SLIM lunar lander from Japan successfully enters lunar orbit

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

by
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
December 26, 2023

Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) aims to demonstrate pinpoint landing technology and obstacle detection technology to “land where you want to land.” Credit: JAXA

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA) announced that its Smart Lander for Lunar Exploration (SLIM) has successfully entered lunar orbit at 16:51 on December 25, 2023 (Japan Standard Time, JST).

SLIM’s lunar orbit will be inserted into an elliptical lunar orbit connecting the moon’s north and south poles every 6.4 hours, and the altitude at the point closest to the moon (near orbit) will be approximately 600 km (approximately 370 miles). . , 4,000 km (about 2,500 miles) at its furthest point from the moon (Apolune). The orbit change proceeded as planned, and the spacecraft is currently in a normal state.

Lunar orbit insertion (LOI) on December 25, 2023 at 16:51 (Japan time).
Light blue line: current orbit of the moon.
Future Plans:
Green line: Circular orbit at an altitude of approximately 600km.
Yellow line: Altitude approximately 600km x 150km on an elliptical orbit.
Red line: Altitude approximately 600km x 15km on an elliptical orbit. Credit: JAXA

From now on, the Apollone point will descend until mid-January 2024, and the orbit will be adjusted to a circular orbit at an altitude of about 600 km. After that, the perigee will drop and preparations for landing will begin. On January 19th, the near-orbit point will be lowered to an altitude of 15 km (approximately 9 miles), and the descent toward the moon will begin at around midnight (Japan time) on January 20th, with a scheduled landing on the lunar surface. There is. Around 0:20 a.m. on January 20th (Japan time)

Source: scitechdaily.com

What Venture Capitalists Seek in Emerging Cybersecurity Startups

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

casbar one A partner at Sapphire Ventures, he focuses primarily on security, enterprise infrastructure, and data and analytics.

In cybersecurity, AI is often stands for “already implemented”. Security vendors have leveraged AI-based technology to leverage existing knowledge databases to address talent shortages. As an investor focused on supporting expansion-stage B2B startups in the cybersecurity, AI, and DevOps space, he has recently invested in cybersecurity company Huntress and AI startup Weights & Biases. and cybersecurity companies, I feel fortunate to have a unique perspective on both. It is scheduled to take off after 2024.

From my perspective, organizations today face an uphill battle when it comes to securing their data and networks. Cyber threats are becoming more frequent and severe as the potential attack surface grows and hackers organize increasingly sophisticated schemes. Thanks to the power of artificial intelligence (AI), malicious attackers are becoming more efficient, conducting more personalized attacks, and increasing their scale, resulting in billions of dollars in lost business. .

Meanwhile, organizations of all sizes are innovating new defenses at an astonishing rate, often leveraging advanced AI capabilities as well. Businesses are hungry for solutions that can further enhance their efforts. According to Gartner, global corporate security spending will reach an estimated $188 billion this year and is expected to rise to $215 billion by 2024. Security software spending is the IT area least likely to be cut during an economic downturn. morgan stanley.

The next wave of successful startups will help businesses leverage GenAI to prevent attacks while increasing organizational productivity.

Over the next year, we aim to partner with players to help cybersecurity teams increase productivity and address talent shortages while addressing growing threats.

What VCs are looking for in the next wave of cybersecurity startups

The emergence of large-scale language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT has created new opportunities for AI-driven innovation within the industry. Here are some of the features investors are looking for in the next successful cybersecurity startup.

Proactive approach to customer education

During the cloud computing revolution, many companies are rushing to implement cloud solutions, putting security on the back burner. This has allowed cybersecurity to catch up to some extent. So far, the opposite is true for generative AI (GenAI). Businesses are keen to reap the benefits of technology, but are very aware of the risks of compromising sensitive information and betraying customer trust. Concerns are growing after major data breaches occur at companies such as samsung. In response, many companies have been reluctant to launch GenAI initiatives, limiting usage to a small cohort or, in some cases, issuing blankets. prohibit.

Source: techcrunch.com

Common household products and cosmetics found to impact cell epigenetics

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

New research has found that formaldehyde poses serious risks to epigenetics, interfering with gene activity and potentially causing cancer and other diseases. The study emphasizes the need for stricter policies to limit exposure to formaldehyde, given its prevalence in various household products, cosmetics, polluted air, architecture, and other industries.

The research, conducted by Dr. Manel Esteller and Dr. Lucas Pontel from the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute and Dr. Christopher J. Chan from the University of California, Berkeley, focused on the effects of high formaldehyde concentrations in the body. The study revealed formaldehyde’s harmful impact on normal epigenetic patterns and its association with cancer, liver degeneration, and increased asthma risk.

Formaldehyde is commonly found in products used in architecture, furniture manufacturing, textiles, and hair products, as well as in polluted gases and the metabolism of certain food substances. It can also be produced in the body and has the potential to alter the epigenetic landscape of cells.

The study concluded that formaldehyde inhibits the production of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM), a universal donor of the methyl chemical group that regulates genetic activity. This decrease in SAM content leads to a loss of methylation of histones, proteins that package DNA and control gene function, contributing to formaldehyde’s carcinogenic properties.

As such, the researchers stressed the need for environmental and health policies aimed at reducing exposure to formaldehyde in various industries and environmental sources. Despite restrictions by international health authorities, there are still areas of work where formaldehyde is used at high levels, necessitating further regulations to minimize exposure to this hazardous substance.

Reference: Vanha N. Pham, Kevin J. Bruemmer, Joel DW Toh, Eva J. Ge, Logan Tenney, Carl C. Ward, Felix A Dingler, Christopher L. Millington, Carlos A. Garcia Prieto, Mia C. Pross Holmes, Nicholas T. Ingoglia, Lucas B. Pontel, Manel Esther, Keetan J. Patel, and Daniel K.・Nomura, Christopher J. Chan, November 3, 2023, science. DOI: 10.1126/science.abp9201

Source: scitechdaily.com

Hackers in 2023 stole $2 billion worth of cryptocurrencies, reveals data

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Over the course of another year, hackers stole billions of dollars in cryptocurrencies. However, the cryptocurrency security firm says it is on the decline for the first time since 2020.

According to Web3 security firm De.FI, hackers have stolen about $2 billion worth of cryptocurrencies in dozens of cyberattacks and thefts this year. Rekt leaderboard. The site ranks the worst crypto hacks of all time, from the 2022 Ronin network breach, in which hackers stole more than $600 million in crypto, to this year’s big-money hack of Mixin Network. It is attached. The hacker made about $200 million.

“This amount, while spread across a variety of incidents, highlights the persistent vulnerabilities and challenges within the DeFi ecosystem,” De.Fi said in the report, which the company reported on TechCrunch shared. “2023 was a year that demonstrated both the ongoing vulnerabilities and the progress made in addressing them, even though the first half of the year saw a relative lack of interest in the sector due to the bear market. .”

In early December, blockchain intelligence company TRM Labs also announced Announcing estimated value of stolen virtual currency By hackers this year. According to the company, the total amount as of mid-December was approximately $1.7 billion.

Other worst cryptocurrency thefts this year include the hack into Euler Finance, where hackers stole nearly $200 million. Also included were major hacks of Multichain ($126 million), BonqDAO ($120 million), Poloniex ($114 million), Atomic Wallet ($100 million), and more.

Last year, a blockchain monitoring company Chainalysis reported that cybercriminals stole an all-time record of approximately $3.8 billion In code. $1.7 billion of that was stolen by North Korean government hackers known as the Lazarus Group, one of the most prolific crypto theft groups, as part of efforts to fund the regime’s sanctioned nuclear weapons program. .

“It is no exaggeration to say that crypto hacking represents a significant portion of this country’s economy,” Chainalysis said in a report last year.

The previous year, in 2021, hackers stole $3.3 billion. According to Chainalysis,

It is impossible to predict what will happen in 2024. However, given the insufficient security implemented by many cryptocurrencies and Web3 projects and the enormous monetary value they hold, Discussed at TechCrunch Disrupt earlier this yearit is expected that hackers will continue to target growing industries.

Source: techcrunch.com

The ongoing battle between open source and proprietary software

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Every time chaos breaks out Millions of people rely on this unique technology, and many people’s default reaction seems to be:Hey, let’s see what the open source world has to offer”

Case in point: the steady demise of X (Twitter) since Elon Musk took over last year has led many to look for more “open” alternatives, whether it’s Mastodon or Bluesky.

This scenario will become familiar throughout 2023, as established technologies that millions of people rely on reach a chaotic curve, and how indebted people become to proprietary platforms over which they have little control. now recognized.

The OpenAI debacle in November, in which the ChatGPT hitmaker temporarily lost its co-founders, including CEO Sam Altman, sparked five days of turmoil before Altman returned to the OpenAI hot seat. It has arrived. However, only after the emergence of companies that built products on OpenAI’s GPT-X Large-Scale Language Model (LLM). I started having doubts. That’s the wisdom of going all-in on OpenAI, as it puts you in a better position to take advantage of “open” alternatives such as Meta’s Llama-branded LLM family.

Even Google seems to acknowledge that “open” may trump “proprietary” AI. leaked An internal memo written by researchers expressed concerns that open source AI was gaining the upper hand. “We don’t have a moat, and neither does OpenAI,” the memo said.

Elsewhere, Adobe’s $20 billion acquisition of rival Figma was a boon for PenPot, an open source challenger to Figma, although the deal fell through due to regulatory headwinds. PenPot saw a surge in registrations amidst a mad panic that Adobe was about to wreak havoc on businesses. About Figma’s proverbial parade.

And when the cross-platform game engine Unity announced; Controversial new fee structure, developers were furious, calling the change breaking and unfair. In the aftermath, Unity quickly pivoted, but only after its developer community expanded widely. Checkout has started open source rivals godotnow commercial companies are also promoting core development.

But while all this has served to highlight the eternal struggle between open source and proprietary software realms, At the inner The open source community is back in the spotlight. Usually, the root cause of the uproar is a proprietary company.

(not) open source elements

Back in August, HashiCorp switched We’ve moved the popular “infrastructure as code” software Terraform from a “copyleft” open source license to a business source license (BSL or, in some cases, BUSL) available at source. This places greater restrictions on how third parties can commercialize the software, especially if they can. It competes with HashiCorp itself. Why the change? According to HashiCorp, some third-party vendors have benefited from Terraform’s community-driven development without giving anything in return.

This led to vendor-driven factions forking the original Terraform project and proceeding solely with OpenTF, ultimately leading to Rebranded as OpenTofu, served by the Linux Foundation As a governing body. Although HashiCorp was fully within its rights to change the license and protect its business interests, it caused anxiety among many users. According to OpenTofu manifesto:

Overnight, tens of thousands of businesses, from mom-and-pop stores to Fortune 500 companies, woke up to a new reality: The foundation of their infrastructure suddenly became a potential legal risk. His BUSL and additional usage permissions created by the HashiCorp team are ambiguous. All companies, vendors, and developers currently using Terraform must consider whether what they are doing is considered to be in competition with his HashiCorp’s products.

Of course, HashiCorp isn’t the first company to make such a change.App performance management (APM) platform guard Switched from open source BSD 3-Clause License It moved to BSL in 2019 for similar reasons cited by HashiCorp. But this year, Sentry created an entirely new license called the Functional Source License (FSL) aimed at “giving freedom without harmful free riders,” the company said at the time. This is similar to his BSL, but with some adjustments. For example, an FSL licensed product automatically reverts to the open source Apache license after 2 years, but with BSL it takes 4 years.

This once again highlights the persistent struggle of companies to embrace the spirit of open source without compromising commercial interests.

“There’s been a long history of companies with deeper pockets and more resources leveraging traditional open source companies,” says Sentry’s head of open source. chad whitaker he said in November. “Open source companies, regardless of licensing or pedantic definitions, are increasingly dependent on support from venture-backed, commercial, or, more importantly, companies that rely on their code. ”

And similar Grafana before thatElement has moved its decentralized communications protocol Matrix from the fully permissive Apache 2.0 license to the less permissive AGPL open source license. This forces all derivative projects to maintain the exact same license, which is a huge deterrent to commercial companies looking to develop their own products.

At a time when other companies’ business models were designed around developing their own Matrix-based software, Element realized that the cost of maintaining the Matrix, to which it is largely responsible, was He said he was forced to take on costs that he did not have to incur. To maintain the matrix. “While we have succeeded in making Matrix a huge success, Element is losing its ability to compete in the very ecosystem it has created,” the company wrote at the time.

This license change effectively meant that companies using Matrix would either have to contribute code to the project or pay a commercial license to Element in order to continue using it in their own products.

So, on the one hand, businesses, consumers, and developers alike are seeing that going all-in on proprietary platforms can lead to vendor lock-in and dire consequences if things break down. I’m doing it. But on the other hand, companies built on solid open source foundations can easily move up the ladder by changing contract terms in the name of commercial protectionism.

Of course, all this is nothing new. But the past 12 months have highlighted both the power and danger of open source software.

Source: techcrunch.com

Hubble’s Close-Up of UGC 8091

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

The Hubble team has released a close-up image of UGC 8091, a dwarf irregular galaxy that resembles a glittering festive snow globe.

This Hubble image shows UGC 8091, a dwarf irregular galaxy about 7 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. The color images were created from separate exposures taken with Hubble’s Advanced Survey Camera (ACS) and Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). Image credits: NASA / ESA / Hubble / Yumi Choi, NSF’s NOIRLab / Caroline Gilbert, STScI / Julien Dalcanton, Center for Computational Astrophysics and University of Washington Flatiron Institute.

UGC 8091 It is located in the constellation Virgo, about 7 million light years away from Earth.

Also known as GR 8, DDO 155, LEDA 44491, or TC 257, this galaxy discovered It was discovered by astronomers at Lick Observatory in the 1940s and 1950s.

“Unlike other galaxies whose stars appear more regular, UGC 8091 is classified as an irregular galaxy,” said the Hubble astronomer.

“It’s not hard to see why. The stars that make up this cluster look more like a tangle of bright string lights than a galaxy.”

“While some irregular galaxies are thought to have become entangled due to intense internal activity, others are known to have formed through interactions with neighboring galaxies.”

“The result is a class of galaxies with a wide range of sizes and shapes, including these galaxies with diffuse and scattered stars.”

UGC 8091, also classified as a dwarf irregular galaxy, contains about 1 billion stars.

“That’s a huge amount of light, but not for a galaxy. Our Milky Way galaxy is thought to contain more than 100 billion stars, and other galaxies have trillions. “There could be as many stars as possible,” the astronomers said.

“Dwarf galaxies often orbit around larger galaxies, and their lower masses make them vulnerable to interference and consumption from larger neighbors, and in the process they destroy twisted dwarfs like UGC 8091. A galaxy is generated.”

