Podcasts about BioRxiv

Stacy Horner discusses her work on innate detection of viruses, viral countermeasures, and the role of m(6)A RNA modifications in regulating antiviral immunity. Host: Cindy Leifer Guest: Stacy Horner Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of Immune! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Hepatitis virus proteases block host response (J Virol, 2012) Host RNA binds to MAVS (Science, 2024) m6A modifications modify innate response to viruses (Cell Chem Biol, 2024) UFMylation coordinates MAVS assembly for antiviral responses (bioRxiv, 2025) Time stamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Music by Tatami. Logo image by Blausen Medical Send your immunology questions and comments to immune@microbe.tv Information on this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

In this episode, we will discuss multiverse analysis–what it is, why we use it, and how we should use it. We also discuss many analyst projects, and Daniel's new preprint on multiverse analysis.    Shownotes Auspurg, K. (2025). Robustness is better assessed with a few thoughtful models than with billions of regressions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122(43), e2521917122. Chamberlin, T. C. (1890). The method of multiple working hypotheses. Science, (366), 92–96. Dochtermann, N. A., & Jenkins, S. H. (2011). Developing multiple hypotheses in behavioral ecology. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 65(1), 37–45. Dreber, A., & Johannesson, M. (2025). The credibility gap: Evaluating and improving empirical research in the social sciences. Routledge. Gelman, A., & Loken, E. (2013). The garden of forking paths: Why multiple comparisons can be a problem, even when there is no “fishing expedition” or “p-hacking” and the research hypothesis was posited ahead of time. Department of Statistics, Columbia University, 348(1-17), 3. Knief, U., & Forstmeier, W. (2025). Are our 95% CIs only worth 45% confidence? bioRxiv, 2025-08. Lakens, D., Rasti, S., & Tunç, M. N. (2026). There is only one correct analysis. (Preprint) Platt, J. R. (1964). Strong Inference: Certain systematic methods of scientific thinking may produce much more rapid progress than others. Science, 146(3642), 347–353. Simonsohn, U., Simmons, J. P., & Nelson, L. D. (2020). Specification curve analysis. Nature Human Behaviour, 4(11), 1208–1214. Steegen, S., Tuerlinckx, F., Gelman, A., & Vanpaemel, W. (2016). Increasing transparency through a multiverse analysis. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 11(5), 702–712. Wimsatt, W. C. (2007). Re-engineering philosophy for limited beings: Piecewise approximations to reality. Harvard University Press.  

Wednesday, June 10, 2026 - Week 24   #NightOfImpact was 15 Days ago! Photos: https://jeaniehorton.pixieset.com/curesyngap1nightofimpact2026/ Impact: $800k+, of which $300 was our match.  Industry: Multiple Academics & Clinicians: Stanford, Berkeley & UCSF.  Cross-pollination is always good. Speakers: Ash, John, Kathryn, Helen Willsey & Me.  Only got a video of John, which was a mistake. If you took one, please share.  Here is John: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/graglia_still-reflecting-on-our-inaugural-cure-syngap1-ugcPost-7467439971294048256-cUf9/    Dr. Willsey Rocks. Willsey Press Release https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1130924 (both were at NoI). A few other points on HRW, as we call her.  Simons: https://curesyngap1.org/blog/future-research-for-syngap1-how-helen-willsey-broke-new-ground-frogs-in-hand/ Willsey in Neuron 2021: https://www.cell.com/neuron/pdf/S0896-6273(21)00002-7.pdf (Frogs) Birtele in Nature Neuroscience 2023: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-023-01477-3 (Confirms) McCluskey in Nature Communications 2025: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-57342-3 (GI) Kostyanovskaya in BioRxiv 2025: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39677731 (cilium)   5TH SCRAMBLE FOR SYNGAP, SC – 114 days Classic case of a small event becoming an institution! cureSYNGAP1.org/Scramble26   CURE SYNGAP1 CONFERENCE - 175 days cureSYNGAP1.org/Pre    USA: use your ICD-10, F78.A1: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/epi.70142   PUBMED Pubmed 2026 is at 35. +11 vs the week. (61 last year was +9) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=syngap1&filter=years.2026-2026&sort=date   SOCIAL MATTERS 5,045 LinkedIn.  https://www.linkedin.com/company/curesyngap1 1.58k YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/@CureSYNGAP1 11.1k Twitter https://twitter.com/cureSYNGAP1 45k Insta https://www.instagram.com/curesyngap1   $CAMP closed at $4.34 today. https://www.google.com/finance/beta/quote/CAMP:NASDAQ   Like and subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen. https://curesyngap1.org/podcasts/syngap10 Episode 209 of #Syngap10 #SYNGAP1 #CureSYNGAP1 #Podcast #PatientAdvocacy

What if the same brain states people spend years chasing through psychedelics could be accessed through meditation alone, and in as little as seven days? In this fascinating solo episode, Darin Olien explores groundbreaking new research from University of California San Diego, Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, and University of Montreal suggesting that meditation may produce brain patterns remarkably similar to those observed during psychedelic experiences. From the suppression of the default mode network and increases in neural complexity to neuroplasticity, endogenous opioids, and measurable biological changes in the bloodstream, Darin unpacks the science behind one of the most powerful, and completely free tools available to human beings. He also walks listeners through a practical seven-day protocol combining focused-attention meditation, Vipassana, breathwork, walking meditation, and loving-kindness practices designed to help cultivate greater awareness, emotional resilience, cognitive flexibility, and inner peace. What You'll Learn The groundbreaking UC San Diego meditation study and its surprising findings Why meditation may create brain states similar to psilocybin What the default mode network is and how it shapes everyday thinking How meditation may reduce rumination, anxiety, and self-referential thought The concept of brain criticality and cognitive flexibility Why post-meditation blood samples stimulated neuronal growth How meditation influences neuroplasticity and whole-body biology The differences between Samatha and Vipassana meditation What advanced monks are teaching scientists about consciousness The limitations and caveats of current meditation research A practical seven-day meditation protocol anyone can begin Why meditation may be one of the most powerful health interventions available today Chapters 00:00:03 – Welcome to SuperLife 00:00:33 – Sponsor: Alkemis and the hidden toxicity of indoor air 00:00:57 – Conventional paints, petrochemicals, and endocrine disruptors 00:01:24 – Why VOCs and PFAS may be affecting your home environment 00:01:55 – Fire-resistant mineral paints and healthier living spaces 00:02:27 – Cradle to Cradle certification and sustainable design 00:03:23 – The meditation study Darin can't stop thinking about 00:03:33 – Scanning the brains and blood of meditators 00:03:44 – Brain activity resembling psilocybin experiences 00:04:09 – The promise of a seven-day meditation protocol 00:04:22 – Psychedelics, consciousness, and dissolving the sense of self 00:04:47 – Ancient practices and modern scientific validation 00:05:23 – Why meditation research is entering a renaissance 00:05:41 – Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, and advanced consciousness mapping 00:06:00 – University of Montreal's study of monks with 15,000+ hours of practice 00:06:16 – Why psychedelics and meditation are converging scientifically 00:06:37 – What listeners will learn in today's episode 00:06:54 – Breaking down the UC San Diego retreat study 00:07:18 – Thirty-three hours of meditation, breathwork, and group practice 00:07:42 – EEG scans, blood draws, and laboratory neuron testing 00:08:05 – Reduced activity in the default mode network 00:08:24 – The science of mental chatter and rumination 00:08:50 – Blood plasma stimulating new neuronal growth 00:09:02 – Neuroplasticity and new neural connections 00:09:29 – Increased cellular metabolism and endogenous opioids 00:10:13 – Samatha vs Vipassana meditation explained 00:10:42 – How different meditation styles reshape the brain 00:10:50 – Harvard's advanced meditation consciousness studies 00:11:18 – Mapping concentration states and consciousness cessation 00:11:46 – Ancient contemplative traditions meeting modern neuroscience 00:11:50 – Important limitations of the research 00:12:05 – Why advanced monks aren't average practitioners 00:12:20 – Correlation versus causation in psychedelic comparisons 00:12:48 – What may actually be happening inside the brain 00:13:03 – Understanding the default mode network 00:13:26 – Anxiety, depression, addiction, and overactive self-talk 00:13:53 – Why meditation and psilocybin share common neurological effects 00:14:10 – Beginner studies showing measurable brain changes 00:14:28 – Brain criticality and cognitive adaptability 00:14:48 – The most surprising finding: meditation changes the blood 00:15:05 – Meditation as a whole-body signaling event 00:15:18 – Better sleep, digestion, hormone balance, and recovery 00:15:39 – Neuroplasticity, immune function, metabolism, and pain regulation 00:15:56 – Why meditation may be the ultimate free medicine 00:16:10 – Introducing the seven-day meditation protocol 00:16:34 – Sponsor break: Alkemis Paint 00:19:02 – Building a research-backed at-home meditation practice 00:19:24 – Why consistency matters more than total hours 00:19:41 – Combining focused attention and open monitoring 00:19:53 – Days 1–3: Stabilizing attention 00:20:02 – Morning focused-attention meditation instructions 00:20:34 – Evening body scan practice 00:21:04 – Preparing the brain for deeper awareness 00:21:08 – Days 4–5: Opening awareness through Vipassana 00:21:31 – Letting thoughts, sensations, and sounds pass freely 00:21:39 – Evening box breathing for nervous system regulation 00:22:01 – Why days four and five often feel more challenging 00:22:11 – Days 6–7: Deepening and integrating the practice 00:22:27 – Walking meditation and embodied awareness 00:22:52 – Loving-kindness meditation and compassion training 00:23:02 – Vagal tone, heart rate regulation, and inflammation reduction 00:23:18 – Three rules that determine success 00:23:26 – Eliminating distractions and protecting attention 00:23:36 – Why you should never judge your meditation sessions 00:24:00 – Extending the practice beyond seven days 00:24:19 – Psychedelics, meditation, and the search for transformation 00:24:51 – What the medicine always teaches: sit with yourself 00:25:03 – The wellness industry's tendency to monetize stillness 00:25:20 – Why you don't need expensive tools to transform 00:25:36 – Meditation as radical self-reclamation 00:26:02 – Meeting yourself without distraction 00:26:17 – Final reflections and closing thoughts 00:26:29 – Outro and farewell Thank You to Our Sponsors Alkemis: Go to https://alkemispaint.com/ and use code DARIN10 for 10% off your order. Manna Vitality: Go to mannavitality.com/ and use code DARIN12 for 12% off your order. Join the SuperLife Patreon: This is where Darin now shares the deeper work: - weekly voice notes - ingredient trackers - wellness challenges - extended conversations - community accountability - sovereignty practices Join now for only $7.49/month at https://patreon.com/darinolien Find More from Darin Olien: Website: darinolien.com Instagram: @darinolien Book: Fatal Conveniences Platform & Products: superlife.com New Show: Roadmap to Happiness Key Takeaway "Perhaps one of the most profound discoveries emerging from modern neuroscience is that many of the states of awareness humans have sought through substances, rituals, and external interventions may already be available within us. Meditation is not simply a relaxation practice—it appears to be a biological, neurological, and consciousness-altering intervention capable of reshaping the brain, changing the body, and transforming how we experience reality. The question is not whether the door exists. The question is whether we are willing to sit still long enough to walk through it." Bibliography/Sources: Here is the fully formatted bibliography for the "Seven Days to a New Brain" episode. It is organized by category, formatted in strict APA Style (7th Edition), and includes a direct link for every single source : Primary Studies Brewer, J. A., Worhunsky, P. D., Gray, J. R., Tang, Y. Y., Weber, J., & Kober, H. (2011). Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(50), 20254–20259 . https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1112029108 Lieberman, J. M., Rahrig, H., Britton, W. B., et al. (2025). Toward a neuroscience of consciousness using advanced meditation. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews . https://meditation.mgh.harvard.edu/files/Lieberman_25_NeuroscienceAndBiobehavioralReviews.pdf Pascarella, A., Jerbi, K., et al. (2026). Meditation induces shifts in neural oscillations, brain complexity, and critical dynamics: Novel insights from MEG. Neuroscience of Consciousness . https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41287816/ Patel, H., et al. (2025). Intensive meditation retreat induces rapid changes in brain activity, blood-based biomarkers, and neurotrophic signaling. Communications Biology . https://today.ucsd.edu/story/meditation-retreat-rapidly-reprograms-body-and-mind Shinozuka, K., et al. (2025). Neuroelectrophysiological correlates of extended cessation of consciousness in advanced meditation [Preprint]. bioRxiv . https://meditation.mgh.harvard.edu/files/Shinozuka_25_bioRxiv.pdf Van Lutterveld, R., et al. (2025). An intensively sampled electroencephalography case study of advanced concentration absorption meditation (jhana) [Preprint]. SSRN . https://meditation.mgh.harvard.edu/files/VanLutterveld_25_SSRN.pdf Supporting Press Coverage & Explainers Harvard Gazette. (2026, January). Your brain on advanced meditation . https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2026/01/your-brain-on-advanced-meditation/ Medical Xpress. (2026, February). Study of 12 monks finds meditation heightens brain activity, reshaping neural dynamics . https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-monks-meditation-heightens-brain-reshaping.html PsyPost. (2026). Brain scans of Buddhist monks reveal how different meditation styles alter consciousness . https://www.psypost.org/brain-scans-of-buddhist-monks-reveal-how-different-meditation-styles-alter-consciousness/ ScienceDaily. (2026, April 6). Scientists say 7 days of meditation can rewire your brain . https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260406192913.htm UC San Diego Today. (2026). Meditation retreat rapidly reprograms body and mind. UC San Diego News Center . https://today.ucsd.edu/story/meditation-retreat-rapidly-reprograms-body-and-mind Université de Montréal. (2026, January 5). Meditation doesn't rest the brain, it reshapes it. UdeMNouvelles . https://nouvelles.umontreal.ca/en/article/2026/01/05/meditation-doesn-t-rest-the-brain-it-reshapes-it  

Crystal Clear opens the episode by contributing a brand-new condition to the diagnostic literature: Delusional Debunking Disorder, or DDD. The case study is Mick West, who has spent twenty years insisting Morgellons fibers are lint and Havana Syndrome is crickets. Crystal pivots to chat about Chen Tianqiao, Shanda Group founder and CCP member, who quietly bought roughly 200,000 acres in Klamath and Deschutes counties through a shell company called Whitefish Forest Resources in February 2015h. Second-largest foreign land purchase in American history. The data point that refuses to sit down: Google Trends shows Oregon Morgellons searches at zero the week of the transaction. Five weeks later, March 29, 2015, the spike hits one hundred. Lagged correlation coefficient 0.92. Top two Oregon metros for Morgellons search interest that year: Bend in Deschutes County, and Medford-Klamath Falls. Whatever drove the search spike was not news. It was something people were feeling in their bodies.Crystal traces what Chen did next. One billion dollars committed to neuroscience. The Tianqiao Chen Institute for Neuroscience at Caltech, $115 million. A Fudan University partnership in Shanghai. And NeuroXess, his implantable BCI company, whose chief scientist Tiger Tao specializes in silktrodes. January 2026: NeuroXess breaks ground on a super factory in Nanshang. March 2026: China issues the world's first commercial approval for an invasive BCI device. Enter billionaire number two. Joe Tsai, Alibaba co-founder, funder of the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford, the Wu Tsai Institute at Yale, and a $220 million Human Performance Alliance that includes the University of Oregon. Then the digital twin layer. Jensen Huang, NVIDIA CEO and Oregon State alum, donated fifty million dollars for an NVIDIA supercomputer at OSU Corvallis built for “complex twin simulations.” Ninety minutes from Eugene, the number five Morgellons search metro in America. Oklahoma State launched its Digital Human Twin Consortium in January 2025, also NVIDIA-powered, and happens to sit on Dr. Randy Wymore's twenty-year Morgellons patient registry, possibly twelve thousand families, the largest biological data repository on the condition anywhere. They still ignore Crystal's open records requests. The sensor layer is Profusa, DARPA and Shanghai-funded, CEO Ben Hwang, manufacturer of injectable hydrogel biosensors. They just partnered with NVIDIA to build the AI portal reading the data. Sensors in, data out, twin built. The deepest cut is the 2001 material. Weinong Fu, computational electromagnetics specialist at Ansoft in Pittsburgh, the company whose software gets implantable devices through FDA approval, posted a web page from his corporate email in May 2001 collecting Morgellons symptom reports from Americans. His wife Li Honglui was simultaneously co-funding a Fudan University paper documenting an unidentified organism producing “creeping eruptions, migratory pain, and neurofilament damage.” American arm, Chinese arm, Pittsburgh modeling layer.The episode closes on the new Morgellons metagenomics preprint that landed on bioRxiv in April 2026, the first substantial research since Middelveen 2018. Crystal notes the venue: bioRxiv runs on Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, home of the Eugenics Record Office until Carnegie pulled funding, and has been bankrolled since 2017 by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. The paper itself gets its full deep-dive on Jeremy Murphree's Morgellons Discussion podcast. Check it out!A 0.92 correlation does not care about anyone's opinion. A 2001 paper does not retroactively become a coincidence because it is inconvenient. And nobody buys 200,000 acres in the highest-Morgellons-search state while building a silk fiber brain implant factory unless those two investments are chapters in the same business plan.

