5 hours ago
Archaeologists have finally cracked the code to the famed Ann Francis shipwreck’s brass combination treasure lock. However, the 16th century relic didn’t open after hours of painstaking trial-and-error. Researchers at Cardiff University and Amgueddfa Cymru, the National Museum of Wales, relied on highly detailed CT scanning equipment to peer inside the mechanical device and learn the code without touching the lock itself.
“It’s not every day you get to solve a 400-year-old mystery,” David Williams, a Cardiff University biomechanics engineer, said in a statement.
The lock’s combination was lost on December 28, 1583, when the merchant ship Ann Francis sailed into a powerful storm during a return voyage from Spain. The exact crew number is unclear, but all of them (around 14 sailors) reportedly drowned after veering off-course and wrecking along the coast of southern Wales. Unfortunately, at least one other death is likely directly tied to the Ann Francis. Archival evidence suggests locals later accused a “detestable woman” named Mother Gabley of being an “execrable witch” and casting the foul weather responsible for the maritime tragedy. While Mother Gabley’s fate remains unknown, she would have almost certainly been hanged under the recently passed “Act Against Conjurations, Enchantments and Witchcrafts” if brought to trial.
The Ann Francis remained missing for 415 years, until metal detectorist Peter Hughes rediscovered the wreckage while surveying southern Wales’ Margam Beach in 1998. Hughes and archaeologists subsequently spent more than 20 years scouring the area for the ship’s remains. By 2017, preservationists had documented over 800 gold and silver coins from Germany, Spain, and Portugal along with artifacts like compasses, ship equipment, and cutlery.
Still, the wreck’s most famous remnant is the brass combination lock still in working condition after four centuries buried in sand. It’s possible the lock was used to guard those coins, or potentially other valuables that didn’t survive exposure to the elements. Regardless, the lock has remained close with no hints to its four-letter combination for hundreds of years.
#francis #ship #years
“It’s not every day you get to solve a 400-year-old mystery,” David Williams, a Cardiff University biomechanics engineer, said in a statement.
The lock’s combination was lost on December 28, 1583, when the merchant ship Ann Francis sailed into a powerful storm during a return voyage from Spain. The exact crew number is unclear, but all of them (around 14 sailors) reportedly drowned after veering off-course and wrecking along the coast of southern Wales. Unfortunately, at least one other death is likely directly tied to the Ann Francis. Archival evidence suggests locals later accused a “detestable woman” named Mother Gabley of being an “execrable witch” and casting the foul weather responsible for the maritime tragedy. While Mother Gabley’s fate remains unknown, she would have almost certainly been hanged under the recently passed “Act Against Conjurations, Enchantments and Witchcrafts” if brought to trial.
The Ann Francis remained missing for 415 years, until metal detectorist Peter Hughes rediscovered the wreckage while surveying southern Wales’ Margam Beach in 1998. Hughes and archaeologists subsequently spent more than 20 years scouring the area for the ship’s remains. By 2017, preservationists had documented over 800 gold and silver coins from Germany, Spain, and Portugal along with artifacts like compasses, ship equipment, and cutlery.
Still, the wreck’s most famous remnant is the brass combination lock still in working condition after four centuries buried in sand. It’s possible the lock was used to guard those coins, or potentially other valuables that didn’t survive exposure to the elements. Regardless, the lock has remained close with no hints to its four-letter combination for hundreds of years.
#francis #ship #years
28 days ago
October 8, 2026 / 5:00 AM EDT / KFF Health News
The U.S. Senate candidates in Texas could hardly be more different: James Talarico, a former seminarian turned Democratic state lawmaker who speaks in calm cadences about love and empathy, and Ken Paxton, the pugnacious Republican state attorney general who speaks about a refusal to compromise.
They share an enemy, though. They dislike social media's effects on children's mental health. Talarico, who did not respond to a request for comment, has endorsed a social media ban for kids under 16, while denouncing "predatory algorithms that divide us on an hourly, daily basis." As a legislator, he co-authored a bill targeting explicit deepfakes — digital imitations of individuals that are often made or manipulated by artificial intelligence and used for harassment on social media.
Paxton has been suing Big Tech, alleging the companies hook youth on their apps or don't restrict sensitive videos from being viewed by kids. "When elected to the U.S. Senate, he will continue his proven record of advancing policies that protect children online, strengthen parental rights, and hold Big Tech accountable when it breaks the law," Paxton campaign spokesperson Madison Cercy said in a statement to KFF Health News.
Youth mental health is in decline. Even as researchers explore what's causing the problem, momentum is gathering among policymakers from both parties to crack down on social media companies. Several major companies are being sued, investigated, and, soon, potentially regulated. That they may be harming kids' mental health is a key reason.
#Social #kids #senate #Tech
The U.S. Senate candidates in Texas could hardly be more different: James Talarico, a former seminarian turned Democratic state lawmaker who speaks in calm cadences about love and empathy, and Ken Paxton, the pugnacious Republican state attorney general who speaks about a refusal to compromise.
They share an enemy, though. They dislike social media's effects on children's mental health. Talarico, who did not respond to a request for comment, has endorsed a social media ban for kids under 16, while denouncing "predatory algorithms that divide us on an hourly, daily basis." As a legislator, he co-authored a bill targeting explicit deepfakes — digital imitations of individuals that are often made or manipulated by artificial intelligence and used for harassment on social media.
Paxton has been suing Big Tech, alleging the companies hook youth on their apps or don't restrict sensitive videos from being viewed by kids. "When elected to the U.S. Senate, he will continue his proven record of advancing policies that protect children online, strengthen parental rights, and hold Big Tech accountable when it breaks the law," Paxton campaign spokesperson Madison Cercy said in a statement to KFF Health News.
Youth mental health is in decline. Even as researchers explore what's causing the problem, momentum is gathering among policymakers from both parties to crack down on social media companies. Several major companies are being sued, investigated, and, soon, potentially regulated. That they may be harming kids' mental health is a key reason.
#Social #kids #senate #Tech
1 month ago
STOCKHOLM (AP) — Belgian-born scientist Francis Halzen won the ***** el Prize in physics Tuesday for his efforts to demystify a rare group of neutrinos, tiny cosmic particles that researchers believe offer clues to how the universe evolved.
"It was a great surprise, and I obviously didn't expect it," Halzen said, speaking to the ***** el Physics Committee by phone from Italy, in a call broadcast at the news conference to announce the winner.
Halzen said it was predicted that he would win the prize, but the announcement still made him feel "strange."
"I am working on a proposal, and I hope that this prize will help getting it approved," he said to chuckles from the audience.
Neutrinos are tiny cosmic particles with no electrical charge and extraordinarily small mass, making them difficult to detect. Yet they are everywhere: They spew from stars like the sun, and trillions zip through our bodies every second.
#neutrinos
"It was a great surprise, and I obviously didn't expect it," Halzen said, speaking to the ***** el Physics Committee by phone from Italy, in a call broadcast at the news conference to announce the winner.
Halzen said it was predicted that he would win the prize, but the announcement still made him feel "strange."
