Fathers may be able to pass on the enhanced learning ability that comes from being physically and mentally active through molecular changes in their sperm, according to new research from Germany. In a paper published in the journal Cell Reports, researchers from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and the University Medical Center Göttingen, also in Germany, explain how they came to this conclusion after studying mice. They found that exposure to a stimulating environment with lots of exercise not only increased learning ability in adult male mice, but also that this benefit was inherited by their offspring. Further tests revealed that the effect was passed on through changes in RNA molecules in the fathers' sperm. The researchers identified two specific microRNA molecules — called miRNA212 and miRNA132 — as being primarily responsible. MicroRNAs are a group of molecules that control gene activity without changing the underlying DNA. The new study provides further evidence of an "epigenetic" process of inheritance in which skills can be passed on to the next generation without involving DNA. Epigenetic inheritance In their paper, senior study author André Fischer, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the DZNE, and his colleagues recap on recent evidence of "non-genetic mechanisms" of inheritance. The mechanisms concern the emerging field of epigenetics, in which scientists are collecting more and more evidence of how environmental factors — such as lifestyle and diet — of one generation affect biological development, health, and disease of the next generation. Epigenetic mechanisms alter gene expression without altering DNA. They influence cell activity by switching genes on and off and changing patterns of protein production, for example. Recent studies suggest that epigenetic changes can be passed on through sperm. Research that was recently presented at a conference, for instance, showed that exposure to a lifetime of mild stress can alter sperm in male mice in such a way that it shapes brain development in their offspring. Exercise and 'synaptic plasticity' Prof. Fischer and colleagues note that physical exercise combined with cognitive training — which they refer to as "environmental enrichment" — is known to lower the risk of various diseases, including those that affect the brain. In particular, studies in rats and humans have demonstrated that environmental enrichment can boost "synaptic plasticity," which determines how well brain cells communicate and is also recognized as the biological basis of learning. However, while studies have also revealed that raising mice in enriched environments can lead to enhanced synaptic plasticity in their offspring, it is not clear whether this is also true if the exposure only occurs in adulthood. In addition, the mechanism through which the increased synaptic plasticity is inherited is poorly understood, note the authors. For their study, the scientists took two groups of male mice. They allowed one group to experience environmental enrichment, which included plenty of exercise, for 10 weeks, while the other group remained in "home cages." They discovered that compared with the caged mice (the controls), the mice that had experienced environmental enrichment showed a "significant increase" in synaptic activity in the hippocampus, which is an area of the brain that is important for learning. Benefit is passed on through sperm RNA In the next phase of the study, the researchers took another two groups of adult male mice and put them through the same regimen, except that after 10 weeks, they mated them with home-caged females. The team's results revealed that the offspring of the male mice that had experienced environmental enrichment in adulthood also had increased hippocampal synaptic activity, compared with the offspring of the male controls. The authors note that since the mothers had never experienced environmental enrichment, the benefit must have passed down through the fathers. In further experiments, they extracted RNA from the fathers' sperm and injected it into fertilized mouse egg cells. It was discovered that offspring from eggs with sperm RNA of mice that had been exposed to environmental enrichment during adulthood had "enhanced synaptic plasticity and learning ability" compared with offspring from eggs with sperm RNA from control mice. The researchers concluded that environmental enrichment, or being more physically and mentally active, in adulthood can boost cognitive ability in offspring, and that this is passed on through sperm RNA. Using more precise injections of RNA, the team then sought to identify the exact RNA molecules responsible for the epigenetic inheritance of the enhanced learning ability. They found that miRNA212 and miRNA132 accounted for most of it. "For the first time, our work specifically links an epigenetic phenomenon to certain microRNAs."

CASSIE Sainsbury has revealed she has split with fiance Scott Broadbridge since being sentenced to six years in a Colombian jail for drug trafficking. In an interview with KIIS FM today the Adelaide-born drug mule also claimed she would have only made around $4000 for smuggling almost 6kg of cocaine out of the South American country after paying for flights and accommodation. “I actually broke up with Scott back in February. It’s been kept very quiet,” she told the Kyle and Jackie O Show. “From the moment I got in here the relationship was doomed. I broke up with Scott because it was the best thing for me and the best thing for his future as well.” Sainsbury was sentenced to six years in jail in November after a Colombian judge accepted a plea deal. However she could serve as little as two-and-a-half years. Speaking from jail in Bogota, Sainsbury said her drug smuggling attempt would not have made her rich. “What I was told was, the $10,000 (she was told she would be paid), they would take out my flights, my accommodation, I would be paid what was left over,’ she said. “But I never got paid anything.” Sainsbury also claimed she had been the victim of violence and discrimination behind bars. The 22-year-old said she has had trouble with the 15 other inmates she shares a ‘patio’ with at the El Buen Pastor prison since being arrested at Bogota airport. “Everyone looks at white people as ‘gringos’ ... there is a lot of discrimination. Not knowing Spanish, everything just piled on and people took advantage,” she said. Sainsbury claimed she had become an unofficial peacekeeper in the prison and in trying to stop a number of fights had been hit in the face by a 70-year-old inmate. “After that (being hit) I thought ‘nope I’m not getting involved with this old lady anymore’, she was super strong for her age,” Sainbury said. “I keep my distance from the people I know are trying to make trouble, I’m friendly with everyone, and that’s it.” She also issued a warning for fellow young Australians travelling abroad. “Really, really analyse the people you think you can trust. You might think you can trust them but they can be a complete different person,” Sainsbury said. PEOPLE ‘DON’T KNOW THE REAL CASSIE Sainsbury’s mother Lisa Evans also spoke to KIIS FM and said she was pleasantly surprised at the conditions her daughter was incarcerated in. “I had no idea what I was expecting when I walked in. I expected Patio 7 to be worse than it is,” she said. “But it’s like, and I say this but don’t take it as lightly as it sounds, it’s like a dormitory.” Evans also said her daughter wasn’t a bad person and had just “fallen into the wrong crowd”. “She is a fun loving, animal loving, hard working girl. She owned her own business, okay it failed, but she did have a go. “She’s determined to do the right thing, she’s a good girl, never been in trouble with the law ever in her life. “I want people to understand that what people know about Cassie is only from a year ago onwards. They don’t know Cassie before that, the beautiful, fun loving girl who cares about her family, friends and animals. “She worked for the Country Fire Service (CFS) when we had the fires over here (in Adelaide). “She just fell into the wrong crowd, it can happen to anybody. “This proves without a doubt that it can happen to anybody. I’d like to say to all the kids out there who think it’s a quick buck, it doesn’t work that way.” CASSIE SAINSBURY WAS A ‘VICTIM’ Sainsbury had faced up to 30 years in Bogota’s El Buen Pastor prison for trying to smuggle almost 6kg of cocaine on April 12 last year. Sainsbury has offered several versions of how she came to be carrying the drugs, but a judge accepted her claim she had been threatened into committing the crime. She had said a mystery man named Angelo tricked her after she agreed to transport documents from Bogota to London, instead packing drugs into her suitcase and threatening her family. Sainsbury’s lawyer Orlando Herran spoke to media shortly after the hearing ended and because the court was closed to media, his is the only available version of events. He said Sainsbury was “lucky” to receive such a short sentence for a “large” amount of drugs, which he said was due to the fact the judge had accepted she was a “victim” and a “small fish”. “The judge manifestly felt that people who undergo this process are victims,” Mr Herran said in Spanish outside court. “Victims of deceit, victims of their own socio-economic conditions and victims of ignorance regarding Colombian law.” “Her story should serve as a warning, an example to other people considering whether to do these things,” he said. “The Colombian judicial system is well structured and it takes into account people’s particular circumstances. The fact that she was threatened was an important consideration in the plea deal.” Mr Herran said Sainsbury was threatened to respect the deal she had made to arrive at the airport with the drugs. “The investigation has uncovered a larger operation and investigators suspect she was used as bait to distract the authorities whilst other people smuggled drugs out undetected.” He said she could have received an even shorter sentence if she had asked police for help, and that the judge had “sanctioned” her for not doing so. “She isn’t a criminal. She made a mistake, she allowed herself to be tricked and she didn’t use the means at her disposal by not asking authorities for help,” he said. Mr Herran said Sainsbury was also ordered to pay a fine of almost $US90,000 ($130,000) – equal to 72 months of the Colombian minimum wage - which he was attempting to have reduced because she couldn’t pay it. This sentence takes into account the seven months Sainsbury has already served, so she could return to Australia by April 2020. Herran said the sentence could also be commuted into home-based parole in Colombia. In order for this to happen she would need to establish a base in Bogota. In the Colombian jail system good behaviour could be termed as teaching English classes such as Sainsbury has been doing in the jail. Sainsbury was supported in court by her mother, Lisa Evans. She was met by a huge media pack awaiting her arrival.