“This type of galaxy is thought to have characteristics similar to the very old and distant galaxies seen in deep-field images.”

“Investigating the composition of dwarf galaxies and their stars, particularly their low metal content, could help uncover evolutionary links between these ancient galaxies and more modern galaxies like ours. We hope it will be helpful.”

To do this, researchers have carefully examined UGC 8091’s colorful stars.

“By using filters that restrict the light entering Hubble’s instruments to very specific wavelength ranges, we can pick out different features of galaxies,” the researchers said.

“These filtered images can be recombined to create a full-color image. An astonishing 12 filters are combined to produce this image, capturing light from the mid-UV to the red end of the visible spectrum. Contributing.”

“The blooming red spots represent light emitted by excited hydrogen molecules in hot, energetic stars formed in recent starbursts.”

“The other sparks in this image are a mixture of older stars.”

Source: www.sci.news

Code.org, a nonprofit organization, files a lawsuit against WhiteHat Jr, Byju’s organization, over disputed membership fee payments

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

US education nonprofit Code.org has filed a lawsuit in California District Court, alleging that WhiteHat Jr, a subsidiary of Byju, violated its licensing agreement by continuing to use Code.org’s platform without paying fees.

WhiteHat Jr, which was sold to Byju’s in 2020 for $300 million, partnered with Code.org last year, agreeing to pay $4 million over four years to license Code.org’s coding education platform. However, in a lawsuit filed earlier this month, Code.org alleges that WhiteHat Jr. failed to adhere to its payment schedule while continuing to utilize its coding courseware.

According to the Code.org complaint, WhiteHat Jr paid the 2022 license fee, but notified the nonprofit earlier this year that it would not be able to make the remaining payments scheduled in the four-year contract. Code.org claims that WhiteHat Jr requested that his original contract be amended to backload unpaid license fee obligations. But Code.org’s lawyers argue that the original contract makes clear that termination does not relieve WhiteHat Jr. of its obligation to pay all future license fees. There is.

“To date, White Hat has not paid either its Q1 2023 invoice or its Q2 2023 invoice. In fact, despite repeated written and verbal requests for payment by Code.org, , WhiteHat has not made any payments in excess of the $1 million it paid pursuant to the 2022 invoice before the agreement was amended,” Code.org’s lawyers claim.

Byju’s did not respond to a request for comment.

The lawsuit is the latest trouble for Byju stemming from its acquisition of WhiteHat Jr, and adds to existing problems the company has faced since the acquisition. The Indian edtech giant, which was valued at $22 billion in a funding round in early 2022, was considering whether to wind down WhiteHat Jr earlier this year, TechCrunch reported.

This also makes Byju’s predicament even worse. Byju’s is facing a difficult situation due to prolonged delays in financial reporting and governance issues. Byju’s leading backer, Prosus, recently reduced the startup’s valuation to less than his $3 billion.

Source: techcrunch.com

Climate’s Effect on Migration Patterns in Africa

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

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Homo Erectus

This skull belonged to Homo erectus, the first human species to leave Africa about 2.1 million years ago. When Homo erectus migrated from Africa, the climate in the northeast of the continent was wetter and more lush than it is today, according to a new study. Climate cycles combined to form green corridors, which our early ancestors likely took advantage of during migration. Credit: Mizmareck / FlickrThe green corridor that runs through the Sahara desert emerged just as our ancestors migrated from Africa. This is shown by the following new research. Aarhus University.About 6 million years ago, something amazing happened in the deep forests of eastern Africa. Chimpanzees, our closest relatives in the animal kingdom, evolved in one direction, while our first ancestors continued to evolve in another direction.Over the next millions of years, the differences between early humans and chimpanzees grew larger and larger. Our ancestors climbed down from trees and began walking upright on two legs, freeing their hands to use tools.This was the beginning of a development that would end with humanity conquering most of the Earth.About 2.1 million years ago, the first humans, Homo erectus, migrated from Africa. The journey took them through northeastern Africa and the Middle East (areas today mostly covered in desert), and on to Europe and Asia.Black dots in the Mediterranean indicate where sediment cores were collected. This area is supplied with terrestrial material from northeastern Africa, but the landscape and vegetation changed under the influence of the African Wet Period.Credit: Nature Communications Earth and EnvironmentFor years, researchers have speculated about how Homo erectus was able to traverse the arid, unforgiving desert with no food, water or shade.New research from Aarhus University suggests Homo erectus may not have been walking through deserts when it left Africa, says Rachel Lupien, one of the researchers who contributed to the new results. explain.“We know that there are repeated periods of changing climate in the Sahara Desert. We call this phenomenon the “Green Sahara” or the “African Wet Period.” During the green season, the desert shrinks significantly, transforming into a landscape resembling the East African savanna we know today,” she says, adding:”Our results show that the Sahara was greener at the very time Homo erectus first migrated than at any time in the 4.5 million years we studied. most likely could have walked through the green corridor outside.”the race that conquered the worldThe first humans were seed Homo erectus appeared in eastern Africa more than 2 million years ago.Homo erectus was the first hominin to learn how to carve an ax out of stone. These axes were probably used as weapons for killing prey and cutting meat from bones. They were probably also the first to learn how to control fire.Homo erectus was slightly shorter than modern humans, but more muscular. They had wider hips and elongated skulls. Additionally, their brains were significantly smaller, about half the size of ours.For more than 1.5 million years, Homo erectus lived and spread throughout most of the planet. From Africa, through Europe and Asia, across the Strait of Malacca to some islands in Indonesia. This made Homo erectus the longest-lived human species. We, Homo sapiens, evolved about 300,000 years ago.sauce: natural history museumThe ocean floor reveals past climateThe Sahara Desert as we know it today is in one of its dry seasons. The duration of these periods varies, but approximately every 20,000 years, the continent goes through both wet and dry cycles. These rainy seasons are what Rachel Lupyan has called “Africa’s wet seasons.””How wet it gets during the wet green period varies. In fact, there are two other cycles involved, one lasting 100,000 years and one lasting 400,000 years. So , over a period of 100,000 years, the wet period will vary, becoming wetter or drier than usual. The same is true for 400,000-year intervals,” says Rachel Lupyan.But how do we actually know what Africa’s climate was like hundreds of thousands of years ago?The ocean floor tells us, and for this very reason, we actually already know a lot about past climates, she explains.”Using core samples from the Mediterranean Sea, we can learn what the climate was like millions of years ago. Layers of sediment have formed on the ocean floor, and these layers contain Small molecules can tell us a great deal about what the climate was like in the past.”Substances that make leaves shineOver time, material ejected from North Africa forms a new layer on the ocean floor that slowly descends across the ocean. Therefore, the buried ocean floor acts as a kind of logbook that can tell us what the climate was like in the past.The layer has a set of biomarkers that store information about past climate. One of these markers is a set of molecules that plants use to protect their leaves. They are also called leaf wax, explains Rachel Lupyan.”Waxes coat trees, bushes, and blades of grass, making them shine. When a plant dies, most parts of the plant decompose rapidly, but wax molecules can survive for long periods of time. That is why such molecules are often found in sediments that are millions of years old.”The chemical composition of wax molecules can tell us what the climate was like when that layer formed. For example, the hydrogen molecules in the wax can give some information about how much precipitation there was.“Water contains hydrogen, so hydrogen can be used to circulate water. Water on Earth contains both regular hydrogen and deuterium (deuterium). “When it rains a lot, plants can absorb relatively less deuterium, but when it’s dry they absorb more,” she says.Carbon holds important knowledgeRachel Lupyan and her colleagues could tell by the amount of deuterium in the wax of leaves during wet and dry times. But hydrogen doesn’t tell us anything about which plants grew in humid climates.But it is present in the carbon atoms found in leaf wax, she explains.“There are two main types of plants. We also refer to them as C3 and C4 plants,” she says.”About 90 percent of all plants are C3 plants. They live in most areas of the earth, except in extremely dry or very hot regions. C4 plants, on the other hand, They specialize in surviving in areas with high temperatures.”C3 and C4 plants produce leaf wax containing different amounts of heavy carbon, allowing researchers to distinguish between them in samples. In this way, you can “read” which types of plants were most dominant at the time.”At the time Homo erectus migrated out of Africa, more C3 was detected in samples than during any other humid period in the past 4.5 million years. It shows a change to grassland or savannah,” she says.3 types of photosynthesisBroadly speaking, there are three different methods in the plant kingdom. photosynthesis. There is a C3 plant, a C4 plant, and his third variant called the CAM plant.90% of all plants are C3 plants, 6% are CAM plants, and only 3-4% are C4 plants. However, this is not the case in Africa. In Africa, vast grasslands have a much higher proportion of C4 plants.Differences among plants are due to different coping strategies when moisture in the air or soil is limited.When it gets too dry, C3 plants close the small stomata in their leaves and absorb CO2. When the hole closes, the plant can no longer photosynthesize and begins burning stored carbon, expelling water and carbon dioxide. If this continues for too long, the plant will die.On the other hand, C4 plants can photosynthesize even in dry conditions. Even though the stomata are closed, they continue to convert CO2 into energy. They can do this with the help of a molecule with four carbon atoms, which gives the plant species its name. CAM plants use his third method and can cope even with drier regions.Wheat, oats, rice, and sunflowers are examples of C3 plants. His known C4 plants are corn, sugar cane, and amaranth, while succulents, cacti, and pineapple are his CAM plants.sauce: khan academy, biology dictionary and rex.dkGreenest 2.1 million years agoGreen periods in Africa, similar to ice ages in northern latitudes, are caused by small fluctuations in the Earth’s orbit around the sun. Geologists call these fluctuations Milankovitch cycles.And two of these changes in particular will play an important role as the Sahara desert receives more rainfall, explains Rachel Lupyan.”The Earth wobbles a bit in its orbit around the sun.…

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Source: scitechdaily.com

Capitol Hill raises concerns over Microsoft’s close AI partnership with China

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

US lawmakers are calling on Microsoft to foster a positive relationship with China in the development of AI technology, despite recent efforts by Microsoft’s president, Brad Smith, to increase cooperation with the US adversary. During a meeting with Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao, Smith expressed the company’s eagerness to contribute to the digital transformation of China’s economy, with China looking forward to Microsoft’s potential collaboration in AI development.

However, this has raised concerns among US lawmakers and commentators, who fear that Microsoft’s extensive presence in China could pose a national security risk. Senator Josh Hawley has pushed back against Microsoft’s partnership with China, emphasizing the Chinese government’s desire for AI supremacy and the potential risks associated with such collaboration.

Rep. Mike Gallagher also expressed similar concerns, calling for stronger export controls for AI and other critical technologies due to the Chinese government’s intentions for sinister use of advanced AI tools.

The US-China relationship has recently deteriorated, and concerns over national security risks associated with Microsoft’s collaboration have been heightened. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella emphasized the company’s primary focus on global markets excluding China, distancing the company from doing business with the Chinese government. However, the company has stressed its commitment to responsibly and ethically developing AI technology in China.

Despite heightened scrutiny and concerns, Microsoft continues to expand its operations in China, facing criticism from US lawmakers over potential exploitation of its technology by the Chinese government. Other US tech companies, such as Google and Meta, have pulled back from the region due to disputes with the Chinese government and increased US scrutiny.

Microsoft’s cooperation with China has raised concerns of technology transfers and potential security risks, as China has gained access to sensitive information about AI products and has been accused of misusing advanced technologies for human rights abuses.

Overall, Microsoft’s presence in China and its efforts to collaborate in AI development have sparked concern among US lawmakers and commentators, who fear the potential national security risks associated with such partnerships.

Source: nypost.com

The Relationship Between Seismology and Climate Change Noise

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Since the 1980s, seismic observatories have detected increases in the strength of ocean waves that correlate with climate change. A Colorado State University study analyzed more than 35 years of data and found that ocean waves are becoming significantly stronger, reflecting the increased intensity of storms due to global warming. This seismic data reveals long-term trends and changes in wave energy and highlights the need for resilient strategies to protect coastal regions from the effects of climate change.

Since the late 1980s, modern digital seismic observatories have been monitoring Earth’s vibrations around the world. Previously thought by seismologists to be just a background disturbance, the persistent low hum produced by ocean waves has become stronger since the late 20th century, according to a study led by Colorado State University.

This research nature communicationsexamines data from 52 seismic stations that recorded the Earth’s movement once a second over 35 years. This decades-long record supports independent climate and ocean research that suggests storms are becoming more intense as the climate warms.

“Seismology can provide stable, quantitative measurements of what is happening to waves in the world’s oceans, complementing research using satellites, oceanography, and other methods.” said author Rick Astor, professor of geophysics and chair of Earth Sciences at CSU. “The seismic signal is consistent with these other studies and shows the types of features expected from anthropogenic climate change.”

Astor and his collaborators at the U.S. Geological Survey and Harvard University studied first-order microseisms, the seismic signals produced by large, long-period waves that cross shallow regions of the world’s oceans. The ocean floor in coastal areas is constantly being pushed and pulled by these waves, and these pressure changes generate seismic waves that are picked up by seismometers.

Seismic station locations and global trends since the late 1980s: (a) Ground vertical acceleration amplitude in billionths of a meter, (b) Acceleration amplitude normalized to the historical median, and ( c) Normalized by the historical median of seismic energy.Credit: Rick Astor

Seismometers are best known for monitoring and studying earthquakes, but they also detect many other things, including the movement of glaciers, landslides, volcanic eruptions, large meteorites, and noise from cities. Seismic waves from various forces on or within the Earth’s surface can be seen at great distances, sometimes even on the other side of the Earth.

“As the atmosphere and ocean warm, storms become more intense because they contain more energy, and the ocean waves they cause increase in size and energy,” Aster said. “Increasing the energy of ocean waves directly increases the strength of seismic waves.”

make (bigger) waves

Seismic signals show that the Southern Ocean waves of the infamous storm around Antarctica are predictably the most intense on Earth, while the waves in the North Atlantic are the most rapidly intensifying in recent decades, with waves in eastern North America and western Europe It reflects the storm that rages between.

In addition to the steady rise in wave energy that reflects widespread increases in global ocean and air temperatures, the data also show multi-year climate patterns such as El Niño and La Niña that influence the strength and distribution of global storms. Masu. And an even bigger storm.

“It’s clear that these long-term earthquake records show general signs of storm activity around the world, in addition to long-term intensification due to global warming,” Astor said. “It looks like a small signal from year to year, but it’s gradual and becomes very clear when you work with more than 30 years of data.”

Astor and his colleagues found that global average ocean wave energy has increased by a median of 0.27% per year since the late 20th century, and by 0.35% per year since January 2000.

Stormy weather forecast

Mr Astor said storm surges associated with larger waves and larger storms, coupled with rising sea levels, were a serious global problem for coastal ecosystems, cities and infrastructure.

