Pakistan PM: 'US Really Messed It Up in Afghanistan'

By Ayaz Gul
July 28, 2021 

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s prime minister says that America’s accelerated troop exit from Afghanistan has left Washington with no “bargaining power” for arranging a peace deal between warring Afghans.

“I think the U.S. has really messed it up in Afghanistan,” Imran Khan said in an interview with PBS NewsHour aired on Tuesday night.

Khan stressed that the United States and NATO allies had about 150,000 troops in Afghanistan and that was the time when they ought to go for a political solution rather than trying to militarily end the war with the Taliban insurgency there.

“But once they had reduced the troops to barely 10,000, and then, when they gave an exit date, the Taliban thought they had won. And so, therefore, it was very difficult for now to get them (the Taliban) to compromise,” he told the American broadcaster.

President Joe Biden said earlier this month that “We did not go to Afghanistan to nation-build. And it’s the right and the responsibility of the Afghan people alone to decide their future and how they want to run their country.”

The Taliban has captured vast areas across Afghanistan, including key trade routes with neighboring countries, since U.S.-led foreign troops officially began leaving the country in early May.

Humvees that belong to Afghan Special Forces are seen destroyed during heavy clashes with Taliban, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, July 13, 2021.

The international military drawdown has largely been completed and all American as well as allied troops will have left Afghanistan by the end of August under orders from Biden amid fears the Taliban could regain control of the war-ravaged country.

“Here were the U.S. for two decades in Afghanistan trying to force a military solution. The reason why we are in this position now is because the military solution failed,” Khan said.

U.S. and Afghan officials have long accused Pakistan of allowing the Taliban to use sanctuaries in the neighboring country to direct attacks inside Afghanistan, charges Islamabad denies.

Khan’s government maintains it has used whatever leverage Islamabad had over the Taliban to bring them to the table for peace talks with Washington. The negotiations culminated in the February 2020 deal, setting the stage for all American troops to withdraw from the Afghan war after 20 years.

But the ensuing peace talks between the Taliban and the U.S.-backed Afghan government have met with little success and largely stalled.

“Absolutely, there's nothing more we can do, except push them as much as we can for a political settlement. That's all,” Khan told the PBS show when asked if Pakistan needs to do more to press the Taliban to end their violent campaign.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani earlier in the month alleged 10,000 jihadi fighters have recently entered his country from sanctuaries in Pakistan and other areas to join Taliban ranks.

“This is absolute nonsense,” Khan responded. “Why don't they give us evidence of this? When they say that Pakistan gave safe havens, sanctuaries to (the) Taliban, where are these safe havens?,” he asked.

Supporters of the Taliban carry Islamic flags after the Taliban said they seized the Afghan border town of Spin Boldaka across from the town of Chaman, Pakistan, July 14, 2021.

The prime minister went on to explain insurgents could hide among the refugee camps in Pakistan that still host three million Afghans, saying the Taliban constitute the majority in the refugee population.

“(The) Taliban are not some military outfit. They are normal civilians. And if there are some civilians in these camps, how is Pakistan supposed to hunt these people down? How can you call them sanctuaries?” he asked.

Khan feared a “protracted civil war” would pose security challenges to Pakistan and could trigger a fresh refugee influx that his country could ill-afford due to its economic challenges.

FILE - Children of Afghan refugees play outside tents in Afghan Basti area on the outskirts of Lahore, Pakistan, June 19, 2021.

He defended his decision to not allow the U.S. to establish military bases on Pakistani soil for anti-terrorism operations in Afghanistan after all American troops leave the neighboring country.

Khan explained that Pakistan’s decision to join the U.S.-led war on terrorism after the September 11, 2001 strikes against America triggered a domestic militant backlash, killing 70,000 Pakistanis and inflicting an estimated $150 billion in losses to the national economy.

“Now, if there's a conflict going on in Afghanistan and there are (U.S.) bases in Pakistan, we then become targets,” he said.

“We want to be partners in peace, but not in conflict,” Khan emphasized when asked what kind of relationship Islamabad wants with Washington.

Khan’s interview came while his national security advisor, Moeed Yusuf, is in Washington for official talks with his U.S. counterpart, Jake Sullivan, on how to move a traditionally rollercoaster bilateral relationship. The head of the Pakistani spy agency is also said to be accompanying Yusuf.

Afghanistan: The Costs

'How Can Pakistan Hunt Them Down?' 

PM Imran Khan Calls Taliban 'Normal Civilians' as Afghanistan Sees Red

Imran Khan stressed that Pakistan hosts three million Afghan refugees of which the majority are Pashtuns, the same ethnic group as the Taliban fighters.

Pakistan has been long accused of helping the Taliban militarily, financially and with intelligence inputs in their fight against the Afghanistan government.