En este episodio nos metemos en un fenómeno tan curioso como clínicamente muy revelador: qué pasa cuando una persona bilingüe sufre un daño cerebral y, de repente, uno de sus idiomas parece desaparecer mientras el otro se mantiene. A partir de ahí, aprovechamos para repensar cómo se organiza realmente el lenguaje en el cerebro, alejándonos de la idea clásica de “zonas” y acercándonos a una visión mucho más dinámica, basada en redes que interactúan constantemente. Hablamos de por qué no todos los idiomas se afectan igual, qué papel tienen factores como el uso previo o la edad de adquisición, y por qué la recuperación puede ser tan variable entre pacientes. También aterrizamos todo esto en la clínica, viendo qué implicaciones tiene para la neurorrehabilitación y cómo trabajar con pacientes bilingües. En el fondo, es un episodio que va más allá de la afasia bilingüe y que nos ayuda a entender algo más profundo: que el lenguaje no está guardado en compartimentos, sino que es un sistema flexible que el cerebro reorganiza cuando algo se rompe. Referencias del episodio: 1. Abutalebi, J., & Green, D. W. (2007). Bilingual language production: The neurocognition of language representation and control. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 20(3), 242–275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroling.2006.10.003 2. Abutalebi, J., Della Rosa, P. A., Gonzaga, A. K., Keim, R., Costa, A., & Perani, D. (2013). The role of the left putamen in multilingual language production. Brain and language, 125(3), 307–315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2012.03.009 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22538086/). 3. Abutalebi, J., Canini, M., Della Rosa, P. A., Green, D. W., & Weekes, B. S. (2015). The neuroprotective effects of bilingualism upon the inferior parietal lobule: A structural neuroimaging study in aging Chinese bilinguals. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 26(6), 602–609 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0911604414000657). 4. Ardila, A., Lahiri, D., & Mukherjee, A. (2023). Bilingualism as a protective factor in aphasia. Applied neuropsychology. Adult, 30(5), 512–520. https://doi.org/10.1080/23279095.2021.1960837 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34392763/). 5. Berthier, M. L. (2005). Poststroke aphasia: Epidemiology, pathophysiology and treatment. Drugs & Aging, 22(2), 163–182. https://doi.org/10.2165/00002512-200522020-00006 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15733022/). 6. Bihovsky, A., Ben-Shachar, M., & Meir, N. (2024). Semantic feature analysis (SFA) treatment in L1 and L2 in bilingual aphasia: Effects of cognitive and language factors. Aphasiology, 38(4), 683–711 (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02687038.2023.2226359). 7. Dekhtyar, M., Kiran, S., & Gray, T. (2020). Is bilingualism protective for adults with aphasia?. Neuropsychologia, 139, 107355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107355 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31972233/). 8. Edmonds, L. A., & Kiran, S. (2006). Effect of semantic naming treatment on crosslinguistic generalization in bilingual aphasia. Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR, 49(4), 729–748. https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2006/053) (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16908872/). 9. Goral, M., Levy, E. S., & Kastl, R. (2007). Cross-language treatment generalisation: A case of trilingual aphasia. Aphasiology, 103(1-2), 203–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2007.07.116 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20221311/). 10. Hickok, G., & Poeppel, D. (2007). The cortical organization of speech processing. Nature reviews. Neuroscience, 8(5), 393–402. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2113 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17431404/). 11. Indefrey, P. (2006). A meta-analysis of hemodynamic studies on first and second language processing. Human Brain Mapping, 27(10), 799–810. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.20250 (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2006.00365.x). 12. Jouravlev, O., Mineroff, Z., Blank, I. A., & Fedorenko, E. (2021). The Small and Efficient Language Network of Polyglots and Hyper-polyglots. Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991), 31(1), 62–76. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhaa205 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32820332/). 13. Malik-Moraleda, S., Ayyash, D., Gallée, J., Affourtit, J., Hoffmann, M., Mineroff, Z., Jouravlev, O., & Fedorenko, E. (2022). An investigation across 45 languages and 12 language families reveals a universal language network. Nature neuroscience, 25(8), 1014–1019. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-022-01114-5 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35856094/). 14. Malik-Moraleda, S., Jouravlev, O., Taliaferro, M., Mineroff, Z., Cucu, T., Mahowald, K., Blank, I. A., & Fedorenko, E. (2024). Functional characterization of the language network of polyglots and hyperpolyglots with precision fMRI. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology, 2023.01.19.524657. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.01.19.524657 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36711949/). 15. Nadeau, S. E. (2019). Neural basis of language: A population encoding perspective. Language, Cognition and Neuroscience, 34(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/23273798.2018.1506034 16. Paplikar, A., Mekala, S., Bak, T. H., Dharamkar, S., Alladi, S., & Kaul, S. (2018). Bilingualism and the severity of poststroke aphasia. Aphasiology, 33(1), 58–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2017.1423272 17. Pliatsikas, C. (2020). Understanding structural plasticity in the bilingual brain: The Dynamic Restructuring Model. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 23(2), 459–471. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728919000130 18. Price C. J. (2012). A review and synthesis of the first 20 years of PET and fMRI studies of heard speech, spoken language and reading. NeuroImage, 62(2), 816–847. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.04.062 19. Russell-Meill, M., Marte, M. J., Carpenter, E., & Kiran, S. (2025). Navigating the Complexity of Bilingual Aphasia: Current Insights and Future Directions. Brain sciences, 15(9), 989. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15090989 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41008350/).

In dieser Folge geht es nicht um maximalen Muskelaufbau, sondern um maximalen Kraftaufbau. Wir klären, warum stärker werden und muskulöser werden nicht dasselbe sind, welche neuronalen und strukturellen Faktoren unsere Kraft bestimmen und wie effektives Krafttraining in der Praxis aussieht. Mit Blick auf Last, Wiederholungen, Frequenz, Satzpausen, ROM und Technik ordnen wir die aktuelle Evidenz so ein, dass du direkt etwas für dein eigenes Training mitnehmen kannst. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dominiks Buch zur pflanzenbasierten Sporternährung im UTB-Verlag: https://www.utb.de/doi/book/10.36198/9783838560328 Dominiks Gesundheitscommunity: www.gsundes-hannover.de Dominiks Online-Knie-Kurs: https://gsundes-hannover.de/knieschmerzen/ Dominiks Online-Rücken-Kurs: https://copecart.com/products/34bd5abb/checkout Marcs veganes Online-Fitness-Coaching: https://vegainer-academy.com/ Marcs Online-Kurs: https://www.copecart.com/products/a50f88f2/checkout ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dieser Podcast wird unterstützt von der Firma Watson Nutrition. Die Firma bietet als einzige umfassend laborgeprüfte Nahrungsergänzungsmittel für eine optimierte Nährstoffversorgung. Zum Angebot zählen Multi-Supplemente, Mono-Supplemente, Sportsupplemente wie Kreatin oder auch Proteinriegel, Shakes und essenzielle Aminosäuren Mit dem Code veganperformance erhältst du 5 % Rabatt auf deine Bestellung.  Zur Firmenwebseite: Watson Nutrition ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Quellen: Aagaard, P., Simonsen, E. B., Andersen, J. L., Magnusson, P., & Dyhre-Poulsen, P. (2002). Increased rate of force development and neural drive of human skeletal muscle following resistance training. Journal of Applied Physiology, 93(4), 1318–1326. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00283.2002. Bazyler, C. D., Sato, K., Wassinger, C. A., Lamont, H. S., Stone, M. H., & others. (2014). The efficacy of incorporating partial squats in maximal strength training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 28(11), 3024–3032. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000000465. Bloomquist, K., Langberg, H., Karlsen, S., Madsgaard, S., Boesen, M., & Raastad, T. (2013). Effect of range of motion in heavy load squatting on muscle and tendon adaptations. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 113(8), 2133–2142. doi:10.1007/s00421-013-2642-7. Brigatto, F. A., Braz, T. V., Zanini, T. C. da C., Germano, M. D., Aoki, M. S., Schoenfeld, B. J., Marchetti, P. H., & Lopes, C. R. (2019). Effect of resistance training frequency on neuromuscular performance and muscle morphology after 8 weeks in trained men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 33(8), 2104–2116. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000002563. Campos, G. E. R., Luecke, T. J., Wendeln, H. K., Toma, K., Hagerman, F. C., Murray, T. F., Ragg, K. E., Ratamess, N. A., Kraemer, W. J., & Staron, R. S. (2002). Muscular adaptations in response to three different resistance-training regimens: Specificity of repetition maximum training zones. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 88(1–2), 50–60. doi:10.1007/s00421-002-0681-6. Carvalho, L., Moriggi Junior, R., Truffi, G., Serra, A., Sander, R., de Souza, E. O., & Barroso, R. (2021). Is stronger better? Influence of a strength phase followed by a hypertrophy phase on muscular adaptations in resistance-trained men. Research in Sports Medicine, 29(6), 536–546. doi:10.1080/15438627.2020.1853546. Deiwert, D. D., Ma, S., Carey, C., Greenwell, D., Gordish-Dressman, H., Thompson, P. D., Price, T., Angelopoulos, T. J., Clarkson, P. M., Gordon, P. M., Moyna, N. M., Pescatello, L. S., Visich, P. S., Zoeller, R. F., Seip, R. L., Hoffman, E. P., & Hubal, M. J. (2025). Muscle strength and size relationships with unilateral progressive resistance training. bioRxiv. doi:10.1101/2025.01.13.632853. de Salles, B. F., Simao, R., Miranda, H., da Silva Novaes, J., Lemos, A., & Willardson, J. M. (2010). Strength increases in upper and lower body are larger with longer inter-set rest intervals in trained men. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 13(4), 429–433. Hamarsland, H., Moen, H., Skaar, O. J., Jorang, P. W., Rødahl, H. S., & Rønnestad, B. R. (2022). Equal-volume strength training with different training frequencies induces similar muscle hypertrophy and strength improvement in trained participants. Frontiers in Physiology, 12, 789403. doi:10.3389/fphys.2021.789403. Johnsen, E., & van den Tillaar, R. (2021). Effects of training frequency on muscular strength for trained men under volume matched conditions. PeerJ, 9, e10781. doi:10.7717/peerj.10781. Martorelli, S., Cadore, E. L., Izquierdo, M., Celes, R., Martorelli, A., Cleto, V. A., Alvarenga, J. G., & Bottaro, M. (2017). Strength training with repetitions to failure does not provide additional strength and muscle hypertrophy gains in young women. European Journal of Translational Myology, 27(2), 6339. doi:10.4081/ejtm.2017.6339. Moritani, T., & deVries, H. A. (1979). Neural factors versus hypertrophy in the time course of muscle strength gain. American Journal of Physical Medicine, 58(3), 115–130. Ochi, E., Maruo, M., Tsuchiya, Y., Ishii, N., Miura, K., & Sasaki, K. (2018). Higher training frequency is important for gaining muscular strength under volume-matched training. Frontiers in Physiology, 9, 744. doi:10.3389/fphys.2018.00744. Rhea, M. R., Ball, S. D., Phillips, W. T., & Burkett, L. N. (2002). A comparison of linear and daily undulating periodized programs with equated volume and intensity for strength. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 16(2), 250–255. Ruple, B. A., Plotkin, D. L., Smith, M. A., Godwin, J. S., Sexton, C. L., McIntosh, M. C., Kontos, N. J., Beausejour, J. P., Pagan, J. I., Rodriguez, J. P., Sheldon, D., Knowles, K. S., Libardi, C. A., Young, K. C., Stock, M. S., & Roberts, M. D. (2023). The effects of resistance training to near failure on strength, hypertrophy, and motor unit adaptations in previously trained adults. Physiological Reports, 11(9), e15679. doi:10.14814/phy2.15679. Santanielo, N., Nóbrega, S. R., Scarpelli, M. C., Alvarez, I. F., Otoboni, G. B., Pintanel, L., & Libardi, C. A. (2020). Effect of resistance training to muscle failure vs non-failure on strength, hypertrophy and muscle architecture in trained individuals. Biology of Sport, 37(4), 333–341. doi:10.5114/biolsport.2020.96317. Schoenfeld, B. J., Contreras, B., Vigotsky, A. D., & Peterson, M. (2016). Differential effects of heavy versus moderate loads on measures of strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 15(4), 715–722. Schoenfeld, B. J., Pope, Z. K., Benik, F. M., Hester, G. M., Sellers, J., Nooner, J. L., Schnaiter, J. A., Bond-Williams, K. E., Carter, A. S., Ross, C. L., & others. (2016). Longer inter-set rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 30(7), 1805–1812. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000001272. Wilk, M., Golas, A., Zmijewski, P., Krzysztofik, M., Filip, A., Del Coso, J., & Tufano, J. J. (2020). The effects of the movement tempo on the one-repetition maximum bench press results. Journal of Human Kinetics, 72, 151–159. doi:10.2478/hukin-2020-0001.

En este episodio de Hemispherics nos metemos de lleno en una de las preguntas clásicas de la neurorrehabilitación: ¿de dónde sale realmente la sinergia flexora? A partir de trabajos muy recientes con participación de Krakauer, exploramos una idea que puede cambiar la forma en la que entendemos este fenómeno: y es que quizá la sinergia no sea algo que el cerebro “genere” tras la lesión, sino la expresión de patrones preexistentes en la médula espinal que emergen cuando se pierde suficiente control descendente. A lo largo del episodio desmontamos el modelo clásico centrado en la vía reticuloespinal, analizamos evidencia experimental en primates y proponemos una visión integradora donde corteza, tronco y médula interactúan en distintos niveles. Un episodio para replantearse no solo el origen de la sinergia, sino también cómo la abordamos en clínica. Referencias del episodio: 1. Baines, A., Poll, A., Baker, A. M., Krakauer, J. W., & Baker, S. N. (2026). Arm Control and its Recovery after Selective Lesions of Sensorimotor Cortex and the Red Nucleus: A Kinematic Study in Non-Human Primates. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology, 2025.08.06.668715. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.08.06.668715 2. Baines, A., Glover, I. S., Baker, A. M. E., Krakauer, J. W., & Baker, S. N. (2026). Extent of damage to descending output from cortex rather than to specific cortical regions drives the emergence of flexor synergy in non-human primates. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology, 2026.03.04.709517. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.03.04.709517 3. Brunnstrom, S. (1970). Movement therapy in hemiplegia: A neurophysiological approach. Harper & Row. 4. Dewald, J. P., Pope, P. S., Given, J. D., Buchanan, T. S., & Rymer, W. Z. (1995). Abnormal muscle coactivation patterns during isometric torque generation at the elbow and shoulder in hemiparetic subjects. Brain : a journal of neurology, 118 ( Pt 2), 495–510. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/118.2.495 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7735890/). 5. Dewald, J. P., & Beer, R. F. (2001). Abnormal joint torque patterns in the paretic upper limb of subjects with hemiparesis. Muscle & nerve, 24(2), 273–283. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-4598(200102)24:23.0.co;2-z (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11180211/). 6. Hug, F., Avrillon, S., Ibáñez, J., & Farina, D. (2023). Common synaptic input, synergies and size principle: Control of spinal motor neurons for movement generation. The Journal of physiology, 601(1), 11–20. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP283698 (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10098498/). 7. Glover, I. S., Baker, A. M. E., Krakauer, J. W., & Baker, S. N. (2026). A spinal origin for the obligate flexor synergy in the non-human primate: Implications for control of reaching. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, e1878252026. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1878-25.2026 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41802867/). 8. Kiehn O. (2016). Decoding the organization of spinal circuits that control locomotion. Nature reviews. Neuroscience, 17(4), 224–238. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn.2016.9 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26935168/). 9. McPherson, J. G., Chen, A., Ellis, M. D., Yao, J., Heckman, C. J., & Dewald, J. P. A. (2018). Progressive recruitment of contralesional cortico-reticulospinal pathways drives motor impairment post stroke. The Journal of physiology, 596(7), 1211–1225. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP274968 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29457651/). 10. McPherson, L. M., & Dewald, J. P. A. (2022). Abnormal synergies and associated reactions post-hemiparetic stroke reflect muscle activation patterns of brainstem motor pathways. Frontiers in neurology, 13, 934670. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2022.934670 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36299276/). 11. Owen, M., Ingo, C., & Dewald, J. P. A. (2017). Upper Extremity Motor Impairments and Microstructural Changes in Bulbospinal Pathways in Chronic Hemiparetic Stroke. Frontiers in neurology, 8, 257. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2017.00257 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28659855/). 12. Tapia, J. A., Tohyama, T., Poll, A., & Baker, S. N. (2022). The Existence of the StartReact Effect Implies Reticulospinal, Not Corticospinal, Inputs Dominate Drive to Motoneurons during Voluntary Movement. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 42(40), 7634–7647. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2473-21.2022 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36658461/). 13. Zaaimi, B., Edgley, S. A., Soteropoulos, D. S., & Baker, S. N. (2012). Changes in descending motor pathway connectivity after corticospinal tract lesion in macaque monkey. Brain : a journal of neurology, 135(Pt 7), 2277–2289. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/aws115 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22581799/).

