWII
What an old fool! What an absurd remark! High time for him to retire to play with his grandchildren before it is too late!
Italy passes law allowing pro-life groups access to abortion clinics
Food for thought! Is there something generally wrong with this? Every baby that can be spared is human life saved.
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Javier Milei delivers Argentina's first quarterly budget surplus in 16 years
Good news! Bravo chainsaw man! Keep it up!
India's Nuclear Attack Submarine Program takes shape amid China threat in Indo-Pacific with Molly Gambhir
Recommendable! India, a rising superpower and arms exporter!
Indian Army's air defence widens wings, India joins elite group of countries with MIRV capability
Recommendable! Impressive! India is becoming a major, advanced arms exporter!
Turkiye and Iraq to Build $17 Billion Asia-Europe Corridor with Palki Sharma
Good news! At least two competing projects to link Europe, Middle East and Asia
The competitor corridor
Saudi Mega-project city NEOM Chases Chinese Funds with Palki Sharma
When a new city does not grow organically over decades, if not centuries. The limits of central planning.
The Race to Secure Taiwan’s AI Chips as Fears of a Chinese Invasion Loom
Very recommendable! The strongest defense of Taiwan is the threat of total self destruction if invaded! Good news that new TSMC plants will be built in Arizona, Germany, and Japan.
The surprising reason we blink so much more than we need to
Amazing stuff! In a blink of an eye gets a whole new meaning! 😊
"... on average humans blink up to 20 times every minute, or almost 20,000 times a day. Although each blink only lasts between 0.1 and 0.4 seconds, that adds up to around [3% to ]8% of our waking hours spent walking around with our eyes closed. ...
The scientists found that the rapid motion of the eyelid during a blink changes the light patterns that stimulate the retina, sending a different type of visual signal to the brain than the kind sent when our eyes are open and focused on something. In practice, blinking helps people take in the “big picture” of a scene, and notice large-scale, slowly changing patterns. ..."
From the significance and abstract:
"Significance
Humans spend a remarkable fraction of their awake time while blinking. Here, we show that eye blinks are not simply a mechanism for refreshing the tear film but act as an information processing stage. By modulating the visual input to the retina, blinks effectively reformat spatial information in the temporal domain, yielding luminance signals that emphasize low-resolution information about the global structure of the visual scene. We show that human observers benefit from these transients and that this perceptual enhancement occurs independently from motor signals associated with blinks. Thus, contrary to common assumption, blinks facilitate—rather than disrupt—visual processing, amply compensating for the loss in stimulus exposure.
Abstract
... However, blinks also provide luminance transients rich in spatial information to neural pathways highly sensitive to temporal changes. Here, we report that the luminance modulations from blinks enhance visual sensitivity. By coupling high-resolution eye tracking in human observers with modeling of blink transients and spectral analysis of visual input signals, we show that blinking increases the power of retinal stimulation and that this effect significantly enhances visibility despite the time lost in exposure to the external scene. We further show that, as predicted from the spectral content of input signals, this enhancement is selective for stimuli at low spatial frequencies and occurs irrespective of whether the luminance transients are actively generated or passively experienced. These findings indicate that, like eye movements, blinking acts as a computational component of a visual processing strategy that uses motor behavior to reformat spatial information into the temporal domain."
Why do we blink so much? (original news release) Researchers find that blinking plays a pivotal role in processing visual information—adding to a growing body of evidence revising our conventional views of vision.
Eye blinks as a visual processing stage (no public access)
IN PLAIN SIGHT: Owen Tu ’25 demonstrates the apparatus used to track eye movements in the lab of brain and cognitive scientist Michele Rucci.
SEEING THE BIG PICTURE: The researchers tracked eye movements in human observers and combined the data with computer models and spectral analysis. They found that blinks emphasize low spatial frequency (SF)—the overall big picture of a scene—and play an important role in allowing the brain to process visual information.
Social Security and the Decline of the Employer Pension System, voluntary associations and self reliance
When socialism and Big Government started to encroach, spread, and take over in the U.S.!
"The Social Security Act is considered the first federal social welfare program in American history, being signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1935. American government pensions have existed for government employees and veterans since the Civil War, and private pension systems even longer. There was not great support for a public pension system in the US, as voluntary association and self-sufficiency was the standard. An example of this is the fact that nearly 90 percent of people over sixty-five in New York were not reliant on any sort of organized private, or public assistance programs prior to 1935. ..."
Unravelling the chemistry of the interstellar medium in a laboratory on Earth
Amazing stuff!
