The SAS 9.4M4 (TS1M4) Hot Fix D7G004 for ODS Templates installs national language support (NLS) content regardless of whether the languages were installed during the initial deployment. Having sparse

Since the publication of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS2) in 2013, the macular pigment carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin have become well known to both the eye care community and the public. It is a fascinating aspect of evolution that primates have repurposed photoprotective pigments and binding proteins from plants and insects to protect and enhance visual acuity. Moreover, utilization of these plant-derived nutrients has been widely embraced for preventing vision loss from age-related macular degeneration (AMD). More recently, there has been growing awareness that these nutrients can also play a role in improving visual performance in adults. On the other hand, the potential benefits of lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation at very young ages have been underappreciated. In this review, we examine the biochemical mechanisms and supportive data for lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation throughout the lifespan, with particular emphasis on prenatal supplementation. We propose that prenatal nutritional recommendations may aim at improving maternal and infant carotenoid status. Prenatal supplementation with lutein and zeaxanthin might enhance infant visual development and performance and may even prevent retinopathy of prematurity, possibilities that should be examined in future clinical studies.

Spatial changes of FAs in the retina in response to different dietary n-3 formulations have never been explored, although a diet rich in EPA and DHA is recommended to protect the retina against the effects of aging. In this study, Wistar rats were fed for 8 weeks with balanced diet including either EPA-containing phospholipids (PLs), EPA-containing TGs, DHA-containing PLs, or DHA-containing TGs. Qualitative changes in FA composition of plasma, erythrocytes, and retina were evaluated by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector. Following the different dietary intakes, changes to the quantity and spatial organization of PC and PE species in retina were determined by LC coupled to MS/MS and MALDI coupled to MS imaging. The omega-3 content in the lipids of plasma and erythrocytes suggests that PLs as well as TGs are good omega-3 carriers for retina. However, a significant increase in DHA content in retina was observed, especially molecular species as di-DHA-containing PC and PE, as well as an increase in very long chain PUFAs (more than 28 carbons) following PL-EPA and TG-DHA diets only. All supplemented diets triggered spatial organization changes of DHA in the photoreceptor layer around the optic nerve. Taken together, these findings suggest that dietary omega-3 supplementation can modify the content of FAs in the rat retina.

Trypsin is the protease of choice in bottom-up proteomics. However, its application can be limited by the amino acid composition of target proteins and the pH of the digestion solution. In this study we characterize ProAlanase, a protease from the fungus Aspergillus niger that cleaves primarily on the C-terminal side of proline and alanine residues. ProAlanase achieves high proteolytic activity and specificity when digestion is carried out at acidic pH (1.5) for relatively short (2 h) time periods. To elucidate the potential of ProAlanase in proteomics applications, we conducted a series of investigations comprising comparative multi-enzymatic profiling of a human cell line proteome, histone PTM analysis, ancient bone protein identification, phosphosite mapping and de novo sequencing of a proline-rich protein and disulfide bond mapping in mAb. The results demonstrate that ProAlanase is highly suitable for proteomics analysis of the arginine- and lysine-rich histones, enabling high sequence coverage of multiple histone family members. It also facilitates an efficient digestion of bone collagen thanks to the cleavage at the C terminus of hydroxyproline which is highly prevalent in collagen. This allows to identify complementary proteins in ProAlanase- and trypsin-digested ancient bone samples, as well as to increase sequence coverage of noncollagenous proteins. Moreover, digestion with ProAlanase improves protein sequence coverage and phosphosite localization for the proline-rich protein Notch3 intracellular domain (N3ICD). Furthermore, we achieve a nearly complete coverage of N3ICD protein by de novo sequencing using the combination of ProAlanase and tryptic peptides. Finally, we demonstrate that ProAlanase is efficient in disulfide bond mapping, showing high coverage of disulfide-containing regions in a nonreduced mAb.

