Using a newly discovered byproduct of dying cancer cells, University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers are developing personalized vaccines that could help keep aggressive tumors from recurring.
Richard Platt's insight:
Using a newly discovered byproduct of dying cancer cells, University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers are developing personalized vaccines that could help keep aggressive tumors from recurring.
The personalized vaccine approach is an extension of the team's recent discovery of pyroptotic vesicles, which are tiny sacs filled with the remnants of cancer cells when they undergo programmed cell death. Crucially, the remnants in these microscopic sacs include antigens specific to the tumor, along with other molecular bits that can help direct immune cells to find and suppress cancer cells that might remain after a tumor is surgically removed. In their study, recently published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, Hu and his colleagues engineered these sacs to carry an immune-stimulating drug. They then embedded these engineered vesicles into a hydrogel that can be implanted into the space left behind after surgical removal of a tumor. Using a melanoma mouse model and two different types of mouse models for triple negative breast cancers, including one with a human-derived tumor, the researchers compared their new approach with other cancer vaccine methods being studied. The mice that received the hydrogel laden with their engineered sacs survived significantly longer than others "Compared to the other approaches, ours shows a much stronger immune response," says Hu. "We were one of the first groups to identify these pyrotopic vesicles and the first to show their effectiveness in helping prevent cancer recurrence, and we are very excited about their potential."
Led by Quanyin Hu, a professor in the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy, the research team has already found success slowing the recurrence of tumors in mouse models of triple negative breast cancer and melanoma. Currently, the long-term prognosis for human patients with these cancers is relatively poor. That's in part because the diseases have a tendency to recur after the initial treatments to remove the tumors.
Of late, Trump tariffs have companies juggling domestic capabilities—technological and otherwise—and reorientating supply chains to support operations in America. But othe
Richard Platt's insight:
Rankings of the reasons why OEMs have already restored. Pinpoints factors that OEMs should prioritize more highly, geopolitical risk and the use of total cost of ownership. Key Report findings:
** Only 26% of manufacturing workers say their company’s technology is even “somewhat advanced”, with an equal number calling it “very” or “somewhat” outdated. ** 20% of employees say they’ve seen colleagues leave due to outdated systems. ** 57% of manufacturing managers and executives cited cost as their biggest barrier to investing in IT modernization and cybersecurity. ** 51% of manufacturing employees believe U.S. factories are falling behind global competitors in technology modernization and automation. ** 75% of U.S. consumers have a preference for U.S.-made goods, one that has increased as a result of global supply-chain disruptions since the COVID era. ** 62% of consumers said other factors, such as quality and price, ultimately matter more in their purchase decisions. ** 91% of consumers said they are concerned about cybersecurity threats to U.S. manufacturers, with 30% saying they are “very” or “extremely” concerned. ** 47% of those expressing concern about cyberattacks pointed to potential threats from foreign countries such as Russia and China as a cause for anxiety.
OpenAI published a 34-page guide to building AI agents, drawing on insights from its customer deployments. It covers opportunity identification, agent design, and best practices for ensuring safe and effective performance.
Breakdown:
Advances in reasoning, multimodality, and tool use have led to LLM-powered agents, systems that independently perform tasks.
OpenAI recommends use cases once resistant to automation due to complex decisions, brittle rules, or heavy reliance on unstructured data.
At its core, an agent has three components: model, tools, and instructions. It requires three types of tools: data, action, and orchestration.
Orchestration: single-agent and multi-agent systems with Manager (agents as tools) and Decentralized (agents handing off to agents) patterns.
Set up guardrails to address identified use case risks, as shown in the diagram above, and add more as new vulnerabilities are discovered.
Why it’s important: Agents mark a new era in automation, where systems can reason through ambiguity, take action across tools, and handle multi step tasks with a high degree of autonomy. This guide offers the foundational knowledge to start delivering enterprise value with agents.
The signs you were waiting for to upgrade your GPU...
Richard Platt's insight:
The word bottleneck is enough to send shivers down the spines of PC gamers. And the worst kind of bottleneck is a GPU bottleneck, even though that's ideally what you want on a gaming PC. Most games are GPU-bound, so you want a situation where none of the other components are holding your GPU back. In some cases, though, a weaker or older GPU can actually bottleneck your PC, stopping you from getting the maximum performance your system is capable of. Here are the signs that you need a new GPU to eliminate a significant bottleneck.
