Tag Archives: management

Exploring the Limitations of AI Safety Management Practices

Posted on by
Reply

As organizations like Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI develop cutting-edge artificial intelligence systems, they are increasingly focused on implementing safeguards to prevent misuse—such as spreading disinformation, creating weapons, or hacking networks.

However, recent findings by Italian researchers reveal that these protective measures can sometimes be bypassed through poetic prompts.

By using poetic language, the researchers successfully tricked 31 AI systems into ignoring internal safety protocols. For example, starting prompts with metaphors like “The iron seed sleeps best in the unsuspecting womb of the earth away from the sun’s reproachful gaze” demonstrated how these systems can be manipulated to execute dangerous tasks.

This highlights a concerning trend: for many AI systems, guardrails intended to prevent risky behavior are merely suggestions, rather than effective barriers. Researchers are increasingly alarmed as AI systems become adept at exploiting vulnerabilities and engaging in risky operations.

Recently, Anthropic announced restrictions on the release of its latest AI system, Claude Mythos, to select organizations due to its rapid vulnerability detection capabilities in software. OpenAI echoed similar sentiments, choosing to share its technology with a limited group of trusted partners.

Since the AI boom initiated by OpenAI in late 2022, studies have confirmed the ability of users to bypass safety measures in AI systems. Closing one loophole often leads to the emergence of another.

“Everyone in the field acknowledges that establishing effective guardrails is challenging and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future,” stated Matt Fredrickson, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University and CEO of Gray Swan AI, which specializes in securing AI technologies. “Determined individuals can evade these systems with relative ease.”

The repercussions of bypassing guardrails are significant. In an already misinformation-heavy online environment, AI systems are being employed to disseminate conspiracy theories and false claims. Anthropic has also reported that its technology played a role in an international cyberattack, teaching biosecurity experts how to unleash fatal pathogens.

The poetic bypass is just one of many methods hackers use to circumvent protections in systems like Anthropic’s Claude, Google’s Gemini, and OpenAI’s GPT. Major AI firms share similar foundational techniques for implementing guardrails, yet these measures are surprisingly easy to overcome.

“Poetry is merely one way to reframe a prompt and breach guardrails,” explained Piercosma Visconti, co-founder of AI firm Dexai and a researcher in the study.

The act of circumventing AI guardrails is commonly referred to as “jailbreaking.” This often entails submitting specific English sentences that prompt actions the AI has been programmed to avoid.

Jailbreaking techniques feature a variety of creative names, including stealth prompt injection, role-playing, token smuggling, polyglot Trojans, and greedy coordinate gradient attacks. Notable attack names include Crescendo, Deceptive Joy, and Echo Chamber.

Weak defenses in AI systems have already led to the spread of fabricated interviews, false wartime evidence, and synthetic rumor-mongering. Research conducted three years ago by international counterterrorism experts revealed far-right extremists using social media to circumvent moderators with “terrible but legal” AI content.

Experts are concerned that models could be jailbroken to mislead social media users with seemingly authentic content, overwhelm fact-checkers with misinformation, and tailor false narratives for specific audiences.

Some of these methods are widely disseminated online, while others remain undisclosed. Many discoverers of new jailbreaks keep them secret to exploit these loopholes before AI companies close them.

AI systems like Claude and GPT learn patterns from vast datasets, including Wikipedia, news articles, and curated texts from the internet. However, before releasing these systems to the public, companies like Anthropic and OpenAI explore potential exploits.

In their unfiltered states, these systems can potentially instruct users on purchasing illegal firearms online or creating hazardous substances using household items. Consequently, companies train their systems to refuse certain requests through a method known as reinforcement learning.

This often involves showcasing thousands of prohibited requests to the system. Through this analysis, the system can learn to identify other dangerous requests. However, this method only partially succeeds.

In some situations, AI companies might opt not to address vulnerabilities, believing that while weak guardrails could facilitate malicious activities, they also enable benign actions to counter them.

Recently, researchers at cybersecurity firm LayerX found that Claude’s guardrails could be bypassed by simply entering a few straightforward sentences into the AI system.

When told they were “penetrating” a computer network for testing purposes, Claude’s AI technology was directed to launch attacks on the network. This technique could potentially enable malicious hackers to extract sensitive information from businesses, governments, and individuals.

While closing this loophole may protect Claude’s networks, it could simultaneously hinder companies from safeguarding their own systems. LayerX informed Anthropic of this vulnerability weeks ago, yet it remains an open issue.

LayerX CEO Olu Eshed warned that this strategy might backfire. “Eventually, we will witness a surge of attacks utilizing these AI models, compelling us to rethink our security protocols,” he predicted.

Last year, researchers from Cisco and the University of Pennsylvania achieved breakthrough results by developing AI models that produced harmful outcomes using malicious prompts. Their efforts successfully jailbroke Meta and Chinese AI model DeepSeek chatbots 100% of the time, and over 80% of attacks against Google and OpenAI models were successful.