THE TALIBAN WERE CREATED BY THE PAKISTAN SECRET SERVICE UNDER BENAZIR BHUTTO

 NEWS18.COM

LAST UPDATED:JULY 29, 2021,

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has called Taliban “normal civilians”, not military outfits, and asked how the country is supposed to hunt them down when it has three million Afghan refugees at the border.

In an interview with PBS NewsHour aired Tuesday night, Khan stressed that Pakistan hosts three million Aghan refugees of which the majority are Pashtuns, the same ethnic group as the Taliban fighters.

“Now, there are camps of 500,000 people; there are camps of 100,000 people. And Taliban are not some military outfits, they are normal civilians. And if there are some civilians in these camps, how is Pakistan supposed to hunt these people down? How can you call them sanctuaries?" he argued.

When asked about alleged Taliban safe havens in Pakistan, the Prime Minister responded: “Where are these safe-havens? There are three million refugees in Pakistan who are the same ethnic group as the Taliban…"

Pakistan has been long accused of helping the Taliban militarily, financially and with intelligence inputs in their fight against the Afghanistan government, but Imran Khan dismissed these accusations as “extremely unfair".

Islamabad has issued “official warning" to Kabul that any “move to dislodge Taliban" from its borders will be “faced and repelled by the Pakistan Air Force", claimed Afghanistan’s Vice President Amrullah Saleh, accusing the neighbours of providing “close air support" to the Islamic fundamentalist outfit.

“Pakistan air force has issued official warning to the Afghan Army and Air Force that any move to dislodge the Taliban from Spin Boldak area will be faced and repelled by the Pakistan Air Force. Pak air force is now providing close air support to Taliban in certain areas," Saleh tweeted.

SEE https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2021/07/why-is-pakistan-seeing-surge-in-taliban.html

Thousands Of Rohingya Homeless As Monsoon Wreaks Havoc In Bangladesh

Thousands of shelters in various Rohingya refugee camps in Southern Bangladesh have been flooded in recent days, displacing thousands of people.

Associated Press (AP)29 July 2021

Rohingya refugee children play in flood waters at the Rohingya refugee camp in Kutupalong, Bangladesh, Wednesday, July 28, 2021.
(AP Photo/ Shafiqur Rahman)


Days of heavy rainfall have pelted Rohingya refugee camps in southern Bangladesh, destroying dwellings and sending thousands of people to live with extended families or in communal shelters.

Just in the 24 hours to Wednesday alone, more than 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) of rain fell on the camps in Cox's Bazar district hosting more than 800,000 Rohingya, the U.N. refugee agency said. That's nearly half the average July rainfall in one day while more heavy downpours are expected in the next few days and the monsoon season stretches over the next three months.

“The situation is further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. There is currently a strict national lockdown in response to rising cases across the country,” the agency said.

The agency said it was saddened by the deaths of six people at the camps earlier this week, five in a landslide caused by the rains and a child swept away by floodwaters.

Citing initial reports, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said more than 12,000 refugees were affected by the heavy rainfall while an estimated 2,500 shelters have been damaged or destroyed. More than 5,000 refugees have temporarily been relocated to other family member's shelters or communal facilities, the agency said in a statement.

Refugees said they were struggling to eat or drink properly.

“Due to the continuous rainfall for the last four days, today my house is full of water,” says Khatija Begum, who has five children. “We are not even able to eat,” Begum says she fears her children will drown and die in their sleep.

Cyclones, heavy monsoon rains, floods, landslides, and other natural hazards are an annual difficulty in the camps. More than 700,000 Rohingya have lived in refugee camps in Bangladesh since August 2017, when the military in Buddhist-majority Myanmar began a harsh crackdown on the Muslim ethnic group following an attack by insurgents.

The crackdown included rapes, killings, and the torching of thousands of homes, and was termed ethnic cleansing by global rights groups and the United Nations. While Bangladesh and Myanmar have sought to arrange repatriations, the Rohingya are too fearful to return home.

The International Organization for Migration says Cox's Bazar district, where more than 1 million Rohingya refugees live, is one of the most disaster-prone parts of Bangladesh.

It is a delta nation crisscrossed by many rivers that gets intense rainfall regularly due to its monsoon climate and location on the Bay of Bengal, where the warm waters can generate destructive tropical cyclones.

ISRAEL P3 

Ministry of Defense taps VCs to fund weapon development

MoD representatives have held talks with venture capital funds regarding making joint investments in startups that are developing technology that can be used both in the defense and civilian sectors

Udi Etsion11:4806.07.21

The Ministry of Defense (MoD) is recruiting the capital market in order to assist it in the development of the IDF's future weapon systems. 

Ministry representatives have already held several talks with investment bodies regarding making joint investments in companies developing dual technologies that are suited both for the defense sector and the civilian market.

