Scientists at Johns Hopkins have uncovered a crucial missing link between a common gut bacterium and colorectal cancer, solving a mystery that has puzzled researchers for nearly two decades. The bacterium, Bacteroides fragilis, produces a toxin that damages the colon’s protective lining, triggers chronic inflammation, and promotes tumor formation.
The Hubble Space Telescope still shines in the eyes of astronomers after 36 years in orbit, but it is not as nimble as it once was. Left alone, the observatory will plunge back into the atmosphere in the early-to-mid-2030s, closing the book on one of the most famous scientific instruments of the century. NASA last raised the orbit of Hubble in 2002, when the Space Shuttle Columbia visited the observatory for a servicing mission. The final shuttle servicing flight in 2009 did not reboost the telescope's orbit, and with the retirement of the shuttle fleet two years later, Hubble has steadily lost altitude with no way to stave off eventual destruction. The space agency released a Request For Information (RFI) on Thursday asking commercial companies for ideas on how to reboost, service, or a controlled disposal of Hubble. Responses are due November 30. Specifically, NASA is looking for information about companies' current and near-term capabilities for capturing Hubble and boosting it to an altitude of at least 373 miles (600 km), enhancing the telescope's performance, or guiding Hubble to a controlled reentry.Read full article Comments
For a genuine fright this Halloween, you can turn your gaze to the southern border, where ravenous, flesh-eating maggots are festering and have taken to eating people's pets. This week, the country's New World Screwworm (NWS) infestation spread to a third state, Arizona, which joins New Mexico and Texas in being plagued by the horrifying parasites. To date, 74 animal cases have been identified in the US since the flies re-invaded the country in June. The flies lay hundreds of eggs in wounds and moist orifices of animals, and the resulting voracious maggots feast on their victims. The maggots resemble screws and tortuously bore and twist into living flesh, causing severe, sometimes fatal wounds, before dropping to the ground to develop into adults.Read full article Comments
Along with the rest of the world, we at Ars are mourning Sir Patrick Stewart—the beloved award-winning actor best known as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men franchise—who died yesterday at the age of 86. A statement released by Stewart's representatives said: We announce with great sorrow the passing of Sir Patrick Stewart yesterday at his home in Los Angeles, in the loving care of his beloved wife Sunny, following a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia. He has been held in the warm embrace of family and friends, surrounded by live music, prayer, tears, laughter, and the kind of profound emotion that only he could inspire after a lifetime of devotion to us all. We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace. Through the actor's X account, the family has requested that, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Fund and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Caregiver Resources.Read full article Comments
Blackstone's forecast is just a prediction, but naturally, a high junk rating would make it more difficult and costlier for Anthropic to raise the money to keep funding its massive spending that has undergirded its business.
Shenzhen Metro Group has emerged over recent years as an increasingly active player in the development of metro, light rail and suburban projects across a swathe of emerging markets, from Algeria to Vietnam, as Benjámin Zelki explains. Embracing the expansionist ideals of China’s Belt & Road initiative, Shenzhen Metro Group Co and its partners in the Chinese urban rail supply chain are becoming increasingly active in the delivery of urban rail projects globally. Owned by the Shenzhen municipality, Shenzhen Metro Group was established in 1998. The group embarked on its first international projects in 2014, when it stated that its aim was for Shenzhen’s metro standards to be exported to more cities around the world. To date, SZMC has been involved in seven projects in six countries covering a total length of no less than 208.4 km. Examples of its work can be found in cities including Addis Ababa, Abuja, two projects in Hanoi, Tel Aviv, Cairo and the nearby New Administrative Capital, and Alger. Two projects in Hanoi Its most recent contract was announced in December 2025, and it covers the commissioning of Hanoi’s 39.6 km long, fully automated metro Line 5, where civil works started in July. The engineering, procurement, and construction contract was awarded to a consortium led by Pacific Construction Group, accompanied by Truong Son Construction Corp, Shenzhen Urban Design and Research Institute, Shenzhen Building Materials Trading Group, Shenzhen Metro International Investment Consulting, and Vietnam state railway DSVN. The three companies from Shenzhen will carry out design works and provide technical support, as well as undertaking testing and commissioning and providing operational