Salmonella can lurk anywhere and conceal in a rather boiled chicken, mixed throughout the raw eggs within the biscuit dough and even into the feces of animal turtles.

A team of researchers from the Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences on the University of Florida has created a vaccine that protects salmone stems from non-matters. The vaccine has shown promising in preclinical studies against mice.

Salmonella might be fatal for endangered groups like children under 5 years and older people. According to the US centers for the control and prevention of diseases, 420 people die and 26,5000 are taken to the hospital yearly within the United States for salmonella.

“((Salmonella IS) Bacteria and the infections occur through contaminated food and water. It can also be distributed by faecal pollution or poor hygiene or improper food handling, ”said Mariola Ferraro, an UF -Associate professor who specializes in infectious diseases and is organizing pathogen interactions.

Most infections include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Raw meat, eggs, fruits, Vegetables And animals contaminated with bacteria, especially reptiles, were able to pass on Salmonella. Two active Outbursts of salmonella are currently connected to one another Cucumber And bearded dragons.

“I might not exit and stroke or kiss their backyard chickens because they might be infected with bird flu nowadays or with salmonella,” said Anthony Maurelli, a UF professor for environmental and global health.

The vaccine from UF was tested using Salmonella, which was found from raw water in Gainesville, Florida, in contrast to previous salmonella research that focused on old laboratory trunks. Research continues the legacy of Lisa Emerson, the first author of the study, who died unexpectedly in September 2024 at the age of 29 for natural reasons.

“The query that Lisa asked was how good this vaccine is against tribes that flow into in the true world in Gainesville within the twenty first century?” Said Maurselli. “How well is that this laboratory version of the tribe related to real tribes that flow into on the market and get sick?”

The salmonella used in the vaccine was shed from the feces of infected people, and despite the many microbes existing in the wastewater, Emerson was able to cultivate the trunk. Microbiologists use special paths to grow certain bacteria, a concept that is referred to as selective media. The wastewater was placed in the enrichment broth to grow the salmonella and was transferred to petrios with media, in which foreign bacteria were killed.

The concept of the Salmonella vaccine began in 2015 with research steps in the past five years. Traditional vaccines contain a lively or weakened bacterial base that injects the body with foreign material. However, the salmonella vaccine is cell -free.

“I actually have the sensation that quite a lot of persons are afraid or afraid because, like 'I injee, they’ve a pathogen in my body, which might then mutate and survive.' In our case, there are not any living salmonella bacteria in your body, ”said Saloni Bhimani, a UF -Doctoral student who studies microbiology and cell science. Bhimani is a second creator of the study.

Emerson worked with Andrew Rainey, and the 2 doctoral students were a part of the pre-doctoral student training program for clinical translational science, which brings multidisciplinary laboratory discoveries into real applications. Ferraro was Emerson's mentor.

Emerson, creator of 12 studies, had recently develop into a post-doctoraland scholarship holder of the CDC in Atlanta before she died.

“She has this heritage as a researcher because she really took care of public health. She not only did this to build a career, become famous or something. She actually wanted to make a difference, ”said Ferraro.

Emerson enjoyed volunteering in Animal Shelters and brought her puppy to the Depot Park in Gainesville to support her colleagues once they took part in a weekly 5 km run. A memorial scholarship was created on the UF in her honor.

“She was also very funny and continues to inspire students here. We are still talking a lot about her, ”said Ferraro.

Originally published: February 19, 2025 at 9:33 a.m. PST

Take a go searching the Casa Maranello inspired by Ferrari:

Each of the last three years, San Jose State's football season ended with a loss in a bowl game. This time there was a 41-39 five-overtime loss to South Florida within the Hawaii Bowl.

In the fifth extra time, the Bulls began with the ball and converted the 2 points with a reception from Keshaun Singleton. As SJSU attempted to reply, a pass from SJSU quarterback Walker Eget intended for Justin Lockhart was deflected, ending the ballgame.