COMEDIAN Will Ferrell was in a serious car accident in Orange County, California last night. The Hollywoods star was travelling down the I-5 freeway in a chauffeur-driven SUV, where he was side-swiped before it flipped over. TMZ reports that the Zoolander star, 50, was one of three passengers in the car when the accident happened around 11pm local time (4pm AEST). The Orange County Fire Authority, which responded to the scene, told Fox News that the accident involved two vehicles, a sedan and a limo SUV, and that all three passengers were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. A woman was taken to a different hospital to be treated for trauma and the driver of the sedan was not transported to the hospital. Video from the scene showed a black SUV on its side on the road. The video also captured the star on the phone while being lifted into an ambulance. Photos also showed him looking shaken up, but stable as he was seen making a phone call while on a stretcher with paramedics who put him in an ambulance.

RUSSIAN intelligence was spying on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia for at least five years before they were poisoned in a nerve agent attack, Britain’s National Security Adviser Mark Sedwill said in a letter to NATO on Friday. Mr Sedwill also said that Russia has tested means of delivering chemical agents “including by application to door handles”, pointing out that the highest concentration of the chemical found after the attack was on Skripal’s front door handle. “We have information indicating Russian intelligence service interest in the Skripals, dating back at least as far as 2013, when email accounts belonging to Yulia Skripal were targeted by GRU cyber specialists,” Mr Sedwill wrote in the letter, referring to Russia’s foreign military intelligence agency The Skripals were found slumped on a bench in the English city of Salisbury on March 4. Britain has blamed Russia for the attack — a charge that Moscow has strongly denied. After testing samples from Salisbury, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on Thursday confirmed Britain’s findings about the nerve agent used in the attack. Mr Sedwill’s letter to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg alleged that Russia had “the technical means, operational experience and motive for the attack on the Skripals and that it is highly likely that the Russian state was responsible”. Mr Sedwill said “credible open-source reporting and intelligence” showed that in the 1980s the Soviet Union developed a family of nerve agents known as Novichoks at a base in the town of Shikhany near Volgograd, which has been closed since 1997, the year that the Chemical Weapons Convention came into effect. “The codeword for the offensive chemical weapons programme (of which Novichoks were one part) was FOLIANT,” he said. “It is highly likely that Novichoks were developed to prevent detection by the West and to circumvent international chemical weapons controls,” he said. By 1993, when Russia signed the Chemical Weapons Convention, Sedwill said it was “likely” that some Novichoks had passed testing to allow their use by the Russian military. In the 2000s, Sedwill said Russia had trained military personnel in using these weapons, including on door handles. “Within the last decade, Russia has produced and stockpiled small quantities of Novichoks under the same programme,” he said.

SIR Cliff Richard’s lawyers have told a High Court judge the singer should receive compensation at the “very top end of the scale” because BBC coverage of a police raid on his home caused him “great damage”. The 77-year-old singer is suing the corporation over coverage of the raid — which followed a sex assault allegation. Sir Cliff, who denied the allegation, was not charged with any offence and said he suffered “profound and long-lasting damage” as a result of coverage. Mr Justice Mann on Thursday began overseeing a trial, expected to last 10 days, at the High Court in London. BBC editors have said they will “defend ourselves vigorously”. A barrister leading Sir Cliff’s legal team said BBC coverage of the search at the singer’s apartment in August 2014 was a “very serious invasion” of privacy. Justin Rushbrooke QC told how coverage had a “prolonged impact” on Sir Cliff. He did not give any indication of the amount Sir Cliff wanted. But Mr Justice Mann heard that the singer had already agreed to accept a STG400,000 ($A735,000) payment from the force which carried out the search. Sir Cliff, who was abroad when the raid took place, had initially sued the BBC and South Yorkshire Police. The judge was told in May 2017 how that dispute had been settled after the force agreed to pay the singer “substantial” damages. He has now been given the figure by lawyers representing the force at the trial. “We think it is hard to imagine a case of publicity about a suspect in a police investigation which could have caused greater damage to the autonomy and dignity of the claimant,” said Rushbrooke. He added: “We say this is a claim for an award at the very top end of the scale.” Lawyers have told how in late 2013, a man made an allegation to London’s Metropolitan Police, saying he had been sexually assaulted by Sir Cliff, during an event featuring evangelist Billy Graham at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane football stadium in Sheffield, when a child in 1985. Metropolitan Police officers passed the allegation to South Yorkshire Police in July 2014. Sir Cliff denied the allegation and in June 2016 prosecutors announced that he would face no charges. A BBC spokesman has said that the BBC had reported Sir Cliff’s “full denial of the allegations at every stage”.

