Researchers develop innovative new method to recycle fluoride from long-lived ‘forever chemicals’

Dr Thomas Schlatzer and Dr Christopher Goult inspect the degraded Teflon sealing rings that started the team’s investigations into this new method for recycling PFAS chemicals. Credit: Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford. PFAS – which stands for poly- and perfluoroalkylated substances – have been produced in large quantities for over 70 years. They are found in a wide variety of products including textiles, food packaging, non-stick cookware, and medical…

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Oxford launches first human aerosol TB challenge trial

The University of Oxford in partnership with the Coler Lab at Seattle Children’s Research Institute (SCRI) has begun a new clinical trial called TB045, which aims to test tuberculosis (TB) vaccine safety and the host immune response in a first-in-man aerosol mycobacterial challenge infection model with healthy adult volunteers. TB is a disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis and in 2023 was the leading cause of death from an…

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Expert Comment: The Modern Slavery Act at 10 – what have we learnt for human rights?

Former Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May, who can justifiably take the political credit for the passage of the UK’s ground-breaking  Modern Slavery Act 10 years ago today, famously described modern slavery as ‘the greatest human rights issue of our time.’Our experience of modern slavery research for policy teaches us that the patient and systematic resort to properly resourced, independent and expert policy-relevant research, evidence and data, which is the product…

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Washington Supreme Court Rejects Noncompete Provision Barring Employees Competitors

A recent Washington State Supreme Court decision addressed a simmering conflict between the statutory right of employees earning less than double minimum wage to work a second job, on the one hand, and employees’ duty of loyalty owed to its employer, on the other.  In David v. Freedom Vans LLC, the Court held employees in Washington state earning less than double the minimum wage can work directly for competitors without…

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UK Parliament Proposes Increased Penalties for Failure to Consult in a Collective Redundancy

Quick Hits In March 2025, the UK government announced amendments to the Employment Rights Bill following a series of consultations. The penalty “protective award” payable to employees when an employer fails to consult properly in a collective redundancy situation would be doubled from 90 to 180 days’ pay. Collective redundancy consultation obligations (which apply when twenty or more redundancies are proposed) would continue to be determined separately for each “establishment”…

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Managing unforeseen risks in supply chain contracts: Choice of law considerations

While the topic of U.S. tariffs has dominated recent headlines and turned the attention of business leaders and legal advisors to supply chain matters, often there are more basic legal considerations at play that are not adequately scrutinized by those carrying out cross-border business: basic contractual terms respecting unforeseeable events, which can be significantly impacted by applicable law governing supply agreements, purchase orders, bills of lading and other legal documentation.…

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Strategic Implications and Regional Dynamics of AI on Modern Warfare for Pakistan

Pakistan’s indigenous AI capabilities, exemplified by its Burraq and Shahpar-II drones, signify its determination to counterbalance India’s advancements. These platforms, while still evolving, have demonstrated the potential to contribute to Pakistan’s broader strategic objectives. Moreover, AI’s utility in countering non-traditional threats — such as cross-border terrorism and hybrid warfare — adds another layer to its strategic relevance. Along the Line of Control and the Durand Line, AI-enabled surveillance systems and…

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Why Four-Day Workweek Experiments Fail (and How to Make Yours Stick)

Topics Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series Subscribe Share Nick Lowndes/Ikon Images Summary: As the four-day workweek evolves from experiment to reality at many organizations, some are thriving and reaping benefits like higher productivity, stronger engagement, and improved hiring and retention, while others are struggling with implementation. For business leaders, the challenge is executing the necessary…

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Six Essential Tips for Understanding Intellectual Property Rights Under Government Contracts

In celebration of the release of the 6th Edition of the Government Contracts Compliance Handbook, we are sharing six essential tips for understanding intellectual property (IP) rights in government contracts. Contractors navigating federal procurement must understand how IP is created, owned, and licensed under government agreements. The failure to properly manage IP rights can lead to the unintended loss of ownership, competitive disadvantages, or disputes with the government over licensing…

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New Mexico Is the Next State With a Proposed Heat Illness Rule

Quick Hits The proposed rule would require a plan that incorporates control measures, acclimatization, emergency medical care, and training. The proposed rule would apply to both indoor and outdoor locations. There will be narrow exemptions for incidental heat exposures of fifteen minutes or less within a one-hour period, emergency response operations, telework, and environments where mechanical ventilation systems maintain a heat index below 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The New Mexico Environment…

