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NRC is (sort of) getting rid of "as low as reasonably achievable" standard

6 July 2026 at 18:48

Last week, just before the US started its break for the July Fourth holiday, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) proposed a new rule that would change how it regulated exposure to radiation. The Trump administration has been pushing to restart construction of nuclear power plants in the US, and many pro-nuclear advocates have been complaining about the US's existing regulations, portraying them as the main barrier to the flourishing of the industry. So, it had seemed likely that major revisions were coming.

Instead, the NRC's proposed new rules endorse the science behind its current rules and suggest that any problems are largely in the vagueness of the terminology that it has been using. So, instead, it's endorsing standards that are meant to accomplish the same thing, but avoid using some of the language it had relied on. Probably the clearest indication of the evolutionary change at play is that the NRC estimates the changing rules will save industry—not just power, but also medical and research applications—only about $9.5 million a year.

LNT and ALARA

There are two technical abbreviations at the center of US nuclear regulations. The first is LNT, which stands for "linear non-threshold." It's in reference to the issue of whether there's any level of radiation that is so low that it no longer produces harmful biological effects—the "threshold" in LNT. The "non-threshold" implies that it doesn't, and that's in keeping with biology, which has demonstrated that even single particles or photons of radiation can damage DNA and that the mechanisms cells have for repairing that damage are inherently error-prone. The "linear" in LNT simply describes how the impact of radiation scales directly with the dose.

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New Technology Uncovers How the Heart Produces Cells with Regenerative Potential

24 June 2026 at 12:28

In a groundbreaking advancement for cardiovascular science, researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC) in Spain, in collaboration with the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, have devised a cutting-edge technique to analyze the proteome of individual cardiomyocytes. These cells, essential for heart contraction, have long eluded comprehensive single-cell proteomic scrutiny due to technological limitations. This novel approach now allows for a detailed protein-level characterization of single heart muscle cells, opening unprecedented avenues for understanding heart biology and regeneration.

The heart has traditionally been viewed as an organ comprised of relatively homogeneous cardiomyocytes. However, recent findings highlight remarkable heterogeneity even within this single cell type. Variability in protein expression among cardiomyocytes may underpin differences in their functional capacity and regenerative potential. This study, published in Genome Biology, leverages an innovative integration of optimized cell isolation methods, advanced mass spectrometry, and sophisticated bioinformatic algorithms to dissect this proteomic diversity with extraordinary precision.

Central to their investigation was Myc, a transcription factor already noted for its role in regenerative strategies for heart repair. Despite its promise, until now the specific mechanisms by which Myc modulates protein expression in individual cardiomyocytes remained elusive. Applying their novel single-cell proteomics technology, the researchers uncovered that Myc expression differentially alters metabolic enzyme levels across single cardiomyocytes. This heterogeneity results in a subset of cells exhibiting distinct immature states, which in turn possess enhanced regenerative potential—a finding that transforms our comprehension of how cardiac regeneration might be selectively targeted.

The technical feat achieved by these scientists hinges on the fusion of multiple cutting-edge methodologies. First, the meticulous isolation of adult mouse cardiomyocytes ensures viable, intact cells reflecting true physiological states. These cells then undergo mass spectrometry procedures tailored for minute sample volumes, capable of identifying thousands of proteins with high sensitivity and quantitative accuracy at the single-cell level. The ensuing data are processed with bespoke computational pipelines designed to handle the intrinsic variability and noise characteristic of single-cell omics measurements.

By revealing the proteomic fingerprints that distinguish a pro-regenerative subpopulation of cardiomyocytes, this research elucidates a previously uncharted layer of cardiac cellular complexity. Understanding how Myc drives metabolic remodeling at the protein level provides a molecular explanation for its regenerative effects and establishes a foundation for engineering therapeutic approaches that harness or mimic these cellular states.

Regeneration in the adult mammalian heart remains a formidable challenge, owing largely to the low intrinsic capacity of cardiomyocytes to proliferate or replace damaged tissue after injury such as myocardial infarction. Previous models relying largely on bulk tissue analyses have masked the nuanced cellular dynamics at play. This single-cell approach offers resolution sufficient to detect rare but critical cell subsets that might hold the key to effective myocardial repair.

