Tiny robots may soon navigate human livers to combat cancer

Posted on February 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Science fiction has often depicted microscopic robots, but these tiny machines have become a reality with a wide range of real-world applications such as disease prevention and building repair.

A Canadian research team is now focusing on using these small robots to target liver cancer in various fields. They are working on using them in conjunction with MRI equipment to treat diseases (source).

A series of small biocompatible robots, made of magnetizable iron oxide nanoparticles guided by an external magnetic field, could potentially deliver medical care in a highly targeted manner.

Despite the potential of this technology, it faces a major technical challenge. The gravity of these microrobots exceeds the magnetic force, limiting their guidance if the tumor is located higher than the injection site.

To address this challenge, Dr. Jill Soules, a researcher at the CHUM Research Center at the University of Montreal, developed an algorithm that combines gravity and magnetic navigation forces to guide the microrobots into the arterial branches that feed the tumor.

This research has the potential to change the way liver cancer is treated with radiation therapy, which is the most common type of cancer causing 700,000 deaths annually worldwide.

Dr. Soulez emphasized the advantages of the magnetic resonance navigation technique, indicating that the tumor is better visualized on MRI than on X-ray.

In an experiment using pigs to recreate anatomical conditions, the researchers successfully navigated the hepatic artery branches of the animals and arrived at their destination using the microrobots.

Furthermore, using an anatomical atlas of the human liver, the researchers were able to simulate microrobot maneuvers on 19 patients treated with transarterial chemoembolization, finding that in more than 95% of cases, the location of the tumors matched the navigation algorithm to reach the targeted tumor.

Despite these significant advances, clinical application of this technology is still in the distant future, as artificial intelligence models need further training and improvements for real-time navigation of microrobots to the liver.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

CERN’s New 91km-Long Particle Accelerator May Soon Unveil the End of the Universe

Posted on February 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Officials at CERN, the world’s leading particle physics research institute, have announced plans to build the world’s largest particle accelerator. The machine is designed to smash molecules at near the speed of light, marking a significant step forward.

The proposed super collider, called the Future Circular Collider (FCC), will be a massive 91 km in length, three times the size of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). This new machine will allow scientists to collide particles with greater precision and energy than ever before, potentially unraveling some of the universe’s biggest mysteries. These include the existence of more matter than antimatter, the nature of dark matter and energy, the presence of hidden extra dimensions, and the existence of the universe as a whole.

This step forward is significant because scientists hope the FCC will deepen their understanding of particle physics, aiming to explain why particles have specific masses and forces, and to uncover the nature of dark matter and dark energy, which account for 95% of the mass-energy of the universe. If approved, construction is expected to start by the mid-2030s, with the first stage operating around 2045, followed by a second phase extending research into the 2070s, establishing the FCC as a multigenerational scientific research effort.

Is bigger always better?

The importance of building larger particle accelerators lies in the fact that they can achieve higher collision energies. The goal is to put in enough energy to create new particles, such as the Higgs boson. The FCC aims to eventually reach seven times the collision energy of the LHC, offering a new and more complete understanding of physics.

The FCC will be capable of creating millions of Higgs particles, providing scientists with the opportunity to study them in great detail to understand how they interact with other particles. The Higgs boson is a carrier particle of the Higgs field that permeates space and gives mass to other particles, challenging previously held concepts about matter and mass.

CERN’s proposed super collider would be 91 km long and would be the largest particle collider ever built. The hope is that its increased precision and higher collision energies will eventually allow physicists to understand the nature of the Higgs boson, and perhaps even reality itself. – Image credit: CERN

god particle

In addition to providing deeper insight into the Higgs boson, the FCC will also aim to uncover the mechanisms by which the Higgs boson interacts and its significance in the universe. It is thought to have played a crucial role in the very beginning of the universe, nanoseconds after the big bang, by giving mass to matter as the universe grew and cooled. The influence of the Higgs boson is also relevant in understanding how the universe will end, as it affects the stability of the universe itself.

The FCC is expected to contribute to our understanding of whether the universe is in a stable or unstable state, providing the key to answering fundamental questions about the universe’s fate.

the beginning and end of the universe

The FCC will play a crucial role in answering questions about the beginning and the end of the universe, with the expertise of notable scientists like Marcus Chown, professor Andy Parker, and Matthew McCullough. The expectation is that this new accelerator will contribute to an in-depth understanding of the fundamental physics that govern the universe and our place within it.

About our experts

Marcus Chown is an award-winning author, broadcaster, and former radio astronomer. He is the author of Breakthrough: The Spectacle of Scientific Discovery His Story from the Higgs Boson to the Black Hole (Faber & Faber, 2021). Professor Andy Parker is a British physicist and professor of high-energy physics at the University of Cambridge. He is a member and chair of the CERN Science Policy Committee and the Scientific Advisory Committee on Future Circular Colliders, among other notable positions. Matthew McCullough is a theoretical physicist and researcher at CERN, focused on areas of interest including collisional physics, cosmology, astroparticle physics, and quantum field theory, involved in FCC feasibility studies.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Witness a Real Near-Death Experience

Posted on February 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

In the strange world of the paranormal, one unique phenomenon that comes up again and again is the near-death experience (NDE). The white light at the end of the tunnel, the memories of someone’s life flashing before your eyes, and even the vision of heaven.

All these clichés are thoroughly played out in movies and TV shows for a reason. Research shows that people do experience these intense visions.

A near-death experience can be an amazing boost to a better life, making people happier, more fulfilled, and less afraid of death. It is not just natural to feel quite distraught when you are close to death and experience such a mirage. In fact, the opposite may also be true.

So what exactly are the effects of a near-death experience? What’s happening in the brain during these events? And… well, is it possible to create one without nearly dying?

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What is a near-death experience actually like?

Although not all near-death experiences result in some form of vision or ultimately a unique experience, they are very common and often apply to positive or negative experiences.

“When people started studying near-death experiences, the focus was almost entirely on the more positive, more typical experiences. But as time went on, people became more aware of the negative as well. Now,” Professor Chris French said a psychologist who believes in the paranormal. BBC Science Focus in instant genius Podcast.

“In terms of what’s going on, it’s a very rich hallucinatory experience, but it feels incredibly real. It feels as real as anything you’ve ever experienced.”

For those who have had positive experiences, it’s not as much of a problem, but when people have negative experiences, they often have problems such as: increased fear of death, and may even experience lifelong trauma. What’s even more frightening is that people think: Approximately 1 in 5 near-death experiences You fall into this negative camp.

Chris categorizes these negative experiences into three categories.

The first is the most important consideration. positive experience. An awe-inspiring moment, perhaps seeing their memories come flooding back to them, but they may not see it in a positive way.
The second category he describes as Hieronymus Bosch’s hellscape. In other words, this is a complete nightmarish view of life and death, where humans are tortured and a painful afterlife awaits them.
Finally, something even more sinister, there is nothing. Many reports paint a picture of an empty void, where you spend the rest of eternity drifting aimlessly.

So far, it doesn’t sound very good, but what about positive experiences? These still sound pretty scary, but the vast majority of people have experienced intense experiences that help them realize the joy in life. We are reporting positive experiences in line with our experience.

Common examples include feeling yourself floating out of your body, seeing your life flashing before your eyes, and of course seeing the light forming at the end of the tunnel you have to walk through. Here are the people who saw it.

When people have a more positive experience, they tend to report sensations at the same time. You feel lighter, freer and completely calm. For some people, these visions (which can be quite frightening) can be made more comfortable by the joy they feel.

These experiences are associated with a higher appreciation for life and positive feelings towards the whole experience, despite coming close to death.

The science behind the experience

So what exactly causes near-death experiences? Are they visions from God? Can we actually get a glimpse of the afterlife? Of course, science cannot say for sure. But researchers like French have an interesting theory.

“Most neuropsychologists think this is a vision of a dying brain. Strange things usually happen in the brain in situations like this, and this is how we experience it,” French said. Told.

“It’s incredibly real, and there’s no definitive answer to explain it, but this is definitely the most logical answer we have.”

This experience is described as follows: Neuroscientists point out that ‘the body’s multisensory integration is impaired’. In other words, it is an enhanced experience caused by the simultaneous firing of multiple sensory stimuli due to an extreme physical experience.

In the brain, this occurs primarily in the right temporoparietal cortex, the part of the brain that takes in information from the visual, auditory, and somatosensory (sensory) systems.

“It’s important to note that someone doesn’t actually have to be close to death to experience this, they just need to believe it. Although there are still many questions remaining regarding near-death experiences. , a neuropsychological approach is the best we have.”

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A more fulfilling life after facing death

You’re close to death, you’ve had some kind of vision of the afterlife, and now you’re back to normal life. How do people move forward when they find themselves in a situation like this?

For most people, the experience is transformative. An overwhelming percentage of people who have had a near-death experience report a desire to change their lives after approaching death.

This is not necessarily good news; divorce increases in the following cases: One member of the couple has had a near-death experience.. For others, it could be: Onset of PTSD The event, especially the feeling of disconnection from life.

However, as mentioned above, for most people, near-death experiences have a surprisingly positive impact on the rest of their lives. A near-death experience is Improving morality, happiness, and sense of fulfillment in lifeand for some too Increased confidence in one’s religion.

Not surprisingly, many people who have had a near-death experience believe that they have seen the afterlife or experienced another dimension, and have since focused on reincarnation, the afterlife, and projections of the mind. It becomes much more spiritual.

One very common association among people who have experienced such visions is that Altruism and decreased interest in material goods. This included a decreased desire to earn and keep money.

In a study of cardiac arrest survivors People who have had a near-death experience are statistically less afraid of death, have more belief in life after death, are more interested in the meaning of life, are more accepting of others, and are more likely to be loving and empathetic. has become higher.

For some people, this takes effect immediately after they regain consciousness. For some people, this can take years to build up.

How to induce a near-death experience without nearly dying

This all sounds great, but dying is a very difficult way to bring more joy into your life. Is there an easier way to experience a near-death experience? Technically yes. There are reports of people getting into them without the dying part.

In some cases, people have been able to meditate on near-death experience visions and experiences.in Study of advanced Buddhist meditatorsthey were able to induce that experience without causing fear of death.

However, these were monks with over 20 years of experience in the world of meditation, who frequently meditated for hours on end. Buddhist monks have also had near-death experiences and even claim to be able to understand the emotions that accompany a near-death experience.

Unfortunately, outside of meditation, that experience is difficult to force. In most cases, the fear of dying is so strong that the experience is triggered. If you don’t meditate throughout your life, you’ll either really die or think you’re going to die…Maybe meditation is the best way to go after all.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Ancient bone beads discovered in Wyoming date back 12,940 years

Posted on February 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Archaeologists have discovered ancient tubular beads made from hare bone at the La Prele mammoth site in Wyoming, USA. This is the oldest bead discovered in the Western Hemisphere.

La Prele bone beads. Polished end (top) and side view with notch (bottom). Image credit: Surovell other., doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-53390-9.

“The manufacture and use of personal ornaments, most commonly beads, is an important indicator of the increasing cultural and social complexity of humans during the Paleolithic period, first appearing in the Middle Stone Age of Africa. It then appeared in the Early Upper Paleolithic of Eurasia,” says the University of Wisconsin. Wyoming Professor Todd Surovell and his colleagues.

“Beads are not well documented from early archaeological contexts in the Americas, but some examples have been reported from Paleoindian regions, where the first immigrants to the Western Hemisphere used beads on their bodies and clothing. It shows that he created and used personal ornaments to decorate his home.”

Archaeologists examined ancient tubular beads from an active area centered around a hearth at the La Prele Mammoth ruins in Converse County, Wyoming, USA.

“The La Prele Mammoth Site is an early Paleoindian site located along La Prele Creek near its confluence with the North Platte River in Converse County, Wyoming,” they said.

“Test excavations in 1987 revealed an association between the chipped stone remains and the partial remains of a subadult.” Colombian mammoth (mammoth colombi)Subsequent excavations revealed that a nearby campsite preserved active areas centered around multiple hearths. ”

“The occupied surface was filled with low-energy dyke deposits, and based on an average of five radiocarbon dates of the bones, occupation occurred 12,941 years ago.”

The length of the beads is small, about 7mm. The inner diameter averages 1.6 mm and the outer diameter averages 2.9 mm.

“Two deep parallel grooves with a U-shaped cross section develop on the surface of the bead aligned perpendicular to the long axis,” the researchers said.

“Similar grooves also occur on Paleolithic and Archaic tubular bone beads, although it is unclear whether these notches are a byproduct of manufacturing, skinning, abrasion, or perhaps decoration. It's very smooth and polished.”

“The beads are lightly coated with red ocher, but the presence of ocher on the surface may be coincidental since they were recovered from a sediment contaminated with powdered hematite.”

To determine the origin of the beads, scientists extracted collagen for zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry, also known as ZooMS. This allowed us to gain insight into the chemical composition of bone.

Researchers believe that the beads are attached to either the metatarsals (the bones that connect the phalanges of the fingers to the more proximal bones of the limbs) or the proximal phalanges (the bones found in the fingers and toes of humans and other vertebrates). I concluded that it was made from either. rabbit.

The discovery provides the first solid evidence of the use of hares in BC. Clovis periodspecifically refers to the prehistoric period of North America, about 12,000 years ago.

