A dedicated streaming platform for horror and thriller fans has unveiled a host of exciting new releases that will be available to subscribers in the New Year. Shudder boasts a packed library of films and TV series for those that enjoy a shot of adrenaline with their popcorn. Among the offerings currently available on the…
Serco, the public services outsourcing giant, has expressed optimism for 2025 after experiencing a surge in orders during the latter part of 2024. The firm boasts a robust new business pipeline, reportedly the best in “more than a decade”, which is expected to buffer the loss of immigration contracts in both the UK and Australia.…
IAM Predictions for 2025: Identity as the Linchpin of Business ResiliencemadhavThu, 12/19/2024 – 05:33
As we look toward 2025, the lessons of 2024 serve as a stark reminder of the rapidly evolving identity and access management (IAM) landscape. The numbers tell the story: The latest Identity Theft Resource Center report indicates that consumers experienced a 21-percentage-point rise in identity crime victimization between July 2023 and June 2024. Meanwhile, the Thales 2024 Data Threat Report highlights the challenge of securely managing third-party and contractor access, a figure expected to rise as ecosystems grow evermore interconnected.
In parallel, the rapid adoption of generative AI technologies brought not only unprecedented productivity gains but also complex risks, with only 11% of businesses admitting they have implemented proper safeguards for AI-driven systems. These trends make it clear: in 2025, IAM is no longer a back-office concern—it’s the linchpin of digital trust, business resilience, and innovation.
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Security leaders will tackle B2B identities
Enterprises, both public and private, are working far more with third parties—from suppliers to contractors to corporate customers and more. These identities will soon outnumber internal employee identities by 3:1. Meanwhile, supply chain attacks are also on the rise, with many instances resulting from third-party attacks that cascade across customers.
Increasingly visible supply chain attacks prove the need to understand better Business-to-Business (B2B) identities, an area that historically hasn’t fit into the conventional workforce identity use cases. With security leaders continuing to oversee a growing number of external identities within more digital processes, including access to their internal data and applications, securing B2B identities will become a top priority in 2025.
Rachel Andreoli
For The Sentinel
Cumberland County has no shortage of residents with unique talents and independent spirits.From artists to mechanics, office workers to outdoor professionals, these entrepreneurs showcase the best of what businesses in the county have to offer.Every week, The Sentinel’s Small Business Spotlight will feature these people and share their stories.Discover your local connection through this series that focuses on small business owners in your own backyard and highlights the services they provide for their community.Allyson UpsherBusiness Name: The Whimsical OwlYears in business: 6 yearsLocation: Mechanicsburg
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Contact: shopthewhimsicalowl.comQ: Why did you want to start this kind of business?A: I started this business because it is something that I loved doing and it is not something that your typical 26-year-old, at the time, did for fun.Q: How did you get your start?A: My great grandmother taught me how to crochet when I was around 8 years old. In 2018, I really got back into crochet frequently, and my crafting was just a hobby. Friends, family and coworkers began to ask for custom pieces. In 2019, I formed a business under a different name. In 2021, I rebranded as the Whimsical Owl, bringing my love for all things horror, fantasy, alt, etc., to life through my crochet work.Q: What does your business sell or provide?A: I am known for my unique and unconventional approach to crochet. I also offer a variety of glass tumblers and an earring collection that is all on brand with being unique and unconventional.Q: What is the biggest challenge you are facing right now?A: The biggest challenge I face right now is juggling a full-time small business and a full-time job. We are all struggling financially so that has definitely had an impact on my business over the last two years.Q: What is your favorite thing to do or place in Cumberland County?A: Funny enough, one of my favorite things to do is go thrifting at all the thrift stores. I also enjoy the wide variety of things the county has to offer.
Rachel Andreoli is the owner of Love Where You Live LLC.
