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Inter take Champions League lead with narrow win over LeipzigNorth Macedonian political party demands ban on TikTok after at least 17 students injuredArt Wager I rate the Cohen & Steers REIT & Preferred Income Fund (NYSE: NYSE: RNP ) a Hold, for income investors looking for long-term buy and hold investments. The most important factors that influence my opinion of the fund are consistent Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of RNP either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Trump lobbies against protecting journalists — as the press keeps uncovering scandals in his orbit

When you hear the words mucus and snot, you might think of colds, snails or drooling babies. But the runny, sometimes sticky substance often plays a vital role in our lives, and mucus also has the potential to be a medicine. From the moist passages of the nose to the winding paths of the intestines, about ten liters of mucus are produced daily. The mucus that most demands our attention is snot—even though we do not notice even a fraction of the approximately two deciliters of snot produced daily. Pär Stjärne, docent at the Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, has primarily researched chronic rhinitis (inflammations), in the nose and sinus mucosa. "The nose has many important tasks that we are not aware of, and the mucous membrane, with its outermost layer of mucus, is essential for all of them," says Stjärne. The nose is not the only part of the immune system where it traps particles, viruses and bacteria in the snot. The nasal mucosa also acts as humidifiers and heat exchangers, "optimizing" the air before it reaches the lungs. The mucosa is also essential for our sense of smell. That is just a handful of the nose's functions. "The nose is able to manage all its tasks partly because it is lined with mucosa, but also due to its narrow anatomical structure, which creates turbulence. The turbulence in the inhaled air causes particles larger than ten micrometers to be ejected into the mucosa, where cilia transport the particles towards the throat," says Stjärne. The functions of the nose are ultimately controlled by the brainstem. Through neurotransmitters, it regulates, among other things, how much or little snot the mucous glands should produce and the blood flow to the nasal mucosa. It is not a myth that one can become addicted to certain nasal sprays —those containing so-called alpha-adrenergic agonists—to reduce swelling and mucus production in the nose. "If used longer than intended, usually ten days, there is a high risk of developing medication-induced nasal congestion. This is because the number of alpha receptors in the nose decreases. When this happens, the brainstem neurotransmitters become ineffective, and more decongestant nasal spray is needed to avoid congestion," says Stjärne. The only cure is to stop spraying and endure a few weeks of congestion until the body's own system kicks in again. "This is a very troublesome situation and unfortunately not uncommon. During the weaning process, it tends to be worst at bedtime as the nose swells more. I usually recommend these patients to take a puff of decongestant children's nasal spray in one nostril at bedtime." The color of the snot does not indicate the cause The idea that the color of the snot can indicate the cause of the infection is a myth, however. Colds are almost always caused by viruses, which produce a transparent snot as the mucous membrane responds with intense mucus production. This makes us want to sneeze, and our noses run. When you think about it, have you ever had a cold where the snot was colored from the start? "The change in color of the snot is due to the mucus becoming thicker over time as a result of dead cells such as white blood cells and bacteria. Bacterial growth often occurs later in the cold, when the normally harmless bacteria in the nose have had a chance to grow undisturbed while immune cells have targeted the virus," says Stjärne. It becomes, as Stjärne puts it, "an inflammatory soup" that maintains the inflammation and is therefore good to remove with the help of nasal spray or homemade nasal rinse with half a teaspoon of table salt and five deciliters of lukewarm tap water. "The important thing is to use clean tools in the form of a syringe or nasal cannula. Otherwise, there is a risk that they become breeding grounds for bacteria, prolonging the infection. As for rinsing your nose, even if you have no problems, there is no scientific evidence, but many people find it increases their well-being. I do it myself," says Stjärne. When it comes to people with chronic rhinitis, long-term inflammation of the nasal mucous membranes, whether due to an allergy or not, there is much to suggest that nasal rinsing is beneficial for mucus production, according to Stjärne. Moreover, working in a dry indoor environment with central ventilation, as many do, dries out the mucous membranes, which changes the pH of the nose and causes inflammation. There are no reliable statistics on how many people suffer from non-allergic rhinitis and chronic nasal congestion, but Stjärne believes it can be classified as a common disease. "I once conducted a survey in my studies that showed that 25 percent of Stockholmers had nasal congestion lasting more than three months." The cause of chronic, non-allergic rhinitis varies, and in some cases, the cause is unknown. "Many factors can affect the nose, from the air environment and hormonal conditions such as pregnancy to medication. All blood pressure-lowering medications can potentially also affect the nasal mucosa," says Stjärne. In response to the question of whether he has any fun facts about snot, he talks about the form snot takes when he operates on chronically inflamed sinuses. "It is an extremely tough secretion that we pull out, sometimes half a meter outside the body, like a long rubber band," says