“We also considered the possibility that the beads were the result of consumption and digestion by carnivores and were not produced by humans,” the authors said.

“However, carnivores are not common at this site, and the artifacts were recovered one meter away from a densely scattered area of other cultural materials.”

“Additionally, the grooves on the outside of the beads are consistent with those made by humans with stones and teeth.”

“Such beads may have been used to decorate their bodies or clothing.”

of findings It was published in the magazine scientific report.

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TA Slovel other. 2024. Rabbit bones are used to make Clovis beads. science officer 14/2937. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-53390-9

Source: www.sci.news

SOFIA’s discovery of molecular water on a seemingly dry asteroid

Posted on February 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Astronomers used the FORCAST instrument on NASA's retired Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) to obtain mid-infrared spectra of four S-type (silicate-rich) asteroids: Iris, Partenope, Melpomene, and Massalia. Did. They detected features on two of her asteroids, Iris and Massalia, that could clearly be attributed to water molecules.

Arredondo other. Using his FORCAST instrument at NASA's SOFIA Observatory, he observed four silicate-rich asteroids and found mid-infrared spectral signatures indicating molecular water on two of them, Iris and Massalia. Separated. Image credit: NASA/Carla Thomas/Southwest Research Institute.

“Asteroids are leftovers from the planet-forming process, so their composition varies depending on where in the solar nebula they form,” said Dr. Anisia Arredondo, a planetary researcher at the Southwest Research Institute.

“Of particular interest is the distribution of water on the asteroid, as it may reveal how water was delivered to Earth.”

Anhydrous, or dry, silicate asteroids form close to the Sun, and icy material coalesces farther away.

Understanding the location of asteroids and their composition can help us understand how material within the solar nebula has been distributed and evolved since its formation.

The distribution of water in our solar system provides insight into the distribution of water in other planetary systems, and because water is necessary for all life on Earth, there is potential both within and outside the solar system. You will decide where to look for natural life.

“We detected features on the asteroids Iris and Massalia that are clearly attributable to water molecules,” Arredondo said.

“We are building on the success of the team that discovered water molecules on the moon's sunlit surface.”

“We thought we could use SOFIA to find this spectral feature in other objects.”

Sofia detected water molecules in one of the largest craters in the moon's southern hemisphere.

Previous observations of both the Moon and the asteroid have detected some types of hydrogen, but have not been able to distinguish between water and its chemical cousin hydroxyl.

Scientists found that in the cubic meters of soil spread across the moon's surface, there is approximately the equivalent of a 12-ounce (355 ml) bottle of water trapped chemically bonded to minerals.

“Based on the band intensities of the spectral features, the water abundance on the asteroid matches the water abundance on the sunlit moon,” Arredondo said.

“Similarly, in asteroids, water not only binds to minerals, but also adsorbs to silicates and can become trapped or dissolved in silicate impact glass.”

Data from two fainter asteroids, Partenope and Melpomene, were too noisy to draw definitive conclusions.

The FORCAST instrument appears not to be sensitive enough to detect the spectral signature of water, if it exists.

But with these discoveries, researchers are calling on NASA/ESA/CSA's James Webb Space Telescope to take advantage of its precise optics and superior signal-to-noise ratio to investigate more targets. I am requesting you to do so.

“We conducted initial measurements of two more asteroids with Mr. Webb during Cycle 2,” said Dr. Arredondo.

“We are making another proposal to consider 30 more goals in the next cycle.”

“These studies will improve our understanding of the distribution of water in the solar system.”

of study Published in Planetary Science Journal.

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Anisia Arredondo other. 2024. Molecular H2O is detected on a nominally anhydrous asteroid. planet. Science. J 5, 37; doi: 10.3847/PSJ/ad18b8

Source: www.sci.news

China discovers new species of titanosaurus

Posted on February 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Chinese paleontologists have discovered fossil fragments of a new genus and species of titanosaurus, a sauropod dinosaur that walked the Earth during the Cretaceous period.

rebuilding the life of Jancitan ganjouensis. Image credit: UnexpectedDinoLesson / Sci.News.

Muttjac titanum ganjoensis They lived in what is now China from 72 million years ago to 66 million years ago (late Cretaceous period).

The partial skeleton of this dinosaur was discovered in the Nanxiong Formation near Tankou Town, Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, China.

The specimen consists of seven cervical and anterior dorsal vertebrae, and several cervical and dorsal ribs.

Muttjac titanum ganjoensis belongs to the sauropod dinosaur group titanosauridae.

“Muttjac titanum ganjoensis It is unique among Asian titanosaurids in that it has a deeply bifurcated dorsal neck and anterodorsal neural spines, and a dorsoventrally compressed dorsal neck and anterodorsal center. Lead author Jin Yu Mo of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Natural History Museum and colleagues state in the paper. .

Muttjac titanum ganjoensis represents the second sauropod species. Nanyu Formation.

“The Late Cretaceous Nanxiong Formation is represented by an extensive succession of red mudstones, sandstones, and conglomerates,” the paleontologists wrote.

“Recent years have produced a wide variety of vertebrates, including theropods, ornithopods, crocodiles, turtles, lizards, and mammals, as well as vast numbers of dinosaur eggs.”

“There is only one species of sauropod, Ganansaurus sinensisrecorded in this area.

Team analysis points Muttjac titanum ganjoensis Within a group of deeply nested titanosaurs Rogoncosauria.

“Muttjac titanum ganjoensis Display features that indicate branch locations later than Ganansaurus sinensismore specifically, Muttjac titanum ganjoensis It was recovered as Rogoncosaurus, but Ganansaurus sinensis as titanosaurs outside of a late-branching clade containing Diamantina Sauria and lithostorozia” the researchers wrote.

“As a result, Muttjac titanum ganjoensis There are no duplicate elements with Ganansaurus sinensiswe are confident. Muttjac titanum ganjoensis is a different species from Ganansaurus sinensis”

The discovery of Muttjac titanum ganjoensis “This indicates the presence of both early-divergent and late-divergent titanosauroid sauropods in the Late Cretaceous Ganzhou dinosaur fauna,” the researchers added.

“This discovery also increases the diversity of titanosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Asia.”

of the team paper It was published in the magazine historical biology.

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Mo Jin Yoo other. A new species of titanosaur sauropod excavated from the Late Cretaceous period in Jiangxi Province, southern China. historical biology, published online on September 23, 2024. doi: 10.1080/08912963.2023.2259413

Source: www.sci.news

Physicists witness real-time movement of electrons in liquid water for the first time

Posted on February 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A research team led by physicists at Argonne National Laboratory isolated the energetic motion of electrons while “freezing” the motion of the much larger atoms they orbit in a sample of liquid water.

Shuai other. Synchronized attosecond X-ray pulse pairs (pictured here in pink and green) from an X-ray free electron laser were used to study the energetic response of electrons (gold) in liquid water on the attosecond time scale. On the other hand, hydrogen (white) and oxygen (red) atoms are “frozen” over time. Image credit: Nathan Johnson, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

“The radiation-induced chemical reactions we want to study are the result of targeted electronic reactions that occur on the attosecond time scale,” said lead author of the study, Professor Linda Young, a researcher at Argonne National Laboratory. said.

Professor Young and colleagues combined experiment and theory to reveal the effects of ionizing radiation from an X-ray source when it hits material in real time.

Addressing the timescales over which actions occur will provide a deeper understanding of the complex radiation-induced chemistry.

In fact, researchers originally came together to develop the tools needed to understand the effects of long-term exposure to ionizing radiation on chemicals found in nuclear waste.

“Attosecond time-resolved experiments are one of the major R&D developments in linac coherent light sources,” said study co-author Dr. Ago Marinelli, a researcher at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

“It's exciting to see these developments applied to new types of experiments and moving attosecond science in new directions.”

Scientists have developed a technique called X-ray attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy in liquids that allows them to “watch” electrons energized by X-rays move into an excited state before larger nuclei move on. “We were able to.

“In principle, we have tools that allow us to track the movement of electrons and watch newly ionized molecules form in real time,” Professor Young said.

The discovery resolves a long-standing scientific debate about whether the X-ray signals observed in previous experiments are the result of different structural shapes or motifs in the mechanics of water or hydrogen atoms.

These experiments conclusively demonstrate that these signals are not evidence of two structural motifs in the surrounding liquid water.

“Essentially, what people were seeing in previous experiments was a blur caused by the movement of hydrogen atoms,” Professor Young explained.

“By recording everything before the atoms moved, we were able to eliminate that movement.”

To make this discovery, the authors used a technique developed at SLAC to spray an ultrathin sheet of pure water across the pulse path of an X-ray pump.

“We needed a clean, flat, thin sheet of water that could focus the X-rays,” said study co-author Dr. Emily Nienhaus, a chemist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Once the X-ray data was collected, the researchers applied their knowledge of interpreting X-ray signals to recreate the signals observed at SLAC.

They modeled the response of liquid water to attosecond X-rays and verified that the observed signal was indeed confined to the attosecond timescale.

“Using the Hyak supercomputer, we developed cutting-edge computational chemistry techniques that enable detailed characterization of transient high-energy quantum states in water,” study co-authors from the University of Washington said Xiaosong Li, a researcher at Pacific Northwest National University. Laboratory.

“This methodological breakthrough represents a pivotal advance in our quantum-level understanding of ultrafast chemical transformations, with extraordinary precision and atomic-level detail.”

The team worked together to peer into the real-time movement of electrons in liquid water.

“The methodology we have developed enables the study of the origin and evolution of reactive species produced by radiation-induced processes encountered in space travel, cancer treatment, nuclear reactors, legacy waste, etc.,” Professor Young said. Stated.

The team's results were published in a magazine science.

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L. Shuai other. 2024. Attosecond Pump Attosecond Probe X-ray Spectroscopy of Liquid Water. science, published online on February 15, 2024. doi: 10.1126/science.adn6059

Source: www.sci.news

Webb uncovers massive inactive galaxy with mature stars in the ancient cosmos

Posted on February 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The formation of galaxies through the stepwise hierarchical coassembly of baryons and cold dark matter halos is a fundamental paradigm underpinning modern astrophysics and predicts a significant decline in the number of giant galaxies in the early Universe. . Very massive quiescent galaxies have been observed 1 to 2 billion years after the Big Bang. These form between 300 million and 500 million years ago and are very limiting for theoretical models, as only some models can form massive galaxies this early. The spectrum of newly discovered quiescent galaxy ZF-UDS-7329 reveals features typical of much older stellar populations. Detailed modeling shows that the stellar population formed about 1.5 billion years ago, when dark matter halos with sufficient host mass had not yet assembled in the standard scenario. This observation may indicate the existence of an undetected early population of galaxies and potentially large gaps in our understanding of the nature of early stellar populations, galaxy formation, and/or dark matter.

This web image shows ZF-UDS-7329, a rare massive galaxy that formed very early in the universe. Image credit: Glazebrook other., doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07191-9.

Galaxy formation is a fundamental paradigm underpinning modern astrophysics, and a significant decrease in the number of massive galaxies in the early universe is predicted.

Very large quiescent galaxies have been observed 1 to 2 billion years after the Big Bang, casting doubt on previous theoretical models.

Professor Carl Glazebrook, from Swinburne University of Technology, said: “We have been tracking this galaxy for seven years, observing it for hours with two of the largest telescopes on Earth to find out its age.” Ta.

“But it was too red and too faint to be measured. In the end, we had to go outside Earth and use the web to see its properties.”

“This was truly a team effort, from the infrared sky survey that began in 2010 to identifying this galaxy as an anomaly, and the many hours spent with the Keck Telescope and the Very Large Telescope. But we couldn’t confirm it, and finally, last year, we spent a lot of effort trying to figure out how to process the web data and analyze this spectrum.”

“We are now beyond the realm of possibility to have identified the oldest giant stationary monster deep in the universe,” said Dr Temmiya Nanayakkara, an astronomer at Swinburne University of Technology.

“This pushes the limits of our current understanding of how galaxies form and evolve.”

“The key question now is how do stars form so quickly, so early in the universe, and how do they form at a time when other parts of the universe are forming stars? “What kind of mysterious mechanism could cause it to suddenly stop forming?”

“Galaxy formation is determined primarily by how dark matter is concentrated.”

“The presence of these extremely massive galaxies in the early universe poses significant challenges to our standard model of cosmology.”

“This is because dark matter structures large enough to accommodate these massive galaxies are unlikely to have formed yet.”

“More observations are needed to help us understand how common these galaxies are and how massive they really are.”

“This could open new doors in our understanding of the physics of dark matter,” Professor Glazebrook said.

“Webb continues to discover evidence that massive galaxies form early.”

“This result sets a new record for this phenomenon. It’s very impressive, but it’s just one object. But we want to discover more. If I If we were to do this, it would seriously disrupt our understanding of galaxy formation.”

This finding is reported in the following article: paper Published in this week’s magazine Nature.

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K. Glazebrook other. A huge galaxy that formed stars at z ~ 11. Nature, published online on February 14, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07191-9

Source: www.sci.news

Security Concerns Raised by the Realism of OpenAI’s Sora Video Generator

Posted on February 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

AI program Sora generated this video featuring an android based on text prompts

Sora/OpenAI

OpenAI has announced a program called Sora, a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence system that can turn text descriptions into photo-realistic videos. This video generation model has added to excitement over advances in AI technology, along with growing concerns about how synthetic deepfake videos will exacerbate misinformation and disinformation during a critical election year around the world. I am.

