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From idea to publication: How RISE Ambassadors are impacting science education

When Sara Brownell began the RISE Ambassadors program three years ago as part of her Charter Professorship, she hoped to make a positive impact on STEM learning environments by empowering undergraduate students to have greater agency in both the research conducted and its translation into meaningful change.

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Mar 25 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • news.asu.edu
Poll: 1 in 3 Adults Are Turning to AI Chatbots for Health Information, Equaling the Share Who Use Social Media for Health

About a third (32%) of adults nationally say they have turned to artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots in the past year for health information, a new KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust finds. Most who turned to AI for health information say they were in search of quick and immediate advice, though challenges affording and accessing health care also play a role, particularly for younger adults.

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Mar 25 • 5:00 AM EDT • Health • kff.org
KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust: Use of AI For Health Information and Advice

This poll finds that about as many adults are turning to AI for health information as social media, with health care costs and access driving many users, particularly younger users.

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Mar 25 • 5:00 AM EDT • Health • kff.org
Should computer science be compulsory in Ohio schools?

Currently, twelve states in the US are phasing in requirements for students to complete a computer science course before graduating high school. Should Ohio become the 13th state? That is what a pair of bills in the Ohio Statehouse are proposing to do.

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Mar 25 • 3:30 AM EDT • Science • ohiocapitaljournal.com
New business program to train students for competitive industries

Rice’s Virani Undergraduate School of Business announced the Moody Business Scholars Program on March 12. The program will introduce a new initiative to prepare students for careers in competitive industries.

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Mar 25 • 1:28 AM EDT • Business • ricethresher.org
7 new children’s and young adult books by local authors

The Northwest is home to a vibrant community of children’s and young adult authors. Celebrate early reading with these recommendations.

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Mar 24 • 5:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • yakimaherald.com
Brookdale Student Leana Vitale Turns Passion for Science into Research Success

Leana Vitale is proving that curiosity, determination, and hard work can open remarkable doors. A Brookdale student graduating this spring with two associate degrees in biology and chemistry, she has already distinguished herself as an

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Mar 24 • 10:47 AM EDT • Science • brookdalecc.edu
Robins School of Business ranks as a Top 20 undergraduate business school

Poets&Quants for Undergrads has named the University of Richmond’s business school a top 20 school for the fifth consecutive year.

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Mar 24 • 8:00 AM EDT • Business • urnow.richmond.edu
UCLA Health podcast shines a light on colorectal cancer prevention, early detection and rising risks

UCLA Health's podcast episode on colorectal cancer, featuring Dr. Eve Glazier, Katie Couric and Dr. Fola May, highlights the critical need for prevention and early detection amid rising risks, particularly among younger adults. The discussion focuses on cancer screening, lifestyle modifications and advocacy to reduce the incidence of this disease.

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Mar 24 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • uclahealth.org
He was Rubio’s friend and roommate. Now Rubio will testify against him.

Former congressman David Rivera, accused of secretly lobbying for Nicolás Maduro’s government in Venezuela, climbed Miami politics alongside Marco Rubio.

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Mar 24 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com
Colorado’s Tamale Act may decide whether home cooks can build a business

An eclectic coalition, including the MAHA call for “food freedom,” gave the law a second chance as backers push for immigrant assistance and entrepreneurship.

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Mar 24 • 5:00 AM EDT • Business • washingtonpost.com
City hosts workshop on business license renewals

The City of Paducah’s Finance Department hosted an informational workshop on business license renewals on Monday to help local businesses understand the process before the April 15 deadline.

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Mar 24 • 1:00 AM EDT • Business • paxtonmedia.com
We disagreed on politics. We agreed on wine. That was enough.

