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Characterization of sub-micrometre-sized voids in fixed human brain tissue using scanning X-ray microdiffraction

Using a 5 µm-diameter X-ray beam, we collected scanning X-ray microdiffraction in both the small-angle (SAXS) and the wide-angle (WAXS) regimes from thin sections of fixed human brain tissue from Alzheimer's subjects. The intensity of scattering in the SAXS regime of these patterns exhibits essentially no correlation with the observed intensity in the WAXS regime, indicating that the structures responsible for these two portions of the diffraction patterns, which reflect different length scales, are distinct. SAXS scattering exhibits a power-law behavior in which the log of intensity decreases linearly with the log of the scattering angle. The slope of the log–log curve is roughly proportional to the intensity in the SAXS regime and, surprisingly, inversely proportional to the intensity in the WAXS regime. We interpret these observations as being due to the presence of sub-micrometre-sized voids formed during dehydration of the fixed tissue. The SAXS intensity is due largely to scattering from these voids, while the WAXS intensity derives from the secondary structures of macromolecular material surrounding the voids. The ability to detect and map the presence of voids within thin sections of fixed tissue has the potential to provide novel information on the degradation of human brain tissue in neurodegenerative diseases.




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Foreword to the special virtual issue on X-ray spectroscopy to understand functional materials: instrumentation, applications, data analysis




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Foreword to the special virtual issue dedicated to the proceedings of the PhotonMEADOW2023 Joint Workshop




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FilmWeek: ‘The Courier,’ ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League,’ ‘City Of Lies’ And More

Benedict Cumberbatch in “The Courier”; Credit: LIAM DANIEL / LIONSGATE / ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS

FilmWeek Marquee

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Tim Cogshell, Lael Loewenstein and Andy Klein review this weekend’s new movie releases.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.




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FilmWeek: ‘A Quiet Place Part II,’ ‘Cruella,’ ‘Moby Doc’ And More

Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe and Emily Blunt return in “A Quiet Place, Part II.”; Credit: Paramount Pictures

FilmWeek Marquee

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Lael Loewenstein, Christy Lemire and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.




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UAE unveils new payment technology using unique vein patterns

The UAE has announced the introduction of 'Palm ID' technology, a payment solution that utilises the unique vein patterns in individuals' palms for...




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New 'Justice League' webseries for Machinima brings back iconic producer Bruce Timm

The lineup from the "Justice League" animated series.; Credit: Warner Bros.

Bruce Timm's DC Comics animated universe, beginning with "Batman: The Animated Series" and continuing with "Superman," "Batman Beyond," "Justice League," "Justice League Unlimited" and more, remains one of the most beloved and critically acclaimed animated runs in existence. The run was so idenified with the producer that it was sometimes called the Timmverse, but the last show in that continuity ended in 2006 and Timm officially stepped down from working with DC animation in 2013.

Now Timm is back. He's providing a darker take than the optimistic world he became known for in "Justice League: Gods and Monsters," a three-part digital series launching spring 2015 that will be tied in with a full-length animated film that comes out later that year, according to a press release.

Timm's also re-teaming with Alan Burnett, who worked with Timm on "Batman: The Animated Series." It's part of DC Comics' efforts to set up their new film "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," which hits in 2016, with the full Justice League film set for 2018.

DC Comics as a whole has been moving in a darker direction with Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, the "Man of Steel" reboot of Superman and a more serious direction in many of its comic books. The company has followed in its tradition of epic storytelling, passing on the quips Marvel has popularized in films from "Iron Man" to "Guardians of the Galaxy."

It's yet to be seen if Timm can recapture any of the magic from his classic cartoons, but there's reason to be optimistic for the creator of the series that introduced fan favorite Joker sidekick Harley Quinn, created a new origin for Mr. Freeze that cemented the character in the Batman mythos and led the team reimagining numerous characters in an iconic, broadly appealing way.

If you want to catch up on Timm's legacy, his previous two Justice League series are available on Netflix and Amazon Prime, along with "Batman Beyond," while the Batman and Superman animated series are available on Amazon Prime.

Timm also recently produced a short for the 75th anniversary of Batman called "Strange Days," setting the character in the retro world of the serialized pulp storytelling from the time Batman was originally created. You can watch that below:

Batman anniversary short

Watch the classic opening to "Batman: The Animated Series":

Batman: The Animated Series opening

And, a personal favorite joke from when Lex Luthor and the Flash trade bodies on "Justice League Unlimited":

Flash/Luthor body swap




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New Michael Jackson/Queen song released: 'There Must Be More to Life Than This'

File: Queen's Freddie Mercury has his mustache groomed.
; Credit: Steve Wood/Express/Getty Images

The new Queen compilation "Queen Forever" includes three previously unreleased tracks, but the one that has people talking is a collaboration between two legends: Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson.

The new song, "There Must Be More to Life Than This," was an unfinished track recorded during studio sessions for the 1981 Queen album "Hot Space," according to a press release on the new compilation. Queen also looked at the song for 1984's "The Works," but still don't go with it — the song finally landed, sans Jackson, on 1985's Mercury solo album "Mr. Bad Guy."

Listen to the new version of the song here:

Michael Jackson/Queen Soundcloud

Listen to the originally recorded version of the Queen/Jackson collaboration below:

Michael Jackson/Queen collabo

The new version was produced by William Orbit, who also did a remix of the song.

"Hearing Michael Jackson's vocals was stirring. So vivid, so cool, and poignant, it was like he was in the studio singing live. With Freddie's vocal solo on the mixing desk, my appreciation for his gift was taken to an even higher level," Orbit said in a press release.

The song is a call for peace, talking human rights in a general way. It almost didn't end up on the album — Queen's Brian May said that working with the Jackson family and Jackson's estate was like "wading through glue," according to Philly.com, but the track ended up making the cut.

The album also includes unreleased song "Let Me In Your Heart Again" and a new version of a song Mercury released solo, an acoustic take on "Love Kills." "Let Me In Your Heart Again" was previously recorded and released by May's wife Anita Dobson.

"Freddie sounds as fresh as yesterday," May said at a press conference while the new compilation was in the works.

Listen to Mercury's solo version of "There Must Be More to Life Than This" below:

There Must Be More To Life Than This, solo

Listen to Anita Dobson's version of "Let Me In (Your Heart Again)" below:

Anita Dobson track




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Jazz master Clark Terry gets his due from Quincy Jones in 'Keep On Keepin' On'

The relationship between pianist Justin Kauflin and trumpeter Clark Terry is at the heart of the documentary, "Keep On Keepin' On."; Credit: COURTESY OF RADiUS-TWC

Trumpeter Clark Terry played in Count Basie's and Duke Ellington's bands. He was the first African American hired for The Tonight Show band. He mentored the teenage prodigies Miles Davis and Quincy Jones. But Terry isn't as well known as you might think he'd be. 

Thanks to the new documentary, "Keep On Keepin' On," you can see Clark Terry — or C.T., as everyone calls him — in action. The film tells the story of Terry's early love of the trumpet, his quick rise through the jazz ranks, and how he's devoted much of his life to inspiring other musicians — all with a sparkle in his eye.

The movie is directed by first time filmmaker Alan Hicks and made on a shoestring budget. Hicks is himself a drummer and had been one of Terry's students. Originally it was going to be a short film about Terry and Hicks' relationship, funded by the Australian Broadcasting Company. (Hicks is from Australia.) When that financing fell through, Hicks improvised. Determined to tell the world about Terry, he and a childhood buddy, Adam Hart, decided to do it themselves — despite having no filmmaking experience. They bought a camera and plane tickets to the U.S. and began following Terry.

For many years their schedule was to shoot until they ran out of funds, usually about three months, work for a few months to save more money, then go back to shooting. To demonstrate how Terry mentors his students, they followed one young man in particular. Justin Kauflin is a blind jazz pianist with stage fright who would spend days and nights practicing at Terry's bedside. Over the course of the film, as we learn about Terry's past, we see the aging trumpeter in the present (he's now 93) — struggling with advanced diabetes, but always composing riffs from his bed late into the night.  

In one moving scene, Kauflin is riddled with anxiety as he prepares to compete in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz competition. Terry sends him an audio letter and some lucky socks for inspiration.

Years into the project, when Quincy Jones came to visit Terry, he met Kauflin and the filmmakers. Eventually Jones signed on as an executive producer of "Keep On Keepin' On" — as is only fitting given that, at age 13, he'd been Terry's first student.