training. They are to transfer technology and train staff for the management, operation and maintenance of the line. Route clearance work starts on Chinese-backed Hanoi metro Line 5 SZMC was also involved in the delivery of Vietnam’s first metro. The 13.1 km Line 2A in Hanoi opened in November 2021, linking Cát Linh to the Hà Đông business district. The company provided consultancy for training, preparation and commissioning tasks, as well as operations-related documentation and technical support. Operating in Tel Aviv With its November 2017 contract to operate Tel Aviv’s Red Line light rail, SZMC achieved a high-profile entry into a market that has had relatively little exposure to Chinese suppliers. As part of the Tevel Metro joint venture with bus operator Egged and China Civil Engineering Construction Corp, SZMC has been operating and maintaining the city’s 24 km Red Line light rail since it opened in August 2023. The 10-year contract is extendable for another six years. Civil works and railway systems for the Red Line, 12 km of which runs underground, were led by Chinese companies including China Railway Tunnel Group, China Civil Engineering Construction Corp, and China Railway Electrification Bureau, with DB Engineering & Consulting managing systems integration. Alstom supplied signalling and control systems, and CRRC Changchun built 90 five-section light rail vehicles. Capital Train Under three contracts signed between December 2019 and July 2022, SZMC has been increasingly involved in commissioning and shadow operation of the Capital Train suburban rail project taking shape in the area east of Cairo. Its scope covered 18 months of operational support prior to the line’s July 2022 opening, plus a further two years of operational supervision for the initial 68.8 km segment. This first section links Adly Mansour on Cairo Metro Line 3 and serves two branches, one running northeast to 10th Ramadan City and the other southeast to the New Administrative Capital. A second phase will extend the NAC branch by 18.5 km and four stations, and the third phase will add 16 km and three stations to serve the centre of 10th Ramadan City. SZMC is again supporting testing and commissioning, providing system integration, operational and staff training, and maintenance technical support for phases 2 and 3. Its role subsequently expanded to include construction management for Phase 3. The line is being built by a consortium of China Railway Engineering Corp and AVIC International Holding Corp under a US$1.24bn contract signed in August 2017, using Chinese finance. RATP Dev Mobility Cairo operates the line and is maintaining it for 15 years, with an optional five-year extension. CRRC Qingdao Sifang supplied 22 six-car EMUs and also has a maintenance contract lasting 12 years. Making use of MTR’s expertise In its home city, Shenzhen Metro Group says it has made use of its proximity to Hong Kong to benefit from MTR Corp’s expertise, and as a result it has begun developing properties along metro lines in Shenzhen, drawing on MTR’s experience on Line 4. MTR’s wholly-owned subsidiary MTR Corp (Shenzhen) Ltd financed and built the first section of Line 4, and took over operation in 2010 under a concession that could run until 2041 if all options are exercised. Shenzhen’s Line 13 Phase II northern extension opens Meanwhile, Shenzhen Line 13 is operated under a 30-year PPP by the MTR CREC Metro joint venture of MTR Corp, China Railway Electrification Bureau and the Shenzhen municipal authority. The consortium was also involved in the financing and construction of the first section as part of a PPP, and the line opened for use progressively from December 2024. Subsequent extensions were delivered by the municipality, and Shenzhen Metro joined MTR and its partners in operating the most recent section when it opened in June. African involvement SZMC’s inaugural international contract came in Ethiopia in 2014, when it was appointed to manage the operations and maintenance of Addis Ababa’s 31 km two-line light rail network for three years and five months. Having trained local personnel, SZMC handed over operations in 2018 to Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit Service Enterprise, which is owned by the local municipality. The two-line network serving 39 stops opened to traffic in September and November 2015. The infrastructure was built by China Railway Engineering Corp, and services are operated by a fleet of 41 three-section trams supplied by CNR (now CRRC) Changchun. Staying in Africa, SZMC provided operations and technical support for Abuja’s two-line diesel commuter rail network for a year and four months after it opened in July 2018. At the time, the line in the Nigerian capital was operated by China Civil Engineering Construction Corp, which led the civil works. The service was suspended in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and operations resumed in June 2024, managed by the Federal Capital Territory Administration. The 42.5 km two-line network links Abuja main station to the airport and Idu to Gbazango. In the Algerian capital, SZMC is providing consultancy services for systems integration, design and construction for the 9.6 km airport extension of Alger metro Line 1. Work on the section started in July 2025. The project is being led by China Railway Construction Corp through a joint venture with various local state-owned contractors. This article first appeared in the October 2026 issue of Railway Gazette International Read the issue See also Japan: Part-privatised Tokyo Metro looks to grow internationally