The Brown Tree Snake (Boiga irregularis) has wreaked ecological havoc on Guam since its accidental release in the years following WWII, playing a major role in the extinction of endemic bird species and causing trophic cascades that have rewired how the island's forests function. But how did a population of millions come from just a handful of snakes? And how does this species continue to thrive after eliminating so much of its prey base? A soon-to-be-released study looked into the genome of this invasive species and uncovered some intriguing possibilities. In this episode, the guys welcome their special guest, Dr. Christopher Osborne, to discuss his study and its implications for species management.This episode was recorded on March 15, 2026 at Rollin T. Grant Gulf Wilderness Park in Lockport, NY, a place Bill has (jokingly) called “the armpit of WNY” despite its deep history and the fact that he'll absolutely encourage you to check it out.Episode Notes and LinksIn the beginning of the episode, Steve said we would definitely, 100%, without doubt, cover something called Lewontin's paradox. Well, we skipped it! The main idea behind the paradox is that genetic variation varies little among species, but population size varies massively. We would expect large populations to have a lot of genetic diversity, but we often find that they don't. Population size doesn't always scale with genetic diversity. Sponsors and Ways to Support UsThank you to Always Wandering Art (Website and Etsy Shop) for providing the artwork for many of our episodes.Support us on Patreon.Works CitedA single preprint!Osborne, C.A., Foote, B.M., Fleck, S.J., Waterman, H.M., Chang, S.L., Nafus, M.G., Bellinger, M.R., Gray, L.N. and Krabbenhoft, T.J., 2026. Genomic Structural Variation Rescues a Classic Biological Invader from a Population Bottleneck. bioRxiv, pp.2026-01.https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2026/02/02/2026.01.30.702330.full.pdfPhoto CreditBrown tree snake, USDA/APHIS, Public Domain, https://www.fws.gov/media/brown-tree-snake

This week's stories: Smartphone App Catches What Sleep Trackers Miss A 2026 trial found that suvorexant, a popular prescription sleep drug, improves sleep quality scores — but worsens morning alertness and cognitive function while improving afternoon and evening performance. The study used a smartphone app to pulse users throughout the day, revealing a split-time-of-day signal that traditional sleep scales miss entirely. Optimizing your sleep dashboard and optimizing your waking performance are not the same thing. Sources: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/suvorexant-ema-trial-2026 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/suvorexant-daytime-performance Bats Are Breaking the Telomere Model A 2026 bioRxiv preprint on the tropical bat species Molossus molossus found that these animals live unusually long lives with almost no telomere shortening — challenging the assumption that telomere erosion is a universal driver of mammalian aging. Instead, the bats maintain genome integrity through superior DNA repair and oxidative stress management driven by the metabolic demands of flight. Telomere length may be a symptom, not the cause — and the longevity industry has been measuring the wrong thing. Sources: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/molossus-molossus-telomere-longevity-2026 https://www.nature.com/articles/telomere-bat-aging-2026 The Fenugreek Hack That Cuts Glucose Spikes by Up to 20% Soaking fenugreek seeds overnight and consuming them before meals has been shown across multiple small human trials to reduce fasting glucose and post-meal glucose spikes by 5 to 20 percent. The mechanism is dual — soluble galactomannan fibers slow carbohydrate absorption while bioactive compounds improve insulin receptor sensitivity in muscle and liver. It's a cheap, food-grade, CGM-trackable lever that most people have never tried. Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/fenugreek-glucose-clinical-review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/fenugreek-insulin-sensitivity-trial The First Longevity Supplement to Move Vascular Age Like Exercise A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial out of the University of Surrey found that a multi-ingredient longevity stack targeting NAD metabolism, glycation control, and mitochondrial function improved three independent vascular aging markers simultaneously in healthy adults over 40. Arterial stiffness improved by 1.18 meters per second — equivalent to reversing roughly a decade of age-related decline. Blood pressure dropped 6.1 millimeters of mercury, outperforming aerobic exercise, HIIT, the DASH diet, omega-3s, and magnesium in head-to-head comparisons. Sources: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6241278 https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06145087 https://novoslabs.com/blog/supplements/novos-core-clinical-trial-results-longevity-supplement https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/longevity-supplement-improves-vascular-aging-markers-clinical-trial-novos-magnesium-gi Carbon Monoxide Exposure Is Up 50% in 2026 — And Most People Won't Know Until It's Too Late Maryland state data reported by CBS News shows emergency room and urgent care visits for carbon monoxide exposure jumped from 167 cases in 2025 to 251 so far in 2026 — a nearly 50 percent increase. CO binds to hemoglobin more tightly than oxygen, quietly starving your brain, heart, and muscles while producing symptoms that mimic fatigue, brain fog, and the flu. The CDC estimates more than 400 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning every year — and most of them never saw it coming. Sources: https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-briefing/friday-march-6-2026 https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/co/default.html https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carbon-monoxide-exposure-maryland-spike-2026 Fat Plus Carbs Around Training May Actually Be the Metabolic Move A 2026 study found that combining fat with a carbohydrate-rich period during or around exercise improves insulin sensitivity and fat oxidation in the recovery phase — directly challenging the long-held "never stack fat and carbs" rule. The mechanism appears to be a mixed-fuel training effect: the liver and muscle learn to manage glucose and fat concurrently when both are present during high metabolic demand. Context changes the calculus, and the workout itself may be the variable that flips the equation. Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/fat-carb-exercise-metabolism-2026 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/fat-carbohydrate-insulin-sensitivity-training All source links are provided for direct access to the original reporting and research. This episode is designed for biohackers, longevity seekers, and high-performance listeners who want mechanism-level clarity on circadian biology, neurodegeneration signals, cognitive training, caffeine strategy, and supplement regulation. Host Dave Asprey connects emerging science, behavioral data, and policy shifts into practical frameworks you can use to build a resilient, adaptable health stack. New episodes every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Keywords: sleep medication daytime performance, suvorexant alertness, sleep score vs performance, telomere aging myth, bat longevity telomeres, DNA repair aging, fenugreek blood glucose, fenugreek insulin sensitivity, CGM glucose hack, longevity supplement clinical trial, vascular aging markers, arterial stiffness reversal, pulse wave velocity supplement, carbon monoxide poisoning 2026, CO detector home safety, environmental toxin biohacking, fat and carbs exercise, macronutrient timing training, insulin sensitivity workout, metabolic flexibility training, biohacking news, longevity research 2026 Thank you to our sponsors! - The One Device | Use code DAVE for $10 off at theonedevice.com/dave - Screenfit | Get your at-home eye training program for 40% off using code DAVE at https://www.screenfit.com/dave. Resources: • Get My 2026 Clean Nicotine Roadmap | Enroll for free at https://daveasprey.com/2026-clean-nicotine-roadmap/ • Get My 2026 Biohacking Trends Report: https://daveasprey.com/2026-biohacking-trends-report/ • Dave Asprey's Latest News | Go to https://daveasprey.com/ to join Inside Track today. • Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com/discount/dave15 • My Daily Supplements: SuppGrade Labs (15% Off) • Favorite Blue Light Blocking Glasses: TrueDark (15% Off) • Dave Asprey's BEYOND Conference: https://beyondconference.com • Dave Asprey's New Book – Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated • Join My Substack (Live Access To Podcast Recordings): https://substack.daveasprey.com/ • Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro 00:20 – Trailer 00:57 - Story #1: Sleep Meds & Morning Performance 02:42 - Story #2: Bats & the Telomere Model 04:33 - Story #3: Fenugreek & Glucose Spikes 06:00 - Story #4: Multi-Ingredient Longevity Stack Trial 07:51 - Story #5: Carbon Monoxide: The Silent Threat 09:45 - Story #6: Fat + Carbs Around Exercise 11:25 - Weekly Roundup See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Ameisen können CO2 aus der Luft ziehen und damit ihren Panzer härten +++ Brustkrebs trifft arme und reiche Länder sehr unterschiedlich +++ Postkutschen-Reise ab 1750 in UK angenehmer +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Preprint-Studie über Ameisen bei bioRxiv: "Carbon dioxide sequestration into biomineral armor by ants", 22.01.2026Studie über Brustkrebs bei The Lancet Oncology: "Global, regional, and national burden of breast cancer among females", 1990–2023, with forecasts to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, März-Ausgabe 2026Studie über Postkutschen-Reisen bei Explorations in Economic History: "A better ride: new evidence on travel and the quality of roads in England and Wales, 1660-1820", 24.02.2026Befragung zu Impfungen vom Robert-Koch-Institut: "IMPRESS: Impf­ver­halten verstehen, Preparedness steigern Integration eines Impfakzeptanz-Monitorings im RKI-Panel", 02.03.2026Kommentar in Nature Human Behaviour: "Low fertility may persist and could be good for the economy", 02.03.2026Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

In this episode, we explore the impacts of extreme cold weather on wild turkey populations.    Resources: Acorn production post (DrDisturbance IG) Austin, D. E., & DeGraff, L. W. (1975). Winter survival of wild turkeys in the southern Adirondacks. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 1975, 55-60. Brooke, J. M., et al. (2019). Effects of fertilization and crown release on white oak (Quercus alba) masting and acorn quality. Forest Ecology and Management, 433, 305-312. Gonnerman, M., et al. (2023). Dynamic winter weather moderates movement and resource selection of wild turkeys at high‐latitude range limits. Ecological Applications, 33(1), e2734. Gray, B. T., & Prince, H. H. (1988). Basal metabolism and energetic cost of thermoregulation in wild turkeys. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 133-137. Haroldson, K. J. (1995). Energy requirements for winter survival of wild turkeys. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 1995, 9-14.  Lashley, M. A., et al. (2009). Masting characteristics of white oak: implications for management. In In: Proc. Annu. Conf. Southeast. Association Fish and Wildl. Agencies. 63: 21-26. (Vol. 63, pp. 21-26). Lashley, M. A., et al. (2025). Decreased female survival may explain wild turkey decline. bioRxiv, 2025-05. Lavoie, M., et al.  (2017). Winter and summer weather modulate the demography of wild turkeys at the northern edge of the species distribution. Population Ecology, 59(3), 239-249. Lavoie, M., et al. (2025). Wildlife Management and Climate Change: How to Adapt Harvest Rates of Wild Turkey According to Extreme Weather Events. Environmental Management, 1-13. Porter, W. F., et al. (1983). Effects of winter conditions on reproduction in a northern wild turkey population. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 281-290. Seminar: Wild Turkey Management Academy   Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab   Don't miss out on a chance to win a custom Benelli Super Black Eagle 3! This 28-gauge shotgun features a 28' barrel, 3" chamber, and is exclusively dipped in Mossy Oak Full Foliage not available to the public. Enter the online raffle below for a shot at owning this one-of-a-kind gun! This is literally a one-of-one collectable item. https://e.givesmart.com/events/Nqy/   We've launched our second online wild turkey course  ! Enroll in  Wild Turkey Manager: Biology, History & Habitat to learn about the principal biology, mating, behavior, food selection, human dimensions, hunter interactions, and historical context of wild turkeys. This course is accredited by the Society of American Foresters as a Category 2 course worth 7 Continuing Forestry Education credits. Participants can also earn up to 5 CEUs in Category I of The Wildlife Society's Certified Wildlife Biologist Program. Enroll now: https://tinyurl.com/WildTurkeyManagerBio   Be sure to check out our first comprehensive online wild turkey course featuring experts across multiple institutions that specialize in habitat management and population management for wild turkeys. Earn up to 20.5 CFE hours! Enroll Now!    Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow  UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube   Want to help wild turkey conservation? Please take our quick survey to take part in our research!   Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a review or send us an email at wildturkeyscience@gmail.com!   Watch these podcasts on YouTube   Please help us by taking our (quick) listener survey - Thank you!    Check out the DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube   Want to help support the podcast? Our friends at Grounded Brand have an option to donate directly to Wild Turkey Science at checkout. Thank you in advance for your support!   Leave a podcast rating for a chance to win free gear!   This podcast is made possible by Turkeys for Tomorrow, a grassroots organization dedicated to the wild turkey. To learn more about TFT, go to turkeysfortomorrow.org.    Music by Artlist.io Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak

Wild turkey biologist Reina Tyl joins us to unpack her comprehensive study assessing population growth of Easterns in South Dakota.    Resources: Lashley, M. A., et al. (2025). Decreased female survival may explain wild turkey decline. bioRxiv, 2025-05. Tyl, R. M. (2019). Factors Influencing Survival, Productivity, and Population Growth of Eastern Wild Turkeys in Northeastern South Dakota. West Virginia University. Tyl, R. M., Rota, C. T., & Lehman, C. P. (2025). Factors influencing eastern wild turkey population growth in northeastern South Dakota. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 49, e1636. Tyl, R.M., Rota, C.T. and Lehman, C.P., 2020. Factors influencing productivity of eastern wild turkeys in northeastern South Dakota. Ecology and Evolution, 10(16), pp.8838-8854. Tyl, R.M., Rota, C.T. and Lehman, C.P., 2023. Factors influencing survival of female eastern wild turkeys in northeastern South Dakota. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 47(2), p.e1429.   Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab   Don't miss out on a chance to win a custom Benelli Super Black Eagle 3! This 28-gauge shotgun features a 28' barrel, 3" chamber, and is exclusively dipped in Mossy Oak Full Foliage not available to the public. Enter the online raffle below for a shot at owning this one-of-a-kind gun! This is literally a one-of-one collectable item. https://e.givesmart.com/events/Nqy/   We've launched our second online wild turkey course! Enroll in  Wild Turkey Manager: Biology, History & Habitat to learn about the principal biology, mating, behavior, food selection, human dimensions, hunter interactions, and historical context of wild turkeys. This course is accredited by the Society of American Foresters as a Category 2 course worth 7 Continuing Forestry Education credits. Participants can also earn up to 5 CEUs in Category I of The Wildlife Society's Certified Wildlife Biologist Program. Enroll now: https://tinyurl.com/WildTurkeyManagerBio   Be sure to check out our first comprehensive online wild turkey course featuring experts across multiple institutions that specialize in habitat management and population management for wild turkeys. Earn up to 20.5 CFE hours! Enroll Now!    Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow  UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube   Want to help wild turkey conservation? Please take our quick survey to take part in our research!   Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a review or send us an email at wildturkeyscience@gmail.com!   Watch these podcasts on YouTube   Please help us by taking our (quick) listener survey - Thank you!    Check out the DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube   Want to help support the podcast? Our friends at Grounded Brand have an option to donate directly to Wild Turkey Science at checkout. Thank you in advance for your support!   Leave a podcast rating for a chance to win free gear!   This podcast is made possible by Turkeys for Tomorrow, a grassroots organization dedicated to the wild turkey. To learn more about TFT, go to turkeysfortomorrow.org.    Music by Artlist.io Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak

In this episode, we explore the impacts of extreme cold weather on wild turkey populations.    Resources:   Acorn production post (DrDisturbance IG)   Austin, D. E., & DeGraff, L. W. (1975). Winter survival of wild turkeys in the southern Adirondacks. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 1975, 55-60.   Brooke, J. M., et al. (2019). Effects of fertilization and crown release on white oak (Quercus alba) masting and acorn quality. Forest Ecology and Management, 433, 305-312.   Gonnerman, M., et al. (2023). Dynamic winter weather moderates movement and resource selection of wild turkeys at high‐latitude range limits. Ecological Applications, 33(1), e2734.   Gray, B. T., & Prince, H. H. (1988). Basal metabolism and energetic cost of thermoregulation in wild turkeys. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 133-137.   Haroldson, K. J. (1995). Energy requirements for winter survival of wild turkeys. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 1995, 9-14.   Lashley, M. A., et al. (2009). Masting characteristics of white oak: implications for management. In In: Proc. Annu. Conf. Southeast. Association Fish and Wildl. Agencies. 63: 21-26. (Vol. 63, pp. 21-26).   Lashley, M. A., et al. (2025). Decreased female survival may explain wild turkey decline. bioRxiv, 2025-05.   Lavoie, M., et al.  (2017). Winter and summer weather modulate the demography of wild turkeys at the northern edge of the species distribution. Population Ecology, 59(3), 239-249.   Lavoie, M., et al. (2025). Wildlife Management and Climate Change: How to Adapt Harvest Rates of Wild Turkey According to Extreme Weather Events. Environmental Management, 1-13.   Porter, W. F., et al. (1983). Effects of winter conditions on reproduction in a northern wild turkey population. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 281-290.   Seminar: Wild Turkey Management Academy   Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab   Don't miss out on a chance to win a custom Benelli Super Black Eagle 3! This 28-gauge shotgun features a 28' barrel, 3" chamber, and is exclusively dipped in Mossy Oak Full Foliage not available to the public. Enter the online raffle below for a shot at owning this one-of-a-kind gun! This is literally a one-of-one collectable item. https://e.givesmart.com/events/Nqy/   We've launched our second online wild turkey course  ! Enroll in  Wild Turkey Manager: Biology, History & Habitat to learn about the principal biology, mating, behavior, food selection, human dimensions, hunter interactions, and historical context of wild turkeys. This course is accredited by the Society of American Foresters as a Category 2 course worth 7 Continuing Forestry Education credits. Participants can also earn up to 5 CEUs in Category I of The Wildlife Society's Certified Wildlife Biologist Program. Enroll now: https://tinyurl.com/WildTurkeyManagerBio   Be sure to check out our first comprehensive online wild turkey course featuring experts across multiple institutions that specialize in habitat management and population management for wild turkeys. Earn up to 20.5 CFE hours! Enroll Now!    Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow  UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube   Want to help wild turkey conservation? Please take our quick survey to take part in our research!   Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a review or send us an email at wildturkeyscience@gmail.com!   Watch these podcasts on YouTube   Please help us by taking our (quick) listener survey - Thank you!    Check out the DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube   Want to help support the podcast? Our friends at Grounded Brand have an option to donate directly to Wild Turkey Science at checkout. Thank you in advance for your support!   Leave a podcast rating for a chance to win free gear!   This podcast is made possible by Turkeys for Tomorrow, a grassroots organization dedicated to the wild turkey. To learn more about TFT, go to turkeysfortomorrow.org.    Music by Artlist.io Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak  