Jones, Hicks and Kauflin spoke with The Frame about Terry and his unparalleled talent as a musician and as a mentor.

 




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The general equation of δ direct methods and the novel SMAR algorithm residuals using the absolute value of ρ and the zero conversion of negative ripples

The general equation of the δ direct methods is established and applied in its difference form to the definition of one of the two residuals that constitute the SMAR phasing algorithm. These two residuals use the absolute value of ρ and/or the zero conversion of negative Fourier ripples (≥50% of the unit-cell volume). Alternatively, when solved for ρ, the general equation provides a simple derivation of the already known δM tangent formula.




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Co. Enters Quebec With Acquisition of Prospective Lithium Project

Source: Streetwise Reports 10/31/2024

American Salars Lithium Inc. (USLI:CSE; USLIF:OTC; Z3P:FWB; A3E2NY:WKN) has signed a mineral claims purchase agreement with an arm's length vendor to acquire 100% of the Lac Simard South Project in Quebec. Find out why one analyst says the market for the important battery metal is due to wake up.

American Salars Lithium Inc. (USLI:CSE; USLIF:OTC; Z3P:FWB; A3E2NY:WKN) announced it has signed a mineral claims purchase agreement with an arm's length vendor to acquire 100% of the Lac Simard South Project in Quebec.

The more than 3,600-hectare project covers 64 claim blocks contiguous to projects owned by Sayona Mining Ltd. and Refined Metals Corp.'s Lac Simard property that sampled 2.1% lithium (4.52% lithium oxide or Li2O) and 5.88% tantalum oxide (Ta2O5), the company said.

"This is the company's entry point into Quebec with the intention of building a strategic portfolio of hard rock lithium projects to complement our lithium brine assets," Director and Chief Executive Officer R. Nick Horsley said. "The company's long-term belief in a lithium price rebound is steadfast and now is the time to build a multi-jurisdictional lithium company."

The Lac Simard South project is about 80 kilometers southwest of Sayona’s Authier lithium project and spans the townships of Beauneville, Clérion, Delbreuil, and ChabertIt, and is accessible by gravel road off Route 117 near the municipality of Cadillac, American Salars said.

"The claims in the eastern sector are accessible by a network of logging roads; the southern and western sectors are accessible by boat or all-terrain vehicle and has very little overburden," the company said in a release.

American Salars said it will begin planning for a work program to identify targets and test areas at the project, which is in an "active lithium exploration, production, and processing region of mining-friendly Quebec."

Located nearby is Sayona's Abitibi Hub — made up of its North American, Authier, and Tansim lithium projects — which boasts a "staggering aggregate measured and indicated resource of 111 million tonnes grading 1.14% lithium, the largest lithium resource in Quebec," American Salars said.

The company also noted the lithium hub's accessibility provides relatively lower exploration costs than James Bay, and the area has a fully operating lithium concentrator and a planned lithium carbonate/hydroxide conversion plant.

Additional Projects Being Reviewed, Co. Says

Under the agreement, American Salars is acquiring a 100% interest in the Lac Simard South project by issuing 50,000 common shares to the vendor, Quartier Mineral Ltd of Quebec.

The company said additional lithium projects are still being reviewed and will be subject to further disclosure once due diligence is completed and any deals are completed.

"Our primary objective remains the acquisition of low-cost lithium brine assets in Argentina while expanding our existing NI 43-101 lithium brine resources," Horsley has said. "We believe that Quebec-based hard rock lithium assets can now be acquired at deeply discounted prices and advanced with critical mineral flow through financing incentives in anticipation of the next lithium rally."

Technical Analyst Clive Maund wrote that the entire "San Emidio Desert basin is a highly prospective lithium exploration zone."

The company's existing portfolio of lithium deposits includes two NI 43-101-compliant Inferred Mineral Resource Estimates (MREs) consisting of 457,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) at the Candela 2 Lithium Brine Project and a shared MRE at the Pocitos 1 Lithium Brine Project consisting of 760,000 tonnes LCE. The Pocitos MRE is shared with the neighboring Pocitos 2 property, which is not under contract or owned by American Salars, but the company noted that none of the drilling that makes up a partial basis for the MRE took place on the Pocitos 2 block. Both brine projects are located in Salta Province, Argentina.

Major mining company Rio Tino recently invested in Argentina by acquiring Argentina lithium producer Arcadium Lithium for US$6.7 billion, making the company the world's third-largest lithium producer.

American Salars also recently released assay results from soil samples collected during its Phase 1 exploration program at its 100%-owned Black Rock South lithium project close to Tesla's Gigafactory in Nevada. Out of 38 samples, 33 recorded lithium concentration of more than 100 parts per million (ppm) or higher, the company said. The highest grade was 180.5 ppm with an average grade of 131 ppm across the 33 samples of the surface of the property.

'Basing Process' Underway for Commodity

Technical Analyst Clive Maund wrote that the entire "San Emidio Desert basin is a highly prospective lithium exploration zone."*

"After a massive speculative runup in 2020 and especially in 2021, the lithium price fell victim to a severe bear market that ran from mid-2022 through the end of 2023," Maund wrote. "By the end of last year, this bear market had exhausted itself, and a basing process began that has continued up to the present."

Black Rock South is also 215 miles northwest of the United States' only producing lithium mine, the Silver Peak lithium brine mine owned by Albermarle.

The Catalyst: Experts Predict Recovery

Lithium is critical in the energy transition for its use in batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and other application and is also used in electronics, medicine, and other industries.

While prices have slumped this year after EV sales didn't hit predicted marks, many experts believe the market will recover.

According to a report by Grand View Research, market size for the metal was estimated at US$31.75 billion last year and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.7% from this year through 2030.

"The automotive application segment is expected to witness substantial growth, driven by stringent regulations imposed by government bodies on ICE automakers to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles," researchers at Grand View said. "This has shifted the interest of automakers toward producing EVs, which is anticipated to benefit the demand for lithium and related products."

EVs and battery storage primarily will fuel future growth of the lithium market, Marin Katusa of Katusa Research wrote recently. He pointed out that all major electric vehicle batteries require lithium, about 1.55 pounds per kilowatt hour of battery capacity, on average.[OWNERSHIP_CHART-11095]

"I think the data speaks for itself that there's more growth and opportunity on the horizon," Katusa wrote.

The consensus among market analysts points to a recovery in lithium prices in the fourth quarter of 2024, Fastmarkets reported.

Ownership and Share Structure

American Salars said it has 28.8 million shares outstanding and 5.5 million warrants, according to the company.

As for insiders, the CEO Horsley owns about 1.83 million, or about 7.37%, with 4666,666 warrants. Strategic investor Hillcrest Merchant Partners owns 1 million shares or 4.03%. There are no institutional investors, and the rest is retail.

Its market cap is CA$4.79 million. It trades in a 52-week range of CA$0.45 and CA$0.08.

Sign up for our FREE newsletter at: www.streetwisereports.com/get-news

Important Disclosures:

  1. American Salars Lithium Inc.has a consulting relationship with Street Smart an affiliate of Streetwise Reports. Street Smart Clients pay a monthly consulting fee between US$8,000 and US$20,000.
  2. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of American Salars Lithium Inc.
  3. Steve Sobek wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee.
  4. This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company.

For additional disclosures, please click here.

* Disclosure for the quote from the Clive Maund source June 17, 2024

  1. For the quote (sourced on June 17, 2024), the Company has paid Street Smart, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports, US$1,500.
  2. Author Certification and Compensation: [Clive Maund of clivemaund.com] is being compensated as an independent contractor by Street Smart, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports, for writing the article quoted. Maund received his UK Technical Analysts’ Diploma in 1989. The recommendations and opinions expressed in the article accurately reflect the personal, independent, and objective views of the author regarding any and all of the designated securities discussed. No part of the compensation received by the author was, is, or will be directly or indirectly related to the specific recommendations or views expressed.

Clivemaund.com Disclosures

The quoted article represents the opinion and analysis of Mr. Maund, based on data available to him, at the time of writing. Mr. Maund's opinions are his own, and are not a recommendation or an offer to buy or sell securities. As trading and investing in any financial markets may involve serious risk of loss, Mr. Maund recommends that you consult with a qualified investment advisor, one licensed by appropriate regulatory agencies in your legal jurisdiction and do your own due diligence and research when making any kind of a transaction with financial ramifications. Although a qualified and experienced stock market analyst, Clive Maund is not a Registered Securities Advisor. Therefore Mr. Maund's opinions on the market and stocks cannot be only be construed as a recommendation or solicitation to buy and sell securities.

