Tolla said flames from the fire were ‘smacking us in our face‘

'It was up to the states to decide'

Suspect held girl down while her granddaughter punched her, police chief says

A cat left at a Walmart sought help from mechanics nearby. Shortly after being found‚ she had kittens in a house. Bonnet and one of her kittensFosterBabyCatsA brown tabby was found outside a Walmart‚ heavily pregnant. She was reportedly abandoned and in desperate need of rescue.A few mechanics in the auto department noticed the friendly feline and provided a safe place for her at the shop. &;quot;They bought her a couple cans of soft food and a little bowl for water. They kept her safe as much as they could‚&;quot; Jillian of FosterBabyCats (a cat rescue) shared with Love Meow.A severe storm was expected to hit the area. Since the mechanics couldn't keep the cat inside overnight‚ a Good Samaritan contacted FosterBabyCats‚ and Jillian leaped into action. She was found outside a Walmart and taken in by a few mechanics before being rescuedFosterBabyCats&;quot;When I came to help her‚ they gave me all the supplies they had gathered for her. It was the sweetest‚ most genuine thing.&;quot;Jillian and her neighbor‚ Jaime‚ coordinated the rescue and brought the cat to safety an hour before the storm started. The young cat named Bonnet was still a kitten‚ estimated to be 7-8 months old. FosterBabyCatsBonnet quickly made herself comfortable in her new space. At the sight of food‚ she lunged head first into her bowl and devoured every morsel. &;quot;Absolutely starving‚ she inhaled her food the first night she was safe.&;quot;Bonnet lay beside Jillian‚ melting into her hand and purring up a storm as if to thank her for letting her in her home. &;quot;She is the sweetest‚ most trusting little girl.&;quot; Bonnet gave birth two days after she was rescuedFosterBabyCatsTwo days later‚ Jillian walked into the foster room to quite a surprise. Bonnet had brought three little kittens (two orange and one tabby) into the world overnight.&;quot;She had blankets‚ beds‚ boxes‚ and hideaways. She decided to nest them in a corner on the floor.&;quot; FosterBabyCatsJillian slowly transitioned the mama into a more comfortable nest. Bonnet was pleased with the accommodations‚ rubbing her face against the soft fabric of the bedding and rumbling nonstop.&;quot;She's just the happiest little camper.&;quot; FosterBabyCatsThe kittens (Axel‚ Spark‚ Sprocket) came with big appetites and even bigger attitudes.At a few days old‚ the trio was brimming with sass. As their sense of smell developed‚ they uttered the tiniest hisses at unfamiliar scents as an instinct to defend themselves. Axel has lots of cattitudeFosterBabyCatsThey were just pint-sized but acted as though they were ferocious lions. &;quot;These little nuggets have so much personality.&;quot;Bonnet dedicates her time and energy to her precious three‚ keeping them fed and clean and tending to their every whim. She rarely leaves their side and constantly fills the room with her soothing purr. Bonnet is a wonderful motherFosterBabyCatsIf one of the kittens makes a squeak‚ she rushes over and offers gentle head nudges and cuddles. &;quot;She is doing a fantastic job as a mother.&;quot;While Bonnet keeps a watchful eye on her babies‚ Jillian ensures the mama has everything she needs. FosterBabyCatsWith their eyes open‚ the kittens are getting increasingly active‚ wiggling and shuffling around the nest and keeping their mom on her toes. FosterBabyCatsThrough the kindness of many people‚ Bonnet is raising her last litter in a comfortable‚ loving home. She can rest easy‚ knowing her future is bright and secure. FosterBabyCatsShare this story with your friends. More on Bonnet and her kittens and FosterBabyCats on Instagram and Facebook.Related story: Man is Drawn to a Cat Who Has Waited for Nearly 800 Days at a Rescue Since She was Just a Kitten

Sunday Smiles

The myth of elephant graveyards has pervaded popular culture‚ and recent observations of buried Asian elephant calves may finally give that legend some credence.In the research published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa‚ two scientists describe five instances where elephant calves have been found buried in a legs-upright position within irrigation trenches of tea plantations in northern Bengal‚ India. The authors argue that the unusual positioning‚ the surrounding ground being compacted by the feet of several elephants and injuries suggestive of dragging after death‚ all point to intentional burial practices.If this conclusion is accurate‚ these observations could indicate an understanding of death and grief potentially unlike anything else we’ve seen in the animal kingdom‚ revealing yet another way in which humans are not as unique as previously thought.Archaeological evidence suggests our hominid ancestors have been burying their dead for at least 100‚000 years – potentially much longer. Burials are intriguing because of what they suggest about the minds of those doing the burying. For us – and presumably for our ancestors who started this practice – burial is not just about disposing of bodies‚ but an expression of grief and an honouring of the life that has passed.Across cultures‚ people put time and effort into the rituals of burial as a way of commemorating life. Burials are a