"Despite all appearances, the space between stars, known as the interstellar medium, is anything but empty. Atoms, ions, and molecules reside in this freezing, low-pressure environment. ..."
"... Interstellar Medium (ISM). The ISM has fascinated scientists for decades, as at least 200 unique molecules form in its cold, low-pressure environment. It’s a subject that ties together the fields of chemistry, physics, and astronomy, as scientists from each field work to determine what types of chemical reactions happen there. ...
From their experiments, the researchers resolved chemical dynamics in ion-neutral reactions by using precise laser cooling and mass spectrometry to control quantum states, thereby allowing them to emulate ISM chemical reactions successfully. Their work brings scientists closer to answering some of the most profound questions about the chemical development of the cosmos. ...
Besides trap filtration and Doppler cooling, the researchers' third experimental technique helped them emulate the ISM reactions: their time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) setup. In this part of the experiment, a high-voltage pulse accelerated the ions down a flight tube, where they collided with a microchannel plate detector. The researchers could determine which particles were present in the trap based on the time it took for the ions to hit the plate and their imaging techniques. ..."
Besides trap filtration and Doppler cooling, the researchers' third experimental technique helped them emulate the ISM reactions: their time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) setup. In this part of the experiment, a high-voltage pulse accelerated the ions down a flight tube, where they collided with a microchannel plate detector. The researchers could determine which particles were present in the trap based on the time it took for the ions to hit the plate and their imaging techniques. ..."
From the abstract:
"Coulomb crystals provide a unique environment in which to study ion-neutral gas-phase reactions. In these cold, trapped ensembles, we are able to study the kinetics and dynamics of small molecular systems. These measurements have connections to chemistry in the Interstellar Medium (ISM) and planetary atmospheres. This Feature Article will describe recent work in our laboratory that uses Coulomb crystals to study translationally cold, ion-neutral reactions. We provide a description of how the various affordances of our experimental system allow for detailed studies of the reaction mechanisms and the corresponding products. In particular, we will describe quantum-state resolved reactions, isomer-dependent reactions, and reactions with a rarely studied, astrophysically relevant ion, CCl+."
Cold Coulomb Crystals, Cosmic Clues: Unraveling the Mysteries of Space Chemistry (original news release)
Cold Ion–Molecule Reactions in the Extreme Environment of a Coulomb Crystal (no public access, but link to first article above contains a link to the PDF)
Interspecific competition led to even more forms of ancient human species comparable to beetle species living on islands
Amazing stuff! Larger brains lead to more competition! Believe it or not, it was not caused by climate change! 😊
"... For the Homo lineage that led to modern humans, evolutionary patterns suggest that competition between species actually resulted in the appearance of even more new species – a complete reversal of the trend seen in almost all other vertebrates. ...
The closest comparison she could find was in beetle species that live on islands, where contained ecosystems can produce unusual evolutionary trends. ...
Recent decades have seen the discovery of several new hominin species, from Australopithecus sediba to Homo floresiensis. ... a new database of 'occurrences' in the hominin fossil record: each time an example of a species was found and dated, around 385 in total. ..."
From the abstract:
"The search for drivers of hominin speciation and extinction has tended to focus on the impact of climate change. Far less attention has been paid to the role of interspecific competition. However, research across vertebrates more broadly has shown that both processes are often correlated with species diversity, suggesting an important role for interspecific competition. Here we ask whether hominin speciation and extinction conform to the expected patterns of negative and positive diversity dependence, respectively. We estimate speciation and extinction rates from fossil occurrence data with preservation variability priors in a validated Bayesian framework and test whether these rates are correlated with species diversity. We supplement these analyses with calculations of speciation rate across a phylogeny, again testing whether these are correlated with diversity. Our results are consistent with clade-wide diversity limits that governed speciation in hominins overall but that were not quite reached by the Australopithecus and Paranthropus subclade before its extinction. Extinction was not correlated with species diversity within the Australopithecus and Paranthropus subclade or within hominins overall; this is concordant with climate playing a greater part in hominin extinction than speciation. By contrast, Homo is characterized by positively diversity-dependent speciation and negatively diversity-dependent extinction—both exceedingly rare patterns across all forms of life. The genus Homo expands the set of reported associations between diversity and macroevolution in vertebrates, underscoring that the relationship between diversity and macroevolution is complex. These results indicate an important, previously underappreciated and comparatively unusual role of biotic interactions in Homo macroevolution, and speciation in particular. The unusual and unexpected patterns of diversity dependence in Homo speciation and extinction may be a consequence of repeated Homo range expansions driven by interspecific competition and made possible by recurrent innovations in ecological strategies. Exploring how hominin macroevolution fits into the general vertebrate macroevolutionary landscape has the potential to offer new perspectives on longstanding questions in vertebrate evolution and shed new light on evolutionary processes within our own lineage."
