Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
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Blog – Page 13

A dietitian has issued a warning that many people are lacking a crucial nutrient that can reduce the risks of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Dr. Carrie Ruxton has provided insights on the recommended intake, its health benefits, and how to include it in your diet. The medical specialist and advisor to the General Mills fibe r campaign stated that millions of people were “missing out on a vital nutrient which protects us against killer diseases simply because they don’t understand what it does in the body.” That’s the finding of a report about fiber — often called roughage.

Dr. Ruxton said that “adults should eat 30 grams of fiber a day.” But she added: “In reality, people are missing the target by a huge 10 g/day, placing themselves at greater risk of the world’s biggest killers – type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

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Bacteria have started eating our pollution.

A recent study revealed that a bacterial strain, called Labrys portucalensis F11, isolated from contaminated soil, can break down the exceptionally strong carbon-fluorine bonds in forever chemicals (PFAS), including some of the concerning shorter-chain varieties.

PFAS, or per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of man-made chemicals widely used since the 1950s in numerous products, from nonstick cookware to firefighting foam.

Their widespread use and resistance to degradation have led to their ubiquitous presence in the environment and even in human blood, earning them the moniker forever chemicals. While most remediation efforts focus on containment, F11 bacteria can dismantle these chemicals. Within 100 days, the study showed F11 metabolized over 90% of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, a hazardous form of PFAS. It also degraded significant amounts of other PFAS compounds. This research tracked not just the parent PFAS, but also the resulting metabolites, some of which F11 further degraded. This is crucial, as some byproducts are equally or more toxic.

While degradation is currently slow, future research will optimize conditions for faster consumption, even with competing carbon sources.

Continue reading “Bacteria found to eat forever chemicals — and even some of their toxic byproducts” | >

When molecules collide with surfaces, they exchange energy with the surface atoms. This complex process is influenced by quantum interference, where different pathways overlap, creating patterns where some paths enhance each other while others cancel out. This affects how molecules exchange energy and react with surfaces.

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Observing quantum interference in collisions with heavier molecules like methane (CH4) was challenging due to the many possible pathways. Scientists wondered if quantum effects would disappear, making classical physics enough to describe these processes.

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This review discusses the development and uses of imatinib mesylate, a protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor useful in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia and gastrointestinal stromal tumors that was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Imatinib targets platelet-derived growth factor receptor, inhibits the fusion product of the Philadelphia chromosome, and targets c-kit, a protein tyrosine kinase. The drug may also be effective in the treatment of other tumors that express platelet-derived growth factor receptor or c-kit.

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A new stem cell therapy, CALEC, has demonstrated a 92% success rate in regenerating corneas and restoring vision. This breakthrough procedure is still experimental but shows immense promise for those with previously untreatable eye injuries.

An expanded clinical trial that tested a groundbreaking, experimental stem cell treatment for blinding cornea injuries found the treatment was feasible and safe in 14 patients who were treated and followed for 18 months, and there was a high proportion of complete or partial success. The results of this new phase 1/2 trial published March 4, 2025 in Nature Communications.

<em>Nature Communications</em> is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal that publishes high-quality research from all areas of the natural sciences, including physics, chemistry, Earth sciences, and biology. The journal is part of the Nature Publishing Group and was launched in 2010. “Nature Communications” aims to facilitate the rapid dissemination of important research findings and to foster multidisciplinary collaboration and communication among scientists.

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A self-acclaimed “deep tech” company focused on the next generation of computing has unveiled three smart contact lens prototypes at MWC 2025, giving us a glimpse into the technology that could shape vision health of the future.

XPANCEO took the covers off its three prototypes, each one showcasing a unique technology that could feature in future “smart” contact lenses.

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AUSTIN (KXAN) — Beep beep — Uber rideshare users can now book a driverless ride around Austin, as the ridehailing company officially launches its partnership with Waymo.

Waymo and Uber announced in September the planned collaboration between the two companies, with rollouts poised in both Austin and Atlanta in 2025. Beginning Tuesday, Uber users can match with one of Waymo’s Jaguar I-PACE vehicles while booking an UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort or Uber Comfort Electric vehicle.

“Starting today, Austin riders can be matched with a Waymo autonomous vehicle on the Uber app, making their next trip even more special,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in the announcement. “With Waymo’s technology and Uber’s proven platform, we’re excited to introduce our customers to a future of transportation that is increasingly electric and autonomous.”

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REDMOND, Wash. — March 3, 2025 — On Monday, Microsoft Corp. is unveiling Microsoft Dragon Copilot, the first AI assistant for clinical workflow that brings together the trusted natural language voice dictation capabilities of DMO with the ambient listening capabilities of DAX, fine-tuned generative AI and healthcare-adapted safeguards. Part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, Dragon Copilot is built on a secure modern architecture that enables organizations to deliver enhanced experiences and outcomes across care settings for providers and patients alike.

Clinician burnout in the U.S. dropped from 53% in 2023 to 48% in 2024, in part due to technology advancements. However, with an aging population, and persistent burnout felt across the profession, a significant U.S. workforce shortage is projected. In response, health systems are adopting AI to streamline administrative tasks, enhance care access, and enable faster clinical insights to improve healthcare globally.

“At Microsoft, we have long believed that AI has the incredible potential to free clinicians from much of the administrative burden in healthcare and enable them to refocus on taking care of patients,” said Joe Petro, corporate vice president of Microsoft Health and Life Sciences Solutions and Platforms. “With the launch of our new Dragon Copilot, we are introducing the first unified voice AI experience to the market, drawing on our trusted, decades-long expertise that has consistently enhanced provider wellness and improved clinical and financial outcomes for provider organizations and the patients they serve.”

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