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By comparing the DNA of individuals born with a range of birth defects‚ including extra fingers and toes‚ researchers have identified a new rare disorder and with it‚ opened up an avenue towards improved diagnosis and treatment.The findings were described in a study that examined three children sharing a rare combination of traits: polydactyly‚ more often known as extra fingers and/or toes; a larger than average head circumference; and delayed development of their eyes.These features suggested the young patients may share a disorder‚ although what had caused it was unknown. Researchers set to analyzing their DNA‚ which revealed all three had the same mutation in a gene called MAX. It’s a gene that encodes a protein known as a transcription factor‚ a molecule that’s involved in copying DNA into RNA.Identifying this mutation means that it could be easier to diagnose others with the disorder in future‚ study co-lead‚ Dr James Poulter‚ explained in a statement. “Other patients with a similar combination of features can be tested to see if they have the same variant we have identified in our study.”Poulter added: “Currently there are no treatments for these patients. This means that our research into rare conditions is not only important to help us understand them better‚ but also to identify potential ways to treat them.”On that front‚ the study succeeded. The team identified a molecule that could be used to prevent worsening of the disorder and treat its neurological symptoms‚ though this would require extensive research before becoming an approved treatment. It helps that it’s already in clinical trials for another disorder‚ “meaning we could fast track this for these patients if our research finds the drug reverses some of the effects of the mutation‚” according to Poulter.Although a treatment may still be a while off‚ the authors plan to further investigate the MAX mutation and are keen to highlight the importance of this kind of research‚ which often gives patients and their families long-awaited answers. For example‚ the study used data from the Deciphering Developmental Disorders study‚ a UK-based project that’s led to a multitude of diagnoses for patients with rare diseases.“These are often under-represented conditions that have a huge impact on patients and their families. These families go through a long and complex diagnostic odyssey. The time from their first doctor’s visit as babies to getting a diagnosis can take more than 10 years‚” Poulter explained.“It is important that these patients and their families discover the cause of their condition – and if they can access a therapy based on their genetic diagnosis‚ that could be life changing.”The study is published in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

The tentative detection of the first-ever exomoons – moons orbting planets outside the Solar System – was called into question at the end of last year when scientists using a new detection algorithm said they couldn’t find them. The exomoons have been at the center of plenty of drama over the five years since their potential discovery but the December paper appeared to have put an end to the saga. But a good saga can always come back with a sufficient twist. The original discovery team has come back with a new yet-to-be peer-reviewed study rebutting the rejection of the exomoons' discovery and arguing the claims in December’s research are wrong. They say the exomoons are there and the problem is not with the data but with the detection algorithm.Let’s rewind. Back in 2018‚ researchers announced the potential discovery of an exomoon around planet Kepler-1625 b. Over 3‚500 exoplanets – planets that orbit a star other than our Sun – had been found by then but this was the first-ever exomoon. The original data suggesting the detection came from NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope‚ a planet-hunting telescope responsible for many planetary discoveries. The possible moon seemed to have played hide and seek in that data‚ not appearing often‚ but a follow-up with Hubble delivered more data that once again made the case for the exomoon.Another potential exomoon was discovered a year later by the same team‚ this time around exoplanet Kepler-1708 b. Both candidate moons are huge‚ bigger than half the planets in the Solar System‚ and orbiting an even bigger planet. They are also the only exomoons found yet. Over 5‚000 exoplanets have been found as of January 2024‚ and yet still only two exomoons. Seeing as moons vastly outnumber planets in our Solar System‚ this is strange.  Both exomoons are also far away‚ respectively 8‚200 light-years and 5‚500 light-years from Earth. The detections came from spotting the moons reducing the light of their star by a tiny fraction as they passed in front of it‚ just as their planets were detected. It's an orbiting needle in a haystack. For this reason‚ Dr René Heller and Dr Michael Hippke developed their algorithm to better search for exomoons. What they found is lower statistical evidence for the presence of exomoons around these two worlds."We would have liked to confirm the discovery of exomoons around Kepler-1625b and Kepler-1708b‚" Dr Heller at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research said in a statement in December 2023. "But unfortunately‚ our analyses show otherwise."                      Dr David Kipping and Dr Alex Teachey of the original discovery lead the rebuttal paper. They argue that the data from Heller and Hippke for the moon of Kepler-1625 b also shows the same potentially moon-like dip but that their analysis excludes it. For the moon of Kepler-1708 b‚ the team re-analyzed the data with the same parameters as Heller and Hippke‚ finding once again the moon signal with even better confidence than before.“We conclude that both candidates remain viable but certainly demand further observations‚” they wrote in their preprint paper.So are the exomoons there or not? We don't know. The new study certainly makes a strong case for not discarding that hypothesis just yet.The December paper was published in Nature Astronomy. The rebuttal has been submitted to the journal as a Rising Matter and is currently available on the ArXiv.  

