Over the weekend, eight individuals from Tajikistan who authorities believe have connections to ISIS were detained in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and New York, according to three individuals with knowledge of the situation who spoke to NBC News on Tuesday.

A reparations committee of black people wants reparations that would top $800 billion. The preliminary estimate is to compensate black residents for generations of over-policing, disproportionate incarceration, and housing discrimination. According to NBC News, the preliminary estimate is more than 2.5 times California’s $300 billion annual budget and does not include a recommended $1 million […] The post California Reparations Committee Wants About $800 Billion appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic-sponsored bill on Wednesday. It would require Supreme Court justices to adopt a binding code of conduct. “The highest court in the land cannot and should not have the lowest ethical standards,” said Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., in a floor speech before the motion. The Supreme Court is a […] The post Democrats Warring Against SCOTUS Demand a Bill of Conduct appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

On Wednesday, the Republican-controlled House narrowly voted to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress. Merrick Garland refuses to respond to a congressional subpoena. He’s lawless and above the law. Ironically, he is the top law enforcer in the land. Attorney General Merrick Garland believes he’s above the law and doesn’t have to […] The post AG Garland Is Above the Law appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL STAFF Schools of fish moving in synchrony have long captivated those lucky enough to observe this phenomenon, often appearing as a single, synchronized organism. A recent study provides insight into one of the primary advantages of this behavior: swimming in groups requires much less energy to navigate choppy waters. The benefits of collective swimming The study, published in PLOS Biology, discovered that fish swimming in schools waste far less energy than fish swimming alone. “We discovered that, when swimming at high speeds and high turbulence levels, fish schools reduced their total energy expenditure (TEE, both aerobic and anaerobic energy) by 63 percent to 79 percent compared to solitary fish,” the investigators wrote. This significant energy reduction is due to the physical and physiological benefits of group locomotion. The turbulent sheltering hypothesis Researchers presented the “turbulent sheltering hypothesis,” which states that fish in schools can shield one other from rough currents, making it easier to navigate turbulent waters. “Moving in turbulence is particularly challenging and energetically expensive for solitary fish,” the study authors stated. For example, solitary creek chub had a 22 percent reduction in maximum sustained swimming speed in turbulent conditions, but solitary Atlantic salmon had a locomotion cost of roughly 150 percent. Experimental findings Researchers tested their idea with giant danios (Devario aeqipinnatus). They saw the fish swim in groups of eight or alone in both smooth and rough water. High-speed cameras recorded their movements, while a respirometer measured energy expenditure and respiration rates. The findings revealed that fish in schools clustered closer together in turbulent water, whereas lone fish had to beat their tails harder to maintain speed in adverse currents. Evolutionary and environmental implications The study implies that locomotion efficiency plays an important role in the evolution of fish schooling behavior. “We show that being in a school substantially reduces the energetic cost for fish swimming in a turbulent environment, compared to swimming alone,” the researchers said. This observation lends support to the theory that schooling behavior helps individual fish reduce the increased energetic expenditure associated with swimming in turbulence. Why does this research matter? Understanding the energy dynamics of fish schools can aid in a variety of ecological and conservation endeavors. The hydrodynamic concepts discovered in the study could be used for habitat maintenance, aiding in the protection of certain species or the control of invading ones. Furthermore, the study’s findings may have implications for research into the energy dynamics of group movement in other aquatic and aerial creatures. The researchers stressed the larger ecological implications of their findings. “Studies on animal locomotion and turbulence have profound implications for a better understanding of the planetary ecosystem, e.g., turbulence generated by groups of fish can contribute to vertical mixing of the ocean,” they stated. Vertical mixing is important for fertilizer dispersion and overall ocean health. Swimming together allows fish to negotiate difficult seas more efficiently, which may have influenced the evolution of this habit. The work not only improves our understanding of fish ecology and hydrodynamics, but it may also have implications for conservation and other species studies. Source study: PLOS Biology—Collective movement of schooling fish reduces the costs of locomotion in turbulent conditionsThe post Why do fish swim in schools? New study reveals unexpected benefits first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL STAFF A novel blood test, described as an “incredibly exciting” advancement, demonstrated the ability to detect the recurrence of breast cancer up to three years before tumors appear on routine scans. This invention has the potential to drastically enhance treatment outcomes (and peace of mind) for millions of women around the world. A step forward in breast cancer treatment Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women, with over 2 million diagnoses each year. Despite advances in treatment, the danger of cancer recurrence, frequently at a more advanced and difficult stage, remains a major concern. The new blood test, unveiled at the American Society of Clinical Oncology‘s annual meeting in Chicago, offers a substantial advancement in early diagnosis and prevention methods. How does the liquid biopsy work? The test, created by experts at the Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre in London, detects trace levels of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the bloodstream. Cancer cells emit ctDNA, which can detect residual disease long before routine imaging methods can. “Breast cancer cells can remain in the body after surgery and other treatments but there can be so few of these cells that they are undetectable on follow-up scans,” explained Isaac Garcia-Murillas, the study’s lead author at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London. “These cells can cause breast cancer patients to relapse many years after their initial treatment.” Trial findings and implications In the five-year trial of 78 individuals with varied forms of breast cancer, the test correctly identified recurrence in all 11 patients who relapsed. Furthermore, it detected no false negatives among the 60 women who did not relapse, confirming its great sensitivity and dependability. Simon Vincent, director of research at Breast Cancer Now, emphasized the importance of these findings: “Early detection is one of our greatest weapons against breast cancer and these initial findings, which suggest tests could be able to detect signs of breast cancer recurrence over a year before symptoms emerge, are incredibly exciting.” The test’s ability to detect relapse considerably earlier enables prompt therapies, potentially stopping cancer from spreading to other parts of the body. “Catching breast cancer recurrence earlier means treatment is much more likely to destroy the cancer and stop it spreading to other parts of the body, at which point it becomes incurable,” Vincent said. Enhanced detection using cutting-edge technology Traditional ctDNA testing often uses whole exome sequencing, which looks at between 16 and 50 mutations. However, the new test uses whole genome sequencing to analyze 1,800 mutations, considerably enhancing its sensitivity. This innovative technology not only detects future recurrences but also assists in determining which women might benefit from preventive therapy and which can avoid unneeded treatment. “It is very exciting to see advances in technology that can detect cancer cells and DNA with greater sensitivity,” said ICR CEO Prof Kristian Helin. “These approaches are having a transformative effect on cancer diagnosis.” Looking ahead Although the research is still in its early phases, the potential significance of this test is significant. It has the potential to transform the landscape of breast cancer treatment and enhance survival rates by providing a way to detect cancer recurrence far earlier than standard methods. The trial’s excellent results point to a future in which liquid biopsies may become a common tool in the ongoing fight against breast cancer. As subsequent studies confirm these findings, the goal is that this technology will become available to more patients, providing a lifeline to those in danger of recurrence.  The post Breakthrough blood test detects breast cancer recurrence earlier than ever before first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

'It seems like they have done this before'