"I am working on a proposal, and I hope that this prize will help getting it approved," he said to chuckles from the audience.
Neutrinos are tiny cosmic particles with no electrical charge and extraordinarily small mass, making them difficult to detect. Yet they are everywhere: They spew from stars like the sun, and trillions zip through our bodies every second.
#neutrinos
1 month ago
What is the Taraia Object?
What artifacts were discovered on Nikumaroro Atoll?
How many passengers were on the Winter Haven High School bus?
Full Summary
An expedition began on Oct. 2 as researchers left Purdue University on a mission that hopes to find the lost plane of aviator Amelia Earhart, who went missing along with her navigator Fred Noonan in 1937.
#winter
What artifacts were discovered on Nikumaroro Atoll?
How many passengers were on the Winter Haven High School bus?
Full Summary
An expedition began on Oct. 2 as researchers left Purdue University on a mission that hopes to find the lost plane of aviator Amelia Earhart, who went missing along with her navigator Fred Noonan in 1937.
#winter
1 month ago
Andrew Jones, vice president of the Noah’s Ark Research Project, told Fox News Digital about the project’s latest field season at Turkey’s Durupınar formation, where researchers collected more than 300 soil samples and conducted deep-core drilling.
A team investigating a boat-shaped formation in eastern Turkey says new evidence is strengthening its case that the site could hold the remains of Noah's Ark.
"In archaeology, you deal with probabilities, and we're inching towards where we believe we will have confirmation this winter after our soil ******* ysis is done with Sivas University, who's our partner in this," Noah's Ark Scans founder Andrew Jones told "Saturday in America."
The focus of the investigation is the Durupınar formation, an approximately 538-foot-long geological structure near Mount Ararat. Its shape and proximity to the region identified in the biblical account have fascinated Ark hunters for decades.
The boat-shaped formation was first discovered in 1959 and has long-drawn speculation over a possible connection to Noah's Ark.
#turkey
A team investigating a boat-shaped formation in eastern Turkey says new evidence is strengthening its case that the site could hold the remains of Noah's Ark.
"In archaeology, you deal with probabilities, and we're inching towards where we believe we will have confirmation this winter after our soil ******* ysis is done with Sivas University, who's our partner in this," Noah's Ark Scans founder Andrew Jones told "Saturday in America."
The focus of the investigation is the Durupınar formation, an approximately 538-foot-long geological structure near Mount Ararat. Its shape and proximity to the region identified in the biblical account have fascinated Ark hunters for decades.
The boat-shaped formation was first discovered in 1959 and has long-drawn speculation over a possible connection to Noah's Ark.
#turkey
1 month ago
OpenAI has fired three researchers for allegedly mishandling information, including work that involved an external organisation that ****** yses artificial intelligence (AI) models.
"Our investigation confirmed that these individuals mishandled sensitive information outside established company procedures, violating our policies and breaking the trust essential to our work," a spokesperson told the BBC.
The ChatGPT-maker did not name the sacked workers, but at least two of them were involved in safety research at the firm.
The firings come as the debate over AI safety and the risks the technology may pose to humanity has intensified in recent weeks.
"We have parted ways with three individuals for violating our policies on accessing and handling sensitive company information," OpenAI's spokesperson said.
#involved #individuals
"Our investigation confirmed that these individuals mishandled sensitive information outside established company procedures, violating our policies and breaking the trust essential to our work," a spokesperson told the BBC.
The ChatGPT-maker did not name the sacked workers, but at least two of them were involved in safety research at the firm.
The firings come as the debate over AI safety and the risks the technology may pose to humanity has intensified in recent weeks.
"We have parted ways with three individuals for violating our policies on accessing and handling sensitive company information," OpenAI's spokesperson said.
#involved #individuals
1 month ago
Opening a Bible that once belonged to Thomas Jefferson, staff at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in 2011 discovered a reddish-blond hair pressed between the pages. That hair, suspected to have belonged to Jefferson himself, launched a DNA investigation spanning more than a decade that’s now providing a long-missing puzzle piece regarding Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemings, an enslaved woman in his household.
After spending years reconstructing DNA fragments, scientists have revealed the most compelling evidence to date that Jefferson, a founding father of the United States, also fathered children with Hemings — a relationship that has been long rumored but never definitively proven. How that investigation unfolded is documented in the book “History by a Hair: Thomas Jefferson, Sally Hemings & Solving a 200-Year-Old Mystery,” written by Richard Kurin, a distinguished scholar and ambassador-at-large at the Smithsonian, and published on September 22.
Kurin is also senior author of a paper describing the methods that connected the former US president to Hemings’ descendants, which involved delving deep into the genetics of the Jefferson and Hemings family trees. The paper, published September 21 on the preprint platform bioRXiv, has not yet been peer-reviewed.
In addition to testing the hair found in the Bible, the researchers also collected genetic material from multiple confirmed samples of Jefferson’s hair, held in the collection of the Smithsonian. They compared that with DNA from descendants of multiple lineages: Jefferson and his wife Martha, Jefferson’s brother Randolph, and two of Hemings’ sons, Eston and Madison. (Hemings had four children who lived to adulthood, but only Eston and Madison claimed Jefferson as their father).
Matches in the DNA suggest the chance that Thomas Jefferson fathered at least one of Sally Hemings’ children was 99.96%.
#jefferson #children #bible #history
After spending years reconstructing DNA fragments, scientists have revealed the most compelling evidence to date that Jefferson, a founding father of the United States, also fathered children with Hemings — a relationship that has been long rumored but never definitively proven. How that investigation unfolded is documented in the book “History by a Hair: Thomas Jefferson, Sally Hemings & Solving a 200-Year-Old Mystery,” written by Richard Kurin, a distinguished scholar and ambassador-at-large at the Smithsonian, and published on September 22.
Kurin is also senior author of a paper describing the methods that connected the former US president to Hemings’ descendants, which involved delving deep into the genetics of the Jefferson and Hemings family trees. The paper, published September 21 on the preprint platform bioRXiv, has not yet been peer-reviewed.
In addition to testing the hair found in the Bible, the researchers also collected genetic material from multiple confirmed samples of Jefferson’s hair, held in the collection of the Smithsonian. They compared that with DNA from descendants of multiple lineages: Jefferson and his wife Martha, Jefferson’s brother Randolph, and two of Hemings’ sons, Eston and Madison. (Hemings had four children who lived to adulthood, but only Eston and Madison claimed Jefferson as their father).
Matches in the DNA suggest the chance that Thomas Jefferson fathered at least one of Sally Hemings’ children was 99.96%.
#jefferson #children #bible #history
1 month ago
An ancient ground carving that was severely damaged by the administration’s border wall construction was created before Stonehenge and Egypt’s oldest pyramid, according to recently publicized research.
The Las Playas Intaglio, a giant fish carved into the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, is now considered the oldest example in the Americas of a geoglyphic, the ancient art form that is carved into or drawn on the ground.
In April, contractors hired by the Trump administration to make way for a second wall along the Arizona-Mexico border “scraped” a 50-foot swath through the ancient carving, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, which documented the damage.
