Podcasts about sciences pnas

Insights in route planning from London taxi drivers Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Hugo Spiers, Pablo Fernández Velasco, and Eva-Marie Griesbauer share what they learned about human route planning from talking with London taxi drivers. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:59] Cognitive neuroscientist Hugo Spiers reviews previous studies on human route planning. •[01:29] Cognitive scientist and philosopher Pablo Fernández Velasco talks about why they chose to study London taxi drivers. •[01:49] Spiers describes the test that qualifies London taxi drivers. •[02:39] Spiers explains the experimental procedure. •[04:01] A recording of a taxi driver describing a route. •[04:57] Fernández talks about the data analysis. •[05:22] Psychologist Eva-Maria Griesbauer talks about the experience of interviewing taxi drivers. •[05:56] Fernández, Spiers, and Griesbauer recount the results of the study. •[08:43] Fernández and Spiers talk about the implications for the study of human route planning. •[10:22] Fernández describes the caveats and limitations of the study. •[11:15] Conclusion. About Our Guests: Hugo Spiers Professor University College London Pablo Fernández Velasco Postdoctoral researcher University of York Eva-Maria Griesbauer Postdoctoral researcher University College London View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2407814122 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) warns that when we experience the next Cascadia subduction zone earthquake, land near the coast may rise or fall significantly over a short period of time—think +/-5 feet in five minutes. If it falls, it could significantly expose new parts of our coast to sea level rise and coastal flooding. Check out the coverage from the Lost Coast Outpost or read the study yourself.Dr. Jay Patton of the California Geological Survey joins the show to discuss why land may suddenly jump or fall, the archeological evidence of past earthquake-driven subsidence, and the consequences of such a sudden shift. Want to be prepared for the big one? Check out "Living on Shaky Ground" for advice on how to get ready to rumble.Support the show

Individual decision-making and collective animal behavior Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, researchers explore advances in the modeling of collective animal behaviors. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:48] Conor Heins incorporated cognitive processes into a model of collective behavior. •[02:13] Eva Kanso analyzed how confinement influences collective behavior. •[03:41] Andreu Puy considered the role of speed in the leader-follower dynamics of schooling fish. •[04:45] Daniel Kronauer explored how a colony of clonal raider ants collectively responds to rising temperatures. •[06:02] Sonja Friman quantified the energy savings of starlings flying in complex formations. •[07:27] Daniele Carlesso modeled how weaver ants decide to form chains to explore their environment. •[08:43] Ashkaan Fahimipour explored how reef fish minimize the spread of misinformation. •[10:11] Clare Doherty explored the individualism of terrestrial hermit crabs moving in groups. •[11:44] Final thoughts and conclusion. About Our Guests: Conor Heins  Machine Learning Researcher Verses AI / Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Eva Kanso  Zohrab A. Kaprielian Fellow in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering University of Southern California Andreu Puy  PhD Student Polytechnic University of Catalonia Daniel Kronauer  Stanley S. and Sydney R. Shuman Professor Rockefeller University Sonja Friman  Postdoctoral Fellow Lund University Daniele Carlesso  Postdoctoral Researcher University of Konstanz Ashkaan Fahimipour  Assistant Professor Florida Atlantic University Clare Doherty  Research Associate Ulster University View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2320239121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2406293121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2309733121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2123076119 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2319971121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2216217120 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2215428120 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-11469-1 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

Des chercheurs dirigés par le professeur Prasun Guha ont mis en lumière un phénomène jusqu'ici méconnu des effets de la cocaïne sur le cerveau : la drogue entraîne une autophagie excessive dans les cellules neuronales. Ce terme, qui signifie littéralement « se manger soi-même », désigne un processus naturel par lequel la cellule recycle ses composants usés pour maintenir son bon fonctionnement. Mais lorsqu'il est déréglé, ce mécanisme peut devenir toxique.L'étude, publiée dans la revue Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), montre qu'après administration de cocaïne à des souris, de nombreuses cellules cérébrales ont enclenché une autodestruction accélérée. En cause : une suractivation de la protéine SIGMAR1, impliquée dans la régulation du stress cellulaire. Sous l'effet de la drogue, cette protéine déclenche une autophagie incontrôlable, entraînant la dégradation de structures essentielles des cellules, comme les mitochondries, les membranes ou même les noyaux.Ce phénomène affecte principalement les neurones dopaminergiques, situés dans le circuit de la récompense, une zone déjà connue pour être profondément altérée chez les consommateurs de cocaïne. Résultat : une perte de neurones, des troubles de la mémoire, et une altération de fonctions cognitives clés. En d'autres termes, la cocaïne ne se contente pas d'endommager les connexions cérébrales : elle provoque une autodestruction de l'intérieur.« L'analogie est assez frappante : les cellules deviennent comme des maisons qui se mettent à manger leurs propres murs », explique Prasun Guha. « Ce n'est pas seulement une perte de fonction, c'est une forme de dégénérescence accélérée. »Face à ces effets délétères, les chercheurs ont testé un composé expérimental, le CGP3466B, déjà connu pour ses propriétés neuroprotectrices. Administré en parallèle de la cocaïne, il est parvenu à limiter l'activation de SIGMAR1 et à freiner l'autophagie excessive. Une piste encourageante pour de futurs traitements, bien que cette molécule n'ait pas encore été testée sur l'humain dans ce contexte.Cette découverte jette un nouvel éclairage sur la dangerosité neurologique de la cocaïne, bien au-delà de ses effets immédiats. Elle rappelle aussi l'importance de la recherche fondamentale pour comprendre en profondeur les mécanismes invisibles de l'addiction et ses conséquences durables sur le cerveau. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Une étude récente met en lumière l'impact significatif de la pollution au plomb générée par l'Empire romain sur la santé cognitive des populations européennes de l'Antiquité. Cette recherche, publiée dans la revue Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), révèle que les émissions massives de plomb, principalement issues des activités minières et métallurgiques, ont probablement entraîné une diminution moyenne de 2,5 à 3 points du quotient intellectuel (QI) des habitants de l'époque.​Méthodologie de l'étudeLes chercheurs ont analysé des carottes de glace prélevées dans l'Arctique, qui conservent des traces des polluants atmosphériques anciens. Ces échantillons permettent de reconstituer avec précision les variations des concentrations de plomb dans l'atmosphère au fil du temps. Les résultats indiquent que la pollution au plomb a atteint son apogée à la fin du IIᵉ siècle avant J.-C., période correspondant à l'apogée de la République romaine. Une diminution notable est observée au Iᵉʳ siècle avant J.-C., durant la crise de la République, suivie d'une nouvelle augmentation vers 15 avant J.-C., avec l'avènement de l'Empire romain. Cette pollution est restée élevée jusqu'à la peste antonine (165-180 après J.-C.), qui a gravement affecté l'Empire. ​Sources de la pollution au plombL'extraction de l'argent, essentielle pour la production monétaire romaine, était la principale source de cette pollution. Pour obtenir de l'argent, les Romains fondaient de grandes quantités de galène, un minerai riche en plomb. Ce processus libérait d'importantes quantités de plomb dans l'atmosphère. On estime qu'au cours des deux siècles d'apogée de l'Empire, plus de 500 000 tonnes de plomb ont été émises. Conséquences sur la santé publiqueL'exposition chronique au plomb est connue pour ses effets délétères sur la santé, notamment sur le développement cognitif. Chez les enfants, même de faibles niveaux d'exposition sont associés à une diminution du QI, des troubles de l'attention et une baisse des performances scolaires. Chez les adultes, le plomb peut provoquer de l'anémie, des troubles neurologiques, des maladies cardiovasculaires et augmenter le risque de cancer. ​Impact démographique et sociétalLes chercheurs suggèrent que cette pollution au plomb a pu contribuer à affaiblir la population romaine, la rendant plus vulnérable aux épidémies, notamment lors de la peste antonine. Cette épidémie aurait causé la mort de 5 à 10 millions de personnes, exacerbant les difficultés de l'Empire. ​ConclusionCette étude souligne que la pollution industrielle n'est pas un phénomène exclusivement moderne. Dès l'Antiquité, les activités humaines ont eu des impacts environnementaux et sanitaires significatifs. Les recherches futures pourraient approfondir la compréhension des interactions entre pollution ancienne et dynamiques sociétales, offrant ainsi des perspectives sur les défis environnementaux contemporains. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Modeling extreme heat waves Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Kai Kornhuber explains how and why climate models struggle to reproduce extreme heat wave trends. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:53] Extreme weather climatologist Kai Kornhuber explains why modeling heat waves is important. •[01:38] He talks about how the study modeled hotspots of anomalous heat wave activity. •[03:01] Kornhuber tells where the hotspots are located. •[04:17] He explains how well climate models reproduce these trends. •[06:43] He talks about ways climate modelers can improve model representation of heat waves. •[07:48] Kornhuber describes the caveats and limitations of the study.  •[09:08] He enumerates the key takeaways. •[10:18] Conclusion. About Our Guest: Kai Kornhuber Senior Research Scholar International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2411258121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

Reconsidering the social cost of carbon Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Frances Moore presents a re-analysis of how the social costs of carbon emissions are quantified. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:50] Climate economist Frances Moore explains the “social cost of carbon.” •[02:21] She describes the background of the study.  •[03:35] She talks about the methods of the study, which included a survey of experts. •[05:18] Moore presents the results, including underestimation of the social cost of carbon. •[07:02] She talks about the policy implications of the study. •[08:35] Moore discusses the caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:21] Conclusion. About Our Guest: Frances Moore Associate professor University of California, Davis View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2410733121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

How hula hoops stay aloft Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Olivia Pomerenk reveals the physics of hula hooping. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:49] Applied mathematician Olivia Pomerenk talks about the history of hula hooping. •[01:52] Pomerenk explains the fascinating nature of hula hoop motion as well as her own personal experiences with the children's toy. •[02:44] She describes the experimental setup with robotic hula hoopers, as well as the mathematical model that arose from experiments. •[04:44] Pomerenk enumerates the forces needed for successful hula hooping.  •[05:51] She explains how body shape affects hula hooping. •[07:17] She explores potential applications of the findings. •[08:01] Pomerenk discusses the caveats and limitations of the study. •[08:44] Conclusion. About Our Guests: Olivia Pomerenk PhD Candidate Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2411588121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook  LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

Erosion, subsidence, and sea level rise on Arctic coastlines Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Roger Creel describes how compounding forces could reshape a thawing Arctic coastline. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:57] Sea level geophysicist Roger Creel introduces the importance of subsidence in Arctic coastline erosion.  •[02:04] Creel describes his firsthand experiences seeing how erosion, subsidence, and sea level rise are impacting Alaskan communities. •[03:43] He explains how his model of coastline impacts was constructed. •[05:49] He describes the results of the study. •[06:43] Creel talks about the risks to coastal infrastructure. •[08:10] He lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[08:54] Creel says that the coastline impacts may differ in different parts of the Arctic, depending on glacial history. •[09:25] He explains the takeaways from the study. •[10:39] Conclusion. About Our Guests: Roger Creel Postdoctoral scholar Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2409411121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

How brains and AI systems process moving images Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Hollis Cline describes how neuroscience informed development of an artificial intelligence movie recognition system. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:55] Neuroscientist Hollis Cline introduces the background of the study. •[01:49] Cline talks about the current limitations of artificial intelligence movie recognition. •[02:58] She explains why Xenopus tadpoles were used as subjects in this study. •[03:29] Cline talks about the experimental setup and procedure. •[05:53] She explains the results of tadpole neurological monitoring. •[06:32] Cline adds findings about neural plasticity and learning. •[07:53] She describes how the findings led to an artificial intelligence system and the system's capabilities. •[09:53] Caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:22] Conclusion. About Our Guests: Hollis Cline Professor Scripps Research Institute View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2412260121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up the Highlights newsletter

Sustainability of plant-based meat alternatives Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, researchers discuss the environmental, health, and economic tradeoffs that limit the potential benefits of plant-based meat alternatives. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:19] Rodolphe Barrangou explains the potential opportunities and challenges for plant-based meat alternatives to help mitigate the environmental impact of meat. •[03:18] Marco Springmann compares plant-based meat and milk alternatives with both animal-sourced foods and unprocessed plant-based foods across multiple metrics. •[05:16] Bill Aimutis highlights the potential environmental impact of producing plant-based proteins. •[07:04] Ute Weisz finds significant variability in the amino acid scores and functional properties of commercially available plant protein ingredients. •[08:51] Zachary Neuhofer analyzes trends in plant-based meat alternative consumption, based on two years of grocery store scanning data. •[10:16] Evelyne Selberherr analyzes the microbial communities found in plant-based meat alternative products.  •[11:56] Matin Qaim analyzes the impact of animal-sourced foods on child nutrition in five Sub-Saharan African countries. •[13:59] Final thoughts and conclusion. About Our Guests: Rodolphe Barrangou  Todd R. Klaenhammer Distinguished Professor North Carolina State University Marco Springmann Senior Researcher | Professorial Research Fellow University of Oxford | University College London Bill Aimutis  Executive Director North Carolina Food Innovation Lab Ute Weisz  Professor Technical University of Munich Zachary Neuhofer  PhD Candidate Purdue University Evelyne Selberherr  Assistant Professor  University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Matin Qaim  Schlegel Professor of Agricultural Economics University of Bonn View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2400495121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2319010121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2319003121 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2319019121 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-16996-5 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41538-024-00269-8 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2319009121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

How Snowball Earth melted Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Shuhai Xiao explores how the Earth emerged from a planetwide glaciation called Snowball Earth. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:48] Geobiologist Shuhai Xiao introduces us to Snowball Earth. •[01:58] Xiao introduces the “plumeworld” hypothesis that describes the end of Snowball Earth. •[03:41] He explains how lithium isotopes in rocks can confirm the plumeworld hypothesis. •[05:54] Xiao explains why dolostone deposits in China were suitable for studying this hypothesis. •[06:53] He talks about the results of the study. •[07:39] He talks about the implications of the study results. •[08:26] Caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:06] Conclusion. About Our Guests: Shuhai Xiao Professor Virginia Tech View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2407419121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, in her dissent on the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action in 2023, cited a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) concluding that black infants are more likely to survive if they are cared for by black doctors than white doctors. But a recent study using the same data suggests that race was not the real factor. This week, Naomi and Ian are joined by George J. Borjas, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and Professor of Economics and Social Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, to discuss his recent paper co-authored with Robert VerBruggen, “Do Black Newborns Fare Better with Black Doctors? The Limits of Measuring Racial Concordance.” Originally part of a project analyzing the fragility of empirical findings in social science, George's study reanalyzes the same data used in the PNAS study to see whether the same result emerged. He and VerBruggen found that if the data is adjusted for low birthweight, the correlation between race of the doctor and infant survival disappeared. Their research has now been published by the National Academy of Sciences. George discusses how the narrative about the original study persists even when new data has called it into question. Resources● Do Black Newborns Fare Better with Black Doctors? The Limits of Measuring Racial Concordance | George J. Borjas and Robert VerBruggen ● Are Black Newborns More Likely to Survive with Black Doctors? | George J. Borjas and Robert VerBruggenShow Notes● 00:47 | How did you become interested in the topic of mortality rates among black newborns? What did you find in your study?● 05:50 | Why did your study find different results using the same data as the earlier one?● 07:57 | Why did the original authors not include low birthweight as a factor in their study?● 08:48 | What did you find about the distribution of doctors to women whose infants had low birthweight?● 11:01 | Have you shared this new finding with the original authors of the study?● 13:35 | Given that low birthweight is a universally accepted factor in infant mortality, are you surprised that the original result that black infants do better when they are matched with black doctors was so widely accepted?● 17:17 | Has your study received the same kind of attention as the original study?● 18:40 | Can we empirically answer the question of whether the specialties of doctors and their respective races is the driver of better results for black infants, rather than just the race itself?

Reverse development in a comb jelly Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Joan Soto and Patel Burkhardt introduce us to a comb jelly with the ability to reverse its development to an earlier stage of life. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:54] Marine biologist Joan-Josep Soto recounts the history of research into reverse development. •[02:27] Soto and evolutionary biologist Burkhardt introduce the comb jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi and its life stages. •[04:04] Burkhardt explains why the researchers became interested in Mnemiopsis. •[04:48] Soto describes how the researchers induced reverse development in Mnemiopsis. •[06:13] Burkhardt explores hypotheses regarding why reverse development occurs. •[07:13] Soto talks about the lessons yet to be learned from Mnemiopsis. •[09:35] Burkhardt summarizes the caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:12] Conclusion. About Our Guests: Joan-Josep Soto-Angel  Postdoctoral Scholar University Museum of Bergen Pawel Burkhadt     Group Leader Michael Sars Center, University of Bergen View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2411499121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

Attorney, award winning blogger and AI expert Ralph Losey's curated and vetted podcast features his Anonymous Podcasters as they do a deep dive on Ralph's EDRM blog post on The Theory of Mind (ToM) which appears to have emerged as an unintended by product of LLMs' improving language skills. They discuss Michal Kosinski's article, "Evaluating large language models in theory of mind tasks" (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences "PNAS," 11/04/24). Ralph Losey used this ToM approach in creating the 11 Point Bipartisan Plan to Repair a House Divided discussed in Episode 8, Echoes of AI.

