Astronomers find frequent and energetic fast radio bursts

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

FRB 20220912A is a repetitive high-speed radio burst discovered in 2022 that remained highly active for several months.Use recently updated one allen telescope arraySETI Institute astronomers recorded 35 bursts from 541 hours of follow-up observations over two months of the FRB 20220912A source and found that an interesting pattern had emerged.

Artist’s impression of FRB 110523 as it reaches Earth. The colors represent bursts arriving at different radio wavelengths, with longer wavelengths (red) arriving a few seconds after shorter wavelengths (blue). Image credit: Jingchuan Yu / Beijing Planetarium.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are mysterious and rarely detected bursts of energy that come from beyond the Milky Way.

These events have a duration of milliseconds and exhibit the characteristic dispersive sweep of radio pulsars.

They emit as much energy in one millisecond as the sun does in 10,000 years, but the physical phenomena that cause them are unknown.

More than 100 FRBs have been detected to date, but only some of them have been observed to replicate so far.

Like most repeating FRBs, each burst from FRB 20220912A drifted from higher to lower frequencies over time.

However, the center frequency of the bursts also showed a previously unseen drop, and when converted to audible sounds using xylophone sounds, it became clear that they sounded like cosmic slide whistles.

In this song, most of the highest notes are heard in the first few seconds, and most of the lowest notes are heard in the last few seconds, as if the xylophone player was repeatedly hitting the lowest available bars on the instrument. .

Astronomers believe that at least some FRBs are produced by neutron stars known as magnetars, while other theories point to binary neutron star collisions or white dwarf mergers.

Dynamic spectra, frequency-averaged pulse profiles, and time-averaged spectra of all bursts from FRB 20220912A detected using the Allen telescope array.Image credit: Shake other. /SETI Institute.

“This study is exciting because it provides both confirmation of known FRB properties and the discovery of several new properties,” said Dr. Sophia Sheikh, lead author of the study.

“We have narrowed down the source of FRBs to extreme objects, such as magnetars, but no existing model can explain all the properties observed so far.”

Dr. Sheikh and his colleagues made this discovery after 541 hours of observations using the SETI Institute’s Allen Telescope Array.

They also tried to identify patterns in the timing between bursts, but found none. This further illustrates the unpredictable and mysterious nature of these powerful radio bursts.

Nevertheless, the latest research marks another step in the quest to unlock the secrets of FRBs, which generate as much energy in a thousandth of a second as the sun does in a year.

“It was great to be part of the first FRB study conducted using the Allen Telescope Array,” said Dr. Sheikh.

“This study proves that new telescopes with unique capabilities like the Allen Telescope Array can provide new angles on outstanding mysteries in FRB science.”

of the team paper will be published in Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices.

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Sophia Z. Sheikh other. 2023. Characterization of iterative FRB 20220912A using the Allen Telescope Array. MNRAS, in press. arXiv: 2312.07756

Source: www.sci.news

NASA’s Infrared Telescope: A Remarkable Evolution

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

For the past 40 years, scientists have been using infrared space telescopes to study the universe, including NASA missions such as the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) launched in 1983, the Spitzer Space Telescope launched in 2003, and the James Webb Space Telescope launched in 2021. Although the Webb Telescope has opened a new window to the universe, it builds on missions from 40 years ago, including Spitzer and the Infrared Astronomy Satellite. The James Webb Space Telescope is the largest and most powerful space observatory in history, celebrating its second anniversary since its launch. Its clarity of images has inspired the world, and scientists are just beginning to study its scientific benefits.

The success of Webb builds on four decades of work with space telescopes that also detect infrared light. Telescopes such as the IRAS and the Spitzer Space Telescope provide crucial insights into star formation, cosmic gas and dust clouds, and the existence of exoplanets. These telescopes have contributed to groundbreaking discoveries about the universe and have paved the way for future infrared missions, such as NASA’s upcoming SPHEREx and Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

The legacy of these infrared space telescopes is reflected in the images of star-forming regions, such as Rho Ophiuchus and Fomalhaut, which have revealed previously hidden features and provided insight into the formation of stars and planets. Infrared light has become an essential tool for understanding the universe on various scales, from the study of galaxy evolution to the detection of exoplanets and the investigation of dark energy.

The Webb Telescope is paving the way for complex and diverse scientific questions by building upon the knowledge gained from previous infrared telescopes such as IRAS and Spitzer. Its success is fueling the anticipation of future infrared missions that will continue to expand our understanding of the universe.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Scientists are using flawed strategies to predict species responses to climate change, posing a dangerous risk of misinformation.

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

A new study reveals that a spatiotemporal substitution method used to predict species responses to climate change inaccurately predicts the effects of warming on ponderosa pines. This finding suggests that this method may be unreliable in predicting species’ future responses to changes in climate. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

A new study involving researchers at the University of Arizona suggests that changes are happening faster than trees can adapt. The discovery is a “warning to ecologists” studying climate change.

As the world warms and the climate changes, life will migrate, adapt, or become extinct. For decades, scientists have introduced certain methods to predict how things will happen. seed We will survive this era of great change. But new research suggests that method may be misleading or producing false results.

Flaws in prediction methods revealed

Researchers at the University of Arizona and team members from the U.S. Forest Service and Brown University found that this method (commonly referred to as spatiotemporal replacement) shows how a tree called the ponderosa pine, which is widespread in the western United States, grows. I discovered something that I couldn’t predict accurately. We have actually responded to global warming over the past few decades. This also means that other studies that rely on displacement in space and time may not accurately reflect how species will respond to climate change in coming decades.

The research team collected and measured growth rings of ponderosa pine trees from across the western United States, dating back to 1900, to determine how trees actually grow and how models predict how trees will respond to warming. We compared.

A view of ponderosa and Jeffrey pine forests from Verdi Mountain near Truckee, California.Credit: Daniel Perrette

“We found that substituting time for space produces incorrect predictions in terms of whether the response to warming will be positive or negative,” said study co-author Margaret Evans, an associate professor at the University of Arizona. ” he said. Tree ring laboratory. “With this method, ponderosa pines are supposed to benefit from warming, but they actually suffer from warming. This is dangerously misleading.”

Their research results were published on December 18th. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Daniel Perrette, a U.S. Forest Service ORISE fellow, is the lead author and received training in tree-ring analysis through the university’s summer field methods course at the University of Arizona Research Institute. The study was part of his doctoral dissertation at Brown University, and was conducted with Dov Sachs, professor of biogeography and biodiversity and co-author of the paper.

Inaccuracies in space and time substitutions

This is how space and time permutation works. All species occupy a range of favorable climatic conditions. Scientists believe that individuals growing at the hottest end of their range could serve as an example of what will happen to populations in cooler locations in a warmer future.

The research team found that ponderosa pine trees grow at a faster rate in warmer locations. Therefore, under the spatial and temporal displacement paradigm, this suggests that the situation should improve as the climate warms at the cold end of the distribution.

“But the tree-ring data doesn’t show that,” Evans said.

However, when the researchers used tree rings to assess how individual trees responded to changes in temperature, they found that ponderosa was consistently negatively affected by temperature fluctuations.

“If it’s a warmer-than-average year, they’re going to have smaller-than-average growth rings, so warming is actually bad for them, and that’s true everywhere,” she says.

The researchers believe this may be happening because trees are unable to adapt quickly enough to a rapidly changing climate.

An individual tree and all its growth rings are a record of that particular tree’s genetics exposed to different climatic conditions from one year to the next, Evans said. But how a species responds as a whole is the result of a slow pace of evolutionary adaptation to the average conditions in a particular location that are different from those elsewhere. Similar to evolution, the movement of trees that are better adapted to changing temperatures could save species, but climate change is happening too quickly, Evans said.

Rainfall effects and final thoughts

Beyond temperature, the researchers also looked at how trees responded to rainfall. They confirmed that, even across time and space, more water is better.

“These spatially-based predictions are really dangerous because spatial patterns reflect the end point after a long period in which species have had the opportunity to evolve, disperse, and ultimately sort themselves across the landscape. Because we do,” Evans said. “But that’s not how climate change works. Unfortunately, trees are in a situation where they are changing faster than they can adapt and are actually at risk of extinction. This is a warning to ecologists. .”

References: “Species responses to spatial climate change do not predict responses to climate change,” by Daniel L. Perrett, Margaret EK Evans, and Dov F. Sachs, December 18, 2023. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2304404120

Funding: Brown University Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown Institute for the Environment and Society, American Philosophical Society Lewis and Clark Expeditionary and Field Research Fund, Department of Agriculture Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, Department of Energy Oak Ridge Science Institute Education , NSF Macrosystems Biology

Source: scitechdaily.com

Revolutionary New Test Promises Breakthrough in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

A breakthrough assay to detect acute myeloid leukemia (AML) through a KMT2A gene fusion promises to enhance diagnosis and treatment and represents a major advance in leukemia research.

The researchers Accuracy
Detecting specific molecular markers within leukemia cells has the potential to significantly improve the assessment of measurable residual disease. This advancement will enable better-informed treatment decisions and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

A new assay that detects unique molecular markers in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) could revolutionize how the disease is detected and treated, according to a recently published new report. Molecular Diagnostic Journal Published by Elsevier. This assay may improve the detection of AML due to factors such as: Kuomintang 2A Gene fusions can impact treatment decision-making, assessment of response to treatment, and long-term monitoring.

AML is a rare, aggressive blood cancer that is diagnosed in approximately 120,000 people worldwide each year. Detecting residual disease during treatment is essential to determine prognosis and guide treatment decisions.Currently, methods to detect measurable residual disease (MRD) during treatment of AML include bone marrow morphology, multiparameter flow cytometry (MPFC), and DNA Sequencing.

Morphological evaluation detects leukemic cells only with a detection limit of 5%. Although MPFC has a more sensitive detection limit of 0.01% to 0.001%, it is difficult to implement and interpret and is not standardized across laboratories. DNA sequencing approaches can identify leukemic cells by somatic mutation profiles, but are expensive and can be confounded by clonal hematopoiesis in nonleukemic blood cells.

Breakthrough progress in leukemia research

“We’ve seen a lot of research in this field,” explained lead researcher Dr. Grant A. Challen, of the Department of Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Normally absent in healthy cells. Other diseases such as chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) can already be tracked by standard BCR-ABL fusions, and sensitive detection of these fusions has revolutionized the way CML is treated. . For AML patients whose disease is caused by oncogenic fusions, the KMT2A fusion is a molecular marker that can be exploited for sensitive MRD detection. Therefore, we wanted to develop a platform for sensitive KMT2A fusion detection to improve detection and treatment methods for this disease. ”

Researchers have developed a new droplet digital PCR assay that allows for high sensitivity. Kuomintang 2A Fusion detection with the five most common fusion partners.At least 80 are known Kuomintang 2A There are fusion partners, but approximately 80% of fusions involve only 5 partners – AF9, AF6, AF4, Elleand English. They benchmarked the assay in human cell lines and patient samples and demonstrated sensitivity and specificity. Kuomintang 2A Fusion detection.

This assay detects these fusions by splitting cDNA molecules into microfluidic droplets and assaying them using primers and probes that generate a positive signal only when the fused transcript is present. Researchers were able to combine multiple primer/probe sets targeting different fusions into a pooled fusion detection reagent. they again, Kuomintang 2A Fusions in patient samples are known to be present Kuomintang 2A fusion.

Implications for AML treatment and future research

Dr. Challen said: This assay can be easily extended to include additional oncogenic fusions. This has potential implications for treatment decision-making and assessment of response to treatment. Knowing whether treatment is effective is critical to deciding when to escalate treatment or perform a hematopoietic stem cell transplant. ”

“This is a powerful new tool for highly sensitive KMT2A fusion detection and can be directly applied to disease detection in leukemia patients caused by these fusions. This fills a void in oncogenic fusion detection. , we offer several technical improvements. This assay is also highly scalable, and additional fusions can be easily added to the assay to expand coverage of other oncogenic fusions. We is improving blood cancer detection one drop at a time.”

Reference: “Droplet Digital PCR for Oncogenic KMT2A Fusion Detection” by Andrew L. Young, Hannah C. Davis, and Grant A. Challen, October 7, 2023. Molecular Diagnostic Journal.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoldx.2023.09.006

This research was funded by: National Institutes of Health and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Researchers ponder the sorrow of climate change

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

“It was a good combination of risk and conveying emotional truth. So I was able to really dig deep and say exactly how I felt in that moment,” he said. Ta.

His rant went viral. He says his employer, NASA, sent him a letter expressing concern about his two arrests.

(“That has to be very clear because I’m speaking on behalf of myself, not as a climate scientist at NASA, which is very important to keeping my job.”) he said in an interview.)

He fears a third arrest could cost him money.

“Will I continue doing science? Or will I continue to participate in dangerous activities and possibly lose my job?” Kalmus said.

Meanwhile, Kalmus is frustrated by the growing number of scientists who are willing to be arrested and not incite protests. And his view of our climate predicament grew increasingly bleak.

“The situation in 2023 feels worse than I thought it would be,” Kalmus said, citing record levels of sea ice in Antarctica as a sign that the Earth system may be changing faster than the scientific community. He pointed out the low temperatures and record heights of sea and land surfaces. I can understand it.

In recent years, climate change has begun to have a negative impact on Calmus’ personal life.

In the summer of 2020, he felt sick while hiking through a California heatwave, witnessed wildfires blazing and plumes of smoke miles from his home in California, and his voice became hoarse and his head hurt. It hurt. The scorching temperatures killed the dogwood tree in my front yard. His productivity decreased and he could no longer focus on science.

Kalmas dreamed of living in the Pacific Northwest, feeling he might be able to escape the worst of climate change. That same year, a three-day heat wave that would have been nearly impossible without the effects of climate change hit the region, killing hundreds of people, buckling roads and causing overheated baby birds to jump from their nests and die.

“That’s when I realized there was no safe place,” Kalmus said. His family moved to North Carolina for his wife Sharon’s job, and his experience planted a seed.

If we can’t stop climate change and we can’t avoid it, can we at least find better ways to survive it?

life in a mansion

Calmus knew what could go wrong.

“I immediately ruled out the idea of being a prepper stocking up on beans and ammunition,” he said.

