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Human Behavior

Google’s AI Learns Betrayal and "Aggressive" Actions Pay Off | Big … – Big Think

As the development of artificial intelligence continues at breakneck speed, questions about whether we understand what we are getting ourselves into persist. One fear is that increasingly intelligent robots will take all our jobs. Another fear is that we will create a world where a superintelligence will one day decide that it has no need for humans. This fear is well-explored in popular culture, through books and films like the Terminator series.

Another possibility is maybe the one that makes the most sense - since humans are the ones creating them, the machines and machine intelligences are likely to behave just like humans. For better or worse. DeepMind, Googles cutting-edge AI company, has shown just that.

The accomplishments of the DeepMind program so far include learning from its memory, mimicking human voices, writing music, and beating the best Go player in the world.

Recently, the DeepMind team ran a series of tests to investigate how the AI would respond when faced with certain social dilemmas. In particular, they wanted to find out whether the AI is more likely to cooperate or compete.

One of the tests involved 40 million instances of playing the computer game Gathering, during which DeepMind showed how far its willing to go to get what it wants. The game was chosen because it encapsulates aspects of the classic Prisoners Dilemma from game theory.

Pitting AI-controlled characters (called agents) against each other, DeepMind had them compete to gather the most virtual apples. Once the amount of available apples got low, the AI agents started to display "highly aggressive" tactics, employing laser beams to knock each other out. They would also steal the opponents apples.

Heres how one of those games played out:

The DeepMind AI agents are in blue and red. The apples are green, while the laser beams are yellow.

The DeepMind team described their test in a blog postthis way:

We let the agents play this game many thousands of times and let them learn how to behave rationally using deep multi-agent reinforcement learning. Rather naturally, when there are enough apples in the environment, the agents learn to peacefully coexist and collect as many apples as they can. However, as the number of apples is reduced, the agents learn that it may be better for them to tag the other agent to give themselves time on their own to collect the scarce apples.

Interestingly, what appears to have happened is that the AI systems began to develop some forms of human behavior.

This model... shows that some aspects of human-like behaviour emerge as a product of the environment and learning. Less aggressive policies emerge from learning in relatively abundant environments with less possibility for costly action.The greed motivation reflects the temptation to take out a rival and collect all the apples oneself, said Joel Z. Leibo from the DeepMind team to Wired.

Besides the fruit gathering, the AI was also tested via a Wolfpack hunting game. In it, two AI characters in the form of wolves chased a third AI agent - the prey. Here the researchers wanted to see if the AI characters would choose to cooperate to get the prey because they were rewarded for appearing near the prey together when it was being captured.

"The idea is that the prey is dangerous - a lone wolf can overcome it, but is at risk of losing the carcass to scavengers. However, when the two wolves capture the prey together, they can better protect the carcass from scavengers, and hence receive a higher reward, wrote the researchers in their paper.

Indeed, the incentivized cooperation strategy won out in this instance, with the AI choosing to work together.

This is how that test panned out:

The wolves are red, chasing the blue dot (prey), while avoiding grey obstacles.

If you are thinking Skynet is here, perhaps the silver lining is that the second test shows how AIs self-interest can include cooperation rather than the all-out competitiveness of the first test. Unless, of course, its cooperation to hunt down humans.

Here's a chart showing the results of the game tests that shows a clear increase in aggression during "Gathering":

Movies aside, the researchers are working to figure out how AI can eventually control complex multi-agent systems such as the economy, traffic systems, or the ecological health of our planet all of which depend on our continued cooperation.

One nearby AI implementation where this could be relevant - self-driving cars which will have to choose safest routes, while keeping the objectives of all the parties involved under consideration.

The warning from the tests is that if the objectives are not balanced out in the programming, the AI might act selfishly, probably not for everyones benefit.

Whats next for the DeepMind team? Joel Leibo wants the AI to go deeper into the motivations behind decision-making:

Going forward it would be interesting to equip agents with the ability to reason about other agents beliefs and goals, said Leibo to Bloomberg.

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Google's AI Learns Betrayal and "Aggressive" Actions Pay Off | Big ... - Big Think

Genetics

The Next Pseudoscience Health Craze Is All About Genetics – Gizmodo

Illustration: Angelica Alzona/Gizmodo

Recently, Vitaliy Husar received results from a DNA screening that changed his life. It wasnt a gene that suggested a high likelihood of cancer or a shocking revelation about his family tree. It was his diet. It was all wrong.

That was, at least, according to DNA Lifestyle Coach, a startup that offers consumers advice on diet, exercise and other aspects of daily life based on genetics alone. Husar, a 38-year-old telecom salesman, had spent most of his life eating the sort of Eastern European fare typical of his native Ukraine: lots of meat, potatoes, salt and saturated fats. DNA Lifestyle Coach suggested his body might appreciate a more Mediterranean diet instead.

