Roadkill

[Roadkill @Roadkill2104]

@Kyle071785 @TolarianCollege

[Massimo @Rainmaker1973]

Luxembourg is the world’s first nation to offer free public transport for all, tackling traffic and climate change in one bold move.

Luxembourg has pioneered a bold new era in urban mobility by becoming the first nation on Earth to eliminate fares across its entire public transport network. This groundbreaking policy covers every bus, tram, and train route nationwide, offering free rides to residents, cross-border commuters, and visitors alike.

Financed through general taxation rather than ticket sales, the initiative was designed to tackle the country's severe traffic congestion—once among the worst in Europe per capita—and to sharply cut carbon emissions from road transport. By removing the cost and hassle of tickets, Luxembourg effectively turned public transit into a basic public service, as essential and accessible as clean water or electricity.

The impact has been profound and measurable. Ridership surged as people left their cars behind, leading to noticeably less road traffic, shorter commute times, and a meaningful drop in urban air pollution. While first-class rail options remain a paid upgrade for those wanting extra comfort, the standard second-class system is now truly seamless: hop on, hop off, no barriers.

Luxembourg's experiment has demonstrated that removing financial obstacles can drive a genuine shift toward sustainable travel habits. It has also served as an inspiring model for other countries and cities grappling with sprawl, gridlock, and climate goals. In an age when radical solutions are needed to address the mobility-climate crisis, Luxembourg proves that treating public transport as a universal right is not only feasible—it can be genuinely transformative.

[Roadkill @Roadkill2104]

@NoContextBrits Definitely

[World's Amazing Things @Hana_b30]

When she gave the delivery man her gift.. ❤️

[Roadkill @Roadkill2104]

@SaffronOlive Hmmmm I don't know. A five mana non-creature counter spell and the owner of the spell gets a card. I'm not so sure but it wouldn't be the first time I've missed something.

[Roadkill @Roadkill2104]

@SaffronOlive Blimey, I can't believe I missed that they were sorceries 🤦

[Roadkill @Roadkill2104]

@CardmarketMagic I still can't decide.

[Roadkill @Roadkill2104]

@SaffronOlive Right?!

[Roadkill @Roadkill2104]

@NoContextBrits There a Diesel around here.

[Roadkill @Roadkill2104]

@SaffronOlive Don't take away my dreams.

[Roadkill @Roadkill2104]

@SaffronOlive *"The Grim Flutterer"* [Faerie Wizard] {UB} (Flash. Flying. When "The Grim Flutterer" enters the battlefield, you may destroy target creature or planeswalker with mana value less than or equal to the number of faeries you control.) [1/1]

[Roadkill @Roadkill2104]

@SaffronOlive I must admit, it iterates me that it gets leaked like this, although I'm not surprised.

I'm just going to stay away from it so that I can enjoy the hype.

I also admit that it's very tempting.

[Roadkill @Roadkill2104]

@NoContextBrits Black pudding.

[Roadkill @Roadkill2104]

@SaffronOlive I got really excited then. I thought it was a new card and that they had started to appear, before I realised it had already been spoiled.

Yes, I went for the pretty image first before reading.

[Curiosity @CuriosityonX]

In the body, many cancer cells are coated with a dense layer of sugar molecules on their surface. This coating helps tumors conceal their identity and evade detection by the immune system.

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University have reported a new and promising experimental cancer treatment strategy that aims to help the immune system recognize and destroy tumors more effectively.

The goal of this approach is to disrupt the sophisticated “camouflage” cancer cells use to avoid immune attack.

Many cancer cells display large amounts of surface sugars known as glycans, particularly sialic acid. This sugar layer acts as a biological shield that interferes with immune recognition.

When these sugars bind to Siglec receptors on immune cells, they trigger inhibitory signals that cause immune cells to reduce their activity rather than attack the tumor. This mechanism helps explain why tumors can continue growing even when immune cells are present nearby.

To counter this effect, the research team developed a hybrid molecule called AbLecs. These molecules combine a cancer-targeting antibody with a lectin, a protein that binds strongly to specific sugar molecules on tumor cells.

This two-part design allows AbLecs to precisely target cancer cells and bind to their sialic-acid-rich surface, effectively blocking or masking the sugar signals that suppress immune activity.

By neutralizing this sugar-mediated inhibition, immune cells such as macrophages and natural killer cells can become active again and more effectively attack tumor cells.

In mouse experiments using metastatic lung cancer models, AbLecs demonstrated stronger anti-tumor effects than standard antibody therapies alone.

When compared with trastuzumab by itself, a commonly used antibody drug for breast and gastric cancers, treatment with AbLecs resulted in significantly fewer metastatic tumors in the lungs. This suggests that disrupting the sugar-based camouflage can enhance both immune responses and antibody effectiveness.

Another advantage of AbLecs is their modular design. The antibody portion can be swapped to target different cancer types, such as breast, stomach, or colorectal cancer, while the lectin portion can be adjusted to address different tumor-associated sugar patterns.

To advance this technology toward clinical use, the researchers have formed a startup company with the aim of initiating human clinical trials within the next few years.

If future studies are successful, AbLecs could offer a new option for patients who do not respond to existing immunotherapies and deepen scientific understanding of how cancers evade immune defenses.

[Roadkill @Roadkill2104]

@SaffronOlive My excitement for Lowyn Eclipsed is through the roof.

I haven't felt this way about a set in over a year.