Air pollution and upward mobility Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Luca Merlo and Francesca Dominici explore whether childhood exposure to air pollution can impact economic upward mobility as an adult. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:01] Statistician Luca Merlo talks about the background of the study. •[02:15] Merlo describes measurement of upward mobility in the study. •[03:36] Statistician Francesca Dominici explains the results. •[04:15] Dominici explores the variation in results across US counties. •[07:08] Merlo talks about the caveats and limitations of the study. •[08:14] Dominici lists the implications for policymakers. •[10:20] Conclusion. About Our Guests: Luca Merlo Researcher European University of Rome Francesca Dominici Professor Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2401882121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

Après une longue journée de travail, il est courant de ressentir de l'irritabilité et une baisse de patience. Cela s'explique par la fatigue mentale qui épuise certaines régions clés du cerveau, notamment celles responsables de la maîtrise de soi et de la prise de décisions. Une étude italienne, publiée dans la revue *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences* (PNAS), a exploré ce phénomène en détail. Réalisée par des chercheurs de l'IMT School for Advanced Studies de Lucca, cette étude a révélé comment la fatigue mentale peut influencer notre comportement. L'équipe de recherche a mis en lumière l'effet de ce que l'on appelle l'“ego depletion” ou l'épuisement de l'ego, un concept selon lequel l'autorégulation et la maîtrise de soi s'affaiblissent après un effort mental prolongé. Pour parvenir à cette conclusion, les chercheurs ont mené deux expériences qui visaient à examiner comment des tâches intellectuellement exigeantes affectent les fonctions cérébrales et les comportements. Dans ces expériences, des participants ont été soumis à des exercices cognitifs nécessitant une concentration intense, tels que la résolution de problèmes complexes ou des tâches de mémoire. Ces exercices ont été conçus pour solliciter fortement des régions spécifiques du cerveau, comme le cortex préfrontal, une zone cruciale pour la régulation des émotions et la prise de décisions. Les résultats ont montré que, après un effort mental prolongé, les participants étaient plus enclins à prendre des décisions impulsives et à montrer de l'irritabilité. La recherche a démontré que la fatigue cognitive réduit la capacité de l'esprit à réguler les émotions et les comportements, en grande partie parce que les ressources du cortex préfrontal sont temporairement épuisées. Ce processus d'épuisement rend les personnes plus susceptibles de réagir de manière négative ou agressive face à des stimuli mineurs qui, en temps normal, seraient mieux tolérés. La principale explication fournie par l'étude est que l'effort mental constant réduit la capacité des neurones à fonctionner de manière optimale, entraînant des difficultés à gérer le stress et les émotions. En d'autres termes, après une journée de travail remplie de prises de décisions et de gestion d'informations complexes, le cerveau devient plus vulnérable aux frustrations. Cette recherche apporte un éclairage important sur les raisons biologiques de l'irritabilité post-travail, soulignant l'importance de prendre des pauses régulières pour aider à rétablir les capacités d'autorégulation du cerveau. Elle suggère également que des pratiques comme la méditation ou les activités relaxantes peuvent être bénéfiques pour restaurer ces fonctions et réduire l'irritabilité. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Nationwide effects of smoke-related air pollution Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Kai Chen explains the nationwide health effects of smoke-related fine particulate matter air pollution. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:07] Environmental epidemiologist Kai Chen introduces the health risks of fine particulate matter. •[02:20] Chen talks about trends in air pollution in the United States. •[03:56] He explains the study findings. •[05:51] Chen explores conditions that exacerbate smoke-related health effects. •[06:55] Chen talks about the caveats and limitations of the study. •[08:36] He lists the implications for policymakers and for the public. •[10:16] Conclusion. About Our Guest: Kai Chen Associate Professor Yale School of Public Health View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2403960121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

「肥満に効く「減量薬」を使えるようになったら何人の命を救えるか？」　インクレチン製剤であるGLP-1受容体作動薬などの減量薬を、より広い対象に適用して多くの人がアクセスできるようにすることで、米国では年間4万人以上の命が救われる可能性があるとする論文が発表された。米イェール大学公衆衛生大学院のAlison Galvani氏らの研究によるもので、詳細は「Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences（PNAS）」に10月15日掲載された。

Indigenous hunting and beluga populations Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Max Friesen, Eline Lorenzen, and Mikkel Skovrind explore beluga population dynamics in relation to subsistence hunting by Indigenous communities in northern Canada. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:01] Archaeologist Max Friesen talks about the role of belugas in Inuvialuit culture. •[01:45] Evolutionary biologist Eline Lorenzen talks about the background of the study. •[02:26] Naturalist Mikkel Skovrind explains the methods of the study, including the sources of beluga samples and the methods of analysis. •[03:58] Skovrind introduces the results of the study, including the changing ratio of males to females harvested. •[06:07] Lorenzen describes the finding that genetic diversity of belugas had not declined over time. •[06:59] Friesen and Lorenzen talk about what the study reveals, and suggests, about past hunting methods. •[08:09] The authors explain the caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:05] Skovrind and Friesen explore the implications of the study for traditional subsistence hunting practices. •[10:19] Conclusion About Our Guests: Max Friesen Professor University of Toronto Eline Lorenzen Professor University of Copenhagen Mikkel Skovrind Postdoctoral researcher Lund University View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2405993121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

The neuroscience of music perception Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Petri Toiviainen, Ibi Burunat, and Daniel Levitin describe the neuroscience of how musicians and non-musicians perceive boundaries within pieces of music. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:04]  Music neuroscientist Petri Toiviainen, music neuroscientist Ibi Burunat, and cognitive neuroscientist Daniel Levitin introduce the concept of musical boundaries. •[02:29] Toiviainen and Burunat tell about the musical pieces used in the experiment, as well as the experimental setup. •[04:05] Levitin explains why musicians and non-musicians were included in the study. •[04:27] Burunat and Levitin talk about the findings generally. •[05:50] Toiviainen and Levitin explain how musicians and non-musicians' responses to the music differed.  •[07:13] Toiviainen and Burunat talk about the caveats and limitations of the study.  •[08:59] Levitin and Burunat explore the implications of the work for music neuroscience. •[09:46] Conclusion. About Our Guests: Petri Toiviainen Professor University of Jyväskylä Ibi Burunat Postdoctoral researcher University of Jyväskylä Daniel Levitin Professor emeritus McGill University View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2319459121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

Christy Nittrouer is a tenure-track, assistant professor in the management area at the Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech University. She earned her Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Rice University. She has raised over $1 million in grant dollars to support her research on allyship and the experiences of minoritized employees in the workplace from funding sources such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Texas State agencies. Her work has received a variety of awards including the 2023 Texas Tech University Alumni Association's New Faculty Award, the 2020 Ralph Alexander Best Dissertation Award from the Academy of Management, the 2019 Outtz Grant for Student Research in Diversity, and the 2019 Graduate Student Scholarship by the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) Foundation, and a 2019 Vaughn Fellowship awarded annually by Rice University. She has 28 published peer-reviewed papers and book chapters (at outlets including the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Personnel Psychology, Journal of Vocational Behavior, Journal of Business and Psychology, Journal of Organizational Behavior, and Harvard Business Review). She has given over 60 presentations on the impact of diversity in the workplace, with a special focus on selection. Her work has been featured in The Atlantic, National Public Radio (NPR), The New York Times, ABC News, and the Houston Chronicle. She was nominated for the 2023 Rawls Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching award and received Rice University's 2020 graduate teaching award for her outstanding work teaching undergraduates. She has consulted for companies and served on panels for NASA, as well as LyondellBasell (global legal team), Exxon Mobil (affinity group), Baylor College of Medicine (medical students), Proctor & Gamble (global talent assessment team), and non-profits (selection). Connect with Christy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christy-nittrouer/ Email: cnittrou@ttu.edu For more information about Eric Jorgensen you can find him here: Web: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://visiblenationaltrust.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Waypoints: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://waypoints.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-jorgensen-visible-national-trust/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ As an Amazon Associate, I earn commissions from qualifying purchases. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/abcs-disability-planning/support

How python hearts grow and shrink Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Leslie Leinwand, of the University of Colorado in Boulder, and Claudia Crocini, of Charité – Berlin University of Medicine in Germany, describe how the hearts of constricting pythons change size after meals. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:19] What is the natural context for cardiac hypertrophy in constricting pythons? •[02:48] What were the mechanisms involved in this process that you identified? •[05:27] What did you discover about the mechanisms of heart size regression in these snakes? •[07:24] What are the next steps in this line of research? •[08:21] Conclusion. About Our Guest: Leslie Leinwand Professor University of Colorado Claudia Crocini Junior Research Group Leader Charité – Berlin University Medicine View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2322726121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up the Highlights newsletter

How people travel to racially different neighborhoods Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Mario Small talks about patterns of people's travel to neighborhoods racially different than their home neighborhood. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:59] Sociologist Mario Small describes how everyday travel can temper residential segregation. •[01:57] Small talks about how their study tracked peoples' movements and defined travel beyond a person's racial comfort zone. •[03:48] Small explains the study's results. •[06:08] He explores why some destinations take people to racially similar neighborhoods and some take people to racially different neighborhoods. •[07:15] Small shows how “15-minute cities” might inadvertently reinforce residential segregation. •[08:21] He lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:34] Conclusion. About Our Guest: Mario Small Quetelet Professor of Social Science Columbia University View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2401661121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up the Highlights newsletter

How pathogen stowaways traversed the oceans Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Jamie Lloyd-Smith and Elizabeth Blackmore describe how they modeled the epidemiology of pathogens on ocean voyages. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:04] Integrative scientist Jamie Lloyd-Smith and disease ecologist Elizabeth Blackmore describe how they came to study the epidemiology of ocean travel. •[03:21] Blackmore and Lloyd-Smith explain why they focused on three pathogens: influenza, measles, and smallpox. •[04:13] Lloyd-Smith explains the results of the disease model, with pathogen biology, passenger number, and journey length factoring into the duration of shipboard outbreaks. •[05:05] Blackmore details the additional insights provided by newspaper records of ship arrivals in 1850s San Francisco. •[06:57] Lloyd-Smith and Blackmore talk about the caveats and limitations of the study. •[08:02] Blackmore and Lloyd-Smith explore potential next steps. •[09:47] Conclusion. About Our Guests: Jamie Lloyd-Smith Professor University of California, Los Angeles Elizabeth Blackmore Doctoral student Yale University View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2400425121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up the Highlights newsletter

Why “Tornado Alley” is unique to North America Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Funing Li and Dan Chavas explain why North America produces many tornadoes each year and South America does not. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:01] Weather and climate scientist Funing Li talks about the frequency of tornadoes within and outside of the United States. •[01:25] Li explains the geography of severe thunderstorm hotspots in North and South America. •[02:46] Weather and climate scientist Dan Chavas and Li describe how they became interested in the effect of surface geography on tornadoes. •[05:13] Li and Chavas explain their modeling approach. •[07:23] Li and Chavas talk about why surface roughness is important for tornado formation. •[08:14] Chavas and Li describe the implications of the study, including effects of climate change and insights into paleoclimate. •[09:43] Caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:26] Conclusion. About Our Guests: Funing Li Postdoctoral associate Massachusetts Institute of Technology Dan Chavas Associate professor Purdue University View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2315425121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

Creating culturally inclusive school environments Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Stephanie Fryberg, Hazel Markus, and Laura Brady explore how to create culturally inclusive environments in schools. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:00] Social cultural psychologist Stephanie Fryberg introduces the value of culturally inclusive learning environments. •[01:43] Social cultural psychologist Hazel Markus talks about how disparities can arise from a lack of cultural belonging. •[02:25] Markus introduces the predominant cultural model that creates challenges for some students. •[03:18] Social cultural psychologist Laura Brady explains an alternate interdependence model. •[4:01] Brady talks about the school leaders involved in the study. •[4:34] Fryberg outlines the professional development intervention. •[5:44] Fryberg and Markus share examples of teacher responses. •[6:26] Brady talks about how teacher practices and student attitudes changed. •[7:44] Brady lists the caveats and limitations of the study. •[8:31]Markus and Fryberg share takeaways from the study. •[9:43] Conclusion. About Our Guests: Stephanie Fryberg Professor of social and cultural psychology, Director of Research for the Indigenous Social Action and Equity Center Northwestern University Hazel Markus  Professor of social and cultural psychology, co-director of Stanford Spark Stanford University Laura Brady Senior researcher  American Institutes for Research View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2322872121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

How redlining affects biodiversity Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Cesar Estien explores the legacy of mid-20th century redlining through the biodiversity of disadvantaged neighborhoods. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[1:04] Cesar Estien, an urban ecologist at the University of Washington, describes the practice of redlining. •[2:50] He tells how a study of redlining and environmental quality led to a study of animal diversity. •[3:33] Estien describes why the study cities of San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, and San Diego were chosen for the study. •[4:25] He explains the difference between species richness and community composition. •[5:31] He reports the study findings regarding species richness and community composition in redlined and greenlined neighborhoods. •[6:55] Estien talks about the lasting legacy of racial injustice on the ecology of cities. •[7:52] He explains why equitable access to biodiversity matters. •[9:04] Caveats and limitations of the study. •[10:09] Conclusion. About Our Guest: Cesar Estien Ph.D. Candidate University of California, Berkeley View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2321441121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

Animal's eye view of the ocean Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, researchers use animal-borne video cameras to explore foraging behaviors of animals in the open ocean. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:46] Taiki Adachi, an ecologist at the National Institute of Polar Research in Japan, observed how elephant seals use their whiskers to locate prey in the dark depths of the ocean •[02:13] Carey Kuhn, an ecologist at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, Washington, explored how the size of prey affected the foraging behavior of northern fur seals. •[03:43] Ryan Logan, an ecologist at California State University Long Beach, recorded a solitary sailfish hunting in the open ocean and estimated its energy expenditures. •[05:05] Simone Videsen, an ecologist at Aarhus University in Denmark, performed a similar analysis of the energetic efficiency of humpback whales. •[06:12] Takuya Maekawa, an engineer at Osaka University in Japan, designed a device to detect and automatically record rare behaviors performed by streaked shearwaters. •[07:56] Final thoughts and conclusion. About Our Guests: Taiki Adachi  Assistant Professor National Institute of Polar Research Carey Kuhn  Researcher Alaska Fisheries Science Center Ryan Logan  Postdoctoral Research Fellow California State University Long Beach Simone Videsen  Postdoctoral Researcher Aarhus University Takuya Maekawa  Associate Professor Osaka University View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2119502119 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.1015594/full https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-28748-0 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ade3889 https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/3/1/pgad447/7517476 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

Inequitable wildfire smoke exposure in California Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Joan Casey shows that some California communities are disproportionately exposed to wildfire air pollution. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:04] Joan Casey, an environmental epidemiologist at the University of Washington, describes recent decades of wildfire in California. •[01:34] Casey describes the environmental equity issues of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution. •[02:26] Casey describes why she chose to study the equity of wildfire smoke pollution exposure. •[03:01] She explains the results of the study, showing that by one definition of disadvantaged communities, smoke exposure appeared equitable. Another measure, including racial and ethnic identity data, showed inequitable exposure. •[05:26] Casey explores possible reasons for this inequitable exposure. •[06:21] The benefits of improved air monitoring among marginalized communities. •[07:34] Caveats and limitations of the study. •[08:35] Next steps in this line of research. •[09:27] Hopes for policy impacts. •[10:22] Conclusion. About Our Guest: Joan Casey Assistant Professor University of Washington School of Public Health View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2306729121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X  Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

Biodiversity and gentrification Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Mason Fidino explores how gentrification changes biodiversity in urban areas. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:02] Mason Fidino, a quantitative ecologist at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, defines gentrification and its social impacts. •[01:53] Fidino explains how gentrification changes neighborhoods. •[03:09] Fidino explains why the research focused on medium to large mammals. •[03:40] A description of camera traps and how they collect data. •[05:09] The results, including links between gentrification and biodiversity. •[06:59] The implications of the study for urban planners and urban residents. •[08:23] Caveats and limitations of the study. •[09:50] Conclusion. About Our Guest: Mason Fidino Quantitative Ecologist Lincoln Park Zoo View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2318596121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for PNAS Highlights newsletter

School enrollment during COVID-19 Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Micah Baum describes how public school enrollments in the US changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode, we cover: • [00:00] Introduction • [00:54] Micah Baum, an economist at the University of Michigan, introduces school districts' three modes of learning in fall 2020: virtual, in-person, and hybrid. • [01:31] Baum explains the reasons for studying public school enrollment changes between the 2019-2020 school year and the 2020-2021 school year.  • [02:51] Description of the data sources used in the study.  • [03:50] Explanation of the changes in enrollment numbers between the two school years. • [06:00] Explanation of racial differences in enrollment changes. • [06:46] Exploration of what these results suggest about parent choices.  • [08:24] Implications for school funding in future years. • [09:18] Caveats and limitations of the study. • [09:51] Conclusion. About Our Guest: Micah Baum PhD Student University of Michigan View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2307308120 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

Emotional power of live music Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Sascha Frühholz describes the emotional power of live music compared to recorded music. In this episode, we cover: • [00:00] Introduction • [00:59] Sascha Frühholz, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Oslo, reviews the neuroscience of emotional responses to music. • [02:02] Description of the study hypothesis regarding the difference of responses to recorded and live music. • [02:34] Description of the experimental setup. • [03:15] Description of the music played during the experiment, with examples. • [04:30] Recounting of the results of the study. • [05:05] The differences between responses to recorded and live music. • [05:45] What the listeners knew during and after the experiment. • [06:09] Inclusion of unpleasant music in the experiment, with examples. • [06:49] Description of the listeners' feelings during the experiment. • [07:14] The musicians' feelings about the experiment.  • [07:42] Exploration of generalizing the results to other settings. • [08:19] Caveats and limitations of the study. • [09:11] Conclusion. About Our Guest: Sascha Frühholz Professor University of Oslo View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2316306121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter

Adapting to poor air quality Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Rebecca Saari explores potential adaptations needed for worsening air quality due to climate change. In this episode, we cover: • [00:03] Introduction • [00:57] Rebecca Saari, an air quality engineer at the University of Waterloo, describes an air quality alert. • [01:23] Explanation of the hazard of fine particulate matter air pollution. • [02:18] Description of the study's modeling approach. • [03:14] Description of modeling methods.  • [04:05] Explanation of study results and where air quality alerts may rise due to climate change. • [04:34] Exploration of the social impacts of inequitable distribution of worsening air quality. • [05:24] Description of strategies for mitigating the health risk of poor air quality. • [06:27] Discussion of the costs and benefits of increased time spent indoors to mitigate health risk. • [07:22] Discussion of the role of policy in protecting from air quality hazards. • [08:13] Explanation of the study's caveats and limitations. • [09:30] Potential impacts of the study. • [10:11] Conclusion About Our Guest: Rebecca Saari Associate Professor  University of Waterloo View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2215685121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up the PNAS Highlights newsletter

Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.   In this episode, Christine Pu describes how commonly used measures of poverty don't agree, and why definitions of poverty matter.   In this episode, we cover: · [00:00] Introduction · [00:59] Christine Pu, an interdisciplinary scientist from Stanford University, introduces the importance of definitions of poverty. · [01:40] List of the four commonly used definitions of poverty. · [02:29] The motivation behind the study. · [03:21] Study design and methods. · [04:20] Results of the study and discussion of why poverty measures may not agree. · [05:50] Discussion of how poverty definitions impact efforts to alleviate poverty. · [06:57] How policymakers can approach definition of poverty. · [07:46] Implications and potential impacts of the study. · [08:25] Study caveats and limitations. · [08:54] Conclusion.   About Our Guests: Christine Pu PhD Candidate Stanford University   View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2316730121   Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!   Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast   Follow PNAS: Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the Highlights newsletter

Recent advancements in genomic sequencing and analysis have started to unravel the intricate story of avian evolution. Two studies, published on April 1 in the journals Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and Nature, shed light on a genetic anomaly approximately 65 million years old (exactly when that asteroid hit) that has obscured scientists' understanding of avian evolutionary history. Specifically, a section of one chromosome failed to undergo expected mixing with adjacent DNA, impeding the construction of a detailed bird family tree.

How a small fish makes big sounds Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Verity Cook from Charité – Berlin University of Medicine explains how a fish 12 millimeters in length produces sounds exceeding 140 decibels. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:37] Can you tell us more about the fish you studied? •[02:26] What are some of the methods you used to characterize the fish's sound production mechanism? •[03:49] Can you walk us through the process of how these fish produce sound? •[05:02] What are the broader implications of your findings? •[05:53] Conclusion. About Our Guest: Verity Cook PhD Student Charité – Berlin University of Medicine View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2314017121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/PNASNews Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PNASNews/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pnas-news/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/pnas-news Sign up the Highlights newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/nas/podcast-highlights

In the realm of mental health, the importance of a good night's sleep cannot be overstated. Recent research sheds light on the vital connection between our sleep habits, the natural rhythms of our bodies, and our psychological state. The study brings to the forefront evidence that disruptions in sleep patterns and the body's internal clock — known as circadian rhythms — are not just a result of mental health challenges but may, in fact, play a role in causing and worsening these conditions. Dr. Bray, a leading expert in the field, will delve into the implications of this groundbreaking study and explore the emerging narratives from the research and how these findings may revolutionize the approach to mental health treatments going forward. In addition to the implications for mental health, Dr. Bray discusses another pressing issue in the modern workforce: the identification of future leaders in a remote work setting. As the corporate world continues to shift towards remote operations, traditional methods of evaluating potential leaders need to evolve. Dr. Bray will highlight the essential tools required for the effective discernment of leadership qualities from afar while also drawing attention to potential obstacles that could impede the acquisition of reliable information in this new virtual landscape. With a shift to remote work comes a necessity for a new skill set. Identifying and nurturing these competencies will be crucial for any organization aiming to stay ahead in a rapidly changing professional environment. Dr. Bray shares insights to pave the way for developing these new paradigms in leadership and professional development. *Sleep, Circadian Rhythm, and Mental Health. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Feb 19th, 2024 *How to Identify Future Leaders in a Remote Environment. KORN FERRY (online article) QUOTES BY DR. BRAY “When you sleep you need it cool and dark.” “When you don't sleep, you're more likely to get triggered and angry.” “Take in-person opportunities as often as you can.”