clear indication of our sentience and empathy. Indeed‚ it is commonly believed that our reactions to death signify humanity. To date‚ evidence of similar mental representations of death are scarce in other animal species‚ and despite a few anecdotes‚ no animal species has been found to systematically bury their dead in the ritualised way that we do.Are elephant burials intentional&;#63;It may be too early to cross burials off the uniquely human list. While the recent reports of calf burials are intriguing‚ these five burials were not directly observed‚ so questions remain. It is possible‚ for example‚ that dead or weak calves fell into the trenches as they were being carried‚ before the ensuing panic of the family caused the trench to collapse around the body.However‚ reports of burial are at least consistent with what we know about elephants’ acute reactions to death. Elephants have been observed carrying corpses of dead infants. They frequently show a change in behaviour as they approach a carcass of a family member or another individual.This response can involve silent investigating‚ sniffing and touching body parts with their head held low‚ perhaps trying to move or rouse the carcass‚ and on rare occasions‚ placing mud or large palm fronds over the bodies of dead relatives. This all likely amounts to what‚ in humans‚ we would recognise as grief or mourning.Understanding deathOf course‚ elephants are not the only animals to show interesting reactions to dead associates. Crows often gather around and mob the carcass of another dead crow‚ in what has sometimes been called a funeral. This social gathering appears to provide the crows with an opportunity to learn about a danger to be avoided‚ lest they end up in the same state (as opposed to offering the chance to say goodbye in the traditional sense of funerals).Even some social insects‚ such as ants‚ will clear away their dead. When ants detect certain chemicals released by dying or dead individuals in their colony‚ it induces them to remove the bodies – and in a few species even to bury them – in order to limit the possibility of disease transfer.However‚ as researchers that study animal behaviour and‚ more specifically‚ grief‚ we have no reason to assume this extraordinary “corpse management” behaviour means that the ants have any understanding of life or death.In the 1950s‚ biologist and entomologist E.O. Wilson applied the critical chemical to live ants‚ causing nest mates to respond as they would to a dead animal. They tried to drag the unfortunate individual out of the nest and dumped them a safe distance away.Similar responses to the chemicals of decay have been noted in rats‚ who bury others that have been dead for long enough to turn putrid. Like Wilson’s ants‚ they also try to bury anaesthetised – but still living – rats sprinkled with the signature scent of decomposition. They even try to bury wooden sticks that have the same scent. Some social living animals are hard-wired to remove decaying items from their nest area.These examples in rats and ants are clearly different to human burial‚ and to the mourning behaviour we see in elephants and several other species including orcas.While the jury may still be out on whether or not elephants really choose to bury their dead‚ their emotional reactions to the death of family members or associates are undeniably extraordinary and deeply moving to observe. These reactions remain difficult to explain adequately without suggesting that elephants do have some kind of concept of death.Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like&;#63;Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday‚ The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine‚ a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 30‚000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.Lucy A. Bates‚ Senior Lecturer in Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology‚ University of Portsmouth and Leanne Proops‚ Associate Professor in Animal Behaviour and Welfare‚ University of PortsmouthThis article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Many people around the world make and eat fermented foods. Millions in Korea alone make kimchi. The cultural heritage of these picklers shape not only what they eat every time they crack open a jar but also something much‚ much smaller: their microbiomes.On the microbial scale‚ we are what we eat in very real ways. Your body is teeming with trillions of microbes. These complex ecosystems exist on your skin‚ inside your mouth and in your gut. They are particularly influenced by your surrounding environment‚ especially the food you eat. Just like any other ecosystem‚ your gut microbiome requires diversity to be healthy.People boil‚ fry‚ bake and season meals‚ transforming them through cultural ideas of “good food.” When people ferment food‚ they affect the microbiome of their meals directly. Fermentation offers a chance to learn how taste and heritage shape microbiomes: not only of culturally significant foods such as German sauerkraut‚ kosher pickles‚ Korean kimchi or Bulgarian yogurt‚ but of our own guts.     