Sora AI models can currently create videos up to 60 seconds using text instructions alone or a combination of text and images. One demonstration video begins with a text prompt describing a “stylish woman walking down a Tokyo street filled with warmly glowing neon lights and animated city signs.” Other examples include more fantastical scenarios such as dogs frolicking in the snow, vehicles driving down the road, and sharks swimming through the air between city skyscrapers.

“Like other technologies in generative AI, there is no reason to believe that text-to-video conversion will not continue to advance rapidly. We are increasingly approaching a time when it will be difficult to tell the fake from the real.” Honey Farid at the University of California, Berkeley. “Combining this technology with AI-powered voice cloning could open up entirely new ground in terms of creating deepfakes of things people say and do that they have never actually done.”

Sora is based on some of OpenAI's existing technologies, including the image generator DALL-E and the GPT large language model. Although his text-to-video AI models lag somewhat behind other technologies in terms of realism and accessibility, Sora's demonstrations are “orders of magnitude more believable and cartoon-like” than previous ones. “It's less sticky,” he said. Rachel TobackHe is the co-founder of SocialProof Security, a white hat hacking organization focused on social engineering.

To achieve this higher level of realism, Sora combines two different AI approaches. The first is a diffusion model similar to those used in AI image generators such as DALL-E. These models learn to gradually transform randomized image pixels into a consistent image. The second of his AI techniques is called “Transformer Architecture” and is used to contextualize and stitch together continuous data. For example, large-scale language models use transformer architectures to assemble words into commonly understandable sentences. In this case, OpenAI split the video clip into visual “space-time patches” that Sora's transformer architecture could process.

Sora's video still contains many mistakes, such as a walking person's left and right feet swapping positions, a chair floating randomly in the air, and a chewed cookie magically leaving no bite marks. contained. still, jim fanThe senior research scientist at NVIDIA praised Sora on social media platform X as a “data-driven physics engine” that can simulate the world.

The fact that Sola's video still exhibits some strange glitches when depicting complex scenes with lots of movement suggests that such deepfake videos are still detectable for now. There is, he says. Arvind Narayanan at Princeton University. But he also warned that in the long term, “we need to find other ways to adapt as a society.”

OpenAI has been holding off on making Sora publicly available while it conducts “red team” exercises in which experts attempt to break safeguards in AI models to assess Sora's potential for abuse. An OpenAI spokesperson said the select group currently testing Sora are “experts in areas such as misinformation, hateful content, and bias.”

This test is very important. Because synthetic videos allow malicious actors to generate fake footage, for example, to harass someone or sway a political election. Misinformation and disinformation fueled by AI-generated deepfakes ranks as a major concern For leaders as well as in academia, business, government, and other fields. For AI experts.

“Sora is fully capable of creating videos that have the potential to deceive the public,” Tobac said. “Videos don't have to be perfect to be trustworthy, as many people still don't understand that videos can be manipulated as easily as photos.”

Toback said AI companies will need to work with social media networks and governments to combat the massive misinformation and disinformation that could arise after Sora is released to the public. Defenses could include implementing unique identifiers, or “watermarks,” for AI-generated content.

When asked if OpenAI has plans to make Sora more widely available in 2024, an OpenAI spokesperson said the company “will make Sora more widely available in OpenAI's products.” We are taking important safety measures.” For example, the company already uses automated processes aimed at preventing commercial AI models from producing extreme violence, sexual content, hateful images, and depictions of real politicians and celebrities. .With more people than ever before Participate in elections this yearthese safety measures are extremely important.

topic:

artificial intelligence/
video

Source: www.newscientist.com

Research: Daily consumption of 100% orange juice reduces blood sugar levels compared to orange drink

Posted on February 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A new study from Toronto Metropolitan University says 100% orange juice and sugar-sweetened beverages are not equivalent when it comes to their effects on food intake and blood sugar response, and should not be placed in the same category when making beverage decisions.

Consuming 100% orange juice before a meal reduces food intake at the next meal and lowers daily blood glucose concentrations in healthy, normal weight adults when compared to orange drink.

The World Health Organization suggests reducing free sugar intake to no more than 10% of daily energy intake to reduce the risk of unhealthy weight and tooth decay.

Consistent with these recommendations, some national dietary guidelines recommend reducing sugar intake from all sources.

However, these recommendations do not differentiate between sources of free sugars and are primarily based on data from observational studies, so the physiological mechanisms underlying the observed effects cannot be readily determined.

“Our findings highlight the importance of considering the source of sugar when considering overall health effects,” said Dr. Nick Bellissimo of Toronto Metropolitan University, senior author of the study. I am emphasizing that.”

The randomized, repeated measures study included 36 adult men and women with normal BMI levels who received 1 cup of 100% orange juice, orange flavored, 2 hours after a breakfast consisting of cereal, 2% milk, and 2% milk. Ingested sugar-sweetened beverages and water. Breakfast bar.

Blood sugar responses, average appetite, and subjective emotions were measured every 15 minutes for 60 minutes in 34 participants.

Glycemic responses and energy intake for the rest of the day were measured in 31 participants using continuous blood glucose monitors and food records.

Subjective sweetness and pleasantness were measured immediately after ingesting the test beverage.

Glycemic responses, average appetite, and subjective emotions were measured every 15 minutes for 60 minutes.

Food intake was measured 60 minutes after the pizza lunch.

Blood sugar levels were lower with 100% orange juice than with orange drink at 15, 30, and 45 minutes, but not after 60 minutes.

Blood sugar levels for the rest of the day were lower after drinking 100% orange juice compared to drinking orange or water.

The findings also showed that food intake at lunch and throughout the day was lower after consuming 100% orange juice compared to consuming orange drink.

Participants also had higher subjective comfort measures and enjoyed 100% orange juice more compared to orange beverages and water.

Using 100% orange juice instead of sugary drinks may reduce your total daily calorie intake and help regulate blood sugar levels.

100% orange juice contains flavonoids such as hesperidin, which can affect sugar absorption by slowing glucose transport, causing a delayed blood sugar response.

Consumption of 100% orange juice is associated with increased flavonoid intake, decreased added sugar, and higher quality diet.

The researchers said, “Consumption of 100% orange juice as a preload resulted in higher caloric compensation, lower total daily energy intake, and lower blood glucose concentrations compared to orange beverages.”

“Future longitudinal studies are needed to assess whether the habit of replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with 100% orange juice contributes to a healthier body weight and improved glycemic control.”

of paper It was published in the magazine nutrients.

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Stephanie Robayo other. 2024. Effects of her 100% orange juice and moderate sugar-sweetened beverages on subjective appetite, food intake, and glycemic responses in adults. nutrients 16 (2): 242; doi: 10.3390/nu16020242

Source: www.sci.news

Starch-based super thickeners lower calorie and carbohydrate content in food

Posted on February 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Starch is a component of wheat flour and is used as a thickening agent in cooking.

Victor Fischer/Alamy

Making small sheets or cages from starch particles turns them into super-thickeners, which can reduce the calorie content of food.

Starches are often added to foods such as soups to thicken them, but this increases their calorie and carbohydrate content. now, lee peiron Researchers at Cornell University in New York have discovered that by arranging starch particles into special shapes, they can reduce the amount of starch in foods without sacrificing texture.

Starch particles expand when heated, which thickens the food. This means that the particles get stuck together and there is less room for the liquid components of the dish to flow freely. The researchers wondered if they could recreate this effect while reducing the amount needed by hollowing out starch blocks. “But you can't carve starch grains like pumpkins,” says Lee.

Instead, he and his colleagues devised a method that uses starch particles extracted from amaranth grains and assembles them into three-dimensional shapes by mixing them with water and oil. Starch particles were placed around the oil droplets, and the researchers used a combination of heating and freeze-drying to remove the two liquids. This left only starchy structures, some shaped like cages with a hollow center, others like sheets stacked on top of each other so that the liquid was trapped between them.

The research team discovered that these starch structures are so good as thickeners that they can halve the amount of starch typically needed to thicken foods.

Fan Zhu Researchers at the University of Auckland in New Zealand say the use of these granules as building blocks for a new class of hollow starch structures is so innovative that starches could become a big part of future food design. It has said. However, Zhu said amaranth starch is expensive and difficult to source in large quantities, so it would be advantageous to apply the new method to more affordable and abundant starches, such as starch made from corn. says. “And more research is needed into what happens when you put these kinds of structures in your mouth,” he says.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Container Ship Trials New System to Capture Its Own CO2 Emissions

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Approximately 3% of all carbon emissions come from shipping

green oak/shutterstock

A container ship with a total length of 240 meters. sounion trader recently completed testing its onboard carbon capture system while cruising around the Persian Gulf. The ship has space to hold tons of carbon dioxide, joining a small but growing number of ships seeking to reduce their impact on climate change by capturing and storing carbon dioxide emissions onboard. is difficult to find.

“We're miniaturizing systems that were designed for huge power plants,” he says. Louja Wen Seabound, a UK-based startup that is helping test run Sounion Trader.

Shipping accounts for approximately 3% of global CO2 emissions. To reduce it, shippers are using cleaner fuels, painting their hulls with foam to improve fuel efficiency, and even going back to sail. However, short-term options for achieving the industry's commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050 are limited.

Another possibility is to capture ship emissions. keep on board, but faces major obstacles. One is to provide energy to recharge the chemical adsorbents used to absorb CO2. tristan smith Researchers at University College London say some existing systems increase fuel use by a third just to capture half of the CO2 emissions.

The system, and the carbon it captures, also takes up space on the ship that would normally be used for valuable cargo. “Space is an issue,” he says. jasper ross At the Dutch research institute TNO. “Especially when you're talking about long voyages.” About three tonnes of CO2 is produced for every tonne of fuel burned. George Malupas At the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute. Once captured and stored, the added mass can affect the ship's stability and reduce fuel efficiency.

Wen said Seabound's small-scale tests captured about 1 tonne of CO2 per day. Although this is only a fraction of the ship's overall emissions, a full-scale system could capture as much as 95 percent of the ship's CO2, she says.

To save energy, Seabound moves some of its processes onshore. On ships, the exhaust air passes through a calcium oxide adsorbent and reacts with CO2 to form solid calcium carbonate pebbles. The company will then wait to refill the adsorbent until the pebbles are offloaded at the port for permanent storage. The tradeoff is space. Seabound's approach means the ship must carry tanks of sorbent with every ton of her CO2 captured. Still, Wen said the company aims to retrofit 1,000 ships for carbon capture by 2030.

Dutch company Value Maritime has taken a similar approach, using liquid amine adsorbents to capture carbon dioxide and refill it offshore. Yvette van der Sonmen Value Maritime says 26 ships are currently using its system in parallel with existing sulfur pollution scrubbers to capture up to 40 percent of CO2 in their exhaust, but the process is still being managed by third parties. Not certified by She said the company sells some of the captured CO2 to greenhouses to use as fertilizer for plants, but much of it remains in tanks at the port.

Such systems may now look attractive for reducing emissions, Smith says. However, the rapid scale-up of cleaner transportation fuels could quickly make them obsolete unless very high recovery rates can be achieved at sufficiently low costs. “The shipping industry currently has a very short window to decarbonize, because it has been very slow to start decarbonizing,” he says.

Source: www.newscientist.com

First genetically modified banana approved by regulatory authorities

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Most banana plants are vulnerable to the fungal disease TR4

Ann Clark/iStockphoto/Getty Images

For the first time, genetically modified bananas have been approved for cultivation on farms. Regulators in Australia and New Zealand have given the green light to a Cavendish banana variety engineered to be resistant to a devastating fungal disease that is widespread in many countries around the world.

Australian Gene Technology Regulatory Authority issues license Allow commercial growth of modified bananas February 12th.

16 February, Australian and New Zealand Food Standards Approved as food, conclude that it is as safe and nutritious as traditional bananas. The food ministers of Australia and New Zealand can request a review of the decision within the next 60 days. Otherwise, approval is final.

The first banana widely eaten in Western countries was a variety called Gros Michel. However, by the 1950s, fusarium A fungal strain called Tropical Race 1 (TR1), which causes Panama disease, has forced farmers to switch to Cavendish bananas. Although reportedly not as tasty as Gros Michel, Cavendish is highly resistant to TR1.

Now, another stock fusariumIt is called TR4 and is popular all over the world. It can kill many varieties, including Cavendish.

team led by james dale Australia's Queensland University of Technology has created a resistant strain of banana called QCAV-4 by adding genes from wild bananas.

The decision is “a very important step towards creating a global Cavendish Banana safety net with TR4, which is already impacting many parts of the world,” Dale said. statement.

Quarantine measures currently limit the spread of TR4 in Australia, with only a small number of cases occurring each year. Therefore, there are currently no plans to grow QCAV-4 bananas on a large scale or sell them to consumers.

However, other countries where TR4 is more of a problem may decide to adopt genetically modified bananas. Dale's team now plans to use CRISPR gene editing QCAV-4 to make bananas resistant to another major fungal disease called black sigatoka which could mean it's even more attractive to farmers.