While you might hear parrots and think of them flying majestically through the trees in the Amazon – or even that one time a flightless parrot in New Zealand got up close and personal with a zoologist – your mind probably wouldn’t go to the idea of them swinging through the forest by their beaks. However‚ a recent study has revealed a new kind of gait for these birds: “beakiation”.By looking at the way four rosy-faced lovebirds (Agapornis rosiecollis) moved along a suspended pole using their beaks‚ the team thinks this is the first species to be recorded to move in this way. They have given the method of moving in the manner of suspensory beak-driven locomotion the name beakiation. These lovebirds have already been observed climbing up walls using their beaks‚ and have now taken the motion sideways.         IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.The researchers set up two experiments to find out more about how the birds were moving. The first featured a suspended thin "branch" with pressure plates attached to a large wooden platform so the team could find out how much force was on a single limb and analyze the center of mass movements associated with beakiation‚ with 129 trials conducted in this manner. The branch was too thin to walk along‚ so the birds had to get creative. “The smaller the substrate‚ the harder it is to stay upright without toppling over‚ so the natural solution would be to go underneath and just hang‚” says co-author Melody Young told Smithsonian Magazine.         A modified version was also tested to collect the single limb forces acting during beakiation. The length of the support was shortened. In total‚ 500 strides from 142 trials were carried out using this modified apparatus. Movements of the birds in both experiments were recorded by two high-speed cameras. No training was involved – rather‚ the birds simply used a way to move along the suspended beam when presented to it during the experiment. “We just put them up there‚ and all four birds chose to adopt this same behavior‚” said Young.Through studying the videos‚ beakiation was found to begin with the beak grasping the suspended rod‚ and then both hind legs being released to swing forwards with the center of mass. The feet then grasp a new position on the rod‚ and the beak then grasps in front of them before the whole process starts again (as can be seen in the above video). The different stages of beakiation.Image Credit: Dickinson‚ E.‚ et al. (2024) Royal Society Open Science. CC By 4.0The force on the beak is equal to the force a gibbon would place on its arms while swinging through the trees‚ though beakiation has a slower more careful nature‚ meaning the birds recover only about 25 percent of the energy between swingas compared to a gibbon's roughly 80 percent recovery. The researchers believe this is a brand new undocumented method of locomotion for these birds and is different from other known methods of moving via beak‚ such as what has been observed from the Puerto Rican spindalis (Spindalis portoricensis)‚ though this is only an oral account and has no video or photograph evidence. The team highlights that while this new method of travel was carried out during experimental conditions‚ it should not hide the extraordinary capabilities of these animals and their beaks. The paper is published in the journal Royal Society Open Science. 