 

The initiative is being led by Daniel Gold, the Head of the Defense Research and Development Directorate (DDR&D) under the Ministry of Defense. "We are significantly accelerating the pace of our decision making, our processes, and their realization in order to take advantage of the swift changes taking place in technology and the pace of development," said Gold.

Head of Defense Research and Development Directorate under the Ministry of Defense, Daniel Gold. Photo: Ministry of Defense

 

"Concurrently, we are increasing our exposure to creativity and innovation in the civilian world, and are also enriching it with our knowledge. Our needs are always greater than the budget we have at our disposal, and recruiting the capital market will benefit both sides. The defense establishment will benefit from innovation, creativity, and additional income sources, while the investment bodies will receive companies we have examined, which have products we are interested in, will be supported and receive apprenticeship from DDR&D and IDF experts as well as help in quickly maturing a quality product. This will also act as a channel through which we will be able to jointly conduct R&D with other countries."

 

The DDR&D will not demand proprietary rights on any developments, but rather phantom options that it could use for future R&D development should the company's valuation increase. Phantom options are designed to mirror traditional share options but with the gain being paid in cash.

 

The MoD's annual R&D budget, managed by DDR&D, currently stands at NIS 800 million (approximately $245 million). Additional funds are allocated for projects that are at a prototype stage. The MoD plans to match any investment made by the VCs, with the MoD's total budget for these investments expected to reach tens of millions of shekels, hence it will likely mainly be investing relatively small sums in early-stage startups.

 

The investments are set to be made in companies active in a variety of sectors, including artificial intelligence, computerized vision, cybersecurity, quantum computing, biological engineering, robotics, and drones.

THE STRONGEST QUAKE IN NORTH AMERICA

8.2 magnitude earthquake rocks Alaska — the strongest quake to hit the US in 50 years


A tsunami watch was issued for parts of the state and Hawaii, but it has since been lifted.

By Alexandra Kelley | July 29, 2021

U.S. Geological Survey


Story at a glance

An 8.2 magnitude quake shook Alaska this morning near Perryville and Chignik.

Tsunami warnings were issued for both Alaska and Hawaii.

The quake was the strongest recorded in the U.S. in 50 years.

An 8.2 magnitude earthquake hit Alaska early Thursday morning, prompting the brief issuance of a tsunami warning that has since been recalled.

The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed that the quake, which occurred on July 28 in local time, was centered in Perryville, south of the Alaskan Peninsula. Experts note that the earthquake occurred due to thrust faulting near the subduction zone interface between the Pacific and North American tectonic plates.

This was the strongest earthquake to take place in the U.S. in 50 years.

Since the larger 8.2 earthquake, aftershocks have hit the surrounding Perryville region, mainly near Chignik, Alaska. The largest aftershock was a 6.1 magnitude earthquake in Chignik.

At least 268 residents have reported feeling some level of seismic activity. Other reports note that communities further from the epicenter, including those in the Mat-Su Valley in Southcentral Alaska, felt shaking.

Since the quake struck a coastal area, a tsunami advisory was issued for the Alaska Peninsula and 75 miles southeast of Chignik, but the advisory was lifted. A corresponding tsunami warning was issued for Hawaii, which was ultimately canceled, per state Governor David Ige (D).

Larger-magnitude earthquakes are common along the Alaska-Aleutian subduction zone. The U.S. Geological Survey notes that since 1900, there have been eight other earthquakes that recorded more than a 7-level magnitude.

8.2-magnitude earthquake off Alaska Peninsula sparks tsunami watch for 

Hawaii

By Staff Reuters
Posted July 29, 2021 1:51 am

View image in full screen

The approximate location of a 8.2-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Alaska 

on July 28, 2021. U.S. Geological Survey


A shallow earthquake of magnitude 8.2 struck the Alaska Peninsula late on Wednesday, prompting tsunami warnings in the region and an alert in Hawaii, authorities said.


There were no immediate reports on loss of property or life.

READ MORE: 3 killed, dozens hurt after strong earthquake shakes China near Myanmar border

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake, which struck at 10:15 p.m. local time (0615 GMT Thursday), was at a depth of 35 km.

In Alaska, the National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) issued warnings for southern parts, the Peninsula, and Pacific coastal areas from Hinchinbrook Entrance to Unimak Pass. It also issued a “tsunami watch” for the U.S. state of Hawaii.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said the possibility of a tsunami threat to the U.S. state of Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam was being investigated.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency was investigating whether there was a possibility of a tsunami hitting Japan, the public broadcaster NHK said.

Authorities in New Zealand also said they were assessing if there was any danger to coastal regions.

The U.S. NTWC and local authorities said they were evaluating the level of tsunami danger for other U.S. and Canadian Pacific coastal areas.