A Kenyan research team has already used CRISPR to create a strain of the Gonja Manjaya variety that is free of banana streak virus, a pathogen that integrates into the banana genome.

Genetically modified (GM) crops are now widely grown in many countries around the world, but in some regions, such as the United Kingdom and the European Union, very few crops are approved for cultivation by farmers.

in australia, Only four genetically modified crops have been approved so far. These are safflower, which contains high levels of oleic acid in its oil, and herbicide-resistant rapeseed (canola), Indian mustard, and cotton varieties.

However, Australia and New Zealand have approved Wider range of GM crops and edible products Similar to the situation in the UK and the EU.

topic:

Genetic recombination/
Eating and drinking

Source: www.newscientist.com

Researchers successfully decode the genome of the elusive night parrot

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

CSIRO researchers first genome of night parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis)one of the rarest and most elusive birds in the world.

night parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis). Image credit: Arianna Urso / Western Australian Museum.

The night parrot is a relatively small, short-tailed parrot species endemic to Australia.

This species is also known as the porcupine parrot, nocturnal ground parakeet, midnight parrot, solitaire, spinifex parrot, and nocturnal parakeet. first explained It was published in 1861 by British ornithologist John Gould.

The night parrot is one of the most elusive and mysterious birds in the world, with no confirmed sightings from 1912 to 1979.

They were once widespread in the arid regions of Australia, but their numbers have declined due to environmental changes such as predation by cats and foxes.

It is now known only from localized areas in south-west Queensland and Western Australia.

“Dozens of scientific specimens were collected in the 19th century, with one specimen collected in 1912. A specimen was then discovered in south-west Queensland in 1990,” says the CSIRO Australian National Wildlife Collection. said Dr. Leo Joseph, Director.

“A live bird was reported from the same area in 2013, and a live parrot was finally captured and tagged in 2015.”

“This genome will allow us to explore the genetic basis of why parrots are nocturnal, a trait that is very rare in parrots,” he added.

“We investigate functions such as navigation, sense of smell, beak shape, and suboptimal night vision.”

“Researchers will also be able to perform statistical analysis of this individual's genome to estimate the historical population size of Australia's night parrot.”

“We can now compare this annotated genome with other closely related parrot species, revealing the reasons behind its rarity and limited distribution compared to many closely related species. You can.”

Dr Joseph and his colleagues sequenced the armyworm genome using tissue obtained from specimens found in the Pilbara region.

“Access to high-throughput sequencing technology through CSIRO's Applied Genomics Initiative is accelerating genomics research in Australia,” said Dr Gunjun Pandey, CSIRO Environment Directorate Night Parrot Genomics Project Leader.

“We can now generate very high-quality genomes from very small tissue samples, as small as an ant's head or a single mosquito.”

“This level of quality and detail was not possible even five years ago.”

“Genetic data can be used to maximize diversity in conservation programs, so species are resilient and have the best chance of long-term survival.”

The night parrot genome is an exciting scientific resource for understanding more about this bird, but protecting this species from cats, foxes, fire, and habitat loss is also important for its conservation.

“The night parrot genome will open up many opportunities for further research that will help protect this species,” Dr. Pandey said.

“This will allow scientists to develop a plan to save the night parrot, with the ultimate goal of sequencing and publishing the genome.”

Source: www.sci.news

Enormous Stone Age hunting structure uncovered in the Baltic Sea

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A team of German archaeologists has discovered a gigantic Stone Age structure submerged at a depth of 21 meters in the Western Baltic Sea. This structure was probably built by hunter-gatherers over 10,000 years ago and was eventually sunk about 8,500 years ago. Since then, it has remained hidden under the sea, leading to pristine preservation that has inspired research into lifestyles and territorial development in the wider region.

An artist's reconstruction of the Brinker Wall in Mecklenburg Bay, Germany. Image credit: Michał Grabowski.

The massive Stone Age structure was discovered in Mecklenburg Bay, about 10 kilometers northwest of the German coast of Relic.

The stone wall is made up of 1,673 individual stones, typically less than 1 meter in height, arranged side by side over a distance of 971 meters in a way that refutes their natural origin through glacial movement or ice-intrusion ridges.

This wall, known as the Brinker Wall, was built by hunter-gatherers who roamed the area after humans left. viserian ice sheet.

Running adjacent to the sunken shoreline of a paleo-lake (or swamp), whose youngest stage dates to 9,143 years ago, the structure was probably used for hunting. Eurasian reindeer (Langifer Tarandus).

“At that time, the population of all of Scandinavia was probably less than 5,000,” said Dr. Marcel Bradmeler, a researcher at the University of Rostock.

“One of their main food sources was herds of reindeer, which moved seasonally across sparsely vegetated post-glacial landscapes.”

“This wall was probably used to guide reindeer into the bottleneck between the adjacent shore and the wall, or into the lake, allowing Stone Age hunters to kill reindeer more easily with their weapons. Ta.”

Form of a southwest to northeast oriented ridge with a blinker wall and adjacent mounds.Image credit: Geersen et al. everyone, doi: 10.1073/pnas.2312008121.

The Brinker Wall is one of the oldest recorded man-made hunting structures on Earth and one of the largest known Stone Age structures in Europe.

Dr Jacob Geersen, also from the University of Rostock, said: “Our research shows that the natural origin of the submarine stone walls or modern constructions associated with, for example, the laying of submarine cables or stone extraction is unlikely. ” he said. .

“The orderly arrangement of many small stones connecting large, immovable rocks opposes this.”

The researchers used modern geophysical methods to create detailed 3D models of the Brinker Wall and reconstruct the ancient landscape.

A team of scientific divers from the University of Rostock and the West Pomeranian Mecklenburg State Department of Culture and Monuments also visited the site once and inspected it.

The main purpose of the dive was to assess the nature of the stone wall and investigate possible archaeological remains on the surrounding seabed.

They concentrated in two places: the western edge of the structure and the large stone in the center where the blinker wall turns.

No artifacts or dateable organic material were found in the immediate vicinity of the two dive sites, but a small wood sample was recovered from Holocene deposits approximately 10 m south of the structure.

3D model of the section of blinker wall adjacent to the large boulder at the west end of the wall. The photo was taken by Philip Huy of the University of Rostock. The scale bar at the top right corner of the image is 50 cm. Image credit: Geersen other., doi: 10.1073/pnas.2312008121.

“A number of well-preserved Stone Age sites are known along the coast of Wismar Bay and Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, but these are located at much shallower depths, and most of them are Mesolithic and Neolithic. It dates from the Stone Age (7,000-2,500 BC),” said Dr. Jens Auer, a researcher at the Mecklenburg-West Pomeranian Department for the Preservation of Cultural Monuments.

“There is evidence that similar stone walls exist in other parts of Mecklenburg Bay. These will also be investigated systematically,” added Dr. Jens Schneider von Daimling, a researcher at the University of Kiel.

“Overall, this research could make a significant contribution to understanding the lives, organization, and hunting methods of early Stone Age hunter-gatherers.”

team's paper Published in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Jacob Giesen other. 2024. Submerged Stone Age hunting architecture in the Western Baltic Sea. PNAS 121 (8): e2312008121; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2312008121

Source: www.sci.news

Binary System of Free-Floating Planet-Mass Objects Discovered by Astronomers

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The JuMBO 24 binary system resides in the Orion Nebula, a diffuse nebula located approximately 1,350 light-years away in the constellation Orion.

Free-floating Jupiter-mass binary objects are common, even if current stellar and planetary theory cannot explain their existence. Image credit: Gemini Observatory / Jon Lomberg.

Professor Luis Rodriguez of the National Autonomous University of Mexico and his colleagues said, “Near-infrared surveys of the interior of the Orion Nebula and the Trapezoid Cluster using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) revealed 40 Jupiter-mass binary objects (JuMBOs) and 2 triple objects. were detected.” .

“These systems are not associated with stars, their component masses range from 0.6 to 14 times the mass of Jupiter, and their distances in the plane of the sky range from 28 to 384 AU. It’s between.”

“The existence of these widespread binaries is surprising because our current knowledge of star and planet formation cannot explain them.”

Using NSF's Carl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), astronomers searched for the equivalent of 40 JuMBOs.

Surprisingly, only one of these objects, JuMBO 24, displayed a radio.

The radio brightness of the two planetary mass objects in this system is significantly higher than that detected in the brown dwarf.

This anomaly raises new questions and provides exciting research opportunities to further understand the nature of these free-floating planets.

While it's possible that the link between the infrared and radio signals is a coincidence, the researchers believe this is extremely unlikely, only 1 in 10,000.

“What's really remarkable is that these objects may have moons similar to Europa and Enceladus, both of which have underground oceans of liquid water that can support life,” Professor Rodriguez said. Told.

“The detection of radio waves emanating from both components of a dual system of free-floating planets represents an important milestone in our space exploration.”

“It also provides an exciting opportunity for further research into the potential habitability of planets beyond our solar system.”

of study Published in Astrophysics Journal Letter.

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Luis F. Rodriguez other. 2024. The radio counterpart of the Jupiter-mass binary object in Orion. APJL 960, L14; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad18ac

Source: www.sci.news

Photo of a polar bear snoozing on an iceberg captures attention and admiration

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Nima Sarikani/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

As midnight approaches in Svalbard, a young polar bear climbs onto an iceberg, makes himself a makeshift bed, and falls asleep. This year’s winner, Nima Sarikani, captured this peaceful moment that captures the essence of Earth’s fragility. Wildlife Photographer of the Year, People’s Choice Awarddecided by public vote.

Sarikani, from the UK, spent three days exploring Norway’s Svalbard archipelago in hopes of catching a glimpse of these iconic arctic animals. After the expedition vessel decided to change course, he was finally able to see both the older and younger males. Salikhani seized the opportunity to photograph a young bear dozing on an iceberg. This scene not only evokes the bond between animals and their habitat, but also the need to act against global challenges such as climate change and habitat loss.

These days, the sight of a lone polar bear on melting ice has become a familiar symbol of the effects of climate change. But there are good reasons for this. Global warming is affecting the Arctic particularly rapidly, where temperatures are rising three times faster than the global average. Bears are among the hardest hit, and are increasingly threatened by the loss of sea ice on which they depend for hunting and raising their young.

Salikhani is optimistic that while his shots are meant to stir the emotions of viewers, they will ultimately give polar bears hope that if they do the right thing, it’s not too late.The image will appear like this exhibition It will run until June 30th at the Natural History Museum in London, with four runners-up in the competition.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Scientists edge closer to creating genuine one-way glass

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Scientists from Aalto University have proposed a three-dimensional metamaterial with isotropic effects in the visible spectral range.

The new metamaterial is formed by randomly oriented bimaterial nanocylinders in the host medium. Image credit: Ihar Faniayeu / Aalto University.

Unlike natural materials, metamaterials and metasurfaces can be tailored to have specific electromagnetic properties. This means scientists can create materials with desirable functionality for industrial applications.

A newly proposed metamaterial takes advantage of nonreciprocal magnetoelectric (NME) effects.

“The NME effect implies a link between specific properties of materials (magnetization and polarization) and various field components of light and other electromagnetic waves,” lead author Shadi Safaei Jaji et al. said.

Although this effect is negligible in natural materials, scientists are looking to enhance it using metamaterials and metasurfaces because of the technological possibilities it unlocks.

“So far, the NME effect has not translated into practical industrial applications,” Jazio said.

“Most of the proposed approaches only work for microwaves, not visible light, and could not be manufactured with available technology.”

“We used conventional materials and nanofabrication techniques to design an optical NME metamaterial that can be created with existing technology.”

This new material enables applications that previously required strong external magnetic fields. For example, creating a truly one-way glass.

“Glass currently sold as 'one-way' is translucent and transmits light in both directions,” says Jayge.

“If the brightness is different on both sides (for example, inside and outside the window), it acts like one-way glass.”

“However, with NME-based unidirectional glass, light can only pass in one direction, so there is no need for differences in brightness.”

“Imagine having that glass in your home, office, and car window.”

“Regardless of the brightness outside, you can't see anything inside and have a perfect view from the window.”

“If the technology is successful, this unidirectional glass could also increase the efficiency of solar cells by blocking the thermal radiation that existing cells emit toward the sun, thereby reducing the amount of energy that the cells capture. It will be done.”

of work It was published in the magazine nature communications.

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S. Safaei Jazz other. 2024. Optical Telegen metamaterial with spontaneous magnetization. Nat Commune 15, 1293; doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-45225-y

Source: www.sci.news

Physicists conclude the shape factor of a proton’s Grunick gravitational force

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Protons are one of the main building blocks of all visible matter in the universe. Its unique properties include charge, mass, and spin. These properties emerge from the complex dynamics of its basic building blocks, quarks and gluons, explained by the theory of quantum chromodynamics. The charge and spin of protons shared between quarks has been previously studied using electron scattering. One example is the high-precision measurement of the charge radius of protons. In contrast, little is known about the internal mass density of protons, which is dominated by the energy carried by gluons. In a new study, a team of physicists led by Argonne National Laboratory used a small colored dipole to probe the gravitational density of gluons through threshold photogeneration of J/ψ (J/Psi) particles.