But he found himself dreaming of a simpler life, where he could keep bees, grow vegetables, squeeze cider on Friday nights, and live closer to the land.

A visit to Possibility Alliance, a sprawling 11-acre farm filled with fruit trees, goats, chickens and gardens, allowed him to scratch an itch he had looked forward to for much of his adult life.

The Hughes family, who run the homestead, and their guests live almost entirely without electricity or modern technology.

The family of four does not fly or own a car due to concerns about the climate. Their main use of fossil fuels is to transport passenger trains to climate protests.

They sought to avoid capitalism and instead created a “gift economy” in this small corner of Maine, where neighbors shared resources and exchanged skills. They grow much of their own food, hold trainings for climate protesters, and plan to take in refugees as the climate disaster worsens.

At night it is illuminated by candlelight. Neighbors stop by without notice.

“We created something that existed 100 years ago,” Ethan Hughes said.

On a humid August morning, Calmus huddles around a faded picnic table in the heart of a farm in Belfast, Maine, sipping a rare varietal of coffee and thinking, like himself, that he’s wary of climate change. I noticed people there.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

China to Begin Ultra-Deep Hole Drilling in 2023 for Oil Exploration

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

May 2023, Shendi Take 1 drilling site in Xinjiang, China

Xinhua/Shutterstock

This year, China National Petroleum Corporation began drilling what will be China’s deepest hole and one of the deepest in the world in the northwestern province of Xinjiang.

Ann announcement In May, China’s state news agency Xinhua said the project would drill more than 11,000 meters into billion-year-old geological formations in the remote Taklamakan Desert, calling it an “unprecedented opportunity to study regions deep beneath the earth’s surface.” It was reported.

The continuation of the project…

Source: www.newscientist.com

The Role of Worms in Unraveling One of Science’s Greatest Mysteries: Challenging Established Models

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Using the nematode C. elegans, scientists have made significant headway in understanding brain function. New insights into neural communication are provided by research that uses optogenetics and connectomics to challenge traditional models and deepen the understanding of complex neural networks. The transmission of information between neurons is currently being investigated, raising the question of whether we truly understand how the brain works.

There have been great strides in understanding the complex workings of the brain in recent decades, providing extensive knowledge about cellular neurobiology and neural networks. However, many important questions are still unanswered, leaving the brain as a profound and intriguing mystery. A team of neuroscientists and physicists at Princeton University has made groundbreaking strides in this field of research, particularly through their work with the C. elegans nematode. The study, recently published in Nature, is aimed at understanding how ensembles of neurons process information and generate behavior.

The C. elegans nematode is especially suitable for laboratory experimentation due to its simplicity and the fact that its brain wiring has been completely “mapped.” Furthermore, the worm’s transparency and light-sensitive tissues present the opportunity to use innovative techniques such as optogenetics. Through these techniques, the researchers were able to carefully observe and measure the flow of signals through the worm’s brain, gaining new insights that challenge established models of neural behavior.

The study provides a comprehensive explanation of how signals flow through the C. elegans brain and challenges established mathematical models derived from connectome maps. The researchers found that many of their empirical observations contradicted the predictions based on these models, leading them to identify “invisible molecular details” and “radio signals” as important components of neural behavior. Ultimately, this work aims to develop better models for understanding the complexity of the brain as a system.

The research was supported primarily by a National Institutes of Health Newcomer Award, a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, and the Simons Foundation. These findings have broad implications, particularly for understanding biological processes and developing new technologies.

Source: scitechdaily.com

New, Mysterious Species of Moth Discovered in Europe by Scientists

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Myrrhatia arcuata, a newly discovered moth species in Europe reveals gaps in our knowledge about European Lepidoptera. Its unique characteristics and the mysteries surrounding its habitat and adaptations highlight the need for continued research in this field. Above is an adult male Myrrhatia arcuata. Credit: Hausmann et al.

The order Lepidoptera, which consists of butterflies and moths, is known to number approximately 11,000 individuals.
seed and is considered well researched. However, the discovery of new genera and species in the Geometrid family suggests there is still much to learn. The results of this study were recently published in the journal Zookey. What is the name of the moth? Myrrhatia arcuata The discovery, by a team of researchers from Germany, Austria, and the United Kingdom, is one of the most remarkable discoveries in Lepidoptera in recent decades.

UFOs from decades ago

…

Source: scitechdaily.com

New Strategy Revealed by Scientists to Combat Antibiotic Resistance

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Document

The urgent crisis of antibiotic-resistant superbugs is being solved in groundbreaking research by the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Microbiotics. Their research focuses on disrupting the pathogen’s type 3 secretion system, providing a new approach to preventing infectious diseases. This strategy, supported by innovative luciferase-based technology, could pave the way for new drugs, improve our understanding of microbial infections, and lead to major advances in public health. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

The team is developing tests to identify new drugs that neutralize pathogens and provide substantial benefits to public health.

Antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” could overwhelm efforts to eradicate “superbugs” are an imminent public health crisis, with more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occurring each year, according to the CDC disease is occurring. Researchers around the world are struggling to address this challenge.

Recently, a collaborative team of researchers led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst and including scientists from biopharmaceutical companies microbiologypublished in a magazine ACS infection They said they have successfully learned how to interfere with a key mechanism used by pathogens to infect host cells, called the type 3 secretion system. Additionally, the researchers report that they have developed a test to identify the next generation of drugs that target this vulnerable cellular machinery and have real benefits for public health.

A typical strategy when treating microbial infections is to attack the pathogen with antibiotics, which work by entering and killing harmful cells. This is not as easy as it sounds. New antibiotics need to be water-soluble so they can easily pass through the bloodstream, and oil-based to cross the cell membranes that are the first line of defense of pathogenic cells. Of course, water and oil don’t mix. It is difficult to design a drug that has enough of both properties to be effective.

The type 3 secretion system relies on two proteins, PopB and PopD (red and blue), which form tunnels in the host cell wall.

That’s not the only problem. Antibiotics can’t cause any harm because pathogenic cells have developed something called an “efflux pump” that can recognize them and safely pump them out of the cell. If an antibiotic cannot overcome the efflux pumps and kills the cell, the pathogen will “remember” what that particular antibiotic is and create additional efflux pumps to deal with it efficiently. Develop. This means that they become resistant to that particular antibiotic.

One way forward is to find new antibiotics or combinations of them to stay one step ahead of superbugs.

“Or you could change your strategy,” says Alejandro Heuch, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and lead author of the paper. “I am a chemist and have always been interested in understanding how chemical molecules interact with living organisms. In particular, I understand the communication between pathogens and the host cells they try to invade. We have focused our research on molecules that make this possible. If we don’t try to kill the pathogen, there’s no chance that the pathogen will develop resistance. We’re just jamming that machine. The pathogen is still alive. It’s just ineffective, and the host has no chance of developing resistance. You have time to use your natural defenses to eliminate the pathogen.”

Heuck and his colleagues are particularly interested in a communication system called the type 3 secretion system, which so far is thought to be an evolutionary adaptation unique to pathogenic microorganisms. Understanding host-pathogen interactions.

Like pathogenic cells, host cells have thick and impermeable cell walls. To overcome these, pathogens first developed syringe-like machines that secreted two proteins known as PopD and PopB. Neither PopD nor PopB can break through the cell wall on their own, but together the two proteins can create a “translocon,” the equivalent of a tunnel through the cell membrane. Once the tunnel is established, the pathogenic cell can inject other proteins that serve to infect the host. This entire process is called the type 3 secretion system, and it cannot function without both PopB and PopD. “If you don’t try to kill the pathogen, there’s no chance of it developing resistance,” Huke says. We’re just jamming that machine. The pathogen is still alive. It’s just ineffective, and the host needs time to use its natural defenses to eliminate the pathogen.

Heuck and his colleagues realized that a type of enzyme called luciferase (similar to what makes lightning bugs glow at night) could be used as a tracer. They split the enzyme into two halves. Half of it was integrated into the PopD/PopB protein and the other half was integrated into the host cell.These engineered proteins and hosts can receive a large influx of different compounds. If the host cell suddenly glows, it means that PopD/PopB has broken through the cell wall and recombined her two halves of luciferase, causing it to glow. But what if the cells remain dark? “Then we can see which molecules disrupt the translocon,” Huke says.

Huke was quick to point out that his team’s research not only has obvious applications in the pharmaceutical and public health worlds, but also advances our understanding of exactly how microbes infect healthy cells. “We wanted to study how pathogens work, and suddenly we realized that our discoveries could help solve public health problems,” he said.

Reference: “Cell-based assay to determine translocon assembly of the type 3 secretion system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa using split luciferase” by Hanling Guo, Emily J. Geddes, Timothy J. Opperman and Alejandro P. Heuck , November 18, 2023 ACS infection.DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00482

This research was supported by the Massachusetts Amherst Applied Life Sciences Institute, a Healey Foundation grant, and National Institutes of Health.

Source: scitechdaily.com

A new frog species with tiny fangs found in Indonesia

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Biologists have discovered a new species of land-nesting tree frog Limnonectes Lives in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Adult body size is the smallest of all species. Limnonectes Island Frog – Maximum nostril length is approximately 3 cm (1.2 inches).

Limnonectes phylofolia.Image credit: Frederick other., doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292598.

Limnonectes is a large genus of the fork-tongued frog family Dicroglossaceae.

This genus includes more than 75 scientifically recognized species. They are collectively known as fanged frogs because they tend to have unusually large teeth that are small or absent in other frogs.

They use their fangs to compete with each other for territory and mates, and sometimes hunt hard-shelled prey such as giant centipedes and crabs.

Limnonectes The species is distributed from India through China, Indochina, Thailand and the Malaysian Peninsula, to the Sunda Shelf landmass (Borneo, Sumatra, Java), the Marx Islands, the Lesser Sunda Islands, parts of western New Guinea, and the Philippines. .

Larger species prefer fast-flowing rivers, while smaller species live in fallen leaves or on riverbanks.

‘The reproductive biology of the yellow-throated frog is surprisingly complex,’ say researchers at the Field Museum of Natural History. Jeffrey Frederick and his colleagues.

“For example, the two Malay races Limnonectes hasianus and Limnonectes limborgii, together with larval ontogeny, demonstrate protection of terrestrial eggs by males. The larvae hatch as free-living tadpoles, but remain in a nest guarded by the male and survive solely on nutrition from the yolk sac. ”

“Four types of Limnonectes From Borneo, Limnonectes coulis, Limnonectes bruti, Limnonectes Ibanorumand Limnonectes ingeri They are “voiceless” and lack a vocal sac for advertising calls. ”

The name of the newly described species is Limnonectes phylofolialives on the island of Sulawesi, a rugged mountainous island that forms part of Indonesia.

“Sulawesi is a huge island with vast mountain ranges, volcanoes, lowland rainforests and mountain cloud forests,” Dr Frederick said.

“The existence of all these different habitats means that the scale of the biodiversity of many plants and animals we discover there is unrealistic, comparable to places like the Amazon.”

“Limnonectes phylofolia “It is small compared to other fanged frogs on the island where it has been found, about a quarter of the size,” he added.

“Many frogs in this genus are huge, weighing up to 2 pounds. This new species weighs, to put it simply, about the same as a dime.”

To the surprise of the research team, Limnonectes phylofolia All individuals caring for eggs were male.

“Male frogs guard one or more eggs garnished with leaves or moss-covered rocks 1 to 2 meters above slow-moving streams, rivulets, or leachate,” the researchers said. said.

“Such behavior is not completely unknown in all frogs, but it is rather rare.”

They hypothesize that the frog’s abnormal reproductive behavior may also be related to smaller-than-normal fangs.

“Some members of the frog family have larger tusks, which help them avoid competition for places to lay their eggs in the water along rivers,” the researchers said.

“Because these frogs have evolved a way to lay their eggs away from the water, they may have lost the need for such large, impressive fangs.”

“It is interesting that with each subsequent expedition to Sulawesi, new and diverse modes of reproduction are discovered,” concluded Dr. Frederick.

“Our findings also highlight the importance of protecting these very special tropical habitats.”

“Most of the animals that live in places like Sulawesi are very unique, and habitat destruction has always been a pressing conservation issue in order to preserve the great diversity of species found there. Masu.”

“Learning about animals like these frogs, which are found nowhere else on Earth, can help advocate for protecting these precious ecosystems.”

discovery of Limnonectes phylofolia is reported in paper in diary PLoS ONE.

_____

JH Frederick other. 2023. A new species of land-nesting tusked frog (Dicroglossidae) from Sulawesi, Indonesia. PLoS ONE 18 (12): e0292598; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292598

Source: www.sci.news

The Chicken Nebula’s Best Image Ever Captured by OmegaCAM

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

astronomer using omega cam meter is on ESO’s VLT Survey Telescope (VST) captured 1.5 billion pixel image A vast stellar nursery called the Running Chicken Nebula.

The Running Chicken Nebula is made up of several clouds, all of which can be seen in this OmegaCAM/VST image. Image credit: ESO / VPHAS+ Team / CASU.

of running chicken nebulaThe star, also known as IC 2944, is located in the constellation Centaurus, about 6,500 light-years from Earth.

ESO astronomers said in a statement: “The Running Chicken Nebula is actually made up of several regions, all of which can be seen in this vast image, spanning an area of the sky roughly the size of 25 full moons. ” he said.

“The brightest region in the nebula is IC 2948There, some people see the chicken’s head, and others see the butt. ”

“The wispy pastel outlines are fantastic plumes of gas and dust.”

“IC 2944 is characterized by a bright, vertical, almost column-like structure toward the center of the image.”

“The brightest glow in this particular area is lambda centauri, a star visible to the naked eye that is much closer to us than the nebula itself. ”

But IC 2948 and IC 2944 themselves are full of young stars. And while they may be bright, they are definitely not cheerful.

“They cut through their environment in the same way as chickens, exhaling enormous amounts of radiation,” the astronomers said.

“Some regions of the nebula, known as the Bok globules, can withstand the intense assault of ultraviolet radiation that spreads through this region.”

“If you zoom in on the image, you may see small, dark, dense pockets of dust and gas scattered throughout the nebula.”

“Other areas depicted here include: gum 39 and gum 40, there is gum 41 in the bottom right. ”

“Besides the nebula, there are countless orange, white, and blue stars in the sky, like fireworks.”