From May 2025, Norah O'Donnell's report on why China's spies are on the rise, and what happens when one gets caught in the U.S. From June 2025, Cecilia Vega’s report on the Americans spying for Cuba in the U.S. From July 2022, Scott Pelley's interview with a former top intelligence official in the Saudi Arabian government, Saad Aljabri, who claims the kingdom's ruler plotted to kill him and has taken his children hostage. From August 2019, Anderson Cooper’s interview with Justice and FBI officials, who reveal how they caught a former CIA officer spying for the Chinese. And from March 2025, Bill Whitaker's investigation into the mysterious swarms of drones that have been spotted in the sky above the United States.
Richard Platt's insight:
From May 2025, Norah O'Donnell's report on why China's spies are on the rise, and what happens when one gets caught in the U.S. From June 2025, Cecilia Vega’s report on the Americans spying for Cuba in the U.S. From July 2022, Scott Pelley's interview with a former top intelligence official in the Saudi Arabian government, Saad Aljabri, who claims the kingdom's ruler plotted to kill him and has taken his children hostage. From August 2019, Anderson Cooper’s interview with Justice and FBI officials, who reveal how they caught a former CIA officer spying for the Chinese. And from March 2025, Bill Whitaker's investigation into the mysterious swarms of drones that have been spotted in the sky above the United States.
Then Pedraza was introduced to Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, the AI companion that helps with work tasks. A group of AI experts recently trained him on how to write effective prompts to quickly generate personalized activities for the students just by typing a few traits of each. He was amazed by the results.
Then Pedraza was introduced to Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, the AI companion that helps with work tasks. A group of AI experts recently trained him on how to write effective prompts to quickly generate personalized activities for the students just by typing a few traits of each. He was amazed by the results. From skepticism to success: How AI is helping teachers transform classrooms in Peru - Very positive report as you would expect from Microsoft: https://news.microsoft.com/source/latam/features/ai/world-bank-peru-teachers-copilot/?lang=en
China leads in AI innovation in 2025 with DeepSeek V3, challenging the US in global AI dominance. Learn how cost drops and security risks shape this race. China's DeepSeek V3 0324 has become a top-performing non-reasoning model globally, highlighting the country's growing dominance in open-weight AI development. Chinese AI models are often optimized for speed and cost efficiency and are specially used for large-scale deployment. The report showcased that the rise of Chinese AI is a significant milestone and showed how Chinese AI labs are bridging the gap and surpassing their US counterparts in the major area of AI innovation. The rise of Chinese AI has certainly pushed the US back. However, US-based labs like OpenAI, Google, and xAI continue to lead in reasoning models, essential for more complex tasks involving step-by-step problem-solving. OpenAI's o4-mini (high) currently tops the global intelligence index, but competitors like Chinese AI are quickly narrowing the performance gap and leading the AI race. If the Chinese AI model continues to grow, it will soon overthrow the US hegemony in AI innovation and become the leading open-source network in the world.
Neurological conditions, including dementia, pose a major public health challenge, contributing to a significant and growing clinical, economic, and societal burden. Traditionally, research and clinical practice have focused on diseases like dementia in isolation.
Neurological conditions, including dementia, pose a major public health challenge, contributing to a significant and growing clinical, economic, and societal burden. Traditionally, research and clinical practice have focused on diseases like dementia in isolation.
AI, when intentionally integrated, offers unique opportunities to deepen critical thinking. AI-powered platforms can support inquiry-based learning, providing students with immediate feedback on the logic and coherence of their arguments or exposing them to multiple perspectives on contentious issues (Luckin et al., 2016). Advanced models can simulate debates, challenge students with counterarguments, and prompt metacognitive reflection: “Why do you believe this? What assumptions are you making? What evidence supports your claim?” In these cases, AI becomes a “thinking partner” rather than a shortcut or crutch.
AI, when intentionally integrated, offers unique opportunities to deepen critical thinking. AI-powered platforms can support inquiry-based learning, providing students with immediate feedback on the logic and coherence of their arguments or exposing them to multiple perspectives on contentious issues (Luckin et al., 2016). Advanced models can simulate debates, challenge students with counterarguments, and prompt metacognitive reflection: “Why do you believe this? What assumptions are you making? What evidence supports your claim?” In these cases, AI becomes a “thinking partner” rather than a shortcut or crutch.
What was once considered a bad business venture, the 8008’s lasting legacy went on to drive the technological world we live in today.