WHEN first-time mum Simone Baird was told her newborn baby Eliza had a rare skin disease that meant her body would be covered in painful blisters, peel at the slightest touch and cause her a lifetime of pain, she was absolutely devastated. “The whole feeling that rushed through my body was overwhelming, I was almost hyperventilating,” Mrs Baird told news.com.au. “We were first-time parents and had no idea what we were doing, let alone caring for a child with high medical needs. “I knew our whole life was about to change, and it did.” When she was born, Eliza screamed for the first five hours of her life and was transferred immediately to intensive care at another hospital with her dad, while Mrs Baird was kept in the maternity ward. “The first night, I had no baby and no husband and I was just left wondering what the hell had just happened,” she said. After a series of tests and an agonising two-week wait for the results, it emerged that Eliza had epidermolysis bullosa (EB) — a rare, excruciatingly painful and little-known genetic skin condition described as “the worst disease you’ve never heard of” — that affects around 1000 Australians and more than 500,000 people worldwide. It affects three layers of skin and internal mucosal linings and has been likened to living with third-degree burns. As a result of missing the collagen or “glue” that sticks layers of the skin together, children with EB — known as “butterfly children” as their skin is so fragile — can blister from the slightest touch. Friction caused by clothes and nappies can put them at risk of blistering or infection. While it can sometimes be detected at birth, milder cases of EB will generally be discovered as a child becomes more physically active and starts crawling, walking or running. Currently, no cure exists and at its most severe, life is often cut short due to skin cancers or secondary complications associated with the disease. Sadly, it took Eliza’s life. She died of renal failure, a complication brought on by the disease, on December 12, 2017 aged 17 — six weeks shy of her 18th birthday. “My husband and I are gene carriers of this disease but we had no idea,” Mrs Baird told news.com.au. “Eliza was our first child. Out of all our family, she was the only person born with EB. “It was a complete surprise. We were devastated. She had the worst type of EB you could possibly get. It was like she had burns all over her body. “She had blisters in her throat, her oesophagus, she failed to thrive and was in an enormous amount of pain. As a baby, she was very unsettled, did not sleep because of the pain, did not grow normally. “It was difficult to feed her ... her growing was affected by that. “The first two years were extremely difficult. Her fine motor skills were always slower in developing which was limiting what she could do. “It was very distressing and really challenging — you’re living on little sleep. “It’s like you’re living in a war zone. You do not stop to reflect, you have got to keep fighting otherwise you will lose the battle.” Eliza had to be given bleach and salt baths which would take between two to three hours every second day and would be bandaged daily. She was in constant pain, had blisters and sores on large parts of her body particularly her legs, in her throat, her oesophagus, had to be fed through a tube and was on 24 different types of medication. Over time, she gained weight and her face became puffy, her urine had blood in it. Eliza was regularly on different types of antibiotics and often needed scar tissue removed from her throat — at one point she couldn’t even swallow her own saliva. Throughout her life, Eliza was regularly hospitalised and as a child needed a throat dilation procedure every eight weeks and a “PICC line” (peripherally inserted central catheter) in her arm allowing her to receive medication. “We used to call it her ‘tune up’, her service,” said Mrs Baird, who has another daughter Ellie, 13, who does not have EB. As a teenager, Eliza needed regular blood transfusions and iron infusion as she became anaemic. “We were always in touch with her doctors at the Royal Children’s Hospital (in Melbourne), who were amazing,” Mrs Baird said. As a child Eliza would regularly have corneal abrasions as the tissue was so weak and fragile which would take three to four days to heal. “One year when she was in grade two she had corneal abrasions every second week for six months. “That year was extremely difficult for her and for us.” Last year, just six weeks shy of her 18th birthday, the disease took Eliza’s life. “The last four months of her life were just unbelievable. You’re running on adrenaline the whole time,” Mrs Baird told news.com.au. “On August 17 last year she was admitted to hospital with what we thought was a chest infection. She had been unwell for a week before that. “They treated the chest infection with antibiotics but her breathing was getting worse and worse — it started to slow down. She was taking seven breaths per minute and you are supposed to take about 20. She was extremely unwell and ended up in the ICU. It turned out she had renal failure and her kidneys were shutting down. “It was the hardest five days of my life, and although I knew this would eventually happen, I still can’t believe it did.” “Eliza battled with EB all of her life and never experienced a pain-free day,” Mrs Baird said. “Her illness was severe, complicated, limited her mobility and she required constant care but despite all of this she did not allow EB to define her. “Eliza suffered unbearable trauma for so long and it ended up taking her — the most courageous, determined, never-give-up kid I’ve ever met.” Since Eliza passed away, Mrs Baird said life had taken “a huge change”. “You go from being a family of five (with a live-in carer) to a family of three,” she said. “EB, it’s such an awful disease, it really is. “It’s sad for everyone involved, it’s hard work and it doesn’t just impact on the child and the carers, it also impacts on the rest of the family and extended family unit and often pushes siblings aside. “It’s been so hard but she was our daughter — you have to keep going.” Not-for-profit organisation DEBRA supports EB families across Australia and relies entirely on donations as it does not receive any government funding. It provides practical help, support and counselling for family members. Mrs Baird, family support co-ordinator at DEBRA, now helps other families who have children with EB. This includes organising in-home nursing support who help new parents with dressings, providing access to medical aids and equipment, bathroom and home modifications — even organising the installation of airconditioning units. “These children are wrapped in bandages 24-hours a day, They get extremely hot,” Mrs Baird told news.com.au. “We help to keep them cool. We also set up a psychology program to help families, allowing them to have access to psychology support when they need it. “Raising a child with EB is a mammoth task. It’s relentless, unforgiving and never lets up. “Your life transitions into survival mode and you quickly learn to take one day at a time. Each day brings new challenges and often more hurdles to jump.” For Lara Scott, of Glenmore Park, NSW, whose baby Lylah was born with no skin on her feet and was screaming in pain, daily life is a huge challenge. Anything from an elasticated waistband to the fabric of a car seat could rub off large chunks of Lylah’s delicate skin, she told News Corp last year. “As a parent you do not want to watch your child going though pain,” Mrs Scott said. “Considering everything she has gone through, she has a smile on her face every day. “Most of the days, she copes better than I do. Because she has had it since birth, I do not think she knows much different.” Currently there is no cure for EB but clinical trials are being conducted worldwide. Professor Dedee Murrell, of Premier Specialists at Kogarah in Sydney’s south, is conducting a series of four clinical trials — the first of their kind in Australia — and hopes to reduce blistering, pain and improve the lives of EB patients. One of the larger trials, known as the DELIVERS Study, is aimed at developing a cream with the active ingredient diacerein, a component of rhubarb root. It is hoped this “potentially disease-modifying therapy” will help treat epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS), the most common form of the disease, strengthen epidermal tissue and support healing. Throughout the month of May, DEBRA is running its fundraiser PB4EB — Personal Best for Epidermolysis Bullosa to provide ongoing support services for children and adults with EB and fund research. Individuals, teams and schools are encourage to sign up and get sponsored for anything whether it is running, jumping, reading one book a week or shedding a few kilos. “It’s all about doing your personal best for EB,” Mrs Baird said. Matt Bevilacqua, Nutri-Grain Ironman Champion and ambassador for DEBRA grew up with EB Simplex — a mild form of the disease — which also affects one of his two brothers and a number of cousins who have more severe forms. “It’s genetic and has run in my family since we can remember, on my mum’s side,” Matt told news.com.au. “As a child, it was a lot worse. It affected my playing sports when I was younger. “After playing football, my feet were raw. The whole bottom of my feet would be blistered up. I would pop the blisters, making sure they didn’t get infected. It was mild compared to kids with other forms (of EB).” Luckily, the condition did not prevent him from becoming an Ironman as training was on the beach and in the surf. “I didn’t have to wear shoes,” Matt said. “So it wasn’t too much of a problem. I could run a lot further.” Now he works as an ambassador for DEBRA, helping others with the disease. “As a sufferer of EB Simplex, I wholeheartedly feel like more needs to be done to support the families of EB sufferers,” Matt said. “I feel privileged to be an ambassador for DEBRA as it allows me to help raise the profile of the disease, raise money for research and to meet children and families who courageously overcome the daily challenges of EB. “In the month of May, I will definitely be thinking of ways I can achieve a ‘personal best’ — watch this space!” he added.