(The New York Times has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, claiming copyright infringement related to its AI systems, with both companies denying these allegations.)

If guardrails are compromised, automated large-scale influence campaigns could become feasible, as researchers at the University of Technology Sydney demonstrated. By disguising their requests as “simulations,” they convinced a commercial language model to create a disinformation campaign against Australian political parties, complete with visuals, hashtags, and tailored posts for specific platforms.

In addition to establishing guardrails, these companies also employ other tools to monitor system activity, identify suspicious behaviors, and ban accounts infringing on their terms of service.

“Claude is built with robust, multi-layered protections designed to work in unison, including model training and layered guardrails,” stated Anthropic spokesperson Palul Maheshwary. “Bypassing one layer doesn’t circumvent the others.”

In a concerning revelation, Anthropic found that a group of state-sponsored hackers from China was employing Claude to breach the computer systems of approximately 30 companies and government agencies worldwide.

Despite the robust security technologies, experts caution that flaws remain, as companies struggle to monitor extensive global activity while also ensuring legitimate users are not excluded.

When restricted by the security measures of services like Claude and GPT, users may turn to open-source AI systems. These platforms allow for their underlying software to be freely replicated, modified, and shared.

Such systems can be altered to eliminate guardrails. A novel approach called Heretic enables users to remove system guardrails with minimal effort, essentially undoing months of guardrailing training through sophisticated algorithms.

“A year ago, this process was highly complex,” noted Norm Schwartz, CEO of AI security firm Alice. “Today, it can be controlled effortlessly via a mobile device.”

Source: www.nytimes.com

How the Oral Microbiome Affects Weight Management, Liver Health, and Diabetes Risk

Posted on by
Reply

Scanning Electron Micrograph of Bacteria on Human Tongue

Credit: Science Photo Library/Alamy

Our dietary habits significantly impact our health, and the microorganisms residing in our mouths are equally crucial. A groundbreaking study investigating the relationship between the oral microbiome and metabolic health indicates that these findings could eventually help identify risks for obesity, prediabetes, and fatty liver disease.

“This represents one of the most ambitious efforts to correlate the oral microbiome with metabolic health across various organ systems,” noted Lindsay Edwards from King’s College London, who was not involved in the research.

The oral microbiome, the second largest microbial ecosystem in the body after the gut, has been linked to various health conditions. Previous research mainly focused on limited participants or single conditions, utilizing 16S ribosomal RNA profiling. While this method identifies broad microbial groups, it cannot specify bacterial strains or the genes they may carry.

In contrast, Imran Razak and his colleagues at the Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence analyzed oral swabs from 9,431 participants using whole metagenomic sequencing, allowing for a comprehensive examination of all microbial DNA present. They paired this microbiome data with liver ultrasound scans, continuous blood glucose monitoring, and body composition analysis to create a robust statistical atlas. This atlas relates specific oral bacteria and their genes to 44 metabolic traits, such as liver fat, blood sugar fluctuations, and visceral fat, all relevant to conditions like high blood pressure, prediabetes, obesity, and fatty liver disease.

Many bacteria identified in this study have appeared in previous research. For instance, in early 2023, Ashish Jha from New York University Abu Dhabi reported that Streptococcus parasanguinis and Oribacterium sinus were more prevalent in obese individuals. Razak’s study corroborates these findings, linking these bacteria to increased BMI and body fat.

Additionally, new research has provided insights into microbial functions that may influence disease processes. For example, polyamine biosynthesis, associated with worse liver health and blood sugar control, as well as microbial pathways related to ceramide breakdown (lipids known to contribute to insulin resistance), were linked to adverse glycemic control.

Although the study does not definitively state that these bacteria cause health issues, Razak emphasizes that “bacteria serve as reliable indicators for future mechanistic studies.” The researchers hypothesize that the oral microbiome might not merely be a passive marker but may actively influence metabolic diseases.

Jha discusses potential pathways through which oral microbes might affect metabolic health, including the translocation of bacterial products into the bloodstream through inflamed gums, which can cause further inflammation. Oral microbes can also alter gut microbiota ecology and secrete chemicals that impact processes like blood sugar regulation and cardiovascular health.

Overall, the prevailing hypothesis suggests that it is not individual oral bacteria that lead to obesity or metabolic disorders, but rather “dysbiosis” of the oral microbiome, contributing to chronic inflammation and metabolic burdens through repeated microbial exposure, oral-gut transit, immune activation, and microbial metabolite production, as noted by Jha.

A puzzling aspect of this research is understanding why some individuals harbor potentially harmful microorganisms. Razak suggests that factors such as gum health, age, gender, smoking, and diet may all play a role. Notably, many associations persisted even when considering common oral health issues like periodontal disease.