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Consumer rights and protection across Canada’s supply chain operations

Consumer protection laws in Canada consist of a combination of federal, provincial, and territorial legal requirements that businesses must follow when contracting with consumers. Within supply chains, consumer protection issues can arise at various stages, including the manufacturing process, where companies must ensure product safety and compliance with regulatory standards. Businesses must also adhere to legal requirements related to product labelling, marketing, and advertising to provide accurate consumer disclosures, as…

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Level up your AI skills on March 28, National AI Literacy Day

Build your AI skills and celebrate National AI Literacy Day with our free resources. Educators across the world are using AI to streamline lesson planning, personalize instruction, and enhance accessibility. According to our AI in education report, many educators, students, and school leaders are already incorporating AI into school-related activities. On March 28, 2025, we’re celebrating National AI Literacy Day in the US. This nationwide initiative is a fantastic opportunity…

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Curator unravels mystery of Virgil manuscript’s journey to Stanford

Among the 200,000 items in Stanford’s Special Collections, a few were made for the limelight. There’s a seminal work by Copernicus, who proposed that the Earth revolves around the sun, that is valued at $2.5 million; a handwritten draft of Cannery Row, by John Steinbeck, Class of 1923; a receipt for grain from the year 2056 BCE, carved into a piece of hardened clay the size of a postage stamp.But…

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China: will the change in the authorities’ rhetoric be enough to restore confidence?

Whereas Chinese public policy has traditionally targeted supply, notably through various forms of support for businesses (grants, tax credits, access to liquidity), and Xi Jinping used to regularly slam “welfare societies” where the welfare state and Keynesian mechanisms play a role, this shift in tone means there is now more emphasis on domestic consumption and demand.Last week, the Chinese authorities announced a plan to “vigorously boost consumption” – something they…

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Do you really need Strategic Workforce Planning?

Choosing the right workforce planning approach for your organisation Workforce planning isn’t one-size-fits-all. While Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) helps organisations plan for the long term, Tactical and Operational Workforce Planning address more immediate and mid-term needs. Understanding when to apply each approach is critical to workforce resilience, cost efficiency, and business success. Which planning approach is right for you? Reading time: 3 minutes Strategic, Tactical, or Operational Workforce Planning –…

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DOJ Withdraws Eleven ADA Guidance Documents For Public Accommodations

Department of Justice logo. By: Ashley S. Jenkins and Minh N. Vu Seyfarth synopsis: The Trump DOJ rescinded five COVID-19 related documents and six older guidance documents designed to educate businesses on the requirements of the ADA, claiming that the recission will reduce the burden on businesses to review them. On March 19, 2025, to comply with President Trump’s January 20, 2025 memorandum “Delivering Emergency Price Relief for American Families…

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The extraterritorial reach of B.C.’s privacy laws: Court upholds privacy commissioner’s order against foreign AI company

Driven by the development of AI and other technologies, companies are gaining increasing ability1 to access and extract volumes of information from various online sources across jurisdictions. The ease and far-reaching capabilities of these data extraction or “scraping” tools give companies a competitive advantage that is enticing. With this ability, however, comes responsibility, particularly where personal information is concerned and regardless of whether the company is a foreign entity. The…

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Lessons From Luxury on Creating More With Less

When we think of creativity, we imagine artists staring at a blank canvas, or businesses with unlimited budgets, dreaming up the next big thing. But sometimes the most innovative ideas arise when we’re pushed to work within limits. In fact, many art forms, from monochromatic art to Japanese haiku, build on the idea of doing more with less. Chef Alain Passard is a master of such “bounded creativity,” one of the…

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Thriving Antarctic ecosystems found following iceberg calving

An international team of scientists have uncovered a thriving underwater ecosystem off the coast of Antarctica that had never before been accessible to humans.The team, including researchers from the University of Cambridge, were working in the Bellingshausen Sea off the coast of Antarctica when a massive iceberg broke away from the George VI Ice Shelf in January of this year. The team, on board Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too),…

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London & Capital and Waverton Investment Management unite as W1M as the firm pursues ambitious growth beyond £21 billion AUM milestone

By London & Capital | 25 Mar, 2025 Following the merger of London & Capital (“L&C”) and Waverton Investment Management (“Waverton”) in July 2024, the company announces today that it will be consolidating its brands under a new name, W1M. The launch of W1M signals the coming together of two highly successful firms and coincides with the combined business surpassing £21 billion of assets under management, placing it amongst the…

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AI versus green: clash of the transitions?