Dinosaur feathers hint at flight history Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Jingmai O'Connor and Yosef Kiat share insights gleaned from modern birds' feathers that help understand the evolutionary history of flight in dinosaurs. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:02] Jingmai O'Connor, a vertebrate paleontologist at the Field Museum of Natural History, describes the characteristics of feathers associated with flight. •[02:11] O'Connor gives context and background for previous knowledge of the evolution of flight feathers in dinosaurs. •[03:25] O'Connor describes the sources of fossil specimens for analysis of feather evolution. •[04:29] Yosef Kiat, an ornithologist at the Field Museum of Natural History, tells what he learned about the consistent number of primary feathers in modern birds. He also tells how that number applies to dinosaurs.  •[05:54] O'Connor explains what the symmetry of feathers reveals about a species' flight ability and history. •[06:29] Kiat applies feather symmetry to explain the flight evolutionary history of Caudipteryx. •[07:05] Kiat summarizes the findings of the study, using feather number and shape to assess the flight abilities of four genera of dinosaurs. •[07:47] Kiat and O'Connor describe the type of potential fossil evidence that could fill in holes in the history of flight evolution in dinosaurs. •[08:42] Kiat and O'Connor explain the study's caveats and limitations. •[09:44] Conclusion. About Our Guests: Jingmai O'Connor Associate Curator of Fossil Reptiles  Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL Yosef Kiat Postdoctoral Research Fellow Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2306639121 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast  Follow PNAS: Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/PNASNews Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PNASNews/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pnas-news/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/pnas-news Sign up the Highlights newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/nas/podcast-highlights

Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, researchers describe the potential impact of anthropogenic disturbances on bee communication. In this episode, we cover: [00:00] Introduction [00:45] Description of the waggle dance of honeybees. [01:59] Maggie Couvillon, an entomologist at Virginia Tech, explains what information researchers can glean from the waggle dance. [03:24] Christoph Grüter, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Bristol, describes what impact climatic changes may have on bee communication. [05:13] Michael Hrncir, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Sao Paulo, recorded the impact of rising air temperatures on foraging in stingless bees. [06:48] Grüter explains how landscape changes and habitat fragmentation might affect bee communication. [08:23] Elli Leadbeater, an ecologist at Royal Holloway University of London, found that dancing honeybees found the foraging environment of central London superior to agricultural land. [09:49] Kris Braman, an entomologist at the University of Georgia, studied how the distribution of land cover at different scales influences bee diversity in Georgia. [11:24] Grüter explains how insecticides may alter bee communication strategies. [12:41] Denise Alves, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Sao Paulo, describes how a fungal pesticide can affect nestmate recognition in stingless bees. [14:23] Adam Dolezal, an entomologist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, describes how a bee pathogen affects nestmate recognition in honeybees. [15:17] Final thoughts and conclusion. About Our Guests: Maggie CouvillonAssistant ProfessorVirginia Tech Christoph GrüterSenior LecturerUniversity of Bristol Michael HrncirProfessorUniversity of Sao Paulo Elli LeadbeaterProfessorRoyal Holloway University of London Kris BramanDepartment Head and ProfessorUniversity of Georgia Denise AlvesPost-doctoral ResearcherUniversity of Sao Paulo Adam DolezalAssistant ProfessorUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign View related content here: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2022.0155 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2219031120 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022191020300512 https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.14011 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10841-022-00402-6 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653521026199 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2002268117 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs! Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast Follow PNAS: Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/PNASNews Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PNASNews/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pnas-news/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/pnas-news Sign up the Highlights newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/nas/podcast-highlights

El agua embotellada es hasta cien veces peor de lo que se pensaba en cuanto al número de microplásticos que contiene. Así le señala un estudio reciente hecho en Estados Unidos con tres marcas líderes del mercado. Los resultados fueron publicados en la revista Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Por Ivonne SánchezLos investigadores de la Universidad de Columbia (Estados Unidos), utilizaron una técnica de reciente invención, la “microscopía de dispersión Raman estimulada” (SRS), que consiste en sondear las muestras con dos láseres sintonizados para hacer resonar moléculas específicas, revelando lo que son a un algoritmo informático.El equipo analizó tres marcas populares de agua embotellada en Estados Unidos, aunque los investigadores decidieron no nombrarlas, ya que consideran que toda el agua embotellada contiene microplásticos.En este estudio en particular, se encontraron 240 mil fragmentos de plástico, ya sea micro plásticos (todo lo que mide menos de 5 milímetros) o nano plásticos (partículas más pequeñas que la milmillonésima parte de un metro).Cuando son muy pequeños, los fragmentos pueden atravesar el aparato digestivo y los pulmones y entrar directamente en el torrente sanguíneo. Los investigadores aconsejaron tomar agua del grifo como alternativa, aunque también se sospecha que en el agua de grifo haya presencia de microplásticos por las tuberías de plástico por las que circula el agua aunque quizás, la cantidad sea menor. El equipo señaló que esperaban en un futuro analizar también el agua del grifo.  Los resultados de esta investigación fueron publicados en la revista Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).Otras investigaciones similares en agua embotellada se han hecho en Europa haciendo énfasis en las medidas de masa.  Entrevistada: Ethel Eljarrat, directora del Instituto de diagnóstico ambiental y de estudios del agua (IDAEA), del CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas). El IDAEA se encuentra en Barcelona.

This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ .   The worlds of academia and political upheaval meet in my guest Michal Kosinski, who was behind the first press article warning against Cambridge Analytica, which was at the heart of a scandal involving the unauthorized acquisition of personal data from millions of Facebook users and impacting the 2016 Brexit and US Presidential election votes through the use of AI to microtarget people through modeling their preferences. Michal also co-authored Modern Psychometrics, a popular textbook, and has published over 90 peer-reviewed papers in prominent journals such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Nature Scientific Reports and others that have been cited over 18,000 times. Michal has a PhD in psychology from the University of Cambridge, as well as master's degrees in psychometrics and social psychology In the second half of the interview, we pivot to the Theory of Mind – which is the ability of a creature to understand that another has a mind – and research around whether AI has it. Michal has amazing new research in that respect. He also says, "Without a question, GPT-4 and similar models are the most competent language users on this planet." All this plus our usual look at today's AI headlines. Transcript and URLs referenced at HumanCusp Blog.          

This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ .   The worlds of academia and political upheaval meet in my guest Michal Kosinski, who was behind the first press article warning against Cambridge Analytica, which was at the heart of a scandal involving the unauthorized acquisition of personal data from millions of Facebook users and impacting the 2016 Brexit and US Presidential election votes through the use of AI to microtarget people through modeling their preferences. Michal also co-authored Modern Psychometrics, a popular textbook, and has published over 90 peer-reviewed papers in prominent journals such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Nature Scientific Reports and others that have been cited over 18,000 times. Michal has a PhD in psychology from the University of Cambridge, as well as master's degrees in psychometrics and social psychology, positioning him to speak to us with authority about how AI has and may shape the beliefs and behaviors of people en masse. In this first part of the interview, we delve into just that, plus the role of social media, and Michal's take on what privacy means today. All this plus our usual look at today's AI headlines. Transcript and URLs referenced at HumanCusp Blog.          

This episode features a conversation between Jen Hartman and Dr. Galaxina Wright, two recent graduates of NCDA's Counselor Educator Academy (CEA). Jen is a licensed mental health counselor at Oklahoma State University and Galaxina is an assistant professor in Nova Southeastern University's Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. Their conversation about integrating mental health into career counseling course, as an extension of their CEA experience, learning how to support and teach future counselors about their role in career-related counseling. The discussion includes considerations about the overlap of mental health and career counseling, the need for trauma- and grief-informed strategies, and getting buy-in from programs and students.Jen Hartman, EdS, LPC, RPT, NCC is a licensed mental health counselor and counselor educator. Her research interests include death and non-death loss, including career loss. She serves as the doctoral student representative on the Grief Counseling Competencies Task Force for the Association of Adult Development and Aging. Galaxina G. Wright, Ph.D. NCC is an Assistant Professor at Nova Southeastern University in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. She earned her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision at the University of Central Florida. She completed her master's degree in Marriage, Couple & Family Counseling from Regent University, and is currently a Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern (RMHCI) for the state of Florida working towards completing her hours for licensure. She is also the current President of the Florida Career Development Association (FCDA). Connect with Galaxina on LinkedIn.ResourcesEvermore. (2020, September). Bereavement facts and figures. https://live-evermore.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Evermore-Bereavement-Facts-and-Figures-2020.pdfTrauma Research Foundation. (2021, March 23). The compassionate manager: A trauma-sensitive approach to managing in the era of COVID-19. Trauma Research Foundation Blog. https://www.traumaresearchfoundation.org/blog/the-compassionate-manager-a-trauma-sensitive-approach-to-managing-in-the-era-of-covid-19?vgo_ee=5TMzeAxoXw0Goi99RnsFm2ijpVnRvP3wvT2tMwKBwhI%3DVerdery, Smith-Greenaway, E., Margolis, R., & Daw, J. (2020). Tracking the reach of COVID-19 kin loss with a bereavement multiplier applied to the United States. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS, 117(30), 17695–17701. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2007476117SAMHSA Model of Wellness: https://mfpcc.samhsa.gov/ENewsArticles/Article12b_2017.aspx 

La sostanza protagonista di questa puntata è un metallo pesante: il mercurio. Conosciuto da almeno duemila anni, è stato una delle prime sostanze ad entrare nella letteratura protoscientifica. Poi, nel corso dei secoli, si è fatto spazio anche nei manuali di tossicologia fino ad essere considerato oggi uno dei più pericolosi contaminanti ambientali.Testo, voce e editing audio: Stefania BonanLetture liberamente tratte da:“Il sistema periodico” di Primo Levi, edizioni Einaudi (2014)Supplementary information for “Exploring the ancient chemistry of mercury” di M. Marchini, M. Gandolfi, L. Maini, L. Raggetti e M. Martelli. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 2022. Volume 119, Issue 24. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2123171119“Paradise in the sea of sorrow - Our Minamata disease” di Ishimure Michiko tradotto in inglese da Livia Monnet, edizioni Center for Japanese Studies - The University of Michigan. La traduzione italiana delle parti citate è di Stefania Bonan.Le voci di Zosimo di Panopoli (terzo-quarto secolo DC) e di Plinio il vecchio (primo secolo DC) sono di Michele Sellan.Il ringraziamento per il supporto va a OEJ Agency, Portogruaro - Italia.Diventa un supporter di questo podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sostanze--5350496/support.

Sam Harris joins the Know Thyself Podcast today for a deep dive into consciousness, free will, and artificial intelligence. He explains the illusory nature of self, our daily psychosis, and why it's essential to wake up from the 'dream' of our thoughts. Sam shares how the practice of meditation can help set us free, and how to break the spell of negative emotions.  He also dives deep on the pitfalls of the spiritual path, explaining the drawbacks of non-dual thinking, emptiness in Buddhism, and why some Gurus misbehave.  Sam gives a thorough explanation into his present thesis on solving the hard problem of consciousness, explains how the concept of free will can be limiting with understanding psychopaths, and if he believes that artificial intelligence will one day become conscious.   https://www.wakingup.com/knowthyself for free 30 days of Waking Up App   ___________ Timecodes: 0:00 Intro 2:41 The Illusion of Self and the Process of Suffering  11:08 Our daily psychosis - Identification with thought  16:35 The Transitory Nature of Thought and the Benefits of Meditation 27:14 When ego is useful, and when to let go  32:40 Breaking the Spell of Negative Emotions 35:19 Understanding Impermanence and its Relation to Suffering  43:31 The concept of "Emptiness" in Buddhism 56:32 Pitfalls of the ‘goal' of enlightenment 59:11 The Duality of the Spiritual Path 1:12:15 The Illusion of Seeking and False Beliefs in Meditation Practice 1:14:58 How non-dual teachings got twisted 1:17:31 Waking up vs embodiment  1:25:21 Why spiritual teachers misbehave  1:30:57 Sam's Personal Pivotal Moments in the Journey of Self Inquiry 1:44:46 The hard problem of consciousness  2:09:24 Consciousness and Intelligence in AGI 2:17:42 Do we really have Free will? 2:29:57 Why Gratitude & Reason Heals Us 2:40:02 Conclusion ___________   Sam Harris is the author of five New York Times best sellers. His books include The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation, The Moral Landscape, Free Will, Lying, Waking Up, and Islam and the Future of Tolerance (with Maajid Nawaz). The End of Faith won the 2005 PEN Award for Nonfiction. His writing and public lectures cover a wide range of topics—neuroscience, moral philosophy, religion, meditation practice, human violence, rationality—but generally focus on how a growing understanding of ourselves and the world is changing our sense of how we should live.   Sam's work has been published in more than 20 languages and has been discussed in The New York Times, Time, Scientific American, Nature, Rolling Stone, and many other publications. He has written for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Economist, The Times (London), The Boston Globe, The Atlantic, Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), The Annals of Neurology, among others. He also hosts the Making Sense Podcast, which was selected by Apple as one of the “iTunes Best” and has won a Webby Award for best podcast in the Science & Education category.   Sam received a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA. He has also practiced meditation for more than 30 years and has studied with many Tibetan, Indian, Burmese, and Western meditation teachers, both in the United States and abroad. Sam has created the Waking Up app for anyone who wants to learn to meditate in a modern, scientific context.   https://www.samharris.org https://www.wakingup.com/knowthyself for free 30 days of Waking Up App   ___________   Know Thyself Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/ Website: https://www.knowthyself.one Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ4wglCWTJeWQC0exBalgKg   Listen to all episodes on Audio:  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4FSiemtvZrWesGtO2MqTZ4?si=d389c8dee8fa4026 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/know-thyself/id1633725927     André Duqum Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/   Meraki Media https://merakimedia.com https://www.instagram.com/merakimedia/

Sam Harris joins the Know Thyself Podcast today for a deep dive into consciousness, free will, and artificial intelligence. He explains the illusory nature of self, our daily psychosis, and why it's essential to wake up from the 'dream' of our thoughts. Sam shares how the practice of meditation can help set us free, and how to break the spell of negative emotions.  He also dives deep on the pitfalls of the spiritual path, explaining the drawbacks of non-dual thinking, emptiness in Buddhism, and why some Gurus misbehave.  Sam gives a thorough explanation into his present thesis on solving the hard problem of consciousness, explains how the concept of free will can be limiting with understanding psychopaths, and if he believes that artificial intelligence will one day become conscious. https://www.wakingup.com/knowthyself for free 30 days of Waking Up App ___________ Timecodes: (0:00) Intro (2:41) The Illusion of Self and the Process of Suffering  (11:08) Our daily psychosis - Identification with thought  (16:35) The Transitory Nature of Thought and the Benefits of Meditation (27:14) When ego is useful, and when to let go  (32:40) Breaking the Spell of Negative Emotions (35:19) Understanding Impermanence and its Relation to Suffering  (43:31) The concept of "Emptiness" in Buddhism (56:32) Pitfalls of the ‘goal' of enlightenment (59:11) The Duality of the Spiritual Path (1:12:15) The Illusion of Seeking and False Beliefs in Meditation Practice (1:14:58) How non-dual teachings got twisted (1:17:31) Waking up vs embodiment  (1:25:21) Why spiritual teachers misbehave  (1:30:57) Sam's Personal Pivotal Moments in the Journey of Self Inquiry (1:44:46) The hard problem of consciousness  (2:09:24) Consciousness and Intelligence in AGI (2:17:42) Do we really have Free will? (2:29:57) Why Gratitude & Reason Heals Us (2:40:02) Conclusion ___________ Sam Harris is the author of five New York Times best sellers. His books include The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation, The Moral Landscape, Free Will, Lying, Waking Up, and Islam and the Future of Tolerance (with Maajid Nawaz). The End of Faith won the 2005 PEN Award for Nonfiction. His writing and public lectures cover a wide range of topics—neuroscience, moral philosophy, religion, meditation practice, human violence, rationality—but generally focus on how a growing understanding of ourselves and the world is changing our sense of how we should live. Sam's work has been published in more than 20 languages and has been discussed in The New York Times, Time, Scientific American, Nature, Rolling Stone, and many other publications. He has written for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Economist, The Times (London), The Boston Globe, The Atlantic, Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), The Annals of Neurology, among others. He also hosts the Making Sense Podcast, which was selected by Apple as one of the “iTunes Best” and has won a Webby Award for best podcast in the Science & Education category. Sam received a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA. He has also practiced meditation for more than 30 years and has studied with many Tibetan, Indian, Burmese, and Western meditation teachers, both in the United States and abroad. Sam has created the Waking Up app for anyone who wants to learn to meditate in a modern, scientific context. https://www.samharris.org https://www.wakingup.com/knowthyself for free 30 days of Waking Up App ___________ Know Thyself Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/ Website: https://www.knowthyself.one Listen to all episodes on Audio:  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4FSiemtvZrWesGtO2MqTZ4?si=d389c8dee8fa4026 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/know-thyself/id1633725927 André Duqum Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/ Meraki Media https://merakimedia.com https://www.instagram.com/merakimedia/

Cuando una persona abre un libro y comienza a leer, se activan dos redes distintas en el cerebro, que trabajan juntas para integrar los significados de las palabras individuales para obtener un significado más complejo y de orden superior, según revela un estudio llevado a cabo por científicos de la UTHealth Houston y que recoge la revista Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). ¿Cómo funciona nuestro cerebro? "Nuestros cerebros están notablemente interconectados, y para que entendamos el lenguaje se requiere una secuencia precisa de procesos rápidos y dinámicos que ocurran en múltiples sitios en todo nuestro cerebro", afirman los expertos del estudio. Suscríbete a MUY HISTORIA con un descuento del 50% usando el código especial para podcast - PODCAST1936 https://bit.ly/3Mz0ImV Comparte nuestro podcast en tus redes sociales, puedes realizar una valoración de 5 estrellas en Apple Podcast o Spotify. Dirección, locución y producción: Iván Patxi Gómez Gallego Contacto de publicidad en podcast: podcast@zinetmedia.es Suscríbete a Muy Interesante https://suscripciones.zinetmedia.es/mz/

Cuando una persona abre un libro y comienza a leer, se activan dos redes distintas en el cerebro, que trabajan juntas para integrar los significados de las palabras individuales para obtener un significado más complejo y de orden superior, según revela un estudio llevado a cabo por científicos de la UTHealth Houston y que recoge la revista Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). ¿Cómo funciona nuestro cerebro?"Nuestros cerebros están notablemente interconectados, y para que entendamos el lenguaje se requiere una secuencia precisa de procesos rápidos y dinámicos que ocurran en múltiples sitios en todo nuestro cerebro", afirman los expertos del estudio.Suscríbete a MUY HISTORIA con un descuento del 50% usando el código especial para podcast - PODCAST1936https://bit.ly/3Mz0ImVComparte nuestro podcast en tus redes sociales, puedes realizar una valoración de 5 estrellas en Apple Podcast o Spotify.Dirección, locución y producción: Iván Patxi Gómez GallegoContacto de publicidad en podcast: podcast@zinetmedia.esSuscríbete a Muy Interesante https://suscripciones.zinetmedia.es/mz/

Let's face it, we're all a little bit self-involved. It's not just that we spend a lot of time thinking about ourselves. There's another layer to it: we spend a lot of time thinking about what other people think about us. We take pains to present ourselves in the best possible light; we fret over whether we made a good impression; and we do our best to shape and manage our reputations. It's honestly hard to imagine not doing any of this—seeing ourselves from the outside can feel like pure reflex. But what are the deeper origins of this tendency? When does it arise in childhood? What are the underpinnings and consequences of reputational thinking? My guests today are Dr. Mika Asaba, a postdoc in the Psychology Department at Yale University, and Dr. Hyo Gweon, Associate Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. Together, Mika and Hyo recently published a paper about reputational thinking in young children.   In this conversation, we talk about the broader context of this research and lay out some concepts central to it, like “self-presentational behavior" and "theory of mind." We walk through four experiments in which 3- and 4-year-old children showed a clear interest in their reputations. They strategically communicated to certain people—or about certain events—to make sure they came across well. We then consider the provocative possibility that humans are especially motivated to think about others' minds when those other minds are thinking about us. We discuss whether similar reputation-related behaviors might be present in other species, and how reputational thinking might vary across cultures. Finally, we touch on a few ways Hyo and Mika are hoping to extend this work into new terrain.  Honestly I got excited about this paper just by reading the first few sentences of the abstract. It takes on such an obviously big and rich and fascinating research question. That basic reflex—to see ourselves through the eyes of others—feels so elemental and so critical to understanding the human mind. Alright friends, without further ado, here's my conversation with Dr. Mika Asaba & Dr. Hyo Gweon. Enjoy!    A transcript of this episode is available here.   Notes and links 4:30 – Both Dr. Asaba and Dr. Gweon spent time in Rebecca Saxe's lab at MIT.  7:00 – The website for Dr. Gweon's ‘Social Learning Lab' at Stanford. A recent review article by Dr. Gweon describing her lab's research program. 9:30 – A recent review chapter by Dr. Asaba and Dr. Gweon about how children learn about themselves through praise. 13:00 – In a recent follow-up study to the main paper discussed in this episode, Dr. Asaba, Dr. Gweon, and colleagues examined whether children would demonstrate their competence to a puppet. 15:00 – One of the most influential studies of “theory of mind” capacities in young children, which pioneered the “false belief” paradigm, is here. A meta-analysis of some of the early work on theory of mind; a more recent review article. We discussed “theory of mind” at some length in our recent episode on stories.  19:00 – The paper by Dr. Asaba and Dr. Gweon reporting the four experiments we discuss appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). It is available here.  36:00 ­– See our earlier episode with Michael Tomasello. 40:00 – A recent review on the personality dimension of “conscientiousness.”    Recommendations  ‘Achieving a good impression: Reputation management and performance goals,' by Kayla Good and Alex Shaw  ‘Planning with theory of mind,' by Mark Ho, Rebecca Saxe, and Fiery Cushman    Many Minds is a project of the Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute, which is made possible by a generous grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation to UCLA. It is hosted and produced by Kensy Cooperrider, with help from Assistant Producer Urte Laukaityte and with creative support from DISI Directors Erica Cartmill and Jacob Foster. Our artwork is by Ben Oldroyd. Our transcripts are created by Sarah Dopierala. You can subscribe to Many Minds on Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Play, or wherever you like to listen to podcasts.  **You can now subscribe to the Many Minds newsletter here!** We welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions. Feel free to email us at: manymindspodcast@gmail.com.  For updates about the show, visit our website (https://disi.org/manyminds/), or follow us on Twitter: @ManyMindsPod.