They show you which genes are linked to what traits, and link you to the research, Husar told Gizmodo. There is science behind it.

DNA Lifestyle Coach isnt the only company hoping to turn our genetics into a lifestyle product. In the past decade, DNA sequencing has gotten really, really cheap, positioning genetics to become the next big consumer health craze. The sales pitcha roadmap for life encoded in your very own DNAcan be hard to resist. But scientists are skeptical that weve decrypted enough about the human genome to turn strings of As, Ts, Cs and Gs into useful personalized lifestyle advice.

Indeed, that lifestyle advice has a tendency to sound more like it was divined from a health-conscious oracle than from actual science. Take, for instance, DNA Lifestyle Coachs recommendation that one client drink 750ml of cloudy apple juice everyday to lose body fat.

Millions of people have had genotyping done, but few people have had their whole genome sequenced, Eric Topol, a geneticist at Scripps in San Diego, told Gizmodo. Most consumer DNA testing companies, like 23andMe, offer genotyping, which examines small snippets of DNA for well-studied variations. Genome sequencing, on the other hand, decodes a persons entire genetic makeup. In many cases, there just isnt enough science concerning the genes in question to accurately predict, say, whether you should steer clear of carbs.

We need billions of people to get their genome sequenced to be able to give people information like what kind of diet to follow, Topol said.

Husar stumbled upon the Kickstarter page for DNA Lifestyle Coach after getting his DNA tested via 23andMe a few years earlier. He wondered whether there was more information to be gleaned from his results. So six months ago, he downloaded his 23andMe data and uploaded it to DNA Lifestyle Coach. Each test costs between $60 and $70.

Im always looking for some ways to learn about my health, myself, my body, said Husar, who contributed to the companys Kickstarter back in 2015.

The advice he got back was incredibly specific. According to DNA Lifestyle Coach, he needed to start taking supplements of vitamins B12, D and E. He needed more iodine in his diet, and a lot less sodium. DNA Lifestyle Coach recommended that 55 percent of his fat consumption come from monounsaturated fats like olive oil, rather than the sunflower oil popular in Ukraine. Oh, and he needed to change his workout to focus more on endurance and less on speed and power.

He switched up his workout and his diet, and added vitamin supplements to his daily routine. The results, he found, were hard to dispute: He lost six pounds, and for the first time in memory didnt spend Kievs long harsh winter stuck with a bad case of the winter blues.

For now, DNA Lifestyle Coachs interpretation engine only offers consumers advice on diet and exercise, but in the coming months it plans to roll out genetics-based guidance on skin care, dental care and stress management. The company wants to tell you what SPF of sunscreen to use to decrease your risk of cancer, and which beauty products to use to delay the visible effects of aging. Its founders told Gizmodo that eventually they envision being able to offer their customers recipes for specific meals to whip up for dinner, optimized for their genetic makeup.

DNA Lifestyle Coach joins a growing list of technology companies attempting to spin DNA testing results into a must-have product. The DNA sequencing company Helix plans to launch an app store for genetics later this year. One of its partners is Vinome, a wine club that for $149 a quarter sends you wine selected based on your DNA. Orig3n offers genetics-based assessments of fitness, mental health, skin, nutrition and evenobviously unscientificwhich superpower you are most likely to have. The CEO of the health-focused Veritas Genetics told Gizmodo that the company hopes to create a Netflix for genetics, where consumers pay for a subscription to receive updated information on their genome for the rest of their life.

Its not going to happen overnight, but we believe that DNA will become an integrated part of everyday life, Helix co-founder Justin Kao told Gizmodo. The same way people use data to determine which movie to see or which restaurant to eat at, people will one day use their own DNA data to help guide everyday experiences.

Few would debate that our capability to decipher information from our genetic code is getting a lot more sophisticated. Just a decade ago, a bargain-basement deal on whole genome sequencing would run you $300,000. Recently, DNA sequencing company Illumina announced plans do it for just $100 within the next decade. Every day, researchers discover new links between our health, our environment, and our genetics.

But much of this research is still preliminary, and many of the studies are small. DNA Lifestyle Coachs advice to drink 750ml of cloudy apple juice for fat loss, for instance, stemmed from a study of just 68 non-smoking men. Those results, while promising, still require much larger studies to confirm. Suggesting that the same regiment might work for consumers is a little like reading the leaves at the bottom of a tea cupextracting meaning from patterns that arent necessarily there.