( Companies Mentioned: USLI:CSE; USLIF:OTC; Z3P:FWB; A3E2NY:WKN, )




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Neil deGrasse Tyson shares his top 3 StarTalk guests

L-R Access Hollywood film critic Scott Mantz moderates a talk by Neil deGrasse Tyson at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, June 9, 2017. Courtesy of the American Cinematheque; Credit: Robert Enger

Chris Greenspon | Off-Ramp®

Neil deGrasse Tyson came onto the science-themed, late night talk show circuit with some clout. The "Cosmos" host, author, educator, and Hayden Planetarium director's first guest when StarTalk "jumped species" from podcast to television was Whoopi Goldberg. 

On Friday June 9, 2017, Tyson opened up a screening of "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" at the American Cinematheque's Aero Theatre in Santa Monica with a talk on his career as an astrophysicist-turned-broadcaster. Access Hollywood's film critic, Scott Mantz, moderated the event and asked Tyson for his three favorite StarTalk guests.

1. Nichelle Nichols

While StarTalk was still just a podcast, Nichols appeared on StarTalk twice. Tyson learned that Star Trek had been a holdover gig for Nichols while paying her dues to land dancing parts on Broadway. Tyson didn't think being Lieutenant Uhura was anything to sneeze at. "She is actually in the chain of command to be captain of the ship," remarked Tyson.

Early on into the series, Nichols decided it was time to go back to New York and find her dream job, Tyson said. However, before leaving she attended a party where she bumped into Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

"And he says, 'Oh, my children! We line up at night, and you make us all proud.' And she said, 'Oh, thank you, but I'm going back to New York,' and he said, 'You can't do that. There are no other black people on television. Much less, what there are, they're not in any kind of role of responsibility, and integrity, and dignity.' And he convinced her to stay with the series." - Neil deGrasse Tyson

Tyson teared up, searched for tissues, and said he opened up a bottle of wine at eleven in the morning during the taping with Nichols. "And then, I think it was only one and a half glasses of wine," Tyson said, before he asked Nichols about her and William Shatner's interracial kiss on Star Trek, one of the first interracial kisses on television. Tyson said Nichols told him that the producers of the show wanted to film a version of the scene without the kiss, but that she and Shatner purposefully kept messing up the non-kiss until they ran out of filming time so that the editors of the show wouldn't have any such scene to work with.

Nichols then asked Tyson if he wanted to see what a "racial kiss" was, and then she kissed him.

Tyson also recognized Nichols for her role in recruiting women and people of color for NASA space missions from engineering schools across the United States. Tyson said Nichols was able to find these recruits by looking where NASA had not been looking.

"You were only looking at the U.S. Naval Academy and not Tuskegee Institute where they have a huge engineering group. So she laid out this recipe, and that first astronaut class: it had black people, it had Asians, it had women. And they were at the top of their class when they came out of college and graduate school, so she shaped the modern view of NASA."

2. Biz Stone

"The name doesn't even sound real," said Tyson, referring to the co-founder of Twitter. Tyson counts Stone among the great entrepreneurs who never finished college: Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Mark Zuckerberg.

"Until he described how he envisioned Twitter, I had not fully appreciated what it was," said Tyson. Stone asked Tyson if he had ever seen birds suddenly take flight and flock together after behaving independently, and then, just as swiftly as they started, return to their posts and be "individuals again."

"Twitter is a flocking mechanism for humans," Tyson said. "I live near Ground Zero in New York City," Tyson recalled what could be described as a Twitter moment from 2011. "I'm watching TV, all of a sudden I heard noises in the street. Crowds were developing. I said, 'What's going on?'" While Tyson was sitting in his home, it had been announced that Osama Bin Laden had been killed.

Tyson got on the internet and read the news. "I missed all that, but all these people got the tweet, and everyone gathered back at Ground Zero." That realization of the nature of social media made Biz Stone Tyson's number two guest.

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Jabbar's appearance on StarTalk is from the upcoming season, so Tyson did not want to reveal the topics of the episode, but he could not resist including Jabbar because of his numerous qualifications.

  • He has written a novel about Sherlock Holmes' older brother, Mycroft Holmes (which Jabbar talked with Off-Ramp about in 2015)
  • He had a column in Time Magazine
  • His high scores on Celebrity Jeopardy
  • He's the highest scorer ever for the NBA, with 38,387 career points (Kobe Bryan is third with 33,643 points)
  • He played in the All-Star Game 19 times out of his 20 NBA seasons
  • He has six NBA Championship rings
  • And he was in "Airplane!" and Bruce Lee's "Game of Death"

Tyson gives us one giveaway though, from Jabbar's interview. The one film role that Jabbar is disappointed about never being cast in was Chewbacca in "Star Wars."

Neil deGrasse Tyson's new book is Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. Thanks to him and the American Cinematheque for allowing us to excerpt their presentation on Off-Ramp.

 

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.




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Queena Kim, Off-Ramp's first producer, sheds light on the show's beginnings

Off-Ramp producer Queena Kim acts on behalf of millions of Angelenos. The meter didn't stand a chance.

; Credit: John Rabe/KPCC

John Rabe | Off-Ramp®

Off-Ramp began eleven years ago, just as digital technology was beginning to overtake radio. No more cassette tape or mini-discs; host John and producer Queena Kim thought they could take on all of Los Angeles with two digital audio recorders and a different approach to public radio.

Short-handed as they were, John and Queena had to adopt slash-and-burn tactics to get each show produced on time. The majority of interviews were conducted in the field; at the homes, workplaces, and favorite hang-outs of their subjects (instead of waiting for guests to come to the station) and many of the stories were edited as simple two-way interviews with life in Southern California picked up as ambient, background noise. After all, a show called Off-Ramp had better be ready to brave some LA traffic.

At this juncture, John feels free to say what he has always wanted to, but hasn't for fear of self-aggrandizement: "I think we were trendsetters. I think Marketplace and NPR heard the stuff we were doing, and started doing stuff like it." Once again, Kim chalks it up to being in the right place at the right time technologically, and the two person team's willingness to break out of the old-school, public radio way writing a story: with a very clear sonic difference between studio narration and field audio.

Of course, it wasn't just Marantz recorders and minimal rewriting that gave Off-Ramp its flavor. There was a whole lot of weird spewing up out of Los Angeles during the show's formative years and Kim's tenure (2006-2010). She recalls covering a ten-theremin orchestra at Disney Hall, and the excitement of working on a show that let her (and the listeners, vicariously) do things she always wanted to do. "It was almost like having a free pass to the city."

In order to capture what was new and exciting, John and Queena both agree that it was absolutely vital to abandon the reporter's instinct for safely packaging the story ahead of time. John cites his editor at Minnesota Public Radio's philosophy, Mike Edgerly; "Go find what the story is, go out and explore and figure out what the story is. Don't figure it out at your desk first." The collaboration between John's ideas and Kim's sense of logistics formed a dialectic relationship, valuing the "third, better idea" over either of their original perspectives. In light of that, John says Queena Kim was the perfect person with whom to start Off-Ramp. 

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.




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Facial recognition technique could improve hail forecasts

Full Text:

The same artificial intelligence technique typically used in facial recognition systems could help improve prediction of hailstorms and their severity, according to a new, National Science Foundation-funded study. Instead of zeroing in on the features of an individual face, scientists trained a deep learning model called a convolutional neural network to recognize features of individual storms that affect the formation of hail and how large the hailstones will be, both of which are notoriously difficult to predict. The promising results highlight the importance of taking into account a storm's entire structure, something that's been challenging to do with existing hail-forecasting techniques.

Image credit: Carlye Calvin




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Bluecode launches contactless NFC payments

Austria-based payment brand Bluecode has announced the launch...





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PEA on Gold Project in Quebec Due Out This Quarter

Source: Bryce Adams 11/04/2024

The takeout potential for the company's shares is expected to increase over the next two years as derisking continues, noted a CIBC report.

O3 Mining Inc. (TSXV:OIII; OTCQX:OIIIF) updated the timeline for its flagship Marban Alliance gold project in Quebec and closed a small equity financing, reported CIBC analyst Bryce Adams in an Oct. 30 research note.

"With the updated shareholder register and continued derisking of Marban, we expect that the takeout potential for O3 shares increases within the next two years," Adams wrote.

O3 Mining is the third iteration of the successful Osisko Mining Inc. (OSK:TSX) model, focused on acquiring, exploring and developing mineral properties in Canada.

168% Return Implied

The Canadian company was trading at the time of the report at about CA$1.12 per share, and CIBC's target price on it is CA$3 per share, noted Adams. These figures reflect a potential return for investors of 168%.

O3 Mining has an Outperformer rating.

PEA Coming this Quarter

Adams presented O3's timeline for Marban Alliance and noted it aligns with CIBC's projections. The next step is completion of a preliminary economic assessment (PEA), slated for Q4/24, "which we expect will be reported on a standalone basis, with upside from potential toll milling agreements," the analyst wrote. G Mining Services now is the lead consultant on the PEA.

Next, a feasibility study will be done based on the PEA and the 2022 prefeasibility study. Targeted dates are Q1/25 to start it and Q2/25 to finish it.

Also in Q1/25, baseline environmental studies are slated for completion. Impact studies are to be started in Q2/25, and filing is slated for Q1/26.

More Strategic Investments

O3 Mining completed a non-brokered private placement of CA$1.4 million with Sidex LP and NQ Investissement Minier, two mining investment funds sponsored by the Quebec government, reported Adams. Subsequently, O3 closed a follow-up offering of US$76,800 to the company's strategic investor at the same terms.

"We view these as smaller issuances, and after model updates, our net asset value per share estimate is now one penny lower at CA$4.48 per share," Adams wrote.

O3 Mining will use the proceeds to drill at Kinebik, where it continues to consolidate land. This project shares the same formation as Hecla Mining Co.'s (HL:NYSE) Casa Berardi mine and Gold Fields Ltd.'s (GFI:NYSE; GFI:JSE) Windfall project.

Takeout Target Potential

Through its acquisition of Osisko, Gold Fields gained 100% ownership of Windfall (it previously had acquired 50% from Osisko in 2023) and 17% of O3 Mining, Adams pointed out. Gold Fields also unsuccessfully made a bid for Yamana Gold Inc.'s (YRI:TSX; AUY:NYSE; YAU:LSE) interests in the Canadian Malartic mine in Quebec earlier in 2023 and "has indicated further growth interest in Quebec."

"With Measured and Indicated resources of 2,400,000 ounces (2.4 Moz) and Inferred resources of 0.6 Moz at its flagship Marban project and near-term final permitting submission, O3 has above average takeout potential," purported Adams.

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Important Disclosures:

  1. O3 Miing Inc. is a billboard sponsor of Streetwise Reports and pays SWR a monthly sponsorship fee between US$4,000 and US$5,000.
  2. Doresa Banning wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor.
  3. This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company.

For additional disclosures, please click here.

Disclosures for CIBC Equity Research, O3 Mining Inc., October 30, 2024

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Visible Gold Brings Continued Excitement to Jr. Explorer's BC Project

Source: Streetwise Reports 11/07/2024

Drilling and field operations at Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd.'s (GCC:CSE; GCCFF:OTC; A0RLEP:WKN; 3TZ:FSE) past-producing Quesnelle project in British Columbia's Cariboo Gold District continue to find the yellow metal throughout the project, from visible gold in drill cores to mineralization in outcrop samples. One mining analyst says it's a good indication of the mine's potential.

Drilling and field operations at Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd.'s (GCC:CSE; GCCFF:OTC; A0RLEP:WKN; 3TZ:FSE) past-producing Quesnelle project in British Columbia's Cariboo Gold District continue to find the yellow metal throughout the project, from visible gold in drill cores to mineralization in outcrop samples.

President and Chief Executive Officer Frank Callaghan told Streetwise Reports that despite the high level of experience on his team, several geologists had never seen visible gold before, and their first views of it were "priceless."

"It was on the outside of this piece of core," Callaghan said. "And then the core had split … and there was more gold on the inside of it, as well."

Callaghan said he's drilled "hundreds and hundreds" of holes, but he "can count on my hands how many times I've seen it (visible gold)."

He said the company is seeing the gold in "every drill hole," so they keep moving forward chasing the deposit and working at the site 24 hours a day.

And according to Callaghan, the structure of the mineralization is "thickening up" as they drill. The technical team has also recognized multiple types of quartz veins that can contain gold, a common feature in large gold deposits of similar nature.

Last month, the company announced it was even forced to stop drilling in a vein zone at the property due to proximity to Osisko Development Corp.'s nearby mineral claims. Drill hole QGQ24-17 was terminated at a depth of 477.32 meters, and the "only thing that stopped us from drilling further was the claim boundary with Osisko," Callaghan said at the time.

On Tuesday, the company announced rock sample results from its 2024 field campaign, which found up to 8.47 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) in one outcrop in the Halo zone and 1.13 g/t Au in another outcrop near the Pioneer showing.

"Although there is a lot of glacial cover on this project, our geologists still managed to find new gold-bearing outcrops in areas of great significance," Callaghan said in a release announcing the results. "We have now expanded the surface footprint of gold mineralization at the Halo zone to the northeast and increased the strike length of our gold trend. We're in a very large gold system that is being demonstrated by multiple, varied work programs."

Drilling 'Nonstop' and 'Underbudget'

Golden Cariboo, a Canadian explorer-developer, is targeting a potential multimillion-ounce gold resource at the 3,814-hectare Quesnelle project, where gold, silver, lead and zinc were produced historically, according to its Investor Presentation.

The company's neighbors in the mining district include Osisko's Cariboo Gold Project, Spanish Mountain Gold Ltd. (SPA:TSX.V) (Spanish Mountain deposit), Omineca Mining and Metals Ltd. (OMM:TSX.V; OMMSF:OTCMKTS) (Wingdam mine) and Taseko Mines Ltd. (TKO:TSX; TGB:NYSE.MKT) (Gibraltar mine).

Callaghan began rediscovering the Cariboo Camp in the mid-1990s as Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd. He and his then team discovered a gold deposit at Bonanza Ledge and advanced the project to production. He also assembled and developed the Cariboo Gold Project. Ultimately, Osisko Royalties acquired Barkerville and the assets in 2015 for US$338M. Osisko is about to restart mining operations in the camp.

Subsequently, in 2019, Callaghan acquired the Quesnelle Gold Quartz project, where he aims to repeat his previous successes, given the property's geology is similar to that of the other two projects.

Previously, the company reported observing multiple instances of visible gold in several holes earlier this fall and summer.

"Visible gold in current drilling indicates potential for high-grade assays from mineralized targets," Couloir Capital Senior Mining Analyst Ron Wortel wrote in a recent research report.

Given that Golden Cariboo is continuing its exploration program at Quesnelle throughout 2024, near-term catalysts include drill and assay results demonstrating significant grades or widths and better-defined mineralization controls and trends, according to Wortel.

Callaghan told Streetwise Reports that drilling continues to be "nonstop" and underbudget."

External catalysts include market transactions in the junior mining space involving projects or companies in the Cariboo region. Reports by Osisko Development of project advancements or production results relative to adjacent land also could boost Golden Cariboo's stock price.

The Catalyst: Index Also Confirms Bull Run for Junior Stocks

Experts agreed gold is in a bull market and expect it to go higher. However, after hitting a record high of US$2,790.15 per ounce last week, spot gold was down more than 3% to a three-week low on Wednesday morning as investors moved to the U.S. dollar after Donald Trump's election as U.S. president on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Market participants are also looking ahead to the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision on Thursday for further clues on the bank's easing cycle, Reuters said.

"A clear presidential victory when the market has been pricing in a contested result, removal of an element of risk, Trump-trades include the dollar's strengthening this morning and the combination of the two has brought gold lower," StoneX analyst Rhona O'Connell said, according to Reuters.

Gold's rise has "resulted in big returns for the investors who bought in earlier this year," Angelica Leicht reported for CBS News last month. "For example, the investors who purchased gold in March when it hit US$2,160 per ounce have seen their gold values increase by nearly 27% in the time since. That's a huge uptick in value in a matter of months, especially on an asset that's known more for long-term growth."

Recently polled London Bullion Market Association members indicated they believe the gold price could reach US$2,940/oz during 2025, reported Stockhead on Oct. 28.[OWNERSHIP_CHART-11131]

"Combined with expectations of lower global interest rates, this further enhances gold's attractiveness as an investment," the article noted.