Source: University of Cambridge WallE: Everything will kill ya, choose what poison you love best Life kills! LoL Regularly drinking more than the recommended UK guidelines for alcohol could take years off your life, according to new research from the University of Cambridge. Part-funded by the British Heart Foundation, the study shows that drinking more alcohol is associated with a higher risk of stroke, fatal aneurysm, heart failure and death. The authors say their findings challenge the widely held belief that moderate drinking is beneficial to cardiovascular health, and support the UK's recently lowered guidelines. The study compared the health and drinking habits of over 600,000 people in 19 countries worldwide and controlled for age, smoking, history of diabetes, level of education and occupation. The upper safe limit of drinking was about five drinks per week (100g of pure alcohol, 12.5 units or just over five pints of 4% ABV beer or five 175ml glasses of 13% ABV wine). However, drinking above this limit was linked with lower life expectancy. For example, having 10 or more drinks per week was linked with one to two years shorter life expectancy. Having 18 drinks or more per week was linked with four to five years shorter life expectancy. The research, published today in the Lancet, supports the UK's recently lowered guidelines, which since 2016 recommend both men and women should drink no more than 14 units of alcohol each week. This equates to around six pints of beer or six glasses of wine a week. However, the worldwide study carries implications for countries across the world, where alcohol guidelines vary substantially. The researchers also looked at the association between alcohol consumption and different types of cardiovascular disease. Alcohol consumption was associated with a higher risk of stroke, heart failure, fatal aortic aneurysms, fatal hypertensive disease and heart failure and there were no clear thresholds where drinking less did not have a benefit. By contrast, alcohol consumption was associated with a slightly lower risk of non-fatal heart attacks. The authors note that the different relationships between alcohol intake and various types of cardiovascular disease may relate to alcohol's elevating effects on blood pressure and on factors related to elevated high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (also known as 'good' cholesterol). They stress that the lower risk of non-fatal heart attack must be considered in the context of the increased risk of several other serious and often fatal cardiovascular diseases. The study focused on current drinkers to reduce the risk of bias caused by those who abstain from alcohol due to poor health. However, the study used self-reported alcohol consumption and relied on observational data, so no firm conclusions can me made about cause and effect. The study did not look at the effect of alcohol consumption over the life-course or account for people who may have reduced their consumption due to health complications. Dr Angela Wood, from the University of Cambridge, lead author of the study said: "If you already drink alcohol, drinking less may help you live longer and lower your risk of several cardiovascular conditions. "Alcohol consumption is associated with a slightly lower risk of non-fatal heart attacks but this must be balanced against the higher risk associated with other serious -- and potentially fatal -- cardiovascular diseases." Victoria Taylor, Senior dietician at the British Heart Foundation, which part-funded the study, said: "This powerful study may make sobering reading for countries that have set their recommendations at higher levels than the UK, but this does seem to broadly reinforce government guidelines for the UK. "This doesn't mean we should rest on our laurels, many people in the UK regularly drink over what's recommended. We should always remember that alcohol guidelines should act as a limit, not a target, and try to drink well below this threshold." The study was funded by the UK Medical Research Council, British Heart Foundation, National Institute for Health Research, European Union Framework 7, and European Research Council.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles are added to many different types of food packaging. A new study finds that these minute particles might disrupt the way that our intestines absorb nutrients. Nanoparticles are between 1 and 100 nanometers in diameter. To put that into perspective, a human hair is around 75,000 nanometers across, and a red blood cell is roughly 7,000 nanometers across. So, nanoparticles are very small indeed. And, worryingly, they are everywhere. Nanoparticles have a relatively large surface area, which makes them more chemically reactive. This increased reactivity gives them unique properties that are utilized by the manufacturers of a vast range of products, including paints, cosmetics, windows, sunscreens, fabrics, and cars. As nanoparticles are used ever more liberally, some scientists are becoming increasingly concerned about their potential impact on human health. Because they are so common and so small, it is very easy for nanoparticles to enter our bodies. And, even more worryingly, they are small enough to pass through cell membranes, potentially disrupting their activity. However, little is known about how they might interfere with biological processes. Looking to investigate these interactions, researchers from Binghamton University in New York looked at zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles in food packaging in particular. Why is zinc in food packaging? ZnO nanoparticles are included in the packaging of certain food items, such as corn, chicken, tuna, and asparagus, because they have antimicrobial properties. Also, when sulfur-producing foods come into contact with a tin can, it produces a black discoloration; ZnO prevents this reaction, keeping the food fresh-looking. The researchers — led by Gretchen Mahler, an associate professor of bioengineering — wanted to understand whether the levels present in the food could cause disruptions to the digestive system. Firstly, using mass spectrometry, they assessed how much ZnO could realistically be transferred from the packaging into the food. The food was found to contain "100 times the daily dietary allowance of zinc." Previous studies have investigated the effect of nanoparticles on intestinal cells, but they tended to use higher levels to look for more obvious damage, such as cell death. Mahler and her team were using a different approach. She explains, "We are looking at cell function, which is a much more subtle effect, and looking at nanoparticle doses that are closer to what you might really be exposed to." Using a model of intestinal cells, the team assessed what kind of influence the ZnO nanoparticles might have on our intestines. Their results are published in the journal Food and Function. Mahler explains what they uncovered: "We found that [ZnO] nanoparticles at doses that are relevant to what you might normally eat in a meal or a day can change the way that your intestine absorbs nutrients." Zinc nanoparticles and microvilli The particles were observed settling on structures that represent the intestine's microvilli. These are tiny, finger-like projections that increase the surface area of the intestine that is available for nutrient absorption. By attaching to the microvilli, the nanoparticles potentially reduced the ability of the lining to take on nutrients. "This loss of surface area," explains Mahler, "tends to result in a decrease in nutrient absorption." "Some of the nanoparticles also cause pro-inflammatory signaling at high doses, and this can increase the permeability of the intestinal model," she adds. "An increase in intestinal permeability is not a good thing — it means that compounds that are not supposed to pass through into the bloodstream might be able to." Gretchen Mahler Although this certainly seems worrying, the authors are quick to note that this study was conducted in the laboratory, rather than in an animal. Thus, at this stage, the findings cannot be extrapolated. To fully understand the long-term health implications, much more research will be needed. However, she concludes: "What I can say is that our model shows that the nanoparticles do have effects on our in vitro model, and that understanding how they affect gut function is an important area of study for consumer safety." Already, the team is investigating the effects of nanoparticles on other animals. A paper published last month in the journal Nanotoxicology looked at how titanium dioxide nanoparticles — which are found in many cosmetics — affect the gut of a fruit fly. Again, they found changes in microvilli, which affected glucose absorption. In another ongoing study in chickens, Mahler says that preliminary findings are "similar to the cell culture study" discussed in this article. They have also found that "gut microbial populations are affected," which opens a whole new line of inquiry. The team now plans to continue in this vein and will be concentrating its efforts on the potential interaction between nanoparticles and gut bacteria.