The intaglio on the ground of the ancestral homeland of the Tohono O’odham and other Indigenous tribes is estimated to be about 2,000 years older than Egypt’s first pyramid and to have been created about 1,500 years before the first construction of Stonehenge and 4,000 years before Peru’s Nazca Lines, researchers have found.
The formerly 272-foot carving had originally been thought to be about 1,000 years old. But the latest research dates the art’s creation to at least 6,500 years ago, and possibly as much as 7,500 years ago.
#years #ground #stonehenge #border
The Las Playas Intaglio, a giant fish carved into the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, is now considered the oldest example in the Americas of a geoglyphic, the ancient art form that is carved into or drawn on the ground.
In April, contractors hired by the Trump administration to make way for a second wall along the Arizona-Mexico border “scraped” a 50-foot swath through the ancient carving, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, which documented the damage.
The intaglio on the ground of the ancestral homeland of the Tohono O’odham and other Indigenous tribes is estimated to be about 2,000 years older than Egypt’s first pyramid and to have been created about 1,500 years before the first construction of Stonehenge and 4,000 years before Peru’s Nazca Lines, researchers have found.
The formerly 272-foot carving had originally been thought to be about 1,000 years old. But the latest research dates the art’s creation to at least 6,500 years ago, and possibly as much as 7,500 years ago.
#years #ground #stonehenge #border
2 months ago
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.
Humanoid robots are showing meaningful progress beyond controlled demonstrations, with advances in autonomy, dexterity, and the ability to perform repetitive real-world tasks. But widespread commercial deployment still remains a work in progress.
After spending a week meeting with leading robotics labs, engineers and investors across the San Francisco Bay Area, researchers found that most humanoid robots remain in development, training, and tele-operated demonstrations. Where real-world deployments exist, they are generally closer to pilots than clear return-on-investment opportunities, according to a report published Wednesday by Citrini Research.
Don't Miss:
A single bad hire can set a startup back years. Here are the 5 hires founders most often misjudge — and why
#robots
Humanoid robots are showing meaningful progress beyond controlled demonstrations, with advances in autonomy, dexterity, and the ability to perform repetitive real-world tasks. But widespread commercial deployment still remains a work in progress.
After spending a week meeting with leading robotics labs, engineers and investors across the San Francisco Bay Area, researchers found that most humanoid robots remain in development, training, and tele-operated demonstrations. Where real-world deployments exist, they are generally closer to pilots than clear return-on-investment opportunities, according to a report published Wednesday by Citrini Research.
Don't Miss:
A single bad hire can set a startup back years. Here are the 5 hires founders most often misjudge — and why
#robots
2 months ago
On September 15, Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc (NASDAQ:JAZZ) completed its acquisition of privately held Actio Biosciences for $820 million upfront, adding a clinical-stage epilepsy drug called ABS-1230 to its rare disease pipeline. The deal lands weeks after Jazz posted its highest quarterly revenue ever on August 3, and raised its full-year guidance, so a fresh acquisition now sits on top of a business that was already accelerating. The question for investors is whether that combination adds up to durable growth or just a bigger bill.
ABS-1230 targets KCNT1-related epilepsy, a rare and hard-to-treat form of the disease. In an early clinical proof-of-concept trial, children who received the drug experienced meaningful seizure reductions, and preclinical testing showed it inhibited KCNT1 across every pathogenic mutation researchers evaluated, hinting it could work across the whole patient population rather than a narrow subset. The FDA has already granted ABS-1230 Orphan Drug, Rare Pediatric Disease and Fast Track designations, and accepted it into the agency's Rare Disease Evidence Principles process, a set of regulatory advantages that can speed a drug toward approval.
The acquisition also arrives while Jazz's existing business is firing on multiple cylinders. Second-quarter revenue climbed 16% year over year to $1.2 billion, the company's highest quarterly total on record, and management raised full-year 2026 revenue guidance to a range of $4.6 billion to $4.75 billion. Growth was not confined to one product. Xywav sales rose 13% to $471 million on 525 net new patients, Epidiolex grew 16% to $292 million, and Zepzelca jumped 42% to $106 million. Zanidatamab, sold as Ziihera in biliary tract cancer, also received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the FDA for a form of colorectal cancer, adding another avenue for the oncology franchise Jazz has been building beyond its epilepsy and sleep businesses.
None of that came free. The $820 million upfront payment for Actio lands on top of $4.4 billion in long-term debt that Jazz already carried as of June 30, even after the company used part of its cash to repay $1.0 billion of exchangeable notes that matured this year. Cash, equivalents and investments stood at $2.2 billion at that point, meaning the Actio payment alone accounts for a meaningful share of the company's liquid resources.
Jazz's recent history also shows how acquisitions can distort the bottom line before they pay off. A $905.4 million in-process research and development charge tied to the 2025 Chimerix acquisition pushed second-quarter 2025 GAAP earnings to a loss of $11.74 per share, and a smaller $77 million IPR&D charge from the AbCellera and Werewolf deals still dented second-quarter 2026 results. ABS-1230 itself remains early, with only proof-of-concept data in hand and no late-stage trial results yet. The portfolio is not without setbacks, either. Jazz is moving to voluntarily drop the second-line indication for Zepzelca in meta
ABS-1230 targets KCNT1-related epilepsy, a rare and hard-to-treat form of the disease. In an early clinical proof-of-concept trial, children who received the drug experienced meaningful seizure reductions, and preclinical testing showed it inhibited KCNT1 across every pathogenic mutation researchers evaluated, hinting it could work across the whole patient population rather than a narrow subset. The FDA has already granted ABS-1230 Orphan Drug, Rare Pediatric Disease and Fast Track designations, and accepted it into the agency's Rare Disease Evidence Principles process, a set of regulatory advantages that can speed a drug toward approval.
The acquisition also arrives while Jazz's existing business is firing on multiple cylinders. Second-quarter revenue climbed 16% year over year to $1.2 billion, the company's highest quarterly total on record, and management raised full-year 2026 revenue guidance to a range of $4.6 billion to $4.75 billion. Growth was not confined to one product. Xywav sales rose 13% to $471 million on 525 net new patients, Epidiolex grew 16% to $292 million, and Zepzelca jumped 42% to $106 million. Zanidatamab, sold as Ziihera in biliary tract cancer, also received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the FDA for a form of colorectal cancer, adding another avenue for the oncology franchise Jazz has been building beyond its epilepsy and sleep businesses.
None of that came free. The $820 million upfront payment for Actio lands on top of $4.4 billion in long-term debt that Jazz already carried as of June 30, even after the company used part of its cash to repay $1.0 billion of exchangeable notes that matured this year. Cash, equivalents and investments stood at $2.2 billion at that point, meaning the Actio payment alone accounts for a meaningful share of the company's liquid resources.