Richard Platt's insight:
Computer Terminal Corporation (now defunct Datapoint) launched the DataPoint 3300 computer terminal in 1969 as a platform to replace teleprinters, or the precursors to fax machines. The machine was implemented using TTL logic in a mix of small- and medium-scale integrated circuits (ICs), which could produce an enormous amount of heat during operation. When the terminal was announced in 1967, RAM was extremely expensive (and heavy). To address the excessive heat and other issues, CTC co-founder Austin Roche looked to Intel to help with the endeavor, as the company was well known for being a primary vendor of RAM chips at the time. Intel had found promise with the production of its 1st programmable microprocessor—the 4-bit 4004. Roche took his processor design, reportedly drawn on tablecloths in a private club, and met with Intel founder Bob Noyce. Roche presented his design as a potentially revolutionary development and suggested Intel could develop the chip at its own expense and sell it to the companies that would surely come knocking, including CTC. Noyce expressed his concern with the processor concept, saying that it was an intriguing idea and Intel could definitely manufacture the processor, but it would be a dumb move. Noyce thought that if you had a computer chip, you could ONLY sell one chip per computer, but with memory, you could sell 100s of chips per computer. Noyce was also concerned about his existing customer base. Intel was already selling a healthy amount of RAM chips to computer manufacturers. If the company started making CPUs, would those existing customers look at Intel as competition and go elsewhere for RAM?
It starts with a sense that delivery is happening, but impact is not. That teams are busy, but progress is unclear. That AI pilots are everywhere, but transformation is nowhere. Executives sit in…
Richard Platt's insight:
There’s a growing unease inside even the most well-run enterprises.
It starts with a sense that delivery is happening, but impact is not. That teams are busy, but progress is unclear. That AI pilots are everywhere, but transformation is nowhere.
Executives sit in dashboard reviews surrounded by metrics — velocity, throughput, feature counts — and still ask the same question: “Why aren’t we seeing results?”
The enterprise machine hums, but the outputs feel flat. Strategy offsites generate enthusiasm, but not traction.
Agile ceremonies are conducted with precision, but somehow, customers are still waiting, innovators are still frustrated, and priorities shift faster than teams can respond.
This is not a problem of tools or frameworks. It’s a problem of thinking. A problem of systems.
In recent years, the landscape of Parkinson’s disease management has been dramatically transformed by the advent of wearable technology.A groundbreaking systematic review, led by Packer, Debelle, Bailey, and colleagues, published in npj Parkinson’s Disease, illuminates how these devices are revolutionizing...
In recent years, the landscape of Parkinson’s disease management has been dramatically transformed by the advent of wearable technology.A groundbreaking systematic review, led by Packer, Debelle, Bailey, and colleagues, published in npj Parkinson’s Disease, illuminates how these devices are revolutionizing...
In recent years, the landscape of Parkinson’s disease management has been dramatically transformed by the advent of wearable technology.A groundbreaking systematic review, led by Packer, Debelle, Bailey, and colleagues, published in npj Parkinson’s Disease, illuminates how these devices are revolutionizing...
Startup EnCharge aims to solve the analog compute problem with metal-layer capacitors that help boost energy efficiency and performance.
Richard Platt's insight:
Analog computing is not a new idea, but the emergence of math-heavy AI workloads in recent years has prompted several startups to build new architectures based on some of the same concepts. In general, the basic operations of multiplication and addition are achieved within a memory array. A memory cell stores a weight, acting as a variable resistor with resistance in some way proportional to the weight value. Data is encoded onto a voltage, which, when supplied to the memory cell, effectively multiplies the data value by the weight value. Output wires are joined together such that currents combine as a simple form of addition. This is a very low-energy way to multiply and add, the two math operations required for matrix multiplication, which form the bulk of AI workloads. Having computation take place in the memory—where the weights are already stored—also means less data movement is needed, which is more energy efficient. Other companies’ analog computing schemes have had various levels of success over the years. Mythic uses an array of Flash memory cells as a matrix multiply accelerator, for example, but this requires complex calibration algorithms for process and temperature variations that can reduce precision. Other types of memory can be used; Tetramem uses RRAM in its memory array. D-Matrix uses modified SRAM for analog multiply, combined with digital addition in its scheme to get around problems with precision and accuracy in all-analog designs.
Using a newly discovered byproduct of dying cancer cells, University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers are developing personalized vaccines that could help keep aggressive tumors from recurring.
Richard Platt's insight:
Using a newly discovered byproduct of dying cancer cells, University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers are developing personalized vaccines that could help keep aggressive tumors from recurring.
