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A dead spade-toothed whale that washed ashore represented a rare opportunity to learn more about these elusive animals. Image credit: Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou, Te Papa Atawhai Department of Conservation, Tūhura Otago Museum, Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka University of Otago ================================================================================ The first-ever dissection of the world’s rarest whale has enabled Indigenous people and conservation scientists in New Zealand to learn more about one of their taoka, which means treasure in the language of South Island Māori culture. The marine mammal was a spade-toothed whale, Mesoplodon traversii, the rarest species of beaked whale with only six specimens confirmed to date, and...

Benralizumab can be used for the treatment of acute eosinophilic exacerbations of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study. Sanjay Ramakrishnan, M.B.B.S. and colleagues enrolled patients with blood eosinophil counts of ≥300 cells/µL at the time of an exacerbation of asthma or COPD and randomly assigned them to receive acute treatment with prednisolone 30 mg once daily for five days and 100 mg benralizumab subcutaneous injection once (BENRA plus PRED group; 52 patients); placebo tablets for five days plus 100 mg benralizumab subcutaneous injection once (BENRA group; 53 patients); or prednisolone 30 mg once daily for...

<p>We could sure use a boost right about now. We need to collect $18,245 in FREEPATHON donations by Dec 31. Getting the fund raising over with can really make the season bright, and maybe give Jim Rob and co. a few days off from fund raising.</p>

Researchers have found that incorporating specific nutrients into a regular diet may reduce iron buildup in the brain—a factor associated with cognitive decline in normal aging. In this project, researchers specifically looked at non-heme iron, which is critical for brain health. This type of iron does not bind with storage proteins and, with age and in excess, can contribute to oxidative stress, potentially affecting neuronal integrity and cognition. Excessive brain iron has been linked to poor cognitive performance, even in normal aging. "Despite mounting evidence connecting iron overload to negative cognitive outcomes, there are currently no established methods for reducing...

Throughout history, certain individuals have been celebrated as heroes, their stories immortalized in books, films, and legends. However, many of these figures were far from the noble characters they were made out to be. Beneath their heroic facades, some of these historical icons were actually villains whose actions caused harm and suffering.

Tuesday - $108,000 -- Thursday - $95,500 -- Rallied to $97,000 before I could post this!

A leading American doctor has warned that President Donald Trump’s opponents are planning to “derail” his presidency by launching “Disease X” as a “bioweapons” attack. The warning was issued by Dr. David Martin during an interview on InfoWars. Dr. Martin told host Alex Jones that a “criminal conspiracy” is underway that seeks to launch the “Disease X” pandemic. He argues that H5N1, also known as “Bird Flu,” will be the “phony viral model” used as a catalyst to launch a new round of mRNA vaccines. Martin says the “bioweapons attack” will be used to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power...

Hailey Welch has gone MIA. The "Hawk Tuah" girl has not released a new episode of her popular weekly podcast, Talk Tuah, in two weeks. There was no previously announced hiatus of the show. Welch also has not posted on her social media channels in weeks either. Welch became a viral sensation over the summer after dropping what would go on to become her catchphrase "Hawk Tuah" in a video clip that spread across the internet like wildfire. Welch capitalized on her internet fame by selling merchandise like t-shirts and then eventually launching a weekly podcast called Talk Tuah, which...

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that he was ready to compromise over Ukraine in possible talks with US President-elect Donald Trump on ending the war and had no conditions for starting talks with the Ukrainian authorities, News.az reports citing Reuters. -snip- Putin, fielding questions on state TV during his annual question and answer session with Russians, told a reporter for a US news channel that he was ready to meet Trump, whom he said he had not spoken to for years. Asked if he'd do anything differently, he said he should have sent troops into Ukraine sooner than...

Explanation: After the Crab Nebula, this giant star cluster is the second entry in 18th century astronomer Charles Messier's famous list of things that are not comets. M2 is one of the largest globular star clusters now known to roam the halo of our Milky Way galaxy. Though Messier originally described it as a nebula without stars, this stunning Hubble image resolves stars across the cluster's central 40 light-years. Its population of stars numbers close to 150,000, concentrated within a total diameter of around 175 light-years. About 55,000 light-years distant toward the constellation Aquarius, this ancient denizen of the Milky...