Jazz's recent history also shows how acquisitions can distort the bottom line before they pay off. A $905.4 million in-process research and development charge tied to the 2025 Chimerix acquisition pushed second-quarter 2025 GAAP earnings to a loss of $11.74 per share, and a smaller $77 million IPR&D charge from the AbCellera and Werewolf deals still dented second-quarter 2026 results. ABS-1230 itself remains early, with only proof-of-concept data in hand and no late-stage trial results yet. The portfolio is not without setbacks, either. Jazz is moving to voluntarily drop the second-line indication for Zepzelca in meta
2 months ago
Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) CEO Alex Karp just added a third front to the fight over artificial intelligence (AI) safety on Thursday, arguing that the companies developing the technology -- the Anthropics and OpenAI's of the world -- should face civil and criminal penalties if AI causes the damage their CEOs are warning of.
Speaking with CNBC, Karp said that he agreed that "reasonable guidelines" for the industry should be enforced, but that "you can't do it" and that "the first line of defense" instead should be to hold companies and their leaders responsible for their own actions.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Karp was weighing in on an ongoing and high-profile debate within the industry. After Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei penned an essay warning that AI capabilities were improving too quickly for researchers to understand and control them and that action must be taken to ensure the public's safety, he was joined by several AI leaders with calls for a slowdown and increased oversight.
Here's a look at what they had to say:
#safety #Companies #warning #leaders
Speaking with CNBC, Karp said that he agreed that "reasonable guidelines" for the industry should be enforced, but that "you can't do it" and that "the first line of defense" instead should be to hold companies and their leaders responsible for their own actions.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Karp was weighing in on an ongoing and high-profile debate within the industry. After Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei penned an essay warning that AI capabilities were improving too quickly for researchers to understand and control them and that action must be taken to ensure the public's safety, he was joined by several AI leaders with calls for a slowdown and increased oversight.
Here's a look at what they had to say:
#safety #Companies #warning #leaders
2 months ago
Updated on: September 16, 2026 / 5:45 PM EDT / CBS/AP
Scientists have discovered a crater on the moon that's bigger than the Roman Colosseum and is the result of a powerful impact two years ago that initially went undetected.
The steep-sided hole measured about 728 feet across, the length of two football fields, and up to 141 feet deep, equivalent to three vertically stacked yellow school buses, according to NASA. It's the solar system's biggest known impact crater carved out in recent times.
Such a large-scale event is estimated to occur only once every 132 years, researchers said, making this a treasure trove of information as NASA prepares to build a base for astronauts on the moon.
"This event constitutes a statistically rare, effectively once-in-a-lifetime observation," the scientists wrote in one of two studies appearing on the subject Wednesday in the journal Science Advances.
#crater
Scientists have discovered a crater on the moon that's bigger than the Roman Colosseum and is the result of a powerful impact two years ago that initially went undetected.
The steep-sided hole measured about 728 feet across, the length of two football fields, and up to 141 feet deep, equivalent to three vertically stacked yellow school buses, according to NASA. It's the solar system's biggest known impact crater carved out in recent times.
Such a large-scale event is estimated to occur only once every 132 years, researchers said, making this a treasure trove of information as NASA prepares to build a base for astronauts on the moon.
"This event constitutes a statistically rare, effectively once-in-a-lifetime observation," the scientists wrote in one of two studies appearing on the subject Wednesday in the journal Science Advances.
#crater
2 months ago
The Trump administration has cut or frozen up to $177 billion in federal grants since the president took office for his second term, according to a tracking tool released Wednesday by a pro-democracy nonprofit and a group of researchers and scientists.
The cuts affected all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with health, nutrition, the environment and disaster relief making up the largest share of cuts, the States United Democracy Center and Grant Witness organization found.
Among the grants that were eliminated, frozen or delayed were ones related to maternal health in Michigan, education research in Mississippi and ***** istance to minority farmers in Iowa, the researchers found. California, Texas, New York, Illinois and North Carolina saw the highest amounts of interrupted grant money. The tracking tool is called Lost Funds.
"By bringing thousands of funding disruptions from the Trump administration together in a publicly accessible, verified database, Lost Funds puts the magnitude of their impact on full display," Scott Delaney, co-founder of Grant Witness, said in a statement.
The $177 billion finding represents nearly 10% of federal discretionary spending, the groups said.
#administration
The cuts affected all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with health, nutrition, the environment and disaster relief making up the largest share of cuts, the States United Democracy Center and Grant Witness organization found.
Among the grants that were eliminated, frozen or delayed were ones related to maternal health in Michigan, education research in Mississippi and ***** istance to minority farmers in Iowa, the researchers found. California, Texas, New York, Illinois and North Carolina saw the highest amounts of interrupted grant money. The tracking tool is called Lost Funds.
"By bringing thousands of funding disruptions from the Trump administration together in a publicly accessible, verified database, Lost Funds puts the magnitude of their impact on full display," Scott Delaney, co-founder of Grant Witness, said in a statement.
The $177 billion finding represents nearly 10% of federal discretionary spending, the groups said.
#administration
2 months ago
Sept 13 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Barack Obama has warned that artificial intelligence could be "dangerous" if not properly managed, and urged Democrats to frame policy and governance agendas to tackle the issue, the New York Times said on Sunday.
The remarks at a recent private fundraising event come as growing numbers of U.S. lawmakers call for tougher rules on AI systems after dire warnings from two Anthropic researchers that rapid industry progress risks extinction of the human race.
"This is something that is moving very fast in private hands, and if we don't get on top of it, I think can be dangerous," the newspaper quoted Obama as saying on Thursday.
Citing a partial transcript of remarks from Obama's office, the paper said he encouraged House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to help shape a public conversation on AI policy if Democrats regained the House in midterm elections on November 3.
"Once you are speaker, I would strongly urge that the Democrats put together a framework for a very public conversation," Obama told Jeffries, the paper added.
#obama #democrats #private
The remarks at a recent private fundraising event come as growing numbers of U.S. lawmakers call for tougher rules on AI systems after dire warnings from two Anthropic researchers that rapid industry progress risks extinction of the human race.
"This is something that is moving very fast in private hands, and if we don't get on top of it, I think can be dangerous," the newspaper quoted Obama as saying on Thursday.
Citing a partial transcript of remarks from Obama's office, the paper said he encouraged House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to help shape a public conversation on AI policy if Democrats regained the House in midterm elections on November 3.
"Once you are speaker, I would strongly urge that the Democrats put together a framework for a very public conversation," Obama told Jeffries, the paper added.
#obama #democrats #private
2 months ago
(NewsNation) — A new study found that a rare but serious brain condition has been identified in a small number of people taking popular weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound.
Wernicke encephalopathy is a rare neurological disorder caused by a severe deficiency of vitamin B1, also known as thiamine.
GLP-1 prescriptions for kids up more than 30,000% since 2019
Researchers identified 15 cases reported in 2023 and 2024 among people taking GLP-1 medications containing semaglutide, found in Ozempic and Wegovy, or tirzepatide, found in Mounjaro and Zepbound.
Vitamin B1 is essential for proper nerve function. Without enough of it, patients can develop confusion, problems with balance and coordination, and abnormal eye movements.
#zepbound #vitamin #identified
Wernicke encephalopathy is a rare neurological disorder caused by a severe deficiency of vitamin B1, also known as thiamine.
