Jaxson Dart, the Ole Miss Rebels senior quarterback, is prioritizing team success over personal accolades in the upcoming 2024 season, aiming to lead his team to the College Football Playoff. Despite facing challenges since transferring from USC in 2022, Dart is focused on the present and future, emphasizing growth and the team's potential. The 2023 season marked a historic 11-win campaign for Ole Miss, setting the stage for higher aspirations and national recognition this year.

While individual accolades, such as NFL Draft prospects and Heisman contention, are common for successful quarterbacks, Dart remains focused on team achievements.

As Ole Miss prepares to kick off the 2024 season against the FCS Furman Paladins, all eyes will be on Dart to lead his team to success and uphold their aspirations for a promising year ahead.

Jaxson Dart's commitment to team success over personal acclaim underscores his leadership and determination to elevate Ole Miss to new heights in the 2024 college football season, setting the stage for a potentially groundbreaking campaign.

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Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart Pursues Team Success Over Personal Glory in 2024 - BVM Sports

Maybe a sense of calm comes with a walk in the woods surrounded by birdsong or during the quiet of your morning meditation or evening prayer. Maybe the rhythm of knitting or the earthy smell of gardening clears your head.

Science backs up what we know intuitively: Time we spend in nature or on calming practices or hobbies can benefit our mental and physical health. These activities rejuvenate us, right down to our bodys living building blocks: our cells.

A UC San Francisco-based team led byAlexandra Crosswell, PhD, andElissa Epel, PhD, has woven together their own research and studies by others in various fields to connect the experience of, say, painting or practicing yoga to shifts in the nervous system and, subsequently, within our cells. To make this transition, our bodies and minds require certain conditions. But once these are met, the result, they say, isdeep rest.

This truly restorative state one never described before confers benefits unattainable through routine rest and relaxation. In putting forward this concept, the team highlights the regenerative biological processes that protect us as we age.

Deep rest is something our bodies need and deserve, says Epel, a professor of psychiatry and vice chair of psychology. With it, we improve our chances for healthy longevity.

To understand the benefits of deep rest, we must confront its counterpoint: stress. Surveys by the American Psychological Association suggest Americans experience plenty of this stomach-churning state. Almost half of adults who responded to a 2023 survey agreed at least somewhat with the statement My stress makes going to work [or] school increasingly difficult.

Stress, though it can interfere with our ability to function, originated in physiological mechanisms to help us meet challenges whether escaping a pack of wolves or facing fallout from a major work mistake. Just like the fear of being eaten, the threat of losing your colleagues respect can put your body on high alert, triggering a cascade of responses.

Your nervous system hands over control of unconscious processes like breathing and digestion to its in-house crisis response coordinator: the sympathetic nervous system. This shift kicks off a series of energy-demanding changes that prime your body and mind for action. Your heart beats faster. Blood flow increases to your skeletal muscles, which tense up. Your production of hormones, such as cortisol and other energizing chemical messengers, surges. Your alertness intensifies.

Together, these and other shifts help ready you to fight or flee even if youre just anxiously awaiting a reply to your apologetic email while imagining dire scenarios.

A certain degree of stress is inevitable in life, Crosswell points out. After years of studying stress, it became clear to us that we have to stop trying to get rid of it, she says. Stressful events are often outside our control, and our bodies response to them is natural and helpful.

Too much stress, however, can cause harm. She and her colleagues argue that many Americans spend most of their waking hours in a moderately stressed-out state, driven by feelings of uncertainty about the future and lack of control. While no surprise to many of us, the idea the team explores that we experience continual stress represents a new direction in scientific thinking, which has traditionally considered relaxation the default human state.

Ideally, a stress-inducing crisis comes to a quick, clear ending. Maybe your apology at work is accepted, the mistake quickly forgotten. But problems in modern life often dont come to quick, complete conclusions. Your boss may repeatedly deny requests for remote work. You and a loved one may frequently argue. You may struggle financially for years. Under such circumstances, stress can attenuate to a more moderate level, but it doesnt stop.

While less taxing, residual stress still drains you. Maintaining an elevated heart rate or pumping out more cortisol than usual requires extra energy. This energy takes the form of molecules known as ATP, or adenosine triphosphate. Cellular organelles called mitochondria make ATP by using oxygen from the air we breathe to harvest energy from fats, proteins, and glucose derived from food we eat.

Mitochondria are the source of the vital force that brings a cell to life and ultimately gives us our conscious mind, our emotions, saysMartin Picard, PhD, director of the Mitochondrial Psychobiology Group at Columbia University and one of Epel and Crosswells collaborators.