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BRIDGEWATER — The Center for the Advancement of STEM Education at Bridgewater State University is hosting a Winter Science Academy, according to a press release from the university. This program is designed for middle school students during February vacation week.Students in grades 6 through 8 will participate in hands-on activities at the Forensics Institute of Bridgewater. They will learn crime lab biotechnology techniques, including fingerprint collection and analysis, blood type analysis, and DNA fingerprinting.The in-person program will take place from Feb. 18 to 21, running daily from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Dana Mohler-Faria Center for Science and Mathematics on the BSU campus.The cost is $250, with a $25 discount for early registration before Jan. 1. Limited scholarships are available for students with financial need. For more details, visit the university’s website, https://www.bridgew.edu/center/case/science-academy.This story was created by reporter Beth McDermott, [email protected], with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more.
In this month’s Weird Science, PRE’s Annette Weston looks into the much-revered field of paleontology, made famous by Hollywood, but perhaps even less glamorous than you might think.Dinosaurs and the science of studying them have fascinated people for at least a century.The Lost World is a 1925 American silent fantasy monster adventure film adapted from Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1912 novel of the same name. The Flintstones, which debuted in 1960, was a staple for GEN-X kids back in the day. The Jurassic Park series drew in millions, beginning with the first namesake movie in 1993.But as much as the topic of paleontology has been explored, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes in uncovering the ancient past that most people aren’t privy to – according to a North Carolina expert.Related content: Weird Science: The problem-solving dog vomit slime mold and its place in Scandinavian folkloreNorth Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences’ Paleontology Lab Manager and chief rock licker Eric Lund said, “One of the things that we do to be able to distinguish if something is a fossil or a rock is we’ll lick them. And the reason that works is, obviously, your tongue is wet from saliva, and fossils tend to be porous, so when you stick the bone on your tongue those pores will suck up the saliva and the bone will stick to your tongue.”It’s a topic I completely unwittingly – almost against my will – learned much about when my preschool-age son decided years ago that he wanted to dedicate his life to dinosaur bones and live in a tent in the desert.”We do live in tents for months at a time,” Lund said, “So, we’ll set up sort of the main sort of our hub area with our big kitchen tent and our equipment tents, and then everyone will sort of disperse out into the area and set up their own little personal home, their own personal tents.”So, the living arrangements aren’t 5-star hotel accommodations, but Lund said they can be a little more like glamping than rustic camping.“I like to cook, so I’ll experiment with different recipes or things to make, and then I try to figure out a way to transition those out to the field,” he said, “But we do have a full kitchen, so we work hard and we try to eat well.”
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
A large plaster field jacket protecting the skull of a Triceratops from the Hell Creek Formation of Montana.
But since most specimens are discovered far off the beaten path, away from civilization, he said sometimes they run out of things they need and can’t just run to the store to pick up more supplies – like water used to make the plaster “jacket” that protects the fossils while they’re being transported. So, they improvise with what they do have on hand, sometimes from that kitchen.He said, “I can tell you that spoiled milk is no good as it will wet the plaster and you can make your mixture, but then you put it on and you’ve got a stinky jacket; and also with the Gatorade, there’s just too much salt in there and so the plaster tends not to set up, but you try to adapt to the things that you have around you.”Related content: Weird Science: NOAA lab in Beaufort celebrating 125th year of research in eastern North CarolinaThe same goes for the protective cloth for the jacket. Lund said, “We’ve used everything from people who are willing to give up their pants or a shirt to be put into a jacket, to Delta blankets — those flight blankets that you used to get for free on planes. Now they sort of collect those away from you when you empty the plane.”The airplane blankets were free – while supplies lasted – but he said the cheap option didn’t do the job all that well, “Because they’re designed to be hydrophobic so that when you spill your drink on yourself in a plane, then they’d sort of keep the drink off of you. So using airplane blankets doesn’t really work, but using jeans or cotton T-shirts does work well.”
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
Eric Lund sitting next to the freshly uncovered skull of Pentaceratops he discovered in the Cretaceous of New Mexico.