Future studies that confirm these findings could enable the use of microbial signatures in the oral cavity as metrics for assessing metabolic risk. The prospect of a simple oral swab offering early warnings for conditions like fatty liver disease and blood sugar imbalances is particularly compelling, especially given the rising prevalence of metabolic disorders and the urgent need for non-invasive diagnostic tools, as highlighted by Edwards.

Adjusting the balance of these microorganisms may eventually become a viable therapeutic approach, Razak suggests.

While further research is needed to deepen our understanding of these associations and validate them across diverse populations, this study marks a significant advancement in microbiome research at a population level. It reinforces the growing recognition that the oral cavity is not only a reflection of oral health but may also act as a sentinel of systemic physiology, according to Edwards.

Topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Can We ‘Vaccinate’ Ourselves Against Stress? Exploring Effective Stress Management Techniques

Posted on by
Reply
Explore science news and long reads from expert journalists at New Scientist, covering technology, health, and the environment.

While it might sound unusual, you can actually inoculate yourself against stress.

Just as vaccines help the immune system fend off invaders, research suggests stress inoculation can prepare individuals for future stressors.

This concept is particularly noted among military personnel. By allowing soldiers to undergo simulated stressful situations and equipping them with coping mechanisms, they can reduce the impact of stress over time. For instance, a study found that cadets with resilience training showed lower cortisol levels following intense military drills compared to those without such training. Similarly, emergency personnel also experience lower risks of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression due to their resilience training strategies.

Fortunately, you don’t need military training to reap the benefits. Regular, manageable exposure to stress can enhance resilience, as observed by Julie Vashuk from Masaryk University, Czech Republic.

Recent studies indicate that navigating stressful experiences can actually reshape the brain. This includes changes in key areas like the prefrontal cortex, involved in emotion regulation, the hippocampus, crucial for memory, and the amygdala, responsible for threat perception. Facing mild stressors can help individuals adapt to challenges in the following ways: it enhances resilience and accelerates recovery to baseline.

It’s essential to keep stress levels manageable. As Vashuk advises, mild stress should induce just enough discomfort to be tolerated without becoming overwhelming. “Once you’re overwhelmed, it becomes traumatic,” she explains. Activities like visiting unfamiliar places or engaging with new people can be beneficial. She also recommends surrounding yourself with supportive individuals.

This exposure therapy can be useful for adults, but how about children? Numerous studies, like one that highlights that early childhood adversity can elevate health risks, suggest that a small amount of controlled adversity may actually be advantageous. In rodent studies, constant separation from their mothers increases adult stress responses, while brief separations can lead to stronger adult responses. A similar phenomenon has also been observed in primates concerning short-term mother-infant separation.

Extrapolating such studies to humans poses ethical challenges, yet researchers like Carmine Pariante from King’s College London argue that we may not be as resilient as a society as we think. This doesn’t imply inflicting trauma intentionally, but rather suggesting that facing manageable challenges can benefit both adults and children.

Simulated stress exposure helps soldiers build real-life resilience.

Daniel Ceng/Anadolu via Getty Images

Vashuk also highlights a cultural phenomenon in the Czech Republic, where children are introduced to classical music early on. “Five-year-olds perform with their teachers, gradually performing solo as they mature. Although the stress remains, their early exposure equips them to effectively handle stress and rebound quickly,” she notes.

Exposure isn’t the sole method for building resilience. Techniques such as breathing exercises, mindfulness, altering your mindset regarding stress, and recognizing your strengths are proven to boost resilience and transform negative stress into positive energy.

Research is ongoing into the concept of a literal stress vaccine. Studies on rodents indicate that exposure to a heat-killed bacterium, Mycobacterium vaccae, calms stress responses via anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, experimental drugs like “Alexigent” aim to enhance stress tolerance in individuals predisposed to PTSD and depression, although significant advancements remain limited. A notable 2017 study showed that a single ketamine dose can mitigate stress impacts on mice.

For most of us, however, the solution lies in the simplicity of understanding that stress is not inherently detrimental (see “Why the right kind of stress is crucial for health and well-being”). “Stress is beneficial for growth,” Vashuk states. “Experiencing stress is vital for our responses. What’s equally important is the ability to recover swiftly. Building resilience is crucial for regulating stress hormones effectively.”

Topics:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Revamping BMI Strategies: The Urgent Need for Speed in Health Management

Posted on by
Reply
Doctor transporting patient in a car

In the field of medicine, acting too quickly can lead to catastrophic results. A prime example is the thalidomide scandal associated with morning sickness. Pregnant animals were never tested, reflecting the risks of changing procedures based on insufficient evidence. However, slow responses can also pose dangers, as seen with the reliance on body mass index (BMI).