Stjärne. Protecting the intestinal mucosa If the mucosa in the nose is the body's first line of defense, the intestinal mucosa could be described as the second. In addition to handling the snot we swallow, it must interact with everything we consciously put in our mouths. Charlotte Hedin, gastroenterologist and researcher at the Gastrointestinal Centre at Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institutet, has spent many years studying the intestinal mucosa in people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). "If the villi (tiny finger-like projections) are taken into account, the intestinal mucosa is the largest surface in the human body that interacts with the outside world. No other part of the body has the same interaction with our environment," says Hedin. Just like the nose, the production of mucus is a complex process regulated by several factors, including hormones and immune cells. A major difference, however, is that the mucus and the environment in the intestines are affected by the food we eat. A current research area is to find out how the mucosa is affected by today's modern ultra-processed foods. "It has been observed that chemicals such as emulsifiers and preservatives can make the mucus layer in the intestines thinner, making the intestinal barrier more permeable and potentially increasing the risk of inflammation," says Hedin. The intestinal mucosa is also unique compared to other mucous membranes in the body because it is incredibly dynamic. This allows it to absorb nutrients from food while keeping out disease-causing microorganisms at the same time. However, sometimes the intestinal mucosa fails in its task, such as when we get food poisoning. "What happens during such an intestinal infection is that the mucosa is damaged or thinned out. It can even disappear completely. For healthy individuals, the mucosa repairs itself very quickly. However, this is not the case for the patients on whom Hedin focuses her research—those with IBD, where Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the most common diagnoses. Her major research questions are to understand how inflammation arises and how to promote mucosal healing. "The problem with current immunosuppressive treatment is that it does not help everyone with IBD and also that it causes side effects. We really need to find alternatives, and we can do that if we understand why some respond to treatment and heal, and others do not," she says. A large study is currently underway where Hedin and her colleagues have collected samples from the intestinal mucosa of IBD patients when it is most severely inflamed. They have then followed up with new samples at various times after the patients have received treatment. "Some patients get a great effect from immunosuppressive drugs while others are not helped at all. It will be very interesting to compare these samples and see what differs between them. The analyses will be carried out next year and hopefully, it will provide answers as to which molecules or chemicals are activated during healing. "The dream is to find a drug that can promote the healing process without suppressing the immune system. That would really be a long-awaited complement to current treatment," says Hedin. Cow mucus can prevent transmission of viruses We have now established that mucus plays a crucial role in our bodies. But the benefits of mucus extend far beyond its natural functions in our bodies. Hongji Yan, a researcher at Uppsala University and affiliated with AIMES at Karolinska Institutet, leads the work on exploring the potential of mucin, the main non-water-based component of natural mucus. Using mucin from cows, his research team has managed to recreate mucus-like gels. "Our gels are versatile and can be customized for different biomedical applications as they can appear in both solid and liquid form," says Yan. The ability of mucus to take different forms is crucial. As a solid, it can trap viruses and prevent their movement towards the epithelial cells under the mucosa. In liquid form, it can remove virus particles that have reached the epithelium. One of the gels he has developed will hopefully be able to prevent the transmission of HIV and herpes. Laboratory tests on different cell types have shown promising results; the gel prevented HIV infection in 70% of cases and herpes transmission in 80% of cases. "A major advantage is that this gel can be used without the risk of developing antimicrobial resistance, which is a problem with antiviral drugs. We hope to test the infection protection in animal studies in two to three years," says Yan. In addition to protection against sexually transmitted viral infections, Yan believes that these gels could also protect against bacterial infections such as gonorrhea and chlamydia. His research group has also developed mucin-based gels that remain stable in the body and can function as implants. "The gels can be injected into the body where they then solidify. They can also be molded in the desired way before implantation," he explains. Studies on mice suggest that these gels could be useful in herniated disk surgery to protect intervertebral disks from post-operative inflammation. "In our studies, we have seen that a simple injection at the surgical site can protect both the nucleus and the vertebral body from further degeneration," says Yan. Another potential application is transplant surgery. Yan and his colleagues are currently investigating the possibility of preventing the rejection of insulin-producing pancreatic cells after transplantation to people with type 1 diabetes. "We are trying to create a gel that can be used as an immunoprotective coating around these cell islets when they are injected into the body. The gel should protect the cells from being attacked by the immune system while not preventing them from releasing insulin once they are transplanted," says Yan. If he is allowed to make a prediction, mucus-based treatments and medicines will play a significant role in the future. "Nature provides us with invaluable insights for the design of biomaterials. Right now, we are in an exciting time where we are learning to replicate and customize the properties of gels with mucins for various medical applications," he says.