The tremor struck about 91 km east-southeast of Perryville in Alaska. It was about 800 km (500 miles) from Anchorage, Alaska’s biggest city. It was followed by seven aftershocks, two of them above magnitude 6.0, according to USGS.ENT

(Reporting by Shubham Kalia; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

 SOCIALISM FOR THE RICH

US subsidies boost the expected profits and development of new oil and gas fields

Peer-Reviewed Publication

IOP PUBLISHING

Researchers at the Stockholm Environment Institute (Somerville and Seattle, USA) and Earth Track, Inc. (Cambridge, MA, USA) examined 16 subsidies and environmental regulatory exemptions, providing one of the first estimates of how government subsidies will affect investment decisions for new gas fields in the coming decade. Their results are published on 29 July 2021 in the IOP Publishing journal, Environmental Research Letters. 
 
Despite repeated pledges to phase out “inefficient” fossil fuel subsidies, the United States — the world’s largest current oil and gas producer — continues to provide billions of dollars each year to the oil and gas industry through various support measures. The study not only looks at tax incentives, but it is one of the first of its kind to also account for the effects of regulatory exemptions that reduce the costs for hazardous waste and wastewater management for oil and gas producers. 
 
“Besides two federal tax incentives that have existed since 1916, we were surprised to find that less widely recognized forms of government support can also be highly beneficial,” said SEI Scientist Ploy Achakulwisut, a lead author of the paper. “The public ends up footing the bill for services like well closure and hazardous waste disposal – directly with their tax money and indirectly with their health.”
 
For their analysis, the study’s authors developed a cash-flow model, using Rystad Energy’s UCube database and their own assumptions regarding commodity prices. They then evaluated the effects of 16 subsidies and regulatory exemptions on the expected investment returns of thousands of oil- and gas-producing fields that are projected to be developed between 2020 and 2030.  
 
The results show that, depending on future oil and gas prices and the minimum required rates of return, subsidies (including exemptions) either encourage more extraction than would otherwise be economically viable, or flow to excess profits. In the former instance, subsidies would help lock in higher greenhouse gas emissions, as well as increase air and water pollution and health risks. In the latter case, they would not be fulfilling their stated economic purpose.
 
For example: at 2019 oil and gas prices – or $64 per barrel of oil and $2.6 per mmbtu (million British Thermal Units) of gas – only 4% and 22% of new oil and gas resources would be subsidy-dependent. In this case, over 96% of subsidy value would flow directly to excess profits. This scenario assumes that investors require a 10% minimum rate of return, or “hurdle rate”.
 
However, if oil and gas prices are as low as they were in 2020 – or $40 per barrel of oil and 2 per mmbtu of gas – then more than 60% of new oil and gas resources would depend on subsidies to be economically viable. This scenario assumes that investors would require a higher 20% hurdle rate, which may already be the case as risks increase for oil and gas investments. 
 
The authors also examine the extent to which subsidies to fossil-fuel producers affect CO2 emissions by depressing oil and gas market prices and incentivizing higher consumption. They estimate that, under a 10% hurdle rate, the subsidy-induced decrease in oil price could result in an additional 374 million barrels of oil being burned in 2030, adding 150 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.
 
“In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, our results illustrate how different choices about economic recovery and tax reform can shape the US oil and gas industry and energy infrastructure in the years to come,” said co-lead author and SEI Senior Scientist Peter Erickson. “In addition, fossil fuel subsidies can have symbolic effects, since their continued existence may be read by other nations as a sign that the US is not taking its commitments to subsidy reform, or to climate action, as seriously as it should be.”
 
“Good governance requires transparency on who is receiving subsidies,” added co-author Doug Koplow from Earth Track. “Our study helps to shine a light on the effects of subsidies on the expected returns of US oil and gas producers and their investment decision-making. The same methods could be applied to inform ongoing subsidy reform efforts in other countries.” G7 governments continue to provide billions of dollars in subsidies each year.

###

---

JOURNAL

Environmental Research Letters

DOI

10.1088/1748-9326/ac0a10

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Effect of subsidies and regulatory exemptions on 2020–2030 oil and gas production and profits in the United States

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

28-Jul-2021

 Does testosterone influence success? Not much, research suggests

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL

With the Olympics underway, higher testosterone has often been linked to sporting success, and other kinds of success too.  But beyond sport, new research has found little evidence that testosterone meaningfully influences life chances for men or women.  In fact, the study suggests that despite the social myths surrounding testosterone, it could be much less important than previously thought.

It is already known that in men testosterone is linked with socioeconomic position, such as income or educational qualifications.  Researchers from the University of Bristol’s Population Health Sciences (PHS) and MRC Integrated Epidemiology Unit (IEU) wanted to find out whether this is because testosterone actually affects socioeconomic position, as opposed to socioeconomic circumstances affecting testosterone, or health affecting both.  The findings are published today [28 July] in Science Advances.

To isolate effects of testosterone itself, the research team applied an approach called Mendelian randomization in a sample of 306,248 UK adults from UK Biobank. They explored testosterone's influence on socioeconomic position, including income, employment status, neighbourhood-level deprivation, and educational qualifications; on health, including self-rated health and BMI, and on risk-taking behaviour.  

Dr Amanda Hughes, Senior Research Associate in Epidemiology in Bristol Medical School: Population Health Sciences (PHS), said: “There's a widespread belief that a person's testosterone can affect where they end up in life. Our results suggest that, despite a lot of mythology surrounding testosterone, its social implications may have been over-stated.”

First, the team identified genetic variants linked to higher testosterone levels and then investigated how these variants were related to the outcomes. A person’s genetic code is determined before birth, and generally does not change during their lifetime (there are rare exceptions, such as changes that occur with cancer).  This makes it very unlikely that these variants are affected by socioeconomic circumstances, health, or other environmental factors during a person’s lifetime. Consequently, any association of an outcome with variants linked to testosterone would strongly suggest an influence of testosterone on the outcome.

Similar to previous studies the research found that men with higher testosterone had higher household income, lived in less deprived areas, and were more likely to have a university degree and a skilled job. In women, higher testosterone was linked to lower socioeconomic position, including lower household income, living in a more deprived area, and lower chance of having a university degree. Consistent with previous evidence, higher testosterone was associated with better health for men and poorer health for women, and greater risk-taking behaviour for men.

In contrast, there was little evidence that the testosterone-linked genetic variants were associated with any outcome for men or women. The research team concluded that there is little evidence that testosterone meaningfully affected socioeconomic position, health, or risk-taking in men or women. The study suggests that - despite the mythology surrounding testosterone - it might be much less important than previously claimed. 

Results for women were less precise than results for men, so the influence of testosterone in women could be studied in more detail in the future using larger samples.  

Dr Hughes added: “Higher testosterone in men has previously been linked to various kinds of social success. A study of male executives found that testosterone was higher for those who had more subordinates. A study of male financial traders found that higher testosterone correlated with greater daily profits. Other studies have reported that testosterone is higher for more highly educated men, and among self-employed men, suggesting a link with entrepreneurship.

“Such research has supported the widespread idea that testosterone can influence success by affecting behaviour. There is evidence from experiments that testosterone can make a person more assertive or more likely to take risks - traits which can be rewarded in the labour market, for instance during wage negotiations. But there are other explanations. For example, a link between higher testosterone and success might simply reflect an influence of good health on both. Alternatively, socioeconomic circumstances could affect testosterone levels. A person’s perception of their own success could influence testosterone: in studies of sports matches, testosterone has been found to rise in the winner compared to the loser.”

The research is supported by the Health Foundation as part of a project entitled ‘Social and economic consequences of health: causal inference methods and longitudinal, intergenerational data’, which is part of the Health Foundation’s Social and Economic Value of Health.

###

About the Health Foundation
The Health Foundation is an independent charity committed to bringing about better health and health care for people in the UK.

About Mendelian Randomization
Information on Mendelian Randomization: a method of using variation in genes of known function between people to examine the causal effect of a modifiable exposure (i.e. diet) on disease (i.e. cancer) in observational studies. The use of genetics takes away any potential measurement, or human, error associated with questionnaires and participant recall which are often used to record lifestyle factors such as level of physical activity.

About the MRC IEU
The MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU) at the University of Bristol conducts some of the UK's most advanced population health science research. It uses genetics, population data and experimental interventions to look for the underlying causes of chronic disease. The unit exploits the latest advances in genetic and epigenetic technologies. We develop new analysis methods to improve understanding of how our family background, behaviours and genes work together. Using these to investigate how people develop and remain healthy or become ill.

About UK Biobank
UK Biobank is a major national and international health resource, and a registered charity in its own right with the aim of improving the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of serious and life-threatening illnesses – including cancer, heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, eye disorders, depression and forms of dementia. UK Biobank recruited 500,000 people aged between 40-69 years in 2006-2010 from across the country to take part in this project. They have undergone measures, provided blood, urine and saliva samples for future analysis, detailed information about themselves and agreed to have their health followed. Over many years this will build into a powerful resource to help scientists discover why some people develop particular diseases and others do not.

---

JOURNAL

Science Advances

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Testosterone and socioeconomic position: Mendelian Randomization in 306,248 men and women in UK Biobank’

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

27-Jul-2021

A reversible male contraceptive, targeted to the testes with magnets

THERE WON'T BE ONE UNTIL IT IS 100% SAFE

Peer-Reviewed Publication

AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

Women have several choices for long-lasting, reversible contraceptives, but most options for men are either single-use, such as condoms, or difficult to reverse, like vasectomies. Now, in a step toward a safe, long-lasting and reversible male contraceptive, researchers reporting in ACS’ Nano Letters have developed magnetic, biodegradable nanomaterials that reduced the likelihood of mice fathering pups for at least 30 days.