For years, BMI, a straightforward calculation based on weight and height, has proven inadequate for distinguishing between fat and muscle or accounting for global variations. While it is a quick and cost-effective measure, its prolonged use has misclassified millions, leading to denied fertility treatments and surgeries.

Fortunately, alternative measurements are gaining traction. In a pivotal move last year, The Lancet urged that BMI not be the sole metric for assessing obesity, a recommendation embraced by 75 international medical organizations.

This shift indicates a potential resolution to the medical inertia stemming from insufficient evidence, lack of consensus, and leadership necessary for progress, especially after the errors of the 20th century.

“
We need only look to COVID-19 vaccines to illustrate that rapid, safe, and evidence-based actions can indeed be achieved.
“

The rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines, which saved approximately 14 million lives within their first year, serves as an exemplary model of fast, evidence-based action in healthcare.

This type of proactive response is crucial in various underdeveloped healthcare sectors, including enhanced menopause care, innovative psychiatric treatments, additional male contraception options, and new antibiotics.

While caution is essential, it’s crucial to act swiftly without compromising safety and effectiveness.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Sustainable Resource Management through a Circular Economy – Sciworthy

Posted on by
Reply

Rare earth elements, commonly referred to as REE, are vital chemical components for mobile phones, computers, electric vehicles, wind turbines, and nearly all digital electronic devices. These unique elements, with names like Cerium (CE), Neodymium (ND), Praseodymium (PR), Dysprosium (DY), and Terbium (TB), can be recycled from electronic gadgets. However, much like fossil fuels, REE resources are finite. Additionally, only four countries possess about 85% of the REE supply found in the Earth’s crust. Consequently, scientists are working on sustainable methods for mining and distributing REEs.

Pen Wang and his team propose that the solution lies in the circular economy. This model focuses on utilizing readily available resources while minimizing waste. For instance, China adopted this policy in the 2000s and capitalized on its REE reserves. They noted that nations and industries could employ five strategies to foster a circular economy: baseline usage, recycling, reuse, replacement, and reduction.

First, countries monitor current resource usage, known as Baseline. Next, they engage in recycling by utilizing easily accessible resources to minimize waste and develop sustainable technology, followed by Reuse. They then promote the use of accessible materials at the manufacturing level, referred to as the production level with an emphasis on Alternative methods that waste fewer materials, and Reduction. Furthermore, various countries integrate these strategies to enhance sustainability and achieve Combined results.

The researchers concluded that not all strategies in the circular economy carry equal weight. They found that reduction and alternatives are the most impactful since they originate at production sources, while recycling and reuse are merely reactive strategies rather than preventive measures. To assess which strategies yield the most benefits for REE distribution, they examined how the REE sector aligns with the five strategies of a circular economy.

It has been observed that mining companies primarily extract REE directly from the Earth, referred to as Land stocks. However, substantial deposits of REEs have only been identified in a limited number of countries, including China, Brazil, Vietnam, and Russia. Existing electronic devices already contain a significant quantity of REE stocks. Utilization of these stocks offers a promising avenue. The team argued that recycling these devices would lessen the need for underground extraction and stabilize the economy as underground stocks dwindle. They indicated that, under the current economic model, a considerable portion of available inventory would be discarded, leading to depletion by 2042 without efficient re-introduction of used stocks.

The team highlighted that trade plays a crucial role in the global circular economy. Free trade enables the unimpeded flow of resources such as REEs across borders, with taxes and duties acting as trade-offs. However, disruptions to free trade could hinder the accumulation of inventory during REE use. For instance, they estimated that waste from two REEs, such as ND, PR, DY, and TB, would remain unutilized due to exporting nations with stock in circulation.

Researchers pointed out that China is currently the sole nation capable of meeting its own REE needs. However, they anticipate that the US could possess up to 50% of the usable stocks by 2050. Developing circular economy practices is in the US’s interest, as they contend that trades concerning REEs will evolve into a multi-billion dollar industry in the coming decades. They believe these practices can also yield social advantages since countries concentrating on resource extraction can cultivate a sustainable economy grounded in processing existing stock rather than depleting new resources.

The researchers concluded that adopting a circular economy to recycle utilized stocks would enhance the global accessibility of REEs in the future. However, success hinges on global economic collaboration, which may present challenges. They proposed that the US should forge partnerships with countries excelling in recycling to initiate a Western movement toward engaging in this economic system.


Post view: 62

Source: sciworthy.com

Uncovering the Impact of the LA Wildfire: Key Estimates Lacking After Trump’s Management Changes

Posted on by
Reply

Certainly! Here’s your content rewritten while preserving the HTML tags:

As President Donald Trump took office, the wildfires in Los Angeles were still burning, prompting a return to previous Biden-era directives for federal agencies addressing the climate crisis. Flip

January’s fire conditions, exacerbated by climate change, played a significant role in igniting wildfires in Palisades and Eton. Nearly 40,000 acres were affected. By March, Adam Smith, the chief investigator of the $1 billion weather and climate disaster program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), was still assessing the severe impact of the LA wildfires when he received informal orders to cease all work-related communications.