“Overall, this image is a wonder that cannot be explained. It’s a feast for the eyes as you zoom in and pan around.”

“This image is a large mosaic made of hundreds of individual frames carefully stitched together.”

“Individual images were taken through filters that let different colors of light through and combined into the final result presented here.”

“The data used to create this mosaic was acquired as part of the VST Photometric Hα Survey of the Southern Galactic Plane and Bulge (VPHAS+), a project aimed at better understanding the life cycle of stars. .”

Source: www.sci.news

New Study Finds Human Insulin is Less Sensitive to Temperature Than Previously Believed

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

A Cochrane review has shown that certain types of insulin can remain effective when stored at room temperature for several months, offering a practical solution for diabetes treatment in areas without stable refrigeration. This finding is particularly crucial for people with diabetes in low- and middle-income countries, as well as those affected by conflict, natural disasters, and environmental challenges.

Insulin storage options have been highlighted in the review, which summarizes the results of various studies investigating the effects of storing insulin outside the refrigerator. It was found that unopened vials and cartridges of certain types of human insulin can be stored for extended periods at temperatures up to 25°C and 37°C without any clinical consequences or loss of insulin activity. This has significant implications for people living in areas where access to refrigeration is limited.

Dr. Bernd Richter led a research team that conducted a comprehensive study on insulin stability under different storage conditions. The review analyzed 17 studies and found consistent insulin efficacy at temperatures ranging from 4°C to 37°C, providing reassurance that alternatives to powered cooling of insulin are possible without compromising its stability.

The study also identified areas for future research, such as better understanding the efficacy of insulin after storage under different conditions, studies of mixed insulin, effects of movement on insulin pumps, contamination of opened vials and cartridges, and cold environmental conditions.

The study was funded by the World Health Organization.

Source: scitechdaily.com

‘Saturn’s Rings Revealed: Hubble Space Telescope Discovers Intriguing ‘Spokes’ within’

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Saturn, a gas giant, is known for its iconic ring system. But its B ring may have spots or streaks of denser or brighter material known as spokes, which may be related to the dust’s interaction with the planet’s magnetic field. A new image of Saturn taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope on October 22, 2023 reveals the spokes of its rings.

This Hubble image shows Saturn, its bright white rings, and its three moons: Mimas, Dione, and Enceladus. Features on the left and right spokes of the ring appear as faint gray smudges against the ring’s bright background, approximately halfway from the planet to the ring’s outer edge. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / STScI / Amy Simon, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Saturn’s spokes (so named because they resemble bicycle spokes) are temporary features that rotate with the rings.

Their ghostly appearance only lasts for two or three revolutions around the giant planet.

During the active period, newly formed spokes continually add to the pattern.

ring spokes first photographed by NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1981.

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft also discovered Spoke during its 13-year mission that ended in 2017.

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

Hubble’s clear images show that the frequency of the spokes’ appearance is seasonal, and they appeared in the OPAL data for the first time in 2021, but only on the morning side of the ring.

Long-term monitoring has shown that both the number and contrast of spokes change with Saturn’s seasons.

“We’re heading towards the Saturn equinox, when the spoke activity is expected to be at its peak, and we’re going to have a lot of activity in the coming months,” said Dr. Amy Simon, an astronomer at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and chief scientist at the space flight center. “Over the years we will see higher frequencies and darker spokes.” opal program.

“This year, these ephemeral structures will appear on both sides of the Earth simultaneously, rotating around the giant world.”

“Although it appears small compared to Saturn, its length and width could extend beyond the diameter of Earth.”

“The leading theory is that the spokes are connected to Saturn’s strong magnetic field, and that the sun has some kind of interaction with that field that creates the spokes.”

“As we approach Saturn’s vernal equinox, Saturn and its rings tilt less away from the Sun.”

“In this configuration, the solar wind could hit Saturn’s massive magnetic field even harder, promoting spoke formation.”

“Planetary scientists believe that the electrostatic forces generated by this interaction cause the dust and ice to float above the ring, forming the spokes, but even after decades, no theory has been able to fully predict the formation of the spokes. I won’t.”

“Continuing Hubble observations may ultimately help solve the mystery.”

Source: www.sci.news

Astrophysicist from Princeton solves the enigma of black hole jets and galactic ‘lightsabers’

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Princeton researchers have found that the M87* black hole emits energy outward, contributing to the formation of a giant jet. This discovery challenges traditional views about black holes and may be further tested with advanced telescopes. This new understanding opens up new avenues in comprehending black hole dynamics, though the source of the jet’s power is not definitively explained. This research was conducted with the support of the Princeton Gravity Initiative, a Taplin Fellowship, the National Science Foundation (grant 2307888), and a Simons Foundation Investigator Award.

The findings were published in the Astrophysical Journal on November 14, 2023. The research was spearheaded by Princeton astrophysicists including Andrew Chael, Alexandru Lupsasca, George N. Wong, and Eliot Quataert. With origins in Einstein’s theory of relativity, the researchers made intricate observations involving the black hole and its magnetic field to decipher the direction of energy flow. The researchers found that energy near the event horizon of black hole M87* is pushing outward rather than inward. They also verified the prediction that black holes lose rotational energy.

The researchers have concluded that while it is very likely that the black hole is powering the jet, it cannot be proven conclusively. Furthermore, the team has not conclusively shown that the black hole’s rotation “really powers the extragalactic jet.” Though the energy levels shown in their model were consistent with what a jet would require, they could not rule out the possibility that the jet could be powered by spinning plasma outside the black hole. Nevertheless, it is expected that the next generationEvent Horizon Telescope will further explore and confirm these findings.

The research team was also awarded the 2024 New Horizons Prize in Physics from the Breakthrough Prize Foundation for their black hole research. The research was also supported by a Taplin Fellowship, the National Science Foundation, a Simons Foundation Investigator Award as well as by the Princeton Gravity Initiative.

Source: scitechdaily.com

The Changing Diet of Animals over Time

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Researchers used tools from geology and genetics to find evidence of changes in how the first organisms ate, based on molecular fossils and traces of organic matter in rocks from billions of years ago. is made clear. Modern annelids, like earthworms and this bearded fireworm, retain genes that make certain lipids that most animals have lost.

Paleontologists led by David Gold are uncovering the evolution of early life through chemical signatures in ancient rocks and genetic studies. They found that changes in sterol lipids in the rocks corresponded with significant changes in animal diets and increases in algae, shedding light on life more than a billion years ago.

Paleontologists are gaining glimpses of life over the past billion years based on chemical signatures in ancient rocks and the genetics of living animals. Research results announced on December 1st nature communications Combining geology and genetics, it shows how changes in the early Earth prompted changes in the way animals ate.

Molecular paleontology: bridging geology and biology

David Gold, an associate professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California, Davis, works in the new field of molecular paleontology, which uses tools from both geology and biology to study the evolution of life. . A new technique allows researchers to recover chemical signatures of life from ancient rocks where animal fossils are rare.

Lipids in particular can survive in rocks for hundreds of millions of years. Trace amounts of sterol lipids derived from cell membranes have been found in rocks dating back 1.6 billion years. Most animals now use cholesterol, a 27-carbon (C27) sterol, in their cell membranes. In contrast, fungi typically use C28 sterols, and plants and green algae produce C29 sterols. C28 and C29 sterols are also known as phytosterols.

Tracking the evolution of life through chemical markers

C27 sterols have been found in rocks that are 850 million years old, and traces of C28 and C29 appear about 200 million years later. This is thought to reflect the increased diversity of life at this time and the evolution of the first fungi and green algae.

Without actual fossils, it’s difficult to say much about the animals and plants these sterols come from. However, genetic analysis by Gold and colleagues has shed some light.

Don’t make it, eat it

Most animals cannot make phytosterols themselves, but they can obtain them by eating plants and fungi. Recently, annelids (a group that includes segmented worms and common earthworms) smt, required to make long-chain sterols.by seeing smt Gold and colleagues used the genes of different animals to create family trees. smt first within annelids and then across animals in general.

They discovered that this gene originated long before the evolution of the first animals and then underwent rapid changes around the same time that phytosterols appeared in the rock record. After that, most animal lineages smt gene.

“Our interpretation is that these phytosterol molecular fossils document an algae outbreak in the ancient oceans, when animals had easy access to phytosterols from this increasingly abundant food source. “We think they may have abandoned production of phytosterols,” Gold said. “If we are right, the history smt Genes record changes in animals’ feeding strategies early in evolution. ”

Reference: “A common origin of sterol biosynthesis suggests changes in feeding strategies in Neoproterozoic animals” T. Brunoir, C. Mulligan, A. Sistiaga, KM Vuu, PM Shih, SS O’Reilly, RE Summons, DA Gold, November 31, 2023; nature communications.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43545-z

The co-authors of this paper are: hers Tessa Brunoir and Chris Mulligan of the University of California, Davis; Ainara Sistiaga, University of Copenhagen. KM Vuu and Patrick Shih, Joint BioEnergy Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Shane O’Reilly, Atlantic Institute of Technology, Sligo, Ireland. Roger Sammons, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This research was supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Chitin may have an anti-obesity impact, according to new research

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

A recent study reveals that ingesting chitin, found in insect exoskeletons, activates the immune system in mice and reduces weight gain, potentially as an addition to the diet to fight obesity.

Research conducted in mice suggests that engaging certain types of fiber with the immune system may help prevent obesity.

Who can forget the stomach-churning moment when contestants on “Survivor” ate crunchy insects and other unpalatable foods for a chance to win $1 million? The TV show featured contestants demonstrating their gastronomic courage by trying their hand at cooking, leaving viewers feeling uncomfortable.

Digestion in a crunchy creature begins with the sound of its hard protective covering, the exoskeleton. It may be unpalatable, but hardcovers may be good for your metabolism, according to a new study in mice from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Immune system activation and dietary fiber

Researchers led by Dr. Stephen Van Dyken, assistant professor of pathology and immunology, have discovered that the immune system is involved in digesting chitin, a dietary fiber found abundantly in insect exoskeletons, mushrooms, and crustacean shells. A vigorous immune response was associated with less weight gain, less body fat, and resistance to obesity.

“Obesity is an epidemic,” Van Dyken said. “What we put into our bodies has a huge impact on our physiology and how we metabolize food. Based on this, we are researching ways to combat obesity.”

This study was recently published in the journal science.

The immune system is well known for protecting the body from a variety of threats such as bacteria, viruses, allergens, and even cancer. Researchers have discovered that specific departments of the immune system are also involved in chitin digestion. Stomach distension after chitin ingestion activates the immune response, causing gastric cells to increase production of enzymes known as chitinases, which break down chitin. Notably, chitin is insoluble and cannot be dissolved in liquids, so enzymes and harsh acidic conditions are required for digestion.

Research methods and findings

Dr. Do-hyun Kim, a postdoctoral fellow and lead author of the study, conducted experiments on germ-free mice lacking gut bacteria. His results show that chitin activates the immune response in the absence of bacteria.

“We believe that chitin digestion relies primarily on the host’s own chitinases,” van Dijken said. “The cells of the stomach change their enzyme output through a process called adaptation. However, bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract are also a source of chitinase, which breaks down chitin, so it is unlikely that this process is occurring without microbial input. Dr. van Dijken noted that in mice with gut bacteria, dietary chitin altered the bacterial composition of the lower gastrointestinal tract, suggesting that after the gut bacteria left the stomach, This also suggests that they can also adapt to chitin-containing foods.

The researchers found that chitin, which activates the immune system but is not digested, had the greatest effect on obesity in mice. Mice fed a high-fat diet were also given chitin. Some mice lacked the ability to produce chitinase, which breaks down chitin. Mice that ate but were unable to break down chitin gained the least weight, had the lowest body fat measurements, and were resistant to obesity compared to mice that did not eat chitin or mice that ate chitin but were able to break it down. did.

Although mice could still break down chitin, which would give them a metabolic advantage, they adapted by overproducing chitinases to extract nutrients from chitin.

Van Dijken and his team will next follow up on the results of the human study to determine whether chitin can be added to the human diet to help control obesity.

“There are several ways to inhibit gastric chitinases,” he says. “Combining these approaches with chitin-containing foods could have enormous metabolic benefits.”

Reference: “The gastric type 2 immune circuit controls mammalian adaptation to dietary chitin” Do-Hyun Kim, Yilin Wang, Haerin Jung, Rachael L. Field, Xinya Zhang, Ta-Chiang Liu, Changqing Ma, James Written by S. Fraser, Jonathan R. Brestoff and Stephen J. Van Dyken, September 7, 2023. science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.add5649

This study was supported by the Children’s Discovery Institute, Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation, Rheumatic Disease Research Resource Base Center, National Institutes of Healthand Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Immune cells exhibit greater independence than previously believed

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

New research reveals that immune cells can independently navigate complex environments by actively shaping chemical cues, a discovery with significant implications for understanding immune responses and cancer metastasis. have.

Immune cells exhibit a higher level of self-directed mobility than previously appreciated. InFLAMES researcher Jonah Alanko has shown that these cells are more than just passive reactors to surrounding chemical signals. Instead, they actively modify these signals and skillfully navigate complex environments through self-organization.

Directional cell movement is an essential and fundamental phenomenon of life. This is an important prerequisite for personal development, vascular remodeling, immune response, etc.

The research conducted by postdoctoral researcher Jonah Alanko focused on the migration and navigation of immune cells within the body. Chemokines, a type of signaling protein, play an important role in directing immune cells to specific locations. Chemokines, for example, form in lymph nodes and create chemical cues called chemokine gradients that cells in the body follow. According to Alanko, these chemokine gradients are like scent trails left in the air, getting brighter as you move away from their source.

The traditional idea was that immune cells recognize targets according to pre-existing chemokine gradients. In other words, cells that follow these cues have been viewed as passive actors, when in fact they are not.

Dendritic cells move through a microscopic maze with the help of chemokine gradients they create. In the upper image, the nucleus of the cell is drawn in blue, and the lines in the lower image represent the movement of the cell.Credit: Jonna Alanko, University of Turku

“Contrary to previous notions, we were able to demonstrate for the first time that immune cells do not need pre-existing chemokine gradients to find their way. They can create their own gradients, making complex We can move collectively and efficiently even in difficult environments,” Alanko explains.

cells consume chemokines

Immune cells have receptors that can sense chemokine signals. One of these receptors is called CCR7 and is present on dendritic cells.