“In addition to efforts to mitigate climate change itself, we will need to implement resilient strategies to ensure coastal populations and ecosystems are protected from an increasingly stormy future.” said Astor.

Reference: “Increase in ocean wave energy observed in Earth’s seismic wave field since the late 20th century” by Richard C. Astor, Adam T. Ringler, Robert E. Anthony, and Thomas A. Lee, October 32, 2023 , nature communications.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42673-w

This research was funded by the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Science Foundation.

Source: scitechdaily.com

China finds new species of toothless pterosaur

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Chinese and Brazilian paleontologists identify new species of Chaoyangpteri pterosaurs from two specimens, one of which is the most complete and well-preserved Chaoyangpteri pterosaur ever recorded. It was announced that.

rebuilding the life of Meilifeilong Youhao. Image credit: Maurilio Oliveira.

This new species of pterosaur lived in what is now China during the Early Cretaceous period, between 125 and 113 million years ago.

Flying reptiles belong to Chamopteraa family of medium-sized and high-crowned pterosaurs known primarily from Asia.

dubbing Meilifeilong Youhaothis species was part of the Jehor biota, a terrestrial and freshwater ecosystem preserved within multilayered rock formations in northeastern China.

“Pterosaurs are an important and enigmatic group of flying reptiles of the Mesozoic Era that were among the first vertebrates to evolve active flight, and have filled every aerial environmental niche for almost 160 million years.” said Dr. Xiaolin Wang of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Academy of Sciences and its colleagues.

“Despite being a completely extinct group, they acquired a wide variety of morphologies during the period from the Late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous.”

“Despite being found on every continent, China stands out by providing several new specimens that reveal not only different species, but also entire new clades, such as the azhdarchoid Chrysoptera.”

“This Cretaceous group of medium-sized and high-crowned pterosaurs is particularly well known from the Jehol biota. Chaoyangopterus zangi and Shenjoupterus chaoyangensis (At the time of description, the posterior region of the skull of Chaoyanptidae was the only one preserved, revealing that these toothless pterosaurs formed a new clade).

holotype of Meilifeilong Youhao; arrow indicates preserved soft tissue.Image credit: Wang other., doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-48076-7.

Two fossilized bodies Meilifeilong Youhao It was discovered in the Jiufutang Formation in Wuludao City, Liaoning Province, China.

“This holotype is particularly well preserved and represents an individual with a wingspan of up to approximately 2.16 meters (7.1 feet),” the paleontologists said.

“It consists of essentially all bones except for most of the tail, making it the most complete and well-preserved Chaoyanputid skeleton ever discovered.”

“The specimen mentioned consists only of the premaxilla and maxilla and anterior part of the palate and represents a smaller individual.”

size Meilifeilong Youhao basically the same as Meilifeiron Sanyainus (with a wingspan of 2.18 meters, or 7.2 feet), which, along with other characteristics, suggests that they represent different species of the same genus.

“This new species provides some new information about these rather enigmatic flying reptiles. palatal area” said the researchers.

“Additionally, it shows a stapes preserved in place, a rare phenomenon among pterosaurs.”

team’s paper Published in the Journal on December 21, 2023 scientific report.

_____

X-One other. 2023. A new toothless pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous Jehol biota. With comments on Chaoyoptera. science officer 13, 22642; doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-48076-7

Source: www.sci.news

Safeguarding Poison Dart Frogs from Their Lethal Toxins

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Scientists have discovered a “toxin sponge” protein in poison dart frogs that safely stores dangerous alkaloids, offering the possibility of a new approach to treating poisoning in humans. (Artist’s concept) Credit: SciTechDaily.com

The newly identified protein helps poison dart frogs accumulate and store powerful toxins in their skin that they use in self-defense against predators.

Scientists announced that they have identified a protein that helps poison dart frogs safely accumulate their namesake toxin, according to a study published Dec. 19 in the journal Nature. e-life.

The discovery solves a long-standing scientific mystery and could suggest potential therapeutic strategies to treat humans addicted to similar molecules.

Alkaloids: from coffee to frog skin

Alkaloid compounds such as caffeine make coffee, tea, and chocolate delicious and comforting, but they can be harmful if consumed in large amounts. In humans, the liver can safely metabolize moderate amounts of these compounds. Small poison dart frogs ingest far more toxic alkaloids in their diet, but instead of breaking them down, they accumulate them in their skin as a defense mechanism against predators.

“It has long been a mystery how poison dart frogs are able to transport highly toxic alkaloids into their bodies without being poisonous themselves,” said lead author and doctoral student in the Department of Biology at Stanford University in California, USA. Aurora Álvarez Buira says. “We aimed to answer this question by searching for proteins that could bind and safely transport alkaloids in poison dart frog blood.”

Diablito poison dart frog, Uofaga Silvatica, native to Colombia and Ecuador. Credit: Marie-Therese Fischer (CC BY 4.0)

Uncover the secrets of frogs

Alvarez-Buylla and colleagues used compounds similar to poison dart frog alkaloids as a kind of “molecular fishing hook” to attract and bind proteins in blood samples taken from poison dart frogs. The alkaloid-like compounds were bioengineered to glow under fluorescent lights, allowing the researchers to watch proteins bind to the decoys.

They then separated the proteins to see how each protein interacted with the alkaloids in solution. They discovered that a protein called alkaloid-binding globulin (ABG) acts like a “toxin sponge” that collects alkaloids. They also identified how proteins bind to alkaloids by systematically testing which parts of the protein are needed to successfully bind the alkaloids.

Impact on humans and future research

“The way that ABG binds to alkaloids is similar to the way that proteins that transport hormones in human blood bind to their targets,” Álvarez Buira explains. “This finding may suggest that hormone-processing proteins in frogs have evolved the ability to manage alkaloid toxins.”

The authors say the similarities with human hormone transport proteins could be a starting point for scientists to try bioengineering human proteins that “sponge” with toxins. “If successful, these efforts could provide new ways to treat certain addictions,” said lead author Lauren O’Connell, an assistant professor of biology at Stanford University and a member of the Wu Tsai Institute for Neuroscience. he says.

“Beyond potential medical relevance, we have achieved a molecular understanding of a fundamental part of poison dart frog biology, which will inform future research on biodiversity and the evolution of natural chemical defenses.” “This will be important for research,” concludes O’Connell.

Reference: “Binding and isolation of poison dart frog alkaloids” plasma Aurora Alvarez Buira, Marie Therese Fisher, Maria Dolores Moya Garzon, Alexandra E. Rangel, Elisio E. Tapia, Julia T. Tanzo, H. Tom So, Luis A. Coloma, Written by Jonathan Z. Long and Lauren A. O’Connell, December 19, 2023. e-life.
DOI: doi:10.7554/eLife.85096

Funding: National Science Foundation, New York Stem Cell Foundation, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Alfonso Martín Escudero Foundation, Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Revolutionary Solid-State Thermal Transistor Unveiled by UCLA

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

UCLA researchers have unveiled a new solid-state thermal transistor that uses electric fields to effectively control the movement of heat in semiconductors. This represents a major advance in the thermal management of computer chips and potential applications in understanding the thermal regulation of the human body. An illustration of a UCLA-developed solid-state thermal transistor that uses electric fields to control heat transfer. Credit: H-Lab/UCLA

New electronic devices precisely and quickly control turning heat on and off.

A team of UCLA scientists has unveiled the first stable, fully solid-state thermal transistor of its kind that uses electric fields to control thermal movement in semiconductor devices.

Group research recently published in journals scienceLet’s take a closer look at how the device works and its potential uses. With the highest speed and performance, this transistor could break new ground in thermal management in computer chips through atomic-level design and molecular engineering. This advance could also improve our understanding of how the human body regulates heat.

A leap forward in thermal management technology

“Precise control over how heat flows through materials has long been a dream of physicists and engineers, but an elusive dream,” said co-author of the study, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering. Professor Yongji Hu said. DOI: 10.1126/science.abo4297

Other authors on the paper, all from UCLA, include Man Li, Huan Wu, Erin Avery, Zihao Qin, Dominic Goronzy, Huu Duy Nguyen, and Tianhan Liu. Hu and Weiss are also affiliated with the California NanoSystems Institute and UCLA Samueli’s Department of Bioengineering and Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

This research

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The influence of ancient Neanderthal DNA on modern daily routines

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Recent research has revealed a link between Neanderthal genetics and the tendency of some modern humans to wake up early. The study traces back to the interbreeding of modern humans and Neanderthals in Eurasia and suggests that genetic variation in Neanderthals influences the circadian rhythms of modern human descendants. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

A new paper has been published in a magazine Genome biology and evolutionAccording to a paper published by Oxford University Press, genetic material from Neanderthal ancestors may have contributed to the tendency of some people today to be “early risers” – the type of people who find it easier to get up early and go to bed. I discovered that there is a possibility that

Human evolution and genetic adaptation

All anatomically modern humans trace their origins to Africa about 300,000 years ago, where environmental factors shaped many of their biological characteristics. About 70,000 years ago, the ancestors of modern Eurasian humans began migrating into Eurasia, where they encountered a variety of new environments, including high latitude regions with large seasonal fluctuations in sunlight and temperature.

But other hominins, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans, lived in Eurasia for more than 400,000 years. These archaic humans diverged from modern humans about 700,000 years ago, and as a result, our ancestors and archaic humans evolved under different environmental conditions. This led to the accumulation of strain-specific genetic variation and phenotypes. When humans came to Eurasia, they interbred with archaic humans from the continent. This created the possibility for humans to acquire genetic variations already adapted to these new environments.

Genes of ancient humans and characteristics of modern humans

Although previous studies have shown that many of the archaic ancestors of modern humans are not beneficial and have been removed by natural selection, some archaic hominin variants that remain in human populations has shown evidence of adaptation. For example, archaic genetic variation is thought to be associated with differences in hemoglobin levels, immune resistance to new pathogens, levels of skin pigmentation, and fat composition among Tibetans at high altitudes.

Changes in patterns and levels of light exposure have biological and behavioral effects that lead to evolutionary adaptations. Scientists have extensively studied the evolution of circadian adaptations in insects, plants, and fish, but humans have been less well studied. The Eurasian environment where Neanderthals and Denisovans lived for hundreds of thousands of years is located at higher latitudes and has more variable daylight hours than where modern humans evolved before leaving Africa. So the researchers investigated whether there was genetic evidence for differences in circadian clocks between Neanderthals and modern humans.

Research methods and findings

The researchers defined a set of 246 circadian genes using a combination of literature searches and expert knowledge. They found hundreds of genetic variations unique to each strain that can affect genes involved in the circadian clock. Using artificial intelligence techniques, they identified 28 circadian genes that contain mutations that could alter splicing in archaic humans and that may be differentially regulated between modern and archaic humans. identified 16 circadian genes.

This indicates that there may be functional differences between the circadian clocks of ancient and modern humans. Eurasian modern humans and Neanderthal ancestors interbred, so some humans may have acquired circadian variation from Neanderthals.

To test this, the researchers studied a large population of hundreds of thousands of people in the UK Biobank and found that introgressed genetic mutations (mutations that passed from Neanderthals to modern humans) could affect wakefulness and sleep. We investigated whether there is a relationship with physical preference for. They discovered a number of introgressed mutants that affected sleep preferences, and most surprisingly, they found that these mutants consistently increased morningness, or the tendency to rise early. This suggests a directional influence on this trait and is consistent with adaptations to high latitudes observed in other animals.

Increased morning time in humans is associated with a shortened circadian clock period. This may be beneficial at high latitudes, as it has been shown that sleep and wakefulness can be coordinated more quickly with external timing cues. Shortening of the circadian period is required to synchronize with the long summer light period at high latitudes in Drosophila, and selection for a shorter circadian period results in the latitudinal period decreasing with increasing latitude in natural Drosophila populations. There is a latitudinal gradient in which the

Therefore, the bias toward morningness in introgressed mutants may indicate selection for shortened circadian periods in populations living at high latitudes. The tendency to be a morning person may have been evolutionarily beneficial to our ancestors who lived in the high latitudes of Europe, and would have been a Neanderthal genetic trait worth preserving.

“By combining ancient times, DNA“After extensive genetic and artificial intelligence research in modern humans, we discovered substantial genetic differences in the circadian systems of Neanderthals and modern humans,” said John, lead author of the paper.・A. Capra said.

“And by analyzing Neanderthal DNA fragments that remain in the genomes of modern humans, we discovered surprising trends, many of which affect the regulation of circadian genes in modern humans. These effects are primarily in the consistent direction of increasing Neanderthal tendencies.” Morning people. This change is consistent with the effects of living at high latitudes on animals’ circadian clocks, which may allow them to adjust more quickly to changing seasonal light patterns.

“Our next steps include applying these analyzes to more diverse modern human populations and investigating the effects of the Neanderthal variants we identified on circadian clocks in model systems. and applying similar analyzes to other potentially adaptive traits.”

Reference: “Archaic Introgression Shaped Human Circadian Traits” by Keila Velazquez-Arcelay, Laura L Colbran, Evonne McArthur, Colin M Brand, David C Rinker, Justin K Siemann, Douglas G McMahon, John A Capra, December 14, 2023 , Genome biology and evolution.
DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad203

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Hidden Secrets of Atomic Structure Uncovered by Scientists

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Groundbreaking research led by Professor Motoki Shiga has unraveled the complex atomic structure of glass, revealing its unique patterns and anisotropy. This research paves the way for advanced exploration of glass materials using AI and machine learning techniques.Credit: Motoki Shiga

Glass is an essential material in our daily life and serves a variety of purposes, such as insulating our homes and forming the screens of our computers and smartphones. However, its widespread historical use stands in contrast to the scientific mystery posed by its disordered atomic structure. This puzzling arrangement of atoms complicates efforts to fully understand and manipulate the structural properties of glasses. Therefore, designing effective functional materials from glass remains a difficult challenge for scientists.

Advances in glass research

To further elucidate the structural regularities hidden in glassy materials, the research group focused on the ring shape of the chemically bonded glass network. A research group including Professor Motoki Shiga of Tohoku University’s unprecedented scale data analysis center has developed a new method to quantify the three-dimensional structure of the ring and the symmetry of the structure, “roundness” and “roughness.”

Spatial atomic density around rings of silica crystal (left) and glass (right). Blue and red regions indicate areas with high density of silicon and oxygen atoms, respectively.Credit: Motoki Shiga et al.

Breakthroughs and future directions

“Structural units and structural order beyond chemical bonds have long been inferred through experimental observations, but until now scientists have avoided identifying them,” Professor Shiga says. “Furthermore, our successful analysis contributes to the understanding of phase transitions such as vitrification and crystallization in materials and provides the necessary mathematical explanations to control the structure and material properties of materials.”

