naturalnews--2019-04-11--Researchers find plastic-eating microbe that can solve our oceans plastic problem

Researchers find plastic-eating microbe that can solve our ocean's plastic problem

(Natural News) Even as humans keep on filling the planet with plastic pollutants, the bountiful oceans reveal a means by which the problem can be resolved. An Israeli research team announced that they successfully created a biodegradable plastic from a common seaweed. Their new bioplastic could be broken down by bacteria that feed on the seaweed in the wild.  Switching from conventional plastics to this biodegradable equivalent could help reduce the amount of trash that ends up in the sea in the long run. And in addition to already having a naturally occurring microorganism that could break it down, the new biopolymer was not made from land-based plants.  “Plastic from fossil sources is one of the most polluting factors in the oceans,” explained Dr. Alexander Goldberg of the Tel Aviv University (TAU) in a press release. “We have proved it is possible to produce bioplastic completely based on marine resources in a process that is friendly both to the environment and to its residents.”  A professor at the university’s school of environmental and earth sciences, Goldberg and fellow TAU researcher Michael Gozin pooled their efforts to create the seaweed-based bioplastic. They published the details of their experiment in the scientific journal Bioresource Technology. (Related: Study finds man-made pollution is transforming ‘untouched’ areas of the earth.)  Conventional plastics are a serious threat to the ecosystems of the oceans. Experts warned that if humans continued to manufacture these petroleum-based products at the expected rates, there will be more plastics in the oceans in 2050 than there are living fish.  GLYPHOSATE testing is now being applied to all Health Ranger Store branded products. Our in-house lab uses LC-MS-MS (triple quad mass spec). See the full lab science tour video and announcement here. Shop for ultra-clean, lab-tested superfoods, personal care products and more at the Health Ranger Store, the world's most trusted source for clean foods and lab-verified nutritional solutions.  Many biodegradable plastics have already been created to act as substitutes for plastics made from fossil fuels. However, the plants used to provide the raw carbon material for manufacturing these earlier bioplastics were all grown on land. They also needed lots of fresh water.  There are countries in the world that lack large swathes of fertile land for growing large crops. Others do not have much in the way of fresh water. And then there are countries like Israel, which has limited amounts of both arable soil and irrigation water.  “There are already factories that produce this type of bioplastic in commercial quantities, but they use plants that require agricultural land and fresh water,” said Golberg, who served as one of the authors of the study. “The process we propose will enable countries with a shortage of fresh water, such as Israel, China and India, to switch from petroleum-derived plastics to biodegradable plastics.”  Goldberg drew inspiration from his earlier efforts at developing sustainable uses for seaweed. His laboratory has previously come up with ethanol biofuels, proteins, and sugars that could be extracted from seaweed grown in farms.  He and Gozin chose to use Ulva, a genus of seaweed that is also known as “sea lettuces.” These large algae grow in saltwater, so they could be cultivated on a large scale without the need for land or irrigation water.  Ulva is nutritious and consumed by numerous organisms. Humans, for instance, use sea lettuce as an ingredient in salads and soups. But for the purpose of the study, the most important consumer of Ulva is the microorganism Haloferax mediterranei. Testing showed that the bacteria could break down biopolymers made from Ulva.  The TAU researchers are currently looking for the optimal combinations of algae and bacteria for making new bioplastics with different properties. Single-use plastic, for instance, would have different chemical requirements from reusable plastic. In turn, the plastic would need a different species of seaweed and the appropriate bacteria that can break down its associated bioplastic.


naturalnews--2019-04-11--The pointed gourd can lower your blood sugar help you with cholesterol and prevent tumors research

The pointed gourd can lower your blood sugar, help you with cholesterol and prevent tumors, researchers find

(Natural News) Pointed gourd, scientifically known as Trichosanthes dioica, is one of the most commonly consumed vegetables in tropical countries around Asia, particularly in Bangladesh and India. But there’s a reason why it’s a staple in these countries: It’s rich in nutrients and has many potential health benefits.  In a recent review, researchers at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Primeasia University, and Stamford University Bangladesh in Bangladesh critically analyzed the findings of scientific studies on pointed gourd.  Based on the data they gathered from scientific studies, the vegetable has the potential to lower blood sugar, regulate cholesterol levels, inhibit tumor growth and development, fight inflammation, and prevent digestive problems. It even has the potential to protect against arsenic poisoning. In addition, the researchers identified various types of compounds from pointed gourd, such as peptides like trichosanthin and lectin; triterpenes like cucurbitacin B, euphol, alpha-amyrin, beta-amyrin, lupeol, taraxerol, betulin, and karounidiol; sterols; steroidal saponin; tannin; and flavonoids.  From these findings, the researchers confirm that consuming pointed gourd does contain many bioactive compounds and exhibits various biological activities that are beneficial to health. The findings of the review were published in the journal Food Science and Human Wellness.  The fruit of the pointed gourd is widely eaten as a vegetable, while its other parts are used in traditional medicine to treat various health problems. In one study, pointed gourd leaves have been shown to lower blood sugar levels by more than 32 percent.  The power of the elements: Discover Colloidal Silver Mouthwash with quality, natural ingredients like Sangre de Drago sap, black walnut hulls, menthol crystals and more. Zero artificial sweeteners, colors or alcohol. Learn more at the Health Ranger Store and help support this news site.  For the study, researchers at Allahabad University in India looked at the glycemic attributes of an aqueous extract prepared from the leaves of pointed gourd. They prepared pointed gourd leaf extracts by shade-drying fresh pointed gourd leaves, then crushing and extracting the dried leaves.  After that, they fed diabetic rats with pointed gourd leaf extracts at doses of 250, 500, and 750 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) of body weight. The results showed that the treatment with pointed gourd leaf extracts reduced the rat’s blood sugar level by as much as 32.9 percent. (Related: Ten foods to prevent and stop diabetes.)  In Ayurvedic medicine, pointed gourd is used to treat coughs, liver disease, headaches, wounds, and skin problems. It is also used as a blood purifier, and to address hair loss.  Pointed gourd can also help fight signs of skin aging. This vine contains a good amount of vitamins A and C, which act as antioxidants that combat free radical damage that promotes skin aging. Pointed gourd can also aid in weight loss. While it is loaded with nutrients, its is low in calories, which means that it is a great addition to your diet for weight loss. It also keeps you feeling fuller and controls your hunger.  Pointed gourd can be prepared in many ways. It can be pickled in vinegar or used as an ingredient for curry, soup, stew, or stir-fry. It can also be cooked with potatoes and served with yogurt or in a vegetable dish known as subzis in the West Indies. Moreover, pointed gourd can be stuffed, or cut into cubes and sautéed, or made into soup.  Read more news stories and studies on the health benefits of pointed gourd by going to FoodIsMedicine.com.


naturalnews--2019-04-22--Finger-licking BAD Eating fried chicken and fish increases your risk of early death research finds

Finger-licking BAD: Eating fried chicken and fish increases your risk of early death, research finds

(Natural News) Fried food is a guilty pleasure for many people, but it’s scientifically proven to be bad for your overall health. In fact, according to a study, eating fried chicken and fried fish could increase your risk of premature death.  The study, which was published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), was headed by a team from the University of Iowa.  The study observed 106,966 women who took part in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study between 1993 and 1998. All the participants were aged 50 to 79.  According to the findings, eating a single serving or more of any fried food daily can increase your risk of death by eight percent.  Based on test results, the risk was particularly strong with fried chicken and fried fish, which the researchers assumed were mostly deep fried. In fact, eating one or more servings of fried chicken a day was associated with a whopping 13 percent higher risk of death from any cause and 12 percent higher risk of heart-related death.  Eating one or more servings of fried fish or shellfish daily was associated with seven percent higher risk of death from any cause, along with 13 percent higher risk of heart-related death.  Additionally, the researchers still found a link with even fewer servings of fish and chicken. The findings were also true after other factors, like exercise levels, were taken into account.  After an average 18-year follow up, 31,558 of the female participants have died:  Mother Nature's micronutrient secret: Organic Broccoli Sprout Capsules now available, delivering 280mg of high-density nutrition, including the extraordinary "sulforaphane" and "glucosinolate" nutrients found only in cruciferous healing foods. Every lot laboratory tested. See availability here.  The researchers warned that regularly eating fried foods, especially fried chicken and fried fish or shellfish, was linked to a higher risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in women in the U.S.  Eating less fried food or avoiding it altogether may have a “clinically meaningful effect across the public health spectrum.” The team of researchers didn’t identify a specific link between cancer-related deaths and the consumption of fried foods.  Findings also revealed that women who consumed the most fried food were “younger, non-white, less educated, and on a lower income.” The women who preferred fried food also consumed fewer fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.  Unfortunately, they also ate more nuts, red and processed meat, salt, and sugary beverages. (Related: High-fat “Western” diet increases your risk of infectious diseases and food poisoning, reveals study.)  The researchers said that this alarming risk factor for cardiovascular mortality can be prevented by making positive lifestyle and cooking choices. Reducing your consumption of fried chicken and fried fish is a good way to start.  Another alternative is to prepare a healthier chicken dish, like crispy baked chicken coated in crunchy walnuts instead of making deep fried chicken or fish fingers.  Tracy Parker, a senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, advised that making simple changes in how you cook can significantly improve your cardiovascular health. When you cook your own food using healthy ingredients, you’re eating less fast food that’s full of calories, fat, and salt served in larger portions. Following a healthier diet can also improve your well-being.  If you keep eating fried foods, you will be at greater risk of weight gain and various health problems like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes. These three conditions are all risk factors for developing heart and circulatory diseases as you get older.  Make nutritious meals at home using methods like baking, roasting, or steaming. You can also make healthier choices if you eat out if you truly wish to improve your cardiovascular health.


