Breakthrough: New gel shown to be effective for brain tumour treatment

Publicerad denFörfattareNoah Duker

A new “miracle” gel shows great promise for brain tumour treatment during lab tests at Johns Hopkins University. The gel is used to treat one of the most aggressive forms of brain tumour, glioblastoma, leaving patients with a diagnosed life expectancy of 12 – 18 months. The new treatment is used post-surgery to fill the spaces left by the removed tumour, hindering it from regrowing!
Professor Cui, an expert on chemical and biomolecular engineering, and his team say that the gel could even be used to treat areas of the brain that surgery might not be able to reach. Other than that, tests on infected mice have shown that the gel removed 100 percent of the aggressive tumour, freeing them from certain death. Furthermore, the gel seemed to create an immune reaction that allowed surviving mice, who were reinfected with glioblastoma, to fend off the tumour on their own using only their immune system. It also showed signs of improving immune memory, leading to a generally strengthened immune system post treatment. 
Despite the breakthrough, the medical procedure is still risky since brain surgery is still required for the gel to work effectively, having to be applied directly to the brain. Using the gel without surgery first led to a survival rate of around 50 percent. 
[embedded content]
For those interested in the science behind the miracle: the gel uses a combination of nano-sized filaments, extracted from the approved drug paclitaxel which then transports the antibody called aCD47. The mixture then expands upon the crevice that the tumour left, leaving the aggressive cancer with no room to regrow, thereby killing it off. 
Brain Tumour Treatment: Glioblastoma – aggressive and everywhere
There are a few reasons why Glioblastoma is so dangerous. The tumour is fast-growing and infects surrounding tissue, which can make surgical removal even harder. Another reason is the brain’s own defence mechanism, known as the blood brain barrier or BBB for short. This barrier normally hinders harmful substances from entering the brain, but also does the same for cancer treating drugs, leading to treatments being less effective.
Glioblastoma’s location in the human brain also doesn’t help with its treatment as it is usually located in the cerebral hemispheres of the brain, which are responsible for critical functions such as movement, sensation, and cognition. This makes surgical intervention more risky, as injuring healthy brain tissue can lead to serious neurological problems.
Science deniers and conspiracy believers are trying to push an anti-science agenda
In the past century, medicine has come a long way. From the times of experimental treatments using drugs like heroin and cocaine to the first effective polio vaccine developed in 1955 by Dr. Jonas Salk, ending the terror of infantile paralysis.
The medical developments of the past few years, however, have been even more marvellous. Science managed to make breakthrough after breakthrough. From healing patients with HIV, a sickness that used to be untreatable and therefore a death sentence, to stopping a global pandemic within two years of the outbreak.
Modern science is leading humanity to longer and healthier lives. But the security and development that scientific research has brought to fruition has come under attack as of recent. Science deniers and conspiracy believers are trying to push an anti-science agenda, smearing scientific fact as wrong or “fake news”, attesting that scientists are either bought by a mysterious elite or some other delusion, just because science does not back their opinion on certain topics. In today’s age of information, having sources and research is key to being informed. Therefore, it is necessary to honour and protect proper scientific research from delusional attacks such as those we saw during the covid pandemic. Because without modern science, life as we know it would be a lot shorter, and a lot less enjoyable, as the case of Glioblastoma makes evermore clear. Läs mer…

Washington State bans AR-15-style semi-automatic rifles

Publicerad denFörfattareRss .

On April 25th, Washington State took decisive action in reducing the risk of gun violence and particularly mass shootings within their borders with the introduction of three new gun control bills. The bills bring into law a ban on some styles of semi-automatic rifles, introduce a ten-day waiting period between the purchase of a firearm […]

The post Washington State bans AR-15-style semi-automatic rifles appeared first on scoop.me.