Everything we experience is powered by the energy flow inside our cells, he says, and that flow takes place in mitochondria.

While a single cell can contain hundreds of mitochondria, the organelles can generate only so much ATP for reasons that remain unclear. So when your body goes on alert, a cell diverts its limited ATP supply to carry out the urgent functions the stress response demands, such as contracting the heart or synthesizing hormones. This robs it of energy for more routine but necessary tasks.

Whats more, studies have linked diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and neurodegenerative disorders, with poor mitochondrial health. Picard suspects psychological stress has a similar effect, with mitochondria sustaining damage and becoming less productive when someone is under chronic strain.

Some prior studies and his own research with mothers caring for children on the autism spectrum, a source of chronic stress, support this idea. In a study led by Epel and described inBiological Psychiatry, Picard and others found that mitochondria in the mothers white blood cells had a reduced ability to transform energy into ATP. Cells face another potential consequence of damaged mitochondria: increased production of a potentially toxic byproduct of making ATP chemicals known as reactive oxygen species (ROS). If not neutralized, ROS can harm our cells.

The effects of chronic stress extend to our genetic material as well. At the tips of chromosomes, repeating segments of DNA form telomeres. With assistance from proteins, telomere caps protect the integrity of these packets of genetic code for as long as they can.

Each time a cell copies its genetic material so it can replicate, its telomeres lose a little DNA and shorten. Research started 20 years ago by Epel, with UCSF colleagues Nobel laureateElizabeth Blackburn, PhD, andJue Lin, PhD, shows that chronic psychological stress further shortens telomeres. This loss is a consequence of exposure to ROS, the release of hormones like cortisol, and inflammation. Molecular studies of cells substantiate this connection: By mimicking long-term exposure to the stress hormone cortisol, Picard has shown that cells respond by revving up their metabolisms, which shortens telomeres and hastens cell death.

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The power of deep rest - University of California

This relation is not linear from food to physical activity. Unhealthy food can disrupt someone's sleep patterns and physical activity. Conversely, healthy food choices can improve the quality of sleep and physical activity.

So how does nutrition affect sleep? A new study looked at the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and sleep duration.

The research, conducted by a team from the University of Helsinki in Finland, in collaboration with the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, and Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland, was published in Frontiers in Nutrition i> on May 16, 2024. Anupa Thapa from the University of Helsinki was the first author of the report.

Thapa and his team stated that sleep gives our body a chance to rest and recover from wakeful activities. The heart, blood vessels, muscles, cells, immune system, cognitive abilities, and memory all depend on regular and sufficient sleep in order to function optimally.

A 2019 study showed that sleep is important for repairing DNA damage that occurs while awake.

Deep sleep occurs in 35 night cycles, each lasting an average of 90120 minutes. During each cycle, we begin with the non-rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage. Next, we will go through two periods of progressively deeper non-REM sleep before exiting that stage.

A homeless person slept under a concrete drainage structure that had not yet been installed in the drainage construction project on KH Wahid Hasyim Street, Medan, North Sumatra on Wednesday (11/8/2023). Despite the ongoing government construction efforts, the number of poor residents in North Sumatra is still quite high, reaching 1.24 million people or 8.15 percent as of March 2023.

Our non-REM sleep becomes progressively lighter until we reach the REM stage, after which a new cycle begins or we wake up. Adults should aim to sleep for 7 to 9 hours per night.

However, recent research shows that insomnia and shorter sleep duration have become more common in adults. This can be caused by factors such as stress, consumption of fast food, and a sedentary lifestyle.

Lack of sleep is now becoming a public health issue, related to cardiovascular diseases, decreased cognitive ability, and increased mortality rates due to various causes.

In this new study, researchers aimed to explore how sleep duration can affect fruit and vegetable consumption, and vice versa. They also investigated the role of an individual's chronotype (activity time preference, such as morning or evening) in food choices and sleep duration.

The World Health Organization recommends that people consume at least 400 grams of fruit and vegetables every day. While the latest advice from the Nordic Council of Ministers recommends higher intakes, encouraging between 500 grams and 800 grams of vegetables and fruit. In simple terms, half of our daily consumption should come from vegetables.

Also read: Half of Indonesians Don't Sleep Well

However, research shows that many adult individuals in various countries do not meet the minimum intake. According to Thapa and his team's research, only 14 percent of Finnish men and 22 percent of Finnish women consume a minimum of 500 g of berries, fruits, and vegetables as recommended daily.