Not to mention that the information our genes offer up is probabilistic, not deterministic. You may have run into this if youve done an ancestry DNA test and received results indicating that your parents are only very likely your parents. More often than not, many genes contribute to a specific traitlike tasteand how those genes all interact is complex and poorly understood web. To complicate matters further, the expression of genes is often impacted by our behavior and the environment. If you have a gene that raises the risk for skin cancer, but live in overcast Seattle and dont ever go outside, your chances of getting cancer are probably slimmer than someone who lives in Los Angeles and spends every day in the sun without slapping on some sunblock.

DNA Lifestyle Coach, though, wants to offer its customers simple, actionable advice, and so omits all this confusing gray area from its results. Instead, the recommendations are clear and specific, from how much Vitamin A to take to how many cups of coffee a day are most beneficial. Its a bit reminiscent of a long-term weather forecast spitting out predictions for sunshine or rain 30 days in advanceyes, such predictions can be made, but most meteorologists will tell you theyre borderline useless.

We use a series of algorithms which rank studies by reliability of results, the company website explains. Studies are then analyzed for their relation to real-world dietary and nutritional needs, and the user is given straightforward recommendations.

Pressed on the questionable nature of that apple juice study, DNA Lifestyle Coachs founders responded that the data is not as strong as the the other studies it pulls from. But it is a harmless recommendation, the company said.

When asked whether it was possible that DNA Lifestyle Coachs claims might have any validity, Topol laughed.

One day, he said, its likely well have some genomic insight into what types of diets are better suited for certain people. But, he added, its unlikely that we will ever accurately predict the sort of granular details DNA Lifestyle Coach hopes to, like exactly what SPF of sunscreen you should be using on your skin.

There are limits, he said.

DNA Lifestyle Coach was founded by a chemist and a business consultant who met over an interest in the biohacker scene, a subculture focused on ideas like DIY life extension. The company that runs DNA Lifestyle Coach, Titanovo, actually started as a blog. The name is meant to invoke superhumans. Its like the rise of the titans, said Corey McCarren, the business side of the duo, when Gizmodo met with him at a health moonshots conference last month.

Their first foray into genetics was a home telomere length test, which launched in 2015 with help of $10,000 raised on Indiegogo. Telomeres are little bits of DNA at the end of chromosomes. Each time a cell divides, its telomeres get shorter, and so they provide some insight into our biological age. Titanovo wanted to develop an easy test to tell consumers how long or short their telomeres were. The company initially pitched the test as a way to measure both longevity and health, but eventually was forced to clarify for customers that it is not at present possible to discern biological age from telomeres alone, after receiving emails from customers panicked about their own short telomeres.

Instead, they suggest, the $150 telomere testing kit is a way to discern information about health. One finding from their data: vegetarians and vegans who use the service have, on average, longer telomeres. The company recommends going veg if you find your telomeres are in need of a boost. Even this, however, seems like a stretch: data on telomere length, like genomics, is not quite ready for public consumption. For every paper that finds a potential cause of telomere shorting, theres one that finds the opposite effect.

Undaunted by the rocky rollout of its telomere testing kit, Titanovo is now pressing forward into genomics. The Kickstarter campaign for DNA Lifestyle Coach wound up raising more than $30,000. The company says it now has more than 1,000 customers who either pay $215 for the full DNA testing kit along with one panel, or the $60 to $70 to run panels with data from services like 23andMe.

While it might seem harmless to take part in a little science-based superstition and find out whether youre more Batman or Superman, such indulgence can have serious side effects. For years, weve been sold on DNA as the answer to almost everything. Decode the human genome, and decode the mysteries of the human spirit. This gives companies like DNA Lifestyle Coach dangerous authority. If your DNA testing results say youre prone to obesity, why spend time exercising and eating right when your health seems beyond your control?

Joshua Knowles, a Stanford Cardiologist who studies applied genetics, told Gizmodo that he recently had a patient who was unwilling to try a certain class of drug based on their genotyping, even though they had a high risk of heart disease that might be drastically reduced by use of those medications.

Were doing a poor job of educating patients on risk-benefit analysis, Knowles said. In some cases, when it comes to genetics, were placing a lot of weight on some things that have very small overall effects.

In 2008, an European Journal of Human Geneticsarticleargued for better regulatory control of direct-to-consumer genetic testing, asking whether in the end, tests ran the risk of being little better than horoscopes that told people information they were already predisposed to believe.

It was these kinds of concerns that moved the Food and Drug Administration to crack down on 23andMe in 2013, ordering the company to cease providing analyses of peoples risk factors for disease until the tests accuracy could be validated. The company now provides assessments on a small fraction of 254 diseases and conditions it once scanned forit still processes the same information, but is restricted in what it can tell consumers. Where it once reported health risks alongside specific tips and guidance on how to reduce them, it now reports on your carrier status, framing the results in terms of whether you might pass down a specific genetic variant to your offspring rather that whether you might develop the condition yourself.