The Bulls led 21-10 at halftime but were outscored 17-3 by the Spartans within the second half.

SJSU took its first lead after linebacker Noah McNeal-Franklin took the ball to the two-yard line following a 27-yard return.

The Spartans' freshman running back Lamar Radcliffe struck out and gave them the lead.

But Floyd Chalk IV, his fellow tailback, was stuffed on a third-and-1 on their final regulation possession, forcing the Spartans to punt with 53 seconds left.

A 13-yard return by USF's Sean Atkins put the Bulls in prime position to push downfield.

Six plays later, Bulls kicker John Cannon converted a 41-yard kick that sent the sport into extra time.

Each team scored in the primary three extra time periods and neither reached the tip zone within the fourth period.

SJSU wide receiver Matthew Coleman, filling in for 2024 Fred Biletnikoff Award finalist Nick Nash, led the Spartans with 119 yards on 12 receptions, including a touchdown in the primary extra time and a two-point conversion within the third third extension.

Eget was 33 of 58 passing with two touchdowns and one interception.

Originally published: December 24, 2024 at 9:51 pm PST

Rookie forward Will Smith has an upper-body injury and won’t play Saturday when the San Jose Sharks face the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena.

Smith, who has 11 points in 24 games this season, is taken into account day-to-day. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said Saturday he didn't know exactly when Smith was injured, only that it happened near the top of a recent game.

If Smith hasn't dressed for games to date this season, it's since the Sharks have given him so-called “development days,” implemented partly to scale back the 19-year-old's risk of injury. However, before Saturday, Smith had played seven consecutive games from November 23 through Thursday, collecting three goals and 4 assists.

After playing the Panthers, the Sharks face the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday and finish their road trip on Thursday against the St. Louis Blues.

With Smith out, rookie Ethan Cardwell, who sat out the last two games, will return to the Sharks' lineup. Warsofsky wouldn't say where Cardwell will play. Smith had played on a line with Mikael Granlund and Klim Kostin.

The Sharks are also making a change on defense: Henry Thrun replaces Jack Thompson.

Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood will start for the Sharks, who wish to bounce back from an 8-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.

With Marc-Edouard Vlasic nearing his return from an upper-body injury that has kept him out because the start of coaching camp, the Sharks can have to make a roster decision soon on what to do with Thompson.

Thompson made his first appearance for the Sharks on Thursday since their Nov. 23 game against the Buffalo Sabres. He had 17:47 of ice time against the Lightning and was on the ice for 3 goals against, with Alexander Wennberg scoring the Sharks' only goal.

Perhaps the Sharks' easiest option — assuming there are not any more injuries (Barclay Goodrow stays on injured reserve) until Vlasic is activated — is to return Thompson to the AHL, because the 22-year-old stays exempt from waivers.

Still, with somewhat more experience and improvement, Thompson appears to have the potential to turn out to be a full-time, every-game defenseman.

“He’s taken steps in that direction,” Warsofsky said of Thompson. “I think he’s gotten better defensively this year. He plays with more tailbacks below the top of the circle and in the defensive zone. For me it's his ability to move the puck. There is an opportunity to move pucks there. He needs to be more consistent with it.”

Regarding Vlasic, Warsofsky said: “We are getting closer and closer to him coming to an ice hockey game here and being available for us. We’ll probably get through the weekend and go from there.”

Originally published: December 7, 2024 at 8:15 am PST

BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S President-elect Donald Trump and the NATO chief met for talks on global security, the military alliance said on Saturday.

In a temporary statement, NATO said Trump and its Secretary General Mark Rutte met in Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday.

“They discussed the range of global security challenges facing the alliance,” the statement said, without giving details.

It seemed to be Rutte's first meeting with Trump since his election on November fifth. Rutte had previously congratulated Trump, saying “his leadership will once again be key to keeping our alliance strong” and that he looked forward to working with him.