Each month, Smith’s team maintained an extensive online database tracking losses from over 400 natural disasters since 1980, all causing more than $1 billion in damages. Following the LA wildfire, Smith reported having received restrictions that prevented him from updating this database and sharing initial findings with the public. The wildfire incurred damages amounting to at least $50 billion.

In early May, Smith resigned due to concerns about the agency’s plans for the future. The billion-dollar weather and climate disaster online database Smith had developed over 15 years at NOAA was subsequently shut down. Days later, NOAA confirmed it would cease updates for this important resource, which provides essential data for scientists, citizens, and insurance firms evaluating climate risk.

A NOAA spokesperson stated that the database would no longer be updated “due to changing priorities and staffing adjustments.” The White House did not provide any comments regarding the matter.

According to Smith, the database’s economic losses are particularly vital, as billion-dollar disasters like hurricanes and widespread wildfires are increasingly common. In 2023, the US set new records for billion-dollar disasters, with the database indicating a staggering $28 billion event. Over the past five years, the US has averaged about $24 billion in disasters annually, a significant rise from just $3 billion average during the 1980s.

“We need to be more prepared than ever,” Smith told NBC News. “Some have access to the data and insights for better preparation. Unfortunately, discontinuing resources like these creates a gap in knowledge.”

Researchers have identified rising global temperatures as a key driver in these changes over recent decades. Long-term droughts and increased wildfire risks are affecting regions across the western United States, where warming atmospheres retain more moisture, resulting in more intense storms and hurricanes.

This increase in extreme weather events presents significant challenges for insurance policyholders in areas susceptible to natural disasters. Rates in hurricane-prone states like Louisiana and Florida have surged, with some homeowners facing nearly $10,000 in annual insurance premiums. In California, major insurance firms, including State Farm, have rescinded policies due to escalating fire risks.

A study from the National Bureau of Economic Research revealed that the heightened risk of disasters would drive up annual insurance costs for households affected by climate issues by an estimated $700 over the next three decades. On a global scale, reports from German insurance giant Munich RE indicated that natural disasters resulted in record insurance losses of $140 billion worldwide in 2024.

“You cannot conceal the costs of climate change from those who are already incurring those costs through their insurance premiums,” stated Carly Fabian, a civic policy advocate from a consumer rights nonprofit. “The insurance and reinsurance sectors are built to withstand a limited number of major multi-billion dollar disasters, but are not equipped for consecutive disasters occurring with such frequency.”

Data compiled in the multibillion-dollar disaster database illustrates the financial toll of hurricanes, severe storms, and wildfires across the nation, serving as a critical resource for private insurers modeling climate risks and establishing rates for homeowners in vulnerable areas. Although insurance companies utilize various datasets for their climate risk assessments, the scale of NOAA’s database remains unmatched.

Jeremy Porter, a climate risk expert at the First Street Foundation, emphasized that the database is one of the most effective tools for illustrating the economic impact of climate-related disasters. First Street utilizes the $1 billion disaster database for its national risk assessment reports.

The NOAA database also serves as an essential resource for homeowners facing rising rates, non-renewals, and cancellations in home insurance.

“We are navigating an industry where insurers have extensive access to private data while the average consumer lacks insight into that data,” remarked the policy director for Americans for Financial Reform, a nonprofit advocating for stricter regulations. “The removal of public data sources exacerbates this imbalance, hindering individuals’ ability to understand their risks and the challenges they face from financial service providers.”

Madison Condon, an environmental law professor at Boston University, highlighted that the cuts to NOAA’s $1 billion disaster database are part of a broader trend involving rollbacks of national climate assessments and data resources, including the annual report detailing the impacts of climate change in the US released in late April. The Trump administration notably rejected numerous scientific contributions to these reports.

Additionally, the Trump administration has eliminated data products related to melting Antarctic glaciers and sea ice cover, marking yet another setback for US Antarctic research. Leaked documents obtained by ProPublica indicated that Trump intended to reduce NOAA funding by 27%, particularly for innovative climate-related initiatives, and proposed nearly 75% cuts to the Bureau of Ocean and Atmospheric Research, responsible for maintaining global climate models essential for insurers’ climate risk assessments.

Let me know if you need any further modifications!

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Research: Elderberry juice high in anthocyanins may be an effective weight management aid

Posted on by
Reply

Consuming elderberry juice daily for one week (12 ounces of juice daily) significantly increases the gut microbial community associated with health benefits, according to a new randomized, placebo-controlled study. Compared to placebo, elderberry juice significantly increased Firmicutes and Actinobacteria and decreased Bacteroidetes. At the genus level, elderberry juice increased. FaecalibacteriumRuminococcaceae , and Bifidobacterium Bacteroidetes and lactic acid-producing bacteria decreased.

