Researchers 3-D Bioprint Cartilage – Laboratory Equipment

A team of researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy has managed to generate cartilage tissue by printing stem cells using a 3D-bioprinter. The fact that the stem cells survived being printed in this manner is a success in itself. In addition, the research team was able to influence the cells to multiply and differentiate to form chondrocytes (cartilage cells) in the printed structure.

The findings have been published in Natures Scientific Reports magazine. The research project is being conducted in collaboration with a team of researchers at the Chalmers University of Technology who are experts in the 3D printing of biological materials. Orthopedic researchers from Kungsbacka are also involved in the research collaboration.

The team used cartilage cells harvested from patients who underwent knee surgery, and these cells were then manipulated in a laboratory, causing them to rejuvenate and revert into pluripotent stem cells, i.e. stem cells that have the potential to develop into many different types of cells. The stem cells were then expanded and encapsulated in a composition of nanofibrillated cellulose and printed into a structure using a 3D bioprinter. Following printing, the stem cells were treated with growth factors that caused them to differentiate correctly, so that they formed cartilage tissue.

The publicationis the result of three years of hard work.

In nature, the differentiation of stem cells into cartilage is a simple process, but its much more complicated to accomplish in a test tube. Were the first to succeed with it, and we did so without any animal testing whatsoever," says Stina Simonsson, Associate Professor of Cell Biology, who lead the research teams efforts.

Most of the teams efforts had to do with finding a procedure so that the cells survive printing, multiply and a protocol that works that causes the cells to differentiate to form cartilage.

"We investigated various methods and combined different growth factors. Each individual stem cell is encased in nanocellulose, which allows it to survive the process of being printed into a 3D structure. We also harvested mediums from other cells that contain the signals that stem cells use to communicate with each other so called conditioned medium. In laymans terms, our theory is that we managed to trick the cells into thinking that they arent alone, clarifies Simonsson. "Therefore,the cells multiplied before we differentiated them."

A key insight gained from the teams study is that it is necessary to use large amounts of live stem cells to form tissue in this manner.

The cartilage formed by the stem cells in the 3D bioprinted structure is extremely similar to human cartilage. Experienced surgeons who examined the artificial cartilage saw no difference when they compared the bioprinted tissue to real cartilage, and have stated that the material has properties similar to their patients natural cartilage. Just like normal cartilage, the lab-grown material contains Type II collagen , and under the microscope the cells appear to be perfectly formed, with structures similar to those observed in samples of human-harvested cartilage.

The study represents a giant step forward in the ability to generate new, endogenous cartilage tissue. In the not too distant future, it should be possible to use 3D bioprinting to generate cartilage based on a patients own, backed-up stem cells. This bioprinted tissue can be used to repair cartilage damage, or to treat osteoarthritis, in which joint cartilage degenerates and breaks down. The condition is very common one in four Swedes over the age of 45 suffer from some degree of osteoarthritis.

In theory, this research has created the opportunity to generate large amounts of cartilage, but one major issue must be resolved before the findings can be used in practice to benefit patients.

The structure of the cellulose we used might not be optimal for use in the human body. Before we begin to explore the possibility of incorporating the use of 3D bioprinted cartilage into the surgical treatment of patients, we need to find another material that can be broken down and absorbed by the body so that only the endogenous cartilage remains, the most important thing for use in a clinical setting is safety explains Simonsson.

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Researchers 3-D Bioprint Cartilage - Laboratory Equipment

UC San Diego Receives $7.5 Million to Develop Innovative Uses for Melanin – Scripps Oceanography News

A team of scientists from the University of California San Diego and two other universities has received a five year, $7.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to unravel the fundamental properties of melanins, a family of natural pigments found in skin, hair, eyes and even the plumage of brightly colored birds.

The basic research effort, which will be conducted in part by Scripps Institution of Oceanography marine biologist Dimitri Deheyn, will focus on elucidating the biochemical pathways that lead to the production of melanins in a range of organismscompounds that efficiently absorb ultraviolet light and protect skin cells in humansand gain a better understanding of the chemistry and morphology of melanin polymers at the molecular scale, nanoscale, micrometer and at the macroscale.