Wild turkey biologist Reina Tyl joins us to unpack her comprehensive study assessing population growth of Easterns in South Dakota.    Resources:   Lashley, M. A., et al. (2025). Decreased female survival may explain wild turkey decline. bioRxiv, 2025-05.   Tyl, R. M. (2019). Factors Influencing Survival, Productivity, and Population Growth of Eastern Wild Turkeys in Northeastern South Dakota. West Virginia University.   Tyl, R. M., Rota, C. T., & Lehman, C. P. (2025). Factors influencing eastern wild turkey population growth in northeastern South Dakota. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 49, e1636.   Tyl, R.M., Rota, C.T. and Lehman, C.P., 2020. Factors influencing productivity of eastern wild turkeys in northeastern South Dakota. Ecology and Evolution, 10(16), pp.8838-8854.   Tyl, R.M., Rota, C.T. and Lehman, C.P., 2023. Factors influencing survival of female eastern wild turkeys in northeastern South Dakota. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 47(2), p.e1429.   Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab   We've launched our second online wild turkey course  ! Enroll in  Wild Turkey Manager: Biology, History & Habitat to learn about the principal biology, mating, behavior, food selection, human dimensions, hunter interactions, and historical context of wild turkeys. This course is accredited by the Society of American Foresters as a Category 2 course worth 7 Continuing Forestry Education credits. Participants can also earn up to 5 CEUs in Category I of The Wildlife Society's Certified Wildlife Biologist Program. Enroll now: https://tinyurl.com/WildTurkeyManagerBio   Be sure to check out our first comprehensive online wild turkey course featuring experts across multiple institutions that specialize in habitat management and population management for wild turkeys. Earn up to 20.5 CFE hours! Enroll Now!    Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow  UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube   Want to help wild turkey conservation? Please take our quick survey to take part in our research!   Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a review or send us an email at wildturkeyscience@gmail.com!   Watch these podcasts on YouTube   Please help us by taking our (quick) listener survey - Thank you!    Check out the DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube   Want to help support the podcast? Our friends at Grounded Brand have an option to donate directly to Wild Turkey Science at checkout. Thank you in advance for your support!   Leave a podcast rating for a chance to win free gear!   This podcast is made possible by Turkeys for Tomorrow, a grassroots organization dedicated to the wild turkey. To learn more about TFT, go to turkeysfortomorrow.org.    Music by Artlist.io Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak  

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ So wurde in der Steinzeit Wein hergestellt +++ Vorsicht, welches Hobby auf den Lebenslauf kommt +++ Weltrekord: Neue Amöbenart überlebt bei 63 Grad +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Spontaneous fermentation of raisin water to form wine, Scientific Reports, 25.11.25Game Over or Game Changer? The Impact of Applicants' Gaming Skills on Their Hirability, Journal of Personnel Psychology, 04.11.25A geothermal amoeba sets a new upper temperature limit for eukaryotes, bioRxiv, 24.11.25Loss of vitamin C biosynthesis protects from the pathology of a parasitic infection, PNAS, 23.12.25Talking-associated cognitive loads degrade the quality of gaze behavior, PLOS One, 06.10.25Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

Wisconsin gamebird ecologist Taylor Finger joins us to breakdown the status of turkeys in the state. Join as he shares details on how Wisconsin has achieved successful turkey populations unlike any other state in the country.    Resources:   Lashley, M. A., et al. (2025). Decreased female survival may explain wild turkey decline. bioRxiv, 2025-05.   Legends of turkey research | #50   Pollentier, C. D., et al. (2021). Gobbling across landscapes: Eastern wild turkey distribution and occupancy–habitat associations. Ecology and Evolution, 11(24), 18248-18270.   Ogawa, R., et al. (2025). Is wild turkey habitat selection spatially consistent? A three‐decade meta‐analysis in Mississippi. Wildlife Society Bulletin, e70000.   Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab   Coming Soon: Wild Turkey Manager: Biology, History, & Heritage! Our newest online wild turkey training is launching soon! Be the first to know when our new course launches by signing up here!   Be sure to check out our comprehensive online wild turkey course featuring experts across multiple institutions that specialize in habitat management and population management for wild turkeys. Earn up to 20.5 CFE hours! Enroll Now!    Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow  UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube   Donate to our wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund    Want to help wild turkey conservation? Please take our quick survey to take part in our research!   Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a review or send us an email at wildturkeyscience@gmail.com!   Watch these podcasts on YouTube   Please help us by taking our (quick) listener survey - Thank you!    Check out the DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube   Want to help support the podcast? Our friends at Grounded Brand have an option to donate directly to Wild Turkey Science at checkout. Thank you in advance for your support!   Leave a podcast rating for a chance to win free gear!   This podcast is made possible by Turkeys for Tomorrow, a grassroots organization dedicated to the wild turkey. To learn more about TFT, go to turkeysfortomorrow.org.    Music by Artlist.io Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak  

Wisconsin gamebird ecologist Taylor Finger joins us to breakdown the status of wild turkeys in the state. Join as he shares details on how Wisconsin has achieved successful turkey populations unlike any other state in the country.    Resources:   Lashley, M. A., et al. (2025). Decreased female survival may explain wild turkey decline. bioRxiv, 2025-05.   Legends of turkey research | #50   Pollentier, C. D., et al. (2021). Gobbling across landscapes: Eastern wild turkey distribution and occupancy–habitat associations. Ecology and Evolution, 11(24), 18248-18270.   Ogawa, R., et al. (2025). Is wild turkey habitat selection spatially consistent? A three‐decade meta‐analysis in Mississippi. Wildlife Society Bulletin, e70000.   Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab   Coming Soon: Wild Turkey Manager: Biology, History, & Heritage! Our newest online wild turkey training is launching soon! Be the first to know when our new course launches by signing up here!   Be sure to check out our comprehensive online wild turkey course featuring experts across multiple institutions that specialize in habitat management and population management for wild turkeys. Earn up to 20.5 CFE hours! Enroll Now!    Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow  UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube   Donate to our wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund    Want to help wild turkey conservation? Please take our quick survey to take part in our research!   Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a review or send us an email at wildturkeyscience@gmail.com!   Watch these podcasts on YouTube   Please help us by taking our (quick) listener survey - Thank you!    Check out the DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube   Want to help support the podcast? Our friends at Grounded Brand have an option to donate directly to Wild Turkey Science at checkout. Thank you in advance for your support!   Leave a podcast rating for a chance to win free gear!   This podcast is made possible by Turkeys for Tomorrow, a grassroots organization dedicated to the wild turkey. To learn more about TFT, go to turkeysfortomorrow.org.    Music by Artlist.io Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak  

Cecilia Padilla Iglesias estudió Ciencias Humanas y de la Evolución en University College de Londres, donde empezó a interesarse por cómo surgió y cambió la diversidad cultural y biológica en nuestra especie. Hizo un máster en Antropología Evolutiva en Cambridge y luego un doctorado en la Universidad de Zúrich sobre cómo los cambios ecológicos y sociales han moldeado la dinámica de las poblaciones humanas. Durante el doctorado pasó varios meses en la República del Congo trabajando con comunidades nómadas de cazadores-recolectores. Hoy trabaja en Cambridge con una beca de investigación, estudiando cómo la vida nómada y la movilidad se reflejan en el genoma de estas poblaciones. La idea central de su trabajo es que la movilidad ha sido clave para la resiliencia de los humanos durante cientos de miles de años, y que fue lo que permitió adaptarse a enormes cambios ecológicos y demográficos en los diferentes ecosistemas que fue habitando. ------------------------------ Encuentra el trabajo comentado en este episodio: Padilla-Iglesias, C., Xue, Z., Leonardi, M., Paijmans, L.A,J., Colucci, M., … Manica, A. (2025). Pan-African metapopulation model explains Homo sapiens genetic and morphological evolution. bioRxiv 2025.05.22.655514; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.05.22.655514 ------------------------------ Contact the Sausage of Science Podcast and the Human Biology Association: Facebook: facebook.com/groups/humanbiologyassociation/, Website: humbio.org, Twitter: @HumBioAssoc Anahí Ruderman, Guest-Co-Host, SoS Co-Producer, E-mail: ruderman@cenpat-conicet.gob.ar

Want to share your feedback? Send us a message!Dr. Shahriar SheikhBahaei, Assistant Professor of Neurobiology and Behavior at Stony Brook University, joins host Sara MacIntyre, M.A., CCC-SLP, to discuss emerging research exploring the cellular and neurobiological mechanisms underlying stuttering. Dr. SheikhBahaei shares his journey from lived experience with stuttering to leading a neuroscience research lab investigating how glial cells, particularly astrocytes, contribute to motor control and speech-related circuits.The conversation delves into several recent studies from his lab that utilize mouse models to uncover how alterations in astrocyte function and iron regulation may relate to the neural pathways involved in stuttering. Dr. SheikhBahaei walks listeners through the background, scientific rationale, and key findings of these studies, highlighting what they reveal about the non-vocal motor aspects of stuttering and how this basic science may inform future directions in understanding and treatment.The episode concludes with reflections on bridging laboratory research with the lived experiences of people who stutter and fostering collaboration among scientists, clinicians, and the stuttering community.Resources discussed:SheikhBahaei, S., et al. (2025). Non-vocal motor deficits in a transgenic mouse model linked to stuttering disorders. bioRxiv. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.08.669441v2SheikhBahaei, S., et al. (2025). Iron dysregulation in mice engineered with a mutation associated with stuttering. bioRxiv. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.30.667752v1SheikhBahaei, S., et al. (2024). Scientists, society, and stuttering: A multi-stakeholder approach. International Journal of Clinical Practice. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ijcp.13678Shahriar SheikhBahaei, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist and faculty member at Stony Brook University. His research focuses on how the brain controls complex motor behaviors such as speech and breathing, particularly focusing on the role of astrocytes in neural circuits. Growing up with stuttering has influenced his lifelong pursuit to understand the neurobiology of speech and communication. He completed his Ph.D. in Neuroscience through a joint program at University College London and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He later became one of the first Independent Research Scholars at NIH, where he established his own lab. At Stony Brook University, he continues to investigate the cellular and circuit foundations of speech disorders while also mentoring the next generation of scientists and advocating for more inclusive perspectives on communication.

'Tis the season FOR TERROR! Fortunately, nature is pretty metal and has no shortage of scary phenomena to discuss. On our Halloween episode of The Best Biome, we bring you three terrible tales of body horror... from the perspective of plants! These are guaranteed to strike fear into your fiber, send a shiver through your leaves and make your chlorophyll run cold. If these give your houseplants nightmares, you can't say we didn't warn you. Primary Sources: Nicole's Sources: https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/insects-diseases/1452-aster-yellows/ https://agsci.colostate.edu/agbio/ipm-pests/aster-leafhopper-and-aster-yellows/ Rachel's Sources: Texas Plant Disease Handbook by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (https://plantdiseasehandbook.tamu.edu/landscaping/trees/cottonwood-and-poplar/) Mushroom Monday, Cracked Cap Polypore (https://www.mushroommonday.com/post/cracked-cap-polypore-fulvifomes-robiniae) Allan's Source: Torres-Cruz, Terry J., et al. "Insects visit Fusarium xyrophilum pseudoflowers on the host Xyris surinamensis (Xyridaceae) and carry fungal DNA on their bodies." bioRxiv (2024): 2024-03. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.03.05.583517 +++ More of Our Work +++ Website Facebook TikTok Twitch Bluesky +++ Contact Us +++ Text/Call: (316)-512-8933 info@grasslandgroupies.org +++ Support Us +++ Bonfire Merch Store CashApp: $GrasslandGroupies Or... donate directly to our org. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Elsa Fouragnan is an Associate Professor and UKRI Future Leader Fellow at the University of Plymouth. We talk mainly about her work on focussed transcranial ultrasound stimulation, a new non-invasive way other stimulating (human) brains, including deep areas that can't be reached with TMS. We also discuss her childhood in French Polynesia, how she started doing research, what it's like seeing a brain during surgery, and much more.This was the first episode I recorded in-person. The audio quality is really good, with the minor exception that I made a really silly error during editing, such that quiet parts are sometimes not entirely audible. A few words are not audible, but this shouldn't affect comprehension.BJKS Podcast is a podcast about neuroscience, psychology, and anything vaguely related, hosted by Benjamin James Kuper-Smith.Support the show: https://geni.us/bjks-patreonTimestamps0:00:00: Elsa's childhood in French Polynesia and in mainland France0:10:25: Why Elsa studied engineering and started doing research0:19:04: How Elsa started working on Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Stimulation0:23:08: What is Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Stimulation?0:28:20: Is it safe?0:36:12: What can you do with it/what kind of stimulations is it?0:53:41: The practicalities of using TUS1:04:42: What it's like to see brain surgery in the operating theatre1:10:11: Back to the skull being a problem and which brains regions can be reached with TUS?1:18:49: The future of TUS1:27:59: A book or paper more people should read1:30:13: Something Elsa wishes she'd learnt sooner1:34:51: Advice for PhD students/postdocsPodcast linksWebsite: https://geni.us/bjks-podBlueSky: https://geni.us/pod-bskyElsa's linksWebsite: https://geni.us/fouragnan-webGoogle Scholar: https://geni.us/fouragnan-scholarBlueSky: https://geni.us/fouragnan-bskyBen's linksWebsite: https://geni.us/bjks-webGoogle Scholar: https://geni.us/bjks-scholarBlueSky: https://geni.us/bjks-bskyReferences and linksUa Pou: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ua_PouFolloni, Verhagen, Mars, Fouragnan, ... & Sallet (2019). Manipulation of subcortical and deep cortical activity in the primate brain using transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation. Neuron.Liptrot (2015). The Outrun.Murphy & Fouragnan (2024). The future of transcranial ultrasound as a precision brain interface. PLoS Biology.Yoo, Mittelstein, Hurt, Lacroix & Shapiro (2022). Focused ultrasound excites cortical neurons via mechanosensitive calcium accumulation and ion channel amplification. Nature Communications.Yaakub, ... & Fouragnan (2024). Non-invasive Ultrasound Deep Neuromodulation of the Human Nucleus Accumbens Increases Win-Stay Behaviour. BioRxiv.

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Mundstücke von Vapes guter Brutort für Bakterien, Pilze und Co. +++ Willkommensklassen helfen kaum beim Deutschlernen +++ Videos mit gezielten Lichtschwankungen schwieriger zu manipulieren +++ **********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Mycobiome analysis of electronic cigarettes reveals a reservoir of pathogenic yeasts, bioRxiv, 01.08.2025Institutional conditions and acquisition of language skills among young refugees: Investigating the German context, Acta Sociologica, 26.06.2025Noise-Coded Illumination for Forensic and Photometric Video Analysis, ACM Transactions on Graphics, 27.06.2025First contact with greater gravity: Moss plants adapted via enhanced photosynthesis mediated by AP2/ERF transcription factors, Science Advances, 16.07.2025Fast die Hälfte der Menschen in Deutsch¬land trinkt bei Hitze zu wenig, TK, 13.08.2025Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