Trump has expressed skepticism for years the western alliance and complained in regards to the defense spending of lots of its member states, which he considered to be too low. He portrayed the NATO allies as bloodsuckers of the US military openly questioned the worth the alliance that has determined American foreign policy for a long time. He threatened to not defend himself NATO members failing to fulfill their defense spending targets.

Rutte and his team also met Trump's alternative as national security adviserUS Representative Michael Waltz and other members of the president-elect's national security team, the NATO statement said.

Rutte took the helm of NATO in October.

Originally published: November 23, 2024 at 12:27 pm PST

policy

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday he’ll nominate Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida as his attorney general, naming a loyalist to the role of the nation's top prosecutor.

In choosing the congressman, Trump unnoticed among the more established lawyers whose names had been mentioned as candidates for the post.

“Matt will end the gun government, protect our borders, dismantle criminal organizations, and restore Americans' deeply shaken faith and trust in the Justice Department,” Trump said in an announcement.

This is a recent update. AP's earlier story follows below.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman and presidential candidate, as director of national intelligence, continuing to fill his Cabinet with loyal figures who complement his own, quite than long-term professionals in hers respective areas of experience.

“As a former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, she enjoys broad support in both parties – now she is a proud Republican!” Trump said in an announcement. “I know that Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our intelligence community by standing up for our constitutional rights and ensuring peace through strength. Tulsi will make us all proud!”

Gabbard, who served within the Army National Guard for greater than 20 years and was stationed in Iraq and Kuwait, would tackle the role as something of an outsider in comparison with her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 after holding various top national security and intelligence positions for several years.

Gabbard has not worked directly within the intelligence community outside of House committees, including two years on the Homeland Security Committee. Like others Trump has chosen to guide his agency, she was amongst his hottest political surrogates, often drawing thunderous reactions from the gang when she campaigned on his behalf in the ultimate months of the campaign.

This is a recent update. AP's earlier story follows below.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday named Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as his nominee for secretary of state, fielding a former critic who has emerged as certainly one of the president-elect's fiercest defenders best diplomat within the nation.

The conservative lawmaker is a widely known hawk on China, Cuba and Iran and was among the many finalists for Trump's candidacy this summer.

On Capitol Hill, Rubio is vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He is pushing for a tougher stance against China and has targeted the social media app TikTok because its parent company is Chinese. He and other lawmakers argue that Beijing can demand access to users' data at any time.

“He will be a strong advocate for our nation, a true friend to our allies and a fearless warrior who will never give in to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in an announcement.

Trump made the announcement as he flew back to Florida from Washington after meeting with President Joe Biden.

The selection is the culmination of a protracted, complicated history between the 2 men. During their intense competition for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, Rubio was particularly outspoken in his criticism of Trump, calling him a “fraud” and “the most vulgar person to ever seek the presidency.”

He tried to counter Trump's often crude attacks by joking concerning the size of Trump's hands in a nod to his masculinity. Trump responded by branding Rubio “Little Marco,” a nickname that stuck with the senator for years.

But like many Republicans searching for to keep up their relevance within the Trump era, Rubio modified his rhetoric. As speculation grew that Trump might select him as his running mate, Rubio sought to downplay tensions from 2016, suggesting that the heated tone merely reflected the intensity of a campaign.

“That's like asking a boxer why he punched someone in the face in the third round,” Rubio told CNN when asked about his previous comments. “That’s because they boxed.”

Rubio was first elected to the Senate in 2010 as a part of the Republican Tea Party wave that swept Washington. He quickly gained a status as someone who could embody a more diverse, welcoming Republican Party. He was a key member of a bunch that worked on a 2013 immigration law that provided a path to citizenship for thousands and thousands of individuals living within the country illegally.

But that laws stalled within the House, where more conservative Republicans were in charge, signaling the sharp rightward shift the party — and Rubio — would soon take. Now Rubio says he supports Trump's plan to make use of the US military to deport those within the country illegally.