The project is being funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, under the Defense Departments Multidisciplinary Research Initiative, or MURI program, with the goal of using these natural pigments to develop new kinds of advanced materials.

Melanin is a ubiquitous natural material that has so far been underutilized in materials science and technological applications, said Nathan Gianneschi, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry, materials science and engineering and nanoengineering at UC San Diego, who heads the research team. But this polymer has a unique blend of properties, including strong ultraviolet and gamma radiation absorbance, a high refractive index, material toughness, high conductivity, magnetism and a high metal-binding capacity.

By unraveling the basic biology, chemistry and structural properties of melanins at multiple length scales, the team plans over the next three years to provide the foundation for the development of melanin-based synthetic materials for a wide range of applications.

We hope this basic research effort will eventually lead to the establishment of new methods of assembly to create functional arrays and structures that can be integrated into materials, providing them with unprecedented new optical, infrared, magnetic and biochemical properties, said Gianneschi.

Other melanin-based materials, the researchers added, could include new kinds of adaptive camouflage or detection systems, protective coatings that make structures resistant to ultraviolet and gamma radiation, and bioremediation devices that employ the ability of melanins to bind heavy metals.

Other members of the research team from UC San Diego are Michael Burkart, professor of chemistry and biochemistry and Jeffrey Rinehart, an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry. Ali Dhinojwala from the University of Akron and Arthi Jayaraman from the University of Delaware round out the multidisciplinary team.

The research team will collaborate with Wendy Goodson from the Air Force Research Laboratory and Matthew Shawkey, an associate professor of biology at the University of Ghent in Belgium, who were awarded an additional $1.25 million from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research for a cooperative research project.

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UC San Diego Receives $7.5 Million to Develop Innovative Uses for Melanin - Scripps Oceanography News

Sarah Ades named 2017 Penn State Teaching Fellow – Penn State News

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. Sarah Ades, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State, has been named a 2017 Penn State Teaching Fellow, the Penn State Alumni Association Award for Excellence in Teaching. The award was established by the Alumni Association, in conjunction with the undergraduate and graduate student governing bodies, in 1988 to honor distinguished teaching and to encourage teaching excellence.

Ades was recognized for her unique inquiry-based approach to teaching. She restructured her classes to reflect a scientific community where students work collaboratively and share results to address scientific problems.

Science is best learned by engaging in the scientific process, whether that is analyzing problems in the classroom or designing experiments in the lab, said Ades. My role as a teacher is similar to that of a coach. I guide students in learning new skills and concepts, design materials to help them practice these skills, and challenge them to apply these skills to new situations.

Research in the Ades laboratory focuses on understanding how information about changes in the environment, such as the presence of antibiotics, is transmitted from the outer cell compartment of a bacterial cell to components within the cell so that the bacteria can respond to these changes. She has developed methods to identify small molecules that can interrupt the cellular-signaling pathways that transmit this information. These molecules will be important compounds for the development of new kinds of antibiotics and can be used as tools for basic research.

In 2015, Ades was awarded the C.I. Noll Award for Excellence in Teaching by the Eberly College of Science Alumni Society for her collaboration with Kenneth Keiler, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State. They transformed two undergraduate courses that encourage students to ask scientific questions and to design and perform experiments to answer these questions. A paper about this transformation was published in the journal PLoS Biology in 2017.

In 2013, Ades was a winner of the GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK) Discovery Fast Track Challenge, a competition designed to accelerate the translation of academic research into novel medical therapies. Her research has been published in journals such as Molecular Microbiology, the Journal of Bacteriology, and PLoS One.

Ades earned a doctoral degree in biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1995 and a bachelor's degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry at Yale University in 1988. Prior to joining the Penn State faculty in June of 2002, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California at San Francisco from 1997 to 2002 and at the Institut de Biologie Molecularie et Cellulaire in Strasbourg, France, from 1995 to 1997.