Dendritic cells are specialized antigen-presenting cells that have a critical role in activating the overall immune response. We need to find the infection, recognize it, and then move to the lymph nodes with that information. In lymph nodes, dendritic cells interact with other cells of the immune system to mount an immune response against pathogens.

Alanko’s research showed that dendritic cells not only register chemokine signals at the CCR7 receptor, but also actively shape their chemical environment by consuming chemokines. The cells thereby create local gradients that guide their own movement and that of other immune cells. The researchers also discovered that another type of immune cell, her T cells, can benefit from these self-generated gradients to enhance their own directional movement.

“When immune cells are able to create chemokine gradients, they can guide the directional movement of themselves and other immune cells to avoid future obstacles in complex environments,” explains Jonah Alanko. do.

This discovery deepens our understanding of how immune responses are regulated in the body. But it can also reveal how cancer cells direct their movement to cause metastasis.

“The CCR7 receptor has also been found in many types of cancer, and in these cases this receptor has been shown to promote cancer metastasis. Cancer cells use the same mechanisms as immune cells to It may even guide its movement. Our findings therefore have the potential to help design new strategies not only to target specific cancers but also to modify immune responses. ,” said Jonah Alanco.

Reference: “CCR7 acts as both a sensor and a sink for CCL19 to coordinate collective migration of leukocytes” Jonna Alanko, Mehmet Can Uçar, Nikola Canigova, Julian Stopp, Jan Schwarz, Jack Merrin, Edouard Hannezo, Michael Sixt, September 1, 2023; scientific immunology.
DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adc9584

Jonna Alanko is a postdoctoral researcher at the InFLAMES Flagship in the MediCity laboratory at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Finland. She carried out most of her recently published research in a research group led by Professor Michael Sixt at the Austrian Institute for Science and Technology (ISTA) in Austria.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Incredible flow of natural gas beneath permafrost

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Scientists have discovered that methane trapped beneath Svalbard’s permafrost could escape and put it at risk of a warming cycle. Frequent methane accumulations found in well exploration highlight the potential for increased global warming as permafrost thaws. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

Scientists say large amounts of methane may be trapped beneath the permafrost and could escape if it thaws.

Research in Svalbard has shown that methane is moving beneath the permafrost. Lowland regions have ice-rich permafrost, which acts as an effective gas seal, while highland regions with less ice appear to be more permeable. If permafrost thaws too much, greenhouse gas emissions could leak and temperatures could rise further.

Millions of cubic meters of methane are trapped beneath Svalbard’s permafrost. And scientists now know that methane can escape by moving beneath the cold seal of permafrost. A large-scale escape could create a warming cycle that would cause methane emissions to skyrocket. Global warming will thaw permafrost, releasing more gases; warming will thaw more permafrost, releasing more gases. These mobile methane deposits may exist elsewhere in the Arctic, as Svalbard’s geological and glacial history is very similar to other parts of the Arctic region.

“Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Thomas Birshall of the Svalbard University Center. Frontiers of Earth Science. “Although leakage from beneath the permafrost is currently very low, factors such as retreating glaciers and thawing of the permafrost could ‘uncover’ the problem in the future.”

Refrigerated

Permafrost, ground that remains below freezing Celsius It has been prevalent in Svalbard for over two years. However, it is not uniform or continuous. The western part of Svalbard is warmer due to ocean currents, so the permafrost can be thinner and more patchy. Permafrost in highlands is drier and more permeable, whereas permafrost in lowlands is saturated with ice. The rocks below are often a source of fossil fuels and emit methane, which is locked away by permafrost. However, even where permafrost exists continuously, gas can escape depending on the geographical features.

The bottom of permafrost is difficult to study because it is inaccessible. But over the years, many wells have been sunk into permafrost by companies looking for fossil fuels. Researchers used historical data from commercial and research wells to map permafrost across Svalbard and identify permafrost gas accumulations.

“My boss, Kim, and I looked at a lot of historical well data in Svalbard,” Birchall said. “Kim noticed one recurring theme, and that was the accumulation of gas at the bottom of the permafrost.”

Discover methane accumulation

Initial temperature measurements are often compromised by heating the drilling mud to prevent freezing of the wellbore. But by observing trends in temperature measurements and monitoring boreholes over time, scientists were able to identify permafrost. They also looked at ice formation within the wellbore, changes in drill chips produced during drilling of the wellbore, and changes in background gas measurements.

Well monitors confirmed the flow of gas into the wellbore, indicating that gas was accumulating beneath the permafrost, and abnormal pressure measurements indicated that the icy permafrost was acting as a seal. I did. In other cases, the permafrost and underlying geology are suitable for trapping gas, and even if the rock is a known source of hydrocarbons, it may not be present and the gas produced This suggests that they were already on the move.

Unexpectedly frequent discoveries

Scientists stressed that gas buildup is much more common than expected. Of his 18 hydrocarbon exploration wells drilled in Svalbard, eight showed evidence of permafrost, and half of them showed gas accumulation.

“All wells that encounter gas accumulation have done so by chance. In contrast, hydrocarbon exploration wells that specifically target accumulation in more typical environments have a success rate of well over 50%. It was below,” Birchall said. “This seems to be a common occurrence. One anecdotal example comes from a recently drilled well near the airport in Longyearbyen.Drillers heard bubbling coming from the well. So I decided to take a look, equipped with a rudimentary alarm designed to detect explosive levels of methane. As soon as I held the alarm over the well, it went off.”

Impact on climate change

Experts have shown that the active layer of permafrost – the top 1-2 meters that thaws and refreezes seasonally – is expanding as the climate warms. However, little, if any, is known about how deeper permafrost is changing. Understanding this depends on understanding fluid flow beneath permafrost. As permanently frozen permafrost becomes thinner and more splotchy, this methane can move and escape more easily, accelerating global warming and potentially exacerbating the climate crisis.

References: “Natural gas trapped in permafrost in Svalbard, Norway” by Thomas Birchall, Marte Jochman, Peter Bethlem, Kim Senger, Andrew Hodson and Snorre Olaussen, October 30, 2023. Frontiers of Earth Science.
DOI: 10.3389/feart.2023.1277027

Source: scitechdaily.com

The process of how ancient stars produced elements unattainable by Earth

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Researchers have discovered that ancient stars can produce elements with atomic masses of more than 260, heavier than those found naturally on Earth. This discovery improves our understanding of element formation in stars, particularly through the rapid neutron capture processes (r-processes) that occur in neutron stars. . Credit: SciTechDaily.com

A new study reveals that ancient stars can produce elements heavier than Earth, with atomic masses of more than 260, advancing our understanding of cosmic element formation.

How much do elements weigh? An international team of researchers has found that ancient stars had the ability to produce elements with an atomic mass of more than 260, heavier than any element on the periodic table that occurs naturally on Earth. I discovered that. This discovery deepens our understanding of element formation in stars.

space element factory

We are literally made of star stuff. Stars are elemental factories, where elements are constantly merging or breaking down to create other lighter or heavier elements. When we refer to light or heavy elements, we are talking about their atomic mass. Roughly speaking, atomic mass is based on the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. atom of its elements.

The heaviest elements are only known to be produced in neutron stars by rapid neutron capture processes, or r processes. Imagine a single atomic nucleus floating in a soup of neutrons. Suddenly, a bunch of these neutrons attach themselves to the nucleus in a very short time (usually less than a second), causing a change from neutrons to protons inside, and voila! Heavy elements such as gold, platinum, and uranium are formed.

Instability of heavy elements

The heaviest elements are unstable or radioactive and decay over time. One way to do this is through a split called fission.

“If you want to make heavier elements, such as lead or bismuth, you need the R process,” says Ian Roederer, associate professor of physics. north carolina state university and lead author of the study. Mr. Roederer previously attended the University of Michigan.

“We need to add a lot of neutrons very quickly, and the problem is that we need a lot of energy and a lot of neutrons to do that,” Roederer says. “And the best place to find both is at the moment of a person’s birth or death. neutron staror when neutron stars collide and the raw materials for the process are produced.

“We have a general understanding of how the r process works, but the conditions of the process are very extreme,” Roederer says. “We don’t really know how many different sites in the universe generate r-processes, and we don’t know how r-processes end. We also don’t know how many neutrons there are Can you add more? Or how heavy can the elements be? So we looked at the elements produced by nuclear fission in well-studied old stars to find out how heavy these elements are. We decided to see if we could answer some of the questions.”

Identify previously unrecognized patterns

The research team newly investigated the abundance of heavy elements in 42 well-studied stars. milky way. These stars were known to contain heavy elements formed by the r process in earlier generations of stars. By looking more broadly at the amounts of each heavy element found in these stars, rather than individually, as is more common, they identified previously unrecognized patterns.

These patterns indicated that some elements listed near the middle of the periodic table, such as silver and rhodium, were likely remnants of nuclear fission of heavy elements. The research team was able to confirm that the r process can produce atoms with an atomic mass of at least 260 before fission.

“That 260 is interesting because, even in nuclear weapons tests, nothing that heavy has ever been detected in space or in nature on Earth,” Roederer said. “But observing them in space gives us guidance on how to think about models and fission. It also gives us insight into how the rich diversity of elements came about.” may be given.”

For more information on this research, see ‘Incredibly profound’ evidence for nuclear fission throughout the universe.’

Reference: “Elemental abundance patterns in stars show splitting of nuclei heavier than uranium” Ian U. Roederer, Nicole Vassh, Erika M. Holmbeck, Matthew R. Mumpower, Rebecca Surman, John J. Cowan, Timothy C. Beers, Rana Ezzeddine, Anna Froebel, Therese T. Hansen, Vinicius M. Placko, Charlie M. Sakari, December 7, 2023. science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.adf1341

The research was published in the journal Science and was supported in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Unlocking the Efficiency of Carbon Capture

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

In the proposed carbon capture method, above-ground magnesium oxide crystals combine with carbon dioxide molecules from the surrounding air, causing the formation of magnesium carbonate. The magnesium carbonate is then heated back to magnesium oxide, releasing carbon dioxide and burying it underground or sequestering it.Credit: Adam Malin/ORNL, U.S. Department of Energy

A study of magnesium oxide for carbon capture by Oak Ridge National Laboratory revealed that the rate of absorption slowed over time due to the formation of a surface layer, posing challenges to economic viability and future This will guide research focused on solutions.

Magnesium oxide is a promising material for capturing carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere and injecting it deep underground to limit the effects of climate change. However, for this method to be economical, we need to discover how quickly carbon dioxide is absorbed and how environmental conditions affect the chemical reactions involved.

Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) used samples of magnesium oxide crystals that had been exposed to the atmosphere for decades and those exposed for days to months to measure reaction rates. A set of magnesium oxide crystal samples were analyzed. They found that because a reactive layer forms on the surface of the magnesium oxide crystals, carbon dioxide is taken up more slowly over a longer period of time.

“This reaction layer is a complex mixture of different solids, limiting the ability of the carbon dioxide molecules to find fresh magnesium oxide to react with. To make this technology economical, we are currently , we are looking at ways to overcome this armor effect,” said ORNL’s Julian Weber, principal investigator on the project. Andrew Stack, an ORNL scientist and project team member, said: “If we can do that, this process could meet Earthshot’s carbon-negative energy goal of capturing gigaton levels of carbon dioxide from the air for less than $100 per metric ton of carbon dioxide.” ”

Most previous research aimed at understanding how quickly the chemical reaction between magnesium oxide and carbon dioxide occurs, relying on rough calculations rather than materials testing. The ORNL study marks the first time a decades-old test has been conducted to measure reaction rates over long periods of time. The researchers discovered the formation of a reactive layer using transmission electron microscopy at ORNL’s Center for Nanophase Materials Science (CNMS). This layer is composed of various complex crystalline and amorphous hydrate and carbonate phases.

“Additionally, by running computer simulations of reactive transport modeling, we found that as the reactive layer builds up, it becomes better able to block carbon dioxide from finding new magnesium oxide to react with,” ORNL researcher Vitaliy・Mr. Starchenko stated. “So in the future we’re looking at ways to circumvent this process and allow carbon dioxide to find new surfaces to react on.”

Computer simulations help scientists and engineers understand how reactive layers evolve and change the way materials move through them over time. Computer models enable predictions about how materials will react and move in natural and man-made systems, including materials science and geochemistry.

Reference: “Protection of MgO by a passivation layer prevents direct air capture of CO2” Juliane Weber, Vitalii Starchenko, Ke Yuan, Lawrence M. Anovitz, Anton V. Ievlev, Raymond R. Unocic, Albina Y. Borisevich, Matthew G. Bobinger and Andrew G. Stack, September 22, 2023 environmental science and technology.
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04690

The DOE Office of Science primarily supported this research. ORNL’s laboratory-directed research and development program supported time-of-flight (TOF), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and preliminary transmission electron microscopy (TEM). His TOF-SIMS and TEM characterization using atomic force microscopy was conducted as part of a user project at CNMS, a user facility of the DOE Science Office of Science at ORNL.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Unusual Yet Delicious: Creating a Memorable Christmas Dinner with Unique Flavors

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Guests enjoy turkey, peanut and chocolate main courses and test ‘flavor bridging’ theory

david stock

Some foods are made for each other. From the comforting combination of mozzarella, tomato, and marjoram on pizza to the enchanting trinity of ginger, garlic, and soy sauce that makes East Asian cuisine so natural, some combinations are so natural that you could live without them. It’s so hard to imagine. But for centuries, gourmets and scholars have been puzzled as to why some foods go together so well.

In 1992, with chef Heston Blumenthal. Francois Benge Let’s go to the laboratory to solve the mystery of this dish. They came up with the idea that foods that taste good together also share many volatile flavor compounds, chemicals that carry aromas that rise to the back of the nose and create flavor perception on the tongue. Their findings were validated in 2011 with the following study: Analyzed 56,498 recipes from various world cuisines.

Yongyeol Ang and his colleagues at Indiana University used that data to build a network model, a complex map that shows the relationships between all the ingredients in a recipe and the flavor compounds they share. This confirms that North American and Western European recipes tend to combine ingredients that share flavor components.