In all cells, proteins are continuously synthesized and degraded in order to maintain protein homeostasis and modify gene expression levels in response to stimuli. Collectively, the processes of protein synthesis and degradation are referred to as protein turnover. At steady state, protein turnover is constant to maintain protein homeostasis, but in dynamic responses, proteins change their rates of synthesis and degradation in order to adjust their proteomes to internal or external stimuli. Thus, probing the kinetics and dynamics of protein turnover lends insight into how cells regulate essential processes such as growth, differentiation, and stress response. Here we outline historical and current approaches to measuring the kinetics of protein turnover on a proteome-wide scale in both steady-state and dynamic systems, with an emphasis on metabolic tracing using stable-isotope-labeled amino acids. We highlight important considerations for designing proteome turnover experiments, key biological findings regarding the conserved principles of proteome turnover regulation, and future perspectives for both technological and biological investigation.

Cooking in Displacement Settings: Engaging the Private Sector in Non-wood-based Fuel Supply Research paper sysadmin 22 January 2019

In displacement settings, providing cooking solutions that reduce negative impacts on the environment and health remains a challenge for local governments, humanitarian agencies, businesses and refugees.

Summary

• Providing adequate cooking fuel and clean-burning, fuel-efficient stoves in displacement settings has long been a major challenge for local authorities, humanitarian agencies, non-governmental organizations, local communities and refugees themselves. Refugees generally have limited access to modern cooking solutions. Most either depend on insufficient humanitarian agency handouts of ‘in-kind’ firewood or have to travel long distances to collect firewood.
• There is significant potential for private-sector engagement in this context – which, though largely overlooked to date, could result in win-win scenarios for all stakeholders. Refugee camps and other displacement settings present opportunities for private-sector cooking fuel companies to expand their customer bases, with the added advantage for vendors of offering concentrated demand and scope for economies of scale.
• For the Kakuma refugee camp complex in Kenya, the Moving Energy Initiative (MEI) decided to engage with the private sector directly. The MEI requested expressions of interest from local private-sector companies for expanding sales and distribution of fuels in the complex through the concession. The winning company – National Oil Corporation of Kenya – is to receive a prize of $50,000 for its proposed concession to supply liquefied petroleum gas both to refugees in the Kakuma complex and to the surrounding host community.
• The MEI also conducted interviews with various stakeholders in other contexts and countries who are engaged in efforts to develop market-based approaches to providing clean, fuel-efficient cooking solutions to refugees.
• Based on the interviews and the concession process, the MEI recommends greater donor investment and longer-term guaranteed funding for cooking interventions. This is needed to allow sufficient time to build sustainable markets and secure the requisite engagement and investments from the private sector.
• Larger, longer-term investments by the private sector – supported through partnerships with donors and humanitarian agencies – in infrastructure and demand creation (both in and outside the refugee community) can reduce the price of alternative solutions and support a gradual transition away from subsidies.

Online Disinformation and Political Discourse: Applying a Human Rights Framework Research paper sysadmin 5 November 2019

Although some digital platforms now have an impact on more people’s lives than does any one state authority, the international community has been slow to hold to account these platforms’ activities by reference to human rights law.

This paper examines how human rights frameworks should guide digital technology.