naturalnews--2019-12-10--Researchers examine the anti-cancer properties of carnosine

(Natural News) Cancer development is often linked to a high consumption of red meat and processed meat. While processed foods are scientifically proven to be bad for your health, eating moderate amounts of animal meat, fish and poultry may be helpful for cancer patients. In a new study published in The American Journal of Chinese Medicine, researchers from different universities in Taiwan showed that carnosine, a dipeptide found primarily in meat, is capable of inhibiting the migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cells. Both of these processes are vital for cancer metastasis, the development of secondary malignant growths. The researchers believe that this fusion of two amino acids not only reduces inflammation, it also exerts a regulatory effect on epithelial-mesencymal transition (EMT) — an event involved in both developmental and pathological processes such as cancer progression.  The first step in tumor metastasis is the invasion or migration of cancer cells into surrounding tissue. This movement is triggered by chemical signals from their environment and facilitated by the activity of the cell membrane and its attachment to the extracellular matrix — a three-dimensional network of large molecules that gives structural support to cells. Another way by which cancer spreads is via the blood vessels. Called intravasation, this process involves the entry of cancer cells into the blood or lymph vessels. This allows cancer cells to reach tissue located far away from their site of origin. Intravasation is considered a relatively late event in tumor development.  The power of the elements: Discover Colloidal Silver Mouthwash with quality, natural ingredients like Sangre de Drago sap, black walnut hulls, menthol crystals and more. Zero artificial sweeteners, colors or alcohol. Learn more at the Health Ranger Store and help support this news site.  According to previous studies, carnosine has the ability to regulate the migration and invasion of human colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. However, the mechanism by which it achieves this is still unknown. To address this, the researchers treated cultured HCT-116 cells (human colon cancer cell line) with carnosine, then examined their migratory and intravasive abilities. The researchers also looked at the expression of EMT-associated molecules and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) after carnosine treatment. MMPs are enzymes that promote cancer progression by increasing cancer cell growth, migration, invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis — the development of new blood vessels.  The researchers reported that carnosine treatment inhibited both migration and invasion of treated cells. It also significantly decreased the expression of Twist-1, a protein that promotes tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Meanwhile, carnosine increased the expression of E-cadherin, a cell adhesion molecule and known tumor suppressor. Loss of E-cadherin-mediated adhesion turns benign cells into invasive, metastatic cancer cells. The researchers also detected increases in the mRNA and protein levels of TIMP-1 after carnosine treatment. TIMP-1 is a tissue inhibitor of MMPs.  Besides suppressing pro-metastatic components, treatment with carnosine also reduced the levels of phosphorylated IkB and NF-kB DNA-binding activity in HCT-116 cells. IkB is a protein involved in the activation of NF-kB, a transcription factor that plays an important role in inflammation, immunity, cell proliferation and apoptosis.  Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that carnosine inhibits the migration and intravasation of CRC cells by suppressing NF-kB activity and modulating MMP and EMT-related gene expression.  The body naturally produces the dipeptide carnosine. It is formed by the linking of two amino acids, namely, alanine and histidine. An endogenous molecule with antioxidant properties, carnosine is mainly found in skeletal muscles and in the brain. Humans also obtain it from dietary sources like beef, fish and chicken meat or by taking carnosine supplements. (Related: Carnosine provides broad-range cellular protection to fight vascular injury and extend lifespan.)  According to research, carnosine can boost the immune system, support eye health and improve a person’s mood and brain function. Carnosine supplements are said to be a great remedy for a variety of conditions, such as autism, cataracts, diabetic complications, high blood pressure and kidney problems. Clinical evidence also suggests that carnosine can prevent cognitive decline, slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, protect against diabetes and help fight cancer.  Read more stories about carnitine and other anti-cancer supplements at SupplementsReport.com.


npr--2019-03-21--Human Genomics Research Has A Diversity Problem

Precision medicine promises to tailor the diagnosis and treatment of disease to your unique genetic makeup. A doctor may use the presence of certain genetic markers to diagnose a disease, or choose one drug for treatment over another.  But the studies that link genetic markers with disease focus largely on white European populations and neglect other races and ethnicities, according to an analysis published in the journal Cell on Thursday. The researchers argue this lack of diversity in genomic studies harms our scientific understanding of the genetic underpinnings of disease in all populations and exacerbates health care inequities.  The analysis reports that 78 percent of all individuals included in genomic studies of disease up to 2018 were of European descent, 10 percent Asian, 2 percent African, 1 percent Hispanic, and less than 1 percent for all other groups.  "That is just unbelievable," says Sarah Tishkoff, an evolutionary geneticist at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania who was an author of this analysis. "It really limits our understanding."  Ignoring genomic diversity can mean missing out on information that could benefit all. For example, the authors of the study point to PCSK9, a gene important for regulating cholesterol. Studying mutations that occurred in West African populations provided extra insight into the underlying biology and led to a new class of drugs that benefit people of all races.  "We're really just choosing to miss out on learning all sorts of things about the genome and what it does," says Alice Popejoy, a postdoctoral geneticist at Stanford University not involved in this analysis.  The genetics of disease range from relatively simple to mystifyingly complex. At one extreme are Mendelian diseases, where one gene variant essentially guarantees that you'll have that disease, regardless of your genetic background. Think Huntington's disease or muscular dystrophy.  At the other extreme are diseases where many different genes seem to contribute, alongside environmental factors. Think hypertension or coronary artery disease. The lack of diversity in data sets can be particularly problematic for researchers studying polygenic disease.  Polygenic diseases vastly outnumber Mendelian diseases, making them a top research priority. But for a researcher, trying to identify the genes involved in a polygenic disease is like looking for an unknown number of needles in an enormous haystack.  Imagine our genome as a long line of about 3 billion base pairs, the letters that make up our genetic code. A researcher can use genetic markers, present in most people, to orient herself. These markers pop up at somewhat regular intervals across the whole line of letters.  Our researcher can then conduct what's known as a genome-wide association study or GWAS, where she sequences these genetic markers in thousands of people, some portion of whom have a given disease. To home in on disease-causing genes, she looks for markers that keep popping up in people with the disease. If a marker is strongly associated with presence of the disease, the researcher infers that a disease gene must be nearby.  This conclusion is possible because letters that are close together tend to be linked and inherited as a block that is passed down the generations. The blocks can vary in size, but in general if a marker is associated with a disease, geneticists assume the disease-causing gene is in the same block.  But the authors of this analysis argue that inference can be faulty when comparing markers across different ethnic populations for two reasons. One is that the genes themselves may have changed, either through selection or random chance, in different populations.  For example, Tishkoff cites a gene that's strongly associated with non-diabetic kidney disease. This condition is rare among Europeans, but more common among West Africans. Researchers pinpointed two mutations in a gene that seems to be associated with this disease, and further research suggested that this gene appears at higher frequency in West African populations because it confers some protection against sleeping sickness. Tishkoff says that if we'd only considered European variation, we'd have missed this example of how disease-causing genes can also be beneficial in some environments.  Aside from the genes themselves changing, the genetic markers that act as signposts can get mixed up and rearranged in different populations, according to the authors. In fact, basic evolutionary theory predicts it.  Homo sapiens emerged in Africa approximately 300,000 to 200,000 years ago, leaving the continent much later, in small bursts of migration. Our genomes reflect this history, with Africans harboring much more genetic diversity than any other human population.  Populations with more diversity tend to have smaller blocks of the genome that are linked together, according to Tishkoff. But that blocking pattern can change during a migration event.  Imagine the gene pool of Africa as an actual swimming pool, filled with marbles of every color. "You reach in a grab a handful of marbles, and you're getting a very small subset of that variation," Tishkoff says. Every time a small band of humans left Africa, they carried only a small fraction of that diversity with them, and the populations that stem from those migration events tend to have bigger chunks of the genome linked together.  These different patterns of linkage can spell trouble for comparing across populations, as the markers associated with a disease-causing gene in European populations might exist in a totally different part of the genome in African or Hispanic populations, according to Tishkoff. A marker that accurately tagged a gene that increased risk of heart disease in Europeans might be miles away, genomically speaking, from that same gene in other populations, rendering the marker meaningless.  Tishkoff stresses that ignoring genomic diversity means that right now, genetically informed health care is worse, in some cases, for populations of non-European descent. Polygenic risk scores for diseases, which are calibrated using GWAS studies and can be used to inform treatment, can be less accurate when applied to other populations, leading to false positives, or underestimating the risk of certain diseases.  "There are lots of reasons for health disparities, obviously the biggest player is probably just unequal access to health care," says Tishkoff. "But if we want all people to have max benefit from human genomics research, we need to be including them in the studies."  Popejoy agrees, though she emphasizes that the genetics of health disparities is only a small part of the problem. People "shouldn't get the impression that health disparities are driven by differences in genetic structure between ethnic groups," she says. "Environment matters and widespread systemic and structural racism that exacerbates environmental effects are more important."  Still, both Popejoy and Tishkoff say much more could be done to increase diversity in genomic studies. "We need changes both from the top-down and the bottom-up," Popejoy says.  "Funding agencies need to financially encourage studying ethnically diverse populations," Tishkoff says. "We're already seeing the needle shifting, with initiatives like NIH's All of Us." That research initiative seeks to collect genomic data from diverse populations while making an effort to provide participants with their results.  Given the history of unethical medical research on minority communities, Popejoy says that researchers need to meaningfully engage with people affected by a research agenda. "Researchers need to recognize the value, both scientifically and ethically, in studying diverse populations, but they also need to demonstrate that value to the people they're studying," Popejoy says.  Jonathan Lambert is an intern on NPR's Science Desk. You can follow him on Twitter: @evolambert