Elderberry is a small dark purple fruit that grows on the elderberry tree, which is native to Europe. Image credit: TheOtherKev.

More than 70% of adults in the United States are overweight or obese. The latest estimates indicate that 42% of adults suffer from obesity, and this is expected to increase to 48-55% by 2050.

Obesity has myriad and multifaceted causes. Proactive dietary management of obesity-related cardiometabolic complications includes dietary patterns that incorporate food sources rich in bioactive food components, such as the Mediterranean-style diet.

These dietary patterns include 5 to 10 daily servings of fruits and vegetables, which are rich sources of polyphenols that promote human health and longevity.

Anthocyanins are a diverse subclass of flavonoids that have been widely studied for health-promoting properties, including metabolic changes associated with obesity, such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular disease.

Furthermore, research results ranging from translational studies in rodents to large prospective cohort studies show that anthocyanin-rich berries have a protective effect against obesity-related morbidity and mortality. It's proven.

The mechanisms of action of anthocyanin benefits include preventing the intestinal absorption of monosaccharides, promoting cellular metabolism in adipose and muscle tissue, and modulating the gut microbiome.

“We have previously shown that consuming 600 g of blackberries per day for one week increases insulin sensitivity as evidenced by dietary challenge testing and decreases in respiratory quotient by 24-hour indirect calorimetry. “We demonstrated that fat oxidation also increases.” Dr. Patrick Solverson and colleagues at Washington State University.

“The aim of this human study was to determine whether the metabolic benefits observed with other anthocyanin-rich berries also apply to elderberry.”

Researchers tested elderberry's effects on metabolic health in a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 18 overweight adults.

While maintaining a standardized diet, participants consumed either elderberry juice or a placebo with a similar color and flavor specifically designed by North Carolina State University's Food Innovation Lab.

Post-intervention clinical trials showed that participants who consumed elderberry juice had significantly increased amounts of beneficial gut bacteria, such as Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, and decreased amounts of harmful bacteria, such as Bacteroidetes. It was shown that

In addition to positive changes in the microbiome, elderberry intervention improved metabolism.

The results showed that elderberry juice lowered participants' blood sugar levels by an average of 24%, significantly improving their ability to process sugar after ingesting carbohydrates. Results also showed that insulin levels were reduced by 9%.

Additionally, the results suggested that elderberry juice may increase the body's ability to burn fat.

Participants who consumed elderberry juice showed a significant increase in fat oxidation, or the breakdown of fatty acids, after a high-carbohydrate meal or during exercise.

“Food is medicine, and science is catching up to that conventional wisdom,” Dr. Solverson said.

“This study contributes to a growing body of evidence that elderberry, which has been used as a folk medicine for centuries, has many benefits for metabolic as well as prebiotic health. .”

“Other berries also contain anthocyanins, but usually in lower concentrations,” he added.

“To get the same amount of anthocyanins found in 6 ounces of elderberry juice, you would need to consume 4 cups of blackberries a day.”

of findings appear in the diary nutrients.

_____

Christy Teets others. 2024. A 1-week elderberry juice intervention enhances fecal microbiota and suggests improved glucose tolerance and fat oxidation in a randomized controlled trial. nutrients 16(20):3555;doi: 10.3390/nu16203555

Source: www.sci.news

Indigenous Australians’ management of land through fire spans 11,000 years.

Posted on by
Reply

Aboriginal people use fire to manage the landscape

Penny Tweedy/Getty Images

Analysis of sediment cores taken from ancient lakes shows that Australia's indigenous peoples have been using fire to manage their environment for at least 11,000 years.

michael bird Researchers at James Cook University in Cairns, Australia, say their findings suggest that returning to indigenous regimes of more frequent but smaller fires could reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. This suggests that environmental management could be improved.

It has long been known that Australia's first people, who are thought to have lived on the continent for 65,000 years, carefully managed the landscape, using fire to make it easier to move around and hunt prey. . They also realized that this benefits some of the plants and animals they like and reduces the risk of more dangerous fires.

But how long this has been going on is difficult to establish, Bird said. That's because most waterways dry up completely during the annual dry season, destroying carbon in the sediment.

Girraween Lagoon, near Darwin in the Northern Territory, is a huge sinkhole that covers an area of ​​about 1 hectare and has remained permanently wet for at least 150,000 years. As the climate changed over the millennia, so did the vegetation around the sinkhole. “Girraween Lagoon has 150,000 years worth of sediment that has never dried out,” says Bird.

Bird and his colleagues were able to study three important indicators by analyzing sediment cores from the lagoon floor. It is a measure of the accumulation of fine charcoal particles, the proportion of burnt material in charred vegetation material, and the amount of different types of charcoal. Carbon that remains after combustion.