Läs mer…

Washington State bans AR-15-style semi-automatic rifles

Publicerad denFörfattareHarry Markham

On April 25th, Washington State took decisive action in reducing the risk of gun violence and particularly mass shootings within their borders with the introduction of three new gun control bills. The bills bring into law a ban on some styles of semi-automatic rifles, introduce a ten-day waiting period between the purchase of a firearm and its reception by the buyer, and make lawsuits against gun makers or sellers possible in certain cases. While the signing Governor recognises that the bills “don’t solve all the problems”, the state has taken an important step in reducing the risk of mass gun violence.
Between 2015 and 2021, Washington state suffered 31 mass shootings. While mass shootings are not the most common form of gun violence – greatly outnumbered by single victim homicides – they often act as a catalyst for gun reform due to the attention and shock they garner both locally and across the world. This is the case in Washington, where three new bills have been introduced in an attempt to ensure that the residents of the “Evergreen State” never have to suffer such a tragedy again.
The new bills tackle mass shootings in Washington State
The bills, which were signed by Washington State Governor Jay Inslee on Tuesday the 25th of April, introduce three new restrictions designed to reduce the risk of gun violence.
A ban on certain semi-automatic rifles
One bans the sale of certain AR- and AK- style semi-automatic rifles. The focus on this style of gun is significant for a couple of reasons. Firstly, weapons such as the AR-15 can do great damage to crowds of people in a very short period of time. They are powerful, accurate, fire at a rapid rate, and are generally easy to obtain in the US. For this reason, they have become the weapon of choice for people seeking to carry out a mass shooting, with the weapon having been used in ten of the 17 deadliest mass killings that have taken place since 2012. The ban, while not getting to the root of the problem, means that prospective killers in Washington will likely have to settle for something less deadly.
The bill’s intent section gives the following reasoning for the ban:
“Assault weapons have been used in the deadliest mass shootings in the last decade. An assailant with an assault weapon can hurt and kill twice the number of people than an assailant with a handgun or nonassault rifle.”
Secondly, the AR-15 in particular has become a symbol of the conservative American right. The gun, which is more at home on a battlefield than it is in the streets, fields and forests of the US, has little-to-no practical use for the average American. Despite this – and the fact that the gun is now forever linked to the slaughter of school children and innocent civilians – republican politicians and their supporters alike continue to pose with glee alongside their prized weapon.

Merry Christmas! 🎄ps. Santa, please bring ammo. 🎁 pic.twitter.com/NVawULhCNr
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) December 4, 2021

This idolisation of the popular mass murder device is exemplified in the fact that senior republican figures Lauren Boebert and George Santos co-sponsored a bill that would make the AR-15 the “national gun of the USA” in February 2023. For many on the right, it is more a question of having it because they can, not because they need to – whatever the human cost.
A ten-day waiting period for buyers, and the risk of legal repercussions for manufacturers
The new bills don’t just target buyers, they also target manufacturers and sellers. From now on, those in a position to provide firearms must take steps to ensure that weapons are not sold to people known to be dangerous, or people who might be buying the gun to pass it on to someone else. They must also ensure that the weapons are manufactured and marketed responsibly. Should they be found to have failed in any of these measures, it is now possible to sue manufacturers over any future violations or damages.
[embedded content]
The aforementioned ten-day waiting period is designed to provide a buffer period between people in crisis and their possession of a deadly weapon. During this period the buyer must also provide evidence that they have completed the required safety training. The hope is that this short period will reduce the risk of people buying and using a deadly weapon during a time of anger or mental instability.
Washington’s gun control bills only a drop in the ocean
Over the course of 2023 so far, 14,427 people have lost their lives to gun violence in the United States and 11,412 have been injured. While mass shootings are the most widely publicised due to their shocking nature, they only account for a small portion of overall deaths (212 out of 14,427). While banning certain styles of semi-automatic rifle will help prevent devastating mass shootings, the majority of shootings which are carried out with a wide array of guns, will continue. In 2021, over 6,000 murders were confirmed to have been committed using a handgun, compared to 447 by rifle. While there were a further 4,740 cases in which the gun type was not recorded, it is clear that only banning certain styles of semi-automatic rifles is like putting a band-aid on a gunshot wound, with an estimated 1.4 million guns having been sold in the US last month alone.
Inslee, the governor who signed the bills into law, also recognises these bills as a drop in the ocean, stating:
“Just because they don’t solve all the problems does not mean the state of Washington does not take action… Inaction against gun violence is unacceptable.”
Gun reform in the US is a gradual and difficult process
As the world watches on as seemingly weekly news of school, supermarket, church or street shootings filters out of America, gun reform advocates should not hold their breath in hope of an absolute ban. Despite strong support for regulations such as requiring background checks on all gun sales, banning assault weapons, and not selling firearms to those with potentially dangerous mental health issues (88%, 67% and 84% support respectively), there is no great call for a widespread ban on ownership. But tragedy after tragedy, protest after protest, and bill by bill, gun reform activists and supporters hope that they are moving towards a time where widespread gun violence in the US is a thing of the past – and these three bills are certainly a step in that direction. Läs mer…

EU adopts the World’s first Regulation on Cryptocurrencies

Publicerad denFörfattareRss .