25 March 2025By Miles ParkerAI adoption requires enormous amounts of electricity. And so does greening the economy. Are the digital and green transitions clashing or can they be successfully achieved together? The ECB Blog takes a closer look.This post is part of a miniseries related to the ECB conference “The Transformative Power of AI”, on 1-2 April 2025, bringing together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. Learn more here.Two of the biggest…

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How elephants plan journeys: New study reveals energy-saving strategies

Being an elephant is no easy task. As massive herbivores weighing several tons, they must consume vast amounts of low-calorie vegetation every day. However, their sheer size means that moving around to find food costs significant physical effort. Literally every step matters—especially in the vast, often harsh landscapes they traverse. African Elephant with GPS tracker. Image credit: Jane Wynyard, Save The Elephants. Understanding how elephants move through the landscape is…

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Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty between Russia and Iran as a Roadmap for Cooperation

On March 24, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty between Russia and Iran. Moderator Ivan Timofeev described the signing of this treaty as one of the most significant foreign policy developments in recent years. He highlighted the shared interests between Russia and Iran, particularly in light of the comparable pressure both nations face from Western countries, which has laid the political groundwork for…

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When to Use GenAI Versus Predictive AI

Topics Data, AI, & Machine Learning AI & Machine Learning Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Summary: Leaders are often confused about when to use generative AI versus predictive AI (machine learning and deep learning) tools. The issue isn’t that one technology is superior: It’s about matching the…

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California Legislature Introduces Several Employment Law Bills for 2025

Quick Hits California legislators have proposed bills in the 2025 legislative session that address pay transparency, automated decision systems, workplace surveillance, paid family leave, and employee training. The legislative session in California will end on September 12, 2025. The governor will have until October 12, 2025, to sign or veto bills passed by the state legislature. California legislators have introduced the following employment law-related bills this session: SB 642 would…

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To include or not include, that is the (real estate) question! Competitor property controls under the new competition act

The Affordable Housing and Groceries Act (Bill C-56), which came into force on Dec. 15, 2023, and Bill C-59, which received Royal Assent on June 20, 2024 included sweeping amendments to the abuse of dominance provisions (s.79) and the civil anti-competitive agreements provisions (s.90.1) of the Competition Act (Act) which are forcing parties to consider new factors in negotiating the terms of various real estate agreements nationwide. A clear impetus…

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Oxford tops national spinout rankings in 2025 report

The report finds that just ten universities are responsible for 53% of the UK’s spinouts, with Oxford securing the top position. Oxford’s success reflects its world-class research base, deep commercialisation expertise, and a strong network of investors and partners.This year’s report also highlights a significant reduction in the equity stakes taken by universities in spinouts. In 2024, the average university stake dropped to 16% – down from 22% the year…

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How seven steps can help midsize industrials crack the transformation code

US midsize industrial companies are renowned for their distinctive technologies, widely recognized products, and strong brands. But in terms of performance, they could do a lot more. If they realize their full potential, they could collectively boost US GDP by $275 billion to $460 billion and add up to 1.5 million jobs by 2030, a McKinsey Global Institute analysis shows. What’s more, by raising their profiles and performance, they could…

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University spin-out secures funding to improve AI energy efficiency and bandwidth

CamGraPhIC - co-founded Professor Andrea Ferrari, Director of the Cambridge Graphene Centre, and Dr Marco Romagnoli of CNIT in Italy - is developing new types of photonic circuits for energy-efficient, high-bandwidth, optical interconnect technology.is developing new types of photonic circuits for energy-efficient, high-bandwidth, optical interconnect technology.The investment will support continued innovation in graphene photonics transceivers, a technology that could improve energy efficiency, reduce latency, and increase bandwidth for artificial intelligence (AI) and cellular data…

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Awards recognize public service and community partnerships

In a ceremony on March 18, Stanford honored three collaborations and a faculty member for their work connecting university research and teaching with local needs. The university’s Community Partnership Awards, which are coordinated by the Office of Community Engagement, recognize collaborations between Stanford and Bay Area organizations that help improve the region’s well-being. The 2025 honorees include:Ayudando Latinos a Soñar and the Stanford Immigrant Child Health Program, which focuses on community…

