Monthly Archives: September 2024

[ad_1] The very detailed imprint on my leg left by my hand while I was sleeping [ad_2] View Reddit by the_Rainiac – View Source

[ad_1] Newcastle and Eddie Howe have NOT yet been approached by the Football Association, as they sound out external candidates for the role of England manager. Conversations have taken place with some contenders beyond interim Lee Carsley.  My Mail Sport colleague Sami Mokbel reported on Wednesday that Howe is among the leading candidates, with Graham Potter, Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel also mentioned. However, as of now, no representation has been made to Howe and the club. There is a feeling among some that the FA speaking to others beyond Carsley is more so them following a recruitment process, and that the current incumbent will get the job on a permanent basis. Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell did not close the door on an FA approach last week when he was asked if the club would reject any advances. Newcastle and Eddie Howe have not yet been approached by the Football Association Talks have taken place with candidates but Lee Carsley is the favourite for the England job ‘We want Eddie Howe as our head coach for as long as we can,’ he said. ‘But we also recognise we are on a journey, and we also recognise his quality and his potential as well. ‘I’ve never been a guy scared of interest in any of our staff members, especially our head coach, and especially from a level of organisation that the FA is.  ‘The way I look at interest is that it’s proof that someone’s doing a really great job. It’s a recognition of the two-and-a-half years he’s had here and the job he did at Bournemouth. It’s a fair recognition.’ It may be that an approach is not made for Howe, especially as it is easier to have a conversation with an out-of-work manager.  For now, the expectation is that Carsley will be confirmed as the new head coach before the end of the year. BAGS OF EFFORT On the subject of England, I was concerned to see Anthony Gordon walking gingerly away from the dressing-room inside Wembley on Tuesday night. He had been withdrawn after 66 minutes of the 2-0 win over Finland, following another fine performance on the left wing. ‘You’re not injured, are you?’ I enquired. ‘No, this bag is just too heavy for me!’ he replied. No need to worry, Gordon will be back to do the heavy lifting down Newcastle’s left this weekend at Molineux. Anthony Gordon walked gingerly away from the Wembley dressing room – because of his bag BRU-NO… What should perhaps be more of a concern is the form of Bruno Guimaraes at international level. My ears pricked this week when listening to South American football expert Tim Vickery talk on radio about Brazil’s 1-0 defeat by Paraguay, in which the Newcastle midfielder was withdrawn at half-time. Vickery said that Guimaraes is having a ‘mare’ with the national team right now and is the focus for a lot of criticism in his home country. Compare that to Sandro Tonali, who has been lauded in the Italian press for his performances in the wins over France and Israel, his first appearances since his 10-month gambling ban. Tonali even arranged an overnight flight to get back to Tyneside as quickly as possible after playing against Israel in Budapest on Monday. Bruno Guimaraes is having a ‘mare’ with Brazil in a potential cause for concern for his club SCOUTING FOCUS Newcastle’s youth scouts are redoubling their efforts in signing players for the Under-15s and 16s, and that has continued with the arrival of teenager Jayden Kouossu. The 15-year-old is joining from West Bromwich Albion after eight years in their academy. A highly-rated central midfielder, the Milan-born Englishman has also spent time on trial at Chelsea recently. And this is the age bracket – domestically at youth level, at least – that the club are increasingly looking to target. Inside Newcastle knows of several older teenagers who have been offered to the club – talented players, too – but the message back is that paying a fee for those aged 18 and over is not the priority. Instead, identifying younger players – for whom the compensation would not be as high – is seen as the way to operate in a PSR world, with those players then developed for progression into the first team or to be sold at a profit. The challenge for Newcastle now is to move to a full-time model at those age groups, much like Manchester City, where players are schooled and live on site. Teenager Jayden Kouossu is joining from West Brom after eight years in their academy AD BREAK Newcastle are likely to return to Adidas HQ in Germany for a pre-season training camp next summer, but scope for a winter break in Dubai or Saudi Arabia will be dependent on progress in the FA Cup. We understand that a return to the Adidas base in Herzogenaurach, where Eddie Howe and his squad spent a week in July, has been