Looking to the future, Shiga and his colleagues plan to use these techniques to devise procedures for exploring glass materials, procedures based on data-driven approaches such as: machine learning And AI.

Reference: “Ring-derived anisotropy of local structural order in amorphous and crystalline silicon dioxide” by Motoki Shiga, Akihiko Hirata, Yohei Onodera, and Hirokazu Masai, November 3, 2023. Communication materials.
DOI: 10.1038/s43246-023-00416-w

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Hubble’s remarkable clarity reveals ring-spoke phenomenon

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

This photo of Saturn was taken by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope on October 22, 2023, when the ringed planet was about 850 million miles from Earth. Hubble’s razor-sharp vision reveals a phenomenon called ring spokes.

Saturn’s spokes are temporary features that rotate with the rings. Their ghostly appearance only lasts for two or three revolutions around Saturn. During the active period, newly formed spokes continually add to the pattern.

Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, Amy Simon (NASA-GSFC)

Floating Dust rides a merry-go-round around a huge ring world

However Saturn

Its unusual-looking “cup-handle” feature was first noted by Galileo in 1610, but it took another 45 years before it was described by Christian Huygens as a disk surrounding Saturn. Ground-based telescopes were then able to identify only four unique concentric circles, labeled A, B, C, and D. It could not be identified until the 1980s. NASA

The two Voyager spacecraft will fly close to Saturn and photograph thousands of concentric ringlets. An even bigger surprise for Voyager scientists was the dark, radial, spoke-like pattern on the ring’s surface that moved back and forth as it orbited Saturn.

Over the past 30 years, hubble space telescope Voyager picked up where it left off. Hubble’s ultra-clear vision is the next best thing to being there. Hubble follows a “merry-go-round” of ring spokes every year. The black spokes are believed to be dust particles suspended by static electricity above the ring surface. They seem to vary richly depending on the seasons of Saturn’s seven years. And this may be related to changes in Saturn’s magnetic field, which is influenced by the solar wind.

This is an annotated version of the image above. Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, Amy Simon (NASA-GSFC)

Hubble Space Telescope observes Saturn’s ‘spokes season’

In 1981, NASA’s Voyager 2 took the first photo of a ring spoke. NASA’s cassini The orbiter also sighted spokes during its 13-year mission, which ended in 2017.

Hubble continues to observe Saturn every year as its spokes come and go. This cycle is captured by Hubble’s Outer Planet Atmospheric Legacy (OPAL) program, which was launched nearly a decade ago to annually monitor weather changes on all four gas giants.

Hubble’s clear images show that the frequency of the spokes’ appearance is seasonal, and they appeared in the OPAL data for the first time in 2021, but only on the morning (left) side of the ring. Long-term monitoring has shown that both the number and contrast of spokes change with Saturn’s seasons. Saturn’s axis is tilted like Earth’s, and its seasons last about seven years.

“We’re heading towards the Saturn equinox, when the spokes are expected to be at their most active, and will remain active for several years to come,” said Amy Simon, OPAL program principal scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “We expect higher frequencies and darker spokes to appear.” .

This year, these ephemeral structures will appear on both sides of the Earth simultaneously, rotating around the giant world. Although it appears small compared to Saturn, its length and width can extend to more than Earth’s diameter.

“The leading theory is that the spokes are connected to Saturn’s strong magnetic field, and that the Sun is somehow interacting with that field to create the spokes,” Simon said. As Saturn approaches its vernal equinox, Saturn and its rings tilt less away from the Sun. In this configuration, the solar wind could hit Saturn’s massive magnetic field even harder, promoting spoke formation.

Planetary scientists believe that the electrostatic forces generated by this interaction cause the dust and ice to float above the ring, forming the spokes, but even after decades, no theory can fully predict the spokes. . Continued Hubble observations may ultimately help solve the mystery.

The Hubble Space Telescope is an international cooperative project between NASA and ESA. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts science operations for Hubble and Webb. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Astronomical Research in Washington, DC.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Using laser light to simulate material production

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Researchers at Osaka University have simulated the collision of photons with lasers, potentially paving the way to creating matter from light in the laboratory. This advance in quantum physics has the potential to understand the composition of the universe and discover new physics. (Artist’s concept) Credit: SciTechDaily.com

A team led by researchers from Osaka University and the University of California, San Diego has demonstrated how to use simulations to experimentally create materials from light alone. This could one day help test long-standing theories about the composition of the universe.

One of the most shocking predictions of quantum physics is that matter can be created solely from light (or photons), and in fact, objects known as pulsars have accomplished this feat. Although producing matter directly in this way has not been achieved in the laboratory, it could allow further testing of fundamental quantum physics theories and the fundamental makeup of the universe.

In a recently published study, physical review letterA team led by researchers from Osaka University photon– Collision of photons using only lasers. The simplicity of the setup and ease of implementation at currently available laser intensities make it a promising candidate for experimental implementation in the near future.

Image of a self-organizing photon collider driven by intense laser pulses propagating through a plasma.Credit: Yasuhiko Sentoku

Photon-photon collisions are theorized to be the fundamental means by which matter is created in the universe, resulting from Einstein’s famous equation E=mc2. In fact, researchers have created materials indirectly from light by accelerating metal ions, such as gold, into each other at high speeds. At such high velocities, each ion is surrounded by photons, creating matter and antimatter as they pass each other.

However, it is difficult to generate materials experimentally using laser light alone in modern laboratories, as very high-power lasers are required. The researchers set out to simulate how this feat is accomplished in the lab because it could lead to experimental breakthroughs.

“Our simulations show that when interacting with the laser’s strong electromagnetic field, a dense plasma It can self-assemble to form a photon-photon collider,” explains Dr. Sugimoto, lead author of the study. “This collider contains a population of gamma rays that is 10 times denser than the electron density in the plasma, and whose energy is a million times greater than the energy of the photons in the laser.”

Self-organizing photon collider driven by intense laser pulses. (a) Plasma density, (b) magnetic channel, and (c) angular distribution of emitted photons. Credit: Physical Review Letters

Photon-photon collisions in a collider produce electron-positron pairs, which are accelerated by a plasma electric field generated by a laser. This produces a positron beam.

“This is the first simulation of an accelerated positron from a linear Breit-Wheeler process under relativistic conditions,” said co-author Professor Alefeyev from UCSD. “We feel that our proposal is experimentally feasible and we look forward to real-world implementation,” said Dr. Vyacheslav Lukin, program director at the National Science Foundation, which supported the research. It is stated as follows. “This research shows a potential way to explore the mysteries of the universe in a laboratory setting. The future possibilities for current and future high-power laser facilities have become even more interesting.”

Applying this research to Star Trek’s fictional matter and energy conversion technology remains mere fiction. Nevertheless, this research has the potential to help experimentally confirm theories of the composition of the universe, and may even help discover previously unknown physics.

Reference: “Positron generation and acceleration in a self-organizing photon collider enabled by ultra-intense laser pulses” K. Sugimoto, Y. He, N. Iwata, Illinois. Yeh, K. Tantartalakul, A. Alefyev, Y. Szenk, August 9, 2023. physical review letter.
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.065102

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The CHOOSE system unveils insights into autism

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

IMBA – Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Austrian Academy of Sciences

December 25, 2023

A breakthrough in autism research has been achieved with the CHOOSE system developed by researchers at IMBA and ETH Zurich. This technology enables detailed study of genetic mutations in human brain organoids, providing deep insight into the mechanisms underlying autism and paving the way for applications in broader disease research.

The CHOOSE system is an innovative approach that combines brain organoids and genetics to transform autism research by enabling detailed analysis of mutations and their impact on brain development.

Does the human brain have an Achilles heel that ultimately leads to autism? With an innovative new system that combines brain organoid technology and complex genetics, researchers are now able to identify multiple It is now possible to comprehensively test the effects of mutations in parallel at the single-cell level.

The technology was developed by researchers from the Knoblich Group at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Treutlein Group at ETH Zurich and aims to identify the vulnerable cell types that underlie autism spectrum disorders. Enables identification of gene regulatory networks. This innovative method provides unparalleled insight into one of the most complex disorders that challenges the human brain and brings much-needed hope to clinical research in autism.

Human brain development and ASD riskcompared to other animals seed, the human brain has a mind of its own. The human brain relies on uniquely human processes to develop and is able to build a complex, layered and interconnected cortex. These unique processes also predispose humans to neurodevelopmental disorders.

As an example, many genes confer a high risk of developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is essential for cortical development. Clinical studies have shown a causal link between multiple genetic mutations and autism, but researchers still do not understand how these mutations lead to impaired brain development. . Additionally, the uniqueness of human brain development limits the use of animal models.

Only human brain models can reproduce the complexity and specificity of the human brain,” says IMBA Scientific Director Jürgen Knoblich, one of the study’s corresponding authors.

Left half: Confocal image of CHOOSE (CRISPR-humanorganoids-scRNA-seq) human brain organoid mosaic system. Cells with mutations are shown in red. Right half: Mosaic depiction of different colors representing a single cell. Each cell carries a mutation in one high-confidence autism gene.

Credit: ©Knoblich Lab / IMBA-IMP Graphics

Innovative CHOOSE system for genetic screeningTo unravel this black box, researchers from IMBA and the research group of Jürgen Knoblich and Barbara Treutlein at ETH Zurich have identified a complete set of key transcriptional regulatory genes associated with autism. We have developed a screening technology. This development is particularly impactful because it allows for the simultaneous testing of genes of interest within a single mosaic organoid, marking the beginning of an era of complex, efficient, and rapid genetic screening in human tissues.

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The Missoula Glacier Lake’s impact on the dramatic scaly area

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Satellite image of parts of Akaland taken on May 14, 2023 by Landsat 8’s Operational Land Imager.

Ejecta from Missoula Glacier Lake has carved out channeled skeletal lands in Washington state.

Southeastern Washington is home to miles of rolling hills and a neat grid of farmland. Dozens of crops It is grown on precious farmland on the Columbia Plateau. But in some places, undulating streaks of scoured soil interrupt a series of angular plots or center-pivot irrigated fields.

These rocky scars channeled scrubland, and they were formed in a series of dramatic floods 10,000 to 20,000 years ago. Landsat 8’s OLI (Operational Land Imager) captured the image of part of Acarland, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Spokane, on May 14, 2023.

The sources of water that carved these unusual landforms remained a mystery to geologists for decades. Then they came to understand that as the Cordilleran Ice Sheet moved south during the last ice age, it formed dams along the Clark Fork River. Glacial Lake Missoula grew behind this ice dam in what is now western Montana and eventually held as much water as Lake Erie and Lake Ontario combined. Geologists estimate that: a dam was formed and broke dozens of times Over thousands of years, each breach releases up to 600 cubic miles of water across the region.

Detailed view of the image above.

Floodwaters flowed south and southwest, eventually emptying into the Columbia River. In the process, they carved grooves, potholes, and long channels known as “coulees” into the volcanic basalt bedrock. The detailed map (above) shows one of these channels and reveals the striking contrast between flood scoured areas and arable land.

The canyon shown here is small compared to the others. Grand Coulee, the largest of the Channeled Scrublands north of this scene. Completed in 1942, Grand Coulee Dam was the largest concrete structure in the world until it was surpassed by dams in South America. Itaipu Dam 1984 and China three gorges dam Established in 2006.Currently America’s largest hydroelectric facility Provides irrigation water to the Columbia Plateau.

NASA Earth Observatory imagery by Lauren Dauphin using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Artificial Intelligence Will Not Eliminate Jobs, Despite Common Misconceptions.

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

byOperations Research and Management Science InstituteDecember 25, 2023

New research reveals that work experience has a significant impact on how employees interact with AI. Employees with more experience with a particular task will benefit more from AI, but senior employees will be less likely to trust her AI due to concerns about its imperfections. The findings highlight the need for customized strategies when integrating AI into the workplace to enhance human-AI teamwork.

New research sheds light on the complex aspects of human-AI interaction and reveals some surprising trends. Artificial intelligence systems tend to benefit younger employees, but not for the reasons you might expect.

New research published in INFORMS journal Business Administration provides valuable insights to business leaders about the impact of work experience on employees’ interactions with artificial intelligence.

In this study, two main forms of human work experience—narrow experience defined by the amount of specific tasks and broad experience characterized by overall seniority—were used to examine the dynamics within human-AI teams. We are investigating the impact on

Surprising findings from medical record coding research

“We developed an AI solution for medical record coding at a publicly traded company and conducted field research with knowledge workers,” says Weiguang Wang of the University of Rochester. “We were surprised by what we found in our research: Different dimensions of work experience clearly interact with AI and play a unique role in human-AI teaming.”

“While some might think that less experienced workers should benefit more from the help of AI, we find the opposite, that AI benefits workers with more task-based experience. At the same time, even though senior employees have more experience, they gain less from AI than junior employees,” said Guodong (Gordon) Gao, Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business. says.

Seniority and AI trust dilemma

Further research revealed that the relatively low productivity gains from AI were not the result of seniority per se, but rather a high sensitivity to imperfections in AI, which led to a decline in trust in AI. .

“This finding presents a dilemma: Experienced employees are well-positioned to leverage AI for productivity, but senior employees who take on greater responsibility and care about their organization They tend to avoid AI because they are aware of the risks of relying on it.” Aid. As a result, they are not using AI effectively,” said study co-author Ritu Agarwal of the Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business.

The researchers urge employers to carefully consider the types and levels of experience of different workers when implementing AI into jobs. New employees with little work experience are at a disadvantage when it comes to utilizing her AI. On the other hand, senior employees with more experience in an organization may be concerned about the potential risks posed by AI. Addressing these unique challenges is key to productive human-AI teaming.