The personalized vaccine approach is an extension of the team's recent discovery of pyroptotic vesicles, which are tiny sacs filled with the remnants of cancer cells when they undergo programmed cell death. Crucially, the remnants in these microscopic sacs include antigens specific to the tumor, along with other molecular bits that can help direct immune cells to find and suppress cancer cells that might remain after a tumor is surgically removed. In their study, recently published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, Hu and his colleagues engineered these sacs to carry an immune-stimulating drug. They then embedded these engineered vesicles into a hydrogel that can be implanted into the space left behind after surgical removal of a tumor. Using a melanoma mouse model and two different types of mouse models for triple negative breast cancers, including one with a human-derived tumor, the researchers compared their new approach with other cancer vaccine methods being studied. The mice that received the hydrogel laden with their engineered sacs survived significantly longer than others "Compared to the other approaches, ours shows a much stronger immune response," says Hu. "We were one of the first groups to identify these pyrotopic vesicles and the first to show their effectiveness in helping prevent cancer recurrence, and we are very excited about their potential."
Led by Quanyin Hu, a professor in the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy, the research team has already found success slowing the recurrence of tumors in mouse models of triple negative breast cancer and melanoma. Currently, the long-term prognosis for human patients with these cancers is relatively poor. That's in part because the diseases have a tendency to recur after the initial treatments to remove the tumors.
News on dementia trends, health care technology, vaccines, and other health topics....
Richard Platt's insight:
Rising Numbers: An estimated 7.2 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s dementia, or roughly 1 in 9 older adults. The health and long-term care costs for Alzheimer’s and other dementias are significant, projected to reach $384 billion in 2025. This does not include an additional estimated $413.5 billion in unpaid caregiving, often provided by family members and friends.
New Risk Factors: Recent research highlights several modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer’s, including sedentary behavior, type 2 diabetes, and reduced sleep quality. Herpes simplex virus 1 infections (cold sores) or high cortisol levels (specifically in post-menopausal women) may also contribute to the increased risk of dementia due to changes in the brain.
Recent Advancements: While there is no cure for dementia, the latest advancements may make earlier diagnosis more accessible and less invasive. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the first blood test to detect Alzheimer’s-related brain changes. Researchers have also found new potential pathways through which Alzheimer’s and other dementias develop, which could contribute to future treatment options.
We see increasing levels of disengagement from the curriculum. Fewer students carry on to higher education. The intellectual elites become smaller and more powerful, but we also see a disruption. Academia is peeled away. Innovation occurs outside of the walls of schools.
We see increasing levels of disengagement from the curriculum. Fewer students carry on to higher education. The intellectual elites become smaller and more powerful, but we also see a disruption. Academia is peeled away. Innovation occurs outside of the walls of schools. -- This article from the AI English Teacher looks at how we can educate students in the future to ensure that we aren’t just evaluating their use of AI and also touches on why this probably won’t happen. Can you guess why? - Well worth reading https://theaienglishteacher.wordpress.com/2025/06/14/two-futures-a-choice-for-education-in-the-age-of-ai/
Clinical decision-making in oncology is challenging and requires the analysis of various data types – from medical imaging and genetic information to patient records and treatment guidelines.
Clinical decision-making in oncology is challenging and requires the analysis of various data types – from medical imaging and genetic information to patient records and treatment guidelines.
Purpose The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education has the potential to further customise and personalise students’ learning, and encourage self-directed learning. It can also augment teachers’ professional practice by automating routine tasks and allowing teachers to spend more time...
Purpose The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education has the potential to further customise and personalise students’ learning, and encourage self-directed learning. It can also augment teachers’ professional practice by automating routine tasks and allowing teachers to spend more time...
AI, ChatGPT, and LLMs "have absolutely blown up what I try to accomplish with my teaching." Nik Peachey's insight Some interesting comments from teachers in this article about how AI has now impacted their teaching
In a landmark comparative study published in the Journal of Health Organization and Management, researchers from the University of Maine have embarked on a rigorous investigation to evaluate the diagnostic capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) models against those of seasoned human clinicians...
In a landmark comparative study published in the Journal of Health Organization and Management, researchers from the University of Maine have embarked on a rigorous investigation to evaluate the diagnostic capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) models against those of seasoned human clinicians.
Behavioral health doesn’t need tech that replaces people. It needs technology that respects them, amplifying what clinicians do best and helping more people get the care they deserve.
Behavioral health doesn’t need tech that replaces people. It needs technology that respects them, amplifying what clinicians do best and helping more people get the care they deserve.
FaceAge, a face-reading AI tool that estimates biological age from facial photographs, predicts cancer outcomes with an impressive 81% accuracy rate. This surpasses traditional methods and outperforms doctors in survival assessments. Developed by researchers at Mass General Brigham, FaceAge shows early promise in predicting short-term life expectancy. The findings suggest the AI tool can identify high-risk patients and provide a low-cost, accessible way to inform care decisions, enhancing clinical decision-making.
