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Study strengthens link between shingles vaccine and lower dementia risk

An unusual public health policy in Wales may have produced the strongest evidence yet that a vaccine can reduce the risk of dementia. In a new study led by Stanford Medicine, researchers analyzing the health records of Welsh older adults discovered that those who received the shingles vaccine were 20% less likely to develop dementia over the next seven years than those who did not receive the vaccine.

The remarkable findings, published in Nature, support an emerging theory that viruses that affect the can increase the risk of . If further confirmed, the new findings suggest that a preventive intervention for dementia is already close at hand.

Creative Rights In AI Coalition launches to protect copyright in government policy on generative AI

A new coalition of rights-holders has called on the government to support growth in the creative and tech sectors by protecting copyright ahead of an imminent AI consultation.

The BPI, PRS For Music, PPL, MPA and UK Music are among the group of publishers, authors, artists, music businesses, specialist interest publications, unions and photographers.

Launching today, the Creative Rights In AI Coalition has published three key principles for copyright and generative AI policy and a statement supported by all member organisations. The coalition is calling on government to adopt the principles as a framework for developing AI policy.

Here’s my take: I was in the music industry for many years, so I know how it operates. People pay royalties every time an artists music is used. My friend Ayub Ogada made an ungodly amount of money from only one album that supported him all the way past death. His music still generates rotalties. Much of it was due to the smarts of Rob Bozas who ran royalties for Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records. AI companies also will have to start paying royalties to creatives whose intellectual property they use to train their AI just like royalties are paid in the music industry. Many AI companies may not be as profitable as many may think due to liabilities from use of intellectual property to train the AI, as without the content the AI could not be trained. Many lawsuits will happen in the foreseeable future.

Japan’s Do-or-Die Space Defense Program: Commercial Technology to Play Key Role in New Architecture

Japan’s fledgling space defense sector is taking its cues from the US Space Development Agency, which is pursuing a novel concept based on constellations of small satellites and maximum use of existing commercial technologies. Space policy researcher Umeda Kota discusses the challenges facing Japan as it embraces the SDA’s “proliferated architecture” for military communications, missile detection and tracking, and other purposes.

China’s Clean Energy Policy: Why China Will Push for Clean Energy Despite the Trump Administration’s Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement

IINA provides ongoing analysis of international affairs both by region—such as North America, China, and Europe—and by such topics as human security, nontraditional security threats, and cyber security. The articles on this site, written by experts at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and guest contributors, are carefully selected for their objectivity, accuracy, timeliness, and relevance for Japan.

【Cooperation between European and Indo-Pacific Powers in the US alliance system project:Policy Paper Vol. 1】Maritime Security and Next-Generation Technologies

IINA provides ongoing analysis of international affairs both by region—such as North America, China, and Europe—and by such topics as human security, nontraditional security threats, and cyber security. The articles on this site, written by experts at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and guest contributors, are carefully selected for their objectivity, accuracy, timeliness, and relevance for Japan.

Prospects for the ROK’s Nuclear Policy — Sharing or Acquiring?

IINA provides ongoing analysis of international affairs both by region—such as North America, China, and Europe—and by such topics as human security, nontraditional security threats, and cyber security. The articles on this site, written by experts at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and guest contributors, are carefully selected for their objectivity, accuracy, timeliness, and relevance for Japan.

Dr. Catharine Young, Ph.D. — Science, Policy And Advocacy For Impactful Health Ecosystems

Science, Policy And Advocacy For Impactful And Sustainable Health Ecosystems — Dr. Catharine Young, Ph.D. — fmr. Assistant Director of Cancer Moonshot Policy and International Engagement, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)


Dr. Catharine Young, Ph.D. recently served as Assistant Director of Cancer Moonshot Policy and International Engagement at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/) where she served at OSTP to advance the Cancer Moonshot (https://www.cancer.gov/research/key-i… with a mission to decrease the number of cancer deaths by 50% over the next 25 years.

Dr. Young’s varied career has spanned a variety of sectors including academia, non-profit, biotech, and foreign government, all with a focus on advancing science.

Dr. Young previously served as Executive Director of the SHEPHERD Foundation, where she championed rare cancer research and drove critical policy changes. Her work has also included fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and advancing the use of AI, data sharing, and clinical trial reform to accelerate cancer breakthroughs.

Dr. Young’s leadership in diplomacy and innovation includes roles such as Senior Director of Science Policy at the Biden Cancer Initiative and Senior Science and Innovation Policy Advisor at the British Embassy, where she facilitated international agreements to enhance research collaborations.

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