Twitter Files journalist Matt Taibbi tore into the liberal media for ignoring inconvenient news‚ including the Twitter Files.  Taibbi told syndicated radio host Mark Levin that a media blackout of his recent bombshell about the revival of components of the 2020 “transition integrity project” to reportedly help Biden win the 2024 election was nothing new during the Jan. 29 edition of The Mark Levin Show. Taibbi pointed out that legacy media had ignored all the collusion exposed by his work on the Twitter Files‚ saying that “you could hear a pin drop when we put that out.”  Taibbi agreed with Levin that his recent revelations about the 2024 election were ignored by the media and pointed out that the media had behaved the same way when he published his Twitter Files research. “I thought that was a huge story‚” said Taibbi of The Twitter Files‚ highlighting his disappointment with the media‚ “I thought everybody would have to pick that up because you know‚ no matter what they thought politically and there was nothing‚ it was like you could hear a pin drop after we put that story out.” The Twitter Files journalist did not expect the situation to improve. “That’s just the world we live in now‚” Taibbi decried. “I grew up in an era when reporters were not supposed to care how information broke and who was hurt by it and who was helped by it‚ but that’s not where we are in the media right now and things are different and we just have to get used to that.” In fact‚ a study by MRC Senior Research Analyst Bill D'Agostino‚ showed that CNN and MSNBC almost completely ignored not only Taibbi’s Twitter Files revelations but also all the other Twitter Files installments. Taibbi’s research was also ignored by the Big Three the morning after they were published. CBS‚ ABC and NBC all covered news related to Twitter that morning‚ but not one of the three networks mentioned the Twitter Files.  Levin shared his outrage at the media’s transparent bias‚ praising Taibbi’s most recent bombshell and slamming the radio silence surrounding it. Levin told Taibbi:  “You know Matt Taibbi‚ you write this piece‚ its incredibly thorough‚ you list names‚ you list organizations‚ you list sources and on and on and on … maybe I missed something‚ nobody picks it up. It’s like: what the hell is this? You’ve just laid out a massive‚ I don’t know conspiracy or efforts‚ it’s just a sleazball operation and it's going to have an effect on this election‚ it's going to have an effect if Donald Trump wins this election‚ and we’re gonna again be at pistol aim at each other and they don’t say a damn thing about it!”   Conservatives are under attack! Contact your representatives and demand government agencies and Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency‚ clarity on so-called hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us at the Media Research Center contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable

CBS’s Stephen Colbert used the Tuesday edition of The Late Show to launch into an extended factually-challenged diatribe against Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s border policies. The hysteria started immediately‚ “Now‚ right now that border bill‚ it's kind of important because-- and I don't want to alarm anyone-- we're on the cusp of another civil war.” Colbert then launched his attack on Abbott‚ “Here's what's going on. Texas‚ they had their own plan to deal with the border‚ put in place by Texas Governor Greg Abbott‚ seen here releasing a flock of doves to poop on migrant children.”     In order to portray Abbott as a heartless goon‚ Colbert got the facts of the situation on the ground wrong‚ “Abbott introduced an anti-immigration crackdown‚ putting razor wire along 60 miles of the border‚ but the federal government didn't like the razor wire‚ saying it physically prevented border patrol agents from entering the area‚ processing migrants‚ and providing assistance to drowning victims‚ which is why border patrol had been cutting the razor wire to reach them.” Colbert was citing a Vox article from January 27 which is incredible because by the idea that the migrants drowned because of Texas’s actions had long since been debunked. They died before Border Patrol alerted Texas. Continuing his attacks on Abbott‚ Colbert invoked the Statue of Liberty‚ “Now‚ once the feds came and started cutting the wire‚ Abbott sued‚ but he also doubled down‚ installing razor wire under the surface of the Rio Grande and circular saw blades between buoys. Next‚ he's gonna change the poem on the Statue of Liberty from ‘Give me your tired‚ your poor‚ your huddled masses yearning to breathe free’ to ‘Would you like to play a game?’ Next‚ Colbert turned his ire on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas‚ “The razor wire case went to the Supreme Court‚ who ruled against Texas in a 5-4 decision with no details or explanations provided. The dissents simply read ‘Nay‚ nay‚ nay‚" and ‘Does this luxury RV come in mother of pearl?’"  The reason why the dissents had no explanations is because the Court was deciding whether or not to remove an injunction prohibiting the feds from cutting the wire. The underlying case is still be litigated and despite all the hot rhetoric‚ Homeland Security still has not sued for access to Shelby Park. According to Colbert‚ “Now‚ this really should have been a clear 9-0 decision against Texas. The federal government has the final say on all immigration. It's in the Constitution. It's called the Supremacy Clause and it clearly states that federal law and federal treaty obligations quote ‘Shall be the supreme law of the land.’"   Despite the underlying legal question not being answered yet‚ Colbert was certain Abbott was echoing some very dangerous ideas‚ “After the ruling‚ the Texas National Guard ignored the Supreme Court decision and Abbott continued construction along the border‚ claiming that he doesn't have to listen to the Supreme Court because the Biden administration had ‘Broken the compact between the United States and the states‚" a reference to an archaic idea called the ‘Compact theory and nullification.’"  While Colbert accuses Abbott of going down a dangerous road‚ it was actually he who was spreading dangerous hysteria about civil war because he couldn’t even bother to get the facts right. Here is a transcript for the January 30 show: CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert 1/30/2024 11:40 PM ET STEPHEN COLBERT: Now‚ right now that border bill‚ it's kind of important because-- and I don't want to alarm anyone-- we're on the cusp of another civil war. Here's what's going on. Texas‚ they had their own plan to deal with the border‚ put in place by Texas Governor Greg Abbott‚ seen here releasing a flock of doves to poop on migrant children.  Abbott introduced an anti-immigration crackdown‚ putting razor wire along 60 miles of the border‚ but the federal government didn't like the razor wire‚ saying it physically prevented border patrol agents from entering the area‚ processing migrants‚ and providing assistance to drowning victims‚ which is why border patrol had been cutting the razor wire to reach them.  As a general rule‚ you want to be able to help people who are drowning or really in any mortal danger‚ not make things worse. That's why the fire safety signs don't say‚ "Stop‚ drop‚ and stab."  Now‚ once the feds came and started cutting the wire‚ Abbott sued‚ but he also doubled down‚ installing razor wire under the surface of the Rio Grande and circular saw blades between buoys. Next‚ he's gonna change the poem on the Statue of Liberty from "Give me your tired‚ your poor‚ your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" to "Would you like to play a game?"  The razor wire case went to the Supreme Court‚ who ruled against Texas in a 5-4 decision with no details or explanations provided. The dissents simply read "Nay‚ nay‚ nay‚" and "Does this luxury RV come in mother of pearl?"  Now‚ this really should have been a clear 9-0 decision against Texas. The federal government has the final say on all immigration. It's in the Constitution. It's called the Supremacy Clause and it clearly states that federal law and federal treaty obligations quote "Shall be the supreme law of the land." For those of you who didn't go to law school‚ supreme law means it comes with sour cream. But unanimous or not‚ SCOTUS has spoken. It's been decided‚ right? Wrong. 'Cause Greg Abbott is plowing ahead. After the ruling‚ the Texas National Guard ignored the Supreme Court decision and Abbott continued construction along the border‚ claiming that he doesn't have to listen to the Supreme Court because the Biden administration had "Broken the compact between the United States and the states‚" a reference to an archaic idea called the "Compact theory and nullification." 