The research team reviewed details from the 2017 National FinHealth Study. A total of 5,043 adults, aged 18 and over, submitted detailed responses to a 134item questionnaire about the composition and frequency of their daily food intake in the past 12 years.

From these responses, three categories of sleep duration emerged: short (less than 7 hours per day; 21 percent), normal (7-9 hours per day; 76.1 percent), and long (9+ hours per day; 2.9 percent).

Individuals who sleep for a short duration have an average sleep duration of six hours; for those who sleep normally, the average duration is 7.7 hours, and for those who sleep for a long duration, the average duration is 10.1 hours.

The majority of participants (61.7 percent) categorize themselves as intermediate chronotypes, while 22.4 percent stated that they are morning types, and 15.9 percent identified themselves as night types.

Researchers included chronotype as a co-variate in the study, and noted that many studies did not include chronotype as a potential confounding factor. However, some studies have shown that it can affect eating behavior.

Researchers state, "Studies have shown that night chronotype is often associated with unhealthy eating behavior, including a tendency towards eating habits that are linked to obesity."

Also read: Remember, the body needs enough rest

Among the important findings of this research, individuals who sleep normally show higher intake of fruits and vegetables compared to those who sleep short or long in all subgroups of fruits and vegetables. However, the intake of various types of fruits and vegetables yields different results.

The study explains, "In the subgroup of vegetables, significant differences are seen in the consumption of leafy green vegetables, tubers, and fruit vegetables (such as tomatoes, cucumbers), between those who sleep normally and those who have short sleep."

Similarly, in groups of people who have normal and long sleeping habits, significant differences can be seen in green leafy vegetables and fruit vegetables. However, fresh and canned vegetables such as cabbage, mushrooms, red onions, peas, and beans do not show significant differences.

"In the fruit subgroups, a significant difference in average consumption was observed for berries and other fresh and canned fruits between individuals with normal and short sleep. Conversely, for individuals with normal and long sleep, the only significant difference is seen in the consumption of apples," stated Thapa.

A seller shows an acai bowl consisting, among other things, of various fruits and nuts, Friday (3/5/2024). Acai bowl is one of the food menus that is popular with those who live healthy lives.

Researchers also observed that the category of sleep duration can indicate, at a small level, the expected level of fruit and vegetable intake.

This is in line with the results of research by Eleanor M Winpenny from the University of Cambridge and the team at International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity in 2023 which found a decrease in fruit and vegetable intake among teenagers during the day. day after night with short sleep duration.

According to Winpenny and his team, they show the causal role of sleep on teenagers' eating patterns. Shorter sleep duration at night causes a slight decrease in the quality of their eating patterns the next day.

Avoid high-fat cheese, chicken wings, or fried fish. These take longer to digest and keep us awake.

This finding supports experimental evidence that suggests the inclusion of sleep duration as one of the intervention components designed to improve the quality of dietary patterns and body weight status in adolescents.

A new study by Thapa and his team also found that chronotype plays a minimal role in the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and sleep duration. The Winpenny study in 2023 found no relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and chronotype.

Researchers observe that overall, a decrease in the intake of certain fruits and vegetables is associated with the length and duration of sleep. In addition to the quantity, it is important to pay attention to the choice of fruits and vegetables.

A study in The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine in 2026 also found that consuming high fiber and low saturated fat foods results in better sleep and body recovery. However, in addition to choosing the right foods, it is also important to avoid others.

Researchers provide a number of food options to help start the journey towards better sleep. For carbohydrate choices, choose complex ones, such as brown rice or root vegetables.

Avoid simple carbohydrates, including bread, pasta and sweet foods such as cookies, cakes, pastries and other sweet foods as these tend to lower serotonin levels and do not improve sleep quality. .

For protein, choose those that are lean. Lean protein options include low-fat cheese, chicken, turkey, and fish. These foods are rich in the amino acid tryptophan, which tends to increase serotonin levels.

A variety of non-rice foods processed from the TPI Lewoleba Senja Market, Lembata Island, NTT.

Tryptophan can also be found in egg whites, soybeans, and pumpkin seeds. On the other hand, avoid high-fat cheese, chicken wings, or fried fish. These take longer to digest and can keep us awake.

Heart-healthy fats are also important. Unsaturated fats will not only improve heart health, but also increase serotonin levels. Examples include peanut butter and nuts such as walnuts, cashews, and pistachios.

Avoid foods that contain saturated and trans fats, such as French fries, potato chips, or other high-fat snacks. This reduces your serotonin levels.