In this episode of the Epigenetics Podcast, we talked with Erica Korb from the University of Pennsylvania about her work on BRD4 and the histone variant H2BE, which influences synaptic genes and neuronal activity. Dr. Korb discusses the focus of her lab, which centers on epigenetic mechanisms impacting gene regulation in neurons. Her research primarily examines histone biology and its connection to neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities. Dr. Korb expounds on the collaborative environment at UPenn's Epigenetics Institute, emphasizing how the rich diversity of research topics fosters innovative ideas and projects within the community. Reflecting on her earlier work from her postdoctoral studies, Dr. Korb discusses her first significant findings regarding the protein BRD4. This work demonstrated BRD4's role in mediating transcriptional regulation crucial for learning and memory processes. She explains how disrupting this protein's function in neurons hindered critical gene activations required for memory formation in mice. This foundational understanding opened avenues for exploring the broader implications of chromatin regulation in various neurodevelopmental conditions. Transitioning into her current research endeavors, Dr. Korb reveals how she aims to expand her focus beyond Fragile X syndrome. With her lab now investigating multiple chromatin regulators implicated in various forms of autism spectrum disorders, she describes a recent project where RNA sequencing exposed substantial overlaps in gene expression changes associated with five distinct chromatin modifiers, each contributing uniquely to neuronal function while collectively demonstrating sensitivity to chromatin disruptions. A significant portion of the discussion centers around Dr. Korb's unexpected exploration into how COVID-19 intersects with chromatin biology through a phenomenon known as histone mimicry. Leveraging bioinformatic tools during the pandemic, her lab discovered that certain viral proteins mimic histone sequences, which may lead to altered transcriptional outputs in host cells. This coincidental finding illustrates both the creative adaptability needed in scientific research and the importance of collaborative efforts across disciplines to uncover new insights. The conversation also delves into Dr. Korb's recent work regarding the histone variant H2BE, initiated by one of her graduate students. She explains how prior research only recognized H2BE's expression in the olfactory system, yet her lab has demonstrated its significant role in regulating synaptic genes and memory formation throughout broader neuronal contexts. Notably, they identified a single amino acid change that influences H2BE's function in chromatin accessibility and gene transcription, emphasizing its potential evolutionary conservation across species. In terms of H2BE's role, Dr. Korb elucidates that its activity is integral in response to extracellular stimuli, particularly within the context of neuronal activation. Intriguingly, they found that H2BE expression decreases in reaction to long-term neuronal stimulation, suggesting a complex mechanism of homeostatic plasticity crucial for regulating neuronal activity levels. This research not only advances understanding of chromatin dynamics but also holds implications for neuronal health and disease mechanisms.   References Feierman, E. R., Louzon, S., Prescott, N. A., Biaco, T., Gao, Q., Qiu, Q., Choi, K., Palozola, K. C., Voss, A. J., Mehta, S. D., Quaye, C. N., Lynch, K. T., Fuccillo, M. V., Wu, H., David, Y., & Korb, E. (2024). Histone variant H2BE enhances chromatin accessibility in neurons to promote synaptic gene expression and long-term memory. Molecular cell, 84(15), 2822–2837.e11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2024.06.025 Korb, E., Herre, M., Zucker-Scharff, I., Gresack, J., Allis, C. D., & Darnell, R. B. (2017). Excess Translation of Epigenetic Regulators Contributes to Fragile X Syndrome and Is Alleviated by Brd4 Inhibition. Cell, 170(6), 1209–1223.e20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2017.07.033 Kee, J., Thudium, S., Renner, D. M., Glastad, K., Palozola, K., Zhang, Z., Li, Y., Lan, Y., Cesare, J., Poleshko, A., Kiseleva, A. A., Truitt, R., Cardenas-Diaz, F. L., Zhang, X., Xie, X., Kotton, D. N., Alysandratos, K. D., Epstein, J. A., Shi, P. Y., Yang, W., … Korb, E. (2022). SARS-CoV-2 disrupts host epigenetic regulation via histone mimicry. Nature, 610(7931), 381–388. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05282-z Feierman, E. R., Paranjapye, A., Su, S., Qiu, Q., Wu, H., & Korb, E. (2024). Histone variant H2BE controls activity-dependent gene expression and homeostatic scaling. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology, 2024.11.01.620920. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.11.01.620920   Related Episodes Neuroepigenetic Mechanisms and Primate Epigenome Evolution (Boyan Bonev) DNA Methylation Alterations in Neurodegenerative Diseases (Paula Desplats) The Role of Histone Dopaminylation and Serotinylation in Neuronal Plasticity (Ian Maze)   Contact Epigenetics Podcast on Mastodon Epigenetics Podcast on Bluesky Dr. Stefan Dillinger on LinkedIn Active Motif on LinkedIn Active Motif on Bluesky Email: podcast@activemotif.com

The adaptability of fungi to warmer temperatures is an obvious consequence of climate change. Perhaps less obvious is the role climate change has played on fungal pathogens emerging as a global health concern. While humans are mostly protected from fungal infections by our immune system and body temperature, a warming global climate could subvert the status quo. Some fungi are already adapted to warmer temperatures and causing invasive acute infections in humans: Candidozyma auris, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Aspergillus fumigatus, to name a few.  In this episode of Communicable, Angela Huttner and Josh Nosanchuk invite Arturo Casadevall, a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins and this year's recipient of ESCMID's Excellence in Science Award, to discuss the world of fungi and their pathogenic potential in a warming world. Other topics include how to prepare for their emergence as a health threat, how fungi can be harnessed for applications that can benefit us, and ultimately answering the question Casadevall himself posed in the title of his recently published book, What if fungi win?This episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and peer reviewed by Robin Aerts of University Hospital Antwerp, Belgium.  References1.        Casadevall, A with Desmon S. What if fungi win? Johns Hopkins University Press, 2024.2.        Smith DFG, et al. Environmental fungi from cool and warm neighborhoods in the urban heat island of Baltimore City show differences in thermal susceptibility and pigmentation. BioRxiv 2025. DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.10.566554  3.        Casadevall A and Pirofski L. Benefits and Costs of Animal Virulence for Microbes. mBio 2019. DOI: 10.1128/mBio.00863-194.        Cordero RJB et al. Radiation protection and structural stability of fungal melanin polylactic acid biocomposites in low Earth orbit. PNAS 2025. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.24271181225.        Dadachova E, et al. The radioprotective properties of fungal melanin are a function of its chemical composition, stable radical presence and spatial arrangement. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2008. DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-148X.2007.00430.x6.        Cordero RJB et al. The hypothermic nature of fungi. PNAS 2022. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2221996120

It was recently reported in Popular Mechanics that scientists have discovered a new creature existing between life and unlife. Additionally, a new paper published on the bioRxiv server says researchers in Canada and Japan have identified a new cellular entity that appeared to straddle the typical definitions of virality and cellular life. Could this be an alien biosignature, or something that did not manage to climb out of the primordial soup and has been waiting for its moment to evolve? Listen to Ground Zero with Clyde Lewis tonight at 7 pm, pacific time on groundzeroplus.com. Call in to the show: 503-225-0860. #groundzeroplus #ClydeLewis #alien #biosignature #virality #life #cellular

Today's episode features guest host Michael Upshall (guest editor, Charleston Briefings) who talks with Richard Sever, Assistant Director, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. Richard earned his PhD in molecular biology and has been with Cold Spring Harbor for over 17 years. He recently became Chief Science and Strategy Officer at Open Archive, which oversees bioRxiv and medRxiv. Richard says he has always been fascinated with figuring out how things work, and that led him to a career in science. He realized that he didn't want a career in academic research but enjoyed science communication instead. Richard moved into scientific publishing, enjoying the range of topics and collaboration with authors, and eventually chose Cold Spring to work with because of the high caliber research and mission driven innovation there.  Richard and his colleague John Inglis founded bioRxiv, a biology preprint server, with hopes to improve how science is evaluated and shared.   The video of this podcast can be found here: https://youtu.be/9dOa9gJy1Y0 Social Media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mupshall/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardsever/ Twitter: Keywords: #ColdSpringHarbor #BioRxiv #MedRxiv #STEMCareers #ResearchInnovation #OpenScience #ScientificPublishing #SciComm #ScienceCommunication #preprints #career #collaboration #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication #libraries #librarianship #LibraryNeeds #LibraryLove #ScholarlyPublishing #AcademicPublishing #publishing #LibrariesAndPublishers #podcasts

The beginnings of our end — where the anus came from Our distant evolutionary ancestors had no anuses. Their waste was excreted from the same orifice they used to ingest food, much like jellyfish do today. Now a new study on bioRxiv that has yet to be peer-reviewed, scientists think they've found the evolutionary link in a worm with only a single digestive hole. Andreas Hejnol, from Friedrich Schiller University Jena, said he found genes we now associate with the anus being expressed in the worms in the opening where its sperm comes out, suggesting that in our evolutionary history a similar orifice was co-opted as a butt hole. Deepfake videos are becoming so real, spotting them is becoming increasingly diceyDetecting deepfake videos generated by artificial intelligence is a problem that's getting progressively worse as the technology continues to improve. One way we used to be able to tell the difference between a fake and real video is that subtle signals revealing a person's heart rate don't exist in artificially generated videos. But that is no longer the case, according to a new study in the journal Frontiers in Imaging. Peter Eisert, from Humboldt University and the Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institute HHI in Germany, said detecting manipulated content visually is only going to become a lot more difficult going forward. Crows can use tools, do math — and now apparently understand geometryCrows are known to be among the most intelligent of animals, and a new study has explored their geometrical sophistication. Researchers including Andreas Nieder from the University of Tübingen found that crows can recognize and distinguish different kinds of quadrilateral shapes, an ability we had thought was unique to humans. The research was published in the journal Science Advances.There's gold in them thar magnetically charged neutron stars!Astronomers have discovered a new source of the universe's heavy elements — things like gold, platinum and uranium. A study led by astrophysicist Anirudh Patel found that magnetars — exotic neutron stars with ultra-powerful magnetic fields — may produce these elements in a process analogous to the way solar flares are produced by our Sun. The research, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, found that a single flare from a magnetar could produce the mass equivalent of 27 moons' worth of these heavy elements in one burst.It may not be big, but it's small — and stroppyYou might not expect an insect so tiny you need a magnifying glass to see it properly to be an aggressive defender of its territory, but that's because you haven't met the warty birch caterpillar. Its territory is just the tip of a birch leaf, but it defends it by threatening intruders with vigorous, if not precisely powerful, vibrations. Jayne Yack at Carleton University has been studying this caterpillar since 2008. This research was published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.Criminals beware — the microbiome leaves fingerprintsScientists have developed a new tool that can track location based on traces of the bacteria characteristic to different places. Eran Elhaik, from Lund University in Sweden, trained the AI tool using nearly 4,500 microbiome samples collected around the world from subway systems, soil and the oceans. He said they could identify the city source in 92 per cent of their urban samples, and in Hong Kong, where a lot of their data came from, they could identify the specific subway station samples were taken from with 82 per cent accuracy. The study was published in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution.

Big news! An American biotech company announced this week that they have brought the dire wolf back from extinction! We've honoured this great achievement by watching the prophetic film Dire Wolf (2009), a gory werewolf movie in which an American biotech company brought back the dire wolf from extinction... to create a military bioweapon! We've got our eyes on you, Colossal Biosciences... Watch Dire Wolf (2009) on Tubi: https://tubitv.com/movies/641656/dire-wolf The Dire Wolf (Aenocyon dirus): https://tarpits.org/stories/our-evolving-understanding-dire-wolves Bone Clones Dire Wolf Skull: https://boneclones.com/product/dire-wolf-skull-tarpit-finish-BC-020T Colossal Biosciences: https://colossal.com/ Colossal's Dire Wolf preprint on BioRxiv: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.09.647074v1.abstract Perri et al. (2021) Dire wolves were the last of an ancient New World canid lineage: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-03082-x Janczewski et al. (1992) Molecular phylogenetic inference from saber-toothed cat fossils of Rancho La Brea: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.89.20.9769 Hank Green – They Didn't Make Dire Wolves, They Made Something...Else: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar0zgedLyTw Beth Shapiro (2020) How to Clone a Mammoth: https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691209005/how-to-clone-a-mammoth

The gang discusses two papers that use morphometrics to investigate patterns of selection on bird morphology. The first paper looks at the morphology of feathers, while the second paper looks more broadly at various parts of the avian body. Meanwhile, James breathes new life into a classic, Amanda is passionate about formatting, and Curt exposes “the truth”.   Up-Goer Five (Curt Edition): The friends talk about two papers that look at animals that move in the air. Both of these papers look at how these animals look and try to find out why these animals look the way they do. The first paper looks at the different types of soft things that these animals use to fly and also to stay warm. They look at how these soft things look and how that look has changed over time and between groups. Some of these animals that don't fly have soft things that are different from the ones that do fly, but they way they are different is different with each group that does not fly. The second paper looks at parts of these animals like their mouths to see how they change between groups. They find that there are lots of things these animals could be doing that most of them are not doing. This makes them say that maybe there is something keeping the animals looking like that because if they change too much in one way it might be really really bad for them.   References: Sayol, Ferran, et al. "Biophysical constraints on avian adaptation and diversification." BioRxiv (2023): 2023-10. Saitta, Evan T., et al. "Feather evolution following flight loss in crown group birds: relaxed selection and developmental constraints." Evolution (2025): qpaf020.

L'image classique d'un Européen à la peau claire, aux yeux bleus et aux cheveux blonds ne correspond en réalité qu'à une évolution récente dans l'histoire humaine. Une nouvelle étude menée par Silvia Ghirotto et son équipe de généticiens de l'université de Ferrare, en Italie, bouleverse nos certitudes. En analysant 348 génomes anciens d'individus ayant vécu en Eurasie au cours des 45 000 dernières années, les chercheurs montrent que les traits clairs ne se sont généralisés qu'il y a environ 3 000 ans.Jusqu'à l'âge du fer, donc jusque vers 1000 av. J.-C., la majorité des Européens avaient encore la peau, les cheveux et les yeux foncés. Les premiers Homo sapiens arrivés en Europe, il y a environ 50 000 à 60 000 ans, étaient encore très proches génétiquement de leurs ancêtres africains, dont ils avaient hérité des traits pigmentaires foncés, dus à des centaines de gènes interconnectés.L'étude, publiée sur la plateforme scientifique BioRxiv.org, repose sur l'usage du système HIrisPlex-S, un outil utilisé en médecine légale pour prédire la couleur des yeux, de la peau et des cheveux à partir d'échantillons d'ADN même partiels. Grâce à une méthode appelée « inférence phénotypique probabiliste », les chercheurs ont pu reconstruire l'évolution des caractéristiques pigmentaires de nos ancêtres.Les premiers indices de peau claire apparaissent au Mésolithique, il y a environ 12 000 ans, avec un individu découvert en Suède, identifié comme le premier à posséder à la fois les yeux, la peau et les cheveux clairs. Toutefois, ce type physique restait alors très rare.C'est avec la diffusion des populations agricoles néolithiques, venues du Proche-Orient, que la fréquence des traits clairs commence à augmenter. Les mélanges génétiques, la migration et les sélections locales ont ensuite favorisé leur diffusion, notamment en Europe de l'Ouest.Mais pourquoi cette évolution ? Selon Ghirotto, la peau claire offrait un avantage évolutif : elle permettait une meilleure synthèse de la vitamine D dans les régions au faible ensoleillement, comme le nord de l'Europe. En revanche, la couleur claire des yeux, elle, n'aurait pas présenté de bénéfice biologique évident, et serait plutôt liée à la sélection sexuelle… ou au hasard.Ainsi, les Européens n'ont pas toujours eu la peau claire. Ce trait, emblématique aujourd'hui, est en fait le fruit d'une lente évolution, influencée par le climat, la migration et la génétique, bien plus tardive qu'on ne le pensait. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Mammutfell-Mäuse gezüchtet +++ Klimawandel bedroht Ernteerträge +++ Frauen bei Weiterbildung benachteiligt +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Multiplex-edited mice recapitulate woolly mammoth hair phenotypes. BioRxiv. 04.03.2025Climate change threatens crop diversity at low latitudes, Nature Food, 04.03.2025UND ES GIBT IHN DOCH! Der Gender Training Gap bei betrieblichen Weiterbildungen, WSI Report, März 2025Global, regional, and national prevalence of child and adolescent overweight and obesity, 1990–2021, with forecasts to 2050: a forecasting study for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, The Lancet 3.3.25Überraschender Strandfund: Historische Driftkarte von 1961 auf Juist entdeckt, Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie, 03.03.2025**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok auf&ab , TikTok wie_geht und Instagram .

Welcome back! Today, we're diving into an exciting new compound called SLU PP332, or "Slupp," which has the potential to mimic the benefits of exercise at a cellular level, even when you're not physically active. Tara shares her personal journey with Slupp emphasizing its role as a possible enhancement to exercise rather than a replacement. She discusses the groundbreaking research on Sloop, highlighting its effects on energy production, fat metabolism, and overall metabolic health. With insights from her own experience and feedback from friends and clients, she provides a comprehensive overview of how this compound could be a game-changer in optimizing health and fitness. Tune in to learn more about Slupp and its implications for those looking to maximize their wellness journey.Takeaways: The synthetic compound Slupp mimics exercise benefits at the cellular level without actual physical activity. Slupp acts as an agonist for estrogen-related receptors, enhancing energy production and fat metabolism. Research on Slupp shows significant fat loss and improved metabolic health in mice, although human studies are pending. Using Slupp can enhance workout results and serve as a safety net when unable to exercise. While Slupp is promising, it is essential to consult with healthcare practitioners before use. The compound shows potential in improving endurance and cognitive clarity during physical activities. West Wellness and Longevity LinksAre you ready to make change but don't know where to start. Book a free 30 min consultation here.https://www.westwellnessatx.com/get-started Have questions? Feel free to reach out to me at: tarawest@westwellnessatx.com Follow me on instagram @westwellnessatxSLU-PP-332 Research Links:Exercise-Mimicking Drug Sheds Weight, Boosts Muscle Activity in Mice: This article from the University of Florida News discusses how SLU-PP-332 led to significant weight loss and enhanced endurance in obese mice. University of Florida NewsA Synthetic ERR Agonist Alleviates Metabolic Syndrome: Published in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, this study explores how SLU-PP-332 improves metabolic parameters in mouse models of obesity and metabolic syndrome. NewswiseA Synthetic ERRα Agonist Induces an Acute Aerobic Exercise Response and Enhances Exercise Capacity: This preprint study details how SLU-PP-332 activates an aerobic exercise genetic program in skeletal muscle, enhancing exercise endurance in mice. BioRxiv