Proton valence quarks (blue, red, green), quark and antiquark pairs, and gluons (springs). Scalar gluon activity (pink) extends beyond the charge radius (orange) surrounding the gluon energy core (yellow). Image credit: Argonne National Laboratory.

For many years, nuclear physicists have determined the size of protons by precisely measuring their charge response. This is a result of the proton's charged constituent quarks.

However, determining the size of matter by the size of its protons is a more difficult task. This is because part of the proton's mass is driven by the elusive neutral gluon, rather than by the mass or motion of charged quarks. These gluons combine themselves with quarks within the proton.

The new discovery provides a view of this mass region produced by gluon interactions.

This measurement not only reveals the mass radius resulting from the strong force, but also its confinement effect on quarks that extend far beyond the proton's charge radius.

“A key detail of the proton's structure is its size,” said lead author Dr. Zein Eddin Meziani, a physicist at Argonne National Laboratory, and his colleagues.

“The most commonly used measure of a proton's size is its charge radius, which uses electrons to measure the spherical size of the proton's charge.”

The new measurements come from the J/Ψ -007 experiment at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility.

This differs in that a small colored dipole ( ) was used to reveal the sphere size and position of the gluon mass and its range of influence on the gluon within the proton.

In the experiment, physicists used a high-energy beam of electrons to create J/Ψ particles from protons. The J/Ψ particle provides information about the distribution of gluons inside the proton.

Experimenters inserted these measurements into a theoretical model and analyzed them.

As a result, the mass radius of the gluon inside the proton was determined.

Furthermore, the area of influence of a strong force called a confinement scalar cloud, which also affects proton quarks, was also shown.

“This study paves the way for a deeper understanding of the prominent role of gluons in imparting gravitational mass to visible matter,” the authors concluded.

Their paper It was published in the magazine Nature.

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B. Duran other. 2023. Determination of the Grunick gravitational shape factor of protons. Nature 615, 813-816; doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-05730-4

Source: www.sci.news

Small duck-billed dinosaur species found in Morocco for the first time

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A new genus and species of dwarf lambeosaurid hadrosauridae have been discovered in Moroccan rocks dating back to the late Cretaceous period, approximately 68 million years ago.

Late Maastrichtian dinosaurs from Morocco's latest Cretaceous phosphates.Image credit: Longrich other., doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-53447-9.

“Dalatypus dinosaurs, or hadrosaurs, were highly successful herbivores that caused large-scale radioactivity in the Late Cretaceous,” said paleontologists from the University of Bath. Nicholas Longrich and his colleagues.

“Hadrosaurids evolved in North America during the Turonian period (94 to 90 million years ago) and then dispersed to Asia and Europe.”

“The presence of hadrosaurids in Africa is puzzling because Africa had been isolated from Laurasia by the deep ocean since the Middle Jurassic, whereas hadrosaurids evolved in the Late Cretaceous.”

“The solution to this contradiction seems to be that the platypus either swam to Africa or crossed there on a raft.”

The newly described hadrosaurid species lived in Africa during the late Maastrichtian period of the Late Cretaceous period, about 68 million years ago.

named Mincaria Batathis dinosaur was relatively small, measuring about 3.5 meters (11.5 ft) in length.

This species comes from the phosphate mines of Sidi Chennan, Morocco, the same locality where the hadrosaur family Lambeosaurus was produced. Ajnavia Odysseusand based on a partial skull.

belongs to Areni Saulinia clade of lambeosaurid hadrosaurids endemic to Europe and North Africa.

“Mincaria Bata is distinguished from Ajnavia Odysseus “This is due to the shape of the maxilla, which has a more ventrally located zygomatic surface, a curved external ridge, a more sinusoidal tooth row, and an array of neurovascular foramina,” the paleontologists said.

“But the new species is very similar. Ajnavia Odysseus Other arenisaurines also have their small size and many anatomical features. ”

skull elements Mincaria Bata. Scale bar – 5 cm.Image credit: Longrich other., doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-53447-9.

Researchers also unearthed the fossilized remains of two other hadrosaurids at the Sidi Daoui and Mura Larak sites.

“The humerus and femur belong to a larger hadrosaurid, measuring 6 meters (20 feet) long, suggesting that at least three species coexisted,” the researchers said.

Research team's analysis suggests a group of hadrosaurs lambeosauridae It first diversified in Asia and later dispersed to North America.

Dispersal from Asia to Europe was followed by dispersal to North Africa. Multiple dispersals from Europe to Africa appear to be more parsimonious than a single dispersal, but are not impossible, especially considering its unique morphology. Ajnavia Odysseus and Mincaria Bata.

“Hadrosaurid diversity in Europe and Africa suggests a dispersal radiation, with lambeosaurs taking advantage of low ornithischian diversity to diversify,” the scientists said. Stated.

“However, African lambeosaurs are smaller than their North American and Asian counterparts, probably due to competition with titanosaurs.”

“The lack of known hadrosaurids from eastern Africa suggests that Moroccan hadrosaurids are part of a distinct island fauna and may represent an island radiation.”

of findings appear in the diary scientific report.

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NR Long Rich other. 2024. A new small duck-billed dinosaur (hadrosauridae: Lambeosauridae) discovered from Morocco and the diversity of dinosaurs from the late Maastrichtian in North Africa. science officer 14, 3665; doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-53447-9

Source: www.sci.news

Webb discovers evidence of hydrothermal activity within Ellis and Makemake

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Methane ice of unknown origin exists on the surfaces of the icy dwarf planets Eris and Makemake. Analysis of data from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope shows that Ellis and Makemake have rocky cores that have undergone significant radiation heating and are still hot/hot enough to produce methane. There is a possibility.

grain other. Researchers have discovered evidence of hydrothermal or metamorphic activity deep within the icy dwarf planets Eris and Makemake. Image courtesy of Southwest Research Institute.

“We're seeing some interesting signs of a hot period in a cool place,” said Dr. Christopher Grein, a planetary researcher at the Southwest Research Institute.

“I approached this project thinking that because the cold surfaces of large Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) can store volatile materials like methane, they should have ancient surfaces with material inherited from the proto-solar nebula. I participated.”

“Instead, Webb had a surprise for us! We found evidence of a thermal process producing methane from inside Ellis and Makemake.”

Dr. Grein and his colleagues used the Webb to observe isotope molecules on the surfaces of Ellis and Makemake for the first time.

These so-called isotopologues are molecules containing atoms with different numbers of neutrons. These provide data that helps us understand the evolution of planets.

The astronomers measured the composition of the dwarf planet's surface, specifically the ratio of deuterium (deuterium, D) to hydrogen (H) in methane.

Deuterium is thought to have formed in the Big Bang, and hydrogen is the most abundant atomic nucleus in the universe.

The D/H ratio of planetary bodies provides information about the origin, geological history, and formation routes of hydrogen-containing compounds.

“The moderate D/H ratio observed by Mr. Webb discredits the existence of primordial methane on the ancient Earth's surface. The D/H ratio of primordial methane would be much higher,” Dr. Grein said. I did.

“Instead, the D/H ratio indicates the geochemical origin of the methane produced deep inside. The D/H ratio is like a window. You can use it to look into the subsurface.”

“Our data suggest that temperatures in the cores of these world rocks could increase and methane could be cooked.”

“Nitrogen molecule (N₂) may be generated as well, and this has also been confirmed in Eris. ”

“Hot cores may also indicate a potential source of liquid water beneath the surface of the ice.”

“If Eris and Makemake harbored, or perhaps still harbor, warm or hot geochemistry in their rocky cores, then the surface of these planets is probably geologically recent, due to cryogenic volcanic activity. could be supplied with methane,” said Dr. Will Grundy. Astronomer at Lowell Observatory.

“We discovered the carbon isotope ratio (¹³C/¹²C) suggests that the surface has been resurfaced relatively recently. ”

“Following NASA's New Horizons flyby of the Pluto system, and with this discovery, the Kuiper Belt turns out to be much more alive than we imagined in terms of hosting a dynamic world.” said Dr. Grein.

“It's not too early to start thinking about sending spacecraft to fly close to other of these objects to put Webb's data into geological context. I'm sure we'll see the surprises that lie ahead. I think you’ll be surprised!”

of study It was published in the magazine Icarus.

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Christopher R. Grein other. 2024. Moderate D/H ratios in the Ellis and Makemake methane ices indicate evidence of hydrothermal or metamorphic processes in the interior: a geochemical analysis. Icarus 412: 115999; doi: 10.1016/j.icarus.2024.115999

Source: www.sci.news

Google to reveal oil and gas methane leak detected from space

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Google and the Environmental Defense Fund on Wednesday announced a partnership to uncover the sources of climate-warming emissions from oil and gas operations that will be detected from space by a new satellite.

MethaneSAT is scheduled to launch next month and is one of several satellites being deployed to monitor methane emissions around the world to identify the main sources of the invisible but powerful greenhouse gas. There is one. The partnership is led by EDF, the New Zealand Space Agency, Harvard University and others.

Data from the satellite will be available later this year, and Google Cloud will provide the computing power to process the information.

Google also announced that it will use artificial intelligence to map oil and gas infrastructure by identifying components such as oil tanks. MethaneSAT emissions data is overlaid with Google Maps to help you understand which types of oil and gas equipment are most likely to leak.

This information will be made available through Google Earth Engine, a geospatial analytics platform, later this year. Earth Engine is free to researchers, nonprofit organizations, and news organizations.

The satellite image above shows a map of points, correctly identified as oil well pads. Google used satellite and aerial imagery to apply AI to detect infrastructure components. Well pads are shown in yellow, oil pump jacks in red, and storage tanks in blue.
Google

“For energy companies, researchers, and the public sector, it's generally helpful to predict methane emissions in the most sensitive components,” Yael Maguire, Google's vice president of geographic sustainability, said on a call with reporters. “We believe this information is extremely valuable for mitigation efforts.”

The launch comes as governments crack down on short-lived sources of greenhouse gases and more than 50 major state-owned and independent oil and gas operators, from ExxonMobil to Saudi Aramco, pledge to reduce methane leakage to near zero at the COP28 climate change summit. This was done amid a promise to reduce the number of By the end of this decade.

The United States is one of the largest emitters of methane and has proposed enforcement measures to stop leaks from oil and gas operations. A new rule by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will allow the public to report large methane leaks to federal regulators if they have access to methane detection technology.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

African Reforestation Initiatives May Harm Grasslands and Savannahs

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Introducing too many trees into the African savannah can prevent small plants from accessing sunlight, which can affect the animals that eat them

Karine Boukey/Alamy

Ambitious tree-planting projects aimed at restoring Africa's forests could inadvertently harm grasslands and savannahs by providing too much shade. This can interfere with photosynthesis in small plants, which can have knock-on effects on other parts of the ecosystem.

In 2011, the German government and the International Union for Conservation of Nature launched the Bonn Challenge to restore 350 million hectares of degraded or deforested land around the world by 2030. As part of this effort, the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100) was formed, with 34 countries across the continent pledging to reforest his 133.6 million hectares of land.

However, this has raised concerns about how Africa's other major ecosystems will be affected. You can learn more about kate parr Researchers at the University of Liverpool in the UK compared the area of forest restoration efforts in the AFR100 countries with the area of naturally forested areas.

In 18 of these countries, the pledged area was found to exceed the actual forest area, so non-forest habitats must also be included in the pledged area.

Of the 133.6 million hectares committed to reforestation across Africa, 70.1 million hectares are comprised primarily of non-forest ecosystems such as grasslands and savannahs. “It's the size of France, it's huge,” Parr said.

The researchers also found that 52 per cent of projects already underway are located in grasslands or savannahs. Approximately half of these are agroforestry projects. These include planting trees on agricultural land, which tends to be non-forest areas consisting of non-native species with low overall species diversity.

“Trees are great individually, but when you get a lot of them together, they can really change the ecosystem,” Parr says.

In open, grassy ecosystems, trees typically grow in a sparse pattern. Crowding of trees through mass planting can greatly reduce access to sunlight and can damage small plants. This has a knock-on effect on animals such as zebras that eat these plants.

Many of the countries involved receive funding to carry out afforestation projects, so there is an economic incentive to plant more trees, Parr said. “There is also a lack of awareness that these ecosystems are being harmed by tree planting,” she says.

Mr Parr hopes those responsible for tree-planting operations will consider the broader impacts of where they are planted, working with local communities to ensure people's livelihoods are not affected.

Jessica Gurevich A professor at Purdue University in Indiana said: “This is a worrying wake-up call for NGOs.” [non-governmental organisations], national and international restoration efforts, and a misguided “let's plant a tree” public reassured that these efforts must be more tightly controlled and evidence-based. Masu. ”

AFR100 had not commented at the time of publication.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Is Russia’s Space Weapon Nuclear and a Potential Threat?

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Mysterious new weapon could threaten satellites in Earth orbit

Key Fame/Shutterstock

According to a series of reports, the US government has privately warned lawmakers and European allies that Russia is planning to launch a nuclear-capable space weapon.

The news comes after U.S. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner announced: vague warning It cited a “grave national security threat” and asked US President Joe Biden to “declassify all information related to this threat” for more public discussion. Since then, news reports have revealed additional details about what Russia's mystery weapon is. Here's what we know so far:

Does this mean Russia aims to deploy nuclear missiles and bombs into space?