Reference: “Friend or enemy? Artificial Intelligence and Teaming Workers with Different Experiences” Weiguang Wang, Guodong (Gordon) Gao, Ritu Agarwal, October 11, 2023. Business Administration.
DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2021.00588

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The transformation of seedlings into super plants through a rare chemical scent

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

plants by exposing them to certain chemicals at seed can affect subsequent growth. Researchers found that treating seeds with ethylene gas improved both growth and stress tolerance. This finding includes enhanced photosynthesis. Carbohydrate production in plants has the potential to be a breakthrough in improving crop yields and resilience to environmental stressors. Like other living things, plants can be stressed. Usually the conditions are as follows heat and drought. That can lead to stress, and when stressed, the plant may not grow as much or produce less. This can be a problem for farmers, so many scientists have tried genetically modified plants to make it more elastic. However, plants modified to obtain higher crop yields are low stress tolerance. This is because they put more energy into growing than protecting them from stress. Similarly, as plants improve their ability to withstand stress, production often decreases because they spend more energy protecting than growing. This brainteaser makes it possible It is difficult to improve crop yields. I was studying How the plant hormone ethylene regulates plant growth and stress responses. In Research to be published in July 2023, my lab made an unexpected and provocative observation. We found that when seeds that are normally underground germinate in the dark, adding ethylene improves both growth and stress tolerance. Ethylene is a plant hormone Because plants cannot move around, they cannot avoid stressful environmental conditions such as heat or drought. They receive various signals from their environment, such as light and temperature, which shape their growth, development, and how they respond to stressful situations. As part of this regulation, plants make various hormones They are part of a regulatory network that allows them to adapt to environmental conditions. Ethylene was first discovered as a gaseous plant hormone over 100 years ago. Since then, research has shown that all land plants studied produce ethylene. In addition to controlling growth and responding to stress, they are also involved in other processes, such as turning leaves in autumn and promoting fruit ripening. Ethylene as a way to “prime” plants My lab focuses on how plants and bacteria sense ethylene and how ethylene interacts with other hormonal pathways to regulate plant development. While conducting this research, my group accidental discovery. We were experimenting with germinating seeds in a dark room. Seed germination is a critical period in a plant’s life when seeds transition from dormancy to seedlings under favorable conditions. In this experiment, Seeds exposed to ethylene gas Continue this for a few days to see what effect it has. The ethylene was then removed. Normally, the experiment should end here. However, after collecting data on these seedlings, we transferred them to lightweight carts. This is not something we normally do, but we wanted to grow the plants to adulthood so we could have seeds for future experiments. After a few days of placing the seedlings under light, some lab members made the unexpected and surprising observation that the plants briefly gassed with ethylene. it was much bigger. These plants had larger leaves and longer and more complex root systems than plants not exposed to ethylene. These plants continued to grow at a faster rate throughout their lives. The plant on the left was not primed with ethylene, while the plant on the right was primed with ethylene. Both plants are the same age. Credit: Binder Lab, University of Tennessee, Knoxville My colleagues and I wanted to know if plants are diverse seed Exposure to ethylene during seed germination showed growth stimulation. We discovered it the answer is yes. We tested the effects of short-term ethylene treatment on germinating tomato, cucumber, wheat, and arugula seeds, all of which grew significantly. However, what made this observation unusual and exciting is that short ethylene treatments also Increased tolerance to various stresses salinity stress, high temperature, hypoxic conditions, etc. The long-term effects of short-term exposure to a stimulus on growth and stress tolerance are often referred to as priming effects. This can be thought of as pump priming priming allows the pump to start easier and faster. There are studies that investigated how plants grow after priming at different ages and developmental stages. but Seed priming Methods using various chemicals and stress are probably the most studied because they are easy to implement and, if successful, can be…

Source: scitechdaily.com

1.5 Billion Pixel Masterpiece Captures The Running Chicken Nebula

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

The Running Chicken Nebula is made up of several clouds, all of which can be seen in this expansive image from the VLT Survey Telescope (VST) hosted at ESO’s Paranal Site. His 1.5 billion pixel image spans an area of the sky the size of about 25 full moons. The cloud, marked by a wispy pink plume, is filled with gas and dust and lit by young, hot stars within it. Credit: ESO/VPHAS+ Team. Acknowledgment: CASU

of ESO has released a detailed image of the Running Chicken Nebula, located 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Centauri. This 1.5 billion pixel image of his captured by VST highlights young stars and regions such as IC 2948 and IC 2944, providing a cosmic treat for the eyes.

Many holiday traditions include a feast of turkey, buckwheat, latkes, or pan de pascua, but this year the European Southern Observatory (ESO) is bringing you the holiday chicken. The so-called Running Chicken Nebula, home to the birth of young stars, is revealed in stunning detail in this 1.5 billion pixel image captured by the VLT Survey Telescope (VST) at ESO’s Paranal Site in Chile. It has become.

This vast stellar nursery is located in the constellation Centaurus, about 6,500 light-years from Earth. Young stars in this nebula emit intense radiation that makes the surrounding hydrogen gas glow pink.

The Running Chicken Nebula is actually made up of several regions, all of which can be seen in this vast image spanning an area of the sky the size of about 25 full moons.^[1] The brightest region in the nebula is called IC 2948, where some people can see the head of a chicken, while others can see the back end. The wispy pastel outlines are fantastic plumes of gas and dust. His IC 2944 is characterized by a bright vertical, almost columnar structure towards the center of the image. The brightest sparkle in this particular area is lambda centauria star visible to the naked eye that is much closer to us than the nebula itself.

The Running Chicken Nebula is made up of several clouds, the most prominent of which are labeled in this expansive image from the VLT Survey Telescope (VST) hosted at ESO’s Paranal Site. The bright star, named Lambda Centauri, is actually much closer than the nebula itself and can be seen with the naked eye. The cloud, marked by a faint pink plume, is filled with gas and dust and lit by young, hot stars within it. In total, this image spans an area of about 25 full moons in the sky, one of which is shown to scale for reference. Credit: ESO/VPHAS+ Team. Acknowledgment: CASU

But IC 2948 and IC 2944 themselves are full of young stars. And while they may be bright, they are definitely not cheerful. They tear through the environment like chickens, spewing massive amounts of radiation. Some regions of the nebula, known as Bok globules, can withstand the intense assault of ultraviolet radiation that spreads through this region. If you zoom in on the image, you may see small, dark pockets of dense dust and gas scattered throughout the nebula.

Other areas pictured here include gums 39 and 40 in the upper right and gum 41 in the lower right. In addition to the nebula, the sky is filled with countless orange, white, and blue stars like fireworks. Overall, this image is a wonder that cannot be explained. Zooming in and moving around the screen can be a feast for the eyes.

This 3D animation of the Running Chicken Nebula imagines what it would be like to fly near a swirling cloud of gas and dust. This video is based on real images from the VLT Survey Telescope hosted on his Paranal site in ESO. However, the 3D positions of the stars shown here are for reference only. Credit: ESO/VPHAS+ Team. Acknowledgment: CASU

This image is a large mosaic made of hundreds of individual frames carefully stitched together. Individual images are taken through filters that pass different colors of light and combined into the final result shown here.Observations were made with a wide-field camera omega cam in VSTis a telescope owned by the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) and hosted by ESO at the Paranal site in Chile’s Atacama Desert, perfect for mapping the southern sky in visible light. The data used to create this mosaic were acquired as part of his VST photometric Hα survey of the Southern Galactic Plane and Bulge (VPHAS+), a project aimed at better understanding the life cycle of stars.

This diagram shows the location of the Running Chicken Nebula (IC2944) in the large constellation south of the constellation Centaurus (Centaurus). This map shows most of the stars visible to the naked eye under good conditions, and the location of the nebula itself is marked with a red circle. Although the star cluster associated with this nebula, IC 2948, is easily seen with small telescopes, the nebula is very faint and was only discovered in photographs in the early 20th century. Credits: ESO, IAU, Sky & Telescope

Note

This image spans 270 light years from edge to edge. It takes the average chicken almost 21 billion years to run through it. That’s a long time since our universe has existed.

Access full size 3.9 GB image here.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Harnessing the potential of innovative algorithms

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Immune system researchers have designed a computational tool to improve pandemic preparedness. Scientists can use this new algorithm to compare data from very different experiments and more accurately predict how individuals will respond to disease.

“While we are trying to understand how individuals fight off different viruses, the advantage of our method is that it can be applied to other organisms, such as comparing different drugs or different cancer cell lines. It has general applicability in academic settings,” says Dr. Tal Einab. D., La Jolla Institute of Immunology (LJI) assistant professor and co-leader of the new study.

This study addresses a major challenge in medical research. Labs that study infectious diseases collect very different types of data, even those that focus on the same virus. “Each dataset becomes its own independent island,” he says Einav.

Working closely with Dr. Rong Ma, a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, Einav set out to develop an algorithm to help compare large datasets. His inspiration comes from a background in physics, where scientists can be confident that their data falls within the known laws of physics, no matter how innovative the experiment. E is always equal to mc2.

For example, researchers may be able to design better vaccines by understanding exactly how human antibodies target viral proteins.

The new method is also thorough enough to give scientists confidence behind their predictions. In statistics, a “confidence interval” is a way to quantify how certain a scientist’s predictions are.

“When people from different backgrounds come together, there is great synergy,” says Einab. “With the right team, we can finally solve these big unsolved problems.”

Tal Einav and Rong Ma, “Using Interpretable Machine Learning to Augment Heterogeneous Antibody Virus Datasets,” July 25, 2023, cell report method.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Son utilizes artificial intelligence to bring his deceased father back for the holidays.

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

It allowed her to talk to the ghosts of her past loved ones. A Missouri man brought the internet to tears by using artificial intelligence to revive his late father’s voice as a special Christmas card for his mother. “This Christmas I decided to do something special for my mom,” Phillip Willett, 27, explained in the caption. He wanted to do something unique to honor his “hero” and decided to resurrect him digitally using AI, specifically technology that he uses frequently in his work. Mr Willett was initially hesitant to use words similar to his father’s, he said, as he felt it was “strange”. But the digital guru finally came up with this idea after finding a community of people who use technology to communicate digitally with their deceased loved ones. The Missouri resident specifically used Eleven Labs’ text-to-speech software to match his late father’s exact voice. This he considered to be the most important thing to make the project a reality. Using this technology, content creators were able to create digital dead ringers that matched the tone and rhythm of their fathers. “The first words I actually put into the program were ‘Hello, honey,'” Willett said. “And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that.” [my late father] That’s why I put it into my life first. “When the show said it in his voice…I got chills all over,” added the author, who said he worked all day on the gift. “This Christmas I decided to do something special for my mom,” Willett, 27, said. They then created a digital Christmas card using their father’s voice to simulate him being home for the holidays. In the touching clip, Willett’s mother Trish Willett is seen opening a video book featuring a montage of photos of the two of them. Suddenly, her late husband greeted her: “Hello, honey, I love you,” the AI voice actor piped up as the widow sobbed. “I hear your prayers.” I want you to know that you are the best mother to our children.” The facsimile added: “And you are the strongest woman in the whole world. I will always be with you, honey, I hope you guys have a merry Christmas.” The clip ends with mother and son embracing in a heart-wrenching memory. “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard his voice,” Willett said, adding that she thought the result was “amazing.” “I can also say with confidence that it will be easier for her to get through this holiday because she remembers him and knows that he will always be with her,” he concluded. TikTok commentators were similarly moved to tears by the heartfelt gesture. “Oh yeah. Here’s another Tik Tok where I sob for people I’ve never met,” said one viewer, expressing their emotion, while another said: “I knew I was going to cry but I still couldn’t stop.” Another viewer added, “Because I think your father deserves to be known.” Willett initially found the idea “bizarre” but was swayed to find a community of people thinking the same thing. A third said: “I lost my dad to pancreatic cancer 2 years ago. I don’t know if I can survive this but I miss his voice so much.” Willett replied: It was definitely a tearful process. But it turned out to be something very special.” This comes as a number of companies, from Somnium to DeepBrain, are working on AI technology that can upload the consciousness of a deceased loved one to a computer. Of course, this raised concerns about the ethics of putting words into someone’s mouth after death. Critics also worry that portraits of both living and dead people could be used for fraud and other illicit purposes. In September, Hollywood icon Tom Hanks posted an advisory on Instagram warning his followers about a commercial that used an AI-generated version of himself to promote a dental plan.

Source: nypost.com

The Impact of NASA’s Reflectors on Our World

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

GPS satellites play a crucial role in Earth measurements by relaying information to other satellites. Laser retroreflector arrays (LRA) have emerged as a technological advancement that enhances the precision of geodesy, the study of the Earth’s shape and changes. LRAs enable the collection of precise distance measurements necessary for monitoring global phenomena like sea level rise and tectonic movements. They work by reflecting laser light back to its original source, allowing scientists to accurately measure changes in the Earth’s surface.

Numerous federal agencies, including NASA, the U.S. Space Command, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, have been involved in improving the accuracy of Earth measurements. The use of LRAs has allowed geolocation of all Earth observations to improve, enabling scientists to strategize and anticipate changes in the Earth’s angular momentum, changes in the Earth’s figure, and significant geodetic factors.

Laser retroreflector arrays function by reflecting light directly back towards its original source, as they consist of mirrors placed at right angles. They are instrumental in providing precise location information to ground stations on Earth, aiding in pinpointing the Earth’s center of mass and aiding in geodetic measurements. The ability to measure minute changes in the Earth’s center of gravity is of utmost importance as it aids in quantifying and understanding larger shifts resulting from events like tsunamis or earthquakes.

Overall, the implementation of laser retroreflector arrays is essential in studying Earth’s shape, gravity, and rotation, as well as determining changes over time. It is a fundamental component of daily life that aids in understanding how the world is changing.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Future Liquid Hydrogen Fuel Could Be Provided by a New Catalyst

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Researchers are developing a hydrogen-based vehicle fuel system that uses catalytically converted liquids and has zero greenhouse gas emissions. Although this method is still being researched, it faces challenges such as catalyst durability and the environmental friendliness of hydrogen production, highlighting the need for political support for renewable energy.

Researchers at Sweden’s Lund University have developed an innovative vehicle fuel system that minimizes greenhouse gas emissions and operates in a circular manner. The system utilizes a unique liquid that, when combined with a solid catalyst, turns into hydrogen fuel for cars. After use, the used fluid is removed from the vehicle’s tank and refilled with hydrogen, making it available for reuse. This process forms a closed-loop system that significantly reduces environmental impact.

In two research papers, Lund researchers have demonstrated that the method works, and although it is still basic research, it has the potential to become an efficient energy storage system in the future.

“Our catalyst is one of the most efficient, at least according to published studies,” says one of the authors, Ola Wendt, professor in the Department of Chemistry at Lund University.

Addressing climate impacts and exploring hydrogen gas

Reducing our climate impact requires finding alternative ways to produce, store, and convert energy to reduce carbon emissions from fossil fuels. One method involves the hot topic of hydrogen gas, which many see as the future solution for energy storage. Nature stores energy through chemical bonds, and hydrogen contains the highest energy density relative to its weight.

“But gas can be difficult to handle, so we are looking at hydrogen-filled liquid fuels that can be delivered at the pump, in much the same way as is done at gas stations today.” Ola Wendt he says.

This concept is known as LOHC (Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier) and is not new in itself. The challenge is to find the most efficient catalyst possible to extract hydrogen from the liquid.

The system is designed to operate using a liquid “filled” with hydrogen. The liquid is pumped through a solid catalyst to extract the hydrogen. This can be used in fuel cells that convert chemical fuels into electricity, and the “spent” liquid is taken to a separate tank. Only water is expelled.