Companies like DNA Lifestyle Coach have moved in offer the sort of tips 23andMe no longer can.

We have much too many companies doing nutrigenomics and other unproven things like that, said Topol. That can give consumer genomics a really bad name. Thats unfortunate.

Kao, of Helix, said that educating consumers on what these results really mean alongside actionable information will be the industrys greatest challengeand what distinguishes it from just another pseudoscientific health fad.

Its typically been very hard to interpret DNA information, Kao said. DNA is most valuable with context, rather than as the only piece of the puzzle.

The industry, he argues, is young, but will get more accurate the more consumers use DNA-testing products. Just as Netflix improves the more you rate shows you watch, so would many DNA-based products, he said.

Husar told Gizmodo that he got blood work done to confirm what he could about his DNA Lifestyle Coach results. The tests indeed confirmed that he was low on vitamins B12, D and E, as DNA Lifestyle Coach had suggested. Of course, Hussar still cant be sure his genes are responsible. It could be that hes simply not eating enough meat or cheese. Still, the blood work was enough to convince Husar that DNA Lifestyle Coachs analysis was worth taking seriously. And, for the most part, the results felt rightit made sense that a boost of vitamin B12 might counteract the emotional toll of winter, and that cutting out potatoes and saturated fats might be benefical.

The testss fitness results though, he did find a tad shocking.

I was really surprised to learn that Im not fast or powerful, but I have a high endurance, he said. I can do Iron Man. This is what my genetics say. Im trying to change my workout to see if thats true.

Husar may never be sure whether the advice divined from his genetics was really helpful. He can only hope it doesnt hurt.

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The Next Pseudoscience Health Craze Is All About Genetics - Gizmodo

Genetics

University of Arizona professor: Genetics could help treat heart disease – KTAR.com

PHOENIX Genetics may hold the key to treating heart disease, according to a University of Arizona professor.

Scientists have identified genetic markers that can predict if a person is likely to be diagnosed with heart disease, which is the No. 1 killer for both men and women nationwide.

University of Arizona professorDr. Robert Roberts said since genetic markers do not change throughout a persons life, this new discovery is so far the most accurate method ofpredicting heart disease.

Whileheart disease has been proven to be preventable by decreasing conventional risk factors, such as quitting smoking,about 50 percent of heart disease risk is in a persons genes.

Scientists are developing a genetic test that can find these markers using either blood or saliva, Roberts said, adding in the next few years, they will be able to treat people without symptoms who have genetic risks.

Genetic testing will tell us if you are at risk, he said. If you are at risk [then] we can start treatment immediately.

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University of Arizona professor: Genetics could help treat heart disease - KTAR.com

Genetics

Sunderland: A heart update when your genetics turn on you – East Idaho News

From the Editor 0Updated at 3:08 pm, February 14th, 2017 By: Nate Sunderland, EastIdahoNews.com We Matched

My son Michael, 10, acting like the genetic test was no big deal. He didnt even flinch when the needle went in. Then he bragged about his bravery for the next several hours.

For the last several months, members of the EastIdahoNews.com team have received a surprising number of inquiries about whether I died following my heart transplant in October.

Im not dead. Obviously.

And since so many of you have asked for an update: Im happy to provide one and on Valentines Day. You know, because of hearts and stuff.

The truth is, not a whole lot has really changed since the transplant. Im still living in Utah in a kind of recovery limbo as my body gradually regains its strength and adapts to this new heart.

Doctors are routinely tweaking my massive dose of daily medications to ensure organ rejection doesnt set in. Its a process that will likely take a year or more.

One of weird parts of constantly tweaking medications is the funky side effects.

For one, I get tremors. I shake and shiver constantly for no apparent reason. I feel temperatures differently. I get random chills and when I touch something semi-hot like getting into a hot shower it initially feels like Im dousing myself in flames. Even just going outside in the sun makes my skin feel like its on fire.

There is also constant tingling in my hands, feet and oddly lips. My wife also says the steroids Im on make me moody and emotional, but Im fairly certain thats not true.

Thankfully, the side effects have been relatively benign for me. There are many transplant patients who have much more severe side effects, so I cant really complain.

The worst part of transplant recovery are the biopsies a process where they stick catheters down through an artery in your neck so they can cut out tiny pieces of your heart to test. Its creepy but fascinating to watch a tiny claw on a monitor cut away at your heart.

This is what a heart biopsy looks like. Thats a very tiny claw poking around my heart, which cuts off millimeter chunks for study. The pieces are pulled through a catheter in my neck. And those wires? Thats where my sternum was wired shut after my transplant surgery.

Biopsies are used to check for organ rejection. I used to get a biopsy weekly, but the further I get from transplant the less often I have to get them. Now I see my doctors a couple of times a month and get a biopsy and a battery of other tests once a month.