The “Flavor Pairing Theory” has revolutionized the world of cooking. food manufacturer Investing resources to apply that idea to a product, startup companies Leverage open source data on flavor compounds to predict the next big…

Source: www.newscientist.com

2023’s Most Captivating Robot Images: From Runways to Film Sets

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

See robot dogs perform alongside models at Paris Fashion Week

François Durand/Getty Images

While the majority of robots have remained in labs, there were indications that robots will be more commonplace in 2023. These images display some of the most attention-grabbing machines from the past year, illustrating the growing presence of technology in our daily lives.

Spot, the robotic dog, makes its appearance on the runway. Originally unveiled in 2016, Boston Dynamics’ Spot has become more prevalent in real-world settings since its commercial release in 2019. The New York City Police Department has even acquired two Spot robots to use in various scenarios. Additionally, Spot was witnessed removing jackets from models during a Paris Fashion Week show.

Joining actors and writers at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, the robot dog Gato partook in a demonstration against artificial intelligence. The SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strike highlighted concerns about the potential threat of advanced AI, ultimately leading to an agreement between the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

Adam, the robotic barista and bartender, was showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, exhibiting the growing automation in the food and beverage industry. While the prospect of automated food and beverage service looms, the closure of a San Francisco-based automated pizza truck company indicates that this shift is not inevitable.

At the World Robotics Conference in Beijing, humanoid robots displayed their emotional range, showcasing the advancements in technology that are narrowing the gap between humans and robots. Despite the existence of the “uncanny valley,” in which minor differences between humans and human-like robots can evoke uneasiness, there has been progress in refining details such as skin, facial expressions, and eyes.

The humanoid robot Amy, created as a visual artwork by Dutch artist Dries Verhoeven, represents the increasing prevalence of humanoid robots aimed at assisting individuals in coping with challenging realities. Though pharmacists may not have much to fear at the moment, the emergence of robots like Amy indicates a growing trend of humanoid robots being utilized to support those facing difficult circumstances.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Enhanced Energy Storage Capacity of Hybrid Supercapacitor Electrodes

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

A breakthrough in hybrid supercapacitors was achieved by increasing the active material in the electrodes by a new method involving β-Ni(OH)2 and NH4F. This innovation leads to more efficient energy storage and opens new possibilities for advanced energy systems. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

New research enhances hybrid supercapacitors by creating more efficient electrodes, marking a major advance in energy storage technology.

Like batteries, supercapacitors are a type of energy storage device. However, whereas batteries store energy electrochemically, supercapacitors store energy electrostatically by storing charge on the electrode surface.

Hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs) combine the advantages of both systems by incorporating battery-type electrodes and capacitor-type electrodes. Despite synthetic techniques that allow the active components of HSC electrodes to be grown directly on conductive substrates without the addition of binders (“self-supporting” electrodes), the proportion of active material in these electrodes remains subject to commercial requirements. remains too low.

Now, researchers have discovered a clever way to increase activity ratios and achieve dramatic improvements in key measures.

Schematic diagram of the device. Credit: Vinod Panwar and Pankaj Singh Chauhan

A breakthrough in supercapacitor electrode efficiency

“Hybrid supercapacitors integrate the advantages of high energy and power density, long cycle life, and safety, and are emerging as a promising frontier in electrochemical energy storage,” said the study’s lead author, a Chinese said Wei Guo, a scientist at Northwestern University of Science and Technology.

“In our paper, we propose a new mechanism to create a versatile two-dimensional superstructure family that overcomes the low active mass ratio of conventional free-standing electrodes.”

New methodology and findings

Here, the researchers studied β-Ni(OH)₂, a type of nickel hydroxide. Addition of NH₄F into the reaction solution replaces one hydroxide ion with a fluoride ion. The resulting Ni-F-OH plates were grown to a thickness of 700 nm and had a high mass loading (active mass per cm²) 29.8 mg cm^-2– Up to 72% of electrode mass.

Advanced Light Source (ALS) Many theoretical and An experimental analysis was performed. It is used to understand the mechanisms underlying the new morphology.

As a result, adding F gives us^– Ions tune the surface energy of the plates (a key factor in nanocrystal growth), while NH₄⁺ Ions consume excess local OH^–suppressing undesired β-Ni(OH)₂ reformation. Additionally, based on the same methodology, researchers can produce other bimetallic superstructures and their derivatives, emerging a versatile new family of metal-based hydroxides for new energy storage systems to meet future demands. showed signs of.

Reference: “New layered hydroxide plates of record thickness to enhance high mass-load energy storage” Wei Guo, Chaochao Dun, Matthew A. Marcus, Victor Venturi, Zack Gainsforth, Feipen Yang, Xuefei Feng, Venkatasubramanian Viswanathan, Jeffrey J. Urban, Chang Yu, Qiuyu Zhang, Jinghua Guo, Jieshan Qiu, February 18, 2023. advanced materials.
DOI: 10.1002/adma.202211603

Source: scitechdaily.com

Hubble’s Holiday Globe Reveals 1 Billion Stars, Says NASA

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

In this festive Hubble Space Telescope image from NASA and ESA (European Space Agency), the galaxy UGC 8091 resembles a sparkling snow globe filled with a billion stars. Credits: ESA/Hubble, NASA, ESA, Yumi Choi (NSF’s NOIRLab), Karoline Gilbert (STScI), Julianne Dalcanton (Center for Computational Astrophysics/Flatiron Institute, Washington)

Dwarf irregular galaxies are born and dazzling stars are born

Hubble’s colorful snapshots show that the universe always seems to be in the holiday spirit. The dwarf irregular galaxy UGC 8091 is a rich example. A dizzying interplay of matter and energy bubbles up to create a dazzling blue, newborn star that looks like a celebratory string of lights. They are encased in a glowing cocoon of hot pink hydrogen gas. A galaxy is a collection of about 1 billion stars. That sounds like a lot, but it’s one-hundredth of the number of stars in our adult bodies. milky way Galaxy.

This little galaxy came late to the party. The early universe was filled with dwarf galaxies, which eventually merged to form the magnificent spiral galaxies that surround us today. Seven million light-years away, UGC 8091 has only recently begun to display its glittering tapestry.

The Hubble Space Telescope is an iconic symbol of space exploration, launched into orbit in 1990. Hubble revolutionized astronomy by providing unprecedented clarity and deep views of the universe, far beyond the distortions of Earth’s atmosphere. Credit: NASA

Hubble Space Telescope presents a starry sky for Christmas

The billion stars of galaxy UGC 8091 resemble sparkling snow globes during this festival. hubble space telescope Images from NASA and ESA (European Space Agency).

The dwarf galaxy is located in the constellation Virgo, about 7 million light-years from Earth. It is considered an “irregular galaxy” because it does not have a regular spiral or elliptical appearance. Rather, the stars that make up this cluster look more like a tangle of bright string lights than a galaxy.

Some irregular galaxies are entangled due to tumultuous internal activity, while others are formed by interactions with neighboring galaxies. The result is a class of galaxies of varying size and shape, including those whose stars are diffuse and scattered.

A combination of 12 camera filters produced this image using light from the mid-ultraviolet to the red end of the visible spectrum. The red spots are likely interstellar hydrogen molecules, excited by the light from the hot, energetic star and glowing. The other sparkles you see in this image are old star combinations. A diverse array of distant galaxies appears in the background, captured by Hubble’s sharp field of view.

The data used in this image was taken by Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Survey Camera from 2006 to 2021.

Among other things, the observing program involved in this image sought to investigate the role that dwarf galaxies billions of years ago played in reheating hydrogen that had cooled after the universe expanded. big bang.

Astronomers are also studying the composition of dwarf galaxies and their stars to uncover evolutionary connections between these ancient galaxies and more modern galaxies like ours.

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

Source: scitechdaily.com

More than 100 genes that set humans apart

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Researchers at the University of Toronto have discovered more than 100 uniquely evolved genes in the human brain, providing insight into human cognitive abilities. This study, using single-cell analysis, contributes to the Human Cell Atlas and provides new perspectives on brain evolution and associated diseases.

The researchers discovered 139 genes that are common across primate groups, but whose expression differs greatly in the human brain.

An international team led by researchers at the University of Toronto has discovered more than 100 genes that are common in primate brains but whose evolutionary divergence only occurred in humans. These genes may be the source of our unique cognitive abilities.

Researchers led by Associate Professor Jesse Gillis from the Donnelly Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Research and the Department of Physiology at Temerty University School of Medicine found that genes are expressed differently in the human brain compared to four of our relatives, including the chimpanzee, gorilla, macaque, and marmoset.

The survey results are natural ecology and evolution, suggesting that reduced selective pressure, or resistance to loss-of-function mutations, may have enabled the gene to acquire higher levels of cognitive ability. This research is part of the Human Cell Atlas, a global effort to map every human cell to better understand health and disease.

Comparative study of primate brains

“This study not only contributes to our understanding of brain differences between humans and other primates at a cellular level, but also creates a database that can be used to further characterize genetic similarities and differences between primates. I did,” Gillis said.

A team including researchers from the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and the Allen Institute for Brain Science in the US created brain maps for each primate. seed It is based on single-cell analysis, a relatively new technology that allows for more specific gene sequencing than standard methods. They used the BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) dataset, which was created from samples taken from the middle temporal gyrus of the brain.

Insights into cognitive evolution

In total, the researchers discovered 139 genes that are common across primate groups but are expressed very differently in the human brain. These genes exhibit a strong ability to tolerate mutations without affecting function, suggesting that they may have evolved under more relaxed selective pressures.

“Genes that diverge within humans must endure change,” says Hamsini Suresh, lead author of the study and a researcher at the Donnelly Center. “This appears to be a resistance to loss-of-function mutations, enabling rapid evolutionary changes in the human brain.”

Our advanced cognitive functions may be the result of human brain cells adaptively evolving into a number of less threatening mutations over time. It is also noteworthy that about a quarter of the human divergent genes identified in this study are associated with various brain diseases.

Brain cell types and gene expression

The diverse genes the researchers identified are present in 57 types of brain cells, grouped by inhibitory neurons, excitatory neurons, and non-neurons. A quarter of the genes were differentially expressed only within nerve cells, also known as gray matter, and half were differentially expressed only within glial cells, which are white matter.

The gray matter of the brain is made up of neurons, while the white matter is made up of other types of cells, such as those responsible for blood vessel structures and immune function.

Expanding the human cell atlas

This research is part of BICCN’s efforts to identify and catalog the diverse cell types in the brains of humans and other species. In 2021, the consortium published in Nature a comprehensive survey of cell types in the primary motor cortex of mice, monkeys, and humans. This effort is to shed light on the evolution of the brain by studying neurotransmission and communication at the highest resolution.

Evolution and disease research

“There are approximately 570,000 cells in the Interprimate Single Cell Atlas of the Middle Temporal Gyrus,” Suresh said. “Defining a catalog of shared cell types in this region of the brain provides a framework for investigating the conservation and divergence of cellular architecture across primate evolution.” , we can study evolution and disease in a more targeted way.”

Reference: “Comparative analysis of single-cell transcriptomes in primate brains reveals human-specific regulatory evolution” Hamsini Suresh, Megan Crow, Nikolas Jorstad, Rebecca Hodge, Ed Lein, Alexander Dobin, Trygve Bakken , by Jesse Gillis, September 4, 2023, natural ecology and evolution.
DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02186-7

This research was supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health U.S. National Research Alliance on Schizophrenia and Depression.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Asteroids Found to Predate the Solar System, New Study Shows

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Astronomical observations have shown that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are abundant and widespread in the interstellar medium. A PAH molecule consists of several adjacent aromatic rings terminated with hydrogen. In the new study, scientists conducted laboratory isotope analysis of PAHs in samples of the asteroid Ryugu and meteorite Murchison collected by JAXA’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft. They argue that at least some of the Ryugu PAHs formed in cold interstellar clouds and therefore must be older than our solar system.

This image of asteroid Ryugu was taken on June 26, 2018 by the Telescopic Optical Navigation Camera (ONC-T) aboard JAXA’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft from a distance of 13.7 miles (22 km).Image provided by: JAXA / University of Tokyo / Kochi University / Rikkyo University / Nagoya University / Chiba Institute of Technology / Meiji University / University of Aizu / AIST

PAHs contain about 20% of the carbon in the interstellar medium.

These can be produced in the circumstellar environment (temperatures above 1000 K), in cold interstellar clouds (temperatures around 10 K), or by the processing of carbon-rich dust particles.

“PAHs are organic compounds composed of carbon and hydrogen that are common on Earth but also occur in celestial bodies such as asteroids and meteorites,” said study co-author and director of the Western Australian Center for Organic Isotope Geochemistry. said researcher Professor Kriti Grice. Curtin University.

“We conducted controlled combustion experiments on plants in Australia and found that PAHs found in debris from the asteroid Ryugu returned to Earth by a Japanese spacecraft in 2020, and comparable to the Murchison meteorite that landed in Australia in 1969. I compared them physically.”

“We analyzed the bonds between light and heavy carbon isotopes in PAHs to reveal the temperatures at which they form.”

“Selected PAHs from Ryugu and Murchison were found to have different characteristics, with smaller ones probably forming in cold outer space and larger ones probably forming in warmer regions such as near stars or inside celestial bodies. It is thought to have been formed in the environment.”

A model of the molecular structure of ribose and an image of the Murchison meteorite. Image credit: Yoshihiro Furukawa.

“Understanding the isotopic composition of PAHs can help elucidate the conditions and environments in which these molecules were formed, providing insight into the history and chemistry of astronomical objects such as asteroids and meteorites,” says the study. said Dr. Alex Holman, co-author and fellow Westerner. Australian Center for Organic and Isotopic Geochemistry at Curtin University.

“This research gives us valuable insight into how organic compounds form extraterrestrially and where in the universe they come from.”

“Through the use of high-tech methods and creative experiments, we show that select PAHs on asteroids can form even in cold space.”

of result Published in this week’s magazine science.