“We have to do something, unfortunately we have to do something dramatic,” Rubio said in an interview with NBC in May.

He also repeats a lot of Trump's attacks on his opponents, in addition to his false or unproven theories about voter fraud. After Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts in what New York prosecutors said was a plan to illegally influence the 2016 election, Rubio wrote in a column for Newsweek that Trump was “on trial for a political sham trial like this.” Communists are getting used against their political opponents in Cuba and the Soviet Union.”

Meanwhile, Trump has backed off his insistence as president on banning TikTok within the United States and recently opened his own account on the platform.

A bill that might require Chinese company ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban within the United States was supported by Rubio, although Trump opposed the proposal.

Rubio's Democratic counterpart on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Chairman Mark Warner of Virginia, praised the alternative.

“I have worked with Marco Rubio on the Intelligence Committee for more than a decade, particularly closely in recent years in his role as vice chairman, and while we may not always agree, he is and will be smart and talented.” strong voice for American interests across the globe,” Warner said in an announcement.

Earlier Wednesday, Trump announced that his longtime adviser Dan Scavino would function deputy, without specifying a selected portfolio, campaign director James Blair as deputy for legislative, policy and public affairs and Taylor Budowich as deputy chief of staff for communications and human resources. All can have the rank of assistant to the president.

Trump also formally announced that Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner, will turn into deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser. Vice President-elect JD Vance had already confirmed this on Monday.

Blair was the political director of Trump's campaign and, after Trump became the Republican Party's presumptive nominee, the political director of the Republican National Committee. He previously worked on Trump's 2020 campaign in Florida and was a top adviser to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Scavino was a senior adviser to Trump's campaign and worked as social media director during his first term within the White House.

He began working for Trump as a caddy at certainly one of Trump's golf courses and was among the many small group of staff who accompanied the president across the country throughout the campaign. He steadily posts memes and videos of Trump's campaign trips online and catalogs the campaign from the within on social media.

Before joining the campaign, Budowich worked for the pro-Trump super PAC Maga Inc., and after Trump left office, Budowich served as his spokesman while working for Trump's political motion committee, Save America.

“Dan, Stephen, James and Taylor were best-in-class advisers in my victorious campaign, and I know they will serve the American people honorably in the White House,” Trump said in an announcement. “They will continue to work hard in their respective new roles to Make America Great Again.”

Miller is certainly one of Trump's most senior advisers, having worked for the White House in his first campaign. He was a senior adviser in Trump's first term and played a central role in a lot of his policy decisions, particularly on immigration, including Trump's move in 2018 to separate 1000’s of immigrant families as a deterrence program.

—

Hurricane Milton struck hardly hurricane strength to a dangerous category 5 storm in lower than 24 hours across the Gulf of Mexico towards Florida.

As wind speeds increased, Milton became one in all the fastest intensifying storms ever. And with 180 mph sustained wind On October 7, 2024, it also became one in all the strongest storms of the yr with very low pressure.

Less than two weeks later The devastating effects of Hurricane HeleneThe final thing Florida desired to see was a storm like that. Hurricane Milton was expected to make landfall as a serious hurricane late on October ninth or early October tenth, and has already done so triggered widespread evacuations.

So what exactly is rapid intensification and what does global climate change must do with it? We Research into hurricane behavior And Teach meteorology. Here's what you have to know:

What is rapid intensification?

The National Weather Service defines rapid intensification as a rise in a tropical cyclone's maximum sustained wind speed no less than 30 knots – about 35 miles per hour inside 24 hours. This increase could also be enough to escalate a storm from Category 1 to Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Milton's wind speed went from 80 miles per hour To 175 miles per hour from 1 p.m. Sunday to 1 p.m. Monday, and the pressure dropped from 988 millibars to 911.

The National Hurricane Center had warned that Milton was prone to become a serious hurricane, but such rapid intensification can take people by surprise, especially if it occurs near landfall.