The EU-Parliament passed a law to regulate cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin more strongly. The new regulation will protect consumers from losses, and it will make money laundering and terrorist financing more difficult. In addition, providers are to be held liable in the event of massive losses. With the new law, Europe wants to end the “wild […]

The post EU adopts the World’s first Regulation on Cryptocurrencies appeared first on scoop.me.

Läs mer…

EU adopts the World’s first Regulation on Cryptocurrencies

Publicerad denFörfattareScoop Editorial

The EU-Parliament passed a law to regulate cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin more strongly. The new regulation will protect consumers from losses, and it will make money laundering and terrorist financing more difficult. In addition, providers are to be held liable in the event of massive losses. With the new law, Europe wants to end the “wild west of the blockchain world”.
On 20 April, the EU-Parliament passed the so-called “Regulation on Markets in Crypto Assets” (MiCA) with a large majority. Until now, it was possible to trade cryptocurrencies largely anonymously. Bitcoin & Co. are therefore popular with money launderers and fraudsters. This is now to come to an end.
Crypto exchanges will be subject to national supervisory authorities
Insider trading and abuse of power are to be made more difficult by the regulation. Service providers and suppliers of crypto-assets must submit to money laundering regulations. In addition, platforms and crypto exchanges will be subject to national supervisory authorities. Those platforms on which cryptocurrencies can be traded must also provide information about the sender and recipient of the transactions.
This is the first law to comprehensively regulate cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Etherum, etc. Evelyn Regner, Vice-President of the EU Parliament, comments on the decision:
“With this law, we are not only creating a model for the regulation of crypto markets, but above all strengthening the protection of consumers and investors and increasing legal certainty for providers.
EU Regulation on Cryptocurrencies makes money laundering and terrorist financing more difficult
At the same time, the regulation ensures that trading with Bitcoin & Co. can be better tracked. Suspicious transactions that are related to money laundering or terrorism, for example, can thus be identified more quickly.
“This is long overdue, because under the guise of innovation, cryptocurrencies are often a convenient way to cover up criminal money flows. A whole 22 billion euros were laundered through crypto assets in 2022. This must now be put to an end,” Regner said.
The regulation is to come into force in stages from 23 June. From July 2024, crypto-assets tied to currencies – so-called stablecoins – will then have to prove larger financial reserves in order to be approved. The complete regulation will then come into force in January 2025 at the latest. The “Wild West of the blockchain world” will thus come to an end, according to European Parliament member Stefan Berger.
Bitcoin mining consumes as much energy as the whole of Austria every year
However, Regner points out that the EU’s regulation on cryptocurrencies is only a first step: “However, not all the work is done with the regulation adopted today, because crypto markets continue to develop rapidly. Therefore, the EU Commission should continue to closely monitor developments in the crypto asset markets and propose further regulation if needed.”
Especially in the area of sustainability, it is imperative to tighten up: “Bitcoin mining alone consumes as much energy annually as the whole of Austria. Therefore, in the future, we will also need minimum standards for sustainability, which have not made it into the regulation for the time being due to considerable resistance from the centre-right.” Läs mer…

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol bans Private Jets and Night Flights