As for gold equities, the S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (SPCDNX) confirmed a bull run for junior, intermediate, and senior mining stocks when it closed above 1,000 recently, Stewart Thomson with 321Gold wrote. The index is a key indicator of the health of the general gold, silver, and mining stocks market.

Ownership and Share Structure

According to Golden Cariboo, management and insiders own 30% of Golden Cariboo Resources. President and CEO Frank Callaghan owns 16.45% or 6.93 million shares; Elaine Callaghan has 0.97% or 0.41 million shares; Director Andrew Rees has 0.79% or 0.33 million shares; and Director Laurence Smoliak has 0.3% or 0.13 million shares.

Retail investors hold the remaining. There are no institutional investors.

The company said it has 50.3 million shares outstanding, 24.83 million warrants, and 3.8 million options.

Its market cap is CA$9.63 million. Over the past 52 weeks, Golden Cariboo has traded between CA$0.08 and CA$0.36 per share.

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Important Disclosures:

  1. Omineca Mining and Metals Ltd. is a billboard sponsor of Streetwise Reports and pays SWR a monthly sponsorship fee between US$4,000 and US$5,000.
  2. Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd. has a consulting relationship with Street Smart an affiliate of Streetwise Reports. Street Smart Clients pay a monthly consulting fee between US$8,000 and US$20,000.
  3. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd. and Omineca Mining and Metals Ltd.
  4. Steve Sobek wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee.
  5. This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company.

For additional disclosures, please click here.

( Companies Mentioned: GCC:CSE; GCCFF:OTC; A0RLEP:WKN;3TZ:FSE, )




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USGS Releases New Topographic Maps for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands - Updated Maps for Essential Needs

The USGS is pleased to announce the release of new US Topo maps for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These updated topographic maps offer valuable, current geographic information for residents, visitors, and professionals, providing essential resources for communities in these areas.




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Congratulations to Genevieve Kent for Winning this Issue's Photo Contest!

USGS Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC) biological science technician, Genevieve Kent, is the winner of this issue’s photo contest. 




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FilmWeek: ‘A Quiet Place Part II,’ ‘Cruella,’ ‘Moby Doc’ And More

Still of Emily Blunt and Noah Jupe in the film “A Quiet Place Part II.”; Credit: Paramount Pictures

FilmWeek

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Lael Loewenstein, Christy Lemire and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms.

Our FilmWeek critics have been curating personal lists of their favorite TV shows and movies to binge-watch during self-quarantine. You can see recommendations from each of the critics and where you can watch them here.

Guests:

Christy Lemire, film critic for KPCC, RogerEbert.com and co-host of the ‘Breakfast All Day’ podcast; she tweets @christylemire

Lael Loewenstein, film critic for KPCC and film columnist for the Santa Monica Daily Press; she tweets @LAELLO

Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.




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Questlove On His Directorial Debut “Summer Of Soul” And The Significance Of The 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival

Questlove attends Questlove's "Summer Of Soul" screening & live concert at Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem on June 19, 2021 in New York City.; Credit: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

Manny Valladares | FilmWeek

The 1960s was a decade that held a lot of historical markers for American history. For the Black community, social inequality and systemic racism lead to political action in many different forms.

The end of the decade saw the death of many integral leaders to the civil rights movement, which led to more civil unrest and mourning. One way this community was able to get through this moment in history was through the power of music. The 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival was a special moment in musical and Black history that was all a product of the other 8 years prior to it.

It’s a historical marker for Harlem that Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s film “Summer of Soul” depicts in-depth, bringing this story to life using archival footage and interviews. The Harlem Cultural Festival took place for 6 weeks, having some of the greatest Black musical acts the world has ever seen. Through this communal experience, attendees found themselves at ease with artists like Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone and the 5th Dimension bringing this community of Harlem residents together. 

Today on FilmWeek, Larry Mantle speaks with Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson about his feature directorial debut, “Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” and its chronicling of a major point in African American history.

Guest:

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, director of the documentary “Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” drummer for The Roots and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon; he tweets @questlove

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.




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Technique uses magnets, light to control and reconfigure soft robots

Full Text:

National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded researchers from North Carolina State and Elon universities have developed a technique that allows them to remotely control the movement of soft robots, lock them into position for as long as needed and later reconfigure the robots into new shapes. The technique relies on light and magnetic fields. "By engineering the properties of the material, we can control the soft robot's movement remotely; we can get it to hold a given shape; we can then return the robot to its original shape or further modify its movement; and we can do this repeatedly. All of those things are valuable, in terms of this technology's utility in biomedical or aerospace applications," says Joe Tracy, a professor of materials science and engineering at NC State and corresponding author of a paper on the work. In experimental testing, the researchers demonstrated that the soft robots could be used to form "grabbers" for lifting and transporting objects. The soft robots could also be used as cantilevers or folded into "flowers" with petals that bend in different directions. "We are not limited to binary configurations, such as a grabber being either open or closed," says Jessica Liu, first author of the paper and a Ph.D. student at NC State. "We can control the light to ensure that a robot will hold its shape at any point."

Image credit: Jessica A.C. Liu




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New Blood Cancer Treatment Shows Continued Response

Source: Dr. David Nierengarten 11/07/2024

The biotech behind this cell therapy has numerous near-term catalysts related to its pipeline, noted a Wedbush report.

TScan Therapeutics Inc. (TCRX:NASDAQ) Phase 1 ALLOHA study, evaluating its lead therapeutic candidates TSC-100 and TSC-101 in hematologic malignancies, showed patients continuing to have a positive response after one year, reported Wedbush analyst Dr. David Nierengarten in a Nov. 5 research note. TSC-100 and TSC-101 are T-cell receptor-engineered T-cell therapies (TCR-Ts).

"We see a catalyst-rich next few months ahead with data building in prominence on stock impact," Nierengarten wrote.

87% Return Potential

Wedbush has a US$10 per share target price on the Massachusetts-based biotech, trading at the time of the report at about US$5.36 per share, noted the analyst. The difference between these figures implies an 87% return potential for investors.

TScan Therapeutics remains rated Outperform.

Durability of Response Data

Nierengarten presented the clinical trial's latest results. As of the July 8, 2024 data cutoff date, in Phase 1 of ALLOHA, 16 patients with hematologic tumors had been administered TSC-100 or TSC-101, and 11 patients had been given a placebo. Median follow-ups had occurred at 5.8 months and 5.3 months, respectively.

At the time, none of the patients in the treatment arm had had a relapse. In the control arm, however, three, or 27% of, the 11 patients had, and the median time to relapse was 159 days. The analyst explained that this is typical for patients receiving a hematopoietic stem cell transplant after reduced-intensity conditioning.

One year out from treatment, five patients were evaluable, and all remained relapse free and minimal residual disease negative at the time. These data underscore the durability of response to this TCR-T treatment, Nierengarten commented. Its safety profile was shown to be favorable still, with no patients experiencing dose-limiting toxicities or adverse events associated with allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

"Enrollment continues in dose expansion cohorts, and results could support a registrational trial as early as 2025, pending regulatory feedback," Nierengarten wrote.

On the Horizon

TScan Therapeutics has several catalysts related to its clinical programs on the horizon, which Nierengarten listed.

On Nov. 8 and 9, the company will present preclinical data in the poster sessions at the annual Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer meeting. One poster will show in vitro combinatorial data for T-Plex, TScan's cellular therapy for treating solid tumors. It is comprised of two to three different TCR-Ts that target different tumor antigens on different human leukocyte antigen (HLA) types.

A second poster will detail the expansion of ImmunoBank, the biotech's diverse bank of therapeutic T-cell receptors (TCRs) that recognize diverse targets and are associated with multiple HLA types. The third will depict development of a target agnostic platform to evaluate how TCR-Ts affect primary human tissues.

On Dec. 9, TScan Therapeutics will present updated one-year data from ALLOHA, at the American Society for Hematology Annual Meeting in December.

By year-end, the biotech will announce initial data from administering singleplex therapy, cell therapy engineered using a single TCR, to patients with solid tumors. This treatment is being given to establish safety before administering multiplex therapy, cell therapy engineered from multiple TCRs.

In 2025, TScan Therapeutics will provide long-term duration of response data for multiplex therapy in solid tumors and will potentially commence a registrational trial for TSC-100 and TSC-101.

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Important Disclosures:

  1. This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company.
  2. This article does not constitute medical advice. Officers, employees and contributors to Streetwise Reports are not licensed medical professionals. Readers should always contact their healthcare professionals for medical advice.

For additional disclosures, please click here.

Disclosures for Wedbush, TScan Therapeutics Inc., November 5, 2024

Analyst Certification We, David Nierengarten, Martin Fan and Dennis Pak, certify that the views expressed in this report accurately reflect our personal opinions and that we have not and will not, directly or indirectly, receive compensation or other payments in connection with our specific recommendations or views contained in this report.

Company Specific Disclosures This information is subject to change at any time. 1. WS makes a market in the securities of TScan Therapeutics, Inc.. 6. WS is acting as a financial advisor for TScan Therapeutics, Inc..

Wedbush disclosure price charts are updated within the first fifteen days of each new calendar quarter per FINRA regulations. Price charts for companies initiated upon in the current quarter, and rating and target price changes occurring in the current quarter, will not be displayed until the following quarter. Additional information on recommended securities is available on request. Disclosure information regarding historical ratings and price targets is available: Research Disclosures *WS changed its rating system from (Strong Buy/ Buy/ Hold/ Sell) to (Outperform/ Neutral/ Underperform) on July 14, 2009. Applicable disclosure information is also available upon request by contacting the Research Department at (212) 833-1375, by email to leslie.lippai@wedbush.com. You may also submit a written request to the following: Wedbush Securities, Attn: Research Department, 142 W 57th Street, New York, NY 10019.

OTHER DISCLOSURES The information herein is based on sources that we consider reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed. The information contained herein is not a representation by this corporation, nor is any recommendation made herein based on any privileged information. This information is not intended to be nor should it be relied upon as a complete record or analysis: neither is it an offer nor a solicitation of an offer to sell or buy any security mentioned herein. This firm, Wedbush Securities, its officers, employees, and members of their families, or any one or more of them, and its discretionary and advisory accounts, may have a position in any security discussed herein or in related securities and may make, from time to time, purchases or sales thereof in the open market or otherwise. The information and expressions of opinion contained herein are subject to change without further notice. The herein mentioned securities may be sold to or bought from customers on a principal basis by this firm. Additional information with respect to the information contained herein may be obtained upon request. Wedbush Securities does and seeks to do business with companies covered in its research reports. Thus, investors should be aware that the firm may have a conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this report. Investors should consider this report as only a single factor in making their investment decision. Please see pages 3–7 of this report for analyst certification and important disclosure information. Retail Investors The information provided is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered an individual recommendation or personalized investment advice. The companies/investments mentioned may not be suitable for everyone. Each investor needs to review their own respective situation(s) before making any investment decisions. All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice due to shifting market(s), economic or political conditions. Investment involves risks including the risk of principal. Past performance is no guarantee of future results and the opinions presented cannot be viewed as an indicator of future performance.

( Companies Mentioned: TCRX:NASDAQ, )




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Regenerative Med Co. Granted Second Tissue License

Source: Dr. Jonathan Aschoff 11/07/2024

With these expanded capabilities, the biotech may increase revenue generation and continue its clinical trial, noted a Roth MKM report.

BioRestorative Therapies Inc. (BRTX:OTCBB) received a provisional license from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) to process allogeneic donor tissue for various cells, like stem, to be isolated, expanded, and cryopreserved for medical research, reported MKM analyst Dr. Jonathan Aschoff in a Nov. 5 research note.

The biotech develops therapeutic products using cell and tissue protocols, primarily involving adult stem cells.

1,100% Upside Implied

Aschoff reiterated Roth's US$18 per share target price on the biotech, trading at the time of the report at about US$1.50 per share, the analyst noted. These figures reflect a potential return for investors of 1,100%.

BioRestorative Therapeutics remains a Buy.

Sources of Revenue

Aschoff discussed how BioRestorative can generate revenue. This new license is the second from NYSDOH that the biotech holds. The previous one allows it to process autologous mesenchymal stem cells, in other words, act as a tissue bank.

The U.S.-based biotech now may capitalize on its Current Good Manufacturing Practices capabilities and process, bank and distribute clinical-grade allogeneic biologics. This revenue generation would better position the biotech financially, "allowing it to reduce cash burn and dependence on equity markets," wrote Aschoff.

Another source of revenue for BioTherapeutics is from its supply agreement with Cartessa Aesthetics LLC signed earlier in 2024. Per the five-year agreement, BioTherapeutics will supply Cartessa with a preset minimum quantity of finished vials of the aesthetic company's initial cell-based biologic commercial product each year. This product, intended to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, will be sold under the Chronos ExoCR mark. Cartessa, on the other hand, will give BioTherapeutics access to its marketing and distribution capabilities to get its technologies to aesthetic providers.

The biotech may expand the Cartessa agreement into a broader offering of biocosmeceuticals and therapeutics if future clinical trials support their approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This expansion would transform the partnership into "a vertically integrated biocosmeceutical platform," Aschoff wrote.

Clinical Trial Catalyst

Meanwhile, Aschoff reported, BioRestorative will continue its Phase 2 clinical evaluation of its novel back pain treatment, BRTX-100, in patients with chronic lumbar disc degeneration.

Preliminary results from this clinical trial are expected in late Q4/24 or early Q1/25.

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Important Disclosures:

  1. Doresa Banning wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor.
  2. This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company.
  3. This article does not constitute medical advice. Officers, employees and contributors to Streetwise Reports are not licensed medical professionals. Readers should always contact their healthcare professionals for medical advice.

For additional disclosures, please click here.

Disclosures for Roth MKM, BioRestorative Therapies Inc., November 5, 2024

Regulation Analyst Certification ("Reg AC"): The research analyst primarily responsible for the content of this report certifies the following under Reg AC: I hereby certify that all views expressed in this report accurately reflect my personal views about the subject company or companies and its or their securities. I also certify that no part of my compensation was, is or will be, directly or indirectly, related to the specific recommendations or views expressed in this report.

Disclosures: Within the last twelve months, ROTH Capital Partners, or an affiliate to ROTH Capital Partners, has received compensation for investment banking services from BioRestorative Therapies, Inc.. ROTH makes a market in shares of BioRestorative Therapies, Inc. and as such, buys and sells from customers on a principal basis. Shares of BioRestorative Therapies, Inc. may be subject to the Securities and Exchange Commission's Penny Stock Rules, which may set forth sales practice requirements for certain low-priced securities.

ROTH Capital Partners, LLC expects to receive or intends to seek compensation for investment banking or other business relationships with the covered companies mentioned in this report in the next three months. The material, information and facts discussed in this report other than the information regarding ROTH Capital Partners, LLC and its affiliates, are from sources believed to be reliable, but are in no way guaranteed to be complete or accurate. This report should not be used as a complete analysis of the company, industry or security discussed in the report. Additional information is available upon request. This is not, however, an offer or solicitation of the securities discussed. Any opinions or estimates in this report are subject to change without notice. An investment in the stock may involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Additionally, an investment in the stock may involve a high degree of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. No part of this report may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of ROTH. Copyright 2024. Member: FINRA/SIPC.

( Companies Mentioned: BRTX:OTCBB, )




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Rising Revenue and Strategic Pipeline Advances Propel Biotech Growth Trajectory

Source: Streetwise Reports 11/08/2024

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VRTX:NASDAQ) has reported a robust financial performance for the third quarter of 2024. Read the details on this announcement and some of the primary drivers behind the rise.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VRTX:NASDAQ) has reported a robust financial performance for the third quarter of 2024. The report has demonstrated the company's continued revenue growth and the strengthening of its innovative pipeline. For Q3 2024, Vertex's product revenue reached US$2.77 billion, a 12% increase from the previous year. This was primarily driven by strong demand for its TRIKAFTA®/KAFTRIO® therapies. Based on this momentum, Vertex raised its full-year product revenue guidance to a range of US$10.8 billion to US$10.9 billion, citing a solid trajectory in its cystic fibrosis (CF) portfolio and expected future launches.

In Q3, the company made notable advancements in its pipeline. Three programs have begun moving into Phase 3 clinical development: suzetrigine in diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), povetacicept in IgA nephropathy (IgAN), and VX-880 in type 1 diabetes (T1D). Vertex is also preparing for the launch of two potential treatments in early 2025, with PDUFA dates set for January 2 for the vanzacaftor triple therapy for CF and January 30 for suzetrigine, the latter being a pain medication in a new therapeutic class aimed at reducing reliance on opioids.