Hurricane Michael did Damage within the billions in 2018, when it quickly strengthened right into a Category 5 storm just before it hit near Tyndall Air Force Base within the Florida Panhandle. In 2023 Hurricane Otis' Maximum wind speeds increased by 100 miles per hour in lower than 24 hours before hitting Acapulco, Mexico. Hurricane Ian The storm continued to strengthen rapidly in 2022 before arriving just south of where Milton is anticipated to cross Florida.

What causes hurricanes to accentuate quickly?

Rapid intensification is difficult to predict, but there are some driving forces.

• Ocean heat: Warm sea surface temperaturesespecially as they penetrate deeper layers of warm water, provide the energy needed for hurricanes to accentuate. The deeper the nice and cozy water, the more energy a storm can harness and the stronger it’s.

• Low wind shear: Strong vertical wind shear—a rapid change in wind speed or direction with altitude—can disrupt a storm's organization, while low wind shear causes hurricanes to grow more quickly. In the case of Milton, atmospheric conditions were particularly conducive to rapid intensification.

• Moisture: Higher sea surface temperatures and lower salinity increase the quantity of moisture available to storms, resulting in rapid intensification. Warmer water provides the warmth needed for moisture to evaporate, while lower salinity helps retain that heat near the surface. This allows for more sustained transfer of warmth and moisture to the storm. faster driving and greater intensification.

• Thunderstorm activity: Internal dynamics, similar to B. Outbreaks of intense thunderstorms throughout the rotation of a cyclone Reorganize the circulation of a cyclone and result in rapid strength gains, even when other conditions aren’t ideal.

Research has shown that almost all hurricanes worldwide are Category 3 and above are likely to experience rapid intensification over the course of their lives.

How does global warming affect the strength of hurricanes?

If it looks like you've been hearing about rapid intensification lots more lately, that's partly why it happens more often.

A 2023 study examined Relationships between rapid intensification and climate change found a rise within the variety of tropical cyclones with rapid intensification over the past 4 a long time. This includes a big increase within the variety of hurricanes, which rapidly intensify several times as they develop. Another evaluation comparing trends from 1982 to 2017 with climate model simulations found this Natural variability alone can’t be explained This increase in rapidly intensifying storms suggests a probable role of human-caused climate change.

How future climate change will affect hurricanes is an energetic area of ​​research. However, as global temperatures and oceans proceed to warm, The frequency of severe hurricanes is anticipated to extend. The extreme hurricanes of recent years, including Beryl in June 2024 and Helene, are already raising concerns in regards to the increasing impact of warming on the behavior of tropical cyclones.

CRAWFORDVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Helene strengthened right into a Category 4 storm hours before its expected landfall on Florida's northwest coast Thursday evening, as forecasters warned that the massive system would unleash a “nightmarish” storm surge and produce damaging winds and rain across much of the country could bring southeastern USA

Helene, which strengthened right into a Category 3 storm early Thursday, triggered hurricane and flash flood warnings that prolonged well beyond the coast into northern Georgia and western North Carolina. Strong winds in Florida have already knocked out power to over 320,000 homes and businesses, in accordance with tracking site poweroutage.us. The governors of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas and Virginia all declared states of emergency of their states.

According to the US National Hurricane Center, the hurricane was situated about 110 miles (175 kilometers) west of Tampa and had sustained winds of 130 miles per hour (215 km/h). It accelerated through the Gulf of Mexico, moving north-northeast at a speed of 23 miles per hour (37 km/h). Life-threatening storm surges of as much as 20 feet (6 meters) were expected within the Big Bend area of ​​Florida.

Hurricane and flash flood warnings prolonged well beyond the coast into northern Georgia and western North Carolina, with heavy rain and robust winds reported across much of Florida and Georgia Thursday evening.

Helene has only been a yr since Hurricane Idalia hit the Big Bend in Florida and caused extensive damage. Idalia became a Category 4 within the Gulf of Mexico, but made landfall near Keaton Beach as a Category 3 with maximum sustained winds of about 125 miles per hour (205 km/h).