Thats mostly it. Besides the tests and appointments, the majority of time is spent working on the internet in my hotel room or at physical therapy where Im striving to regain my muscles.

The only major development that has come out of the last couple months is that I now know what actually caused my initial heart failure.

Jacob, 3, was the most apprehensive about the test and it took me and two nurses to hold him down to draw the blood. There were tears, but it was over quickly.

Not long after my transplant, my wife and I went to my doctor, concerned our three boys might be at risk for heart complications in the future. Physicians told me to get a genetic test.

I was told given the limited research into genetic disorders that cause heart problems, there was only a 20 percent chance the test would find a gene mutation that could cause heart failure. If the test came back negative, it would mean either I didnt have a mutation or that they just couldnt identify one.

Turns out Im one of the lucky (or perhaps unlucky) few to get a positive genetic test.

In technical terms, I have a c. 84482delC (p. Pro28161Leufs*13) mutation in my TTN (pronounced Titan) gene, which caused familial dilated cardiomyopathy, which is inherited person-to-person in an autosomal dominant manner.

Thats about as clear as mud, huh?

In laymans terms everyone has two copies of all their genes one from mom and one from dad. One copy of my TTN gene contains a mutation, causing it to unravel, which resulted in my heart essentially becoming deformed.

As a result of the malformed heart, I ended up in heart failure. When I didnt respond to treatment, I essentially started dying. Thankfully, the transplant saved my life.

The mutation isnt expected to cause me any more problems, since my new heart has a different set of genes. But my children each have a 50 percent chance of the same mutation occurring in their bodies.

Thats a scary thought.

My son Xander, 7, doesnt like needles but he got through the genetic test just fine.

So this last week, we got them tested and are awaiting the results. If any of my children do share the gene mutation, there are things we can do to forestall and treat their hearts to avoid the same situation I find myself in.

But it will be a lifelong change for them with regular heart tests and/or procedures probably forever.

We should get the test results back by the end of the month.

We are keeping our fingers crossed. And in the meantime were taking this recovery day by day.

Again, I want to thank everyone for the continued support. This trial has lasted for months and months now, and although it seems like forever, it does feel like things are gradually returning to normal.

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Sunderland: A heart update when your genetics turn on you - East Idaho News

Anatomy

The Olivia Nelson-Ododa Blog: Season-ending injury, staying positive, Grey’s Anatomy and more – USA TODAY High School Sports

Winder-Barrow (Winder, Ga.) forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa is the top ranked player in the ESPN HoopGurlz 100 for 2018 and has everyone from Connecticut to South Carolina to Maryland and many others all giving chase. Now Nelson-Ododa has agreed to give USA TODAY exclusive access into her world by chronicling everything from intimate details about her recruitment to her everyday life in a blog.

Hi world!

This is Olivia with my first blog so I hope you guys like it.

Sadly, Im done playing for the year.

I had a knee injury on Jan. 31 and its been tough to sit out for sure.

Right now we know that its not anything major like MCL or ACL, but I have an appointment this week so well know more about recovery time and things like that.

Im just working on staying positive and being there for my team as we go into the playoffs.

I feel like I was playing really well this year and I was excited about the playoffs coming up. I was working on the weaknesses in my game and I felt like everything was growing in a positive direction then the injury happened.

Like I said, Im just trying to stay positive because I know that Ill be back.

Im definitely excited about summer ball.

I try not to pay a lot of attention to rankings, but being No. 1, Im really motivated to stay there. I know that other players are hungry and theyre coming for that so I use that as motivation to work on my skills and fix any holes I feel that I have in my game.

I want to be the best and even though Im ranked No. 1 I work like Im not.

My recruitment is going pretty well right now, Ive got offers from UConn, Stanford, South Carolina, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Maryland, UCLA and a lot of other schools.

Right now Im focusing on developing relationships with coaches and trying to get out to see some of the schools.

But the best part for me is just talking to them and getting to know them away from the court.

Like I bonded with the coach from FSU over our love for dogs. I have a black lab, a mini-pit bull and a German Shepherd so she wanted to see pics of the dog and all that.

I thought that was cool.

Sometimes it can get stressful dealing with all of the coaches, but I tell myself, Youd rather have to put up with all of this than to not have any schools calling.

One thing I do is use Sunday as my family day, so Im not calling any coaches on that day. Thats been good for me.

Since Im so close Ill occasionally go and see Georgia Tech and Georgia games. I went to South Carolina last month to see the game against Alabama. I dont have any visits planned now, but I want to get out to see more schools now that I have more time.

School is going pretty well. I started my second semester and even though classes are challenging theyre definitely a lot less stressful than last semester so thats a positive.