This improvement was observed across multiple cancer types and stages, with FaceAge delivering a reliable prognostic signal, offering doctors more objective and precise survival estimates. FaceAge has drawn a mix of cautious optimism and concern from medical experts. Irbaz Riaz, assistant professor of medicine and artificial intelligence consultant at Mayo Clinic, called it “a promising early-stage tool.” Hugo Aerts, director of the AI in Medicine program at Mass General Brigham and a lead researcher on the tool, acknowledged its potential benefits but warned it could also cause harm if misused. He stressed that hospitals have strict rules and oversight to ensure AI is used properly and only to benefit patients, not insurers or other parties. -- Researchers say more studies are needed before FaceAge can be routinely used in clinical settings. Their goal is to turn it into an early detection system for various health issues, supported by strong ethical and regulatory standards.
Multi-Agent Generative AI (Gen AI) systems are reshaping the way enterprises design intelligent automation, handle decision-making, and optimize workflows across knowledge-intensive functions. By…
Richard Platt's insight:
Multi-Agent Generative AI (Gen AI) systems are reshaping the way enterprises design intelligent automation, handle decision-making, and optimize workflows across knowledge-intensive functions. By orchestrating specialized agents — often powered by foundation models like OpenAI GPT-4, Claude Sonnet, Mistral, or Gemini — enterprises can now simulate complex human workflows with remarkable scalability and responsiveness. However, as promising as this landscape is, many early-stage implementations are riddled with anti-patterns — recurring design and operational mistakes that compromise performance, accuracy, scalability, security, and human trust. These issues often emerge due to premature architectural choices, misuse of tools like CrewAI, LangGraph, or AutoGen, and a poor understanding of enterprise needs, agent autonomy, and alignment boundaries. This article delves deep into these anti-patterns, identifies their root causes across enterprise use cases, and provides a blueprint of best practices for preventing, detecting, and remediating them. Whether you’re building agentic systems for legal workflow augmentation, customer service automation, knowledge retrieval, or product research, avoiding these pitfalls will be key to building robust, enterprise-grade solutions.
While people who have spent years cultivating their writing skills might bemoan the arrival of AI-assisted writing, there is also a much more optimistic way to view these changes. Until now, the ability to write well was inherently elitist. People fortunate enough to have the time and financial capacity to pursue higher education were better positioned to produce excellent writing.
This is an interesting perspective “While people who have spent years cultivating their writing skills might bemoan the arrival of AI-assisted writing, there is also a much more optimistic way to view these changes. Until now, the ability to write well was inherently elitist. People fortunate enough to have the time and financial capacity to pursue higher education were better positioned to produce excellent writing.” https://www.brookings.edu/articles/ai-has-rendered-traditional-writing-skills-obsolete-education-needs-to-adapt/
This is an interesting perspective “While people who have spent years cultivating their writing skills might bemoan the arrival of AI-assisted writing, there is also a much more optimistic way to view these changes. Until now, the ability to write well was inherently elitist. People fortunate enough to have the time and financial capacity to pursue higher education were better positioned to produce excellent writing.” https://www.brookings.edu/articles/ai-has-rendered-traditional-writing-skills-obsolete-education-needs-to-adapt/
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Using a newly discovered byproduct of dying cancer cells, University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers are developing personalized vaccines that could help keep aggressive tumors from recurring.
The personalized vaccine approach is an extension of the team's recent discovery of pyroptotic vesicles, which are tiny sacs filled with the remnants of cancer cells when they undergo programmed cell death. Crucially, the remnants in these microscopic sacs include antigens specific to the tumor, along with other molecular bits that can help direct immune cells to find and suppress cancer cells that might remain after a tumor is surgically removed. In their study, recently published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, Hu and his colleagues engineered these sacs to carry an immune-stimulating drug. They then embedded these engineered vesicles into a hydrogel that can be implanted into the space left behind after surgical removal of a tumor. Using a melanoma mouse model and two different types of mouse models for triple negative breast cancers, including one with a human-derived tumor, the researchers compared their new approach with other cancer vaccine methods being studied. The mice that received the hydrogel laden with their engineered sacs survived significantly longer than others "Compared to the other approaches, ours shows a much stronger immune response," says Hu. "We were one of the first groups to identify these pyrotopic vesicles and the first to show their effectiveness in helping prevent cancer recurrence, and we are very excited about their potential."
Led by Quanyin Hu, a professor in the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy, the research team has already found success slowing the recurrence of tumors in mouse models of triple negative breast cancer and melanoma. Currently, the long-term prognosis for human patients with these cancers is relatively poor. That's in part because the diseases have a tendency to recur after the initial treatments to remove the tumors.