Refueling and large-scale production

Used fluid can be emptied at a filling station before being refilled with new fill fluid. This would likely mean large-scale production of materials comparable to today’s oil refineries.

“We converted more than 99 percent of the hydrogen gas present in the liquid,” says Ola Wendt.

Researchers are also calculating whether the fuel could be used in larger vehicles such as buses, trucks and airplanes.

“With the larger tanks they have, they might be able to cover about the same distance as a diesel tank. They would also convert about 50% more energy than compressed hydrogen,” says Ola. Wendt says.

Components and challenges

The liquids used are isopropanol (a common ingredient in screen wash) and 4-methylpiperidine.

Does this seem a little too good to be true? Yes, many challenges remain, at least for now. One is that catalysts have a fairly limited lifetime. Another reason is that iridium, which is the basis of the catalyst, is a precious metal.

“However, we estimate that each car requires about 2 grams of iridium. ,” says Ola Wendt.

This is a technical solution based on basic research. Ola Wendt believes that if the decision is made to develop a finished product, the concept could be completed within 10 years if it is economically viable and there is interest from society. I am.

Another issue is how hydrogen is produced. Today, most manufacturing is not climate friendly. Next, hydrogen needs to be stored and transported in an effective way, which is not so easy today. Compressed hydrogen refueling also has risks. Lund researchers hope to solve this problem in their own way.

“Ninety-eight percent of all hydrogen today is fossil-based, produced from natural gas. The byproduct is carbon dioxide. From an environmental perspective, the concept of producing hydrogen for steel, batteries, and fuels is “It makes no sense if it’s done using natural gas,” says Ola Wendt, but explains that a lot of research is being done on how to “produce hydrogen in an environmentally friendly way.” To do. “Hydrogen” can be produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen with the help of renewable energy.

At the same time, Ola Wendt believes that political decisions are needed for renewable and climate-friendly alternatives to gain a proper foothold.

“It needs to be cheaper, and that will require a political decision. Renewable energy has the potential to compete with just digging it out of the ground, where transportation is almost the only cost, as is the case with fossil fuels. There is no gender,” he concludes.

Reference: “Acceptorless dehydrogenation of 4-methylpiperidine over supported pincer-bound iridium catalysts in continuous flow” Kaushik Chakrabarti, Alice Spangenberg, Vasudevan Subramaniyan, Andreas Hederstedt, Omar Y. Abdelaziz, Alexey V. Polukeev, Reine Wallenberg , by Christian P. Hulteberg and Ola F. Wendt, July 27, 2023. Catalyst science and technology.
DOI: 10.1039/D3CY00881A

“Iridium-catalyzed dehydrogenation in a continuous flow reactor for practical on-board hydrogen production from liquid organic hydrogen carriers”, Alexey V. Polukeev, Reine Wallenberg, Jens Uhlig, Christian P. Hulteberg, Ola F. Wendt, March 9, 2022 chemsus chem.
DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202200085

Source: scitechdaily.com

A Unique Patient Mutation Offers New Hope for Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Researchers have discovered a unique case in a Colombian family where a woman with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease remained cognitively healthy due to a rare APOE gene mutation, the Christchurch mutation. This mutation disrupts the typical progression of Alzheimer’s disease and suggests new prevention strategies. Dementia may be prevented by breaking the link between early and late stages of the disease.

The disease has plagued one large Colombian family for generations, killing half of them in their prime years. But one member of the family avoided what seemed like fate. She remained cognitively healthy well into her 70s, even though her relatives inherited her genetic defect that caused her to develop dementia in her 40s.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis now think they know why. Previous research had reported that the woman was in possession of two copies of the rare variant, unlike her relatives. Apoe A gene known as the Christchurch mutation.

In this study, researchers used genetically modified mice to show that the Christchurch mutation was associated with early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, when a protein called amyloid beta accumulates in the brain, and another protein called tau, which causes cognitive impairment. begins to decline. So the women remained mentally alert for decades, even though their brains were filled with large amounts of amyloid.

“All protective factors are very interesting because they give us new clues about how the disease works,” said lead authors Barbara Barton, Ph.D., and Reuben M. said David M. Holzman, M.D., Morris III Professor Emeritus of Neurology.

Understanding the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, the researches found thatthe main difference was the level of activity of microglia, the brain’s waste-processing cells. Microglia tend to cluster around amyloid plaques. In mice with Apoe The Christchurch mutation activated microglia surrounding amyloid plaques, making them highly efficient at consuming and processing tau aggregates.

Reference: “APOE3ch alters microglial responses and suppresses Aβ-induced tau dissemination and spread” Yun Chen, Sihui Song, Samira Parhizkar, Jennifer Lord, Yiyang Zhu, Michael R. Strickland, Chanung Wang, Jiyu Park, G By Travis Tabor, Hong Jiang, Kevin Lee, Albert A. Davis, Carla M. Huede, Marco Colonna, Jason D. Ulrich, David M. Holtzman, December 11, 2023. cell.DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.11.029

Source: scitechdaily.com

15 Exciting Science Riddles to Enjoy Solving with Your Family

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

1. The most common form of aluminum ore, wild goat, a rectangular array of numbers and radiation with wavelengths from 0.01 to 10 nanometers. What do they all have in common, and why did they make the news this year?

2. Four guests will be seated for Christmas dinner. One came from a valley in Germany. One was good with tools, one was said to be intelligent, and the other wanted a chair with a strong backrest. Three people leave the table one by one. Who will sit last?

3. In 2028, abolitionists and the God of Fire will be joined by crystallographers. where are they?

4. It’s time to gather around the table and bond. First, what can you make from these interesting food combinations?

Sweet nougat + chestnut udon

Chipolatas + Flaming Eggnog

Chocolate unicorn + tangy nachos

Angel gingerbread + Asian plum

5. How about going for a brisk walk to relieve the fatigue of your Christmas meal? Along the way, you’ll see a big dog that’s not on a leash, a big bear that’s not in a cave, and a ring that’s inside. I see a bull that is not there. where are you looking?

6. Hark! The pressure between the ship and its surroundings quickly equalizes, creating a wonderful, festive vibration. What just happened?

7. After receiving the clutch Tsugumi Merulaa trio of Gallus gallus domesticus and some Streptoperia turtlewhere do you think you can find it? Perdix?

8. Chinese giant SkyEye only has one, but labs tend to have a few and Christmas dinners have many. what is that? …

Source: www.newscientist.com

There were few notable enterprise technology M&A deals in a slow year.

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Cisco was the most active company

It’s that time A look back at this year’s biggest tech M&A deals. Typically, by this point, the usual acquisition suspects like Microsoft, Salesforce, Adobe, SAP Oracle, and Cisco have undergone at least some major changes. But this year, only Cisco made a big splash, ultimately announcing 11 deals in total.

SAP has made some small deals, but Microsoft, Salesforce, Adobe, and Oracle have been mostly quiet this year. The $61 billion Broadcom-VMware deal, announced in May 2022, was finally completed last month, and Adobe and Figma agreed this month to terminate the $20 billion deal, which ends in September 2022. It has been a regulatory impasse since it was announced in September.

It is not our imagination that transactions from major companies are decreasing. CB Insight reported There were zero deals from big tech companies in the third quarter of this year. Compare that to 2019, when there were 10 such deals in the third quarter, and 2020, when there were eight.

Graph showing the number of M&A transactions by major technology companies from 2019 to present. In his most recent quarter, Q3 2023, there were zero trades.

Image credits: CB Insight

Perhaps high borrowing costs put a damper on deals in 2023. The days when his 2020 major deals totaled $165 billion are long gone. This year’s total was just $67.7 billion, the lowest total since a record low of $40 billion in 2019, the second year the list of these top deals was compiled.

It’s worth noting that a significant number of this year’s deals involve private equity firms acquiring companies or selling them at significant profits.

Perhaps smaller deals involving AI were more important, like Atlassian’s $975 million acquisition of Loom. Salesforce acquired Airkit.ai for an undisclosed sum, one of just two small acquisitions this year. Or Snowflake’s acquisition of AI search company Neeva, again for an undisclosed amount.

Regardless, here are this year’s top 10 corporate deals, from cheapest to most expensive.

Source: techcrunch.com

5 Indications that Your Account Has Been Hacked

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Be aware that cybercriminals may have access to your personal information. However, there are several ways to tell.

‘White Hacker’ Ash Chatrier, a cyber whiz who works with people to identify their vulnerabilities to cyber attacks, explains how to tell if a hacker might be accessing your account and how to We’ve shared tips on what to do if you suspect someone is accessing your account.

“To respond to suspicious account activity, you should contact your service provider and have your password reset to a strong, ideally random set of letters, numbers, and characters,” says Threat Intelligence Researcher at F-Secure. said Shatrieh, who works. told the Daily Mail.

“In some cases, a device (such as a PC) can be compromised by malware that steals information. In that case, it’s important to run an antivirus scan on your computer,” he added.

If you think you’ve been hacked or want to make sure your data is safe, keep an eye out for the following warning signs, according to Shatry.

Social media

Social media algorithms are tailored to your interests, so if you see content in your feed that you wouldn’t normally see, it could be a sign that someone else is messing with your account.

Be aware of changes in the content you see on social media. Sudden changes, such as an influx of posts in an unfamiliar language or suggestions from uninvolved accounts, can indicate suspicious activity,” Shatry said.

“Social media algorithms are tailored to user preferences, and unexpected changes could mean unauthorized access,” he added.

small bank transactions

If a hacker has access to your online banking account, he or she may test the waters with a few small transactions before going after the big kahuna.

Chatrier offered his two cents.

“Regularly check your bank and credit card statements for fraudulent transactions. Hackers may initiate small transactions as a test before attempting larger ones. There is,” he explained.

“Remain vigilant and report any suspicious transactions, even the seemingly small ones, to your bank immediately. If you have tried to max out your card, call your bank to cancel your card,” says Cyber. Wiz added.

Ash Shatrieh shared expert tips to help you determine if you’re a target of a hacker. F-Secure

Message without notification

If you’re seeing emails or other types of messages for various accounts, but you’re not receiving regular notifications, it could mean those notifications are being sent elsewhere. There is a gender.

“Be careful if you notice the existence of new unread emails without receiving a corresponding notification, causing delays in delivery,” he warned.

“This could indicate that the hacker has set up rules that allow them to bypass or hide emails from your inbox, allowing the hacker to selectively publish certain messages while others “This suggests that they may be hiding messages,” he added.

Chatrier said he is keeping an eye out for signs that his email could be compromised.

“Check your inbox settings to see if there are any rules that forward emails to addresses you don’t know,” he says.

yellow email banner

If you see yellow, don’t calm down.

If you access Gmail from a desktop computer, you can see if someone has logged into your account from a new location.

If you’re in California and you’re logging in from Idaho even though you’ve never been there, you may have a hacker.

“We regularly check the activity logs provided by the service to monitor login timestamps and IP addresses,” he said.

“For example, in Gmail, you may see a yellow banner at the bottom in unfamiliar places. Investigate unusual activity and cancel unknown sessions (requiring you to sign out on all devices you’re logged in to. ), quickly protect your account by resetting your login credentials. Please note that if your device is compromised, your account may be compromised.”

Account suspension

If your account has been suspended and you don’t know why, hackers may be the culprit.

“Beware of unexpected account terminations. “If you receive a notification about account suspension or termination, it may indicate malicious activity,” he said.

“Please contact your service provider immediately to investigate and resolve the issue.

He added that if you suddenly log out, this could also be a red flag.

If you see signs of unauthorized login attempts or if your account is logged out, someone else may be in control.

“If you notice that you are repeatedly logged out without initiating the logout, investigate for suspicious login attempts,” he said.

“Check your list of active sessions, trusted devices, and logged-in devices, revoke access if you see anything suspicious, change your password, and ensure multi-factor authentication is configured and working properly. please.”

Source: nypost.com

New Hope for Diabetes Treatment: Repurposed Medicines Present Promising Results

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

A recent study led by Indiana University and the University of Chicago Medicine suggests that a drug called alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) could revolutionize the treatment of type 1 diabetes. Based on a decade of research, DFMO has demonstrated the potential to reduce insulin dependence, and larger clinical trials are currently underway to evaluate DFMO’s impact on beta cell preservation and disease amelioration. Tested.

A recent study led by Indiana University School of Medicine in collaboration with the University of Chicago School of Medicine shows exciting future possibilities for the management of type 1 diabetes and its potential reduction. insulin dependence. The researchers’ findings are cell report medicine, They suggest that repurposing the drug alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) could open the door to innovative treatments in the future.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, resulting in high blood sugar levels and currently requires lifelong insulin treatment to keep patients alive. Is required. Many people living with type 1 diabetes find current treatments, such as daily insulin injections and frequent blood sugar monitoring, inconvenient and difficult to manage.

A 10-year research journey

These latest translation results represent more than a decade of research. Raghu Mirmila, M.D., Ph.D., co-corresponding author of the study, said in 2010 that while running his lab at IU School of Medicine, his team was able to develop beta It was discovered for the first time that cells can be protected from infection. Environmental factors suggest that type 1 diabetes may be preserved. The team then validated these findings in mice.

From 2015 to 2019, Linda DiMeglio, MD, MPH, Edwin Letzter Professor of Pediatrics at IU School of Medicine, Pediatric Endocrinologist and Division Director at Riley Children’s Health, provided guidance to people with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes. He led a clinical trial to confirm the safety of DFMO. They also suggested that it may stabilize insulin levels by protecting beta cells. The trial was funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and used the drug provided by Panvera Therapeutics.

Dr. Emily K. Sims. Credit: Chapital Photography, provided by Emily K. Sims

“After several years of bench-to-bedside research, Drs. [Sarah] “We are pleased to finally share the promising results from the Tercy mouse model, a pilot study in humans,” said DiMeglio, senior author of the study. “Having established the preliminary safety of DFMO in patients with type 1 diabetes, we are excited to collaborate to further explore its potential benefits in a larger clinical trial.”

Regulatory benefits of DFMO and new formulations

Since 1990, DFMO has been approved by the FDA as a high-dose injectable to treat African sleeping sickness, and in 2020 received breakthrough therapy designation as a post-remission neuroblastoma maintenance therapy. Ta. This prior regulatory approval could streamline adoption as a treatment for type 1 diabetes and shorten the approval process from decades to just a few years.

“Using the new formulation of DFMO as a pill allows patients to take it by mouth rather than needing regular injections, and it has a very favorable side effect profile,” said Dr. said one Milmira. Chicago Medicine. “We are very happy to be able to say that we have developed a drug that works differently than other treatments for this disease.”