Mothers in Tumbang Lawang Village, Katingan District, Central Kalimantan, on Wednesday (10/4/2019), cook using bamboo and forest spices. They do not use any instant factory-made flavoring and prefer to use natural spices. For them, the forest is a source of life, and local food is the key to food security.

Like tryptophan, foods that are rich in magnesium are also associated with better sleep quality. When choosing vegetables for dinner, try adding leafy green vegetables such as spinach, which are rich in magnesium. Nuts, seeds, avocados, and black beans are also magnesium-rich foods.

As for beverages, avoid certain types that can prevent sleep. A good and soothing drink to be consumed before sleep is warm milk or simply warm water.

Meanwhile, for caffeinated beverages, try to consume them before 2 pm. Caffeine can affect people differently, and even the smallest amount of stimulant can keep someone awake.

Also read: School Lunch with Local Food

Originally posted here:
The Close Relationship between Food, Exercise, Sleep and Our Health - kompas.id

Artificial intelligence and machine learning have become ubiquitous, with applications ranging from data analysis, cybersecurity, pharmaceutical development, music composition, and artistic renderings. In recent years, large language models (LLMs) have also emerged, adding human interaction and writing to the long list of applications. This includes ChatGPT, an LLM that has had a profound impact since it was introduced less than two years ago. This application has sparked considerable debate (and controversy) about AIs potential uses and implications.

Astronomy has also benefitted immensely, where machine learning is used to sort through massive volumes of data to look for signs of planetary transits, correct for atmospheric interference, and find patterns in the noise. According to an international team of astrophysicists, this may just be the beginning of what AI could do for astronomy. In a recent study, the team fine-tuned a Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) model using observations of astronomical objects. In the process, they successfully demonstrated that GPT models can effectively assist with scientific research.

The study was conducted by the International Center for Relativistic Astrophysics Network (ICRANet), an international consortium made up of researchers from the International Center for Relativistic Astrophysics (ICRA), the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), the University of Science and Technology of China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of High Energy Physics (CAS-IHEP), the University of Padova, the Isfahan University of Technology, and the University of Ferrera. The preprint of their paper, Test of Fine-Tuning GPT by Astrophysical Data, recently appeared online.

As mentioned, astronomers rely extensively on machine learning algorithms to sort through the volumes of data obtained by modern telescopes and instruments. This practice began about a decade ago and has since grown by leaps and bounds to the point where AI has been integrated into the entire research process. As ICRA President and the studys lead author Yu Wang told Universe Today via email:

Astronomy has always been driven by data and astronomers are some of the first scientists to adopt and employ machine learning. Now, machine learning has been integrated into the entire astronomical research process, from the manufacturing and control of ground-based and space-based telescopes (e.g., optimizing the performance of adaptive optics systems, improving the initiation of specific actions (triggers) of satellites under certain conditions, etc.), to data analysis (e.g., noise reduction, data imputation, classification, simulation, etc.), and the establishment and validation of theoretical models (e.g., testing modified gravity, constraining the equation of state of neutron stars, etc.).

Data analysis remains the most common among these applications since it is the easiest area where machine learning can be integrated. Traditionally, dozens of researchers and hundreds of citizen scientists would analyze the volumes of data produced by an observation campaign. However, this is not practical in an age where modern telescopes are collecting terabytes of data daily. This includes all-sky surveys like the Very Large Array Sky Survey (VLASS) and the many phases conducted by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS).

To date, LLMs have only been applied sporadically to astronomical research, given that they are a relatively recent creation. But according to proponents like Wang, it has had a tremendous societal impact and has a lower-limit potential equivalent to an Industrial Revolution. As for the upper limit, Wang predicts that that could range considerably and could perhaps result in humanitys enlightenment or destruction. However, unlike the Industrial Revolution, the pace of change and integration is far more rapid for AI, raising questions about how far its adoption will go.

To determine its potential for the field of astronomy, said Wang, he and his colleagues adopted a pre-trained GPT model and fine-tuned it to identify astronomical phenomena:

OpenAI provides pre-trained models, and what we did is fine-tuning, which involves altering some parameters based on the original model, allowing it to recognize astronomical data and calculate results from this data. This is somewhat like OpenAI providing us with an undergraduate student, whom we then trained to become a graduate student in astronomy.

We provided limited data with modest resolution and trained the GPT fewer times compared to normal models. Nevertheless, the outcomes are impressive, achieving an accuracy of about 90%. This high level of accuracy is attributable to the robust foundation of the GPT, which already understands data processing and possesses logical inference capabilities, as well as communication skills.