Fig. 1: Speciation and extinction dates and phylogeny used in subsequent analyses.
Image of the day
Woman or man? Androgyny? If your last name is Nutt ...
Her official photo
Hint: Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt
Advance in immune cell screening uncovers receptors that target prostate cancer
Good news! Cancer is history (soon)! May the next generation of humans know cancer only from annals of history! 😊
"... The researchers discovered three previously unidentified, naturally occurring T-cell receptors that target prostate cancer using their screening method. In validation tests, T-cell receptors associated with the highest levels of secretion were the most likely to elicit a response against cancer cells. Rate of functional T-cell receptors was around tenfold higher than using previous techniques. ..."
From the significance and abstract (strangely, the abstract does not mention the prostrate cancer related part of their research even though it is part of the study):
"Significance
T cells possess a vast diversity of surface receptors that bind to antigens presented on target cells, resulting in the activation of functions such as secretion of cytokines or cytotoxic molecules. T cell receptor (TCR) immunotherapies leverage this system to target tumor cells for elimination, yet methods of identifying rare TCRs remain nonspecific, resulting in many nonfunctional TCRs. We apply microcavity-containing hydrogel microparticles, known as nanovials, to selectively bind to and activate target T cells and capture secreted cytokines. This method enabled the linkage of TCR binding and functional secretion of cytokines directly with TCR sequences at the single-cell level, leading to expanded repertoires of TCRs and reduced false positives, ultimately enhancing the prospects of T cell cancer immunotherapy.
Abstract
The ability to selectively bind to antigenic peptides and secrete effector molecules can define rare and low-affinity populations of cells with therapeutic potential in emerging T cell receptor (TCR) immunotherapies. We leverage cavity-containing hydrogel microparticles, called nanovials, each coated with peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) monomers to isolate antigen-reactive T cells. T cells are captured and activated by pMHCs inducing the secretion of effector molecules including IFN-γ and granzyme B that are accumulated on nanovials, allowing sorting based on both binding and function. The TCRs of sorted cells on nanovials are sequenced, recovering paired αβ-chains using microfluidic emulsion-based single-cell sequencing. By labeling nanovials having different pMHCs with unique oligonucleotide-barcodes and secretions with oligo-barcoded detection antibodies, we could accurately link TCR sequences to specific targets and rank each TCR based on the corresponding cell’s secretion level. Using the technique, we identified an expanded repertoire of functional TCRs targeting viral antigens with high specificity and found rare TCRs with activity against cancer-specific splicing-enhanced epitopes."
Defining T cell receptor repertoires using nanovial-based binding and functional screening (open access)
Fig. 1 Overview of high-throughput analysis and isolation of antigen-specific T cells followed by recovery of a single-cell TCR library.
Fig. 5 Multiplexed secretion-based profiling of prostate tissue antigen-specific T cells.
China challenges US with attempt to establish apparent Caribbean satellite state on Antigua and Barbuda
A reminder of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962? More island hopping in the future?
"... On the island of Antigua, located about 220 miles from the U.S. Virgin Islands, China is planning to establish a special Chinese-run economic zone, according to documents reviewed by Newsweek.
The area will have its own customs and immigration facilities, a shipping port and it will even issue passports, per the documents. China will also establish different kinds of businesses that will specialize in things from facial surgery to virology ...
More than two-thirds of the 31 nations under [US] SOUTHCOM's responsibility have signed onto China’s belt-and-road initiative, which is Beijing’s program to lend money to developing nations to use for infrastructure projects. ..."
EvoLogics presents the next-generation Quadroin AUV (aka Penguin robot)
Amazing stuff!
The Mount Erebus volcano in Antarctica is spewing out $6,000 worth of gold dust per day
Wonders of nature!
"Mount Erebus, a volcano nestled in the icy expanse of Antarctica, has been continuously erupting since at least 1972. It also has a lava lake sitting at its top. The volcano has pretty rare chemistry, pumping out an uncommon mix of minerals — including 80 grams of crystallized gold daily. That’s around $6,000 per day in gold at today’s prices. ...
Antarctica is known for its vast expanse of ice and snow. But it’s also a very active volcanic place. According to a recent study, the continent has at least 138 volcanoes, and Erebus is one of the most active. ..."
A common pathway in the brain that enables addictive drugs to hijack natural reward processing identified
Good news! Better prospects of achieving good riddance of addiction!