GLP-1 prescriptions for kids up more than 30,000% since 2019
Researchers identified 15 cases reported in 2023 and 2024 among people taking GLP-1 medications containing semaglutide, found in Ozempic and Wegovy, or tirzepatide, found in Mounjaro and Zepbound.
Vitamin B1 is essential for proper nerve function. Without enough of it, patients can develop confusion, problems with balance and coordination, and abnormal eye movements.
#zepbound #vitamin #identified
2 months ago
Annual U.S. cancer deaths tied to alcohol consumption more than doubled over a three-decade period, according to a recent study led by researchers at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
The findings, published in The Lancet Regional Health — Americas and presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago, revealed that alcohol-attributable cancer deaths jumped from 11,361 in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023.
Researchers ******* yzed more than 30 years of data from the Global Burden of Disease study to track the trends.
Beer, Wine Or Liquor? Massive Study Reveals Which Was Linked To Lower Death Risk
While alcohol has long been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, surveys show that awareness of its link to cancer remains limited.
#study
The findings, published in The Lancet Regional Health — Americas and presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago, revealed that alcohol-attributable cancer deaths jumped from 11,361 in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023.
Researchers ******* yzed more than 30 years of data from the Global Burden of Disease study to track the trends.
Beer, Wine Or Liquor? Massive Study Reveals Which Was Linked To Lower Death Risk
While alcohol has long been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, surveys show that awareness of its link to cancer remains limited.
#study
2 months ago
DeepSeek has engaged CITIC Securities to prepare for an initial public offering on Shanghai's STAR Market, according to Reuters, citing two people with knowledge of the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Hangzhou-based AI startup aims to begin the IPO process this year, according to Reuters. The timing of a potential offering, the amount DeepSeek could seek to raise, and its target valuation have not been determined. DeepSeek and CITIC did not respond to requests for comment.
In China, firms pursuing a mainland listing are generally required to retain a securities company for pre-IPO tutoring before they can file an application, Reuters notes. The previously undisclosed arrangement with CITIC suggests DeepSeek is making concrete progress toward a public offering.
The IPO push comes as DeepSeek seeks capital to fund computing infrastructure, model development, and talent retention amid competition from rival Chinese and U.S. AI firms. A person familiar with the matter told Reuters that Liang Wenfeng sees the IPO as a way to build a compensation structure capable of holding onto the startup's most important engineers and researchers. The company has lost talent to rivals including ByteDance and Xiaomi.
According to Reuters, DeepSeek is currently raising a new funding round at a valuation of 500 billion yuan ($75 billion). In June, the startup closed a round of roughly $7.4 billion at a post-money valuation exceeding $50 billion, with Liang Wenfeng personally contributing 20 billion yuan. Tencent Holdings and battery company CATL contributed 10 billion yuan and 5 billion yuan, respectively, becoming the largest external shareholders, according to Reuters.
#deepseek #according #company
The Hangzhou-based AI startup aims to begin the IPO process this year, according to Reuters. The timing of a potential offering, the amount DeepSeek could seek to raise, and its target valuation have not been determined. DeepSeek and CITIC did not respond to requests for comment.
In China, firms pursuing a mainland listing are generally required to retain a securities company for pre-IPO tutoring before they can file an application, Reuters notes. The previously undisclosed arrangement with CITIC suggests DeepSeek is making concrete progress toward a public offering.
The IPO push comes as DeepSeek seeks capital to fund computing infrastructure, model development, and talent retention amid competition from rival Chinese and U.S. AI firms. A person familiar with the matter told Reuters that Liang Wenfeng sees the IPO as a way to build a compensation structure capable of holding onto the startup's most important engineers and researchers. The company has lost talent to rivals including ByteDance and Xiaomi.
According to Reuters, DeepSeek is currently raising a new funding round at a valuation of 500 billion yuan ($75 billion). In June, the startup closed a round of roughly $7.4 billion at a post-money valuation exceeding $50 billion, with Liang Wenfeng personally contributing 20 billion yuan. Tencent Holdings and battery company CATL contributed 10 billion yuan and 5 billion yuan, respectively, becoming the largest external shareholders, according to Reuters.
#deepseek #according #company
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2 months ago
It looks like the American consumer has more to worry about than food recalls and cyclospora—a new study found that even the packaging the food comes in may pose some health concerns.
Out of over 15,000 food contact chemicals (FCCs), 1,222 or 8% can pose serious health risks, according to a recent study published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science & Technology. Some of these FCCs, which in general are "substances that come into contact with food, such as through food packaging, processing, storage or other handling," per the FDA, were found to be hazardous to human health.
Researchers from the nonprofit Food Packaging Forum Foundation, which conducted the study, found at least 2,160 chemicals regularly contact food and "migrate into foodstuffs." Using guidelines from the UN's Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), researchers found some of the chemicals related to food packaging and other materials were "carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic to reproduction, harmful to specific organs after repeated exposure, [and] endocrine disrupting."
That's not the only concerning part. The researchers found that 13,211 of the 15,159 known food-contact chemicals lacked harmonized hazard data. That means the scientists could not determine from the available data whether those chemicals met the study's criteria for being hazardous.
"There's a lot of ways of establishing whether something is hazardous or not, and some methods are based very much just on computer models, looking at the structure, predicting something. And others are based on in vitro tests," Dr. Helene Wiesinger, scientific communication officer at the nonprofit and one of the researchers on the study, told Fortune. "And in some sense, the data that we used?' So this is the data we used, and the problem we ran into at that point was that there were huge data lags."
#Food #study #contact
Out of over 15,000 food contact chemicals (FCCs), 1,222 or 8% can pose serious health risks, according to a recent study published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science & Technology. Some of these FCCs, which in general are "substances that come into contact with food, such as through food packaging, processing, storage or other handling," per the FDA, were found to be hazardous to human health.
Researchers from the nonprofit Food Packaging Forum Foundation, which conducted the study, found at least 2,160 chemicals regularly contact food and "migrate into foodstuffs." Using guidelines from the UN's Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), researchers found some of the chemicals related to food packaging and other materials were "carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic to reproduction, harmful to specific organs after repeated exposure, [and] endocrine disrupting."
That's not the only concerning part. The researchers found that 13,211 of the 15,159 known food-contact chemicals lacked harmonized hazard data. That means the scientists could not determine from the available data whether those chemicals met the study's criteria for being hazardous.
"There's a lot of ways of establishing whether something is hazardous or not, and some methods are based very much just on computer models, looking at the structure, predicting something. And others are based on in vitro tests," Dr. Helene Wiesinger, scientific communication officer at the nonprofit and one of the researchers on the study, told Fortune. "And in some sense, the data that we used?' So this is the data we used, and the problem we ran into at that point was that there were huge data lags."
#Food #study #contact
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2 months ago
Some AI researchers say they think AI could hurt, or wipe out, humanity.
So we asked four of the AI models: How would you go about it?
They all said human misuse of AI is considered a more immediate risk than AI itself.