The force of the storm was felt Thursday afternoon as water washed over a road on the northern tip of Siesta Key near Sarasota and covered some intersections in St. Pete Beach on Florida's Gulf Coast. Wood and other debris from a fireplace in Cedar Key per week ago fell ashore in rising waters.

Beyond Florida, as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain had fallen within the mountains of North Carolina, with as much as 14 inches (36 centimeters) more possible before the deluge ends, setting the stage for flooding that forecasters warned may very well be worse than the rest seen within the last century.

Heavy rains began and winds increased in Valdosta, Georgia, near the state line with Florida. The National Weather Service said greater than a dozen Georgia counties could experience hurricane-force winds of over 110 miles per hour.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said models suggest Helene will make landfall further east than previously forecast, reducing the prospect of a direct hit on the capital, Tallahassee, whose metropolitan area has about 395,000 residents.

The shift puts the storm directly on the sparsely populated Big Bend area, home to fishing villages and resort towns where Florida's panhandle and peninsula meet.

“Please write your name, birthday and important information on your arm or leg with a permanent marker so you can be identified and your family notified,” the sheriff's office in predominantly rural Taylor County warned those refusing to evacuate had decided, in a Facebook post, the dire advice just like what other officials have given during previous hurricanes.

Still, Philip Tooke, a business fisherman who took over the business his father founded near the region's Apalachee Bay, planned to ride out this storm like he did with Hurricane Michael and the others – on his boat. “If I lose this, I have nothing,” Tooke said. Michael, a Category 5 storm, almost completely destroyed a city, destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses and caused around $25 billion in damage when it hit the Florida Panhandle in 2018.

But many followed mandatory evacuation orders that stretched from the Panhandle south along the Gulf Coast to low-lying areas around Tallahassee, Gainesville, Cedar Key, Lake City, Tampa and Sarasota.

Among them was Sharonda Davis, one in every of several who had gathered at a Tallahassee shelter fearing their mobile homes wouldn’t give you the chance to resist the wind. She said the dimensions of the hurricane was “more frightening than anything else because it's the consequences that we're facing.”

Federal authorities sent search and rescue teams because the National Weather Service office in Tallahassee predicted storm surges of as much as 20 feet (6 meters) and warned that they may very well be particularly “catastrophic and unsurvivable” in Apalachee Bay.

“Please, please, please take all evacuation orders seriously!” The office said the surge scenario was “a nightmare.”

Known because the “Forgotten Coast,” this stretch of Florida has been largely spared from the widespread condominium development and commercialization that dominates so many Florida beach communities. The region is understood for its natural wonders – extensive salt marshes, tide pools and barrier islands.

“If you live down here, you're at risk of losing everything in a bad storm,” said 20-year-old Anthony Godwin, who lives a couple of half-mile from the water within the coastal town of Panacea, as he stopped to refuel before heading west toward the home drove to his sister in Pensacola.

School districts and several other universities have canceled classes. Airports in Tampa, Tallahassee and Clearwater were closed Thursday, while there have been widespread cancellations elsewhere in Florida and beyond.

While Helene is more likely to weaken because it moves inland, damaging winds and heavy rains are expected to spread into the southern Appalachians, where landslides are possible, forecasters said. The hurricane center warned that there may very well be prolonged power outages and flooding across much of the region. Tennessee was among the many states where flooding was expected.

Helene flooded parts of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on Wednesday, inundating roads and toppling trees because it passed the coast and hit the resort town of Cancun. In western Cuba, Helene knocked out power to greater than 200,000 households and businesses as she flew past the island.

Hurricane conditions are expected in areas 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of the Georgia-Florida line. Most Georgia public school districts and several other universities have canceled classes. The state opened its parks to evacuees and their pets, including horses. Nighttime curfews have been imposed in lots of cities and counties in south Georgia, including Albany, Valdosta and Thomasville.

