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Associated Press
5 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Ocean Optics Users Dive Deep Into Scientific Applications, Driving Record Engagement With Bioz Tools
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA / ACCESS Newswire / June 23, 2025 / Bioz, Inc., a driving force in AI-powered literature search and product transparency, is excited to announce the success of its partnership with Ocean Optics, a global leader in optical sensing and spectroscopy solutions. With the integration of Bioz Pro Badges and a dedicated Bioz Content Hub, Ocean Optics is elevating its digital web experience for researchers by providing transparent, data-driven product validation and discovery tools directly on its Content Hub Bioz Content Hub on the Ocean Optics Website To further enhance visibility and engagement, Ocean Optics has also added a Bioz Homepage Banner, ensuring that visitors immediately discover the powerful citation management capabilities available on its website. This feature gives users an immediate glimpse into the volume of scientific data, offering a valuable starting point for exploring relevant applications. The Bioz Pro Badges offer an interactive window into how Ocean Optics' products are being cited and used in real-world scientific studies. By displaying key article snippets, surrounding context, and full publications, these AI-powered widgets help scientists make confident, evidence-based purchasing decisions. Kelly Radziski, Marketing Manager at Ocean Optics, emphasized the impact of their Bioz tools: 'We've seen some of the best engagement across our site thanks to our Bioz integration. Not only are users actively using the citation search and exploring the applications deeply, but the insights we're gaining are also helping guide our internal planning and strategy. It's a win-win for our customers and our team.' This level of interaction has translated into outstanding user engagement metrics, among the best Bioz has seen, confirming the value of integrating AI-powered validation and discovery tools into the buyer journey. 'Ocean Optics' strategic use of Bioz Pro Badges and a Bioz Content Hub is a great example of how suppliers can empower researchers while driving internal value,' said Dr. Karin Lachmi, Chief Revenue Officer and Co-Founder of Bioz. 'From homepage visibility to application-specific citation search tools, Ocean Optics is maximizing the impact of Bioz solutions to serve both their customers and their internal team.' Together, Bioz and Ocean Optics are streamlining the research process for scientists while delivering actionable insights for product and marketing teams, redefining what it means to be data-driven in the scientific space. About Bioz Bioz is the world's most advanced AI search engine for scientific research, offering evidence-based product ratings and recommendations to guide scientists toward the most validated products for their discoveries. Bioz's solutions for suppliers include Bioz Badges and Bioz Content Hubs, web-based widgets that enhance user engagement and increase sales conversion. About Ocean Optics Ocean Optics, a pioneer in miniature fiber optic spectroscopy, has been delivering cutting-edge optical sensing solutions across diverse industries for over 30 years. High-performance spectrometers, photonics systems, software, and accessories provide precise and reliable measurements for applications in research, quality control, and process monitoring. This versatile technology supports sectors including semiconductor, biomedical, environmental, and industrial markets, with a strong focus on innovation and excellence to empower customers in achieving optimal results and driving advancements in their fields. Helpful Links For more information on Bioz solutions for suppliers, please reach out to [email protected]. Contact Information Daniel Levitt CEO [email protected] SOURCE: Bioz, Inc. press release
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘No way to invest in a career here': US academics flee overseas to avoid Trump crackdown
default Eric Schuster was over the moon when he landed a lab assistant position in a coral reef biology lab at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO). The 23-year-old had recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in nanoengineering from the University of California, San Diego, into a fiercely competitive job market. He felt like he'd struck gold. But the relentless cuts to scientific research and attacks on higher education by the Trump administration have turned what felt like a promising academic future into unstable ground. 'There are several labs, both at our institution and around the US, that have essentially just sent everyone home because they have no money,' Schuster said, expressing concern not just for oceanography but for all fields of scientific research. The multi-pronged attacks have 'been seriously detrimental to just about everyone', he said. Though Schuster is grateful for his position, he is in a constant state of worry about whether it will still exist tomorrow. UCSD, which SIO is a part of, told the Guardian that the Trump administration has ended or frozen roughly $90m in grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. Nearly 200 other grants are facing delays. SIO researchers have noted that the 'vast majority' of their funding comes from the government. Schuster has decided he's not going to stick around to see if he will lose his job. He'll be starting his graduate studies this fall in France with a European University Networks (EUN) program, a transnational alliance of higher education institutions. He plans to stay outside of the US after to continue his career. 'It's a grab bag that anyone you're talking to has had decreased funding, or lost almost all of their funding, or is having trouble continuing their funding,' he says. 'That, along with the pretty pervasive and growing anti-science establishment narrative … have been strong motivators to look elsewhere,' Schuster said. Schuster is one of many budding academics reflecting what could become a significant American brain drain, sending the brightest minds in the country to flee the US and take their scholarly endeavors elsewhere. Historically, the US has attracted top talent from around the world, but the moves by the Trump administration may have reversed these conditions in record time. Research institutions are feeling the strain from funding cuts from some of the biggest grant-making bodies in the world. The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds about 25% of federally backed basic research at US universities, but Trump's proposed budget would cut over $5bn, or 57%, from its budget, chopping it from roughly $9bn down to $3.9bn. The US National Institutes of Health would lose about 40% of its budget compared to last year. Related: US universities are moving to the right. Will it help them escape Trump's wrath? But those cuts aren't the only cause for anxiety. Nerves throughout the scholarly community are also on edge given