University of Washington の浜崎伸彦さん(@Nobu_Hamazaki)がゲスト。Human RA-Gastruloid論文、条件探索のコツ、ステージング問題、卵子形成論文、PI生活、今後目指す合成的発生生物学の方向性など (12/12収録) Show Notes (番組HP): 浜崎ラボHP 博士課程(の後半)での所属ラボ：中島欽一ラボ 日本での所属ラボ：林克彦ラボ (現在は阪大) 日本にいたときの卵子形成転写因子論文 かぐや論文 Parthenogenesisのレビュー 留学先の所属ラボ：Jay Shendureラボ 留学先でのHuman RA-Gastruloid論文 最初にあったマウスGastruloid論文 Matrigel おすすめの発生生物学の教科書ギルバート発生生物学、ウォルパート発生生物学とラングマン人体発生学とそのムービー JayのGestalt イベントのレコーディング シュペーマンのオーガナイザー (pdf) Turner Syndrome Wntアゴニストのカイロン 下流のBrachyury (T)という転写因子 最近出ていた脊索が現れる3D trunk organoid論文 bioRxivに最初に出た論文 とその数日後にアップロードされた競合論文 その１ ２ ３ ４ の出版論文としての結果 1 2 3 4 最近溜まっているEmbryonic single cell data 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 10x sci-RNA-seq3 Smart-seq3 Wei Yangさん（Jayラボメンバーページ） マーカージーンをGPTに入れると予測してくる Mappingする方法  UMAPのco-embedding Foundation modelを作っていく例 今村さん とやっていたgene regulation Zygotic genome activation 精子のヒストンがプロタミンに置き換わる機構 残ったヒストンがinter-generationalなepigenetic memoryに関与する？（pdf） 父が肥満だと子が肥満になりやすい、母だとそうでもない ダーウィン vs ルイセンコ iPSで精子作成している例 減数分裂？に関するプレプリント パキテンで止まっている 山中論文は24から4へ 卵子が大きくなるためにはアクアポリンが必要。

Recent research has uncovered a fascinating phenomenon: when low on water, some plants emit high-pitched clicking noises, inaudible to human ears but detectable by certain insects. These ultrasonic “screams” might be nature's way of signalling distress—and they don't go unnoticed. New research published in the journal BioRXiv found that female moths use their sensitive hearing to listen to these ultrasonic signals steer clear of thirsty plants when laying eggs. This behaviour ensures their caterpillars hatch on healthier plants, with a better chance of survival. The researchers placed fertile female moths in a controlled arena. When given a choice between a hydrated tomato plant and a thirsty one, the moths overwhelmingly chose the silent, hydrated plant. But the researchers didn't stop there. In another experiment, two hydrated plants were placed in the arena, with a speaker next to one of them playing recorded distressed clicks. Again, the moths avoided the “noisy” plant, favouring the silent one. These results suggest that the sounds alone, even without visual or olfactory cues, are enough for moths to make a decision. What's even more fascinating is that these moths had no prior exposure to plants. Raised entirely in a lab, they had no opportunity to learn this behaviour. Their response to the ultrasonic signals appears to be hardwired in their genetics, highlighting the intricate connections between insects and plants in nature. This discovery isn't just a marvel of biology; it could have practical applications in the real-world. One could be pest management. By broadcasting ultrasonic distress signals, farmers might discourage moths from laying eggs on healthy crops, potentially reducing the need for chemical pesticides. Many insects have ultrasonic hearing, suggesting that this type of interaction might be widespread. This research invites us to rethink what we know about communication in nature. Beneath the threshold of human hearing lies a hidden world where plants and insects exchange critical information—a world we are only beginning to understand. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Early people in North America had mammoth appetitesThe people of the Clovis culture, who lived across Ice Age North America 13,000 years ago, left behind many tools and artifacts that suggest they were skilled hunters. And now chemical analysis of the incredibly rare find of bones of a Clovis child has given us the first direct evidence of what they were eating. The research, co-led by James Chatters of McMaster University, revealed they were “super-carnivores” whose diet mostly consisted of mammoth meat, with elk and bison/camel showing up as well. By specializing in hunting megafauna, this would have helped the Clovis people rapidly spread throughout North America. The research was published in the journal Science Advances.Now we know the specific molecule that makes the Corpse flower smell like deathCorpse flowers are major botanical attractions because of their unique shape, their rare flowering and their incredible stench. Now researchers have identified the molecule that is the secret behind the stink. Alveena Zulfiqar, a research associate at the University of Minnesota, was a key part of the team led by G. Eric Schaller, a professor of biology at Dartmouth College. They published their research in the journal PNAS Nexus.The dinosaurs that became birds had distinctive drumsticksThe lineage of dinosaurs that ultimately evolved into birds didn't just have unique adaptations for wings and feathers. They also evolved unique drumsticks, specifically fibula bones that are detached at the ankle, which gave their knee joints unusual mobility, allowing them to twist by more than 100 degrees. Biomechanist Armita Manafzadeh, from Yale University, says it's certainly possible that this change in their mobility might have been key to their survival. Their research was published in Nature. A plant can spit out its seeds fast enough to take out an eyeIn the blink of an eye the squirting cucumber can eject its seeds faster than a greyhound can run, up to twelve meters from the plant. High speed video has enabled researchers to capture the process, which the plant manages without muscles or tendons. Derek Moulton, a professor of applied mathematics at the University of Oxford, was part of the team that published their research in the journal PNAS.Hacking photosynthesis: How we can improve the chemistry that's the foundation of lifeThe plants that make up the base of the Earth's food chain, use the sun's energy — along with carbon dioxide and water — to build their tissues. But the chemical process they use, photosynthesis, is extremely inefficient. To feed our growing population, scientists are working on ways to improve this very foundational chemical reaction by increasing its efficiency.One team developed a computer simulation of the entire photosynthetic process to systematically search for and test ways to enhance the process. Plant biologist Steve Long, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, says if they combined all the individual gains they've discovered, he estimates they could improve efficiency by up to double. One of their latest studies is currently in the preprint bioRxiv. Another approach scientists are investigating involves replacing photosynthesis with more efficient chemical reaction to produce acetate as fuel for the plants' growth. This reaction could be powered by solar energy or any other form of electricity. Robert Jinkerson, a chemical engineer from the University of California in Riverside, said they're still developing this technology for plants, but they've shown that in single-celled photosynthetic algae that they can improve photosynthetic efficiency by at least four-fold. Their research is published in Joule. 

An international collaboration of researchers have discovered how archaea can form tissue-like structures from simple mechanical compression, unlocking a major secret to evolution. In ThePrint #̦PureScience, Sandhya Ramesh explains the findings and their significance.----more----Subscribe to the Pure Science Telegram Channel https://t.me/PureScienceWithSandhyaRamesh----more----Sources and further reading: BioRxiv preprint: Tissue-Like Multicellular Development Triggered by Mechanical Compression in Archaea https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.19.619234v1----more----Project lead Alex Bisson's visual explanation https://x.com/archaeon_alex/status/1848309481068753294?s=61

Chegou o momento do já tradicional episódio duplo sobre o IgNobel, que tem como missão "honrar estudos e experiências que primeiro fazem as pessoas rir e depois pensar", com as descobertas científicas mais estranhas do ano.Esta é a segunda e última parte sobre a edição 2024 do prêmio, que teve como tema a "Lei de Murphy", com as categorias Fisiologia, Probabilidade, Química, Demografia e Paz.Confira no papo entre o leigo curioso, Ken Fujioka, e o cientista PhD, Altay de Souza.> OUÇA (40min 55s)*Naruhodo! é o podcast pra quem tem fome de aprender. Ciência, senso comum, curiosidades, desafios e muito mais. Com o leigo curioso, Ken Fujioka, e o cientista PhD, Altay de Souza.Edição: Reginaldo Cursino.http://naruhodo.b9.com.br*REFERÊNCIASPRÊMIO DE FISIOLOGIA [JAPÃO, EUA]Ryo Okabe, Toyofumi F. Chen-Yoshikawa, Yosuke Yoneyama, Yuhei Yokoyama, Satona Tanaka, Akihiko Yoshizawa, Wendy L. Thompson, Gokul Kannan, Eiji Kobayashi, Hiroshi Date e Takanori Takebe, por descobrir que muitos mamíferos são capazes de respirar pelo ânus.REFERÊNCIA: “Mammalian Enteral Ventilation Ameliorates Respiratory Failure,” Ryo Okabe et al., Med, vol. 2, 11 de junho de 2021.QUEM FOI À CERIMÔNIA: Takanori Takebe, Toyofumi Chen-Yoshikawa, Ryo Okabe, Eiji Kobayashi, Yosuke Yoneyama, Yuhei Yokoyama.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666634021001537PRÊMIO DE PROBABILIDADE [HOLANDA, SUÍÇA, BÉLGICA, FRANÇA, ALEMANHA, HUNGRIA, REPÚBLICA TCHECA]František Bartoš, Eric-Jan Wagenmakers, Alexandra Sarafoglou, Henrik Godmann e muitos colegas, por mostrar, tanto na teoria quanto em 350.757 experimentos, que ao jogar uma moeda, ela tende a cair no mesmo lado que começou.REFERÊNCIA: “Fair Coins Tend to Land on the Same Side They Started,” František Bartoš et al., arXiv 2310.04153, 2023.QUEM FOI À CERIMÔNIA: Frantisek Bartos e Eric-Jan Wagenmakers.https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.04153Naruhodo #233 - O que é o "efeito cumbuca"?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW6uoBmt83cPRÊMIO DE QUÍMICA [HOLANDA, FRANÇA]Tess Heeremans, Antoine Deblais, Daniel Bonn e Sander Woutersen, por usar cromatografia para separar vermes bêbados de vermes sóbrios.REFERÊNCIA: “Chromatographic Separation of Active Polymer–Like Worm Mixtures by Contour Length and Activity,” Tess Heeremans et al., Science Advances, vol. 8, nº 23, 2022.QUEM FOI À CERIMÔNIA: Tess Heeremans, Antoine Deblais, Daniel Bonn, Sander Woutersen.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abj7918Naruhodo #339 - Por que as coisas parecem girar quando estamos bêbados?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmK1Yq0mwW8Naruhodo #52 - No bar, fazer xixi uma primeira vez aumenta a vontade de urinar mais vezes?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMUrKMHJovcPRÊMIO DE DEMOGRAFIA [AUSTRÁLIA, REINO UNIDO]Saul Justin Newman, por trabalho investigativo que descobriu que muitas das pessoas famosas por terem as vidas mais longas viveram em lugares com péssimos registros de nascimento e morte.REFERÊNCIAS: “Supercentenarians and the Oldest-Old Are Concentrated into Regions with No Birth Certificates and Short Lifespans,” Saul Justin Newman, BioRxiv, 2019; https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/704080v1“Supercentenarian and Remarkable Age Records Exhibit Patterns Indicative of Clerical Errors and Pension Fraud,” Saul Justin Newman, BioRxiv, 2024.QUEM FOI À CERIMÔNIA: Saul Justin Newman.https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/704080v3PRÊMIO DA PAZ [EUA]B.F. Skinner, por experimentos para verificar a viabilidade de abrigar pombos vivos dentro de mísseis para guiar suas trajetórias.REFERÊNCIA: “Pigeons in a Pelican,” B.F. Skinner, American Psychologist, vol. 15, nº 1, 1960, pp. 28-37.QUEM FOI À CERIMÔNIA: A filha de B.F. Skinner, Julie Skinner Vargas.https://www.appstate.edu/~steelekm/classes/psy3214/Documents/Skinner1960.pdf*APOIE O NARUHODO PELA PLATAFORMA ORELO!Um aviso importantíssimo: o podcast Naruhodo agora está no Orelo: https://bit.ly/naruhodo-no-oreloE é por meio dessa plataforma de apoio aos criadores de conteúdo que você ajuda o Naruhodo a se manter no ar.Você escolhe um valor de contribuição mensal e tem acesso a conteúdos exclusivos, conteúdos antecipados e vantagens especiais.Além disso, você pode ter acesso ao nosso grupo fechado no Telegram, e conversar comigo, com o Altay e com outros apoiadores.E não é só isso: toda vez que você ouvir ou fizer download de um episódio pelo Orelo, vai também estar pingando uns trocadinhos para o nosso projeto.Então, baixe agora mesmo o app Orelo no endereço Orelo.CC ou na sua loja de aplicativos e ajude a fortalecer o conhecimento científico.https://bit.ly/naruhodo-no-orelo

In this episode, I talk with Maaike Vandermosten, Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosciences at KU Leuven, about the neural basis of developmental dyslexia, and neuroplasticity in recovery from aphasia.Vandermosten websiteVanderauwera J, Wouters J, Vandermosten M, Ghesquière P. Early dynamics of white matter deficits in children developing dyslexia. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2017; 27: 69-77. [doi]Beelen C, Vanderauwera J, Wouters J, Vandermosten M, Ghesquière P. Atypical gray matter in children with dyslexia before the onset of reading instruction. Cortex 2019; 121: 399–413. [doi]Phan TV, Sima D, Smeets D, Ghesquière P, Wouters J, Vandermosten M. Structural brain dynamics across reading development: A longitudinal MRI study from kindergarten to grade 5. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42: 4497-509. [doi]Clercq PD, Gonsalves AR, Gerrits R, Vandermosten M. Individualized functional localization of the language and multiple demand network in chronic post-stroke aphasia. bioRxiv 2024; 2024.01.12.575350. [doi]

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten +++ Westliche Flachland-Gorillas fressen häufig bestimmte Pflanzen mit antibakterieller und antioxidativer Wirkung +++ Lachen hilft gegen trockene Augen +++ Warum Grönlandhaie älter als 400 Jahre werden können +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Antibacterial and antioxidant activities of plants consumed by western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in Gabon. Plos One, 11.09.2024Wie ausbleibender Klimaschutz künftige Generation belastet. Kurzstudie im Auftrag von Greenpeace und Germanwatch, 12.09.2024Effect of laughter exercise versus 0.1% sodium hyaluronic acid on ocular surface discomfort in dry eye disease: non-inferiority randomised controlled trial. The BMJ, 11.09.2024Ancient Rapanui genomes reveal resilience and pre-European contact with the Americas. Nature, 11.09.2024The Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) genome provides insights into extreme longevity. Preprint auf bioRxiv, 10.09.2024Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: Tiktok und Instagram.

Looking at an egg and wondering when and if it ever hosted life is a curiosity most of us are familiar with. But what about sea turtle eggs?With each sea turtle nest containing anywhere between 60-120 eggs, not all of them hatch into baby sea turtles - some instead exhibit hatching failure. But why do these eggs remain unhatched, and should we even care?In our third episode, we welcome Alessia Lavigne, a passionate young researcher who believes that hatching failure in threatened sea turtle populations is a cause for concern that demands investigation. After all, eggs hatching successfully is key to ensuring population renewal.So join Dr Minnie and Alessia, as they crack into the mystery surrounding sea turtle egg development, exploring the reasons behind hatching failure and their implications for sea turtle conservation.Links for additional reading:Understanding early reproductive failure in turtles and tortoise by Lavigne, A. M., Bullock, R., Shah, N. J., Tagg, C., Zora, A., & Hemmings, N. (2023). bioRxiv.A field key to the developmental stages of marine turtles (Cheloniidae) with notes on the development of Dermochelys by Miller, J.D., J.A. Mortimer & C.J. Limpus.(2023). Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 16: 111-122.Failure to launch: what's happening with Seychelles' turtle and tortoise eggs? A project by Alessia LavigneAlessia's InstagramWe would love to hear your questions, comments or suggestions about the podcast. Email us at: seaturtlestories@oliveridleyproject.orgOlive Ridley Project (ORP), a charity founded in 2013, is on a mission is to protect sea turtles and their habitats through rescue and conservation medicine, scientific research, and education and outreachTo support Olive Ridley Project's work in sea turtle conservation, you can, Name and Adopt a wild sea turtle, Adopt a turtle patient or Donate here: https://oliveridleyproject.org/donateFollow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tiktok and YoutubeCredits:The Sea Turtle Stories podcast is presented by Olive Ridley ProjectThe host for the podcast series is Dr Minnie LiddellThe podcast is edited, mixed and mastered by Dev RamkumarThe podcast series is produced and researched by Anadya Singh

The gang discusses two papers that study ecological changes in the evolutionary history of some charismatic ancient animal groups. The first paper uses geographic data to infer the timing of the evolution of homeothermy in non-avian dinosaur groups, and the second paper looks at the mechanisms by which cats (and cat-like animals) developed saber teeth. Meanwhile, Curt makes some plans for Amanda, James muddles things over, and Amanda could use another.   Up-Goer Five (Curt Edition): The friends talk about two papers that look at how where animals live can change how they look and also maybe how they look can change where they can live. The first paper looks at old big angry animals and where they live to see if they can find when these animals were able to make themselves warm inside. We have other things that make us think that some of these big angry animals may have been able to get warm inside, but that this might have happened a few times in this group. By looking at where these animals were found in the past, they see that there are times when these animals move into places that are colder. They use this to say that these times may be because these animals now being able to make themselves warm inside. The second paper looks at animals that are cats and cat like animals. Some of these cats and cat like animals have very long teeth. This paper does a lot of things to study how these cats and cat like animals change their heads when they get these big teeth. They find that some of these cat like groups do this in a different way than cats, but also that cats start to change their heads to be a bit more like the cat like things when they get bigger teeth but also not in the same way.   References: Chiarenza, Alfio Alessandro, et al. "Early Jurassic origin of avian endothermy and thermophysiological diversity in Dinosauria." bioRxiv (2023): 2023-12. Chatar, Narimane, et al. "Evolutionary patterns of cat-like carnivorans unveil drivers of the sabertooth morphology." Current Biology (2024).