The researchers building our favorite chatbots are increasingly voicing concerns that AI could hurt — or end — humanity. So we asked four of the most-used generative AI tools what an AI doomsday could look like.
We posed the same question, in identical wording, to OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, Anthropic's Claude, and ****** eXAI's Grok.
#claude
So we asked four of the AI models: How would you go about it?
They all said human misuse of AI is considered a more immediate risk than AI itself.
The researchers building our favorite chatbots are increasingly voicing concerns that AI could hurt — or end — humanity. So we asked four of the most-used generative AI tools what an AI doomsday could look like.
We posed the same question, in identical wording, to OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, Anthropic's Claude, and ****** eXAI's Grok.
#claude
0.00$ raised of 0.00$ goal
0 donations
0.00$
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2 months ago
(NewsNation) — Human urine left at Everest Base Camp is enough to melt more than 150 tons of ice and snow, according to a new study.
Researchers examined human activity on the Khumbu Glacier, where Everest Base Camp is located, during the 2023 spring climbing season.
Their findings, published in the journal Regional Environmental Change, suggest that activity at the camp generated enough heat to melt nearly 5,000 tons of snow and ice.
29% AI chatbot replies to voting questions inaccurate, outdated: Study
Of that total, scientists estimated that urine alone contributed to the melting of about 155 tons of ice and snow.
#everest
Researchers examined human activity on the Khumbu Glacier, where Everest Base Camp is located, during the 2023 spring climbing season.
Their findings, published in the journal Regional Environmental Change, suggest that activity at the camp generated enough heat to melt nearly 5,000 tons of snow and ice.
29% AI chatbot replies to voting questions inaccurate, outdated: Study
Of that total, scientists estimated that urine alone contributed to the melting of about 155 tons of ice and snow.
#everest
2 months ago
Nvidia (NVDA) on Thursday confirmed its plans to acquire the open-weight AI platform Hugging Face for roughly $13 billion, sending its shares up roughly 2%.
The deal will see Nvidia pay $12.93 billion for the platform, per a press release. More than 18 million developers, researchers, and creators use Hugging Face to share more than 3 million models, and more than 200,000 companies use the platform to discover and deploy AI, Nvidia said.
The move highlights how Nvidia has thrown its weight behind open-weight AI models. In a statement, Nvidia said Hugging Face would remain "an open platform for the entire AI ecosystem," that the company would continue to support open-weight and open-source AI models, and that Nvidia itself is the largest contributor of open models and data to the Hugging Face platform.
In a call following the announcement, Nvidia enterprise computing general manager Justin Boitano said the company "believe[s] in having a healthy ecosystem of closed models and open models leads to a world where you're going to continue to train these models and run these models at scale."
The only way for the Hugging Face user base to grow, Boitano said, is to keep giving those developers optionality in terms of the hardware, clouds, and other parts of the stack that they build on, even if "Nvidia will benefit from the training that's done and the inference that's done on our hardware."
#face #billion
The deal will see Nvidia pay $12.93 billion for the platform, per a press release. More than 18 million developers, researchers, and creators use Hugging Face to share more than 3 million models, and more than 200,000 companies use the platform to discover and deploy AI, Nvidia said.
The move highlights how Nvidia has thrown its weight behind open-weight AI models. In a statement, Nvidia said Hugging Face would remain "an open platform for the entire AI ecosystem," that the company would continue to support open-weight and open-source AI models, and that Nvidia itself is the largest contributor of open models and data to the Hugging Face platform.
In a call following the announcement, Nvidia enterprise computing general manager Justin Boitano said the company "believe[s] in having a healthy ecosystem of closed models and open models leads to a world where you're going to continue to train these models and run these models at scale."
The only way for the Hugging Face user base to grow, Boitano said, is to keep giving those developers optionality in terms of the hardware, clouds, and other parts of the stack that they build on, even if "Nvidia will benefit from the training that's done and the inference that's done on our hardware."
#face #billion
2 months ago
NFL players diagnosed with advanced CTE after death who also demonstrated cognitive impairment in testing during their life still did not meet the requirements for financial compensation under the NFL Concussion Settlement, according to a Boston University study published Wednesday.
Researchers examined 33 NFL players diagnosed with CTE after an autopsy who had completed the baseline ****** sment program (BAP) stipulated by the 2014 settlement – that ended a years-long class-action lawsuit – in what researchers called the largest study to date linking cognitive testing performance during life with CTE confirmed posthumously.
The results, published in JAMA Network Open, found that seven participants had advanced (Stage 3 or 4) CTE. Six of those seven showed measurable cognitive impairment on testing, yet all seven received the lowest impairment rating (Level 0) on the BAP's system, according to documentation provided to researchers by players' families.
"The BAP's diagnostic criteria might miss cases of cognitive impairment that are objectively measurable and ****** ociated with confirmed CTE pathology," Michael Alosco, PhD, co-director of clinical research at the BU CTE Center said in a statement. "This has important implications for former players seeking diagnosis and potential compensation through the NFL Concussion Settlement."
The participants' average age at the time of testing was 63, and their average age of death was 65. The most-common problem was memory, particularly short-term, with 63% of the participants affected. Executive function (52%) and language (41%) were other common impairments.
#cognitive #testing #settlement #participants
Researchers examined 33 NFL players diagnosed with CTE after an autopsy who had completed the baseline ****** sment program (BAP) stipulated by the 2014 settlement – that ended a years-long class-action lawsuit – in what researchers called the largest study to date linking cognitive testing performance during life with CTE confirmed posthumously.
The results, published in JAMA Network Open, found that seven participants had advanced (Stage 3 or 4) CTE. Six of those seven showed measurable cognitive impairment on testing, yet all seven received the lowest impairment rating (Level 0) on the BAP's system, according to documentation provided to researchers by players' families.
"The BAP's diagnostic criteria might miss cases of cognitive impairment that are objectively measurable and ****** ociated with confirmed CTE pathology," Michael Alosco, PhD, co-director of clinical research at the BU CTE Center said in a statement. "This has important implications for former players seeking diagnosis and potential compensation through the NFL Concussion Settlement."
The participants' average age at the time of testing was 63, and their average age of death was 65. The most-common problem was memory, particularly short-term, with 63% of the participants affected. Executive function (52%) and language (41%) were other common impairments.
#cognitive #testing #settlement #participants
2 months ago
By Will Dunham
Sept 1 (Reuters) - Scientists have made a possible breakthrough in the hunt for dark matter — observing hints of it during an experiment about a mile (1.6 km) underground in South Dakota — though they stopped short of saying they have finally detected this elusive cosmic component.
The researchers described a particle interaction documented at the Sanford Underground Research Facility — built in a former gold mine in the state's Black Hills region — that may have involved a hypothesized particle called a WIMP, short for "weakly interacting massive particle." This is one of the proposed candidates for being a dark matter particle.
Ordinary matter makes up stars, planets, people and everything else we can see. But it represents only about 15% of all the matter in the universe. The rest is thought to be dark matter, which does not emit or reflect light, making it invisible to the human eye and to telescopes. But scientists are confident dark matter exists because of its gravitational effects at galactic scales.