mooted. This would be welcomed by staff and players, such was the success of the trip. However, they are less keen on long-haul expeditions such as Japan, where sources say the heat made it difficult to complete the volume of work needed at a crucial stage in pre-season. Meanwhile, because the Premier League has this season removed the staggered fixtures that allowed for a two-week winter break in January, a return to Dubai or Saudi Arabia is less certain. The fourth, fifth and sixth rounds of the FA Cup are all scheduled for weekends when there are no Premier League fixtures. So, if Newcastle were to exit before any of those, a break in the Middle East could be explored. Newcastle are likely to return to Adidas HQ in Germany for a pre-season camp next summer REACH FOR THE SKY Finally, on the first day of Saudi-ownership nearly three years ago, my colleague Ian Herbert and I sat in the 3SIXTY restaurant on the top floor of Newcastle’s 26-storey

[ad_1] Microsoft Microsoft owns gaming brands including Xbox and Minecraft Xbox owner Microsoft is to cut about 650 staff from its gaming division in a new round of job losses after its $69bn (£54.3bn) merger deal. The software giant said staff working in “mostly corporate and supporting functions” worldwide would be affected. It laid off 1,900 staff in January and, in May, closed four studios bought before its purchase of Call of Duty maker Activision-Blizzard. In a memo to workers shared online and verified by the BBC, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said “no games, devices or experiences are being cancelled and no studios are being closed” due to the latest layoffs. Microsoft’s purchase of Activision-Blizzard in October also included Candy Crush maker King and followed its buyout of Zenimax, which owns Fallout maker Bethesda. Mr Spencer told staff Microsoft had tried to “minimise disruption” as it brought in new teams in the months since the multibillion-dollar acquisition. He said the decision to cut more jobs – about 3% of its gaming staff – was made “as part of aligning our post-acquisition team structure” and organising the business “for long-term success”. Although he said games and studios would not be affected he said there would be “some impacts to other teams as they adapt to shifting priorities and manage the lifecycle and performance of games”. Mr Spencer acknowledged the news would be “difficult” for workers and thanked those affected for their contributions to the company. Getty Images Phil Spencer has been head of Xbox for 10 years The games industry has been hit by mass layoffs over the past two years following a rush of investments and acquisitions amid record profits and player numbers during the Covid-19 pandemic. PlayStation maker Sony, League of Legends creator Riot Games and Fortnite owner Epic have been among those to lay off hundreds of workers. Microsoft received particular criticism over the closures of critically acclaimed studios Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks earlier this year. Xbox boss Mr Spencer told gaming website IGN he was expected to run a “sustainable” gaming business and show growth during a June interview. And speaking during an official Xbox stream at Gamescom last month, he said the was “a high bar” inside Microsoft for the company’s gaming division. In its latest finance report Microsoft said its gaming revenues had increased, mostly due to its ownership of Activision-Blizzard, which also produces World of Warcraft, Diablo and Overwatch. Sales of Xbox hardware have fallen since last year though, and the company has been trying to expand its software sales. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays – or listen back here. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] A new study from the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) uncovers how early lifestyle changes can have long-lasting impacts. A diet and physical activity intervention in childhood and adolescence was found to profoundly influence metabolism even years later. The Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) study is the first lifestyle intervention study using advanced liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics technology to analyze molecular mechanisms underlying the health effects of lifestyle changes from childhood to adolescence. By analyzing blood samples, the researchers were able to identify changes in 80 metabolites. These were metabolites linked to critical processes for the development of cardiometabolic diseases, such as lipid metabolism, inflammation, and gut health.” Iman Zarei, Postdoctoral Researcher  What makes the findings particularly important is that 17 of these metabolites remained altered even after eight years, although the most intensive part of the lifestyle intervention only lasted for the first two years. This suggests that an early intervention might not just have