what is widely perceived as a historic attack on academic freedom through administration assaults against universities such Columbia and Harvard University under the guise of rooting out antisemitism and diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Dozens more universities are waiting for their turn. A recent Nature survey revealed that approximately 75% of US-based scientists are contemplating relocation, with early-career researchers and PhD students particularly inclined toward opportunities in Canada, Europe and Australia. Valerio Francioni is one of them. A 32-year-old Italian citizen who moved to the US after getting his PhD at the University of Edinburgh, Francioni is now a postdoctoral research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology studying neuroscience. International students have faced nonstop chaos in the past few months, from visa suspensions to the attempted deportations of several students who expressed support for Palestinians. Last month, the Trump administration ordered US embassies worldwide to immediately stop scheduling visa interviews for foreign students as it prepares to implement comprehensive 'social media screenings' for all international applicants. 'As an international, there's just no way that you can invest safely into a career here right now, there's just no way to plan ahead. The situation is just too volatile to feel that you're making a safe investment by being here,' Francioni said. A recent report from the Economist suggests that international students (and some domestic) are losing interest in American PhD programs. Searches for US PhD programs on the website FindAPhD fell 40% year on year in April, while interest from students in Europe has fallen by 50%. Data from another website, Studyportals, shows a decrease in interest for domestic PhDs among Americans, and a rise in interest for international programs compared to the previous year. I don't want to live in a country that does not abide by the laws that they have set in stone ... It has deeply troubled me Carter Freshour, Thunderbird School of Global Management Though his own visa has not been affected yet, Francioni plans to leave the US once his run at MIT is finished. He had wanted to stay in Boston – it's a great place for people in the neurotech field, he says, and his American partner is there. But his calculus has changed in the past few months. Kristina, originally from Sweden, is grappling with the same questions. A mathematics professor at a university in the north-east US, Kristina requested that only her first name be used and her institution not be named over concerns of retaliation by the Trump administration. 'Right now, I think that everyone who's not a citizen feels that we cannot express our opinions,' Kristina said. She's been in the US for 25 years, but does not have US citizenship. She is now debating whether to stay or leave. To her, the question is a moral one, whether to leave for safety or stay to 'fight for a more democratic future'. Emmanuel Guerisoli, a French and Italian academic with a PhD in sociology and history, moved to the US in 2010 to pursue a masters in sociology. He is now finishing a postdoc at the Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility at the New School. Guerisoli is concerned about being targeted by Ice because of discussions he has led in class on the war in Gaza. He was offered a tenure-track position at a different institution, he said, but it was quickly rescinded, which he was told was due to the Trump administration's funding cuts. He gave up on applying to academic jobs in the US and decided to move to Argentina this summer, where the dread of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agents knocking down his door will not follow him every day. 'It's not just that you're being questioned on your political beliefs, but any type of critical or academic engagement on certain topics that go beyond the realm of just politics are being targeted,' he said. 'Even if the state department renews my visa, I would be concerned about teaching courses the way I have done it in the past,' he said. Scholars at Risk, which assists academics facing political pressure, saw this coming. 'The recent policies have created a tremendous amount of anxiety,' Robert Quinn, the group's executive director, said. He worries the loss will have ripple effects far beyond campus. 'When a big economic contributor gets disrupted, that's going to begin to affect everybody relatively quickly in those communities,' Quinn said. 'Beyond that is the effect on public health. If we look at the cutting of the research pipeline, that means fundamentally cutting off access to services and medicines and treatments that affect every American who happens to get sick.' Related: Why Trump is really going after Harvard Quinn says that Scholars at Risk is working on ways to support US academics exploring foreign opportunities. Several other countries are jumping in to fill the void, and have already begun courting American academics. The European Union has pledged €500m (around $556m) over the next two years to become a prime destination for displaced scientists. France's president, Emmanuel Macron, announced $113m for a national program to bring in American researchers, and Aix-Marseille University separately announced Safe Place for Science, a three-year, $16.8m program to attract 15 American scientists working in climate, health and astrophysics. A university spokesperson previously told the Guardian that more than 60 applications have been received, 30 of them coming within the first 24 hours. Meanwhile, Denmark is fast-tracking 200 positions for American researchers. In a widely shared Instagram post, the head of the Danish chamber of commerce directly invited American scientists to consider Denmark, 'a place where facts still matter'. Related: 'Insidious fear' fills universities as Trump escalates conflict during commencement season Sweden's education minister held a roundtable of university leaders to strategize on attracting frustrated US talent, and publicly called for American scientists to relocate. Canadian institutions are following a similar path. The University Health Network in Toronto and associated foundations are investing CA$30m ($21.5m) to bring in 100 early-career scientists from the US and beyond. Meanwhile, the University of British Columbia reopened graduate applications in April specifically to accommodate interested US students. Carter Freshour, a 22-year-old US citizen, had just begun his masters program in business at the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona when Trump took office. As soon as the attacks on higher education began, he dropped out of the program out of fear of the direction the country is heading. He is now in the process of moving to Madrid, where he will finish his business degree, and then plans to move to Portugal. 'I don't want to live in a country that does not abide by the laws that they have set in stone,' Freshour said. 'It has deeply troubled me, the direction that the United States is going.'