Current and future clinical research

Researchers have already begun the next steps to investigate the potential of DFMO. The study’s lead author and co-corresponding author, Emily K. Sims, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at IU School of Medicine and pediatric endocrinologist at Riley Children’s Health, recently studied the effects of infectious diseases in more detail. To define it, we have begun a large-scale clinical study involving six institutions. His DFMO treatment to preserve beta cell function in type 1 diabetes. This new research was also funded by JDRF and supported by Panbela Therapeutics.

Sims, who is also a physician and scientist at the IU School of Medicine’s Herman B. Wells Pediatric Research Center and Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, hopes that DFMO, perhaps as part of a combination therapy, will not only help patients; There is. People who have recently been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes but are at risk of developing the condition may also be tested.

“As we embark on this new multicenter clinical trial to further investigate the efficacy of DFMO, we are confident that the encouraging results obtained to date will allow us to modify the underlying disease process of type 1 diabetes. ”Sims said. “We invite even more participants to this pioneering study. With their help, the knowledge we gain today has the potential to shape a brighter future for people affected by type 1 diabetes. Masu.”

Reference: “Inhibition of polyamine biosynthesis preserves beta cell function in type 1 diabetes” Emily K. Sims, Abhishek Kulkarni, Audrey Hull, Stephanie E. Werner, Suzanne Cabrera, Lucy D. Mastrandrea, Batur Hammoud, Soumyadeep Sarkar, Ernesto S. Nakayas, Teresa L. Mastracci, Susan M. Perkins, Ouyang Fangqian, Bobbie Jo Webb Robertson, Jacob R. Enriquez, Sarah A. Turcy, Carmela Evans. · Molina, S. Alice Long, Lori Blanchfield, Eugene W. Garner, Raghavendra G. Mirmila and Linda A. Dimeglio, November 1, 2023; cell report medicine.
DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101261

People who want to know more about New clinical trials can be accessed on the research website.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Government suggests culling owl population to protect endangered species

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed a plan to shoot hundreds of thousands of barred owls in West Coast forests over the next 30 years, arguing that the survival of one owl species depends on the extinction of another. The spotted owl, not native to the area, is displacing its genetically related barred owl, the bureau said.

Unless action is taken against barred owls, the spotted owl could disappear from parts of Washington and Oregon within a few years and eventually become extinct, according to service biologists.

This proposal is the latest effort to save the spotted owl, whose decline became a rallying point for environmentalists against logging in the Pacific Northwest in the 1980s. This plan raises questions about how far humans should go to save species and the cost of righting historic ecological wrongs, as the barred owls may have become established in the Pacific Northwest under human influence as European settlers spread westward.

The proposal calls for the “lethal removal” (killing with shotguns) of more than 470,000 barred owls in total and is open for public comment until January 16th. It may be difficult for the undiscerning eye to distinguish barred owls from spotted owls, as both have pale faces and mottled brown and white coats and belong to the same genus. However, barred owls are slightly larger, breed faster, are more aggressive, and are less discriminatory about where they live and what they eat.

The spotted owl population has declined by about 75 percent over the past 20 years, primarily due to barred owls, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The plan would eliminate the barred owls from 1-2% of its current range, and the removal of barred owls has been shown to stabilize the spotted owl population, although the impact has not been substantial.

Despite the dominance of barred owls, the population is likely to recover over time, and the cost of righting historic ecological wrongs is still uncertain. Wildlife biologists consulted with an ethicist about killing the animals, and while some animal rights groups disagree with the plan, a final proposal is expected to be released in the spring or summer after the public comment period on the USFWS proposal ends.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The Top 6 Spectacular Space Photos from 2023

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Wolf Rayet star WR 124 glimpsed by JWST

NASA, ESA, CSA, STSCI, ERO production team

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) helped make 2023 the year of amazing space images. But this groundbreaking telescope wasn’t the only source of visual wonder. A series of new missions are sending back photos from space, and the view from Earth isn’t bad either. Here are 6 photos that surprised us the most.

The star in the photo above was captured by JWST as it prepared to explode. It’s called WR 124 and has about 30 times the mass of the Sun. When a star that large runs out of hydrogen to burn in its core, heavier elements begin to fuse together. This fusion creates a powerful burst of energy, sending gusts of wind at speeds of millions of kilometers per hour. When these powerful winds strip away the outer layers of a star, it becomes a star known as a Wolf-Rayet star. It will explode as a supernova within a few million years after it peels off. The purple spots in this photo are clouds of dust and gas that were the outer layer of WR 124. It has already lost about 10 times the mass of the Sun. If these layers are not intact, it is doomed to explode into a supernova.

Solar tornado seen from Earth

Andrew McCarthy and Jason Guenzel

Then we have the tallest solar tornado ever recorded (above). The event occurred on March 14, when the rotation of the sun’s magnetic field stirred up plasma near the north pole. This feature rose above the surface of the Sun, and the giant flare reached a height of 178,000 kilometers, or nearly 14 times the diameter of Earth. This image is the result of a careful collaboration between astrophotographers Jason Genzel and Andrew McCarthy. They used high-speed cameras to record the event, and it took him five days and 90,000 individual shots to create the photos. The sun appears furry in this image because it is covered in millions of stirring geysers of plasma, each lasting only a few minutes.

Herbig Halo 211 captured by JWST

ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, Tom Ray (Dublin)

This bright explosion (above) reveals the newborn star’s incredible supersonic jet. These result in what are known as Herbig-Haro objects. The star itself is hidden within the dark cloud of gas from which it formed, but when jets erupt from its
ides, they collide with surrounding gas and dust, creating huge shock waves that cause them to glow. This particular object, called Helbig Halo 211, is located in the constellation Perseus, about 1000 light-years from Earth.

Jupiter’s moon Io

NASA/JPL-California Institute of Technology/SwRI/MSSS/Brian Swift/CC BY

Return to our solar system and proceed to Jupiter’s moon Io (above). In October, NASA’s Juno spacecraft flew just 7,000 miles (11,645 kilometers) above the moon’s surface, capturing this amazing image of it passing by. This is one of the best photos of Io ever taken, with enough detail to show the shadows of some of the giant volcanoes.

India’s Vikram lander lands on the moon as part of Chandrayaan-3 mission

Isro

And to our moon. On August 23, India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission landed near the moon’s south pole for the first time. This photo (above) of the Vikram lander landing on the moon was taken by the mission’s Pragyan rover a week later. The study of the moon’s south pole, initiated by Chandrayaan-3, is particularly important because of the large amount of ice there, which could help in future human exploration and the establishment of a permanent lunar base.

Comet Nishimura as seen by an amateur astronomer

Javier Zayas/Moment RF/Getty Images

Our final images become more ephemeral. Above is Comet Nishimura, which shows a striped pattern in the night sky as seen from Earth. Two rare green comets made a dramatic appearance in the sky this year. First, in early February, comet C/2022 E3 approached Earth for the first time in 50,000 years. Then, in August, amateur astronomer Hideo Nishimura discovered another comet (now named after him) that remained visible for about two months. These comets appear green because the gas surrounding their rocky core contains diatomic carbon. Diatomic carbon is a relatively rare substance consisting of a pair of bonded carbon atoms. Make the most of your images of Comet Nishimura now. The comet takes about 437 years to orbit the Sun, so it won’t be seen again until the 25th century.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Unusual extremophiles hiding in your kitchen

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

“May I ask what this is for?” The pharmacy assistant looks at me quizzically. I just requested some coronavirus tests, a urine sample pot, and a sterile scalpel blade. Oh, and latex gloves, please. “We want to see if there’s an extreme life form hiding inside your dishwasher,” I explain. “I see,” she said carefully, and hurried off to consult her colleague.

I admit it’s an unusual shopping list. To explain that, we have to rewind to June, when we found research on bacteria that can survive in environments that humans would consider extreme conditions, such as high temperatures, corrosive liquids, or powerful radiation. Typically, scientists head to exotic locations to find these microbes, such as the scorching hot volcanic springs of Yellowstone National Park or the frozen deserts of Antarctica. But you don’t have to go to the ends of the earth to find them, the study says. Perhaps extreme loving microbes are not only surviving, but thriving. Among the kitchen appliances.

That was it. I had to find out if my kitchen was really inhabited by microorganisms like the list of superhero powers. In the process, I gained a new appreciation for the diversity of life. And you’ll never look at a coffee machine quite the same way again.

Extremely affectionate microbes are a treasure trove for bioprospectors who explore the natural world in search of biotechnological innovations. For example, PCR tests for the coronavirus rely on a DNA copying enzyme that was first isolated from bacteria. Thermas Aquatics They live in hot springs and can withstand temperatures hot enough to poach eggs.

Source: www.newscientist.com

The Rapid Growth of Jellyfish Tentacles: A Few Days’ Transformation

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

New research reveals how cladoceran jellyfish can regenerate tentacles in just a few days, highlighting the role of unique stem-like proliferating cells in this rapid regeneration process. This breakthrough provides insight into similar regeneration processes in other species. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

Japanese scientists have discovered that the cladoceran jellyfish uses stem-like proliferating cells to regenerate its tentacles, providing new insights into the process of blastogenesis and its evolutionary similarities in other organisms. . seed Like a salamander.

A type of jellyfish about the size of a little fingernail cladonema Amputated tentacles can regrow in a few days, but how do they regrow? Functional tissue regeneration across species such as salamanders and insects repairs damage and grows into missing appendages It relies on its ability to form blastocytes, which are masses of undifferentiated cells. Jellyfish, like other cnidarians such as corals and sea anemones, exhibit high regenerative abilities, but how their vital blastema cells are formed has remained a mystery until now.

Japanese research team reveals that stem-like proliferating cells (actively growing and dividing but not yet differentiated into specific cell types) appear at injury sites and help form blastomas. I made it.

The results of this study were published in the journal Science on December 21st. PLOS Biology.

The jellyfish Cladonema pacificum exhibits branched tentacles that can strongly regenerate after amputation.Credit: Sou Fujita, University of Tokyo

“Importantly, these stem-like proliferating cells in the blastema are different from the resident stem cells localized in the tentacles,” said corresponding author Yuichiro Nakajima, a lecturer at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences. “Repair-specific proliferating cells primarily contribute to the newly formed tentacle epithelium (thin outer layer).”

According to Nakajima, the resident stem cells present in and near the tentacles are responsible for generating all cell lineages during homeostasis and regeneration, and maintain all the cells needed throughout the jellyfish’s life. means to repair. Repair-specific proliferating cells appear only upon injury.

“The combination of resident stem cells and repair-specific proliferating cells enables the rapid regeneration of functional tentacles within a few days,” Professor Nakajima said, adding that jellyfish use their tentacles to hunt and feed. he pointed out.

Resident stem cells (green) and repair-specific proliferating cells (red) contribute to the regeneration of Cladonema tentacles.Credit: Sou Fujita, University of Tokyo

According to lead author Sosuke Fujita, a postdoctoral researcher in the same laboratory as Nakajima at the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the discovery will help researchers understand how blastoma formation differs between different animal groups. It shows that you understand.

“In this study, our aim was to use the tentacles of the cnidarian jellyfish to address the mechanisms of blastogenesis. cladonema “As a regeneration model for non-bilateral animals, or animals that do not form bilaterally symmetrically during embryonic development,” Professor Fujita said, explaining that this study could provide insights from an evolutionary perspective.

For example, salamanders are bilaterally symmetrical animals that can regenerate limbs. Their limbs contain stem cells that are restricted to the needs of specific cell types, and this process is thought to function similarly to the repair-specific proliferating cells observed in jellyfish.

“Given that repair-specific proliferating cells are similar to restricted stem cells in the limbs of bilateral salamanders, the formation of blastema by repair-specific proliferating cells has been linked to complex organs and appendages during animal evolution. We can infer that this is a common feature that was acquired independently for organ regeneration,” said Fujita. Said.

After 72 hours of amputation, Cladonema’s regenerating tentacles are fully functional.Credit: Sou Fujita, University of Tokyo

However, the cellular origin of the repair-specific proliferating cells observed in blastema cells remains unclear, and researchers believe that the tools currently available to investigate their origin are too limited. They say they are unable to elucidate or identify other distinct stem-like cells. cell.

“It is essential to introduce genetic tools that allow tracing and intracellular manipulation of specific cell lineages. cladonema‘ said Nakajima. “Ultimately, understanding the mechanisms of blastoma formation in regenerating animals, including jellyfish, may help us identify cellular and molecular components that improve our own regenerative abilities.”

Reference: “Distinct stem-like cell populations promote functional regeneration of Cladonema medusa tentacles” by Sosuke Fujita, Mako Takahashi, Manabu Kumano, Erina Kuranaga, Masayuki Miura, and Yuichiro Nakajima, December 21, 2023. PLOS Biology.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002435

This research was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the Japan Science and Technology Agency, the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, and a grant from the National Institute for Basic Biology Joint Research Project.

Source: scitechdaily.com

The surface of Enceladus may have significant amounts of untouched organic material

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Enceladus, Saturn’s sixth-largest moon, is an interesting place to look to our solar system in the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life, given its habitable oceans and plumes that deposit organic-containing marine material on its surface. It brings you the right opportunities. Organic marine material may be sampled by the Enceladus lander mission. Considering the UV and plasma environment, it is interesting to understand the amount of relatively pure and unaltered organic matter present on the surface.

Enceladus’ tiger stripes are known to be caused by the moon’s icy interior spewing ice into space, creating a cloud of fine ice particles above the moon’s south pole, forming Saturn’s mysterious E ring. It is being This evidence comes from his NASA Cassini spacecraft, which orbited Saturn from 2004 to 2017. Shown here is a high-resolution image of Enceladus taken from a nearby airfield. The tiger stripes appear in a false blue color. Image credit: NASA / ESA / JPL / SSI / Cassini Imaging Team.

“By sending a mission to the surface of Enceladus, we can learn a lot about the biological signatures that may exist in Enceladus’ oceans,” said Amanda Hendricks, a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute. .

“Previously, it was thought that sampling the freshest material from Enceladus’ ocean would require flying through the plume and measuring plume particles and gas.”

“But now we know that we can land on the surface, and we are confident that the instrument can measure plume organic matter from the ocean in its relatively natural state.”

“Thanks to measurements from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, we know that Enceladus’ ocean is habitable,” she added.

“We know that there is liquid water, energy, and chemicals such as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur, which are necessary for life as we know it. It is an ingredient.”

“Enceladus is an oceanic world. Beneath its icy surface is a liquid ocean.”

“There are at least some ocean worlds in our solar system, but Enceladus is special because it is spraying ocean material into space via plumes of water vapor and ice particles at its south pole. This means Cassini’s instruments were able to reveal its signature.” As the spacecraft flew through Enceladus’ plumes, the ocean was visible. ”

“Fortunately, this study found that even though some of the plume particles were ejected into the Saturn system, nearly 90% of the plume particles returned to the Moon’s surface. This is likely due to marine material containing organic matter. But it’s sitting right on the surface.”