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Sarah Ades named 2017 Penn State Teaching Fellow - Penn State News

Anatomy of a Murder (1959) – IMDb

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Frederick Manion (Ben Gazzara), a lieutenant in the army, is arrested for the murder of a bartender, Barney Quill. He claims, in his defense, that the victim had raped and beaten up his wife Laura (Lee Remick). Although Laura supports her husband's story, the police surgeon can find no evidence that she has been raped. Manion is defended by Paul Biegler (James Stewart), a rather humble small-town lawyer. During the course of interviews, Biegler discovers that Manion is violently possessive and jealous, and also that his wife has a reputation for giving her favors to other men. Biegler realizes that the prosecution will try to make the court believe that Laura was the lover of the bartender and than Manion killed him and beat her up when he discovered them together. Manion pleads "not guilty" and Biegler, who knows that his case is weak, sets his assistants to try to find a witness who will save Manion. Written by alfiehitchie

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Anatomy of a Murder (1959) - IMDb

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Recap: Maggie Finds Out About Meredith and Riggs – Us Weekly

Sisters before misters! Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) might end her latest fling to make things right with Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary) on Greys Anatomy. Also, a few couples reconnected during the Thursday, April 27, episode, so love was definitely in the air at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Check out the five biggest moments from the episode!

Meredith and Maggie Drama

Meredith decided it was finally time for her to tell Pierce about her relationship with Nathan Riggs (Martin Henderson). However, before she got a chance, Pierce saw the two flirting during a press conference and figured it out. She gave Meredith the cold shoulder all day.

This isnt about Nathan. Its you. I trusted you to be honest with me, Pierce said. I thought I could count on you. Mer, dont let your girl down. You have to fix this.

Matchmaker in Heaven

Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) was obsessed with fixing Richard Webbers (James Pickens Jr.) marriage. Her husband, Ben Warren (Jason Winston George), told her to stay out of it, but she couldnt help herself and enlisted April Kepner (Sarah Drew) for help.

Just because you feel responsible doesnt mean you have to fix it. Stay out of it, Catherine Avery (Debbie Allen) told Bailey.

I know it can feel impossible at times, but you can figure it out, Bailey said.

A Short Reconnection

After Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) performed a heart-wrenching surgery, she could not keep it together. She stayed cool in front of the patients, but once it all was over, she broke down in an elevator. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) got on the elevator and saw her, and the two stood there hugging in silence as Amelia sobbed. When Hunt got to his floor, he got off without saying a word. Although it wasnt much, maybe these two can get back on track.

Working With Worms

Webber had a busy day extracting worms from a patients body. It seemed like Bailey actually got through to Catherine, and Webbers wife visited him as he was getting ready to sleep in the hospital.

I was wrong, she said. The two didnt really discuss their problems, but at least they bonded over the photos Webber took of the worm surgery. They are totally meant for one another.

Breaking Up?

Meredith came home to Maggie sitting on the couch and told her they were going out. Maggie didnt want to, but Mer wouldnt take no for an answer.

I am very sorry that I screwed up and I hurt you, Meredith said. But youre my sister and Im sure as hell not losing you over a guy.

That must have been exactly what Pierce wanted to hear, because she agreed to go. Hopefully, this will finally be the end of the Meredith-Riggs rollercoaster. They keep trying to be a thing, but it just doesnt work. Plus, Meredith and Pierce are sisters. They cant ruin that over a guy.

Tell Us: Do you think Meredith will finally break up with Riggs?

Greys Anatomy airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

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'Grey's Anatomy' Recap: Maggie Finds Out About Meredith and Riggs - Us Weekly

Grey’s Anatomy recap: ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ – EW.com

One patient had worms breeding inside her. The end.

Just kidding. There was more to this episode, but honestly, the pasta-like worms were everywhere even in scenes most definitelynotabout the worms, you were thinking about the worms. Or if, like me, you are getting over a stomach bug, you were thinking, Please dont throw up, please dont throw up, please dont throw up. Also? Spaghetti is ruined. Forever.

All you really need to know about the worms is that a patient had them, her new boyfriend ditched her once he found out, and then he returned later (after the worms were cleared from his girlfriend, it should be noted), once he realized he was being a butthead. Oh, and April got one in her hair. And you thought licewere bad!