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Research into chimpanzee ‘engineers’ has implications for understanding human technological evolution

These findings, published in the journal iScience, have important implications for understanding the technical abilities associated with the making of perishable tools – a topic which remains a highly unknown aspect of human technological evolution.Termites are a good source of energy, fat, vitamins, minerals and protein for chimpanzees. To eat the insects, chimpanzees need to use relatively thin probes to fish the termites out of the mounds where they live.…

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Oxford marks World Tuberculosis Day as vaccine trials continue

In 2023, Tuberculosis (TB) caused more deaths worldwide than any other infectious disease. It is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and although largely unheard of in the developed world by the late 20th century, cases have been rising globally in recent years and it continues to place an enormous social and economic burden on much of the developing world.Although often thought of as a lung disease, TB can infect…

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Seminar inspires students to seek the ‘why’ behind every belief

In a winter quarter course, Stanford undergraduates learned another way to disagree: by learning why people hold the positions they do.Approaching difference through curiosity was at the center of an optional, peer-led discussion seminar for undergraduates enrolled in Democracy and Disagreement, the popular course taught by Debra Satz, the Vernon R. and Lysbeth Warren Anderson Dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences (H&S), and Paul Brest, professor emeritus (active)…

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Tara VanDerveer and Steve Kerr talk coaching, culture, and excellence

During his 15-year career as a player in the NBA, Steve Kerr’s greatest performances occurred when he was enjoying the game. “I always played my best when I was having fun and I was loving the sport,” he told former Stanford women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer last Tuesday in Kissick Auditorium.The discussion was part of the final class in VanDerveer’s winter quarter Continuing Studies course Basketball: A Masterclass, which covered…

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Wisconsin Court of Appeals Finds Taxpayer-Funded College Grant Program to Be Unconstitutional

Quick Hits On February 26, 2025, a Wisconsin appellate court ruled that a taxpayer-funded educational grant program for minority students is unconstitutional, citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College (SFFA). The court’s decision to halt the Minority Undergraduate Retention Program underscores the broader implications of the SFFA ruling, suggesting that race-based considerations in state-funded educational assistance programs may…

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Powering the remanufacturing renaissance with AI

Across sectors, companies are accelerating remanufacturing as a way to mitigate supply chain shortages, reach new customers through affordability, and implement high-margin alternatives for parts. However, those looking to build or optimize their remanufacturing operations face unique challenges, such as pricing a long tail of SKUs and undertaking accurate core forecasting—that is, predicting the volume, timing, and quality of returned products (core) that will be available for remanufacturing. Enter AI.…

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Six Essential Tips for Avoiding Product Substitution Issues on Government Contracts

In celebration of the release of the 6th Edition of the Government Contracts Compliance Handbook, we are sharing six essential tips for avoiding product substitution issues in government contracting. Product substitution is one of the most frequent and costly procurement fraud risks. Contractors must ensure that all products delivered meet contract specifications, as noncompliance can lead to civil and criminal penalties, False Claims Act liability, contract terminations, and suspension or…

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Transformation in power and utilities with the Microsoft Cloud and AI 

Driven by population and economic growth, global energy demand is expected to continue increasing in the coming years. With elevated awareness around fossil fuels and climate impact, investors are dedicating financial resources toward more sustainable methods of generating and consuming energy. For power and utility providers, that means a growing interest in renewable energy, which saw a 30% increase last year, compared to just 13% in the same period the…

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Simplification for success: Rewiring the biopharma operating model

Mounting headwinds in recent years have prompted biopharmaceutical companies to redefine how they create and sustain value. Over the past decade, the industry has produced major scientific breakthroughs, leading to improved outcomes for patients and strong shareholder returns of roughly 9 percent annually. However, companies are increasingly competing within crowded therapeutic spaces, asset life cycles are compressing, and major patents are expiring—all of which are compounded by stagnant R&D productivity,…

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Lord Patrick Vallance, Science Minister and Oxford-Cambridge Innovation Champion, visits Cambridge

During his visit he saw the proposed city-centre site of Cambridge’s new flagship innovation hub, which was endorsed by the Chancellor Rachel Reeves earlier this year, and heard about plans for the space to support venture-backed, rapidly scaling companies. The hub will connect entrepreneurs, investors, and corporates, serving as the UK’s equivalent to Lab Central in Boston or Station F in Paris – a beacon for global talent and capital.While…

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