immediate benefits but also longer-lasting health effects. Some of the most notable changes were in fatty amides, molecules involved in a variety of physiological functions such as inflammation, weight control, eating behaviour, sleep induction, pain and anxiety control, angiogenesis, arterial dilation and neuroprotection. Such changes may be linked to a lower risk of several chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. “Our research provides compelling evidence that early and sustained lifestyle changes can have a profound impact on a child’s health trajectory,” says Professor Timo Lakka, the lead researcher of the study. He emphasizes the importance of starting healthy habits early, noting that these changes could prevent the onset of chronic diseases that often begin to develop in childhood or even over the foetal period. The present study is one of the first to demonstrate how beneficial changes in diet and physical activity in childhood can affect the body’s metabolism even in the long term. The findings were published in the journal iScience. The PANIC study is part of the Metabolic Diseases Research Community at UEF and is dedicated to investigating major cardiometabolic diseases. By leveraging genetics, genomics, translational research, and lifestyle interventions, the community aims to provide robust evidence on disease mechanisms and advance early diagnosis, prevention, and personalized treatment. The research community consists of 20 research groups, spanning basic research to patient care. Source: University of Eastern Finland (UEF Viestintä) Journal reference: Zarei, I., et al. (2024) Eight-year diet and physical activity intervention affects serum metabolites during childhood and adolescence: A nonrandomized controlled trial. iScience. doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.110295. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Wat Donald Trump betreft, komt er geen nieuw televisiedebat met zijn Democratische tegenstander Kamala Harris. Dat meldt de Amerikaanse voormalige president op zijn socialemediaplatform Truth Social. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] TIL: There is a study that proves across 80 pairs of jeans that women pockets are generally half the size of men for the same brand. Only 40% of them can comfortably fit an iPhone X and only 10% can fit your entire hand. In comparison 100% of male jeans can fit either. [ad_2] View Reddit by Flares117 – View Source

[ad_1] Kevin Keegan was speaking on the BBC this week about his time as England manager and said that he found it soul-destroying. ‘I liked the day-to-day running of a football club,’ Keegan told Garry Richardson on Radio 4. ‘Every time I joined up with the England players it was like starting again. Trying to rebuild. I didn’t like that, so I got out.’ Results didn’t help Keegan, of course, but he makes a valid point. The problems he outlines are what make international football management unique and utterly different to club work. Managing a club at any level is about strategy, smart recruitment, incremental progress and — if you are fortunate enough to be given the time — implementing a style of football. At international level, it’s not about that at all and that’s the reason why I read of the FA’s interest in Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola with scepticism. Lee Carsley has impressed as England interim boss and could be handed the job permanently Man City boss Pep Guardiola (left) and former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp (right) are candidates for the England vacancy   England’s squad of blossoming talent needs a manager capable of delivering success Ideally, I would not choose either man to manage England and it’s got nothing to do with the fact one is from Germany and the other from Spain. I would prefer the next full-time boss to be English, as Gareth Southgate’s eight years in the job made the benefits of that very clear. But I am absolutely not a slave to the idea. No, this is not about that. This is about the fundamentals of how Klopp and Guardiola work and what they have always done to get the best out of the club teams and indeed the players they have managed. Klopp, for example, is a mood manager. At Mainz and Dortmund in Germany, and then at Liverpool, Klopp injected the sheer force of his personality into the veins of a town, a club and a playing squad. Everything then stemmed and flowed from that, on and off the field. Klopp can coach fantastically, of course he can. But take away that essence of energy and ferocity that is bred only by intense relationships and time and familiarity, and what do you have left? Keegan was the same at Newcastle. Exactly the same in many ways. And Guardiola is altogether different. The great Catalan —probably the best club coach in the world — is a long-termist, an obsessive details man. He is a builder of football teams from the ground up. He puts his projects together from a thousand tiny pieces. But international football is not like that. It’s short-termist. It goes from international weekend to international weekend, then starts again. There is simply not enough time on the grass to impose the philosophies and cultures, and intricate moments of brilliance and uniqueness, that have made Klopp and Guardiola what they are.  