"... researchers ... have uncovered a mechanism in the brain that allows cocaine and morphine to take over natural reward processing systems. ... these findings shed new light on the neural underpinnings of drug addiction and could offer new mechanistic insights to inform basic research, clinical practice, and potential therapeutic solutions. ...
They discovered a largely overlapping population of cells that respond to both addictive drugs and natural rewards, and demonstrated that repeated exposure to the drugs progressively disrupts the cells' ability to function normally, resulting in behavior being directed toward drug-seeking and away from natural rewards. ...
Moreover, the research team identified a well-established intracellular signaling pathway—mTORC1—that facilitates the disruption of natural reward processing by the drugs. As part of that discovery, investigators found a gene (Rheb) that encodes an activator of the mTORC1 pathway that may mediate this relationship, potentially providing a novel therapeutic target for future discovery in a field of medicine that currently offers few effective treatments. ..."
From the editor's summary and abstract:
"Editor’s summary
Innate brain functions that normally process natural rewards are corrupted by drugs of abuse. However, the underlying physiological and molecular mechanisms linking these functions are still unclear. Tan et al. compared the response of key reward circuits activated by hunger and thirst with the response to morphine and cocaine in the same animals ... They found that the protein RHEB (Ras homolog enriched in brain), a signaling partner of mammalian target of rapamycin, is a crucial molecular substrate that enables drugs to gain access to neurons that process natural reward. This molecular mechanism is engaged in dissociable ensembles of neurons of a brain region called the nucleus accumbens. These neuronal ensembles are at the center of the addictive effects of these drugs, where conflict between drug-taking and the homeostatic regulation of hunger and thirst takes place. ...
Structured Abstract
INTRODUCTION
Drugs of abuse produce pleasurable feelings and reinforce consummatory behavior directed toward their acquisition. These same properties are characteristic of natural rewards that satisfy innate needs, such as food or water. Decades of research has shown that brain systems processing natural rewards are also impacted by drugs of abuse at the physiological, circuit, cellular, and molecular levels. These findings raise the hypothesis that drugs of abuse cause addiction by “hijacking” a common reward pathway, ultimately promoting drug intake while curbing other healthy goals. However, the specific neural substrates for such a shared reward pathway remain unidentified.
RATIONALE
Identification of a neural substrate that processes multiple classes of rewards necessitates multimodal analysis of neurobiological functions. This includes pinpointing central nodes that respond to reward exposure, examining specific cell types within this brain node that encode distinct rewarding experiences within the same individual, and identifying molecular effectors that mediate cellular and physiological adaptations. For this purpose, we employ a combination of approaches including whole-brain neuronal activity mapping, in vivo two-photon longitudinal calcium imaging at single-neuron resolution, and single-cell sequencing after in vivo CRISPR perturbation of a candidate gene. These multifaceted approaches enable the exploration of multiple components that comprise a common reward pathway and allow us to study how repeated drug exposure “hijacks” innate needs through this shared conduit.
RESULTS
Using whole-brain FOS mapping combined with chemogenetic inhibition approaches, we identify the nucleus accumbens (NAc) as a central hub necessary for both cocaine and morphine to disrupt natural reward (food and water) consumption. In vivo longitudinal tracking of individual dopaminoceptive neuron activity in the NAc in awake, behaving mice revealed overlapping ensemble responses across drugs of abuse and natural rewards, with drugs producing greater levels of activation. Repeated exposure to drugs of abuse augmented cell type–specific neural dynamics indicative of an escalation of drug responses, and subsequently disorganized natural reward processing in the NAc after drug withdrawal. We then developed a “FOS-Seq” approach to correlate brain-wide FOS patterns with brain-wide in situ gene expression data. We identified Rheb, a gene encoding a small GTPase that activates the mTOR pathway, as being correlated with FOS induction by chronic exposure to either cocaine or morphine. By integrating in vivo CRISPR perturbation of Rheb with single-nucleus RNA sequencing in the NAc, we demonstrated an essential role of Rheb in regulating signal transduction pathways associated with drug action in dopaminoceptive cells, and in diminishing natural reward consumption after chronic exposure to drugs of abuse. Finally, functional mapping of NAc-projecting neurons from regions that are activated by drugs of abuse points to orbitofrontal cortex as a potential ascending node that curbs natural reward consumption as verified with chemogenetic activation.
CONCLUSION
We delineated a common reward pathway that enables drugs of abuse to interfere with the fulfillment of homeostatic needs for food or water. These findings provide mechanistic insights into the intensification of drug-directed behavior in substance use disorders."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)