Particle physicist Sam Eriksen of the University of Bristol in England, lead author of a study describing the work, said it "could be the first hint of a dark matter observation."
#matter #sept
Sept 1 (Reuters) - Scientists have made a possible breakthrough in the hunt for dark matter — observing hints of it during an experiment about a mile (1.6 km) underground in South Dakota — though they stopped short of saying they have finally detected this elusive cosmic component.
The researchers described a particle interaction documented at the Sanford Underground Research Facility — built in a former gold mine in the state's Black Hills region — that may have involved a hypothesized particle called a WIMP, short for "weakly interacting massive particle." This is one of the proposed candidates for being a dark matter particle.
Ordinary matter makes up stars, planets, people and everything else we can see. But it represents only about 15% of all the matter in the universe. The rest is thought to be dark matter, which does not emit or reflect light, making it invisible to the human eye and to telescopes. But scientists are confident dark matter exists because of its gravitational effects at galactic scales.
Particle physicist Sam Eriksen of the University of Bristol in England, lead author of a study describing the work, said it "could be the first hint of a dark matter observation."
#matter #sept
2 months ago
When scientists with the National Center for Wildlife in Saudi Arabia were surveying caves in search of wildlife in 2022 and 2023, they came across something unexpected: seven naturally mummified cheetahs in five caves near the northern city of Arar. The remains were largely intact with well-preserved soft tissue and skeletons.
Now, an ******* ysis of three of the mummies' DNA has revealed something that could help reintroduce cheetahs to the Arabian Peninsula wilderness, researchers say.
Cheetahs once inhabited much of Africa and parts of Asia, but now they are found in only 9% of their historic range. It was previously believed that the Asiatic cheetah, called Acinonyx jubatus venaticus, was the only subspecies ever present in Saudi Arabia. The species is now critically endangered, with a small wild population remaining in Iran. Across the peninsula, cheetahs were deemed locally extinct in the 1970s.
But when the researchers ******* yzed three of the mummies, they found that two of the oldest specimens were genetically closer to the subspecies Acinonyx jubatus hecki, known as the Northwest African cheetah.
The findings, published in January in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, reveal that at least two subspecies of cheetah once roamed the Arabian Peninsula. The discovery could help reintroduction efforts as scientists now know which cheetah lineages once lived in the peninsula and have evidence of their success in the area.
#cheetahs #cheetah #once #arabia
Now, an ******* ysis of three of the mummies' DNA has revealed something that could help reintroduce cheetahs to the Arabian Peninsula wilderness, researchers say.
Cheetahs once inhabited much of Africa and parts of Asia, but now they are found in only 9% of their historic range. It was previously believed that the Asiatic cheetah, called Acinonyx jubatus venaticus, was the only subspecies ever present in Saudi Arabia. The species is now critically endangered, with a small wild population remaining in Iran. Across the peninsula, cheetahs were deemed locally extinct in the 1970s.
But when the researchers ******* yzed three of the mummies, they found that two of the oldest specimens were genetically closer to the subspecies Acinonyx jubatus hecki, known as the Northwest African cheetah.
The findings, published in January in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, reveal that at least two subspecies of cheetah once roamed the Arabian Peninsula. The discovery could help reintroduction efforts as scientists now know which cheetah lineages once lived in the peninsula and have evidence of their success in the area.
#cheetahs #cheetah #once #arabia
2 months ago
By Mike Sheikh
Cocrystal Pharma (NASDAQ: COCP) may look like another undercapitalized, clinical-stage biotech searching for its niche, and in need of a rescue, but there is more to this story than what meets the eye. Investors glancing at the stock chart may miss the signs of a strategic reset orchestrated by biotech legends, and miss this unique opportunity.
COCP is not a company that lacks science or researchers. It has a drug discovery platform technology capable of delivering broad spectrum antivirals on demand for high value diseases that include norovirus, influenza, coronaviruses, and hepatitis C. If you had to point to something they were lacking then the missing "it factor" was a clear strategic vision. They needed an operator and a commercialization guru capable of aligning the board to his vision and raising the capital they needed on favorable terms to turn a platform technology into an enterprise.
The appointment of James Sapirstein was a transformative moment for the company.
Sapirstein is a high powered biotech exec with an impeccable pedigree. He's not an eager early-career operator looking to make a name for himself. Investors need to realize he joined after decades of experience in commercial pharmaceutical leadership, antiviral development, product launches, and business development. From his bio we learned that he has participated in or led 23 product launches and has driven numerous business-development transactions. His résumé includes founding CEO of Tobira Therapeutics, CEO of Contravir Pharmaceuticals (Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. NASDAQ: HEPA), executive leadership at Serono Laboratories, senior commercial roles at Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD), and international marketing leadership in Bristol Myers Squibb's (NYSE:BMY) infectious-disease division.
#NASDAQ #Biotech
Cocrystal Pharma (NASDAQ: COCP) may look like another undercapitalized, clinical-stage biotech searching for its niche, and in need of a rescue, but there is more to this story than what meets the eye. Investors glancing at the stock chart may miss the signs of a strategic reset orchestrated by biotech legends, and miss this unique opportunity.
COCP is not a company that lacks science or researchers. It has a drug discovery platform technology capable of delivering broad spectrum antivirals on demand for high value diseases that include norovirus, influenza, coronaviruses, and hepatitis C. If you had to point to something they were lacking then the missing "it factor" was a clear strategic vision. They needed an operator and a commercialization guru capable of aligning the board to his vision and raising the capital they needed on favorable terms to turn a platform technology into an enterprise.
The appointment of James Sapirstein was a transformative moment for the company.
Sapirstein is a high powered biotech exec with an impeccable pedigree. He's not an eager early-career operator looking to make a name for himself. Investors need to realize he joined after decades of experience in commercial pharmaceutical leadership, antiviral development, product launches, and business development. From his bio we learned that he has participated in or led 23 product launches and has driven numerous business-development transactions. His résumé includes founding CEO of Tobira Therapeutics, CEO of Contravir Pharmaceuticals (Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. NASDAQ: HEPA), executive leadership at Serono Laboratories, senior commercial roles at Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD), and international marketing leadership in Bristol Myers Squibb's (NYSE:BMY) infectious-disease division.
#NASDAQ #Biotech
2 months ago
People who consume greater amounts of a popular artificial sweetener could face a greater risk of heart attack and stroke, a new study suggests.
The research, which was presented at the ESC Cardiology Congress in Germany this week, showed that higher levels of xylitol in the blood were **** ociated with an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that is commonly used as a low-calorie sweetener and sugar substitute, according to the National Institutes of Health. It is often used in higher amounts to sweeten foods, drinks, chewing gum and dental care products.
Zero-calorie Sweeteners Could Alter The Genes Of Later Generations, New Study Warns
The researchers followed two large study cohorts of more than 17,700 Canadian and British participants.
#study #higher
The research, which was presented at the ESC Cardiology Congress in Germany this week, showed that higher levels of xylitol in the blood were **** ociated with an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that is commonly used as a low-calorie sweetener and sugar substitute, according to the National Institutes of Health. It is often used in higher amounts to sweeten foods, drinks, chewing gum and dental care products.