In this 228th in a series of live discussions with Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying (both PhDs in Biology), we talk about the state of the world through an evolutionary lens.In this week's episode, we discuss the WHO, International Health Regulations, and this week's rally in Geneva. Also: major concessions in the Covid narrative. And: avian flu (H5N1). Finally: on the joys of motorcycling in the Alps with one's son.*****Our sponsors:Timeline: Accelerate the clearing of damaged mitochondria to improve strength and endurance: Go totimeline.com/darkhorse and use code darkhorse for 10% off your order. ARMRA: Colostrum is our first food, and can help restore your health and resilience as an adult. Go to www.tryarmra.com/DARKHORSE to get 15% off your first order.Helix: Excellent, sleep-enhancing, American-made mattresses. Go to www.HelixSleep.com/DarkHorse to get up to 30% of all mattress orders AND 2 free pillows.*****Join us on Locals! Get access to our Discord server, exclusive live streams, live chats for all streams, and early access to many podcasts: https://darkhorse.locals.com/Heather's newsletter, Natural Selections (subscribe to get free weekly essays in your inbox): https://naturalselections.substack.comOur book, A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century, is available everywhere books are sold, including from Amazon: https://a.co/d/dunx3atCheck out our store! Epic tabby, digital book burning, saddle up the dire wolves, and more: https://darkhorsestore.org*****Mentioned in this episode:Tedros tweet: https://x.com/DrTedros/status/1796993038926897205Chan in the NYT on Covid origins: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/06/03/opinion/covid-lab-leak.htmlThe Telegraph on excess deaths in 2020 – 2022: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/06/04/covid-vaccines-may-have-helped-fuel-rise-in-excess-deaths/Mostert et al 2024. Excess mortality across countries in the Western World since the COVID-19 pandemic: ‘Our World in Data' estimates of January 2020 to December 2022. BMJ Public Health 2024;2:e000282. https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/bmjph/2/1/e000282.full.pdfThe WHO on avian flu: https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/influenza-h5n1McCollough Substack on avian flu, June 4: https://petermcculloughmd.substack.com/p/breaking-publication-proximal-originHulscher et al 2024. Proximal Origin of Epidemic Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Clade 2.3.4.4b and Spread by Migratory Waterfowl. https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202406.0060/v1Murawski et al 2024. Highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus in a common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in Florida. Communications Biology, 7(1)476.: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-024-06173-x.pdfElsmo et al 2023. Pathology of natural infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) clade 2.3. 4.4 b in wild terrestrial mammals in the United States in 2022. BioRxiv, 2023-03.: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.10.532068v2.full.pdfSupport the Show.

Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@optispan Part I: https://youtu.be/-ujIfZXGbDA At the Optispan Podcast, we aim to help you become your own detective of research in the geroscience field and beyond. Critical thinking is our compass. We want to help you dig into every aspect of a study: are the methods they used solid? Was the sample size big enough? Did they crunch the numbers right? What's the most reasonable interpretation of the data? Might a conflict of interest skew the results? In Part II of a two-part series about a recent study of how a supplement called "Leap Years" affects canine cognitive function, Matt takes a magnifying glass to a bioRxiv preprint describing the clinical trial's methodology and findings. Beginning with a sentence-by-sentence dissection of the study's abstract, he describes various things he finds unusual or questionable about the way researchers ran and publicized the clinical trial: exclusion of certain data, a lack of disclosure around the supplement's ingredients, the use of an assessment tool that was not validated for its intended purpose, and more. He discusses conclusions we can actually draw from the study based on the information the researchers have supplied, and whether or not he would give the supplement to his own dog. This episode is Part II of a two-part series. In part I, Matt talks about the press release announcing the drug's potential ability to reverse age-related decline and improve cognitive function in dogs, as well as the importance of interrogating bold advertising claims rather than taking them at face value. Producers: Tara Mei, Nicholas Arapis Video Editor: Jacob Keliikoa DISCLAIMER: The information provided on the Optispan YouTube channel is intended solely for general educational purposes and is not meant to be, nor should it be construed as, personalized medical advice. No doctor-patient relationship is established by your use of this channel. The information and materials presented are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We strongly advise that you consult with a licensed healthcare professional for all matters concerning your health, especially before undertaking any changes based on content provided by this channel. The hosts and guests on this channel are not liable for any direct, indirect, or other damages or adverse effects that may arise from the application of the information discussed. Medical knowledge is constantly evolving; therefore, the information provided should be verified against current medical standards and practices. More places to find us: Twitter: https://twitter.com/optispanpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/optispan Twitter: https://twitter.com/mkaeberlein Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/optispan https://www.optispan.life/ Hi, I'm Matt Kaeberlein. I spent the first few decades of my career doing scientific research into the biology of aging, trying to understand the finer details of how humans age in order to facilitate translational interventions that promote healthspan and improve quality of life. Now I want to take some of that knowledge out of the lab and into the hands of people who can really use it. On this channel I talk about all things aging and healthspan, from supplements and nutrition to the latest discoveries in longevity research. My goal is to lift the veil on the geroscience and longevity world and help you apply what we know to your own personal health trajectory. I care about quality science and will always be honest about what I don't know. I hope you'll find these videos helpful!

In episode 046 Elle chats with Dr. Matthew Kasson: Mycologist and Plant Pathologist who studies fungus biodiversity centered around tree diseases and fungus-arthropod interactions.  Socials: https://x.com/ImperfectFunGuy https://twitter.com/plantdisease Research, Sci-Comm and related press and media: Online media, Nightmare-fuel fungi exist in real life, Popular Science (PopSci) https://www.popsci.com/environment/zombie-fungus-real-life-diseases/. Single author piece on the real-life fungal threats we face given all the attention fungi are getting from HBO's The Last of Us. Feb. 3, 2023.  Online media, How to keep your jack-o'-lantern from turning into moldy, maggoty mush before Halloween, The Conversation, How to keep your jack-o'-lantern from turning into moldy, maggoty mush before Halloween (theconversation.com). Single author piece on how fungi impact our seasonal celebrations and rituals particularly around Halloween. Oct. 6, 2022. Re-published by Scientific American, Popular Science, and PBS.  Printed and Online media, Wild mushrooms are curious organisms that require respect, The Washington Post, Wild mushrooms aren't all poisonous, but they all require caution - The Washington Post. Single author piece on how our fears of a small number of fungi shape our willingness to interact with them. August 24, 2022  Online media, Beyond flora and fauna: Why it's time to include fungi in global conservation goals, The Conversation, Beyond flora and fauna: Why it's time to include fungi in global conservation goals (theconversation.com). Co-authored piece with Brian Lovett (WVU PSS) and Patty Kaishian (Bard College) on how fungi are regularly excluded from talks on global conservation. May 17, 2022. Re-published in Indonesian.  Online media, Finding mental-health clarity under pandemic pressures. Nature. Finding mental-health clarity under pandemic pressures (nature.com) Single author column on my mental health struggles in academia. Dec. 14, 2021.   Research Podcast with Online Media, Episode 25: “Of Peeps and People…and Plant Pathology” Plantopia, https://www.plantopiapodcast.org/25.  The official podcast on The American Phytopathological Society featuring my work in forest pathology, science communication, and advocacy. July 21. 2022.  Podcast with Online Media, Episode 4: How cicadas become flying saltshakers of death Overheard at National Geographic, Episode 4: How cicadas become flying saltshakers of death (nationalgeographic.com) May 25, 2021.  National Radio with Online Media, Drugged Cicadas Mate Like Wild After Their Butts Fall Off, All Things Considered, National Public Radio., Drugged Cicadas Mate Like Wild After Their Butts Fall Off : NPR Coverage of Brood X and my lab's research of cicada fungus Massospora. May 18, 2021.  Online Media, Drugged, Castrated, Eager to Mate: the Lives of Fungi-Infected Cicadas, The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/28/science/cicadas-fungus-butts.html, Coverage of our Fungal Ecology paper on cicadas " Psychoactive plant- and mushroom-associated alkaloids from two behavior modifying cicada pathogens.", July 28, 2019.  Online Media, This Parasite Drugs Its Hosts With the Psychedelic Chemical in Shrooms, The Atlantic, https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/07/massospora-parasite-drugs-its-hosts/566324/, Coverage of our BioRxiv pre-print "Psychoactive plant- and mushroom-associated alkaloids from two behavior modifying cicada pathogens.", July 30, 2018.   SciComm  Online media, These fungi demand more pumpkin in their pumpkin spice lattes. Popular Science. Some fungi are fans of pumpkin spice lattes, too | Popular Science (popsci.com). Coverage of my Sept. 9, 2022 viral tweet seeing which fungi preferred growth media with real pumpkin compared with pumpkin spice and pumpkin spice latte-substituted growth media. Sept. 15, 2022.  National Radio with Online Media, A Disturbing Twinkie That Has, So Far, Defied Science, National Public Radio, Scientists Are Fascinated By An 8-Year-Old, Moldy Twinkie : NPR, Coverage of my viral Twitter experiment isolating fungi from moldy Twinkies. Oct. 15, 2020.  Online Media, Injecting Marshmallow Peeps With Fungi, for Science, The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/29/science/marshmallow-peeps-fungus.html?searchResultPosition=1, Coverage of our Twitter #fungalPeeps project, March 29, 2019.   Expertise Online and printed media, Janet Yellen ate magic mushrooms. Here's why she didn't get high.  The Washington Post. Interview to talk about  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's trip to China and consumption of a mushroom known as jian shou qing. Aug. 16, 2023. Janet Yellen ate magic mushrooms. Here's why she didn't get high. - The Washington Post  Online media, The fungal threat to human health is growing in a warmer, wetter, sicker world. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/07/health/fungus-health-threat-scn/index.html. Coverage on the fungal craze surrounding HBO's The Last of Us. Feb. 7, 2023.  Online media, We Asked a Mycologist About The Last of Us and It Got Weird. Esquire. https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a42760795/last-of-us-fungus-cordyceps-mycologist/ Interview to speak about the fungal craze surrounding HBO's The Last of Us. Feb. 5, 2023.  National Radio with Online Media, Finally, scientists have found a true millipede, All Things Considered, National Public Radio., Finally, scientists have found a true millipede : NPR Coverage of my colleague's discovery of the first true millipede with commentary from me. Dec. 20, 2021. Finally, scientists have found a true millipede : NPR   Elle Kaye socials www.instagram.com/ellekayetaxidermy www.twitter.com/ellektaxidermy Podcast socials www.instagram.com/specimenspod wwww.twitter.com/ellektaxidermy www.patreon.com/specimenspod www.ellekayetaxidermy.co.uk/product-page/specimenspodmerch Artwork ©  2021 Madison Erin Mayfield www.instagram.com/madisonerinmayfield www.twitter.com/MEMIllustration Music Giraffes - Harrison Amer via premiumbeat.com Researched, edited and produced by Elle Kaye Concept/Title ©  2020 Elle Kaye

Anand Muthusamy is a Fellow at Convergent Research, where he's laying the groundwork for a focused research organization (FRO) to monitor the real-time activity of biomarkers in humans. Anand is a chemist and neuroscientist. He recently completed his PhD at Caltech, worked at Janelia Research Campus, and did his undergrad at the University of Pennsylvania. Check out his recent paper on bioRxiv: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.15.584894v1Defense talk on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OK1kBOKsaawFRO proposal overview: https://fas.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Muthusamy-Garrett-Molecular-Modeling.pdf

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, January 19th, 2024. Samaritan Ministries January 2024 Tired of someone else telling you where to go when you have a medical need? Are you ready to take control of your health care? Then it’s time to take a look at Samaritan Ministries. It’s Biblical, affordable health care sharing, with no restrictive networks. Here’s how it works. When a medical need arises, you choose the health care provider that’s right for you and have a say in the treatment you receive. Send your medical bills to Samaritan Ministries, and they’ll notify fellow members to pray for you and send money directly to you to help you pay those bills. Join 80,000 Christian households across the nation who have already taken control of their health care. Go to samaritan ministries dot org slash cross politic. https://thenationalpulse.com/2024/01/18/gop-led-house-approves-bill-to-avoid-shutdown-without-border-spending-deals/ GOP-Led House Approves Bill to Avoid Shutdown Without Border, Spending Deals The U.S. House of Representatives voted late Thursday afternoon to extend government funding into early March and avoid a temporary partial government shutdown, sending the continuing resolution to President Biden to sign into law. The measure, which passed by a vote of 314 to 108, angered conservative Republicans who opposed any continuing resolution to fund the government without concessions by the Democrats on border security and spending. The House Freedom Caucus made an eleventh-hour plea to House Speaker Mike Johnson to permit an amendment to the House’s border security package, which Johnson rejected. Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good slammed his fellow Republicans who supported the continuing resolution ahead of the vote. “The more things change, the more things stay the same,” he said in a floor speech. “We’re not even willing to risk a temporary pause in the 15 percent of the non-essential part of the government in order to force change in Washington,” he said. “No, we’re going to continue the status quo.” Good’s statements echoed an official position on the measure released by the Freedom Caucus hours before the vote. “Americans did not give Republicans a majority in the House to continue Nancy Pelosi’s inflationary spending and Joe Biden’s failed policies,” the group wrote in a statement. “This is not what we promised the American people.” The vote is also likely to be unpopular with the Republican base, which consistently ranks immigration as one of the top issues facing the country. Over 80 percent of Republican voters agree with President Donald Trump that the ongoing border crisis is “poisoning the blood” of America. https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/17/blue-state-officials-pay-thousands-barring-church-preschool-lunch-program-beliefs-gender/ Blue State Officials Agree To Pay Thousands After Barring Church From Preschool Lunch Program For Beliefs On Gender California state officials agreed to settle with the Church of Compassion and Dayspring Christian Learning Center Tuesday for nearly $200,000 after trying to exclude the church from the state’s preschool lunch program. The church and the center, alongside Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), filed a lawsuit in June last year alleging that officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California Department of Social Services barred them from participating in the “Child and Adult Food Care Program” because of their religious beliefs on gender and sex. ADF and state officials filed a settlement agreement this week requiring the defendants to pay $30,000 for meals paid out of pocket in the absence of state funding and $160,000 for attorney’s fees. “In the name of combatting discrimination, government officials excluded the church and preschool from serving the El Cajon community based solely on their religious beliefs and exercise,” Jeremiah Galus, senior counsel for ADF, said in a press release. “While it shouldn’t have taken a lawsuit to resolve this, at least now Church of Compassion can continue its vital outreach to needy children and families.” The center had been a part of the USDA’s program for nearly two decades when the department changed its rules in 2021 requiring all participants to commit to not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. In May 2023, the department also required state directors of USDA’s food and nutrition service programs to prohibit “discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.” Church of Compassion and Dayspring Christian Learning Center failed to meet these new requirements for the 2022-2023 school year because of their beliefs on “human sexuality” and their refusal to “use any child or employee’s ‘preferred’ pronouns that do not correspond to biological sex,” according to the lawsuit. ADF argued that the department and state officials were deliberately discriminating against the church and the learning center because of its faith in violation of the First Amendment. “The government can’t withhold food from families in need simply because their children attend a Christian preschool. The Constitution protects the right of Church of Compassion and its preschool to operate according to the dictates of their faith,” Galus said in the press release. https://townhall.com/tipsheet/madelineleesman/2024/01/17/lgbt-activist-arrested-child-predator-sting-n2633750 Director of LGBTQ+ Organization That Helps Minors Arrested in Child Sex Sting The executive director of the pro-LGBTQ+ organization Rainbow Research Center was apprehended on suspicion of attempting to engage in sexual activities with a minor, according to The Modesto Bee. Reportedly, a total of 17 men were arrested on suspicion of eliciting sex with a minor after an undercover sting conducted by the Turlock Police Department in California. Gerard Slayton, 42, was one of them (via the Bee): Slayton recently was appointed executive director of the Rainbow Center, a local nonprofit organization that provides resources to LGBTQ+ members of all ages. It particularly offers resources related to mental and physical health. In a statement shared on Facebook, the Rainbow Resource Center said that Slayton’s actions occurred “outside working hours and off-premises.” “Mr. Slayton’s actions do not represent our organization’s values or mission. In accordance with our unwavering commitment to upholding the highest standards of conduct and integrity, we are addressing the issue within the Rainbow Resource Center,” the statement read. “We are dedicated to rebuilding any trust that may have been affected by the situation. As an organization that is at the forefront of advocacy and support for the LGBTQ+ community, our actions must reflect our dedication to these principles,” it continued. https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/17/beijing-china-wuhan-covid-19-100-percent-death-mice-study-full-paper/ Mutant COVID-19 Strain With 100% Kill Rate Developed In China A pre-peer-reviewed study published in early January described how mice were exposed to a human-based “lethal infection” of COVID-19 with a 100% mortality rate. The Beijing-based research paper was submitted to the scientific preprint site BioRXiv and published prior to peer review, but the data held within the pages is significant. Two SARS-CoV-2-related pangolin coronaviruses (GD/2019, GX/2017) were identified prior to the major COVID-19 outbreak in late 2019 through early 2020, according to the study’s authors. The researchers then isolated “mutant” strains, which were cultured in labs between 2017 and 2020. When the infectivity and pathogenicity of the isolates were tested, it was found to easily infect golden hamsters and mice. The first isolate pCoV-GD01 had a higher homology than COVID-19, whereas GX_P2V didn’t seem to cause any disease in the animals despite infection. But an early passaged GX_P2V isolate, named GX_P2v(short_3UTR) not only infected mice with extremely high viral loads into their lung and brain tissue, but eventually killed 100% of the mice within the study. Even those mice who were given an inoculation (i.e., vaccinated) succumbed to the disease. Autopsy of the mice showed viral RNA in the brain, lung, turbinate, eye and trachea, killing all of the mice within eight days of infection. All of the mice’s eyes also went white the day before they died. The authors argued this is the first report that COVID-19-related pangolin coronavirus can cause 100% mortality rates in mice, suggesting a significant risk of the disease spilling over into humans. But since the study is not peer-reviewed, there are huge questions about the efficacy of the results. “I had a look at the preprint. It’s a terrible study, scientifically totally pointless. I can see nothing of vague interest that could be learned from force-infecting a weird breed of humanised mice with a random virus. Conversely, I could see how such stuff might go wrong …” University College London genetics director Francois Balloux wrote on Twitter. “The preprint does not specify the biosafety level and biosafety precautions used for the research.” Balloux’s statements were reiterated by Rutgers University chemistry professor Richard H. Ebright, who wrote “concur” under the comment. It appears the biggest concern is related to why scientists feel the need to develop these horrific diseases. “The absence of this information raises the concerning possibility that part or all of this research, like the research in Wuhan in 2016-2019 that likely caused the Covid-19 pandemic, recklessly was performed without the minimal biosafety containment and practices essential for research with potential pandemic pathogens,” Balloux concluded. And it’s pretty hard to argue with his stance. China is already inching back toward lockdowns as mysterious viruses spread throughout the country. Most of these illnesses are being blamed on influenza strains and other respiratory diseases, but no single culprit has been identified to date.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, January 19th, 2024. Samaritan Ministries January 2024 Tired of someone else telling you where to go when you have a medical need? Are you ready to take control of your health care? Then it’s time to take a look at Samaritan Ministries. It’s Biblical, affordable health care sharing, with no restrictive networks. Here’s how it works. When a medical need arises, you choose the health care provider that’s right for you and have a say in the treatment you receive. Send your medical bills to Samaritan Ministries, and they’ll notify fellow members to pray for you and send money directly to you to help you pay those bills. Join 80,000 Christian households across the nation who have already taken control of their health care. Go to samaritan ministries dot org slash cross politic. https://thenationalpulse.com/2024/01/18/gop-led-house-approves-bill-to-avoid-shutdown-without-border-spending-deals/ GOP-Led House Approves Bill to Avoid Shutdown Without Border, Spending Deals The U.S. House of Representatives voted late Thursday afternoon to extend government funding into early March and avoid a temporary partial government shutdown, sending the continuing resolution to President Biden to sign into law. The measure, which passed by a vote of 314 to 108, angered conservative Republicans who opposed any continuing resolution to fund the government without concessions by the Democrats on border security and spending. The House Freedom Caucus made an eleventh-hour plea to House Speaker Mike Johnson to permit an amendment to the House’s border security package, which Johnson rejected. Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good slammed his fellow Republicans who supported the continuing resolution ahead of the vote. “The more things change, the more things stay the same,” he said in a floor speech. “We’re not even willing to risk a temporary pause in the 15 percent of the non-essential part of the government in order to force change in Washington,” he said. “No, we’re going to continue the status quo.” Good’s statements echoed an official position on the measure released by the Freedom Caucus hours before the vote. “Americans did not give Republicans a majority in the House to continue Nancy Pelosi’s inflationary spending and Joe Biden’s failed policies,” the group wrote in a statement. “This is not what we promised the American people.” The vote is also likely to be unpopular with the Republican base, which consistently ranks immigration as one of the top issues facing the country. Over 80 percent of Republican voters agree with President Donald Trump that the ongoing border crisis is “poisoning the blood” of America. https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/17/blue-state-officials-pay-thousands-barring-church-preschool-lunch-program-beliefs-gender/ Blue State Officials Agree To Pay Thousands After Barring Church From Preschool Lunch Program For Beliefs On Gender California state officials agreed to settle with the Church of Compassion and Dayspring Christian Learning Center Tuesday for nearly $200,000 after trying to exclude the church from the state’s preschool lunch program. The church and the center, alongside Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), filed a lawsuit in June last year alleging that officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California Department of Social Services barred them from participating in the “Child and Adult Food Care Program” because of their religious beliefs on gender and sex. ADF and state officials filed a settlement agreement this week requiring the defendants to pay $30,000 for meals paid out of pocket in the absence of state funding and $160,000 for attorney’s fees. “In the name of combatting discrimination, government officials excluded the church and preschool from serving the El Cajon community based solely on their religious beliefs and exercise,” Jeremiah Galus, senior counsel for ADF, said in a press release. “While it shouldn’t have taken a lawsuit to resolve this, at least now Church of Compassion can continue its vital outreach to needy children and families.” The center had been a part of the USDA’s program for nearly two decades when the department changed its rules in 2021 requiring all participants to commit to not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. In May 2023, the department also required state directors of USDA’s food and nutrition service programs to prohibit “discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.” Church of Compassion and Dayspring Christian Learning Center failed to meet these new requirements for the 2022-2023 school year because of their beliefs on “human sexuality” and their refusal to “use any child or employee’s ‘preferred’ pronouns that do not correspond to biological sex,” according to the lawsuit. ADF argued that the department and state officials were deliberately discriminating against the church and the learning center because of its faith in violation of the First Amendment. “The government can’t withhold food from families in need simply because their children attend a Christian preschool. The Constitution protects the right of Church of Compassion and its preschool to operate according to the dictates of their faith,” Galus said in the press release. https://townhall.com/tipsheet/madelineleesman/2024/01/17/lgbt-activist-arrested-child-predator-sting-n2633750 Director of LGBTQ+ Organization That Helps Minors Arrested in Child Sex Sting The executive director of the pro-LGBTQ+ organization Rainbow Research Center was apprehended on suspicion of attempting to engage in sexual activities with a minor, according to The Modesto Bee. Reportedly, a total of 17 men were arrested on suspicion of eliciting sex with a minor after an undercover sting conducted by the Turlock Police Department in California. Gerard Slayton, 42, was one of them (via the Bee): Slayton recently was appointed executive director of the Rainbow Center, a local nonprofit organization that provides resources to LGBTQ+ members of all ages. It particularly offers resources related to mental and physical health. In a statement shared on Facebook, the Rainbow Resource Center said that Slayton’s actions occurred “outside working hours and off-premises.” “Mr. Slayton’s actions do not represent our organization’s values or mission. In accordance with our unwavering commitment to upholding the highest standards of conduct and integrity, we are addressing the issue within the Rainbow Resource Center,” the statement read. “We are dedicated to rebuilding any trust that may have been affected by the situation. As an organization that is at the forefront of advocacy and support for the LGBTQ+ community, our actions must reflect our dedication to these principles,” it continued. https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/17/beijing-china-wuhan-covid-19-100-percent-death-mice-study-full-paper/ Mutant COVID-19 Strain With 100% Kill Rate Developed In China A pre-peer-reviewed study published in early January described how mice were exposed to a human-based “lethal infection” of COVID-19 with a 100% mortality rate. The Beijing-based research paper was submitted to the scientific preprint site BioRXiv and published prior to peer review, but the data held within the pages is significant. Two SARS-CoV-2-related pangolin coronaviruses (GD/2019, GX/2017) were identified prior to the major COVID-19 outbreak in late 2019 through early 2020, according to the study’s authors. The researchers then isolated “mutant” strains, which were cultured in labs between 2017 and 2020. When the infectivity and pathogenicity of the isolates were tested, it was found to easily infect golden hamsters and mice. The first isolate pCoV-GD01 had a higher homology than COVID-19, whereas GX_P2V didn’t seem to cause any disease in the animals despite infection. But an early passaged GX_P2V isolate, named GX_P2v(short_3UTR) not only infected mice with extremely high viral loads into their lung and brain tissue, but eventually killed 100% of the mice within the study. Even those mice who were given an inoculation (i.e., vaccinated) succumbed to the disease. Autopsy of the mice showed viral RNA in the brain, lung, turbinate, eye and trachea, killing all of the mice within eight days of infection. All of the mice’s eyes also went white the day before they died. The authors argued this is the first report that COVID-19-related pangolin coronavirus can cause 100% mortality rates in mice, suggesting a significant risk of the disease spilling over into humans. But since the study is not peer-reviewed, there are huge questions about the efficacy of the results. “I had a look at the preprint. It’s a terrible study, scientifically totally pointless. I can see nothing of vague interest that could be learned from force-infecting a weird breed of humanised mice with a random virus. Conversely, I could see how such stuff might go wrong …” University College London genetics director Francois Balloux wrote on Twitter. “The preprint does not specify the biosafety level and biosafety precautions used for the research.” Balloux’s statements were reiterated by Rutgers University chemistry professor Richard H. Ebright, who wrote “concur” under the comment. It appears the biggest concern is related to why scientists feel the need to develop these horrific diseases. “The absence of this information raises the concerning possibility that part or all of this research, like the research in Wuhan in 2016-2019 that likely caused the Covid-19 pandemic, recklessly was performed without the minimal biosafety containment and practices essential for research with potential pandemic pathogens,” Balloux concluded. And it’s pretty hard to argue with his stance. China is already inching back toward lockdowns as mysterious viruses spread throughout the country. Most of these illnesses are being blamed on influenza strains and other respiratory diseases, but no single culprit has been identified to date.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, January 19th, 2024. Samaritan Ministries January 2024 Tired of someone else telling you where to go when you have a medical need? Are you ready to take control of your health care? Then it’s time to take a look at Samaritan Ministries. It’s Biblical, affordable health care sharing, with no restrictive networks. Here’s how it works. When a medical need arises, you choose the health care provider that’s right for you and have a say in the treatment you receive. Send your medical bills to Samaritan Ministries, and they’ll notify fellow members to pray for you and send money directly to you to help you pay those bills. Join 80,000 Christian households across the nation who have already taken control of their health care. Go to samaritan ministries dot org slash cross politic. https://thenationalpulse.com/2024/01/18/gop-led-house-approves-bill-to-avoid-shutdown-without-border-spending-deals/ GOP-Led House Approves Bill to Avoid Shutdown Without Border, Spending Deals The U.S. House of Representatives voted late Thursday afternoon to extend government funding into early March and avoid a temporary partial government shutdown, sending the continuing resolution to President Biden to sign into law. The measure, which passed by a vote of 314 to 108, angered conservative Republicans who opposed any continuing resolution to fund the government without concessions by the Democrats on border security and spending. The House Freedom Caucus made an eleventh-hour plea to House Speaker Mike Johnson to permit an amendment to the House’s border security package, which Johnson rejected. Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good slammed his fellow Republicans who supported the continuing resolution ahead of the vote. “The more things change, the more things stay the same,” he said in a floor speech. “We’re not even willing to risk a temporary pause in the 15 percent of the non-essential part of the government in order to force change in Washington,” he said. “No, we’re going to continue the status quo.” Good’s statements echoed an official position on the measure released by the Freedom Caucus hours before the vote. “Americans did not give Republicans a majority in the House to continue Nancy Pelosi’s inflationary spending and Joe Biden’s failed policies,” the group wrote in a statement. “This is not what we promised the American people.” The vote is also likely to be unpopular with the Republican base, which consistently ranks immigration as one of the top issues facing the country. Over 80 percent of Republican voters agree with President Donald Trump that the ongoing border crisis is “poisoning the blood” of America. https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/17/blue-state-officials-pay-thousands-barring-church-preschool-lunch-program-beliefs-gender/ Blue State Officials Agree To Pay Thousands After Barring Church From Preschool Lunch Program For Beliefs On Gender California state officials agreed to settle with the Church of Compassion and Dayspring Christian Learning Center Tuesday for nearly $200,000 after trying to exclude the church from the state’s preschool lunch program. The church and the center, alongside Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), filed a lawsuit in June last year alleging that officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California Department of Social Services barred them from participating in the “Child and Adult Food Care Program” because of their religious beliefs on gender and sex. ADF and state officials filed a settlement agreement this week requiring the defendants to pay $30,000 for meals paid out of pocket in the absence of state funding and $160,000 for attorney’s fees. “In the name of combatting discrimination, government officials excluded the church and preschool from serving the El Cajon community based solely on their religious beliefs and exercise,” Jeremiah Galus, senior counsel for ADF, said in a press release. “While it shouldn’t have taken a lawsuit to resolve this, at least now Church of Compassion can continue its vital outreach to needy children and families.” The center had been a part of the USDA’s program for nearly two decades when the department changed its rules in 2021 requiring all participants to commit to not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. In May 2023, the department also required state directors of USDA’s food and nutrition service programs to prohibit “discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.” Church of Compassion and Dayspring Christian Learning Center failed to meet these new requirements for the 2022-2023 school year because of their beliefs on “human sexuality” and their refusal to “use any child or employee’s ‘preferred’ pronouns that do not correspond to biological sex,” according to the lawsuit. ADF argued that the department and state officials were deliberately discriminating against the church and the learning center because of its faith in violation of the First Amendment. “The government can’t withhold food from families in need simply because their children attend a Christian preschool. The Constitution protects the right of Church of Compassion and its preschool to operate according to the dictates of their faith,” Galus said in the press release. https://townhall.com/tipsheet/madelineleesman/2024/01/17/lgbt-activist-arrested-child-predator-sting-n2633750 Director of LGBTQ+ Organization That Helps Minors Arrested in Child Sex Sting The executive director of the pro-LGBTQ+ organization Rainbow Research Center was apprehended on suspicion of attempting to engage in sexual activities with a minor, according to The Modesto Bee. Reportedly, a total of 17 men were arrested on suspicion of eliciting sex with a minor after an undercover sting conducted by the Turlock Police Department in California. Gerard Slayton, 42, was one of them (via the Bee): Slayton recently was appointed executive director of the Rainbow Center, a local nonprofit organization that provides resources to LGBTQ+ members of all ages. It particularly offers resources related to mental and physical health. In a statement shared on Facebook, the Rainbow Resource Center said that Slayton’s actions occurred “outside working hours and off-premises.” “Mr. Slayton’s actions do not represent our organization’s values or mission. In accordance with our unwavering commitment to upholding the highest standards of conduct and integrity, we are addressing the issue within the Rainbow Resource Center,” the statement read. “We are dedicated to rebuilding any trust that may have been affected by the situation. As an organization that is at the forefront of advocacy and support for the LGBTQ+ community, our actions must reflect our dedication to these principles,” it continued. https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/17/beijing-china-wuhan-covid-19-100-percent-death-mice-study-full-paper/ Mutant COVID-19 Strain With 100% Kill Rate Developed In China A pre-peer-reviewed study published in early January described how mice were exposed to a human-based “lethal infection” of COVID-19 with a 100% mortality rate. The Beijing-based research paper was submitted to the scientific preprint site BioRXiv and published prior to peer review, but the data held within the pages is significant. Two SARS-CoV-2-related pangolin coronaviruses (GD/2019, GX/2017) were identified prior to the major COVID-19 outbreak in late 2019 through early 2020, according to the study’s authors. The researchers then isolated “mutant” strains, which were cultured in labs between 2017 and 2020. When the infectivity and pathogenicity of the isolates were tested, it was found to easily infect golden hamsters and mice. The first isolate pCoV-GD01 had a higher homology than COVID-19, whereas GX_P2V didn’t seem to cause any disease in the animals despite infection. But an early passaged GX_P2V isolate, named GX_P2v(short_3UTR) not only infected mice with extremely high viral loads into their lung and brain tissue, but eventually killed 100% of the mice within the study. Even those mice who were given an inoculation (i.e., vaccinated) succumbed to the disease. Autopsy of the mice showed viral RNA in the brain, lung, turbinate, eye and trachea, killing all of the mice within eight days of infection. All of the mice’s eyes also went white the day before they died. The authors argued this is the first report that COVID-19-related pangolin coronavirus can cause 100% mortality rates in mice, suggesting a significant risk of the disease spilling over into humans. But since the study is not peer-reviewed, there are huge questions about the efficacy of the results. “I had a look at the preprint. It’s a terrible study, scientifically totally pointless. I can see nothing of vague interest that could be learned from force-infecting a weird breed of humanised mice with a random virus. Conversely, I could see how such stuff might go wrong …” University College London genetics director Francois Balloux wrote on Twitter. “The preprint does not specify the biosafety level and biosafety precautions used for the research.” Balloux’s statements were reiterated by Rutgers University chemistry professor Richard H. Ebright, who wrote “concur” under the comment. It appears the biggest concern is related to why scientists feel the need to develop these horrific diseases. “The absence of this information raises the concerning possibility that part or all of this research, like the research in Wuhan in 2016-2019 that likely caused the Covid-19 pandemic, recklessly was performed without the minimal biosafety containment and practices essential for research with potential pandemic pathogens,” Balloux concluded. And it’s pretty hard to argue with his stance. China is already inching back toward lockdowns as mysterious viruses spread throughout the country. Most of these illnesses are being blamed on influenza strains and other respiratory diseases, but no single culprit has been identified to date.

In today's episode, we discuss the role of mentorship in academia. What are the characteristics of a good mentor-mentee relationship? What are the qualities of good mentors and good mentees? Does mentorship play a role in the development of scientific knowledge? And could mentors and mentees benefit from couples therapy? Note: D.I.H.C is pronounced 'dick' but this is meant to be a family-friendly podcast :)   Shownotes https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/emotional-fitness/201303/10-things-your-relationship-needs-thrive Roberts, L. R., Tinari, C. M., & Bandlow, R. (2019). An effective doctoral student mentor wears many hats and asks many questions. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 14, 133. Sarabipour, S., Niemi, N. M., Burgess, S. J., Smith, C. T., Filho, A. W. B., Ibrahim, A., & Clark, K. (2023). Insights from a survey of mentorship experiences by graduate and postdoctoral researchers (p. 2023.05.05.539640). bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.05.05.539640