npr--2019-08-27--Researching Medical Marijuana May Soon Get Easier

Researching Medical Marijuana May Soon Get Easier  Researchers hoping to study marijuana for scientific and medical purposes are one step closer to expanding their limited supply of the plant.  This week, the federal government announced it would begin processing dozens of pending applications for permission to cultivate the plant for scientific research.  The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's decision comes after several years of delay for some applicants and a lawsuit filed against the agency by one cannabis researcher.  "I am pleased that DEA is moving forward with its review of applications for those who seek to grow marijuana legally to support research," said Attorney General William Barr in the statement on Monday.  Barr said the Department of Justice will continue to work to improve research opportunities wherever it can.  Even as many states have legalized marijuana for recreational and medical use, scientists who want to conduct rigorous studies of the plant still have only one place where they can get it: a facility at the University of Mississippi, which contracts with the National Institute on Drug Abuse.  This arrangement, which has existed for more than 50 years, amounts to a "monopoly," says Dr. Sue Sisley who heads the Scottsdale Research Institute in Arizona, which studies cannabis.  "The bottom line is scientists need access to options," says Sisley.  Monday's announcement is a long-awaited follow-up to an earlier policy change. In 2016, the federal government signaled an end to limiting research on cannabis to only one grower when the DEA announced a policy change allowing new cultivators.  More than 30 organizations, including Sisley's, applied for a license to grow cannabis for research purposes. But the agency didn't act on the applications, so earlier this year, Sisley filed a lawsuit in federal court demanding it take action.  The government's latest decision to move forward on the applications arrives just ahead of the court's deadline for the agency to respond to Sisley's lawsuit.  "We're cautiously optimistic," says Matt Zorn, who represents the Scottsdale Research Institute in the lawsuit. "It's a positive first step because we were stuck in a kind of administrative limbo."  Marijuana's status as a Schedule 1 controlled substance, which is reserved for drugs with "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse," has hindered scientific research into its clinical applications.  "On the one hand, you can't do the research with good, high-quality cannabis because it's a Schedule 1 drug. On the other, it's a Schedule 1 because nobody can really do the research," he says.  But how soon aspiring growers will actually get the green light from the agency remains unclear.  In its filing, DEA announced it will be introducing new rules for its program on growing marijuana for scientific and medical research — before deciding on any application.  This additional step has left some advocates for marijuana reform skeptical about whether the DEA's latest decision indicates real progress.  In a blog post on his group's website, NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri says he believes the agency's "foot-dragging will continue."  "For the past three years, the DEA has failed to take any steps to follow through on its promise to facilitate clinical cannabis research," writes Altieri.  Sisley's other attorney, Shane Pennington, says the agency's latest public statements "that it is behind scientific research to get to the bottom of the safety and efficacy of marijuana is a very big deal."  Given the years of delay, Pennington says researchers aren't taking anything for granted yet.  "I have high hopes, but I'll believe it when I see it," he says.  "Since the announcement appears to be in response to pending litigation, it's more likely that they will actually begin to move on this, in response to the pressure from the courts," University of Washington School of Law professor Karen Boxx said via email.  Members of Congress are increasingly taking notice of the DEA's slow progress in bolstering the supply of research-grade marijuana.  In May, a bipartisan group of 30 members of the U.S. House sent a letter to Barr and the DEA's acting administrator, Uttam Dhillon, urging them "to do whatever you can to speed up and improve the research application process" in order to "provide better raw materials for research."  Even if the federal government acts quickly and starts approving applications, Sisley cautions, it could still take several years for operators to begin producing cannabis that is up to research standards.  "We haven't really won anything until scientists are finally utilizing real-world cannabis flower in their clinical trials," she says.  Sisley recently completed a clinical trial, under FDA guidance, testing smoked marijuana as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder in military veterans.  She says she was disappointed by the cannabis she had to use for the study, which came from the Mississippi facility. She described it as "generic batches of moldy, green powder full of stems, sticks and leaves" — far below the quality of what most people are obtaining from dispensaries.  The results aren't published yet, but Sisley says they are "exactly what you would predict given the poor quality of the cannabis" supplied for the study.  "The scientific community is concerned this is harming our data — our outcomes," says Sisley.  Will Stone is a freelance reporter based in Seattle. He is on Twitter at @wstonereports.


sottnet--2019-01-30--German archaeologist on the latest research at Gobekli Tepe

Archaeologist Dr. Lee Clare says;Coordinator of research and fieldwork at Göbeklitepe from the German Archaeological Institute, Dr. Lee Clare answered Arkeofili's questions.First and foremost, Göbeklitepe is a prehistoric site from the late 10th and 9th millennia BC (~9,500-8,000 BC). It is an artificial mound - or höyük - comprising archaeological deposits from a period lasting some 1500 years. These deposits include architectural structures, midden deposits and sediment accumulations. Excavations have produced large amounts of faunal and botanical remains, flint and groundstone artefacts, as well as animal and human depictions and sculptures.Turning to the interpretation of the site,As it stands, this term would presuppose, for example, the existence of deities and a trained clergy. Furthermore, it would imply that the "temples" - in addition to being a place for divine worship - exercised some form of economic power. This interpretation is wholly unrealistic for the Stone Age communities living in the tenth and ninth millennia BC. Such "temple economies" do not appear until at least the late Chalcolithic / Bronze Age.Certainly, this realization does not change the fact that the large T-pillar buildings discovered at Göbeklitepe are very special. Indeed, they are among the earliest monumental buildings known to us anywhere in the world. As to their function(s), of course, they would have played an important part in the ritual traditions of the community, as implied by their sheer monumentality and long biographies.Strictly, speaking, all settlements are "meeting points". Göbeklitepe would certainly have attracted groups and individuals from other sites and regions. However, we should not ignore that Göbeklitepe is one settlement in a whole network of T-pillar sites which would have existed in the Şanlırfa region some 11,000 years ago. Not only this, there are many other contemporaneous sites known from along the Upper Euphrates in northern Syria, and further east in the upper Tigris region (Körtik Tepe, Gusir Höyük, Hasankeyf Höyük) and northern Iraq. Göbeklitepe was one cog in a whole early Neolithic mechanism, and we would do well to remember that. An archaeological site should ever be considered independent of its chronological and cultural context.Of course, hunter-gatherers are highly mobile, they have to be; however, we also know that they can live in semi-sedentary and even sedentary settlements. This is something that we are currently investigating at Göbeklitepe. In other words, we desperately need to re-assess the paradigm that has emerged around the site over the last two decades: We were told that Göbeklitepe was a purely ritual site, lacking domestic activities; we were told that there was no water at the site to support (semi-)sedentary communities; and we were told that great feasts were held to coerce a workforce to construct the monumental buildings.Unfortunately, the present Göbeklitepe paradigm is proving difficult to tame. And let me be quite clear, it is not about forging a new version of the paradigm, and my statements here are not meant to be disrespectful to any of the colleagues who have worked at the site in the past. It is only natural that new discoveries and approaches lead to new interpretations. This is science.Well, I suppose that Göbeklitepe has changed our perception of late hunter-gatherer societies in that we now know that these groups were capable of constructing monumental buildings with monolithic T-shaped pillars carved from local limestone. But again, why just Göbeklitepe? This was already known from Nevali Çori, and T-pillars are now known from numerous other contemporaneous sites in and around Şanlıurfa.Another important point: It is frequently stated that demands on subsistence during the construction of the megalithic buildings at Göbeklitepe could have encouraged the domestication of wild resources, i.e. with the newly domesticated plants and animals providing a more reliable source of food for the hungry workforce. In line with this statement, it is argued that "religion" triggered the invention of agriculture and settled life... and that this happened at Göbeklitepe.Personally, I would distance myself from all such statements. The emergence of Neolithic lifeways is a process which stretches over many millennia, starting well before Göbeklitepe. Indeed, there were sedentary hunter-gatherer groups living in the Near East and harvesting wild grasses and cereals long before the first monumental buildings were hewn from the limestone plateau at Göbeklitepe. Not only this, so far, there is absolutely no viable evidence for domesticated plants or animals at Göbeklitepe; everything is still wild. Once again, I feel that the bigger picture is being ignored in favour of just one archaeological site, no matter how impressive that site is.Yes, these skull fragments featured deep incisions which suggest that they were decorated and perhaps even (publically?) displayed. As far as we know, skulls with such deep incisions (carvings) are unknown at other sites in Anatolia/Near East. Nevertheless, the obsession of 9th and 8th millennium BC communities with the human head is nothing new. The removal of the skull from the dead and the their subsequent manipulation, including the recreation of facial features using plaster and other forms of decoration, as well as their deposition, also as skull caches, have been documented at numerous sites. In fact, I would have been surprised had Göbeklitepe not produced evidence for "skull cult". Its existence was previously suggested, for example, by the depiction of a headless man on Pillar 43 (P43) in Building D, and numerous "decapitated" human sculptures found at the site.Well, this is the big question and there is no simple answer. You are perhaps aware that the T-shaped pillars themselves are depictions of the human form; this is especially evident if you take a look at the two central pillars in Building D with their carvings (in low-relief) of arms, hands, belts and loincloths. If we consider that all the T-pillars in the monumental buildings represent humans, then what we are witnessing in the monumental buildings at Göbeklitepe is a gathering or meeting: Numerous individuals are depicted sitting around two larger individuals who are standing in a central position within the structure.I believe strongly that the identity of the T-pillar individuals was well known to the communities who created and used these buildings. Again, this is suggested by the two aforementioned central T-pillars in Building D which are shown with different amulets about their "necks". Additionally, the eastern of the two central pillars (Pillar 18/P18) appears to be shown carrying a fox beneath its right arm. What we are seeing here are clear elements of a longer and broader narrative. What that narrative is, we cannot say with certainty. What we observe, however, is that these narratives featured many of the animals which would have been sharing the landscapes with the hunter-gatherers at this time (snakes, wild boar, aurochs, to name but a few). Indeed, the lives of humans and animals would have been inextricably intertwined.Therefore, in addition to the important role that (human) ancestors would have played for the Göbeklitepe communities (as implied by the skull cult) the special significance of wild animals should not be overlooked. The prehistoric populations would have known - far better than we do today - the very individual characteristics and behaviors of the depicted species. Without a doubt, each of these animals would have had its own special place in the oral narratives and traditions of the day. Particular species may have featured in foundation myths or were associated with very specific individuals or groups (and their respective traits). Especially the mighty aurochs could have played a special role at Göbeklitepe, as suggested by the frequent depictions of this animal and its bucrania on the some of the pillars. Notably, the tradition of bull-baiting (and with it the significance of this animal) continues throughout the subsequent centuries and millennia, and appears, for example, at the much younger Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük (~7th millennium BC).Our research has many different foci, including lithic and groundstone analyses, building archaeology, stratigraphy, archaeo-zoology, absolute chronology, landscape archaeology... As mentioned previously, our scientific research is currently in what I would refer to as a "transitional phase". Freed of its old paradigm, I believe that we will see Göbeklitepe in a completely different light. The primary research questions therefore remain the same: When and by whom were the monumental buildings constructed? How long were they used for and what do we know about their biographies? Was there a permanent settlement at Göbeklitepe? What does the symbolism tell us about the beliefs and traditions of prehistoric communities in the 10th and 9th millennia BC? What do we now about hunting practices during the ~1,500 year duration of the site? What were the environmental conditions around Göbeklitepe?In spite of the many research questions, the coming years will not see large-scale excavations at Göbeklitepe as in the past. We will concentrate instead on excavating small areas in previously opened trenches, also beneath the new visitor shelter. We now have the special privilege to be working at a UNESCO World Heritage site, and all fieldwork must be carefully planned. Any excavations will not just serve to answer our research questions, but they will also contribute to the consolidation and conservation of the archaeology, and make a positive contribution to its improved presentation for visitors.


