But it’s just the beginning
AARON REGUNBERG in Common Dreams
That’s because criminal law plays a unique
role, not just in our legal system, but in society at large. It is how the
state takes action to protect citizens from harm, promote public safety, and
hold wrongdoers accountable. It’s also how we illustrate what’s right and wrong
and publicly mark that certain acts are simply not acceptable—that they are
condemned by the community at large.
Another Setback for Boeing’s Starliner
By NASA
The Boeing Crew Flight Test was scheduled for May 6, but
that launch was scrubbed due
to a faulty oxygen relief valve. Subsequent issues changed the targeted launch
date to May 17, May 21,
and May 25,
before this current target of no earlier than June 1.
Toxic vaping
By RCSI
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The research team at RCSI University of Medicine and
Health Sciences, Dublin, used artificial intelligence (AI) to
simulate the effects of heating e-liquid flavor chemicals found in nicotine
vapes. They included all 180 known e-liquid flavor chemicals, predicting the
new compounds formed when these substances are heated within a vaping device
immediately prior to inhalation.
The analysis revealed the formation of many hazardous
chemicals including 127 which are classified as ‘Acute Toxic’, 153 as ‘Health
Hazards’, and 225 as ‘Irritants’. Notably, these included a group of chemicals
called volatile carbonyls (VCs) which are known to pose health risks. Sources
for VCs were predicted to be the most popular fruit, candy, and
dessert-flavored products.
Hopefully, they'll be good years
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
Increases are expected to be largest in countries where
life expectancy is lower, contributing to a convergence of increased life
expectancy across geographies. The trend is largely driven by public health
measures that have prevented and improved survival rates from cardiovascular
diseases, COVID-19, and a range of communicable, maternal, neonatal, and
nutritional diseases (CMNNs).
This study indicates that the ongoing shift in disease
burden to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) -- like cardiovascular diseases,
cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes -- and exposure to
NCD-associated risk factors -- such as obesity, high blood pressure,
non-optimal diet, and smoking -- will have the greatest impact on disease
burden of the next generation.
Summer Outdoor Fun
Companion animals command and deserve your care
 |
| Frida and Joey. Photo by Will Collette |
Then there are the lows, like stressful trips to urgent care, waking up to that unpleasant vomiting noise, or making the difficult choice to say goodbye because of medical problems or even intractable behavioral issues.
For those pet-owners who are struggling, it’s beneficial to their mental health to acknowledge that pets can create stress and that some animals are more work than others.
Research has shown that both cats and dogs can have equally positive impacts on mental health.
Pets may be helpful at reducing stress, anxiety and feelings of being overwhelmed, including in children. Pet ownership has also been shown to improve well-being by instilling people with a sense of purpose and responsibility.
As a licensed clinical social worker, animal lover and proud dog mom, I have both professionally and personally seen the mental health impacts of having animal companions.
Media stories commonly cover the positives of pet ownership. But the hardships and downsides of owning a pet are not discussed as often. For instance, while there are many positive aspects to pet ownership, some research is showing that pets may lead to exacerbated mental health concerns or even sleep issues.
Whether you’re adopting or shopping, pets can bring a full range of emotions into our lives. Research has even shown that pets may benefit non-pet owners around them as well.
No justification
By Frank Carini /
ecoRI News columnist
Doughnuts, retied yellow rope, and
sawed-off signposts mark where dunes and piping plover nests should rest, in
peace. But thoughtless motorists, empowered by commercials that glamorize Jeeps
pulverizing non-pavement space, treat the Quonochontaug Sand Trail, and the
dunes and beach that run parallel with it, as their private racetrack.
The Sand Trail, 15 feet wide at best in some spots, runs along much of Quonochontaug Beach, one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier beaches in Rhode Island. This fragile stretch of sand runs nearly 2 miles between Spray Rock Road to the Breachway in Charlestown.
It
encompasses some 150 acres, which are largely privately owned — the Rhode
Island Department of Environmental Management owns some of the land at the tip
that touches the Charlestown Breachway. It separates Quonochontaug Pond from
the Atlantic Ocean, and is one of the Ocean State’s most beautiful coastal
spots.
For those such as Westerly resident Michael
Sands, “Quonnie Beach,” as the locals call it, is a tranquil coastal oasis
whose ecological and social value easily exceeds its size.
This barrier beach is “a unique and special
place for us all to enjoy,” according to the Nope’s Island Conservation Association (NICA).
Sands is the nonprofit’s president. About 40% of the Quonochontaug coastal area
is owned and protected by NICA. (Nope’s Island is a
small island in Quonochontaug Pond that is home to a stand of trees.)
Oh really?
Acoustical Society of America
Oscar Wilde once said that sarcasm was the lowest form of
wit, but the highest form of intelligence. 
Image credit: This image was created with the assistance of DALL•E 3.
Perhaps that is due to how difficult
it is to use and understand. Sarcasm is notoriously tricky to convey through
text -- even in person, it can be easily misinterpreted. The subtle changes in
tone that convey sarcasm often confuse computer algorithms as well, limiting
virtual assistants and content analysis tools.
Xiyuan Gao, Shekhar Nayak, and Matt Coler of Speech
Technology Lab at the University of Groningen, Campus Fryslân developed a
multimodal algorithm for improved sarcasm detection that examines multiple
aspects of audio recordings for increased accuracy.
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