Latest news with #Berger
Arabian Post
2 days ago
- Science
- Arabian Post
Ant Role-Switching Unveils Ancient Social Blueprint
Leafcutter ant colonies, celebrated for their rigid division of labour, have yielded a startling secret: their roles can be rewired with a molecular tweak. Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania orchestrated this transformation using two tiny neuropeptides, shifting defenders into nurses and garden workers into leaf harvesters. The work, published in Cell on 9 June 2025, reveals a mechanism conserved across species, reaching mammals such as naked mole-rats—suggesting a 600‑million‑year‑old evolutionary blueprint guiding social organisation. Research led by Daniel S. Och Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor Shelley L. Berger focused on the neurochemistry of division of labour in Atta cephalotes, a leafcutter ant species. In these highly structured societies, ants specialise very early, with larger Majors guarding the colony, Media ants gathering leaves, and smaller Minims managing fungal gardens and caring for brood. By altering the levels of crustacean cardioactive peptide and neuroparsin‑A, researchers caused dramatic behavioural shifts: upping CCAP induced gardeners and defenders to start harvesting leaves, while reducing NPA in Majors triggered caregiving instincts. Genetic knockdown and direct peptide injections produced rapid behavioural reassignments, echoed by transcriptomic profiles aligning with the new roles. Media ants treated with CCAP began leaf‑harvesting patterns typical of their subcaste, confirmed by gene‑expression pathways linked to foraging. Similarly, Majors with reduced NPA exhibited brood‑care behaviours and corresponding gene‑expression patterns. ADVERTISEMENT What makes this finding truly remarkable is its cross‑species resonance. Molecular signatures that defined ant behaviour corresponded with those observed in Heterocephalus glaber, the naked mole‑rat—another eusocial species with task‑based worker castes. The parallel suggests that neuropeptide‑driven social regulation may trace back to a common ancestor deep in evolutionary history. 'We were amazed to see the apparent similarity of gene regulation between nurses and foragers of ants compared to naked mole‑rat mammals,' Berger said, noting that these parallels were unexpected given the vast evolutionary gulf. The study also hints at deeper biological links, particularly regarding insulin signalling and longevity. Leafcutter ant expression patterns showed interplay with insulin pathways previously associated with lifespan control. Naked mole‑rats are known for exceptional longevity, often living beyond 37 years—almost unheard of in rodents—and for their cancer resistance and negligible ageing. Members of Berger's team, including Michael B. Gilbert and Karl M. Glastad, emphasised the role of these neuropeptides as modulators rather than executors of behaviour. Their study, based on rigorous gene expression analyses from both ants and naked mole‑rats, pointed to a convergent evolution model: similar molecular tools repurposed by different species to achieve comparable social complexity. Behavioural plasticity within ant castes was previously explored by examining epigenetic factors and brain structure. Yet, this experiment demonstrates that acute chemical manipulation can override morphological predispositions, offering a dramatic proof of role reversibility in one of nature's most disciplined societies. The findings imply latent flexibility—ants may be much more dynamic in their roles than previously believed. Experts note that while role switching in ants may feel ethically distant, the insights have broader ramifications. Neuropeptides are key regulators in diverse taxa, humans included. For instance, oxytocin in humans influences parental care; the ant study opens questions about universal behavioural circuits shaped by peptides. A deeper understanding of these molecular circuits could eventually inform approaches to social behaviour disorders or age‑related decline. However, some caution that translating findings from invertebrates and subterranean rodents to humans is premature. Neuropeptide systems and brain architectures vary widely. Moreover, nudging behaviour with peptide injections in controlled lab settings does not equate to social engineering in complex natural environments. Still, the implications are profound. The discovery of CCAP and NPA as behavioural switches not only rewrites our understanding of ant societies but also challenges our notions of how ancient molecular codes govern social life. It invites a reevaluation of social evolution, suggesting that similar neurochemical pathways could underlie task allocation in humans, mammals, insects—and maybe even further back in the tree of life.
The Citizen
2 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Waterkloof resident beats city to the fix
A fed-up Pretoria east resident this week took matters into his own hands by repairing a pothole right in front of his home on Sidney Street on June 21. Waterkloof resident Bennie Berger said he first reported the pothole on the municipal portal on April 25. He said a response promised repair within 24–48 hours; however, two full months passed. 'Cars drive through it nonstop; you can hear the thud from inside the house,' he said. Frustrated, he took matters into his own hands. Over a single weekend, he purchased 12 bags of asphalt mix (R150 each), a compactor (R400), tools, and even a warning cone, completing the repairs in just a couple of hours. Beger added that the total cost was about R2 200, though he emphasises he shouldn't have to pay at all. 'It looks very decent and problem solved,' Berger said. However, he believes this small gesture underscores how far municipal systems have fallen. He said residents pay rates and taxes, but they are deprived of essential services like road maintenance. 'When basic services are not delivered, it creates frustration,' he said. 'If you report these things, feedback is given; we patiently wait and understand. But nothing gets fixed.' Berger added that he isn't suggesting residents should do municipal services but rather augment capacity in the face of backlogs. He said the Tshwane metro should have open discussions with residents and keep them updated. 'Play open cards with us and give us comfort that the money we are paying is being looked after.' Despite growing community action, Berger warned that goodwill shouldn't degenerate into self-reliance. 'If there's a backlog, let's assist, but we can't be the permanent solution.' For him, this is more than saving cars from tyre damage, but about preserving faith in the social contract that taxes fund essential services. Ward 82 Councillor Siobhan Muller supports Berger's move. She said she reported five potholes on Murray Street between Rupert Street and Brooklyn Road, of which only one was addressed. Meanwhile, some of the residents were complaining about freshly repaired potholes reappearing within weeks in the area. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
American Military News
4 days ago
- Politics
- American Military News
Video: 60 missing kids rescued in 'largest child rescue operation' in US history
Federal and state officials announced on Monday that 60 missing children were recently rescued in Florida as part of 'Operation Dragon Eye,' which has been described as the 'largest child rescue operation' in the history of the United States. Announcing the results of Operation Dragon Eye during a press conference on Monday, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, a Republican, said, 'We are here to announce the most successful completion of the largest child rescue operation, not just in Florida history, but in the United States history.' 'Protecting our kids and keeping Florida the safest state to raise a family is our number one priority,' the Florida attorney general added. 'Today is a result of the hard work to deliver on that promise.' According to First Coast News, Uthmeier confirmed on Monday that many of the children rescued as part of Operation Dragon Eye were in 'critical danger' and were at risk of human trafficking. 'Many of these kids have been through painful, disastrous situations,' Uthmeier stated. 'But at least today we've rescued them and we now can work towards recovery.' READ MORE: 244 child sex predators arrested, 109 kids rescued in major FBI operation U.S. Marshal William Berger also highlighted the historic results of Florida's Operation Dragon Eye during Monday's press conference. Berger explained that 60 juveniles, ages nine to 17, were rescued in just two weeks. Berger also confirmed that over 20 agencies and over 100 people were involved in the recent child rescue operation. According to Berger, in addition to the 60 children rescued in Operation Dragon Eye, eight people were arrested by law enforcement officials. Berger explained that the individuals arrested currently face charges of human trafficking, drug trafficking, drug possession, and child endangerment. Berger added, 'When arrested, they were given bonds ranging from no bond to $250 million bond.' 🚨 MAJOR BREAKING: U.S. Marshals and Florida officials announce LARGEST single child rescue operation in American 2 weeks, 60 KIDS are safe, in custody. This involved over 20 agencies and 100+ people. 8 people were arrested, charged with human trafficking, child… — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 23, 2025 In a Monday press release, Uthmeier wrote, 'The real heroes behind this operation are the law enforcement who built and executed this mission. As your Attorney General and a father of three young kids, protecting children is my top priority. If you victimize children, you're going to prison, end of story.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Operation Dragon-Eye': 60 ‘critically missing' children located in most successful operation
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)—The United States Marshals Service partnered with multiple federal, state, and local government agencies to conduct the most successful missing child recovery operation in U.S. Marshals Service history. Operation Dragon-Eye was a two-week initiative designed to recover or safely locate the most critically missing youth across Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties, USMS said. 60 critically missing children were recovered or safely located in part of the operation. 'About darn time': Victims' families react to Leo Govoni's arrest in $100M fraud case Major renovation coming to Hillsborough High School thanks to penny sales tax Hillsborough County teacher tried to smuggle guns to foreign country: US Attorney 'The unique part of this operation was the fact that underaged critically missing children ranging from age 9 to 17 were not only recovered but were debriefed and provided with physical and psychological care. This operation further included follow-up assistance in hopes that these youth will not return back to the streets to be further victimized,' William Berger, United States Marshal, Middle District of Florida said. According to USMS, 'critically missing' children are those who are at risk of crimes of violence or those with other elevated risk factors like substance abuse, sexual exploitation, crime exposure, or domestic violence. 'Operation Dragon Eye was much more than a U.S. Marshals Service operation; it was a community initiative,' said U.S. Marshals Service Deputy in Charge Mario Price. This operation had three primary objectives: recover critically missing youth, provide them with essential services including appropriate placement, and to deter bad actors exploiting missing child vulnerabilities. 'The majority were being trafficked. The eight people that we arrested, it wasn't just a child, some of them had multiple children working for them. You know, in the old days we used to call them pimps, now it's human traffickers, but their criminals,' said Bill Berger who is the U.S. Marshal for the Middle District of Florida. Berger said those arrested are facing charges of human trafficking, child endangerment and drug possession. 'They know these children were underage. If you look at the average age of the offender, well into their 30s and 40s and then the age of the children were from 9 to 17,' said Berger. In addition to recovering missing children, the operation also arrested eight people with charges that included: human trafficking, child endangerment, narcotics possession, and custodial interference. According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, officers located 11 missing juveniles and arrested two people, one with human trafficking. 'This operation is a powerful example of the importance of collaboration,' said Tampa Police Department Chief Lee Bercaw. 'These arrests and recoveries serve as a reminder of the Tampa Police Department's commitment to fight to protect our most vulnerable.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Montreal Gazette
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Hanes: Disinformation and hate threaten to drown out lessons of history
Heidi Berger has spent the better part of the last decade trying to get Quebec to make education about genocide compulsory in schools. Now she finds herself caught between the lessons of history and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, in a polarized political climate where the word genocide has been weaponized. 'It's tough times,' said Berger, founder of the Montreal-based Foundation for Genocide Education. 'It's very, very tough.' Inspired by her late mother's commitment to sharing the story of surviving the Holocaust, Berger started the organization to promote teaching young people about some of the greatest atrocities of the 20th century in order to prevent such mass murders from ever happening again. After much lobbying and nudging, a tool kit was developed three years ago for the Quebec Ministry of Education by pedagogical experts to help teachers delve into the difficult topic of genocide. It covers those that occurred in Armenia, Namibia, Rwanda and Bosnia, as well as the Holocaust, the Holodomor, when the Soviet Union starved millions of Ukrainians, and crimes against Indigenous Peoples. Although the guide remains optional in schools, it was nevertheless a major breakthrough in Berger's quest. Then Oct. 7 happened and put everything the foundation had accomplished to the test. 'What has really been so heavy on my heart is the obstacles to teaching about the Holocaust and genocide after Oct. 7,' she said. 'It's been challenging to give our presentations by children of Holocaust survivors to schools which previously welcomed us. I have to be honest: There are a number of schools who have cancelled scheduled presentations because they cite concerns that discussing the Holocaust or genocide in general may trigger emotions in their students. There's also a fear of reprisals from parents. And there's also a basic lack of training in how to mediate discussions on the topic.' Teaching about a subject as painful, sensitive and complex as genocide has never been easy, but it has become all the more difficult since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 and taking 250 hostage. The word genocide went from being an obscure term to a ubiquitous accusation chanted at protests against Israel for its ongoing bombardment of Gaza. Rhetoric has hardened on both sides, with some now referring to Hamas not just as a terror group but a 'genocidal' terrorist organization due to its explicit goal of wiping Israel off the map. Support for Israel's right to defend itself has waned as the war drags on and two ceasefires have faltered. More than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza health ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants. Apartment blocks have been levelled, millions of Palestinians have been displaced inside Gaza and there are frequent warnings that Israel restricting aid is pushing the population toward starvation. There's no doubt the human suffering is awful. But is it unlawful? South Africa brought a complaint of genocide against Israel to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The ICC cautioned Israel about committing genocide and issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister, as well as the masterminds of the Hamas attack, who have since been assassinated. History will ultimately judge whether this is genocide. But in the meantime, the public has formed its own opinions, as sympathy for Palestinians grows and shock over the tragedy of Oct. 7 fades. In a new online poll by Léger conducted in early June, almost half of 1,100 Canadians surveyed — 49 per cent — agreed that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. And those views were solicited before Israel started bombing Iran to contain the existential threat of its nuclear program in a dramatic escalation of already tense hostilities in the Middle East. A closer look at the Léger poll shows that over 60 per cent of respondents who identify as Liberal, New Democratic, Bloc Québécois or Green party voters hold the view that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, compared to 37 per cent who declared themselves Conservatives. There is a deep split in public opinion despite the fact 46 per cent of respondents told pollsters they barely understood or had a poor understanding of the conflict. These findings illustrate the strong emotions surrounding Israel's pulverization of Gaza, but also the fallout from a social media shadow war playing out since Oct. 7. On Thursday, the Foundation for Genocide Education is hosting a fundraiser where journalist and author Warren Kinsella will speak about propaganda and hate in an age of disinformation. Kinsella, who recently returned from Israel, is writing a book and producing a documentary on the digital campaign 'to shape history, sway public opinion, and control the narrative surrounding one of the world's most polarizing conflicts.' Iranian-funded propaganda against Israel began well before Hamas's 2023 attack. But in November 2023, the New York Times uncovered a 'deluge of online propaganda and disinformation' spread by Iran, Russia and to a lesser extent China 'that is larger than anything seen before.' 'It's fascinating and surprisingly sophisticated what they did,' Kinsella said in an interview. Kinsella's talk will look at how anti-Israel attitudes, once the domain of the far right, have now been adopted by the progressive left. They have been strongly embraced by younger generations, who tend to see Israel's actions through the lens of their post-colonial, anti-racist values. Israel, meanwhile, has failed to tell its own story effectively, said Kinsella, once an adviser to prime minister Jean Chrétien, resulting in the Jewish community writ large being blamed for Netanyahu's war. 'Israel has done a really, really crummy job of communications,' said Kinsella. 'Israel needs to tell a better story about itself.' Legitimate criticism of Netanyahu's merciless bombing of Gaza is sometimes misconstrued as antisemitism. But it shouldn't be. Even within Israel, there is visceral opposition and loud dissent. 'Enough is enough. Israel is committing war crimes,' former prime minister Ehud Olmert wrote in Haaretz on May 27. And in an interview with Israeli public radio, Yair Golan, a retired general and leader of Israel's Democrats party, said: 'Israel is on its way to becoming a pariah state among nations, like South Africa was, if we don't return to acting like a sane country. And a sane country does not wage war against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not give itself the aim of expelling populations.' But this range of opinion is rarely heard outside Israel. Instead, practically the entire Jewish diaspora has been painted with the same brush — vilified, discredited and scapegoated. The conflict has unleashed an alarming tidal wave of hate toward both the Jewish and Muslim communities in Canada and around the world. But the scourge of antisemitism, which the New York Times editorial board recently characterized as 'the oldest hate,' has been particularly vicious. While Israel was still mourning its dead and counting the numbers of hostages taken, Hamas supporters celebrated the attack in the streets of Montreal and other Canadian cities. In Montreal, bullets have been fired at Jewish schools and firebombs tossed at synagogues. College and university campuses have become battle zones where Jewish students feel intimidated for showing visible signs of their identity, daring to defend Israel's right to exist, or demonstrating for the return of the hostages. In recent weeks, antisemitism has reached dangerous new levels. A young Jewish couple who worked at the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., were shot to death leaving an event at the Holocaust museum there. An arsonist firebombed the home of Pennsylvania's Jewish governor on Passover. An assailant in Boulder, Colo., attacked a crowd of protesters rallying for the release of Israeli hostages, injuring 15, including a Holocaust survivor. This violent turn is not only worrisome for the Jewish community, which was already feeling unsafe in Montreal as elsewhere, but also for democracy and society as a whole. As has often been pointed out when it comes to dark chapters in history: It starts with the Jews, but it doesn't end with the Jews. This is why education about genocide is so important. It teaches critical thinking skills and helps students identify the warning signs that lead to mass murder, which are classification, separation, stigmatization, dehumanization, justification and elimination. The foundation relies on the United Nations' 1948 definition of genocide, which is 'acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group,' including killing; causing serious bodily or mental harm; deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction; imposing measures intended to prevent births; and forcibly transferring children. There is certainly room for discussion about how these criteria apply to both history and current events. But rational debate has become a struggle, Berger said. There were complaints after a recent presentation at one school where the foundation has long been sending the children of Holocaust survivors to speak. 'There was a small cohort of very vocal Arab-Palestinian parents who accused us and the principal and the board of governors of the school of us sending in representatives to platform pro-Israel views and to weaponize the Holocaust as a justification for Israel's actions in Gaza,' Berger said. 'We spoke to the principal after and we don't know if they're going to invite us back next year. Are they going to be afraid?' Other schools have also stopped calling or are saying 'no thanks' when the foundation gets in touch. Most painful of all, there has been a schism in the ranks of the survivors of other genocides who the foundation sends to schools as speakers. 'We had an Armenian presenter that we'd trained who went into schools to talk about her grandparents and the Armenian genocide. It was the only presentation of that kind anywhere. And she quit. She didn't want to be associated with us,' Berger said. 'We also had a Rwandan quit on us. Also a young Rwandan survivor himself, who quit on us, because we didn't want to say that Israel is committing a genocide because we don't believe it. In the meantime, we had a presenter who wanted us to remove the word genocide from our name.' Instead of bringing people together to connect the dots of the hate and discrimination that can lead to genocide, the Jewish community, which forged the template for 'never again,' is once again ostracized. Out of both necessity and circumstance, the foundation's focus has narrowed somewhat. 'We've had to shift more of our focus to educating about the Holocaust. Because when we go into schools to give presentations about the Holocaust, we talk about the history of antisemitism. And this is directly tied to the students' understanding of why and how this hate is resurfacing under the guise of anti-Israel protest and hate,' Berger said. 'What the problem is now in schools, we're told by teachers it's very cool for kids to be antisemitic. It's a very cool thing. And genocide is a very hot, controversial word now. It wasn't before, but it is now.' As disinformation, discrimination and hate threaten to drown out the lessons of history, Berger remains steadfast in her goal of making education about genocide mandatory in Quebec schools to honour her mother's legacy. 'Still to me that is the most powerful tool we have,' she said.