No #valeAPenaOuvirDeNovo de hoje trazemos o episódio em que Dr. Fernando Lima recebeu o Dr. Gustavo Fonseca! Gustavo Fonseca era graduado em Ciências Biológicas pela Universidade de Brasília, Mestre em Latin American Studies e Doutor em Wildlife and Range Sciences pela University of Florida. Sua tese de doutorado ganhou o prêmio Rodolpho von Ihering pela Sociedade Brasileira de Zoologia e o prêmio Oliver Austin concedido pela universidade da Florida a estudantes que demonstram excelência em pesquisa na área de ciências naturais. Foi professor titular da Departamento de Zoologia da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, além de um dos idealizadores do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia Conservação e Manejo da UFMG e um dos fundadores da Fundação Biodiversitas. Possui ampla experiência nas áreas de Ecologia, Biogeografia, Zoologia Aplicada, Política Ambiental, Priorização de Investimentos em Conservação, Captação de Recursos e Financiamento de Projetos em Conservação e Desenvolvimento Sustentável. A sua produção científica e técnica gerou mais de 170 publicações, incluindo várias publicadas nos periódicos Science, Nature, Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Sciences - PNAS e na Conservation Biology. Foi também agraciado com a Order of the Golden Ark pelo governo da Holanda, uma das mais importantes condecorações mundiais destinada àqueles que se destacam na defesa de ecossistemas terrestres.  Foi diretor de Programas no Global Environment Facility, supervisionando o portfólio de investimentos em conservação da biodiversidade, na mitigação e adaptação a mudanças climáticas, conservação de recursos hídricos e águas internacionais, produtos químicos, uso e manejo sustentável da terra e investimentos no REDD+ (incentivo desenvolvido no âmbito da Convenção-Quadro das Nações Unidas sobre Mudança do Clima (UNFCCC) para recompensar financeiramente países em desenvolvimento pela redução de Emissões de gases de efeito estufa provenientes de desmatamento). Infelizmente, Gustavo faleceu em 31/08/2022, aos 66 anos, vítima de um infarto fulminante. O Fundo Mundial para o Meio Ambiente Em 1989 a França sugeriu que o Banco Mundial tivesse recursos adicionais para financiar projetos ambientais e ofereceu uma contribuição de 900 milhões de marcos por 3 anos. Em novembro de 1990 - com o desenvolvimento da proposta pelo banco mundial - 27 países aderiram e concordaram em estabelecer o Global Environmental Facility, com 1 bilhão de dólares para os 3 primeiros anos. O objetivo deste recurso foi financiar países em desenvolvimento em quatro áreas: mudanças climáticas, biodiversidade, degradação da camada de ozônio e águas internacionais. A ideia era que estes países pudessem usar esse investimento nas ações de mitigação destas questões ambientais que de fato são de interesse global, sem ter que comprometer o seu próprio desenvolvimento econômico. Após a Conferência das Nações Unidas sobre Meio Ambiente e o Desenvolvimento - a Rio -92 ou Eco-92 - o GEF deixou de ser um projeto do banco mundial e se tornou uma organização independente, embora ainda mantendo relações importantes com o banco. O GEF é hoje a principal instituição mundial na gestão de recursos para a implementação das convenções e protocolos estabelecidos pelas conferências das nações unidas. Desde então o GEF disponibilizou diretamente mais de 21 bilhões de dólares em financiamentos de projetos e mobilizou mais 114 bilhões com contrapartidas em mais de 5 mil projetos em 170 países. Com o programa de small grants (pequenos financiamentos) o GEF financiou mais de 25 mil organizações da sociedade civil em iniciativas comunitárias em 133 países. Texto: Fernando Lima Fonte: https://www.thegef.org/ Dá uma força para manter o DesAbraçando online e com episódios no cronograma contribuindo financeiramente com nosso projeto: O DesAbraçando é um projeto independente e conta com o apoio dos ouvintes para se manter online e pagar a edição de áudio.

Alors que la France fait face à une neuvième vague de Covid-19, le gouvernement réfléchit à un possible retour du masque obligatoire dans les transports en commun. Une nouvelle qui a provoqué une levée de boucliers de la mouvance anti-masque, alimentée par de nombreuses fausses informations. Le masque serait « dangereux pour la santé ». Il ne « protégerait pas contre le coronavirus » et ne serait qu'un « symbole d'asservissement ». C'est ce qu'affirment plusieurs fausses informations que l'on peut lire en boucle sur les réseaux sociaux ces derniers jours sous le #Jeneporteraipluslemasque. Ces propagateurs d'infox s'appuient sur de faux arguments scientifiques. L'exemple le plus marquant est un croquis simpliste, censé prouver, par l'image, l'inefficacité des masques chirurgicaux. On y voit un virus représenté par un point, bien plus petit que l'espace laissé entre les mailles des fibres qui composeraient le masque. En réalité, cette illustration, qui circule depuis plusieurs années déjà, ne correspond pas du tout à la véritable structure de nos masques. Ils sont fabriqués non pas avec une, mais avec trois couches de microfibres non tissées. C'est ce qui lui permet de disposer d'un effet de filtration important.  L'autre erreur de ce schéma porte sur la prétendue taille du virus. Si le virus en lui-même est bien plus petit que ce que peut filtrer le masque, il faut s'intéresser à la taille des gouttelettes qui le transportent. Ces gouttelettes, elles, sont pour la plupart, bien interceptées par le masque.  Le masque protège Toujours dans le but de prouver la prétendue inefficacité du masque, certains s'appuient aussi sur une indication présente à l'arrière de certains paquets de masques grand public. Elle indique « ne protège pas des contaminations ». Concrètement, cela veut dire que les masques chirurgicaux ne protègent pas à 100% des contaminations virales ou infectieuses. Mais cela ne veut pas dire pour autant qu'ils ne sont pas efficaces puisqu'ils permettent de réduire considérablement la propagation des agents infectieux. Une efficacité d'autant plus grande si tout le monde porte le masque. L'efficacité en chiffres Une étude menée par les Centres pour le contrôle et la prévention des maladies aux États-Unis, montre que ces masques chirurgicaux réduisent les risques de contamination de 66%.  Une autre étude parue dans la revue scientifique américaine Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Pnas) précise qu'une personne qui discute avec un individu positif au Covid-19, sans masque, pendant une heure, a 90% de chance d'être contaminée. Ce ratio tombe à 30% si les deux personnes portent un masque chirurgical et même à 0,4% avec un masque de type FFP2. Qui est derrière cette campagne de désinformation ? À la manœuvre, on retrouve le politique d'extrême droite Florian Philippot, l'ancien bras droit de Marine le Pen. Il a déclenché ce raid numérique dès le 30 novembre, en réaction à l'appel lancé la veille par Élisabeth Borne à porter le masque et à respecter les gestes barrières. Il a demandé à ses partisans de relayer en masse le #Jeneporteraipluslemasque, qu'il a lui-même initié.  Un hashtag alors poussé par plusieurs comptes adeptes de la désinformation autour du Covid-19. En outre, il a lancé une pétition et même un pin's vendu 4 euros l'unité. Soit presque le prix d'un paquet de masques chirurgicaux qui, bien utilisés, permettent de se protéger, et de protéger les autres.

In the beginning of the episode we discuss the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policy from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP): https://spsp.org/events/demonstrating-our-commitment-anti-racism-through-programming-and-events We reference a statement written by Jonathan Haidt and Lee Jussim complaining about this policy: https://unsafescience.substack.com/p/mandatory-diversity-equity-and-inclusion Finally, we quickly discuss a recent paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS): https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2210412119 Dr. Muscatell's TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpCvLXtMqiw&ab_channel=TEDxTalks Social status and stress: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57d17e77b8a79bfa4e31641d/t/5e8e35ba40223918dabc35e5/1586378180841/Cundiff%2C+Boylan%2C+Muscatell_2020_Current+Directions.pdf Social status and inflammation: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6814496/

Congress has failed to fund the government on time again. In this episode, Graham Elwood joins Jen as she geeks out on all the dingleberries attached to the new law extending Congress's funding deadline until December 16th. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! View the shownotes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd260-failure-to-fund-with-graham-elwood Graham Elwood Government Secrets Podcast with Lee Camp and Graham Elwood Political Vigilante Podcast Executive Producer Recommended Sources “From the Archive: Joe Hickman Blew the Whistle on Burn Pits 5 Years Ago.” August 8, 2022. The Peter Collins Show. Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD248: Understanding the Enemy CD244: Keeping Ukraine CD238: Losing Afghanistan CD087: Run for Congress with Chris Clemmons FDA User Fees Katie Hobbins. Oct 3, 2022. “FDA User Fee CR Passed, Questions on Policy and Reform Riders Remain.” Medical Device + Diagnostic Industry (MD+DI). New Mexico Fire Ryan Boetel. Sept 29, 2022. “$2.5 billion for fire damage relief included in spending bill.” Albuquerque Journal. Associated Press. Jun 21, 2022. “US Forest Service admits ‘multiple miscalculations' caused New Mexico fire.” The Guardian. Elizabeth Miller and Jason Samenow. May 5, 2022. “Large fires are raging in New Mexico, and the worst may be coming.” The Washington Post. Republicans and Disaster Relief Funding Sharon Zhang. Oct 3, 2022. “Every Single Florida House Republican Voted Against Disaster Relief Funding.” Truthout. Zach Schonfeld. Oct 3, 2022. “Gaetz asks for Florida hurricane aid after voting against CR with FEMA funding.” Lauren Book. Oct 3, 2022. “Today, President Biden included additional Florida counties as those considered major disaster areas…” [tweet] Sanjana Karanth. Oct 2, 2022. “Florida Senators Request More Federal Aid Despite Not Voting For Hurricane Relief.” HuffPost. Anna Skinner. Sept 30, 2022. “Matt Gaetz Votes Against Disaster Relief Days After Hurricane Ian Hits.” Newsweek. Sergio Bustos. Sept 30, 2022. “Marco Rubio, Rick Scott urge Senate leaders for more funds to recover, rebuild Florida after Hurricane Ian.” Tallahassee Democrat. Patrick Leahy. Sept 9, 2022. “Hurricane Ian shows reason for FEMA Disaster Relief Fund.” Vermont Biz. Jackson Water Crisis Anthony Warren. Sept 30, 2022. “$20 million federal allocation for Jackson water clears House of Representatives.” Jackson WLBT. Michael Goldberg. Sept 27, 2022. “Funds to aid Jackson's water system held up as governor rose.” Yahoo News. Annie Snider and Lara Priluck. Sept 21, 2022. “House appropriators eye as much as $200M for Jackson water crisis.” Politico. James Brasuell. Aug 20, 2022. “Water Supply Failure in Jackson, Mississippi.” Planetizen. Continuing Resolution Aidan Quigley. Sept 30, 2022. “Stopgap funding bill clears House; next stop is Biden's desk.” Roll Call. David Hawkings. Sept 7, 2016. “What Is a Continuing Resolution?” Roll Call. Ukraine James Bradley. Oct 4, 2022. “Why does a hurricane relief bill have money for Ukraine in it? Seriously.” [tweet] Emily Cochrane. Sept 29, 2022. “Senate Passes Bill to Aid Ukraine and Avert Government Shutdown.” The New York Times. Chelsey Cox. Sept 29, 2022. “Senate passes stopgap funding bill to avert government shutdown, provide more Ukraine aid.” CNBC. Jackie Walorski Crash Marek Mazurek. Sept 16, 2022. “Crash that killed U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski, 3 others due in part to 'excessive speed.'” Appropriations “Appropriations Status Table: FY2023.” Congressional Research Service. Jeff Sachs Jeff Sachs on Bloomberg Global Financial News LIVE. Oct 3, 2022. “This is a path of dangerous escalation.” Bono. Apr 18, 2005. “The 2005 TIME 100: Jeffrey Sachs.” TIME. Peter Passell. Jun 27, 1993. “Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, Shock Therapist.” The New York Times. Campaign Contributions from the Defense Industry “Defense: Top Recipients: 2020” Open Secrets. Afghanistan Craig Whitlock. The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War. Simon & Schuster: 2021. Spencer Ackerman. Apr 29, 2013. “How the CIA's Bags of Cash Undermined the Afghanistan War.” U.S. Infrastructure and Global Rankings “United Nations Sustainable Development Report Rankings.” “The Global Competitiveness Report, 2019.” Contaminated Water in the United States Gloria Oladipo. Sep 6, 2022. “Toxic arsenic levels make tap water unsafe for thousands in New York City.” The Guardian. Emily Holden et. al. Feb 26, 2021. “More Than 25 Million Americans Drink From the Worst Water Systems.” The Guardian. Maura Allaire. Feb 12, 2018. “National trends in drinking water quality violations.” The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) 115(9). Paul Pelosi Chip Stock Caroline Vakil. Jul 27, 2022. “Pelosi's husband sells off up to $5 million worth of chipmaker stock ahead of semiconductor bill vote.” The Hill. Starbucks Unionization “Current Starbucks Statistics.” Union Election Data. Laws and Treaties H.R.6833: Making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2023, and for other purposes Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on the accession of Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic Vote breakdown Audio Sources Jeff Sachs on Bloomberg Global Financial News LIVE Oct 3, 2022 Jeff Sachs: The main fact is that the European economy is getting hammered by this by the sudden cut off of energy. And now to make it definitive the destruction of the Nord Stream pipeline, which I would bet was a US action, perhaps the US and Poland. This is a speculation — Bloomberg Host: That's quite a statement. Why do you feel that that was a US action? What evidence do you have of that? Jeff Sachs: Well, first of all, there's direct radar evidence that US helicopters, military helicopters that are normally based in Gdansk, we're circling over this area. We also had the threats from the United States earlier in this year that one way or another, we are going to end Nord Stream. We also have a remarkable statement by Secretary Blinken, last Friday in a press conference, he says this is also a tremendous opportunity. It's a strange way to talk if you're worried about piracy on international infrastructure of vital significance. I know this runs counter to our narrative, that you're not allowed to say these things in the West, but the fact of the matter is, all over the world, when I talk to people, they think the US did it. And by the way, even reporters on our papers that are involved tell me privately, “Well, of course,” but it doesn't show up in our media. House Session September 30, 2022 Jen's Highlighted PDF Senate Session September 29, 2022 Jen's Highlighted PDF Senate Session April 30, 1998 Jen's Highlighted PDF Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

GUEST: Jolanda de Vries, NijmegenIn this episode the hosts Tim and Giannis talk with the fantastic Jolanda De Vries from Nijmegen about how dendritic cell therapy got her into imaging and the latest therapeutic cell imaging methods. We touch on multimodality imaging, why imaging isn't frequently used in the clinic for cell tracking, and why mouse models of cancer might never be good enough.Selected Publication: "In vivo imaging of nanoparticle-labeled CAR T cells" published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) by the authors L. Kiru, A. Zlitni, A. Michael +9, and H. E. Daldrup-Link (Pediatric Molecular Imaging Lab at Stanford Medicine).Publication reference: Kiru L, Zlitni A, Tousley AM, Dalton GN, Wu W, Lafortune F, Liu A, Cunanan KM, Nejadnik H, Sulchek T, Moseley ME, Majzner RG, Daldrup-Link HE. In vivo imaging of nanoparticle-labeled CAR T cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Feb 8;119(6):e2102363119 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2102363119Further information on the European Society for Molecular Imaging: https://e-smi.eu/Contact: office@e-smi.eu

What do alcohol, religion and pandemics have in common?  A lot, as it turns out. This episode is a deep dive to the origins of our human love of alcohol, religion and social connection. In short, whenever a drug (like gambling, opium, sex, religion, social media, lies, alcohol, etc.) becomes more potent and less social, humans get ourselves into trouble. The pandemic has accelerated our already-problematic relationship with both religion and alcohol, and the similarities are pretty obvious once you know where to look.For more on ancient cities built to produce and drink alcohol (including Göbekli Tepe), check out The Guardian article, "10,000 Years of Cheers: Why Social Drinking is an Ancient Ritual" or Edward Slingerland's book, Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced and Stumbled our Way to Civilization. For more on human genetic mutations that allowed us to drink much more alcohol than other animals, check out the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) article, "Hominids adapted to metabolize ethanol long before human-directed fermentation." To read more about the relationship between visits to the bar and personal happiness (based on friendship), check out Robin Dunbar's work. For a great supplement to this episode (with lots of additional information) check out Kate Julian's article in the Atlantic, "America has a Drinking Problem." Ted Slingerman's Google Talk is also worth a watch: "Trying not to Try"Music by prazkhanal from Pixabay

A new report from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) has sent press in panic with doom and gloom forecasts. the report talks about the “four horsemen” of climate change with new names such as famine and undernutrition, extreme weather events, conflict, and vector-borne diseases. According to the international team of researchers, they propose need for a new research agenda to look into bad-to-worst-case scenarios ranging from a loss of 10% of the global population to eventual human extinction. (SCARY STUFF) By analysing the mechanisms for these extreme consequences, the international team want to help galvanize action, improve resilience, and inform policy, including emergency responses to better prepare our society and countries around the world.

Joseph Outa chats with Professor Fiery Cushman, professor of psychology at Harvard University. Fiery directs the Moral Psychology Research Lab where he investigates how people make decisions in social contexts; he focuses on questions like why and how did punishment evolve, what are the emotional systems that prevent us from doing harm, and how do humans make sense of each other's behaviors. He received his BA and PhD from Harvard University and has been bestowed with various awards and fellowships including the APA Distinguished Award for Early Career Contributions, the Stanton Prize from the Society of Philosophy and Psychology, just to name a few. He has written over 50 journal articles and is published in prestigious journals like Cognition, Psychological Science and the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), and his research has been continuously funded by organizations such as NSF, the Templeton Foundation and the Office of Naval Research. In this episode, Joseph and Fiery talk about an unpublished manuscript titled "The Possibility of Violence" which examines how our morals constrain the possibilities we consider when making decisions, as well as a case study of a violence-reduction program in the Chicago Public School system.