Elevated temperatures, which can be caused by wearing too-tight pants or underwear, can decrease sperm count in men. Some researchers have explored the more intense heating of nanomaterials injected into the testes as a form of male birth control. However, the injection can be painful, the heating can damage skin, and most nanomaterials tested so far are not biodegradable. Weihua Ding, Fei Sun and colleagues wanted to develop a safe, effective magnetic-thermal approach to male contraception that doesn’t need to be injected directly into the testes.

The researchers tested two forms of iron oxide nanoparticles, which are biodegradable and can be guided and heated with magnetic fields, as male contraceptives. One type of nanoparticle was coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and the other with citric acid. Although the PEG-coated nanoparticles could be heated to higher temperatures, they were not as easily manipulated by magnets as the other ones. So the researchers injected repeated doses of citric acid-coated nanoparticles into the bloodstream of mice for 2 days, guided the nanomaterials to the testes with magnets, and then applied an alternating magnetic field to the area for 15 minutes. The nanoparticles heated the testes to a temperature of 104 F, shrinking them and inhibiting spermatogenesis before gradual recovery 30 to 60 days after treatment. The mice couldn’t father any pups 7 days after treatment, but they were back to fathering about 12 pups per pregnant female at day 60. The nanoparticles were non-toxic to cells and were gradually eliminated from the body, offering new possibilities for male contraception, the researchers say.

###

The authors acknowledge funding from the National Key Research and Development Program of China, the Natural Science Research of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China and the Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Advanced Display and System Applications of Ministry of Education (Shanghai University).

The abstract that accompanies this paper can be viewed here. 

For more of the latest research news, register for our upcoming meeting, ACS Fall 2021. Journalists and public information officers are encouraged to apply for complimentary press registration by emailing us at newsroom@acs.org. 

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world’s scientific knowledge. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

Follow us: Twitter | Facebook

---

JOURNAL

Nano Letters

DOI

10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c02181

ARTICLE TITLE

Magnetic Testis Targeting and Magnetic Hyperthermia for Noninvasive, Controllable Male Contraception via Intravenous Administration

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

7-Jul-2021

 

Variations in climate conditions affect reproductive success of Antarctic krill, study finds

Peer-Reviewed Publication

OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: A GRAVID FEMALE KRILL, MEANING SHE IS CARRYING THOUSANDS OF EGGS AND READY TO TO SPAWN. view more 

CREDIT: PHOTO BY LANGDON QUETIN.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Climate conditions play a significant role in the reproductive success of mature female Antarctic krill and are a factor in fluctuations of the population that occur every five to seven years, a new study from Oregon State University has found.

Environmental factors, including large-scale climate patterns that affect availability of food, influence the females’ overall health during the spawning season. While those climate patterns are natural, they are trending warmer and more intense due to climate change, which is likely to have a negative impact on the krill population, said Kirsten Steinke, a doctoral student working with biological oceanographer Kim Bernard at Oregon State.

“This ecologically important species serves as the base of the food web in the Antarctic peninsula, supporting everything from whales to penguins to seabirds,” said Steinke, the study’s lead author. “Understanding the connection between the environment and population health is critical for predicting future demographic patterns and responses to climate change in the krill population.”

The findings were published recently in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series. Co-authors are Bernard, an associate professor in OSU’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences; and Robin M. Ross and Landgon B. Quetin of the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Antarctic krill, also known as Euphausia superba, is a type of zooplankton that can live five to seven years and grow to a length of a little more than two inches.

The western Antarctic Peninsula is home to a significant portion of Antarctic krill biomass. It is also where the bulk of the krill fishery occurs; it is the largest fishery in the Southern Ocean, with an estimated 313,000 tons harvested in 2018. Krill are used as feed for fish farms and as a source of supplements such as omega-3 oil.

“This region is critically important because it is both a popular fishing spot and one of the biggest spots for krill spawning and it is also warming more quickly than other parts of Antarctica,” Steinke said. “There has been a notable poleward contraction of the population and a decrease in population size in recent years.”

Past research has shown that the Antarctic krill population fluctuates on a five- to seven-year cycle. The focus of this new research was to better understand the factors that influence the population fluctuations.

“You tend to see two years of high krill recruitment, meaning a high proportion of juvenile krill in the population, and then a crash, and then the population starts to rebound again,” said Bernard, who has spent significant time in Antarctica studying krill, including a winter at Palmer Station with Steinke. “Understanding what is driving that cycle is critical.”

Using krill population data from 1993 to 2008, the researchers found a relationship between the condition of the female krill of reproductive age during spawning season and the proportion of juvenile krill the following year; when mature females were in better condition, there were more juveniles in the population the next year.

