Texas biomedical research institute

Americans spend an estimated $5 billion a year on unproven herbal supplements that promise everything from fighting off colds to curbing hot flashes and boosting memory. But now there is a new reason for supplement buyers to beware: DNA tests show that many pills labeled as healing herbs are little more than powdered rice and weeds. Using a test called DNA barcoding, a kind of genetic fingerprinting that has also been used to help uncover labeling fraud in the commercial seafood industry, Canadian researchers tested 44 bottles of popular supplements sold by 12 companies. They found that many were not what they claimed to be, and that pills labeled as popular herbs were often diluted — or replaced entirely — by cheap fillers like soybean, wheat and rice. Consumer advocates and scientists say the research provides more evidence that the herbal supplement industry is riddled with questionable practices. Industry representatives argue that any problems are not widespread. For the … [Read more...] about Herbal Supplements Are Often Not What They Seem

States across the country are considering legislation that would ban Diversity, Equity and Inclusion  (DEI) initiatives on college campuses, according to a new tracker promoted by the Chronicle of Higher Education. State lawmakers should introduce bills to counter the growing DEI presence because “radical political activists now command so strong a position within universities,” David Randall, National Association of Scholars director of research, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “State legislators’ work is necessary, but all of us must work to free higher education from the pervasive tyranny of DEI bureaucracies,” he said. Several states are considering legislation that would stifle Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts on college campuses across the country, according to a new tracker operated by The Chronicle of Higher Education. The slew of legislation largely tackles banning mandatory DEI training, DEI-centered offices or programs or using DEI … [Read more...] about ‘Indoctrinate Students’: State Lawmakers Are Pushing Back On The Diversity Initiative Takeover On College Campuses

Advanced prosthetic technologies have restored a sense of touch for an amputee and are assisting others with spinal injuries to feel “whole” again, CBS News reported Sunday. Brandon Prestwood lost his left hand in 2012 after someone turned on an industrial conveyor belt he was reassembling. After years of using a hook to replace the hand he had lost, Prestwood volunteered to try out experimental prosthetics in a project sponsored by the Department of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Affairs which has given him back a basic sense of touch, CBS News reported . “It doesn’t feel exactly like my right hand. It’s a tingling sensation,” Prestwood told the outlet. “It’s not painful. It’s kind of like, if your hand’s been asleep, right at the end, right before it wakes up … for me, it’s pleasant, it’s a pleasant tingling.” Strides in prosthetic technology allow amputees and those with brain-controlled robotic limbs to feel a sense of touch using advanced prosthetic technology. Scott Pelley … [Read more...] about Advanced Prosthetic Technology Restores Sense Of Touch For Amputee

0 Politics & Government A program to help mobile home park residents, with $33.5 million in the bank, got a huge revamp last year because nobody was using it. CalMatters , News Partner Posted Reply By Manuela Tobias, CalMatters CALIFORNIA — Mobile home residents in California face an outsize risk of failing utility systems, flooding and fires as a result of infrastructure that frequently hasn’t been updated or repaired in decades. In 1984, California passed a law to help remedy this: a loan program, paid into by the residents themselves, to buy and in later iterations, fix their parks. But that solution, for the last 10 years, has helped only one of California’s 4,500 mobile home parks. State administrators approved a single loan application, in 2021, from a fund now worth $33.5 million, the state’s Housing and Community Development Department confirmed to CalMatters. The loan went to a non-profit organization … [Read more...] about CA Program To Fix Mobile Home Parks Approved 1 Application In 10 Years

You may know that artificial intelligence may scan your résumé when you apply for a job. But are you prepared to have an interview assessed by AI? Some employers are using AI to assess video interviews candidates do on their own time without a human on the other side. Depending on the software, the AI can evaluate a candidate's communication skills, problem-solving skills, initiative, professionalism and attitude. And ultimately, the AI screening could eliminate you before you ever speak to a human. Here's how these AI interviews typically work: Candidates are presented questions, either in text or from a recording created by the employer or software company, one at a time. The system records their video responses, often giving them a time limit, usually from one to a few minutes. Some employers allow candidates to rerecord some answers. When the interview is submitted, the AI takes over, analyzing the video for specific skills or traits and providing scores and insights to … [Read more...] about Your next job interview could be judged by AI. Here’s how to prepare.

2 Politics & Government If passed, consumers would have a clear picture of which companies are sustainably run and which are polluters. CalMatters , News Partner Posted Replies By Brianna McGuire/Charles Kieser, Guest Commentary, CalMatters CALIFORNIA — In January, state Sen. Scott Wiener introduced the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act, a first-in-the-nation measure that would require all companies doing business in California with over $1 billion in revenue to report all of their carbon emissions to the public. Transparency matters. This disclosure would make it harder for polluting companies to pretend that they have been benevolent actors, and easier for the public to hold them accountable for their failures. Senate Bill 253 is a major step to combating corporate greenwashing, which is a major obstacle to tackling the climate crisis. Most greenhouse gas emissions are released by corporations – in … [Read more...] about CA Bill Targets Corporate Polluters