_____

Sarah S. Zeichner other. 2023. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Ryugu samples formed in the interstellar medium. science 382 (6677): 1411-1416; doi: 10.1126/science.adg6304

Source: www.sci.news

Innovative Solar-Powered Device Converts Contaminated Water into Clean Hydrogen Fuel and Purified Water

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Cambridge researchers have developed a solar power device that converts contaminated water into clean hydrogen fuel and potable water, providing a sustainable solution to the global energy and water crisis. Credit: Chanon Pornrungroj/Ariffin Mohamad Annuar

A research team from the University of Cambridge has developed an innovative floating device that uses solar energy to convert contaminated or seawater into clean hydrogen fuel and purified water.

The device can operate on any open water source and does not rely on external power sources, making it particularly beneficial for regions with limited resources or without access to the electrical grid.

Innovation inspired by nature

Inspired by photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert sunlight into food. But unlike previous versions of “artificial leaves” that could produce green hydrogen fuel from clean water sources, this new device can work from polluted or seawater sources and produce clean drinking water at the same time.

Tests of the device have shown that it can produce clean water from highly polluted water, seawater and even the River Cam in central Cambridge.of result reported in a magazine natural water.

Technical challenges and breakthroughs

“It’s difficult to combine solar fuel production and water purification into a single device,” said study co-lead author Dr Chanon Pornunglozi from the Yusuf Hameed Department of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge. “Solar-powered water splitting, where water molecules are split into hydrogen and oxygen, requires starting with completely pure water, as contaminants can poison the catalyst or cause unwanted chemical side reactions. .”

“Water splitting is extremely difficult in remote and developing regions, where clean water is relatively scarce and the infrastructure needed to purify water is not readily available,” said co-lead author Arifin. Mohammad Annua said. “If we have a device that works with contaminated water, we could potentially solve two problems at once: we could split water to make clean fuel and we could make clean drinking water.”

Researchers have developed a solar-powered floating device that can turn contaminated or seawater into clean hydrogen fuel or purified water anywhere in the world. Credit: Chanon Pornrungroj/Ariffin Mohamad Annuar

Pornunglozi and Mohammad Annua, members of Professor Irwin Reisner’s research group, have devised a design that does just that. They deposited a photocatalyst on a nanostructured carbon mesh that easily absorbs both light and heat, producing water vapor that the photocatalyst uses to produce hydrogen. The porous carbon mesh treated to repel water facilitated the levitation of the photocatalyst and served to keep it away from the water below so that pollutants would not interfere with the photocatalyst’s function.

Additionally, new devices use more solar energy. “The process of using light to produce solar fuels uses only a small portion of the solar spectrum; much of the spectrum remains unused,” said Mohammad Anuar.

The research team used a white UV-absorbing layer on top of the floating device for hydrogen production through water splitting. The rest of the solar spectrum travels to the bottom of the device, where the water evaporates.

“This way, we are making better use of light. We get steam for hydrogen production, and the rest is water vapor,” Pornunglozi said. “This way we can now incorporate the process of transpiration, so we can really mimic real leaves.”

Potential global impact

A device that can create clean fuel and clean water all at once using only solar power could help address the energy and water crisis facing many parts of the world. For example, according to the World Health Organization, indoor air pollution caused by cooking with “dirty” fuels such as kerosene is responsible for more than 3 million deaths a year. Cooking with green hydrogen instead could potentially reduce that number significantly. And around the world, he said, 1.8 billion people still don’t have safe drinking water at home.

“The design is also very simple. In just a few steps, you can build a device that works well with water from a variety of sources,” said Mohammad Anuar.

“It is very resistant to contaminants, and the floating design allows the substrate to work in very murky or muddy water,” Pornungloj said. “It’s a very versatile system.”

“While our device is still a proof of principle, these solutions will be needed to develop a truly circular economy and sustainable future,” said Reisner, who led the research. Stated. “The climate crisis and issues around pollution and health are closely linked, and developing approaches that help address both could be a game-changer for many people.”

References: “Hybrid photothermal-photocatalytic sheets for solar-powered whole water splitting coupled with water purification” by Chanon Pornrungroj, Ariffin Bin Mohamad Annuar, Qian Wang, Motiar Rahaman, Subhajit Bhattacharjee, Virgil Andrei, Erwin Reisner; November 13, 2023 natural water.
DOI: 10.1038/s44221-023-00139-9

This research was partially supported by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme, the European Research Council, the Cambridge Trust, the Petronas Educational Sponsorship Program and the Winton Program for the Physics of Sustainability. Erwin Reisner is a fellow at St. John’s College. Chanon Pornrungroj is a member of the University of Darwin and Ariffin Mohamad Annuar is a member of Clare University.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Newly Discovered Resting Behavior of Gray Reef Sharks Will Surprise You

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Considered to be a perpetually mobile predator, gray reef sharks have only ever been observed in motion, leading many to believe that they need to swim to breathe. Credit: © Christopher Leon

The first report of a gray shark resting under a reef shelf in the Seychelles changes our knowledge of how they breathe (they don’t need to keep swimming to stay alive), and the science of sleeping sharks. The basis for this has been clarified again.

A predator in perpetual motion. I can’t sleep in our ocean. If you have this impression of sharks, you’re not alone. There’s a good reason for that. Sharks have to swim to breathe (that’s what we were told). The science of shark sleep and breathing is related, and all sharks use gills for breathing, but he has two ways to move oxygen-rich seawater over the gills.

Some sharks, called obligatory rams, “ram” oxygen-rich seawater over their gills, which requires them to keep moving.other seedThey actively pump seawater over their gills while at rest, called buccal pumps.

Evidence of shark rest: A new perspective

Today’s science shows that sharks may be stationary, and there are also suggestions that sharks are asleep. However, there is no solid evidence regarding the sleep behavior of Ram ventilators. Scientists hypothesize that they may not be sleeping at all, sleeping using half their brains (like sperm whales and bottlenose dolphins), or sleeping against ocean currents. There is.

New paper “Just keep swimming? Observation of resting behavior of gray reef sharks Medicaginus Ambryrrhinchus (Bleeker, 1856),” published this month. Fish Biology Journal This overturns our knowledge of one mandatory ram ventilator. The gray shark is an endangered reef-dwelling shark of the family Ceridae, and was a typical representative of sharks that move for breathing.

First evidence of a gray reef shark resting under a reef shelf in the Seychelles. Credit: Photography by Craig Foster | © Save Our Seeds Foundation

“During a routine research dive around Daros, we discovered a gray shark resting under a reef shelf,” said the head of research at the Save Our Seas Daros Research Center (SOSF-DRC) in the Seychelles. Dr. Robert Block begins speaking. “This is not something we believed they were capable of. Gray sharks have been thought of as a ram-breathing species that cannot rest, so when we find these sharks resting, It turns our basic understanding of them upside down.”

Stationary sharks: a surprising discovery

Researchers encountered gray sharks resting alone or in groups at various locations around the Seychelles. And all the while, the sharks seemed oblivious to the observer’s presence. This is an important observation. Scientists believe that increased arousal threshold is a characteristic of sleep, not just rest.

The sharks remained stationary except for mandibular movements, suggesting that these ram-ventilating sharks switch to buccal pumping behavior. Since there is little current at the site and the shark rests facing on all sides, the idea that resting facing the current is the only way to do so is because there is little water for gray reef sharks.

Craig Foster, founder of the SeaChange project, is one of the divers and an author of the paper. “There’s something special about tiptoeing around 25 meters underwater, staring into the open eyes of a sleeping shark, and moving carefully so as not to wake the peaceful, beautiful shark.” he says.

Implications and future research

“I love anything that challenges our current thinking, and I’ve always thought the gray reef shark is a clear example of a species that needs to swim to breathe. Obviously with this discovery. Dr James Lea, CEO of the Save Our Seas Foundation, is enthusiastic about the implications of this paper. “This raises all sorts of other questions,” he says. “How are they coping? For how long? How often? We still have a lot to learn, and that’s very exciting to me.”

If gray reef sharks can switch up their breathing and rest, we may be able to learn more about similar sharks. “It’s important to understand how they use their environment and how it changes in response to changing environmental conditions,” explains Dr. Lee. “How important is this rest, or even the possibility of sleep, for sharks? And how will they be affected if they are unable to rest if conditions change, such as rising or falling oxygen levels due to climate change? Will I receive it?”

remind us of our connection to nature

The authors all agree that this discovery also tells us a lot about ourselves and our relationship with the natural world. “I hope these discoveries remind us how much we still don’t know and how interesting that is. Science can get quite a lot wrong. That’s a lot, and that’s okay,” Dr. Block recalled. Foster believes what we know about the wild is critical to conservation. “Knowing how our shark family sleeps brings us closer to their fascinating world, and awakens us from our own slumber to remind us that we cannot live without these amazing marine creatures.” ,” he said.

Reference: “Just keep swimming? Observation of resting behavior of gray reef sharks Medicaginus Ambryrrhinchus (Bleeker, 1856)” by Robert W. Block, Craig Foster, and James S.E. Lee, November 20, 2023, Fish Biology Journal.
DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15623

Source: scitechdaily.com

Insights from AI: How Oxygen is Produced on Mars

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Recent breakthroughs in using robotic AI chemists to synthesize oxygen on Mars and create OER catalysts from Martian meteorites mark an important step towards realizing the dream of colonizing Mars. This technology promises to establish oxygen factories on Mars and bring human habitation on Earth closer to reality.Credit: AI Chemistry Group, University of Science and Technology of China

AI chemists have successfully created a catalyst that produces oxygen from a Martian meteorite.

continue to live with immigration to Mars It has often been used as a theme in science fiction. Before these dreams become a reality, humanity faces significant challenges, including a lack of critical resources such as oxygen needed for long-term survival on Mars. However, recent discoveries about water activity on Mars offer new hope for overcoming these obstacles.

Scientists are currently investigating the possibility of splitting water to produce oxygen through electrochemical water oxidation driven by solar energy with the help of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts. . The challenge is to find a way to synthesize these catalysts in situ using Martian materials, rather than having to transport them from Earth, which is costly.

Advances in AI and Mars chemistry

To address this problem, a team led by Professor Luo Yi, Professor Jiang Jun, and Professor Shang Weiwei from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) recently made it possible to: Use a robotic artificial intelligence (AI) chemist to automatically synthesize and optimize his OER catalyst from Martian meteorites.

Their research, in collaboration with the Deep Space Exploration Institute, was recently published in the journal. Natural synthesis.

“AI chemists will innovatively synthesize OER catalysts using Martian materials based on interdisciplinary collaboration,” said Professor Luo Yi, the team’s lead scientist.

In each experimental cycle, AI chemists first use laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) as an eye to analyze the elemental composition of Martian ores. The ore is then subjected to a series of pretreatments, including weighing in a solids distribution workstation, preparing a feed solution in a liquid distribution workstation, separating it from the liquid in a centrifugation workstation, and solidifying it in a drying workstation. Masu.

A robotic AI chemist uses a Martian meteorite to create a useful oxygen-producing catalyst.Credit: AI Chemistry Group, University of Science and Technology of China

The resulting metal hydroxide is treated with Nafion adhesive to prepare a working electrode for OER testing in an electrochemical workstation. Test data is sent in real time to the AI chemist’s computational “brain”, machine learning (ML) Processing.

The AI chemist’s “brain” employs quantum chemistry and molecular dynamics simulations on 30,000 high-entropy hydroxides with different elemental ratios and calculates their OER catalytic activity via density functional theory. The simulation data is used to train a neural network model to rapidly predict the activity of catalysts at different elemental compositions.

Finally, through Bayesian optimization, the “brain” predicts the combination of available Martian ores needed to synthesize the optimal OER catalyst.

Achieving breakthrough advances in oxygen production

So far, AI chemists have used five types of Martian meteorites to create successful catalysts under unmanned conditions. This catalyst operates stably for more than 550,000 s at a current density of 10 mA cm.^-2 Overvoltage is 445.1 mV. Further tests at -37 degrees Celsius, the temperature of Mars, confirmed that the catalyst could stably produce oxygen without any obvious degradation.

In less than two months, AI chemists completed a complex optimization of a catalyst that would have taken a human chemist 2000 years.

The team is working on turning AI chemist into a common experimental platform for performing various chemical syntheses without human intervention. The paper’s reviewers praised the paper, saying, “This type of research is of widespread interest and is rapidly progressing in the synthesis and discovery of organic/inorganic materials.”

“In the future, humans will be able to establish oxygen factories on Mars with the help of AI chemists,” Zhang said. It takes just 15 hours of sunlight to produce sufficient oxygen concentrations for human survival. “This breakthrough technology brings us one step closer to realizing our dream of living on Mars,” he said.

Reference: “Automatic synthesis of oxygen production catalyst from Martian meteorite by robot AI chemist” Qing Zhu, Yan Huang, Donglai Zhou, Lyuan Zhao, Lulu Guo, Ruyu Yang, Zixu Sun, Man Luo, Fei Zhang, Hengyu Xiao , Xinsheng Tang, Xchun Zhang, Tao Song, Xiang Li, Baochen Chong, Junyi Zhang, Yihan Zhang, Baicheng Zhang, Jiaqi Cao, Guozhen Zhang, Song Wang, Guilin Ye, Wanjun Zhang, Haitao Zhao, Shuang Cong, Huiron Li, Li – Li Ling, Zhe Zhang, Weiwei Shang, Jun Jiang, Yi Luo, November 13, 2023, natural synthesis.
DOI: 10.1038/s44160-023-00424-1

Source: scitechdaily.com

Unexpected star formation driven by dwarf galaxies discovered

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

A University of Michigan astronomer, Sally Ooi, led a study on the star-forming regions of the host galaxy NGC 2366, a typical dwarf irregular galaxy. This study was credited to the Observatorio de Calar Alto, J. van Eymeren (AIRUB, ATNF), and Á.R. López Sánchez. As it turns out, dwarf galaxies such as NGC 2366 experience a delay in expelling gas, which allows for the star-forming regions to hold onto gas and dust longer, promoting the formation and development of more stars. This delays the onset of strong superwinds by 10 million years, resulting in more active star formation. This discovery was published in the Astrophysical Journal.