sottnet--2019-02-12--Researchers find evidence for a new fundamental constant of the sun

New research undertaken at Northumbria University, Newcastle shows that the Sun's magnetic waves behave differently than currently believed.Their findings have been reported in the latest edition of the prominent journal, Nature Astronomy.After examining data gathered over a 10-year period, the team from Northumbria's Department of Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering found that magnetic waves in the Sun's corona - its outermost layer of atmosphere - react to sound waves escaping from the inside of the Sun.These magnetic waves, known as Alfvénic waves, play a crucial role in transporting energy around the Sun and the solar system. The waves were previously thought to originate at the Sun's surface, where boiling hydrogen reaches temperatures of 6,000 degrees and churns the Sun's magnetic field.However, the researchers have found evidence that the magnetic waves also react - or are excited - higher in the atmosphere by sound waves leaking out from the inside of the Sun.The team discovered that the sound waves leave a distinctive marker on the magnetic waves. The presence of this marker means that the Sun's entire corona is shaking in a collective manner in response to the sound waves. This is causing it to vibrate over a very clear range of frequencies.This newly-discovered marker is found throughout the corona and was consistently present over the 10-year time-span examined. This suggests that it is a fundamental constant of the Sun - and could potentially be a fundamental constant of other stars.The findings could therefore have significant implications for our current ideas about how magnetic energy is transferred and used in stellar atmospheres.Dr Richard Morton, the lead author of the report and a senior lecturer at Northumbria University, said:Dr Morton added:The research was funded by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council and the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research. It was undertaken by Dr Morton and Professor James McLaughlin from Northumbria's Solar Physics research group, together with Dr Micah Weberg, who recently moved from Northumbria to Washington DC's Naval Research Laboratory.Dr Morton and Professor McLaughlin are currently working with NASA to analyse images of the Sun which were taken by NASA's High-Resolution Coronal Imager, Hi-C.A basal contribution from p-modes to the Alfvenic wave flux in the Sun's corona is published in Nature Astronomy. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-018-0668-9


sottnet--2019-06-01--Illeism New research finds this ancient rhetorical trick leads to wiser reasoning

Illeism: New research finds this ancient rhetorical trick leads to wiser reasoning

Socrates famously declared that "the unexamined life is not worth living" and that "knowing thyself" was the path to true wisdom. But is there a right and a wrong way to go about such self-reflection?Simple rumination - the process of churning your concerns around in your head - isn't the answer. It's likely to cause you to become stuck in the rut of your own thoughts and immersed in the emotions that might be leading you astray. Certainly, research has shown that people who are prone to rumination also often suffer from impaired decision-making under pressure and are at substantially increased risk of depression.Instead, the scientific research suggests that you should adopt an ancient rhetorical method favoured by the likes of Julius Caesar and known as "illeism" - or(the term was coined by Samuel Taylor Coleridge from the Latin ille meaning "he, that"). If I was considering an argument that I'd had with a friend, for instance, I may start by silently thinking to myself "David felt frustrated that..." The idea is thatA bulk of research has already shown that this kind of third-person thinking can temporarily improve decision making. Now a preprint at PsyArxiv finds that it can alsoIt is, according to the authors, "the first evidence that wisdom-related cognitive and affective processes can be trained in daily life and of how to do so."The findings are the brainchild of Igor Grossmann at the University of Waterloo, whose work on the psychology of wisdom was one of the inspirations for my recent book on intelligence and how we can make wiser decisions.Grossmann's aim is to build a strong experimental footing for the study of wisdom , which had long been considered too nebulous for scientific inquiry. In one his earlier experiments, he established that it's possible to measure wise reasoning and that, as with IQ, people's scores matter. He did this by asking participants to discuss out-loud a personal or political dilemma, which he then scored on various elements of thinking long-considered crucial to wisdom, including: intellectual humility ; taking the perspective of others; recognising uncertainty; and having the capacity to search for a compromise. Grossmann found that these wise-reasoning scores were far better than intelligence tests at predicting emotional well-being, and relationship satisfaction - supporting the idea that wisdom, as defined by these qualities, constitutes a unique construct that determines how we navigate life challenges.Working with Ethan Kross at the University of Michigan, Grossmann has also looked for ways to improve these scores - with some striking experiments demonstrating the power of illeism. In a series of laboratory experiments , they found thatImagine, for instance, that you are arguing with your partner. Adopting a third-person perspective might help you to recognise their point of view or to accept the limits of your understanding of the problem at hand. Or imagine you are considering moving jobs. Taking the distanced perspective could help you to weigh up the benefits and the risks of the move more dispassionately.This previous research only involved short-term interventions, however - meaning it was far from clear whether wiser reasoning would become a long-term habit with regular practice at illeism.To find out, Grossmann's team first asked nearly 300 participants to describe a challenging social situation, while two independent psychologists scored them on the different aspects of wise reasoning (intellectual humility etc). The participants then had to fill out a daily diary for four weeks. Each day they had to describe a situation they'd just experienced, such as a disagreement with a colleague or some bad news. Half were prompted to do so in the first-person, while the others were encouraged to describe their trials from a third-person perspective. At the end of the study all participants repeated the wise-reasoning test.Grossmann's results were exactly as he hoped. While the control participants showed no overall change in their wise reasoning scores,A further stage of the study suggested thatAfter they had finished the four-week diary intervention, participants had to predict how their feelings of trust, frustration or anger about a close family member or friend might change over the next month - then, after that month was up, they reported back on how things had actually gone.In line with other work on "affective forecasting", the people in the control condition over-estimated their positive emotions and under-estimated the intensity of their negative emotions over the course of the month. In contrast, those who'd kept a third-person diary, were more accurate. A closer look revealed that their negative feelings, as a whole, were more muted, and that's why their rosy predictions were more accurate. It seems theirI find these emotion and relationship effects particularly fascinating, considering the fact that illeism is often considered to be infantile. Just think of Elmo in Sesame Street , or the intensely irritating Jimmy in Seinfeld - hardly models of sophisticated thinking. Alternatively, it can be taken to be the sign of a narcissistic personality - the very opposite of personal wisdom. After all, Coleridge believed that it was a ruse to cover up one's own egotism, and many of President Trump's critics have pointed out with disapproval that he often refers to himself in the third-person . Clearly politicians like Trump may use illeism for purely rhetorical purposes, but, it appears to be a powerful tool for wiser reasoning.As the researchers point out, it would be exciting to see whether the benefits apply to other forms of decision making besides the more personal dilemmas examined in Grossmann's study. There's reason to think they might. Previous experiments have shown, for instance, that rumination leads to worse choices in poker (hence why expert players strive for a detached, emotionally distanced attitude), and that greater emotional awareness and regulation can improve performance on the stock market In the meantime, Grossmann's work continues to prove that the subject of wisdom is worthy of rigorous experimental study - with potential benefits for all of us. It is notoriously difficult to increase general intelligence through brain training, but these results suggest that wiser reasoning and better decision making are within everyone's power.