The majority of species around the world are declining from habitat loss. Biodiversity is valuable for human health and wildlife, but current conservation practices focus on individual species and not the ecosystem. Therefore, we should begin to aim conservation practices to protect the habitat; allowing for better corridors, and greater biodiversity. Episode Hosts: Nolan Bunting, Kara Maslyn, and James DeMoss Course Coordinators & Podcast Ringmasters: Colleen Duncan, Molly Carpenter, Treana Mayer Audio Engineer: Ethan Fagre EPISODE NOTES: Pandas, Koalas, and Elephants. We know of these animals in part due to the incredible effort to conserve them. However, conserving a singular species in an ecosystem is not nearly as valuable as conserving the habitat itself. Join us on an adventure from your own couch, as we explore the benefits of protecting the entire ecosystem. From wildlife to humanity, we all benefit from nature. We hope that this episode also teaches you how to help nature, and promote large conservation efforts. Remember, this is Nature and Nature needs you. References: Argentinian corridors https://www.rutadelosparques.org/en/who-we-are/ https://www.tompkinsconservation.org/get-wild.php African Transfrontier parks https://www.sanparks.org/conservation/transfrontier/great_limpopo.php Yellowstone to Yukon https://y2y.net/about/ Impacts of biodiversity on Zoonotic Diseases Keesing, & Ostfeld, R. S., 2021. Impacts of biodiversity and biodiversity loss on zoonotic diseases. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS, 118(17), 1–. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2023540118 Granter, Scott R, Aaron Bernstein, and Richard S Ostfeld., 2014. Of Mice and Men: Lyme Disease and Biodiversity. Perspectives in biology and medicine 57.2: 198–207. https://doi.org/10.1353/pbm.2014.0015 Ways you can help https://www.patagonia.com/activism/ Sexton C., 2020. Wildlife Tourism has the potential to transform conservation. Earth.com.https://www.earth.com/news/wildlife-tourism-has-the-potential-to-transform-conservation/ World Bank, 2018. Growing Wildlife-Based Tourism Sustainably: A New Report and Q&A. World Bank featured stories. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2018/03/01/growing-wildlife-based-tourism-sustainably-a-new-report-and-qa

Our planet is home to an astonishing diversity of plants—close to 400,000 species. Over the millennia, indigenous communities around the world have been studying those plants, experimenting with them, using them as a sort of free-growing pharmacy. Certain species, prepared in certain ways, might be used for digestive ailments; others for the skin, teeth, or liver. But this vast trove of medicinal knowledge is now under threat. Under two threats, really—we're losing plant species and we're losing indigenous languages and cultures. My guests this week are Dr. Rodrigo Camara-Leret and Dr. Jordi Bascompte, both of the University of Zurich's Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies. Rodrigo is a Senior Researcher there, and Jordi is a Full Professor. We discuss their remarkable recent paper titled 'Language extinction triggers the loss of unique medicinal knowledge', published this past summer in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). In the paper, Rodrigo and Jordi analyzed data from three hotspots of biocultural diversity—New Guinea, the Northwest Amazon, and North America. They were trying to better understand the nature of indigenous medicinal knowledge, the threats it is facing, and how we might best protect it. This is one of those papers that immediately grabbed me. It's deeply, unclassifiably interdisciplinary; it takes on an urgent question with a clever approach; and it tells us something we genuinely didn't already know. As I already said, our global stores of ethnobotanical knowledge are under threat—and from different directions. What Jordi & Rodrigo's work shows is that, in order to protect that knowledge, we need to focus on protecting indigenous languages. Before we get to it, just wanted to mention that, as it happens, Jordi was just very recently awarded the prestigious Ramon Margalef prize for his groundbreaking contributions to the field of ecology. So it was an extra special honor to have him on this episode. Alright friends—on to my conversation with Dr. Rodrigo Cámara-Leret and Dr. Jordi Bascompte. Enjoy!   The paper we discuss is available here. A transcript of this episode will be available soon!   Notes and links 4:45 – The Bascompte lab focuses on the architecture of biodiversity. 9:30 – Dr. Cámara-Leret and Dr. Bascompte have previously worked together on indigenous knowledge networks. 12:00 – The concept of “ecosystem services” is central in ecology. 16:30 – Dr. Cámara-Leret has previously worked on plant biodiversity in New Guinea, as well as on ethnobotany in Northwestern South America.   25:30 – A 2000 paper estimated that only about 6% of the world's plant species have been screen for biological activity. 36:20 – Dr. Bascompte very recently won the 2021 Margalef Award for his contributions to ecology. End-of-show recommendations: Dr. Bascompte recommends Perspectives in Ecological Theory, by Ramon Margalef. Dr. Cámara-Leret recommends Where the Gods Reign, by Richard Evans Schultes, and One River, by Wade Davis.   You can find Dr. Cámara-Leret on Twitter (@R_CamaraLeret) and follow his research at his website. You can follow Dr. Bascompte's work at his lab's website. Many Minds is a project of the Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute (DISI) (https://disi.org), which is made possible by a generous grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation to UCLA. It is hosted and produced by Kensy Cooperrider, with help from assistant producer Cecilia Padilla. Creative support is provided by DISI Directors Erica Cartmill and Jacob Foster. Our artwork is by Ben Oldroyd (https://www.mayhilldesigns.co.uk/). Our transcripts are created by Sarah Dopierala (https://sarahdopierala.wordpress.com/). You can subscribe to Many Minds on Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Play, or wherever you like to listen to podcasts. We welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions. Feel free to email us at: manymindspodcast@gmail.com. For updates about the show, visit our website (https://disi.org/manyminds/), or follow us on Twitter: @ManyMindsPod.

American scientists say they have created a vaccine patch that provides greater protection against infectious diseases than traditional injections.美国科学家表示，他们创造了一种疫苗贴剂，与传统注射剂相比，可以提供更好的传染病保护。A 3D printer is used to make the patch, which is smaller than the tip of a finger. Each patch – which contains many small “micro-needles” – can be put directly on the skin.3D 打印机用于制作比指尖还小的贴剂。每个贴片——包含许多小“微针”——可以直接放在皮肤上。The researchers said in a statement the experiments showed the patch provided an immune response 10 times greater than vaccines injected into arm muscles. And they reported it offered an immune response 50 times greater than vaccines injected under the skin.研究人员在一份声明中说，实验表明，该贴剂提供的免疫反应是注射到手臂肌肉中的疫苗的 10 倍。他们报告说，它提供的免疫反应是皮下注射疫苗的 50 倍。The tests were carried out on mice, with plans to expand the experiments to humans.这些测试是在老鼠想要进行的，并计划将实验扩展到人类。The results were recently described in a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The team was led by scientists from Stanford University and the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill.最近在美国国家科学院院刊 (PNAS) 上发表的一项研究中描述了这一结果。该团队由斯坦福大学和教堂山北卡罗来纳大学 (UNC) 的科学家领导。The researchers say the increased effectiveness happens because the patch releases substances directly into the skin, which is full of immune cells that are targeted by vaccines.研究人员表示，之所以能提高有效性，是因为贴剂将物质直接释放到皮肤中，皮肤上充满了疫苗靶向的免疫细胞。The scientists say that in addition to the patch vaccine being better at fighting disease, it has several other advantages over traditional injections. The patch is painless, does not require cold storage and can be given by individuals themselves.科学家们说，除了贴剂疫苗更擅长对抗疾病之外，它还有其他几个优于传统注射剂的优势。该贴片是无痛的，不需要冷藏，可以由个人自己给予。The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of vaccines as a way to control viruses in massive populations. But there are barriers that prevent some populations from getting the injections. One of these is the need to keep the vaccines in cold storage. Another is that it can be difficult for people in many parts of the world to get to a place that can administer the shots.COVID-19 大流行已经证明了疫苗作为一种在大量人群中控制病毒的方式的重要性。但是有一些障碍会阻止某些人群进行注射。其中之一是需要将疫苗冷藏。另一个原因是，世界上许多地方的人可能很难到达可以进行注射的地方。The researchers developing the patch say they hope the method will one day help solve these issues and increase vaccine access to millions more people around the world. And because of how the patch works, a smaller amount of vaccine can be used.开发该贴片的研究人员表示，他们希望该方法有朝一日能帮助解决这些问题，并增加全球数百万人获得疫苗的机会。而且由于贴剂的工作原理，可以使用较少量的疫苗。Shaomin Tian is a researcher in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the UNC School of Medicine. She helped lead the study. She said in a statement that the team was able to overcome manufacturing difficulties that have hurt efforts in the past to create an effective patch vaccine that uses micro-needles.田少民是北卡罗来纳大学医学院微生物学和免疫学系的研究员。她帮助领导了这项研究。她在一份声明中说，该团队能够克服制造困难，这些困难阻碍了过去创造使用微针的有效贴剂疫苗的努力。Tian said one problem with past methods was a reduction in needle sharpness from repeated manufacturing using patch molds.田说，过去方法的一个问题是使用贴片模具重复制造会降低针的锋利度。But the researchers' new method permitted them to directly 3D print the patches. “Which gives us lots of design latitude for making the best micro-needles from a performance and cost point-of-view,” Tian said.但是研究人员的新方法允许他们直接 3D 打印贴剂。“从性能和成本的角度来看，这为我们制造最好的微针提供了很大的设计空间，”田说。The team says it is continuing to work on developing ways to include current COVID-19 vaccines - such as those from Pfizer and Moderna - for use in micro-needle patches for future testing. The method could be used for other disease vaccines as well.该团队表示，它正在继续努力开发将当前的 COVID-19 疫苗（例如辉瑞和 Moderna 的疫苗）纳入微针贴剂以供未来测试的方法。该方法也可用于其他疾病疫苗。Other research has been done on the use of vaccine patches. Last year, scientists from the University of Pittsburgh announced they had developed a COVID-19 vaccine that could be delivered into the skin through a patch of 400 micro-needles.已经对疫苗贴剂的使用进行了其他研究。去年，匹兹堡大学的科学家宣布他们已经开发出一种 COVID-19 疫苗，可以通过 400 根微针将其输送到皮肤中。And in Australia, researchers from the University of Queensland reported in June they had created a vaccine patch that demonstrated “extremely clear” results in tests on mice. The scientists said the patches produced “much stronger and more protective immune responses against COVID-19” than traditional vaccine delivery methods.在澳大利亚，昆士兰大学的研究人员在 6 月份报告说，他们研制了一种疫苗贴剂，在对小鼠的测试中显示出“非常清楚”的结果。科学家们表示，与传统的疫苗投递方法相比，这些贴剂产生了“针对 COVID-19 的更强大、更具保护性的免疫反应”。

American scientists say they have created a vaccine patch that provides greater protection against infectious diseases than traditional injections.美国科学家表示，他们创造了一种疫苗贴剂，与传统注射剂相比，可以提供更好的传染病保护。A 3D printer is used to make the patch, which is smaller than the tip of a finger. Each patch – which contains many small “micro-needles” – can be put directly on the skin.3D 打印机用于制作比指尖还小的贴剂。每个贴片——包含许多小“微针”——可以直接放在皮肤上。The researchers said in a statement the experiments showed the patch provided an immune response 10 times greater than vaccines injected into arm muscles. And they reported it offered an immune response 50 times greater than vaccines injected under the skin.研究人员在一份声明中说，实验表明，该贴剂提供的免疫反应是注射到手臂肌肉中的疫苗的 10 倍。他们报告说，它提供的免疫反应是皮下注射疫苗的 50 倍。The tests were carried out on mice, with plans to expand the experiments to humans.这些测试是在老鼠想要进行的，并计划将实验扩展到人类。The results were recently described in a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The team was led by scientists from Stanford University and the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill.最近在美国国家科学院院刊 (PNAS) 上发表的一项研究中描述了这一结果。该团队由斯坦福大学和教堂山北卡罗来纳大学 (UNC) 的科学家领导。The researchers say the increased effectiveness happens because the patch releases substances directly into the skin, which is full of immune cells that are targeted by vaccines.研究人员表示，之所以能提高有效性，是因为贴剂将物质直接释放到皮肤中，皮肤上充满了疫苗靶向的免疫细胞。The scientists say that in addition to the patch vaccine being better at fighting disease, it has several other advantages over traditional injections. The patch is painless, does not require cold storage and can be given by individuals themselves.科学家们说，除了贴剂疫苗更擅长对抗疾病之外，它还有其他几个优于传统注射剂的优势。该贴片是无痛的，不需要冷藏，可以由个人自己给予。The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of vaccines as a way to control viruses in massive populations. But there are barriers that prevent some populations from getting the injections. One of these is the need to keep the vaccines in cold storage. Another is that it can be difficult for people in many parts of the world to get to a place that can administer the shots.COVID-19 大流行已经证明了疫苗作为一种在大量人群中控制病毒的方式的重要性。但是有一些障碍会阻止某些人群进行注射。其中之一是需要将疫苗冷藏。另一个原因是，世界上许多地方的人可能很难到达可以进行注射的地方。The researchers developing the patch say they hope the method will one day help solve these issues and increase vaccine access to millions more people around the world. And because of how the patch works, a smaller amount of vaccine can be used.开发该贴片的研究人员表示，他们希望该方法有朝一日能帮助解决这些问题，并增加全球数百万人获得疫苗的机会。而且由于贴剂的工作原理，可以使用较少量的疫苗。Shaomin Tian is a researcher in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the UNC School of Medicine. She helped lead the study. She said in a statement that the team was able to overcome manufacturing difficulties that have hurt efforts in the past to create an effective patch vaccine that uses micro-needles.田少民是北卡罗来纳大学医学院微生物学和免疫学系的研究员。她帮助领导了这项研究。她在一份声明中说，该团队能够克服制造困难，这些困难阻碍了过去创造使用微针的有效贴剂疫苗的努力。Tian said one problem with past methods was a reduction in needle sharpness from repeated manufacturing using patch molds.田说，过去方法的一个问题是使用贴片模具重复制造会降低针的锋利度。But the researchers' new method permitted them to directly 3D print the patches. “Which gives us lots of design latitude for making the best micro-needles from a performance and cost point-of-view,” Tian said.但是研究人员的新方法允许他们直接 3D 打印贴剂。“从性能和成本的角度来看，这为我们制造最好的微针提供了很大的设计空间，”田说。The team says it is continuing to work on developing ways to include current COVID-19 vaccines - such as those from Pfizer and Moderna - for use in micro-needle patches for future testing. The method could be used for other disease vaccines as well.该团队表示，它正在继续努力开发将当前的 COVID-19 疫苗（例如辉瑞和 Moderna 的疫苗）纳入微针贴剂以供未来测试的方法。该方法也可用于其他疾病疫苗。Other research has been done on the use of vaccine patches. Last year, scientists from the University of Pittsburgh announced they had developed a COVID-19 vaccine that could be delivered into the skin through a patch of 400 micro-needles.已经对疫苗贴剂的使用进行了其他研究。去年，匹兹堡大学的科学家宣布他们已经开发出一种 COVID-19 疫苗，可以通过 400 根微针将其输送到皮肤中。And in Australia, researchers from the University of Queensland reported in June they had created a vaccine patch that demonstrated “extremely clear” results in tests on mice. The scientists said the patches produced “much stronger and more protective immune responses against COVID-19” than traditional vaccine delivery methods.在澳大利亚，昆士兰大学的研究人员在 6 月份报告说，他们研制了一种疫苗贴剂，在对小鼠的测试中显示出“非常清楚”的结果。科学家们表示，与传统的疫苗投递方法相比，这些贴剂产生了“针对 COVID-19 的更强大、更具保护性的免疫反应”。

American scientists say they have created a vaccine patch that provides greater protection against infectious diseases than traditional injections.美国科学家表示，他们创造了一种疫苗贴剂，与传统注射剂相比，可以提供更好的传染病保护。A 3D printer is used to make the patch, which is smaller than the tip of a finger. Each patch – which contains many small “micro-needles” – can be put directly on the skin.3D 打印机用于制作比指尖还小的贴剂。每个贴片——包含许多小“微针”——可以直接放在皮肤上。The researchers said in a statement the experiments showed the patch provided an immune response 10 times greater than vaccines injected into arm muscles. And they reported it offered an immune response 50 times greater than vaccines injected under the skin.研究人员在一份声明中说，实验表明，该贴剂提供的免疫反应是注射到手臂肌肉中的疫苗的 10 倍。他们报告说，它提供的免疫反应是皮下注射疫苗的 50 倍。The tests were carried out on mice, with plans to expand the experiments to humans.这些测试是在老鼠想要进行的，并计划将实验扩展到人类。The results were recently described in a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The team was led by scientists from Stanford University and the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill.最近在美国国家科学院院刊 (PNAS) 上发表的一项研究中描述了这一结果。该团队由斯坦福大学和教堂山北卡罗来纳大学 (UNC) 的科学家领导。The researchers say the increased effectiveness happens because the patch releases substances directly into the skin, which is full of immune cells that are targeted by vaccines.研究人员表示，之所以能提高有效性，是因为贴剂将物质直接释放到皮肤中，皮肤上充满了疫苗靶向的免疫细胞。The scientists say that in addition to the patch vaccine being better at fighting disease, it has several other advantages over traditional injections. The patch is painless, does not require cold storage and can be given by individuals themselves.科学家们说，除了贴剂疫苗更擅长对抗疾病之外，它还有其他几个优于传统注射剂的优势。该贴片是无痛的，不需要冷藏，可以由个人自己给予。The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of vaccines as a way to control viruses in massive populations. But there are barriers that prevent some populations from getting the injections. One of these is the need to keep the vaccines in cold storage. Another is that it can be difficult for people in many parts of the world to get to a place that can administer the shots.COVID-19 大流行已经证明了疫苗作为一种在大量人群中控制病毒的方式的重要性。但是有一些障碍会阻止某些人群进行注射。其中之一是需要将疫苗冷藏。另一个原因是，世界上许多地方的人可能很难到达可以进行注射的地方。The researchers developing the patch say they hope the method will one day help solve these issues and increase vaccine access to millions more people around the world. And because of how the patch works, a smaller amount of vaccine can be used.开发该贴片的研究人员表示，他们希望该方法有朝一日能帮助解决这些问题，并增加全球数百万人获得疫苗的机会。而且由于贴剂的工作原理，可以使用较少量的疫苗。Shaomin Tian is a researcher in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the UNC School of Medicine. She helped lead the study. She said in a statement that the team was able to overcome manufacturing difficulties that have hurt efforts in the past to create an effective patch vaccine that uses micro-needles.田少民是北卡罗来纳大学医学院微生物学和免疫学系的研究员。她帮助领导了这项研究。她在一份声明中说，该团队能够克服制造困难，这些困难阻碍了过去创造使用微针的有效贴剂疫苗的努力。Tian said one problem with past methods was a reduction in needle sharpness from repeated manufacturing using patch molds.田说，过去方法的一个问题是使用贴片模具重复制造会降低针的锋利度。But the researchers' new method permitted them to directly 3D print the patches. “Which gives us lots of design latitude for making the best micro-needles from a performance and cost point-of-view,” Tian said.但是研究人员的新方法允许他们直接 3D 打印贴剂。“从性能和成本的角度来看，这为我们制造最好的微针提供了很大的设计空间，”田说。The team says it is continuing to work on developing ways to include current COVID-19 vaccines - such as those from Pfizer and Moderna - for use in micro-needle patches for future testing. The method could be used for other disease vaccines as well.该团队表示，它正在继续努力开发将当前的 COVID-19 疫苗（例如辉瑞和 Moderna 的疫苗）纳入微针贴剂以供未来测试的方法。该方法也可用于其他疾病疫苗。Other research has been done on the use of vaccine patches. Last year, scientists from the University of Pittsburgh announced they had developed a COVID-19 vaccine that could be delivered into the skin through a patch of 400 micro-needles.已经对疫苗贴剂的使用进行了其他研究。去年，匹兹堡大学的科学家宣布他们已经开发出一种 COVID-19 疫苗，可以通过 400 根微针将其输送到皮肤中。And in Australia, researchers from the University of Queensland reported in June they had created a vaccine patch that demonstrated “extremely clear” results in tests on mice. The scientists said the patches produced “much stronger and more protective immune responses against COVID-19” than traditional vaccine delivery methods.在澳大利亚，昆士兰大学的研究人员在 6 月份报告说，他们研制了一种疫苗贴剂，在对小鼠的测试中显示出“非常清楚”的结果。科学家们表示，与传统的疫苗投递方法相比，这些贴剂产生了“针对 COVID-19 的更强大、更具保护性的免疫反应”。