In non-worm news, Bailey notices Richard and Catherine arent speaking, and she wants to fix it because of course she does. She spends the entire episode trying to figure out how to get them back on speaking terms. April eventually clues Bailey in on something: She and Catherine are very, very alike. Soon after, Baileys confronting her sort-of twin about how she needs to woman up and talk to her husband. Shes pretty convincing, too, both because shes Bailey, and Bailey could probably convince you breeding worms in your intestines is a good idea (sorry), and because she knows a thing or two about marriage shes been through two, after all.

So she does her Bailey thing, telling Catherine things like, You dont know how to be married, and, in the episodes best moment, I plan to grow old with my man and have old people sex. Dont you want to have old people sex, Catherine? she asks. She tells Catherine to set her ego aside and talk to her husband, make up with him. Very quickly we find out that Catherinedoeswant to have old people sex, because shes visiting Richard and joyfully looking at his pictures of the worms. At least something good came out of them?

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Grey's Anatomy recap: 'Don't Stop Me Now' - EW.com

Anatomy of a Little League homer – ESPN (blog)

BALTIMORE -- To heck with the math.

According to the math, and the experts who like to use it to crunch numbers and make projections, the Baltimore Orioles weren't supposed to be very good this season. According to the math, they were supposed to win anywhere from not a lot of games to slightly more than not a lot of games. According to the math, they were supposed to be an afterthought in the AL Beast. Instead, they have the best record in the Son of Senior Circuit.

Are the O's a mirage? Maybe. After all, we're only at the one-eighth mark (is that even a thing?). Not to mention, their ho-hum run differential (plus-9) suggests they should be barely above .500 (a Pythagorean 11-9 record). Then again, the same thing happened last season too, when Buck Showalter's club parlayed a surprisingly hot start all the way to the postseason. Regardless, you don't jump out to a 14-6 start without the ball bouncing your way more often than not. You don't have a month like this without a little help from Lady Luck.

By beating Tampa Bay 5-4 in 11 innings on Wednesday, the first-place Birds improved to 6-1 in one-run games. They upped their mark to 3-0 in extra-inning games.

Not to take anything away from Dylan Bundy, who made his fifth straight quality start to kick off the season. Or Brad Brach, who threw up two more goose eggs and continues to do the best Zach Britton impression this side of Zach Britton. Or Chris Davis, who reached base three times, including a leadoff single that started the winning rally in the bottom of the 11th. But if weren't for Kid Karma, who paid an extra-special visit early on in this one, Baltimore might never have been in position to pull out a wild and wacky W that culminated in ... wait for it ... a walk-off walk.

Officially, the final box score will show that LongBalltimore, which led the majors in bombs last season and came into Thursday ranked third in the AL, did not go deep. Unofficially, Seth Smith hit a Little League homer -- a two-run shot that had the exit velocity of a Volvo on a crowded off-ramp, the launch angle of an Acme stomp rocket, and the distance of a sand wedge into high winds.

Actually, that's not entirely true. According to Statcast, Smith's hit off of Rays starter Alex Cobb left the bat at 96 miles an hour, which in theory could be dinger material. Except that it featured just a 15-degree arc and traveled only 322 feet -- to straight away center field. In other words, it had single written all over it. Until it didn't.

Here's how it went down:

With one out and the O's leading 1-0 in the second inning, Smith lined a 2-2 changeup into center field toward Kevin Kiermaier. Ryan Flaherty, on first following an RBI single, was running on the play.

Third baseman Evan Longoria, who had been positioned at shortstop as part of Tampa Bay's shift and was headed to second to cover the steal, had to scurry back toward third to receive the throw from center and didn't quite make it in time. Instead, he and a sliding Flaherty got tangled up, and Kiermaier's throw -- which was actually a pretty good one -- squirted away in the direction of the third-base dugout.

Flaherty started to go for home but then reversed course when he saw that Cobb, backing up third base, had picked up the ball and was about to make a play on him at third. Cobb threw to Longoria at third, but the ball glanced off Flaherty's helmet and caromed into left field.