GAAP and Non-GAAP net income both reached US$1.0 billion, largely driven by increased product revenue, which offset rising R&D and SG&A expense. This was s due to investments in global commercialization and late-stage clinical development. For Q3, Vertex's combined R&D and SG&A expenses were US$1.2 billion and US$1.1 billion, respectively, an increase from last year attributed to new global program advancements and upcoming launch support.

Vertex's cash position remained strong, with US$11.2 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as of September 30. The decline from US$13.7 billion at the end of 2023 primarily reflects the acquisition of Alpine Immune Sciences and share repurchases under the company's buyback program.

A Look At Biotechnology and Pharma

The U.S. Pharmaceuticals Report for 2024 by Nova One Advisor detailed the size and growth trajectory of the U.S. pharmaceutical market. Valued at US$602.19 billion in 2023, the sector is projected to exceed US$1 trillion by 2033. The report pointed to a "high healthcare expenditure provided by government bodies" as a primary growth driver, further bolstered by the aging population's demand for advanced treatments.

In an October 24 article, The Investing News Network reported on a dynamic landscape within the biotechnology sector. The report highlighted advancements in AI-powered drug discovery. Despite a cautious investment climate, interest remained strong in AI's potential to reshape healthcare, with venture capital investment reaching US$6.59 billion. At the HealthTech Ignite conference, Susie Roberts from Relay Therapeutics expressed confidence, noting, "We will definitely see AI design drugs in the next 10 years."

On November 4, Yahoo! Finance shared insights from MIT professors Andrew Lo and Dennis Whyte. They emphasized that biotechnology's rapid advancement over the past five decades offers valuable lessons for future innovation. In their research paper, Lo and Whyte proposed initiatives to accelerate biotechnology's growth, underscoring the importance of "reducing risk and uncertainty" to foster a robust investment ecosystem that supports groundbreaking discoveries.

Catalysts Driving Vertex Pharma

According to Vertex's November 2024 investor presentation, the company sees multiple growth catalysts over the next few years. Vertex aims to meet its goal of achieving "five launches in five years," focusing on expanding the treatable patient base in CF with vanzacaftor triple, addressing critical needs in sickle cell disease (SCD) and beta thalassemia (TDT) with CASGEVY, and launching suzetrigine for acute pain management.

Additionally, Vertex expects its expansive R&D pipeline to support long-term growth. This includes pivotal clinical trials for VX-880 in T1D, povetacicept in IgAN, and NaV1.8 pain inhibitors like suzetrigine, indicating a commitment to treating a range of chronic and life-threatening conditions with limited therapeutic options.

By driving advancements in CF therapies, diversifying its portfolio with novel pain treatments, and pursuing accelerated approvals for renal and blood-related disorders, Vertex is strategically positioning itself to sustain growth and achieve several near-term milestones.

What Are Experts Saying About Vertex?

In a November 5, 2024, H.C. Wainwright & Co. update, the analysts highlighted promising data from Vertex's recent Phase 2 trial for suzetrigine, which showed encouraging reductions in pain intensity. [OWNERSHIP_CHART-4085]

The analysts noted that suzetrigine's peripheral nervous system-specific mechanism could potentially address "a significant, unmet medical need worldwide" in non-opioid pain management. They set a price target of US$600.00, projecting Vertex's continued growth from its strong cystic fibrosis franchise and pipeline expansion.

From the November 7 Kingswood Capital Partners report, analysts noted Vertex Pharmaceuticals' "sustained execution" in advancing product development programs and achieving robust operating margins, enabling "continued, significant investments" in both its pipeline and commercial capabilities. The firm maintained a "Buy" rating with a 12-month target price of US$550.00, attributing this outlook to Vertex's deep cash resources and historical successes in clinical trials.

Ownership and Share Structure

According to Refinitiv, 95.44% of Vertex Pharmaceuticals is held by Institutions. The top among them are Capital World Investors at 10.37%, The Vanguard Group at 8.88%, BlackRock Institutional Trust with 5.49%, State Street Global Advisors (US) with 4.55%, and Fidelity Management and Research with 4.11%. Strategic Investors hold .12%. The rest is retail.

The company's market cap is US$129,395.59 million with 257.07 million free float shares. The 52 week range is US$341.90–$510.64.

Sign up for our FREE newsletter at: www.streetwisereports.com/get-news

Important Disclosures:

1) James Guttman wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee.

2) This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company.

For additional disclosures, please click here.

( Companies Mentioned: VRTX:NASDAQ, )




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IT Security Ask the Experts: Top Queries for November, 2009

This Web site was designed to be a clearing house for technical IT security queries. However, readers continue to submit a broad range of fascinating questions exploring the interface between technolo...




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IT Security Ask the Experts: Top Queries for December, 2009

This Web site was designed to be a clearing house for technical IT security queries. However, readers continue to submit a broad range of fascinating questions exploring the interface between technolo...




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IT Security Ask the Experts: Top Queries for January, 2010

This Web site was designed to be a clearing house for technical IT security queries. However, readers continue to submit a broad range of fascinating questions exploring the interface between technolo...




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Co. Enters Quebec With Acquisition of Prospective Lithium Project

American Salars Lithium Inc. (USLI:CSE; USLIF:OTC; Z3P:FWB; A3E2NY:WKN) has signed a mineral claims purchase agreement with an arm's length vendor to acquire 100% of the Lac Simard South Project in Quebec. Find out why one analyst says the market for the important battery metal is due to wake up.




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Need Aid For Your Shuttered Venue? End Of May Is The Earliest You Might Get It

Live-event spaces, like the Sound Nightclub in Los Angeles, have been waiting months for emergency relief.; Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Andrew Limbong | NPR

Owners of live-music venues, theaters, museums and other businesses covered under the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, or SVOG, can expect to see money by the end of May. This is according to an update from the Small Business Administration, which has been handling the SVOG program's bumpy rollout.

An SBA spokesperson said in an email that since the portal to apply for these grants opened a week ago, 10,300 applications have been submitted (another 12,000 have been started but not completed). The vast majority of those applications were from "Live venue operators or promoters," followed by performing arts organizations and then movie theaters.

The SBA has been reviewing applications and said in a statement that "applicants will receive notice of awards this month," with disbursement by the end of May if the applicant responds in a "timely manner to the notice of award."

The SVOG program is a $16 billion emergency relief program that then-President Donald Trump signed into law in late December 2020. It was a bipartisan effort to get aid money to struggling music venues and other arts and live-event spaces that have been hit hard by the coronavirus struggles. But for an emergency relief program, it has taken months to get money in the hands of business owners holding off landlords, insurance companies and other creditors. Those owners spent early 2021 waiting on an official announcement of when they could apply for the grant money while compiling any documents and paperwork they thought they might need. Then once the application site was up and running, it crashed and was closed.

Even as large festivals roll out throughout the U.S. and bands announce tours for later in the year, many small live-event spaces are still at risk of closing. The National Independent Venue Association, one of the most vocal groups lobbying for support for live-music venues, has long stated that 90% of its members would be forced to close without any aid — which would hurt nearby bars, restaurants and shops, not to mention the large apparatus that is the live touring-arts industry.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.




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Judge Denies Britney Spears' Request To Have Her Father Removed From Conservatorship

A judge has denied Britney Spears' request to remove her father, Jamie Spears (left), as a co-conservator.; Credit: /AP

Anastasia Tsioulcas | NPR

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge signed an order Wednesday denying Britney Spears' request to have her father, Jamie Spears, removed from the financial aspects of her conservatorship.

Judge Brenda Penny denied the request, which was first filed by Spears' attorney, Samuel D. Ingham III, last November. The judge's decision comes after the singer appeared in court last Wednesday to make a direct appeal to the court. In that emotional statement, Spears said that she was being exploited and "bullied" by the conservatorship — and specifically, by her father.

Until recently, both the financial and personal arms of the conservatorship were controlled by Spears' father, Jamie Spears.

Last year, Ingham stated in a filing that Spears "strongly opposed" her father as conservator, and that she refused to perform if he remained in charge of her career.

In February, Judge Penny allowed a wealth-management company, Bessemer Trust, to come in as a co-conservator for the financial arm of Spears' arrangement. Jamie Spears remains the main conservator for all other aspects of Spears' conservatorship.

The next hearing in the case is currently scheduled for July 14. It is possible that Spears will submit a petition for the conservatorship to be terminated. In her comments to Judge Penny last week, Spears said that she had been unaware that she could take such an action. "I didn't know I could petition the conservatorship to end it," she said. "I'm sorry for my ignorance, but I honestly didn't know that."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.