This point remains unclear.Report from ABC News and new york times The term “nuclear weapon” may mean a weapon capable of producing an explosion involving a fission or fusion reaction.If this is true, it would be a violation of the rules 1967 Outer Space TreatyIt prohibits signatories, including Russia and the United States, from placing nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in space.

Although a nuclear explosion in space would not directly harm people on Earth, it could destroy and disable multiple satellites.When the United States detonated a nuclear bomb in low Earth orbit during that period starfish prime In a 1962 experiment, the resulting radiation damaged or destroyed about a third of the satellites in low Earth orbit at the time.

However, there is another possibility that does not involve nuclear weapons.

What else does Russia have in its nuclear capabilities in space?

Russian space weapons may simply use nuclear power to power onboard systems. PBS News Hour U.S. officials said the Russian weapon was “probably nuclear-powered.”

Russia and the United States have used various forms of nuclear power in space for decades. One form includes nuclear fission reactors, such as those found in civilian nuclear power plants, which derive their power from an ongoing nuclear chain reaction.

The United States launched an experimental nuclear reactor into space in 1965, while Russia reportedly launched at least 34 nuclear reactors aboard satellites between 1967 and 1988. World Nuclear Association.

The United States, Russia, and other countries have also launched space missions using radioisotope systems. These use heat from the natural decay of radioactive materials as a power source, but they provide much less power than nuclear fission reactors.

What does this Russian space weapon actually do?

News reports agree that Russian weapons are designed to target satellites in space, rather than directly harming anyone or anything on the ground. However, if this weapon is able to knock satellites out of orbit, these objects could fall to the planet's surface and cause severe damage. If they blow away, the resulting cloud of space junk could threaten other satellites and even the International Space Station. This could even trigger a Kessler syndrome scenario, where a chain reaction of space debris gets out of control and makes it virtually impossible for satellites to survive in Earth orbit.

Various countries, including Russia, the United States, China, and India, have previously tested anti-satellite weapons (ASATs), which shoot missiles from Earth and shoot down objects in orbit. But countries have been much quieter about whether they have actually deployed ASAT weapons into space.

What does Russia say about the potential of this weapon?

A spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin's government reportedly called the U.S. warning a “malicious hoax” aimed at pushing the U.S. Congress to pass legislation authorizing more military aid to Ukraine. Ta. Reuters. Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United States and Europe have supported Ukraine's military resistance against Russian forces.

Why does Russia need new anti-satellite weapons?

Satellites are important for both military and civilian applications that have a huge impact on modern life. They monitor the weather, power GPS systems, provide space-based surveillance, and enable communications. For example, SpaceX's Starlink satellite constellation has proven essential to the Ukrainian military in coordinating drone and artillery fire against Russian forces on the battlefield.

A U.S. official quoted by PBS NewsHour suggested that Russian space weapons have “electronic warfare capabilities to target U.S. satellites critical to U.S. military and civilian communications.”

According to some sources, Russia has spent years developing a space-based electronic warfare system that can jam communications signals to and from satellites. report This is by the Secure World Foundation, a space security organization based in Colorado.Victoria Samson at the Secure World Foundation Said Such a Russian space weapon could be powered by nuclear power.

So how dangerous is this new anti-satellite weapon?

The good news is that if this space weapon sabotages satellites rather than physically destroying them, it will not cause a catastrophic space debris scenario like Kessler syndrome. However, it can still be dangerous.

Space weapons that use electronic warfare to jam signals could effectively disable satellites. That could disrupt critical battlefield communications, render GPS guidance systems inoperable and obscure reconnaissance satellites, making it more difficult for the United States to coordinate military forces around the world.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Beneficial microorganisms in plant roots enhance the flavor of tea

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Microbes appear to influence how well tea plants absorb nutrients

Artur Szymczyk/Alamy

Tweaking the microbial community at the base of the tea plant could make your favorite tea taste even better.

Just as the bacteria that live in our guts influence our health, the microbes that live in and around plant roots play a role in how plants absorb nutrients from the soil. Masu. But little is known about their effects on tea flavor and nutritional content, he says. Yang Zhenbiao At the University of California, Riverside.

To learn more, Yang and his colleagues collected and analyzed tea plants (Camellia sinensis) is grown in Fujian Province, China. Researchers found that certain soil microorganisms are involved in increased nitrogen uptake, which increases the production of a chemical called theanine in plant roots, resulting in increased production of a chemical called theanine, especially in the leaves of a variety called Roguey. It turns out that the level has increased.

Theanine adds a rich flavor to beer, and the amount of theanine contained is considered an important indicator of the quality of tea. It also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can counteract the stimulant effects of caffeine, Yang says.

In the next step of the study, the researchers extracted the 21 most beneficial microorganisms for theanine from the soil and generated a custom microbial community. Its composition was very similar to that found naturally around Logi.

When this mixture was applied to the roots of other types of tea plants, theanine levels were increased even in the roots of tea plants grown in nitrogen-poor soils. “Not only does it have great health benefits, but it also improves the sweetness and flavor of the tea,” says Yang.

The research team hopes that the customized microbial community could be used in the future to perfect the quality of tea and improve the nutritional value of other plants such as rice.

“Improving nitrogen absorption efficiency can also reduce dependence on fertilizers, which could also have a major impact on the future of agriculture,” says Yang.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Telemedicine and doctor’s office have the same safety for abortion pills.

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Abortion pill pills contain mifepristone and misoprostol

Brigette Supernova / Alamy

Abortion pills are just as safe and effective when obtained through telehealth services as they are when obtained in a doctor's office, according to the largest study ever on telemedicine abortions.

Access to abortion is a contentious political issue in the United States. In 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) eliminated in-person dispensing requirements for the abortion drug mifepristone, allowing people to obtain the pill through telehealth services or by mail. Anti-abortion groups are currently challenging this ruling in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Previous studies of hundreds of pregnancies have shown that telemedicine abortions are safe. For further investigation with a larger sample size, Ushma Upadhyay Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, collected data on more than 6,000 telemedicine abortions performed in 20 U.S. states and Washington, DC. All participants were less than 10 weeks pregnant, and approximately 72% of them obtained the abortion pill through a secure text message rather than a video call.

The researchers followed the participants for three to seven days after the abortion, and then again two to four weeks later. The research team found that nearly 98 percent of abortions effectively ended the pregnancy. Additionally, only 0.25 percent of participants experienced serious side effects, such as uncontrolled bleeding or infection. By comparison, personal use of mifepristone is more than 97% effective and has a 0.3% chance of causing adverse events. There was also no difference in outcomes between abortions obtained via text message or video.

“These findings are consistent with the growing body of evidence that mifepristone is safe and effective and that FDA's decision to eliminate the in-person dispensing requirement was scientifically sound.” says Upadhyay.

“The outcomes for patients who come to telemedicine and brick-and-mortar clinics are essentially indistinguishable,” he says. samuel dickman at Planned Parenthood of Montana, a reproductive health nonprofit. Telemedicine abortions are essential to providing care to rural populations and people who are uncomfortable going to an abortion clinic because of an abusive partner, he says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Unanswered Questions Surrounding Putin’s Plans for Russian Nuclear Weapons in Space, Says Intel

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Despite its recent emergence, these technologies and concepts are not new.

The United States and the Soviet Union developed and tested anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) during the Cold War. Both nations also regularly utilized nuclear power in space.

As early as 1959, the United States initiated the development of anti-satellite missiles due to concerns about Soviet efforts to do the same. This led to a 1985 test launch by an F-15 fighter jet, which successfully destroyed a satellite by ejecting its payload at an altitude of 36,000 feet and hissing into orbit, carrying a deteriorating U.S. aircraft, according to the U.S. Air Force Museum.

A paper published by the Air Force’s Air University Press in 2000 stated that from 1969 to 1975, the U.S. government developed an anti-satellite system using existing nuclear missiles in “direct ascent” mode to destroy space targets.

In addition to nuclear weapons, the U.S. government placed its first nuclear-powered satellite into orbit in 1961. The Soviet Union similarly developed and deployed comparable technology that powered many satellites during that period.

History has demonstrated that these developments are not without risks. In 1978, a Soviet nuclear-powered satellite malfunctioned and fell from the sky, spreading radioactive debris over northern Canada.

However, what has not yet been publicly revealed is the existence of a Russian nuclear-powered satellite carrying weapons.

According to a 2019 technical essay published in The Space Review, nuclear-fueled satellites equipped with powerful jammers that can block communications and other signals over large areas for extended periods may be installed. Experts have responded to this week’s news.

Bowen, of the University of Leicester, stated that such a design would be “very expensive” and “waiting for something to go wrong could create a nuclear environmental disaster in orbit.”

Ultimately, while none of this technology is new, the actual implementation would certainly be considered an escalation, according to Bowen and Bugerin.

Some have questioned whether the disclosure is purely political in nature, rather than a military threat.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskovin suggested that the White House’s actions may be an attempt to manipulate Congress to vote on a funding bill that would provide new aid to Ukraine. He raised the possibility of a diversionary tactic from the other side.

Francesca Giovannini, executive director of the Atomic Stewardship Project at Harvard Kennedy School, noted that “Russia has long been attempting to develop weapons in space,” indicating potential misinformation or diversion tactics being employed.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Scientists warn that Amazon’s crucial water cycle is on the brink of collapse

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A study published Wednesday in the journal Nature warns that wildfires, deforestation, and global warming could permanently disrupt the water cycle in parts of the Amazon rainforest if action is not taken in the coming decades. The study suggests that between 10% and 47% of the landscape is at risk of transitioning away from tropical rainforest by 2050 if rates of warming and deforestation are not dramatically reduced.

Lead author of the study, Bernardo Flores, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Santa Catarina in Florianópolis, Brazil, stated that “So many stressors are intensifying, including climate stressors and land-use stressors, that when combined will ultimately cause water stress in forests. We could reach a point where forests can no longer survive.”

The Amazon contains about 10% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity and serves as a vital carbon sink. Exceeding the limits of rainforests could accelerate climate change and have dire consequences for communities, including indigenous peoples, who depend on rainforests. Flores said he is optimistic that the changes outlined in the study are already occurring, but they could slow or even stop.

The study focuses on overlapping stressors on the Amazon, including rising temperatures, extreme drought, deforestation, and fires. Ernest Alvarado, an associate professor at the University of Washington’s School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, who was not involved in the study, emphasized the importance of maintaining the Amazon’s water cycle, stating, “If you lose your balance, it’s a big problem.”

Reducing the amount of water-absorbing forests due to deforestation, wildfires, drought, and climate change reduces the amount of water available to the atmosphere from plants and reduces the amount of rain that sustains the landscape. Approximately 15% of the Amazon has already been lost, according to Flores.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Odysseus’ quest to become the first privately funded lunar lander delayed

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A Houston-based company’s planned launch of a spacecraft to the moon, aimed at becoming the first commercially built spacecraft to land on the moon, has been postponed.

The Intuitive Machines spacecraft, nicknamed Odysseus, was scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 12:57 a.m. ET on Wednesday. However, the launch was postponed because “the methane temperature before entering the methane load was outside nominal values,” according to NASA. Announced just before release.

The new launch date is scheduled for Thursday at 1:05 a.m. ET.

The lander will ride into orbit atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.

Odysseus was originally scheduled to spend eight days in space before landing on the moon on February 22nd. This event marks the first U.S. moon landing in more than 50 years.

Another company attempted to accomplish the same feat a month ago, but ultimately failed. The lander, built by Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic Technology, suffered a catastrophic fuel leak shortly after liftoff, forcing operators to abort the entire mission.

Astrobotic Technology and Intuitive Machines are part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Lander Services Program, which is designed to accelerate the development of lunar landers by private companies and ultimately help NASA deliver cargo to the lunar surface. The lander could also be used to transport scientific equipment.

On its next flight, the lander will carry a combination of commercial cargo and NASA scientific equipment.

Odysseus is expected to land near the moon’s south pole, an area that has long intrigued scientists because water ice is thought to be relatively abundant in craters. .

NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services Program is part of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon in the next few years. NASA recently announced delays for two upcoming Artemis missions, pushing back a lunar circumnavigation flight that was scheduled to launch later this year to 2025 and pushing back Artemis’ first landing attempt to next year.

NASA eventually hopes to begin regular missions to the moon and build a base camp there.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The overlooked community of scientific detectives is now gaining attention from the research community

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A group of investigators devoted to finding errors in scientific research has shocked some of the world’s most prestigious research institutions and the scientific community as a whole.

The highly publicized case of alleged image manipulation in a paper co-authored by a former Stanford University president and a leader at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has garnered national media attention, prompting speculation from top scientific leaders that this may only be the beginning.

“At this pace, we’re going to see another paper published every few weeks,” said Holden, the editor-in-chief of Science, one of the world’s two most influential journals. Mr. Thorpe said on site.

Investigators argue that their work is necessary to rectify the scientific record and prevent generations of researchers from pursuing futile avenues due to flawed papers. Some scientists are calling for universities and academic publishers to reform their approach to addressing flawed research.

“I understand why the investigators who discovered these issues are so furious,” said Michael, a biologist and former editor of the journal eLife, as well as a prominent advocate for reform in scientific publishing. “Authors, journals, institutions, everyone is incentivized to downplay their significance,” Eisen said.