sputnik--2019-06-17--Accidental Poisoning at US Research Facility Killed At Least Seven Infant Monkeys

‘Accidental Poisoning’ at US Research Facility Killed At Least Seven Infant Monkeys

In a Sunday report, internal documents detailing correspondence between the University of California, Davis, and the US Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, obtained by UK-based newspaper The Guardian, exposed the loss of at least seven infant monkeys in 2018 following the transfer of dye used to mark their mothers.  Apparently unbeknownst to researchers marking the moms, a chemical within the labeling dye proved poisonous upon transfer from an adult macaque to an infant.  As a result, the innate desire for maternal interaction was the infant monkeys’ ultimate undoing.  Reports from UC Davis say some of the young subjects had “severe edema and swelling of the larynx and tongue” and died during emergency treatment, while others were simply euthanized “upon arrival at the hospital.”  Though the age of the monkeys is somewhat out of the ordinary for reported research deaths, the sudden surge in the use of macaques and other primates within US research facilities has raised eyebrows.  The US Department of Agriculture’s “Annual Report Animal Usage” for fiscal year 2017 showed a record 75,825 “Nonhuman Primates” were designated for “regulated activities” in research facilities across the nation. The subjects were grouped in each graph by whether pain was inflicted during the data collection.  The possibility of more primates passing away has been steadily increasing as researchers argue for additional subjects with a closer genetic relation to humans. Even with the increase, however, procuring new monkeys is more expensive and difficult than obtaining rats, meaning data from the studies could be horribly skewed by limited sample sizes.  “People are just blindly running toward the monkey model without critically evaluating how valuable it really is,” Thomas Hartung, director of Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing, told ScienceMag.org.  The uptick in the federal government’s use of primates for hazardous studies has drawn criticism and concrete opposition.  Though it may come as no surprise that environmental groups are against using animals in scientific research, a 2018 survey by the Pew Research Center revealed that 52% of Americans oppose the continuation of such research. A close 47% supported the studies.  Back in 2015 and prior to USDA’s record-breaking report, Harvard University’s New England Primate Research Center, citing “funding pressures” announced its nearly 50-year-old, multi-million dollar research center would no longer seek federal (or any) funding, and its some 200 staffers would have to find new projects.  "Driving the decision was the fact that the external funding environment for scientific research has become increasingly challenging over the past decade,” the school claimed.  Not to mention, the deaths of five monkeys at the center in 2015 triggered an investigation from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) – the same federal agency that had previously awarded the Harvard research center $27 million in funding.  The former subjects of Harvard’s primate research arm were ultimately transported to another center for continued testing.  Many who support the NIH ending studies with primate subjects point to a November 2015 memo from the government agency that immediately and effectively halted the use of chimpanzees for future research, saying that policy should be extended to other primates.


sputnik--2019-10-02--Italy Signs First Ever Agreement With Virgin to Launch Suborbital Research Missions

On Wednesday, Virgin Galactic signed an agreement with the Italian Air Force which would include putting humans on board its suborbital spacecraft VSS Unity and conducting research.  The signing marks the first time in history that any government has purchased involvement in a private space mission to conduct scientific research carried out by humans.  “We’re delighted to work with the Italian Air Force to further space-based research and technology development through this historic mission," Virgin's chief executive, George Whitesides, said in a news release.  The company also said that the first research flight could take place as early as 2020.  The announcement indicates that Virgin Galactic may be shifting towards commercial operations with VSS Unity as of next year, while also signalling that a large demand for suborbital spaceflight research exists for private companies to invest in.  The mission will proceed in stages. First, the VMS Eve aircraft will launch the rocket-powered VSS Unity spacecraft into flight; following the release, the vehicle will fire its engines to soar to an 80km altitude.  Once the rocket motor stops, the Italian researchers can depart from their seats and work within the few allotted minutes of microgravity.  The researchers will then conduct tests on the biological effects of the transitional phase from gravity to microgravity on the human body as well as the chemical components of green fuels.  So far Virgin has carried out two spaceflights using VSS Unity. First in December 2018, and then again in February 2019, with the spacecraft reaching an altitude of 82.2 and 89.9km, respectively.  The company has been preparing the spacecraft for commercial operations ever since, including modifying the interior of the vehicle to safely carry people.


tass--2019-03-22--Russias 45 scientists to study Arctic seas on board Mikhail Somov research vessel

Russia’s 45 scientists to study Arctic seas on board Mikhail Somov research vessel

ARKHANGELSK, March 22. /TASS/. About 45 experts on board the Mikhail Somov vessel will study conditions of the Arctic seas and will analyze climate changes in the Arctic at the second stage of the Trans Arctic 2019 expedition between May 15 and June 10, Head of the Northern Hydrometeorology and Environment Department Roman Yershov told TASS.  One of the tasks under the Science National Project is to build up steadily the number of sea expeditions to 250 by 2024. The Trans Arctic expedition will have four stages. It will finish in autumn, 2019. The scientists will conduct complex studies of the Russian Arctic’s seas. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev inked an order to allocate almost 870 million rubles ($13 million) for the studies.  "The expedition on board the Mikhail Somov will feature 45 scientists and 40 crew members," the expert said. "The expedition is organized jointly by the Department, the Arctic and Antarctic Studies Institute, the Northern Arctic Federal University, the Typhoon Scientific and Production Association (in Obninsk), the Marine Heritage Association, the Central Aerology Observatory, the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution Studies, the Laverov Federal Research Center for the Arctic Complex Studies, and others."  The main task is to monitor the marine and coastal ecosystems in the changing climate and to receive up-to-date information on the marine ecosystem’s conditions. The ship will depart from Arkhangelsk, to take the expedition to the White, Barents and Kara Seas.  "The Mikhail Somov is ready for the set tasks, all necessary conditions are offered onboard: there will be labs and necessary equipment," he said, adding "the crew, of course, is ready."  According to objectives of the Science National Project, by 2024 Russia should be among five leading countries in scientific research and works. The country should offer attractive conditions for work in Russia both for foreign experts and for young promising researchers. The country will build up financing for scientific research.  In other media


thefiscaltimes--2019-06-21--Nearly a Third of US Patents Depend on Federal Research Study

Nearly a Third of U.S. Patents Depend on Federal Research: Study

A study published Thursday in the journal Science highlights the value of government spending on research. It shows that one-third of U.S. patents rely on government-funded research. “Federal investment in scientific research fuels innovation, drives national and local economies, and secures United States’ place as a global leader,” Steve Gerencser, interim president of The Science Coalition and associate director of government relations at Brown University, tells STAT’s Brittany Flaherty.  But Flaherty notes that federal science funding as a percentage of GDP has steadily decreased since the 1970s. “This trend raises questions about the nation’s ability to sustain its research leadership in areas like biomedicine and technology, particularly since federal funds play a crucial role in fueling basic science breakthroughs,” she writes.


theguardianuk--2019-07-01--Research misconduct claim upheld against former head of UCL lab

A lab run by one of Britain’s foremost academics published fraudulent scientific papers for more than a decade, according to investigators.  Work at Prof David Latchman’s laboratory at UCL Institute of Child Health came under scrutiny from senior academics after an anonymous whistleblower alleged that dozens of papers from the lab were doctored.  Latchman, a prominent geneticist with hundreds of papers to his name, oversaw research by about two dozen scientists at the laboratory from the early 1990s until 2003 when he became master of Birkbeck, University of London.  UCL initially refused to release the reports from two separate misconduct investigations in 2014 and 2015 but finally made them public on Monday. The Guardian had requested the documents under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in January and, after a lengthy delay, referred the case to the Information Commissioner’s Office.  The reports show that experts convened by UCL found evidence of research fraud in each of the investigations and called for the doctored papers to be retracted. One panel said fabricated data it had spotted “might be just the tip of the iceberg” and said work in many other papers was “very sloppy”. The studies covered a range of topics from human genetics to heart attacks.  While the reports did not claim that Latchman fabricated data himself or had any knowledge of the behaviour, an allegation of research misconduct against him was upheld. “Whilst he did not intentionally commit the misconduct in research identified in this investigation, his recklessness in the conduct of his laboratory and his involvement as author on many publications facilitated that misconduct,” one panel found.  The first expert panel checked 28 papers from Latchman’s lab dating back to 1997 and found evidence for research misconduct in eight of them. The second panel examined 32 studies from 1990 to 2013 and found evidence of fraud in seven.  One paper published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology contained clear evidence of “cloning”, where copy and paste was used to repeat features throughout an image. In some papers, fabrications were “fundamental” to the conclusions reached by the authors.  “In the panel’s view the evidence clearly indicates that the researchers in the laboratory had developed a culture outside the accepted standards of research integrity,” one panel found.  Latchman’s department has so far retracted at least six papers and corrected two more. One retracted study contained an old image that was dressed up as new data. In a second retraction, six images had been flipped or copied and relabelled to make them look new.  A co-author of the second paper, Anastasis Stephanou, who is now at the European University in Cyprus, admitted responsibility for the latter manipulations and said Latchman and the paper’s other authors were “completely unaware” of the changes.  Further questions have been raised over dozens of studies from Latchman’s group on the PubPeer website, a forum used by academics to discuss scientific research.  UCL said: “These reports concluded that manipulation of research data had occurred in many research papers during the period of Prof David Latchman’s time as head of the unit.”  As a result, it said, UCL started formal disciplinary action against a former member of Latchman’s research group, who it did not identify, but the individual resigned before it was completed. Because Latchman had not intended to commit misconduct in research, there were insufficient grounds for dismissal, the statement added. Latchman no longer supervises research.  A disciplinary hearing in September 2018 chaired by a UCL chemist, Prof Richard Catlow, decided that no formal action would be taken against Latchman. Instead it noted that fraud could be hard to detect and recommended UCL “consider the difficulties in leading a research unit” when the head could spend only a small proportion of their time overseeing research. It also urged senior group leaders to consider when they should stop being named authors on papers.  A spokesman for Latchman said: “The outcome of this UCL disciplinary hearing has drawn a protracted four-year long ordeal involving publications at UCL to a close. The nature of the manipulation identified in the UCL investigation was such that any fraud would only be apparent to a reviewer who was actively looking for such deception. To subject all research to this disproportionate scrutiny is not reasonable. To then make the assertion that to overlook such deception is ‘inattentive’ or ‘reckless’ is unjust.  “Thankfully, UCL have recognised that scientific fraud can be difficult to detect, even in well-run teams, and as such made the decision that no disciplinary action would be taken against Prof Latchman. UCL also recognised that there is a clear need in the training of early-career scientists to instil the highest standards of research ethics, while making clear the consequences of fraudulent behaviour, a sentiment that Prof Latchman has always supported.”  Latchman received a CBE in the 2010 birthday honours for services to higher education. As a member of the National DNA Database Ethics Group, he advises Home Office ministers on the ethical use of DNA samples.