They could do it. They could adapt. Of course they could. They are deeply smart men. But what would be the point of hiring a manager who has spent two decades building the best version of his professional self only to expect him to do things a different and vastly diluted way? International management is hard. Largely that is because of the responsibility of the post and the pressure that brings as a result. But it’s also hard because of its remoteness. The search for Gareth Southgate’s permanent England successor remains ongoing England’s interim manager Lee Carsley nodded to it in the Republic of Ireland last week when he pointed out he had just three morning sessions to drill his team before their opening Nations League fixture. A very significant period of that time would have been spent working tactically and on team shape and on attacking and defensive set-pieces. How much time is left for improving players? How much time for muck and nettles coaching and shaping of individuals? Not as much as you would think. Guardiola has experience working with several England stars such as Jack Grealish (right) Klopp has previously been able to get the best out of England full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold Managing a national team is about facilitating as much as anything. It’s about picking the right players in the right positions, providing them with a good environment, understanding and connecting with them, then giving them a framework within which to play. It is hard to reinvent footballers on international duty. How well that did that go with Trent Alexander-Arnold in central midfield at Euro 2024? Guardiola devoted months to turning John Stones into a centre back who spends half his time in central midfield. Good luck with trying to teach Ezri Konsa that in two training sessions before a big World Cup qualifier. Klopp and Guardiola have produced two of the best Premier League football teams I have had the fortune to see play. None of that means their brilliance would translate across the divide to international football. They could both do the job perfectly well, I am sure. It’s just that some of the magic may well be missing. DROPPING COLE PALMER FROM EUROPE IS A GOOD DECISION  Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has omitted Cole Palmer from his Conference League squad and he is right to do so. Maresca works for a club whose priority is to return to the Champions League, a competition they won as recently as 2021. UEFA’s third-ranked competition is not of importance to Chelsea and it’s pointless pretending that it is. Maresca needs Palmer fit and rested for the games that matter. This is a smart call. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has omitted Cole Palmer from his Conference League squad and he is right to do so McCLAREN’S AUTHENTICITY IS REASSURING  Steve McClaren is the new manager of Jamaica and has been laughed at on social media after a video showed one of his players teaching him a special handshake. This kind of stuff tends to follow McClaren

[ad_1] Zoe Corbyn How does beanless coffee taste? Zoe Corbyn has been finding out I am in a high-end coffee shop in a tech-heavy area of San Francisco, staring suspiciously into a cup of expresso. This is no conventional coffee: it is made without using a single coffee bean. It comes from Atomo, one of a band of alt-coffee start-ups hoping to revolutionise the world of brewed coffee. “We take great offense when someone says that we’re a coffee substitute,” says Andy Kleitsch, the chief executive of Seattle based start-up Atomo, whose pure, beanless ground product my espresso has been made from. Traditional coffee substitutes have a reputation for not tasting much like coffee and are usually caffeine-free. But the newcomers intend to replicate one of the world’s most popular beverages from taste, to caffeine punch, to drinking experience – and the first of this nascent industry’s beanless concoctions have begun to appear. Atomo Atomo’s ingredients include date seeds, sunflower seed extract and pea protein They say there’s a strong environmental argument for their beanless brews. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature, coffee cultivation is currently the sixth largest cause of deforestation. That impact is expected to widen as demand increases: consumption is fast rising in traditional tea drinking countries like India and China. Meanwhile, climate change is pushing plantations to higher altitudes to escape the heat. So, beanless coffee is potentially a less environmentally damaging alternative. The newcomers also argue that, if scaled up, beanless coffee could be cheaper than its conventional competition. And, with coffee prices reaching record levels on the international markets this year, that point is timely. Also, in December, a new EU regulation is set to come into effect that outlaws the sale of products, coffee included, that can’t prove they are not linked to deforestation. “A lot of big coffee companies are watching this field,” says Chahan Yeretzian, a professor of analytical chemistry, who heads the Coffee Excellence Centre at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Austria. Niels Haak, director of sustainable coffee partnerships at Conservation International, an environmental non-profit, welcomes the innovative approaches to tackling coffee’s deforestation problem, but he also doubts if beanless coffee will be able to make much dent. Coffee growing provides livelihoods and income to many smallholder farming families globally, he further notes. The conundrum is if they move away from growing coffee, they will likely instead turn to growing more coca – the plant cocaine derives from – which has similar deforestation issues. “There are no silver bullets,” he says. He notes there is work ongoing – from coffee certification schemes, to efforts aimed at strengthening so-called shade coffee farming where coffee is grown under a canopy of other trees – to make coffee growing more sustainable and support communities. “[The coffee sector] is on a journey to transform,” he says. Yet the beanless companies counter that transformation isn’t wide enough or quick enough. Coffee is causing massive deforestation and coffee farmers live in poverty. If alt-coffee could offset even just the extra projected coffee demand it would be a win for the planet that wouldn’t put anyone out of business. And, as the climate changes, there are plenty of crops beyond illicit ones that coffee farmers could switch to that don’t require slashing more forest. Atomo Andy Kleitsch hopes to grab a slice of the giant coffee market Atomo, which launched in 2019, is currently sold in more than 70 coffee shops in the US. Coffee shop chain Bluestone Lane added it to the menu at all its locations in early August, including in San Francisco. Since June, Atomo has also been selling through its website a blend of beanless and conventional coffee intended for home brewing that I have also purchased to try. It currently costs slightly more than premium conventional coffee. For example, to make my expresso with Atomo adds on 50 cents (38p). Atomo’s ingredients aren’t particularly high tech: date seeds, ramón seeds, sunflower seed extract, fructose, pea protein, millet, lemon, guava, fenugreek seeds, caffeine and baking soda. Things begin with waste date seeds or pits. Rock hard, they are granulated then infused with a secret marinade of ingredients from the list above, before being roasted to create new flavours, aromas and compounds. Further ingredients then finish things off. Atomo’s caffeine is sourced from green tea decaffeination, though synthetically-made caffeine is also used to provide beanless coffee’s kick. Atomo operates a facility in southern California, where the date pits are cleaned and washed, and a second facility in Seattle where the manufacturing takes place. Current capacity is four million pounds a year, which Mr Kleitsch describes as a “rounding error” in the world of coffee production: Starbucks buys about 800 million. As for trying Atomo, both the coffee shop expresso and the brew-at-home version tasted close enough to good coffee for me. Perhaps luckily for these companies, coffee can have many different undertones. Northern Wonder Dutch start-up Northern Wonder hopes to find a market with its beanless coffee Others have different ingredients and methods. Over the past year the bean-free coffee products of Dutch start-up Northern Wonder, founded in 2021, has secured space on supermarket shelves in the Netherlands and Switzerland. Roasted and ground lupin, chickpea, malted barley, and chicory are amongst the major ingredients the company works with, along with an undisclosed natural flavouring. Though notes David Klingen, the company’s boss, operations are still in the research and development phase. Ingredients may change as it perfects its brew. Other companies on the scene include Singapore-based Prefer and San Francisco’s Minus. And, though it is further from market, also being pursued is the tantalising possibility of lab-grown or cultured coffee. In the same way animal cells can be cultivated in a bioreactor and harvested to produce meat cell products – so cells extracted from coffee plants could be similarly grown, then fermented and roasted to produce a brew. Proof of concept was demonstrated in 2021 by Finnish government researchers, who