Summary

• Online political campaigning techniques are distorting our democratic political processes. These techniques include the creation of disinformation and divisive content; exploiting digital platforms’ algorithms, and using bots, cyborgs and fake accounts to distribute this content; maximizing influence through harnessing emotional responses such as anger and disgust; and micro-targeting on the basis of collated personal data and sophisticated psychological profiling techniques. Some state authorities distort political debate by restricting, filtering, shutting down or censoring online networks.
• Such techniques have outpaced regulatory initiatives and, save in egregious cases such as shutdown of networks, there is no international consensus on how they should be tackled. Digital platforms, driven by their commercial impetus to encourage users to spend as long as possible on them and to attract advertisers, may provide an environment conducive to manipulative techniques.
• International human rights law, with its careful calibrations designed to protect individuals from abuse of power by authority, provides a normative framework that should underpin responses to online disinformation and distortion of political debate. Contrary to popular view, it does not entail that there should be no control of the online environment; rather, controls should balance the interests at stake appropriately.
• The rights to freedom of thought and opinion are critical to delimiting the appropriate boundary between legitimate influence and illegitimate manipulation. When digital platforms exploit decision-making biases in prioritizing bad news and divisive, emotion-arousing information, they may be breaching these rights. States and digital platforms should consider structural changes to digital platforms to ensure that methods of online political discourse respect personal agency and prevent the use of sophisticated manipulative techniques.
• The right to privacy includes a right to choose not to divulge your personal information, and a right to opt out of trading in and profiling on the basis of your personal data. Current practices in collecting, trading and using extensive personal data to ‘micro-target’ voters without their knowledge are not consistent with this right. Significant changes are needed.
• Data protection laws should be implemented robustly, and should not legitimate extensive harvesting of personal data on the basis of either notional ‘consent’ or the data handler’s commercial interests. The right to privacy should be embedded in technological design (such as by allowing the user to access all information held on them at the click of a button); and political parties should be transparent in their collection and use of personal data, and in their targeting of messages. Arguably, the value of personal data should be shared with the individuals from whom it derives.
• The rules on the boundaries of permissible content online should be set by states, and should be consistent with the right to freedom of expression. Digital platforms have had to rapidly develop policies on retention or removal of content, but those policies do not necessarily reflect the right to freedom of expression, and platforms are currently not well placed to take account of the public interest. Platforms should be far more transparent in their content regulation policies and decision-making, and should develop frameworks enabling efficient, fair, consistent internal complaints and content monitoring processes. Expertise on international human rights law should be integral to their systems.
• The right to participate in public affairs and to vote includes the right to engage in public debate. States and digital platforms should ensure an environment in which all can participate in debate online and are not discouraged from standing for election, from participating or from voting by online threats or abuse.

McKesson Medical-Surgical Inc. entered into an agreement with the Labor Department on Monday resolving employment discrimination issues involving nearly 900 Black, Hispanic, and White applicants at a distribution center

What can be achieved using applications such as AI/ML, Deep Learning, and Big Data Analytics has been revolutionized by Magnum IO GPUDirect Storage’s capabilities. Agencies have invested in these solutions […]

The post Accelerating GPU Based Applications with NVIDIA Validated Magnum IO GPUDirect Storage and Pavilion appeared first on HPCwire.

LONDON, Nov. 1, 2024 — Quantum Motion, a UK-based quantum computing scale-up founded by Professor John Morton, University College London (UCL), and Professor Simon Benjamin, University of Oxford, has worked […]

The post Quantum Motion and Goldman Sachs Identify Quantum Applications in Financial Services Project appeared first on HPCwire.

Vitamin D supplements might lower blood pressure in seniors who are obese, reducing their heart health risk, a new study says.

Sept. 23, 2024 — Altera, an Intel Company, today unveiled an array of FPGA hardware, software and development tools that make its programmable solutions more accessible across a broader range of […]

The post Intel’s Altera Unveils New FPGA Tools and Kits to Boost AI and Edge Applications appeared first on HPCwire.

Tianeptine, an addictive drug at high doses, is being sold as a dietary supplement in gas stations and convenient stores. But such products could be contaminated with metals, microorganisms or other undisclosed drugs

Nutritional supplements that contain curcumin -- a natural anti-inflammatory compound -- may protect the eyes from the development and progression of age-related macular degeneration, a new study suggests.

Chip-maker Nvidia on Friday briefly became the world's most valuable company after surpassing Apple in total market value, but Apple regained its top position by the close of trading.

NASA is inviting pubic participation in some virtual activities to watch the SpaceX space station resupply mission scheduled for a Monday night liftoff from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

SpaceX launched a rocket loaded with 6,000 pounds of supplies to the International Space Station on Monday night from the Florida coast.

School districts are competing against each other for purchases of digital devices as remote learning expands to schools across the country.

The demand for substitute teacher positions is outpacing the supply, and the quality of those applying is a concern in many places.

A school district in Tennessee says it no longer wants teachers to use crowdfunding websites to get extra school supplies.

School districts have "unconscionably and impermissibly shifted operating costs of the classrooms directly on the financial backs of our teachers," the lawsuit alleges.

The pilot, which was initially one of the most buzzed about pieces of ESSA, allows states to try out new forms of testing in a handful of districts, with the goal of eventually taking them statewide.

An audit of the early-childhood education offerings in Minnesota finds complexity and fragmentation as well as a lack of data about program effectiveness.