Pope Francis has officially declared the 16 Discalced Carmelite nuns of Compiègne, executed during the Reign of Terror in the French Revolution, as saints through the rare procedure of “equipollent canonization.” Mother Teresa of Saint Augustine and her 15 companions, who were guillotined in Paris as they sang hymns of praise, can immediately be venerated worldwide as saints in the Catholic Church.

A New York homeowner unearthed a mastodon jaw that was peeking from beneath the soil in the backyard of their home. This is the first time a find like this has occurred in 11 years. The researchers who were alerted to the Orange County resident’s discovery spent two and a half days digging in the individual’s backyard. They uncovered more mastodon bone pieces and a complete adult jaw. Mastodons are closely related to elephants and the extinct wooly mammoth. Researchers and historians tend to say that these animals roamed all over the world, but their fossils have only been found...

am Altman's company Worldcoin must delete all iris scanning data collected since the start of the project that has sparked privacy concerns in several countries, Spanish data protection watchdog AEPD said on Thursday. AEPD cited a decision earlier on Thursday by its Bavarian counterpart BayLDA, with whom the agency has cooperated on the case, that found the venture in breach of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation. World, as Worldcoin has rebranded itself, has its European headquarters in the German city of Erlangen, in Bavaria. Spain's High Court in March upheld a temporary ban on the iris-scanning venture, dismissing...

Kerry Washington had to warn the White House about what became her breakout TV role. The actress, 47, revealed on “The View” Wednesday that she called Barack Obama’s administration during his presidency to let them know about her role in “Scandal.” “I had to call Valerie Jarrett, who worked for the Obamas, and say, ‘I just want you to know that I’ve been cast in this show. Lil awkward, because on the show I’m sleeping with the president,'” Washington said.

Republicans should not be afraid of a government shutdown, and should reject the controversial 1,547-page spending deal released Tuesday — filled with pork and special giveaways — former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said. “President Trump and Republicans should not be afraid of a government shutdown. The next election is two years away,” he began. “We had two shutdowns in 1995 and became the first reelected house gop [sic] majority since 1928. It may take shock therapy for schumer [sic] and democrats [sic] to learn President Trump is serious about draining the swamp,” he added.

New findings made possible by the James Webb Space Telescope reveal that the Earth-like exoplanet Trappist-1 b may have an atmosphere after all, potentially overturning earlier findings. Approximately forty light years from Earth, seven planets orbit the star Trappist-1, three of which–Trappist-1e, f, and g–exist in the star’s habitable zone and could theoretically be warm enough to allow for liquid water on their surfaces. Since its launch, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has logged 290 hours observing the Trappist-1 system across ten research endeavors. Elsa Ducort of Paris’s Commissariat aux Énergies Atomiques (CEA) led the study team, which analyzed...

Returning to foreign policy realism, traditional wisdom, and common sense The end of Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad’s regime has likely taken with it the so-called Axis of Resistance confected by Iran and its proxies in order to eliminate Israel and replace the U.S. as the region’s premier power. This malign cabal promises to go down in history as one of the most dangerous examples of the West’s feckless foreign policy idealism, the master narrative and received wisdom that shaped and rationalized Obama’s foreign policy––and its sequel during Biden’s term staffed with Obama’s personnel.Will this repudiation of Obama’s foreign policy...

President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday that Congress should get rid of the debt ceiling, a day after he came out against a deal reached by congressional lawmakers to fund the government before a shutdown occurs. In a phone interview with NBC News, Trump said getting rid of the debt ceiling entirely would be the “smartest thing it [Congress] could do. I would support that entirely.” “The Democrats have said they want to get rid of it. If they want to get rid of it, I would lead the charge,” Trump added. Trump suggested that the debt ceiling is a meaningless...

President Biden was blasted for "quiet quitting" and failing to lead his fellow Democrats amid the ongoing fiscal battle in Congress that could lead to a government shutdown just days before Christmas. Text of the 1,500-page funding bill needed to keep the government operating as usual was released Tuesday evening, just three days before the current funding cycle ends. However, President-elect Trump threw a wrench in lawmakers' plans after he demanded Republicans renegotiate the bill to include an increase in the debt ceiling and a reduction in certain Democratic spending initiatives, which Trump described as "Democrat giveaways."