This delay offers astronomers a unique opportunity to study a scenario similar to the dawn of the universe, when ultraviolet light begins to ionize hydrogen, changing the universe from opaque to transparent. By observing low-metallicity dwarf galaxies with large amounts of ultraviolet radiation, scientists can gain insight into these early stages of the universe. The use of new technology from the Hubble Space Telescope allows researchers to observe the light of triple ionized carbon in these galaxies. This observational evidence supports the delayed onset of strong superwinds and a greater amount of ultraviolet radiation in these galaxies.

Thanks to these discoveries, scientists may gain a better understanding of the nature of galaxies seen at the dawn of the universe. This information could be important for the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope. The study was published in the Astrophysical Journal and the Astrophysics Journal Letter. The research team involved in these studies included Michelle C. Jecmen, MS Oey, Amit N. Sawant, Ashkviz Danekar, Sergiy Silic, Linda J. Smith, Jens Melinder, Klaus Reiter, Matthew Hayes, Anne E. Jascott, Daniela Calzetti, Yu-Hua Chu, and Bethan L. James. Ultimately, these findings provide valuable insight into the formation and development of stars in low-metallicity dwarf galaxies.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Uncovering the Astonishing Facts about Ancient Bead-Like Fossils

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have determined that a mysterious fruit first discovered in the 1970s is the oldest known frankincense fossil. Scale bar = 2 mm.
Credit: Stephen Manchester

Mysterious fossils discovered in India in the 1970s have been identified as part of the Frankincense family, suggesting a Southern Hemisphere origin and reshaping our understanding of plant evolution. In the early 1970s, paleontologists working on the outskirts of an Indian village discovered tiny bead-like fossils embedded in the gray chert that dotted the surrounding fields. The site was notorious for the discovery of hard-to-identify plant fossils, including the fruits of extinct creatures. The fossils have been named “Enigmocarpon”.

The new fossils proved to be similarly frustratingly unwieldy. More plants were discovered in India in subsequent decades, but scientists were unable to determine which type of plant they belonged to.

A breakthrough in fossil identification: Now, researchers say they have solved the mystery. Stephen Manchester, curator of paleobotany at the Florida Museum of Natural History, used CT scanning technology to create his 3D reconstructions of the original fossil specimens and other specimens collected since then. He showed this to his colleagues and noticed something strange about his five triangular seeds inside.

Before the widespread use of CT scans in paleontology, these small fossils, less than 10 mm in diameter, were particularly difficult to study and identify. “When I showed him the 3-D images, he said, ‘Those aren’t seeds. They’re pyrenes,'” Manchester said with Walter Judd, curator of botany at the Florida Museum. I remembered the conversation. Pyrene is a woody dispersal pod that provides an additional layer of protection to the seeds. Distinguishing between seeds and pyrenes requires close scrutiny, especially when they are the size of a snowflake.

“If we had a specimen that broke in just the right plane, we would have been able to identify it, but we couldn’t identify it with the material we had,” Manchester said. Although they may look like seeds, these woody structures are actually pyrenes, similar to the stones found in peaches and date palms.

Frankincense family connection: Only a few plant groups produce pyrene, and even fewer have fruits containing five seeds arranged in a pentagram. Through a process of elimination, Manchester and Judd determined that the fossils belonged to the frankincense family, an extinct member of the Kansas family. Fossilized trees, leaves, fruits, and flowers of this family have been found elsewhere in India, often sandwiched between thick basalt slabs created by the largest volcanic eruptions in Earth’s history.

Geological background and importance: At that time, India was an island off the southeast coast of Africa. India’s continental plate slowly moved toward Europe and Asia, breaking the seal of a thin layer of Earth’s crust as it passed through Madagascar. The fossils were preserved during a quiet period between eruptions, which makes it the oldest fossil of the Kansidae family ever discovered, and has important implications for the origin of the family. Scientists have a good idea of when this group of plants first evolved, but it’s still unclear where they came from.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Excessive Cannabis Use Associated with Numerous Health Problems According to New Study

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

A Yale University study that analyzed the genomes of more than 1 million people revealed genetic factors associated with cannabis use disorder and potential links to psychiatric problems, substance abuse, and lung cancer risk. The importance of understanding the health effects is emphasized.Credit: Illustration by Michael S. Helfenbein

A comprehensive study conducted by researchers at Yale University and involving the analysis of the genomes of more than 1 million people has provided new insights into the biology of cannabis use disorder. The study also investigated links to various mental illnesses, the propensity to abuse other substances such as tobacco, and the potential increased risk of lung cancer associated with cannabis use.

For this study, researchers analyzed genome-wide genetic variation in individuals from multiple ancestry groups enrolled in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Million Veterans Program, one of the world’s largest genetic databases. set and incorporated additional information from several other genomic databases. . They were able to identify dozens of genetic variants associated with cannabis use disorder, as well as a variety of behavioral and health problems associated with cannabis use disorder.

Understand the risks of marijuana use

The study was led by Daniel Levey, assistant professor of psychiatry, and Joel Gelernter, Foundation Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience, and was published Nov. 20 in the journal Psychiatry. natural genetics.

“Understanding the biology of cannabis use disorder can help us better understand associated disorders and inform the public about the risks associated with cannabis use,” said Levy, lead author of the study. .

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, marijuana is the most commonly used federally illegal drug in the United States, with more than 48 million people (18% of Americans) using marijuana at least once in 2019. There is. Previous research has shown that approximately one-third of marijuana users develop cannabis use disorder, a pattern of problematic cannabis use that results in clinically significant impairment and distress. Defined.

Genetic factors and health risks associated with cannabis use

The new findings provide insight into the genetic factors underlying this phenomenon and other health risks that may be associated.

For example, researchers found that variants in genes encoding three different types of receptors on neurons are associated with an increased risk of developing cannabis use disorder.

They found that these mutations associated with cannabis use disorder were also associated with the development of lung cancer. However, the authors added that more research is needed to distinguish the effects of marijuana use from the effects of tobacco use and other environmental factors on cancer diagnosis.

“This is the largest genome-wide study of cannabis use disorder ever conducted, and as more states legalize or decriminalize marijuana use, studies like this one will “This could help us understand the public health risks associated with this increase,” said Gelernter.

Reference: “Multi-ancestral genome-wide association study of cannabis use disorder provides insight into disease biology and public health implications” Daniel F. Levey, Marco Galimberti, Joseph D. Dieck, Frank R. Wendt, Arjun Bhattacharya, Dora Koller, Kelly M. Harrington, Rachel Quaden, Emma C. Johnson, Priya Gupta, Mahantesh Birader, Max Lamb, Megan Cook, Veera M. Rajagopal, Stephanie LL Empke, Han Zhou, Yaira Z. Nunez, Henry R. Kranzler, Howard J. Edenberg, Alpana Agrawal, Jordan W. Smaller, Todd Lentz, David M. Hougaard, Anders D. Borglum, Ditte Demotis, Veterans Affairs Million – Veterans Program, J. Michael Gaziano, Michael J. Gandal, Renato Polimanti, Murray B. Stein, Joel Gelernter, November 20, 2023, natural genetics.
DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01563-z

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Ancient migration revealed in Balkan genome

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

An international research team has unraveled the complex genomic history of the Balkans since Roman times, revealing a mix of Anatolian and Slavic influences. The study combines ancient DNA analysis with historical and archaeological data to show how migration and Roman imperial policies have shaped the genetic makeup of the modern-day Balkan population.

Credit: SciTechDaily.com

Interdisciplinary research reveals the genomic history of the Balkans, highlighting the significant impact of Anatolian and Slavic migrations during and after the Roman Empire. This study highlights a shared demographic history across the Balkans.

An interdisciplinary study led by Spain’s Institute of Evolutionary Biology (a joint center between Spain’s National Research Council and Pompeu Fabra University), the University of Belgrade in Serbia, the University of Western Ontario in Canada, and Harvard University in the United States. We reconstruct the genomic history of the Balkans during the first millennium of the Common Era, a time and place of major demographic, cultural, and linguistic changes.

The research team recovered and analyzed whole-genome data from 146 ancient humans excavated primarily in Serbia and Croatia. More than a third of these came from the Roman border area at the huge ruins of Viminacium in Serbia. The data were jointly analyzed. the rest of the Balkans and neighboring areas.

Works published in magazines cellhighlights the cosmopolitanism of the Roman frontier and the long-term effects of migration that accompanied the collapse of Roman rule, including the arrival of Slavic-speaking peoples.archaeological DNA It has become clear that, despite being divided by nation-state boundaries, the populations of the Balkans have been shaped by common demographic processes.

Reconstruction of the amphitheater at the ruins of Viminacium. Credit: Boris Hammer

During the Roman Empire, there was a large influx of people from the east into the Balkans, much of it from the Eastern Mediterranean and even from East Africa.

After Rome occupied the Balkans, this border area became a crossroads that would eventually lead to 26 Roman emperors. Among them was Constantine the Great, who founded the city of Constantinople and moved the capital of his empire to the eastern Balkans.

The researchers’ analysis of ancient DNA shows that people of Anatolian descent made a significant demographic contribution during Roman rule, leaving a long-term genetic imprint on the Balkans. This ancestral migration is very similar to what happened in the megacity of Rome itself, the original core of the empire, in previous studies, but it is noteworthy that this also happened on the periphery of the Roman Empire. .

and so on…

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Astrophysicists uncover the reason behind the absence of spiral galaxies in our supergalactic plane

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Astrophysicists have discovered why spiral galaxies like the Milky Way are rare in the supergalactic plane, a dense region of our local universe. The study, led by Durham University and the University of Helsinki, used simulations on the SIBELIUS supercomputer to show that dense galaxy clusters on a plane frequently merge, transforming spiral galaxies into elliptical galaxies. The discovery is consistent with telescope observations, supports the Standard Model of the Universe, and helps explain long-standing cosmic anomalies in the distribution of galaxies.

Astrophysicists say they have found the answer to why spiral galaxies are similar to our galaxy

This image showing an elliptical galaxy (left) and a spiral galaxy (right) includes near-infrared light from the James Webb Space Telescope and ultraviolet and visible light from the Hubble Space Telescope. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, Rogier Windhorst (ASU), William Keel (University of Alabama), Stuart Wyithe (University of Melbourne), JWST PEARLS team, Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

Evolution of galaxies in dense star clusters

In dense galaxy clusters in supergalactic planes, galaxies frequently experience interactions and mergers with other galaxies. This transforms the spiral galaxy into an elliptical galaxy (a smooth galaxy with no obvious internal structure or spiral arms), leading to the growth of a supermassive black hole.

In contrast, away from the plane, galaxies can evolve in relative isolation, which helps maintain their spiral structure.

Innovative simulations and important discoveries

Research results will be published in a magazine natural astronomy.

The Milky Way is part of a supergalactic plane that includes several giant galaxy clusters and thousands of individual galaxies. Most of the galaxies found here are elliptical galaxies.

The research team used the SIBELIUS (Simulations Beyond the Local Universe) supercomputer simulation, which tracks the evolution of the universe over 13.8 billion years, from the beginning of the universe to the present.

Distribution of the brightest galaxies in the local universe. observed in the 2MASS survey (left panel) and reproduced in the SIBELIUS simulation (right panel). Both panels show projections in supergalactic coordinates down to about 100 megaparsecs (Mpc). The nearly vertical stripes of the sky represent the region of the sky hidden behind our Milky Way galaxy. The simulation accurately reproduces the structure seen in the local universe.Credit: Dr. Thiru Sawala

While most cosmological simulations consider random patches of the universe and cannot be directly compared to observations, SIBELIUS aims to accurately reproduce observed structures, including supergalactic planes. . The final simulation is in remarkable agreement with telescopic observations of the universe.

Contribution and significance of research

Study co-author Professor Carlos Frenk, Ogden Professor of Fundamental Physics at Durham University’s Institute of Computational Cosmology, said:

“This is rare, but not a complete anomaly. Our simulations reveal details of galaxy formation, such as the change from spirals to ellipses due to galaxy mergers.”

“Furthermore, the simulations show that the Standard Model of the Universe, which is based on the idea that most of the mass of the Universe is cold dark matter, is one of the most remarkable structures in the Universe, including the magnificent structure of which the Milky Way Galaxy forms part. This shows that the structure can be reproduced.”

The unusual separation of spiral and elliptical galaxies in the local universe has been known since the 1960s and was included in a recent list of “cosmic anomalies” compiled by renowned cosmologist and 2019 Nobel Prize winner Professor Jim Peebles. prominently mentioned.

Study lead author Dr Thiru Sawala, a postdoctoral fellow at Durham University and the University of Helsinki, said: lecture.

“Then we realized that simulations had already been completed that might contain the answer. Our research shows that the known mechanisms of galaxy evolution also work in this unique cosmic environment. Masu.”

Reference: “A distinct distribution of elliptical and disk galaxies across local superclusters as a ΛCDM prediction” by Til Sawalha, Carlos Frenk, Jens Jachet, Peter H. Johansson, and Guillem Laveau, 2023. 11 20th of the month, natural astronomy.
DOI: 10.1038/s41550-023-02130-6

The supercomputer simulations were run on the Cosmology Machine (COSMA 8) supercomputer hosted by Durham University’s Institute for Computational Cosmology on behalf of the UK’s DiRAC high-performance computing facility, and on CSC’s Mahti supercomputer in Finland. .

This research was funded by the European Research Council, the Academy of Finland, and the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Exploring the Cosmic Landscape: Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

This Copernicus Sentinel 2 image shows the Nueva Vizcaya province in the Philippines, highlighting its agricultural landscape and urban areas through a false color composite. The image depicts different seasons in different colors, revealing intricate details about crop growth stages, flooded rice fields, and urbanization. Credit: Contains corrected Copernicus Sentinel data (2022-23) processed by ESA. CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

This pseudocolor satellite image from Copernicus Sentinel 2 brightens the center of Nueva Vizcaya province on Luzon, the Philippines’ largest and most populous island.

The image’s color is due to it being a multitemporal composite consisting of three Copernicus Sentinel 2 images acquired in the mission’s near-infrared channel over a 10-month period. Each acquisition is assigned a different color. Red is the acquisition in May 2022 during the hot dry season, green is the acquisition in September 2022 during the rainy season, and blue is the acquisition in March 2023 during the cool dry season.

This combination highlights different characteristics such as crop type and changes that occur between acquisitions indicating different growth stages.