( MENAFN - Asia Times) Donald Trump's cabinet appointments and policy pronouncements have been dominating the headlines and many of these appointments and pronouncements have dire implications for China. The Chinese have noticed. They're signaling some of the ways they will react if trump tries to shut China out of the US market. You might even say they're reacting pre-emptively. Trump has chosen China hawks for his secretary of state (Marco Rubio), national security advisor (Mike Walz) and ambassador to China (David Perdue). He has repeated his promises to impose 60% tariffs on Chinese products. The other day, he threatened the nine members of the BRICS bloc, which include China, with 100% tariffs if they attempt to replace the US dollar as the world's reserve currency. The BRICS countries aren't seriously threatening to do that – any time soon, at least. For the Chinese yuan – the obvious candidate – to play the reserve-currency role, China would have to liberate its controls on flows of capital. It doesn't want to do that. But BRICS is an important part of China's reaction to the risk of severe limitations on its access to the US market. The idea is diversification – relying more on other trading partners for both imports and exports. As US farmers can easily imagine, Brazil – the B in BRICS – is near the top of China's dance card. The other reaction China is signaling is retaliation. When the Biden administration added new restrictions on chip technology exports to China in early December, it took China less than 24 hours to respond with a ban on exports to the US of four critical minerals that China mainly supplies. Diversification, though, may prove a particularly important part of the strategy. China is already the largest trading partner of more than 100 nations. What it needs to compensate for the loss of the US market is more trade with countries that have relatively large economies. Some of the BRICS nations are in that category. The bloc members are Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia are applying to join and other countries may well follow. India would be the big prize for China. It has the world's largest population and, by one measure, the fifth largest gross domestic product. But India and China are rivals. India is wooing many of the foreign investors that are leaving China. The two countries have a long-running border dispute. Although they've made progress recently in de-escalating tensions, their diplomatic relationship has been described as “frosty.” Brazil has a population over 200 million and the world's ninth largest economy, bigger even than Russia's. China has been its largest trade partner since 2009. According to the Economist , Brazil is one of the few countries running a trade surplus with China. During Trump's first term, the Economist calculates, Brazil's exports to China nearly doubled. Ag exports played a leading role as China reacted to Trump's tariffs by switching more of its ag-product purchases from the US to Brazil. That switch could become even more pronounced in Trump's second term. A study by the American Soybean Association and National Corn Growers Association predicts aggressive new US tariffs against Chinese products would cost American soybean farmers $8 billion in lost value and corn farmers $5 billion. China also hopes to export more to Brazil. Its car makers are already selling electric vehicles there and two of them, BYD and Great Wall, are planning to open electric-car factories in Brazil next year. Those factories will doubtless import a lot of parts from China. SpaceSail, a Chinese challenger to Elon Musk's Starlink in satellite telecommunications, recently signed an agreement to do business in Brazil. China and Brazil are drawing closer diplomatically, too. China recently upgrade d the status of its relationship with Brazil. Brazil's left-wing president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, joins Chinese President Xi Jinping in supporting the BRICS' aspirations for what one expert delicately call s“a world order independent of US hegemony.” Last year, China and Brazil experimented with trading in their own currencies rather than in dollars. The value of the transaction was tiny but others could follow. If they do, they'll test whether Trump is serious about those 100% tariffs for countries that reject the dollar. Brazil isn't the whole answer for China, to be sure. But it would go some ways toward making up for lost market opportunities in the US. American farmers and ranchers must hope the US will find a market of similar size to compensate for what they could lose in China in the years ahead. Former longtime Wall Street Journal Asia correspondent and editor Urban Lehner is editor emeritus of DTN/The Progressive Farmer. This article, originally published on December 12 by the latter news organization and now republished by Asia Times with permission, is © Copyright 2024 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved. Follow Urban Lehner on X @urbanize. Thank you for registering! An account was already registered with this email. Please check your inbox for an authentication link. MENAFN17122024000159011032ID1109004645 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.NEW YORK (AP) — In a string of visits, dinners, calls, monetary pledges and social media overtures, big tech chiefs — including Apple’s Tim Cook, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos — have joined a parade of business and world leaders in trying to improve their standing with President-elect Donald Trump before he takes office in January. “The first term, everybody was fighting me,” Trump said