Publicerad denFörfattareNoah Duker

The private jet ban is set to into effect at the end of 2025. This will lead to “more quiet, clean and better air travel” an airport official said in a statement. Other than that, larger and therefore louder aircraft like the Boeing 747 should no longer be commissioned to land at the Dutch airport. Local inhabitants and climate activists welcome Schiphol’s move towards better quality of live in the Amsterdam suburb. The wake of this decision now echoing through Europe as more cities want to push for similar policies in the future.
Speaking in numbers, this would mean about 10,000 fewer aircraft per year to land at Schiphol, their flights being cancelled with the ban. Recently the government also implemented directives for the airport to reduce the flights from 500 to 440 thousand flights, cutting an additional 40 thousand flights, starting November 2023. 
“For too long, we have only thought about growth and not enough about the associated costs. We need to be sustainable for our employees, the environment and the world.”, Says Ruud Sondag, CEO Royal Schiphol Group. 
[embedded content]
Lawsuit against guidelines – airlines fear reduced profits
Travel agencies and Airlines have complained about the changes. The Dutch Airline KLM, who’s main airport is Schiphol, was surprised, claiming that they had wished for coordinated action across the entire air travel industry. But the lack of actual plans stemming from big airlines might explain why Schiphol’s decision not to wait.
The shrinking of flight numbers at Schiphol was followed by a lawsuit by KLM and four other airlines in fear of having reduced profits. Early April 2023, a Dutch court now overruled the directive due to an issue regarding formalities in the law-making process. 
Climate activists are disappointed about the court’s ruling, setting back the efforts of CO2 reduction in the Netherlands drastically. Their hopes now lie with the airport’s lone push to at least save a fourth of the CO2 intended by the government.
Private jets as climate killer – Germany to consider ban in the future
German air travel expert Sussane Menge sees private jets as a “great climate injustice” and calls for airports in Germany to implement similar directives to Schiphol to combat rising CO2 emissions. 
“It is no longer plausible that many people are now combating global warming by insulating houses and replacing heating systems, while a small minority is pumping out jet fuel as if there were no tomorrow.” – German air travel expert Susanne Menge. 
Now the German Greens have announced that they are considering proposing a similar with support from opposition party “die Linke” (the Left) though the future of this legislation is unclear.
Most wealth – Most emissions
And the numbers add up, considering that in 2019, a year before the Private jet boom properly kicked off, private jets already accounted for 899,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). In comparison, in the same year, the CO2 emissions on a global average per person accounted for about 4.78 tons per year.
A person with average carbon emission would take more than 627 thousand years to produce the amount of CO2 a billionaire emits in a Year. (Foto: Nate / Unsplash)
Considering these facts, it gets even more baffling when one considers that these 899 thousand tons of carbon dioxide is emitted by just about 22 thousand jets. Meaning that these approximately 22,000 private aircraft owners emit equally to about 188,000 people. And that’s only with their jets, accounting for other luxuries, these numbers can rise up to a staggering 3 million tons per year for the top 1 percent.
A person with average carbon emission would take more than 627 thousand years to produce the amount of CO2 a billionaire emits in a Year. Considering the shrinking CO2 budget, the rising temperatures and growing wealth inequality, considering bans like this might be a necessity all over Europe in the future. Läs mer…

EU Pay Transparency: Companies will have to disclose how they pay employees

Publicerad denFörfattareScoop Editorial

Women in the EU continue to be paid less than men. Not only because they tend to work in lower-paid jobs, but also for the same work in the same sector, women are paid less on average than their male colleagues. Most of the time, women don’t even know how much they are paid less because the wages are not publicly visible. This is now to change: The EU Pay Transparency Directive obliges companies to disclose how they pay their employees. This is to uncover and prevent a possible pay gap between men and women.
On 30 March, the EU Parliament adopted new directives in the fight against salary differences between men and women. The regulations oblige EU companies to be transparent about salaries. In future, all salaries paid by a company must be disclosed. This will allow workers to compare their salaries and identify differences. 
In the EU, women still earn on average 13 per cent less per hour than men. However, the gender pay gap varies greatly from country to country: while it is less than 4 per cent in Slovenia, Romania and Luxembourg, the pay gap is highest in Estonia and Latvia, at around 22 per cent. Austria and Germany are right behind with 18.9 and 18.1 percent respectively.
[embedded content]
Gender pay gap has mainly structural causes
The gender pay gap has mainly structural causes, as women in the EU are more often employed part-time and are less likely to hold management positions. On the other hand, they do unpaid care work more often. Professions in which more women tend to work than men, such as nursing, are also less well paid. But even if one disregards these structural causes, the gender pay gap remains: In Germany, for example, women with comparable qualifications in the same industry earn on average six percent less than their male colleagues.
Companies with more than 100 employees must disclose salaries
The pay gap between women and men is to be closed with the new pay transparency guidelines. The guidelines stipulate that all salaries in a company must be disclosed. Companies with more than 100 employees where the pay gap between women and men exceeds 5 percent will have to find a solution on how to equalise salaries in the future.
The EU Pay Transparency guidelines prohibit recruiters from asking applicants about their current salary. This is to prevent salary discrepancies from arising in the first place.
Social partners are to play an increased role in enforcing the guidelines. Companies that do not comply with the wage transparency guidelines will be fined. This is the only way to ensure compliance with the rules, emphasises the chief negotiator of the S&D group, Evelyn Regner.
EU Pay Transparency Directive: “Transparency of crucial importance”
Regner, member of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality and Vice-President of the European Parliament, identifies in a dispatch the crucial importance of transparency for an equal society:
“Without it, it is simply impossible to take action against wage discrimination. “With the new EU rules, workers – and women in particular – will be better equipped to assert their right to equal pay for the same work or work of equal value as men.”
According to Regner, all workers will be able to share information about their pay internally and externally. “This means an effective ban on non-disclosure clauses.” It is also crucial, she said, that it is not women who have to go to court to prove wage discrimination, but companies who have to prove the opposite.
Wage discrimination is a systematic problem, not an individual one. Therefore, it should also be tackled systematically. Läs mer…