New research demonstrates how a vaccine can alter the immune response to peanuts in mice, thus effectively stopping an allergic reaction from unfolding. These findings may soon be translatable to humans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) deem food allergies "a growing food safety and public health concern." They estimate that 4–6 percent of all children in the United States are affected by food allergies, though other reports reveal that percentage to be much higher. Of all food allergies, those to peanuts are the most common. Food allergies do not yet have a cure, and allergic reactions can prove fatal. In fact, the only way to "prevent" allergies is to stay away from the allergen. A new study, however, offers hope for people with peanut allergies, as a vaccine that has been 2 decades in the making has just been proven successful in mice. The research — which has now been published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology — was carried out by scientists at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. They were led by Jessica O'Konek, a researcher at the university's Food Allergy Center. Stopping peanut allergies in mice O'Konek and team explain that food allergies are caused by a faulty immune reaction, wherein the body overproduces antibodies called Immunoglobulin E (IgE). This occurs as a result of a skewed immune response from immune cells called T helper 2 (Th2). In the new research, the scientists hypothesized that rerouting these Th2 cells might help to regulate the allergic immune response. To test this hypothesis, O'Konek and colleagues sensitized mice to peanut proteins so that their immune system produced IgE antibodies and their Th2 cells behaved in the same way that they would in an allergic reaction. When exposed to peanuts, the rodents thusly sensitized developed the same allergic symptoms, such as itchy skin and obstructed breathing, as humans. The researchers then administered the rodents one dose of the nasal vaccine per month for 3 months, and they measured their allergic response 2 weeks after the final dose. The vaccine successfully protected the rodents from exposure to peanuts, with tests showing decreased activity of the Th2 cells, as well as decreased IgE antibodies.Once the researchers figure out whether or not they can prolong the benefits of the vaccine and fully grasp the mechanisms through which this vaccine suppresses allergies, the findings can be used to start a clinical trial for humans. "Right now, the only FDA [Food and Drug Administration]-approved way to address food allergy is to avoid the food or suppress allergic reactions after they have already started," O'Konek says. "Our goal is to use immunotherapy to change the immune system's response by developing a therapeutic vaccine for food allergies." "Food allergy has exploded in prevalence and incidence, but we still know so little about it because there hasn't been that much research in the field," says senior study author Dr. James Baker, the director of the Mary H. Weiser Food Allergy Center at the University of Michigan. "This research is also teaching us more about how food allergies develop and the science behind what needs to change in the immune system to treat them," he adds. "We're changing the way the immune cells respond upon exposure to allergens. Importantly, we can do this after [the] allergy is established, which provides for potential therapy of allergies in humans." "By redirecting the immune responses," explains O'Konek, "our vaccine not only suppresses the response but prevents the activation of cells that would initiate allergic reactions." The researchers still need to assess precisely how long this protection lasts, but they are hopeful that the benefits will be long-lasting. 'Potential therapy of allergies in humans'

"One day our paths will cross" Nicole Appleton has responded to reports that Lily Allen is planning to publish details of a rumoured sexual encounter with Liam Gallagher in her upcoming autobiography. This weekend saw reports surface via The Sun that Allen’s memoir My Thoughts Exactly will reveal details of the ‘Mile High Club’ encounter in 2009, when the pair were sharing an 11-hour flight to Japan to perform at Fuji Rocks Festival. After drinking together in the airport lounge together, the pairs’ 30-strong entourages reportedly advised airline staff to “keep those two apart” – but their “raucous” behaviour apparently led to plane staff asking them to “calm down”. The supposed event happened after the former Oasis frontman and the All Saints singer had been wed for 17 months. The pair divorced in 2014. Amid reports that Allen is said to have contacted Appleton at the time to deny that anything untoward happened, she has since taken to Twitter to send her a message. “One day out paths will cross,” she wrote on Twitter. One day our paths will cross @lilyallen ! — Nicole Appleton (@Nicole_Appleton) April 15, 2018 NME has approached a representative for Allen for a response. Allen’s memoir has previously been described as “uncomfortable, shocking and brutal”. It is said that the book details “the trauma and grief of losing a child, the highs and lows of fame, her family story, growing up in Britpop, Glastonbury and the infamous Groucho club”. Allen will also write “about ‘the rebellion of her youth’, money, co-dependency, drug and alcohol dependency, eating disorders, marriage, separation, recovery, motherhood and ‘moving forward with her life’.”