The Guardian
15-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘No way to invest in a career here': US academics flee overseas to avoid Trump crackdown
Eric Schuster was over the moon when he landed a lab assistant position in a coral reef biology lab at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO). The 23-year-old had recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in nanoengineering from the University of California, San Diego, into a fiercely competitive job market. He felt like he'd struck gold. But the relentless cuts to scientific research and attacks on higher education by the Trump administration have turned what felt like a promising academic future into unstable ground. 'There are several labs, both at our institution and around the US, that have essentially just sent everyone home because they have no money,' Schuster said, expressing concern not just for oceanography but for all fields of scientific research. The multi-pronged attacks have 'been seriously detrimental to just about everyone', he said. Though Schuster is grateful for his position, he is in a constant state of worry about whether it will still exist tomorrow. UCSD, which SIO is a part of, told the Guardian that the Trump administration has ended or frozen roughly $90m in grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. Nearly 200 other grants are facing delays. SIO researchers have noted that the 'vast majority' of their funding comes from the government. Schuster has decided he's not going to stick around to see if he will lose his job. He'll be starting his graduate studies this fall in France with a European University Networks (EUN) program, a transnational alliance of higher education institutions. He plans to stay outside of the US after to continue his career. 'It's a grab bag that anyone you're talking to has had decreased funding, or lost almost all of their funding, or is having trouble continuing their funding,' he says. 'That, along with the pretty pervasive and growing anti-science establishment narrative … have been strong motivators to look elsewhere,' Schuster said. Schuster is one of many budding academics reflecting what could become a significant American brain drain, sending the brightest minds in the country to flee the US and take their scholarly endeavors elsewhere. Historically, the US has attracted top talent from around the world, but the moves by the Trump administration may have reversed these conditions in record time. Research institutions are feeling the strain from funding cuts from some of the biggest grant-making bodies in the world. The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds about 25% of federally backed basic research at US universities, but Trump's proposed budget would cut over $5bn, or 57%, from its budget, chopping it from roughly $9bn down to $3.9bn. The US National Institutes of Health would lose about 40% of its budget compared to last year. But those cuts aren't the only cause for anxiety. Nerves throughout the scholarly community are also on edge given what is widely perceived as a historic attack on academic freedom through administration assaults against universities such Columbia and Harvard University under the guise of rooting out antisemitism and diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Dozens more universities are waiting for their turn. A recent Nature survey revealed that approximately 75% of US-based scientists are contemplating relocation, with early-career researchers and PhD students particularly inclined toward opportunities in Canada, Europe and Australia. Valerio Francioni is one of them. A 32-year-old Italian citizen who moved to the US after getting his PhD at the University of Edinburgh, Francioni is now a postdoctoral research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology studying neuroscience. International students have faced nonstop chaos in the past few months, from visa suspensions to the attempted deportations of several students who expressed support for Palestinians. Last month, the Trump administration ordered US embassies worldwide to immediately stop scheduling visa interviews for foreign students as it prepares to implement comprehensive 'social media screenings' for all international applicants. 'As an international, there's just no way that you can invest safely into a career here right now, there's just no way to plan ahead. The situation is just too volatile to feel that you're making a safe investment by being here,' Francioni said. A recent report from the Economist suggests that international students (and some domestic) are losing interest in American PhD programs. Searches for US PhD programs on the website FindAPhD fell 40% year on year in April, while interest from students in Europe has fallen by 50%. Data from another website, Studyportals, shows a decrease in interest for domestic PhDs among Americans, and a rise in interest for international programs compared to the previous year. Though his own visa has not been affected yet, Francioni plans to leave the US once his run at MIT is finished. He had wanted to stay in Boston – it's a great place for people in the neurotech field, he says, and his American partner is there. But his calculus has changed in the past few months. Kristina, originally from Sweden, is grappling with the same questions. A mathematics professor at a university in the north-east US, Kristina requested that only her first name be used and her institution not be named over concerns of retaliation by the Trump administration. 'Right now, I think that everyone who's not a citizen feels that we cannot express our opinions,' Kristina said. She's been in the US for 25 years, but does not have US citizenship. She is now debating whether to stay or leave. To her, the question is a moral one, whether to leave for safety or stay to 'fight for a more democratic future'. Emmanuel Guerisoli, a French and Italian academic with a PhD in sociology and history, moved to the US in 2010 to pursue a masters in sociology. He is now finishing a postdoc at the Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility at the New School. Guerisoli is concerned about being targeted by Ice because of discussions he has led in class on the war in Gaza. He was offered a tenure-track position at a different institution, he said, but it was quickly rescinded, which he was told was due to the Trump administration's funding cuts. He gave up on applying to academic jobs in the US and decided to move to Argentina this summer, where the dread of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agents knocking down his door will not follow him every day. 'It's not just that you're being questioned on your political beliefs, but any type of critical or academic engagement on certain topics that go beyond the realm of just politics are being targeted,' he said. 'Even if the state department renews my visa, I would be concerned about teaching courses the way I have done it in the past,' he said. Scholars at Risk, which assists academics facing political pressure, saw this coming. 'The recent policies have created a tremendous amount of anxiety,' Robert Quinn, the group's executive director, said. He worries the loss will have ripple effects far beyond campus. 'When a big economic contributor gets disrupted, that's going to begin to affect everybody relatively quickly in those communities,' Quinn said. 'Beyond that is the effect on public health. If we look at the cutting of the research pipeline, that means fundamentally cutting off access to services and medicines and treatments that affect every American who happens to get sick.' Quinn says that Scholars at Risk is working on ways to support US academics exploring foreign opportunities. Several other countries are jumping in to fill the void, and have already begun courting American academics. The European Union has pledged €500m (around $556m) over the next two years to become a prime destination for displaced scientists. France's president, Emmanuel Macron, announced $113m for a national program to bring in American researchers, and Aix-Marseille University separately announced Safe Place for Science, a three-year, $16.8m program to attract 15 American scientists working in climate, health and astrophysics. A university spokesperson previously told the Guardian that more than 60 applications have been received, 30 of them coming within the first 24 hours. Meanwhile, Denmark is fast-tracking 200 positions for American researchers. In a widely shared Instagram post, the head of the Danish chamber of commerce directly invited American scientists to consider Denmark, 'a place where facts still matter'. Sweden's education minister held a roundtable of university leaders to strategize on attracting frustrated US talent, and publicly called for American scientists to relocate. Canadian institutions are following a similar path. The University Health Network in Toronto and associated foundations are investing CA$30m ($21.5m) to bring in 100 early-career scientists from the US and beyond. Meanwhile, the University of British Columbia reopened graduate applications in April specifically to accommodate interested US students. Carter Freshour, a 22-year-old US citizen, had just begun his masters program in business at the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona when Trump took office. As soon as the attacks on higher education began, he dropped out of the program out of fear of the direction the country is heading. He is now in the process of moving to Madrid, where he will finish his business degree, and then plans to move to Portugal. 'I don't want to live in a country that does not abide by the laws that they have set in stone,' Freshour said. 'It has deeply troubled me, the direction that the United States is going.'