For approximately a decade, investigators identified widespread problems with scientific images in published papers and voiced their concerns online, but received little attention. Last summer, neuroscientist and then-Stanford University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne resigned amid scrutiny over allegations of image manipulation in a study he co-authored and a report criticizing his lab culture. Since then, there has been a noticeable shift. While Tessier-Lavigne himself has not been found to have engaged in any misconduct, members of his lab appear to have manipulated images in questionable ways. Thereport from the scientific panelhired to investigate the allegations stated.

In January, a blogger’s scathing post exposed questionable research by top leaders at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which subsequently retracted six papers and requested corrections to dozens more.

In hisresignation statement, Tessier-Lavigne stated that the committee could not find any evidence that he was aware of any misconduct, and that he had never submitted documents that appeared to be inaccurate. In a statement from its research integrity officer, Dana-Farber stated that it had taken decisive action to correct the scientific record and that discrepancies in the images were not necessarily evidence that the authors were attempting to deceive.

“We are experiencing a moment of public awareness that really turned a corner when the Mark Tessier-Lavigne scandal unfolded, and since then the Dana-Farber scandal has been the most recent and continuous,” Thorpe said.

This long-standing issue is now receiving national attention, with the emergence of new artificial intelligence tools that are helping address problems ranging from longstanding errors and sloppy science to unethically manipulated images in photo-editing software, making it easier to spot various issues.

This increased scrutiny is prompting changes in how some publishers operate. Universities, journals, and researchers are being urged to consider new technologies, the potential backlog of undiscovered errors, and methods for enhancing transparency when problems are identified.

This comes at a challenging time in academic circles. Venture capitalist Bill Ackman, in apost last month on X, discussed the use of artificial intelligence to identify plagiarism by leaders of top universities with ideological differences, and raised questions about political motivations in plagiarism investigations. More broadly, public trust in scientists and science has steadily declined in recent years, according to thePew Research Center.

Eisen stated that he does not believe investigators’ concerns about scientific images veer into “McCarthyist” territory. “I think they’re honing in on a specific type of problem in the literature, and they’re right. That’s bad,” Eisen said.

Scientific publishing is the primary means by which scientists establish a foundation of understanding in their fields and share new discoveries with their colleagues. Before publication, scientific journals review submissions and solicit feedback from researchers outside the field to identify errors or faulty inferences, a process known as peer review. Journal editors evaluate research findings for plagiarism and conduct copy editing prior to publication. While this system is not perfect, it still relies on the good faith efforts of researchers to avoid manipulating research results.

Over the past 15 years, scientists have become increasingly concerned that some researchers are digitally altering images in papers to distort or enhance their results. The field of image integrity screening has expanded significantly since Yana Christopher, a scientific imaging expert with the European Federation of Biochemical Societies and its journals, began working in the field nearly 15 years ago. At the time, “no one was doing this, and people were in denial about research misconduct,” Christopher stated. “The prevailing belief was that it was very rare and that instances of manipulating results were few and far between.”

Scientific journals now employ entire teams dedicated to processing images and ensuring their accuracy. The number of retractions of published papers has increased significantly in recent years, with records indicating that over 10,000 papers were retracted last year, according to aNature analysis. A loose collective of scientific investigators applies external pressure, often identifying and flagging errors and potential manipulation on the online forum PubPeer. Many of these investigators receive little or no compensation or public recognition for their work.

“There’s a certain level of urgency,” Eisen stated. Ananalysis of comments on over 24,000 articles posted on PubPeer revealed that over 62% of PubPeer comments were related to image manipulation. For years, investigators relied on keen observation, pattern recognition, and a grasp of photo manipulation tools. In recent years, artificial intelligence tools capable of scanning documents for anomalies have been rapidly developed and improved.

Scientific journals are now utilizing similar technology to detect errors prior to publication. In January, Science announced that it is using an artificial intelligence tool called Proofig to scan papers undergoing editing and peer review for publication.Science editor-in-chief Thorpe stated that the family of six journals quietly incorporated the tool into their workflows approximately six months prior to the January announcement. The journal previously relied on visual inspection to identify these types of issues. During the editing process, Proofig flagged papers that had not yet been published, citing “logical explanations” for problematic images that were difficult to justify, or issues that the authors had addressed prior to publication. “Less than 1% of errors are significant enough to prevent a paper from being published,” Thorpe stated.

Chris Graff, director of research integrity at publisher Springer Nature, stated that the company is developing and testing “in-house AI image integrity software” to identify duplicate images. Graff’s research integrity department currently uses Proofig to assess papers in case concerns arise post-publication. The testing process varies among journals, but some Springer Nature publications use Adobe Photoshop tools to manually identify image manipulation and conduct experiments to visualize cellular components or general discrepancies in raw scientific experimental data.

“Although AI-based tools can facilitate and scale investigations, we still believe the human element is important in all investigations,” Graff stated, emphasizing that image recognition software is not infallible and that human expertise is necessary to guard against false positives and negatives. No tool can detect all mistakes and fraud.

“There are many facets to that process. You can never catch them all,” Thorpe remarked. “As journals, institutions, and authors, we need to do a better job of addressing this when it occurs.”

Many forensic scientists have grown frustrated that their concerns have been disregarded, or that investigations have progressed slowly with little public resolution. Sholto-David, who publicly voiced his concerns about the Dana-Farber study in a blog post, stated that the response from journal editors was so unsatisfactory that he nearly “gave up” on writing a letter to journal editors regarding the errors he had discovered. Elizabeth Bick, a microbiologist and longtime image investigator, said that if she reports image issues frequently, “nothing happens.”

While public comments on PubPeer questioning research data can stimulate discussion surrounding questionable research, authors and institutions often do not directly respond to online criticism. Although journals can issue corrections or retractions, it is generally the responsibility of research institutions or universities to investigate incidents. If the incident pertains to federally funded biomedical research, the federal Office of Research Integrity may conduct an investigation.

Thorpe stated that agencies need to assume responsibility when errors are discovered and act more swiftly to openly and candidly address what occurred to regain public trust. He stated, “The university has been very sluggish in responding, very slow in instituting the process, and the longer this goes on, the greater the damage will be. I don’t know what would have happened if Stanford had said these papers are flawed, instead of initiating this investigation.”

Some scientists are concerned that the problem of image manipulation is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of scientific integrity. Detecting issues with images is much simpler than spotting simple data errors in spreadsheets. While it is crucial to crack down on problematic papers and hold individuals accountable, some scientists believe that these measures address a larger problem: rewarding career advancement for those who publish the most exciting results rather than enduring results. “Scientific culture itself doesn’t say we care about getting it right. It says we care about getting papers that make a splash,” Eisen said.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Odysseus Makes Historic Landing on the Moon as First Commercial Lander

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Houston-based company successfully launched a private lunar lander into space on its second attempt early Thursday morning. The spacecraft, developed by Intuitive Machines, took off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 1:05 a.m. ET atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. The original launch was scheduled for Wednesday but was canceled due to a problem with the rocket’s methane fuel. Intuitive Machines aims to land the first commercially built spacecraft on the moon, which would be the first U.S. moon landing in over 50 years. The lander, named Odysseus, will spend a week in space before attempting to settle on the moon’s surface on February 22nd. This mission comes after another company, Astrobotic Technology, attempted but failed to send a lander to the moon’s surface due to a severe fuel leak shortly after liftoff. Both Intuitive Machines and Astrobotic Technology are part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Lander Services Program, designed to accelerate the development of lunar landers by private companies to deliver cargo to the lunar surface and transport scientific equipment. On its next flight, Odysseus will carry a combination of commercial cargo and NASA scientific equipment and is expected to land near the moon’s south pole. NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services Program is part of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon in the next few years. The timeline for upcoming Artemis missions has been delayed, and NASA eventually hopes to begin regular missions to the moon and build a base camp there.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The Use of School Uniforms May Restrict Children’s Exercise Opportunities

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

School uniforms can restrict movement and make children less active

Dan Kenyon/Getty Images

Wearing a uniform to school is associated with a lack of physical activity in young children, especially girls.

While many children are missing World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations of at least 60 minutes of exercise per day, Mairead Ryan Researchers at the University of Cambridge decided to investigate why.

They analyzed existing data on the physical activity levels of more than 1 million children aged 5 to 17 in 135 countries and territories, and conducted an original online survey on the prevalence of school uniforms in these regions. compared with the results.

Overall, boys were 1.5 times more likely to meet WHO recommendations for physical activity than girls. But among younger children who live in areas where uniforms are the norm, the difference is nearly twice as large, Ryan said.

Among middle school students (generally 11 to 17 years old), uniforms did not appear to be associated with gender differences in physical activity. However, in primary school (ages 5 to 10), the difference between girls and boys was 9.8 percentage points in areas where at least 50 percent of schools required uniforms, compared to 5.5 percentage points in areas with low uniform requirements. was.

According to the researchers, the difference in results between older and younger children is that elementary school children get more physical activity from sporadic exercise throughout the day, whereas adolescents get most of their total physical activity. This may be due to the fact that they get this from structured activities.

“If girls wear skirts or dresses, they may feel less confident doing things like doing cartwheels and falls on the playground or riding their bikes on windy days,” the team members say. esther van slicealso at the University of Cambridge.

Although this finding does not show that school uniforms are the cause of lower physical activity rates, it is consistent with other research that suggests that children, especially girls, find uniforms restrictive. We are doing so.

Research in ChileFor example, it has been found that children's cardiovascular fitness improves when they wear sports-appropriate uniforms to school rather than traditional clothing such as skirts, blouses, ties, and blazers.Ireland's former sports minister worries that uniforms are hindering children's athletic activities jack chambers mentioned the issue In a December 2022 report on youth sports.

While the findings do not support a “total ban” on uniforms, they do suggest that further research is needed, particularly on whether changes to uniforms would help. “For example, we don't know if it's the design of the uniform, the fabric, or the shoes, but that could be a factor,” Ryan said.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The unsettling reality of cannibalism in human history

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of at least six people at Gough's Cave in the Cheddar Valley in southwest England. Many of the bones were intentionally broken, and the fragments are covered in cut marks, the result of people using stone tools to separate the bones and remove the flesh.Additionally, 42 percent of bone fragments traces of human teeth. There is little doubt that the people who lived in this cave 14,700 years ago practiced cannibalism.

Today, cannibalism is considered taboo in many societies. We think that's an anomaly, as evidenced by films like . texas chainsaw massacre. We associate it with zombies, psychopaths, and serial killers like the fictional Hannibal Lecter. There are very few positive stories about cannibals. But despite our preconceptions, evidence is accumulating that cannibalism was a common human behavior, so perhaps it's time to reconsider.

Our ancestors have been eating each other for over a million years. In fact, it seems that about one-fifth of society has practiced cannibalism since ancient times. While some of this cannibalism may have been done simply to survive, in many cases the reasons appear to be more complex. For example, in places like Gough's Cave, eating the bodies of the dead appears to have been part of the funerary ritual. Some archaeologists say cannibalism may be a way to show respect and love for the dead, rather than a horrific insult to nature.

Stories of cannibals can be found throughout human history.At Homer's Odyssey,…

Source: www.newscientist.com

Confirmation of the existence of a new form of magnetism

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

AC magnetism works differently than standard magnetism

Libor Chemeikal and Anna Birk Hellenes

A new type of magnetism has been measured for the first time. Alternative magnets that combine the properties of different types of existing magnets could be used to make high-capacity, high-speed memory devices and new types of magnetic computers.

Until the 20th century, permanent magnets were thought to consist of only one type of ferromagnetic material. Ferromagnetic effects are seen in objects with relatively strong external magnetic fields, such as refrigerator magnets and compass needles.

These fields are caused by the magnetic spins of the magnet’s electrons aligned in one direction.

But in the 1930s, French physicist Louis Niel discovered another type of magnetism called antiferromagnetism, in which the spin of the electrons alternates up and down. Although antiferromagnets do not have the external magnetic field of ferromagnets, they exhibit interesting internal magnetic properties because of their alternating spins.

And in 2019, researchers Complex currents in the crystal structure of certain antiferromagnets, called the anomalous Hall effect, which could not be explained using the conventional alternating spin theory. Current flowed without an external magnetic field.

When we looked at the crystal from the perspective of a sheet of spins, it seemed to us that: A third type of permanent magnetism, called vicarious magnetism, may be responsible. Alternating magnets look like antiferromagnets, but the sheets of spin look the same no matter what angle they are rotated from. This explains the Hall effect, but no one had seen the electronic signature of the structure itself, so scientists weren’t sure if it was definitely a new kind of magnetism.

now, Juraj Krempaski and his colleagues at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Billigen, Switzerland, and his colleagues have discovered that by measuring the electronic structure within the crystals of magnesium telluride, previously thought to be antiferromagnetic, they were able to create an alternating magnet. confirmed the existence of

To do this, they measured how light reflected off magnesium telluride and found the energy and speed of the electrons in the crystal. After mapping these electrons, they found that they matched almost exactly the predictions given by simulations of alternating current magnetic materials.

The electrons appear to be split into two groups, which allows them to move more within the crystal and is the source of the unusual magnetic properties. “This gave us direct evidence that we can talk about metamorphic magnets and that they behave as predicted by theory,” Krempasky says.