The principal of a school in Washington, DC, describes a shift toward equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Estimating the direction of functional connectivity (FC) can help further elucidate complex brain function. However, the estimation of directed FC at the voxel level in fMRI data, and evaluating its performance, has yet to be done. We therefore developed a novel directed seed-based connectivity analysis (SCA) method based on normalized pairwise Granger causality that provides greater detail and accuracy over ROI-based methods. We evaluated its performance against 145 cortical retrograde tracer injections in male and female marmosets that were used as ground truth cellular connectivity on a voxel-by-voxel basis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was calculated for each injection, and we achieved area under the ROC curve of 0.95 for undirected and 0.942 for directed SCA in the case of high cell count threshold. This indicates that SCA can reliably estimate the strong cellular connections between voxels in fMRI data. We then used our directed SCA method to analyze the human default mode network (DMN) and found that dlPFC (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) and temporal lobe were separated from other DMN regions, forming part of the language-network that works together with the core DMN regions. We also found that the cerebellum (Crus I-II) was strongly targeted by the posterior parietal cortices and dlPFC, but reciprocal connections were not observed. Thus, the cerebellum may not be a part of, but instead a target of, the DMN and language-network. Summarily, our novel directed SCA method, visualized with a new functional flat mapping technique, opens a new paradigm for whole-brain functional analysis.

FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva today praised UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon for his support in the fight against hunger at a meeting with FAO member countries, the Committee [...]

Have you ever wondered if the Leaning Tower of Pisa is a catastrophe waiting to happen? In this one-minute video, Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze explains how architects and engineers spent the last eight hundred years or so making things go from bad to worse, bringing the gravity-defying tower to the brink of disaster

Henry Ford spent the majority of the war as a pacifist. By 1917, however, his state-of-the-art assembly line was churning out vital engine parts to feed the war machine.

Put your hands together for our host, Eric Schulze, as he dives into history to answer your questions.

The Prince Edward Island Fire Marshals Office has concluded its investigation into a massive fire at Valley Truss and Metal in Kensington in October.

The last time a snowfall was recorded at the Winnipeg airport was on April 19, making it 206 days without any snow. Normally, Winnipeggers would see the first snowfall in October.

The Pinecrest Queensway and Somerset West health centres are aiming to get a slice of $370 million of provincial funding to operate centres focused on addictions recovery and links to supportive housing.

R&D ‘Sandbox’ Previews Some Potential Capabilities for 3D CAD Software

Cometal builds on successful investment in COSMOS design analysis software

Real-time Integration of 2D Schematics and 3D Models Allows Mechanical and Electrical Teams to Better Collaborate and Deliver More Accurate Designs

New Conceptual, Instinctive, Social, Connected Design Application Introduced at SOLIDWORKS World 2014

Reduces Time to Create Regulatory Reports While Increasing Data Accuracy

Volatility in the butane and propane markets has increased along with futures trading as companies look to exchanges to manage price risk exposure.

The long-rumored Apple Ring continues to generate buzz as industry insiders speculate on its potential to reshape health tech, despite uncertainty around its release.

Wearable technology has evolved rapidly, with smartwatches and fitness trackers leading the charge. Both Samsung and Apple are now delving into more discrete, ring-style wearables, which offer a more subtle and comfortable way to gather health data compared to traditional wrist-worn devices.

Samsung may release its Galaxy Ring 2 soon, while Apple explores not just rings but also band and glasses-based wearables.


Rumor Score: ???? Possible


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Apple is set to streamline its retail displays, making way for new Mac models by downgrading the Apple Vision Pro demo experience.

Starting November 8, Apple will pilot a revised store layout in select retail locations, merging the Vision Pro demo and display tables. The shift will make space for the latest Mac products, including the M4 models.

The new format will reduce the two separate Vision Pro tables — a layout for demo and display units — into a single, multifunctional table. Along with accommodating new Mac displays, Apple's move will address low Vision Pro sales.


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Apple now has an official password manager, but importing your old passwords from other apps into Apple Passwords can be a bit of a pain.