theindependent--2019-04-20--Scientists fired from cancer centre after being accused of aposstealing research for Chinaapos

Scientists fired from cancer centre after being accused of 'stealing research for China'

A cancer centre in Houston, Texas, fired three of its scientists over allegations they were stealing research data for China.  The president of MD Anderson Cancer Centre, Peter Pisters, told the Houston Chronicle that the federal National Institutes of Health contacted the centre in 2018 with concerns of potential conflicts of interest regarding unreported foreign income by five researchers and faculty members.  “As stewards of taxpayer dollars invested in biomedical research, we have an obligation to follow up,” Mr Pisters said, referring to how the cancer centre received $148m (£114m) in National Institute of Health grants last year.  The newspaper reported that all three sacked scientists were ethnically Chinese. Two of them resigned ahead of termination proceedings, and the third is challenging the dismissal. Of the other two of the five, officials determined termination was not necessary for one, and the other remains under investigation.  It is not clear if any of them face federal charges or deportation.  An FBI spokeswoman in Houston, Christina Garza, said on Saturday that the agency “does not confirm or deny the existence of any investigation”.  The Houston Chronicle’s report did not say what evidence of intellectual property theft, much less theft for the Chinese government, was uncovered at the facility.  “Scientific research depends on the free flow of ideas,” Frank H Wu, president of the New York-based Committee of 100, a group of influential Chinese Americans, told the Chronicle  “Our national interest is best advanced by welcoming people, not by racial stereotyping based on where a person comes from.”


themoscowtimes--2019-01-29--Russias Health Ministry Wants to Import Marijuana for Research

Russia's Health Ministry Wants to Import Marijuana for Research

Russia bans the circulation of drugs, including marijuana and other cannabinoids whose use is legalized in certain U.S. states and European countries. Hashish contains higher concentrations of the psychotropic substance THC and other cannabinoids than marijuana.  Russia’s health ministry has said that it wants to legalize the import of hashish and marijuana for research purposes, according to a recently published draft bill.  Moscow University Granted License to Use Psychoactive Plants for Research  “The import of narcotic drugs and cannabinoid psychotropic substances... will be required to conduct scientific research and testing in Russia,” reads a regulation drafted by the Health Ministry.  The draft states that it needs the hashish and marijuana to study drug addiction and isolate active ingredients, citing ongoing studies led by the World Health Organization and the UN.  The ministry proposes annual import quotas of 1.1 kilograms of marijuana, 300 grams of hashish and 50 grams of hash oil, according to the draft bill published last week.  Public discussions of the proposed legislation are scheduled to end on Feb. 8.  Last year, Russia’s 2018 FIFA World Cup organizing committee said that foreign football fans would be allowed to bring medical marijuana and cocaine with prescriptions to the country.  The health ministry proposed in 2015 to require people to provide prescriptions for medicine containing highly potent ingredients, including over-the-counter drugs intended for personal use.


thetorontostar--2019-12-30--China convicts 3 researchers involved in gene-edited babies

BEIJING - A Chinese scientist who set off an ethical debate with claims that he had made the world’s first genetically edited babies was sentenced Monday to three years in prison because of his research, state media said.  He Jiankui, who was convicted of practicing medicine without a license, was also fined 3 million yuan ($430,000) by a court in the southern city of Shenzhen, China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported. Two other researchers involved in the project received lesser sentences and fines.  The verdict said the three defendants had not obtained qualification as doctors, pursued fame and profits, deliberately violated Chinese regulations on scientific research and crossed an ethical line in both scientific research and medicine, according to Xinhua. It also said they had fabricated ethical review documents.  The court said the researchers were involved in the births of three gene-edited babies to two women, confirming reports of a third baby. It said all three pleaded guilty during the trial, which Xinhua reported was closed to the public because of privacy concerns.  He, the lead researcher, shocked the scientific world when he announced in November 2018 that he had altered the embryos of twin girls who had been born the same month. He described his work in exclusive interviews with The Associated Press.  The announcement sparked a global debate over the ethics of gene editing. He said he had used a tool called CRISPR to try to disable a gene that allows the AIDS virus to enter a cell, in a bid to give the girls the ability to resist the infection. The identity of the girls has not been released, and it isn’t clear if the experiment succeeded.  The CRISPR tool has been tested elsewhere in adults to treat diseases, but many in the scientific community denounced He’s work as medically unnecessary and unethical, because any genetic changes could be passed down to future generations. The U.S. forbids editing embryos except for lab research.  He, who is known as “JK,“ told the AP in 2018 that he felt a strong responsibility to make an example, and that society would decide whether to allow the practice to go forward. He disappeared from public view shortly after he announced his research at a conference in Hong Kong 13 months ago, apparently detained by authorities, initially in an apartment in Shenzhen, a city in Guangdong province that borders Hong Kong.  It wasn’t clear if the three-year prison term includes any of the time he has already spent in Chinese custody.  A Chinese scientist said the sentence should have been harsher to deter others. Kehkooi Kee, a Tsinghua University researcher who conducts gene-editing research on stem cells, also said that He should be held responsible for any fallout from the experiment on the lives of the babies and their families.  Dr. William Hurlbut, a Stanford University bioethicist whose advice He sought for more than a year before his experiment, said he felt sorry for the scientist, his wife and two young daughters.  “I warned him things could end this way, but it was just too late,” Hurlbut wrote in an email to the AP and to the director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins, and gene-editing pioneer Jennifer Doudna at the University of California, Berkeley.  “Sad story — everyone lost in this (JK, his family, his colleagues, and his country), but the one gain is that the world is awakened to the seriousness of our advancing genetic technologies,” Hurlbut wrote.  He studied in the U.S. before setting up a lab at the Southern University of Science and Technology of China in Shenzhen. The verdict accused him of colluding with Zhang Renli and Qin Jinzhou, who worked at medical institutes in the same province.  Zhang was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 1 million yuan, Xinhua said. Qin received an 18-month prison sentence, but with a two-year reprieve, and a 500,000 yuan fine.  Associated Press Chief Medical Writer Marilyn Marchione in Baltimore and researchers Shanshan Wang and Yu Bing in Beijing and Fu Ting in Bangkok contributed to this report.


veteranstoday--2019-05-13--New Genome Research reveals the true Ancient Israelites