This grouping of electrons appears to originate from the nonmagnetic tellurium atoms in the crystal structure, which separates the magnesium’s magnetic charge into each plane, allowing for its unusual rotational symmetry.

“It’s really amazing to prove that these substances actually exist,” he says. Richard Evans At York University, UK. Not only can electrons in alternating magnets move more freely than electrons in antiferromagnets, but this new type of magnet has no external magnetic fields like ferromagnets, so it could be used to create non-interfering magnetic devices. Evans says. each other.

This characteristic can increase the storage capacity of your computer’s hard drive. This is because commercially available devices are packed with ferromagnetic materials so tightly that external magnetic fields in the material begin to interfere. AC magnets can be packed more densely.

They say this magnet could even lead to spintronic computers that use magnetic spins instead of electrical current to perform measurements and calculations. joseph barker At the University of Leeds in the UK, memory and computer chips have been combined into a single device. “This may give more hope to the idea that spintronic devices can become a reality,” Barker says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Bovine cell-infused rice may offer a sustainable dietary option

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Rice and beef finally come together

Yonsei University

It's the ultimate fusion food. Two key ingredients come together in a lab-created hybrid format for ready-to-eat rice and beef meals.

A number of research groups and companies are developing meat products grown from cells in the laboratory to address issues such as the heavy environmental impact of animal agriculture.

Rather than coaxing animal cells to grow into large structures that replicate the texture of meat (which has proven difficult) Hong Jin-ki Doctors from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, wanted to create a “new complete food” by fusing rice grains with cultured animal cells.

They first coated the rice grains with fish gelatin so that the cow muscle cells could attach to the rice grains, and then allowed the cells to grow throughout the rice grains for about five to seven days. The rice was then placed in a culture medium to encourage the growth of bovine cells within the grain.

The resulting beef-rice hybrid can be boiled or steamed just like regular rice. Hong said its texture is harder, more brittle and less sticky than regular rice, and it has a nutty taste.

“It's not like beef in the traditional sense, but it offers a new gastronomic experience that combines the familiarity of rice with the richness of meat's flavor,” he says.

Researchers found that hybrid rice contained 7% more protein and 8% more fat than regular rice. Researchers estimate that beef production releases about 50 kilograms of carbon dioxide per 100 grams of protein, compared to about 6 kilograms of carbon dioxide released per 100 grams of protein.

Hong said that unlike other types of cultured meat, all the ingredients used to make beef rice are well-known, cheap and highly nutritious. Additionally, this process does not involve genetic modification.

“These benefits…offer a more sustainable way to produce meat, reduce the environmental footprint associated with traditional livestock farming, and create new food sources that can meet the growing global demand for protein. We provide that,” Hong said.

“Not only is it a great gimmick, but it can also be very useful,” he says. Johannes Le Coutre at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. “The key is whether these products can be scaled up. The challenge is growing meat cells on rice at scale.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

By 2050, Half of the Amazon Rainforest May be Reaching a Climate Tipping Point

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Forest fires in the Amazon in October 2023

Gustavo Basso/Null Photography via Getty Images

Large parts of the Amazon rainforest are threatened by the combined effects of drought, heat and deforestation, and some ecosystems may be pushed past tipping points. But the likelihood of a larger collapse remains uncertain.

“Forests as a whole are very resilient, so we still have room to act,” he says. Marina Hirota at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Researchers have warned for decades that rising temperatures and deforestation could push the Amazon past a tipping point, leading to runaway feedbacks that could lead to a rapid transition from forest to savannah. The drought and heat caused by the ongoing El Niño phenomenon, as well as the warming temperatures caused by climate change, are once again on the rise.

But climate and ecological models that describe the Amazon's highly complex structure disagree on when and where such a tipping point would occur.

To understand which regions of the Amazon are most at risk, Hirota and his colleagues looked at satellite data to see how several different ecosystem stressors might change in the coming decades. evaluated. These include dry season temperatures, exposure to drought, and the risk of fire and deforestation.

They estimate that 10 percent of the Amazon basin is at risk of being exposed to at least two of these stressors by 2050 and is therefore likely to transition to degraded forest- or savanna-like ecosystems. I discovered that. 47% of this watershed is predicted to be exposed to at least one stressor, meaning it is also exposed to some hazard.

“Due to ongoing changes, we will lose some forest, but there are things we can do to prevent it from reaching 47%,” Hirota says. She said the majority of forests that are not exposed to stressors are located within protected areas; indigenous territory, which is associated with low deforestation rates. Brazil's deforestation rate also fell sharply under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's administration. Increased in other areas as well Amazon's.

dominique spracklen Researchers from the University of Leeds in the UK say the study is a powerful investigation into the range of threats facing the Amazon. But he says the discrepancies between models predicting potential tipping points remain unresolved.

For example, models predict that some of the negative effects of warming could be offset by increased concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere, which could boost plant growth. . However, other factors such as nutrients and water availability vary widely across the basin and influence the strength of this impact, creating considerable uncertainty in modeling the future of the Amazon. .

“It's a very scary place for such an important ecosystem,” he says.

Nature
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06970-0

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Ultrasound treatment activates sluggish sperm movement

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Sperm that don't move fast enough have a hard time reaching the egg and can cause fertility problems.

Alexei Kotelnikov / Alamy

Laboratory research has revealed that applying ultrasound to immobile sperm causes it to move. If sperm does not move properly, it becomes difficult for them to reach the egg, which is a major cause of infertility. With further research, this technology could help improve the success rate of in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Previous research suggests that: High frequency ultrasound increases sperm motility. However, the study did not involve isolating the sperm to assess which individual cells would be beneficial, allowing doctors to find the best cells to use in fertility treatments.

In the latest research, Ali Vafaie The researchers, from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, classified 50 semen samples into three groups (fast, slow, and stationary) according to sperm motility, based on guidelines for assessing swimming speed.

After separating individual sperm cells from semen samples, the researchers measured the motility of the cells before and after exposure to ultrasound waves with a power of 800 megawatts and a frequency of 40 megahertz.

After 20 seconds of ultrasound, 59 percent of the immobile sperm slowed down, and some started swimming rapidly. Changes in sperm motility peaked at an increase of 266%.

Overall, immotile sperm made up 36% of the samples at the start of the study, but this decreased to just 10% after treatment. It is unclear how long the increase in migration lasted.

Researchers believe that exposure to ultrasound improves dysfunction in sperm's mitochondria, the cells' powerhouses, contributing to increased motility.

This approach could increase the success rate of in vitro fertilization, which requires motile sperm for conception, and could avoid the need for multiple costly surgeries.

But first, Vafai says, the research group will need to test the effectiveness of the approach on sperm, particularly in people experiencing infertility due to reduced sperm mobility. Scientists also need to assess whether it is safe to create embryos from sperm exposed to ultrasound, he says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The impact of age, gender, and nationality on the interpretation of emojis

Posted on February 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Emojis are often used in digital communications such as text messages and social media.

mixtape/shutterstock

Think twice before replying to a message with just emojis. Emojis may be interpreted differently by different people.

Previous research suggests that Men and women perceive facial expressions differently. ruth fillick Researchers from the University of Nottingham in the UK thought that a person's gender and other factors might also influence how they interpret emojis.

To find out more, they asked 253 Chinese and 270 British people (about an equal number of men and women) aged 18 to 84 to take part in an online survey.

Researchers selected 24 emojis to represent one of six emotions: happiness, disgust, fear, sadness, surprise, and anger based on the suggestions that appeared when you typed the word. There are four emojis for each emotion, representing different designs used by Apple, Windows, Android, and WeChat.

Each participant then assigned an emoji to the emotion they thought best matched.

Women were more likely than men to match emojis to the same emotions selected by researchers. The researchers say women may be better at recognizing facial expressions, perhaps because they make more eye contact.

Younger participants also matched emojis better than older participants, probably because they used them more frequently.

On the other hand, British participants agreed better with emojis than Chinese participants, although this may be because the latter group uses emojis differently. “For example, it has been suggested that: [people in China] According to the researchers, people rarely use the happy emoji to express happiness, but instead use it in negative connotations, such as sarcasm.

“When you send someone a message that includes emojis, you can't just assume that they see the emojis the same way you see them,” says Fillick.

Isabel Butet Researchers at the University of Ottawa in Canada say matching 24 emojis to six emotions is extremely restrictive. Nevertheless, “assigning emojis specific emotional labels is problematic when you don't know how they will be interpreted in various online communities,” she says. “For example, it would never have been considered to use eggplant as an allusion if that meaning had not developed in a particular community.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Iron Age people may have buried their beloved pets, such as dogs and horses along with them

Posted on February 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Remains of dog and baby girl buried in Seminario Vescoville near Verona, Italy

Laffranchi et al. (CC-BY 4.0)

Late Iron Age people in northern Italy were sometimes buried with dogs and horses. Probably because they loved dogs and horses.

Archaeologists often suspect that the ancient worldwide custom of placing animals in human graves is associated with higher socio-economic status, beliefs about the afterlife, or certain family traditions. I was there. However, after thorough investigation, researchers say they are now beginning to suspect that such “community burials” may have simply been expressions of love for devoted non-human family members. Marco Mirella At the University of Bern, Switzerland.

He and his colleagues reexamined bones excavated from the 2,200-year-old Seminario Vescoville cemetery just east of Verona, Italy. There, the Cenomani lived in metal-making communities before and during the Roman conquest.

Most of the 161 graves discovered at the site contained only human remains, but 16 graves also contained whole or partial animal remains. Twelve of the items were pork or beef products, apparently food offerings to the deceased. Zita Laffranchialso at the University of Bern.

However, the remaining four were buried with dogs and/or horses, which were not used for food by the group. Among them were a middle-aged man with a small dog, a young man with part of a horse, a 9-month-old baby girl alongside the dog, and, most unexpectedly, a pony. She was a middle-aged woman. She had a dog’s head placed above her and a dog’s head placed above her head.

“At first, the excavators were surprised to find human legs under the horses, and their first idea was that there were horsemen here, there were warriors.” LaFranch says. However, the woman was buried unarmed, suggesting that her association with the 1.3 meter tall pony had nothing to do with the war.

The researchers found no particular trends in the age of the people buried with the animals, and DNA analysis suggested they were not genetically related to each other. Chemical analysis of these corpses Dietary differences related to socio-economic status were also not revealed compared to human-only graves.

The findings suggest that ancient people may have felt a strong connection to their animals and therefore chose to bury their loved ones with them, the researchers said. “And why not?” says Mirella. “You can never rule that out.”

Another explanation, the researchers added, is that the animals may have had symbolic meaning for the afterlife. For example, in Gallo-Roman religion, The Celtic horse goddess Epona was believed to protect individuals after death..And what about Gallo Romance? Sometimes dogs are associated with the afterlife.. In fact, burying dogs with infants may even have had a purpose: Protecting parents from future baby loss.

Still, the animals in the graves appear to have benefited from careful human care, rather than as disposable livestock. The dog in particular appears to have been fed human food and is showing signs of wound treatment and healing.

So it’s also possible that people were buried with animals for both symbolic and affectionate reasons, Mirella said.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Drug-loaded nanoparticles may reduce arthritis pain when injected

Posted on February 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Osteoarthritis affects 530 million people worldwide

Puwadol Jaturautchai/Shutterstock

Drug delivery nanoparticles may be useful in treating osteoarthritis. In mice with signs of symptoms, a single injection of the particles relieved pain for several months.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is approximately 530 million people worldwide. It occurs when the cartilage that cushions bones breaks down, causing joint stiffness and pain. Treatment options for this condition are limited, and there is no treatment to prevent cartilage degeneration.

Previous research has shown that a drug called pazopanib may help reduce osteoarthritis pain. However, the effect only lasts for a few days.So Heejeong Im Sampeng University of Illinois at Chicago and colleagues have developed a method of administration that extends release.

The researchers encapsulated pazopanib within nanoparticles that have already been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to deliver other drugs. They then injected the nanoparticles into the knees of 16 mice, and found that half of them had early signs of osteoarthritis, and half had advanced signs. The same number of animals received a dummy injection of nanoparticles without pazopanib.

Because it is difficult to assess joint pain in animals, the researchers used the widely accepted idea that individuals experiencing pain, such as joint pain, also become more sensitive to physical touch. and instead focused on rodent sensitivities.

Immediately after treatment, the researchers assessed how quickly the mice removed one paw from the uncomfortable hot plate. Mice with early or advanced osteoarthritis took significantly longer to remove their paws when given pazopanib rather than a dummy injection, suggesting that pazopanib nanoparticles rapidly reduced joint pain. I did. The researchers then repeated the hot plate test and found similar effects after two months in the advanced osteoarthritis group and after three months in the early osteoarthritis group. This means that pazopanib nanoparticles provide effective pain relief over several weeks. Animals treated with pazopanib also had less cartilage degeneration, indicating that nanoparticles may slow the progression of osteoarthritis.

But just because a treatment works in mice doesn't mean it will work in humans, Sampen says. The researchers plan to explore other ways to assess pazopanib's analgesic properties in animals. One approach, the researchers say, is to analyze how people walk and use their limbs to make sure the drug reduces joint pain.

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Source: www.newscientist.com