Zero-calorie Sweeteners Could Alter The Genes Of Later Generations, New Study Warns
The researchers followed two large study cohorts of more than 17,700 Canadian and British participants.
#study #higher
2 months ago
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California would allow Jews to voluntarily identify their Jewish heritage on state forms under a bill the state Legislature passed Monday.
The bill, which lawmakers sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk, would require state agencies that collect demographic information to add "Jewish" as an option for ethnicity or ancestry. The goal is to give state officials and researchers better data on Jewish Californians, including their unemployment rates and representation in schools.
The data would enable lawmakers to create policies that address the needs of Jews in the state, said David Bocarsly, CEO of Jewish California, an advocacy group.
"It's about inclusion as a community," Bocarsly said, noting the Legislature has passed laws in recent years to collect more inclusive demographic data on Middle Eastern, North African and LGBTQ+ communities.
Some opponents of the bill are worried about the idea of the state collecting such data given the traumatic history of the **** government keeping records of Jews during the Holocaust. The proposal would bar agencies from disclosing "personal identifying information," and bill author Henry Stern, a Democratic state senator who is Jewish, said California already has robust privacy protections that should **** uage those concerns.
#state
The bill, which lawmakers sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk, would require state agencies that collect demographic information to add "Jewish" as an option for ethnicity or ancestry. The goal is to give state officials and researchers better data on Jewish Californians, including their unemployment rates and representation in schools.
The data would enable lawmakers to create policies that address the needs of Jews in the state, said David Bocarsly, CEO of Jewish California, an advocacy group.
"It's about inclusion as a community," Bocarsly said, noting the Legislature has passed laws in recent years to collect more inclusive demographic data on Middle Eastern, North African and LGBTQ+ communities.
Some opponents of the bill are worried about the idea of the state collecting such data given the traumatic history of the **** government keeping records of Jews during the Holocaust. The proposal would bar agencies from disclosing "personal identifying information," and bill author Henry Stern, a Democratic state senator who is Jewish, said California already has robust privacy protections that should **** uage those concerns.
#state
2 months ago
According to the Wall Street Journal, Google is relocating its AI responsibility unit from Google DeepMind to its global affairs division, the part of the company that handles lobbying and public policy.
The roughly 90-person team — whose work includes evaluating Google's AI models for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear hazards and examining user behavior and the psychological effects of chatbots — is set to complete the transition at the beginning of September, the Journal reported after reviewing an internal email about the shift. Some employees on the team have raised concerns that the reassignment will limit their independence and reduce their access to the researchers developing Google's Gemini models.
Helen King, a vice president at Google DeepMind who runs the responsibility team, sought to reassure staff in the email, writing that the team's focus on emerging and frontier topics in responsible AI would remain unchanged and that publishing research externally "continues to be supported and important." King added that the team's access to DeepMind would be preserved, along with its computing infrastructure and staffing levels.
"Many teams across Google work on AI safety and responsibility, and by bringing our AI responsibility teams closer together we're strengthening their ability to inform safety for our models and products," a Google spokesperson said in a statement.
The shift is part of broader organizational changes that are integrating DeepMind more tightly with the rest of Google. According to the Journal, functions such as HR and policy are similarly being transferred from DeepMind to Google's central organization. The reorganization follows a leadership change in which DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis stepped aside from his CEO role into a new chairman position focused on external engagements. Koray Kavukcuoglu has taken over as head of DeepMind with the **** le of senior vice president.
#Google #models #part
The roughly 90-person team — whose work includes evaluating Google's AI models for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear hazards and examining user behavior and the psychological effects of chatbots — is set to complete the transition at the beginning of September, the Journal reported after reviewing an internal email about the shift. Some employees on the team have raised concerns that the reassignment will limit their independence and reduce their access to the researchers developing Google's Gemini models.
Helen King, a vice president at Google DeepMind who runs the responsibility team, sought to reassure staff in the email, writing that the team's focus on emerging and frontier topics in responsible AI would remain unchanged and that publishing research externally "continues to be supported and important." King added that the team's access to DeepMind would be preserved, along with its computing infrastructure and staffing levels.
"Many teams across Google work on AI safety and responsibility, and by bringing our AI responsibility teams closer together we're strengthening their ability to inform safety for our models and products," a Google spokesperson said in a statement.
The shift is part of broader organizational changes that are integrating DeepMind more tightly with the rest of Google. According to the Journal, functions such as HR and policy are similarly being transferred from DeepMind to Google's central organization. The reorganization follows a leadership change in which DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis stepped aside from his CEO role into a new chairman position focused on external engagements. Koray Kavukcuoglu has taken over as head of DeepMind with the **** le of senior vice president.
#Google #models #part
2 months ago
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Thousands of retirees are receiving notification that their Medicare Advantage plan won't be available next year, and there's nothing they can do about it except find another option.
This year alone, 1 in 10 Medicare Advantage policyholders face forced disenrollment, according to an ****** ysis by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (1). That's as many as 2.9 million Americans.
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one
JPMorgan sees gold hitting $5,000/oz by Q4 — and savvy investors are protecting their wealth with a tax-advantaged Gold IRA. Get your free guide from Priority Gold
#wealth #moneywise #hopkins
Thousands of retirees are receiving notification that their Medicare Advantage plan won't be available next year, and there's nothing they can do about it except find another option.
This year alone, 1 in 10 Medicare Advantage policyholders face forced disenrollment, according to an ****** ysis by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (1). That's as many as 2.9 million Americans.
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one
JPMorgan sees gold hitting $5,000/oz by Q4 — and savvy investors are protecting their wealth with a tax-advantaged Gold IRA. Get your free guide from Priority Gold
#wealth #moneywise #hopkins
2 months ago
Over-the-counter anti-aging supplements taken by millions of Americans to boost energy and lessen the side effects of chemotherapy may actually impair cancer treatments, a new study suggests.
Researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine found that popular vitamin B3 derivatives – including nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide (NAM) – could help cancer cells survive chemotherapy.
Those compounds are used by the body to produce NAD+, a molecule that helps cells generate energy and repair damage.
Iv Therapy And Supplements Under Scrutiny As Experts Warn Of Potential Side Effects
The study, published in the journal Cancer Letters, examined how these supplements interact with treatments for pancreatic cancer, a particularly deadly form of the disease with a 13% five-year survival rate, according to the American Cancer Society.
#nicotinamide #energy #chemotherapy
Researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine found that popular vitamin B3 derivatives – including nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide (NAM) – could help cancer cells survive chemotherapy.
Those compounds are used by the body to produce NAD+, a molecule that helps cells generate energy and repair damage.
Iv Therapy And Supplements Under Scrutiny As Experts Warn Of Potential Side Effects
The study, published in the journal Cancer Letters, examined how these supplements interact with treatments for pancreatic cancer, a particularly deadly form of the disease with a 13% five-year survival rate, according to the American Cancer Society.
#nicotinamide #energy #chemotherapy