My favorite subjects are English, Social Studies and Science; my least favorite would be Math.

I do have to tell everyone that I just started watching Greys Anatomy on Netflix and Im loving it! I know Im really late with that, but if you havent seen it go check it out!

OK guys thanks for reading my first blog.

Stay tuned for the next one. Ill be back again soon.

Dont forget to follow Olivia Nelson-Ododa:

Twitter:@OliviaKNelson

Instagram: olivianelson_17

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The Olivia Nelson-Ododa Blog: Season-ending injury, staying positive, Grey's Anatomy and more - USA TODAY High School Sports

Anatomy

The Anatomy of Hain Celestial Group’s Drop and Why You Should Proceed With Caution – Motley Fool

Hain Celestial (NASDAQ:HAIN)seemed like a perfectly positioned company. As consumers learned more and more about where their food came from, the organic movement only became more powerful.

That's why, in November 2014, I invested my own money in the stock. But as I did more research on the company, I became wary of a narrowing moat. When I sold my shares in January 2016, it was long before accounting issues and an SEC investigation were brought to light, sinking the stock even further this week.

Image source: Getty Images.

As I gained more experience as an investor, I began to look very skeptically at the growth-via-acquisition strategy. While there are certainly success stories,the graveyard of value-destroying acquisitions is constantly growing.

Hain is the poster child for this strategy. Under the leadership of founder and CEO Irwin Simon, the company has grown by buying up popular organic brands that had made a name for themselves independently. With the cash and scale that Hain could provide, the thinking went, these brands could flourish on a national and international platform that would otherwise take decades to accomplish.

The problem is, you have to have an excellent system in place to manage all of the disparate businesses, and it seems Simon did not have such an infrastructure. One review by a former employee on Glassdoor.com offered a detailed warning back in October 2015:

Having a young, natural product brand adhere to a strict corporate budget can be detrimental to its survival. On several acquisitions, Hain failed to achieve continued rates of growth on behalf of the acquired brand mostly because it could not fund new projects... Hain's current acquisition model essentially operates on limiting up front costs as much as possible; they slim down an acquired brand's team to the bare minimum, which only allows for the brand to sustain rather than grow its market segment.

That's crucial, because if the brands that Hain is acquiring don't produce the type of growth that the company expects, it means that it likely overpaid for them in the first place. This eventually leads to significant goodwill writedowns.

As you can see below, the company's goodwill -- and long-term debt -- has been growing steadily over the past six years.

Data source: Hain Celestial annual and quarterly reports.

With that as the context, we can fast-forward to last summer. As investors were preparing to review the company's annual report, Hain said it would not be able to file in a timely manner. At the time, the company's statement seemed benign: "the Company identified concessions that were granted to certain distributors in the United States," and it simply needed to clear up the matter.

Indeed, in November, it appeared it might be in the clear. A release stated that the company "found no evidence of intentional wrongdoing in connection with the Company's financial statements."

The problem, however, is that quarterly filings have been besieged by delay after delay. It has been over 285 days since the company last published financial statements, over 180 days since the accounting issues were first disclosed, and 90 days since an apparent "all clear" was issued, signaling no intentional wrongdoing.

That's a long time with absolutely no information for investors to digest. And this week, things seemed to worsen. The company saidin a post-market Friday news dump that the scope of its own investigation was widening and that it wouldn't be providing the missing quarterly reports promptly. It also said that the SEC had opened a formal investigation, though when it started is not certain.

So what are we left with? It's impossible to value the business based on traditional metrics. We have no idea how accurate the numbers from the past are, and we have absolutely no data to go on over the past three quarters.

Using the last four quarters that we do have, the company now trades at 17 times earnings and 21 times free cash flow. If it turns out that there's nothing nefarious about what it's been doing and the brands are stronger than I'm giving them credit for, it would make today's prices seem pretty fair. However, with uncertainty reaching a fever pitch, investors need to accept that this is as much a guessing game right now as anything else. Proceed with caution.

Brian Stoffel has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Hain Celestial. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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The Anatomy of Hain Celestial Group's Drop and Why You Should Proceed With Caution - Motley Fool

Anatomy

Conor McGregor Credits Certain Part Of Anatomy For His Confidence, Skill – NESN.com

Love him or hate him, Conor McGregor sure is entertaining.

The Notorious has become one of the biggest names in mixed martial arts thanks to his hisswagger and incredible fighting skills. And his knockout ability has claimed some of the biggest names in the sport, including Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 to claim the lightweight title.

So how exactly does McGregor do it? If youre good at reading dashes, youll get a kick out of his answer during a recent interview with GQ.

Its all in the n. Its all in the b s. I just have confidence that comes from my big b s, and I know when I smack you, youre going down, he told GQ. And thats it.

Well, thats quite the description.