Fermentation uses microbes to transform food.Our work as anthropologists focuses on how culture transforms food. In fact‚ we first sketched out our plan to link cultural values and microbiology while writing our Ph.D. dissertations at our local deli in St. Louis‚ Missouri. Staring down at our pickles and lox‚ we wondered how the salty‚ crispy zing of these foods represented the marriage of culture and microbiology.Equipped with the tools of microbial genetics and cultural anthropology‚ we were determined to find out.Science and art of fermentationFermentation is the creation of an extreme microbiological environment through salt‚ acid and lack of oxygen. It is both an ancient food preservation technique and a way to create distinctive tastes‚ smells and textures.Taste is highly variable and something you experience through the layers of your social experience. What may be nauseating in one context is a delicacy in another. Fermented foods are notoriously unsubtle: they bubble‚ they smell and they zing. Whether and how these pungent foods taste good can be a moment of group pride or a chance to heal social divides.In each case‚ cultural notions of good food and heritage recipes combine to create a microbiome in a jar. From this perspective‚ sauerkraut is a particular ecosystem shaped by German food traditions‚ kosher dill pickles by Ashkenazi Jewish traditions‚ and pao cai by southwestern Chinese traditions.Where culture and microbiology intersectTo begin to understand the effects of culinary traditions and individual creativity on microbiomes‚ we partnered with Sandor Katz‚ a fermentation practitioner based in Tennessee. Over the course of four days during one of Katz’s workshops‚ we made‚ ate and shared fermented foods with nine fellow participants. Through conversations and interviews‚ we learned about the unique tastes and meanings we each brought to our love of fermented foods.Those stories provided context to the 46 food samples we collected and froze to capture a snapshot of the life swimming through kimchi or miso. Participants also collected stool samples each day and mailed in a sample a week after the workshop‚ preserving a record of the gut microbial communities they created with each bite.The fermented foods we all made were rich‚ complex and microbially diverse. Where many store-bought fermented foods are pasteurized to clear out all living microbes and then reinoculated with two to six specific bacterial species‚ our research showed that homemade ferments contain dozens of strains.On the microbiome level‚ different kinds of fermented foods will have distinct profiles. Just as forests and deserts share ecological features‚ sauerkrauts and kimchis look more similar to each other than yogurt to cheese.But just as different habitats have unique combinations of plants and animals‚ so too did every crock and jar have its own distinct microbial world because of minor differences in preparation or ingredients. The cultural values of taste‚ creativity and style that create a kimchi or a sauerkraut go on to support distinct microbiomes on those foods and inside the people who eat them.Through variations in recipes and cultural preferences toward an extra pinch of salt or a disdain for dill‚ fermentation traditions result in distinctive microbial and taste profiles that your culture trains you to identify as good or bad to eat. That is‚ our sauerkraut is not your sauerkraut‚ even if they both might be good for us.Fermented food as cultural medicineMicrobially rich fermented foods can influence the composition of your gut microbiome. Because your tastes and recipes are culturally informed‚ those preferences can have a meaningful effect on your gut microbiome. You can eat these foods in ways that introduce microbial diversity‚ including potentially probiotic microbes that offer benefits to human health such as killing off bacteria that make you ill‚ improving your cardiovascular health or restoring a healthy gut microbiome after you take antibiotics.Fermentation is an ancient craft‚ and like all crafts it requires patience‚ creativity and practice. Cloudy brine is a signal of tasty pickled cucumbers‚ but it can be a problem for lox. When fermented foods smell rotten‚ taste too soft or turn red‚ that can be a sign of contamination by harmful bacteria or molds.Fermenting foods at home might seem daunting when food is something that comes from the store with a regulatory guarantee. People hoping to take a more active role in creating their food or embracing their own culture’s traditional foods need only time‚ water and salt to make simple fermented foods. As friends share sourdough starters‚ yogurt cultures and kombucha mothers‚ they forge social connections.Through a unique combination of culture and microbiology‚ heritage food traditions can support microbial diversity in your gut. These cultural practices provide environments for the yeasts‚ bacteria and local fruits and grains that in turn sustain heritage foods and flavors.Andrew Flachs‚ Associate Professor of Anthropology‚ Purdue University and Joseph Orkin‚ Assistant Professor of Anthropology‚ Universit&;eacute; de Montr&;eacute;alThis article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