Hundreds of statues of historical and religious significance have been toppled throughout the United States in recent years. Rather than stop the iconoclasts responsible‚ government officials have in many cases rewarded them — at least when they were not themselves directly responsible. However‚ it became clear this week that the powers that be still hold some things sacred: abortion clinics and satanic idols. Within hours of a federal court finding six more pro-life activists guilty of peacefully demonstrating inside an infamous late-term abortion clinic‚ Christian Navy veteran Michael Cassidy was charged with a hate crime Tuesday for toppling a satanic statute last year at the Iowa Capitol. The Polk County Attorney's Office indicated that Cassidy's admission that he "destroyed the property because of the victim's religion" prompted the decision to increase Cassidy's previous misdemeanor charge to a class D felony. What's the background? The Satanic Temple is an anti-Christian leftist group that has distributed satanic literature to kids; championed the LGBT agenda; worked ardently to ensure that mothers can have their unborn babies legally killed by way of their "religious abortion ritual"; performed public "unbaptisms"; erected multiple statues of demons on public property; and held a demonization ceremony in protest of the canonization of the Catholic Spanish priest Junípero Serra. Blaze News previously reported that weeks ahead of Christmas‚ the Satanic Temple installed a demonic altar on the first floor of the Iowa Capitol along with caped figure of what appeared to be a ram-headed Baphomet holding a red pentacle. Baphomet has long been associated with devil worship and the occult; however‚ it appears to have originated as a slight against the Muslim faith. UCLA professor Zrinka Stahuljak indicated "Baphomet" was originally a French corruption of the name Mohamed. British historian Peter Partner suggested further that the Knights Templar‚ who successfully reclaimed territory previously occupied by Islamic forces‚ were accused by inquisitors of worshiping Baphomet as part of what appears to have been a 14th-century smear. Lucien Greaves‚ the co-founder of the Satanic Temple‚ claimed the demon statue was not intended to be insulting despite its anti-Islamic significance and the installation's exhibition of the anti-Christian group's " seven fundamental tenets‚" including "the freedom to offend." — (@) Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) faced significant pressure to have the statue taken down. While Reynolds acknowledged the demonic altar was "objectionable‚" she invited critics to join her in prayer at the state Capitol rather than in destruction. State Rep. Jon Dunwell (R)‚ a Christian pastor‚ outlined why this was the optimal response‚ noting that the Satanic Temple successfully "petitioned for their display in August and were approved with some modification." Dunwell said the display "glorifies the evil influence we oppose" but was nevertheless lawful. Satanic Temple co-founder Greaves stated‚ "I would hope that even people who disagree with the symbolism behind our values‚ whether they know what those values [are] or not‚ would at least appreciate that it's certainly a greater evil to allow the government to pick and choose between forms of religious expression." Beheading Baphomet Although a prayerful man‚ Michael Cassidy of Lauderdale‚ Mississippi‚ apparently figured it wouldn't hurt to also smash the demonic display. After liking a post by Blaze News columnist Auron MacIntyre‚ which stated‚ "Periodic reminder that the religious right were correct about everything‚" Cassidy marched into the Iowa Capitol on Dec. 14‚ 2023‚ and decapitated the Baphomet statue. Adding insult to symbolic injury‚ he tossed the ram head into a garbage can. "I saw this blasphemous statue and was outraged. My conscience is held captive to the word of God‚ not to bureaucratic decree. And so I acted‚" Cassidy said in an interview with the Sentinel. — (@) Cassidy‚ a former F/A-18 Hornet pilot who served on the USS George Washington‚ turned himself in to police following the beheading without incident. He was subsequently charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief‚ a misdemeanor. "The world may tell Christians to submissively accept the legitimization of Satan‚ but none of the founders would have considered government sanction of Satanic altars inside Capitol buildings as protected by the First Amendment‚" Cassidy told the Sentinel. "Anti-Christian values have steadily been mainstreamed more and more in recent decades‚ and Christians have largely acted like the proverbial frog in the boiling pot of water." The Satanic Temple Iowa said in a statement‚ "This morning‚ we were informed by authorities that the Baphomet statue in our holiday display was destroyed beyond repair. ... [J]ustice is being pursued the correct way‚ through legal means. Solve et Coagula! Happy Holidays! Hail Satan!" No good deed goes unpunished The Polk County Attorney's Office announced Tuesday that on the basis of Cassidy's statements both to law enforcement and the public indicating he destroyed the property due to its anti-Christian nature — or what prosecutors referred to as "the victim's religion" — they had enhanced his original charge to "third-degree criminal mischief in violation of individual rights‚ a class D felony‚ according to Iowa Code Section 729A.2." The attorney's office indicated that the cost to replace or repair the demonic installation was between $750 and $1‚500. The Des Moines Register indicated the radical group alternatively estimated the cost of replacing the statue was $3‚000. The attorney's office also underscored that prosecutors seek "fair and just resolutions of all cases‚ as we continue to apply the law equally to all‚ regardless of religion‚ race‚ sexual orientation‚ or economic status." Casidy faces arraignment on Feb. 15. He has raised over $85‚700 for his legal defense so far. The Register noted that the Navy veteran's attorney‚ Sara Pasquale‚ declined Tuesday to comment on the new charge. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!