The degree of krill’s reproductive output is affected by the length of spawning season, batch size per female per spawning event, number of mature females in the population, the presence of older mature females in the population, or a combination of those things.

The researchers also found that fluctuations in large-scale climate patterns and seasonal variations in the climate are the predominant drivers of the health of mature female krill during spawning season.

The climate in the western Antarctic Peninsula is primarily driven by the Southern Annual Mode, or SAM, and the Multivariate El Niño Southern Oscillation Index, or MEI. Both of these climate patterns have the ability to affect the availability of food for Antarctic krill, and in particular, resources for the mature females.

SAM and MEI are natural climate patterns but they are changing as the planet warms. The SAM in particular has been trending positive, meaning it has been warmer and more intense. That positive phase is projected to continue under climate change, Bernard said.

“The SAM was found to be really important to driving the health of the female krill,” she said. “As the SAM continues to trend positive, it will continue to get warmer, and that suggests a negative effect on the overall condition of female krill during their spawning season.”

The researchers also found that seasonal variations in the SAM and the MEI can affect the health of mature female krill. That is likely due to the way that the SAM and MEI are known to affect environmental conditions, Bernard said. Overall, warmer conditions tend to have a negative impact on the health of female krill of reproductive age, but those impacts can vary depending on the season in which they occur.

Understanding those nuances could help fisheries managers make decisions when conditions in spring, fall or winter lead to a less than ideal spawning season. The research underscores the importance of considering the impact of climate change as part of fisheries management for Antarctic krill, Bernard said.

“It is really critical to start including climate change impacts as part of the plan,” Bernard said. “Antarctic krill are a super unique and fascinating species. So many predators feed on them. If you have a collapse of the krill population, you would be putting all of those populations at risk.”

Adélie penguins, for example, feed on the mature, female krill, because they are rich in lipids, a nutritional benefit that helps penguin chicks survive their first year.

“If there are a lot of mature female krill, the chicks can bulk up and survive the winter,” Bernard said. “But the Adélie penguin population has plummeted at the northern parts of the Antarctic Peninsula in recent years, in part because of changes in the krill population.”

###

 

---

JOURNAL

Marine Ecology Progress Series

DOI

10.3354/meps13720

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Environmental drivers of the physiological condition of mature female Antarctic krill during the spawning season: implications for krill recruitment

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

8-Jul-2021

COI STATEMENT

N/A

Which voices led medical misinformation in the early stages of COVID?

UC study: Researchers unpack how convoluted messaging surrounded a drug therapy early in the pandemic

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

 

IMAGE: JEFFREY BLEVINS, PROFESSOR AND HEAD OF UC'S DEPARTMENT OF JOURNALISM view more 

CREDIT: UC CREATIVE + BRAND

In the early and thus far most devastating stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists were at a near loss on how to treat the deadly disease. The public was desperate for information. Consequently, two antimalarial drugs ― chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine ― were the subject of a Twitter storm in the marketplace of ideas known as social media. The medication was lauded as a potential cure: There was run on the medication, creating a shortage for those who used it for other medical indications, such as lupus. One person died and another was hospitalized after taking chloroquine as a prophylactic.

Although the drug therapy turned out not to be the magic bullet, researchers from the University of Cincinnati wanted to know what influences caused so many people to believe this therapy was indeed the answer, despite warnings from leaders in the scientific community that the efficacy of the drug was unfounded. Their findings appear in the journal Social Media + Society.

Supported by the UC Office of Research’s Digital Futures Initiative and with funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, a multidisciplinary team analyzed over 100 million Twitter posts related to COVID-19. By focusing on tweets, likes and retweets citing the drugs by name, the team learned that science and politics were directly competing against each other; and the loudest voice in the social media platform, then President Donald Trump, contributed greatly to the falsehood, even though he was not the originator of the claims. 

“The research attempted to provide more clarity between misinformation, disinformation and b.s.,” says the study’s lead author Jeffrey Blevins, professor and head of UC’s Department of Journalism. The distinction, he says, is that disinformation is an intentional act of deception, misinformation is ignorance of fact, and bull---- is not caring whether the information is true or false based on indifference to the claim or allegiance to its origin. Examples of the latter going around the social sphere were that the virus was caused by 5G wireless, that African Americans were immune and that a certain type of toothpaste was the cure. 

“We have to be aware that there are all sorts of actors on social media, and they are not all credible; just because something is trending or in the echo chamber, it tends to make it sound more credible,” says Blevins. “The sheer volume of the message or the fact that something goes viral doesn’t necessarily make it true,” he says, noting that the drug therapy claims fell into the category of misinformation because there was some evidence based in science that it could be useful.

After all, even the president boasted of taking it without harm. 