We used three-dimensional imaging of ocean waves to capture freakish seas that produce a notorious phenomenon known as rogue waves. Our results are now published in Physical Review Letters*.Rogue waves are giant colossi of the sea – twice as high as neighbouring waves – that appear seemingly out of nowhere. Stories of unimaginable mountains of water as tall as ten-storey buildings have populated maritime folklore and literature for centuries.Recent technology has allowed scientists to spot rogue waves out at sea‚ making legend become reality. The first and most famous measurement was of the Draupner wave‚ a 25.6-metre monster recorded in the North Sea on January 1 1995.Despite observations‚ we still don’t know how often rogue waves occur‚ or if we can predict them. A record of a rogue wave doesn’t include specific features that distinguish the sea around it‚ so we can’t make comparisons or predict the conditions needed.Our team set sail on the South African icebreaker S.A. Agulhas-II to chase rogue waves across the Southern Ocean‚ where mighty winds shape Earth’s fiercest waves.What creates rogue waves&;#63;In the random environment of ocean waves‚ several mechanisms give rise to rogue ones. One primary source involves the overlap of multiple waves at the same location and time. This results in concentrated energy‚ leading to tall waves.Under consistent ocean conditions‚ rogue waves generated this way may occur once every two days at a set location. But the ocean is dynamic‚ so conditions are rarely consistent for long – making it less likely for rogue waves to occur. The overlap of waves may be minimal or non-existent even during prolonged and intense storms.Numerical and laboratory studies suggest strong winds also contribute to the development of rogue waves‚ because they push harder on some already tall wave forms. But wind has seldom been considered in rogue wave analysis.A simplified anatomy of ocean waves. NOAAWind prompts ocean waves to grow progressively higher‚ longer and faster. During this stage‚ waves are “young” and hungry for wind input. When waves go faster than wind‚ they stop being accelerated by it and reach a “mature” stage of full development.Through this process‚ the wind creates a chaotic situation where waves of different dimensions and directions coexist.Our recent observations show that unique sea conditions with rogue waves can arise during the “young” stage – when waves are particularly responsive to the wind. This suggests wind parameters could be the missing link. However‚ there’s even more to consider.Powerful waves amplify each otherOcean waves are one of the most powerful natural forces on Earth and could become even more powerful in the future due to climate change. If the wave field possesses an extreme amount of energy – when waves are steep and most of them have a similar amplitude‚ length and direction – another mechanism can trigger the formation of rogue waves.This mechanism involves an exchange of energy between waves that produces a “self-amplification”‚ where one wave grows disproportionately at the expense of its neighbours. Theoretically‚ studies show this could increase the likelihood of rogue waves ten-fold.While self-amplification manifests as whitecaps – frothy‚ aerated crests of choppy waves – until now there has been no evidence it can make rogue waves more likely in the ocean.Recent experiments suggest wind can make extreme events like rogue waves more common. But this aspect has not been thoroughly explored.What did we find in the Southern Ocean&;#63;We used a new three-dimensional imaging method for scanning the ocean surface throughout the expedition. It mimics human vision: closely located sensors record sequences of simultaneous images. Computer algorithms then match pairs of them to reconstruct the three-dimensional depths – the wavy surface.As our ship passed through several storms‚ the sensors captured data during various phases of wave growth – from the early stages of young waves fuelled by the wind‚ to mature waves that aren’t influenced by it.Our results show young waves display signs of self-amplification and an increased likelihood of rogue waves. We recorded waves twice as high as their neighbours once every six hours.This mirrors what lab models have reported: sea conditions theoretically more prone to self-amplification would produce more rogue waves.In contrast‚ mature seas don’t show an increased probability of rogue waves. We detected none under those conditions.Our findings challenge previous thinking: that self-amplification doesn’t change the likelihood of rogue waves in the ocean. We have also shown that when developing tools for predicting rogue waves‚ we need to take wind into thorough consideration. After all‚ it’s a natural feature of the open sea.Alessandro Toffoli‚ Professor in Ocean Engineering‚ The University of MelbourneThis article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Thinking of X-rays might trigger memories of broken bones or dental check-ups. But this extremely energetic light can show us more than just our bones: it is also used to study the molecular world‚ even biochemical reactions in real-time. One issue‚ though‚ is that researchers have never been able to study a single atom with X-rays. Until now.Scientists have been able to characterize a single atom using X-rays. Not only they were able to distinguish the type of atoms they were seeing (there were two different ones)‚ but they also managed to study the chemical behavior these atoms were showing.