To fine-tune their model, the team introduced observations of various astronomical phenomena derived from various catalogs. This included 2000 samples of quasars, galaxies, stars, and broad absorption line (BAL) quasars from the SDSS (500 each). They also integrated observations of short and long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), galaxies, stars, and black hole simulations. When tested, their model successfully classified different phenomena, distinguished between types of quasars, inferred their distance based on redshift, and measured the spin and inclination of black holes.

This work at least demonstrates that LLMs are capable of processing astronomical data, said Wang. Moreover, the ability of a model to handle various types of astronomical data is a capability not possessed by other specialized models.We hope that LLMs can integrate various kinds of data and then identify common underlying principles to help us understand the world. Of course, this is a challenging task and not one that astronomers can accomplish alone.

Of course, the team acknowledges that the dataset they experimented with was very small compared to the data output of modern observatories. This is particularly true of next-generation facilities like the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which recently received its LSST camera, the largest digital camera in the world! Once Rubin is operational, it will conduct the ten-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), which is expected to yield 15 terabytes of data per night! Satisfying the demands of future campaigns, says Wang, will require improvements and collaboration between observatories and professional AI companies.

Nevertheless, its a foregone conclusion that there will be more LLM applications for astronomy in the near future. Not only is this a likely development, but a necessary one considering the sheer volumes of data astronomical studies are generating today. And since this is likely to increase exponentially in the near future, AI will likely become indispensable to the field of study.

Further Reading: arXiv

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What Can AI Learn About the Universe? - Universe Today

Yuri Molchan

Former chief of Binance says he will be using artificial intelligence to kickstart his new business

Former boss of cryptocurrency trading giant Binance, Changpeng Zhao (widely known as CZ), has published another update on how his new business venture is advancing toward launch.

Among other things, CZ shared that he will need to implement AI tools to allow his company to produce its product online lessons.

In his tweet, Zhao wrote that his Giggle Academy is making progress, although not all linear. The team is currently busy brainstorming the best way to launch the first online lesson. Earlier, CZ wrote on X/Twitter that his education start-up plans to give free education classes, and English lessons in particular.

Now, according to CZ, the team is debating what it should look like, what game engine should be involved, particular features and animation, etc. CZ admitted that this is start up mode all over again, but he seems to be happy about this.

CZ first announced his new business project on March 19. He tweeted that it would be Free basic (grade 1-12 ish) education, for all. No revenue. Gamified. Adaptive. He also then said the company was hiring, and the team would be small. Anyone hired would work directly with CZ.

In the above-mentioned tweet, he shared that they have already hired enough talented teachers who can create digital content. But they still need more developers for Giggle Academy.

As reported by U.Today, CZ was forced to step down from his Binance CEO position due to charges by the U.S. Department of Justice against Binance, and him personally. The charges were about violating money laundering laws (the Bank Secrecy Act in particular).

Binance agreed to pay a staggering fine of $4.3 billion, and CZ leaving his CEO post was part of the deal. However, later, CZ pleaded guilty and first faced a likelihood of 10 years in prison. Later, this term was extended to 18 years.

Immediately after announcing his resignation, CZ wrote on X/Twitter that he did not have any plans to start a new business. CZ said he would get into passive investing and would possibly become a minority token/shareholder in start-ups that focus on blockchain, AI, biotech or DeFi.

About the author

Yuri Molchan

Yuri is interested in technology and technical innovations. He has been writing about DLT and crypto since 2017. Believes that blockchain and cryptocurrencies have a potential to transform the world in the future in many of its aspects. He has written for multiple crypto media outlets. His articles have been quoted by such crypto influencers as Tyler Winklevoss, John McAfee, CZ Binance, Max Keiser, etc.

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AI Plans for New Business Venture Shared by Former Binance Boss CZ - U.Today

Surrounded by her parents, Kelsey Schneider is interviewed after being named the Patrica L. Roy Mental Attitude Award winner following the 44-36 state final loss to Fort Wayne Bishop Luers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Saturday.

Greg Jones | For The Tribune

It was very exciting, Kelsey Schneider said when her name was announced as recipient of the Class 2A mental attitude award at the girls basketball state tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Saturday afternoon.

I was definitely in shock, the Brownstown Central senior said. I was just standing in back with my teammates, just bringing it all in, looking at what the score was. I was looking at the other team, then my teammates were reacting. It was just a complete shock. Its very nice, and Im glad the money goes back to our school.

