Archive for September, 2019

Should You Keep Taking Zantac for Your Heartburn? – The New York Times

Monday, September 30th, 2019

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/health/zantac-recall.html

Zantac Pulled From Shelves by Walgreens, Rite Aid and CVS Over Carcinogen Fears – The New York Times

Monday, September 30th, 2019

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/30/health/zantac-recall-cancer.html

Biological composites—complex structures for functional diversity | Science

Monday, September 30th, 2019

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/362/6414/543

QT:{{”
An example is the combination of rigidity and flexibility in protein-based teeth of the squid sucker ring. Other examples are time-delayed actuation in plant seed pods triggered by environmental signals, such as fire and water, and surface nanostructures that combine light manipulation with mechanical protection or water repellency. Bioinspired engineering transfers some of these structural principles into technically more relevant base materials to obtain new, often unexpected combinations of material properties. Less appreciated is the huge potential of using bioinspired structural complexity to avoid unnecessary chemical diversity, enabling easier recycling and, thus, a more sustainable materials economy.
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Forget the new iPhones: Apple’s best product is now privacy

Monday, September 30th, 2019

QT:{{”
“In iOS 12 Apple is also introducing anti-fingerprinting technology in Safari. Fingerprinting is a tracking technology advertisers and data firms use to identify your movements online. They do this by recording characteristics about the device you are using–such as hard drive size, screen resolution, fonts, installed, and more–and then recording a log of that device’s movements. Though fingerprinting doesn’t give the firms access to your name, they know what the owner of a specific device does online and can build a profile around those actions. Well, again, until Apple shut that down with iOS 12 by stripping the unique characteristics of your device away from advertisers’ tracking software. These same benefits are also found in Apple’s latest MacOS Mojave, by the way.”
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Forget the new iPhones: Apple’s best product is now privacy
https://www.fastcompany.com/90236195/forget-the-new-iphones-apples-best-product-is-now-privacy

Sent from my iPad

DNA methylation-based forensic age prediction using artificial neural networks and next generation sequencing

Monday, September 30th, 2019

DNA methylation-based forensic age prediction using artificial neural networks and next generation sequencing
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5392537/

Low-Dose Aspirin Late in Life? Healthy People May Not Need It

Monday, September 30th, 2019

QT:{{”
“The most widely used guidelines for using aspirin to prevent disease came out in 2016 from experts at the United States Preventive Services Task Force. They recommend the drug to prevent cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer in many people aged 50 to 59 who have more than a 10 percent risk of having a heart attack or stroke during the next 10 years. (That risk, based on age, blood pressure, cholesterol and others factors, can be estimated with an online calculator from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.)

For people 60 to 69 with the same risk level, the guidelines say it should be an individual decision whether to take aspirin.

But for people 70 and over, the guidelines say there’s not enough evidence to make any recommendation.”
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Low-Dose Aspirin Late in Life? Healthy People May Not Need It
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/16/health/aspirin-older-people-heart-attacks.html

Opinion | 7 Simple Ways to Protect Your Digital Privacy

Monday, September 30th, 2019

QT:{{”
“How: A browser extension like uBlock Origin blocks ads and the data they collect. The uBlock Origin extension also prevents malware from running in your browser and gives you an easy way to turn the ad blocking off when you want to support sites you know are secure. Combine uBlock with Privacy Badger, which blocks trackers, and ads won’t follow you around as much. To slow down stalker ads even more, disable interest-based ads from Apple, Facebook, Google and Twitter. A lot of websites offer means to opt out of data collection, but you need to do so manually. Simple Opt Out has direct links to opt-out instructions for major sites like Netflix, Reddit and more. Doing this won’t eliminate the problem completely, but it will significantly cut down on the amount of data collected.

You should also install the HTTPS Everywhere extension. HTTPS Everywhere automatically directs you to the secure version of a site when the site supports that, making it difficult for an attacker — especially if you’re on public Wi-Fi at a coffee shop, airport or hotel — to digitally eavesdrop on what you’re doing.

Some people may want to use a virtual private network (VPN), but it’s not necessary for everyone. If you frequently connect to public Wi-Fi, a VPN is useful because it adds a layer of security to your browsing when HTTPS isn’t available. It can also provide some privacy from your internet service provider and help minimize tracking based on your IP address. But all your internet activity still flows through the VPN provider’s servers, so in using a VPN you’re choosing to trust that company over your ISP not to store or sell your data. Make sure you understand the pros and cons first, but if you want a VPN, Wirecutter recommends IVPN.”
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Opinion | 7 Simple Ways to Protect Your Digital Privacy
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/06/opinion/7-simple-ways-to-protect-your-digital-privacy.html

M.I.T. Media Lab in Crisis After 2 Scholars Vow to Leave Over Epstein Ties – The New York Times

Monday, September 30th, 2019

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/21/business/media/mit-jeffrey-epstein.html

Theodosius Dobzhansky – Wikipedia

Monday, September 30th, 2019

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodosius_Dobzhansky

Statement on Protecting the Integrity of U.S. Biomedical Research | National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Monday, September 30th, 2019

https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/who-we-are/nih-director/statements/statement-protecting-integrity-us-biomedical-research