The first two indicators allow researchers to estimate the intensity of the fire, and the third indicates whether the fire was cold enough to leave traces of grass.

Before the arrival of humans, natural fires in the savanna of northern Australia were ignited by lightning strikes at the end of the dry season, when the vegetation and landscape were almost completely dry. This type of more intense fire burns biomass more completely, especially fine fuels such as grass and trash, leaving less grass uncharted.

Indigenous fires, on the other hand, burn more frequently, but with much lower heat, and their impact is confined to smaller areas and to the ground layer, promoting a mosaic of vegetation and helping to protect biodiversity.

Byrd said recent layers of the core show more frequent fires and clear evidence of grass that hasn't completely burned, indicating the fires are cooler. . This type of fire is very different from traditional natural fire patterns and is evidence of indigenous fire management, he says.

Researchers collect sediment cores in Girraween Lagoon, Northern Territory, Australia

michael bird

This signal can be seen in sediments that are at least 11,000 years old, but the study found that metrics for the proportion of grass and tree debris before that point have become difficult to study. Bird said there are signs of human fire starting 40,000 years ago, but the evidence is less clear.

“This means that savannahs have been growing alongside humans for at least 11,000 years,” he says. “Biodiversity has grown with that fire policy. When you remove this kind of burnout, you start to see serious problems with biodiversity.”

david bowman Researchers from Australia's University of Tasmania say the paper highlights the twin importance of climate and humans in shaping fire regimes.

“Decoupling climate from anthropogenic and, importantly, indigenous fire management is a very important topic,” he says. “As we fight to combat climate-induced wildfires around the world, a long-term perspective like this will be an invaluable addition to current research and development in sustainable fire management. .”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Alphabet management informs employees to anticipate more job reductions this year

Posted on by
Reply

Google’s CEO told employees to expect additional layoffs this year following recent layoffs that affected 1,000 employees.

In a memo to staff on Wednesday, Sundar Pichai said departments within the tech company continue to make changes and “some roles may be affected.”

Pichai’s memo acknowledged further layoffs reported last week, with the Alphabet Union, which represents workers within Google and its parent company Alphabet, announcing that 1,000 employees were affected.

“We have ambitious goals and will invest in big priorities,” he said in a memo reported by technology news website The Verge. “The reality is that we have to make hard choices to create this investment capacity.”

Pichai said the difficult choices so far include job losses at Google’s divisions, which include search, ad sales and the YouTube platform.

He noted that Alphabet cut 12,000 jobs across Alphabet in January last year, and said the job cuts would not reach that level. The company employed 182,000 people as of September 30 last year, according to its latest quarterly results.

“These role reductions are not at the scale of last year’s reductions and will not affect all teams,” Pichai wrote. “But I know it’s very difficult to see your colleagues and teams affected.”

Pichai announced the layoffs last year, saying Alphabet experienced a hiring boom as demand for tech companies surged during the coronavirus pandemic. He acknowledged that the company had overexpanded and wrote that it “hired for a different economic reality” than the one Alphabet faces now.

Pichai’s Wednesday memo was not on par with 12 months ago, when Microsoft, Salesforce, Amazon and Meta made tens of thousands of layoffs to adapt to the post-lockdown economy, sent to employees against the background of technical layoffs elsewhere. In December, Spotify announced it would cut 17% of its global workforce, while Amazon cut hundreds of employees in its Prime Video and Studio divisions, as well as about 500 employees at live streaming platform Twitch announced that he would be fired.

According to a website that tracks job losses in the technology industry. layoff.fyi, the sector has made 7,785 job cuts globally so far this year. By the same time last year, tech companies had laid off even more employees, about 38,000.

Skip past newsletter promotions

Pichai said Wednesday that the latest job cuts are focused on “reducing tiers to simplify execution and increase speed in some areas,” with more role cuts to come. Stated.

“While many of these changes have already been announced, we want to say upfront that some teams will continue to make specific resource allocation decisions throughout the year as needed and some roles will be affected. “There is a possibility that we will be subject to this,” he added.

Google declined to comment.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Improving the Understanding and Management of AI

Posted on by
Reply
evil robot artificial intelligence

A new paper discusses the complex role of AI in society and highlights its potential for both benefit and harm. He explores AI’s contribution to national security, its role in exacerbating social problems such as radicalization and polarization, and the importance of understanding and managing its risks.
Credit: SciTechDaily.com

Artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithms have and are being used to exacerbate radicalization, strengthen polarization and spread racism and political instability, according to academics at Lancaster University. .

Jo Barton, professor of international security at Lancaster University, argues that AI and algorithms are not just tools used by national security agencies to thwart malicious online activity. He suggests that they can foster polarization, radicalism and political violence, thereby posing a threat to national security itself.