American scientists say they have created a vaccine patch that provides greater protection against infectious diseases than traditional injections.美国科学家表示，他们创造了一种疫苗贴剂，与传统注射剂相比，可以提供更好的传染病保护。A 3D printer is used to make the patch, which is smaller than the tip of a finger. Each patch – which contains many small “micro-needles” – can be put directly on the skin.3D 打印机用于制作比指尖还小的贴剂。每个贴片——包含许多小“微针”——可以直接放在皮肤上。The researchers said in a statement the experiments showed the patch provided an immune response 10 times greater than vaccines injected into arm muscles. And they reported it offered an immune response 50 times greater than vaccines injected under the skin.研究人员在一份声明中说，实验表明，该贴剂提供的免疫反应是注射到手臂肌肉中的疫苗的 10 倍。他们报告说，它提供的免疫反应是皮下注射疫苗的 50 倍。The tests were carried out on mice, with plans to expand the experiments to humans.这些测试是在老鼠想要进行的，并计划将实验扩展到人类。The results were recently described in a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The team was led by scientists from Stanford University and the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill.最近在美国国家科学院院刊 (PNAS) 上发表的一项研究中描述了这一结果。该团队由斯坦福大学和教堂山北卡罗来纳大学 (UNC) 的科学家领导。The researchers say the increased effectiveness happens because the patch releases substances directly into the skin, which is full of immune cells that are targeted by vaccines.研究人员表示，之所以能提高有效性，是因为贴剂将物质直接释放到皮肤中，皮肤上充满了疫苗靶向的免疫细胞。The scientists say that in addition to the patch vaccine being better at fighting disease, it has several other advantages over traditional injections. The patch is painless, does not require cold storage and can be given by individuals themselves.科学家们说，除了贴剂疫苗更擅长对抗疾病之外，它还有其他几个优于传统注射剂的优势。该贴片是无痛的，不需要冷藏，可以由个人自己给予。The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of vaccines as a way to control viruses in massive populations. But there are barriers that prevent some populations from getting the injections. One of these is the need to keep the vaccines in cold storage. Another is that it can be difficult for people in many parts of the world to get to a place that can administer the shots.COVID-19 大流行已经证明了疫苗作为一种在大量人群中控制病毒的方式的重要性。但是有一些障碍会阻止某些人群进行注射。其中之一是需要将疫苗冷藏。另一个原因是，世界上许多地方的人可能很难到达可以进行注射的地方。The researchers developing the patch say they hope the method will one day help solve these issues and increase vaccine access to millions more people around the world. And because of how the patch works, a smaller amount of vaccine can be used.开发该贴片的研究人员表示，他们希望该方法有朝一日能帮助解决这些问题，并增加全球数百万人获得疫苗的机会。而且由于贴剂的工作原理，可以使用较少量的疫苗。Shaomin Tian is a researcher in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the UNC School of Medicine. She helped lead the study. She said in a statement that the team was able to overcome manufacturing difficulties that have hurt efforts in the past to create an effective patch vaccine that uses micro-needles.田少民是北卡罗来纳大学医学院微生物学和免疫学系的研究员。她帮助领导了这项研究。她在一份声明中说，该团队能够克服制造困难，这些困难阻碍了过去创造使用微针的有效贴剂疫苗的努力。Tian said one problem with past methods was a reduction in needle sharpness from repeated manufacturing using patch molds.田说，过去方法的一个问题是使用贴片模具重复制造会降低针的锋利度。But the researchers' new method permitted them to directly 3D print the patches. “Which gives us lots of design latitude for making the best micro-needles from a performance and cost point-of-view,” Tian said.但是研究人员的新方法允许他们直接 3D 打印贴剂。“从性能和成本的角度来看，这为我们制造最好的微针提供了很大的设计空间，”田说。The team says it is continuing to work on developing ways to include current COVID-19 vaccines - such as those from Pfizer and Moderna - for use in micro-needle patches for future testing. The method could be used for other disease vaccines as well.该团队表示，它正在继续努力开发将当前的 COVID-19 疫苗（例如辉瑞和 Moderna 的疫苗）纳入微针贴剂以供未来测试的方法。该方法也可用于其他疾病疫苗。Other research has been done on the use of vaccine patches. Last year, scientists from the University of Pittsburgh announced they had developed a COVID-19 vaccine that could be delivered into the skin through a patch of 400 micro-needles.已经对疫苗贴剂的使用进行了其他研究。去年，匹兹堡大学的科学家宣布他们已经开发出一种 COVID-19 疫苗，可以通过 400 根微针将其输送到皮肤中。And in Australia, researchers from the University of Queensland reported in June they had created a vaccine patch that demonstrated “extremely clear” results in tests on mice. The scientists said the patches produced “much stronger and more protective immune responses against COVID-19” than traditional vaccine delivery methods.在澳大利亚，昆士兰大学的研究人员在 6 月份报告说，他们研制了一种疫苗贴剂，在对小鼠的测试中显示出“非常清楚”的结果。科学家们表示，与传统的疫苗投递方法相比，这些贴剂产生了“针对 COVID-19 的更强大、更具保护性的免疫反应”。

Neste episódio Dr. Fernando Lima recebe Dr. Gustavo Fonseca, diretor de programas do Global Environmental Facility! Gustavo Fonseca é graduado em Ciências Biológicas pela Universidade de Brasília, Mestre em Latin American Studies e Doutor em Wildlife and Range Sciences pela University of Florida. Sua tese de doutorado ganhou o prêmio Rodolpho von Ihering pela Sociedade Brasileira de Zoologia e o prêmio Oliver Austin concedido pela universidade da Florida a estudantes que demonstram excelência em pesquisa na área de ciências naturais. Foi professor titular da Departamento de Zoologia da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, além de um dos idealizadores do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia Conservação e Manejo da UFMG e um dos fundadores da Fundação Biodiversitas. Possui ampla experiência nas áreas de Ecologia, Biogeografia, Zoologia Aplicada, Política Ambiental, Priorização de Investimentos em Conservação, Captação de Recursos e Financiamento de Projetos em Conservação e Desenvolvimento Sustentável. A sua produção científica e técnica gerou mais de 170 publicações, incluindo várias publicadas nos periódicos Science, Nature, Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Sciences - PNAS e na Conservation Biology. Foi também agraciado com a Order of the Golden Ark pelo governo da Holanda, uma das mais importantes condecorações mundiais destinada àqueles que se destacam na defesa de ecossistemas terrestres.  Ele é diretor de Programas no Global Environment Facility, supervisionando o portfólio de investimentos em conservação da biodiversidade, na mitigação e adaptação a mudanças climáticas, conservação de recursos hídricos e águas internacionais, produtos químicos, uso e manejo sustentável da terra e investimentos no REDD+ (incentivo desenvolvido no âmbito da Convenção-Quadro das Nações Unidas sobre Mudança do Clima (UNFCCC) para recompensar financeiramente países em desenvolvimento pela redução de Emissões de gases de efeito estufa provenientes de desmatamento). O Fundo Mundial para o Meio Ambiente Em 1989 a França sugeriu que o Banco Mundial tivesse recursos adicionais para financiar projetos ambientais e ofereceu uma contribuição de 900 milhões de marcos por 3 anos. Em novembro de 1990 - com o desenvolvimento da proposta pelo banco mundial - 27 países aderiram e concordaram em estabelecer o Global Environmental Facility, com 1 bilhão de dólares para os 3 primeiros anos. O objetivo deste recurso foi financiar países em desenvolvimento em quatro áreas: mudanças climáticas, biodiversidade, degradação da camada de ozônio e águas internacionais. A ideia era que estes países pudessem usar esse investimento nas ações de mitigação destas questões ambientais que de fato são de interesse global, sem ter que comprometer o seu próprio desenvolvimento econômico. Após a Conferência das Nações Unidas sobre Meio Ambiente e o Desenvolvimento - a Rio -92 ou Eco-92 - o GEF deixou de ser um projeto do banco mundial e se tornou uma organização independente, embora ainda mantendo relações importantes com o banco. O GEF é hoje a principal instituição mundial na gestão de recursos para a implementação das convenções e protocolos estabelecidos pelas conferências das nações unidas. Desde então o GEF disponibilizou diretamente mais de 21 bilhões de dólares em financiamentos de projetos e mobilizou mais 114 bilhões com contrapartidas em mais de 5 mil projetos em 170 países. Com o programa de small grants (pequenos financiamentos) o GEF financiou mais de 25 mil organizações da sociedade civil em iniciativas comunitárias em 133 países. Texto: Fernando Lima Fonte: https://www.thegef.org/   Visite nossa loja! loja.desabrace.com.br Dá uma força para manter o DesAbraçando online e com episódios no cronograma contribuindo financeiramente com nosso projeto: O DesAbraçando é um projeto independente e conta com o apoio dos ouvintes para se manter online e pagar a edição de áudio. Se você curte o projeto,

Have you ever seen what seemed to be a spirit? Or heard a voice from an unseen source? Or maybe just sensed a presence and found yourself with goosebumps all over? These kinds of experiences can be incredibly powerful— life-altering, in fact—but they don’t happen often, and they don’t happen to everyone. So what drives this individual variation? Why do some of us have these extraordinary experiences while others never do? Could it be something about our personalities? Or our cultures? Could it have to do with the way we understand our minds? My guests on today’s show are Tanya Luhrmann, Professor of Anthropology at Stanford University, and Kara Weisman, a postdoc at UC-Riverside (formerly in the Psychology department at Stanford). Along with nine collaborators from across institutions, Tanya and Kara recently published a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences (PNAS) titled ‘Sensing the presence of gods and spirits across cultures and faiths.’ This episode is nominally in our “behind the paper” series, but really it tells the story of not just this one paper but a much larger project: The Mind and Spirit project. The project was an unusual effort in scope: it included anthropologists and psychologists; it involved fieldwork in Ghana, Thailand, China, Vanuatu, and the US and practitioners of different faith traditions; it used both in-depth interviews and large-scale survey testing with thousands of participants. The particular paper we’re discussing today probed the basic idea that so-called “spiritual presence events”—those tingly, jarring, extraordinary experiences that some of us have—could be due to two main factors, factors that vary across individuals and cultures. The first proposed factor is how people understand the mind-world boundary. People who conceive of the mind as fundamentally leaky or “porous” might be more likely to have these kinds of experiences. The second proposed factor is how likely people are to get absorbed in their sensory experiences, to lose themselves in music, art, nature, movies, and so on. In our conversation, Tanya, Kara, and I talk about the deeper history behind this work; we break down what the constructs of porosity and absorption mean exactly and how they chose to measure them; we discuss the challenges and rewards of cross-disciplinary collaboration; and we talk about why I really need to read more William James. I wanted to feature this paper the moment I learned about it—it’s such an impressive piece of research on several levels. It’s also just certifiably cool. It’s dealing with cultural differences. It’s dealing with individual differences. And it’s dealing with variability in, to use the authors’ words “something as basic as what feels real to the senses.” So let’s get to it. Without further ado, here’s my conversation with Dr. Tanya Luhrmann and Dr. Kara Weisman. Enjoy! The paper we discuss is here. A transcript of this show is available here.   Notes and links 4:00 – Dr. Luhrmann’s first book was based on work with British practitioners of magic and witchcraft. 5:30 – Another of Dr. Luhrmann’s books looked at American Evangelicals and their relationship to God. 6:30 – A paper by Marcia Johnson and Carol Raye on “reality monitoring.” 12:45 – In earlier work, Dr. Weisman examined people’s conceptions of mind and mental life. 16:37 – One of the other collaborators on the Mind and Spirit project is Felicity Aulino. 19:30 – More info about Tellegen’s absorption scale can be found here and here. 28:05 – Another member of the project is Rachel E. Smith. 33:24 – Another member of the project is Cristine Legare, former guest on Many Minds (!). 36:00 – Another member of the project is John Dulin. 42:00 – Another member of the project is Emily Ng. 42:30 – Another member of the project is Joshua D. Brahinsky. 43:00 – Another member of the project is Vivian Dzokoto. 58:00 – Dr. Luhrmann discusses the “citadel” model of the mind in her more recent book, How God Becomes Real. 59:20 – Dr. Weisman is currently part of a new large-scale project, the Developing Belief Network.   Dr. Luhrmann’s end-of-show recommendation: Religious Experience Reconsidered, by Ann Taves Dr. Weisman’s end-of-show recommendation: The Varieties of Religious Experience, by William James   Many Minds is a project of the Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute (DISI) (https://disi.org), which is made possible by a generous grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation to UCLA. It is hosted and produced by Kensy Cooperrider, with creative support from DISI Directors Erica Cartmill and Jacob Foster, and Associate Director Hilda Loury. Our artwork is by Ben Oldroyd (https://www.mayhilldesigns.co.uk/). Our transcripts are created by Sarah Dopierala (https://sarahdopierala.wordpress.com/). You can subscribe to Many Minds on Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Play, or wherever you like to listen to podcasts. We welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions. Feel free to email us at: manymindspodcast@gmail.com. For updates about the show, visit our NEW website (https://disi.org/manyminds/), or follow us on Twitter: @ManyMindsPod.

In this week's Workplace Readiness class, we covered effective written communication. How do we respond in a way that allows for communication and a healthier emotional connection? Try the four step approach mentioned in this podcast the next time you come across a challenging message in your inbox. Works referenced: Dollard, C., 2017. Invest In Your Relationship: The Emotional Bank Account. [online] The Gottman Institute. Available at: [Accessed 7 October 2020]. Nummenmaa, L., Glerean, E., Hari, R., & Hietanen, J. K. (2013;2014;). Bodily maps of emotions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS, 111(2), 646-651. doi:10.1073/pnas.1321664111 Plutchik, R. (2003). Emotions and life: Perspectives from psychology, biology, and evolution (1st ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

In this episode, Brett sits down with Brad Greenwood, an Associate Professor of Information System in the School of Business at George Mason University to discuss his recently published research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) exploring the impact of physician-patient racial concordance on infant mortality rates. Brad shares the key findings and policy implications of his ground-breaking research and then dives into some of his other policy related research.