Leading lawyers take side of climate activists

Publicerad denFörfattareHarry Markham

As climate scientists offer final warnings on our planet’s future, climate activists are becoming more and more determined to force change – whatever the cost. Their protests are increasingly controversial and disruptive, as those looking to secure the planet’s future clamber for the attention of lawmakers, big businesses, and the public. As protests heat up, so does the risk of legal consequences, but legal professionals are starting to come out in support of climate activists as 140 top lawyers sign a “Declaration of Consciousness”.
On March 29, 2023, a collective of lawyers known as “Lawyers are Responsible” published a “Declaration of Consciousness” stating:
“as a matter of conscience, they will withdraw their legal services from (1) new fossil fuel projects and (2) criminal or civil action against peaceful climate protesters.”
The signatories to the Declaration include 140 prominent lawyers from the United Kingdom and around the world, including many from countries in the Global South who will face the worst impacts of the climate crisis, such as South Africa, Australia, Mexico, Guyana and the Philippines.
[embedded content]
Lawyers recognise complicity in climate destruction
The press release in which the group outlined their intentions highlighted the contribution of the legal sector towards climate destruction. They reference the $1.62 trillion worth of transactions within the fossil fuel industry that were made possible with the support of lawyers between 2017 and 2022.
They argue that not only should fellow legal professionals halt their support for the fossil fuel industry, they should also refuse to help prosecute peaceful climate change protesters – a practice that is becoming increasingly common.
Melinda Janki, Attorney-at-Law in Guyana and declaration signatory, said:
“I beg my legal colleagues to join me and other lawyers who are on the frontline fighting to uphold the rule of law and protect our countries and planet from the killing effects of fossil fuels. Please take a stand and do not be complicit in ecocide and the inevitable destruction of human lives.”
Peaceful climate protesters targeted by police and courts
As groups like Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil and Insulate Britain ramp up their efforts to garner support for better climate practice, they are often met by heavy handed police and disproportionate legal punishment. Four Just Stop Oil activists, arrested for blocking a London road, were convicted this year of causing a public nuisance. The group of men were sentenced to 260 hours of unpaid work in total, and made to pay a combined £7,500 in prosecution costs.
Earlier this year in Germany, protesters trying to save the village of Luetzerath from its imminent destruction in order to make way for a new coal field were reportedly beaten heavily by German police, with at least 20 ending up in hospital.
One week before the release of the declaration by Lawyers are Responsible, reports from Australia stated that two German students are set to be deported back to their native land for blocking access to Sydney’s seaport. Federal Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, seemingly missing the point, denounced the actions of the two Germans as “attention-seeking”.
As activists across the world attempt to stop humanity’s march towards catastrophe, it is clear that the support of legal professionals, such as those in Lawyers are Responsible, is vital.
Activists and lawyers score victory against climate change villains Shell
Dutch fossil fuel giant Shell, who place 7th in global rankings for greenhouse gas emissions by companies between 1965 and 2018, produced 32,498 million tons of CO2 equivalent during this period. While they claim to be aiming for carbon neutrality through a transition to green energy by 2050, they are accused of greenwashing and playing fast and loose with the truth surrounding their climate practices. While they claim to be working towards achieving net-zero, they contradict themselves through continual new investment in oil and gas projects. The International Energy Agency stated in 2021 that no new oil and gas projects were compatible with achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
While Shell claim to be working towards net-zero, they continue to invest heavily in oil and gas. (Photo: Jethro Carullo / Unsplash)
These contradicting practices form the basis of the argument put forward to the English High Court by ClientEarth, a group of environmental lawyers. The group, who are token stakeholders in Shell, argue that the company does not have a suitable strategy to meet climate targets as the rest of the world moves away from fossil fuels. They say that failure to properly transition to clean energy leaves the company at risk of being left behind as fossil fuels are made obsolete – a reasonable argument for an investor to make. The lawsuit, which is aimed at the companies 11 directors, is a landmark case in holding corporate directors liable for failing to properly prepare their company for the net zero transition.
This is an exemplary case of activism and the legal profession working hand-in-hand to tackle climate destruction as opposed to supporting it, and provides hope for further progress in this direction in the future with the help of groups like Lawyers are Responsible. Läs mer…