The introduction of iOS 18 and macOS Seqouia has seen the old iCloud Keychain be rolled into the new Apple Passwords app, alongside a few other Apple password management features. If you already use a password manager outside of iCloud Keychain, you'll probably want to import your passwords if you intend on using Apple Passwords.

Do note that Apple's new Passwords app is really built for storing login passwords. It does not, as yet, store the items like credit card numbers, software serial numbers, or secure documents, that other password managers too.


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The first reviews of the New Mac mini, iMac, and MacBook Pro, are in — and surprisingly range from delight to strange cynicism. Plus there are yet more rumors of the next Apple Vision Pro, but you need not hold your breath.

Typical. You wait ages for a new Mac and three of them turn up — to mixed reviews. That's not mixed as in some reviews are critical while others are not, it's that some are fulsome while others are begrudging.



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Maybe there isn't one giant improvement in the iPhone 16 Pro Max from its predecessor, but there are many improvements worth the steep price of admission.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is a curious device. While it has a fractionally larger screen than last time, so does the iPhone 16 Pro.

And while it has a new Camera Control button, so does every model in the iPhone 16 range.


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Apple is likely to launch a refreshed Apple Vision Pro headset before a cheaper version of the product arrives, according to a new report.

Apple is believed to be working on "several ideas" for its overall Apple Vision product line and its future intentions. Currently, it is expected that an updated Apple Vision Pro will be the first, ahead of a rumored cheaper "Apple Vision" headset.

The next Apple Vision Pro would likely sport an M5 processor and other internal changes, but would otherwise be very similar to the existing model. It's expected to arrive in late 2025, reports Bloomberg, or the spring of 2026.


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Repair parts for the iPhone 16 lineup are now available to order in the US and other countries, including for those wanting to fix their iPhone for themselves.

Following the release of the repair manuals for the iPhone 16 in September, it's now possible to acquire replacement parts for repairs from Apple directly. This is a continuation of a move starting in 2022 towards more user repairability of its products.

Batteries, one of the most common replacement parts, sell for $99 for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, or $119 for the iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max. Likewise, replacement camera assemblies cost $169 or $249, depending on the model.


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It's been more than a year since Apple Watch Ultra 2 launched, and we've had the wearable that's only gotten better on our wrist the whole time.

I do these extended long-term reviews often on Apple products, often by the time a new model has launched. I see how my opinions have changed with extended use and whether or not it was and is worth buying now.

If this was like any other year, I'd probably have the Apple Watch Ultra 2 on one wrist and the Apple Watch Ultra 3 on the other - but not this time.


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A US order to TSMC to cut AI chip supplies to China over Huawei sanctions won't cause problems for Apple. However, Taiwan's prohibition of TSMC producing 2-nanometer chips elsewhere could make an impact.

U.S. sanctions against Huawei has caused problems for TSMC over attempts by intermediaries to order certain AI-based chip designs on Huawei's behalf. From Monday, TSMC is suspending shipments of the AI-focused chips to China, on the orders of the United States.

The Department of Commerce imposed export restrictions of select chip designs that were intended to be shipped to China, an unnamed source of Reuters claims. The shipment ban, which kicks in from Monday, affects certain types of chips made with 7-nanometer processes or advanced designs, intended for AI or graphics processing.


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On this episode of the HomeKit Insider Podcast we talk about Apple's new betas, discuss the major Matter 1.4 release which adds new categories and other improvements, and more!

Before jumping into Matter, we got several new beta updates from Apple. For example, tvOS 18.2 added behind the scenes code to soon enable the new slate of wallpapers.

On Vision Pro, visionOS 2.2 added new ultra-wide mirroring options for the Mac. Finally, macOS Sequoia 15.2 adds new control for mirroring where the user can display a single window/app, extend the display, or duplicate your whole display.


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Proposed tariffs under the Trump administration could trigger considerable price increases for consumer electronics in the United States, though Apple may be able to weather the storm.

During his first time in office, President Donald Trump's trade war with China resulted in price increases. While there were threats that Apple's products would be dinged by tariffs, Tim Cook's regular Trump talks helped Apple avoid being hurt by the import charges.

For Trump's second term in office, it seems that a similar situation could happen again, with Chinese imports being hit with high tariffs. However, this time Apple is in a much better position.


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