“This is one of the biggest storms we’ve ever had,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said.

Helene is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this yr because of record-warm ocean temperatures.

Further storm activity saw Tropical Storm Isaac form within the Atlantic on Wednesday and was expected to strengthen because it moved eastward over the open ocean and will potentially develop into a hurricane by the top of the week, forecasters said. Officials said the waves and winds could affect parts of Bermuda and eventually the Azores through the weekend.

In the Pacific, former Hurricane John strengthened right into a tropical storm on Wednesday and re-intensified right into a hurricane on Thursday because it threatened areas on Mexico's west coast with flash floods and mudslides. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador raised John's death toll to 5 as communities along the country's Pacific coast prepared for the storm to make landfall a second time.

Hollingsworth reported from Kansas City, Missouri. Associated Press journalists Seth Borenstein in New York; Jeff Amy in Atlanta; Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia; Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Andrea Rodríguez in Havana; Mark Stevenson and María Verza in Mexico City; and Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon, contributed to this report.

Even because the Covid wave continues in Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis' administration is once more discouraging mRNA vaccines: this time for probably the most vulnerable population.

In updated guidelines for healthcare providers released on Thursday, the Florida Health Department and state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo demonstrated the protection and effectiveness of the mRNA Covid vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, including for older adults and folks with underlying medical conditions. “Any provider concerned about the health risks associated with Covid-19 for patients over 65 years of age or with underlying medical conditions should prioritize patient access to non-mRNA Covid-19 vaccines and treatments,” the state guidelines say.

As against Advice from the federal health authorities and other health workers on the protection of Covid vaccines, the Florida Department of Health said the advice was based on high immunity rates because of previous infections and “currently available data.”

Without noticing, high risk of severe Covid infection or hospitalization for older adultsThe guideline listed safety concerns in regards to the mRNA vaccines, including the chance of a rare heart condition called myocarditis and the chance of POTS or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndromea debilitating heart disease.

Numerous studies have shown that each the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are indeed related to a small but increased risk of myocarditis. However, most cases occur in young men and most of the people get better fully. Studies have also shown that the chance of myocarditis is far higher with Covid infection and is usually more severe than with the vaccine-related illness.

A broadcast study in Nature Cardiovascular Research​ It has also been found that individuals diagnosed with Covid are five times more prone to develop POTS after infection than after a Covid vaccination, underscoring the importance of vaccination.

Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said the Florida Surgeon General's guidelines are unnecessarily alarming people about Covid vaccines.

“He's playing such a dangerous game,” said Offit, who served on the FDA's independent vaccine advisory committee. “You're only about 1,000 times more likely to die. [from Covid] if you are over 65 than if you are under 18.”

“The mRNA vaccines are remarkably safe,” he added.

New doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were approved by the Food and Drug Administration in August. They are aimed at the KP.2 version of the constantly mutating virus and should provide good protection against serious illness, hospitalization and death, experts say.

The United States offers only one Covid vaccine not based on mRNA: Novavax. Novavax's conventional protein-based vaccine offers an alternative vaccine technology to mRNA.

In a statement, a Novavax spokesperson said the updated vaccine is now available in thousands of retail stores and pharmacies across the country.

The Florida Department of Health did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.

Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Toronto, called Florida's recommendation “regrettable” and said it could put older adults and people with underlying medical conditions at risk.

“Although the vaccine is not any longer nearly as effective at protecting against infection because it once was, there is superb data showing how Covid vaccines can reduce the chance of severe types of the virus in those most in danger,” said Boguch, who has no ties to the vaccine makers.

In the US, Covid cases remain high after a summer surge. Wastewater data collected between August 25 and 31 shows that 23 states – including Florida – are reporting “very high” levels of the virus. in response to CDC. Emergency room visits and hospital stays remain also increasedalthough there are signs of a decline. Covid infections in Florida nursing homes are rising again after declining from summer peaks. according to CDC data.