At the Virginia Governor’s Cup Gala in Richmond earlier this month, a very dapper gentleman approached me and introduced himself. In his light-colored suit and bowtie, he looked very Southern in a classical sense, the sort of Virginia Gentleman you used to see south of the Rappahannock as recently as my college days. “I’m a longtime reader and fan of your writing, if not your politics,” he said. His comment was the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove, simultaneously conveying praise and disapproval while establishing boundaries. Man, I wish we still discoursed like this instead of shouting bromides and insults to try and “own” our opponents with a funny meme and a furrowed brow. Subscribe “Well, we’ll always have wine to share together,” I said, and thanked him for his kind words. We clinked glasses, exchanged pleasantries about the delicious gold medal-winning wines being poured that evening, and went our separate ways. Our exchange reminded me that more unites us than divides us. Wine brings people together to share a meal and a few hours of joy despite our differences.1 That’s why I refer to the wine community — including readers and consumers — rather than the wine industry. Together, we are so much more than production, distribution and sales statistics. A few minutes later the evening’s awards ceremony began. Applause grew as the 12 winemakers who made the top-scoring wines for the Governor’s Case took the stage, including a loud cheer for Jonathan Wheeler of Trump Winery and his 2018 Blanc de Noir sparkling wine. All the winemakers on stage had reason to be proud, Wheeler perhaps more so. Trump Winery was the only winery to win six gold medals in the competition this year. (Wineries are limited to six entries.) Two of Wheeler’s ciders also won gold medals in a separate competition. When you cover the labels and take the sour taste of politics off your palate, the wines are pretty darn good.2 Then Gov. Abigail Spanberger, newly elected Democrat and Virginia’s first female governor, was introduced to great applause to announce which of the 12 wines had won the Governor’s Cup. She spoke for a few minutes about the importance of wine to Virginia’s economy and tourism and the international acclaim Virginia wine has received. Just two weeks earlier, she gave the Democrats’ response to Trump’s State of the Union speech, but this night wasn’t about politics. That didn’t stop several people in the crowd from speculating on the irony should she have to present the trophy to Trump Winery. In the end, Valley Road Vineyards was displayed on the screen behind Spanberger as the winning winery. Blue Bee Cidery in Richmond took top honors for that category. The crowd cheered a female governor presenting the state’s highest trophy to a female winemaker and then resumed the evening’s festivities, united by their mutual love of wine. A whiff of politics couldn’t dim the cheer of celebration and a community united by its love of wine. In Memoriam: Michel Rolland The global wine community lost a giant March 20, with the passing of Michel Rolland. He was 78. Rolland was the original “flying winemaker,” a globe-trotting consultant who helped Bordeaux regain its mojo in the 1970s and then shaped the rise of Napa Valley cult Cabernet as consultant to Simi, Harlan, Newton, Screaming Eagle, Araujo, Dalle Valle and other wineries. He was instrumental in Argentina’s rise to prominence and even had his own winery, Clos de los Siete, in a partnership with other wine families. Rolland’s career arc paralleled that of Robert Parker, the world’s most influential critic. Parker championed many of the wines Rolland consulted on, helping build his reputation and demand for his services. It also made him a target for Parker’s critics. As W. Blake Gray wrote on Wine-Searcher in his excellent tribute to Rolland: Rolland created the type of wines Parker loved: rich body, plenty of fruit, soft tannins. He sometimes faced the accusation of creating a generic international style of red wine, where the great wines he made in Argentina were indistinguishable from the great wines he made in France. Rolland chafed at that critique, as did many of his fans. He was credited with championing green harvesting and leaf pulling, as well as careful selection of grapes in the winery, practices we nearly universally think of today for high-quality winemaking. “Michel was an incredible innovator who changed how wine was made and how grapes were grown,” Napa Valley winemaker Aaron Pott wrote on Facebook. “His work has transformed the wine trade. He created new ways of looking at wine, tasting wine, evaluating ripeness and quality. … This was not just a man with a ‘style’ that he imposed on vineyards but a man that understood how to make great wine from great sites.” Rolland started his consulting company in 1973 in Libourne, in Bordeaux, with his wife, Dany. Both had graduated the year before from Bordeaux’s Institute d’Oenologie. The couple sold their majority share in the business in 2020, according to Wine Spectator. Over his career, Rolland reportedly worked with more than 100 wineries in 20 countries. He even made it to Virginia, where he consulted for Kluge Estate in the mid-2000s. (Kluge Estate is now Trump Winery.) Reader feedback, please! Last week, I did my first WineLine Live! with Dr. Laura Catena of Catena Zapata winery in Argentina. We enjoyed a fascinating discussion about her efforts to preserve the genetic heritage of old vineyards in Mendoza. I conceived of WineLine Live! for paid subscribers, as a thank you for your financial support. And while only a few people joined live, the video now has more views than I have paid subscribers, so I guess that’s pretty good. Even so, I’m considering opening future installments to anyone on Substack to reach a broader audience. So my questions to you: Should these be public? And what format do you prefer? Live gives a chat feature with the potential for viewers to interact with me and the guest, while a video post would just be that. Another alternative is a podcast, which would just be audio, without video of my chins. Please let me know in the comments. Leave a comment In the Glass A few wines I’ve enjoyed recently: Bonny Doon Vineyard Take Me to Your Liter, Le Cigare Volant, Red Wine of the Earth. 2023, Central Coast, CA. Blend of Grenache, Syrah Cinsaut and Petite Sirah. Delightful wine with expressive red fruit flavors, casual drinking. Doon lovers of a certain age will remember Randall Grahm’s Big House Red; this is more in that style than his original Le Cigare Volant, modeled after Chateauneuf du Pape. The liter bottle makes it an even better value. I see this online at about $15. Great value. Albert Bichot Bourgogne Pinot Noir Origines 2023. 13% - Textbook pinot noir and an excellent, affordable entry (regional) Burgundy. Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Wines of 2025. $24 at Total Wine & More. Loma Larga Pinot Noir 2021 “Coastal Cool Climate Wine”, Valle de Casablanca, Chile. An older sample, showing beautifully. Spicy and fruit forward. I’m seeing widely varied pricing online, from $18-$32. At the lower end, it’s a terrific value. 13.5% Dr. Loosen Riesling Dry 2016, Mosel, Germany. Found this “in the stack.” And it stacked up well, shedding some of its youthful acidity for opulent Riesling character, including a hint of the mineral oil older Riesling often features. A great value, as I’m seeing it as low as $14 online. 12% abv. Red Tail Ridge Blau Franc Blend 2024, Sans Oak, Finger Lakes. 13.4% abv. The name is a neat portmanteau of Blaufrankisch and Cabernet Franc, thus Blau Franc. The blend is 50-50, no oak involved. The Blau dominates on the palate, with the spicy caraway seed (think New York deli rye bread). The Franc adds body. The result is juicy, energetic and joyful. Sokol Blosser Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir 2025, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon. This first rosé of 2025 was a welcome respite to our cold, snowy winter here in the Mid-Atlantic. Oh man, I needed this! Bright and energetic, exuberant even, it perks up the mood and goes down fast. 13%. Certified B Corp. Ingredient and nutrition labeling, and in a modest way that doesn’t occupy a lot of label space. (Since it’s not required, presumably there are no minimum font size requirements.) More wineries should follow this example. Dave McIntyre's WineLine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Thanks for reading Dave McIntyre's WineLine! This post is public so feel free to share it. Share 1 Some restraint may be required. 2 Especially the bubblies.

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Mar 23 • 10:54 PM EDT • Politics • dmwineline.substack.com
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12 Movies About the Adult Entertainment Industry That Don't Sugarcoat Anything

These films about the adult entertainment industry that don't sugarcoat a thing.

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Mar 23 • 10:42 PM EDT • Entertainment • moviemaker.com
Latest stats show stress and lack of physical activity are rising, putting heart health at risk

As people navigate higher levels of stress and spend more of their day sitting, finding time to move can feel challenging. Less than half of adults and fewer than one in five children in the U.S. get ...

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Mar 23 • 8:40 PM EDT • Health • medicalxpress.com
NIU Today - Two business graduate degrees reimagined with a bold AI focus

Beginning this fall, two graduate degrees within the College of Business’s Department of Operations Management and Information Systems (OM&IS) will be reimagined to emphasize their focus on artificial intelligence and analytics. Formerly known as the Master of Science in Data Analytics (MSDA) degree, this degree has been transformed into the Master of Science in Business...

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Mar 23 • 8:00 PM EDT • Business • niutoday.info
Entertainment and more in the Mid-Ohio Valley

PARKERSBURG – The Artsbridge calendar for this week: TODAY * Geppetto Woodcarver’s Wood Quilt display, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., WesBanco, Market Street, Parkersburg * Art is Life/Life is Art, ages 55-plus,10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Parkersburg Art Center * Butterfly Photo Holder, ages 13-plus,11 a.m. to noon, Marietta Public Library * Hygge Club, adults, […]

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Mar 23 • 8:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • newsandsentinel.com
Demand for GLP-1 pills and shots surges, and not just for weight loss

Use of blockbuster anti-obesity drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound is growing, with about 1 in 8 adults in the U.S. saying they currently take the medications.

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Mar 23 • 7:52 PM EDT • Health • latimes.com
Long fingernails vs. touchscreens: This nail polish could help

Undergraduate's prototype conductive nail polish could turn long fingernails into touchscreen styluses.

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Mar 23 • 1:48 PM EDT • Technology • arstechnica.com
Bridging science and music - College of Arts and Sciences

Graduate student Briana Nave studies music's use and interactions with modern scientific medicine in the early 20th century.

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Mar 23 • 9:23 AM EDT • Science • college.unc.edu
University of Richmond Robins School of Business Ranked as Top 20 Undergraduate Business School

The University of Richmond’s Robins School of Business ranked in the top 20 of the annual by Poets&Quants for Undergrads, the leading online publication for undergraduate business education news.

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Mar 23 • 8:00 AM EDT • Business • news.richmond.edu
Venezuelans in New York City remain hopeful, weeks after Maduro’s capture

Maduro remains in U.S. custody facing federal charges.

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Mar 23 • 5:44 AM EDT • Politics • ny1.com
Rising Health Costs Push Some Middle-Aged Adults To Skip the Doc Until Medicare

Adults ages 50 through 64 faced some of the steepest increases in out-of-pocket costs for Obamacare plans after a set of federal subsidies expired at the end of December. Some say they are putting off care or considering dropping health insurance coverage until Medicare picks up the bill.