While Flaherty was busy strolling home, Smith was steaming around second. And third. Left fielder Shane Peterson corralled the ball and made what could loosely be described as a "throw" to relay-man Longoria, who then fired home, where Smith slid in juuuuust ahead of the tag.

Got all that?

Perhaps the most unbelievable thing about the play -- ya know, besides the fact that a guy with three steals in the past five years made it all around the bases on a ball that landed in front of, was hit directly at, and was fielded cleanly by the center fielder -- was the defenders who were involved.

The center fielder in question was Kiermaier, a human web gem who has won back-to-back Gold Gloves. The pitcher in question was Cobb, who ranks in the top 10 among AL starters in runs saved over the past five years. The third baseman in question was Longoria, who isn't the defender he once was but has still saved more runs over the past decade than any third baseman not named Arenado, Machado, or Beltre. Not that it mattered.

"I never touched the ball the whole time," said Longoria after the game, maintaining a sense of humor about the whole thing. "Well, not until I got it and relayed home. It just got out of control. That's a homer in Little League, but in the big leagues it's just a bad play."

Flaherty would've scored it a little differently.

"We can give Seth a homer," Baltimore's utility man said. "If you're starting in the batter's box and you get all the way around to home, that's pretty cool."

Although Flaherty didn't cover quite as much ground as Smith did on the play, between all the starting and stopping and the shenanigans at the hot corner, he felt as if he did. And then some.

"That was more running that I did all of spring training," he said.

As crazy as the play was, Smith is in no hurry to do it again anytime soon.

"I hope that's the last time it happens," said the O's outfielder, who drew the walk-off walk in the 11th and who claims that he never has hit a Little League homer in his life -- not even in Little League. "I dont ever remember that happening."

As for how his four-base single should be classified, it depends on who's keeping score.

"My children will probably think I hit a home run," said the 34-year old father of three. "Then again, they think any time I put the ball in play, it's a hit."

The rest is here:
Anatomy of a Little League homer - ESPN (blog)

*Grey’s Anatomy* Almost Had a Totally Different (and Really Bad … – Glamour

PHOTO: Scott Garfield/ABC/Getty Images

Grey's Anatomy, the anchor of Thursday night television that will probably never end, was almost an entirely different show. As in, it didn't take place in Seattle, it didn't have Alex Karev, and it didn't even have Grey's in the title. If you're feeling shook right now, don't worrywe are too.

The creator of the famous medical drama (along with its Thursday night buddies Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder), Shonda Rhimes, recently revealed all of those secrets and more to the students of her writing-for-television master class. By sharing the original pitch she wrote for Grey's Anatomy, along with early script drafts and alternate scenes, Rhimes gave a peek at just how different the drama could have been.

For starters, as reported by Elle, the show wasn't even initially called Grey's Anatomy. Instead, it was named Surgeons, which is about as bland of a title as it gets. (No offense.) Sure, its long-running medical predecessors ER and House both had simple, one-word titlesbut the double entendre that is Grey's Anatomy works so much better.

Other shocking revelations include: It was originally going to be set in either New York, Philadelphia, or Boston. ("Big city, big medical center, big surgical opportunities," Rhimes wrote.) Karev wasn't in the original pitch and wasn't added in until after the pilot was shot. (Thirteen seasons later, he still hasn't been killed off.) Miranda Bailey was originally described as a "tiny blond with curls." (She's now played by the spectacular Chandra Wilson.) Cristina was supposed to fall for Denny, McDreamy was supposed to have a teenage daughter, and Preston Burke was supposed to be married. In other words, our Thursday nights could have taken an entirely different turn.

But with Rhimes at the helm, we probably would have loved it nonetheless.