That answer came after he described his knockout ability when it comes to his rivalry with Nate Diaz.

No ones work is clean like my work, McGregor said. My shots are clean. My shots are precise. Look at Nate. Nate was 200 pounds. When I hit him down, it was exactly like if a sniper took aim at someone in between their eyeballs and let the thing rip. The way he dropped, it was like a sack of s. So thats a power I have.

Of course, thats not exactly how it went the first time when Diaz shockingly beat McGregor, but point taken.

Just something else for Floyd Mayweather Jr. to ponder if their super fight ever happens.

Thumbnail photo viaAdam Hunger/USA TODAY Sports Images

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Conor McGregor Credits Certain Part Of Anatomy For His Confidence, Skill - NESN.com

Immunology

Study reveals new role for cancer drug in tumor immunology – News-Medical.net

February 13, 2017 at 2:23 AM

A drug first designed to prevent cancer cells from multiplying has a second effect: it switches immune cells that turn down the body's attack on tumors back into the kind that amplify it. This is the finding of a study led by researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center and published recently in Cancer Immunology Research.

According to experiments in mice, macrophages - immune cells that home in on tumors - take in the drug nab-paclitaxel (brand name Abraxane). Once inside these cells, say the study authors, the drug changes them so that they signal for an aggressive anti-tumor immune response.

"Our study reveals a previously unappreciated role for Abraxane in tumor immunology," says corresponding author Dafna Bar-Sagi, PhD, Vice Dean for Science and Chief Scientific Officer at NYU Langone.

"In doing so, it suggests ways to improve the drug and argues for its inclusion in new kinds of combination treatments," says Bar-Sagi, also a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at NYU Langone, and associated with its Perlmutter Cancer Center.

Abraxane over Paclitaxel

Abraxane is comprised of the decades-old cancer drug, paclitaxel, combined with nanoparticles of the protein albumin (nab). Paclitaxel alone is not effective against pancreatic cancer, but Abraxane (nab-paclitaxel) is part of a leading treatment for the disease. Why the albumin-bound form works better has been a major question in the field.

Paclitaxel prevents structures called microtubules inside cancer cells from breaking up, a required step if they are to multiply as part of abnormal growth. Many in the field assume that nab-paclitaxel too primarily targets microtubules in cancer cells, with albumin perhaps helping the drug to get inside cells, and with fewer toxic side-effects.

The new findings suggest that, on top of any effect on cancer cells, Abraxane's effectiveness may proceed from its impact on macrophages, which roam the bloodstream and build up in many tumors.

The study results revolve around the immune system, in which cells like macrophages trigger a massive attack on bacteria or other invading microbes. This system can also recognize and attack cancer cells. Factors secreted by tumor cells, however, dampen the immune response in part by switching macrophages from their immune-stimulating stance, termed M1, into an M2 mode that suppresses their immune function.

In experiments in macrophage cell lines, the study authors found that nab-paclitaxel is more effective than paclitaxel partly because albumin enables macrophages to take up the drug through a natural process called macropinocytosis.

Once inside macrophages, according to experiments in mice with pancreatic tumors, nab-paclitaxel causes the macrophages to switch from immune-suppressing M2 cells back into M1 cells that amplify the body's effort to kill cancer cells. Past studies had found that paclitaxel has a similar structure to substances given off by bacteria that trigger macrophage activation. The study authors show that the same pathway is evoked by nab-paclitaxel in pancreatic tumor-associated macrophages.

"Our findings argue that it may be possible to develop more treatments that selectively target macrophages by coupling albumin to immune-activating agents," said lead study author Jane Cullis, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in Bar-Sagi's lab. "We may also be able to adjust albumin's structure such that drugs attached to it stay in macrophages longer, or combine Abraxane with T-cell treatments for greater therapeutic effect. In principle, such treatments should be useful against the many tumor types infiltrated by macrophages."

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Study reveals new role for cancer drug in tumor immunology - News-Medical.net

Human Behavior

Dogs Judge Humans When They Are Behaving Badly – Regal Tribune

According to a new study, dogs judge humans too, especially when they are behaving rudely.

The human behavior has officially gained a new judge. According to a new study, dogs judge humans too, especially when they are behaving in an inappropriate manner.

Our canine friends are not the only ones to judge us. Another species of the animal world does so as well. Research confirmed the fact that primates judge our behavior.

And apparently, mans best friend does so too. Research on the matter was led by James Anderson. He is a comparative psychologist. Study results were released earlier this year. They were published in the Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews journal.

The study paper was titled as follows. Third-party social evaluations of humans by monkeys and dogs Initially, Anderson and his team started out by testing monkeys. More exactly, Capuchin ones.