Most people have heard about the Leave No Trace principles of visiting national parks and other natural areas best left undisturbed, and Lund said that’s a fundamental paleontologists also follow when taking a specimen from the field to the lab.”Can’t use wheels, but we can drag it and so one of the things I’ve done in the past is we’ve gone to a junkyard and we’ve bought the hood off of an old car,” he explained. “Then you can put the fossil jacket on a hood, strap some ropes to it, and then sort of human mule it out.”Related content: Weird Science — Eating North Carolina’s invasive species’Spending so much time far removed from civilization, without the comforts of home many of us take for granted, can be a dirty job.I asked, “I have to assume then after you spent all those months out in the tent, maybe that that first shower when you get home is … kind of feels a little good?””Oh, it does,” Lund replied, “You know, we’re limited on resources like I said before so we don’t have a bunch of water to be able to sort of sponge bath ourselves. But we do find ways around showering. I think most of us have gone to buying a bunch of baby wipes and so we’ll do a baby wipe shower. But you’re right, that that first real shower when you get home and you can actually have hot water is probably one of the best things from returning from the field.”For the record, that preschooler with dinosaur dreams is now a 30-something information technology – IT — manager. I guess living in a tent lost a little of its luster.People can meet Lund and learn more about paleontology when they visit Dueling Dinosaurs at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. The fossil contains the skeletons of two extinct animals— a tyrannosaur and a Triceratops, and Lund is among the scientists working to figure out how they came to be buried together 67-million years ago.Related content: Dueling Dinosaurs, years in the making, opens this weekend at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565Visit Shots! nowAfter months out of work, Co Antrim man Darren Crawford has turned his experience in hospitality cleaning into a successful business, building a thriving company that has already secured major contracts.Originally hailing from Ballymena and now living in Randalstown, Darren struggled to find employment that was flexible enough to cater to his partner’s health needs. For Darren, self-employment presented the perfect opportunity for a flexible career path that he could be truly passionate about, so he signed up to the Enterprise NI Explore Enterprise Support Service.Although the idea of setting up Auburn Cleaning Services was daunting at first, Explore Enterprise helped the 33-year-old transform his past experience with cleaning hospitality venues into a viable company.Darren CrawfordAccording to Darren, being able to explore the early stages of the business was invaluable in helping him find his feet.He explained: “The bread and butter of the background of the business is where I didn’t really have any experience, because I had experience in cleaning but I didn’t have any knowledge about running my own business. “So Explore Enterprise helped me in getting the first parts sorted and telling me the kind of things that I needed to run the business officially.”After settling on a cleaning company, Darren started building a customer and client base for all areas of the business, including both corporate and domestic jobs in Northern Ireland.Darren Crawford“Most of my work is domestic cleaning regularly for customers on usually a weekly or fortnightly basis” he said. “There have also been a couple of things that I’ve done outside of that, such as builders’ cleanses, deep cleans and end-of-tenancy projects.” The business has seen several successes since it began operating in January 2024, a testament to the hard work and commitment of both Darren and his Antrim Enterprise Agency business adviser, Karen Wilson.Despite having less than one year’s experience in running Auburn Cleaning Services, Darren signed a contract with Bann Limited, a national construction company based in Portadown to clean 46 student accommodation units over the summer.Darren CrawfordSpeaking on his business relationship with Bann Limited, Darren believes that this opportunity would not have been a viable scenario without the help of Enterprise NI and, more specifically, his business adviser Karen.He said: “I think the service was quite instrumental in me getting it simply because Karen had done some advertising on the Enterprise page.“Karen had just helped me receive a small grant to get some uniformed wear as well as printed leaflets out, so she decided to do a promotional post where I had the uniform on.“That’s where Bann Limited saw me because most of my advertisements up to that had usually been to domestic customers and it wasn’t a terribly long time after that advert went out that I heard from Bann with the offer.“I was expecting the business trajectory to be a fairly slow but steady expansion, so when they approached me for that contract, it was a huge achievement and I didn’t expect such a large contract so soon.