The Gary Null Show is here to inform you on the best news in health, healing, the environment.  If you would like to sign up for the new PRN Newsletter provide your email to Prnstudio@gmail.com   Professor Sunetra Gupta: the epidemic is on its way out Brendan O'Neill: The danger of the 'chattering class' Link confirmed between healthy diet and prostate cancer prevention University of Calgary, August 6, 2020   The Canadian Cancer Society estimates that more than 23,000 Canadians will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2020. Among other risk factors, more and more studies point to diet as a major factor in the development of prostate cancer, as it is for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Using data from a study conducted in Montreal between 2005 and 2012, a research team led by Professor Marie-Elise Parent of Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) has shown a link between diet and prostate cancer in the article “Dietary Patterns Are Associated with Risk of Prostate Cancer in a Population-Based Case-Control Study in Montreal, Canada”, published in Nutrients in June. Three main dietary profiles analyzed INRS PhD student Karine Trudeau, the lead author of the study, based her analysis on three main dietary profiles: healthy diet, salty Western diet including alcohol, and sugar-rich Western diet with beverages. The first profile leans heavily towards fruits, vegetables, and plant proteins like tofu and nuts. The salty Western diet with alcohol includes more meat and beverages such as beer and wine. The third profile is rich in pasta, pizza, desserts, and sugary carbonated drinks. The study took age, ethnicity, education, family history, and date of last prostate cancer screening into account. Marie-Elise Parent and Karine Trudeau found a link between a healthy diet and a lower risk of prostate cancer. Conversely, a Western diet with sweets and beverages was associated with a higher risk and seemed to be a factor in more aggressive forms of cancer. The study did not show any clear link between a Western diet with salt and alcohol and the risk of developing the disease. Moving away from the typical approach used in epidemiological studies, which involves looking at one nutrient or food group at a time, the researchers collected data from a broader dietary profile. “It's not easy to isolate the effect of a single nutrient,” explained Ms. Trudeau. “For example, foods rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, promote iron absorption. Calcium is often found in dairy products, which also contain vitamin D. Our more targeted approach takes this synergy into account to produce more meaningful results that public health authorities can use to formulate recommendations. Rather than counting on one miracle food, people should look at their overall diet.” “For a long time we've suspected that diet might play a role in the development of prostate cancer, but it was very hard to pinpoint the specific factors at play,” said Professor Parent. “This study is significant because it looks at dietary habits as a whole. We've uncovered evidence that, we hope, can be used to develop prevention strategies for prostate cancer, the most common cancer among men in Canadaand many other countries.”   Compounds in 'monster' radish could help tame cardiovascular disease American Chemical Society, August 9, 2020 Step aside carrots, onions and broccoli. The newest heart-healthy vegetable could be a gigantic, record-setting radish. In a study appearing in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, scientists report that compounds found in the Sakurajima Daikon, or "monster," radish could help protect coronary blood vessels and potentially prevent heart disease and stroke. The finding could lead to the discovery of similar substances in other vegetables and perhaps lead to new drug treatments. Grown for centuries in Japan, the Sakurajima Daikon is one of the Earth's most massive vegetables. In 2003, the Guinness Book of World Records certified a Sakurajima weighing nearly 69 pounds as the world's heaviest radish. Radishes are good sources of antioxidants and reportedly can reduce high blood pressure and the threat of clots, a pair of risk factors for heart attack and stroke. But to date, no studies have directly compared the heart-health benefits of the Sakurajima Daikon to other radishes. To address this knowledge gap, Katsuko Kajiya and colleagues sought to find out what effects this radish would have on nitric oxide production, a key regulator of coronary blood vessel function, and to determine its underlying mechanisms. The researchers exposed human and pig vascular endothelial cells to extracts from Sakurajima Daikon and smaller radishes. Using fluorescence microscopy and other analytical techniques, the research team found the Sakurajima Daikon radish induced more nitric oxide production in these vascular cells than a smaller Japanese radish. They also identified trigonelline, a plant hormone, as the active component in Sakurajima Daikon that appears to promote a cascade of changes in coronary blood vessels resulting improved nitric oxide production.   Placebos prove powerful even when people know they're taking one Michigan State University, August 7, 2020   How much of a treatment is mind over matter? It is well documented that people often feel better after taking a treatment without active ingredients simply because they believe it's real -- known as the placebo effect. A team of researchers from Michigan State University, University of Michigan and Dartmouth College is the first to demonstrate that placebos reduce brain markers of emotional distress even when people know they are taking one. Now, evidence shows that even if people are aware that their treatment is not "real" -- known as nondeceptive placebos -- believing that it can heal can lead to changes in how the brain reacts to emotional information. "Just think: What if someone took a side-effect free sugar pill twice a day after going through a short convincing video on the power of placebos and experienced reduced stress as a result?", said Darwin Guevarra, MSU postdoctoral fellow and the study's lead author. "These results raise that possibility." The new findings, published in the most recent edition of the journal Nature Communications, tested how effective nondeceptive placebos -- or, when a person knows they are receiving a placebo -- are for reducing emotional brain activity.  "Placebos are all about 'mind over matter," said Jason Moser, co-author of the study and professor of psychology at MSU. "Nondeceptive placebos were born so that you could possibly use them in routine practice. So rather than prescribing a host of medications to help a patient, you could give them a placebo, tell them it can help them and chances are -- if they believe it can, then it will." To test nondeceptive placebos, the researchers showed two separate groups of people a series of emotional images across two experiments. The nondeceptive placebo group members read about placebo effects and were asked to inhale a saline solution nasal spray. They were told that the nasal spray was a placebo that contained no active ingredients but would help reduce their negative feelings if they believed it would. The comparison control group members also inhaled the same saline solution spray, but were told that the spray improved the clarity of the physiological readings the researchers were recording. The first experiment found that the nondeceptive placebos reduced participants' self-reported emotional distress. Importantly, the second study showed that nondeceptive placebos reduced electrical brain activity reflecting how much distress someone feels to emotional events, and the reduction in emotional brain activity occurred within just a couple of seconds. "These findings provide initial support that nondeceptive placebos are not merely a product of response bias - telling the experimenter what they want to hear -- but represent genuine psychobiological effects," said Ethan Kross, co-author of the study and a professor of psychology and management at the University of Michigan.     Greater coffee intake associated with decreased depressive symptoms among older Japanese women Nakamura Gakuen University (Japan), August 5, 2020   According to news reporting originating from Fukuoka, Japan, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Depression in elderly people is a major global concern around the world. Epidemiological evidence of the association of beverages with depressive symptoms has received research attention; however, epidemiological studies on the association of coffee and green tea consumption with depressive symptoms among the elderly population are limited.” Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from Nakamura Gakuen University, “The objective of this study is to cross-sectionally examine the association of depressive symptoms with the intake of coffee, green tea, and caffeine and to verify the antidepressant effect of caffeine. The subjects were 1,992 women aged 65-94 years. Intakes of coffee, green tea, and caffeine, as well as depressive symptoms, were assessed with a validated brief dietary history questionnaire (BDHQ) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (as) for depressive symptoms with adjustments for potential confounders. Coffee intake was associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms, the ORs of which for the 4th versus the 1st quartiles of intake was 0.64 (95% CI, 0.46-0.88, P for trend = 0.01) in a fully adjusted model. Caffeine intake was marginally associated with depressive symptoms, but the association was not statistically significant (OR 0.75; 95% CL 0,55-1,02. P for trend = 0.058). The result suggests that the inverse association of coffee intake with depressive symptoms might be associated with not only caffeine intake but also some other substances in coffee or factors related to coffee intake.” According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Because of the cross-sectional design of the present study, longitudinal studies are required to confirm the present finding.”     Sugary drinks and disease: Chugging 2 sodas per day increases your risk of premature death University College Dublin (Ireland), August 8, 2020   On top of raising blood sugar and contributing to abdominal fat, European researchers found that soda can also lead to an earlier death. Published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the study demonstrates that daily consumption of two or more sodas – diet or not – and other sweetened drinks corresponds to a 17 percent increase in the risk of premature death from all causes. The “bitter truth” of soda consumption: premature death To examine the relationship between soda consumption and the risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality, the researchers studied 451,743 individuals living in 10 European countries, including Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The participants were from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EIPC) study, one of the largest ongoing cohort studies on diet and its relation to cancer and other chronic diseases. None of the participants have any chronic conditions. The team studied their soda consumption for an average of 16 years. During that period, a total of 41,693 participants died from all causes, eleven percent of whom reported drinking at least two sodas daily, while nine percent reported drinking not more than one per month. The participants who drank two or more glasses of soda also had a higher risk of death from heart conditions. Meanwhile, those who reported consuming other beverages sweetened with either sugar or artificial sweeteners had a greater risk of death from digestive diseases. Participants who drank diet soda weren't off the hook either. The team reported that those who drank diet sodas also had a greater risk of earlier death from cardiovascular disease(CVD). Taken together, these findings indicate that the consumption of soda, diet soda and other sweetened beverages is linked to premature death from all causes, including CVD and digestive diseases. The researchers noted that their study supports public health campaigns aimed at limiting the consumption of sodas and other sugar-laden drinks.       Fisetin derivative shows promise against Alzheimer disease in mice Salk Institute, August 5 2020.    he September 2020 issue of Redox Biology published the finding of Salk Institute researchers of an ability for a compound derived from fisetin, a flavonoid occurring in many plants, to reverse memory loss in a mouse model of Alzheimer disease. The compound, known as CMS121, which was synthesized by Pamela Maher and colleagues, was recently demonstrated to slow brain cell aging. "This was a more rigorous test of how well this compound would work in a therapeutic setting than our previous studies on it," commented Dr Maher. "Based on the success of this study, we're now beginning to pursue clinical trials." In the current research, normal mice and mice that were genetically modified to develop Alzheimer disease were given CMS121 starting at nine months of age. Untreated Alzheimer mice and normal mice served as controls. At 12 months, memory and behavior tests revealed that treated Alzheimer mice performed as well as control mice and that Alzheimer mice that did not receive CMS121 performed worse.  An increase in lipid peroxidation was observed in brains cells of untreated Alzheimer mice in comparison with Alzheimer mice that received CMS121. "That not only confirmed that lipid peroxidation is altered in Alzheimer's, but that this drug is actually normalizing those changes," remarked first author Gamze Ates.  It was further determined that CMS121 lowered levels of the lipid-producing molecule fatty acid synthetase (FASN). Brain samples from human Alzheimer patients revealed that greater amounts of FASN were present in comparison with cognitively healthy patients, suggesting that FASN could be a drug target for Alzheimer disease.  "There has been a big struggle in the field right now to find targets to go after," Dr Maher stated. "So, identifying a new target in an unbiased way like this is really exciting and opens lots of doors."     REM sleep tunes eating behavior University of Bern (Germany),  August 7, 2020   Despite our broad understanding of the different brain regions activated during rapid-eye-movement sleep, little is known about what this activity serves for. Researchers at the University of Bern and the Inselspital have now discovered that the activation of neurons in the hypothalamus during REM sleep regulates eating behaviour: suppressing this activity in mice decreases appetite. While we are asleep, we transition between different phases of sleep each of which may contribute differently to us feeling rested. During (rapid eye movement) REM sleep, a peculiar sleep stage also called paradoxical sleep during which most dreaming occurs, specific brain circuits show very high electrical activity, yet the function of this sleep-specific activity remains unclear.  Among the brain regions that show strong activation during REM sleep are areas that regulate memory functions or emotion, for instance. The lateral hypothalamus, a tiny, evolutionarily well conserved brain structure in all mammals also shows high activity during REM sleep. In the awake animals, neurons from this brain region orchestrate appetite and the consumption of food and they are involved in the regulation of motivated behaviours and addiction. In a new study, researchers headed by Prof. Dr. Antoine Adamantidis at the University of Bern set out to investigate the function of the activity of hypothalamic neurons in mice during REM sleep. They aimed at better understanding how neural activation during REM sleep influences our day-to-day behaviour. They discovered that suppressing the activity of these neurons decreases the amount of food the mice consume. "This suggests that REM sleep is necessary to stabilize food intake", says Adamantidis. The results of this study have been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Long-lasting effect on neuronal activity and feeding behavior The researcher discovered that specific activity patterns of neurons in the lateral hypothalamus that usually signal eating in the awake mouse are also present when the animals were in the stage of REM sleep. To assess the importance of these activity patterns during REM sleep the research group used a technique called optogenetics, with which they used light pulses to precisely shut down the activity of hypothalamic neurons during REM sleep. As a result, the researchers found that the activity patterns for eating were modified and that the animals consumed less food. "We were surprised how strongly and persistently our intervention affected the neural activity in the lateral hypothalamus and the behaviour of the mice", says Lukas Oesch, the first author of the study. He adds: "The modification in the activity patterns was still measurable after four days of regular sleep." These findings suggest that electrical activity in hypothalamic circuits during REM sleep are highly plastic and essential to maintain a stable feeding behaviour in mammals.  It is a question of quality These findings point out that sleep quantity alone is not solely required for our well-being, but that sleep quality plays a major role in particular to maintain appropriate eating behaviour. "This is of particular relevance in our society where not only sleep quantity decreases but where sleep quality is dramatically affected by shift work, late night screen exposure or social jet-lag in adolescents", explains Adamantidis. The discovered link between the activity of the neurons during REM sleep and eating behaviour may help developing new therapeutical approaches to treat eating disorders. It might also be relevant for motivation and addiction. "However, this relationship might depend on the precise circuitry, the sleep stage and other factors yet to be uncovered", adds Adamantidis.   The key role of zinc in elderly immunity Federal University of Juiz de Fora (Brazil), August 7, 2020   According to news reporting originating from Juiz de Fora, Brazil, by NewsRx editors, the research stated, “The COVID-19 infection can lead to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), mainly affecting patients aged 60 and older. Preliminary data suggest that the nutritional status can change the course of the infection, and on the matter, zinc is crucial for growth, development, and the maintenance of immune function.” Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, “In the absence of treatment for this virus, there is an urgent need to find alternative methods that can contribute to control of disease. The aim of this paper is to establish the relation between zinc and COVID-19. From the prior scientific knowledge, we have performed a review of the literature and examine the role of zinc in immune function in the infection by COVID-19. Our findings are that the zinc as an anti-inflammatory agent may help to optimize immune function and reduce the risk of infection.” According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Zinc supplementation can be a useful strategy to reduce the global burden of infection in the elderly, there is a need the increased reporting to improve our understanding of COVID-19 and the care of affected patients.”    

Ira Pastor, ideaXme life sciences ambassador, interviews Dr. Linfa Wang, director of the Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases at the collaborative Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School in Singapore. Ira Pastor Comments: As we sit here in 2020 in the middle of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we're hearing terms like "zoonotic disease," "viral spillover," "intermediate species,"as well as quite a bit of references to bats, the potential natural reservoir of COVID-19 virus. As such, a leading global thought leader at the epicenter of these domains has taken the time out of his busy schedule to join us for our episode today. Dr. Linfa Wang: Dr. Linfa Wang, PhD, is the director of the Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases at the collaborative Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, in Singapore. Dr. Wang obtained his PhD at the University of California, Davis and conducted his early research at the Monash Centre for Molecular Biology and Medicine In Australia. In 1990, he joined the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL), where he played a leading role in identifying bats as the natural host of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus. His research then extended from bat-borne viruses to better understanding of virus-bat interactions, and he led an international team carrying out comparative genomic analysis of bat species. They discovered an important link between adaptation to flight and bats' ability to counter DNA damage as a result of fast metabolism and to co-exist with a large number of viruses without developing clinical diseases. Dr. Wang's work has been recognized internationally through various international awards, numerous invited speeches at major international conferences and many top scientific publications, including Science, Nature, Nature Reviews in Microbiology, Lancet Infectious Diseases and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), along with five patents and many invited book chapters. Dr. Wang holds a number of honorary positions and memberships and has received numerous awards such as the 2014 Eureka Prize for Research in Infectious Diseases. In 2010, Wang was elected as a fellow of Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering in recognition of his expertise in new and emerging diseases. Dr. Wang is also active internationally by serving on various editorial boards for publication in the areas of virology, microbiology and infectious diseases. He is currently the editor-in-chief of the Virology Journal. On this episode we will hear from Dr. Wang about: His background; how he developed an interest in science, emerging infectious diseases, and his focus on bats. An overview of zoonosis and zoonotic diseases with a focus on bats. Why bats carry so many pathogens and why many of the viruses transmitted by bats are highly lethal. His investigation into some of bats' unique characteristics, such as resistance to viral diseases and longevity of life, and what this can teach us about improving human health. About his leading the development of a vaccine for horses to prevent transmission of the bat-borne Hendra virus to horses. His interest in the work of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a new multi-sector consortium that aims to finance and coordinate the development of "public good vaccines." His future visions and work as it pertains to COVID-19. Credits: Ira Pastor interview video, text, and audio. Follow Ira Pastor on Twitter:@IraSamuelPastor If you liked this interview, be sure to check out our interview on Zoonotic viruses with the founder of EveryPig! Follow ideaXme on Twitter:@ideaxm On Instagram:@ideaxme Find ideaXme across the internet including oniTunes,SoundCloud,Radio Public,TuneIn Radio,I Heart Radio, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more. ideaXme is a global podcast, creator series and mentor programme. Our mission: Move the human story forward!™ ideaXme Ltd.

Nous commencerons par parler de gouvernements qui justifient le recours à des technologies « autoritaires » en invoquant la lutte contre le coronavirus dans leur pays. Ensuite, nous parlerons de gouverneurs japonais qui ont demandé à la population de rester chez elle le lendemain de l’annonce du report des Jeux olympiques, alors que le nombre de cas de COVID-19 augmentait. Puis, nous discuterons d’une étude publiée dans la revue Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) consacrée à la différence d’espérance de vie entre les mâles et les femelles. Et pour conclure sur une note très positive, nous parlerons d’une Italienne de presque 102 ans qui a battu le coronavirus.   Dans la seconde partie de notre programme, nous parlerons de l’exode des Parisiens qui a été révélé par l’analyse de données téléphoniques. Nous parlerons aussi de la disparition d'un grand dessinateur français, Albert Uderzo, l'un des deux pères du célébrissime Astérix. - L’épidémie de coronavirus favorise le recours aux technologies autoritaires à travers le monde - Des gouverneurs japonais demandent à leurs habitants de rester chez eux juste après la décision de reporter les Jeux olympiques de Tokyo - Selon une étude portant sur les mammifères, les femelles vivent plus longtemps que les mâles - Une Italienne de 102 ans remporte le combat contre le coronavirus - Confinement : plus d’un million de Parisiens ont quitté la capitale - Disparition du dessinateur Albert Uderzo, créateur d'Astérix

Nesse Psicamente Podcast vamos psicar a mente sobre decisões, sim, as decisões da vida. E aí? Aposto que você está diante de uma decisão importante na sua vida, o que fazer agora? Talvez você nem precise se preocupar muito, pelo menos é o que a neurociência nos diz. Deus no comando? Será mesmo? Ouça, leia o artigo, leia – se possível – as referencias adicionais e comente aqui! Artigo no Psicamente: TOMADA DE DECISÃO VISTA PELA 1º VEZ EM UM CÉREBRO!! (https://bit.ly/2YpvvqY) Referencias Bibliográficas para #psicar_a_mente: . How we make complex decisions, MIT (https://bit.ly/350okIs) . The macaque anterior cingulate cortex translates counterfactual choice value into actual behavioral change, Nature Neuroscience (https://go.nature.com/2PngNNb) . Primate Amygdala Neurons Simulate Decision Processes of Social Partners, Cell (https://bit.ly/2s4OUS2) . Spontaneous Vicarious Perception of the Content of Another’s Visual Perspective, Current Biology (https://bit.ly/2YoF1eb) . Social threat learning transfers to decision making in humans, The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) (https://bit.ly/38fg5u3) . Gaze Amplifies Value in Decision Making, Psychological Science (https://bit.ly/2OZaLTZ) . Dominant men are faster in decision-making situations and exhibit a distinct neural signal for promptness, Cerebral Cortex, Oxford Academic (https://bit.ly/2Pl4Fwh) . Sleep study targets brain processes causing poor decision-making, Washington State University (https://bit.ly/2LskobJ) . Individual diferences in decision making competence revealed by multivariate fMRI, Human Brain Mapping (https://bit.ly/2YBllUB) Imagem: http://nobleteensafrica.net/

Prachi Patel of MRS Bulletin interviews Chad Mirkin of Northwestern University about the use of his polymer pen lithography technique combined with an ink spray-coating method to ultimately create a megalibrary of nanoparticles that speeds up the discovery of new materials. Read the abstract in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).TranscriptPATEL: Mirkin and his colleagues are trying to dramatically speed up materials discovery. They have created a tool: a “megalibrary.” It’s an array of millions of little nanoparticles that fits on a microscope slide. Each nanoparticle has a different structure and composition.CM: We’ve made libraries with as many as 5 billion particles and a million different variants, compositional and size variants.PP: They make the libraries using a technique called polymer pen lithography. They use hundreds of thousands of tiny, sharp tips to deposit dots of polymer on the slide. Each dot is a little reactor, loaded with different metal salts. Heating the slide eliminates the polymer and reduces the metal ions. CM: The atoms within one nanoreactor will coalesce, aggregate, and form a single nanoparticle. We can make structures with as many as eight different elements within one particle and every combination of those structures. It’s a very, very tiny reactor—a very, very tiny volume. That means you can confine within literally a countable number of atoms, which gives you the ability to precisely control the composition. And then if I control the size of the reactor I can also control particle size. So this is quite sophisticated, and opens the ability to look at the nanomaterial landscape like we’ve never had before. We’ve already used this approach to discover a new catalyst for single-walled carbon nanotubes. That was done with Wright Patterson Air Force Base. There was a sweet spot in terms of the compositional ratio that gave us greatest activity. All of that was refined and figured out by first making a megalibrary that had a systematic variation in particle size and also amounts of copper and gold. PP: The researchers synthesized these catalysts in larger amounts to test them to make sure they worked. It took less than a week with this process to discover a completely new catalyst. Mirkin’s team has also used megalibraries to identify new catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction. These catalysts could help develop next-generation fuel cells that don’t have expensive platinum catalysts.CM: In this case they were three-element nanoparticles that nobody, again, even contemplated before. So the question is what are you going to discover? “Almost anything” is the answer. Any structure that might lead to a property of interest. This is a way of discovering new nanomaterials with exciting physical properties and chemical properties. This is a completely new territory in terms of materials discovery.