The hotly-tipped group made their debut appearance at the Californian festival this weekend Brockhampton‘s Kevin Abstract has said the group’s Coachella set “felt like a nightmare”. The California-based outfit, who call themselves “the internet’s first boy band”, made their debut appearance at the festival yesterday (April 14). According to reports, they arrived on stage 15 minutes late and suffered technical difficulties during their performance. Frontman Kevin Abstract has since taken to Twitter to apologise to fans, writing: “I’m very sad about our performance. We didn’t start on time because bear face’s mic quit working seconds before we went on stage.. while we were trying to fix the issue every minute backstage felt like an hour and I’m sorry if you came out and waited.” He added that he was also sad because “this was a moment me and my friends put so much time and emotion into.” “We were all extremely emotionally invested,” he wrote. “I’m sorry I let y’all down. It felt like a nightmare.” I’m really sad because this was a moment me and my friends put so much time and emotion into. We were all extremely emotionally invested. I’m sorry I let y’all down. It felt like a nightmare. — dumbass (@kevinabstract) April 15, 2018 Abstract promised that Brockhampton’s appearance at the second weekend of Coachella (April 20-22) would be better. “Anytime there’s an issue we try to fix it and do better,” he explained. “I really wanted y’all to experience this new era the right way.” We’ll be back next week and things will be better. Anytime there’s an issue we try to fix it and do better. I really wanted y’all to experience this new era the right way. I feel like we should be treated like professionals. Y’all deserve the best from us.

Bieber is yet to comment on the incident. Justin Bieber reportedly punched a man in the face after he physically threatened an ex-girlfriend at a Coachella party over the weekend. The singer, 24, was reportedly relaxing with friends at a party held by Patrick Schwarzenegger when he noticed the man becoming increasingly irate with the woman in question. After the woman was grabbed by the throat, TMZ reports that Bieber made a swift entrance and told the man to stop, before he replied: “Go fuck yourself”. It’s claimed that Bieber then hit the man in the face and pushed him against a wall, allowing the woman to go free. The man, who reportedly appeared to be on drugs, was subsequently thrown out of the party before he chased an SUV down the street – wrongly believing that the singer was inside the vehicle. He is believed to have shouted Bieber’s name at the vehicle, before he was eventually apprehended by police. Bieber is yet to comment on the incident, but an Instagram post from over the weekend suggests that he attended the event. There is also no suggestion that the incident occurred on the grounds of the Indio festival, where Beyonce delivered a much-lauded headline set. “She became the first black woman to headline the festival and raised the bar on bill-topping performances in the process”, NME’s official verdict of the performance stated.

Might lighten the mood for the customers" A DJ has created a techno track from the very recognisable sounds of Tesco’s self-service checkout area – and it’s unexpectedly brilliant. The tune, aptly named the ‘self checkout riddim’, was created by Leeds based musician Ben Suffield – who then posted it on Instagram and Twitter. After starting with a series of familiar beeps, the beat of the tune rapidly progresses before we’re greeting with the horror-inducing cries of “unexpected item in bagging area”. I made this song out of Tesco noises pic.twitter.com/u5q33AjXL9 — BEN SUFF DONK (@bensuffdonk) April 13, 2018 Before the drop, we’re also faced with a shout of “please take your change”, before the scanning beeps go into overdrive once more. Although it’s receiving a lot of love online, Ben isn’t sure so – describing the tune on Soundcloud as “the worst track I’ve ever done”. Offering an opposite opinion, one Twitter user wrote: “Would have died if they mentioned the world clubcard.” Another, presumably a Tesco employee, added: “We should have this on 24/7….Might lighten the mood for the customers.” “This is the most British and most wonderful thing I’ve seen all day”. Ben is yet to comment on his inspiration and thinking behind the track, but NME has contacted him in the hope of getting to the bottom of it – and discovering whether he’d be up for a fire collaboration with the supermarket giant.

Last night saw Eminem play a stellar hit-packed headline show at Coachella 2018 – featuring the likes of Dr Dre, Skylar Grey, 50 Cent and more. Check out photos, footage and the setlist below. After Beyoncé made headlines and history with her epic headline performance on Saturday, Eminem closed proceedings last night with a host of special guests. As well as cuts from his latest album ‘Revival‘, Marshall Mathers invited friends and collaborators from throughout his career to duet. Mentor Dr Dre came on stage to perform ‘Still D.R.E.’ as well as Snoop Dogg’s classic, ‘Nothin’ but a G Thang, a cover Tupac’s ‘California Love’ and an outing of ‘Forgot About Dre’. Meanwhile, Bebe Rexha joined em for ‘The Monster’, Kehlani for ‘Nowhere Fast’, and 50 Cent also appeared for a medley of ‘In Da Club’ and ‘My Life’, while Skylar Grey leant vocal duties to ‘Stan’, Walk on Water’, and ‘Love The Way You Lie’. image: https://ksassets.timeincuk.net/wp/uploads/sites/55/2018/04/GettyImages-946836714_EMINEM_1000.jpg Dr Dre on stage with Eminem at Coachella 2018 Eminem’s setlist was: Medicine Man ‘Till I Collapse Square Dance 3 a.m. Kill You Sing For The Moment White America Rap God Soldier Just Don’t Give a Fuck Criminal Chloraseptic (Remix) The Way I Am Walk on Water (with Skylar Grey) Stan (with Skylar Grey) Love the Way You Lie (with Skylar Grey) Nowhere Fast (with Kehlani) Inpatiently Waiting/My Life/ In Da Club The Monster (with Bebe Rexha) River My Name Is The Real Slim Shady Still D.R.E. (Dr. Dre cover – with Dr. Dre) Nuthin’ but a “G” Thang (Dr. Dre cover – with Dr. Dre) California Love (2Pac cover – with Dr. Dre) Forgot About Dre (Dr. Dre cover – with Dr. Dre) Not Afraid Lose Yourself

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium from last year wasn’t much of commercial success despite its beautiful 4K HDR display. However, what was not advertised about the device by Sony was the fact that its display panel supports a high frame rate 120Hz mode, much like the Razer Phone which was released later. The rumour mill abuzz with speculations of a hidden screen mode since the device’s launch, but because it requires a modification to the kernel to enable, not many users have been able to test it. Recently, several users, most notably the ones on XDA developers have started to test this hidden screen mode and much to everyone’s disappointment, the results were underwhelming. By default, the Xperia XZ Premium display panel supports two screen modes: 1080p@60fps and 2160p@60fps. The hidden and disabled 1080p@120fps mode cannot be enabled without some serious deconstruction of the phone software. The process involves reverting a commit in the display panel configuration in the kernel source code, which is beyond the scope of most users. Sony’s Open Device program and the subsequent Android Oreo update for the Xperia XZ Premium have allowed developers to build a custom ROM that can theoretically unlock the 120Hz refresh rate mode of the panel. An XDA Developers Member by the name of uditrawat compiled Android 8.1 Oreo for the XZ Premium with support for the 120Hz screen mode, which can be downloaded here. The panel yields mixed results at 120Hz However, several people, who tested the build state that the results are inconsistent. Some say that it works, while others say it’s nothing but a placebo. It could be because AOSP ROMs are incapable of supporting 120Hz displays natively and might require additional modifications. There must have been a good reason why the Sony Xperia XZ Premium doesn’t allow for the 120Hz refresh rate out of the box, which very likely has something to do with compatibility issues with Android. We can hope that a future release unlocks the 120Hz mode of the panel after the developers have worked out the kinks. Android P natively supports high refresh rate panels so that we could expect something after its release.

Motorola has released a completely redesigned version of its camera app. The update comes out just in time for the impending release of the Moto G6 series but existing Moto users need not worry as the update is also rolling out to them. The first change is in the icon, which matches the look of the new icon theme that will be coming on the upcoming devices and not the current, odd, pizza-shaped creased icons. Hopefully, Motorola will also be updating the launched on the older devices to get the new icon theme that seems to be way less aggressive and more mellow. Inside the app, there are now three sections at the bottom, with the default being photo, video on the right and a mode screen on the left. These can be switched by swiping sideways on the screen. The mode screen is also where the Settings option now lives. The Settings screen has been changed to have 100% opacity and isn't a transparent layer over the viewfinder anymore. At the top of the viewfinder are options to change HDR mode, flash, timer, and Manual mode. Switching to Manual mode presents additional options on the right, similar to the previous version. For phones with a dual rear camera, the app will have a prominent button near the top to switch between the two. The app will be rolling out slowly over the course of the next few days to existing devices (probably not all of them, so don't hold your breath if you have an older device).

Now that the date has been set for its official unveiling, the Honor 10 just can't seem to stop leaking. The promotional poster you can see below has been outed today in China, and it reveals a very distinct multi-color pattern on the phone's back - reminiscent of the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro's Twilight paint job, but not quite identical. We can also see a dual rear camera setup in the pictures, which isn't at all surprising. Its positioning lines up with what we saw in a leaked picture that portrayed the Honor 10 inside a bulky case. The fingerprint scanner is missing from the glass back, so we assume it will be on the front. Also there you're likely to find a notch at the top of the screen, so be prepared for that. From another source comes a partial list of specs for the Honor 10, one spotted in a store in China. The phone is said to have a 5.8-inch FullView display, up to 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and the Kirin 970 chipset at the helm. Thus, as we expected, it looks like it will serve as the smaller sibling to Honor's already available View 10 (although that maxes out at only 128GB of internal space). Huawei's sub-brand may actually announce the Honor 10 in China by the end of this month, with the London event on May 15 serving as an international launch. It's gone this route many times before.

Verizon is working to expand its LTE network to the CBRS band. CBRS stands for Citizens Broadband Radio Service and covers about 500 MHz of spectrum (only 150 MHz is currently available to carriers). Much of this band was formerly used by government entities, satellites and the like. It has since been freed up for commercial use and Verizon has jumped on the opportunity to expand their network. However, Verizon is not alone in this endeavor. It is collaborating with several industry partners to complete end to end testing. This means the company is testing not just on their end but how CBRS will work on the receiving end as well. Some of the partners working on this project include Qualcomm, Corning, Ericsson and Nokia. IF all goes according to plan, Verizon hopes to have CBRS enabled devices out by the end of 2018. What are the benefits of this expansion? Well, for one it will create some breathing room for all of the devices currently being served by the LTE network. Spectrum is essentially the amount of LTE available to a carrier. The more spectrum a carrier has, the more it takes to slow down their network. If you have ever tried to send a text message on New Years Eve at midnight, you may have experienced this. Carriers are always looking for ways to expand their network as the mobile industry continues to grow. It is important to note that this expansion will not just benefit mobile users, but enterprise as well. CBRS will allow for enterprise to create private LTE networks for their own use. This will increase oversight and security for companies that need it. The added space will also play a big part in the future. Companies must continue to expand their spectrum if they want a smooth, fast and reliable LTE network.

Two months ago a mysterious phone dubbed Blackshark appeared on AnTuTu with a Snapdragon 845 chipset, tall screen and 8 GB RAM. Later specs got confirmed on Geekbench, followed by an invitation for a launch event on April 13. Thanks to a new leak, coming from the Chinese social media Weibo, we now know a bit more about the phone's design. The phone flaunts have dual cameras, paired with an LED flash and a rather overdesigned back. In fact the photo seems to show the phone in some sort of huge case, which could feature some game controls at the front. Blackshark is a Xiaomi-owned company, but the manufacturer’s logo can’t be found anywhere. There is only one big green letter S on the back, giving us Razer Phone vibes. According to the source, the Blackshark is coming with an OLED screen and under-display fingerprint scanner. There are still plenty of unknowns on the Blackshark, but not a lot of waiting remaining until the official launch fills in the gaps. Img

Thank you for making this giveaway. A lot of users will benefit from this.

Warhorse Studios has released Kingdom Come Deliverance PC patch 1.3.4 and is aiming to release patch 1.4 next week. The 1.3.4 update is available now through both Steam and GOG, and fixes random encounter bugs. Additionally, the patch adds support for NVIDIA Ansel and Shadowplay. We’ve included the official release notes, as supplied by Warhorse, below: Added in version 1.3.4 • Adding nVidia Ansel • Adding ShadowPlay Highlights • Bugfix: Random encounters during fast-travel The team also writes that they hope to release patch 1.4 across all platforms next week. As with previous patches however, certification on both PS4 and Xbox One might require some additional time. We’ll keep you updated as soon we learn more about update 1.4.