Organic molecules found in Enceladus’ plumes include molecules such as methane and ethane, as well as more complex molecules.

Organic matter is processed or chemically transformed by charged particles such as the sun’s ultraviolet photons and electrons.

But if scientists want to know whether ocean-derived biosignatures are present in plume particles, they need these particles to be as pristine as possible and unexposed to ultraviolet light.

An artist’s impression of NASA’s Cassini spacecraft flying through a plume of smoke spewing from Enceladus’ south pole. These plumes are much like geysers, releasing a combination of water vapor, ice grains, salt, methane, and other organic molecules. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

In the new study, Dr. Hendricks and fellow Penn State researcher Christopher House use data from NASA/ESA’s Hubble Space Telescope and Cassini to show that ultraviolet photons can be detected on Enceladus’ plume-covered surface. We estimated how deep it could penetrate.

“What we found in this study is that there are places on the surface of Enceladus where a spacecraft can land and collect samples. If we do that, we could measure organic matter in a relatively natural state.” Dr. Hendricks said.

“That’s because the sun’s ultraviolet photons don’t penetrate very deeply into the ice surface.”

“These harmful solar UV photons only penetrate about 100 micrometers into the ice surface. That’s the width of several human hairs!”

“So the topmost surface is exposed to harmful UV photons, but only some of the organic matter is chemically changed, and soon that material is covered by fresher plume material. .”

“And the deeper particles do not undergo further deformation because the ultraviolet photons are prevented from interacting with the deeper material.”

“The newly deposited plume particles act as a shield for the material below. They act like a sunscreen!”

“Ideally, we would like to someday land on the surface of Enceladus and sample organic matter from the relatively pristine ocean.”

“This result is important because the penetration depth of these harmful ultraviolet photons is so shallow that it suggests that there is a lot of relatively primitive organic matter that can be sampled.”

“Slightly deeper particles are less exposed to UV light, meaning the organic matter has a lower age of exposure.”

“Ultraviolet light easily alters organic molecules, so the depth at which such light reaches the surface of the icy world is critical,” Dr House added.

“Because the penetration depth of ultraviolet light was found to be short, our findings confirm that there is sufficient organic material trapped and preserved within Enceladus’ ice that can be traced back to its oceans. Did.”

“It’s awe-inspiring to think that we can easily obtain so much organic matter from habitable extraterrestrial oceans using known techniques.”

of findings It was published in the magazine Communication Earth and Environment.

_____

AR Hendrix & CH House. 2023. The effective UV exposure age of organic matter on Enceladus’s surface is low. common global environment 4,485; doi: 10.1038/s43247-023-01130-8

Source: www.sci.news

“Latest NHS heartburn surgery gives men the freedom to indulge in holiday feasts” | Science and Technology Update

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

A man who suffered from heartburn so severe that he sometimes regurgitated his food has finally been cured with a “revolutionary” new surgical procedure.

Jeff Cohen had difficulty swallowing more than a sip or two because acid had been rising from his stomach for so long that the normal muscle contractions in his esophagus, or esophagus, were impaired.

He told Sky News that he had become uncomfortable eating, especially in public places.

“It was sitting there heavy in my chest like a blockage,” he said.

“But now I can eat without worrying. The food goes straight forward as usual.”

read more:
Turmeric may be as effective as indigestion medicine

Mr. Cohen was one of the first patients. NHS A device called RefluxStop must be implanted.

Surgeons at St Mary’s Hospital, part of Imperial College Healthcare, sewed a small cube of medical-grade silicone into the outer pouch of the stomach in a keyhole surgery that took just over an hour.

This device holds the stomach and esophagus in place so the muscle valves between them function properly to allow food to pass through and prevent acid from escaping.

Ahmed Ahmed, a consultant surgeon at the hospital, said the technology addresses the root cause of severe heartburn and acid reflux.

“The main problem for most reflux patients is that the valve that stops acid from entering the throat is in the wrong position.

“That’s what causes them to have regurgitation on a daily basis.

“The new procedure involves implanting an anti-reflux device to return the valve to its correct position and maintain its natural anatomy.”

Other surgical techniques constrict the floor of the esophagus to stop acid leaking from the stomach, but this can make swallowing more difficult, especially for patients like Jeff who have pre-existing problems. there is.

“For them, this [new procedure] It’s revolutionary because they will now be eligible for surgery,” said Ahmed.

Read more from Sky News:
Christmas vegetables that may help fight cancer
UK gears up for new internet traffic record

Around a quarter of adults in the UK suffer from heartburn, with overeating over the festive period being a common trigger.

According to NHS Digital, finally Christmas 1 person views online advice every 13 seconds.

Acid can cause symptoms that can lead to cancer, so you should see your doctor if your symptoms persist for more than 3 to 4 weeks.

Mild symptoms can be treated with over-the-counter medications that neutralize the acid. However, more severe cases may require prescription medication.

Dr Ahmed said surgery should now be considered as an alternative to lifelong drug treatment.

Jeff is now looking forward to his first festive season in many years.

“You can eat whatever you want this Christmas,” he said.

“We’re going to have more pigs in a blanket for dinner than we could have last year.

“I’m able to carry on with my daily life, which I wasn’t able to do before.”

Source: news.sky.com

Achieving 99.99923% Reflectance: The Ultimate Mid-Infrared Mirror

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

As reported in nature communications, a collaborative international effort led to the creation of the first mid-infrared supermirror with extraordinary reflectivity. This innovation promises to significantly enhance environmental gas sensing and industrial processes, and represents a major leap forward in mirror technology.

Advanced infrared mirrors enhance climate and biofuels research through precise trace gas detection. An international research team from the United States, Austria, and Switzerland has demonstrated the first true supermirror in the mid-infrared spectral region. These mirrors are key to many applications, including optical spectroscopy for environmental sensing and laser cutting and welding for manufacturing.

Achieving near-perfect reflectance. In the field of high-performance mirrors, everyone is searching for the impossible: a perfectly reflective coating. In the visible wavelength range (i.e. between 380 nm and 700 nm), advanced metal mirrors achieve reflectivity as high as 99%. This means 1. photon 99 is lost with each reflection.

Although this may be impressive, in the near-infrared region (i.e., between approximately 780 nm and 2.5 μm), mirror coatings demonstrate a reflectance of 99.9997%, meaning that out of 1 million reflected photons, only one photon is lost. There are only three.

There has been a long-standing desire to extend the performance level of this supermirror into the mid-infrared (wavelengths from 2.5 μm to 10 μm and beyond), where it could enable advances in trace gas sensing tasks related to climate change and biofuels. Become. It can also be used in industrial applications such as laser processing and nanofabrication. So far, the best mid-infrared mirrors lose one photon to approximately 10,000 photons. This is about 33 times worse than near-infrared mirrors.

International cooperation leads to breakthroughs. As explained in the article published in nature communications, Thorlabs’ Crystalline Solutions (Santa Barbara, California), the Christian Doppler Institute for Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy at the University of Vienna (Austria), the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland) are the first to create a truly intermediate We have demonstrated an infrared super mirror.

These mirrors lose only 8 out of 1 million photons and achieve a reflectance of 99.99923%. Achieving such extreme reflectance required a combination of mastery of materials, mirror design, and manufacturing processes.

Patterned 4-inch GaAs wafer with single-crystal GaAs/AlGaAs die. The final product is fused onto a coated silicon substrate. Credit: George Winkler A new paradigm for mirror coatings. To realize this first-generation mid-infrared (MIR) supermirror, researchers devised and demonstrated a new paradigm in coatings. They combined traditional thin-film coating techniques with new semiconductor materials and methods to overcome material limitations in the challenging mid-infrared region.

Garrett Cole, technical manager for our crystal solutions team, said: By extending this platform to longer wavelengths, our international collaboration has demonstrated for the first time a MIR coating method with less than 5 ppm of undesired absorption and scattering losses. ”

These mirrors utilize the extremely high purity and superior structural quality of molecular beam epitaxy, an advanced process used to fabricate many different semiconductor devices, to produce single-crystal GaAs/AlGaAs with negligible absorption and scattering. Produces multilayer films. This starting material is processed into high-performance mirrors using advanced microfabrication techniques, including direct “fusion” bonding onto high-quality conventional amorphous thin-film interference coatings deposited at the University of Neuchâtel.

Manufacturing these revolutionary mirrors was only half the challenge. Scientists also needed to systematically measure the mirrors to prove their superior performance. Gar-Wing Truong, principal scientist at Thorlabs Crystalline Solutions, said: “It was a huge team effort to bring together our equipment and expertise to clearly demonstrate total losses as low as 7.7ppm, six times higher than previously achieved by any of his traditional MIR coating techniques will do. ”

Co-lead author Lukas Perner, a scientist at the University of Vienna, added: Our combined efforts in innovative mirror technology and advanced characterization methods have enabled us to demonstrate superior performance and break new ground in MIR. ”

Impact on environmental sensing and spectroscopy. The immediate application of these new MIR supermirrors is to significantly improve the sensitivity of optical devices used for measuring trace gases. These devices, called cavity ring-down spectrometers (CRDS), can detect and quantify trace amounts of important environmental markers, such as carbon monoxide.

The research team turned to NIST research chemists Adam Fleischer and Michelle Bailey, who have been working on this technology for years. In a proof-of-concept experiment that put these mirrors through their paces, Fleischer and Bailey showed that the mirrors were already superior to the state-of-the-art.

“Low-loss mirrors make it possible to achieve very long optical path lengths in small devices, in this case like compressing the distance from Philadelphia to New York City to a one-meter range,” says Bailey. says Mr. “This is an important advantage for ultrasensitive spectroscopy in the mid-infrared spectral range, such as the measurement of radioisotopes important for nuclear forensics and carbon dating.”

Reference: “Mid-infrared supermirror with finesse greater than 400,000” Gar-Wing Truong, Lukas W. Perner, D. Michelle Bailey, Georg Winkler, Seth B. Cataño-Lopez, Valentin J. Wittwer, Thomas Südmeyer, Catherine Nguyen, Author David Folman, Adam J. Fleischer, Oliver H. Heckle, Garrett D. Cole, December 6, 2023, nature communications. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43367-z

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Source: scitechdaily.com

ADHD Medication Errors in US Children Skyrocket with Alarming 300% Jump

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Medication errors in children with ADHD have increased dramatically, with the majority occurring at home and involving males between the ages of 6 and 12, a study has found. Enhanced education and improved medication management are needed to reduce these errors. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

Experts call for patient and caregiver education and the development of improved dosing and tracking systems that are tolerable in children.

attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood neurodevelopmental disorders. In 2019, nearly 10% of children in the United States were diagnosed with ADHD. Currently, about 3.3 million children in the United States, or about 5 in 100 children, are prescribed her ADHD medication.

Increase in ADHD medication errors

In a new study recently published in the journal Pediatricsresearchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Center for Injury Research and Policy and the Central Ohio Poison Center, investigated the characteristics and characteristics of out-of-hospital ADHD medication errors reported to U.S. poison centers from 2000 to 2021 in people under age 20. We investigated trends.

According to the study, the annual number of ADHD-related medication errors increased by 299% from 2000 to 2021. During the study period, 87,691 medication error incidents involving ADHD medications as the primary substance in this age group were reported to U.S. poison centers. An average of 3,985 individuals are born per year. In 2021 alone, he was reported for 5,235 medication errors, which equates to 1 child for every 100 minutes he received. The overall trend was that males accounted for 76% of medication errors and the 6-12 year age group accounted for 67% of medication errors. Approximately 93% of exposures occurred in the home.

Common medication error scenarios

Among medication errors involving ADHD medications as the primary substance, the most common scenarios include:

54% – “I accidentally took or administered my medication twice.”
13% – “I accidentally took or gave someone else’s medication.”
13% – “I took/administered the wrong medication.”

“The increase in the number of reported medication errors is consistent with the findings of other studies that have reported an increase in the number of ADHD diagnoses among children in the United States over the past two decades, which reflects the use of ADHD medications. “It is likely associated with an increase in

Health effects and prevention strategies

In 83% of cases, the person was not receiving treatment in a health facility. However, 2.3% of cases were admitted to a health care facility, of which 0.8% were admitted to a critical care unit. Additionally, 4.2% of cases were associated with serious medical outcomes. Some children experienced agitation, tremors, seizures, and changes in mental status. Children under 6 years of age were twice as likely to experience a serious medical outcome and more than three times as likely to be admitted to a health care facility compared to children aged 6 to 19 years.

“Because medication errors in ADHD are preventable, more attention needs to be paid to educating patients and caregivers and developing improved medication and tracking systems that are resistant to children,” said the study’s senior author. said Center Director Gary Smith, MD, PhD. Contributes to injury research and policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “Another strategy could be a move away from pill bottles to unit-dose packaging, such as blister packs, which could help people remember if a drug has already been taken or administered.”

Prevention efforts should focus on the home, but additional attention should also be paid to schools and other settings where children and adolescents spend time or receive medications.

References: “Pediatric ADHD Medication Errors Reported to U.S. Poison Centers from 2000 to 2021” Mikaela M. DeCoster, BS; Henry A. Spiller, MS, D.ABAT; Jaahnavi Badeti, MPH, BDS. Marcel J. Casavant, MD. Natalie I. Rein, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCCCP. Dr. Nicole L. Michaels. Motao Zhu, MD, MS, PhD. Gary A. Smith, MD, PhD, September 18, 2023; Pediatrics.
DOI: 10.1542/peds.2023-061942

Data for this study were obtained from the National Poison Data System (NPDS) maintained by the American Poison Centers (formerly the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC)). Poison Centers receive calls through the National Poison Helpline (1-800-222-1222) and document and report information to NPDS about the product, route of exposure, exposed individuals, exposure scenario, and other data.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Utilizing New Technology to Detect Cancer Early: The Impact on Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust in West Yorkshire

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

A West Yorkshire NHS Trust is utilizing advancements in technology, such as artificial intelligence and surgical robots, to achieve crucial cancer targets and alleviate widespread pressure on hospitals.

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS The Foundation Trust is meeting three important cancer targets established by the government.

These targets include a waiting time of 28 days for patients who receive an emergency referral and are diagnosed with an infection or cancer, a 31-day wait from the patient’s treatment decision to the first treatment, and a 62-day wait from the emergency GP referral to the first treatment.

Sky News was given a tour of the innovations behind the hospital’s results, starting with a diagnostic test called Cytosponge. The Cytosponge is a small capsule with a string attached that is swallowed by the patient. When dissolved in the stomach, a brush collects cells from the esophageal lining, which are then analyzed for abnormalities.

Cytosponges are used as an alternative to longer and more invasive endoscopies. Patients find the cytosponge less invasive and report a quicker procedure time.

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Source: news.sky.com