Farm Bureau Insurance will present to a school in each class a $1,000 scholarship.

Schneider, who ranks in the top 20 in the senior class at BCHS, said, Ive been in AP (Advanced Placement) classes throughout my entire high school career. You have to work hard and just find a way to cope and find help from your teachers and your classmates, and just finding the right connection with your teachers is helpful.

Schneider plans to attend DePauw University and said she is undecided about her major.

The Braves lost the championship game to Fort Wayne Bishop Luers 44-36.

Schneider was the only senior on the team.

(Coach Brandon) Allman told me at the beginning of the season that we needed leadership, she said. I tried to take the role on, and I realized that it was going to be a big one. I was really shocked at how big it was, but I was trying my hardest. I tried to keep the team up, just really tried to help the team out and keeping them positive all the time.

Allman said Schneider did a good job of filling the leadership role this season.

What an award to take home, he said. It talks about her and her maturity, and the growth Ive seen in her in the four years is as much as growth as anybody Ive been able to coach. If you would have told me her freshman year that she would have a chance to win that award, I would have said, Theres no way. Youre dreaming.

But her teammates, her coaching staff continued to push her and make her believe in the possibilities she had and accepted her role to a T, defending the heck out of people.and just being really disciplined and just showing the growth and maturity she has shown this season.

Schneider spoke about the postive attitude the team demonstrated in practice all season.

We did a lot of drills, and some of the drills got us down, but we kept building off peoples energies whenever we were shooting, and making them wed say, Nice round, good shot, and just keep positive words, she said.

Schneider is a three-sport athlete at BCHS as she also ran cross country and plays softball.

I just enjoyed being able to come into the tournament, any game honestly, and just being able to see our fans and parents, she said. The student section is a big part. My expectations were definitely met just being able to be here. Gainbridge is amazing.

The team held an hour workout on the Gainbridge floor Friday, then attended a luncheon.

Allman said Schneider is the fifth BCHS athlete to be named a mental attitude award winner with the others being Josh Brewer, Chris Baker, Blaze Ayers and Sammie Bane.

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Brownstowns Schneider awarded with mental attitude award from IHSAA - Seymour Tribune

After finishing 82-80 and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016, New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole admitted that the 2023 season could be considered a "disaster," per ESPN's David Schoenfield.

As the Yankees saw their postseason hopes slip away, Cole said the team's goals shifted to avoiding the team's first losing season since 1992 rather than winning a World Series title.

"Being hamstrung for a great part of the year, there was a lot of grit that showed," Cole said. "We have a 30-some consecutive year run of finishing over .500, so when the greater goals faded away, there was a little bit of a rallying factor around that.

"We're not going to be the team, regardless of the position we've been put in, to cash it in at the end of the year, so we continued to push. So there was an element of pride in thatbut obviously 'disaster' was an appropriate word."

New York is looking to use the dreadful year as fuel heading into the 2024 campaign, however.

"Still fresh in our minds, so hopefully we use it as motivation," Cole said.

Despite a rough season for the Yankees as a whole, Cole had one of the best years of his career. He posted a 15-4 record with a 2.63 ERA and 222 strikeouts on his way to his first Cy Young Award.

Aside from Cole, New York's rotation struggled. Clarke Schmidt was the only pitcher besides Cole to start at least 20 games. Carlos Rodn, who was in his first season with the Yankees after signing a $162 million contract, dealt with a forearm strain and a back injury that limited him to 14 starts with a 6.85 ERA. Nestor Cortes, who missed time with a strained rotator cuff, posted a 4.97 ERA in 12 starts.

The injuries led to the Yankees finishing with a 4.44 rotation ERA, which ranked 18th last year. In 2022, New York finished fourth in rotation ERA.

Now, the Yankees are looking to get back into the postseason. New York made several moves over the offseason with the biggest being a trade that landed outfielder Juan Soto.

If the Yankees rotation can get back on track in 2024, it could mean a big year for New York.

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Gerrit Cole Calls Yankees' 2023 a 'Disaster,' Hopes It Will Be 'Motivation' for NY - Bleacher Report

At least one member of the Detroit Pistons showed some fight last night, unfortunately, it wasn't on the court.

Isaiah Stewart was reportedly arrested after allegedly punching Drew Eubanks before the game in after an altercation that took place in the tunnel.

I have nothing to say about the incident itself, as I don't know what happened.

That didn't stop some fans from clutching their pearls, calling Stewart a "thug" and demanding he be "thrown out of the league." Sure.