In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we’ll discuss Rivian’s earnings, Waymo partnering with Toyota, Ford betting on V2H for the Fathom electric pickup truck, and more. more…
#fwtv_Rj9isPUg2qg .fwtv-panel{border:1px solid #d0d0d0;padding:18px;border-radius:6px;line-height:1.6}#fwtv_Rj9isPUg2qg .fwtv-panel p{margin:0 0 12px}#fwtv_Rj9isPUg2qg .fwtv-note{font-style:italic;color:#666;margin-top:16px;padding-top:12px;border-top:1px solid #e0e0e0}Schneider is making a monumental shift in its intermodal operations, moving all eastern rail business from CSX to Norfolk Southern. This strategic partnership aims to unlock significant growth, enhance capacity flexibility, and drive more freight off the roads and onto rail. Discover the full implications of this major move and what it means for the future of intermodal logistics.Schneider National is transferring its eastern intermodal operations to Norfolk Southern, ending its prior relationship with CSX in what both companies describe as a growth-driven realignment. The deal, announced the same day Schneider reported its third-quarter earnings, positions Norfolk Southern as Schneider’s exclusive eastern rail partner alongside Union Pacific in the West. Michael Baumgardt, Schneider’s EVP of Intermodal and Logistics, said the decision followed a lengthy evaluation focused on network reach, train frequency, and proximity to population centers. “It starts with growth and it’s really about, okay, how can we get closer to our customers? How can we make sure that we get more truck freight off of the road and into intermodal where it makes sense?” Baumgardt said. Customer response in the first 24 hours after the announcement was positive, he added, particularly around Schneider’s asset-based model featuring company drivers, company chassis, and company containers. Norfolk Southern’s Vice President Shawn Tureman said the railroad has been building toward this moment for years, growing from the third- to the second-largest intermodal franchise in the United States by 2018. In 2022, the railroad set a new target to double its intermodal franchise again and has been directing discretionary capital toward that goal ever since. “It’s not a question of if, but when. And the way we’re going to get there is by partnering with powerful partners like Schneider,” Tureman said. The current rate environment adds urgency to the move. Truckload rates carry a 30%-plus premium over intermodal rates, making intermodal an increasingly attractive option for shippers. Baumgardt said the primary capacity constraint is not equipment — boxes are available — but rather dray capacity and driver supply. He argued Schneider’s company-driver model gives it a structural advantage in managing that bottleneck. Both executives said the pending Norfolk Southern-CSX merger, a topic that surfaces weekly in industry discussions, was not the driver of this agreement, though they acknowledged it could improve the product. “The merger would be icing on the cake in terms of enhancing service, reliability, and speed,” Baumgardt said. Tureman echoed that view, pointing to single-line service, shorter routes, and reduced interchange friction as potential merger benefits for Schneider’s customers. On the transition itself, both sides said planning began immediately after the agreement and that the goal is a seamless handoff. Tureman said Norfolk Southern pulled forward some infrastructure investments specifically to prepare. “What I hope, 3 months from now, for our customers not to have noticed anything,” he said, adding that a smooth transition would set the stage for joint sales efforts heading into what he called a strong intermodal market in 2026 and 2027. Schneider reported earnings growth in its intermodal segment in Q3, consistent with the company’s stated growth pillars of logistics, dedicated, and intermodal. Dedicated revenue per truck rose 3.1% in the quarter, though Baumgardt emphasized that disciplined freight selection and appropriate driver allocation remain priorities as the company manages through the current freight cycle.Schneider is moving its eastern intermodal rail partnership to Norfolk Southern, complementing its existing western alliance with Union Pacific.Norfolk Southern grew from the 3rd to 2nd largest U.S. intermodal franchise by 2018 and launched a second doubling initiative at its 2022 Investor Day.Truckload rates currently run more than 30% above intermodal rates, with dray and driver availability — not box count — cited as the primary capacity constraint.This Summary is generated thanks to a transcription of the interview, for the full interview please enjoy the video above. The post Rail Rivalry: Schneider’s Bold Move to Norfolk Southern from CSX appeared first on FreightWaves.
