Free Republic

BREAKING NEWS: Pilot Incapacitation - American Airlines Flight AA755 (Boeing 787) CDG-PHL, from Paris, France, to Philadelphia, PA, USA (on Nov.29, 2023) - pilot had a seizure & collapsed! Pilot had seizure that stiffened his legs & back, jamming his feet under rudder pedals on short final approach. The captain immediately took over flying duties and there was no loss of aircraft control. The relief pilot who was required to be on the flight deck during landing was able to remove the unconscious pilot from the seat. This is the 4th Pilot Incapacitation in 2 weeks!!!

A study conducted in mice has revealed that maternal milk provides an essential signal that triggers the maturation of heart metabolism after birth, allowing the neonatal heart to function correctly and ensuring postnatal survival. The study shows that the fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), present in breast milk, binds to the retinoid X receptor (RXR) protein found in heart cells. RXR acts as a nutritional sensor of lipids and vitamin A derivatives, altering gene expression and influencing biological functions such as immunity, cell differentiation, and metabolism. Once activated by maternal GLA, RXR initiates genetic programs that equip mitochondria, the energy...

With tensions rising in the South China Sea, there are fears a China-linked advanced persistent threat group’s (APT) infiltration of critical U.S. infrastructure could be a precursor to an attack on Western military communication links in Asia. Microsoft has discovered a “stealthy and targeted” campaign affecting organizations across a range of industries, carried out by what it says is a state-sponsored China-based APT group. The group, which Microsoft calls Volt Typhoon, has been active since mid-2021 and has successfully targeted critical infrastructure organizations in Guam and elsewhere in the United States. “Microsoft assesses with moderate confidence that this Volt Typhoon...

Novak Djokovic claimed a record-equaling sixth ATP Finals title by beating the third-seeded Casper Ruud on Sunday to top a fantastic finish to the season for the Serb. Djokovic won 7-5, 6-3 to secure his first title at the event since 2015 and match Roger Federer's record. The 35-year-old Djokovic, who had lost his two previous finals at the event, raised his arms out and smiled broadly after sealing the match with an ace.

Reduced levels of coenzyme A (CoA) worsen heart failure and likely help exacerbate cardiac dysfunction during heart failure, according to a new study. In addition, the findings suggest certain metabolic pathways may be disproportionately affected by reduced CoA levels. CoA is a critical molecule in the metabolism. Fluctuations in the amount of the enzyme are often observed in foundational development of many diseases, such as cancer and diabetes. Prior to this study, the link between CoA levels and heart failure had not been investigated. Using mice that lacked a specific enzyme for CoA production, physiologists at the Diabetes and Obesity...

The French Open was postponed for about four months because of the coronavirus pandemic, juggling the tennis calendar by shifting from May to September. The French Tennis Federation said Tuesday it will hold its 15-day clay-court event at Roland Garros in Paris from Sept. 20 to Oct. 4, instead of May 24 to June 7, "to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved in organizing the tournament." Federation president Bernard Giudicelli described it as "a difficult yet brave decision in this unprecedented situation."

The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday said it was making final a rule that says all commercial airline pilots hired by U.S. carriers will be required to have at least 1,500 hours of flight time. The Air Line Pilots Association, which praised the new rule, said it goes into effect Aug. 1. The FAA, in announcing that the rule will be published soon, said the new requirements were adopted in reaction to the crash of a Colgan Air airplane near Buffalo, N.Y., in 2009, in which both the captain and first officer were relatively inexperienced.

When I get Paul Bulmahn on the phone rumors are swirling that he’s just days from putting his company, ATP Oil & Gas, into Chapter 11. He can’t confirm it yet, but he wants to make one thing perfectly clear: If it does come to bankruptcy (which it did on August 17) it isn’t his fault. The founder and chairman of publicly traded ATP (Nasdaq:ATPG), Bulmahn wants the world to know that the Obama Administration—and its illegal ban on deepwater drilling in the wake of the BP disaster—is to blame for the implosion of his company. Not him. “It is...

Was our oldest ancestor a proton-powered rock? --snip-- The picture painted by Russell and Martin is striking indeed. The last common ancestor of all life was not a free-living cell at all, but a porous rock riddled with bubbly iron-sulphur membranes that catalysed primordial biochemical reactions...

Made in His Image: From Solar Energy to Human Energy by Randy J. Guliuzza, P.E., M.D.* Plants use biological systems that harvest light energy from the sun to convert environmental water and carbon dioxide into tiny carbon/hydrogen energy units stored within them. When people eat those energy units, the extraordinary human digestive and metabolic systems convert the work of plants into energy that is useful to people and give back water and carbon dioxide to the environment that can be used by plants. How do these systems make that happen? Journey to the Stomach Ingested food encounters precisely-shaped teeth...