Lifeboat Foundation

ENGINEERING POINT OF VIEW

An increase in difficulties with gambling is linked to a heightened risk of suicide attempts among young adults, according to new research from the University of Glasgow and City, University of London.

Published in the journal, The Lancet Public Health, the study suggests that over the course of a year, young adults (aged 16–24) who experienced an increase in severity of gambling harm were 2.74 times more likely to attempt suicide than those whose gambling was unchanged.

Gambling behavior is dynamic, and the study found that any escalation in the experience of gambling harm, regardless of someone’s starting point, was linked to a heightened risk of suicidality.

Technological and engineering advances let researchers delve deeper into cell function and behavior in physiological and pathological settings.

NASA showed some love to The Orville, and I’m thinking it’s time for an announcement that Season 4 is happening already.

Alan Thompson, AI Consultant and Former Chairman of Mensa International, examines the latest trends in artificial intelligence, as well as its applications to finance, professional services, and military. He discusses the possibility that AI could become sentient and even dangerous with David Lin, Anchor and Producer at Kitco News.

Alan Thompson’s website: https://lifearchitect.ai/about-alan/

Continue reading “Will AI take your job? ‘No one is safe from this’ — Alan Thompson” »

The St. Francois Mountains of the Ozarks are full of geological wonders. Most know of the smooth shut-ins of the Black River or the house-size red boulders of Elephant Rocks State Park. But the Hughes Mountain Natural Area brings a site overlooked by tourists—the Devil’s Honeycomb.

The trail to the honeycombs can be a bit daunting, but the rewards are well worth it. In addition to sweeping views of Washington county, 1.5 billion-year-old Precambrian rock outcrops multiple at the mountain peak. These are some of the oldest exposed rocks in the United States. Volcanoes once liquified rocks in the area helping form the multi-sided rock columns. The rhyolite formations, known locally as the Devil’s Honeycomb, are one of Missouri’s geologic wonders. They are deep red in color and covered in sea-green lichens.

In the spring and summer, wildflowers fill in the cracks of the honeycomb. Rain pools in between the rhyolite, creating little bird baths. Lizards soak up the sun upon the rocks. Even prickly pear cactus grows in the heat of the honeycomb.

A large team of cancer researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in Germany, working with a colleague from the U.S., has discovered some of the ways gut bacteria can positively impact treatments for cancer. In their study, published in the journal Nature, the group studied the impact of gut microbiota on chemotherapy given to patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Le Li and Florencia McAllister with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, have published a News and Views piece in the same journal issue, outlining the work done by the team in Germany.

Prior research has shown that chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer that has metastasized sometimes works well but is sometimes ineffective, and this difference may be tied to dietary resistance, though its source is not known. In this new study, the team in Germany looked at the possibility that certain microorganisms in the gut microbiome play a role in the process.

The team began their work by looking at samples of the gut microbiome of pancreatic cancer patients and found differences between those responding to treatment and those who were not. They also found that mice with sterilized guts who received biome samples from mice responding to chemotherapy also responded well.

A new study of 30 million people found that even small amounts of exercise could lower risk for heart disease, certain cancers and early death.

Patients with a large cerebral infarction have better functional recovery when they receive endovascular therapy early on in addition to usual medical management, a new study shows.

The trial was stopped early because a planned interim analysis showed efficacy of endovascular therapy in this patient population. #Stroke

A new study provides evidence for better functional recovery after endovascular therapy from a population of large-infarction strokes that could contribute to changing clinical practice.