#fwtv_yRofIDbr2o .fwtv-panel{border:1px solid #d0d0d0;padding:18px;border-radius:6px;line-height:1.6}#fwtv_yRofIDbr2o .fwtv-panel p{margin:0 0 12px}#fwtv_yRofIDbr2o .fwtv-note{font-style:italic;color:#666;margin-top:16px;padding-top:12px;border-top:1px solid #e0e0e0}The trailer market is experiencing an unexpected surge, with utilization rates surpassing even pandemic levels. Craig Barth, CFO at Premier Trailer Leasing, breaks down why this supply-side driven boom is happening, the shift in demand for older equipment, and critical fraud warnings for those seeking rentals. We also dive into how fleets are navigating CapEx decisions and the importance of preventive maintenance to keep trailers on the road.Trailer leasing utilization at Premier Trailer Leasing has climbed to the highest levels the company has ever recorded, surpassing even peak pandemic-era demand — a development its CFO says caught the industry off guard. The driver is not a surge in freight volumes but a contraction in supply: carriers running older equipment have been exiting the market, leaving those that remain competing for newer trailers from leasing companies. “The trailer market right now is extremely hot. It is something we honestly did not see coming at the beginning of this year,” said Craig Barth, CFO of Premier Trailer Leasing. “Today, our utilization is running as high as it ever has, even beating some of our peak utilization during the pandemic.” “We’re buying all we can in the 4th quarter to meet customer demand. Right now, we’re placing orders well into next year trying to get ahead of what we think is going to be a very strong 2027.” — Craig Barth, CFO, Premier Trailer Leasing The tightest segment of the market is trailers aged 10 years and newer. Barth said customers originally sought 0-to-5-year-old units, but that cohort has been entirely absorbed. Demand has also been reinforced by years of underinvestment at the manufacturing level: Barth noted that trailer manufacturers have been building well below replacement volumes for the last three years, leaving carriers that preferred to retire trailers at five years now running equipment seven, eight, or nine years old and facing rising maintenance costs. Demand firmed noticeably in the May-June timeframe, Barth said, when conversations with customers about late third-quarter and fourth-quarter needs turned “flat out optimistic.” Premier does not normally purchase new equipment in the fourth quarter — typically a period when trailers return to the yard — but this year it is buying as much as it can. Flatbed trailers are seeing particularly acute pressure, driven in part by data center construction activity, with availability rather than price the primary constraint. On the dry van side, resilient consumer spending heading into the holiday season is adding to demand. Carrier CapEx constraints are also steering business toward leasing. With fleets simultaneously cycling through truck renewals and contending with elevated fuel costs and rising driver pay, many operators lack budget to purchase trailers outright. “A lot of our customers right now are going through renewal cycles on the truck side of things,” Barth said, “and they’re having to focus their energies there.” On the fraud front, Barth issued a warning about a scheme targeting trailer renters. Bad actors are monitoring drop yards and distribution centers for trailers sitting idle for three to four days, then advertising those units — falsely — for rent on Facebook Marketplace. The listings use AI-generated invoices and demand payment via Zelle or Venmo. Victims have lost between $700 and $1,000 per incident before authorities are notified. Barth said Premier never accepts Zelle or Venmo payments and urged anyone considering a trailer rental to call one of the company’s 42 branch locations across 31 states to verify legitimacy before sending money.Premier Trailer Leasing’s utilization has hit all-time highs, surpassing pandemic peaks, driven by supply contraction rather than demand growth.Trailer manufacturers have built below replacement volumes for three years, pushing carriers to run equipment 7–9 years old and turn to leasing as CapEx budgets remain constrained.A Facebook Marketplace fraud scheme uses AI-generated invoices to advertise leased trailers illegally, demanding Zelle or Venmo payments and costing victims $700–$1,000 per incident.This Summary is generated thanks to a transcription of the interview, for the full interview please enjoy the video above. The post Unexpected Boom: Trailer Leasing Demand Hits Record Highs appeared first on FreightWaves.
Scientists at Johns Hopkins University have uncovered a surprising process that helps humans develop sharp vision before birth, challenging decades of assumptions about how the eye forms. Using miniature human retinas grown in the lab, researchers discovered that a vitamin A derivative and thyroid hormones work together to shape the foveola, the tiny region at the center of the retina responsible for our sharpest vision.
A new study has mapped human urogenital development in its native spatial context, revealing how neighboring organs coordinate their development through cellular communication and molecular signaling during embryogenesis.
Scientists have recreated a primordial state of matter from the dawn of the universe by colliding oxygen nuclei at nearly the speed of light. The surprising results show that this exotic substance can form in smaller, lower-energy collisions than previously demonstrated, challenging the known boundaries of early-universe physics.
A new gene-editing system could make it easier for researchers to introduce precise genetic changes into crops such as tomatoes, soybeans and rapeseed. Developed by researchers in China, SmartPE improves prime editing efficiency in several dicot plants, addressing a major limitation of the technique.
Nauhaus appointed UAE women’s cricket head coach Staff Reporter NAMIBIAN cricket coach Oscar Nauhaus has been appointed head coach of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Women’s National Cricket Team, bringing more than 10 years of coaching exper Instagram
Australia strike late to restrict South Africa to 140-4, just 40 runs ahead, on day three of men’s third Test – as it happened The GuardianAustralia gain edge in Test decider after late Bavuma blow hurts South Africa The GuardianCareless dismissals give Australia route to series win BBC
Starc strikes back as Australia dismiss South Africa for 329 on day one of third Test – as it happened The GuardianCricket world erupts over sad reveal about Scott Boland before third Test in South Africa Yahoo News AustraliaAustralia vs South Africa: Pat Cummins' tourists fight back to edge first day BBC
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