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Mar 23 • 5:00 AM EDT • Health • kffhealthnews.org
2026 Best Business Schools | How Alumni Rate Their Undergraduate Business Degrees

Alumni rate their undergraduate business programs in Poets&Quants’ 2026 ranking, evaluating academic experience, career preparation, advising, and how well their degrees support long-term career goals.

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Mar 23 • 12:00 AM EDT • Business • poetsandquantsforundergrads.com
Binghamton ranked No. 1 public business school in New York state

The Binghamton University School of Management jumped ahead in the prominent Best Undergraduate Business Schools of 2026 ranking by Poets & Quants, placing No. 1 among New York state’s public business schools.

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Mar 22 • 8:00 PM EDT • Business • binghamton.edu
Student researchers bring Kentucky State University science to Posters-at-the-Capitol

With lawmakers just steps away, three Kentucky State University undergraduates presented research on cattle health, soil amendments and food safety at the Capitol Annex on March 5, bringing student-led agricultural […]

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Mar 22 • 3:00 PM EDT • Science • state-journal.com
City of Paducah Finance Department to host informational workshop on Business License Renewals

In case you missed it, the City of Paducah Finance Department will host an informational workshop on Business License Renewals for local business owners at the McCracken County Library tomorrow,

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Mar 22 • 2:34 PM EDT • Business • wpsdlocal6.com
Your Thymus and Your Healthspan

Our thymus gland plays a central role in the development or our immune system, specifically for supporting T cell development (how these cells got their name, maturation and differentiation in the thymus) and discriminating between self and foreign, non-self antigen proteins with production of dendritic cells. As we age, our thymus gland shrinks—the process known as involution—with progressive change from spongy to fatty tissue, with loss of functionality. But this process, with respect to timeline and extent, markedly varies from one person to the next. And to make things even more complicated, our thymus gland anatomy and precise location in the chest also is highly variable. So the famous Frank Netter diagrams from the 1960s (such as at left below) don’t capture the remarkable heterogeneity that a random set of 12 chest CT scans (below at right). What I consider as 2 landmark papers in Nature this week (here and here) used AI to quantify health of the thymus in 2 large cohorts, and then correlate the metric to a broad array of health outcomes. In this edition of Ground Truths, I’m going to cover three questions: (1) How was thymus health determined by AI?; (2) How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? and (3) Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? Subscribe 1. How was thymus health determined by AI? This was accomplished by extensive work developing and validating an AI pipeline for 2 stages, the first for localization and segmentation of the thymus bed, and the second to quantify a digital marker, termed the thymic health score. There’s a lot to this algorithmic development, so I won’t go into all the details, but just provide a rudimentary outline of what was done. The 1st stage used supervised learning with 2 radiologists reviewing 2,461 chest CT scans. That work trained a 3D U-Net model to automatically identify the thymic bed’s 3D cropped region using center of mass coordinates, which reached 99.8% accuracy. The 2nd stage used a foundation model that was pre-trained with SwAV (which stands for Swapping Assignment between multiple Views), a self-supervised model, that generated a high-dimensional thymus representation of 4,096 features. That compares to the radiology reductionist and subjective scoring of 0 to 3 where 0 means the thymus is fully degenerated and fatty, and 3 is considered dense, intact glandular soft tissue. Notably, the self-supervised learning (SSL) performance was superior to supervised (AUC ~0.75 vs 0.55, respectively) reflecting the shallowness of the 0-3 classifier vs SSL’s holistic, self-taught AI. The thymic health score ranged from 0 to 100, with the highest number indexed to fully preserved thymic health. The algorithmic work extended to explainability with both Shapely value distribution, meaning the model was holistic not relying on any “magic” pixel, and occlusion sensitivity, demonstrating the model’s performance was not affected by ribs, sternum, lung tissue, but rather focused on the thymic bed directly. Below are a few saliency maps from the occlusion sensitivity that indicate the thymic bed focus, not affected by neighboring structures, using the jet color scale. Now the AI was ready for processing ~25,000 CT scans, each over 30 MB files, from the 2 large participant cohorts to provide a thymic health score, it did so in less than 14 hours, which is less than 2 seconds per scan! Share 2. How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? The two cohorts were the National Lung Screening Trial, NLST (N=25,031) and the Framingham Heart Study, FHS (N=2,581) each with baseline demographics and long term follow up of >12 years for health outcomes. From the NSLT, you can see below that increased age and body-mass index were correlated to reduced thymic health. And, overall, men had reduced thymic health scores compared with women. There are a lot of graphs in the paper for outcomes, for both the NLST and FHS cohorts. To simplify the major outcomes, below is a composite Figure with striking reduction of all-cause mortality and for the different causes of death. The results were consistent between the 2 cohorts. For example, the cardiovascular mortality hazard ratio average was 0.57 in NLST and 0.38 in FHS (weighted to be 0.53 for the aggregate). The reduction of mortality also extended to digestive diseases and pulmonary disease (data not shown below). Lung cancer incidence was reduced by 36% for high vs low thymic health (Figure below, with a panel -incidence and b panel-mortality, adjusted for age, sex, BMI, smoking status). Notably, there was a smoker’s paradox: lower incidence and improved survival for lung cancer in smokers who had a high thymus health score. Smoking was associated with lower thymic scores whereas alcohol was not. Higher thymic health was linked to higher HDL cholesterol, lower triglycerides, lower fasting blood glucose, and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Inflammation biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, were elevated in the people with lower thymic health scores. In their second paper, the same team looked at the relationship between thymic score and outcomes for 3,476 patients receiving cancer immunotherapy. The non-small cell lung cancer progression-free survival was reduced in patients with low thymic health score. A parallel relationship for survival was seen for other types of cancer including melanoma, breast, and kidney with a 44% lower risk among high thymic scores (Figure). A similar pattern was seen with different immune checkpoint inhibitors. The thymus health score outperformed programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1)and tumor mutation burden (TMB) assay of the tumor and was an independent prognostic marker of progression-free survival. In this dataset, a direct connect with thymus score and adaptive immune function was noted with a correlation before cancer treatment for both T-cell diversity and thymus T-cell production (a metric known as T cell receptor excision circles). Thymus Removal Study There is a highly relevant citation about thymus function before moving onto ways to rejuvenate it. In 2023, a very important study of thymus removal during cardiothoracic surgery was published, with 1146 patients undergoing thymus removal vs 1146 matched controls (mean age 55 years). The adverse outcomes for thymus removal were striking, with a 2.9 higher risk of all-cause mortality and doubling of cancer incidence, 1.5 fold increase in cancer mortality, and 1.5-fold increase in autoimmune diseases. The immune function showed marked compromise after thymus removal, as reflected by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (Figure below) Share Ground Truths 3. Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? In recent months we’ve learned a lot about the process of thymus involution and the pathways by which this may be modulated. Thymus involution is primarily due to loss to thymus epithelial cells (TECs) and there are 2 subtypes with different functions: the cortical, responsible for positive selection of T cells, and the medullary, for negative selection. When adipose tissue infiltrates the thymus, thymic adipocytes are pro-inflammatory, knocking out T-cell output. Likewise, systemic inflammation, or “inflammaging,” from smoking, obesity, and chronic stress promote thymic adipocytes. Now, from preclinical studies, we know about key pathways that account for these processes. Historically, back in 2014, FOXN1 was recognized as a single master transcription factor essential for TEC function, with studies in mice with forced FOXN1 upregulation leading to thymus regeneration. That laid the foundation for potential regrowth of quiescent thymus cells. It took awhile to find pathways to accomplish this goal and to even refute its role as the master regulator. The Liver-Thymus Axis Feng Zhang and his team recently showed that injection of an mRNA vaccine to the liver encoding DLL1, IL-7 and FLT3-L in combination, factors known to support thymopoiesis (Figure), successfully enhanced immune function in aged mice. However, the effect was transient. The FGF21 Story Two reports in 2025 addressed the thymus gland’s production of FGF21, a growth factor (fibroblast growth factor 21) and its control of thymus involution. This growth factor is also produced by the liver, but it doesn’t have impact on the thymus in aged rodent models. In contrast, The liver’s hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been shown to reverse senescent TEC structural changes. Growth hormone stimulates production of insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the liver and the thymus. Two small studies in human participants (TRIIM, for Thymus Regeneration, Immunorestoration, and Insulin Mitigation) of 6 and 50 people, respectively, treated with combined human growth hormone, metformin and DHEA, suggested the potential of slowing epigenetic aging and improving thymus mass and function. But the combination of drugs, small sample, and lack of controls make conclusions murky. Increased thymus FGF21 led to increased CD8 T cells in old mice and extended healthspan and improved physical performance. Building on the previous FOXN1 data, ablation of β-klotho, the obligatory co-receptor for FOXN1, accelerated thymic aging. The benefit to FGF21 was confirmed in a companion paper using an FGF21 knock-in mouse model showing thymus enlargement and increased TECs throughout the lifespan. (schematic Figure below). The accompanying editorial for these 2 papers speculated: “The proposed link between age-associated thymus involution and organismal aging is intriguing, and suggests we might seek to achieve systemic rejuvenation by counteracting thymic involution.” Other Factors Lessons from the Axolotl (Mexican Salamander) In an elegant set of experiments of the axolotl (Figure), known for its complete thymus regeneration after total surgical removal, mediators were identified. Surprisingly FOXN1 was dispensable. But midkine, a growth factor, appeared to be the driver, the initiator of thymus cell growth, survival, and repair. Other components that contributed were Postn+ (periostin-expressing mesenchymal niches) and Ccl19, a chemokine protein from the bloodstream. RANK and RANKL RANK (receptor activator of nuclear factor κB its ligand (RANKL) have been considered key regulators of medullary TECs. In a study of both aged mice and human thymus cell cultures, their key role was confirmed, with multiple benefits of resorting TEC function, recruitment of progenitor cells, and T cell development. Subscribe Summing Up This body of work strongly supports the health of the thymus gland as a critical regulator of human healthspan, not just a correlate or link. The new landmark studies are reinforced by the regenerative biology experimental models that have shown, via an array of mediators, that healthspan of aged mice is at least in part dependent on thymus gland function and its critical role for maintaining adaptive immunity. It sure seems that we’d be better off having an immune reservoir of naive T cells instead of a profile in older adults of exhausted, low quality, memory T cells, with a senescent phenotype. It is striking that we ignored the importance of the thymus gland for many decades. A wake-up call was the results of the thymectomy matched control study reviewed here, with the opposite of high thymic health score improved health outcomes. The convergence of AI and healthspan here is notable. The exceptional and laborious work for developing and validating (no less explaining) the AI to quantify thymus health set the foundation for probing the connect the major health outcomes in two cohorts with extensive follow-up. We’ve never had a way to meaningfully quantify the thymus gland before, so this represents important leverage of supervised, self-supervised, and transformer models. The study wouldn’t have been possible without AI. And it begs the question as to whether there are ways we can maintain our thymus at a high health score. But it’s not so simple to rejuvenate our thymus. There are multiple risks including the induction of autoimmunity, increasing the risk of cancer, and inducing a pro-inflammatory state. For example, factors that increase TEC proliferation could compromise the medulllary negative selection process and leak out auto-reactive (self-attacking) T cells. Thymic cells could be induced to proliferate, but we know, for example, that growth hormone and IGF-1 are associated with an increase risk of cancer. If thymus rejuvenation doesn’t clear out the accumulated senescent cells in older adults, then inflammation within the gland could block the production of TECs. Keeping these risks in mind, we now have identified many ways to keep our thymus healthy as we age that undoubtedly will be tested in clinical trials going forward. Ultimately, the benefit-to-risk tradeoffs will be defined. In the meantime, we have desperately needed an immunome. As I’ve stressed in multiple prior Ground Truths, we have no test in the clinic to assess a patient’s immune status! It was very encouraging for me to get an email from Hugo Aerts, the senior author of the landmark papers in the days after they were published: “I also wanted to say that your Substack on “Why We Need an Immunome” was inspiring for this work. We found it a very compelling perspective and greatly enjoyed reading it.” Just having an assessment of a person’s immune status via a chest CT scan, with millions of these performed per year, might help in guiding the right immunotherapy for cancer (e.g. more intensive, combinations for those with low thymic health scores) and help define people who are increased risk for age-related diseases of cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative. The main theme of Super Agers is that we now have many layers of data (genetics, proteins, biomarkers, organ clocks that can be integrated via multimodal AI) for us to define a person’s specific risk decades before one of these age-related diseases leads to symptoms, enabling prevention. From the new studies this week, we can add thymus health score as yet another way to understand a person’s risk, a window into their adaptive immune system and healthspan. And perhaps someday we will be able to safely rejuvenate the thymus, or maintain its health through one’s life, and use the thymus health score to monitor. NB: I wrote this post (No A.I.) A Quick Poll Loading... ********************************************************************* Thanks to Ground Truths subscribers (now > 200,000) from every US state and 212 countries. Your subscription to these free essays and podcasts makes my work in putting them together worthwhile. Please join! If you found this interesting PLEASE share it! Share Ground Truths Paid subscriptions are voluntary and all proceeds from them go to support Scripps Research. They do allow for posting comments and questions, which I do my best to respond to. Please don’t hesitate to post comments and give me feedback. Let me know topics that you would like to see covered. Leave a comment Many thanks to those who have contributed—they have greatly helped fund our summer internship programs for the past two years. It enabled us to accept and support 47 summer interns in 2025! We aim to accept even more of the several thousand who will apply for summer 2026.

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Mar 22 • 2:18 PM EDT • Health • erictopol.substack.com
Immigration crackdown impact on local Latino-owned businesses

Latino business owners told WRAL News that fear and uncertainty following a nationwide crackdown in immigration enforcement are keeping some families out of public spaces, leaving small businesses struggling to survive. This story was written by Oriana Torre, a senior graduating journalism student at the University of Florida, participating in the CBC-UNC News Media Multiplatform Fellowship.

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Mar 22 • 1:39 PM EDT • Business • wral.com
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Oscar-Winning Alumnus Returns to Pasadena’s ArtCenter for Entertainment Design Expo

One week after winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, KPop Demon Hunters co-director Chris Appelhans returns today to ArtCenter College of Design, the Pasadena campus where he studied illustration, for the college’s third annual Entertainment Design Expo. The expo, known as ENTX, opens the Hillside Campus to the public for a full day of gallery exhibitions, game playtesting, animation screenings and interactive experiences featuring work from more than 200 ArtCenter students and alumni. General admission is free with advance registration. Two industry panels — including Appelhans’s talk — require $15 tickets. Appelhans, who graduated from ArtCenter with a bachelor of fine arts in 2002, co-directed KPop Demon Hunters with Maggie Kang. The animated film, produced by Sony Pictures Animation and released on Netflix, became the streaming platform’s most-watched film in history, according to Netflix, and swept awards season with wins at the Golden Globes, the Annie Awards and the Grammys before taking the Oscar on March 15. His talk and audience Q&A is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. in the Ahmanson Auditorium. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. The film’s ArtCenter ties extend beyond its co-director. Art director Angela Sung, cinematographer Gary H. Lee, visual development artist Celine Kim and painter Simon Baek are all ArtCenter graduates who worked on the production, according to the college. The free portions of ENTX include a concept design showcase, a production design gallery, a model gallery, a stop motion studio preview, an alumni gallery and a KPop Demon Hunters fan art gallery. Visitors can also playtest games designed by ArtCenter students. An Animation Shorts Showcase runs from 2 to 3 p.m. and includes “Boy, I’m Scared,” a capstone short by ArtCenter graduate Lindsey Tenaglia that was named a semifinalist for the 2025 Student Academy Awards in the animation category. Also screening

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Mar 22 • 8:30 AM EDT • Entertainment • pasadenanow.com
Owners of Peoria business are selling it. Here's why

This Manual graduate has been trying to sell his Peoria business for about two years. Now, he has found a prospective buyer.

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Mar 22 • 6:20 AM EDT • Business • pjstar.com
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Rising health costs push some middle-aged adults to skip the doc until Medicare

Adults ages 50 through 64 saw health care costs skyrocket after Obamacare subsidies faded. Now some are delaying care until Medicare kicks in.

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Mar 22 • 5:02 AM EDT • Health • usatoday.com
Eating More Ultra-Processed Foods Could Damage Your Bones. Here's Why

Eating higher amounts of ultra-processed foods is associated with lower bone mineral density and a higher risk of hip fractures, even in younger adults under 65.

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Mar 22 • 3:33 AM EDT • Health • healthline.com
Scientists Recruit Undergrad to Step Into Room Filled With Ravenous Mosquitoes for “Full-Body Massacre”

Researchers at Georgia Tech used undergraduate student Chris Zuo as bait in trials to study mosquito flight behaviors.

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Mar 21 • 2:00 PM EDT • Science • futurism.com
Wine vs beer vs spirits: Which is the least bad for your health?

A study of 340,000 adults suggests not all alcohol carries the same risk - even at low to moderate levels, beer, cider and spirits were linked to higher mortality, while wine was associated with a lower risk.

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Mar 21 • 2:00 AM EDT • Health • euronews.com
Whitman School Announces Alumnus, Business Leader as 2026 Convocation Speaker

Steven W. Barnes ’82, H’19, a senior advisor at Bain Capital and former Board of Trustees chair, will address graduates at the May 9 ceremony.

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Mar 20 • 4:30 PM EDT • Business • news.syr.edu
NVIDIA DLSS 5 Takes 2D Frame and Motion Vectors as Input

The public is still learning more about DLSS 5 technology, and NVIDIA is gradually revealing additional details. In a conversation between YouTuber Daniel Owen and NVIDIA's GeForce Evangelist Jacob Freeman, we discover that DLSS 5 essentially takes 2D frames and motion vectors as input, applying its...

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Mar 20 • 1:08 PM EDT • Technology • techpowerup.com
Michigan confirms measles outbreak in Washtenaw County: What to know

An initial case was identified in an unvaccinated adult who visited sites in Ypsilanti and Canton earlier this month. Since then, two more related cases have been reported.

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Mar 20 • 8:26 AM EDT • Health • bridgemi.com
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Babson Taps Multigenerational Business Leaders for 2026 Commencement Addresses

CEO and Executive Chairman of Metropoulos & Co. C. Dean Metropoulos '67, MBA'68, will give the undergraduate Commencement address, with Cisneros CEO Adriana Cisneros speaking at the graduate Commencement ceremony.Wellesley, Massachusetts--(Newsfile Corp. - March 19, 2026) - Babson College will honor the achievements of more than 740 undergraduate and 540 graduate members of the Class of 2026 before thousands of family members, faculty, friends, colleagues, and peers in separate on-campus...

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Mar 19 • 12:37 PM EDT • Business • finance.yahoo.com
Essentia Health holding advance care planning classes

ACP is a process that helps you think and talk about your choices for health care in the future. It’s important for every adult to have an advance directive, also known as a living will or health care directive.

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Mar 19 • 11:15 AM EDT • Health • essentiahealth.org
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Only 4 Louisiana parishes fall below the U.S. average for adults with COPD. See the data.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is the 5th-leading cause of death in the United States and the cause of more than 150,000 deaths each year. Here's the data for each Louisiana parish.

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Mar 19 • 10:30 AM EDT • Health • nola.com
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2 men arrested after shooting at adult entertainment club from Lamborghini SUV, police say - WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

PINECREST, FLA. (WSVN) - Two men were arrested after, authorities say, they shot several bullets at an adult entertainment club.The incident happened at the StirRead More

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Mar 18 • 10:22 PM EDT • Entertainment • wsvn.com
Health officials confirm measles case in Weld County adult

Colorado health officials have confirmed a case of measles in an adult residing in Weld County.

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Mar 18 • 9:05 PM EDT • Health • kdvr.com
UC-created algorithm can help treat chronic health condition

High blood pressure affects about half of U.S. adults.

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Mar 18 • 6:28 PM EDT • Health • sfgate.com
Family Sharing in iOS 26.4 No Longer Forces Adults to Share a Payment Method

With iOS 26.4, Apple has made a small but useful change to the way that Family Sharing works. Each adult member of the family can now use their own payment method for purchases, rather than being forced to share a payment method. Apple has long required all of the members of a Family Sharing group to use a single shared payment method for app and content purchases when purchase sharing is turned on, with no option for family members to use separate payment methods.

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Mar 18 • 2:06 PM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com
Thymus may be critical to adult health

Research indicates the often-overlooked organ can be key predictor in longevity, disease risk, and cancer treatment outcomes.

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Mar 18 • 12:00 PM EDT • Health • news.harvard.edu
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Science-minded student charts research, service path at Penn State

When Eva SinhaRoy arrived at University Park a couple years ago, she was a little overwhelmed at the possibilities. The science-minded student knew she wanted to focus on research, but she also wanted to build skills in other areas such as leadership. Since then, she's found her place in undergraduate research, leadership, and campus activities such as THON and the Presidential Leadership Academy.

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Mar 18 • 9:09 AM EDT • Science • psu.edu
Platner responds to Mills’ ad highlighting past comments

The ad quoted Platner writing that if women want to avoid rape they should make sure they don’t get so altered that “they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to” and that they should “act like an adult.”

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Mar 18 • 7:34 AM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
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Mills County authorities identify burglary suspect in adult entertainment club case

The Mills County Sheriff’s Department has identified a suspect in the burglary of an adult entertainment club in Council Bluffs.

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Mar 17 • 2:27 PM EDT • Entertainment • wowt.com
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Hawks fans sport Magic City gear despite canceled promotion

Hawks fans showed up in Magic City gear Monday night even though the NBA shut down the team's short-lived promotion with the well-known adult entertainment club.

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Mar 17 • 9:09 AM EDT • Sports • espn.com
Primary care consultation modality and acute mental health service use in adults

Nature Mental Health - Using retrospective health-record analyses, Hidalgo-Padilla et al. evaluated whether differences in remote versus in-person primary care consultations were associated with...

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Mar 16 • 8:00 PM EDT • Health • nature.com
Bridging Classrooms and Cutting-Edge Science

Kat Bay ’16, a University of La Verne chemistry alumna, now manages the Teaching with Schrödinger program (Courtesy Kat Bay). The ULV alumna now helps professors and students around the world explore chemistry through advanced computational tools When Kat Bay reflects on her journey from undergraduate chemistry major to manager of the Teaching with Schrödinger program, […]

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Mar 16 • 4:31 PM EDT • Science • laverne.edu
NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County Adult Intensive Care Units Earn National Beacon Awards for Excellence - NYC Health + Hospitals

NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County today announced that two of its adult critical care units have been nationally recognized by the American Association

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Mar 16 • 10:51 AM EDT • Health • nychealthandhospitals.org
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Are Cellphones Harmful to My Health?

For older adults, excessive smartphone time can fuel anxiety, isolation and even physical pain

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Mar 16 • 10:41 AM EDT • Health • aarp.org
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New Grant to Grow Interdisciplinary Biochemistry Master’s Program

Dontae Mosley wasn’t sure graduate school was within his reach due to financial constraints, but thanks to the Interdisciplinary Biochemistry Master’s Program, he was able to pursue his master’s degree and launch his career in the biotech industry. Now, more biochemistry graduate students will have the same opportunity through a new grant from the National Science Foundation.

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Mar 16 • 10:25 AM EDT • Science • cals.ncsu.edu
Large rapamycin clinical trial launches at UT Health San Antonio - UT Health San Antonio

A drug once known almost exclusively for preventing organ transplant rejection is now at the center of a National Institute on Aging-funded clinical study at UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio), to determine how rapamycin should be used in older adults to […]

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Mar 16 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • news.uthscsa.edu
Girls in Math and Science Day welcomes young scientists with unique STEM experiences

The Mid-Michigan Graduate Women in Science chapter and campus RSO hosted a Girls in Math and Science Day on March 14. This year’s event had the highest attendance since the pandemic, with an estimated 150 kids, 150 volunteers and 80 parents in attendance.

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Mar 16 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • statenews.com
Rice Business’ online MBA ranked among world’s top programs by Financial Times

Rice’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business has been ranked among the world’s leading online MBA programs in the Financial Times Global Online MBA Rankings, placing No. 13 globally (tied with the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University) and No. 6 in the United States.

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Mar 16 • 8:00 AM EDT • Business • news.rice.edu
Healthy ageing in Singapore: why health literacy matters

As Singapore becomes a “super-ageing” society, health literacy is key to helping older adults navigate care, stay healthy and remain socially connected. Explore the policies and initiatives supporting healthy ageing.

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Mar 16 • 5:55 AM EDT • Health • impact.economist.com
Driving habits of teens and young adults

Nearly all parents think their teen or young adult child’s driving ability is as good or better than other teens and young adults. 1 in 3 parents worry their teen or young adult driver will cause an accident. 1 in 4 parents have taken steps to address their teen or young adult child’s driving behavior. Witnessing risky driving behavior does not affect parents’ rating of their teen or young adult child’s driving ability.

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Mar 16 • 12:00 AM EDT • Health • mottpoll.org
Researchers Upload Fly’s Brain to Matrix, Let It Control Virtual Body

A company claims to have simulated the neurons of an adult fruit fly's brain and letting it roam inside a Matrix-like virtual environment.

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Mar 15 • 6:45 AM EDT • Science • futurism.com
Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas agrees that Computer Science is gradually returning to the domain of…

Tech News News: Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity AI, added his weight to a growing conversation about what AI is doing to software engineering. On March 13, he quo.

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Mar 14 • 1:25 PM EDT • Science • timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Column | The enduring truth of Tupac’s ‘money for wars, but can’t feed the poor’

New data shows one-third of U.S. adults have cut back on essentials like food, utilities and gas to cover health care expenses.

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Mar 14 • 6:30 AM EDT • Health • washingtonpost.com
Millions more people may need to start cholesterol-lowering medications as young as their 30s. Here’s why

Millions more adults should consider starting cholesterol-lowering medications earlier to reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke, according to new medical guidance.

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Mar 13 • 2:00 PM EDT • Health • cnn.com
Micah Bob Finds His Foundation in Materials Science

UC Davis materials science and engineering student Micah Bob studies sustainable cement alternatives to reduce carbon emissions. As graduation approaches, he reflects on the transformative course, research experiences and campus life — including MASC and Video Game Orchestra — that shaped his journey.

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Mar 13 • 1:04 PM EDT • Science • engineering.ucdavis.edu
New N.Y. legislation aims to protect both children and adults online

The Stop Online Predators Act was included in the governor’s State of the State proposals.

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Mar 12 • 7:10 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
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Course-based research experiences opens science opportunities

When Maribel Lupe took biology at her rural Fresno County high school, she didn’t get opportunities to do lab work. As a Fresno State undergraduate, she was able to work hands-on in scientific research through the Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) program. The opportunity to do research work transformed Lupe from a disengaged student to […]

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Mar 12 • 4:51 PM EDT • Science • today.fresnostate.edu
Aging could slow down with one common daily habit: 'Live longer and better'

Daily multivitamin use slowed biological aging by about four months in a two-year study of nearly 1,000 participants, with the biggest benefits in older adults.

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Mar 12 • 2:37 PM EDT • Health • foxnews.com
Atlassian CEO's layoff letter is good news for graduates

Atlassian highlighted graduates as a worker category it wanted to retain amid cuts, in addition to high performers and those with transferable skills.

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Mar 12 • 12:29 PM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
Alexa+ gets a new 'adults only' personality option that curses but won't do NSFW content

The new Sassy style can curse and roast you, but the fun ends there.

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Mar 12 • 11:16 AM EDT • Technology • techcrunch.com
Alexa+ gets a new 'adults only' personality option that curses but won't get into NSFW content

The new Sassy style can curse and roast you, but the fun ends there.

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Mar 12 • 11:16 AM EDT • Technology • techcrunch.com
Scientists discover a universal temperature curve that governs all life

Researchers have uncovered a universal pattern showing how temperature affects life on Earth. Across thousands of species—from microbes to reptiles—performance rises gradually with warming until an optimal temperature is reached, after which it drops sharply. Although each species has its own preferred temperature range, they all follow the same underlying curve. This surprising constraint suggests evolution may have limited room to help species cope with rapid climate warming.

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Mar 12 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
Rice Business launches Moody Business Scholars Program to accelerate undergraduate career pathways

Rice’s Virani Undergraduate School of Business is introducing the Moody Business Scholars Program, a highly selective, cohort-based undergraduate experience designed to prepare high-achieving business students for high-profile careers in competitive industries.

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Mar 12 • 8:00 AM EDT • Business • news.rice.edu
This Free Tool Can Predict 30-Year Heart Disease Risk for Younger Adults

In TODAY.com's Expert Tip of the Day, cardiologists advise trying an online calculator that lets younger people find out their 30-year heart disease risk.

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Mar 12 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • today.com
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More Concussions Linked To Worse Brain Health Among Recent College Grads

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterTHURSDAY, March 12, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Former college athletes can show signs of concussion-related brain decline as early as five years after graduation, a new study says. Athletes who had three or more concussions during college play had worse scores on ...

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Mar 12 • 6:45 AM EDT • Health • usnews.com
Depression may start with an energy problem in brain cells

Researchers have discovered a surprising change in how cells produce energy in people with depression. Brain and blood cells in young adults with major depressive disorder produced more energy molecules at rest but had trouble increasing energy production when needed. Scientists believe this imbalance may contribute to symptoms such as fatigue and low motivation. The finding could help pave the way for earlier diagnosis and more personalized treatments.

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Mar 11 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
Hidden Majoritarianism Hinders Women's Political Careers -

In the APSA Public Scholarship Program, graduate students in political science produce summaries of new research in the American Political Science Review. This piece, written by Ximena Caló, covers the new article by Daniel M. [...]

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Mar 11 • 2:00 PM EDT • Politics • politicalsciencenow.com
Michigan reports 1st measles case of 2026: What you need to know

Health officials say an adult with measles exposed others to the virus between March 4-8 at multiple locations across two Michigan counties.

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Mar 11 • 1:19 PM EDT • Health • freep.com
Lake Erie College, BGSU announce Exercise Science graduate school partnership

The agreement creates formal pathways to BGSU's Athletic Training, Physical Therapy, and Occupational Therapy graduate programs for Painesville students.

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Mar 11 • 12:27 PM EDT • Science • cleveland.com
California's Charming Los Angeles Suburb Boasts Artsy Vibes And Entertainment

The California Los Angeles suburb of Moorpark, in Ventura County, boasts artsy vibes, entertainment for adults and kids, festivals, and a walkable downtown.

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Mar 11 • 10:15 AM EDT • Entertainment • islands.com
NFL Free Agency Rumors: Eagles interested in Trey Hendrickson

Interesting!

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Mar 11 • 8:49 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Clemson graduate Michael Newman turns passion for science into communications career

In graduate school, Newman realized that while he loved science, bench research was not for him. Instead, he's spent his career as a science communicator.

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Mar 10 • 3:41 PM EDT • Science • news.clemson.edu
Mental health solutions for the digital age

Ask the digital natives of Gen Z about the source of their biggest mental health challenges, and most will say social media and AI.Several of the nearly 400 guests at the third annual Gen Z Wellness Summit, presented by the Friends of Semel Teen Advisory Council at UCLA on March 8, explicitly named the endless stream of content on their phones as serious stressors. “Everybody is addicted to (Tik Tok) as if they were addicted to substances,” said Jantin Asmar, 17, a senior at Virtual Academy in Antelope Valley. “We’re always chasing that dopamine. We’re expecting that dopamine rush and it’s really decaying our interactions with others.” High school student Jantin Asmar was among nearly 400 people who attended the third annual Gen Z Wellness Summit. (Photo by Sandy Cohen) Even young teens feel pressure to be on social media constantly, both to consume content and collect “likes,” said 13-year-olds Chloe and Sophia, both students at Brentwood School. “Everyone’s always on, and you miss stuff if you’re not on it,” Chloe said, adding that social media’s emphasis on appearances is leading to eating disorders: “That’s a big thing for our generation.”The incessant influx of images and updates creates expectations that “weigh teenagers down,” said Linda Kou, 16, a junior at San Gabriel High School.Even though digital spaces allow people to connect with others beyond their immediate surroundings, it doesn’t always translate to real-life community, said Kelah Morgan, 17, a senior at Animo South Los Angeles Charter High School. High school students Kelah Morgan, left, and Linda Kou, shared about the challenges presented by social media. (Photo by Sandy Cohen) “Even if you see people saying that they relate to you online, it might be hard to find people in your personal life who you see every day who you feel comfortable enough to say, ‘You see me online, but this is me in real life and what I’m actually going through,’” she said.Solutions for our digital timesThe Gen Z Wellness Summit was intentionally designed as a free, in-person gathering where young people interested in mental health from across the southland could meet in person. “Peer support is the most important element of maintaining our mental health in community,” said Helena Hansen, MD, PhD, director of UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.Keynote speakers at the summit addressed AI, social connection and self-empowerment, while breakout sessions included discussions about eating disorders, dating, substance use, phone detox and breathwork. Here are some of the day’s top takeaways:Beware of FOPO: Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD, a psychology professor at Columbia University, said that rather than FOMO, or fear of missing out, we ought to be more aware of FOPO: fear of people’s opinions. “Just think about how much your FOPO might be holding you back in your life,” Dr. Kaufman said. “And just that inner contemplation should be enough for you to change your life, because there’s so many things we don’t go after because we have debilitating FOPO.”We don’t need to feel like we’re the best – or what he called “narcissistic self-esteem” – but it’s helpful to acknowledge our own worth, recognize our good qualities and develop self-belief in the skills and talents we’ve cultivated. When we have that – dignity and self-respect, without needing everyone to like us – FOPO is less of a concern.Self-reflection is most effective in community: “When we try to self-reflect alone, we sometimes ruminate,” said Ira Bedzow, PhD, executive director of the Emory University Purpose Project. “But when we self-reflect with people that we trust … (it) allows us to hold ourselves accountable to different ways of seeing and different ways of hearing and different ways of being.”Opening up about our experiences and listening to others are skills we can develop, Dr. Bedzow said.He invited students to participate in what he called a “fishbowl exercise,” where four students sat in a small circle, surrounded by a dozen or so students forming a larger circle. Those in the inner circle answered such questions as: “What stops you from being you today?” and “What helps you feel most like you?”Within minutes, the group in the small circle (the fishbowl), were sharing intimately about their life challenges as those in the outer circle nodded in understanding.After the exercise, one participant said, “I felt like I wasn’t alone, that it wasn’t just me who feels that way.”Another remarked on how “personal” it felt to share face-to-face with others, even strangers.Don’t let AI crush your creativity: Theoretical neuroscientist Vivienne Ming, PhD, has been studying artificial intelligence for more than 20 years. And while she said “it’s reasonable to be concerned” about the fast-growing technology, it can also help humans become better problem-solvers when used strategically.“The smartest thing on the planet today are humans and machines working together creatively,” Dr. Ming said. “What gets more valuable in humans as machines get smarter? Our ability to explore the unknown.“Your unique voice is literally your value to the world … but most of us for most of our lives have been taught to not be unique,” she continued. “Be your own person. Celebrate being different. It is genuinely, measurably, truly valuable.”In a breakout session called “Phone Detox? IYKYK: Living Your Story IRL” led by Don Grant, PhD, students shared their frustrations with AI compromising academic work, art and creativity.“Art is a translation of human experience,” one participant said. “When people use AI, they diminish their own human experience.”Dr. Grant urged them, as “the last generation to remember a world before AI,” to remember the power of imagination and creativity – and to act on it.Remember that social media distorts perceptions: Stuart B. Murray, PhD, PsyD, who directs the Eating Disorders Program and Translational Research in Eating Disorders Program at UCLA, asked the students in his breakout session to take a spontaneous selfie and edit it to conform with society’s beauty standards. All 20 girls in the room immediately got to work, thickening their hair, slimming their faces, plumping their lips.“The pressure to look like what we present on social media can be crippling,” Dr. Murray said. “We now know that social media use is part of a causal pathway into an eating disorder.”Adolescents and young adults are most at risk of developing an eating disorder, he said, with one in three students on college campuses exhibiting clinically meaningful eating-disorder symptoms. More than 4 million people in California will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.Even for those who don’t develop anorexia or bulimia, the ubiquity of modified images online distorts what we consider normal, making us feel worse about ourselves. Remembering that, he and other speakers said, might inspire us to log off occasionally and spend time in the real world with people who love us as we are.