Did contemporary Jews descend from the ancient Israelites, as the primordialists claim? Or did they descend from people who converted to Judaism?  Resurrecting the ancient Israelites from the Valley of Dry Bones  [ Editor’s Note: VT has known Israeli geneticist Eran Elhaik since 2013, when we spotted the Jewish genome work he was doing at Johns Hopkins.  We noted right away that he was another of the many academics who does not let ideology and politics influence his scientific research, which is always a breath of fresh air in the geopolitical sewer that VT has to swim in every day.  His work was politically controversial but solid, and he was able to defend it from the shills that attempted to discredit it.  In short, his work showed that Ashkenazic Jews have about as much “people of the land” DNA as some Europeans have Neanderthal DNA. But Europeans have never referred to themselves as ancient Neanderthals nor laid claim to Africa as the “ancient homeland”, other than the former colonialists, before conditions drove them into exile.  Here is my first article I wrote on Elhaik’s work, New Genome Study Destroys Zionist Claims to Palestine, published in the Press TV Viewpoints commentary section in the heydays when VT writers were constantly in the top five read articles each week.  In the past six years, new Neolithic remains discoveries in Israel and the advances in genetic sequencing have combined to support Elhaik’s 2013 work, that Ashkenazi Israelis tried to pull off what he aptly described as “shooting the arrow and then drawing a bullseye around it.”  His work made a deep impression on Gordon and me, how this one man with his scientific integrity stood up to the fake Hollywood Ashkenazic Zionist claim to the ancient land. A year after that, five years ago, VT began writing about fake news, how it was being done on an industrial scale, not just a few bad apples.  We were never attacked over our claims, but were ignored. And then magically, about two years ago, the term “fake news” began being widely used.  Elhaik describes below that the Yemenis have the closest blood links to the ancient Israelis, while the Saudis, with support from Israel, have actually been doing a mini-genocide on these closest relatives of the Ancients.  Do take a look at Elhaik’s new Primeval DNA test, which goes way beyond letting us know we are all descended from early Africans. Most of us are more interested in where our ancestors were a few thousand to 10K years ago, and his new project can compare your DNA to the pool of ancient remains that have had their DNA sequenced … Jim W. Dean ]  The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry  .… And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.  I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them… Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel.” ~ Ezekiel 37  Dr. Eran Elhaik is a population, medical, and evolutionary geneticist at the University of Sheffield, UK. http://www.eranelhaiklab.org/. Reprinted on VT by permission of author.  The Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones prophecy is one of the most powerful prophecies of the prophet Ezekiel. In this vision, Ezekiel finds himself in a valley full of dry human bones of Israelite origins. He is asked to revive them, bring them hope, and lead them to the land of Israel.  For the past decades, Paleogenomics, the field dealing with ancient genomes, has been fulfilling Ezekiel’s vision by extracting DNA from dry bones and telling their stories with increasing accuracy.  As Ezekiel envisioned, only dry (and cold) bones can tell stories. Humidity and heat accelerate the degradation of the DNA beyond repair. At times, even the samples we can use are of poor quality, leading to an inability to put together all the pieces of the DNA and thus incomplete stories from the bones as if told by stuttering tongueless skeletons. These are only some of the challenges we face in our efforts to reconstruct the past.  Ezekiel’s prophecies were written in the 6th century after several exiles of the Judeans to Babylon (601-582 BC). The importance of this vision to the debate on the continuity of the Jewish people became apparent very quickly. Already in the Talmud, two interpretations were offered. The first considered it a complete allegory.  The second considered it a reality where the Babylonian exiles returned to Israel and continued the Judaean bloodline. Zionism, a secular movement that recruited the Bible to serve its needs whenever necessary, considered the State of Israel the ultimate fulfillment of Ezekiel prophecies and called to the ingathering of the exiles.  The question of whether Ezekiel’s vision has been correctly interpreted is not anachronistic and has offshoots in history, archeology, linguistics, and genetics – the battlefields of the primordialists and constructivists.  Did contemporary Jews descend from the ancient Israelites, as the primordialists claim? Or did they descend from people who converted to Judaism and only later on adopted nationalist ideas as the constructivist camp argues?  Of course, one look at Ethiopian, Yemenite, Ashkenazic, and Russian Jews can lend credence to the constructivist view without digging up a single bone. However, the primordialist camp has ready-made answers to that question. It criticized the weak diasporas Jews who succumbed to assimilation and embraced the Jews who remained as authentic Israelites.  It has always been clear that the only way to decide which Jewish communities represent the ancient Israelites most accurately, we should go back to the source – Israel. Therefore, in the late 19th century a search for the jüdische Typus, the “Jewish type” was launched. Anthropologists explored Palestine, studied the native inhabitants, and compare their anthropological measures to Jews.  The results of these studies were incredibly disappointing, at least to the Ashkenazic Jews who carried out these studies and craved to see the jüdische Typus reflected in the mirror. As it turned out, Yemenite Jews held the greatest anthropological resemblance to the wandering Bedouins, the poster boys of the Patriarchs.  Ashkenazic Jews, by contrast, resembled the Caucasian type more than anything else (Efron 1994). This was not what Zionist leaders wanted to hear amid the formation of their nationalistic movement that called Jews to return to their homeland, fight and, maybe, die for it. The research question had to be rephrased.  Abandoning any desire to see a jüdische Typus specimen ever again, the new research paradigm focused on studying features common to all contemporary Jews and deriving the characteristics of the jüdische Typus from them (Elhaik 2016). Unfortunately, no biomarker for Jewishness was ever found in a way that excluded Jews from non-Jews.  Yet the question remained: which of all the Jews who have nothing in common except religion, best represent the Ancient Israelites.  The answer among the Ashkenazic Jewish researchers was almost unanimous – let us mould the jüdische Typus in our own image.  To support these claims, geneticists began producing a large body of literature aimed to support and prove two things:  2) their genetic ties to Israel, by showing their resemblance to Levantine populations (Falk 2017), whose own claims to the land were later dismissed on account of being “work migrants.” Kirsh (2003) demonstrated how human geneticists and physicians have consistently manipulated their results and emphasized the sociological and historical aspects of their research using their work as a vehicle for establishing a national identity and confirming the Zionist narrative.  The mammoth in the room was the lack of any genetic evidence from the ancient Israelites that would allow testing the similarity of their DNA to that of modern-day Jews. Since no one imagined that mammoths would ever come to life, they avoided the problem completely.  It was much easier to pretend that modern-day Jews and, Ashkenazic Jews, in particular, are living replicas of the ancient Israelites who not only were all related to one another but also resisted the gene flow from non-Jews all this time. One such enthusiastic advocate is Harry Ostrer (2012), who incidentally tipped his hand by explaining that,  “The stakes in genetic analysis are high. It is more than an issue of who belongs in the family and can partake in Jewish life and Israeli citizenship. It touches on the heart of Zionist claims for a Jewish homeland in Israel. One can imagine future disputes about exactly how large the shared Middle Eastern ancestry of Jewish groups has to be to justify Zionist claims.”  It seems that Ostrer, a resident of a former Native Indian land now known as New York, is so passionate to gain rights to more lands that he completely forgot that his recent 2010 study (Atzmon et al. 2010) ascribed only 50% of Middle Eastern ancestry to Jews compared to 56-59% of non-Jews.  Ostrer’s proposal, thereby, grants non-Jews the largest proportion of the land although they represent only 25% of the general population. One has to assume that those 50% Middle Eastern ancestry of Jews must have experienced a mitosis between the two publications to avoid considering Dr. Ostrer suggestions as discriminatory toward the Jewish people.  Despite of the imagined link between modern-day Jews and the ancient Israelites, the claims of the primordialist camp became well accepted in the direct-to-consumer industry.  The myth of the “Cohen gene” (Skorecki et al. 1997) or “Four mitochondrial mothers” (Behar et al. 2004) produced by the members of this camp became the bedrock of the Genetic Judaism era, where one needs only to order a genetic test from the right company to receive a Jewishness certificate.  Paleogenomics changed all that. Thanks to advances in the field, it became possible to extract DNA from ancient people and identify their mictochondrial haplogroups and even autosomal DNA.  This remarkable progress allowed the unthinkable: A semi-revival of the ancient Israeltes from their dry bones and the recovery of their stories. The DNA extracted from those bones can tell us who these people were, what they looked like, what they ate, and what diseases they carried (Nielsen et al. 2017; Prohaska et al. 2019).  We can trace their migration routes to gain a deeper understanding of where we all came from. Yes, they can also tell us how similar those ancient Israelites were to modern-day people, and if modern-day Jews are not the lineal descendants of the ancient Israelites, we can find out who is.  To answer some of these questions, I launched the Primeval DNA test.  The test allows anyone to upload their autosomal DNA file obtained from any genetic company and compare themselves to ancient people from an initial set of seven populations: Ice Age Europeans, Stone Age Europeans, Medieval Vikings, Egyptian mummies, Roman Britons, Chumash Paleo-Indians, and Ancient Israelites.  The ancient Israelites were obtained from three regions Motza Tachtit at the territory of the tribe of Benjamin, Peqi’in (Naphtali), and Rakefet Cave (Manasseh), near the valley of the Rakefet river.  The results can be discussed in our FB group. I also launched the Ancient DNA Hub as a source of knowledge on ancient cultures whose DNA has have been sequenced.  The Primeval DNA test is the most potent genetic tool publicly available to test claims of ancient origins. It allows anyone to journey to their deep past, and explore for the first time their genetic similarity with ancient people. The bones still cannot speak, but in their own way, they have a lot to teach us and allow us to reevaluate our core beliefs.  The answer to the question who is closer to the ancient Israelites rests in the DNA extracted from some 50 bones of ancient Israelites and Judaeans with many more to come. Are modern-Jews mostly Middle Easterns (or ancient Israelites) like Ostrer claims? Hardly.  I ran the test on 80 Jews from various communities. Upon examining the results, I could not help noticing the irony considering how the progress in population genetics validated the findings of the 19th-century anthropologists who combed the Levant in an honest search for the jüdische Typus before the repercussions of their findings became clear and their results were deplored on every stage.  The most similar Jews to the ancient Israelites who left their dry bones in the Rakefet Valley in Israel were Yemenite Jews, but that genetic similarity was less than 10%, on average, in agreement with our previous analyses ascribing less than 5% ancient Levantine ancestry to Ashkenazic Jews (Das et al. 2017) and in support of their potential relatedness to the Ashina tribe.  Yet, these averages mask the high heterogeneity among all Jewish communities. Some people may share the highest similarity with Gal (named after Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot), a young Neolithic women – only 6200 years old, and other people may find that they are close to Abraham, a Turkish man (E1b1) who led a group of Anatolians to what he must too have felt was the promised land.  Due to the many population replacements that the area experienced, we can see a diverse range of mitochondrial haplogroups that vary over time. Among the most common lineages are J2, K1a, and T. An analysis of Judaeans from the first century AD confirmed the prevalence of the T haplogroup (Matheson et al. 2009), found today in less than 10% of Ashkenazic Jews  Unsurprisingly, not a single skeleton matches the alleged four Ashkenazic Jewish mothers, whose origin is in prehistoric Europe (Costa et al. 2013). As expected, an exact match with one of those mothers was found in Neolithoc Spain (Haak et al. 2015). Interestingly, the Y chromosomal haplotypes of the ancient Israelites are typically E1b1 and T1 haplotypes, commonly found today in Africa with lower frequencies in the Middle East and Europe.  We can expect that future tests covering other regions of the world would be able to explain the remaining portion of the elusive Jewish ancestry. Only time will say if “Genetic Jewishness” will evolve onto “Primeval Jewishness” where people define their Jewishness based on their similarity to ancient Israelites and Jews rather than modern ones. Think about it the next time that your favorite genetic testing company tells you that you have some “Ashkenazic Jewish ancestry” or worse, that you are 100% Jews.  I hope that future tests covering other regions of the world would be able to explain the remaining portion of the elusive Jewish ancestry. Will “Genetic Jewishness” evolve onto “Primeval Jewishness” where people define their Jewishness based on their similarity to ancient Israelites and Jews rather than modern ones. Only time will say.  Dr. Eran Elhaik is a population, medical, and evolutionary geneticist at the University of Sheffield, UK. http://www.eranelhaiklab.org/. All the rights to the content of this article are reserved to the author.  Atzmon, G.L. HaoI. Pe’er et al. 2010. Abraham’s children in the genome era: major Jewish diaspora populations comprise distinct genetic clusters with shared Middle Eastern ancestry. American Journal of Human Genetics. 86:850-859.  Behar, D. M.M. F. HammerD. Garrigan et al. 2004. MtDNA evidence for a genetic bottleneck in the early history of the Ashkenazi Jewish population. European Journal of Human Genetics. 12:355-364.  Das, R., P. Wexler, M. Pirooznia, and E. Elhaik. 2016. Localizing Ashkenazic Jews to primeval villages in the ancient Iranian lands of Ashkenaz. Genome Biology and Evolution. 8:1132–1149.  Das, R., P. Wexler, M. Pirooznia, and E. Elhaik. 2017. The Origins of Ashkenaz, Ashkenazic Jews, and Yiddish. Frontiers in genetics. 8.  Efron, J. M. 1994. Defenders of the Race. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT.  Elhaik, E. 2016. In search of the jüdische Typus: a proposed benchmark to test the genetic basis of Jewishness challenges notions of “Jewish biomarkers”. Frontiers in genetics. 7.  Falk, R. 2017. Zionism and the Biology of the Jews. Springer, Cham, Switzerland.  Kirsh, N. 2003. Population genetics in Israel in the 1950s. The unconscious internalization of ideology. Isis. 94:631-655.  Matheson, C. D., K. K. Vernon, A. Lahti, R. Fratpietro, M. Spigelman, S. Gibson, C. L. Greenblatt, and H. D. Donoghue. 2009. Molecular Exploration of the First-Century Tomb of the Shroud in Akeldama, Jerusalem. PLOS ONE. 4:e8319.  Nielsen, R., J. M. Akey, M. Jakobsson, J. K. Pritchard, S. Tishkoff, and E. Willerslev. 2017. Tracing the peopling of the world through genomics. Nature. 541:302-310.  Prohaska, A.F. RacimoA. J. Schork et al. 2019. Human Disease Variation in the Light of Population Genomics. Cell. 177:115-131.