However, it was the president’s tweets about the drug therapy and the feedback loop between Fox News and Trump followers, Blevins says, that propagated the falsehood of a potential cure, making it “a political issue instead of a medical issue.” 

Another finding, Blevins says, is that the news media focused more on fact-checking the president for misinformation, instead of the true originators: misguided physicians and conspiracy theorists such as QAnon. “[Trump] got a lot of attention because he was the most significant actor in the spread of misinformation.” But what was ignored by news media, researchers say, was where the misinformation originated. “There wasn’t any real discussion about the truth,” says Blevins.

Additionally, the UC study produced charts and graphs that map out which voices dominated the messaging. “When you see the interrelations of Twitter handles mapped out with color and shape in the network visualizations, you actually perform a type of analysis that couldn't be done before,” says study co-author James Lee, associate vice provost for digital scholarship and director of UC’s Digital Scholarship Center. These visuals, he says, are illuminating: “If you just read the tweets, you do not see the impact. Data visualization really allowed us to hone in on who the real influences were in this case.”

In the past, Blevins says, “the theory of the marketplace of ideas has been that we don’t filter anything and eventually the truth will emerge, but what we are seeing here is that it’s not the case. We don’t have a system to resolve disparate claims about the truth.” 

---

DOI

10.1177/20563051211024977

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Shouting Into the Wind: Medical Science versus “B.S.” in the Twitter Maelstrom of Politics and Misinformation About Hydroxychloroquine

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

23-Jun-2021

 

New book helps readers spot online health scams

Business Announcement

UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

 

IMAGE: UBC PROFESSOR BERNIE GARRETT view more 

CREDIT: PHOTO: UBC FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCE

Internet health scams have increased in recent years, often spread through social media and causing untold harm, according to a new book by UBC nursing professor, Dr. Bernie Garrett.

The New Alchemists focuses on some of the many deceptive healthcare and marketing techniques used to mislead people—and offers readers tips to avoid falling prey to scammers.

Dr. Garrett has more than 35 years of experience in nursing and research on health care practices. In this Q&A, he explains why online health scams are so pervasive, shares recent examples, and gives advice to minimize their impacts.

Why is your book called The New Alchemists?

The alchemists are best known for trying to turn metal into gold, but they also sought to develop an immortality potion. These ancient philosophers acquired a reputation for being charlatans and crooks, and so the title fits very well with what we’re seeing today where people are marketing various fake remedies.

Why is it important to understand and detect health scams?

Deliberately selling a product using false marketing or spreading false information can have serious health consequences. Probably the worst examples are the fake cancer clinics that sell remedies or treatments for cancer patients who are desperately searching for solutions.

We’ve also seen hugely deceptive practices in the pharmaceutical industry, such as lawsuits over the mis-marketing of drugs such as OxyContin or Abilify.

Stranger examples include the 18-year-old fake doctor in Florida who operated for a number of years, as well as bizarre fake health machines, and alternative practitioners who market useless therapies using false claims.

Why are people seemingly deceived so easily?

Scam marketers are well-versed in modern advertising techniques and the psychology of persuasion. They know all the triggers that can help sell a product. Examples include making it appear that a treatment is scarce, with language like “supplies are running out” or “buy it quickly now before it’s gone.” They often link their product to positive images, such as photos of mothers, or claim that a product is “healthy” or “natural”.

There are certainly conditions that the medical field does not have good treatments for and so people seek alternatives. Unfortunately, this can also make them easier prey for deceptive practitioner

CAPTION

New book by UBC nursing professor, Dr. Bernie Garrett focuses on some of the many deceptive healthcare and marketing techniques used to mislead people—and offers readers tips to avoid falling prey to scammers.

CREDIT

Photo: Hammersmith Health Books

Have these deceptive practices proliferated during COVID-19?

They definitely have proliferated, and this has been aided by social media. You’ve only got to look at the success of the anti-vaccination campaign, where we see people being falsely advised that they will become magnetic or infertile or claiming vaccines have not been tested. Unfortunately, people can post misinformation on social media with no real consequences.

How can people protect themselves from internet health scams?

As we outline in the book and in previous research, look for trigger words, such as if the marketer suggests that something is only available for a short time or from this one site. Watch for claims that mention “science hasn’t caught up with this” or “amazing results”. Be very wary of claims that are based on personal testimonies or celebrity endorsement.

Check the source of information. Use established, reliable sources such as Health Canada, the World Health Organization or even the FDA in the United States. These type of sources are certainly more trustworthy than a blog post from relatives or friends or people you’ve never heard of on social media.

It’s also important for all of us to lobby for better health regulation and advertising standards of practice.

We do need to take an interest in our health and in what we are being told. Deception is more widespread than people think, but you can take some simple steps to avoid getting caught up in it.

Overall, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.