“I don’t think I would have gotten that if it wasn’t for the Explore Enterprise Support Service.”Darren initially wasn’t sure what to expect from the service, but he quickly found it to be more than just a simple startup guide, gaining invaluable knowledge about the often-overlooked aspects of running a business.From sorting the necessary insurance to managing finances and tax records, Darren learned the fundamentals of establishing a solid business infrastructure.One of the most surprising aspects of the service, according to Darren, was the depth of support available, receiving help in every imaginable area relating to the world of business.He said: “The amount of advice and services that were offered was incredible and if there was ever a question they didn’t know the answer to, they found someone who did.”The added exposure from the Explore Enterprise programme, including assistance with branding and marketing, has helped him establish a professional presence in the market.Reflecting on his experience, Darren believes that the Explore Enterprise Programme was crucial for his success since he began Auburn Cleaning Services 11 months ago. “The service exceeded my expectations, from the grant support to the marketing advice, and it has given me the tools to succeed” he said.“The fact that there was always someone to help me with everything from A to Z was a huge relief.“The support I’ve had has made all the difference. It’s not always easy, but it’s been worth it.”Darren’s success story is just one of many that Enterprise Northern Ireland is proud to support. Funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Explore Enterprise Support Service helps ambitious entrepreneurs like Darren turn their dreams into thriving businesses.For anyone considering starting their own business, Darren’s advice is simple: “Take the leap. “There’s a lot of support available, and if you have a dream, just go for it. The service is there to help you every step of the way.“It does take a bit of courage to start your own business because there are a lot of risks, especially when you’re just starting out, but when you have something like the Explore Enterprise Support Service, there is constant help available. “Sometimes it feels like you are on your own, but if you contact your local enterprise centre, it’ll really help in addressing whatever concerns you have and getting the business set up in a way that’s more official so that you have less worries. “I would highly recommend working with them, because to me it was invaluable and I don’t think I would have gotten to where I am today without that assistance.”For more information on Enterprise NI go to www.enterpriseni.comContinue Reading
Steve, 36, ManchesterOccupation Call centre technical supportVoting record Labour, then Conservative and most recently Reform. Says he’s “probably slightly right of centre”Amuse bouche A motorbike accident when he was 17 left Steve technically dead for a minute or two and in a coma for about 10 days. “I slept through the hard bit and woke up well rested”Gavin, 36, ManchesterOccupation Consultancy, and teaching forest schoolVoting record Always Labour. Describes himself as “quite left”Amuse bouche Gavin and his husband’s wedding was almost ruined when the venue was double-booked with an Irish festival. But in the end they got a free wedding and a free magician thrown inFor startersSteve The first thing was burrata. Not for me, I was not prepared for that texture! Then we had steaks. I had a Coke, but moved on to beer at the end.Gavin I had soda water because I don’t drink and don’t really like soft drinks.Steve He’s from Wales, I lived there for a bit, so we discussed that. He’s further left than me, but not insanely left.Gavin We’re the same age, and grew up in rural, non-diverse communities, then moved to Manchester.View image in fullscreenThe big beefskip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionSteve Gavin is very anti-Trump. I think he’s fine and will be viewed historically as a middling president. He’s brash, and I understand why people don’t like him, but I would have been surprised if he’d lost the election because the last four years have been pretty bad, with rising inflation. Kamala wasn’t elected, they just put her in, which left a sour taste.Gavin I don’t like Trump’s track record on LGBTQ and trans rights. He’s dangerous in what he says: in a recent speech he referred to an openly gay news anchor using a female name, and then laughed. It emboldens people to follow that hate. I wouldn’t feel safe to visit America when he’s in office.Steve Trump is a deal-maker with a business mindset, and that resulted in a good economy until the end – you can’t blame him for Covid. When they talk about his lies, I think: “Oh no, politician lying, stop the presses! They all do!” The 6 January thing was a bit overblown, it wasn’t as bad as people made out. His foreign policy left a bit to be desired, but he was a rare president who didn’t start a new war.Gavin In a weird way, I’m not worried about Trump starting wars: he seems to focus more on America. But he lies and contradicts himself. It’s insane that any convicted felon is in politics. And putting RFK Jr, a vaccine sceptic, in charge of health!View image in fullscreenSharing plateSteve We discussed children on screens and what it does developmentally. I’ve seen a five-year-old bought GTA 5 – that’s