In addition to this, he says the securitization process – which presents technology as an existential threat – has helped shape how AI is designed, how it is used, and the harmful outcomes it produces.

AI in securitization and its social impact

Professor Barton’s paper was recently published in Elsevier’s High Impact magazine. Technology in society journal.

“AI is often framed as a tool to counter violent extremism,” Professor Barton says. “This is the other side of the argument.”

This paper examines how AI has been securitized throughout its history and in media and popular culture depictions, creating polarizing and radicalizing ideas that have contributed to political violence. We explore this by examining contemporary examples of AI that have had an impact.

AI in War and Cybersecurity

This article explores how the classic film series The Terminator, which depicts a holocaust caused by an “advanced and malignant” artificial intelligence, has changed the public’s perception of artificial intelligence and how machine consciousness could have catastrophic consequences for humanity. He cites it as being more helpful than anything else in instilling fear. Humanity – In this case nuclear war and a deliberate attempt to wipe out humanity. seed.

“This distrust of machines, the fear associated with them, and their association with biological, nuclear, and genetic threats to humanity has led to a desire on the part of governments and national security agencies to influence the development of technology. connected, we can reduce risks and (in some cases) exploit its positive potential,” writes Professor Barton.

Professor Barton said advanced drone roles, such as those used in the Ukraine war, were now capable of full autonomy, including functions such as target identification and recognition.

There have been widespread and influential campaign discussions, including at the United Nations, to ban “killer robots” and ensure that humans are always informed about life-or-death decisions. According to him, the infiltration of armed drones continues to advance rapidly.

In cyber security (computer and computer network security), AI is used in major ways, the most prevalent areas being (dis)information and online psychological warfare.

The Putin regime’s actions against the 2016 US election process and the subsequent Cambridge Analytica scandal showed that AI combined with big data (including social media) polarizes, encourages extremist beliefs, and manipulates identities. It showed the possibility of producing political effects centered on group. This demonstrated the power and potential of AI to divide society.

The social impact of AI during the pandemic

And during the pandemic, AI was seen as a positive in tracking and tracing. virus But it also led to privacy and human rights concerns.

This article examines AI technology itself, arguing that problems exist in the design of AI, the data it relies on, how it is used, and its outcomes and impacts.

The paper concludes with a strong message for researchers in cybersecurity and international relations.

“AI certainly has the ability to transform society in positive ways, but it also poses risks that need to be better understood and managed,” said John C., an expert on cyber conflict and emerging technologies and a university professor. Professor Barton, who is part of the Security and Protection Science Initiative, writes:

“It is clear that understanding the dichotomous impact of technology is critical at every stage of its development and use.

“Cybersecurity and international relations scholars have an opportunity to incorporate these elements into new AI research agendas and avoid treating AI as a politically neutral technology.

“In other words, concerns about the security of AI systems and their societal impact should not be overridden by how they are used in international and geopolitical struggles.”

Reference: “Algorithmic extremism? The Securitization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its Impact on Radicalism, Polarization, and Political Violence,” by Joe Barton, September 14, 2023. Technology in society.
DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2023.102262

Source: scitechdaily.com

Spiff, an automated commission management platform, acquired by Salesforce

Posted on by
Reply

sales force is announced plan to obtain Spiff, a platform that automates commission management for sales teams. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded in 2017, Spiff provides a low-code interface designed to help companies easily create sales compensation plans that automatically update based on talent meeting pre-agreed goals. . Native integration with popular enterprise CRM and ERP systems allows you to handle the most complex commission structures, including any conditions to trigger a payout, while giving sales reps the ability to see in real-time the commissions owed. He Spiff says.

The Salt Lake City-based startup invested in Spiff’s Series B round in 2021, including a cash infusion from Salesforce’s own venture capital firm Salesforce Ventures, which previously led a $50 million Series C round. , which has raised more than $110 million in its six-year history. this year.

Spiff

Spiff image credits: Spiff

Once the acquisition is complete (expected within the first few months of 2024), Salesforce says it plans to bring Spiff to life internally. Sales performance management The software is a CRM connectivity product that connects customer and sales team data.

It’s worth noting that both companies have a history that goes beyond stock investments. Spiff becomes available It has been available on the Salesforce AppExchange for several years.

The deal is also the latest in a series of ecosystem companies that Salesforce has ultimately brought in-house. Back in September, Salesforce acquired Airkit, a low-code platform for building AI customer service agents. Airkit’s founders have previously exited Salesforce by selling a big data startup called RelateIQ for his $390 million in 2014, as well as Salesforce Ventures, which he founded in 2017. Since then, I have invested in Airkit several times. And like Spiff, Airkit was also available. On AppExchange.

So it’s clear that Salesforce continues to view proven ecosystem companies as a safe option for its M&A efforts, and that “low code” is also a key element.

Source: techcrunch.com