activistpost--2019-09-03--Genetic Engineering and Human-Animal Hybrids How China is Leading a Global Split in Controversial R

Genetic Engineering and Human-Animal Hybrids: How China is Leading a Global Split in Controversial Research

If you want to conduct groundbreaking but contentious biological research, go to China. Last year, Chinese scientist He Jiankui announced he had created the world’s first gene-edited human babies, shocking the world at a time when such practice is illegal in most leading scientific nations. More recently, US-based researcher Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte revealed he had produced the world’s first human-monkey hybrid embryo in China to avoid legal issues in his adopted country.  Yet if China is fast becoming the world capital of controversial science, it is not alone in producing it. More babies produced using the “CRISPR” gene-editing technology are now planned by a scientist in Russia, where another researcher is also hoping to conduct the world’s first human head transplant. And Japan has recently lifted its own ban on human-animal hybrids.  The world is rapidly moving towards a two-tier system of cutting-edge medical research, broadly divided between countries with minimal regulation and those that refuse to allow anything but the earliest stages of this work. The consequences of this split are likely to be significant, even potentially affecting your own access to healthcare.  The births of the CRISPR babies in China led to uproar among the scientific community, which criticised He Jiankui, and inspired calls for a halt in any CRISPR research on human embryos. In around 30 countries, gene editing of human embryos is already banned outright or at least tightly controlled. For example, in the UK only a handful of research groups have been granted a licence to conduct experiments, and certainly not with any aim of bringing an embryo to term.  But in most countries, things are less clear. The Chinese establishment was quick to condemn He’s work and declare it illegal. And some commentators have made the point that, despite outside perceptions, Chinese science is far from unregulated. Yet the fact remains that He was able to conduct the work unimpeded, with evidence suggesting he may have even received state funding.  With a technology moving as quickly as CRISPR, many nations will not have had the time nor expertise to develop a comprehensive stance. As a result, it seems likely that we won’t be able to avoid a two-tier system for this kind of research. Nations with developed regulation for biotechnology will be able to adapt more quickly and easily to the latest advances and put restrictions in place. Other states will scramble to keep up, leaving scientists to proceed without having to consider the ethical or social implications of their work. And that’s assuming all governments want to restrict this kind of research, which they may not.  We have seen what happens when there is this kind of international disconnect with other biotechnologies. “Medical tourism” has become a boom sector within the healthcare industry. People travel from all over the world to private clinics that provide – or claim to provide – stem cell therapies unavailable in their home countries. There have been high-profile cases of people travelling from the US to Mexico in order to skirt national laws and access mitochondrial replacement therapy.  So it’s safe to assume that those with the means to do so might try to access gene editing abroad when it’s not available in their own countries, perhaps to avoid passing on a known heritable condition they carry. And with home DNA-testing kits becoming widespread (although not necessarily accurate), the number of people wanting to edit their genome before having children is likely to increase.  A lack of or loose medical regulations also tends to produce predatory clinics that charge huge amounts for what sounds like wonder cures but might be, at best, a sugar pill or, at worst, something actively harmful. And, perhaps worst of all, regulatory problems might contribute to destroying the reputation of promising developing medical technologies. The more nasty incidents that are attributed to an unregulated therapy, the less and less willing people will be to support legitimate medical trials.  This kind of two-tier system of medical regulation could also lead techniques such as gene-editing to become much more culturally accepted in some countries than others. Our society continues to struggle with xenophobia and racism, so we may also find prejudices and legal dilemmas developing for genetically engineered humans (never mind human-animal hybrids).  Would people born using technologies such as CRISPR be allowed to visit or emigrate to countries where their very creation was illegal? Would it be illegal for them to have their own children and spread their genetically altered genome? This kind of conflict between international human rights legislation and domestic policy is yet to be tested but could have grave consequences.


newyorkpost--2019-01-07--Chinese spies targeting biomed research at US labs

The race in China to score money and prominence for biomedical research projects in their homeland is creating something of a cottage industry there — trying to steal work being done in laboratories in the US, according to the New York Times.  There’s a name for these thieves — “non-traditional collectors of information,” a somewhat euphemistic description given to these unsavory characters, according to Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, and FBI Director Christopher A. Wray.  The Trump administration is alerting scientists and universities who have received NIH funding that their research, most of it at US universities, is vulnerable to Chinese spies, the report said. The administration is also urging them to step up security, and use other means to safeguard their work.  The problem is of such concern that the administration assembled a panel to look into it. That panel submitted a report to the NIH last month.  The data thieves are giving their ill-gotten spoils to Beijing and have snatched biomedical secrets from confidential grant applications, the Times reported.  A China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies who spoke to the NIH panel told the Times: “NIH has basically been operating on the principle that everyone is well-intentioned. Then they run smack dab into the challenge of China, which has millions of researchers scrambling for money and for fame and for national glory. That creates an environment where some people may feel pressure to skirt, ignore or break the rules.”  Some of the thieves, Collins and Wray say, are Chinese graduate students and visitors who steal from US laboratories, then hand that material to Chinese scientists and operatives working for the government there.  Apparently, some scientists who received funding also had labs in China, and took funds from Beijing, unbeknownst to the NIH or the universities with which they were affiliated. The work of the NIH has expanded in recent years and been beefed up by more funding from Congress.  Meanwhile, Chinese spying — and the pilfering of US intellectual property and research — have been concerns in other areas, notably technology.  The Trump administration has responded by restricting visas for Chinese students in high tech. “The biomedical research enterprise is under constant threat by risks to the security of intellectual property and the integrity of peer review,” Collins said, according to the Times, and “the magnitude of these risks is increasing.”  One source of the data thieves appears to be a Chinese talent recruitment program, said the chairman of the panel, Dr. M. Roy Wilson, president of Wayne State University, in Detroit.  The program, called Thousand Talents Plan, identifies global experts from Western colleges and companies and recruits them to work in China in the areas of science and technology.  The theft of data and research is requiring a whole new mindset at the NIH and universities, Wray said to Congress last year.  “The level of naïveté on the part of the academic sector about this creates its own issues,” Wray said, adding China is “exploiting the very open research and development environment that we have, which we all revere.”  Such espionage of trade secrets on behalf of a foreign government is a federal crime, the Times noted. The panel that advised the NIH urged the agency to broaden its disclosure requirements.  “Even though you could argue that what we’re doing doesn’t relate to the national security, in a sense it does relate to our economic security,” said Dr. Lawrence A. Tabak, NIH principal deputy director. “And it’s produced with taxpayer dollars.”