Related: Sarah Drew Asked Grey's Anatomy to Include a Breast Pump Scene, and We're All for It

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*Grey's Anatomy* Almost Had a Totally Different (and Really Bad ... - Glamour

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Could Have Been a Totally Different Show – BuddyTV (blog)

Can you imagine turning on ABC on a Thursday night and not seeing Meredith Grey in Seattle saving lives and breaking hearts? Well that was almost the case. In fact, the widely popular medical drama wasn't even originally supposed to be called Grey's Anatomy. Find out all the secrets you probably never knew about Shonda Rhimes' hit below.

Should Grey's Anatomy Fans Be Worried for the Season 13 Finale?>>>

According to Elle, Shonda Rhimes' online Masterclass in television writing offered lots of insight into the writer-producer's original vision for the show and how those changed into what we see every Thursday now. For one thing, the original name of the show was Surgeons, which sounds more like a boring medical documentary that would definitely not have the viewership that Grey's does.

As if that's not enough, the show almost didn't even take place in Seattle. Rhimes originally envisioned her drama in either Boston, Philadelphia or New York City. "This is not a small town life," she wrote. "Big city, big medical center, big surgical opportunities."

And can you imagine Grey's Anatomy without Dr. Alex Karev? Though he's been a central character for 13 seasons now, the character was only added in after shooting the pilot. He, along with all the other doctors (and especially Meredith), were also first written in with a terrible habit -- smoking.

For all you McDreamy fans, here's some insight into what Derek Shepherd first looked like to Shonda -- a divorced man with a teenage daughter who actually convinced him to take the job at the hospital. That would definitely have thrown all sorts of new wrenches into the already complicated works of his relationship with Meredith, don't you think? Additionally, the iconic voiceovers throughout the show by Meredith were originally meant to be from trips she made to visit her Alzheimer's diseased mother.

Which of these changes made by Shonda Rhimes surprised you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Do Meredith and Nathan Have a Future on Grey's Anatomy?>>>

Grey's Anatomy season 13 airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC. Want more news? Like our Grey's Anatomy page on Facebook!

(Image courtesy of ABC)

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'Grey's Anatomy' Could Have Been a Totally Different Show - BuddyTV (blog)

Anatomy Of A Growing Threat: North Korea’s Evolving Brinkmanship – Fox News

Associated Press, FOX NEWS

SEOUL, South Korea North Korea observers have long marveled at the ability of a small, impoverished, autocratic nation to go toe-to-toe with the world's superpowers.

Part of the secret to North Korean success has always been the ruling Kim family's mastery of the art of brinkmanship.

What looks to outsiders like bluster, bombast and recklessness is actually a proven technique that over the years has won North Korea grudging respect from Washington and its allies, and at times filled its coffers with aid offered by rivals relieved to see animosity on the Korean Peninsula ease.

In recent weeks, however, the roles may have reversed, with a new administration in Washington bulldozing its way to the brink before finally backing away.

Korean war jitters made global headlines after U.S. President Donald Trump issued repeated, ambiguous warnings about his willingness to take unilateral action and sent U.S. military vessels to Korean waters. This week, however, Trump announced a much softer policy that combines diplomacy and economic sanctions and is strikingly similar to what frustrated past presidents embraced.

North Korea used to employ a comparable method: Forcing the world to pay attention by staging nuclear and missile tests, issuing outrageous threats and occasionally lashing out with violence and then offering up negotiations.

For decades, the tiny, Third World dictatorship sandwiched between rich behemoths played the game remarkably well. But some now see North Korea entering a frightening new phase, barreling across what were once considered red lines in a dash to build nuclear-armed missiles that can reach the U.S. mainland.

Here is a brief examination of North Korea's mastery of brinkmanship, and what might be coming next:

___

US BRINKMANSHIP?

Brinkmanship can be defined as the technique of pushing a dangerous policy to the edge of safety before stopping.

Some Korea experts, analyzing what happened in recent weeks on the Korean Peninsula, believe that this time Washington engineered the brinksmanship.

Presumably worried that North Korea would soon conduct its sixth nuclear test, the Trump administration threatened a possible attack, ordered a supercarrier and nuclear-powered submarine to Korea and linked the recent U.S. bombing of Syria to North Korea.

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Anatomy Of A Growing Threat: North Korea's Evolving Brinkmanship - Fox News