Climate models show exoplanets like Venus could hold oceans under the right conditions. Venus-like exoplanets might not be super-heated hothouses, say scientists. Evidence is mounting that even Venus itself could have supported liquid oceans as recently as 750 million years ago, says Michael Way, an atmospheric scientist at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City. Venus is dry now, but based on isotope ratios of hydrogen in its present atmosphere, scientists can calculate how much water it once had, Way said at a NASA-sponsored symposium called “Environments of Terrestrial Planets Under the Young Sun: Seeds of Biomolecules,” in Greenbelt, Maryland. Based on these ratios, it appears that Venus has lost at least 99.9 percent of its water, which means it might once have had enough to cover it to a depth of several hundred meters. Exactly how much is a bit vague (estimates vary by a factor of a hundred) but either way, Way says, there would have been enough to form sizeable oceans or at least lakes. Assuming that the early atmosphere of Venus was similar to Earth’s (not unlikely, because the two planets are so close in size and composition that they are often viewed as twins), he says, it’s possible to use climate models to calculate the Venusian climate as the Sun steadily warmed and Venus moved from receiving about 35 percent more solar energy than the modern Earth to 90 percent more. The result, Way says, is surprising: even if Venus started with very little water, it would not only have retained it but would have been quite temperate, even as recently as 715 million years ago. A number of factors appear to play into this remarkable result. One is that Venus is rotating slowly, with a Venusian day lasting nearly as long as 117 Earth days. This slow rotation would have allowed a younger, potentially habitable, Venus to build up a layer of clouds on its sunward side, reflecting a lot of solar energy back into space. On a faster rotating Venus-like world, the clouds wouldn’t form until afternoon, when the sun is no longer high enough to block as much solar energy. What this means for exoplanets is that the habitability of Venus-like worlds close to their suns might depend on their rotation rates – something that exoplanet hunters can’t yet determine. “It will be ten to fifteen years before we get rotation rate data on these exoplanets,” Way says, “but it will probably tell us a lot.” His model also assumes that the early Venus (and similar exoplanets) had some form of tectonics that, through rock-weathering processes, could recycle volcano-produced carbon dioxide from the atmosphere back into the interior. Otherwise, the planet-warming gas would build up to a point where all of the water evaporates and the planet goes into a superheated state like modern Venus, where surface temperatures are on the order of 450°C. In fact, Way suggests, the end of Venusian habitability may have been caused not by the slow warming of the Sun, but by massive volcanism, which appears to have covered 80-85 percent of the Venusian surface about 750 million years ago, in the process releasing tremendous amounts of carbon dioxide. “The planet can handle increased [solar energy],” he says. “Probably something else happened, and it probably has to do with the resurfacing events.” Matthew Weller, a planetary scientist at the University of Texas at Austin, who has studied Venusian tectonics, agrees. “The picture that is emerging between Michael’s stuff (atmosphere) and my stuff (interior-to-atmosphere) is that the potential for liquid water and habitability depends on far more than just the distance to the host star,” he says. Figuring all of this out for exoplanets, he adds, means paying more attention to Venus. “It’s the forgotten planet," he says.

The theme of this year’s April Meeting of the American Physical Society is the “Feynman Century” because the iconoclastic, Nobel-prize-winning physicist was born in 1918. This morning at a special session devoted to Feynman, quantum computing expert Christopher Monroe of the University of Maryland spoke about early contributions to quantum computing that were made by Feynman before his untimely death in 1988. That theme continued in an afternoon session at the conference where nuclear and particle physicists discussed how quantum computers could be applied to their work. A huge challenge to those studying the physics of quarks (quantum chromodynamics or QCD) is that it takes vast amounts of computing power just to calculate the properties of relatively simple systems. Low barrier to entry Quantum computers, which (at least in principle), can solve certain problems much more efficiently than conventional computers could offer a way forward. Earlier this year we reported what is probably the first-ever nuclear physics calculation done using quantum computers – the binding energy of the deuteron. Thomas Papenbrock of Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee explained how commercial cloud quantum-computing services from IBM and Rigetti had made this calculation possible, pointing out that the barrier to entry to quantum computing is very low thanks to these services. He was followed by Martin Savage of the University of Washington, who is an expert in lattice QCD, which requires mind-boggling amounts of computer power. He pointed out that the QCD community already relies on large computing infrastructures that are created and maintained by both physicists and computing experts. A similar technological and human infrastructure, he believes, must be created for lattice QCD quantum computing. Solving the “sign problem” Quantum computers could play crucial roles in solving the “sign problem” in lattice QCD, which makes calculations increasingly difficult as the number of particles increases. They could also be used to calculate the dynamical evolution of a system, charting particle interactions in a collider, for example. The IBM and Rigetti quantum computers used to perform the first nuclear calculation had 16 and 19 qubits respectively, so my jaw dropped when Savage said that about 4 million qubits would be needed to do a lattice QCD better than state-of-the-art conventional computers. And my jaw dropped even further when he said that experts in the industry didn’t seem to think this would be a problem!

Samsung and ZTE might have been one of the first companies to showcase prototypes of foldable smartphones, but it appears that Huawei will be the first company to commercialize the much anticipated bending smartphone. Samsung is still thought to be busy perfecting its creation, but Huawei is all set to announce a phone in November. Huawei Has Obtained Foldable Screens From Partner LG to Bring Its Plan to Fruition Huawei has acquired a foldable displays from LG and it isn’t long till we see it make history by being the first company to announce such a device. This would be quite an achievement for the world’s third largest smartphone manufacturer. On the other hand, we may not see a bending phone from Samsung before the start of the next year. However, even though Huawei will probably announce the phone in November, we do not know when it will be released. Similar to the case of the Vivo APEX, the extremely bezel-less handset might have been announced with a Snapdragon 845, but other details are still lurking in the dark, such as the official release. Apple too is planning to release a foldable smartphone, but according to rumors, it is not going to be taking proper until 2020, and according to experts, that too is going to be an ambitious move. Huawei is believed to have opted for a screen that is tucked inwards, as the one that folds outward is a little tricky, as Samsung already knows. The Koreach tech giant Samsung must already be feeling the heat as a lot of Android phone manufacturers have ramped up their efforts to create a foldable smartphone. A phone that can bend has its own advantages. It will obviously be a lot easier to carry around but what we are more interested in seeing is that how the specs and software would change accordingly. There is a possibility that Huawei might announce a working prototype first to see how it is received before mass producing it. However, going by the recently P20, we have full confidence in Huawei that this is something it would be able to achieve.

Specs of Honor 10, expected to arrive globally on May 15, already appeared in the wild 10 days ago. Now we have double confirmation on most of them thanks to the Chinese regulatory TENAA. The next Honor flagship will have a Kirin 970 chipset, a tall notched screen and latest version of the Android OS. Honor 10 appeared in four different configurations under the following model numbers - COL-AL10, COL-TL10, COL-AL00, and COL-TL00. The SoC is built by Huawei-owned HiSilicon and comes with an octa-core CPU, clocked at 2.36 GHz. RAM will be 4 or 6 GB, and storage is also in two sizes - either 64 GB or 128 GB. The front panel is most likely to come with a notch for the camera and earpiece just like what Huawei did to the P20 series. The resolution is 2280 x 1080 pixels, which is a 19:9 aspect. The screen will be 5.84” in diagonal and should be an LCD. Honor 10 is arriving with dual cameras, as we saw previously. The setup will be 16 MP + 24 MP and according to information from the weekend, it will have “semantic image segmentation mode”. This means the new phone should be able to have multi-scene detection within a single photo, which will be enabled by the AI capabilities of the Kirin 970. All Huawei devices in the past several years come with an extensively customized user interface and Honor 10 follows the trend - it will run the EMUI 8.1 on top of Android 8.1 Oreo. It will have a 3,320 mAh battery, most likely coupled with Huawei’s in-house fast charging. Offered in Silver and measuring 149.6 x 71.2 x 7.7 mm, the Honor 10 will be announced on April 19 in China.