This Podcast is brought to you by: Picmonic - USE THIS LINK TO GET 20% OFF ANY PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP: https://www.picmonic.com/affiliate/medspirationLDW19 Picmonic has a visual learning platform that will help anyone in healthcare learn more in less time, so they can rock course exams, boards, and become more competent providers! Using their learning tools has been proven to increase long term memory retention up to 331%! Picmonic helped me with my USMLE Step 1 studies & can help also help student NPs, PAs, Pharm Ds, RNs, LPNs, paramedics & those in premed. We've partnered with them to bring you an INCREDIBLE OFFER:  You can check them out @: Picmonic.com & sign up for FREE & you’ll get instant access to a free video and quiz questions every day - no credit card required.  Use the promo code Medspiration for 20% off any Premium subscription!  According to the Proceedings of the National Academy for Sciences (PNAS) of the United States: It has long been presumed that it was NOT possible to voluntarily influence the Autonomic Nervous System & Innate Immune System. In 2014, a peer reviewed study that was published after Wim Hof demonstrated that through practicing the Wim Hof Method (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzCaZQqAs9I&t=1s), a self developed technique that involves a combination of breathing, cold exposure & meditation, the sympathetic nervous system & immune system CAN indeed be voluntarily influenced. Here is the link to this study:(https://www.pnas.org/content/111/20/7379). In today's episode, we're sitting down with the Ice-Man himself! Wim owns 26 official Guinness World Records, all of which are beyond comprehension to most who hear them! In 2007 he climbed 22,000ft up Mount Everest in only shorts & shoes. In 2009 he ran a full marathon in the Arctic circle in temperatures close to -20°C, wearing only a pair of shorts and having not trained at all. In 2011, Wim broke his own cold-endurance record, remaining submerged neck-deep in an ice bath for 112 minutes. The same year he completed another marathon without training, this time in the Namibian desert in temperatures of up to 40°C, without drinking a drop of water!  I made sure to study EVERY peer-reviewed study ever published on Wim before this interview (links to these studies are below). Wim & I discussed how he is revolutionizing medicine & medical science through meditation; How it is possible to use the mind to control the immune system & nervous system; mental health; epi-genetics; & the Science of the Wim Hof Method. P RESEARCH: 2018 Article: “Brain over body”–A study on the willful regulation of autonomic function during cold exposure Authors: O. Muzik, K. Reilly, V. Diwadkar - Wayne State Univeristy School of Medicine Summary: In this paper, a brain imaging study was conducted to measure the relative contributions of the brain and the periphery that endow the Iceman to withstand the cold using his Wim Hof Method techniques. The results provide compelling evidence for the primacy of the brain (CNS) rather than the body (peripheral mechanisms) in mediating the Iceman's responses to cold exposure. They also suggest the compelling possibility that the WHM might allow practitioners to develop higher level of control over key components of the autonomous system, with implications for lifestyle interventions that might ameliorate multiple clinical syndromes. 2015 Article: The Role of Outcome Expectancies for a Training Program Consisting of Meditation, Breathing Exercises, and Cold Exposure on the Response to Endotoxin Administration: a Proof-of-Principle Study Authors: H. van Middendorp, M. Kox, P. Pickkers, A.W.M. Evers - Radboud University Medical Centre Summary: This paper adds to a previous study, published in 2014, on the ability to voluntarily influence the physiological stress response in healthy men to experimentally induced inflammation, after WHM training. It is a proof-of-principle study that investigated how one’s expectancies might play a role in treatment outcome. Indications were found that generalized outcome expectancy optimism is a potential determinant of the autonomic and immune response to induced inflammation after training. 2014 Article: Voluntary Activation of The Sympathetic Nervous System and Attenuation of the Innate Immune Response In HumansAuthors: M. Kox, P. Pickkers et al. - Radboud University Medical Center (published in PNAS) Summary: In this paper, the effects of the Wim Hof Method on the autonomic nervous system and innate immune response are evaluated. A group of twelve people was trained with the Wim Hof Method before undergoing an experiment to induce inflammation, normally resulting in flu-like symptoms. Compared to a control group who were not trained in the Wim Hof Method, the trained participants showed fewer flu-like symptoms, lower levels of proinflammatory mediators, and increased plasma epinephrine levels. In conclusion, the trained group was able to voluntarily activate their sympathetic nervous system.   Article: Controlled Hyperventilation After Training May Accelerate Altitude AcclimatizationAuthors: G. Buijze, M.T. Hopman Summary: This report deals with the effects of the Wim Hof Method on acute mountain sickness (AMS). During an expedition to Mt. Kilimanjaro, a group of 26 trekkers who were trained in the Wim Hof Method used the breathing techniques to largely prevent and, if needed, reverse symptoms of AMS.   Article: Frequent Extreme Cold Exposure and Brown Fat and Cold-Induced Thermogenesis: A Study in a Monozygotic TwinAuthors: J. Vosselman, W.D. van Marken-Lichtenbeld - Maastricht University Medical Center Summary: This study tested the effects of a lifestyle with frequent exposure to extreme cold on brown adipose tissue (BAT) and cold-induced thermogenesis (CIT). The experiment compared Wim Hof, who is used to extreme cold exposure, to his monozygotic twin brother who isn’t. Both used a g-Tummo like breathing technique. The results showed no significant difference in BAT or CIT between the two subjects. However, Wim’s core temperature dropped less compared to his brother and his subjective response to the cold temperature was more positive. Furthermore, the body heat generated of both brothers was considerably higher than the average person. Thus, it seems that g-Tummo like breathing during cold exposure might cause additional heat production. 2012  Article: The Influence of Concentration/meditation on Autonomic Nervous System Activity and the Innate Immune Response: A Case Study Authors: M. Kox, M. Hopman, P. Pickkers. et al. - Radboud University Medical Center Summary: This case-study research was conducted after Wim Hof claimed he could influence his autonomic nervous system and thereby his innate immune response. His inflammatory response was measured during an 80-minute full body ice immersion and practicing the Wim Hof Method concentration technique. In addition, an endotoxemia experiment was conducted to study Wim’s in vivo innate immune response. The results showed how the techniques of the Wim Hof Method seemed to evoke a controlled stress response. This response is characterized by sympathetic nervous system activation, which seems to attenuate the innate immune system. Here, Wim Hof proved he was able to influence his a 2009 Letter: Blood tests during meditation and breathing exercises in New York led by Dr. K. Kamler & G. Stewart Summary: During Wim’s world record attempt of full ice immersion wearing only shorts, he swallowed a vital sense monitor capsule to measure his core temperature. His core temperature started at 98.6 °F and dropped to 88 °F after 75 minutes of cold immersion. Remarkably, his temperature rose again to 94 °F within the next 20 minutes. Standard medical dogma states that once your core temperature falls below 90 °F, your body is not able to warm itself again. Thus, if no external source of heat is provided, your temperature will continue to spiral downward and you will eventually die of hypothermia. However, Wim proved he was able to raise his core temperature from 88 °F to 94 °F by using the Wim Hof Method techniques (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4034215/)   2019 - Research currently being conducted: Motivation and Experiences of WHM PractionersRMIT University in Australia has conducted a survey study, exploring the motivation and experiences of Wim Hof Method practitioners worldwide. This will offer insight into 1) the positive impact of practicing the WHM on health & wellbeing and 2) any potential adverse effects, which in turn improves safety protocols. The data is currently being analyzed. Inflammation & PainIn the Netherlands, Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen is completing a new study about the effects of the various components of the WHM on inflammation and pain. Metabolic ActivityKenkodo Metabolomic Discoveries in Germany is working closely with Radboud UMC. They are analyzing blood samples that have been taken by Radboud UMC in previous studies. Using this data, they seek to deepen the understanding of the metabolic activity in blood cells when practicing the WHM. Its various parameters can provide new insight into shifts in metabolic rate. Auto-immune DiseaseThe Amsterdam Medical Centre (AMC) in the Netherlands is conducting a study into the effects of the WHM on inflammation and quality of life of people with Spondylitis. Brain ActivityWayne State University in Michigan, USA, is measuring the effect of the WHM on brain activity. This research consists of 2 parts: 1. Effects of isolated cold exposure 2. Effects of cold exposure combined with WHM breathing exercises and mind-set Hof wore a water perfusion suit, which continuously pumps ice cold water in and out of tubes in the suit, while lying in fMRI and PET machines. They also monitored his heart and metabolic rates. “I was heating the water at first,” he said.  Please subscribe to our podcast & rate it 5 stars!  You can find Wim Hof on Social Media: Instagram: @iceman_hof YouTube: Wim Hof Facebook: Wim Hof Wim's website: https://www.wimhofmethod.com

Listen Now The below November 7th podcast post provides a link to an essay that, in part, provides an overview of the United Nation's International Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC's) recent report titled, "Global Warming of 1.5°C."  As noted in the essay, what is particularly noteworthy about the IPCC's report is its conclusion that keeping or holding temperature increases to below 2°C, the goal of the Paris climate accord, would not avoid the more serious effects of global warming.  For example, at 1.5°C of warming a significant percent of vertebrates, insects and plants would lose half of their climatically-determined geographic range and 70 to 90 percent of coral reefs would be lost.   During this 28 minute conversation Professor Kirstie Ebi begins by briefly explaining the IPCC's work, she then discusses several of the findings in chapter 3, that she co-authored and is titled, "Impacts of 1.5°C Global Warming on Natural and Human Systems.," Professor Ebi makes note of the international climate change research communities' upcoming meeting in Poland, next issue of the US's Climate Science Special Report, anticipated in December, and comments on the health care industry's responsibility and opportunity to contribute to solving the climate crisis. Professor Kristie L. Ebi, is the Director of the Center for Health and Global Environment (CHanGE) and the Rohm and Haas Endowed Professor in Public Health Sciences at the University of Washington.  She is the author of multiple national and international climate change assessments, including the IPCC's recently published Report on Global Warming of 1.5C.  Professor Ebi co-chairs the International Committee on New Integrated Climate change assessment Scenarios (ICONICS) that created five scenarios of socioeconomic development over this century.  Professor Ebi's scientific training includes a MS in toxicology and a Ph.D. and a Masters of Public Health in epidemiology and two years of post-graduate research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine  She has edited four books on aspects of climate change and over 200 publications.The IPCC report is at: http://www.ipcc.ch/report/sr15/ Though not noted during this discussion, it's worth noting here the much discussed essay by Will Steffen and colleagues published this past August in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) regarding "hothouse earth."  The essay, "Trajectories of the Earth System in the Anthropocene," is at: http://www.pnas.org/content/115/33/8252 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thehealthcarepolicypodcast.com

  Welcome to another episode of Biotechnology Focus radio! I am your host – Michelle Currie – here to give you the Canadian biotech rundown from coast to coast. This week there has been some revolutionary research in HIV, and natural killer cells. FACIT – the fight against cancer innovation trust – has invested in three novel cancer therapeutic discoveries, and Oncolytics Biotech enters a clinical collaboration to combat breast cancer. Keep listening to find out more details!  +++++  Researchers at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) and Simon Fraser University (SFU), in partnership with University of British Columbia (UBC) and Western University, develop a way of dating “hibernating” HIV strains, in an advancement for HIV cure research in the province.  Published in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the BC-CfE’s first major scientific contribution to the area of HIV cure research confirms that dormant HIV strains can persist in the body for decades.  Dormant HIV strains, embed their DNA into the body’s cells, tucking themselves away for years – but can reactivate at any time – and are unreachable by antiretroviral treatments and the immune system. This is the reason why HIV treatment needs to be maintained for life.  Dr. Zabrina Brumme, director, Laboratory with BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and lead author on the study says that, “If you can’t identify it, you can’t cure it. This research provides further essential clues in the pursuit of an HIV cure—which will ultimately require the complete eradication of dormant or ‘latent’ HIV strains. Scientists have long known that strains of HIV can remain essentially in hibernation in an individual living with HIV, only to reactivate many years later. Our study confirms that the latent HIV reservoir is genetically diverse and can contain viral strains dating back to transmission.”  Dr. Julio Montaner, director of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS  says that, “The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS  has consistently been a national and global leader on research on HIV and on the implementation of its pioneering Treatment as Prevention® strategy. The addition of molecular biologist Dr. Zabrina Brumme as director of the innovative BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS Laboratory ensures the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS  will play a significant role in HIV cure research. Curative strategies will need to address this new study’s key findings. I want to acknowledge the study participants and thank them for helping to increase our knowledge on the origins of the latent HIV reservoir.”  Brad Jones, a Ph.D. student with the University of British Columbia (UBC) at BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and the first author on the study says that, “By creating family trees of viruses using a technique called molecular phylogenetics, we can reconstruct the evolutionary history of HIV within a person. In essence, we created a highly calibrated ‘time machine’ that gives us a specific time stamp for when each dormant HIV strain originally appeared in a person.”  Through advances in antiretroviral therapy, an individual living with HIV can now live a longer, healthier life on treatment. Treatment works by stopping HIV from infecting new cells. On sustained treatment, individuals can achieve a level of virus that is undetectable by standard blood tests. An undetectable viral load means improved health and that the virus is not transmittable to others—the concept behind Treatment as Prevention®.  Dr. Jeffrey Joy, research scientist at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and co-author on the study says that “Previous research had already revealed that the HIV reservoir was genetically complex. With our method, we can now understand that complexity with greater granularity, pinpointing exactly when each unique HIV strain originally appeared in a person.”  Dr. Art Poon, assistant professor at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, also a co-author on the study, says that, “In order to eradicate HIV from a person’s body, you first need to know the characteristics of HIV in the latent reservoir. We are providing a method for better measuring the timeline of virus latency and evolution within an individual living with HIV.”  “Dating” dormant HIV strains within the viral reservoir involve comparing them to strains that evolved in an HIV-positive person over their entire history of infection.  The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS is one of a handful of institutions worldwide capable of such research, thanks to its maintenance of a historical repository of blood specimens from individuals diagnosed with HIV in BC. These specimens date back to 1996 and were originally collected for viral load and drug resistance testing. The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS Laboratory has provided HIV drug resistance genotyping for virtually all Canadian provinces and territories since 1998, as well as for many countries worldwide.  This research was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) in partnership with the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR) and the International AIDS Society (IAS) through its support of the Canadian HIV Cure Enterprise (CanCURE), as well as the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) through its support of the Martin Delaney BELIEVE Collaboratory.  +++++  Immune checkpoint inhibitors are waging a revolutionary war on cancer, but new research challenges the central dogma of how this drug treatment works. This research, published in the prestigious Journal of Clinical Investigation, shows for the first time that often-overlooked immune cells called Natural Killer (NK) cells play a crucial role in responding to checkpoint inhibitors.  co-senior author Dr. Michele Ardolino, a scientist at The Ottawa Hospital and assistant professor at the University of Ottawa  explains that, “Checkpoint inhibitors work by waking up the body’s own immune system and unleashing an immune attack on cancer cells. For many years, everyone assumed that checkpoint inhibitors targeted immune cells called T-cells. But our research shows that they also target Natural Killer cells and these cells play a key role in the how this treatment works.”  Dr. Arolino led the study together with Dr. David Raulet, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley.  Dr. Raulet says that “In the cancer immunotherapy field there has been a singular focus on mobilizing anti-tumor T-cells. We believe that NK cells have an important place at the table. Checkpoint therapy combined with other NK-directed immunotherapies may enable us to target many types of tumours that are currently non-responsive to available therapies.”  T-cells and Natural Killer cells can both recognize and kill cancer cells, but they do so in very different ways. NK cells recognize patterns of changes on cancer cells and are the immune system’s first line of defense. A T-cell, on the other hand, recognizes a single abnormal molecule on a cancer cell and initiates a more focused attack.  In the current study, Drs. Ardolino, Raulet and their colleagues investigated the effect of checkpoint inhibitors in various mouse models of cancer. They found that checkpoint inhibitors could shrink tumours even in mice with no anti-cancer T-cells, meaning that some other kind of cell must be responding to the checkpoint inhibitors. When the mice were depleted of Natural Killer cells, it greatly reduced or eliminated the anti-cancer effect of the checkpoint inhibitors. They also showed that Natural Killer cells produce the same checkpoint receptor molecules that T cells do, inferring they can respond directly to checkpoint inhibitors.  co-lead author Jonathan Hodgins, a PhD student at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa says that, “This research helps solve a mystery that’s been seen in the clinic, where certain cancers are very susceptible to checkpoint inhibitors even though their T-cells don’t seem to be activated. If we’re right, Natural Killer cells are probably being activated in these patients.”  Previously, Dr. Ardolino, worked in Dr. Raulet’s lab in California before he was recruited to The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa in 2016. Together they are now investigating approaches to further enhance the cancer-killing ability of Natural Killer cells.  Dr. Ardolino says that, “My dream is that when people come to the hospital with cancer, we’ll be able to take a biopsy and determine not only the mutations in their cancer, but also profile how their immune system is interacting with their cancer. Then we would give the patient the immunotherapy treatments that is most likely to work for them.”  +++++  As a gateway to the cancer research pipeline in Ontario, and a bridge between public and private sectors with an expanding portfolio of breakthrough innovations, Fight Against Cancer Innovation Trust (FACIT) is committed to supporting Ontario entrepreneurs through the latest round of its Prospects Oncology Fund to continuously identify and advance breakthroughs in science and technology.  FACIT has carefully chosen three novel cancer therapeutic discoveries to receive early-stage capital – biotechnology start-up Talon Pharmaceuticals, the Drug Discovery team at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) and the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM).  The Prospects Fund provides entrepreneurial scientists with the capital resources necessary to achieve critical proof-of-principle studies for their cutting-edge breakthroughs aiming to benefit future patients.  Talon Pharmaceuticals, through its Multiphore drug design platform, is focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of medicines designed to save lives and improve patient quality of life. They are developing a novel series of small molecules with an undisclosed mechanism of action applying decades of experience with central nervous system (CNS) drug discovery.  OICR is a collaborative, not-for-profit research institute accelerating the development of new cancer research discoveries for patients around the world while maximizing the economic benefit of this research for the people of Ontario. OICR’s Drug Discovery team and their collaborators at the National Research Council (NRC) will receive funds towards the development of a potentially superior class of antibody-drug conjugates.  CCRM’s mission is to generate sustainable health and economic benefits through global collaboration in cell and gene therapy, and regenerative medicine. CCRM will receive funds towards the development of a universally compatible source for the next generation of CAR-T therapies.  FACIT’s $35-million in investments over multiple years addresses a critical health care seed-stage gap often experienced by Ontario product developers. De-risking innovation sets up successful projects for either company creation or a larger round of financing by FACIT and its investment partners, with over $340-million in follow-on financings to date. FACIT’s maturing portfolio of technology investments anchors companies and jobs in Ontario and reduces the need for entrepreneurs to look south of the border.  David O’Neill, president of FACIT  says that, “Our team is pleased to invest in and work alongside these entrepreneurial scientists, providing capital, industry networks and commercialization expertise, as they advance their therapies closer to clinical development. Capitalizing on the province’s investment in healthcare and scientific collaboration through our strategic partners at OICR is not only good for creating high-skilled jobs but also ensures research undergoes translation to impact the lives of patients with cancer.”  +++++  Oncolytics Biotech Incorporated enters into a clinical collaboration with SOLTI, an academic research group dedicated to clinical and translational research in breast cancer. This clinical collaboration, being sponsored by Oncolytics and facilitated by SOLTI, is a window of opportunity study in the neoadjuvant setting for breast cancer.  Reolysin, (pel-areo-rep), an intravenously delivered immuno-oncolytic virus turning cold tumours hot is under development by Oncolytics Biotech. Patients will receive the appropriate standard of care for their cancer subtype plus pel-areo-rep (or Reolysin with or without the anti-PD-L1 cancer immunotherapy ate-zoli-zu-mab (also known as Tecentriq)). Patients are biopsied on day one, followed immediately by treatment and a final biopsy after three weeks, on the day of their mastectomy. Data generated from this study is intended to confirm that the virus is acting as a novel immunotherapy and to provide comprehensive biomarker data by breast cancer sub-type, to support Oncolytics’ phase 3 study in metastatic breast cancer and is expected in mid 2019.  Matt Coffey, president and CEO of Oncolytics Biotech says that they are thrilled to enter into this collaboration with SOLTI and sponsor this window of opportunity study.  They expect that this study will provide additional biomarker and immunological data to support our planned phase three study in metastatic breast cancer. This data should confirm the findings of our phase two study and generate a robust biomarker plan designed to potentially enhance our phase three program. Importantly, it will also generate additional data demonstrating how the promotion of a virally induced inflamed phenotype should synergise with checkpoint inhibitors targeting PD-L1 like ate-zoli-zu-mab.”  The study, facilitated by SOLTI, will be coordinated by Dr. Aleix Prat, head of Medical Oncology at the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, associate professor of the University of Barcelona and the head of the Translational Genomics and Targeted Therapeutics in Solid Tumors Group at August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS) and member of Oncolytics’ Scientific Advisory Board. SOLTI has a network of more than 300 professionals, mostly medical oncologists, in over 80 hospitals in Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy. Final study design and other details will be announced upon enrollment of the first patient, expected around the end of 2018 or very early 2019.   Dr. Prat says that, “It has been demonstrated that when reovirus infects a tumor, it promotes the release of immuno-stimulatory signals. This, in turn, results in the upregulation of PD-L1 on tumor cells and the recruitment of inflammatory immune cells like Natural Killer-cells and cytotoxic T-cells to the tumor, which are required prerequisites for checkpoint inhibitors to function effectively.  In short, it turns cold tumours hot. They believe pel-areo-rep can demonstrate the necessary inflamed tumour phenotype to prime tumours for PD-L1 blockade, which could potentially represent a promising form of cancer immunotherapy combination with ate-zoli-zu-mab. Results from this study will seek to establish the virus as an important immuno-oncology agent in breast cancer, which could ultimately support the expansion of pel-areo-rep beyond metastatic breast cancer into first-line therapy.”  +++++  Well that wraps up another episode of Biotechnology Focus radio. Thanks for listening! Make sure to check out the articles on the website: biotechnologyfocus.ca. Until the next time, from my desk to yours – this is Michelle Currie.

Jesse and Brittany have a conversation with Doctoral Candidate Nickolas Jones about his latest paper in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) entitled, “Distress and rumor exposure on social media during a campus lockdown.” Find Nicky's paper below and follow him on Twitter @itsnickyjones. Read Nicky Jones' published research here: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2017/10/18/1708518114.full Follow... The post #BONUS – “Nicky Jones, Ph.D.(c) is BACK!” appeared first on I Doubt It Podcast.

Guest Youyou Wu discuses the work she and her collaborators did to measure the accuracy of computer based personality judgments. Using Facebook "like" data, they found that machine learning approaches could be used to estimate user's self assessment of the "big five" personality traits: openness, agreeableness, extraversion, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. Interestingly, the computer-based assessments outperformed some of the assessments of certain groups of human beings. Listen to the episode to learn more. The original paper Computer-based personality judgements are more accurate than those made by humansappeared in the January 2015 volume of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). For her benevolent Youyou recommends Private traits and attributes are predictable from digital records of human behavior by Michal Kosinski, David Stillwell, and Thore Graepel. It's a similar paper by her co-authors which looks at demographic traits rather than personality traits. And for her self-serving recommendation, Youyou has a link that I'm very excited about. You can visitApplyMagicSauce.com to see how this model evaluates your personality based on your Facebook like information. I'd love it if listeners participated in this research and shared your perspective on the results via The Data Skeptic Podcast Facebook page. I'm going to be posting mine there for everyone to see.