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Mar 10 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • uclahealth.org
Entertainment and more in the Mid-Ohio Valley

The Artsbridge Calendar of Events for the week: Today * Geppetto Woodcarver’s Wood Quilt on display, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., WesBanco, Market Street * Art is Life/Life is Art, ages 55 and up, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Parkersburg Art Center * Hygge Club, adults, 11 a.m. to noon, South Parkersburg Public Library * […]

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Mar 9 • 8:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • newsandsentinel.com
NBA cancels Hawks' plans to celebrate Magic City adult entertainment club

Atlanta announced the plan last month, saying the team would pay tribute to an “iconic cultural institution.”

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Mar 9 • 6:36 PM EDT • Entertainment • nbcmiami.com
NBA cancels Atlanta Hawks’ plans to celebrate famed Magic City adult entertainment club

Luke Kornet of the San Antonio Spurs spoke out about the idea and urged the parties involved to reconsider.

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Mar 9 • 6:07 PM EDT • Entertainment • nbcnews.com
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NBA cancels Atlanta Hawks’ plans to celebrate famed Magic City adult entertainment club

The NBA has called off the Atlanta Hawks' plans for a night celebrating the city's famed Magic City adult entertainment club, saying it did so because of “concerns” from many across the league.

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Mar 9 • 5:49 PM EDT • Entertainment • wtop.com
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NBA cancels Atlanta Hawks' plans to celebrate famed Magic City adult entertainment club

The NBA has called off the Atlanta Hawks’ plans for a night of celebrating the city’s famed Magic City adult entertainment club, saying it was responding to “concerns” from many […]

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Mar 9 • 5:48 PM EDT • Entertainment • wabe.org
NBA cancels Atlanta Hawks’ promotion with Magic City adult entertainment club after backlash

The NBA has canceled a popular Atlanta Hawks promotion with Magic City after receiving some backlash.

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Mar 9 • 5:34 PM EDT • Entertainment • walb.com
NBA cancels Atlanta Hawks’ promotion with Magic City adult entertainment club

The NBA has canceled a popular Atlanta Hawks promotion with Magic City after receiving some backlash.

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Mar 9 • 5:34 PM EDT • Entertainment • atlantanewsfirst.com
F.D.A. Opens Door to More Flavored E-Cigarettes

The agency is proposing allowing other tastes for vapes, like mint, coffees, spices or tea, to appeal to adults. At the same time, illicit candy-flavored types aimed at teenagers have flooded the market.

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Mar 9 • 4:48 PM EDT • Health • nytimes.com
Cannabis compounds could reverse disease affecting one-third of adults

Compounds found in cannabis could provide a new roadmap for treating the world’s most common chronic liver disorder, according to a study released by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

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Mar 9 • 1:59 PM EDT • Health • foxnews.com
Multivitamins reduce pace of biological aging: study

The study adds to growing evidence that older adults might benefit from taking multivitamins, especially if their diet is lacking nutrients.

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Mar 9 • 12:01 PM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
Multivitamins may slow biological aging in older adults, study finds

The research focused on biological aging, which reflects wear and tear on the body at the cellular level.

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Mar 9 • 12:00 PM EDT • Health • nbcnews.com
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Reubin O’D. Askew Lecture Series returns with discussion on East Asia, the United States, and the Future of Democracy - University of West Florida Newsroom

The University of West Florida Askew Lecture Series returns to the Museum of Commerce in downtown Pensacola on Thursday, April 9, with a timely discussion on “East Asia, the United States, and the Future of Democracy.” This year’s event features Dr. Erik Mobrand, professor at the Graduate School of International Studies at Seoul National University […]

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Mar 9 • 10:00 AM EDT • Politics • news.uwf.edu
86-bed facility for adults with behavioral health issues opening in Bellingham

The Lake Whatcom Center will open the facility this month after years of renovation and a supportive grant from local sales tax funds.

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Mar 9 • 8:15 AM EDT • Health • bellinghamherald.com
Andexler Honored for Commitment to Science Advocacy

Northern Michigan University master's candidate Noah Andexler is one of 20 graduate students nationwide selected to receive the Ecological Society of America's (ESA) 2026 Katherine S. McCarter Graduate Student Policy Award for their demonstrated commitment to science advocacy. This prestigious program is designed to bridge the gap between rigorous ecological research and impactful environmental policy.

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Mar 9 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • news.nmu.edu
The next redistricting battle might be who is counted in state legislative districts

A Republican push to alter the census may lead to a radical shift in redistricting for state legislatures — drawing districts that don't take into account children and non-U.S. citizen adults.

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Mar 9 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • npr.org
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Diamondbacks' Tawa, Barrosa planned tweaks

The Diamondbacks need a couple young players who graduated prospect status to take steps in their development: Jorge Barrosa and Tim Tawa.

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Mar 8 • 2:24 PM EDT • Sports • arizonasports.com
Apple 'HomePad' to Offer Magnetic Snap-to-Wall Feature and More

Apple's upcoming "HomePad" will offer a magnetic snap-to-wall feature and more, according to the leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami". In a new post on X, Kosutami said that one of the HomePad prototypes features a MagSafe-like snap-to-wall capability, along with doorbell integration. It is said to be heavily reliant on Apple Intelligence. They apparently saw this prototype in person.

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Mar 8 • 9:30 AM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com