I don't know what happened, but I do know that people like to throw around the word "thug" when it comes to young black men when we all know what they really mean. If this had been Mike Muscala who punched Eubanks (allegedly), I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have seen that language.

If you think punching people is wrong, you have every right to say so, and I agree (mostly). If you think Stewart should be suspended, again, that's your opinion and you have every right to it. Those things can be expressed without using racially coded language. Im sure this will anger some of you and thats fine too, but maybe explore your own motivation for using loaded terms when there are others available.

Related Story. Plotting the dream offseason for the Detroit Pistons. Plotting the dream offseason for the Detroit Pistons. dark

Most people didn't have that response and I am sure some of those who did, didn't mean it that way, but we all know certain words have been weaponized (read one of the many studies on this) and that's one of them. I'll get off my soapbox now, sorry for the lecture in semantics.

I'm sure we'll talk more about this after the inevitable suspension, but for now, I will withhold my opinion until I have some idea of what happened.

Anyway, back to the "game."

As I wrote yesterday, I am not normally one go after coaches, as I do believe that players win and lose games, not the coach. I leave them to their job, as they know more about basketball than me, have direct access to the players and may have motivations of which I am unaware.

But I am starting to wonder what motivations are driving Monty Williams.

After using 12 players vs the Lakers, Williams used all 13 players he had at his disposal last night. He went to all bench units early on, well before the game was out of hand, and the results were predictable.

I just dont get it.

Why is Evan Fournier playing 26 minutes (the most of any bench player)? Why is James Wiseman playing at all? Wiseman was a miraculous 28 in just 12 minutes last night. How is that even possible?

Is Wiseman the new Killian Hayes, the player that the team will have to waive just to keep out of the rotation?

This isnt the preseason. What NBA team is using 13 players this deep into the season?

And the lineups hes throwing out there arent even interesting. Its not like hes experimenting with things that could be useful in the future. Most of these bench players arent even going to be on the team next season. Why is Monty running out lineups with four guards and James freaking Wiseman? Is there some reason we need to see that? Is it benefitting the team now? In the future?

After the offense took off with Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari spreading the floor, Williams has promptly cut Muscalas minutes (He was a +25 last night by the way), which makes zero sense at all. We want to see what the core looks like with a stretch five. Muscala is also a willing defender who knows how to do it without fouling, something the young bigs could learn from. There is also a good chance the Pistons might want to bring him back as a backup veteran center next season, so why isnt Monty playing him?

We dont need to see Wiseman, Flynn, Fournier or Milton again this season, as THEY WONT BE ON THE TEAM NEXT YEAR. Play your five starters with Muscala, Sasser, Troy Brown Jr and one of the G-League guys (until Stewart is back) off the bench.

If you dont care about developing young players, could you at least try to win the freaking game? Williams has managed to fail at both by sabotaging the young guys minutes in favor of worse players and lineups that make zero sense.

Ive never questioned the motivations of a coach before, but I cant figure Monty Williams out. Its like he wants to be fired. Tom Gores may have to oblige him, as this is one of the worst coaching jobs Ive ever seen.

Williams spoke about spending time with his family and you have to wonder if he should have just done that instead of taking a job that he didnt want.

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LEESBURG, Va., Jan. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Quantum Computing Inc. ("QCi", "we", "our" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: QUBT), an innovative quantum optics andnanophotonics technology company,today announced new leadership appointments as the Company readies for an active 2024 with an anticipated market-disruptive product release schedule. William (Bill) J. McGann, Ph.D., a globally recognized leader in commercialization of innovative technology, has been appointed CEO of Quantum Computing Inc. Dr. McGann succeeds QCi's co-founder Robert Liscouski who remains Chairman of the Board to help oversee the Company's growth and expansion.

Dr. McGann has a decade-long track record for transforming credible science into practical technology in steps of innovation, engineering, and leadership. In his role as QCi's CTO, Dr. McGann has driven the launch of QCi products in the areas of quantum optimization machines, reservoir computing for AI, quantum remote sensing, and quantum random number generation in 2023. Bill and the team are leading the charge in the Company's mission to provide "accessible and affordable" quantum technology to the world. Over the course of his professional career, Dr. McGann has held numerous business and technology leadership positions.