The CDC currently recommends Everyone ages 6 months and older will receive a current Covid vaccine from one of three options this fall.

This is not the first time Ladapo has ignored CDC guidelines. Last year, Ladapo also recommended that Florida residents under 65 should not receive the mRNA Covid vaccine, citing widespread immunity and “questions we have about safety and effectiveness.”

“In my opinion, this will not be decision for young people and for individuals who will not be at high risk at this point within the pandemic,” he said.

A rare, almost complete fossil of an extinct North American porcupine helped me and my colleagues resolve a decades-long debate about how modern North American porcupine developed from its ancestors.

In our paper published in Current Biology, we argue that the ancestors of North American porcupines could well be 10 million years old, but wouldn’t be recognizable until about 8 million years later.

By comparing the bone structure of porcupines in North and South America, we found that, surprisingly, during those 8 million years, North American porcupines still looked like their cousins, the Neotropical porcupines that now live within the tropical regions of Central and South America.

Our findings make clear the evolution of the North American porcupine from South America – and at the identical time solve the mystery of why it was so difficult to seek out its ancestors.

I’m a paleontologist who studies the fossilized bones and teeth of extinct animals. With Museum curator Jon Bloch, I created a course where we analyzed bone structure to succeed in the conclusions of our study.

Why it can be crucial

Modernity North American porcupine differs from its spiny relatives. It has a brief tail, a jaw with which it may well scrape bark from trees and weighs between 10 and 25 kilos (4.5 and 11.3 kilograms).

Although clearly related, Neotropical porcupines look different. They have long, grasping tails, weaker jaws and weigh between 1.5 and 10 kilos (0.68 and 4.5 kilograms).

DNA analyses of recent animals estimate that these two groups are about 10 million years before.

This is where the mystery is available in. Fossils of the North American porcupine are all younger than 1.8 million yearsIn other words, fossils of the North American porcupine dating back about 8.2 million years were missing.

All the researchers had were parts of jaws and tails that looked like they belonged to Neotropical porcupines.

Two competing hypotheses could explain the similarity.

Some scientists have argued that the jaw and tail fossils of early ancestors of North American porcupines should more closely resemble their modern descendants. Researchers who support this concept have said that the fossil record is incomplete for unknown reasons, but that it continues to be possible that fossils supporting their hypothesis will eventually emerge.

Other scientists have suggested that each one early porcupine ancestors could have had jaws and tails much like those of recent neotropical porcupines. The ancestors of North American porcupines could also be hidden in the present fossil record because, based on their jaws and tails alone, they give the impression of being an identical to the ancestors of neotropical porcupines. Only more moderen fossils would show distinctive features because these features appeared at the moment.

The debate continued for many years. With the available fossils it was inconceivable to resolve the issue.

How we worked

Then researchers from the Florida Museum of Natural History excavated a 2 million 12 months old almost complete skeleton of a porcupine in north central Florida in 2005.

The fossil had an extended tail and no jaws to chew bark, much like neotropical porcupines. But it also had dozens of other bones that we could use to elucidate the relationships.

To gather this evidence, we needed to comb through all of the bones, on the lookout for lots of of tiny details – just like the shape of ridges or patterns of bone edges – and compare those details to skeletons of recent North American and Neotropical porcupines. Bloch and I developed a course through which each student took on a component of the project.

Together, we compiled a listing of nearly 150 insightful details. Although the specimen had some features much like those of neotropical porcupines, additional evidence supported the concept that this fossil was a more in-depth relative of North American porcupines.

Since this porcupine had a jaw and tail like its neotropical cousins, it is probably going that the majority of the North American porcupine's older relatives also lacked the characteristic features of their modern descendants.

In other words, the reply to the puzzle is that the fossil record of North American porcupines appears young since the stronger jaw and shorter tail evolved relatively recently. Porcupines looked different than we expected for much of their 10-million-year-old ancestry.