Times
05-06-2025
- General
- Times
Chimps ‘catch' yawns from a robot — and think it's time for a rest
When robots attain sentience and rise up to take over the world, the chances are that chimpanzees will find the whole thing rather boring. Or at least, this is how it could appear, after scientists found new proof that yawning can be contagious — and believe they may have finally figured out why. They did this via the unusual method of showing that chimps can 'catch' yawns from robots that have been programmed to mimic human facial expressions. Scientists remain puzzled by the contagious nature of yawning and are unsure how or why it evolved in a number of animal species that live in social groups, including mammals and even some fish. The chimpanzee study provided new proof that yawning could be contagious ALAMY Studies have found that more than two thirds of humans end up yawning after seeing someone else do the same, and that yawns can even be contagious between species, for example when a dog yawns after seeing its owner do the same. Some theories suggest that seeing a yawn triggers wiring in the brain known as mirror neurons, which not only fire when the body carries out a particular action but also when you witness someone else performing that action. Catching yawns from others may therefore play a role in a phenomenon known as 'social mirroring', used as a tool to display empathy with your companions. Scientists now think, however, that the brain may see someone else yawning and interpret it as a sign to take a rest, after their study found that chimps not only yawn when seeing a robot do the same, but also then lie down. • King of the swingers: chimps drum like jazz musicians Researchers from City St George's university in London programmed a humanoid robotic head with lifelike skin and facial features to yawn as humans do. They exposed 14 adult chimps aged between 10 and 33 at a sanctuary in Spain to the 'yawnbot', showing them a range of expressions including yawning, 'gaping' and a neutral face, with each lasting ten seconds. The 'yawnbot' used in the study CITY ST GEORGE'S, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, found that 'chimpanzees will both yawn and lie down in response to yawns made by an android, suggesting that it may act as a cue to rest rather than simply triggering an automatic response'. After a large yawn, the chimps tended to yawn too and would then 'gather bedding materials before lying down'. It is the first time that yawning has been shown to be contagious from an inanimate object and shows just how susceptible non-human primates are to such triggers. They found that yawning not only prompts someone to mimic the action, but sends the message that it is time for bed, suggesting that yawning had 'rest-related inferences for the chimpanzees'. It is possible that yawning can help a social group to co-ordinate their sleep cycles.
South China Morning Post
01-06-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Spark Study Buddy (Challenger): Antifungal resistance emerges as a global health threat
Content provided by British Council [1] Antifungal resistance is not talked about as much as antimicrobial resistance. However, it is growing and making people more at risk of serious infections. These fungal infections, or mycoses, are quite different from the brain-controlling fungus that causes the zombie apocalypse in the popular series and video game The Last of Us. Nonetheless, experts have warned that these infections are becoming more dangerous. [2] Mycoses resistance to antifungal drugs is on the rise, according to the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). The centre has linked the growing resistance to the overuse and misuse of antifungal treatments. [3] Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacterial infections are no longer effectively treated by antibiotics. The excessive use of antibiotics has worsened this issue. [4] 'Treatments against pathogenic fungi are used in agriculture as well as in human and animal health,' the CNRS said, pointing out the 'identical resistance mechanisms' shared by antifungals and antibiotics. 'As is the case with overprescribed antibiotics, to which bacteria have become resistant, the massive use of antifungals is leading to a gradual decline in their effectiveness,' the CNRS warned. [5] It noted that the World Health Organization (WHO) did not draw up a list of 19 particularly dangerous fungi until 2022. 'The incidence and geographical range of fungal diseases are expanding worldwide,' the WHO stated. [6] The CNRS warned of infections caused by a common mould found in soil called Aspergillus. The infection can cause a lung disease that is dangerous for people with weak immune systems. 'Antimicrobial resistance is emerging in Aspergillus fumigatus,' said the US government's Centres for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC). [7] Other common fungus-caused diseases include blastomycosis, which also affects the lungs, and Candida auris infection, caused by Candida auris. The CDC described it as 'a type of yeast that can cause severe illness and spreads easily among patients in healthcare facilities'. Source: dpa, May 8 Questions 1. In paragraph 1, what does the fungus in The Last of Us do? 2. Antifungal drugs are becoming … on mycoses, according to paragraph 2. A. less resistant B. more resistant C. more effective D. less effective 3. According to paragraph 3, what has been identified as a factor in the spread of antimicrobial resistance? 4. What does the list mentioned in paragraph 5 consist of? 5. Find a word in paragraph 5 that has a similar meaning to 'increasing'. 6. Complete the following summary using the grammatically correct form of the words 'affect' or 'effect'. (4 marks) Here are the (i) ___________ of two diseases and how they (ii) ___________ people's health. Blastomycosis has a negative (iv) ___________ on a person's lungs. A common mould in soil called Aspergillus also (iii) ___________ the lungs, causing a dangerous lung disease, especially for people with weak immune systems. The overuse of antifungals in agriculture and medicine is fuelling the threat of resistance, warned the CNRS and WHO. Photo: Shutterstock Answers 1. They control human brains and turn people into zombies. (accept all similar answers) 2. D 3. overuse of antibiotics, both as medication and as ingredients in animal feed on farms 4. particularly dangerous fungi 5. expanding 6. (i) effects; (ii) affect; (iii) effect; (iv) affects
