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Associated Press
08-05-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
SABER Steering Committee Member Dr. Paula Brown Highlights Urgent Need for Scientific Clarity on Kratom at International Symposium
CLEVELAND, OH, May 8, 2025 (EZ Newswire) -- Dr. Paula Brown, a distinguished member of the Scientific Association for Botanical Education and Research (SABER) Steering Committee and Director of Applied Research at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, recently participated in the Fourth International Kratom Symposium, emphasizing the critical need for scientific clarity and regulatory oversight in the kratom industry. Dr. Brown, a recognized expert in natural health and food product research, addressed the complexities surrounding kratom, a botanical used traditionally in Southeast Asia and increasingly in the United States for pain relief, and increased focus to SunnySide Supplement Journal. She highlighted the confusion and misinformation in the marketplace, particularly concerning synthetic derivatives like 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH). Dr. Brown asserted, 'Synthetic 7-OH is not kratom—it is a highly potent, unregulated chemical,' underscoring the potential public health risks associated with such products. (Read the articlehere.) The symposium, held in February, brought together leading researchers from institutions such as the University of Florida, Johns Hopkins University, and Universiti Sains Malaysia. Discussions focused on advancing scientific understanding of kratom's safety and efficacy, as well as addressing regulatory challenges. Dr. Brown emphasized the importance of distinguishing between traditional kratom products and synthetic isolates to ensure consumer safety and informed decision-making. As a member of the SABER Steering Committee, Dr. Brown continues to advocate for evidence-based policies and practices in the natural products industry. Her participation in the symposium reflects SABER's commitment to fostering scientific research and regulatory clarity in emerging sectors. About Scientific Association for Botanical Education and Research (SABER) The Scientific Association for Botanical Education and Research (SABER) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing scientific understanding, regulation, and safe access to botanicals. Through research partnerships, policy advocacy, and public education, SABER works to ensure that natural products are studied responsibly, used safely, and regulated appropriately. To learn more, visit Media Contact Paloma Lehfeldt [email protected] ### SOURCE: Scientific Association for Botanical Education and Research (SABER) Copyright 2025 EZ Newswire
CBC
12-04-2025
- Science
- CBC
Students in Ulukhaktok, N.W.T., building app to preserve Inuinnaqtun language
'I'm hoping that it revitalizes [Inuinnaqtun], the speaking of it in our younger generation,' says elder Students at a school in Ulukhaktok, N.W.T., have teamed up with the British Columbia Institute of Technology to develop an app to help preserve the Inuinnaqtun language. An official language of both the N.W.T. and Nunavut, Inuinnaqtun is the primary Indigenous language spoken in Ulukhaktok and is also spoken in western Kitikmeot communities of Cambridge Bay, Kugluktuk and Gjoa Haven, Nunavut. But the small number of residents who speak it are growing older in both territories. In the N.W.T. alone, the territory said back in 2019 there were just 259 speakers. That's part of the reason it became a topic of conversation at a parent-teacher night at Helen Kalvak School. David Leitch, a teacher there, said parents and students wanted to do more with the language and together they came up with the idea last year to create a simple translation app. "As soon as we got into it, the kids had some pretty fantastic ideas about what they wanted to do, and one of the biggest ones was they wanted to capture the voices of their elders." Leitch said students started working on the project this year, and it quickly exceeded his capacity for programming – but there was a big breakthrough when they reached out to the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) for help. A group of students in a computer technology program there agreed to take the project on, said Leitch, and they're creating a large language model – a type of artificial intelligence – that's learning Inuinnaqtun now. The app is being called Echo of the North and once it's done, Leitch said it'll translate full sentences and will also feature recordings of elders speaking. When someone asks the app for a translation, it'll use that large language model to respond. Joanne Ogina, an elder in Ulukhaktok who has done some translations for the app, said she likes that it's preserving her language. She said Inuinnaqtun is rarely spoken, unless conversing with someone who is older. "I'm hoping that it revitalizes it, the speaking of it in our younger generation, because a lot of them rarely speak the language or even have a chance to hear it," she said. A lot more work to do Leitch said now that BCIT is helping out, students in Ulukhaktok are focusing their time on interviewing elders, recording their voices, and also uploading "every bit" of Inuinnaqtun to the internet so the AI program can learn it. "There's actually different dialects of Inuinnaqtun…. Depending on where you are or where you're from, where your family is from." To reflect those differences, Leitch said users will be able to flag a word in the app and add more information about how it's spelled or pronounced in another dialect – and those details will appear to users as well. Although students have been working hard on the project, Leitch said there's a long way yet to go. The artificial intelligence has learned the entire Inuinnaqtun dictionary but that means it can only translate word-for-word. "To really function, it's going to take months and years of our students and our community and elders putting the language, the sentences, the sentence structure, into the database [so] that the AI can learn the language well enough to translate it," said Leitch.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Researchers make troubling discovery in highly sought-after fish: 'There's a problem here'
A new study by researchers at Canadian universities, the Canadian government, and community scientists has found that high levels of salt, usually poured on roads to prevent vehicles from skidding, are responsible for killing fertilized coho salmon eggs. The study monitored salt in more than 30 streams in Metro Vancouver. Surges of salt during the winter create 10 times the water quality guidelines for chloride in freshwater systems. As road salt is made up of sodium and chloride, when it dissolves on the road, it seeps into the groundwater and streams. Streamkeepers, who had been tracking the issue for years, identified the issue years ago. The study began as "they came together and said 'we think that there's a problem here.' They brought it to researchers at UBC, SFU, and BCIT and that got the ball rolling," said Clare Kilgour, who is working on her master's degree in zoology at UBC and has links to the study, to the Vancouver Sun. Do you think our power grid needs to be upgraded? Definitely Only in some states Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The study found that salt pulses for 24 hours caused 70% of coho eggs to die, with hatched fish having better survival rates. Such revelations are particularly disheartening, considering coho salmon are already threatened. More salt in the wound comes as their numbers seemed to be increasing in past years, only to be diminished by this. Not only are coho salmon valuable to the general population, as they maintain a healthy ecosystem environmentally and economically, but they are also deeply embedded within the culture of Indigenous groups. They are a symbol of sustenance, a key part of the diet, and utilized in trading efforts. All of the ways Indigenous people use coho salmon are not harmful to the environment, as they uplift sustainable methods of trade and avoid mass fishing. Indigenous cultures who benefit from the coho are threatened by the decline of salmon. Without cultural relics, a corner of human experience disintegrates. Researchers in the study have said they "are not advocating for eliminating salt on roads" because, without the grit, it's a safety issue for humans. What they do hope to do is have their research "lead to better practices" such as using "brine or beet wastewater," which can also help grit icy roads. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