Moreover, this study underscores the transformative impact of integrating proteomics with single-cell biology, moving beyond transcriptomic analyses that often fail to predict functional protein abundance accurately. Proteins, as the primary effectors of cellular function, are the crucial link between gene regulation and phenotype. Hence, this proteomic lens provides a direct readout of the biochemical state of cardiomyocytes under regenerative cues.

The implications of this work extend beyond cardiac biology. It exemplifies the broader potential of single-cell proteomics to deepen our grasp of cellular heterogeneity in health and disease, from cancer biology to neurodegeneration. The refinement and dissemination of such methodologies will empower researchers across biomedical fields to uncover subtle but impactful cellular states previously hidden in ensemble measurements.

Miguel Torres and Jesús Vázquez, who co-led the CNIC teams responsible for this study, emphasize the critical novel insights gained. According to them, dissecting Myc’s action at the single-cell level illuminates pathways and protein networks that govern cellular immaturity and regeneration, which are masked in population-level studies. This knowledge fundamentally shifts how regenerative medicine strategies might be designed, focusing on targeted modulation of key proteins identified within pro-regenerative cardiomyocyte subgroups.

Consuelo Marín-Vicente, the study’s first author, highlights the heterogeneous response to Myc induction in adult cardiomyocytes. Instead of a uniform effect, Myc induces diverse proteomic profiles, driving some cells toward a state primed for regeneration. This discovery points to the existence of intrinsic regulatory mechanisms that govern cardiomyocyte plasticity, with possible manipulation routes to expand these favorable subpopulations therapeutically.

This advancement also signifies a leap toward personalized regenerative therapies. By characterizing the protein signatures specific to regenerative-competent cardiomyocytes, future interventions could selectively enhance these signatures in patient hearts, enabling more effective recovery post-injury. It also offers biomarkers to monitor therapeutic efficacy or to stratify patients likely to benefit from Myc-based or related regenerative treatments.

The CNIC, recognized as a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence and funded by a unique public-private partnership, remains at the forefront of cardiovascular research. Under the leadership of Dr. Valentín Fuster, CNIC’s mission to translate scientific discoveries into clinical innovations is exemplified by this study’s promise. Collaboration with leading international centers like the Karolinska Institute further underscores the global effort to unravel heart regeneration’s complexity.

In sum, by pioneering a technique for single-cell proteomic analysis of adult cardiomyocytes, this research opens transformative possibilities for cardiovascular medicine. It elucidates how transcription factors like Myc can orchestrate heterogeneous proteomic landscapes within single cells, generating subpopulations equipped with regenerative capabilities. These insights herald a new era in designing precision therapies that could one day restore heart function after injury, dramatically improving outcomes for millions suffering from cardiovascular diseases worldwide.


Subject of Research: Cells

Article Title: Pro-regenerative fingerprints identified in a sub-population of adult mouse cardiomyocytes by integrative single-cell proteomics

News Publication Date: 22-May-2026

Web References:
10.1186/s13059-026-04110-1

Image Credits: CNIC

Keywords

Cardiomyocytes, Single-cell proteomics, Myc transcription factor, Heart regeneration, Mass spectrometry, Cellular heterogeneity, Cardiovascular disease, Protein expression, Regenerative medicine, Proteome, Metabolic enzymes, Cardiovascular research

An Indecent Man

23 June 2026 at 15:16

No sooner has Starmer quit then media voices pipe up claiming he was a "good man". This, of course, is nonsense, says Nick Dixon. His two-tier, tin-eared response to the Southport murders showed he is anything but.

The post An Indecent Man appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Prime Days Amazon : l'appareil ultime Philips 3-en-1 (Purificateur, Chauffage, Ventilateur) chute sous les 350 € !

Les Amazon Prime Days continuent de surprendre avec une offre incontournable pour votre confort intérieur ! Le Philips Purificateur d'air Série 8000 (AMF870/15), un appareil premium combinant trois fonctions indispensables, bénéficie d'un prix exceptionnel.

Mavenir debuts agentic automation framework

22 June 2026 at 16:31

Mavenir unveiled an Agentic Service Assurance Framework designed to automate complex network operations across multiple domains while allowing operators to retain existing infrastructure.

The vendor stated the TM Forum-compliant, multi-agent system combines an intent orchestrator with a layered agentic ecosystem to help detect, diagnose, recommend and resolve network faults faster.

Mavenir positioned the framework as a step toward higher operator productivity and autonomous network operations.

The vendor said network operations across 5G, cloud-native and IP domains are becoming increasingly fragmented and expensive to manage at scale. Traditional assurance systems can identify alarms but often struggle to determine root causes, while the retirement of experienced engineers risks taking years of institutional knowledge out of operations teams.

Multi-vendor environments add another layer of complexity by creating data silos which individual tools cannot easily correlate, according to Mavenir.

At the heart of the framework is Mavenir’s Intent Ops engine, which observes how network operations centre teams work, learns patterns behind successful issue resolution and converts those workflows into repeatable automation templates with explainability and guardrails.

The company explained the workflows are validated against a human baseline before running autonomously, with vetted automations published to an expanding orchestration catalogue.

The framework supports cross-domain monitoring, correlation and root-cause analysis, with closed-loop remediation built on Mavenir products.

It also connects with existing OSS AI agents through the agent-to-agent protocol defined in TM Forum’s IG1453, which Mavenir stated enables operators to preserve prior technology investments while extending automation across the network stack.

Mavenir CEO Pardeep Kohli told Mobile World Live the foundation AI agents are designed to automate 60% to 75% of routine network operations work, to help operators lower costs, improve service quality and reduce the need to train staff on repetitive tasks.

“In a way, you have a kind of personal assistant always watching you, but this personal assistant is for the network,” he said.

Mavenir did not say when it will be available but a representative stated the initial release is being trialled in customer deployments and future feature releases will be delivered through software upgrades.

The post Mavenir debuts agentic automation framework appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Webb Sees Jupiter-Size Exoplanet Being Roasted by Its Star

22 June 2026 at 16:05
An artist’s impression of the hot-Jupiter exoplanet HD 80606b. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / Joseph Olmsted, STScI.

HD 80606b has one of the most extreme orbits of any known exoplanet and the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope just caught it getting flash-fried as it whipped past its star.

The post Webb Sees Jupiter-Size Exoplanet Being Roasted by Its Star appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

Voici l'étonnante expérience menée en 1925 pour tenter de prouver que le sommeil était inutile

19 June 2026 at 17:00
Été 1925. Un professeur convaincu que dormir est une perte de temps lance un défi radical à sept étudiants : les tenir éveillés pendant 60 heures d'affilée. Une expérience folle, menée à Washington dans un contexte d'euphorie industrielle. Et si cette nuit blanche prolongée avait finalement...

Analysis: Mavenir pitches AI tokens as a telco cash cow

19 June 2026 at 15:35

Mavenir and Red Hat announced what they are calling an Integrated AI Platform, a joint offering designed to give mobile operators the infrastructure to sell services and capture revenue currently flowing to hyperscalers and frontier AI companies.

After making the decision to pivot away from open RAN last year, the vendor has turned its focus to AI, which is evidenced in its partnership with Red Hat.

The Integrated AI Platform blends Mavenir’s AI software with Red Hat’s enterprise Kubernetes and AI capabilities using the latter’s OpenShift and the former’s Digital Enablement (MDE) platform for billing and charging.

The result is a platform which enables operators to monetise AI through token-based consumption plans, with full control over pricing, SLAs and the large language models (LLMs) which power every interaction.

The two companies believe token-based AI consumption, the unit model powering every LLM interaction, mirrors the mobile data billing paradigm operators have long used.

Mobile operators spent decades mastering consumption-based data billing, and Mavenir CEO Pardeep Kohli believes the same model can now be applied to AI while also capturing AI revenue currently flowing to the likes of OpenAI, Anthropic and the major hyperscalers.

 “At the end of the day, most of the money is going to go to OpenAI and all these other players,” Kohli told Mobile World Live. “What we are hoping is that this time, there’s an opportunity for operators not only to use AI to cut their own cost and reduce opex and do more automation but also be a provider of AI services to enterprises or even to consumers.”

How it works
The AI platform operates across three deployment models: operator-branded AI services for their own subscribers; as the AI infrastructure layer powering operator AI grid deployments; and as a managed AI platform through which operators can offer the capabilities to enterprise customers on a consumption basis.

The architecture is designed as hybrid, using on-premises and open-source models to serve most of the traffic, while Mavenir’s model router provides policy-governed, metered access to external frontier models for use cases which require advanced reasoning or multimodal capability.