not appropriate.Gavin We kind of agreed that the government doesn’t always spend money in the right way. But his view was that things should be privatised because governments aren’t very good at organising things. That’s their only job: that’s what they should be doing.View image in fullscreenFor aftersSteve Freedom of speech needs to be protected. When you get to hate speech laws and hate crimes, you start putting legal limits on subjective points. People have been arrested for Facebook posts and jokes. Law needs to be based on hard facts where there’s not much room for interpretation. Theft is easy: you stole this, here is your sentence. If you ban the BNP or Tommy Robinson, it goes underground and festers. If you get them out in the sunlight with a discussion, you might change minds.Gavin I don’t disagree that it’s difficult, but hate speech about a marginalised community is not OK in my opinion. It should be policed. Even in Manchester my husband and I experience homophobic abuse. This may sound rude, but Steve seems sheltered. For example, he doesn’t think there needs to be a gay village, because gay people can go anywhere. I said: “That’s great if everybody’s lovely like you, Steve, but not everybody is.”View image in fullscreenTakeawaysSteve The world is increasingly divided. The way to bring us together is with conversation, not screaming and calling each other evil. We were respectful, and when we disagreed, we tried to see where the other was coming from.Gavin He’s the kind of person I might meet, but after a few minutes I’d make my excuses and leave. So it was interesting to have time to talk to him about his life; it helped me understand how he’s got to those viewpoints.Additional reporting: Kitty Drake Gavin and Steve ate at Cicchetti in Manchester. Want to meet someone from across the divide? Find out how to take part
If you spend a little bit of time online, you’ve probably heard about the trend of intermittent fasting. Well, this trendy method to improve your health now has a stamp of approval from the scientific community.
A new study, published recently in Nucleic Acids Research scientific journal, discovered that repeated fasting triggers a cellular memory mechanism in the liver, improving its response to future fasting events, offering new insights into metabolic regulation.
The discovery proves the existence of a special link between alternate-day fasting and the liver’s ability to adapt through heightened gene activation.
Alternate-day fasting (ADF) is a form of intermittent fasting where a person fasts every other day but eats without restrictions on the non-fasting days.
The discovery could be beneficial to millions of people worldwide who fast for spiritual purposes or religious practices, such as Ramadan in Islam, Yom Kippur in Judaism, Good Friday in Christianity, and fasting rituals in Hinduism and Buddhism.
Methodology
The study was led by Dr. Ido Goldstein from the Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science, and Nutrition at the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI).
Goldstein’s team examined how recurring fasting events, such as ADF, influence transcriptional changes in the liver — changes in the expression of genes normally observed in mammals.
In mammals, periods of food scarcity induce metabolic changes, enabling the production of glucose and ketone bodies for energy. Ketone bodies are produced by the liver and used as an energy source when glucose is not readily available.
The research revealed that mice on the ADF regimen responded differently to subsequent fasting bouts compared to mice fasting for the first time.
The researchers found that the effects of ADF were evident after just one week of repeated fasting, leading to augmented production of ketone bodies during subsequent fasts.
During feeding periods, gene expression and ketone levels returned to baseline, demonstrating that the “sensitization effect” is specific to fasting states. The sensitization effect is characterized by a phenomenon where key genes responsible for producing ketone bodies were more strongly activated following ADF.
The team concluded that health benefits of ADF, including improved lipid metabolism, appear to be linked to this enhanced ketogenic capacity rather than to changes in calorie intake or body mass, which remained largely unchanged.
Goldstein said the study “highlights how the liver adapts to repeated fasting through a memory-like mechanism that prepares it for future fasting bouts. This enhanced sensitization process underscores the liver’s remarkable ability to dynamically respond to recurring nutritional states.”
The researchers hope the findings will open new avenues for exploring how transcriptional regulation mediates responses to other recurring environmental stimuli, with potential applications in dietary science and metabolic health.
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Home Alone star Daniel Stern looks totally different after balancing Hollywood with a peaceful life on a farm. The actor, 67, is best known for his role as burglar Marv Murchins in the hit 1990 Christmas classic, which also stars Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Kieran Culkin, Catherine O’Hara and John Heard. Daniel was also in…