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Robust Silver Deliveries Drive Record Quarterly Revenues and Growth

Silver Crown Royalties Inc. (SCRI:CBOE; SLCRF:OTCQX; QS0:FSE) announced record quarterly revenues in its financial results for the third quarter ending on September 30, 2024. Read more about the impressive growth in silver deliveries and how the company is strategically positioned for continued expansion.




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What Does Value Mean to You?

This sounds like a simple question.  What does value mean to you? And it may be simple for you to answer. But when we asked several groups this question, we found that there were about as many answers as there were people answering.  We also found that the answers varied depending on whether you were [...]




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From Bad To Worse: La Soufrière Continues To Erupt

Vehicles are covered with ash coming from the St. Vincent eruption of La Soufrière volcano, on the outskirts of Bridgetown, Barbados, on Sunday.; Credit: Chris Brandis/AP

Dustin Jones | NPR

Conditions on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent have worsened, as La Soufrière volcano continues to push ash and debris into the atmosphere. Dozens of individuals have been rescued from the northern part of the island after refusing to evacuate last week. Officials are warning anyone still in the red and orange zones to flee as the mountain presents a new danger to anyone still in the area.

There is evidence of pyroclastic flows, an avalanche of super-heated gas and debris traveling as fast as more than 120 miles per hour along the mountainside, in the areas around the volcano, University of the West Indies Seismic Research Center's lead scientist Richard Robertson said in a Sunday news conference. These flows are the most dangerous trait of the volcano, he said, as opposed to a slow-moving river of lava.

As La Soufrière continues to explosively erupt, ash and debris are launched into the air. Sometimes there isn't enough force behind the materials to continue upwards and the ash plume collapses on itself and it shoots back down, Robertson said. These clouds of gas can reach scalding-hot temperatures and carry car-sized boulders as the flows make their way through valleys along the mountain. Once the pyroclastic flows hit the coast, the sea water begins to boil and the clouds pick up speed, racing across the surface of the water and away from land until they run out of energy.

"These flows are really moving masses of destruction," Robertson said. "They just destroy everything in its path. Even if you have the strongest house in the world, they will just bulldoze it off the ground."

These flows can happen as the volcano goes through periods of explosive activity and venting. Every hour-and-a-half to 3 hours, Robertson explained, La Soufrière rumbles and produces tremors as the mountain vents more ash. This activity can create pyroclastic flows anywhere on the volcano, threatening anyone who didn't evacuate last week.

During the news conference, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said the coast guard has rescued dozens of people from the northern part of the island since the volcano started to erupt Friday morning. The areas closest to the volcano were ordered to be evacuated last week, but some people decided to stay, putting rescuers at risk.

"I'm pleading with persons, please, it's past the hour to get out," Gonsalves said. "And we will still have to try and get you out."

Some 16,000 people have already evacuated, The Associated Press reported, about 3,200 of whom have fled to 78 government-run shelters.

Robertson said things will likely get worse before they get better. Instruments monitoring the eruption have shown no sign of activity dying down. The volcano, he explained, is showing a similar pattern to the volcano's eruption in 1902 that killed about 1,600 people.

"That means it's probably, unfortunately, going to cause more damage and destruction to St. Vincent," Robertson said.

But the volcano isn't just affecting the people of St. Vincent. The winds have carried ash all the way to Barbados, about 120 miles east. Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley said the country needs to prepare itself for weeks of ashfall and harsh times.

"As bad as it is, it can be worse, and that's the first thing that we need to recognize," she said in a news conference Sunday. "We are living in uncertain times."

Dr. Erouscilla Joseph, director of the UWI Seismic Research Center, said the winds that carry the debris east over the island can then also circle back around, blanketing the island with more ash from the west.

"Unfortunately, the worst case scenario is this can go on for weeks because of the changes and the dynamics of this system," Joseph said. "We have to keep monitoring the seismicity associated with the volcano and advise based on that."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.




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Catawba Co. joins other area counties & cities to approve settlement of Catawba River Basin Inter Basin Transfer issue

The Catawba County Board of Commissioners, at its January 19, 2010 meeting, joined with other local governments across the region in approving the agreement. The main points of the agreement hinged on Concord and Kannapolis modifying their ability, contained in their IBT certificate, to withdraw 10 million gallons of water per day (MGD) from the Catawba River at all times, by significantly limiting withdrawals during times of drought. The agreement limits withdrawals to 6 MGD during times of most severe drought, or �exceptional� drought; 7 MGD during �extreme� drought; 8.5 MGD during �severe� drought; and 9 MGD during �moderate� drought. Further, the agreement restricts Concord and Kannapolis from withdrawing more than 3 MGD from the Catawba until July 1, 2015, and after they first are withdrawing 5 MGD from the Yadkin River.




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FEMA grant will help pay to improve fire and rescue radio communications in Catawba County.

A partnership of all fourteen fire departments and all five rescue squads in the county with Catawba County Emergency Services has resulted in a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that will fund a large amount of the costs to purchase new radios to significantly improve communications by and between the fire and rescue agencies and the County�s 911 Communications Center.




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County to mail data verification, income & expense request, to property owners as 2015 revluation process continues.

Catawba County will mail data verification, income and expense request, to property owners as 2015 revluation process continues on May 17, 2013. Owners are requested to verify the information found on the data verification sheet, provide pertinent additional information and make any necessary corrections, and return the form to the revaluation office. http://www.catawbacountync.gov/events/revalmailer13.asp




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Catawba County requests State assistance for those with damage from July 27 flooding.

Catawba County requests State assistance for those with damage from July 27 flooding.




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New Research Needed to Improve Detection, Identification Techniques for Finding Pipe Bombs, Catching Bomb Makers

Increased research is the key to developing more widely applicable detection systems to find pipe bombs before they explode and to help catch the perpetrators when a bomb has gone off, says a new report from a committee of the National Research Council.




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New Report Proposes Framework To Encourage Fluency With Information Technology

The explosive growth of information technology is having a profound impact on our lives.




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Federal Fuel Economy Standards Program Should Be Retooled

Although the federal program that sets fuel economy standards for cars and light-duty trucks has helped reduce U.S. dependence on imported oil and lower emissions of greenhouse gases, changes to the program could further cut the nations petroleum dependence and provide more flexibility to carmakers.




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U.S. Loses up to $130 Billion Annually as Result of Poor Health, Early Death Due to Lack of Insurance

The value of what the United States loses because of the poorer health and earlier death experienced by the 41 million Americans who lack health insurance is estimated to be $65 billion to $130 billion every year, according to a first-ever economic analysis of the costs of uninsurance for society overall.




ue

New Dietary Guidelines Issued for Cats and Dogs

One out of every four dogs and cats in the western world is now obese. Like humans, dogs and cats that are obese run a higher risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, or other health problems.




ue

Scientific Evidence Supporting Evolution Continues To Grow - Nonscientific Approaches Do Not Belong In Science Classrooms

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and Institute of Medicine (IOM) today released SCIENCE, EVOLUTION, AND CREATIONISM, a book designed to give the public a comprehensive and up-to-date picture of the current scientific understanding of evolution and its importance in the science classroom.




ue

Ten Questions Shaping 21st-Century Earth Science Identified

Ten questions driving the geological and planetary sciences were identified today in a new report by the National Research Council.




ue

Badly Fragmented Forensic Science System Needs Overhaul - Evidence to Support Reliability of Many Techniques is Lacking

A congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council finds serious deficiencies in the nations forensic science system and calls for major reforms and new research.




ue

Eleven Questions for the Next Decade of Geographical Sciences Identified

Eleven questions that should shape the next decade of geographical sciences research were identified today in a new report by the National Research Council.




ue

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Is a Legitimate Disease That Needs Proper Diagnosis and Treatment, Says IOM Report Identifies Five Symptoms to Diagnose Disease

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome -- commonly referred to as ME/CFS -- is a legitimate, serious, and complex systemic disease that frequently and dramatically limits the activities of affected individuals, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.




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Climate Intervention Is Not a Replacement for Reducing Carbon Emissions - Proposed Intervention Techniques Not Ready for Wide-Scale Deployment

There is no substitute for dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the negative consequences of climate change, a National Research Council committee concluded in a two-volume evaluation of proposed climate-intervention techniques.