Their initial experiment went as follows. An actor was asked to try and get a toy out of a box. A second actor was asked to respond in two ways to this event. At first, this second member helped open the box. But the other variant had the second actor completely ignoring the toy struggle.

At the same time, both actors were asked to offer food to the Capuchins. In the first scenario, the monkey accepted food from them both. But in the second case, they were more selective. The Capuchins took food from the actor struggling with the box. But they denied it when it was offered by the second actor, the unhelpful and rude one.

Tests also proved another fact. These monkeys also presented a sense of fairness and unfairness as well. This was shown through another test.

But the scientists also wanted to turn to another animal species. One that is closer to us. Which led to our canine friends. And also to a quite clear conclusion. Dogs judge humans based on their behavior.

They too were tested in a similar manner. But instead of using complete strangers, one study participant was their owner. They were also put in a struggling situation. More exactly, they were asked to try and open a container.

Two actors also joined the tests. And they were both presented with the box. Depending on the variant, one either accepted or declined to help. The other actor remained passive throughout both these scenarios.

As before, the actors were asked to offer them food. But this was no easy task. As the dogs judge humans too, they mostly did not accept any from the rude actor. Instead, they readily took food when the same participantwas helpful. The dogs response to the indifferent actor was somewhat neutral. Although they accepted the treats.

Just as with the monkeys, the dog tests showed the following. They too exhibit the ability to judge people based on their behavior. Essentially, they based their own response on the way the respective human acted.

Dogs were also noted to do the following. They seem to comprehend the differences between being rude or unpleasant and a helpful behavior. And they also seem to try and avoid the rude ones.

The tests, in general, pointed out an interesting fact. Both the monkeys and dogs recognized negativity. And also tried to shun it. As such, the researchers reached the following conclusion. These animals are socially aware of the behavior of both the humans and animals surrounding them.

As it is, you should remember this the next time someone asks for some help. Dogs judge humans and your canine friend may not be too happy if you deny it.

Image Source: Wikimedia

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Dogs Judge Humans When They Are Behaving Badly - Regal Tribune

Human Behavior

Advice: Never Trust Anyone That Tells You They’ll Take a Bullet For You – Houston Press

Tuesday, February 14, 2017 at 7 a.m.

As our own Cory Garcia will attest, one of the things I actually do get paid for when working here is arguing on social media. It turns out one of the best ways to track and study human behavior in the online space is, well, to engage with people whose impulse control is poor enough that they let their unfiltered personality dangle out in the wind. Its not the healthiest way to spend ones time, but it does help you learn an awful lot about how people think and act online.

Recently I had a bad Internet dust-up with a local artist who has been on my friends list for years and a rather constant headache regarding his behavior involving women and minorities on my page, and it finally resulted in an unfriending and finally a block because boundaries were never his jam or jelly.

One of the gaslight-ier things he said to me before the blocking was Id take a bullet for you. Ive seen others say that to people who were trying to get them to modify their behavior and I now consider it a very red flag. Someone who says this to you, especially when its in response to a friendship being on the line because he acted in a way you asked him not to, is probably not your friend.

First, to get it out of the way, almost none of us need bullets taken for us. The odds, even in America, of me being in a situation where anyone would even have the chance to stop a bullet to save me are very small. Im not the President. Im not even a Nazi with a punchable face and a stupid frog pin. Offering to be my bodyguard for the fictional assassins out to get me is just dumb.

But lets get into the nitty-gritty of what the statement Id take a bullet for you as an accusation that youre being a bad friend actually says. It implies, for one, that the world is a dangerous place, that you are beset on all sides by dangers, and that the person saying it is the one you can really trust. Thats the sort of thing domestic abusers say to their significant others to alienate them from their friends.

More than that, though, its an attempt to instill a sense of obligation in the listener despite the fact that the person saying it hasnt actually done anything to earn the obligation. Its a case of I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today, an emotional debt against a future act of ultimate selflessness that will almost certainly never come to pass. By saying it first, the speaker implies that you wouldnt do this same heroic deed for him, or maybe you just havent thought about your friendship like he has.

If youre one of the people saying this sort of thing to friends youre having an argument over, you need to stop. It doesnt actually come out as a nice thing to say, even if youre sure you meant it. It definitely isnt a good way to stop an argument when the subject under discussion is your behavior right now, not in the possible future.

Like most people, I dont really need someone to take a bullet for me. I need people to stop calling women whores and cunts around me. I need a lot less queerphobia and transphobia in the world. I need folks to stop sharing every half-cocked conspiracy theory that proves they need a gun in an elementary school. These are actually helpful, and they require work and learning restraint, which is probably why jerks prefer to offer a pointless, manipulative and hollow martyrdom fantasy instead.

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Advice: Never Trust Anyone That Tells You They'll Take a Bullet For You - Houston Press