“Atoms can be routinely imaged with scanning probe microscopes‚ but without X-rays‚ one cannot tell what they are made of. We can now detect exactly the type of a particular atom‚ one atom-at-a-time‚ and can simultaneously measure its chemical state‚” senior author Professor Saw Wai Hla‚ from the University of Ohio and the Argonne National Laboratory‚ said in a statement. “Once we are able to do that‚ we can trace the materials down to ultimate limit of just one atom. This will have a great impact on environmental and medical sciences and maybe even find a cure that can have a huge impact for humankind. This discovery will transform the world.”Scanning tunneling microscopy of terbium supramolecular assemblies‚ with the terbium atom at the center of each structure.Image credit: Ajayi et al.‚ Nature‚ 2023The work was able to track an iron atom and an atom of terbium‚ an element that is part of the so-called rare-earth metals. Both of them were inserted in their respective molecular hosts. A conventional X-ray detector was supplemented with an extra special one. This latter one had a specialized sharp metal tip that had to be placed very close to the sample to collect the X-ray-excited electrons. From the measurements collected by the tip‚ the team could tell if it was iron or terbium‚ and that's not all.“We have detected the chemical states of individual atoms as well‚” Hla explained. “By comparing the chemical states of an iron atom and a terbium atom inside respective molecular hosts‚ we find that the terbium atom‚ a rare-earth metal‚ is rather isolated and does not change its chemical state while the iron atom strongly interacts with its surrounding.”Images of the supramolecular assemblies that feature six rubidium atoms and an iron one.Image credit: Ajayi et al.‚ Nature‚ 2023The signal seen by the detector has been compared to fingerprints. It allows researchers to understand the composition of a sample‚ as well as studying the physical and chemical properties of it. This could be critical for improved performance and application of a variety of common and not-so-common materials.“The technique used‚ and concept proven in this study‚ broke new ground in X-ray science and nanoscale studies‚” said Tolulope Michael Ajayi‚ who is the first author of the paper and doing this work as part of his PhD thesis. “More so‚ using X-rays to detect and characterize individual atoms could revolutionize research and give birth to new technologies in areas such as quantum information and the detection of trace elements in environmental and medical research‚ to name a few. This achievement also opens the road for advanced materials science instrumentation.”The study is published in the journal Nature.An earlier version of this article was published in May 2023.

The prospect of tolling drivers coming through the state of Massachusetts has set off some Americans‚ including average citizens and local politicians‚ according to the Daily Mail.New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu‚ 49‚ was just one among many to speak out against the recent development. He spoke out about the situation after the idea was suggested by Bay State Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt. The Republican governor said that the idea was &;quot;yet another way to unnecessarily take [citizens'] money‚&;quot; suggesting that truck drivers would be taxed at the state border. — (@) The bill has not yet been written‚ but it would affect travelers on roads‚ rails‚ and local transit systems‚ according to Tibbits-Nutt. And it would be in effect throughout the whole state of Massachusetts.Tibbits-Nutt also said: &;quot;We can't price them high enough or put enough fees on them … that's going to stop the type of person who wants to buy that car.&;quot;&;quot;I am 100% passing judgment on someone who wants to drive basically an 18-wheeler as their personal car‚ we have no control over it‚&;quot; she continued.&;quot;We can't. There's nothing we can do. At least legally‚ there's nothing we can do about it.&;quot;Blaze News reached out to Mass Fiscal's Paul Craney‚ who said: &;quot;Governor Maura Healey’s Secretary of Transportation clearly doesn’t know that her job is to make life easier for all of the resident of Massachusetts. Instead it seems like she thinks her job is to fulfill extreme ideological goals for special interest organizations.&;quot; — (@) &;quot;The Governor’s Secretary said she wants to build tolls at the state border‚ this would create a traffic nightmare for neighboring Massachusetts communities‚ and it would deter workers from out of state from traveling to Massachusetts. There is no upside to putting tolls at he border‚&;quot; Craney continued.&;quot;The Secretary of Transportation made a profound policy statement when she declared ‘we’re going after all the people who should be giving us money.’ That could come back to hurt Governor Healey when she decides to run for re-election in two years. This type of attitude doesn’t win you elections in Massachusetts or virtually anywhere else.” In a previous report‚ Craney said it was &;quot;frightening to think an official so high up in the Healey administration is bragging to a special interest advocacy group about the economic pain she wants to inflict on the very people who she's supposed to work for‚&;quot; referring to Tibbits-Nutt.Like Blaze News&;#63; Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here&;#33;