in remarks at Mar-a-Lago . “In this term, everybody wants to be my friend.” Tech companies and leaders have now poured millions into his inauguration fund, a sharp increase — in most cases — from past pledges to incoming presidents. But what does the tech industry expect to gain out of their renewed relationships with Trump? A clue to what the industry is looking for came just days before the election when Microsoft executives — who’ve largely tried to show a neutral or bipartisan stance — joined with a close Trump ally, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, to publish a blog post outlining their approach to artificial intelligence policy. “Regulation should be implemented only if its benefits outweigh its costs,” said the document signed by Andreessen, his business partner Ben Horowitz, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and the company’s president, Brad Smith. They also urged the government to back off on any attempt to strengthen copyright laws that would make it harder for companies to use publicly available data to train their AI systems. And they said, “the government should examine its procurement practices to enable more startups to sell technology to the government.” Trump has pledged to rescind President Joe Biden’s sweeping AI executive order, which sought to protect people’s rights and safety without stifling innovation. He hasn’t specified what he would do in its place, but his campaign said AI development should be “rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing.” Trump’s choice to head the Interior Department, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, has spoken openly about the need to boost electricity production to meet increased demand from data centers and artificial intelligence. “The AI battle affects everything from defense to healthcare to education to productivity as a country,′′ Burgum said on Nov. 15, referring to artificial intelligence. “And the AI that’s coming in the next 18 months is going to be revolutionary. So there’s just a sense of urgency and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration′′ to address it. Demand for data centers ballooned in recent years due to the rapid growth of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, and local governments are competing for lucrative deals with big tech companies. But as data centers begin to consume more resources, some residents are pushing back against the world’s most powerful corporations over concerns about the economic, social and environmental health of their communities. “Maybe Big Tech should buy a copy of ‘The Art of The Deal’ to figure out how to best negotiate with this administration,” suggested Paul Swanson, an antitrust attorney for the law firm Holland & Hart. “I won’t be surprised if they find ways to reach some accommodations and we end up seeing more negotiated resolutions and consent decrees.” Although federal regulators began cracking down on Google and Facebook during Trump’s first term as president — and flourished under Biden — most experts expect his second administration to ease up on antitrust enforcement and be more receptive to business mergers. Google may benefit from Trump’s return after he made comments on the campaign trail suggesting a breakup of the company isn’t in the U.S. national interest, after a judge declared its search engine an illegal monopoly . But recent nominations put forward by his transition team have favored those who have been critical of Big Tech companies, suggesting Google won’t be entirely off the hook. Cook’s notoriously rocky relationship with the EU can be traced back to a 2016 ruling from Brussels in a tax case targeting Apple. Cook slammed the bloc’s order for Apple to pay back up to $13.7 billion in Irish back taxes as “total political crap.” Trump, then in his first term as president, piled on, referring to the European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, who was spearheading a campaign on special tax deals and a crackdown on Big Tech companies, as the “tax lady” who “really hates the U.S.” Brussels was eventually vindicated after the bloc’s top court rejected Apple’s appeal this year, though it didn’t stop Cook from calling Trump to complain, Trump recounted in a podcast in October. Trump hosted Cook for a Friday evening dinner at the president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago resort, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly. Neither Apple nor the Trump transition team has commented on the nature of their discussions. Altman , Amazon and Meta all pledged to donate $1 million each to Trump’s inaugural fund. During his first term, Trump criticized Amazon and railed against the political coverage at The Washington Post, which billionaire Bezos owns. Meanwhile, Bezos had criticized some of Trump’s past rhetoric. In 2019, Amazon also argued in a court case that Trump’s bias against the company harmed its chances of winning a $10 billion Pentagon contract. More recently, Bezos has struck a more conciliatory tone. He recently said at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit in New York that he was “optimistic” about Trump’s second term, while also endorsing president-elect’s plans to cut regulations. The donation from Meta came just weeks after Zuckerberg met with Trump privately at Mar-a-Lago. During the 2024 campaign, Zuckerberg did not endorse a candidate for president, but voiced a more positive stance toward Trump. Earlier this year, he praised Trump’s response to his first assassination attempt. Still, Trump in recent months had continued to attack Zuckerberg publicly. And Altman, who is in a legal dispute with AI rival Elon Musk, has said he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence in the incoming administration. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging that the maker of ChatGPT betrayed its founding aims of benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits.