331 Android apps with 60M+ downloads ran full-screen ads, stole credentials, and bypassed security in a large-scale ad fraud and phishing scheme.
Arizona-based Western Alliance Bank is notifying nearly 22,000 customers their personal information was stolen in October after a third-party vendor’s secure file transfer software was breached.
Western Alliance is a wholly owned subsidiary of Western Alliance Bancorporation, a leading U.S. banking company with over $80 billion in assets.
The bank first revealed in a February SEC filing that the attackers exploited a zero-day vulnerability in the third-party software (disclosed by the vendor on October 27, 2024) to hack a limited number of Western Alliance systems and exfiltrate files stored on the compromised devices.
Autocracies win the minds of the democratic public: how Japanese citizens are persuaded by illiberal narratives propagated by authoritarian regimes
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Against the backdrop of global democratic backsliding and the rise of authoritarianism, Footnote 1 the nature of authoritarian propaganda and public diplomacy has undergone significant changes. In particular, the transformation of the information environment brought about by the global proliferation of social media has created new avenues for authoritarian states to exert influence over democratic publics. Footnote 2 Notable examples include Russia’s intervention in the 2016 U.S. presidential election Footnote 3 and the dissemination of disinformation regarding COVID-19 by Chinese diplomats. Footnote 4 These actions are referred to as “sharp power,” defined as attempts to “pierce, penetrate, or perforate the information environments in the targeted countries” Footnote 5 with the aim of altering public opinion in democratic countries to favour authoritarian regimes. Footnote 6 Unlike soft power, which appeals to cultural and value-based attractions, sharp power operates as a means to destabilize target countries, weaken their commitment to democracy, and enhance the perceived superiority of authoritarian systems using disinformation and economic incentives. Footnote 7
At the core of sharp power lies the narrative, which is a story-based message that appeals to emotions and values, Footnote 8 and by sustaining attention and fostering emotional resonance, narratives often influence audience behaviour more than objective statistical facts or logical arguments. Footnote 9 Given their persuasive power and emotional impact, narratives are a potent tool for shaping people’s attitudes and behaviours. Political actors leverage narratives not only to strengthen their own position but also to undermine the arguments of opposing forces. Footnote 10 In particular, authoritarian governments use favourable narratives both domestically and internationally to reinforce the legitimacy of their regimes and to emphasise the superiority of authoritarian systems over democratic systems, thereby contributing to a global power shift.
The XPRIZE Design Studio is an annual opportunity for anyone, anywhere, to share their vision for a potential prize competition at XPRIZE. It will run from February 18 – April 15, 2025.
The XPRIZE Design Course can be completed in just over one hour and exited at any time. Each submission will be carefully reviewed by domain experts and weighed against the need for innovation in the chosen area. After submission, you will receive an email confirmation of your entry along with a short survey to provide your feedback. Successful ideas will proceed to the next step in the XPRIZE design process.
*for more information on how to get started click on the link*.
Tell XPRIZE how you want to improve the world.
I think Paul may have posted this already, if so here is some more information from a site about drug repurposng. Its really cool.
Click the video above to watch a story that ran on CBS Evening News about leucovorin for ASD.
Every Cure is excited to highlight the potential role that leucovorin (folinic acid) may play in improving verbal communication in some individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who have speech challenges and certain antibodies that cause a vitamin deficiency in the brain. As a nonprofit research organization committed to identifying and elevating potential repurposed treatments, we’ve summarized information about this promising drug repurposing opportunity below.
A vitamin deficiency may contribute to speech challenges in some individuals with ASD.
Scientists demonstrate that the protein QRICH1 limits T cell activation by inhibiting CARD11 signaling to NFkB after T cell receptor stimulation.
Read more in Science Immunology.
QRICH1 negatively regulates CD8+ T cell activation by fine-tuning CARD11 signaling to NF-κB.
A new study published in Cell Reports reveals a breakthrough discovery linking genetic variants in the gene ITSN1 to a significantly elevated risk of Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative condition that affects nearly 2% of adults older than 65 years.
These findings were subsequently validated across three independent cohorts comprising more than 8,000 cases and 400,000 controls. Importantly, ITSN1 carriers trended toward earlier age of disease onset.
ITSN1 plays an important role in how neurons send messages to each other – a process called synaptic transmission – making it particularly relevant to Parkinson’s disease, a condition in which disruption of nerve signals leads to the typical symptoms of impaired gait and balance, tremors and rigidity. “We also showed in fruit flies that reducing ITSN1 levels worsens Parkinson’s-like features, including the ability to climb. We plan to extend these investigations to stem cell and mouse models,” the author said.
Interestingly, previous studies have recently implicated similar ITSN1 mutations in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Other emerging data also have suggested an association between ASD and Parkinson’s disease, indicating that people with ASD are three times more likely to develop parkinsonism.
Peanut butter and jelly. Simon and Garfunkel. Semiconductors and bacteria. Some combinations are more durable than others. In recent years, an interdisciplinary team of Cornell researchers has been pairing microbes with the semiconductor nanocrystals known as quantum dots, with the goal of creating nano-biohybrid systems that can harvest sunlight to perform complex chemical transformations for materials and energy applications.
Now, the team has for the first time identified exactly what happens when a microbe receives an electron from a quantum dot: The charge can either follow a direct pathway or be transferred indirectly via the microbe’s shuttle molecules.
The findings are published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The lead author is Mokshin Suri.
Plymouth, Mich. – For six days, over 2,050 miles and through different climate zones to the Arctic Circle: On an unusual test drive, a Bosch development team successfully tested the new hydraulic brake-by-wire system from Bosch for the first time on public roads. What sets brake-by-wire apart: This solution completely eliminates the mechanical connection between the brake pedal and the brake system. The driver’s brake request is transmitted to the brake-by-wire system purely as an electrical signal via redundant signal lines. For this fundamentally new approach, Bosch offers a robust and efficient solution with two independent hydraulic brake actuators – a by-wire brake actuator and an ESP®. Today’s brake systems, such as the integrated power brake from Bosch, still ensure the required redundancy in the event of a fault via a mechanical connection to the brake pedal. This coupling via an input rod to the brake pedal is eliminated in the new Bosch brake-by-wire solution.
Advantages of the Bosch brake-by-wire system
New freedom in installation: Due to the omission of the mechanical connection, there is no longer any need to mount the brake system components at the vehicle’s firewall. Instead, the components can now be installed where it is most optimal in terms of crash safety, NVH, and manufacturing. The flexibility in choosing where to install the brake actuators helps to avoid the need for different variants for right-hand and left-hand drive vehicles. By-wire technology enables new pedal concepts with significantly shorter brake pedal travel to create space for new interior designs. The hydraulic brake-by-wire solution from Bosch is based on proven brake system technology and is a combination of a by-wire brake actuator and an ESP®. Its slim design saves installation space and reduces the weight of the brake system. Since both the by-wire brake actuator and the ESP® are assigned to different channels of the redundant electrical system, they can each independently build up the required brake pressure at all four wheel brakes in the event of a fault. Therefore, this Bosch solution is also suitable for highly automated vehicles, meeting the protection of the brake system required for safety reasons.
Michaela Leung: “Oxygen is currently difficult or impossible to detect on an Earth-like planet. However, methyl halides on Hycean worlds offer a unique opportunity for detection with existing technology.”
What can methyl halides, which are gases that consist of one carbon and three hydrogen atoms while being attached to a halogen atom, help scientists identify life beyond Earth? This is what a recent study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters hopes to address as an international team of researchers investigated how methyl halides on exoplanets known as “Hycean” worlds could indicate the presence of life as we know it, or even as we don’t know it. Hycean exoplanets possess liquid water oceans with a hydrogen atmosphere above them, potentially enabling appropriate surface temperatures and pressures for life to exist.
For the study, the researchers discussed the potential for using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to observe large exoplanets orbiting red dwarf stars, which are smaller and cooler than our Sun. The researchers noted that recent observations of K2-18 b and TOI-270 d, which are designated as Super-Earth and Neptune-like exoplanets, respectively, while each orbiting red dwarf stars. Additionally, such exoplanets could be ideal targets for JWST to identify methyl halides in their atmospheres. The reason Hycean exoplanets are considered ideal targets is due to the difficulty of observing Earth-sized exoplanets orbiting brighter stars.