Dr. McGann began his entrepreneurial journey in 1990, where he was a co-founder of a disruptive technology innovation company, Ion Track Instruments. There, he and the team created a revolutionary new explosives trace detection technology and methodology that is widely deployed around the world today. After successfully capturing a majority of the global market share in this industry, he sold Ion Track to GE and formed the GE Security business unit in 2002, where he continued to create new technologies to further grow the industry. Since then, Dr. McGann has led and driven innovative product design in several businesses, both large and small, which include United Technologies, Implant Sciences Corporation, L3 Harris Corp., and then Leidos as CTO of the Security and Automation division.

Dr. McGann received his Ph.D. in Chemical Physics from the University of Connecticut and holds undergraduate degrees in both chemistry and biology. He has authored over 70 research proposals (SBIR) for the U.S. government, dozens of scientific publications, and 26 patents in the areas of nuclear, chemical and biological detection technologies.

Commenting on Dr. McGann's appointment, Robert Liscouski, co-founder and Chairman of Quantum Computing Inc., shared, "Over the past six years, QCi has evolved into an innovative leader of nanophotonic quantum technologies. We believe we are about to revolutionize the market with another breakthrough technology that delivers processing power, accuracy and speed at minimal energy usage at a reasonable price as true to our mission of providing accessible and affordable quantum technology to the world. I am proud to have led QCi through inception to this inflection point where it is positioned for significant growth in 2024. While I will continue to be meaningfully engaged at QCi going forward, I believe it is time to pass the baton to the next phase of leadership to take this Company to the next level. Bill and the team are poised to introduce value-creation and cost-effective quantum technologies that will change the market as we know it today. We are fortunate to have the right combination of extraordinary talent with a passion and unwavering commitment to this company to carry us into the future."

Mr. Liscouski intends to use his more than 35 years of national security experience, including his service as the first U.S. Assistant Secretary forInfrastructure Protection of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, President of Implant Sciences Corporation, Global Director of Information Assurance at the Coca-Cola Company, and a visiting fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. to further support the Company's progress in commercializing its highly innovative technology, while providing strategic direction and corporate governance to grow shareholder value. In his role as Chairman, Mr. Liscouski will remain active in guiding the business strategy and direction.

Dr. McGann added, "Bob has tirelessly led the business and accomplished much in his role as CEO and has built a solid foundation for QCi's success. As the new leader, I will leverage these accomplishments and progress to accelerate the Company's growth through the commercialization of our core technologies and continue to innovate and deliver important technologies for a better world consistent with our moto "Quantum Machines for a Brighter Future".

For additional information on the Company's suite of solutions, please visit our websiteor contact our team directly.

About Quantum Computing Inc. (QCi)

Quantum Computing Inc. (QCi) (Nasdaq: QUBT) is an innovative, quantum optics and nanophotonics technology company on a mission to accelerate the value of quantum computing for real-world business solutions, delivering the future of quantum computing, today. The company provides accessible and affordable solutions with real-world industrial applications, using nanophotonic-basedquantum entropy that can be used anywhere and with little to no training, operates at normal room temperatures, low power and is not burdened with unique environmental requirements. QCi is competitively advantaged delivering its quantum solutions at greater speed, accuracy, and security at less cost. QCi's core nanophotonic-based technology is applicable to both quantum computing as well as quantum intelligence, cybersecurity, sensing and imaging solutions, providing QCi with a unique position in the marketplace. QCi's core entropy computing capability, the Dirac series, delivers solutions for both binary and integer-based optimization problems using over 11,000 qubits for binary problems and over 1000 (n=64) qubits for integer-based problems, each of which are the highest number of variables and problem size available in quantum computing today.Using the Company's core quantum methodologies, QCi has developed specific quantum applications for AI, cybersecurity and remote sensing, including its Reservoir Photonic Computer series (intelligence), reprogrammable and non-repeatable Quantum Random Number Generator (cybersecurity) and LiDAR and Vibrometer (sensing) products. For more information about QCi, visitwww.quantumcomputinginc.com.

Important Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined within Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. By their nature, forward-looking statements and forecasts involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the near future. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of QCi and members of its management as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements.

QCi undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed conditions. Statements in this press release that are not descriptions of historical facts are forward-looking statements relating to future events, and as such all forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements may contain certain forward-looking statements pertaining to future anticipated or projected plans, performance and developments, as well as other statements relating to future operations and results. Words such as "may," "will," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "intends," "goal," "objective," "seek," "attempt," "aim to," or variations of these or similar words, identify forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those described in Item 1A in QCi's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other factors as may periodically be described in QCi's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

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SOURCE Quantum Computing Inc.

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Quantum Computing Inc. Board of Directors Appoints Dr. William McGann as the Company's CEO and Co-Founder ... - Marketscreener.com