A patchwork of brightly colored farmland stands out from the center of the image to the bottom left. Areas of red and green shades mean that plant growth took place in May and September, respectively. The fields visible in shades of blue, which make up most of the image, indicate that plant growth occurred mainly in March, during the cool dry season.

Perhaps due to intensive rice production, there are irrigation canals between the fields, and most fields remain flooded all year round. A bright white area, such as the one in the middle of a field, indicates a zone covered with dense vegetation.

Straight lines and gray areas represent roads and urban areas. These include Nueva Vizcaya’s largest town, Solano, visible in the lower left surrounded by blue fields, and Bayombong, the provincial capital further south.

The dark curving lines represent rivers, the largest of which is the Magat River, flowing northeast through the image. If you look closely, you can see different colors along the river’s flow. This is probably due to changes in water levels and river channels at different times of the year.

Copernicus Sentinel 2 has 13 spectral channels and is designed to provide data that can be used to map and monitor agricultural land, as the mission frequently revisits the same areas and has high spatial resolution. , changes in inland waters can be closely monitored.

In January 2023, ESA and the European Commission signed an agreement to build the first Copernicus mirror site in Southeast Asia in the Philippines. This new initiative will strengthen the Philippines’ response capacity and resilience to natural and man-made disasters through the strategic use of space data.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Scientists Baffled by Mummified Rat Found on 20,000-Foot Volcano: How Could Anything Be Living There?

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

A view from the top of Sarin Volcano, one of three volcanoes in the Andes where researchers discovered the mummified corpse of a rat. The combined analysis of mummies and the capture of live specimens suggests that the rodents are able to climb Mars-like peaks on their own and somehow survive there.

This study rules out any connection to Inca rituals and suggests that the rats ascended independently.

At the top of a 6,000-foot volcano in the middle of the driest desert on earth, the environment was harsh and unforgiving. Temperatures were consistently below freezing, oxygen levels were less than half that at sea level, and strong winds whipped over the mountaintops across the sparse, rocky terrain.

In the 1970s and 1980s, carcasses of several rats were first discovered during expeditions to several Andean peaks, and researchers believed that the rodents must have hitchhiked with the Incas. It was initially thought that these pinnacles served as altars for the ceremonial sacrifice of children to the Inca gods. This led to the assumption that the rats probably rushed into the firewood and other supplies that the Incas had hauled up the slopes, or they were sometimes among the animals sacrificed along with humans.

In early 2020, a live specimen of a hedgehog was captured at the 22,000-foot peak of Lullillaco, a volcano that straddles the Chilean-Argentine border, casting doubt on the initial hypothesis. The analysis of mummified corpses, combined with the capture of live specimens discovered across the Andes, confirmed that the rats ascended the volcanoes independently. The capture of additional live specimens and the study of the mummies further solidified the evidence that the rats are able to survive at such high altitudes.

Further research and analysis are underway to understand the genetic insights and mysterious survival of the rats and to determine what drives rats to such high altitudes. The researchers are working to answer the ongoing question of why the rats rise to such extreme altitudes in the first place. This research was funded by grants.

Source: scitechdaily.com

The potential benefits of vibrating tablets in managing obesity by promoting a feeling of fullness in the stomach

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

The tablet contains a vibration motor powered by a small silver oxide battery. When stomach acid reaches the intestines, the outer layer of stomach acid dissolves. This closes the electronic circuit and begins to vibrate.

Shriya Srinivasan, Giovanni Traverso, MIT News

A vibrating drug that tricks the brain into thinking it’s full could one day treat obesity. This approach is significantly less invasive than gastric bypass surgery, and may be cheaper and have fewer side effects than drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic.

Giovanni Traverso Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a pill that is about the same size as a standard multivitamin. The tablet contains a vibrating motor powered by a small silver oxide battery that is safe to swallow. When the tablet reaches your intestines, stomach acid dissolves the outer layer of the tablet. This closes the electronic circuit and begins to vibrate.

In experiments with pigs, some of the animals were given the tablets 20 minutes before being fed. These pigs ate about 40 percent less than pigs that were not given the tablets. They also had higher levels of hormones in their blood that typically signal a feeling of fullness.

Researchers believe the pill has potential as a treatment for obesity and hope to test it in humans “soon,” Traverso said. “This is a huge health problem, affecting more than 40 percent of the U.S. population, for example.”

He says the pill’s vibrations activate the same receptors that sense when the stomach lining expands after a large meal, sending a signal to the brain that you’re full. The prototype version vibrates for 30 minutes until the battery dies and passes on its own.

Traverso said future versions could be adapted to stay in the stomach semi-permanently and be turned on and off wirelessly as needed. She said people will likely react differently to the device, but it typically turns on automatically for short periods of time each day to reduce appetite, or is controlled by a smartphone app to suppress hunger pangs. It is also possible to do so.

Previous research by the same group found that Electrical stimulation of the stomach lining can actually cause hunger pangs, may lead to the treatment of anorexia in cancer patients. “I think this is really exciting because we’re just learning what we can do by stimulating different parts of the gastrointestinal tract in different ways.” [gastrointestinal] Traverso says. “When we eat, we feel full, but the question is can we induce that feeling of fullness? Can we create that illusion?

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Solving the Enigma of Polycrystalline Materials

Posted on December 22, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Researchers have used AI to uncover new insights into dislocations in polycrystalline materials, challenging existing scientific models and paving the way for improved material performance in electronics and solar cells. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

scientists of Nagoya University A Japanese research team is conducting research to understand tiny defects called dislocations in polycrystalline materials, materials widely used in information devices, solar cells, electronic devices, etc., that can reduce device efficiency. A new method was discovered using artificial intelligence.The research results were published in a magazine advanced materials.

Challenge of polycrystalline materials

Almost all devices we use in modern life contain polycrystalline components. From smartphones to computers to car metals and ceramics. Nevertheless, polycrystalline materials are difficult to utilize due to their complex structures. In addition to its composition, the performance of polycrystalline materials is affected by its complex microstructure, dislocations, and impurities.

A major problem when using polycrystals in industry is the formation of small crystal defects caused by stress and temperature changes. These are known as dislocations and can disrupt the regular arrangement of atoms in the lattice, affecting electrical conduction and overall performance. Understanding the formation of these dislocations is important to reduce the likelihood of failure in devices using polycrystalline materials.

Researchers used 3D models created by AI to understand complex polycrystalline materials used in everyday electronics.Credit: Kenta Yamakoshi

AI-powered discovery

A research team led by Professor Noritaka Usa of Nagoya University and consisting of Lecturer Tatsuya Yokoi, Associate Professor Hiroaki Kudo, and other collaborators is using new AI to investigate polycrystalline silicon, which is widely used in solar panels. We analyzed image data of a material called . AI created his 3D model in virtual space and helped the team identify areas where dislocation clusters were affecting the material’s performance.

After identifying regions of dislocation clusters, the researchers used electron microscopy and theoretical calculations to understand how these regions formed. They revealed the stress distribution within the crystal lattice and discovered a step-like structure at the boundaries between grains. These structures are thought to induce dislocations during crystal growth. “We discovered a special nanostructure in the crystal that is related to dislocations in the polycrystalline structure,” Professor Usami said.

Impact on crystal growth science

In addition to practical implications, this study may also have important implications for the science of crystal growth and deformation. The Hasen-Alexander-Smino (HAS) model is an influential theoretical framework used to understand the behavior of dislocations in materials. However, Professor Usami believes that he has discovered a dislocation that was missed by the Hasen-Alexander-Kakuno model.

New insights into the arrangement of atoms

Another surprise soon followed, as when the team calculated the arrangement of atoms within these structures, they discovered unexpectedly large tensile bond strains along the edges of the stepped structures that caused the creation of dislocations. .

Usami explains: “As experts who have been doing this research for years, we were surprised and excited to finally see evidence of the presence of dislocations in these structures. This suggests that we can control the formation of

Conclusions and implications for the future

“By extracting and analyzing, nanoscale “By combining experiment, theory, and AI, polycrystalline materials informatics has made it possible for the first time to elucidate phenomena in complex polycrystalline materials,” Usami continued. “This research is expected to shed light on the path towards establishing universal guidelines for high-performance materials and contribute to the creation of innovative polycrystalline materials. It extends beyond batteries to everything from ceramics to solar cells. semiconductor. Polycrystalline materials are widely used in society, and improving their performance has the potential to bring about social change. ”

Reference: “Polycrystalline informatics for polycrystalline silicon to elucidate the microscopic root cause of dislocation generation” Kenta Yamagoe, Yutaka Ohno, Kentaro Kutsukake, Takuto Kojima, Tatsuya Yokoi, Hideto Yoshida, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Liu Kin, Hiroaki Kudo, Noritaka Usa, December 2, 2023 advanced materials.
DOI: 10.1002/adma.202308599

Source: scitechdaily.com

Artificial Intelligence Can Mimic Human Faces Better Than Real Humans

Posted on December 22, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

One study found that AI-generated white faces were perceived as more realistic than real human faces, and there were significant differences in the realism of AI faces for people of color. This trend is believed to be due to bias in AI training, raising concerns about reinforcing racial bias and spreading misinformation. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

A study reveals that AI-generated white faces are more realistic than real human faces, raising concerns about potential racial bias and misinformation in AI technology.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has reached a point where white faces created by AI now appear more real than human faces, according to a study conducted by experts at the Australian National University (ANU).

This study found that more people perceived AI-generated white faces as human compared to real human faces, with a different outcome for images of people of color.

Dr. Amy Dowell, the lead author, explained that the disproportionate training of AI algorithms on white faces contributed to this disparity.

Impact of AI Realism

Dr. Dowell expressed concern about the potential impact of consistently perceiving white AI faces as more realistic, especially in reinforcing racial bias online and its impact on people of color.

This image was generated by AI, specifically Midjourney V5.2. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

Understanding AI “Hyperrealism”

Researchers pointed out the problem of AI’s “hyperrealism,” where people often mistake AI faces for real human faces without realizing it.

The study also identified physical differences between AI and human faces that people tend to misinterpret, highlighting the need for transparency in AI technology.

Potential Consequences

This trend has serious implications for the prevalence of misinformation and identity theft, and the researchers emphasize the importance of increasing transparency around AI technologies and raising public awareness. Source: Psychological Science, Journal of the Psychological Science Association.

Reference: “AI Hyperrealism: Why AI faces are perceived as more realistic than human faces” Elizabeth J. Miller, Ben A. Steward, Zach Witkower, Claire AM Sutherland, Eva G. Kramhuber , by Amy Dowell, November 12, 2023; Psychological Science. DOI: 10.1177/09567976231207095

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New approach uncovers the complete chemical complexity of quantum decoherence

Posted on December 22, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Rochester researchers have reported a strategy for understanding how molecules in completely chemically complex solvents lose their quantum coherence. This discovery opens the door to rational tuning of quantum coherence through chemical design and functionalization.

Credit: Annie Ostau de Lafon

This discovery can be used to design molecules with custom quantum coherence properties, laying the chemical basis for new quantum technologies.

In quantum mechanics, particles can exist in multiple states at the same time, which defies the logic of everyday experience. This property, known as quantum superposition, is the basis for new quantum technologies that promise to transform computing, communications, and sensing. However, quantum superposition faces a serious challenge: quantum decoherence. During this process, interaction with the surrounding environment disrupts the delicate superposition of quantum states.

Quantum decoherence challenges

To unlock the power of chemistry and build complex molecular architectures for practical quantum applications, scientists need to understand and control quantum decoherence so they can engineer molecules with specific quantum coherence properties. must be. To do so, we need to know how to rationally modify the chemical structure of molecules to modulate or alleviate quantum decoherence. To do this, scientists need to know the “spectral density,” a quantity that summarizes the speed at which the environment moves and the strength of its interactions with the quantum system.

A breakthrough in spectral density measurement

Until now, quantifying this spectral density in a way that accurately reflects molecular complexity has remained difficult in theory and experiment. However, a team of scientists has developed a way to extract the spectral density of molecules in a solvent using a simple resonance Raman experiment, a method that fully captures the complexity of the chemical environment.

A team led by Ignacio Franco, an associate professor of chemistry and physics at the University of Rochester, published their findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Relationship between molecular structure and quantum decoherence

Using the extracted spectral density, we can not only understand how quickly decoherence occurs, but also determine which parts of the chemical environment are primarily responsible for decoherence. As a result, scientists can now map decoherence pathways and link molecular structure to quantum decoherence.

“Chemistry is built on the idea that molecular structure determines the chemical and physical properties of matter. This principle guides the modern design of molecules for medical, agricultural, and energy applications.” Using our strategy, we can finally begin to develop chemical design principles for emerging quantum technologies,” said Ignacio Gustin, a chemistry graduate student at the University of Rochester and lead author of the study.

Resonant Raman experiments: an important tool

The breakthrough came when the team realized that resonance Raman experiments provided all the information needed to study decoherence in its full chemical complexity. Although such experiments are routinely used to study photophysics and photochemistry, their usefulness for quantum decoherence had not been evaluated. The key insight was shared by David McCamant, an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Rochester and an expert in Raman spectroscopy, and Jang Woo Kim, currently on the faculty at Chonnam National University in South Korea and an expert in quantum decoherence. This became clear from the discussion. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Rochester.

Case study: Thymine decoherence

The researchers used their method to show for the first time how the superposition of electrons in thymine, one of the building blocks of humans, occurs. DNA, it takes only 30 femtoseconds (one femtosecond is one billionth of a billionth of a second) after absorbing ultraviolet light. They found that some vibrations within the molecule were dominant in the early stages of the decoherence process, while the solvent was dominant in the later stages. Furthermore, they found that chemical modifications to thymine significantly altered the decoherence rate, with hydrogen bonding interactions near the thymine ring resulting in more rapid decoherence.

Future implications and applications

Ultimately, the team’s research paves the way to understanding the chemical principles governing quantum decoherence. “We are excited to use this strategy to finally understand quantum decoherence in molecules of full chemical complexity and use it to develop molecules with robust coherence properties.” Franco said.

Reference: “Mapping the intramolecular electron decoherence pathway” by Ignacio Gustin, Chan Woo Kim, David W. McCamant, and Ignacio Franco, November 28, 2023. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309987120

Source: scitechdaily.com