Kohli explained every generation of mobile technology, from 3G to 5G, saw the bulk of value flow to application developers and hyperscalers while operators became commoditised connectivity pipes.

He believes AI represents a rare chance to break that cycle, provided operators move fast enough to control the infrastructure layer. Kohli pointed to live deployments, including Turkcell running on-premises language models and Telefonica working with Mavenir on a range of use cases announced at MWC, as evidence the strategy is already in motion rather than theoretical.

Use cases
One example he provided MWL is real-time voice translation. An operator customer of Mavenir is deploying an agent which converts live calls between languages.

At a small scale, routing the workload through a hyperscaler is economically viable. At the scale of a major mobile network, it becomes prohibitively expensive unless the inference runs on infrastructure the operator controls directly.

The AI platform, as Kohli describes it, is the mechanism which makes the transition possible without rebuilding the operator’s entire operational model.

Kohli also said currently when a mobile operator customer sends a query to Gemini or OpenAI, it bypasses the operator entirely and then goes straight to the hyperscaler’s data centre with the operator earning nothing beyond the data connection.

His AI grid model changes the scenario by making the operator an intelligent routing layer. A simple query gets handled by a local on-premises model at low cost; a complex reasoning task gets routed to a frontier model; a non-urgent request could be sent to a cheaper, more distant data centre.

With the AI grid, the operator becomes a traffic controller in the AI value chain rather than, as Kohli put it, “a dump pipe”.

Sovereign angle
Regulated operators in markets with strict data residency requirements have ample reasons to prefer on-premises inference over sending subscriber data to hyperscaler data centres in unspecified jurisdictions.

The physical proximity argument of operators has merit as Kohli noted operators with urban data centres genuinely are better placed than hyperscalers whose capacity often sits in rural locations.

“We are going use case by use case, but the actual framework and platform is common, and it can be used for many applications,” he said.

Analyst outlook
AvidThink founder and principal Roy Chua raises several issues with the token-as-currency model. One of his points is a token is not a megabyte. A megabyte is a fixed, fungible unit of information.

He explained a token from a frontier reasoning model and a token from a fine-tuned small language model running on premises are not equivalent. One may resolve a complex problem immediately while the other “takes 10 times the tokens getting to a worse answer”.

Chua said the intelligence embedded in a token varies wildly between models, and tokenisation methods differ between model families. Until there is an established, auditable standard for what a token represents in terms of capability, he argues, “the token can’t function as the billing primitive”.

There is also the question of where developer loyalty sits today. Enterprises and software developers have built their AI workflows around the frontier labs and around aggregation layers which already solve model routing across providers.

“For developers and enterprises, trying to insert the operator into a value chain where most operators currently have no relationships and add little differentiated value is an uphill climb,” he said.

He stated a stronger move is not selling tokens as a currency, but selling sovereign, compliant, latency-advantaged AI services wrapped in outcomes, particularly for regulated buyers who need in-country control.

“Let me give credit where it’s due,” Chua said. “Pardeep Kohli and the Mavenir team have correctly identified the macro tailwind. The geopolitics around AI access are real, data sovereignty pressures are real, and the desire for operators to climb the value stack is older than the cloud itself.”

He continued: “However, token-as-a-service, isn’t a sellable product yet for most telcos, with very few exceptions. Someone like SoftBank could do it in the future.”

DTW Ignite
Kohli said Mavenir will have a booth for the first time at TM Forum’s DTW Ignite conference next week. Historically, he noted, DTW was the domain of operators’ IT and billing-side teams while Mobile World Congress served the network side.

Mavenir’s presence at DTW now reflects his view those two worlds are converging as operators build common platforms spanning both functions.

 “We have a booth now to explain how we can actually have a common platform, which can not only do billing and charging, customer onboarding and customer facing work, but also can manage your network,” he said. “And it learns about packet code, and it learns about voice calling, it learns about SMS, MMS and not just your bill.

“I believe this is a golden opportunity,” he added.

The post Analysis: Mavenir pitches AI tokens as a telco cash cow appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Blair’s Encyclical Labor Imbecilis

18 June 2026 at 15:00

Everyone knows that Tony Blair and the Pope issued encyclicals in the last week or two. The Pope's was entitled ‘Magnifica Humanitas’; by analogy, Blair's should have been called ‘Labor Imbecilis’, says James Alexander.

The post Blair’s Encyclical Labor Imbecilis appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

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